The God of Israel

He is known in the Hebrew tongue as Jehovah,
And created the land, the stars and each supernova.
He is the Lord of the seas, the earth and the sky,
And life to all beings everywhere he does supply.

All knowing, all powerful, all powerful is he,
None can overcome the Lord by any degree.
He controls the storehouses of rain, cold and storm,
And great things and miracles he does perform.

In the past of all the many nations on the earth,
God chose Israel much before Abraham’s birth.
These were called to be his people forever,
So he gave them Law to follow wherever.

They lived under God’s protection,
And for them the Lord still has much affection.
The God of the Holy angels on high,
Manna in the wilderness for them he did supply.

In love for his people, the Lord is zealous,
Against worship of false gods, he is jealous.
For God reproves the sinner and does rebuke,
Moses worships him and so does Saint Luke.

He is merciful equally as he is just,
So he forgives those in him who put their trust.
He knows the heart and he knows the mind,
And keeps his Angels to the righteous assigned.

His Spirit is holy and so is his only begotten Son,
Manifest in the flesh Jesus has great victories won.
And he is seated at his Father and Lord’s right hand,
Giving salvation to all believers in the land.

For the God of Israel is not restricted to the Jews,
He pours out his grace on each, who the Gospel choose.
No wonder Jehovah planned to be the Redeemer of all nations,
For the Gentiles too are his beloved creations.

The day when Christ was born

God allotted to mankind times and seasons,
And for that he had good reasons.
Because Adam and Eve’s sin had forth death,
Which had to be overcome by a man from Nazareth.

God’s own son who is true God and true man,
Was to be born of Mary as part of his great plan.
The Prince of heaven and every star,
Was sought by the Wise men from afar.

God gave the world his only begotten Son,
That over sin and death victory be won.
The day was set for him on earth to manifest,
So that those who yearn for redemption find their rest.

God caused this day to be just right,
And born was the Saviour – heaven’s delight.
He grew up to fulfill his purpose and the Law,
Never could in him be found any sinful flaw.

God made this day greater than the day of Adam’s creation,
To make available to Abraham’s descendants and Gentiles his salvation.
So remember this day never for worldly festivities,
Instead worship Christ and do good activities.

WHAT DO YOU TELL YOURSELF EVERY MORNING AS YOU START THE DAY?​​

● ​​Moses would say, “Lord, if You don’t go with us or before us, we are not going anywhere.”​​
● ​​Abraham would say, “The Lord will provide.”​​

● ​​Jacob would say, “I won’t let go of You unless You bless me.”​​

● ​​Joshua would say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”​​

● ​​Samuel would say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”​​

● ​​Nehemiah would say, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”​​

● ​​David would say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”​​ ​_and “This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.”​_

● ​​Solomon would say, “Trust in the Lord, oh my soul, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.”​​

● ​​Isaiah would say, “Arise and shine for my Glory has come.” and “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”​​

● ​​Jeremiah would say, “The Lord has plans to prosper me and not to harm or fail me.”​​

● ​​Jabez would say, “Oh, that you may bless me and enlarge my territory.”​​

● ​​Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would say, “We will not bow down to any image but will serve the Lord.”​​

● ​​Ezekiel would say, “Any dry bones in my life, live again.”​​

​Choose your daily statement of faith. Meditate on it! Say it every morning…

Head and not the tail

You shall be the head and not the tail,
You were not baptized to fail.
The blessings of the covenant old,
obtained by Christ for us we’re told.

Have true faith and let it show,
By God, be above and not below.
Do not fear when the Enemy assails,
The Church against Hell’s gates prevails.

Resist the Devil and let him flee,
Revel not in falsehood and vain glee.
Obey Jesus the Savior in full measure,
For he’s better than any earthly treasure.

God grant that you don’t have to borrow,
Let there be hope for every tomorrow.
Every blessing promised to Abraham pure,
By faith we receive in Christ Jesus to endure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:14)

My thoughts when writing the above poem:

As per Deuteronomy 28 there are blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. No one has a lived a pure and perfect and sinless life as Jesus Christ has done. Depending on following the Law, we also get subject to its curses if we break it. This is where faith in Jesus comes in. For it gives you not only the courage to be really above all temptation and evil of the world, it also let’s you inherit the blessings he obtained for you which were promised to Abraham by God. No wonder it said in the Scriptures “The righteous shall live by faith”.

The intercession of Abraham for the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah

All praise unto the Lord Jesus who made us more than servants because he made his friends. Thanks be to God who reveals his wisdom to his beloved people so that they can act wisely in words, action and prayer. O Lord by your Holy Spirit help us to intercede for the worst of all sinners so perhaps they may repent and given glory to you. Amen.

Abraham and Sarah at Mamre – artwork by Felix Fossey ( 1826-1895)

There was a time when Abraham interceded for the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah. But first let’s understand why was Abraham even given that opportunity by the Lord. Let read Genesis 18:17-21 as mentioned below:

¹⁶ Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. ¹⁷ The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” ²⁰ Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

The Lord had willed to punish Sodom for their sin. Why so? Because there was an outcry against not just Sodom but also it’s partner city Gomorrah. The nature of their sin was very grave, it was sexual perversion; homosexuality (Genesis 19:1-22 confirms that was indeed homosexuality). Again, there were people who were complaining against them unto God. Might be these cities could have abused people from outside their area but God knows best! So, the Lord decided to get all these allegations examined and if these were false, he’d tackle the complainers and if true then he’d act against the two cities mentioned earlier.

God had a choice to not tell Abraham about what he wanted to do. He is the Lord and he can do anything (Some people find it hard to accept this simple truth but have no issues if God gives them good health despite their hate towards the Lord. Pathetic!). However, God also knew that he had given Abraham a great heritage and if you read the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Luke 3.23-38 you’ll realize that Abraham was the human ancestor of Christ! This meant that the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham. We know the Messiah is none other than Jesus himself. So, the Lord then gave Abraham the knowledge of divine judgement against Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, let’s read Genesis 18:22-33 as mentioned below:

²² So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³ Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶ And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

²⁷ Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ²⁸ Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” ³⁰ Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” ³¹ He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” ³² Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” ³³ And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

The above verses show us very clearly that the Lord had a listening ear for appeals of mercy in the times before the Gospel was ever preached. And yes, he heard out Abraham. Now, there was no manipulation nor overwhelming exchange of words, just a simple conversation. Abraham did not justify the lifestyle of Sodom and Gomorrah’s inhabitants. He knew God was not joking about these cities. So he appealed by the way of righteousness. And the Lord God did give heed to his words and even for the sake of 10 righteous was willing to spare the entire city!

Now the reader might wonder how on earth did Abraham expect even an ounce of righteousness to be present in these ‘Sin Cities’ . So here’s what’s the answer, read all of Genesis 14 (this chapter has another great meaning, if you read closely. Hint; look for the place where it mentions Melchizedek the king of Salem) and you’d realize that Lot who is the nephew of Abraham was a sojourner in Sodom. Among various cities captured by Chedorlaomer king of Elam and his allies, Sodom and its inhabitants were taken captive. Obviously Lot was taken captive. Then Abraham and his allies, with 318 warrior men of Abraham fought and defeated Chedorlaomer (difficult to pronounce, I admit! Maybe the phonetic method will help; ked·or·lä·o’·mer ) and reacquired Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people. Post battle, with even the Sodomites rescued, the king of Sodom wanted to negotiate with Abram (who God later renamed as Abraham). And this king honored his commitment to Abraham. Here are the specific verses:

²¹ And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.” (Genesis 14: 21-24)

Though Abraham was not interested in Sodomite wealth, all due to his loyalty to God, there were a few of his allies and his own fighting men who had eaten a few of the spoils of war. So for that he did bargain. And the king of Sodom, despite his wicked nature of allowing sexual perversion, still didn’t go back on his commitment. It’s possible that Abraham saw that as a small potential for change in the general nature of Sodom and Gomorrah but God knows best. If you look at this incident of the Elamite invasion of Sodom from another angle you’ll know that Abraham already rescued them once even though Sodomites were sinners. That was a physical rescue. He could have only chosen to rescue his nephew Lot and Lot’s possessions and people if he wanted to!

Now, as time passed by Abraham got a chance to spiritually rescue them. He interceded to the Lord God for them, perhaps the Lord would spare them. Notice, he didn’t even name Lot as one of the reasons for sparing these vile cities (read Genesis 18 again, if you want to) but was focused on the overall number of righteous of those regions.

Bringing this to the Christian experience or better still the Christian reality, it’s a very prudent thing to pray for the repentance of  sinners. If you have a specific sinner or a group of sinners in mind and feel that you ought to intercede for them, then feel free to to pray for them. You can even pray for paedophile’s to cease and desist from their crimes and let go of the children they are manipulating! Maybe the sinners you are praying for will turn away from their sin, believe in the Gospel and NOT go to hell but rather be with the Lord Jesus forever!

You can refer to the below verses:

1. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.  The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. (Isaiah 59:14-16)
2. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. (1 John 5:16)
3. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6)
4. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things (Hebrews 13:18)

 

Related articles:

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• Prayer for deliverance of children from child molestors (disciplesofhope.wordpress.com)
• When will you speak up against injustice? (disciplesofhope.wordpress.com)
• Jesus Christ Immanuel God is with us (disciplesofhope.wordpress.com)

The generosity of Abraham at Mamre

All praise unto the Lord God and to Christ Jesus his son. O Lord, you are indeed the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You have fulfilled your promises to Abraham and given him a heritage by which many are being blessed today and evermore in the future. Fill us with hope and generosity towards the poor and needy. Teach by your Holy Spirit to find opportunities to serve in your Kingdom and be a blessing to your servants and friends. Amen.

Abraham and Sarah at Mamre – artwork by Felix Fossey ( 1826-1895)

The instance of the generosity of Abraham at Mamre in mentioned in Genesis 18:1-16 as mentioned below:

18 And the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. ² He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth ³ and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, ⁵ while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” ⁶ And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” ⁷ And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. ⁸ Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

⁹ They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” ¹³ The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

¹⁶ Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.

The above verses have lots of implications with regards to how it affected the course of destiny for Abraham. For now let’s look at this from the perspective of being generous.

Abraham had great respect for the Lord God and believed in him. So he sought to be generous towards God and did all this for the Lord out of freewill.  He was not expecting to get anything out of that but simply wanted to respect the Lord God by his deeds. However, the Lord God too wanted to be generous towards Abraham and confirmed his promise that Sarah would bear a child. Now Sarah was not sure about this as looked her old age. Yet, the Lord God knew her thoughts and corrected her about that though she was afraid about even admitting that she laughed about it. God was faithful to his promise to Abraham and blessed him abundantly despite his wife’s initial wonderment.

The Lord expects his people to be generous and promises to pay back them. Like Abraham we too are encouraged to be generous towards God. We can express this by being kind and generous to the poor, to the servants of God and to his people in need.

You can refer to the below verses:

1. Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
2. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)
3. Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19: 17)
4. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (Hebrews 6:10)

So what I mean is that God rewards those who are generous towards him. He will remember what you’ve given to him and pay you back in just measure. This is not about someone asking you for money always. Now at time’s money is needed but there’s other things too. You can invest time with the needy, give some water, say a kind word etc.

Of course you can even be a blessing to people who are outside the faith. There is no limit to generosity in the name of the Lord God as long as you are not compromising on the teachings of the Gospel.

Be generous to those who want good counsel. Encourage someone who is trying to quit smoking etc. This way you help that person have a healthy lifestyle. Be kind to waiters at the restaurants. Watch out for unattended children’s safety at parks, malls etc. Seriously, there is no limit to goodwill if you do it right and for the glory of God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Prayer points for the United States of America (July 2014)

There are many in the world who aspire to the ‘American dream’ while those in the U.S know that dream is an illusion. Some U.S citizens by their own experience find out that this dream has turned into the American nightmare. This has to change, not in the sense of some political ‘change’ campaign which has led to even more troubles to this great nation.

What am I talking about? Let me make it real to you. The economy is a shame. Education standards are hitting new lows. The people of the U.S are no longer happy in truth, they occasionally get thrills through the T.V and other forms of entertainment but are not satisfied. The ‘relation with Jesus’ part of religion has been replaced with legalism. Pastors and preachers when preaching the whole Gospel are met with people who only cherry pick doctrines. I’m not putting a blame on one denomination as I’ve noticed this across many denominations.

A few hundred years ago one could pray in public and it would be seen as an act of faith. Today in some states praying or even preaching the Gospel is considered an ‘outrage’ by people who themselves profess whatever they believe or rather unbelieve (if there’s such a word) in without any bother. Well for such God hating people who are against Christians, they might as well take note that there will indeed be a Final Judgement for them on Judgement day contrary to what their ‘rational’ opinion is.

Now you might wonder what can you do in all this. There are many things that can be done. May the Holy Spirit lead you in the will of God. The will of God also includes praying for each other. In this context you need to pray for your brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ who live in the U.S.

Just remember this; Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)

Even if you are a single person committed to this cause don’t worry, for your prayer which is said in good faith will help. It doesn’t matter if others don’t want to join in.

Consider the following verses where only one godly person prayed and yet the Lord God answered favorably:

And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before. (1 Kings 13:6)

So Abraham prayed unto God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants; and they bore children. (Genesis 20:17)

Since this a huge nation with many needs, there are a lot of points to pray for. Here are the prayer points that you can pray for the United States of America, though you can also add in whatever the Holy Spirit brings to your mind when praying:

• That wicked people are now stopped at each and every level from manipulating the First Amendment, so that there is no tampering with the freedom of speech, freedom of religion etc of Christians living in the U.S.
• That there is genuine interest among Christian youth to love and serve the Lord Jesus.
• Pray so that the government is rid of all those officials who neglect advance warning about terror attacks.
• Pray so that the media stop spreading falsehood about Christians, the soldiers, the war on terror etc and also that the media houses stops bowing down to their company leaders who want sensational news instead of the truth.
• That preachers of the gospel preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ boldly and without fear nor compromise.
• That the number of divorces start declining and come to a halt.
• Pray that the mass shootings/murders of innocent civilians including kids are prevented. Let those who plan to murder at school, college or office etc have a change of heart and don’t carry out their evil deeds. This is a much-needed miracle!
• Pray that the U.S government doesn’t get into wrong deals with terrorists anywhere in the world. No more exchange of murderous terrorists for anyone.
• That that all its citizens question every wrong move of all those in power in nation and state. That all ignorance and apathy in the running of the country goes away from the heart of every person.
• That the prison system is reformed so that it prevents people from getting any more worse. That safety of prisoners is kept track of and reported to their family members.
• Pray that all negative mindsets about the Bible and the church are confronted and cast down from their pride.
• Pray that all states are safe from the scourge of earthquakes, firestorms, hurricanes etc.
• That immoral same-sex marriages are not allowed in every state as this contradicts the teachings of the Bible and also the will of God. That all men behave like real men and all women behave like real women. So that they don’t change their gender for immoral lust, fame or money.
• That every place which promotes immoral sex in the U.S is purged of its demons and it seductive power. So every bar, casino etc which depends on such immorality are shut down totally unless they stop their wickedness.
• Pray that all genetic tampering with human and animal life is strongly prevented by law. No more creation of genetically modified organisms, clones nor chimera of any sort.
• Pray that all nuclear installations in the mainland, islands, high seas and outer space are always safe and in the hands of responsible and sane people.
• That the illegal immigrants don’t become a nuisance to the people in any way or form.
• That there is increased and responsible border patrolling to prevent illegal migrants from entering the U.S.
• Pray that the borders of the U.S are guarded well by patriotic soldiers and that there is no traitor in their midst
• Pray that smugglers of drugs, narcotics etc are arrested. That the war on drugs is actually a success.
• That the fundamental right to bear arms is upheld without the need to declare weapons. So that the Second Amendment is kept pristine without adding wicked loopholes to it. For disarming innocent civilians doesn’t take the guns away from actual criminals who want to use it against the unsuspecting and unarmed.
• That people of various religions are allowed to live in peace and harmony.
• Pray for peace among Christians of all denominations.
• Pray that cults are convicted of their evil doctrines of men and people don’t join them no matter what sweet or bullying words are used.
• That the works and strongholds of the Evil One in the U.S are brought down in the name of Jesus every time people pray to Jesus for deliverance and healing.
• That all children are reconciled to their parents. That all couples live in true unity. That all those elder in age are not made fun of and are respected.
• Pray that all scams of any sort be it economic, healthcare, social security are investigated and all the criminals involved are put to justice.
• Pray that the environment is kept clean and pure from all chemical trails in the air, land or water.
• That signs, wonders and workings of the Holy Spirit keep manifesting themselves in the church in every state (not just Florida and Texas but all other states too!).
• That in these last days, Christians in the U.S don’t lose hope but rather be faithful in the Lord Jesus till the last breath and last hour of their lives.

Since I’ve mentioned a really long list of prayer points, so I personally thank each one who took the time to go through them all and pray for the U.S. I pray that God bless you for taking the time, faith and courage to pray for your Christian brothers and sisters over there so that they have life which truly has ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. Be blessed in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

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Jesus and Zacchaeus

Let us read Luke 19:-10 below:-

¹ Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. ² There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. ³ He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

⁵ When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

⁶ Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. ⁷ But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

⁸ Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

⁹ Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Zacchaeus was a Jew and one of the descendents of Abraham. He was also a great sinner. Tax collectors were hated in those days very greatly because they misused their authority. These tax collectors worked not for the Jews but for the Romans who had conquered Israel. They cheated both the people and the government and kept huge sums of money for themselves. While the poor kept getting poor they kept getting rich.

Jesus the Son of God was aware that Zacchaeus was looking for a way out. Zacchaeus was fed up of sinning and needed salvation. He was aware that collecting so much money was not going to get him to a good place after he dies. Now Jesus preached the Gospel where ever he went. So somehow Jesus’ message must have reached Zacchaeus and he sought the way to meet the Lord Jesus.

Due to his short height Zacchaeus tried to see Jesus in Jericho on a tree. Yes, he needed a better vantage point. Sometimes to look at the Lord Jesus you need to stop letting others obstruct your view in their way of life. It was the nature of the people to be taller that Zacchaeus and it was his nature to not let that come in the way of seeing Jesus.

Jesus rewarded his faith by asking that he be a guest at Zacchaeus’ house. This didn’t go well with others who despised Zaccheaus and grumbled. They didn’t see the point of Jesus going to his house.

Now Jesus the Lord was not considered as the Lord by the scribes and the Pharisees of the Jewish faith. They didn’t acknowledge him as the Son of God who would come to save not just the Jews but also the Gentiles from their sins. Though it was mentioned in the prophecies about Jesus, they willfully chose to ignore it. However, when Jesus came to Jericho, that day there was one man who did call him Lord no matter what the religious elite felt.

Zacchaeus called Jesus as the Lord. He realized his need to repent of his sins and accept the Lord as his savior. He recognized that Jesus is the Lamb of God who comes to take the sins of the world and happy was he to receive him under his roof. Though all he had to do was to accept Jesus as the Son of God, he went to declare he will make good all the losses to those whom he had cheated.

Jesus went to say that salvation came to this man’s house and reminded people of his ministry which to seek and save the lost. Christ even today seeks and save the lost. He still through his disciples on earth tries to reach out to those who yearn for salvation. He accepts even the worst of sinners in to the Kingdom of God. Those who are ‘public’ sinners like drug sellers, racists and even terrorists too can receive salvation from Jesus if they turn away from their sinful ways and accept Jesus as the true Lord.

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True hope only comes through Christ

In the Old Testament the Lord God said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God loves his people and works out plans that help his people rise up against all odds. Abraham and Sarah didn’t have child due to her barrenness but the Lord God gave her favor and she bore a son. Joseph in Egypt lived as a slave but by God’s favor he became the greatest man in Egypt second only the Pharaoh of Egypt. Moses led the Hebrews away from the slavery of Egypt with many signs and wonders of God.

In these instances and many other mentioned in the Old Testament God provided hope to his people. There was one hope still pending, it was prophesied that the savior of the world would manifest in Israel. This was and is the greatest hope not just to the Jews but also to the whole world.

Isaiah 9:1,2 says that, Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan–The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.”

Here is my servant whom I have chosen…In his name the nations will put their hope Isaiah 42:1-4 quoted in Matthew 12:17-21

Yes this speaks about Jesus the son of the Living God and he gives hope. He came on earth fully man and yet was fully God. This is the faith that he came to seek and save the lost and destroy the works of the Evil one.

Psalm 110:1 A psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”

This is the Lord Jesus’ mission statement; “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Isaiah 61:1,2 quoted in Luke 4:18-19.

The mission of Jesus is powerful indeed. He saves people from their sins. He saves people from demonic oppression and Satan’s grasp. He heals people from their sickness. He gives hope, not just earthly, I’m speaking about eternal life with hope, peace and joy.

Now on earth people have their own fancies of hope. They hope to get a new car, a Corvette perhaps. Or they hope to get a higher education. Some hope for a change in the way their nation is run. How many times are many peoples hope are met with disappointment when things don’t go as they yearned for?

There are some who even got to see their wishes fulfilled but then getting a great car, education and a worthy leader made people happy for a while until the time to depart from this earth come. I mean when the time of death comes they realize that earthly hopes end at earth itself. They then hope to live more, speak to their loved ones if they aren’t near. They wonder what will become of them in the life after death. Those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus often are very skeptical about their future and try to accept things as they come.

However for a person who believes in Christ this is not a matter of guessing. Its a fact to be pondered and relished that such a person has now entered in to true eternal rest in heaven welcomed by none other than Jesus Christ himself. Jesus by the shedding of his blood on the cross and dying at Calvary took upon himself all your sins. By his resurrection he overcame all the powers of the devil and secured a place you in heaven and changed your destiny to good rather than evil. If you believe this then you have the true hope that only comes through Christ. Amen.

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