My Notes

  Get yourself ready God has wonderful plans for us. And so God is asking us to get ourselves ready! Verse: Jeremiah 1:17 17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Three pointers Parable of the 10 virgins - Get the Holy Spirit Prepare ourselves Get ready for War - Prayer Parables of the 10 Virgins - Get the Holy Spirit Verse: Matthew 25:10 10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. The story is about the virgins who were preparing to receive the Bridegroom. The 5 who didn’t prepare were identified as foolish. The other 5 had sufficient oil for this welcome. The oil represents the Holy Spirit. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit.  Let us pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit Verse: Leviticus 8:12 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him ...

 Foolishness of God Verse: 1 Corinthians 1:25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. God's ways are different and often impractical. Here are a few instances Noah built the ark Choosing 8 year old Cross Noah built the ark Verse: Genesis 6:14 “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Noah had to fight his every practical advice and decided to build the ark. The advice came from his community and also from his inner voice. Bu Noah put this aside and decided to listen to God. It was faith that helped him to carry out the instructions. And this faith comes from hearing the Word of God continuously.  How do we give in to God's Word? By faith.... and faith comes by listening to more and more of God's Word. Noah did this through the 10+ years he took to build the ark.... inspite of his neighb...

 Praying in the Spirit Verse: Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. This passage talks about the armour of God. ..... There is a sword of the Spirit. And we ought to take our prayers in the offensive and praying in the Spirit  What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? We understand what the body is ..... because we can see this. The soul may be our emotions..... But what is the spirit? And yet we are asked to pray in the Spirit. We may not understand the fullness of "praying in the Spirit". And so we need to ask God to help us pray according to the Spirit. Here are points on prayer Natural Prayers Soul-ish Prayers Prayer impacts the Spiritual World Natural Prayers Prayers that satisfy us in the natural.  Verse: James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasure Prayers made to satisfy our pa...

 War in the mind Our focus on God is often compromised by distraction. Paul in this passage talks of the distraction that we don't even realize the danger. Verse: 2 Corinthians 11:1‭-‬4 1 I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me.  2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ.  3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted , just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.  4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. Peter was in precarious position but Jesus prayed for him.... that his mind would be strong.  Eve was in the garden ... until the distraction came through the voice of the serpent.  There are three differ...

 Psalm 83 Verse1:  O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. There is a push against the truth in the world today. This scheme is planned with the coming together of different groups. This Psalm is a prayer against the violence that is planned. The prayer is made with fervor to push back against the violence. Verse4:   “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.” The devil wants to kill that fighting spirit in you. We need keep this alive in us. It is not time for us to give up or get tired. We need to resilience.  How did Asaph (the writer of this Psalm) keep his spirit up Remember the Works of the Lord  Violent Faith Divine, Majestic Power of God Remember the Works of the Lord Verse9&10: Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who perished at Endor and became like dung on the ground. The Story of Jabin of oppression. The ...

 Difficult Times Impossible situation Who do you trust? Nature of God's Word Respond to God's Word Impossible Situation Life brings it's highs and lows. And God allows us to go through these seasons. Israel as a country was at the bring of annihilation Verse: 2 Kings 6:24 Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria. Beseiged..... Are you surrounded by trouble? The God of the harvest is the God of the famine. The God of the mountain is the God of the Valley.... My God is still God no matter what.... that should give us confidence. Who do you trust? We reach out to the wrong people in difficult times. Women reached out to the king who was hopelessly out of control Verse: 2 Kings 6:27 He answered, “If the Lord doesn’t help you, what can I do? I have neither food from the threshing floor nor wine from the press to give you.” But our gaze should be on God. The God who can do anything Verse: Jeremiah 17:7‭-‬8 7 “But blessed are t...

 Standing Firm Verse: Ephesians 6:10‭-‬11 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. There are three things that we need to stand against - Lust of the Flesh, Lust the eyes and Pride of life Verse: 1 John 2:16   For everything in the world— the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life —comes not from the Father but from the world. Here are three pointers Stand for the Truth Stand and Fight Stand as Kings and Priest Stand for the Truth So how do we stand firm against this. And this standing firm means to holding our position against lies. The position we hold on to is truth.  The scheme the devil is using is deception and the war is against our position on Truth.... We are to recognise this even if this may come and appear as servants of righteousness Verse: 2 Corinthians 11:15 It is not surprising, then, if his serv...

 Title The values of people guide our actions. If the actions need to change the value system needs to change. And the change in values happen because of various influences. And we are warned to hold strong to the values established in the Word of God. Verse: Romans 12:2 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Besides holding strong to the values, we are called in influenze the people around us with God has established. These values help us all and this inturn brings value into our lives God intentionally added value to all men but dying on the cross. He gave us a clean heart and made a us a new creation Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! God has asking us to put on the new and put off the old. God has put the value into our lives first a...

 Walking in Righteousness God is the author of all moral values. And God is calling us to live worthy of the His calling on your life.  Verse: Ephesians 4:1 1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. "Lead a life" can be likened to walking..... walking through life. And this walking must be in righteousness.  Our walk (conduct) is covered under the following Personal conduct Conduct at home Conduct in the Marketplace Personal Conduct Personal conduct have different aspects.... some of them are Deception Anger Corrupt talk Sexual immorality  Verse: Ephesians 4:22 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception . Deception (manipulative behaviour)  intends to have a show of righteousness. But the intent which is not seen is evil. And since no one can sees our intent.... it is important to be care of our personal conduct. ...

 Divine Romance Verse: Song of Songs 6:1‭-‬3 1 Where has your lover gone, O woman of rare beauty? Which way did he turn so we can help you find him?  2 My lover has gone down to his garden, to his spice beds, to browse in the gardens and gather the lilies.  3 I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine. He browses among the lilies. God displays his deep love towards his people. When two people are in love, there is a celebrate each other. This book is a celebration of love where God and his people celebrate each other.  God is looking for all of us to come to place where there is a celebration. A celebration that is verbalised in the voice of  Voice of the Shepherd King Voice of Shunammite woman The love of the Shepherd King Song of Songs 2:8 8 Ah, I hear my lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. This is picture of the shepherd king corresponds with Jesus coming over mountain to enter Jerusalem. The entry into Jerusalem was one that w...

 Coming to your senses Verse: Luke 15:17 “When he finally came to his senses , he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! God has put eternity in the hearts of man. There is a constant search in the heart of man to connect to he creator God. But often times, we ignore the call of God in our heart. We need to reach in and come to our senses. We need that moment of realisation. God may in his goodness, brings about situation in our lives, to sensitise us to this realisation. The way of life may be hard and bitter. If we resist God, our conclusion of life is meaninglessness. What can we do to protect ourselves from meaninglessness. Here are three points Affluence and riches Spirit of this age Disappointment/Discouragement Affluence and Riches The young man in the story came from a rich family. This growing up experience shielded him from learning important life lessons. He might have even resisted learning as well....

 What is your History with God? God accomplished many things through Jonah. Jonah was the prophet and he spoke on God's behalf. But he was unwilling to take up the Nineveh assignment. This walking away from God caused him to walk away and in his low time, Jonah remembered God.  Verse: Jonah 2:7 As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord . And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Our lives have ups an downs. In our history with God, we know that God has been good. The prodigal son came back to the Father's house because he remembered the time at this father's house.   Enoch lived for around 300 years. His story was one who walked with God. And this was a story that was noteworthy!!!  How are we building our story with God? Five points as we build our life story Remember His Ways Remember His Acts Remember His Voice Remember His Power Remember His Purposes Remember His Ways The disciples were discouraged and their hopes broken. They walk...

 Tent of Meeting The practice of meeting God at the Tent of Meeting came out of a difficult situation. God was telling the people that he would not travel with the people of Israel again.  Verse: Exodus 33:7 7 It was Moses’ practice to take the Tent of Meeting and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. The promise of God was still on.... they would conquer and settle in the Land of Canaan. But for Moses, this was not enough. He was not happy with a comfortable life. And so Moses decided to worship God willfully. So here are some points.  Pitched his tent outside (Take time off) Weight of His glory (Experience) God met Moses (Intimacy) Pitched his tent outside (Take time off) We must not seek God for our needs sake, we need to seek God for God's sake Moses decided to move away from his regular routine and seek God. Because God promises to be found by those who seek him sinc...

 Reach Beyond We are asked to reach beyond, going out of our normal circumstances.... What is the motivation? Jonah 4:11 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” It is the God's compassion that should spur us on to go beyond... What should we do to go beyond what is expected. .... What is expected? Verse: Matthew 28:19 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Great Commission is what we are asked to do. What do we do to reach beyond our expections? How do we define Reach Beyond? ..... It is when you undertake something that you cannot achieve. What are the standards for Reaching Beyond? Let us look at some examples David Livingstone CT Studd David Livingston - I have sometimes seen int he morning sun in the smoke of a 1000 villages where no missionary has ever seen.  This b...

 Jacob at Jabok Passage: Genesis 32:22-29 Jacob was a deceiver and that was what his name meant. He knew how to get things from life and people. But at this time, he is wrestling with God. He is at his lowest point because he knew that his brother is meeting with him along with 400 men. All his schemes are not working and he has to face reality Verse: Genesis 32:7 Jacob was terrified at the news. He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups. What is the reality he was faced with? Nothing is going to work. Need to get to a place where he is alone with God Brokenness opens our hearts to God Confess and be honest before God  Alone with God Verse: Genesis 32:23‭-‬24 23 After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.  24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. He is alone with nothing. He has sent his possession to the other side of the river. And...

Representing God as a Church The church was spoken of in the New Testament. That is where it started. And here is God's commitment to the church Verse: Matthew 16:18 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. How do you be part of the church? Simply by declaring (confessing) Verse: Romans 10:9‭-‬10 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. And here is privilege of being part of the church - you are a child of God Verse: John 1:12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. Our life flows out of our faith. So it is important to know what you believe is right. The Thessalonians accepted the word of God through Faith V...

Representing God as Families Design - Rajiv God's design is perfect. We can't argue and debate the divine design. Instruction to the Husband Verse: Ephesians 5:25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her Jesus loved the church so much that he suffered and gave us everything. When Jesus set the standard, we as husbands should conform to this and nothing less. Verse: 1 Peter 3:7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. Instruction to the Wives Verse: Ephesians 5:22‭-‬23 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. Instruction to Children Verse: Ephesians 6:1  Chil...

 Being a good Father Introduction Verse: Psalms 119:9 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. There was a young man ... Daniel. Daniel purposed in his heart that he wouldn't sin.... it means that he made up his mind not to sin even before the situation presented itself. The other young man was Joseph. He was serving at Potipher's house and was being tempted. But he ran away from the situation of temptation.  As young men, we need to purposeful about our vision and the future. Find the purpose of life.  Personality: It is important to understand personality type..... you you like being around people or along Potential: Find out your potential.... Is it coding, leading, etc. Paul encouraged Timothy to "fan into flame the gift...". This means that your potential needs to be constantly sharpened Passion: Something that you love to do. You don't mind doing it even if you don't get anything Problem: What is the problem you want to solve. If you are m...

 Godly Man 1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. What does in mean to be that Biblical man? Man of Valour Man after God's own heart Man of Humility Man who is a Friend of God  Man of Conviction Man of Valour Verse: Judges 6:12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Gideon is hiding in fear. But God is calling him Mighty man of valour. God is calling every man to be men of courage.  Courage will mean that you are taking on challenges. It will seem impossible but despite that God is calling us to overcome challenges together.  The criteria is not ability but availability, its not expertise but willingness, it is not self confidence but faith God, it is not strategy but obedience The call of Gideon was not based on Gideon's self worth but on God  knowledge of Gideon Man after God's own heart Verse: Acts 13:22 But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom...

 Being a Woman of God Verse: Genesis 1:27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. The word of God states that male and female are the image of God.  Men and Women are not equal in form but we are both are created with equal value.  Unique Different in form and function Different in roles Complementing the man Physically, mentally and emotionally  Celebrate the differences in manhood and womanhood Unity and intimacy Made of the same stuff build for one another Both were naked and no shame (Gen 2:24) Sin has marred the image Instead of celebrating hei similarities, equality was ignored Instead of ruling together, subordination was imposed Unity was severed as guilt brought accusations Intimacy was thwarted as sin exposed their shame Cultural influences on women The litrature of the greeks and Romans reveal a very negative attitude towards women A culture that holds an opinion tht women are infe...