My Notes

 Follow the Ark The people of Israel were crossing over to the promised land after their wilderness journey. There were specific instructions for this crossing over. The crossing over required overcoming a flooding river Jordan.  Verse: Joshua 3:1-3,13,17 1 Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove[a] and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.  2 Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp,  3 giving these instructions to the people: “ When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them 13 The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.” 17 Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riv...

 Merry Christmas!

God of the impossible  Mighty power of God to do impossible things Verse: Luke 1:37 37 For the word of God will never fail To understand the God of the impossible, we need to know two aspects -  The Work of God and  The Ways of God (Character) Verse: Psalm 103:7 7 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. There was a revelation that Moses had that the common people didn't receive. And let us try to understand what was revealed to Moses through Genealogy of Jesus Genealogy The genealogy may be a bunch of names but there is something that we could learn.  Verse: Matthew 1:18 18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. But before this big announcement there were 42 names. Of the many names there was a little boy David. His story is best known for the killing of Go...

 Title The story of Christmas was a disruption.... Mary was betrothed to be married to Joseph. As in any marriage preparation, there was an excitement among both families. But God came in and gave Mary and Joseph a purpose - to bring the savior into the world. This turn in this preparation was not easy but we remember Mary and Joseph because she yielded to God's plan.  This disruption (Mary's encounter) has three important points 1) Favor Favor There was something about Mary. God favored her. It is really something to be a favorite. Verse: Luke 1:30  30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God !  And why did this favor was bestowed. What it about Mary that God turn around and pay attention. Something about her heart - Humbleness Verse: Luke 1:48 48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. The state of the heart is what God looks into. And the nature of the heart is only...

 Divine Interventions Verse: Matthew 1:20 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit Joseph and Mary was destined to be vessels through which the Messiah would come. But he was disappointed with the news that Mary was carrying. He wanted to drop the whole plan. But God intervened to help him carry through. Do not thwart the call of God!!! Do not Quit!!! The call of God on Joseph was simple. He was to take care of Jesus through childhood. It wasn't fancy and what made it worse, the news of Mary's pregnancy.   How does this apply to our life? Our life has a purpose. We complain, quit what God intended for us to do. But don't give up. God is with you to fulfill his purpose. And when finally when Joseph decided to go ahead, he probably had to deal with gossipers. It was probably hard to conceal the news ...

 Aligning Myself to God God created us and the first story in the Bible was one where he allowed them the choice between the tree of good and evil. God commanded them to follow him but our choice to follow him should be our own. And God is calling us to align ourselves to His will. The different words we use for this alignment is Repentance. Repentance is turning around and turning to God. And God is so loving that he shows us where we need to align ourselves to God. And this is specific to the person. God is a personal God. And that is why we have testimony time in church. We hear about the unique way that God works with people to have them aligned to Him. Alignment also means that there is a standard that needs to be adhered to. The standard is the Bible (Word of God).  Verse: Isaiah 55:6-11 6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he...

Christmas Wallhanging (Maiden Mystery Mercy of Christmas) The event of Christmas have 5 women (Maiden) as part of the introduction - Tamar, Rajan, Ruth, Bethsheba, Mary. Mary was brave enough to accept God’s plan for her life. And that is why we have Christmas. The other women took bold steps and God brought this out. There were all women who didn’t enjoy a good repute among the people of her time.  Well, Christmas was a risk for the people at that time. It is a risk today as well. Rahab Rahab was a prostitute and was a woman of disrepute. She was also running a place to stay for travellers. And so she was also part of the conversations that happened at her place of business. And she had heard of Israel and the fright that captivated the people of Jericho.  Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them (Josh 2:8) The call of God lead her to divine appointment. She had to get to the two men and speak to them.  I know that the Lord ...

The Journey Elijah was a Man of God and God did wonders through his life. He called for the famine for 3 years. He stood against 850 prophets and took them down single handedly. Elijah was focused on bringing back Israel back to God. But life events caused for him to sidetrack. Verse: 1 Kings 19:9 9 “There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”” This side track was caused by the voice of threat. Jezebel threatened to take his life. But God’s voice came in time for a course correction.  Elijah’s journey took him through Journey of Despair. Journey to God Journey to Victory Journey of Despair There are Godly voices and un-godly voices. And the voices never stop. We live in the world of information. But the voice we pay attention to, is the one that determines our destiny. Sadly Elijah gave his attention t the Jezebel’s voice.  Verse: Proverbs 14:12 12 “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it e...

The Day of the Lord There are several references to the Day of the Lord. And it has different consequences for different people. So some it will be a day of judgement… and to others it will be the day of redemption.  Verse: Zechariah 14:1 1 “Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you!” The Day of the Lord will be a revelation of who the Lord is…. He is the Lamb and the Lion at the same time. There is fearful gentleness associated with God. So it is important to make peace with God. Verse: Psalm 2:12 12 “Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities— for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!” The Day of the Lord - End of the Day of Man What does they Day of the Lord mean? If there is a day associated to a person, it means that it is special for that concerned person. So the Day of the Lord is the end of the Day of M...

 Prisoners on Hope Zechariah was written in the time of Bablylonian Captivity. The people were afraid to come back to Jerusalem. And in the midst of despair, the chapter 9 of Zechariah talks of the first coming of Jesus.... the coming hope. Zechariah is urging people to have hope and drawing a picture of being shackled to Hope.... as prisoners of hope.   Verse: Zechariah 9:9-12 9 Rejoice, O people of Zion![d] Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious,[e] yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt. 10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel[f] and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River[g] to the ends of the earth.[h] 11 Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dun...

 Lord, do it again! Do it again through me Passage: Spirit of God fall afresh on us. Ezekiel 37 Revival directly depends on our readiness to willing joyfully and faithfully bear the cross that the Lord has laid on our paths This is where the Lord draws us close to Himself Revival is the key for victory in spiritual warefare Revival is not about us. Revival is a divine initiative of God and a work of God. "God was planning to move and I happen to be there" CS Spurgeon The central question that Ezekiel 37 pivtos on us: "Son of Man can these bones live?" What did the prophet answer? He did not say, of course by faith it is possible The prophet's answer was not presumptuous, but: "O Lord God, You know" What was he saying "Lord, if you declare they will live, they will live. If you say they will not live, they will not live" You are sovereign over all! God revealed these Three dimensions of Revival Revival is God's work Revival happens in God...

Escape from Babylon We are constantly bombarded with temptation and the ways of the world. We are called to escape this enticement.  Verse: Zechariah 2:7 7 “Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!”” The people of Israel were successful in their land of captivity - Babylon. There was very little incentive for the people to leave Babylon and return. But there were a few who return because they had in them the love of Jerusalem. We are called to have the love of the Father Verse: 1 John 2:15 15 “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” ‭How is this relevant to us. Babylon represents behavioural patterns and thought process. And hence we need to transform ourselves into a new person. Verse: Romas 12:2 2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which...

Under the Wings of God Verse: Ruth 2:12 12 “May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge , reward you fully for what you have done.” The book of Ruth is one of the few books named after a woman. Ruth was a foreigner and came to Israel and found shelter among the Children of God - Israel - under the Wings of God It was probably unheard of, for a woman to take a bold step to travel with her widowed mother-in-law. The character of strength is picturized by Graceful Pillars Verse: Psalm 144:12 12 “May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars , carved to beautify a palace.” Ruth was this pillar, and possibly the weakest/despised in Israel. We are all called to be that strength in spite of our weakness. We can find that strength under the Wings of God.  We are Called to the Wings of God. We are to Journey to the Wings of God We are be Under the the Wings of God Called to the Wings of God What...

God of all Seasons The story of Job describes the various seasons of life. The story begins with the description of the good time he was enjoying. And int he midst of this, he was careful to follow God. There should be no reason for this season to end. But the life took a bad turn. Satan screamed,”Skin for skin….” Calling for the affliction of Job. And surprisingly, God permitted this next season. Perhaps you are in the best place in your life. Perhaps you are following God and possibly living in the presence of God. And yet, God says that that Gates of Hell will not prevail against the church. There may be seasons of confrontation with the Gates of Hell. Hence the seasons of life includes a Hell and includes a Heaven. The Hell could be temptation, and the Devil’s intention is for your to fall. But there is a testing time through your Hell or Heaven and God’s intention is to make you stronger. And through your season of Prosperity, Adversity,  Obscurity, Popularity or Poverty. Reme...

 Extravagant Love Passage: Mark 14 The passage talks about the following characters Chief Priest Judas Iscariot Mary Chief Priests - Selfishness Verse: Mark 14:1 1 “It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.” These people were trained in the law and yet this chapter opens up with their plotting to murder Jesus. They pursued this training of the Law as a career. And in the middle of their career, they encountered a disruption. The people no longer came to them. They were following Jesus.  This is the danger of only having selfish desires. They failed to see the truth.  How does this apply to our life? Are we coming to church for only blessing? God promises to bless and this is true. But if we are coming to church to only see blessing, we might miss Jesus. Judas Iscariot - Materialism Verse: John 14:4 4 “Some of t...

 Not by might, not by power… There are moments when you are weak…. You don’t see a way through…. Or perhaps you have lost the vision. Zerubbabel was faced with troubles and he was discouraged. And this is what the Lord said. Verse: Zechariah 4:6-7 6 “Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’”” Theses words come after the imagery presented in the beginning of the chapter 4. There are three things mentioned in this vision (imagery) - Tree, bowls and lampstand These three objects can be translated to  Stay connected to the source Stay connected to the right people Mountain becomes level ground Stay connected to the source We are peop...

 Fourth Vision Zechariah saw visions in the context of the return of the people from Babylon. The were going back to their land to rebuild it from its desolate condition. And God was asking people to return with their hearts as well. Verse: ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ 3 “Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’” Three pointers from the fourth vision. Accusation God blesses but the devil curses. Salvation Accusation The fourth vision that Zechariah in the chapter 3. The return was a joyful event however there were people who were not happy. There were accusation from the past to dampen your spirit. Verse: Zechariah 3:1 1 “Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua.” And the valid accusation were set aside because God took it on himself. The same w...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom!!! Nothing has really changed about this part of the school.... The podium to the left, the piano on the right and the line right on top.... The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom... As part of the school routine, the first thing we do is assemble in this hall, with this line staring down on us.  School exists to instill wisdom. And there is not a better line to begin our day with.... But is the fear of the the Lord key? Could this statement be wrong? What is the fear of the Lord? What can fear possibly do? Besides Fear and God don't get along together. In fact people today, revile God and often challenge God. And guess what? Nothing happens! While others use God's name (the religious kind) to get their community to listen to them. God doesn't intervene! Political parties use God's name for votes (Religious Polarization). God is clearly not interested in politics! Take that to the next level and people kill in the...

Return to me The book of Zechariah was written in a time when God was calling the people of Israel to come back from exile.  Verse: Zechariah 1:3 3 “Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’” The return brought around 50K people back to Israel. They wanted to build the temple to worship God but the little opposition they faced, they dropped their plan. So the temple work was halted for 20 years And God gave Zechariah visions to encourage the people to get back to building the Temple. First Vision Verse: Zechariah 1:11 11 “Then the other riders reported to the angel of the Lord, who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the earth, and the whole earth is at peace.”” The vision he saw that the temple was in ruins and there was no move to rebuild it. God rose to fight for his people Verse: Zechariah 1:14 14 “Then the angel said to me, “Shout this messag...

The power of the praying church Acts 12: 5 The church prayed earnestly for Peter There are enemies Two soldiers within the prison whom he is tied to. These are within the walls of the cell. The next enemy is the gatekeeper. There are soldiers who are outside. There are certain things that take a hold of us…. There are other things that we hold on to…. Things that we hold on to is forgiveness. There are other things that have taken a hold of us …. For which we have no control. At times, when we don’t have control of the situation, we need someone to pray with us…. The church is the congregation of people to support each other and love God. Zechariah 4:7 The problem that Zechariah was facing was likened to a mountain…. Something that is impossible to move…. But God is throwing that open challenge amid he shouts of grace.  Esther 4:14 Esther was in deep distress…. It was a situation she couldn’t handle it b herself….. The Jews were about to be exterminated. The only way she was going ...

 Deliver us Verse: Matthew 6:13 13 “And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Jesus delivers us from eternal death… from the evil one.  God delivers Israel One of the mightiest deliverance in the Old Testament happened in Exodus. God heard the cries of the Israelites under slavery. And God made a way and chose Moses and pulled him out of the River Nile (death) to accomplish the deliverance for the nation Israel. Do you know God as The Deliverer? Verse: Exodus 6:6-7 6 ““Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.” 7 “I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.” The people of Israel were however not ready to know God as The Deliver. They refused God because of their situation...

 Forgiveness God’s forgiveness is offered to us so that we can forgive others Verse: Matthew 6:12 12 “and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” The verse seems to suggest that because there is a wrong done to us, we have a right to make people pay…. And if God did that for us, no human would live. But in contrast, forgiveness brings life!!! This life is not referring to salvation. This life is referring to abundance of life when we deal with people around us. When people are burdened by struggles, our forgiveness brings relief and joy!!!  Verse: Psalm 65:3 3 “Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.” There is a burden, a weight, heaviness with the requirement to pay. We are overwhelmed by this requirement.  The Adulteress There was a woman in John 8 who was required to pay with her life. She was overwhelmed …she was caught in the act and was paraded through the street. The call for payment was not only to pay for the sin…....

Bread Bread in the Bible would signify the nourishment for the soul. And this nourishment is received on a day to day basis.  Verse: Matthew 6:11 11 “Give us today the food we need,” Three pointers Bread of Life Bread of the Word Bread of Presence Bread of Life Our body, soul and spirit are built with desires and longings. And only Jesus can satisfy our every need. Because Jesus is the Bread…. The Bread that gives life. Verse: John 6:35 35 “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” If we fill our desires with anything other than God, we will soon run dry, go hungry!!! And we are miserable!!!  Jesus is the solution to our emptiness!!! How do we get filled up with Jesus…. it is the Word Verse: Matthew 4:4 4 “But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”” Bread of the Word The divine is the ingredien...

Your Kingdom come “… Your kingdom come, you will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” Matthew 6:10 The Kingdom of God is the perfect reign of God in every area of our lives. When God is reigning, it can remove unpleasantness, quarrels and there will be peace. Verse: Matthew 4:23 23 “Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.” The gospel (good news) of the Kingdom was preached and demonstrated with the healing of disease and illness. We are all saved by His grace. But where is the demonstration? Here are three points to ponder on A spiritual Kingdom Kingdom of Shalom Kingdom of Power A Spiritual Kingdom Verse: John 18:3 3 “Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”” The Kingdom of God does operates in the Spiritual a...

 Seminar Begin with the end in mind: What are the goals for your child? Goals: What should they know?  Head: What do I want them to know when they become adults. Heart : Who should they be? What values should they have? What are the values they should have? Hands: What should they be able to do? What skills should they have? What are the skills they should have? Training the Head: Help with decision-making. Help them to think critically.  Have discussion at home about the decision. Talk about he decisions and the consequences of their decisions. Then they will be able to make decision better. And if we don’t guide them, then they will look to their peers. Peers don’t have life experiences and they might be wrong. Hence parent oriented decision making process is important. Encourage Reflective Thinking:   Handling Praise: The child will look for praise. And if they don’t get it from the parent, they will look for it from their friends.  Be specific about your...

 Deep Roots Are you deep rooted in the Word of God? We are in this world of change every day. And betting on changing situation is unwise…. However when we are rooted in the Word of God (never changing), we are in the safe place. Verse: ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭3‬  1 “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.  3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Here are the three pointers  Walk the Word Talk the Word Reap the Reward Walk the Word (Do not walk the World) There is blessedness about staying away from evil and living your life “ being right with God and straight with man ”. We are expected to be true in our relationship with God. We are also expected to deal honestly and with integrity with men and woman around. “Do n...