Deut 8:9-10 A land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.¹⁰ when you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

This world, according to the book of Deuteronomy, is in fact God’s bountiful buffet. The land of promise toward which He was leading His people was described as a land filled with every good thing they could possibly want.

 “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing…”

But remember: the problem with the buffet is that you think you are getting much for little cost. The problem with the bountiful buffet is always that our greed takes over and all we think about is taking; eating, consuming, and it is an illusion that it costs us nothing.

This passage deals with God’s eternal plan for the world, and the great blessings of God which He pours out upon those who trust in His Son Jesus Christ as both their Lord and their Savior.

The Lord is bringing us into a new season of abundance. We may have experienced many difficult and fearful and dangerous experiences in the wilderness to teach us obedience and faith. We may have gone through a season of lack and mere survival.

 We may have lived in the wilderness experience of having just enough and barely getting through. But the Lord is bringing us out of the wilderness into a season of abundance and overflow where we will have more than enough to meet our needs and have plenty left over to share with others in need.

 The God who we worship is a God of abundance; not a God of scarcity. God miraculously and abundantly provided for the Children of Israel as God led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. God fed them with manna, brought them water out of solid rock, caused their clothes and shoes to never wear out, and covered them with a cloud to protect them from the sun as they traveled.

God was giving the Children of Israel a land of abundance. In the first part of our Scripture lesson, God described the land as having plenty of water and a great deal of farmable land. It is a land filled was filled with good fruit and grapes for wine. The hills in the Promised Land contained all the minerals that they to produce farm implements (equipments) and armor. In this land the people would lack no good thing. God wanted the very best for his people.

 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. (Proverbs 22:9)

•  A bountiful eye: Trusts God by Faith (ch 40)
•  A bountiful eye: Looks to the Future with Hope (Ch 41)
•  A bountiful eye: Sees People with Love (45)

There are two principles in this passage…

First: when you don’t have enough, materially, then it’s fairly easy to remember that we are physical creatures; it is therefore time to rediscover how spiritual we are, and to respond to God with gratitude.

Secondly: when you do have enough, materially, then it’s fairly easy to remember that we are spiritual creatures; and then it is time to rediscover how physical and material we are, and to respond to God with responsibility.

#1 the secret of Bountiful blessing is – Exercise kingdom influence

You have a promised land, the place where you are to exercise kingdom influence. A fish can’t swim on the sidewalk (walk path) and even it has no grace there.  Your promised land where your passion lies… It’s where your heart quickens, where you feel supernatural hunger to intervene and improve a situation. Your promised land will always involve meeting other people’s needs.

Your promised land is not about building you or making you comfortable. It’s about making you useful to others comfortable. 

#2 the secret of Bountiful Blessing is ‘to know’/identity (who you are…)

Good Shepherd knows you & you know the Good Shepherd

No matter where you go, can’t be anonymous with God. Jesus says “I know my sheep,” God knows you and that is a blessing. The word “know” in the Bible gives a deep intimate knowledge of everything about you. Greek word Ginasko means ‘I Know’.

Before creation, Jesus knew your name, he knew who your parents would be, what your life would be like, growing up. He knows what are you good at, what are things that make you happy, and what things make you afraid. Jesus knows you. This is bountiful blessing number one.

• What a blessing, that we have Jesus, who knows us. He sees all of our sins. And he knows how to fix it. That’s what he did on Good Friday. And that’s why he rose on Easter Sunday. “I know my sheep,” Jesus says, “and my sheep know me.”

THE LORD IS BRINGING US INTO A NEW SEASON OF BLESSING…in 2012

Are we ready to receive…refresh…to make a fresh start….

Pastor Shalom

Preached @ Hall of Hope

Deuteronomy 8:7-9 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; 8a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

God is revealing His prophetic message and promising to full fill in 2012 for His Children…

By the Help of Holy Spirit, we could mediate the blessings of God in 2012, in 3 parts…

Part -1: Vs. 7 – To live within the Boundaries

Part -2: Vs.8 – Blessings (7 fold blessings -Food Products)

Part -3:Vs.9 – Bountifulness/prosperity

1. We have to learn to live within the boundaries of God’s 

The passage is talking about a literal piece of land, a land that has specific borders, and a land that the children of Israel were to dwell in (see Exodus 3:8, Numbers 13:27, Joshua 15-17). 

•   Follow God’s principles -Remember the LORD Your God…then we starts to live within out boundaries.   Deut 8:6 “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

Joshua 1:4-5 ‘From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.’

Result: No one shall able to stand before them….

Deut 1:8 ‘See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’

 ¹⁰ The LORD your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude. ¹¹May the LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you! 

•  By putting God’s principles into practice

Deut 8:1 “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers.

Remember… For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land! It’ not on our ability but His grace/favor…

Today in the name of Jesus we have made prosperous + by the blood of Jesus we have made victorious + by His Spirit made us righteousness & likeness of Jesus…

• Enlarge your vision… Vision brings passion

Deut 1:7-8 Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites… See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’

Example:  1 Chor 4:9-10, Jabez prayed that God would enlarge his borders/territory. Jabez was from the tribe of Judah, which was the ruling class among the Hebrews. To increase his territory meant that his people would have more area to live in and that he would have more people to serve as a leader. He was not thinking of himself, he was thinking about the welfare of others. A leader is a servant of other people.  Jabez wanted to be used by God more than anything else. 

Preached by Ps Shalom

Hall of Hope

]]> http://hallofhope.com/2012/01/14/boundaries/feed/ 0 Pastor shalom Deut http://hallofhope.com/2012/01/05/your-destiny/ http://hallofhope.com/2012/01/05/your-destiny/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:27:44 +0000 Pastor shalom http://hallofhope.com/?p=2931 ]]> Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will…

Everyone has a destiny to fulfill in Christ, but not everyone fulfills their destiny. You have a God directed purpose in life are you fulfilling it, or are you satisfied back at the life.

David was destined to be King but there was a giant that stood in the way of him reaching his destiny. David had a choice to make, either run away or believe God for a victory. He was not facing Goliath with only a sling but he was marching into battle to obtain his destiny with the power of almighty God.

God has called you to face your giants, but not in your own abilities but in His power…If God is fighting with us victory is already determined

“We don’t want a prayer life; we just want to be healed”

“We don’t want to fight; we just want to enjoy the victory”

“We don’t want to enter the battle; we just want to come to church once a week and feel the o.k.”

Example: Genesis 11:31-32 (Destiny incomplete)… Terah only went half way. You may say that half way is better than no way, but when it comes to your destiny that is not true.   If God is with us and His purpose dwells in us…we could complete the destination.  Today we have so blessed in Jesus we know destiny of life.   He is complete and perfect, able to lead us in the destiny of His Father- He is the only way…in this planet earth.

If today you have question how can we fulfill my destiny? For this question that heaven has answered, and is always answering those that call upon the Lord….

…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

“….and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matt 1:21

3 Steps to Accomplish Your Destiny

1. Imagine it! — God saw the world before He created it. Rely on the creativity of God that has been placed inside of you. This is the ability to see things before they can be seen and must be a component of any vision.

2. Believe it! — Your heart must go with your head/mind. To believe to see the impossible is to partner with God who can do all things. Jesus said nothing is impossible to those who believe… Ex: Giving/restoring life of Lazarus John11:40 (Jesus said to Martha…!)

3. Do it! — This is what separates dreamers from doers.  Ex: “Just Do it” (Nike sports stuff – if you wear it doesn’t happen but get into the field you will do it and achieve it- it is impossible but possible too).  Move into what God has placed before you…walk in and be victorious!

There comes a time to defeat Giants in life; but the one who called and promised is with you! Never forget…

Mission will accomplish! Mission is not impossible but possible in Christ Jesus

Conclusion: Stay focused:

“Visualize His Purpose in Jesus, See it, feel it and believe it…He will make a way to reach the right destiny in time.   Make your mental blue print and begin” Once you have clear picture of your priorities-that is values, goals and high influence – You will reach the promise Land (Eternity with JESUS).

Isaiah 9:6 Prophecies… “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.  And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…”

Today’ revelation… I am not going to speak about where we are this Christmas season.  But teaching to them who I am in every season!

When God became Human…!

This is not mystery but it is an History! The birth of Jesus is not a mythological story or oral tradition but living witness! John 1:14 testify about it.

Joke: A Sunday school teacher asked her class “What is Christmas – a time for?” She got the usual answers—Jesus’ birthday, a time of joy, a time to worship God… but then one child raised their hand and answered: “a time for sportsmanship, because you don’t always get everything you want.”

The key focus of the Bible is the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. As we head into the season of celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus, prophesies are a reminder that God was indeed in charge and had planned every detail of the birth and life of His Son. He knew the end before the beginning.

The passage in Isaiah 9: 6-7 is one of the spectacular prophecies given in the book of Isaiah about Messiah’s coming. The two words have come alive in my spirit; two little words that change the whole perspective of this prophecy. Those words are “UNTO US.” (namagoskara)

They change this from a vague (unclear) and impersonal word to a powerful personal prediction; they take the merely theoretical and transform it into the practical. Without these two small words, the verses lack personal significance. With them, they offer great hope and individual consolation.

 But Isaiah tells us that this “child”, this “Son” was born and given unto us. What He is in this verse He is in relation to us. He came for us, for our benefit.

When God became Human…!

He is not just abstractly wonderful—He is Wonderful in our lives.

He is not just some counselor—He is our Counselor.

He is not some far removed deity—He is our Mighty God.

He is not just someone’s father—He is our Everlasting Father.

He is not peace in an abstract way—He is our Peace.

Remember…

1. He came for our benefit

2. God give us a child as a gift

He came to where we were—because we could not go where He was.

Personal application – If God could come into the world through Mary, He can also be revealed through our lives. He looks at our simplicity, availability and humility and not at our qualification or ability.

Are you willing to receive JESUS as Savior in your life in this Christmas Season!  Without Him…No meaning to celebrate Christmas!

Have a wonderful and blessed season in Jesus

Pastor Shalom

(Preached @ Annex Hall)

]]> http://hallofhope.com/2011/12/26/for-unto-us-a-son-is-given-isa-96a/feed/ 0 Pastor shalom unto http://hallofhope.com/2011/12/22/rich-through-jesus-poverty/ http://hallofhope.com/2011/12/22/rich-through-jesus-poverty/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:24:36 +0000 Pastor shalom http://hallofhope.com/?p=2915 ]]> Rich Through Jesus’ Poverty

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

When we think of God, we think of the most powerful and richest being in the whole universe. But do you know that our Lord Jesus was actually born into a poor family? We know this from the offering His mother Mary brought to the temple after Jesus was born, according to the Law for purification. (Luke 2:22–24) She brought a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons, which was the only type of offering the poor could afford. (Leviticus 12:2, 8)

But with Jesus in their lives, Mary and her husband Joseph didn’t remain poor. Wise men came to Jesus with treasures — “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

Jesus’ presence brought gold, frankincense and myrrh — two of the most expensive spices — to His family. The wise men must have come with quite an entourage for the Bible records how all Jerusalem was fearful when the wise men came to the city. (Matthew 2:3) Can you imagine the amount of gold, frankincense and myrrh which accompanied that entourage, and which was given to Jesus’ parents?

My friend, the moment you are born again, you have Jesus in your life. And when you have Him in your life, get ready to prosper for gold will come to you! But don’t look for the gold, look to Jesus — He is the power to get wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:18) The presence of the Son of the living God in your life attracts prosperity. Because of His grace toward us, Jesus, though He was rich, was made poor at the cross for your sake so that “you through His poverty might become rich”.

Beloved, when you have Jesus in your life and when you know that He has paid the price for your prosperity, you can boldly declare, “Jesus was made poor at the cross for my sake so that through His poverty, I am made rich in all things!”

Pastor Prince

We all want good things to happen in our lives, but too often we want it now…not later. When it doesn’t happen that way, we are tempted to ask, “When, God, when?” Most of us need to grow in the area of trusting God instead of focusing on the “when” question. If you’re missing joy and peace, you’re not trusting God. If your mind feels worn out all the time, you’re not trusting God.

The tendency to want to know about everything that’s going on can be detrimental to your Christian walk. Sometimes knowing everything can be uncomfortable and can even hurt you.

God wants us to live by discernment—revelation knowledge, not head knowledge. It’s difficult to exercise discernment if you’re always trying to figure out everything. But when you’re willing to say, “God, I can’t figure this out, so I’m going to trust you to give me revelation that will set me free,” then you can be comfortable in spite of not knowing. Trusting God often requires not knowing how God is going to accomplish what needs to be done and not knowing when He will do it. We often say God is never late, but generally He isn’t early either. Why? Because He uses times of waiting  to stretch our faith in Him and to bring about change and growth in our lives

Wait With Patience

We spend a lot of time in our lives waiting because change is a process. Many people want change, but they don’t want to go through the waiting process. But the truth is, waiting is a given—we are going to wait. The question is, are we going to wait the wrong or right way? If we wait the wrong way, we’ll be miserable; but if we decide to wait God’s way, we can become patient and enjoy the wait. It takes practice, but as we let God help us in each situation, we develop patience, which is one of the most important Christian virtues. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22). It’s developed only under trial, so we must not run from difficult situations. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. (James 1:4)

Accept God’s Timing

God gives us hopes and dreams for certain things to happen in our lives, but He doesn’t always allow us to see the exact timing of His plan. Although frustrating, not knowing the exact timing is often what keeps us in the program. There are times when we might give up if we knew how long it was going to take, but when we accept God’s timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working on our problems. We know that God’s plan for our lives is good, and when we entrust ourselves to Him, we can experience total peace and happiness.

The book of Genesis tells the story of Joseph, who waited many years for the fulfillment of the dream God had given him. He was falsely accused and imprisoned before the time came for him to do what God had shown him he was to do.

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time! Your job is not to figure out when, but to make up your mind that you won’t give up until you cross the finish line and are living in the radical, outrageous blessings of God! The more you trust Jesus and keep your eyes focused on Him, the more life you’ll have. Trusting God brings life. Believing brings rest. So stop trying to figure everything out, and let God be God in your life.

by Joyce Meyer

In Psalm 1 we have a plea for a deeper, more solid, and more productive walk with God. The person who has a close walk with God is called Blessed! So, how can we make the most of our walk with God? How can it become a blessed Walk and have a blessed life?

To make the most of your walk with God, it is essential that you know Christ as your Lord and Savior. Apart from Christ there is no walk with God. Apart from Christ there is no saving relationship with God. To the person who is outside of God’s saving grace, I urge you to go to Jesus. He is ready to receive you.

I. The Ungodly Influence v.1 LOOK AROUND. How are you being influenced? (vv.1, 2)

 There are only two possible ways we can be influenced. Either we are influenced with godly influence, or with ungodly influence. We need to look around and ask ourselves the question: How are we being influenced? We are surrounded by all kinds of influence. What are we allowing to influence us? To shape us? To mold us?

There are 3 categories of people in this Psalms

• Walketh (Take progression):  not in the counsel of the ungodly
• Standeth (Take position): not in the way of sinners
• Sitteth(Take comfort and rest):  not in the seat of the scornful(Mocking)

1.      Walketh (Take progression):  not in the counsel of the ungodly:

a.      We need to progress in the right direction. Our ‘walk’ makes us take a ‘stand’ and our ‘stand’ gives us ‘rest’ in them. Many people progress in the counsel of the ungodly. If you place yourselves in a situation where you do not hear the voice of the godly, you end up hearing the voices of ungodly and progress your life according to the ungodly.

(Start with a step of faith, which leads to a walk)

(1) We should ask God to show us how to walk. Psalm 143:8 says, “….teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift my soul.”

(2) We should walk in truth (Psalm 86:11).

(3) We should walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).

Ask God and He will Counsel you. Holy Spirit will be your teacher.   John 16:24 – Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive.

2.      Standeth (Take position): not in the way of sinners:

a.      Do not stand in the way of sinners. Do not take a position to favor sinners.

b.      Take a decision to walk in the way of righteous

Romans 5:2 – through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. – Stand in the grace of God

Standing in the way of sinners: After we go in the direction of seeking advice from the ungodly, we move from consulting the ungodly to identifying with the ungodly. Standing speaks of how we are now identifying with the way of sinners. We are not opposing their viewpoint; we are embracing what they say. At first we walk to the ungodly to listen to what they say, now we don’t walk back to where we should be, we stand where they stand. We identify with their position. There’s only one position that’s worth having—-that’s God’s position. There’s only one viewpoint that’s worth having—that’s God’s viewpoint. Everything else must go to the TRASH CAN!!! How should we stand?

(1) Psalm 33:8 says, “Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”

(2) We should stand firm in the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13).

(3) We should stand together with one mind and spirit (Phil. 1:27).

3.      Sitteth(Take comfort and rest):  not in the seat of the scornful/mockers:

a.      Don’t take comfort in the company of mockers. It’s very easy to be there in such a place, but that company will destroy your values and future.

b.      Find comfort and rest in the promises of God. Delight in them

A person who is separated from the world will not sit in the seat of mockers. The word “sit” means to dwell, remain, or abide. It emphasizes a settled state or condition. “Mockers” is a word that means “to ridicule.” It refers to one who is actively engaged in putting down the things of God and His Word. Mocking can occur not only by declaration of word but by declaration of a way of life.

2. Godly Influence v.2 The Blessed Man…the Person who makes much of His Walk with God will surround himself with godly influence.

1- Delighting in the Word of God. How do you come to delight in God’s Word? It is because there was a time when you found delight in Jesus.  Your appetite for the Lord and His Word will become dull when you have tasted too much of this world. Get back in God’s Word and keep on allowing the Word of God to speak to you.

2- Meditating on God’s Word. It’s not enough to just read words from the Bible, but there must be some passages that we allow to get into our thinking and to shape our thoughts into the mind of Christ.

Results of following the commandments mentioned in Psalm 1:3

 Psalm 1:3 – And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Have a blessed time in Jesus

Pastor Shalom (preached @ Hall of Hope)

]]> http://hallofhope.com/2011/11/19/the-blessed-life/feed/ 0 Pastor shalom images http://hallofhope.com/2011/11/10/dreams-in-bible/ http://hallofhope.com/2011/11/10/dreams-in-bible/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:07:14 +0000 Pastor shalom http://hallofhope.com/?p=2888 ]]> Dreams in bible

WE ALL HAVE VISIONS AND DESIRES AS TO THE TYPE OF HOUSE WE WANT TO LIVE IN AND THE TYPE OF CAR WE WANT TO DRIVE. GOD ALSO WANTS YOU TO HAVE A VISION AS TO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO IN YOUR LIFE. HE DOES NOT WANT US JUST FLOATING AROUND WITHOUT ANY PLAN NOT KNOWING WHAT COMES NEXT, NO HE WANTS YOU WORKING TOWARDS THE GOAL AND OBJECTIVE HE HAS FOR YOUR LIFE. YOU CANNOT DO THAT UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT HE WANTS.

Did you know that 1/3rd of the Bible relates to visions or dreams? Did you know that in scripture, dreams or visions are mentioned 224 times? -God has always talked to His children in dreams, Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Ezekiel, Joseph (Jesus’) father, Mary (Jesus’) Mother, Paul, Cornelius and others.

GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU VISIONS; IT IS WHAT KEEPS HIS PEOPLE GOING. WE HAVE TO SEE WHERE GOD IS LEADING US TO AND HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU GET THERE.

• God used to talk to man consistently in dreams

• God often sends dreams when we’re struggling with a problem

“Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Num 12:6

‘ And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;  Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. Acts 2:17

Job 33:14-16: For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it.  ¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, ¹⁶ Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.

There are 3 sources of dreams.

1. From God almighty: Job 33:15 it’s not just holy people or saints that receive dreams from God. God gives dreams to even ordinary people like us. God can reveal in dream to unholy people too. He speaks to us through dreams to correct us and give us direction.

2. Sometimes dreams are a result of an overactive mind at the end of a busy day. See Ecclesiastes 5:3 and 7.

3. But sometimes our dreams are a result of demon spirits wanting to confuse or frighten us, Jeremiah 23:27 (miss leading people)

When we dream divine dreams, it is God literally putting His thoughts into our minds. In the Bible, prophesy and dreams are given the same importance. A dream is like having an angel prophesy to us.  Whenever God gives dreams it is meaningful.

A) Providing correction in our lives                  B) Providing direction in our lives

Our response to a divine dream must be in faith and prayer

By  Ps Shalom

Most children are instinctively scared of the dark. Maybe it is because their imaginations run wild when they can’t see what is around them, maybe it is because they are likely to hurt themselves if they were to walk around in the dark, without the ability to see, maybe sounds and noises are amplified in the darkness… whatever the reason, children and even adults, don’t like being in the dark. Most people won’t sit in absolute darkness, even if there was a power cut or electricity outage, without a candle or lamp.

The Bible also talks about darkness in Luke 11:33-36, the kind that affects our soul.

Our Lord Jesus had a wonderful way of communicating complex ideas and thoughts, in simple, easy-to-relate ways. Though the parables He used were simple, they were packed with life to bring about change. There is a difference between the police correcting a youngster and parents doing so. When the law speaks to its citizens, it does not necessarily empower. But when a parent speaks to his child, the parent empowers the child to understand and achieve the goal. God does the same for us, through the Holy Spirit. There is life in the words of our Saviour, because the Holy Spirit comes alongside us when we read His Word and helps us understand it.

In Luke 11:33-36, our Lord talked about darkness in our bodies and our lives. Our lord says that if our eyes are evil, our whole body is full of darkness. He is not referring our physical eyes, but our understanding, our comprehension. There are 2 ways we use our eyes to look at something – we can use our eyes to simply look at something or we can use our eyes to look at something and understand it with our minds. That is comprehension. Our Lord is saying that if our understanding of situations is evil, our whole bodies will be full of darkness.  Darkness clouds our minds, when we allow negative attitudes free reign. And darkness weighs down our spirit, in the absence of salvation.

Night time is generally the time for antisocial elements, because a lot of things can be done in secret, in the dark. There is zero visibility in the darkness of nighttime, making it dangerous to move around because things are hidden, and the frame of reference is hazy or invisible. We won’t know where we are going in the dark. Darkness is dangerous to our minds, bodies and spirits as well. It can deceive us and lead us down paths that we never intended to go down. We may not be able to control everything around us, but we can control our attitude and we can prevent the darkness from entering our lives. Pride, lust, greed, jealous, fearful, depression, critical thinking, unforgiveness, loneliness, are all emotions and attitudes that, if we allow it, will rule over every part of our lives and lead us to darkness. Our Lord cautions us, that if our attitudes are dark, it will lead to darkness inside of us. There is no way to bring light into our bodies and minds, unless our attitudes are changed. We cannot properly fill the vacuum in our lives with anything else except God’s Word.

Sometimes when it is dark, we have to use our other faculties to feel our way around our house, because we are unable to see with our eyes. In the same way, when we are unable to lack spiritual vision and direction, we need the help of prophets, neighbours and others to help us determine what God wants from us and we rely on second hand experiences or encounters with God to direct us. When our spirits are blind, we have partial perception. Sometimes we think that others need to change, when God is trying to tell us that we need to change. We can be so blind that God will have difficulty getting through to us.
The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 1:3-9, that if we don’t possess the qualities listed in increasing measure, throughout our lives, we will eventually become blind like we were before we were saved. 2 Peter 2:14 tells us that the whole body is defective, if our eyes are filled with adultery. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 we learn that the gospel is veiled to some people because they cannot understand it. Witchcraft, wrong attitudes, rebellion have blinded their eyes so that they cannot see the truth of the gospel, just as dogs can hear sounds at frequencies that we cannot, though we all have ears. Proverbs 20:27 tells us that God uses our spirits to search our innermost being. Our spirits are the candle of the Lord.

Light gives understanding, direction and destiny. We must learn to cultivate the right attitude in everything. We must learn to be thankful, look at everything with love and faith. The way we look at situations, can change the way situations respond to us.

We are compared to candles in the Bible and not torches because of the uniqueness of the candle. A candle reveals everything around it, while a torch always draws attention to itself; in a candle the flame can be passed onto others – it is contagious. A torch can never be passed on. A candle reveals itself, a torch hides itself. A candle can have a fragrant scent, whereas a torch has none. A candle gives warmth, but a torch is cold.

What brings light to our eyes? Psalm 119:105 God’s Word and His presence. As Mathew 5:14 tells us, we are the light of the world and we will not be hidden. Our God is willing to pour light in our lives, if we’d only make up our minds to listen and obey Him.

by Ps. Johnson

The power of our prayer life will determine the power of our success and Christian witness. We must live with confidence and purpose, knowing how to receive answers to our prayers. Our answered prayers will draw others into the Kingdom of God.

A.     “Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward” (Hebrews 10:35).

1.       God will reward us for having confidence in Him.

2.       We must maintain intimacy with Him to experience His results.

3.       If we lack power or results, we should examine our relationship with God.

4     we should guard our confidence in God because Satan seeks to destroy it.

B.     We have assurance that if we ask anything in agreement with His plan, He listens to and hears us (1 John 5:13-15)

 If we know with certainty that God hears our request, we also know we will receive what we have asked of Him.

The confidence Jesus had in the Father was evident when He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-46).     Jesus thanked God, in front of everyone, for hearing Him.  By doing so, he confirmed the confidence he already had.

C.     Now we are able to come to God without fear or reservation. Because of Jesus, we have free access to the Father (Ephesians 3:10-12).

We can come boldly to Him with our requests, just as Jesus did when He raised Lazarus from the dead.  We should be confident in who we are because of Jesus’ sacrifice. We have peace with God as a result of Jesus laying down His life for us (Romans 5:1-3).  We have a blood-bought right to have our prayers answered (Hebrews 10:19-23).

The word “reward” is defined in the dictionary as “something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit, hardship, etc.” Blessings are an answer to prayers and miracles, an answer to faith. A reward from God, is His answer to us when we meet certain criteria. All of us are eligible for rewards from God, if we meet the criteria and make the grade. Our Father will give us eternal rewards that will be evident for generations to come.

What qualifies us for God’s rewards?

Genesis chapter 16 and verse 8 to 11 (KJV) “And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, ‘whence comest thou? And whither wilt thou go’? And she said, ‘I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai’. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, ‘Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands’. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, ‘I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her ‘Behold thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.”

Hagar was running away from the persecution of her mistress, Sarai. That’s when the angel met her. The angel asks her two questions

• Where are you coming from?
• Where are you going?

It was easy for Hagar to answer the first question. Like many of us today, Hagar knew what she was running from. However Hagar didn’t know what her future was or what she was running to. But God knew her future – He had a plan for her life and He has a plan for each of us as well. The angel met Hagar and told her to return to Sarai. If we were in Hagar’s shoes, we might have argued with the angel. But the Bible goes on to say that Hagar obeyed what God had commanded, even though it meant that she had to return to persecution, to being mistreated. It was not an easy decision, but Hagar chose to obey. Even today, Hagar’s descendents are recipients of the reward that God gave her.

Obedience to God’s Word, always brings rewards.

God values our obedience more than sacrifices and offerings (1 Samuel 15:22) and praise and worship (Hebrews 13:15). Our God is not a pleaser of men but will reward obedience to the principles He has put in place.

There are two key facets of our obedience.

1. Trust – when we obey, we must trust Him.
   Psalm 22:3 to 5 – when we trust God, when we depend upon and count on Him alone, He will deliver us – He will save us. We will not be disappointed. Our obedience must be sincere and without murmuring. We must obey with all of our heart and not just go through the motions. Our God can see through our pretences. Obedience of this manner, is pleasing to Him and He will honor it because it honors Him. God is proud of those who obey Him. He rewards us richly even for the little that we do in His name, if we are walking in obedience to His Word.
2. Love
   Romans 8:28 – Don’t love anything that you cannot or will not give up, if God asks you to. He must be first in your life. David is a great example of how his love for God helped him overcome many difficulties in his life. He was forgotten by his father and family, the prophet did not trust him to be a good king, the Philistines didn’t like him, Goliath in fact asked the Israelites to send someone more fitting to fight against him, he lacked opportunities in his life, Saul wanted to kill him, his passions were out of control – but yet David was rewarded because he was a man after God’s own heart. Whether in the cave or in the palace, David loved His Maker and could give up anything for Him.

If you love something and you are willing to give it up for Him, you are truly humble, you will have the right perspective, you will never abuse it and will never be abused by it. You will live in the abundance of God’s rewards that are meant for those that honour Him through obedience.

Ps  Johnson (Bangalore)

It has been said the prayer is the greatest secret weapon of the church to­day because God promises to answer righteous prayer. Most Christians do not know how prayer works.  Our Lord’s disciples had asked Jesus to teach them to pray (v. 1). As part of His answer, Jesus shared a parable with them. A parable designed to illustrate what kind of praying we must do.

Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes us! Sometimes our hearts need to be prepared before God’s answer can be received. There is no unwillingness on God’s part, just unreadiness on our part.

God’s primary goal for each of us is that we might be changed into the likeness of His dear Son as we come to know Him more intimately. One of the disciplines He uses to bring this about is prayer.  Therefore, in our praying, we must be daring to be stubborn and persistent, and allow God to do the work in us He wants to do.

Hebrew 11:6 says But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Everybody Prays. Sinners pray to win the Lottery. Criminals pray for a lenient Judge. Christians pray for things. Many cases Christians cannot tell you for sure that they prayed and God answered.

A Lady announced she was going on a diet to her office workers. The next day she showed up with a DOUBLE CHOLATE CREAM CAKE. Someone asked her if that was on her diet. She said “It was God’s will for her to eat the cake!”  She said she saw it in a bakery window and she prayed if it was God’s will for her to have that cake make a parking place directly in front of the bakery, on the 10th time around a place was open.

This was not an answer to prayer. Answer to prayer is when you ask and you get what you ask for without you changing it. The Word gives us clear instructions about prayer

Not just any prayer but the PRAYER OF FAITH. Mt 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

  Our God would rather that we understand process, assimilate, comprehend His ways and methods, rather than follow instructions like robots. Which is why, He spoke through parables and referred to everyday situations, so that we can understand His message. A good example of this, is what our Lord Jesus says in Luke 11:9-13.

Whatever our behavior, if we are children of God, we are assured that we will receive His inheritance. But just because we have an inheritance, it does not mean we can be careless. Our immaturity can prevent us from truly enjoying the benefits of His blessings in our life. As a result, God does not leave the blessing in the level that we are in. He leaves it in a higher level so that we are forced to grow up and go up, if we are to attain the blessing. Our Father wants us to learn how to Ask, Seek and Knock – we must learn to ASK. Our God knows that when we ask (ask, seek and knock), our faith will increase.

Our blessings are not dependent on our circumstances or the devil. It depends on our relationship with our heavenly Father. We must not allow anything to take the place of that relationship. God will remember us even if everyone else forgets us. And that is really all that matters. If God is for us… we must learn to smile at the storm, knowing and trusting that there is nothing to fear. When we wait, preparing ourselves for our blessing, then we are assured of receiving our blessing.

The Bible compares prayer to a real-life situation where a child asks a parent for something. The Bible uses the term, “you are evil”, to mean that we humans are prone to emotional mood swings.

Our Lord compares the following

• Bread and stone
• Bread represents the living Word of God.
• Stone represents the curse of the law. The law was first written on stone tablets and law breakers were to be stoned to death.
• Our Lord says that He will show mercy and grace instead of condemnation.

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

Stone: EX 34:1 (Tablets) + And the LORD said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.

Stone to death Deut12-13 ‘stone to death’

• Fish and serpent
• Fish represents miraculous provision (as in the time when Peter caught a large catch of fish when he obeyed our Lord Jesus, even after he spent the whole night fishing with nothing to show). It also represents fellowship with God, as in the time when our Lord Jesus cooked the disciples a seaside breakfast after His resurrection.

• Christians began using the Greek word for “fish” as an anagram/acronym for “Jesus Christ God’s Son, Savior.” More about this later.

• Serpent was cursed, is considered evil and leads to death and destruction.
• God will bless even our wants and desires. For example, if you ask for car, not only will He give you that, but He will also bless it so that it runs well and does not meet with accidents etc.

Gen 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent:  “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.

• Egg and scorpion
• Eggs are not instant miracles. They take time to hatch. These blessings require brooding, waiting and praying before they are realized. If we are to hear from God, we have to invest time and energy. Praying and waiting is the time when our frequency is tuned into His radio signal. Our blessings are not linked to our bosses or our offices. It relies solely on our Father.
• Scorpions sting from the tail and they attack without us necessarily being aware.

Whatever we pray for, God will give us the Holy Spirit with that, to preserve the blessing and equip us to mature into the blessing. I Corinthians 2:9-12 says that the Holy Spirit is the only One who can show us what God has planned for us. If not for the Holy Spirit, we can miss the blessings of God. Romans 8:26-28 tells us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and helps us in our weaknesses.

Preached by Pastor Shalom

Hall of Hope

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