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Delivered From Death–Redeemed From Sickness and Poverty
Posted on April 14, 2008
“Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles” (Psalm 25:22). Oh, how great was the redemption God accomplished for Israel on that night of deliverance. First, they were delivered from death. In like manner, we, too, have been delivered from eternal death, spared from hell and from being cut off from God forever.
Next, they were redeemed from sickness, because, “there was not one feeble person among their tribes” (Psalm 105:37), after many years of back breaking labor. In the same way Christ has paid for our healing, “for with His stripes we are healed” (1st Peter 2:24).
Then, the Israelites were redeemed from poverty. The went from being paupers to being prosperous overnight, and “asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and of clothing…so they plundered the Egyptians” (Exodus 12:35-36). The Lord “brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold” (Psalm 105:37), providing them with all they needed in order to live and build the tabernacle in the wilderness.
Sometimes situations in life can seem overwhelming. It can be frustrating when we follow all the rules and seemingly do not reap the rewards. The world has such a warped sense of prosperity. Prosperity is not about the abundance of things, it is about a relationship with the Living God who loves us. We must also understand that we live in body that is subject to sickness because we live here on the earth. Our bodies are subject to the challenges that we face in a fallen world.
Jesus put it this way, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We can rejoice even in the face of adversity and we can claim a full inheritance of provision for any need we have to advance the glory of God. Our redemption is not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with the precious blood of Christ.
Destroy Your Binding
Posted on November 30, 2007
There is a story in the Bible about three young Hebrew boys. Their names are Shadrach, Mesach, and Abed-nego. They went through a fiery trial for not backing down from their convictions and suffered a “fiery trial” because of it. 1st Peter 4:12 tells us, “Dear friends, do not be suprised at the painful (fiery) trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” Now, I don’t know about you, but, I don’t like trials, complications and the such.
The trial by fire is the moment in our lives when we decide if surving God is worth losing everything for. These three boys reached a quality decision before the king. “If we are thrown into the blazzing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us…But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods” (Daniel 3:17-18). The courageous young men had determined that, no matter the outcome, they were going to serve God.
Once you have decided you are going to, “rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Chirst” (1st Peter 4:13). Christ will enter the fire with you (Daniel 3:25). Romans 8:35-38 tells us that “nothing shall seperate us from Christ, not tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, nakedness, danger, or sword…” Paul goes on to say that he is persuaded that neither, “death, nor life, nor angels, nor pirncipalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shalll seperate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
No matter what you face today, know that the love of God is much stronger. The thing that I always take away from the story of the fiery furnace is this, the first thing that the fire does is burn away the bindings of the three young boys. Your trial may seem frieghtening, but trust that God is in control and with you even in the midst of a fiery furnace.
Are We Paying Full Price
Posted on July 15, 2007
David insisted on paying full price for the thresing floor of Araunah (1st Chronicles 21:24). The idea of an offering to God with no personal sacrifice was repulsive to David.
Many Christians are looking for the bargain table where they can serve the Lord with little or no personal changes in their lifestyles or comfort levels. The Bible is full of those who desired the environment of religion without the demonstration of love by sacrifice.
All love is shown by personal sacrifice. Jesus showed His love for us by paying the full price for our sins. He took no shortcuts or easy roads to our redemption. Instead, He drank the full cup of God’s wrath. His question to us today is: “Are you paying the full price?” In other words, “Have you resigned everything to Me and counted it as loss that you might gain Me?”
David did not know that his little seed of sacrifice would ultimately become the location of Solomon’s Temple (2nd Chronicles 3:1). God takes seemingly insignificant sacrifices (like loaves and fishes) and uses them to build His mighty kingdom.
No Is An Answer
Posted on June 9, 2007
1st Chronicles 5:20 says, “God answered their prayers because they trusted Him.”
God answers our prayers, always. What He does not do is this, He does not always answer our prayers as soon as we might like, and He does not always answer our prayers by saying “yes”.
We should understand that God is not an order-taker, or some sort of cosmic vending machine. God is not a genie in the Bible. There have been times in my life when I have wanted something very badly, but God, in His infinite wisdom, has answered “no” or “not yet”. If I am trusting Him then I must trust His answer, even if I do not understand it.
We must remember that God “knows the plans that He has for us, plans to bless us, not harm us” (Jeremiah 29:11).
God answers prayers not only according to our wishes but also according to His master plan, He has the ability to see the end from the beginning. We may not know the plan, but we can know the Planner.
I want to encourage everyone to trust His wisdom, His righteousness, and His love. Not sometimes but always, especially when the situations in our lives are difficult.
“May the Lord bless you and keep you, May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).
Pator Tommy
Resurrection Sunday
Posted on April 7, 2007
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 28:20). Without contradiction, we can say that Chirst came to earth to die. From the beginning of His minsitry, Jesus informed His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him. He told them that unless they ate His flesh and drank His blood, they had no life in themselves.
Moses’ revelation of the blood is described in Exodus 12: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (v. 13). The blood of an innocent, meek lamb would substitute for an entire household. Like that lamb Christ was a gentle, humble servant who never sought the glory and exaltation for which the disciples were constantly striving.
The firstborn of Israel deserved death just as much as Pharaoh’s own firstborn did. Instead, the blood of the lamb ransomed, it paid for, bought back, their lives. This is Christianity’s focus: we deserve to die, and Christ died in our place-the “just for the unjust” (1st Peter 3:18). Brothers and sisters rejoice today in the power of the blood of Jesus who ransomed you from death.
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