Month: October 2021

Knowing God thru His Shepherding

The purpose of Genesis is to record
God’s desire to have a people
set apart to worship Him; while
Exodus records Israel’s deliverance
from Egypt and devt as a nation and
Deut reminds Israel what God had
done & urges rededicating their lives.
This week we understand God better
thru seeing His shepherding ways.
On Monday, we learn from Gen
22 about the Lord Will Provide.
On Tuesday, we learn from Gen 48/49
about the Shepherd of My Life.
On Wednesday, we learn from Exo 3
about God Whi Meets Our Needs.
On Thursday, we learn from Exo 15
of God who Heals & Gives Strength.
On Friday, we learn from Exo 40
that God Shows the Direction.
On Saturday, we learn from Deut 7
that God Affirms His Faithfulness.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

God who Affirms His Faithfulness

Moses’ second sermon begins in
chap 5 & extends thro Chap 26.
He opens with a repetition of the
Ten Commandments and exhorts
the people to obey the Lord from
a heart of love, to teach their
children obedience and to be
careful not to forget the Lord in
times of prosperity. Victory over
the pagan occupants of Canaan
is assured as long as the people
faithfully obeys God’s commands.

Praise be to The Faithful God:
You are a people holy to the Lord
your God. The Lord your God
has chosen you out of all the
peoples on the face of the earth
to be His people, His treasured
possession… It was because
the Lord loved you and kept the
oath He swore to your forefathers
that He brought you out with a
mighty hand and redeemed you
from the land of slavery, from the
power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Know therefore that the Lord
your God is God; He is the
faithful God (El Emunah) keeping
His covenant of love (Deut 7:6-9)

Father God, we adore You for the
faithfulness You show to us even
when we are unfaithful to You.
We praise Your covenant of love
and of Your faithfulness to us.
Thank You Lord for Your Word of
promise that through endurance
and encouragement of scripture,
we might have firm hope in the
fulfilment of Your promise. Amen.

Lord, Your Faithfulness reminds me
that I’m not always faithful to You.
Although I’ve a heart to be faithful
to You, situations arise that evoke
fears and doubt, tempting me to
make choices of self-preservation.
Grant me Lord the grace to see
things from Your right perspective,
to trust that You are in control and
to persevere. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Lord, remind us of Your Faithfulness
so that we grow to be more like You.
Strengthen us Lord the resolve in
our spirit to believe You’re faithful;
and that You can’t make promises
You can’t keep for You can’t lie.
So we wait patiently upon Your
Word for surely delay is not denial.
For Your promises shall come to
pass at the appointed time. Amen.

God Shows the Direction

The book of Exodus closes with
the record of how the tabernacle
& priestly garments are completed
exactly as God had instructed.
The people donated the materials,
the chosen artisans do the work,
Moses inspects finished product
and Aaron & his sons are anointed
for service. Finally, God declares
His satisfaction by filling the tent
with His glory. For the next 480 yrs
the tabernacle will remain the
focal point of the nation’s worship.

Lord, we purpose to Follow You:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses…
On the first day of the first month
you shall set up the tabernacle of
the tent of the meeting (Ex 40:1-2)
Moses proceeded to do everything
as the Lord had commanded(40:16)
Then the cloud covered Tabernacle
and the glory of the Lord filled
the Tabernacle… Whenever the
cloud lifted from the Tabernacle,
the people of Israel would set
out on their journey, following it.
But if the cloud did not rise,
they remained where they were
until it lifted (Exodus 40:34-37).

Lord, we note when the Israelites
were following God in wilderness,
they waited until the cloud rose
and led them; sometimes long
beyond their own comfort level.
That isn’t easy to do, but it’s an
exercise of faith and listening.
God want us to ask and wait; and
wait some more until we’ve heard.
Grant us Lord the grace of faith
to wait upon You so that You will
renew our strength. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, tell me everything that
I need to know so that I can get
to Your work & eternal perspective.
Reveal destructive tendencies to
enable informed decision making.
Reveal the assignments so that
I can plan engagement strategy.
I am eager to understand the facts
and ensuing wisdom that will enable
me honour You with my life. Amen.

Lord, I submit my every step to
You; the one who is in controI.
I invite You to direct my path
preferably with my awareness.
Give me Lord understanding
when I need it; and give me
trust when I don’t understand.
Lead me into the land of promise
which You have designed for me.
In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Go d who Heals & Gives Strength

Backgrounder to Exodus 13-15:
Delivering the people from
Egyptian bondage is only the first
step in God’s plan to bring the
Israelites to the Promised Land
of Canaan. Many obstacles lies
ahead. Trapped between the
Red Sea & the rapidly approaching
chariots of Egypt, the people cry
out in desperation & God answers
in miraculous fashion. And as
they proceed on arid land and as
resources run out, God supplies.

Lord, You Heal & Give Strength:
Then Moses stretched out his hand
over the sea; and the Lord caused
the sea to go back… and the
waters were divided (Exo 14:21)
Then Moses and the children of
Israel sang this song: The Lord is
my strength and He has become
my salvation; He is my God,
and I will praise Him (Ex 15:1-2)
Moses cried to the Lord for help
& the Lord showed him a branch.
Moses took the branch and threw
it into the water. This made the
water good to drink. It was there
at Marah that the Lord test their
faithfulness to him: if u will obey
his commands, then I’ll not make
you suffer the diseases I sent on
the Egyptians, for I am the Lord
Who Heals (Exo 15:25-26) Amen.

Lord, You give everyone Strength
for their life, including Moses in
the deliverance of Your people.
Grateful You not only allow trials
in line with Your purpose but also
give promise and strength so that
we can persevere through the trial.
Apostle Paul exhorts in Phil 4:13
we can do all things through Christ
who Strengthens us. Grant us Lord
timely recall of Your power so that
we’ll persevere doing Yr Will. Amen

Lord, In any difficult circumstance,
I shall not be dismayed, for You are
my God. You will Strengthen me,
You will help me, You will uphold
me with Your righteous right hand.
I pray in agreement with King David
in Ps 28: The Lord is my Strength
and shield; my heart trusts in Him.
And I pray in agreement with Moses
The LORD indeed is my Strength
and I will praise Him for He will
become my salvation. Amen.

Lord, you can remove sickness,
reverse disease & bring healing.
We may look to physicians and
medicine to heal us but You have
the final say. We praise You for
Your power & willingness to heal.
Lord, heal our heart of doubt
or bitterness and heal our body
where sickness has crept in.
Remind us to care for our body
that You’ve given us to enjoy life.
We praise U that You’re our Healer!
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

God Who Meets Our Needs

With his long period of desert
exile drawing to a close, Moses
becomes God’s choice to lead His
people out of bondage in Egypt.
When confronted by God in the
burning bush, Moses is far from
convinced he is the right man
for the job! But once his objections
have been answered & knowing
the Almighty All Sufficient God
can meet all his needs, Moses
goes forward to confront Pharaoh.

Lord, You’re the All Sufficient One:
Moses was amazed because the
bush was engulfed in flames but it
didn’t burn up… When the Lord saw
that He had caught Moses’ attention,
God called to him from the bush…
I have seen the misery of my people
in Egypt. I have heard their cries for
deliverance…Now go for I’m Sending
you to Pharaoh. You Will Lead my
people… out of Egypt (Exo 3:2-10).
Then Moses said: when I come to
the children of Israel & say to them:
The God of your fathers has sent
me to you, and they say to me:
What is His name? what shall I say
to them? And God said to Moses:
I AM WHO I AM. Thus you shall
say to the children of Israel: I AM
has sent me to you (Exo 3:13-14).

Lord, many of us say we long
to hear God more clearly; but
then the clearer the revelation,
the greater the expectations.
And the more clearly You speak, the
greater the demand for obedience.
The costs of hearing You can be high;
but we still want to encounter You.
Grant us Lord willingness to face the
responsibility of knowing Your will.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You’re the all-sufficient one,
holding the world in Your hands.
Your sufficiency is comforting for
I am after all one of Your children.
And I can see my insufficiency
in the light of Your all-sufficiency.
Pardon me the impatience I feel
when something goes wrong.
Forgive any doubts that You are
mighty and good; for You can
and will meet my needs. Amen.

All Sufficient Lord, You are beyond
our capacity of full understanding.
But we trust Your Spirit will grant
the things U want us to experience.
Empower us to cooperate with You
even as You manifest Your kingdom.
And thanks for Your lovingkindness
& praise You for being our All in All
and for supplying all that we need.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zC617kE1maUp

The Shepherd of My Life (Oct 19)

Gen 48-50 conclude the book of
beginnings by recording the final
acts of Jacob and Joseph, along
with their deaths and burials.
Jacob’s blessing upon Joseph’s
two sons, announcing that the
younger would be more honoured
than the older, is in keeping with
the pattern established in Genesis
(Isaac instead of Ismael, Jacob
instead of Esau, Joseph instead
of Reuben). As his final earthly act,
Jacob blesses each of his 12 sons,
giving a divinely guided pronounce
-ment of their future history.
Jacob’s body is embalmed and
taken back to Canaan for burial,
while Joseph’s body remains
in Egypt until the release of
the newly born nation of Israel.

Lord, You are the Shepherd of Life:
Then (Jacob) blessed Joseph and
said: May the God before whom
my fathers Abraham and Issac
walked, the God who has been
my Shepherd all my life to this day…
may he bless these boys…
and may they increase greatly
upon the earth (Gen 48:15-16).
Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful
vine near a spring..His bow remained
in strength, and the arms of his
hands were made strong by the
hands of the Mighty God of Jacob…
because of the Shepherd,
the Rock of Israel… By the
God of your father who will
help you, and the Almighty who
will bless you, with blessings of
heaven above (Gen 49:22-25).

Lord, we note Jacob at the end of his eventful life, spoke of the God who has been my Shepherd all my life.
This was quite a claim for a man
who had known mixed fortunes tho
much of the pain were self-inflicted.
But we know from Israel history that
even in the dark experiences was a God who cared & carried His people.
Lord of lovingkindness, grant me
discernment of Jacob to see Your
caring and guiding hands through
the challenges of life. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, because You are my shepherd,
You are the provider of my needs;
protector of my safety as well as
the guider of my soul and direction.
Forgive me for discontent, for I have
disregarded what You have given.
With all the confusion ahead of me,
I need You to guide me on the
right path; for I can’t see which way
to go and what decision to make.
Thank You Lord for being my shepherd, who knows what’s best
and leads me in that direction. Amen

Lord the Almighty Shepherd,
throughout history, You have chosen
Israel as Your very own people.
Through Israel, You’ve also delivered
to all humanity the gift of salvation
thru one of their own Jesus Christ.
We praise Your plan of salvation
and for delivering Israel so that
Jesus Christ could enter the world.
And we look forward to His return
for gathering of His sheep including
those from the nation of Israel. Amen

The Lord Will Provide (Oct 18)

The climax of more than 20 faith-
stretching years for Abraham and
Sarah comes in the birth of Isaac,
their miracle son and heir. But soon
Abraham’s faith is tested again
as God calls upon him to sacrifice
that treasured son upon an altar.
Abraham obeys, showing that
the experiences of the past two
decades have not been in vain.
For his faithfulness to the point
of death, God rewards Abraham
with further assurance of blessing.

Lord, You are Jehovah Jireh:
Some time later God tested Abraham.
He said to him: Abraham! ‘Here I am,
he replied. Then God said:Take your
son, your only son, Isaac, whom you
love and go to Moriah. Sacrifice Him
there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I’ll tell you(Gen22:1-3)
Abraham took the knife to slay
his son. But the Angel of the Lord
called: Do not lay your hand on
the lad for now I know that you
fear God since you have not
withhold your son, your only son
from Me. Then Abraham lifted his
eyes and there was a ram caught
in a thicket by its horns. So,
Abraham took the ram & offered
it up for a burnt offering instead
of his son. And Abraham called
the name of the place: The Lord
Will Provide (Gen 22:10-14).

Lord, how my life will change
when I say “Here I am” I can’t know
for sure. It might require laying down
of a dream that I long held tightly.
But Lord You are my Provider
and You work things for good.
You are the one I can put my trust
since it is also well within Your will.
So I present myself to You as an
offering to You; to be moved and
activated by Your voice. Here I am
while I am yielded and still. Amen.

Lord, realise that Abraham saw
Your willingness and ability to keep
promises even if it took a miracle.
Know that You wanted Abraham
to sacrifice Isaac in his heart so that
he learn to trust God completely.
Lord, obeying You may often be
quite a struggle for it may mean
giving up something we truly want.
Help us Lord when tested that we
will not complain but trust You. Amen

Lord Jehovah Jireh, my provider,
at this juncture, I appeal to this
name perhaps more than any other.
In your lovingkindness, let me know
You in the truest form of this name.
In Your mercy, let me see You on
the mountain-top of my struggles.
Come through for me as You Lord
did in providing Abraham’s sacrifice.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Launch of New Series (Oct 18)

For the past four years, we’ve been
meditating two themes each year
to form disciple attitudes including:
Imploring God thru His Promises;
Seeking God thru Gospel Truths;
Adoring God thru Thanksgiving;
Hearing God thru His Word;
Praising God thru Classic Hymns;
Experiencing God thru Obedience;
Knowing God thru His Names.

For the next three months or so,
we will meditate deeper on Knowing
God through His Shepherding.
In the Bible, God reveals Himself by
various names, mostly related to His
ability to meet needs of His people.
He also reveals Himself through
the ways He shepherds His people,
caring for them and guiding them.

Moreover, our Lord Jesus has called
us to make disciples… teaching them
to observe things that Christ directed.
Throughout scripture, God had been
shepherding His people in diverse ways
to be His people and to do His work.
Friends, let the scripture instruct us in
righteousness & that we be complete
and equipped for every good work.
Lord, help us know You better through
the ways You shepherd and care for us.
And Lord, help us shepherd the church
with integrity of heart and lead Your
people with skilful hands. Amen.

Lamb who Sits on the Throne

John describes visions depicting
activities in heaven and on earth.
God enthroned, holds a scroll
which is sealed with seven seals.
No one is found worthy to break
the seals and reveal the contents
of the scroll except Lion of Judah.
As the first six seals are broken,
calamities break forth upon the
earth involving warfare, famine,
death, earthquakes and heavenly
disturbances. The day of his wrath is
come & who shall be able to stand?

Lord, we will Bow Down In Worship:
The 24 elders fall down and worship
the one who lives forever and ever.
And they lay their crowns before
the throne and say: You are worthy,
O Lord our God, to receive glory and
honor… For You created everything,
and it is for Your pleasure that they
exist & were created (Rev 4:10-11).
The 24 elders fell down before the
Lamb… And they sang a new song:
You are worthy to take the scroll,
and to open its seals; For You were
slain, and have redeemed us by Your
blood… And have made us kings…and
we shall reign… Then I heard angels:
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to
receive…honor & glory (Rev 5:8-12)
And every creature which is in heaven
and on the earth… I heard saying:
Blessing & honour and glory & power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb forever & ever! (v13)

Lord, Thanks for revealing Your
glory being celebrated in heaven.
You are worthy; for it is for You and
because of You that all things exist.
Reveal to us more glimpses of how
infinite, limitless and majestic You
are so that Your glory is our focus.
Draw us Lord into worship; and
we lay down our crowns before You,
all that we have done and all that
we are, we lay before You. Amen.

Lord, Your Word says we are
already a royal priesthood, with
authority to pray and implement
Your mission in this current age.
Increase our Faith that we are
inhabited by the God of the
universe & carry Your presence.
Lord, it’s hard to fathom how I
can reign with You. Show me how
as I want to walk in the authority
You offer in this age. Amen.

Father God, You are worthy of it
all; and we join the host of heaven
in proclaiming that You are holy.
We praise You for Your Goodness
& You are worthy of our devotion.
Father, ad we draw near to You,
deliver us from coldness of heart
and of wandering mind. And also
Grant us wholehearted affection
and steadfast thoughts that we may
fully worship You in spirit & in truth,
for You Are Worthy Of It All. Amen.

Knowing God thru His Names

In the Bible, God reveals Himself by
various names, mostly related to His
ability to meet needs of His people.
So, the people of God in the Bible
call on the Name of the Lord for
deliverance, victory, protection,
provision and many other things.
What’s true for God’s people then
is true for God’s people today too!
Whatever our present need,
God is the one who can meet
that need. And to call on God’s
Name in prayer is to appeal to
that aspect of His character that
relates to our particular need.

Starting from the Gospels:
In Matt 6:31-34, we see Jesus
revealing the Heavenly Father
as Our Provider of needs and
urging us not to worry, but Seek
First the Kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
And in Mk 11:22-23, Jesus urges us:
Have Faith In God in prayer and
does not doubt but Believes that
those things he says will be done,
he will have whatever he says. Amen.

Lord, help us Pray with Your Spirit:
The Spirit Helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to
pray for, but the Spirit Intercedes
for… the saints in accordance with
the will of God. And we know that…
God Works for the Good of those
who love him, who have been called
acc to His purpose (Rom 8:26-28).

Lord, You Will Provide Our Needs:
Be anxious for nothing but in every
-thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God; and the
peace of God which surpasses
all understanding will guard your
hearts and minds (Phil 4:6-7).
And God Will Supply all your
Needs from his glorious riches,
which have been given to us
in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). Amen.

Lord, You are God of Faithfulness: 
Rejoice always, pray without
ceasing, in everything give thanks;
for this is the Will Of God in Christ
Jesus for you (1 Thess 5:16-18).
Now may the God of peace Himself
Sanctify You completely; and may
your whole spirit, soul and body
be preserved blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus (v23).
He who calls you Is Faithful,
who also Will Do it (v24). Amen.

Lord, You are our Great Shepherd:
Be content for He Himself has said:
I will Never Leave You nor forsake u.
So we may boldly say: The Lord
is my helper; I will not fear. What
can man do to me? (Heb 13:5-6)
(For) Jesus Christ is The Same
yesterday, today and forever (v8).
(And) May the God of peace…
that Great Shepherd of the Sheep,
equip you with everything good
for doing His will, and may He
work in us what is pleasing to Him
through Jesus Christ (v20-21).Amen

Lord, we’ll Overcome with Your Help:
Whatever is born of God overcomes
the world. And this is the victory
that has overcome the world – our
faith… in…the Son of God (1Jn 5:4-5)
This is the Confidence we have
in approaching God; that if we
ask anything according to His will,
He hears us. And if we Know that
He hears us – whatever we ask
– we Know that we have what
we asked of Him (1Jn 5:14-15). Amen