Harvest Times

Consecration -- an Altar and a Tent (1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gen 12:7 And Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, To your seed
I will give this land. And there he built an altar to Jehovah
who had appeared to him.
Rom 12:1 I exhort you therefore, brothers, through the
compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Part 1 of 3]
After Abraham had arrived at Moreh and after God had
reappeared to him, he built an altar (12:7). This was the
first altar that Abraham built. In the Bible an altar means
that we have all for God and serve God. Building an altar
means that we offer everything we are and have to God. We need
to place all that we are and all that we have on the altar.
Before we do anything for God, God would say to us, “Child,
don’t do anything for Me. I want you. I want you to put all
that you are and all that you have on the altar for Me.” This
is real fellowship, real worship. The real worship of the
called ones is to put all that we are and have on the altar.
If you check with your experience, you will see that
immediately after you were called, God appeared to you again,
and you said, “Lord, from now on everything is Yours. All that
I am, all that I have, all that I can do and am going to do is
for You.” I can still recall what happened on the afternoon
that I was saved. As I went out of that church building and
walked along the street, I lifted up my eyes to heaven and
said, “God, from today on everything is for You.” That was a
real consecration. In a spiritual sense, it was the building
of an altar.
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OUR JOURNEY  TOGETHER IS SHORT

A beautiful message for all of us….
A young lady sat in a bus. At the next stop a loud and grumpy old lady came and sat by her. She squeezed into the seat and bumped her with her numerous bags.
The person sitting on the other side of the young lady got upset, asked her why she did not speak up and say something.
The young lady responded with a smile, deserves to be written in golden letters
“It is not necessary to be rude or argue over something so insignificant, the journey together is so short. I get off at the next stop.”
Jesus teaches us in Mathew 5:39
“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”
We need to  realise that our time here is short and that to darken it with quarrels, futile arguments, un forgiveness, discontentment and a fault finding attitude would be a waste of time and energy.
Sometime our differences are over riches , the fame & pride it tags along.
The Bible says about a rich man who is planning his future business growth
Luke 12:19-20
“And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
If you are unable to enjoy and share your riches of what use is it? Life is unpredictably short!!
Did someone break your heart. betray, bully, cheat or humiliate you?
Luke 11:4
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'”
We need forgiveness from God for our sins and also need to forgive those who offend us remember the journey is very short.
No one knows the duration of this journey. No one knows when their stop will come, but this is sure our journey together is very short.
Let us cherish friends and family. Let us be respectful, kind and forgiving to each other. Let us be filled with gratitude and gladness.
If I have ever hurt you, I ask for your forgiveness. If you have ever hurt me, you already have my forgiveness.
Remember , *Our Journey Together is very Short!*
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And Men Began to Call On the Lord (1)

~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~
Gen 4:2 And again she gave birth to his brother Abel….
Gen 4:26 And to Seth also a son was born, and he called his
name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of
Jehovah.
~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~
[Part 1 of 3]
In Genesis 4 we find two names which are especially
meaningful. The first one is Abel, which means “vanity.” As a
result of the fall, the human life became a vanity. Look at
people today. Although they are very busy, within them there
is a gap, a void. Deep within them is a sense of emptiness.
Regardless of your social status, regardless how wealthy or
how successful you are, when you sit alone in the quiet of the
night or early morning, you know there is a gap within you.
That emptiness is the vanity that I am talking about. This is
exactly what the wise King Solomon meant when he said, “Vanity
of vanities, all under the sun are vanity” (Eccl. 1:2-3).
…we must realize that as fallen men without God everything
we are, have, and do is empty. We are nothing but vanity.

The second name which is especially meaningful is Enosh, which
means “frail, mortal man.” After the fall, not only did human
life become a vanity, but man also became frail and mortal. We
must admit that we are frail, weak, and easily broken. How
easily we fail! Man is mortal. No one can boast that he will
live another week. No man knows his tomorrow. To escape
the…fall of man we need to realize both the vanity of human
life and the fragility of man. If we have this realization, we
will have no trust in ourselves and, thus, we will not be
presumptuous in departing from the way of God.

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IN OUR EXTREMITY (1 Samuel 28:1-25)

Introduction-
What do we do in our hour of extremity? Do we hold on to our conviction, honesty and integrity or do we resort to our days of depravity when we didn’t know the Lord? It’s in the hour of extremity when the genuineness of our faith, conviction and conversion comes out.
I. King Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.
A. “Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land” (1 Samuel 28:3).
B. “The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death” (1 Samuel 28:9)?
C. Why had he done so is not given. But the Scripture clearly warns against resorting to sorcerers, mediums, necromancers, fortunetellers and those who inquire of the dead:
1. “You shall not permit a sorceress to live” (Exodus 22:18).
2. “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:31).
3. “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:27).
4. “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead… “ (Deuteronomy 18:10, 11).
How many of God’s people turn to these even today, bringing dishonour and disgrace to their holy God!
II. King Saul inquired of the LORD but received no reply. God had turned against him and become his enemy.
A. The Philistines had gathered to make war. “The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.
B. King Saul was afraid and trembled greatly. “When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly” (1 Samuel 28:4,5).
C. He inquired of the LORD but received no answer. “And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets” (1 Samuel 28:6).
D. The LORD had turned against him and become his enemy. “And Samuel said, ‘Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy” (1 Samuel 28:16).
III. King Saul was in great distress.
A. Samuel was dead. “Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city” (1 Samuel 28:3).
B. God was not answering him. King Saul was in great distress. “Then Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’ Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do” (1 Samuel 28:15).
C. Rather than humbling and correcting himself before the Lord, he resorted to what he had first destroyed. He turned to a medium in his extremity. “Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor” (1 Samuel 28:7).
IV. King Saul received a message far from one of comfort and assurance.
A. “And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy?
B. “The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.
C. “Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.
D. “Moreover, the LORD will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me.
E. “The LORD will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 28:16-19).
Even then, King Saul did not repent but went to his destruction.  He was afraid yet unrepentant. How many of us are the same!
Was it really Samuel‘s spirit or some other satanic spirit has been the point of much discussion among God’s people. It could have been Samuel himself whom the Lord graciously allowed to come or some other spirit whom the Lord sovereignly used to warn King Saul.
Conclusion-
What do we do in our hour of extremity? Do we go back to our old life-style or do we cling to the Lord in repentance and faith?
(Rev. Richard Masih, New Delhi).
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WEEKEND THOUGHTS

Part-5.

JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. The incarnation of our blessed Lord is the sacred secret, but now made known by the Holy Spirit. It is written as “great is the mystery of godliness: What does it speak of? It tells how the Son of God left the realm of heaven and appeared before men as a real and sinless human being. The simple answer is amplified for us in scripture….that God manifested in flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory…God in flesh. Angels, the Shepherds and the Wise men beheld their Creator clothed in the body of the Babe of Bethlehem. The Deity is enshrined in Humanity in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven to earth is one of the fundamental features of the Christian faith. It is the foundation to the whole body of revealed truth concerning His glorious person and the redemptive work of Christ upon Calvary’s Hill. It has in view the distinctive and unique doctrine of God becoming Man; of the revelation of God in human form. It is a faithful saying, right and good saying without any shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ is come into the world. His coming was the subject of promise and  dealt  prophetically in the Old Testament. The first of many promises is the seed of woman, recorded in the book of Genesis. It was spoken immediately after the fall of man. It was a word of judgement addressed to the one who had invaded Eden. But it contained the promise of deliverance and blessing for sinful man. We see here the coming of a deliverer who is described as the woman’s Seed. The main point of the promise is that He would be a real human being. And there is more to it than that the expression “her seed”. We should consider in the light of Isaiah’s prophecy and the record of the gospels. Then we see a prophetic indication of His coming that He shall be born of a virgin, recorded in the book of Isaiah. We are all the seed of men; yet according to this promise He would be the seed of the woman. And further promise was made to Abraham. “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. This promise has direct reference to Christ, which is seen in the epistle  of Galatians. And to thy seed, which is Christ.”There is no contradiction here, for while as to the actual mode of birth He would be the seed of the woman, in legal descent He would be also  the seed of Abraham. So, what does it speak to us? The first established His Humanity and the second points to His Nationality. David the king received a similar promise. “Thy seed will I establish forever.” Again this has in view of our blessed Lord. It is revealed crystal clear that in addition to His Humanity and Nationality, Royalty would belong to Him, for He would be the royal lineage of David. It also had the effect of narrowing the promise to within the limits of one family, the royal house of David. Look at the beginning statement of the New Testament, recorded in the gospel of Mathew, with reference to Abraham and David. Here we have legal and royal genealogy of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. A great account of truth is involved in these two relationships, especially in regard to the nation of Israel. Sonship includes heirship. As the son of Abraham, Christ is heir to the land promised by God; as the Son of David, He is heir to the throne occupied by David. Another thought here, as son of Abraham, we see Him on the Altar, and for this He was made little lower than the angel for experiencing the reality of the pain death. As Son of David, will, one day, see Him on the throne. One is fulfilled and the second is yet to be fulfilled. God manifestly seen and heard. And heaven’s beloved One. In Him, most perfectly expressed. The Father’s glories shine, of the full Deity possessed, Eternally divine. True image of the Infinite, Whose essence is concealed; Brightness of uncreated light, The heart of God revealed. But the high mysteries of His name. Throughout the universe of bliss. The centre Thou, and Sun, the eternal theme of praise is this, to heaven’s beloved One.

Have a blessed weekend and Christo-centric Lord’s day with every blessing.

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Reacting in the Transcendent Life (2)

Bible Verses
2 Corinthians 9:8  And God is able to make all grace  abound  unto
you, that, in everything always having all sufficiency, you
may  abound  unto every good work;
1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord cause you to increase and  abound
in love to one another and to all, just as we also to you,
Words of Ministry
[Part 2 of 2]
To transcend means to be on top. Suppose someone strikes your
right cheek. If you try to remember Matthew 5 and say, “I am
determined to let him strike. If he wants my tunic, I will
give him my tunic reluctantly. If he forces me to walk one
mile, I will force myself to accompany him two miles.” This
kind of behavior is useless. This is not transcending. Who
can give their other cheek? It is those who, when insulted,
realize that they have received a rich life from the Lord.
Christians are never reluctant people, and the Christian
reaction never just meets the minimum requirement.
A sister once said, “I almost lost my temper!” She sounded
very victorious when she said this. But this is not a
Christian reaction. A Christian reaction does much more than
what is needed; it stands the challenges well. Some people
are extremely unkind to you; that is the “right cheek.” If
you can return kindness to them and still be victorious
before God, that is the “left cheek.” The “left cheek” speaks
of abundance. It denotes surplus. The Christian victory is
not a meager victory. The Christian victory is an overflowing
victory. Christians should always have a surplus; they should
always transcend their experience. Christian victory never
comes by force; it is never achieved by gritting one’s teeth
or arguing. Christian victory is always easy to come by. May
the Lord enlarge us again and again, and may we express the
grace of God’s children again and again.
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Reacting in the Transcendent Life 1

Bible Verses
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in offenses, made us alive
together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (6)  And
raised us up together with Him and seated us together with
Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
Please also read Matt. 5:38-48
Words of Ministry
[Part 1 of 2]
Many brothers and sisters have problems with their reactions
because they do not know the Lord. They cannot bear turning
the left cheek, giving away the cloak, or walking the second
mile. They keep saying, “How unreasonable are these people!”
I have a frank word for these ones: This is what the Lord
demands of us. A person may strike your right cheek and be
satisfied. But the Lord tells you to turn your left cheek to
him as well…. All those who have trouble with the second
cheek, the second garment, and the second mile do not have
any trouble with men, but with the Lord, for it is He who
makes these demands.
Why is the Lord so severe? Because He knows that the life He
has given us is a transcendent life. Unless this life
transcends, there is no peace. This life is happy only when
it transcends. The more you try to embarrass, disgrace, or
hurt this life, the more its power is manifested.
This is what it means to be a Christian. It is not merely a
matter of not being angry and of forbearing and enduring, but
of transcending all things. Others may compel us to walk a
mile, but we will walk two miles. Others may want to take one
of our garments, but we will give them two. Others may want
to strike our right cheek, but we will give them our left
cheek also. Brothers, this life is transcendent; it soars.
This is how believers react.
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Being Occupied and Having No Time for God

Bible Verses
Please read Luke 5:1-11
Luke 5:11 And when they had brought the boats to the land,
they left all and followed Him.
Words of Ministry
The calling of the first four disciples was a calling that
attracted the occupied ones. Human beings do not realize how
much they are fallen not only in sin but also in their
occupation. Our occupation is our business or means of
employment, that is, our means of making a living. Today
fallen human beings are occupied by their way of making their
living. We may say that fallen human beings are occupied by
their occupation.
Of course, it is necessary for us to work. Paul charged the
believers to work for a living (2 Thes. 3:10-12). We should
not rely on others to provide a living for us. We need to
have a means of employment. However, the problem is that our
occupation occupies us and keeps us from God.
Human beings were created by God for Himself, but they are
occupied and kept from Him by the matter of making a living.
Nothing takes people away from God as much as their
occupation. Consider today’s world. Who is not occupied by
his job or by the education in preparation for work? Although
most people are busy, hardly anyone is busy with God.
Instead, virtually everyone is occupied by something in place
of God. The first disciples were called and attracted by the
Lord not from their sinful life, but from their occupation.
In particular, Peter, Andrew, James, and John were occupied
with fishing.
Those who are occupied with making a living usually give
excuses when invited to hear the gospel or to attend a
meeting. If you invite such a one to hear the gospel, he may
say that he does not have the time. If you invite an occupied
person to attend the meeting of the church, he may say that
he is too busy.
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