JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD! Part-1
Our blessed Lord is pictured as the Word, the Word of Life and the Word of God. These three fold titles are recorded by John in his gospel, in his epistle and in Revelation. It unfolds the pre existence, the incorruptible humanity and finally we see Him as the Sovereign. It is interesting to look at these precious truths grammatically. The One Who was in the gospel and the One Who is in the epistle and the One Who will be the coming One in Revelation. In imperfect tense we see Him as the One Who was always in existence, in present participle we have Him as the One who always is in present time and in participle, the One who always is the coming One. So, we read of Him in Rev: “Which is, Which was and Which is to come, the Almighty. We read again in Micah “ Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. And again Psalmist says, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. So, these three fold tense presents His existence from Eternity to Eternity. When John was in the isle of Patmos on the Lord’s day, the moment he became in Spirit, he could behold the unveiling glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and he could hear Him saying that I am the first and the last….” I AM”! An expression, which is peculiar to the gospel of John. For example, He said to Jews..” Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. It takes us back to the book of Exodus, where we find Moses asking Jehovah, What shall I say the name of God to Pharaoh. He said once that I AM and again He said that “I AM that I AM”! The definition goes like this..” I continue to be and will be what I continue to be and will be, I that ever will be. The ever existing One. He that is to come. This great title “ I AM’’ exhibits the Eternal Deity. It shines out undiminished and undivided from eternity to eternity. Before Abraham… here we have His pre existence….. Was IAM.. here we have His deity. The word was made flesh…GOD in flesh…manifested in flesh, here we have His humanity. It took 24 chapters for Luke to describe His incorruptible humanity, but for John, it took only five words. The One whose garment is space, whose house is universe, whose chariots are the clouds and whose diadems are the stars, was found wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. He who holds the whole universe together by the almighty power of His word is held in the arms of a frail woman. He who was rich now became poor. Adam had been made in the likeness of God; now God was made in the likeness of men. Being in the form of God….He took upon Him the form of a servant. Simon held the Babe in his arms, he blessed God and gratefully acknowledged that he was looking into the face of the One who was the salvation of the Lord for all mankind. After the resurrection at the manifestation Thomas said.. My Lord and my God. The everlasting word, the Father’s only Son, God manifestly seen and head and the heaven’s well beloved One, the brightness of glory, the exact expression of His person, of the full deity possessed is eternally divine, the brightness of the uncreated light, throughout the universe of bliss and the eternal theme of praise, none other but Jesus Christ our Lord, the object and the subject of our worship. So, we read “He is thy Lord worship thou Him. The indispensable and unchangeable doxology is…unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His excellent glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Have a blessed weekend.
When we gather together on the Lord’s day we must occupy with our blessed Lord and remember Him in the appointed way. Psalmist says that…My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. For who in heaven can be compared unto the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? Whom have I in heaven, but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.
My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. One pearl of great price. The prince of the kings of the earth. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. The head over all things. He is the head of the body, the church. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers. He could not be hid. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. More to be desired are they than gold, yea,than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Thy words were found and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: For I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts…. fed them with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. His lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. Never man spake like this man. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant. LORD, lift thou up the light thy countenance upon us. His countenance is like unto the sun shineth in His strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last: I am He that liveth and became dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Saviour who was slain is risen and exalted far above all, majestic sweetness sits enthroned. His head with radiant glorious crowned. No mortal can compare among the sons of men. Fairer is He than all the fair that fills the heavenly train. Gathered together in obedience to His voice, meek humility, this would I do, O Christ my Lord I would remember Thee, losing sight of all but Thee, O what joy Thy presence gives us, calling up our hearts to Thee. We gaze on Thee in glory, while our hearts in worship bow and we bring to thee as an assembly, words from our mouth and may the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer.
Have a Christo-centric worship with every blessing from above.
Family is a gift of God
Part -5.
Our text: 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!
- Obedience. “Keep my commandments always”. Obedience in personal life is evident in family life and in our assembly life as well. The key word of the book of Deuteronomy is keep, obey or observe. We have two fold blessings. They are positional and conditional. Nothing is expected from our side for the positional blessing since it is the outcome of the glorious work finished at the cross in and thro’ His well beloved Son, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, conditional. It demands our obedience. When we look at Deut.28, we find the blessings for obedience and curse for disobedience. It is further illustrated with two mountains,” Gerizim is known as the mountain of blessing and Ebal is the mountain of curse. Deut:11:26,29, 27:12,13. And again it is pictured in Psalm 1- of blessed man. We see in the first part 1 – 3 the blessing of prospering and the second from verse 4 to 6 the curse of perishing. We read in 1 Pet. 1: 14 “The children of obedience”… Is how we are known in the sight of God? There must be the application of God’s word daily in our lives. When the Lord Jesus commissioned the disciples, he said… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you”. The apostle did it in Acts and the immediate response of early Christian was that they continued steadfastly… When we are taught in scripture, God expects our response of obedience. Hymn writer says, Trust and obey…… Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, or we will walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do, where He sends we will go, never fear, only trust and obey. Mary sat at His feet and listened His words and the Lord commended that essential “one thing” which has eternal blessing. She said once “be it unto me according to thy word.” We read about the young man of Psalm, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed there unto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live, and keep thy word. The godly couple of Luke Ch.1 unlike us who always talk, walked in all the commandments and ordinance of the Lord. Their married life had its foundation in the word of God and they both were righteous before God and blameless before the world. None could point their finger at them and they both experienced the blessing of the Lord. They were a God fearing couple, who lived in reverential awe of Him and walked in godly fear, in OBEDIENCE to the voice of God. We find in these days no place for God’s word among the people of God with compromises. The result is the breakdown of separation like unto the Church at Pergamos and the mixture of everything, while in contrast we are exhorted to hold fast the word of truth. We see in 1 Samuel 15 what Saul said, I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord… because I feared the people and obeyed their voice, so is some of our leaders today. Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Disobedience to the word of God is the act of sin. We have a solemn verse ”if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers. Any doubt about it? Unlike brethren justify today Naomi testifies like this..” the hand of the Lord is gone out against me”. In the days of Nehemiah the cry was “ bring the book” and when God’s people are brought in touch with the book, they cried, because the entrance of God’s word giveth light and their conscience pricked unlike Laodiceans. We read in Neh. about their hunger for God’s word and when it was expounded, we find their reverence. They were attentive, responsive, sensitive and finally obedient. We read of our blessed Lord saying, I do always those things which pleases the Father. And Father said, this is my well beloved son, in whom is my delight. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Be ye doers of the word, and this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Have a blessed weekend.
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.
- Fear of God.
- 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.
- Divine expectation
- Divine prescription
- 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.
