Month: February 2014

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Mark 1:16-20

 

Key Text: Mark 1: 18 – “And immediately they left their nets and followed him”

 

“If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” – C.T. Studd (1860-1931) was an English missionary who faithfully served his Saviour in China, India, and Africa.

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” — Jim Elliot, missionary martyr who lost his life in the late 1950’s trying to reach the Auca Indians of Ecuador.

Consecration requires an unusual level of devotion. It requires sometimes that you shut down everything else to give God time and space in your life. Today, we see Jesus calling four men to follow Him. Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” These men were doing their business. This was where they made a living. Following Jesus meant they would no longer have that business as a security. Same thing with John and James, the sons of Zebedee, they were in their father’s business and they even had hired servants, meaning theirs was a prospering business. Perhaps they were rich kids.

These men all left what they were doing and began to follow Jesus on the road and became his disciples. They forsook their earthly professions for a heavenly calling. Where they fools to do this? Were they impulsive, irrational or illogical? One thing is sure, they really had no idea what was waiting on the other side of their obedience or consecration, but they were willing to risk everything to follow the master.

The book of Mark states their obedience in a very interesting way. ‘And immediately they left their nets and followed him’. 

‘And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.’

Did they know they were being singled out for great honour at the end of time? Did they know something more than the obvious? Whatever it was, they thought it was worth their while to abandon their trade, their family business and follow Jesus. They also did it as a matter of urgency.

These men were no fools. They were people of insight and wisdom. Today, these men have their places in history and their places in eternity. They would sit on those thrones that Jesus promised.

Read these words and be edified “Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first”.

Need I say more!

Let’s Pray: Father God, absolutely nothing is too much or too big to give to you. You are the owner of our lives and everything we are or we own belongs to you. Please give us the grace to give you our best at all times, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Morning Dew

Key Passage: Matthew 26: 6-13

 

Key Text: Matthew 26:8 – “Why this waste”

 

There are times that certain actions of people look just too ostentatious or wasteful. It bothers us to think that people are willing to be so extravagant in expressing their love. The Taj Mahal comes to mind. Such a colossal edifice, built in memory of a woman. This is really sometimes the language of consecration. AT THE HEART OF IT IS LOVE.

Today, we examine the story of a woman known simply known as, Mary of Bethany. Mary had become close to the Lord Jesus. She had learnt to sit at His feet and hear His words. In this her devotion, she had learnt how to judge His moods and read His heart. She also had developed a keen understanding of the timings of the Lord. One day she came into the room where the Lord was and broke open a very expensive alabaster jar of fragrant oil or perfume. The value of this jar of perfume was a year’s salary for some people. It was very expensive stuff.

There are four accounts of this anointing in the gospels and I am sure they refer to the same person. Her show of love was overwhelming. She not only poured out this expensive oil on Jesus, she used her hair to wipe His feet. Some of Jesus disciples were indignant and questioned such waste. They felt they could have sold the perfume and used the money to feed the poor. But Mary was not thinking about the poor. She was thinking about the Lord, who had been so good to her. She was wondering what she could do to honour the Lord, before He went to the cross. She decided that the most valuable possession she owned was just what she would give Him.

This reminds me of a song we learnt when we first became believers in Jesus Christ.

What shall I render,

What shall I render,

What shall I render to you my Lord,

I will praise your name

And shout Hallelujah,

What shall I render to you my Lord!

 

Jesus spoke up on her behalf and what He said is so profound “But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

This woman gave her way into history. She gave her way into an eternal reward. Jesus said wherever the gospel is preached, what she did will be remembered. In effect, Jesus tied her giving to the proclamation of the gospel. WOW!

This is consecration. She gave her most valuable possession and Jesus rewarded her with a place in history.

What can you give to the Lord as a mark of consecration today? Who is going to be the next history maker? Who out there is the next Mary of Bethany? What have you been storing up that could be used to honour the Lord?

Consecration is the way pathway to growth in the Lord.

Let’s Pray: Father God, it is obvious that you honour those who honour you. Help me to not hold back when it comes to expressing my love for you. Let me be termed ‘wasteful’ in my expression of love towards you. I ask for this grace in Jesus name. Amen.

Morning Dew

 

Key Passage: Matthew 19: 16-30

 

Key Text: Matthew 19: 22 – “When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions”

 

God does not always have to tell you what He has in mind when He instructs you to do something. God expects you to know that He is good and He has only good plans, even if His request seems a little odd or difficult.

Just think about this simple analogy. A father was in the garden with two of his sons, suddenly he tells one of his sons to remain still or just stay where you are, and to the other he says “run into the room and get me the big cane”. The brother arrives with the cane and the father says to the other son keep still and lifts up his cane and brings it down heavily just a few inches away from the boy’s head. The boy looks surprised, then looking behind him he sees that his father has just killed a big snake hanging from the tree above the boy’s head. In this little story (all made up of course), you can just see how we need to trust God, even when we don’t seem to know why or what He is doing. Babie Mason said, “if you can’t trace His hand, trust His Heart!”

In our passage today we read of the rich young ruler who wanted to be perfect. Jesus simply told him to go and obey the commandments. The young man said he has been doing all these since he was a child. Jesus then threw him the consecration challenge. “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” The bible tells us the young man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions. Honestly, the request the Lord made on the surface looks really severe and extreme and I don’t know many people today who would gladly do that. But if you are walking with a knowledge of God and His goodness; If you know that God will never owe you anything; If you understand that what you give up can never compare to what He has in store for you, then it becomes easier to consecrate and obey.

Bible expositors have told us that it is possible that Jesus was looking to use this young man to replace Judas Iscariot. Judas was the treasurer. So it makes sense. But let’s stretch this a bit further. If he became one of the Apostles of the Lamb; One of the twelve. He would have an eternal throne in heaven with the other eleven. Here he is a temporal ruler, there he would have a ruler-ship that will never end. I really don’t know of any greater position any human being can ever attain, that can be higher that those 24 thrones before the Lord. What an honour. What a reward!

Let me reiterate, consecration is the pathway to growth in the Kingdom of God. In the amplified bible version the case is stated so clearly by the Lord Jesus Himself. ‘Jesus answered him, “If you would be perfect [that is, have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self- sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me’”

What is your consecration test? Will you pass it? Will you go higher with the Lord? Will you consider the eternal significance of your temporal decision?

 

Let us pray – Father God, you word says it is you that works in us both to will and do your good pleasure. Father give us a willing heart. Give me a broken and contrite heart so I can really do you will and grow in my walk with you. Lord have mercy on me and help me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Morning Dew

 

Key Scripture: Genesis 22 :1-19

 

Key Text: Genesis 22: 18 – “…because you have obeyed my voice!”

 

Whenever you find yourself unable to move forward, grow or change. Don’t look too far. In my journey so far I have come to see that for growth to happen, we have to grow internally. We have to become bigger on the inside before there can be any outward manifestation of growth. This may sound simple, but it is a very difficult process, that often means ‘death to self’, death to some things we treasure and painful ruthless shaking up of our comfort zones. I have a bible word for this process; it is called ‘consecration’.

Most people wonder why they can’t move forward in their Christian life. They desire to grow and be stronger Christians, but just can’t move forward. One of the greatest lessons one can learn is that to grow in the Lord, you will need to consecrate more of your life, resources and time to the Lord.

 In Genesis 22, we read the story of Abraham and God. God instructed him to take his son Isaac up on a mountain and offer him up as a sacrifice. This in essence is the way of consecration. Abraham had believed God for this miracle child. He was born to himself and Sarah in their very old age. No doubt, they were so besotted with this young man. They loved him and I’m sure Abraham never let Isaac out of his sight. Then God comes along and instructs Abraham to go and offer Isaac as a burnt offering. The bible never records Abraham’s struggle with this request. We just read that he got up early in the morning and travelled three days to the top of Moriah. But I am sure this was not an easy process for even Abraham, the father of faith. But he obeyed nevertheless. On getting to the top of the mountain, (I must point out here, that consecration is a higher level, it a mountain top that often feels like a valley), he bound Isaac up and was about to offer him as a sacrifice, when God stopped him and then showed him His own provision. A ram caught in a thicket by his horns. Abraham accepted this exchange and offered up the ram instead of Isaac.

It is very important to let you know what Abraham came to realise on top of that mountain. He got the revelation that God was going to provide his own perfect sacrifice. He saw that just like God asked for his miraculous son, so God will offer His only begotten son in exchange for man. He also understood the ram caught in a thicket by his horns. He saw that Jesus will carry the curses of man and die. He also saw that just like Isaac was spared and returned home with him, Abraham understood that God will raise Jesus from the dead and that His life would continue. He saw way beyond his time on that mount of consecration. He saw something profound.

But this is not the end of the story, after this God said to Abraham “And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Consecration took Abraham higher. God saw that he was trustworthy, that Abraham loved Him more than anything else. So God swore by Himself, since there was nothing or no one greater by which he could swear. He told Him nothing would stop Him fulfilling His promises to Abraham.

Are you struggling to grow in your walk with the Lord? What is He requesting of you? Is He asking for more of your time? Is He asking you to stop something you love doing? Trust me, whatever it is He is asking you to do or give up can never compare to what He has planned and laid up for you. Abraham had no idea God had made a great provision on the mountain. He got there and was given the picture of the future. He also received a cast iron promise.

Take the route of consecration and go higher in your walk with God.

 

Let’s pray – Father God, your ways are indeed not our ways and your thoughts not our thoughts. I thank you for showing me this route of consecration. I desire to be closer to you and walk more accurately with you, so please grant me the strength and faith to obey you and go up my mountain of consecration. In Jesus name I pray. Amen