Cleansing the temple week 12, 2013

I see you jumping around saying Hossana. Do you realise what you are doing? “I know what I am doing. I am welcoming Jesus afresh as king of Israel and my life too. He’s done great works I know very well. He’ll do more (Mt21:14)” Don’t be surprised Jesus brings a cane to your life as he did at Passover. “Well it might be because it was the Passover feast that made several merchants to come there. Or perhaps that year they were unusually many.” I doubt it. Let me tell you a sermon I got from this. Jesus indeed had been there at Passover before, indeed the first time he got to the temple, there was no pursuing of merchants. Instead there was rejoicing the saviour had been revealed in his temple. “At last!” Simeon said “the promise is fulfilled”. What of Prophetess Anna? She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God Lk 2:38(NLT) .The Lord went yearly to the temple at Passover yet drove no one out. The next time he is recorded to speak he is 12 years old and then he doesn’t pursue them either. Instead he is asking questions. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions Lk 2:46(NIV). “Eh it is because he had not started public ministry.” Wait my friend. Did he not perform a miracle when he said “My time has not yet come” (Jn2:4)? Now after the “Hossana” he pursues them. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there Mk 11:15(NIV). There are things God hates in your life until you make him King indeed and he inspects all things you may not realise how much he hates them. After inspecting the temple notice he could not stay there but left. Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany... Mk 11:11(NET). “I see. Well I have crowned him King of my life. He rules everywhere.” You’re his temple; get ready for your own cane: When he whips you, it proves you are really his child Heb 12:6 (TLB). When Jesus is born in a life there is praise and rejoicing, and as the word grows in you he begins to question you and listen to your answers. The conscience becomes alive and sharper. Accepted worldly practices become uncomfortable and there are questions in the heart about them. You may defend them but be amazed at what the Lord is revealing. He is growing in you. When he looks round at all things in you would he will start throwing things out. Have there not been things you had been comfortable with initially the Lord is raising questions in your heart about, how unscriptural, how ungodly and unChrist- like they all are? Following cleansing there is healing Mt 21:14. Expect it also.

The aftermath week 11, 2013

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him Matt 4:11(NIV). There is something I have noticed in scripture and in life. It is that severe temptations and tests precede a promotion by God. This understanding has encouraged me at times of temptation and encouraged me to hold on, not to fall or give in. Jesus held on to God in the wilderness despite temptation. The hunger remained while the tempter was there, but when Jesus remained firm the tempter inevitably had to leave. Many a night has this revelation sustained me: no matter how strong the urge to sin the tempter must leave once you steadfastly refuse to give into him, but submit your heart, mind and body to the Lord. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you Jas 4:7(ESV). It is also true for the tempting season which runs into weeks. Turn your face to the sunshine of the word of God, the shadows of darkness must fall behind. Nay they must flee! But there is more. With every success in resisting the enemy so comes an advance for the overcomer: a crown. When he was through with the tempter not only did angels come to attend to him, but also Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit Lk 4:14 (NIV). Was this an incidental or is it a pattern? Consider Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego. Following their overcoming the test of first privately , and then publicly refusing to bow to an idol at the risk of death, after being delivered from the fiery furnace the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon Dan 3:30(ESV). What of Joseph? After overcoming the repeated temptation of Potiphar’s wife and enduring the prison, he stood before Pharaoh as the next to the throne. Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." Gen 41:44-45 (ESV). Note the order however: the resolve not to sin, first privately and then publicly, then the fiery furnace (the prison in Joseph’s case), and finally the promotion. Consider such tests promotional interviews. Child of God, are you beset with a tempting and testing season? Refuse steadfastly to give in as you submit your thoughts, heart and fate to God. Focus on Jesus. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. Heb 12:2 (THE MESSAGE). It was this same attitude he had in overcoming all that came his way as temptations and adverse situations. I guarantee you there’s a crown waiting for you. Know this: after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you 1 Pt 5:10(ESV).

Hannah- woman of virtue week 10, 2013

A lot of people talk about The God of Hannah. Perhaps I should say the Hannah of God is also worth talking about. “Why would you want to say that?” you may ask “is there anything special about the woman? I thought God is the one who did it.” It is very true God is the one who did give the child Samuel but consider many virtues in Hanna, virtues I have not seen in some godly women. From the sequence of introduction it is clear Hanna is the first wife and Peninnah the second. He had two wives; the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children 1Sam 1:2(ISV). The Hebrew words used here are also properly translated “the first was Hannah and the second Peninnah”. Often times the second wife is taken for the purpose of childbearing when the first is barren, as with Hagar for Sarai: so Abram's wife Sarai took her Egyptian servant, Hagar, and gave her as a wife to her husband Abram Gen 16:3(ISV). Sarai could not stand the insolence of the maid turned junior wife, and after complaining bitterly to Abram harshly treated Hagar to the extent the pregnant woman fled (Gen 16:6). Hannah bore all the insolence silently. No complaint to Elkanah, God, or the man of God. The most she would do was weep and not eat. This happened year after year. Whenever Hannah went to the LORD'S house, Peninnah would make her miserable, and Hannah would cry and not eat 1Sam 1:7(GW). Imagine being provoked in God’s own house every blessed year. O how many today would demand death or punishment for she who wickedly provokes them to fret. In Rachel’s day Rachel was very jealous of Leah for having children, and she said to Jacob, "I'll die if you don't give me some children!" Gen 30:1(CEV). Not Hannah; no threats or tantrums. No calls for fire either. Hannah’s barrenness was not as a result of sin on her part. Many a virgin has expressed disappointment with God when the fruit of the womb delayed. “God is this how you pay me back for keeping myself pure unto marriage?” some have complained; as though anyone kept herself. It is God who keeps all who stand. Hannah neither left God or charged Him foolishly, or cursed her day. Consider that the sinful excesses of Hophni and Phinehas were well known, but the sins of priests and men of God of her day did not make this radiant example of virtue excuse herself from following Jehovah and seek help from idols and Satan. Instead she makes a vow. "LORD…. If you give your maid servant a son, then I'll give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and a razor is never to touch his head." 1Sam 1:11(ISV). In it she places herself as a bondservant of God; her affliction drives her to God not away, from Him. Her deep need drove her to meet God’s need for a man in Israel. Is it so with you? Are you a Hannah of God?

Turning stones to bread week 9, 2013

And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If You are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread Mat 4:3(MKJV). It might appear all that was involved was that the suggestion came from Satan, and that these stones could become bread otherwise. I believe the matter is deeper than that. These stones had a different destiny by God, and He never wanted them as bread. I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones Mat 3:9(MKJV). Did you notice the phrase “these stones”? They are meant to be raised up as children of faith, not turned into bread. What makes me so sure? See 1Pt 2:5(MKJV): you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The stones are meant to be built up for a dwelling place of God, and Satan wants them turned from their purpose into bread. It was you and I Satan asked to be used as bread. Are you bread or a living stone? How can a man be anointed by the Spirit without measure, following the leading of the Spirit obediently find himself hungry, and have no food available? Yet it happens. Many a minister has been anointed by God, anointed and led by the spirit faithfully. To his surprise he finds himself hungry, hungry for money, and the tempter asks him to turn these stones (his flock) into bread. His messages now equate every spiritual exercise and virtue to money giving. Even seed sowing is reduced to giving money alone (and such must be sown into the man of God, not widows or poor also). Their talk? Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything Eccl 10:19(ESV). Some in loneliness become hungry for affection and find unresponsive unfeeling stones around them, and turn their flock into prey. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions 2Tm 3:6(ESV). Immorality follows. Some are hungry for a name. Their own flock are silent as stones. They turn their flock into bread for their ego. They encourage them to boast in their man of God, and quote “man of God” whilst being ignorant of what God himself says. The anointing upon ministers is so that His people would learn to serve and His body would grow strong Eph 4:12 (CEV). They teach the congregation to depend on them, the minister, rather than build the flock’s ability to independently hear from Jesus and be strong. They give the impression that nowhere else can you find spiritual sustenance. Incessant calls from weak members feed their hungry egos. Stones and bread- which is stronger? Jesus performed many miracles in the bible; He never, never turned any stone to bread. Man of God; are you hungry?