Deal or no Deal?

Background: Elisha has passed away and Israel now is under oppression from Hazael, king of Aram. Elisha had prophesied earlier, that Hazael would oppress Israel after killing the king of Aram and taking his place. The Bible says in 2 Kings 13:22-23"22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence. "

Lesson: If you read the previous and next chapters you'll find there were many kings that got a chance to rule Israel and Judah, but none of them were sincere as David was. They all went astray or obeyed God partially. Yet God was gracious to them , every time they were oppressed, or they sinned, or someone attacked them...and all other problems that they had....because of His covenant with Abraham!!!
I wanted to see the details of this covenant, and in order for us to truly appreciate verse 23 from 2 Kings 13, we'll have to go back atleast a 1000yrs from this verse, to the time of Abraham.
In Genesis 15 we read the details of God's covenant with Abraham. In their times, when 2 parties were entering into a covenant, they would walk together between halves of a heifer, a goat, a ram and dove and pigeon. "9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half."
This covenant would mean that they would share their sorrows, their joys, their wealth, their lives, to the point that if any one of the parties be in trouble, the other would be there to defend them even at the cost of their life. Almost meaning the life they lived would no longer be only for oneself but for the other person too, as if one man.
And God went into a covenant with Abraham that day " 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river [d] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates-"
You know what is the most beautiful part of this covenant?-- Abraham didn't walk through it, only God did. In verse 12 you'll find " 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him"

Conclusion: The past few days, with all these holiday shopping and all, everyone wanting to get the better end of the deal, the shopkeeper for their profit, the end user for the cheap and best, no one wants a bad deal, but God kept showing in my heart, He was always willing to be at the bad end of the deal, so that I would get the best of it.

He chose to be poor that I might be made rich.

He chose to die, that I might live.

He chose to be wounded, that my sins be forgiven.

He chose to exhange His beauty for my ashes.

God knew, a mere man and his descendants wouldn't be able to fulfil the covenant, it meant death to the one who failed to keep the covenant, yet He walked alone, between the covenant symbols, while Abraham was put in deep sleep. All Abraham had to do was to believe in God's unfailing love.Thats the kind of God we have, willing to take up everything for us, in order that we will see His love and love Him back. Thats my Living God, who loves me when I'm good, and loves me when I'm bad. He loves me in my joys, He loves me in my sorrows. He made a deal with a mere man, Abraham, who couldn't return anything that God could do, and God remained faithful even till this day, to the same covenant He made with Abraham so many thousands of years ago. If you do not know this Living and Loving God, here is your chance again, to make the deal, you have nothing to lose. For those who lose their life in Him, have found it. So here's the question Deal or no deal??

People Can See when God's at Work in your life

Background: The knowledge of the works of God and His power amongst the Israelites spread out to the Arameans as well, while Elisha was the prophet in Israel. In 2 Kings 8:7 the Bible records "7 Elisha went to Damascus, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, "The man of God has come all the way up here," 8 he said to Hazael, "Take a gift with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult the LORD through him; ask him, 'Will I recover from this illness?' " Can you see, the Aramean king also called on Elisha to consult regarding his sickness!!! Well the king didn't recover, just as Elisha had said. Hazael his attendant killed him.

Lesson: When we are knitted together with God, people near and far will see it. When our lives are dedicated and we are determined to walk with God daily, our life will shine and people will see it.

• Joseph worked dedicatedly keeping the honour of the Living Lord not giving up no matter what the situation he went through. He kept his integrity and Genesis 39:5 says "From the time he(Egyptian) put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field." God worked so wonderfully in Joseph's life that even the pharoah put him incharge of everything, in Egypt Genesis 41:41 [ Joseph in Charge of Egypt ] So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." and then in Genesis 41:44 "Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt."
• Abraham 5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 "Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead."
• For Moses his face shone because of his constant face to face conversations with the Living God and the Bible says Exodus 34:35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD."
• Peter remained faithful to the commission that Jesus had given him. Acts 5:15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. More than that there were more and more people coming to the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: If you read all the miracles that Jesus did and how people thronged to meet Him. They came to hear Him, they were all around Him all the time. Sick people were brought to Him, children were brought to Him. His life was something in which people could see God's work. When we've been with the Lord and been obeying and walking with Him, people will see. Romans 8:11 "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you"

Life's Not Normal...

This morning I woke up about 4:30am with 'this' thought on my head. It kept ringing in my mind as if I needed to hear it, not just once but over and over again.
I have been wondering quite a lot about my life lately. Why is it different?

I started thinking from the beginning of time, when God called Noah....all this while Noah was having a "normal" life...like all others, until one day when, "Genesis 6:13 God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth." Not only this, but that he had to build a boat...uh..on land!!!. Life didn't remain normal for him from that day on...

Then we read of Abraham, he must have been having a "normal" life at home with his parents and relatives in Us, until one day "Genesis 12:1[ The Call of Abram ] The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." Little did this man know that God meant what He said and that, this decision would change his life and the life of his descendants forever and we know what we have because of this our "faith" ancestor.

Then Joseph..another little boy who's life changed at the age of 13 when he shared, the dream God gave him. His own brothers sold him as slave to another country, but God had not abandoned this boy, God meant to keep the promise made to him through a dream. Joseph's life did not remain normal anymore.

Then there was Moses, from the day he was born, God had chosen him to represent and lead His people. The day God met him at the burning bush, his life did not remain normal...he was to go stand before the pharoah and demand God's people be set free and lead them to the promised land. He did not have the normal life from the day he took up his duties given by God.

Then another little boy, a shepherd boy, his life changed from the normal, when the man of God Samuel approached him and anointed him (in spite of there being a king in Israel, Saul, at that time) according to God's command. ...

Moving on to the latter times in the Bible, Saul- he thought he was doing a good thing by killing the Christians..until the time Acts 9:4 "He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"...and then his life did not remain "normal" anymore.

Whatever we think of as a "normal" life, does not remain normal anymore when our God enters in, it does not make sense until God's full plan is revealed. It makes no sense at all when you're just starting or halfway in the plan, but until the end is revealed. The world has fallen drastically so God has to change people's lives drastically for us to come out of our "normal" lives and appreciate the pleasant and perfect will of God, which only God can explain....in the end. Does it make sense that Jesus, God's only Son had to die for people who didn't know Him, was that big a sacrifice needed? We know it did, and was a valuable thing for us. Our lives, no matter how abnormal it may seem, no matter how inexplicable certain turns in life may seem, God knows the outcome of it all and He knows it is beautiful. For Noah, he saved his entire family from flood, as well as the creatures of the earth on that boat. For Joseph, he saved his family from famine and the people of Egypt during drought. For Moses, his life brought deliverance for the Israelites from Egypt. For David, a throne was established for the Israelites, that which would never lack a king...and would be the predecessor of the Great and Mighty King to come. For Jesus, his life became the cause of Salvation for the entire human kind.

I Wonder

I Wonder, how Noah must have felt, when God said "build an ark". No one else was there to support him. Instead people gathered to make fun of him. How did he feel when his faith was tested, in the building of a boat with no rain or cloud in sight?

I wonder, how Abraham must have felt, when God said"you will be a father of many nations". No one else was there to support him. How did he feel, when he was beyond the age to even have strength to have a child? How did he feel, to wait and see what and how God would work?

I wonder,how Jacob must have felt, and when God said "I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you". Did he have faith enough to trust what God promised, or would he trust his ability to deceive? How did he feel when he had to trust God instead of himself and his plans?

I wonder how Joseph must have felt, when God showed him a dream, of becoming the head of a country, soon he found himself in a prison, in slavery, in a well, sold, in another cell...? While he waited for the dream, how did he feel?

I wonder, how Hannah must have felt, when after her prayers, Eli said to her "May God grant your request...yet she would have to wait and see how the answer comes? How did she feel when she had to wait for her deliverance from scorn and shame?

I wonder.....but oh not really....God promised me too, and I am waiting...and I will wait till I see the fulfilment of His promises...but then...now I know how they felt when they waited...now I know.
But I also know that, "they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall walk and not be weary, they shall run and not faint" Isaiah 40:31
But I also know that "All who put their trust in the Lord will never be put to shame"Romans 9:33
But I also know that " With man it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible" Matthew 19:26
But I also know that "He who has called me is Faithful to do what He has promised" (1 Corinthians 1:9)
And I also know that "Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."(2 Timothy 1:12)

Success !!

Its easy to loose focus when what you see becomes bigger than what you believe in. Throughout the Bible, we see God picking out people with problems and turning them into miracles, and changing failures into successes. Not just marginal success, but huge successes.
The good thing about this, getting successful thing, is not 1-2-3 but needs waiting, patience, building character too. While God ushers us into success, he also needs to build up our inner man, to be honest, of good and strong character, of good works, of love, of a sound mind, of perseverance, of patience and the likes.

We like the part about being successful, but we would not want to go through the building up of the inner man. Would we be able to wait like Abraham for 25 yrs for God's promise to be fulfilled in our lives? Sounds difficult right.Or like Joseph, to go through prison, and cheating and still staying honest and true to God AND waiting for 13 yrs for God's promise to complete. Or, like Moses, to be right in the middle of unbelief(Israelites not believing and grumbling about God) and yet keep believing God to guide them to the promised land. Or, like Joshua, trusting God's power to give them the promised land, in the midst of people who accompanied him to check out the promised land.

We can become successful the way we want, or the way God wants and make life beautiful, not only for us, but also be a blessing to all who come in contact with us.

• Abraham became a blessing to all who have faith in God
• Joseph became a blessing to Egypt as a country as well as to his family and other Israelites in a time of need
• Moses became a blessing and guided people upto the promised land, even training Joshua under his leadership
• Joshua became a wonderful leader and led Israelites into the promised land

There are more people mentioned in the Bible whom, God blessed in the inner man as well as in their material possessions.They had impact in the lives beyond their scope of life on earth. Imagine that.

Ponder on: "Proverbs 10:22 (Whole Chapter) The blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it]. "