Galatians 6:7 – 8 When you dare to sow, you dare to reap. Visions are not for those with weak hearts!
Selfish thoughts embedded in our visions may destroy us.
Jeremiah 29:11 – 13 “…. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. …….”
The Lord will never leave us to survive alone. This world is like an immeasurable desert. It is because our Lord God wants things to happen on this desert that he gives us the chance to create and continue to do so.
What we see in the past, present and future are all from Him. He has plans for everyone He calls. He promises hopes and futures. Jesus acknowledges that He is the Light of the World, the light that will not go off. The very light that does not depend on expensive fuel to go on shining forever.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16 : 3
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his course. Proverbs 16 : 9
Many times we grumble because we are not so successful in life. However, have you asked yourself, what is ‘success’?
We often forget that we need to commit our plans to God for His approval. It is crucial for us to do so. When God does not approve a plan, He will delay it for a while. He will definitely show us the way when the time is right.
When God wants us to commit our plans to Him, He has every reason to do so. He wants to be humble and patient. He knows what the best is for us.
On reaching ‘My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations’ ?
But you have made it ‘a den of robbers’. Mark 11: 15 – 17
A temple or any place of worship is considered sacred. Not just considered. It is definitely sacred. We never allow any ‘unholy’ activities in and around the temple.
Actually our body is like a temple. We need to take good care of the temple.
The Chinese has a tradition of ‘spring cleaning’ the whole house before any major festivities. It is during the spring cleaning all unwanted things are thrown out. The Chinese believe that if they do not do away with the old, they will have no place for the new.
It is time for all of us to spring-clean our temples too. We want God to stay in our temples comfortably.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” they were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them. “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8 : 3 – 11
I did not understand the whole story when I first read it many years ago. A Bible teacher shared that the point in the story is not in the woman. However, focus on what Jesus said. He only said one very effective sentence to the capturers: “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
…“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” Matthew 7 : 13 – 14 Have you entered the airport security scanner? That is a gate you enter alone. This is where you are scanned for security before you board the plane. The scanner may check your pockets for any harmful weapon. No, it will not check your heart or what you are thinking at that time.
However, this is not the case when we choose to enter the narrow gate to eternity. We are checked and scanned thoroughly. There are pressures and hardship along the way. We have to stop and recheck ourselves many times along the way.
The wide gate, although is always opened to welcome everyone, may not be the one for us.
Which gate you choose is your own choice.
“Two things I ask of you, O Lord;
do not refuse me before I die;
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
And say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
And dishonor the name of my God”
It takes a lot of built-up courage to say this prayer. Who doesn’t like riches? As long as one knows the way; who cares where the money comes from.
However, life isn’t necessarily about riches. There are other things more important than money. Living honestly is not only an option, it is an obligatory.
When we have too much, we would forget the pain and hardship we had experienced. We would not want to remember what we had prayed and promised God. We believe that we are ‘great’, maybe greater than God himself.
On the final day, we put the blame on everyone else, except ourselves.
Be careful what you say in your prayer. You are talking to God, the Omnipotent and the One-Who-Creates and Knows-All. This is very serious.
Don't just pray, act it out!
Luke 12:32-34“… Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
When we hold on tightly to our worldly possession, we have a problem of letting go.
The truth is letting go is not so easy (especially when we have much more than is needed). However, remember that our possessions in this world do not really belong to us. Not even our lives and family members. They are all just a loan from God to make our worldly life complete.
Yet, when it is time to let go, we must do so.
As humans, we all have our selfish wants and needs. Yet, God accepts us despite all our shortcomings.
Nobody can perceive when, why, what or how events we deemed ‘bad’ will happen. Only God does. That is why He says, “…….Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
“… And do not set your heart on what you eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world run after all such things and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well…….”Luke 12:29-31
How true! We are always running after things we thought are important to us. We are always worried what we should eat, wear and buy. We all like to show off, even a little, believe it or not.
Luke 12:29-31
“… And do not set your heart on what you eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world run after all such things and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well…….”
We put in so much effort to make sure others envy us. We care so much for things that we do not really need. We care not for things that can help us to grow, spiritually.
God knows what we need …. In the Lord’s Prayer ….. ‘Give us today our daily bread’ … which also means God will provide what is enough to fill us. He gives more if we care to seek His Kingdom ….
God’s Kingdom is not a matter of words. Not everyone can enter. Those who qualified had already sacrificed not only their worldly possessions, but also themselves.