Dec 28

The Temptation of Jesus Christ – Part III

Living in Christ Comments Off

Matthew 4:8-11

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

The devil yet again took Jesus to an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. The worldly grandeur that the satan displayed was nothing for Jesus and it is all in His hands and in His control. Colossians 1:16-17 says, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Satan is trying its last trick as desperately as he could. Jesus, the Son of God came to do the will of His Father and the Father sent Jesus to earth to bear the human form to take away the sin of the world. John 6:38 says, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”  The promise of God that He will be with us is sent to us through Emmanuel which being interpreted means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) and we are here to do the will of God. The satan may try every fiery dart to pull us down, but we will NOT fall for its tricks for we have the Lord God with us. If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). We will not get carried away by satan’s lies, nor the flashy things he shows us because these are all sure to fade away but the love of God is forever, never failing, always abounding and always refreshing!

Satan said to Jesus, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” What a lie! Satan wanted Jesus to fall down and worship him. It is not in satan’s hands to give all that to Jesus; they are already His and were created by God the Father when Jesus was with Him. We should never fall for the words of satan or the fake promises of the satan. Jesus said “Get thee hence, Satan”! The word hence implies “therefore”; so there is a strong reason He rebuked the satan in this way. Exodus 20:5 says, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them”; in other words, we are not to bow down or serve anybody or anything but only the Lord God. This is the first commandment in the Ten Commandments that the Lord God has given to Moses. This is the reason Jesus rebuked the enemy to get away. He immediately applied the Word of God. If Jesus used the Word of God alone to fight against the enemy, should we be trying to use any other source? Absolutely not! Word of God should be our means of living; it is the standard for us; by the Word we can win any fierce battle against the enemy. In Jude 1:9 we see that Michael the archangel was contending against the devil over the body of Moses and said: “The Lord rebuke thee”. Yes, we cannot rebuke the enemy all by ourselves but He rebukes the devil and so when we rebuke the devil, we should do it in the name of Jesus Christ. We see in Acts 16:18 that Paul the apostle commanded the spirit of divination to leave a damsel in the mighty name of Jesus.

After Jesus commanded the devil to leave speaking the Word of God, the devil immediately left and the angels ministered unto Him. In the same way, we see that the spirit of divination left the damsel the same hour Paul rebuked it in the name of Jesus. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” His name is a STRONG TOWER. Let us run into it and be safe! The Lord Jesus Christ when He lived on earth used the Word of God to combat the satan and his evil wiles; let us beautify ourselves with the wonderful Word that we may win against the enemy when he attacks us.

Next: Peninnah’s Provocation

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Dec 27

The Temptation of Jesus Christ – Part II

Living in Christ Comments Off

Matthew 4:5-7

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

The devil took Jesus to the Holy City and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple and said, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down”. Also the devil quotes the scripture from Psalm 91:11-12 that says, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” The devil knew that Jesus is a God of the Word and hence quoted the scriptures to tempt Him. Look here too he starts with saying, “If thou be the Son of God…” The devil is trying its very best to raise a doubt in Jesus’ heart about the Word spoken by the Lord God that Jesus is the Son of God in whom the Lord God delights greatly. The enemy tempts us on and on; he doesn’t try once and let you go our way; he will try many times and every time he comes our way, we should be ready with the whole armor of God so we can win the spiritual battle against the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 clearly says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Let us remember that our war is against all this evil forces. Unless we are fully armored, we cannot win this great battle. We need to be decked with truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation, Spirit of God and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17) to win this deadly battle against the enemy. We should not only be prepared for the battle but we should also go for the battle with all these wonderful weaponry on us, in us and around us!

Lord Jesus Christ quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16: “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.” Massah means testing. Israelites chided with Moses when they did not have water to drink in the wilderness and they tempted the Lord their God saying “Is the Lord among us?” as it says in Exodus 17:7. When Israelites journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land, they passed through the wilderness; they complained against Moses and tempted the Lord many times. When we are in our wilderness i.e. undergoing a trial in our life, are we complaining and tempting the Lord or do we trust Him to get us through? Unlike the Israelites, the Lord Jesus immediately recognized that the devil was tempting Him by asking Him to cast Himself down. Let us also recognize the enemy when it comes to us in a cunning way by using Bible verses. We should seek the Lord’s wisdom at all times; otherwise it is easy to get trapped by the enemy. In our trials let us praise and worship the Lord and glorify Him so that the enemy flees away from us.

While what the enemy quoted from Psalm 91 is true, we should not take His promise to tempt the Lord. Yes, He will charge His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways but we should not take this promise to put ourselves in the way of the enemy. Let us seek the Lord and His strength; Let us seek His face evermore (Psalm 105:4). Without His strength, we are sure to get carried away by the enemy’s glamorous temptations. They look glamorous on the outside, but what is inside is sure to lead us to damnation. May the Lord provide us with His strength to resist the enemy!

 Next: The Temptation of Jesus Christ – Part III

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Dec 26

The Temptation of Jesus Christ – Part I

Living in Christ Comments Off

Matthew 4:1-4

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. He had fasted forty days and forty nights and afterwards was hungry. Just before this, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and lighted upon Him. Matthew 3:16-17 says, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Lord God declared that Jesus was His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased. The God of Glory declared Jesus as His beloved Son and nobody can take it away! The devil wanted to take that which God declared and see if he can raise a doubt in Jesus Christ. Devil waited for an opportunity to tempt Jesus. He knew very well that Jesus was hungry after His forty days and forty nights of fasting. Remember, the devil does the same to us. He (devil) waits for an opportunity to tempt us; the more we dwell with the Lord Jesus, the more he wants to try and pull us away from the one we so love. Just as he took the words of Lord God about Jesus as the Son of God and used them to tempt Jesus, he will tempt us with the promises that God gave us i.e., His promise to forgive us of our sins, His promise to free us of our guilt, His promise to pardon our iniquities, His promise to blot our transgressions, His promise to heal us, His promise to take away our fears and anxieties and so on and so forth. If we believe and trust in our heart that the promises given by God are for our sakes and that He will keep His promises, the devil out there will try raising a doubt in your hearts saying, “If you are forgiven…, or if you are freed by Jesus…”, or some other such deceptive trick. Be adorned by the Word of God and then you certainly will win the battle against the enemy.

Jesus answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. He quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3 which says, “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” Jesus knew very well that the Lord God can take care of His physical need for food like the way He took care of Israelites when they were in the wilderness. He fed them with manna from above when they were hungry. Our heavenly Father knows how to meet our every need; let us not have an agenda for Him; let us freely fall in His will for our lives. Jesus immediately spoke back to the devil the Word of God. Let us ask the Lord God to help us know His Word that we may be able to win the battle against the enemy through the precious Word and by His Spirit.

This coming year, let us ask the Lord God to help us know Him better. Let us ask Him to teach us His Word and to enlighten us with His Wisdom. The Spirit of God lighted on Jesus like a dove and He (the Spirit of God) is in us His children; He is ready to help us understand His Word. May this be one desire of our hearts and He will help us receive His Word by opening the eyes of our hearts. May God richly adorn you with His precious Word, the Living Word which is the Word for our lives!

Next: The Temptation of Jesus Christ – Part II

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Dec 25

The Shepherds and the Angels

Gospel of Jesus Christ Comments Off

Luke 2:8-20

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

In the fields near Bethlehem, there were shepherds watching their flock in the night and the angel came upon them and the glory of God shone around them. God did not pick kings or princes or nobles but He picked the shepherds who watched their flock diligently guarding them against wolves or thieves or any such dark force. The shepherds did not sleep or slumber at this hour for they could not afford to do so; they guarded that which was their living. We are also called neither to enter into spiritual slumber nor rest in the world but to guard ourselves from the forces of darkness. We are right now in the dark hour like the way shepherds were out in the fields at night. The second coming of the Lord is near and the satan as a roaring lion walks about whom he may devour. I Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” This calls us all to be sober and vigilant like the way the shepherds were that night when the angel came upon them. The glory of God shone around them. This morning I was talking to my aunt in India and she spoke to me about the power of intercessory prayers during the night when all around you people are asleep. That dark hour, you and the heavenly Father can have a special communion and His glory shines on you and the revelations at that time are so wonderful. Few times I awoke in the middle of the night and I was strongly summoned into His divine presence and all alone with my God the precious moments that I had are so full of His glory and when I wake up in the morning I am revived and renewed by His strength!

 The shepherds were afraid at this just as Mary was afraid and the angel calmed them down by saying, “Fear Not” just as the angel did for Mary. The shepherds were brought the good tidings of great joy that was not just for them but unto the entire mankind. The good tidings brought their way were the birth of the dear Savior Jesus Christ in the city of David which is Bethlehem of Judah. The sign given unto the shepherds was that the babe would be wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The shepherds were not asked to go meet the Savior but the angel’s sign given to them suggests that they are to go and find this Savior. This was only the sign they are asked to go with for who would lay a child in a manger. Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and He would clothe us with His joy and peace lifting off any feeling of guilt and wretchedness. What a glorious way to bring the good news of the Savior of the World! The heavenly host joined the angel praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” He who came into the world came in the most humble fashion, yet there was great joy in heaven about the birth of this Savior because this plan of Salvation was for us humans the creation created by God’s own hands. None on earth are given this privilege except us humans that the Lord God sent His son for our sakes. It is God’s love for us and the heavenly host proclaimed the goodness of God by praising Him and raising this beautiful anthem of praise unto Him who is worthy! God brought peace on earth and good will toward men through Jesus Christ.  We are granted this peace that passeth all understanding when we break open our hearts to receive the wonderful Savior. When He is in, the devil is out. When He is in, the peace and joy are ours.

When the angels went their way into heaven, the shepherds discussed with each other saying, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” They came in haste and found Mary and Joseph with the babe lying in a manger. How swiftly the shepherds proceeded to meet the Savior and per the sign explained to them by the angels they found the babe lying in a manger. God speaks to us when we have the eyes of our heart opened to Him and His beautiful truths. Look, the shepherds did not wait there but made their way to meet the Messiah. When we have such a ready heart to receive and act, God will reward us bountifully. And, when the shepherds saw the baby in the manger, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. They are filled with courage and they made known abroad the saying that was told them concerning the humble child lying in the manger. This child was not in a royal mansion with a host of princely jubilations sung unto Him; instead He was laid to rest in a manger where the animals are fed yet He was the Bread of Life to many who willingly dine on Him. The place where animals are fed was now adorned with the Savior of whom the heavenly host proclaimed to the shepherds. All they that heard what was told by the shepherds wondered at this; they probably wondered because it came from the shepherds who held the lowliest profession on earth. But Mary, the mother of Jesus, kept them in heart and pondered about them. She heard about Jesus from angel Gabriel and to her hearing from the shepherds about what Jesus brought into the world (i.e., peace and goodwill) must have simply confirmed the truth about the child that she brought forth. II Corinthians 13:1 says, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” The shepherds’ news was in harmony with what the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary. The high and mighty people many times lack this receiving heart. Let us take time to search our own hearts and see if we count ourselves high and mighty in any area. Let God humble us so we may receive His word in entirety! The way Mary pondered in her heart is the way we should meditate on the scriptures and then the truth about them will be revealed to us. When we dwell on the Word of God, the light in the Word will come to light our lives with His heavenly wisdom.

The shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for what they have heard and seen. Not only did they receive the message, but they also acted based on the message given to them and are filled with joyous praises to the living God of Glory! When we hear something from the Lord, may we also have the same believing heart and if we are asked to act in faith, let us do so without questioning but simply trusting the Lord like the way the shepherds did. They were filled with praises and were glorifying God; let us also do the same. In truth, all the Word of God is given for our sakes. II Timothy 3:16-17 says, “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Nothing in the Word of God should be questioned and it is given for instruction in righteousness.

I wish everyone A MERRY CHRISTMAS! Let the joy of the Lord fill your hearts now and forever!

Next: The Temptation of Jesus Christ – Part I

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Dec 24

The Birth of Jesus

Biblical Women Comments Off

Luke 2:1-7

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

During the time of emperor Caesar Augustus, he decided that the entire world should be taxed. During this time, the mother of Jesus was full with child. See the Savior of the World, was subject to taxation for He took the form of a servant and not as the King of Kings; He came as a servant to the Kings and yet was the King of Kings. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” He came to minister and give His life a ransom for many and not to be ministered to. Every one had to go to their city and so Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem of Judah for they were of David’s lineage, to fulfill the plan of God for the birth of Jesus Christ. Micah, a prophet prophesies the birth of Jesus in the little town of Bethlehem as it says in Micah 5:2. It says, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Bethlehem is the town of David’s birth and it was to be the town of Jesus’ birth. Jesus Christ was the son of David (Matthew 1:1). Even though the town is little among the thousands of Judah, through this little town the Savior, who was and is the Bread of Life was born. Bethlehem stands for “House of Bread” and the Bread of Life is our Savior Jesus Christ; any one who feeds on this divine Bread shall never hunger and so the divine plan for Jesus’ birth was in this little town. He chose the lowliest town and came through a Virgin Mary who was from a low estate.

While Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, the days were accomplished and Mary brought forth a child, who was their firstborn, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. There was no room in the inn for this Savior and Mary and Joseph had to find a place in the stable where the animals are kept and fed. Manger is the trough made of stone that is used to hold the food for the animals. The Savior had no cradle to lie in and He rested in a manger. Look at the most humble state in which Jesus was born; there was no room for Him; He was born in a stable; wrapped in swaddling clothes; laid in a manger. The one through whom the whole world would seek rest had no room for birth! The swaddling clothes are wrapped around a child to restrict movement and He was wrapped in these to keep Him from movement, yet He came to free us from our sin, error and guilt. When we are pining in error, we are wrapped in the swaddling clothes and lie in our devastated state until some one can grant us the Salvation and set us free. This some one is our Jesus Christ and let us all seek the freedom that He grants us which is precious and everlasting. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger alongside the animals there. He was the Good Shepherd who cared(s) for His flock (us) and brings us all under His shelter to be protected by Him. Under His care why should we be anxious or fret about anything?

Around this special season when we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, let us not so much dwell on the traditions and customs that overshadow why Jesus came to this earth. The traditions and customs make us lose focus on Jesus and turn our attention to the mundane stories not so divine. Jesus, the immaculate one, was God’s chosen one, God’s only son, who obeyed His Father to the fullest, let God’s will in His life, fulfilled God’s plan and purpose for our sakes yet is a God Himself, the Messiah of the World, who gave His life a ransom for us, that we through Him might gain eternal life.

WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE! Focus on Jesus and be mightily blessed from the hand of God.

Next: The Shepherds and the Angels

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Dec 23

Mary’s Song

Biblical Women Comments Off

Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

This is a beautiful song of worship from a heart that rejoices in the Lord. Mary starts with magnifying the Lord and rejoicing in God her Savior just like Hannah in I Samuel 2:1-2 (And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.  There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.) Do we rejoice in the Lord always? Even when the circumstances are not favorable to us? Mary definitely rejoiced in the Lord at all times. We can see that she comes from a lowly estate, yet gave God the glory and honor. Hannah was provoked and made to fret by Peninnah (I Samuel 1:6), yet all she did was take her burden to the Lord in a sweet prayer. Our situations might belittle us, but remember He has made us in His image and loved us first! Leah was not favored by her own husband Jacob, yet was favored by God in that Judah was born through her and the Savior of the world came from the tribe of Judah. So, constantly sing praises unto the Lord God and worship Him! Let us magnify His name and exalt Him. He loves to be seated on the throne of our praises. Out of a humble heart proceeds beautiful praises that He so loves. He is the Holy God who is righteous to His people. He takes great delight in our praises for they are sweet fragrance that He longs to breathe and beautiful melody that He waits to hear! All the creation sings unto Him but He cherishes the songs of our heart above all. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” God has given us dominion over every living thing and blessed us to be fruitful, to multiply, and to replenish the earth and subdue it. Let us focus on God and redirect all our strength to sing hosannas to Him rather than focusing on our problems. If you allow satan to speak to you, he will pull you through until you are badly beaten. Do not grant permission for satan by pleading the blood of the Lamb all over you. The enemy has no place in our lives when we are completely lost in Jesus and enjoy the warmth of His presence with us!

Lord God regarded Mary; all generations will call her blessed. She was truly blessed by the mighty hand of God and He saw her low estate. This is similar to the words of Jesus concerning His poor disciples; He blessed them and said theirs is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20). Mary said, God has done mighty things to her and His name is HOLY. Similarly, Isaiah knew how unclean and unholy he was before God. Isaiah 6:5 says, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Even though we are unholy before God, He asks us to be holy like He is holy. I Peter 1:16 says, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Yes, we can be holy only through Jesus Christ and every time we go to the throne of grace and seek His forgiveness by repenting whole-heartedly, we are cleansed and made whole; as often as we go to the throne of grace, this perfection occurs. So, why not make this a constant duty of ours? His mercy is on us who fear Him from generation to generation. His mercy is all we need and we know very well that His mercy endures forever!

God has shown the strength with His arm. The everlasting God is the Creator of the ends of the earth and in Him resides all the strength. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts but the meek shall inherit the earth (Psalm 37:11). He has put the mighty from their seats but exalted those that are of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things and he has sent the rich empty. He has helped his servant Israel (aka Jacob) for He is a God of mercy. He spoke to our fathers Abraham and all his seed forever. Through Abraham all the families of the earth will be blessed and this is a great promise for Abraham and through the birth of Jesus Christ truly all the families of earth are blessed. The promise given unto Abraham came to pass after forty two generations through the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World (Matthew 1:17)! God chose this blessed virgin and conceived her through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18). The joy of this mother-to-be of the King of Glory is all apparent through this song of worship.

 Next: The Birth of Jesus

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Dec 22

Mary Visits Elisabeth

Biblical Women Comments Off

Luke 1:39-45

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Mary arose and went to the hill country in haste to a city of Juda. She arose and went there because the angel Gabriel spoke to her about how Elizabeth was with a child. She went in haste to Zacharias’ house and saluted Elizabeth. Mary’s haste signifies her swiftness for Lord’s work. She heard the good news about Elizabeth and could not tarry any longer. Do we have the same swiftness for the glorious work of the Lord? Her saluting Elizabeth shows her respect and honor for Elizabeth. Elizabeth was much older than Mary and her act of salutation shows that she honored her. When Elizabeth heard the salutation the babe leaped in her womb saluting the King of Glory to be born through her. John the Baptist was in Elizabeth’s womb for six months already and John was the one to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. The two honorable mothers had a great love for Lord God and they are eager to see the things spoken by angel Gabriel to come to pass. When we have a vision birthed in us and there is a person who shares the same vision by the Lord for the Lord’s glory, our heart leaps inside us and we will be filled with the Holy Ghost. We do not tarry in the world but move ahead with the Lord’s family in the unity of Spirit for what is birthed in us is divine and we believe what the Lord said will surely come to pass like the way Mary believed.

Elizabeth spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb”. Elizabeth spoke out loud with the power of the Holy Spirit and what she spoke is a reflection of the joy in her heart for she knew the Messiah will be born out of Mary, the blessed among women! When we are filled by Spirit and act under the influence of the Holy Ghost we will be jubilant and radiant. There is absolutely no fear other than the fear of the Lord because we are in the Lord. Isaiah 11:2 says, “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD”. When the Spirit of the Lord rests upon us there is a full measure of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the Lord.

Just observe the holy conversation between these two women and in no way were they saying these words by themselves but by the Lord’s Spirit. Mary would not have proceeded to Elizabeth and saluted her nor would Elizabeth have spoken the blessed words if they were of the world. They were separated unto the Lord and were chosen by God for special purposes. We, as human beings have a purpose for our life that the Lord purposed in His heart for us and when we dedicate our lives unto Him, He will speak unto us about His plan and purpose, He will reveal His holy will for our lives and when we believe He can accomplish that which He has for us, He will complete the work in us and through us just as He did it in the lives of Mary and Elizabeth. Mary and Elizabeth met here by a divine appointment and spoke the words of blessings unto each other and exalted the Holy One of Israel, Jesus Christ. God’s will and purpose for our lives is only to bring Him the honor and glory. The Spirit of God in us will lead us in the everlasting way, in His will, by His Holy Word to accomplish the Holy Work and finish the race before us!

Next: Mary’s Song

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Dec 21

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Biblical Women Comments Off

Luke 1:26-38

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee called Nazareth to a Virgin whose name was Mary that was espoused to Joseph of the house of David. The angel’s first words were “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women”. The angel’s words reflect how favored Mary was that all the women will call her blessed. “Blessed!” she shall be called because she was going to bring forth the one who blesses the mankind with Salvation. Jews and the gentiles alike will gain eternal life through Him for God’s only redemption plan for us was through His son, Jesus Christ. He (Jesus) was to come through Mary, a Virgin and her conception was a divine one free of sin unlike the regular man’s birth. Jesus remained sinless right from His birth and Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit because she would bring forth the Holy One of Israel who is the Lion of Judah, the Salvation from whom should never be mocked at.

When Mary saw the angel, she was troubled at his saying and wondered what manner of salutation it was. She was brought the good tidings of great joy through the angel and this news was what the world looked for and the wise men waited for. The angel knew what Mary thought in her and said “Fear not, Mary”. When we have a God’s calling in our life many a time we wonder how it is all going to work out and some times we are struck by this feeling of fear. The words of Gabriel are very much applicable to us for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). The angel here had to say that Mary shall conceive and bring forth a son and He shall be called JESUS. He is the son of the Highest, the most Holy God and He shall have the throne of His father David and shall reign forever! Through Mary the great prophecies of old were to be fulfilled. This son of David, Jesus and His Kingdom shall not pass away. Daniel 2:44 says, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

Mary’s response to the angel was to know how this was possible and this was a valid question well answered by the angel. This was an answer that we all should know in our hearts for we trust in the MOST HOLY GOD; His holiness is incomparable and is to be held with great reverence. The power of the Highest overshadowed her and the Holy One that came forth was (/is) called the Son of God. I wonder with what great awe Mary heard the angel’s explanation; she a lowly vessel was given the privilege to bear the Holy Son of God. Let us take a moment to reflect the privilege granted to us unworthy vessels; He bought us with that precious price that can never be paid by us. Everything about Jesus was and is HOLY yet He took the gravest of our mistakes upon Him. Why should we carry our guilt any more? Many times when we commit a sin we wonder if we ever can go back in time and fix it. You don’t need a time machine to travel back, you simply need Jesus! Jesus can and longs to pardon all our iniquities and sins; not just cancel them but cleans us of our sins for good. By cancelling there is this chance of emerging again but by cleansing in His blood there is no such chance. Be washed by the Blood of the Lamb that your heart may be made spotless and speckless like the heart of Jesus.

The angel also brought good news about Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin. Elizabeth was barren and was old in age, but God did the impossible to her. She was with a child for six months already and the angel carried this news for Mary. With God everything is possible. Elizabeth waited for many years for a child but in her old age she has conceived to bring forth a son, John the Baptist who prepared the way of Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 3:4). This was God’s plan; six months before the birth of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist was to be born. Mary was filled with immense joy in her heart for the wonderful news of a Savior through her and the news of Elizabeth’s conception. Mary answered, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” What a humble submission to God’s will! The humble acceptance of God’s will in her life reminds me of Ruth’s. Ruth 3:9 says, “And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.” When Boaz asked Ruth who she was her humble answer speaks of the kind of protection she sought, under whose care she desired to be. Here Mary, God’s handmaid (servant), knew that her sole protector was Lord God and she yielded to His will because she knew in her heart that His care and protection are ultimate and that His will is the best for her! Do you have such a submissive heart? Are you yielding to the will of God in your life? If not this special season when all around us we hear the jingle bells ringing the birth of Jesus in our ears, make this wonderful decision of submitting yourself to the will of God!

Next: Mary Visits Elisabeth

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Dec 20

Samson and Delilah – Part IV

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Judges 16:15-20

And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

Delilah is trying her last trick. She troubled Samson for three times before and this was her final trick in the name of love. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Her question to Samson how he could say he loves her when his heart is not with her is a deceitful trick. Samson in the first place made a deliberate mistake falling in love with a temptress. He was being pulled into this quagmire of sin surrounding lust. Without the hand of the Lord he cannot come out of this quagmire. His heart needed to be after God’s but it is in the wrong place. His heart was not aligned with God and His will for his life. He approached the force of darkness that is surrounding him with its trap. The words of Delilah that Samson mocked her three times without disclosing the secret of his strength is a plain lie. In fact, it is her who was mocking him so that she could surrender him to the enemy’s hands to be harassed and tortured. She vexed him daily with her words and urged him to speak the secret source of his strength. When she troubled him daily, Samson’s soul was sorely vexed that he spoke his heart out. The enemy vexes us daily to see if we hear its lies and give in to it. Do not put a chair for the enemy to sit before you and speak the lies into you. Thrust it away the minute you sense it. Hurl it away, by the authority that Jesus Christ has granted to us. Do not allow it to linger around you. Let the living waters overflow us that the enemy would fear us. The enemy is afraid of the water for it is scared that it might choke. Mark 5:13 says, “And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.” The unclean spirits (Legion) that tormented a man in the tombs were rebuked and removed by the Lord Jesus Christ and sent into the swine and the swine violently ran down a steep place into the sea and were choked to death in that sea. If you are tormented or tortured by the enemy in some ways speak these words of Jesus and hurl the forces of darkness out into the sea. These words were spoken to me by my cousin Viola Vasa and they are so full of life of Jesus Christ. I would like to take a moment to thank her divine walk with the Lord that is so exemplary unto all our relatives and friends!

Samson lingered around Delilah knowing fully well what she was up to. He opened up her heart unto Delilah and spoke all about himself thus disclosing the source of his strength. Samson’s heart was meant for God’s glory and here he is surrendering himself to Delilah who was a friend of the enemy and who was working for her own passion for money. Our heart should be surrendered to God wholly and we should break open our hearts for the King of Glory and not to the enemy. If you allow yourself to be pulled by the enemy, he will take you to temporal heights with him and these heights will put you down pathetically like it happened to Samson.

When Delilah realized that Samson poured out his heart for her, she called for the Philistine lords with such a confidence that the Lords of the Philistines brought her what they promised. She made Samson sleep on her knees and she called for a man so that he could shave off the seven locks of Samson’s head. See how Delilah approached Samson. She made him sleep on his knees in such an endearing way that Samson was lost in her love and slept fully surrendering himself to this evil authority. When we are dragged by our worldly passions the kind of slumber we enter in is deadly; it has the potential to put you to sleep in it and yield to the forces of darkness. When we trust in our Lord Jesus Christ who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), we can safely rest in His divine arms for He will lift up a standard against the enemy and the enemy is put to death before it can think of plundering us. The trust that Samson put was not in God of Israel but in the evil woman who tempted him until he was tortured and afflicted by the enemy. He thought he still had the strength like before but the Lord God departed from him. The very source of his strength was the Lord God and He left him as Samson did not heed the voice of God like it happened to King Saul. I Samuel 16:14 says, “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him”. Lord God gave opportunities after opportunities to Samson and also to Saul to repent and seek His blessed forgiveness but in both cases they did not pay attention to God and their heart was not right with God.

If any of us have hearts that are going to the wrong places, seeking rest in the wrong places, finding ourselves stuck with the temporal benefits that the wrong places are offering, I plead that you step out of that wrong places to the only right place with Jesus Christ. Come unto Him all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest (Matthew 11:28), the perfect rest that is so godly and eternal!

Next: The Birth of Jesus Foretold

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Dec 19

Samson and Delilah – Part III

Biblical Women Comments Off

Judges 16:13-14

And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

Delilah yet again tempted Samson to reveal the source of his strength. What surprises me is that Samson stayed on with Delilah knowing well that she would hand him over to Philistine lords waiting in her chamber. The same way even when we sense that a particular temptation from satan is deadly and that it has the potential to put us to death, we some times stay on subjecting ourselves to the enemy’s traps for the temporary joy it gives us. Remember, any happiness out of a temptation is short-lived and is detrimental to us. When doing a certain thing, wait for a minute and ask yourself a question: “Is this act of mine glorifying God?” He will reveal to you whether it is acceptable to Him or not. I would like to define sin as anything that does not glorify God; anything that displeases Him; anything that is not according to His will. I say this in love and am not judging anybody. Many a time people think it is acceptable to drink wine. I would say as you drink wine ask yourself if the act is pleasing Him. For example, Noah got drunk and the result was family feud and curse over Canaan (Genesis 9:20-26). Lot got drunk and the result is incestuous children (Genesis 19:30-38). Proverbs 23 has warnings against drunkenness. We can go on and on; wine in English refers to alcoholic beverage as well as grape juice. God will speak to us what is holy and acceptable to Him if we ask Him to reveal to us.

Samson’s answer to Delilah was, “If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.” His answer was now close enough to his real strength. His first and second answers were far from truth but the third about the seven locks of his head is close to the truth. Look, how he slowly started yielding to the temptation. If we think we are strong and can resist the temptation living right where there is temptation, we become weaker and weaker. In Genesis 39:7 we see, “And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.” Potiphar’s wife conceived a passion for Joseph and tempted him to lie with her. Genesis 39:10 says, “And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.” Here too Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph day after day, persistently! Such is the temptation from the enemy. It is after us and will try every means to make us yield. Genesis 39:13 says, “And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth”. See how Joseph fled forth from her leaving his garment in her hand. Let us also flee away from the devil when tempted and let us ask Lord to grant us strength to recognize what is a temptation.

Delilah did exactly what Samson told her hoping that she found the source of his strength. She spoke the deadly words that the Philistines are upon him. The same way when we give in to the satan’s tricks, the many fiery demons will rise up against us. We should guard ourselves with the armor of the Lord mentioned in Ephesians 6:11 (Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.) The wiles of the devil are evil and give us death and not life. Why even allow a wile of devil; cut it out before it emerges as a sin.

Samson awoke from his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web. When Samson was fast asleep Delilah attacked him with her deceptive trick. Before going to sleep let us ask God to put His hedge of protection around us and to fill our minds with His holy thoughts. It appears that Samson did not talk with His Lord God but spoke to an evil woman and the result is a serious attack from her. Let your thoughts surround the heavenly King, His Word, His goodness and His glory at all times. An evil thought results in an evil action in due course of time. Put an end to that thought and dwell on the Word of God. Let God arise while you are asleep also. May the Lord lead you in your spiritual walk with Him! Be mightily blessed!

Next: Samson and Delilah – Part IV

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