Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18, 19)
Magicians rely on tricks to deliver their goods; the Lord of the heavens, he who created the heaven and the earth does not depend on such trivialities. He is neither limited by time or space or season. He is Almighty God and he can do miracles that have never happened before.
Would the splitting of the Red Sea rank as the greatest miracle on our list? Or would it be the parting of the Jordan? The change of bitter waters to sweet at Marah? Water gushing forth from the rock at Horeb? The fall of the walls of Jericho? The virgin birth? The feeding of the 5000? Turning of water into wine?
The dead being raised up?
It's an infinite list considering the fact that God is still doing new things even today and many of us are recepients of the same. So what's in it for me? you may ask.
That's what Martha, the sister of dead and buried Lazarus must have thought when Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25,26)
Her brother was already dead; sure, he would rise at the resurrection, but what about her grief now?; if Jesus had come when they had called him to see sick Lazarus, perhaps he would have been alive today.
She didn't argue but gave Jesus the hard facts when they reached the tomb of Lazarus.
"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." (John 11:39)
But Jesus thoughts were far from what she was thinking.
Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)
She did see the glory of God because when Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb, to everyones' amazement, he did come out...not dead but fully alive.
So will you believe that God can still do the impossible? Something new? Like it has never happened before? Just for you?
Believe and see the glory of God. God bless you.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9)
We all desire commitment in our relationships and so does God. He wanted his first human creations Adam and Eve to be committed to him, but they fell short of his asking. Even in our lives God desires commitment on our part because he is committed to us totally from the time we acknowledge his sovereignty and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
In the above promise we see that God’s eyes range throughout the earth for the purpose of strengthening those whose hearts are fully committed to him. Not only committed at prayer time or in church, not only while we are at home, not only at certain hours of the day; but always. Does seem like a tall order, doesn’t it? Yet, it’s possible, if we rearrange our priorities to please the Savior in all things. Everything matters right from the thoughts of our mind to our words and actions and dealings. It’s a difficult task and we all fall sometimes in one way or the other.
But God knows whether the intents of our hearts are sincere; sincere to bring joy and glory to him. No one else may possibly know the intents of our hearts as a Christian; neither the spouse nor the minister nor anyone else; but God knows all. And if he sees that out hearts are fully committed to him, he will strengthen us at all times.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." (1 Samuel 1:17)
More of a blessing rather than a promise; yet a promise to which Hannah held onto till she received what she had asked of God. She had spent years in mental anguish because the LORD had closed her womb and her rival (Elkanah's other wife Peninnah) kept provoking her in order to irritate her. Even the priest Eli thought she was drunk, when actually she was praying in her heart and only her lips were moving and her voice was not heard.
A blessing or a promise can change a depressed person's outlook fast. As soon as she heard Eli's reassuring words, she was filled with new hope, for the Bible says,
Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. (1 Samuel 1:18)
In her misery Hannah had made a vow to the Lord:
"O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." (1 Samuel 1:11)
God blessed Hannah with a son whom she named Samuel. She kept her vow to the Lord and gave Samuel to the Lord's work as soon as he was weaned.
Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD." Then they would go home. And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD. (1 Samuel 2:20, 21)
Hannah's womb was closed by the Lord, but when he opened it, Hannah had 6 children. Our God is an awesome God. Praise be to his holy name.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:20)
Why did God often speak against Ephraim? Ephraim (the ten tribes) gives the answer to that.
'You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the LORD my God. After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.' (Jeremiah 31:18, 19)
They were like an unruly calf; without any self-control. They did as they pleased and God disciplined them. Like Ephraim, many believer's stray away from the Lord and then they fall prey to satanic attacks. Pain, shame and humiliation are what follows.
God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us in the paths of righteousness. God says,
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. (Psalm 32:8, 9)
The bit and bridle treatment is often painful to endure but God uses it so that we may not be eternally lost. God is merciful and the promise for today vouches for that.
"Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the LORD.
Yes, God remembers us in our low estate and wants to renew his relationship with us even after we stray. He is always compassionate. He loves us with an everlasting love. May his name be glorified.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)
Are you as a believer, in the habit of refreshing others or are you in the habit of putting others off and bringing despair and grief to them? The promise for today states that he/she who refreshes others will himself/herself be refreshed. The book of Proverbs is a good guide on day to day righteous living and this is one of the promises that pertains to the generous. Another promise for the generous states that A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. (Proverbs 22:9)
How generous can one be? The Apostle Paul cites an example when he wrote to the church at Corinth. He said,
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)
Out of the most severe trial......they gave even beyond their ability. That's really admirable.
Not only with finances, we can be generous with our words and actions which will portray the love of Christ that we should have as Christians. Kind and encouraging words, a helping hand, a pat on the back, just sitting with someone who is suffering, listening to the woes of someone who is suffering and so many other things that may seem trivial but are of great value to the recepient, are of paramount importance in the eyes of the Lord.
Jesus calls us to refresh others with our words and actions and the promise "he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" will come true to whoever obeys. Praise the Lord.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
In simple words, God honors faith. The question that God asks them who seek him earnestly for their difficulties/problems is, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored.....(Matthew 9:27-30)
Jesus always had a word of praise for them who showed their faith to him with their words and actions. About the Roman centurion, he said,
"I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. (Matthew 8:10)
To the woman who had been suffering from bleeding for 12 years, he said,
"Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. (Matthew 9:22)
To the Canaanite woman who pleaded with Jesus for her daughter, Jesus said,
"Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:28)
Do you believe that Jesus is able to do the miracle that you are seeking from him this day? If yes, then start praising him as if he has done it already, because he himself said,
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)
And when your miracle happens, Jesus will have a word of praise for you too, because you showed him your faith. God bless you.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7, 8)
Where does our confidence lie? Is it in our acquired knowledge, acquired strength or acquired money? These can help us to an extent but people who rely on only these often tend to fail miserably after a while. God has some advice regarding this for all. He says,
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches." (Jeremiah 9:23)
Our breath is in the hands of the Almighty. He can give and he can take back this breath at his own discretion, so we do not have anything to glory in except in the Lord who has given us life breath.
Instead God advices us to boast about this: "let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,". (Jeremiah 9:24)
If your confidence is in Jesus, you will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:31) Praise the Lord.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matthew 26:13)
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. (Matthew 26:6-12)
Whatever we do for the Lord Jesus and his kingdom with love in our hearts is like beautiful fragrance in his presence. Here, the woman brought very expensive perfume which she poured on his head. What we offer for the expansion of God's kingdom here on earth may not be as costly as what the woman brought, but it has great value in the eyes of the Lord.
And Jesus' promise that "wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." has been proved true. It has been read & it has been preached about countless times.
So do not consider the work that you are doing for the Lord to be trivial. Do it with all your heart. You will be rewarded in the Lord's good time.
The Bible says,
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
God bless you.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."(John 8:12)
Do you have the light of life? If you are following the light of the world ‘Jesus’, you will be the light of the world. Jesus said,
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.(Matthew 5:14-16)
Darkness will have no dominion over you because the light of the “Son of God” will always shine upon you.
After Moses was in God’s presence for 40 days, his face was radiant because he was in the presence of eternal light.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
In Psalms 4, David prayed,
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. (Psalms 4:6)
In Psalms 31, he again prays,
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. (Psalms 31:16)
Asaph prays thrice in Psalms 80 for God’s face to shine upon the Israelites. (3,7,19)
It should be our prayer each day that God’s face which is brighter than the sun shines upon us, our families, our nation and the whole world so that darkness be dispelled continually. One of the blessings that God asked Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites with was this:
"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
And may God’s face shine upon all you who read this. God bless you.
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Simple Thoughts On Promises- 233[/font][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/font]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him. (Psalms 109:31)[/font]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']God is near to all who call upon him; all who call upon him in truth. In Psalm 109, David speaks about his enemies who wanted to destroy him with their words and actions. Though his life was constantly in danger for many years, God’s protective hands always saved him from disastrous situations and destruction. Finally David sang a song when God had given him victory over all his enemies. That is Psalms 18, the title of which says, [/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']“For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']In Psalms 16 & verse 8, David says,[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.[/font]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Joseph’s brothers wanted him dead because they were jealous of him (Genesis 37), but God saved him and finally exalted him to become the second in command to Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt; a country where he had been brought to and sold as a slave at the age of 17. Imagine coming to a country with a new language, new culture, new people and new circumstances. Yet God helped and saved him in his time of need and after 13 years, he stood in the presence of Pharaoh to give him counsel.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'] [/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']If you have been living a life pleasing to the Lord, obeying his Word, the Lord stands at your right hand too, to save your life from the wicked plans of the enemy. Not only to save you, but also to exalt you in his divine time. God bless you.[/font]
__________________ Dr. Johnson Cherian MD. PhD.
All my literature & art work are free for non-commercial use on webpages & blogs. For more of my works visit my homepage.
Last edited by jeremiah7; 13th November 2009 at 05:04 AM.
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