Salvation

"And Jesus said, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham' "
                                                                                                     Luke19:1 - 10 NKJV

Zacchaeus was a very short man, so short in statue that when he heard that Jesus was going to pass by, he ran to see. However, there was a crowd and he couldn't see over them. He therefore climbed a Sycamore tree.This type of tree is very wide and open at the base with low branches. So he could climb this easily.

Zacchaeus was considered as a social outcast by the people because he was a chief tax collector and it was thought that he co-operated with the Roman government. He was not popular. He so much wanted to see Jesus as he had heard so much about him.

As soon as Jesus passed by, Jesus actually saw him first and shouted for him to come down because He wanted to stay at his house.
He shot down the tree and as they spoke, Zacchaeus shared how he was generous with his money and if he had cheated anyone, he would pay them back four-fold. Jesus said that this day salvation had come to this house - to Zacchaeus and that he had once been a physical son of Abraham but was now a spiritual son. His life changed.

The word salvation here is the Greek word -Soteria which means, deliverance, preservation, soundness, prosperity, happiness, rescue and general well-being. (Spirit Filled Life Bible) It's used in a material, temporal sense and in a spiritual, eternal sense. Therefore, salvation is a present possession with a fuller realisation in the future.

And this is not only for Zacchaeus. It is for all who make Jesus their Lord and Saviour. Zacchaeus had been a social outcast but now He was in the family of God. His life changed; and so can yours too. There are many outcasts in our times. Many people suffer this terrible stigma for one reason or another. Is that you? If so, you'll never be an outcast again if you turn to Jesus, or even if you know Jesus already but have carried this stigma all of your life. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. You will not have to do that. He is here right with you. All you need to do is speak to Him and tell Him how you feel - ask Him to set you free from the burden you've carried around all this time. Look at the benefits. They're not means-tested and you don't have to pay Him back either. He offers it free.
Why not claim it today:

'Lord Jesus, come into my life; forgive my sins; fill me with Your Spirit and be my Lord and Saviour.
Thank you Lord. Amen'


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The Tongue

"Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases"
                                                                                                            Proverbs 26:20 NKJV

At times the tongue is an unruly object that can do untold damage. People tear down and hurt others with their words. Like an adder, the tongue strikes with deadly poison. Like a raging fire can be started with just a spark, such as the bush fires in Australia, gossip can pierce the heart and cause very great damage.

Solomon writes in Proverbs 18:21, 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those who love it, will eat its fruit.' Not being in control of the tongue can ruin a person's reputation. Gossip can be received as the honest truth and many lives have been shattered by this practice.
The tongue is such a tiny component of the human body and yet, can be so powerful. If used wisely, it can impart great wisdom into a situation. Out of control, it can be deadly.
James tells us in James 3:8-10, 'But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God'

We praise God and curse, criticise and judge our neighbour, friends, church family and whoever else springs to mind. We become jealous of others too, possibly because at this time they are having a better time than us and have a better car, a better paid job and more money in the bank. We also covet what others have, 'I want that, why should they have this, it's not fair. I worked hard to get that job and now he has it.' etc etc.
And all the time, God sits and listens. I wonder what He thinks of it all. I'll tell you, this kind of thing breaks His heart. He wants much better from us because he wants to bless us, but how can He when we act the way we do.

Probably, it's time to get on our knees and repent; seek His forgiveness. We'll get it too because He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteous 1 John 1:9. He loves us beyond measure and wants us to be like Him. It takes effort on our parts - everything we have, but it is achievable and well worth it.

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Enter into His Gates with thanksgiving

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise". Psalm 100:4 NKJV

For some people, going to church can be a very vulnerable time. For ministers, worship musicians and other people involved in the work of the church, this can be an opportunity for the devil to attack. Let me explain. The minister or pastor is focused on the sermon he has to preach. He or she needs to spend time with God before they leave home. For some, this can be difficult, especially if there are young children around demanding their attention and their partner lets them know that the washing machine has broken down, flooding the kitchen. Probably, an extreme example. However, anything that comes in the way of the minister spending special time with God, can be a distraction.
Then there is the journey to church, clearing frost from the windscreen and then having to de-mist the internal screen, making them late to get to church. Once on the way, it can seem that every slow driver in the world is in front. Temporary traffic lights, JCB's, hold ups. This can all play on the mind.

It may be then, that the minister and partner have a few words. Stress and pressure has built up and a few harsh words spoken can then turn into a full-scaled war. Finally arriving at church, the false smile is adopted, as if you're all the perfect family. However, deep down, the devil's rattling the chains and accusing you of hypocrisy. As you walk to the church doors, there is a massive sign saying:

ENTER INTO HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING, AND INTO HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE

I speak from experience here. I can remember a few times that my wife and I have had this happen to us and when it's come to the sermon, I've seen her face staring at me as if to say, 'Come on pastor, preach your sermon on love and marriage.' Ouch!

People, try not to bother your pastor with problematic things before a service. Instead, pray for him or her. It really is a most vulnerable time and one in which the devil is skilled in trying to disrupt.
Pastor, make sure you have the time set aside on your own, to prepare. Get up earlier if need be. Recognise that this is battle time.
Congregation, make sure also that you are standing firm. This type of stuff doesn't only happen to the ministers; it can happen to you too. Check yourself out. Make sure the armour is on and that you attend church to give as well as receive. And then, we can all Enter into His Gates with Praise.

Everything's going to be alright

"And My God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  
                                                                                                               Philippians 4: 19 NKJV

When we look at this scripture we are tempted to think that it is concerned with money. It is, but that's not all. Look at it again. It reads 'all'. This includes our finances -  not for greed but for need. The 'all' stands for everything that we will need in our life with Jesus. It includes our material, spiritual, social and emotional need, and that is where the 'all', comes in.

God is concerned about every little detail of our lives and this is why He tells us to seek Him and not the world. He is our source, our provider. He knows what we need and will ensure that we have it.  (See Matthew 6:31 - 34) But let's try and move away from the money side of things for a moment. God is concerned with our health and whether we are sick. He wants us well. He's interested in our life style, whether we eat and drink sensibly. If we allow Him to; He will help us manage diets and our fitness control. You may ask, 'Is He interested in this?' You bet He is.

He's interested in where we live; what job we have or if we're unemployed, He's interested enough to help us find some work. Further to this, He's interested in disabilities, and how livings standards can be improved. He's devoted to marital status and wants married couples to live their marriages for Him. When a couple place Jesus at the centre of their marriage, they are on a sure route to be blessed.

So why are we worrying about things? We know Jesus tells us not to worry (Matthew 6:31), so why are we disobeying Him? What are you worried and scared about? You don't have to carry this alone; Jesus wants to help. But you've got to ask Him, trust Him and be patient whilst He sorts things out for you.

Sleepless nights are not the answer. Worrying yourself sick isn't either. If you can do anything about what you're worrying about, then do it. If you can't, what's the point in worrying. You'll make yourself ill and the problem will still be there.

God is saying to you, 'Everything's going to be alright.' Do you believe this? What you're carrying around is too heavy, isn't it? Could you do with some help? Then give it to your friend, Jesus. He cares for you so much.

'Lord Jesus, You tell me not to worry so I need Your help. The burden of.......................................
has become too much for me to bear. So I ask for Your help, Lord.

Amen

The darkness trembles

Read Acts 16:25 - 34 (To get the whole story)

Text for today:
"But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed."   Acts 16: 25 - 26 NKJV

Praise brings release! Paul and Silas had been arrested for forcing a demon out of someone and they were beaten with rods and placed in the inner prison  - that is like the basement where it is filthy, dark, rat infested and very smelly. They were chained into stocks.
What would you have done in their position? Their backs must have been cut and bleeding and they would have been in agony. Again, I ask, what would you have done?
Paul and Silas prayed loudly and sang hymns, praising God. They sang so loud, that the other prisoners were listening to them and were probably amazed.

All of a sudden, there's an  earthquake and the chains fall off every prisoner. The jailor woke up fearing for his life and was going to kill himself, because he would probably suffer much more at the hands of the authorities, for this.
Paul shouted and stopped him, telling him that no one had escaped, they were all there. With this, the jailor raced in with a light to check for himself. Everyone was there. He was so amazed, grateful and blown away that he asked Paul how he could be saved and follow Jesus. Paul told him and when taken out, prayed for him and his family to become Christians.

Praise open doors - chains fall off - lives are changed. Let me tell you, Jesus makes the darkness tremble. Paul, Silas and the other prisoners, had all been in the dark but when Paul and Silas praised and prayed, the darkness trembled, the chains fell off and freedom came.

Satan tries to block our every path. He attacks us and does all he can to cause disruption. But praise and prayer stops him in his tracks. He can't cope with that, at all.

Many people throughout the world are suffering for their Christian faith. Many are killed or locked in prisons until they denounce Jesus. Many still stay faithful to Jesus. Organisations like Open Doors help these suffering and persecuted Christians. Here, in this country, we have freedom to worship God but even that is difficult at times.

What about the chains in your life? What is keeping you imprisoned? Don't you think it's time you started praising God again? He wants you to be free. He has work for you to do. Praise Him and shout your victory as He makes the darkness tremble; as He breaks the chains that are holding you back. It's time to move on and stand your ground.

What is your giant?

"Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel , whom you have defied.' "   1 Samuel 17: 45 NKJV

Goliath must have been an awesome sight as he stood there, over nine feet tall and clad in all his armour. He was intimidating and the Israelite army were scared of him and no one would go forward and take the challenge to fight him. For 40 days he carried out the intimidation, standing there  laughing and goading King Saul's army. But no one had the bottle to take him on. That is until David came along.
David, a young shepherd boy, only very small in build, saw the sight of this Philistine parading up and down and asked, 'Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?' He then made plans to see King Saul and go out to face this giant.

After much discussion and trying on Saul's armour, which was ridiculous to even consider as Saul was very tall, where David was very short. David decided he didn't need this. He chose 5 smooth stones for his sling and went to face this Philistine in the Name of the Lord of hosts. As we can see from our scripture above, David stayed the giant with one small stone and cut off his head, as he had told the giant he would do. David triumphed over this formidable creature' yet he had only been the willing instrument. God had been the victor.

We all have giants in our lives and many times they can be very daunting. I would describe a giant as something or someone that appears too powerful to overcome. This for some, can be alcohol, smoking, overeating, adultery, pornography, fornication, jealously stealing, spending money they don't have, credit cards just to name a few. There may be many more that I haven't mentioned here.
If these are relevant to you, you may have tried and tried to shake these off but they are still clinging like sticky buds. David would never have won over Goliath had he gone in his own strength. It would have been quite difficult for someone who probably wasn't even five foot to take on a nine foot giant warrior. He would have been ripped to pieces. However, he went in God's power. He knew God and, even though very young, he had a close relationship with Him, writing his poetry and songs to worship Him.

This account of David and Goliath teaches us a great lesson. It shows believers how to defeat giants in life. We need to remember that God is bigger than anything or anyone we face. He will give us the victory everyday as long as we turn to Him in faith and seek Him.

Now are you going to carry on letting your giant/s slay you, or are you going to stand up, in the Name of Jesus and be a giant slayer?

Don't listen to the enemy's lies

"Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."  1 Peter 5:8 - 9. NKJV

Stand firm and don't be intimidated when you're under attack. The devil's time is short and he knows it. RT Kendall says, 'The next time satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. He knows his time is short. ( Revelation 12:12 )'

The devil is the great accuser and he'll do all he can to heap condemnation upon you so that you feel awful and sinful, guilty and that you've blown your place in Heaven. This is not true and you need to hang onto scripture at times like this. Romans 8:1 says, 'There is therefore now, no condemnation to those  who are in Christ Jesus.' You may have let yourself down just lately - argued with someone, let bad words come out of your mouth, looked at something you know you shouldn't have or just been like a bear with a sore head as you pointed your finger at someone who has wound you up. Relax, you're normal and Jesus knows that. This is why John wrote:

'If we confess our sins, He (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'  1 John 1:9

How many times have you felt worthless and in a hopeless position? You may have felt isolated and unable to cope and felt so bad that you even wanted to die because there is nothing left for you or nobody seems to care. Well, Jesus does. He cares enough to have died in your place and He wants you to be free. You're not worthless; you're a priceless jewel in God's eyes and He loves to spend time with you. But really, isn't it time that you left the past behind? Your memories of the past may not be good, so bury them. Don't let them live in your life anymore. They're holding you back from the best. If you're a Christian, the past has gone, you're a new creation. Live in that.

Why not say this prayer with me:

'Jesus, I come to You and ask for Your help. I'm not living my life the way You would want me to. I've been living the past, re-living the bad memories and feeling angry and hurt. I've been living under condemnation and listening to the lies of the evil one. Please forgive me and help me to live my life for You from this moment. I forgive anyone who has done me wrong right now and come to You

Amen.