Chapter 6 - Repent

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 6 - Repent

Matthew 3:1-2:“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (RSV)

Matthew 4:17: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (RSV)

As we study both of these above mentioned verses, we will realize that Jesus and John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Jesus, preached a very similar message of repentance, as they both fully grasped the urgency of the message they preached.

The last book of the Old Testament is Malachi and the first book of the New Testament is Matthew.  In our Bibles there is only a page separating them, but in reality the period between Malachi and Matthew was 400 years. This was a period of total silence where there was absolutely no word from God. 

The revelation of God and His son Jesus commences again from the Gospel of Matthew. The question is, ‘What transpired in this lengthy period when the Lord chose not to speak or reveal Himself in any way to His people?’

In the Old Testament, God had commanded Solomon to build a temple, and the only reason was,  that God wanted it to be a place where He met with the people and the people gathered together to meet with Him.  

The temple was built with several specifications – importantly it had the Outer court, Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The only one permitted to enter the Most Holy Place was the High Priest and that too only at a time specified by the Lord, having followed several regulations as set by the Lord Himself. If anyone entered the Most Holy Place irreverently, they were instantly punished with death. 

However, as the years passed by, the people forgot the primary purpose of why the temple of God was built.

In this period of 400 years when the Lord chose to remain silent, everything in the temple continued as it always had.  The rituals of worship, sacrifices, feasts and festivals were carried out with regularity, but the dismal part was that the Lord was not in it.

We looked at the church of Laodicea in the last Chapter, how the Lord was standing outside the church and knocking.  Everything was going on as usual inside the church but the tragedy was that they had in actuality kept the Lord standing outside. He had no part in anything that was going on inside the church.

This could be sadly portrayed as the situation of the church today as well.  We pride ourselves with our huge buildings and follow all the traditions, but have lost and forgotten the very purpose for which the Lord instituted the Church in the first place. It would be a sombre thought for us to know that the Lord is often not welcomed into our churches, but has been kept outside seeking to gain entry.

Let’s read, Mark 11:17:“Then he taught them by saying, “Scripture says, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a gathering place for thieves.” (GW)

The above mentioned words are the words of Jesus.  This is first and foremost “His” (God’s) house. Secondly, it is a place of worship for all people and not an exclusive place for one particular language group or regional group. The church on earth is a representation of how things are going to be in heaven. In heaven there will be people from every tribe, language and people groups. Thirdly, it is written that His house is a ‘House of Prayer’ for all nations, but sorrowfully it has become a ‘Den of Thieves.’

If one were to compare the ‘House of God’ with a ‘Den of Thieves’ here’s what it will look like. 

Firstly, the House of God is a place of light, but a den of thieves is usually a dark and shady place. 

Secondly, the ones who come to the House of God, come together for prayer, God is in their midst and He answers their prayers whereas the primary reason robbers get together, is to connive evil and they are ruled by Satan and his schemes. 

Thirdly, everything is open in the House of God whereas things are kept secretive among a group of thieves. 

Fourthly, the House of God is for all people but the Den of Thieves is for an exclusive lot of wicked people. 

Finally, God reigns in His House whereas the devil rules among the Den of Thieves, because their purpose is only to loot, kill and destroy.

The Lord Jesus and John the Baptist came and preached the message of repentance because the key to entering the kingdom of God is repentance. Many people have a faulty understanding of the word repentance.  A lot of confusion in our lives will be cleared if we understand the true meaning of repentance. 

We will search the Bible to see where this word ‘repentance’ first appears.

Repentance is to feel sorry

Genesis 6:6:“And the LORD repented that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” (WBT)

1 Samuel 15:11, “I have repented that I caused Saul to reign for king, for he hath turned back from after Me, and My words he hath not performed;” (YLT)

The above two passages clearly depict how God felt on two important occasions.  One, when evil increased on the earth the Lord repented or in other words felt sorry that He had created mankind. In the second instance, the Lord chose Saul to be King over Israel, but when Saul rebelled and disobeyed the Lord, the Lord felt remorse that He had even chosen him to be the King of Israel.

For instance, if a parent were to admit their child into a prestigious college, with great hopes that he or she will excel and come out with flying colours, and if for some reason the child discontinued the course, the parent’s heart will be filled with untold sadness and disappointment. They would probably be filled with sadness and regret. In other words they would feel so sorry that they sought admission in the first place.

The first step of repentance is for one to truly feel sorry for the wrongs they have done.

Matthew 26:75, “Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.”(GW)

When Peter denied the Lord as the Lord predicted and the rooster crowed, he was so filled with remorse that He had denied the Lord whom he loved so much, that he went out and wept bitterly because he felt extremely sorry for his disloyalty to the Lord.

Each one of us must come to a place where we truly feel sorry for all the things that we have done wrong, both against God and against others.  We approach the Lord with a penitent heart and feel remorse for all our wrong doings – all of our erring thoughts, words, deeds, choices and decisions.  Only when we do so can we find entry into the Kingdom of God.

Repentance is Returning Back to God

Luke 15:17:“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food overflowing, but here I am dying of hunger! (TLV)

In the story of the Prodigal son, he started off from his Father’s house with plenty but after he squandered all of it he came to a place of total emptiness –   a situation where he had no love, no mercy, no safety, no food, no shelter but one of want and loneliness. Only then he came to his senses, and realized all that he had forfeited when he chose to rebel and walk away from his father and his family.

It is appropriate that we often analyse ourselves to see why we have landed up in certain situations that have caused us emptiness, trouble or lack of peace. We must intently search our hearts to find out where we have gone wrong, and seek to set it right.  Repentance is feeling sorry for our wrong doings and turning back to God.  

Repentance is a total change of heart – a complete turn over. Repentance is a matter of the heart and the acts will be evident but it is primarily a change of heart in the first place.

The prodigal son had to make a decision to come back to his Father’s house and only then there was transformation.

If we don’t choose to come back to the Lord we will continue to be in the same pathetic position, but when we decide to walk back to Him only then will we get to the place where our lives and situations will be changed forever. True repentance will always be followed by the right actions. A person cannot say they have repented and continue to live a life of sin and defeat.When we turn back to the Lord, He will restore back to us all that we have lost.  If we repent and believe and come to the Lord everything will change radically.

John 2:13-16,“The Jewish Passover was near, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. He found those who were selling cattle, sheep, and pigeons in the temple courtyard. He also found moneychangers sitting there. He told those who sold pigeons, "Pick up this stuff, and get it out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" (GW)

In the first passage in Mark 11:17, Jesus referred to the House of God becoming a den of thieves but in the above mentioned passage He warns against making the temple of God a market place of business transactions.  An open place where anyone can come and do anything they want. It is also a place where people go to make money. It is indeed frightening, to even think of the response of Jesus to the various schemes, plans and sales that are being promoted in the Churches today.

Some people have hearts like a market place, where anyone can come and manipulate and deceive them.  It represents a life without any rules or discipline. 

John 2: 19, “Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (ESV)

John 2:21,“But the temple Jesus was speaking about was his body.” (GNB)

When Jesus said to the Jews, that if they could destroy the temple, He would raise it up in three days, they were perplexed.  The reason for this confusion was they looked at the outward physical structure of the temple and knowing that it took 46 years to build it, they were unable to perceive what Jesus was saying.  

However, when Jesus spoke about the temple he was not referring to the architecture of the temple, but to His body that would be laid down for the sins of the people and raised up on the third day.

The Bible says that we are the temple of the living God. When the Lord looks at us, and searches our hearts, does He perceive that this is His temple where He resides and rules or does He see a dark place where thieves reside or a market place filled with chaos and confusion?

If our heart is like a Den of Thieves, we will be secretive and conceal our sins and secrets from others and live with a constant sense of guilt and shame. Our hearts would then be a dark place where the devil rules and enslaves. On the other hand if we allow our hearts to be a market place, we will allow others to wield us and lead us astray.

If we want to be freed from every form of bondage in our lives, we must surrender our bodies to become the temple of God, where the Lord will rule and reign. If that becomes a reality, there will be no place for the devil to have a foothold to enslave us to his evil schemes. The Lord will set us free from every form of oppression and bondage.

Our body is God’s temple and if we destroy this body that the Lord has gifted to us so graciously, the Bible says, ‘The Lord will destroy us’.  If we were the owner of a house, we would take great precaution to not let anyone damage or destroy the house we own.  How much more possessive will the Lord be, who has created us and given us this blessed body and life so He could dwell within.

A prayer :

Our loving heavenly Father, every single day of my life help me to understand that my body is the temple of God. I want to live in total surrender to your will and overcome every bondage and be victorious in every area of my life. I desire, Lord that You make my body holy, a place where You can come, reside and reign forever. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Repent - Audio message in Tamil

Chapter 5 - Run well

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 5 - Run Well

The Apostle Paul writing to the Church in Corinth admonishes them this way. He says to them in 1 Corinthians 9:24 -25,“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. (ESV)

As we take a closer look at the above mentioned verses, there are four important aspects that stand out. Probably as Paul observed groups of athletes preparing for a race the following features captured his mind. The first aspect Paul is talking about is that this is a running race, the second, that there are the participants in the race, the third, is the fact that every participant needs to exercise self-control and the fourth, that there is a crown waiting at the end of this race for those who run well.

Nothing distracts an athlete who is preparing for a race. He is completely focused and his only aim is to win the race and receive the crown. In ancient times, when an athlete won a race, they were given a beautiful wreath made of leaves to celebrate their victory.  However, the wreath they received would probably last only for a few days and then fade away.

If we were to observe the athletes who participate in a race we may have noticed that they wear light clothes, they often keep their hair short and the reasons for this kind of discipline is that they do not want anything to hinder them or their speed when they are in a race. They are also very selective and controlled with the kind of food they eat, so they can keep their bodies healthy and fit. They will exercise self-control in every area of their life so that they can run the race really well.

If we were to compare ourselves with this indirect representation, we will understand that each one of us are participants in this race of life.  We are all running towards a goal and our reward is the crown of righteousness that the Lord has promised to all those who run and finish well.  However, in order to attain this imperishable crown, we need to exercise self-control in every area of our life.  This is not a compulsion, but a daily discipline and choice. We also constantlyremind ourselves that whatever the world offers us will eventually fade away. Every trophy we receive in this world is only temporary, and will vanish someday but the crown the Lord assures us will last into eternity.

The question is how we can run this race well, so as to be victorious and receive the crown.  We have looked in detail at various areas in which people are being enslaved. One is not in bondage only to habits like drinking, smoking etc., but is enslaved even if they are struggling in areas like controlling anger, hatred, and jealousy too. To run this race well we need to break free from all these yokes that bind us, pull us down and prevent us from fulfilling our full potential and purposes of God in our life.

How should we run this Race of Life?  

    Run with a Vision

Habakkuk 2:2, “And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” (ESV)

The Lord commanded the prophet Habakkuk to clearly write the vision He gave him on tablets, so that the people could read and understand it and run with the same. The vision that was planted in his mind, was to be written out so the people could comprehend the vision clearly and run with it.

Many companies have what they call a ‘vision statement’ that portrays what they would like to see happen in the future.  For instance way back in 1975, when Microsoft was just launching, they had a vision statement that read like this ‘A computer on every Desk’.  When they first floated the company this was not even a possibility as computers in those days were huge and usually confined to a room, the computers were also very expensive and not affordable for common man.  However, we see that 44 years later, it is indeed a reality and almost every home and office have a computer or a laptop.

The vision that the Lord has given to us is that we will have eternal life and receive the unfading crown that He has in store for us and we are all running towards it.  We cannot perceive this with our temporal eyes, but we run by faith because we received this vision from the Lord. We need to run with this vision.

If we study the life of Joseph in the Bible, we realize that he faced untold troubles from a very young age.  The heights of it was when he is faithfully serving as a head slave in the house of Potiphar, and Potiphar’s wife starts to take notice of how handsome Joseph was, and entices him to have an affair with her. On one such day of being tempted, Joseph leaves his coat and flees from her presence. Regrettably Joseph faces prison for an offence he never committed.  The only reason Joseph ran that day was because he knew that the Lord had chosen him and had great plans to honour him and with this vision so clearly etched in Joseph’s heart, he did not let anything hinder the Lord from fulfilling the same.

If we desire to effectuate the vision that the Lord has for our lives, it is necessary for us to like Joseph literally run away from all those things that would ensnare us. Let us choose to run away from hate, anger, bitterness, unholy things and anything else that would prevent us from attaining that vision.

In 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul Says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day.”(NRSV)

We often sees this verse on a grave stone, but we should truly make this verse our theme and vision.  We must desire to fight the good fight of faith and not give room for the devil to trap and enslave us. Paul could boldly say, I have kept the faith and I will receive the crown of righteousness that the Lord has promised for everyone who runs and finishes well.  This is the primary reason why we run with a vision.

     Run with a Purpose

2 Kings 4:24, “She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Let's go. And don't slow down unless I tell you to." Don’t stop.... run....” (CEV)

This is the incident that happened in Shunem.  There was a notable woman in this city who got acquainted with the prophet Elisha.  Every time Elisha passed by she would invite him home for a meal. Soon she and her husband understood that Elisha was a prophet of God and wanted to honour him. So they build a small room on their terrace, furnish it and invite Elisha to stay there whenever he passed through.  Elisha was so thankful to the woman, that he asked her if there was anything he could do for her in return for her kindness.

She mentioned nothing but the servant informs Elisha that the woman was childless and that her husband was old.  Elisha called the woman, and promised her that the Lord would bless her with a child within a year and sure enough as the prophet spoke the woman did have a baby boy within a year.

When we honour those who serve the Lord, He will honour us and the word of the prophet of God will never fail.

However, the little boy suddenly took ill and died. The Shunamite woman, took the child laid him on Elisha’s bed in the up stair room and ran to bring the prophet.  That is when she instructed her servant in 2 Kings 4:24 not to stop anywhere but rush ahead to the prophet. She was running with a purpose and her sole purpose was to bring the prophet home, so her son could be raised from the dead.

She clung to Elisha’s feet and begged him to come and raise her dead son.  Elisha sent his servant ahead of him with his staff and instructed him to place it on the dead boy.  However, she did not give up but begged Elisha to come with her.  She refused to leave the place without the prophet. The servant rushedahead to the room and placed the staff on the dead boy, but nothing happened.  The boy remained dead.  Finally Elisha reached the room and stretched himself on the boy a couple of times and the little boy was raised to life.

There was only one purpose on this Shunamite woman’s mind and that was to see her dead son raised to life.  She would not go home until the prophet accompanied her, for she knew only then that her purpose of running to the prophet would be accomplished. 

All of us must discern God’s purpose for our lives and run with it.  However, we should never go anywhere or do anything without the Lord going along with us. Many people have ruined their lives because they chose those paths and places where the presence of the Lord cannot come. The Lord must accompany us at every lap of this race we run, only can we comply with His purposes for our life.

Paul says in 1Corinthian 9:26,“So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air;” (NRSV)

Paul explains how he runs this race Jesus set forth for him with aim and purpose. Our life should be so purposeful and different that those around us should desire to be like us and should aspire to follow the Lord Jesus.

Naomi is a fine example of a woman who though was displaced from her home and was a stranger in the land of Moab, a land filled with idolatry, she was so committed to the Lord and her life was so exemplary that her daughter-in-law Ruth said to her, “your people will be my people and your God will be my God.”Ruth1:16and desired to be like her and follow the God she followed.

We should be those filled with such a purpose that those who relate with us would be eager to be like us and follow the Lord we serve.

     Run with all your strength

Gen 19:17, “Then one of the angels said, "Run for your lives! Don't look back and don't stop in the valley. Run to the hills, so that you won't be killed." (GNB)

Lot, his wife and two daughters lived in the land of Sodom. The sin of Sodom was so great, that the Lord could bear it no longer and decided to destroy the city with fire and Sulphur. Though Lot lived in this sinful city, he remained a righteous man and God being a just God wanted to save Lot and his family from the fiery destruction.  That is when the Lord sent his angels, and they literally drag Lot, his wife and daughters out of the city.  The command of the angels to them was “run for your lives” or in other words run with all your strength, and run to the hills, to save yourselves from this impending danger.  Sadly, however, Lot’s wife decided to look back and she turned into a pillar of salt.

We can receive encouragementand inspiration from Lot’s life to know that it is possible for us to be righteous in this unrighteous world.  Lot was able to live this way at a time when the power of the Holy Spirit was not available to him, how much more we when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to lead a holy life. With God’s strength we can live a holy life in an unholy world.

Lot’s wife on the other hand is an example for us to be cautious how we live the life that the Lord has called us to.  She was actually dragged out of a sinful place to go to a place of freedom, but she chose to look back.  A word of caution to all of us who are saved and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to keep going strong and not give in to temptation and sin that could destroy us as it did Lot’s wife. Once the Lord has saved us from depravity and sin, we should be circumspect not to get pulled back into the same sinful habits.

Genesis 12:4, “When Abram was seventy-five years old, he started out from Haran, as the LORD had told him to do; and Lot went with him.” (GNB)

When we look at the background to this incident, we will realize where Lot actually made a wrong choice that landed him in Sodom.  When God called Abraham to leave his country and his people and go to the place that he had promised, Lot also gladly accompanied him. God was blessing Lot because of Abraham and as their wealth increased there arose a misunderstanding between the herdsmen of Abraham and the herdsmen of Lot.  Abraham decided it was good for Lot and him to part so they can be at peace and so Abraham gives Lot the freedom to choose from the land whichever part that he thought was best.  Lot looks at all the greenery and decided to move towards Sodom. Lot’s life took turn for the worst.  He slowly moves into this city and later becomes a leader in this sinful city. The Lord in His grace saved Lot and his family but unfortunately he lost his wife.  What happened as a result was that his daughters did what was detestable to the Lord.

Let us not make decisions based on what our eyes see, but make right decisions by waiting on the Lord. Often the place where there is sin will look very pleasing the eyes, but we need to keep in mind that even if we are in a desert, the place of safety is always the one where the Lord is with us. We must be careful whom we associate with and those whom we are friends with. We must choose to join with those who will help us grow in the Lord and not be affiliated with those who will lead us away from the Lord.

Lot’s life also is an admonition to us that if we don’t make right associations, we not only affect ourselves but also our families and especially our children. Let us decide to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and not be entangled with the things of this world.

Isaiah 40:31 says “But those who wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”(NKJV)

When we truly wait on the Lord, He will strengthen us and help us to run this race well and strong.

A prayer :

Our loving heavenly Father, as I run this race that the You my Lord has set for me, let me run with a vision, let me run to fulfil Your purpose for my life and let me run with all the strength that You provide.  You will give me, Lord that imperishable crown that You have promised to me and I will be free of every single sin that binds and entangles me on this earth. Loving God give me Your grace to run well and receive the everlasting crown You have in store for me. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Run well - Audio message in tamil

Chapter 4 - Two Masters

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 4 - Two Masters

We read like this in Matthew 6:24, “No man is able to be a servant to two masters: for he will have hate for the one and love for the other, or he will keep to one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of wealth.” (BBE)

In the above mentioned verse, Jesus talks about two masters – one is God and the other money and wealth and His teaching was resolute, no one can serve two masters. The reason for this is that it is humanly impossible for anyone to serve two masters at the same time. Therefore, what countless people do, including believers is they let God be their master only on Sundays and let money have mastery over them for the rest of the week. They also try to juggle and balance their allegiance to God and money and eventually make them two distinct entities that will never intersect. However, the Lord establishes to us through His word that this sort of dual loyalty is certainly impossible as we will end up loving one and hating the other.It is indeed true that if we are a friend of God, by default we become an enemy of the world and vice versa if we don’t become an enemy of the world, we are not a friend of God. If we find ourselves taking God for granted, neglecting the fellowship of believers and prioritising other things it is a definite pointer that we are serving some other master and not God Himself.

We have been looking at various things that enslave people in the previous chapters and also how the Lord desires for each one of us to be set free from every bondage.  The assurance we receive from the Lord as we studied earlier is that, “if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NRSV)

Money a bad Master

One of the important areas that Jesus spoke a lot about was the enslavement to money and material possessions. Most people will not like to acknowledge that they are enthralled by money and material things. Money is essential for our basic needs and daily living, but we should be wary to not let money become our master.  When money starts to dictate how we live and what we do, then money becomes our master. Many believers are lukewarm only because they are trying hard to please God and at the same time have also set their hearts on loving money.

The perils of loving Money

We read in 1Timothy 6:10,“For the love of money is a source of all kinds ofevil.Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.” (GNB)

If we delve deep into the matter we will very often find that the root of many problems is money. Having money and being careful in spending money is okay, but if money is all that is on our mind and we are obsessed by it then it is definitely a problem. 1 Timothy 6:10 is very categorical that the love for money is the root problem for all sorts of evil and when money becomes our master we will surely go far away from the Lord.  The outcome has also been clearly spelt out – many having been driven by this desire to get rich have pierced themselves with many sorrows. We may have heard and read numerous accounts of people who wanting to multiply their money overnight,  have trusted in various schemes and were cheated of everything they invested.

Judas Iscariot – Mastered by Money, he betrays His Master

Let’s look at Luke 6:12 – 13, “At that time Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God. When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles:”

The Lord Jesus spent a whole night in prayer before he chose his twelve disciples. All of them spent three and half years with Jesus. They were witnesses to all the miraculous signs and wonders Jesus performed. However Judas Iscariot who was one of the chosen twelve, let money became his master. 

Look at what Judas Iscariot was doing in Matthew 26:14 – 15, “Then one of the twelve disciples---the one named Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and asked, "What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?" They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him.” (GNB)

Though Judas Iscariot had been with Jesus, he did not recognize Him as his master but instead was enslaved by his love for money. He went and negotiated with the chief priests and elders  and sets a price money of 30 pieces of silver to betray the one who had chosen him, loved him, taught him and cared for him for three and half years. The deal was clinched but the moment Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, he was so filled with regret, and shame and remorse that he actually ran back and literally threw the money back at the ones who gave it to him. Sadly it was too late. They refusedto accept it and the money that so captivated and controlled Judas did not benefit him or anyone else. The end of Judas was tragic and pathetic.

The question that Judas asked the chief priest and elders was, “what will you give me?”  He forgot the fact that there is nothing that the world can give that the Lord cannot give in better measure. As long as Judas was with Jesus all his needs were met by the Lord, but still his heart was not content and was set on acquiring more money.

This is a word of caution for everyone, even for those of us who claim to be walking with God. Judas was with the best master, Jesus Himself, and was chosen with much prayer but he deliberately chose to go after money which mastered and destroyed his life. As believers if we can learn to not run after the worldly blessings but rather run to the giver of every blessing the Lord Himself, He will take care of our every need.  He will satisfy and provide everything in perfect time as He perceives our needs even before we know them.

A beautiful example of God’s provision is from the life of the people of Israel  while they were wandering in the wilderness, even before they could cry to the Lord to quench their thirst, He not only provided the rock from which water gushed forth but also the tree that could turn the bitter water (Mara) to sweet. The Lord has a solution to every problem we face even before it comes to us.

As parents one of the reasons why we are so sensitive to the needs of our children and take such good care of them is because they are our own.  How much more will the Lord take care of us, the ones whom He created in His own image.

Francis Bacon said it this way ‘Money is a good servant but a bad master.’Once a man comes under the mastery of money every part of his being (his thoughts, his words and his deeds) will be controlled by money and sadly the only reason he will want to relate with others is if it will turn out to be beneficial to him. When money masters or enslaves us it will turn us into selfish people.

When Self Enslaves

1 Kings 21: 1-2, “Near King Ahab's palace in Jezreel there was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. One day Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard; it is close to my palace, and I want to use the land for a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will pay you a fair price."(GNB)

1 Kings 21:4,“Ahab went home, depressed and angry over what Naboth had said to him. He lay down on his bed, facing the wall, and would not eat.”(GNB)

King Ahab was the King of Israel everything in the kingdom belonged to him. One day he noticed the vineyard of his neighbor Naboth and coveted after it.  His plan was to take Naboth’s vineyard and convert it into a vegetable garden. When Naboth refused to sell the vineyard to Naboth, Ahab throws a tantrum. His wife Jezebel who was a wicked woman plots a treacherous plan, kills Naboth and gets the vineyard for Ahab. Ahab was so consumed by self, that he coveted a poor man’s vineyard.  Both Ahab and Jezebel faced the Lord’s Judgement and a tragic end.

Today sadly,even among many siblings there is rivalry over a small piece of property. The reason for this is that brotherly love has been overtaken by self and selfishness. Many have taken their own siblings to court.  We need to let go of our rights, and let the Lord give us the needed justice at the right time. If we get consumed by self, we can be certain that it will destroy us in the end.

Let’s read James 5:4,“You have not paid any wages to those who working your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in yourcrops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty. (GNB)

The Lord expects us to be people who are just and fair, especially to those who work for us or serve us. Many employers hold back the wages that is due to the one who has labored for them.  They don’t pay as promised, procrastinate payment, make excuses and thereby cheat the poor. Let’s never hold back the wage that is rightly due to someone else,  for if we do the Lord who is our master is watching and he will definitely take up the cause for those we have wronged and we will face due judgement.

When Lust Enslaves

In the precious chapter we looked at the life of Samson. Samson was mastered by lust and died a blind slave.

Choose the Good Master

Mark 4:37- 38,“And a great storm of wind came up, and the waves came into the boat,so that the boat was now becoming full. And he himself was in the backof the boat, sleeping on the cushion: and they, awaking him, said, Master, is itnothing to you that we are in danger of destruction?” (BBE)

It is striking to note that though Jesus was in the same boat as the disciples, they were asking Jesus “Master, don’t you care that we are going to drown.” It seems as though the disciples were teaching Jesus how to worry. They forgot that the good Master was in their boat and there was absolutely no reason for them to worry, fear or fret as He was in full control.

It never does imply that if we are a believer in the Lord Jesus we will never face any storms in our life, but on the contrary we have the assurance that the Lord is with us in the midst of all our storms, He is in control and nothing will happen to us without His knowledge.

In another incident where a man brings his son who is dumb to Jesus in Mark 9:17, “And one of the multitude answered him, Master, I brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit ;”( RV)

When Lazarus died and Jesus came to visit Mary and Martha, Martha runs to Mary and says in, John 11:28, “And having said this, she went away and said secretly to her sister Mary, The Master is here and has sent for you.” (BBE)

If we were to contemplate on all the above mentioned miracles, none of them could be accomplished with money or self. No master who has money or even if you paid him money can calm a storm, cause a dumb man speak or raise the dead.  Only the good and great master of the universe, the Lord Jesus can perform these astounding miracles in our lives. If we trust the good master completely instead of trusting in money or self, we can accomplish everything with His help and strength.

A prayer :

Heavenly Father, I decide to allow Lord Jesus to be my true master and will not concede money or self to take over His place. I know that my Lord Jesus cares for me more than anybody else in this world.  Lord, You are willing to take care of our every need. Therefore, it is only appropriate that I allow You Lord to be my master. Please be my driving force.  I give you Lord the first place in my life.  I submit to You Lord, a Good Master. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : Two masters - Audio message in tamil

Chapter 3 – One little weakness

Freedom from Captivity

Chapter 3 – One little weakness

We read in Act 26:18, “You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through their faith in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people.” (GNB)

As Saul was on his way to Damascus, with the cruel intent to persecute those who believed in Jesus, he had this dramatic encounter with the Lord Jesus where he was converted and transformed from Saul to Paul. At this point, when Saul asked Jesus what he was expected to do, the above words from Acts 26:18, was God’s specific command to Paul.

There are four aspects of this verse that we will consider, that will give us an explanation of what happens to a person when they are in any sort of bondage.

     They are blinded by sin

A person in bondage the Bible says is blinded to his condition and so he keeps doing the same thing over and over again. If a man falls into a pit once, it will be considered a mistake, but if he were to fall into the same pit repeatedly, it would make one surmise that he is unsighted. Many of us are not even aware that we are living in enslavement to many things.  Our prayer to the Lord is that He would intervene, break loose and set us free from every form of bondage.

They are under the power of Satan

We saw in the previous chapters that addictions and bondages are varied.  . When we continue to fall into the same sin over and over again we are allowing Satan to enslave us and keep us in bondage. If we seek to be delivered, we need to desire to be rid of the enslavement and make it our highest goal to be like Jesus. It is always good for us to ask in every situation we are placed, ‘What would Jesus do?’ and aspire to do the same. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but every day as we pray, read and meditate on the word and obey the Lord on an ongoing basis this change becomes a reality.

     Their sins are not forgiven

Also many people who are in bondage are constantly reminded of their past failures and secret sins that they feel deserve punishment. They have a sense of helplessness, and come to the conclusion that they can never be released from their condition. What happens as a result is that, they filled with a deep sense of guilt and shame, and carry a heavy burden of remorse and degradation.

They are not in fellowship with God’s people

It is also very evident that when a person is living in sin or is in bondage, they will never want to be in fellowship with other believers. They may even be members of the church but they will choose to be distant and will not be in close communion with the people of God.

The very purpose of God choosing Saul and radically changing him to Paul was that he would be instrumental in turning people from darkness to light. By placing our faith in Jesus, the Lord assures us that our sins are forgiven, that we are set free from all our guilt and shame, to live a holy life here on earth, and we are also promised the assurance of heaven. We are in the true sense transported from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to the Kingdom of God,  can come into true fellowship with other believers and become vibrant members of the body of Christ.

A Strong Man with One Weakness

The people of Israel were being tormented by the Philistines.  They often came into the Israelite territory and plundered their fields.  The people of Israel cry out in anguish and the Lord raises a mighty man named Samson.

God is a God of restoration and He is also our faithful God. Frequently when we are in distress, at a point of loss and call out to Him, the Lord comes to redeem us and restore back to us all that we have lost.

As we study the life of Samson we will understand how he was enslaved by sin. We will also be able to analyse our own lives and see how we can overcome similar temptations and bondages in our own lives. Samson was a man called and chosen by the Lord to deliver Israel and whenever the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he was so filled with strength that no one could stand before him. But sadly Samson the strong man also had a weakness. In the book of Judges we read like this.

Judges 14:1, 2“One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. When he returned home, he told his father and mother, "A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me." (NLT)

Samson goes to a city and sees a philistine woman, and immediately wants to marry her.  He knew nothing about her but wanted to marry her and the only reason he wanted her was just that she caught his eye and he desired to have her. He stubbornly pursued this relationship, and in the end Samson’s marriage to the Philistine woman ended in total failure.

Ecclesiastes 10:1, talks about how one dead fly can cause a bottle of perfume to stink, no matter how much effort the person took to prepare it. So also a small sin can cause big trouble in our lives as it did in the life of Samson.

Many young people today are also choosing their life partners this way.  They see someone and fall in love, often what is termed ‘love at first sight’ and generally without knowing anything about the person are ready to take the plunge. The choice is frequently made entirely on the basis of the outward appearance. Young people need to be prudent in this matter. The kind of person you choose as a life partner will decide the quality of your family life. Our partners in marriage should be God’s choice and compatible to us.  We must therefore be careful to make the right choice.

It is important for parents to pray for the spouses our children will marry in future.  We can start praying for our children when they are very young, that they will make the right choice, so the appropriate people are joined into our families. Marriage was God’s idea and families are his plan so it is always best to consult with the Lord before we make that decision. Once we are married there is no option to opt out.  If you realise the person you married is not the right person, you need to pray and by your life and good deeds lead them to the Lord.

Marriages are not fairy tales that have happy endings all the time.  For a marriage to work well both the husband and wife must work hard and do their part to make the marriage a happy one. Many people think that if the marriage doesn’t work we can opt out, divorce and find another partner.  But on the basis of God and His word, divorce and remarriage are no options for a believer.  A husband and wife need to fulfil certain marital duties to each other. We have to do our best to make our marriage work. Husbands are instructed to love their wife and the wife is taught to submit to her husband. Many children are following in their parent’s footsteps and choosing to quit their marriages even for simple reasons. Instead we need to pray, work hard and do our best to make our marriage work.

Judges 16:1, “Now Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a loose woman

and went in to her”. (BBE)

The next thing Samson did was go to Gaza and there he set eyes on a loose woman.

Our eyes if we notice are responsible for a lot of enslavements. The Bible says if our eye is holy our whole body will be holy. (Matthew 6:22)

Later we see is in Judges 16:4,“Now after this, he was in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek, named Delilah.” (BBE)

Samson was so enslaved to this love for women, that he was making the same mistake over and over again. The very women whom Samson was so in love with were also the cause for his ruin.

Judges 14:17, “she nagged him” (GNB) – this was the wife who once pleased his eyes.

Judges 16:16, “Delilah started nagging and pestering him day after day, until he couldn't stand it any longer. (CEV)-  This was the woman he loved so much.

Both the women Samson so longed to have, nagged him to the point of utter desperation.

Let’s see what happened to Samson as a result of his friendship with Delilah. Judges 16:21, “The Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain.” (CEV)

What happened was tragic. The philistines captured Samson, took him to Gaza the very place where he saw the loose woman, and the first thing they did was to gouge out his eyes. They chain him up, imprison him and force him to grind grain. The uncontrolled eyes of Samson were now removed. Now as he groped in his blindness, he must have been constantly reminded of the sins he committed with those very eyes. Here was a strong man who was called and anointed by the Spirit of God, called to be a deliverer of Israel, now in bondage literally and totally separated from all his family and his own people.

Today many young children who are in their early teens are also falling into this trap. As parents we need to guide our children in the right way.  We need to pray for our children that they will be protected.  We should not be careless about the matters pertaining to our children. There is also much obscene content in every form of media. As Parents we have a responsibility to guide and help our children to view the right things. We must set an example for our children. It is better to nip a habit or an addiction in the bud than to let it grow and become a problem to us or else we will be ensnared by the very thing.

Notice how sin will always thrive in darkness.  Just think about it – things that grow in the dark are not good things – they are harmful thing - for example fungus, mould etc. That is why God created light at the very beginning. All the secret things that we hide in the darkness of our hearts will surely bring us much trouble. Whatever those secrets are, we need to bring them out openly to the Lord, confess and forsake them. Only when Jesus the true light comes into our life, will all the darkness of sin will flee.

The Samaritan Woman – from darkness to light

In the last chapter we saw how Jesus met a woman from Samaria near Jacob’s well.  Jesus was sitting there exhausted when the woman came to draw water from the well. She came all alone, probably not wanting to meet with anyone when she encounters Jesus. Jesus asked her to do something that really stunned her.

In John 4:16-17, Jesus told her, "Go and bring your husband." The woman answered, "I don't have a husband." (CEV)

John 4:18, “You have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband: that was truly said.” (BBE)

When Jesus asked this woman to go and bring her husband, he very well knew all about her past. He knew that she had five husbands earlier and that the man she was living with was not her husband. What she was keeping back in her life as a secret, the Lord brought into the open.

As long as we hide our sins, and cover them up, sin will continue to grow. If we want to come out of our bondage, we need to first accept our situation, confess our sin and repent of it.  We need to truly desire to let go of it and    need to bring what is in the darkness into the light of the Lord.

When Jesus brought out all her secrets into the open all her inhibitions were gone and what the woman did something amazing.

In John 4:28-29, “The woman left her water jar, and ran back into town. She said to the people, me and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! Could he be the Messiah?" (GNB)

She left her water jar and forgot the purpose for which she had come to the well in the first place and ran into the village to bring everyone to meet Jesus.  As long as a person is living in sin and in darkness, he or she will live in isolation from society.  That is why the woman came all alone, but once her sins were brought into the open she lost all shame, fear and self-consciousness and had no qualms about bringing all of her acquaintances to see Jesus. Only when every bondage in our life is broken, can we be useful instruments in the hands of the Lord. She testifies to the whole village “come and see, the person who told me everything about me. Could this be the Christ?”

We may hide many things from others. As little children we may recall how we   would do wrong and then get caught because we didn’t know how to cover up. However, as we grow older we learn to cover up very well, so we don’t get caught.  We should sincerely ask the Lord to deliver us from every form of bondage so we are set free. Only as we search our hearts and check to see what is the thing that we are enslaved to and bring it into the light of Christ, we will be able to lead a victorious life.

Here’s the word of God to us from Proverbs 28:13, “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.” (GNB)

A prayer :

Our heavenly Father, I understand that the many things that I hide in my life are not hidden from Your eyes and the insignificant ones can lead to significant sin and lead to failure in my life.  I decide this day to confess all my sins and shortcomings, both great and small to You and request Your forgiveness.  I bring all that have been deliberately hidden by me into the open and receive Your forgiveness that has been promised. Thank you Lord for delivering me from every form of bondage. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

A.Dixon

www.goodnewsfriends.net

Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins

Email : goodnewsfriends.net@gmail.com

For audio : One little weakness - Audio message in tamil