Knowing God through the unknown mountain

Click here to read Genesis 22:1-18

"...I shall show you..." Genesis 22: 2

One fine day, God tells Abraham: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you. (Genesis 22: 2) I want you to notice the last part of that verse. It says Abraham was to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on “one of the mountains” that God “will show” him. God does not tell him which mountain. God does not tell him the name of the mountain. He just says it is “one of the mountains” in the land of Moriah. God does not tell him the size of the mountain. God does not tell him the location in Moriah where the mountain is situated. All God says about the mountain is “ I will show you” where it is.

Often when we receive a call from God; a call to obey in some particular, a call to serve, a call to worship, a call to let go etc, the vision may not be all that clear at first. There are things that God may leave untouched and unaddressed. Whenever the call of God comes, our natural instinct is to react and tell Him that He should be clearer about the call. You wish He would tell you exactly “which mountain.” Many times although we feel a tugging at our hearts to obey the call of God in some particular, we often delay it for the lack of “detail.” Although you know you have to obey, it does not make sense to obey because God has not shown you which “mountain”

So the last part of verse 2 says, “…offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” Verse 3 says “So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him”. Hold on right there! Verse 2 says that God “shall show” him the mountain. Verse 3 says Abraham set out to the place God “had shown him” So when did the “showing” actually happen?? Well it must have happened before he set out from home because it says Abraham “…set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him” How did Abraham know which mountain??

One of the greatest privileges a Christian has is to know God – to know Him, to know His ways. For us to fulfill any vision or call God gives us, we need a revelation of Him and His ways in order to fulfill it. Concerning the ministry of Moses, Psalms 103:7 says, “He made known His ways to Moses…” Once you come into a relationship with God, your greatest priority should be that you might know Him. Paul considered this top priority: “…whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul was willing to consider all things in life “rubbish” when compared to the value of knowing Jesus.

So between Genesis 22:2 (…I shall show you…) and Genesis 22:3(…God had shown him…), the revelation of God comes to Abraham. He heard the call of God, he made up his mind to obey, he went to bed that night, he rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. We do not know the exact time as to when the revelation came. But we do know it came at a time when Abraham decided to obey and consequently acted on it. We can never tell when the revelation of God will come through. We can never tell when God will reveal His word to us. We can never tell when He will chose to “make known His ways” to us. But we can make up our mind to obey and the revelation is sure to come.

The key to all revelation of God, the key to knowing Him, the key to understanding His ways, the key to comprehending His Word, is by obedience alone and nothing else. There is no short cut to it and there is no way you can buy it. John the disciple in his first letter best describes it: “Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.” (1 John 2:3) Think about that! There is only one sure way to know that you know Him. i.e. if you obey Him.

Why is it so important to know Him, to know His ways, to know His word? The Bible says in Genesis 22: 9 “When they came to the place that God had shown him…” In other words, when he obeyed the call of God to go the mountain God had “shown him”, he put Isaac on the altar and was ready to kill him. Then Abraham heard from heaven again “Abraham, Abraham…” The more you walk in obedience to the revelation God gives you, the more God will reveal Himself to you. Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in the thickets and sacrifices it. Abraham named that place “Jehovah Jireh”!! Genesis 22:14: “So Abraham called that place, “Jehovah Jireh” (The Lord will provide), as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided”

Think of that for a moment! As it is said to this day!! Even to this day! On the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided! If Abraham had never obeyed the call of God, he would have never got to this mountain. He would have never had a revelation of Jehovah as “Jehovah Jireh”. That is why it is important to know Him through obedience. If you are obedient to Him, you will know Him. If you know Him, he will reveal Himself as your provider. One principle every Christian should learn by heart is 2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” Everything needed for life! For life!!! Everything needed for godliness!! Everything!!! How?? Through the knowledge of Him!!! Everything, everything we need for life comes through the knowledge of Him. It is up to you to decide how important it is to make “knowing Him” your first priority in life.

Only a man, who obeys God, can know Him through revelation and only a man, who knows Him, can continue obeying Him. And through the knowledge of Him, everything for life and godliness is yours by His divine power. It says Abraham worshiped on that mountain. This is what true worship is all about. “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”(John 17:3) This is what eternal life is all about. Make the decision to go to the mountain unknown; you never know what God will reveal to you there.

Amazing Faith – A detailed study

Click here to read Matthew 8:5-13

"...He was amazed..." Matthew 8:10

There are many things that amaze me and when I searched through the gospels I found out that Jesus amazed people in general. I found out people in the countryside were amazed, the people in the synagogues were amazed, the disciples were amazed, the Pharisees and Sadducees were amazed, Pilate was amazed, etc. They were amazed by His teaching; they were amazed at His authority; the miracles He performed were amazing and so on and so forth.

However, when I ran a search on the things that amazed Jesus, I came across only two such occurrences:

1. He was amazed at the Centurion’s faith (Luke 7:9, Matthew 8:10)

2. He was amazed at unbelief of the people in His hometown (Mark 6:6)

It caught my attention that the two things as per my search that amazed Jesus were:

1. Faith

2. The lack of faith.

There are many incidents in the gospels where people have expressed their faith in Jesus which resulted in a miracle. Jesus even commended a woman once and said her “faith was great”, but there is only this one time where it says Jesus was “amazed” at someone’s faith. And so I decided to do a study on the faith that amazed Jesus. Before we start studying about the centurion’s faith, I’d like you to understand a statement Jesus made about faith.

The Bible says in Matthew 17:20, “…For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” I want you to carefully notice the structure of the sentence above. It DOES NOT say “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed AND you say to this mountain…”It says “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you WILL say to this mountain…” So Jesus is NOT saying that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed and you couple it along with speaking to the mountain, it will move. What He is saying is that if you do have faith the size of a mustard seed, speaking to the mountain will be an impulsive reaction born out of that faith. It is like saying if you are thirsty, you will want a drink. Or, if you have some sickness in your body, you will feel uneasy. So, I want to lay a principle here before we study the “amazing” faith the centurion had: You can tell a lot about a man’s faith by his words. Hence by studying the words of the centurion, we can study his faith.

The centurion had a servant who was almost dying and he reports this to Jesus. Jesus offers to come to his house to cure the servant. If I were him, I’d be the happiest person on earth to have Jesus visit my “situation” to solve it. However, the centurion replies: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

Observation #1

If you read about any other miracle that occurred as a result of someone’s faith, you find that the person’s faith rested on what Jesus could do for them. Jesus says, “I’ll come and heal him” If I were to paraphrase the centurion’s reply it would be something like this: “That wouldn’t be necessary, I know who you are. I’m an officer and I get things done by telling the soldiers under me. You could do the same” His faith was not based on what Jesus could do for him, but on Who Jesus was.

Observation # 2

The centurion says, “…I am also a man set under authority…” I want you to take note of two key words in that phrase; i.e. “also” and “under” In the Indian Navy, the officer ranks are as follows, in decreasing order of authority: Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, Commodore, Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, etc. If you know who you are under, you will know who is under you. For example, if you know you are under the Rear Admiral, i.e. you are the Commodore; you will know the Captain and those below him are under you. The centurion thus acknowledges that the “situation” he is facing is “under” Jesus and hence Jesus has authority over it. His faith was based on the knowledge of the authority of Jesus.

Observation # 3

When the centurion tells one of the soldiers under him “Go”, the soldier goes. This reveals that soldier understands the language of the centurion. India is a country of many languages, and unfortunately (or fortunately) I only understand two of the many. One of the languages I do not understand is Hindi. Now if I get pulled over by a cop who speaks Hindi, I may know who he is (observation #1) and I may acknowledge his authority (observation #2) but if he gives me an instruction in Hindi, I will not comprehend it. Hence the centurion acknowledges that Jesus speaks the “language” of the “situation.” His faith was based on the fact that the “situation” can comprehend what Jesus commands it.

Observation # 4

When the centurion tells one of the soldiers, “Go” or “Come” or “Do this”, the soldier does so. This implies that the soldier is not only capable of comprehending the language of the centurion, but also capable of accomplishing the task given. For example the centurion tells a soldier “Go get that file for me”. If the soldier doesn’t have arms, can he accomplish the given task? No. The centurion says “Go over there”. If the soldier cannot walk, can he go? No. So when the centurion gives a command, he knows the soldier under him is capable of executing his orders. His faith was based on the fact that the “situation” can not only comprehend what Jesus commands it, but is also capable of executing His orders.

Observation # 5

When the centurion gives a command to a soldier below him, does he

a) Doubt the soldier will do it? NO

b) Hope the soldier will do it? NO

c) Believe the soldier will do it? NO

Then?

d) Knows the soldier will do it!:)

There’s a difference between knowing and believing. You see, I believe man has walked on the moon, but I know I haven’t. I don’t believe the fact that “I haven’t walked on the moon”. I know for a fact that “I haven’t walked on the moon” He was as confident of Jesus fixing his “situation” as giving an order to a soldier below him. His faith was based not on what he believed Jesus would do, but on what he knew Jesus would do.

Observation # 6

The centurion says “…speak the word and let my servant be healed…” It was not a request, nor was it a plea, it was a statement. It was almost a command. Was the centurion being rude? No. The centurion even addresses Jesus as Lord. He could have said, “Could you please speak the word...” or “I request you to speak the word…” When I approach a higher authority to meet a need of mine, I usually request. I do not demand. Here we see no request, no plea, no begging. If I were to paraphrase it, the centurion tells Jesus, “don’t trouble yourself by coming home, just do it!” Why is that so? The centurion compared this situation, to him commanding a soldier under him, to execute a need of the centurion and not the need of a soldier. If I approach my boss with a possible solution to my problem, I request. On the other hand, if I approach him with a possible solution to one of his problems, I don’t. In other words, the centurion is telling Jesus “this is how you can solve YOUR problem” His faith was based on the knowledge that Jesus was infinitely more responsible to solve his “situation” that he himself.

Observation # 7

The centurion says, “… if I say to my slave” The keyword here is “my”. He doesn’t say “any” slave, but he says “my” slave. He compares the situation that he is in to him commanding “his own” slave. In other words, he considered the “situation” as something Jesus had personal interest in. His faith was based on the knowledge that Jesus was infinitely more interested and willing to solve his “situation” than he himself.

• His faith was not based on what Jesus could do for him, but on the knowledge of Who Jesus was.

• His faith was based on the knowledge of the authority of Jesus.

• His faith was based on the fact that the “situation” can comprehend what Jesus commands it.

• His faith was based on the fact that the “situation” can not only comprehend what Jesus commands it, but is also capable of executing His orders.

• His faith was based not on what he believed Jesus would do, but on what he knew Jesus would do.

• His faith was based on the knowledge that Jesus was infinitely more responsible to solve his “situation” that he himself.

• His faith was based on the knowledge that Jesus was infinitely more interested and willing to solve his “situation” than he himself.

NO WONDER JESUS WAS AMAZED!!!

I plan on writing practical applications and practices to the 7 observations above. However, I will post a separate one on that as I do not wanted to lengthen this particular article further.

A glória do vendo

Clique aqui para ler Mateus 14:22-33

Mateus 14:31 “… Homem de pouca fé, por que duvidaste?”

Nesta passagem da escritura nós vemos Jesus comandando os discípulos para entrar no barco para passar para o “outro lado” do mar. (Mateus 14:22) Isto era o objetivo de destinação – o outro lado. Quando eles estavam indo para o barco, eles muitas experiências de difíceis circunstâncias. Um vento bem forte começou a soprar contra eles. Os evangelhos nos lembram que eles ficaram muito tensos com os remos tentando manobrar o barco para “o outro lado” toda noite. De manhãzinha Jesus veio andando sobre o mar (Mateus 14:25). Os discípulos estavam assombrados. “Jesus, porém, imediatamente lhes falou, dizendo:” Tende ânimo; sou eu; não temais.”” (Mateus 14:27) Depois de escutar tudo isso, a bíblia em Mateus 14:28 diz que, “Respondeu-lhe Pedro:” Senhor! Se fores tu, manda-me ir ter contigo sobre as águas.”“

Pense sobre declaração por um momento. Respondeu-lhe Pedro?? Respondeu-lhe Pedro?? Qual pergunta estava ele respondendo? Jesus não havia feito nenhuma pergunta à ele. Eu gostaria mais se a bíblia tivesse escrito “Pedro afirmou” ou “Pedro pediu” porque isso faria mais sentido gramatical, mas a bíblia não foi escrita para satisfazer meus favores. Certamente existem versões que usam a frase “Peter pediu”. A raiz da palavra que implica “Pedro respondeu” na verdade é, o quê ele estava respondendo?

Nós encontramos no versículo anterior que Jesus se revela a eles: “... Sou Eu ...” Todas as revelações de quem Cristo é para nós é também um convite para nós andarmos como Jesus andou. Pedro estava respondendo este convite. Pedro estava dando sua resposta para aquele convite. “Mas, quando aprouve a Deus, que desde o ventre de minha mãe me separou, e me chamou pela sua graça, revelar seu Filho em mim, para que eu o pregasse entre os gentios ...” (Gálatas 1:15,16ª) Pense primeiramente na verdade do evangelho foi revelada para você. Você realmente necessitava de um convite? Não. Você somente sabia que o convite estava ali. Quando Cristo revelou a salvação dele para você teria respondido, “Senhor! Se fores tu, manda-me ir ter contigo.” E a resposta será sempre “vem”.

Disse-lhe ele: Vem. Pedro, descendo do barco, e andando sobre as águas, foi ao encontro de Jesus. Mas, sentindo o vento, teve medo; e, começando a afundar, clamou: Senhor, salva-me. Imediatamente estendeu Jesus a mão, segurou-o, e disse-lhe: Homem de pouca fé, por que duvidaste? (Mateus 14: 29:31) Aqui podemos ver quatro coisas que se passaram com Pedro: 1ª. Ele sentiu o vento. 2ª. Ele teve medo. 3ª Começou a afundar. 4ª Clamour por Socorro. Todavia a resposta de Jesus não foi nenhumas das seguintes: 1ª. Você de pequeno foco, porque você sentiu o vento? 2ª. ” Você de pouca coragem, porque teve medo?” 3ª.” Você com pouca perseverança, por que você afundou?” 4ª. Você de pouca firmeza, porque entraste em pânico? A resposta de Jesus foi “Homem de pouca fé, porque duvidaste?” Isso indica que as quatro coisas que aconteceram com Pedro aconteceram porque ele duvidou e ele tinha pouca fé. Isso por causa da falta de fé foi que ele sentiu o vento, ficando com medo, começou a afundar e gritava com medo.

Pense por um momento pelo que Pedro passou. Ele sentiu o vendo. O que o vento tem a ver com caminhar sobre as águas? Pela simples ciência, como eu sei, qualquer coisa que é densa como a água irá afundar ou vice versa. O vento não tem nada a ver com que qualquer coisa afunde ou flutue. Eu poderia tentar caminhar sobre as águas exatamente agora e estou seguro que afundaria. – apesar de haver vento soprando ou não! Assim, porque será que Pedro teve um sentir especial sobre o vento que o deixou com tanto medo? Apesar do vento não ter nada a ver com o Pedro caminhando sobre as águas, o vento foi a principal causa do fracasso anterior. Foi por causa do vento que eles não puderam remar o barco a terra. Existem vários “ventos” que nós como crentes notamos. O vendo do fracasso, o vendo da dor, o vento da oposição, o vento da rejeição e assim por diante. Estão “ventos” de ontem que causando fracasso a você e depressão causando medo para você caminhar hoje?

“... mas uma coisa faço, e é que, esquecendo-me das coisas que atrás ficam, e avançando para as que estão adiante ...” Não deixe que os fatores que causam fracasso e dificuldade de ontem tornarem seu foco. Você não consegue caminhar o seu caminho focalizando nos ventos de ontem. Se você assim o fizer, você ficará com medo, você afundará e você entrará em pânico. Bom, o que foi que Pedro realmente duvidou? Ele duvidou que os ventos de ontem pudessem afetar o caminhar de hoje. Observe que os discípulos estavam com medo no barco. (versículo 26) Daí então Jesus veio e disse não temas. (versículo 27) No versículo 30 diz que ele teve medo de novo. Permaneça com uma visão constante sobre sua vida para não deixar o medo de ontem rastejes-se no projeto de hoje. “... Torno a trazer isso ã mente, portanto tenho esperança. A benignidade do Senhor jamais acaba, as suas misericórdias não têm fim; renovam-se cada manhã. Grande é a tua fidelidade. A minha porção é o Senhor, diz a minha alma; portanto esperarei nele. Bom é o Senhor para os que esperam por ele, para a alma que o busca. Bom é ter esperança, e aguardar em silêncio a salvação do Senhor.” (Lamentações 3:21-26)

Lembre-se que a compaixão do Senhor se renova a cada dia, e não depende dos ventos de ontem. Para finalizar, versículo 24 diz “Entrementes, o barco já estava a muitos estádios da terra, açoitado pelas ondas; porque o vento era contrário.” Não especifica qual “terra”. Se era a terra de onde eles haviam partido ou se a terra a qual eles estavam indo. Existem dois caminhos para ver este versículo. Uma maneira é dizer que o barco estará longe da destinação deles; longe do “outro” lado. Outra maneira de dizer é que o barco estava longe de onde eles haviam partido. Eu não estarei a onde eu suponho estar. Não é impressionante que apesar do vento estar contra o barco, mesmo assim o barco desviou longe de onde eles haviam partido? “Vós, na verdade, intentastes o mal contra mim; Deus, porém, o intentou para o bem, para fazer o que se vê neste dia, isto é, conservar muita gente com vida.” (Gênesis 50:20) Dê glórias a Deus por todo vento que venha em seu caminho.

Há tanta coisa que eu vejo agora
Que fui muitas vezes cedo
Quanto mais eu conheço d’Ele
Quanto menos eu tento fazer

Seu trabalhar em mim não depende
do meu fracasso, pecado ou dor
Não em não crer que uma mancha
irá limpar todo minha sujeira

Quando eu sinto sua face e sua voz
Em maneiras que não se sabe
Fé n’Ele irá permanecer minha postura
e dúvida simplesmente se foi

n’Ele minha confiança irá descançar
Apesar que com os meus olhos eu não vejo
Mas eu sei que Ele sabe melhor
Estou agradecido que Seu amor me encontrou

The repeated lesson

Click here to read 2 Kings 4:42 - 44

“So he repeated…” (2 Kings 4:43)

There are many lessons that God teaches me – but some lessons can be really humiliating because I’ve learnt them before and yet I’ve failed to apply them. These lessons often pertain to the service I render unto God. We all at some point in time or the other have prayed that God would use us. It feels good when we sense that God is using us. However it is at times like these that I have often received the harshest rebukes from God, because my views about service to God tend to go a little out of focus.

In this passage of scripture, we read about a man from Baal-shalishah bringing food from the first fruits to Elisha. Now, Elisha was at a place called Gilgal and there was a famine there. This man whose name we do not know, brought twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain. Now this is ample food for one person but not enough for a hundred, which was the number of people that was present there at that time. “Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” (2 Kings 4:42, 43) Notice that it was not the man who brought food that said this. It was Elisha’s servant who did.

We are also servants of a Master and He often tells us things to do, that in our estimate, may seem absurd and insignificant. “So he repeated…” (2 Kings 4:43) When it comes to serving God, this is one lesson I believe the Master often repeats and emphasizes. So what is the repeated lesson? Read on… Most miracles in the Bible have a brief description about it. For example from the New Testament: “He took the five loaves, broke it and distributed…” or “He said “Lazarus, come out!...” or “He made mud out of saliva and put it on his eyes…”; from the Old Testament: “He told Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan seven times…” or “When their feet touched the waters, the Jordan was cut off…” or “God said “Let there be light” and there was light…” etc.

This particular miracle however has no explanation to it whatsoever. We do not know whether the loaves where multiplied. We do not know whether the loaves were broken. We do not know if the loaves were prayed over. How did all of them eat and yet there was food left? We do not know if the hundred people lost their appetites. We don’t even know what they ate. Why do I say that? - Because the man who came with the food brought both barley loaves and fresh ears of grain. Now the barley loaves can be eaten, but the fresh ears of grain obviously cannot unless they are cooked. Elisha says, “Give it to the people…” “it”? What’s “it”? He could have said “Give the loaves to the people…” But the Holy Spirit, under whose inspiration the Scriptures are written, did not choose to write it that way. The servant says “How can I set this before a hundred…” “this”? What’s “this”? He could have said “How can I set these loaves before a hundred…” but that’s not how it is written. So Elisha repeated “Give it to the people…” “it”? What’s “it”? Is the master talking about the loaves? Or is he talking about the fresh ears of grain? I hope not! Or is he talking about both? I have no clue!

The repeated statement: “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” Our understanding of ministry needs and the ways to meet them are sometimes very different from the Lord’s. According to the servant, the food was not enough to feed a hundred. According to the Master, the issue is not whether there is enough food or not. His concern is that the servant obeys the spoken Word. How often have we neglected obedience in private and given importance to service in public? Beware of measuring your walk with God according to your “usefulness” to Him in public. How much of a use you are to God does not depend on how much or little you work for Him, but on your degree of obedience to Him. The work you do for Him, should be an impulsive outpouring that comes from a life of obedience in private.

Look at what Philippians chapter 2 says in verse 7 and 8 about Jesus “…He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” These verses talk about His birth, and they talk about His death – but everything that happened in-between His birth and death is summed up in one phrase “obedient up to the point of death”. All the healing, all the preaching, all that He did from His birth to His death is summed up in that one phrase – “from the time he was born, till he died, he was obedient”. Think of that for a moment!

The first time Jesus revealed His glory caused His disciples to believe in Him. (John 2:11). This happened at the wedding at Cana. What caused the glory of Jesus to be revealed which in-turn caused the Apostles of the New Testament church to believe in Him? - Few servants who obeyed the Master in filling jugs with water. Did the servants have any clue that their obedience in private would cause the glory of Christ to be revealed? No. Did they know that their obedience in private would result in Peter, John & Co. to believe in Christ? No. Did any of us exist when Christ lived on earth and lived a life of obedience? No – But what He did back then causes lives to be transformed even today.

When we are so caught up in serving God, He often has to speak to us and say, “Martha, Martha…” Maybe you have a desire for God to use you and He has been dealing with areas in your life that requires obedience. You might say to yourself, “Oh well, that is really absurd and insignificant.” “Do I really have to do that?” Whenever there is an inner debate, stop. Proceed with the matter of obeying God no matter how insignificant it may seem. A person who constantly lives life this way really has no idea how much he or she is being used by God.

Setting “it” before a hundred people according to the servant made no sense to him – but when the servant obeyed the Master, it turned out to be a blessing to many. So what is the repeated lesson? It is the lesson of realizing that your usefulness to the Master depends on your obedience in private. It is the lesson of trusting the Master’s sense of service and not your own. It is the lesson of the Master compelling His servant to obey the spoken Word. “So Elisha repeated…”

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.”

A man with a stick

There is a man I know about and his life is a pretty interesting story. I guess he always had his way and very few people would dare oppose him because his foster dad was a real big shot in the country. He lived in a huge house and had every comfort he could ask for. One fine day he did something that landed him in a huge mess. His dad was really mad at him. It was so bad that he decided to run away from home and so he did. The poor guy no longer indulged in the luxury he once had at home. Nevertheless, he settled down in a place far away from home. One day he was hanging around town when he saw a bunch of girls stopping by for a drink. He noticed a few guys trying to bully them. Well he could have just ignored all of it and gone his way - instead he jumped to their rescue and chased those bullies away. The girls happened to be siblings and were obviously pretty impressed by his chivalry. They went home and told their dad about this man who had made their day. Well their father was impressed by what he heard and so he had him come over for a meal. He really fit in well with the family and he began living with them. After a while, he married one of the sisters and even had a son with her. He even started looking after their family business.

This man’s name is Moses and you can read this story in Exodus chapter 2. The mess he got himself into was that he had killed an Egyptian one day. “When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?” He answered, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh...” (Exodus 2: 13-15)

We all make mistakes in life. Although we do not fear the mistakes themselves, we do fear the consequences those mistakes have brought about. Moses was not afraid he had killed someone, he was afraid of its consequences. The mistake he had made:

1. Caused him to lose his authority over his own fellow Hebrew.
2. Terrified him when he learned that everyone now knew of his mistake.
3. Caused him to flee Egypt even though he was the Prince of Egypt.
4. Caused him to fear Pharaoh because Pharaoh was bent on killing him.

It was because of all of the above reasons that Moses fled to Midian. It was because he fled to Midian that he sat down by a well there. It was because he sat there that he saw the daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian. It was because he stood up for what was right on that day, that he was called for a meal. It was because of that meal that he got to know the family and started living with them. It was because he lived with them, that he got married to Zipporah. It was because he settled well with them that he was given custody of Jethro’s sheep. It was because he had to take care of his father-in-law’s sheep that he needed a stick or staff or rod.

And it was this stick that became a snake when it was thrown down. It was this snake that swallowed up the other snakes in Pharaoh’s court. It was this stick which struck the Nile and turned it into blood. It was this stick that brought frogs up on the land of Egypt. It was this stick that struck the ground and produced gnats. It was this stick that was stretched to heaven and thunder, hail and lightning flashed. It was this stick that brought the wind that produced the locusts. It was this stick that struck the Red Sea and parted it. It was this stick which Moses held up with the help of Aaron and Hur from morning till sun set and Joshua defeated the Amalekites that day. It was this stick that was referred to as the "staff of God" (Exodus 4:20) All this occurred because it so happened that Moses made a mistake and ran for his life from Egypt.

When I think of the goodness and wisdom of the King of Kings ... who chooses to use the consequences of my fears and mistakes... as a platform to give me opportunities to equip me with a tool or an anointing (stick).... to help me in my mission for life and thus reach my destiny... it blows my mind. “O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.” (Psalms 139:1-6)

Are you feeling down today because you no longer live in Pharaoh’s palace because of something stupid you did? Are you living in fear of the consequences of the mistakes you have made? Are you feeling dejected that once you were the Prince of Egypt, but now all you do is keep sheep? Are you feeling devastated because people around you have come to know about your mistakes? Are you tellingyour self today, “I have failed in life”? If so, I have news for you: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God reverted every consequence of his mistake:

1. He had lost authority over one fellow Hebrew, but he gained authority over a nation of Hebrews.
2. He was devastated because everyone had come to know his mistakes, but Moses became “a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s officials and in the sight of the people”(Exodus 11: 3)
3. He fled Egypt but God sent him back to “perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that God put in his power” (Exodus 4:21)
4. He feared Pharaoh but God “made him like God to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7: 1)

Looking after sheep using a stick might not sound very exciting compared to being a prince - but while he was leading those sheep, he “came to Horeb, the mountain of God”. The rest is history. Deuteronomy 33:10-12 says, “Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of Israel.”

Moses grabbed that one opportunity of standing up for the daughters of Jethro, and that is how he became a flock caretaker, and that is how he got his stick. Moses lost out on a lot because of his mistake but he gained a stick. God used that to fulfill his destiny. Are you lost somewhere out there with a stick, tending to sheep and saying to yourself, “if at all I hadn't made that one stupid mistake!” Do not be disheartened - if His eye is on the sparrow, His eye is on you too.

I mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again: When I think of the goodness and wisdom of God ...who chooses to use the consequences of my fears and mistakes... as a platform to give me opportunities to equip me with a tool or an anointing (stick).... to help me in my mission for life and thus reach my destiny... it blows my mind. To God be the glory!

The mathematics of loaves & baskets

Click here to read Matthew 16:5-12

Mark 16:9 “…do you not remember? …” Jesus broke 5 loaves of bread and with it fed 5000 men - the disciples collected 12 baskets full of broken pieces thereafter. Another time he broke 7 loaves of bread and with it fed 4000 men and the disciples collected 7 baskets. Logically or arithmetically speaking if 5 loaves fed 5000, 7 loaves should be enough bread for 7000 (or to feed 4000, 4 loaves should do). Similarly, if 5 loaves produced 12 extra baskets of broken bread, 7 loaves should be enough bread to gather 16.8 extra baskets. However the principles of God are different from the principles of arithmetic. So how do we understand this logic then?

Now the disciples were witnesses to both these miracles but they were really slow in picking up an important lesson Jesus wanted them to learn through this. One day when Jesus and his disciples had just crossed over to one side of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples realized that they had brought no bread with them. This story is illustrated twice in the gospels – in Matthew 16:5-12 and in Mark 8:14-21. After the disciples realized that they had not brought any bread with them, Jesus said to them “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” (Mathew 16:6). When the disciples heard this, they thought Jesus was saying this because they did not bring any bread along with them. “They said to one another, “It is because we have brought no bread.””(Matthew 16:7)

Jesus became aware of this and says to them “You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets you gathered? How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” (Matthew 16:8-11) Mark accounts it this way: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven” Then He said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:17-21)

Now if we recall the two miracles, i.e. the feeding of the five thousand, and the feeding of the four thousand, there are many things that may come to one’s mind. However of all things that happened, Jesus asks them if they remember the following statistics:

People	Loaves	Baskets
5000	5	12
4000	7	7

Now, if I were to add one more figure under the “People” column, say 3000, will you be able to formulate a mathematical equation to come up with the right digits to fill in under “Loaves” and “Baskets”? Why was it that Jesus considered it very important that the disciples remember the number of baskets and number of loaves and the number of people? And what does any of that have to do with faith? “You of little faith…” Doesn’t that have to do with your memory? Jesus should have rebuked them saying, “You of little memory…” And what do loaves and baskets have to do with the yeast of Pharisees and Sadducees?

Let me answer those questions for you. What God can do for you and through you and in you do not depend on how much you have or how little you have. It does not depend on how big you are or how small you are. Rather, it depends on your faith in God. Jesus fed 5000 with 5 loaves, with 12 baskets remaining, to prove that God’s power does not depend on how little you have. However on another occasion, when he had to feed 4000, he used 7 loaves and had only 7 baskets remaining. He did this to prove that God’s power does not depend on how much you have. Just because they had more loaves and less people to eat it, it did not mean they could gather more baskets. What God can do for you depends on whether you give him what you have and not on the size of what you have. In both the miracles, Jesus asks them this question: What do you have? On one occasion they had 5 loaves, on another they had 7 loaves. Whatever they had, they gave it to Jesus and he worked a miracle. Are you feeling inferior because you only have 5 loaves and the people around you have 7? Give your 5 to Jesus. He fed a larger crowd with 5 than with 7. They gathered more baskets with 5 than with 7. Do you have a feeling of self-righteousness and pride because you have 7 loaves and others have 5? Do not be fooled – He fed a larger crowd with 5 and they gathered more baskets with 5.

That is why Jesus rebukes them for their little faith. When the disciples realized they had no bread, Jesus said, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They thought Jesus said that because they had no bread. Jesus replies, “You of little faith…do you not remember…” In effect, Jesus was saying that His power does not depend on what you do have or what you don’t have. It depends on whether you have faith or not. The disciples then realized that he wasn’t talking about bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. What was common to both these groups of people? They believed the way to please God was to obey laws and traditions. They considered themselves higher than others because they adhered to strict laws of Judaism and to the laws of Moses. Jesus says beware… Beware of thinking believing that what God can do for you depends on your works. The power of God depends on faith and not on works. “Immeasurable power for those who believe…” (Ephesians 1:19) So how do we understand the mathematics of loaves and baskets? – By faith. Here ends today’s article.

On a separate note, I would like to leave the reader a question to ponder upon.

Paul says,

· Galatians 2:16 – “…We know that a person is justified not by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.

· Romans 3:28 – “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law”

· Romans 5: 1 – “Therefore since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

· Romans 4:2,3,9b – “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed (had faith in) God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” “…Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.”

James says,

· James 2:14 - “What good is it, my brothers, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?”

· James 2:24 – “…a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

· James 2:26 – “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.”

· James 2:21 – “Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the alter?”

Based on the above verses, are Paul and James teaching two contradicting versions of the gospel? Please leave your thoughts, comments and questions below.