Monthly Archives: June 2019

Family is a gift of God. Part – 4.

Let us look at the divine strategy for building a  godly home in an ungodly world. We read in Deut.5:29.O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever! We looked at the first division last week.

This week let us see division 2. Divine prescription. It is twofold.

1. Fear of God.
2. Obedience.

(A) Fear of God must be exercised individually, as a family and collectively as an assembly. God fearing people’s priorities are determined in heaven, but lived out in obedience to the voice of God here on earth. We are supposed to live in reverential awe of Him and walk in godly fear. The exercise of the fear of God will enable us to maintain a sanctuary atmosphere at home and we develop our children in the same environment  and bring them up in the fear of God. It must be evident in every gathering of our assembly as well. We read, God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. But, it is lost among our people in these days and God’s people welcome any kind of ungodly and unscriptural practice. In the days of Malachi the question was “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you. At the same time we read in the same book about a small pleasing godly portion set apart for the Lord.” Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. We see in every age there is a small remnant, godly people living in total separation from this world  and in reverence and the Lord is pleased with such company of His people and they experience the blessing of God. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways….happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children. Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known anything, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

“ O what shall we feel in Thy presence when first, the visions of glory upon us shall burst! Since now our soul longeth and seeketh for Thee; O when, blessed Saviour, Thy face shall we see?

Seraphim vail their faces at His transcend glory. Isaiah could acknowledge his sinfulness, Daniel and Ezekial fell on their faces and the group of disciples the moment they saw the Lord in glory and power on holy mount, they too fell on the ground. John, the beloved disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who leaned on the bosom of our Lord at the table, the moment he saw the Lord in His unveiled glory on the Lord’s day in the island of Patmos, he fell at His feet as dead. Oh what a reverence in the presence of the Lord? When we come together as an assembly on the Lord’s day to offer praise and worship, let us be well prepared practically and spiritually. Being cleansed by the washing of water- the holy word of God, with pure heart render unto Him worship. O Thou who this world as alone pilgrim trod, Thy Father our Father, Thy God is our God; To Thee we behold the bright seraphim bow; Lord Jesus, what glory doth rest on Thee now. We see Thee, Lord Jesus, with glory now crowned, And waiting Thy coming, in peace would be found; The visions of glory have turned all to dross; For Thee give us grace to count all things but loss.

Have a blessed weekend with Christo-centeric Lord’s day.

Family is a gift of God- Part 3

Let us look at the divine strategy for building a godly home in an ungodly world for the glory of God. We read in God’s word..”O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! ” Here we have three divisions.

1. Divine expectation
2. Divine prescription
3. Divine provision of blessing

1.O that there were such an heart in them. What sort of heart? God is expecting from me a heart without reservation. Not a heart for two hours on the Lord’s day to worship neither an hour on Wednesday Bible Study. But, a heart totally and affectionately set apart for the Lord. It is then, we experience the blessing of the Lord and our children in turn shall be blessed of the Lord.We read “…. thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might”….seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul”. The Lord knows our hearts, even the secrets of the heart.” What was wrong with Solomon? His heart was not right with God. We read frequently about his heart in 1 King.11:1-13.It was far from God. As you know, the strange women turned his heart after other gods. His children had to face the consequences for what his father did. We read of the integrity of heart, perfect heart, pure heart, clean heart, willing heart, upright heart, true heart, wise heart, with such heart we must love and serve the Lord. Psalmist says..”How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Here is the one whose aspiration is being satisfied. His soul, flesh and heart is crying, longing, deeply desiring for the dwelling place of the Lord. His heart, that means affectionately, his soul, means spiritually and his flesh, means physically, so whole being, longs for the Lord. The house of God and the God of the house won his heart and these two are  on the top of his heart. David said, I have set my affection to the house of my God. In the book of Haggai , he occupied with the house of God and in the book of Zechariah, he occupied with the God of the house.

Back in Deut.5:29” Oh that there were such a heart in them”. Husband and wife, thus having a heart without reservation set apart for the Lord and must be concerned with those things which delights the heart of God. Like unto Psalmist and prophets, parents along with God given children occupy the house of God and the God of the house and its altar. So that your children are brought up with the interest of those divine things which concerns and delights the heart of God. The Lord knows where is our heart and for whom it is. Paul asks us to set our affection on the things above, where Christ sitteth at the right of hand of God. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that  I desire beside thee. May the Lord search our hearts and make us realize where our heart is? We read in Proverbs..” My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways”. Our Lord gave us  all what He had, His only begotten son and His son in turn, offered Himself upon Calvary’s mercy seat. In response what shall we render unto Him?”Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my life, my all! Let us, like unto Macedonian, give ourselves fully for the Lord. Hymn writer says.”Saviour, Thy dying love, Thou gavest me, nor should I aught withhold, my Lord, from Thee. In love my soul would bow, my heart fulfill its vow, some offering bring Thee now, something for Thee. Give me a faithful heart, likeness to Thee. That each departing day, henceforth may see, some work of love begun, some deed of kindness done, some wanderer sought and won, something for Thee. All that I am and have, Thy gifts so free. In joy, in grief, through life, O Lord, for Thee! And when Thy face I see, my ransomed soul shall be, through all eternity, something for Thee.”O that there were such an heart in them”. Do we have such a heart?( Division-2,3  to be contd.)

Have a blessed weekend

Family is a gift of God- Part 2

When God brings a man and woman in marriage relationship, he expects them to see at least three generation. We read “ You shall see your children’s children and again we read that children’s children are the crown of old men and the glory of children are their fathers. And the father who walks in integrity, his children are blessed after him. But, the child who is left to himself brings shame to his mother. So, how are we going to develop this crown, blessing and glory in our Christian home in contrast of shame? What is the strategy by which we can develop them? When marriage takes place, from day one, couple should build their home with the strategy laid down in God’s word and seek to apply the divine principle with long sight in expectation to see their generation. When can a couple say that they had a successful married life? Is it when a couple have led a few years of happy married life, enjoyed holidays together and lived in fullness of love, had a pretty smooth ride?… No, when they see their children being brought up in the fear of God and established in the assembly fellowship (not in new age church) and finally, they get married in the Lord, it is then, a couple can say that we have successful married life. That means, it is a long journey and demands a huge amount of practical sacrifice. The couple should be together in everything, two hearts, but beating harmoniously as one heart and together with one mind building their home with divine wisdom. We read ”Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established. Look at the divine order that our Lord set before us.” The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens. For building such a godly married life and a godly home, couple must look to the Lord and turn to scripture. There is no other way of such a short cut. Thus, from day one, building an altar at home and getting children around the altar and getting to the assembly as a family, not forsaking the assembly gathering and living in touch with heaven and valuing those things which please the heart of God and going on in testimony and in expectation of the coming of the Lord.

The first 4 years of a child is very crucial years when 50% adult intelligence is formed and developed and the remaining 50% from age 5 until 18.Train up a child in a way he should go, when he becomes old he will not depart from it”. Scripture is relevant and will accomplish what it says without a shadow of doubt. Parents are most influential teachers on this earth. Look at Zachariah and Elizabeth… we read of them being together physically, spiritually and practically. They had their own disappointments, not every thing is alright, but they never gave up scriptural truth. They were “both” together with one mind engaged in the things of God, a married life which produced togetherness and a life in every respect pleased the heart of God. There was the practice of the presence of the Lord and the application of God’s word daily in their married life. No one could point their finger at them. They did not simply talk, but walked in all the commandments  and the ordinance of the Lord without compromise and served the Lord all their lives. The Lord was pleased with them and heard their prayers and the promise of a godly son was given to them with a significant purpose. After such a long silence of 400 years, we see heaven is interested in a godly couple and began to communicate with them. The result of such a wonderful married life produced glorious fruits for the Lord. So, we read that the child was filled with the Holy Spirit and His mother Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. Oh what a godly home of sanctuary atmosphere and the Lord was pleased to accomplish His purpose thro’ their married life. God is always looking for godly couple with whom and thro’ whom He begins to work and finally accomplish great things for His glory.

Have a blessed weekend with every blessing from above.

Part -1

Family is the gift of God! We read in OT a particular statement such as “thou and thy house”, ye and your children”… then follows divine instructions for the blessed development of our home on this earth. Heaven is interested in our dwelling. We read in Ex:10:22,23 that when there was thickest darkness, there was light in the dwelling of the children of Israel. So the home of God’s people is characteristically distinguished by light which is divine. The light is personified by the person of Christ in NT who is in us and with us all the time. The first thing we read of Noah when he came out of the ark is that he made an altar and the next thing we read that the Lord blessed him and his children. We read of Obededum who opened the door of his home for the ark of God which is the presence of the Lord among the children of Israel. He did well maintain a sanctuary atmosphere at his home and the result is blessing on his generation. The Lord blessed his children and grandchildren. And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. The house where there is an Altar is the house the Lord is pleased with and heaven will receive something unique and the throne of God will be satisfied. We read of Samuel‘s home where his parents rose up early in the morning and occupied with the altar for offering the incense of prayer and worship. Samuel was acquainted with the Altar at home and he was brought up around the Altar in the house of the Lord. He was the door keeper of the house of God. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. He was growing before the Lord and he served the Lord, ministered unto the Lord, ministered before the Lord and he could hear the voice of the Lord. When there was no open vision and the word of God was so precious in those days, the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel by the word of the Lord. The presence of the Lord was with him. We read of him in Jere.15.1 that he stood before the Lord . In Ps.99:6 … the Lord is pleased to answer his prayer. In Heb.Ch.11 we have him entering into the Gallery of the Heroes of faith.He was brought up in sanctuary atmosphere. He valued divine principles and occupied with those things which pleased the heart of God. There was the practice of the presence of the Lord and the application of God’s word daily in his life. Therefore, he was identified as “ the honourable man and the man of God”. What about today’s children and young people? How many have we lost from the assembly? Because, parents are failed, the assemblies are failed. Many leaders have taken care of others vineyard, but forgot to handle own vineyard. That’s what we read of Solomon. All what we have on this earth is God given children. They are very precious and the most influential teachers on this earth are parents. Parents must be trained from the presence of the Lord for training their children. That is what we read of Manoah and his wife in Judges .13. We read of Abraham in Gen.18:19 about the divine commendation of the Lord .”For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD”. Let us take the divine strategies from scripture for building our home and may the Lord make it as a godly home in an ungodly world. Our priority should be like unto Joshua.” As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Have a blessed weekend.