Can you hide when you are doing good ?

The story is told of Franklin Roosevelt, who often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who passed down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." The guests responded with phrases like, "Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir." It was not till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard. Nonplussed, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, "I'm sure she had it coming."

1 Kings 17:2,3 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.

We only hear what we expect and probably even know. So often when we hear something different, we assume it to be a mistake from either side. Perhaps then we weaken the mission. So we follow our way and the instructions from the base is just a noise.

When we look at Elijah in v.1, he has been asked by God to make a very powerful prophecy that would stop the rains in the country. Now this brings a lot of attention on Elijah. Makes him a man of honor and some sort of supernatural thing. For sure God told him, but Elijah said it. So he is on a high. Now he is confident of his life and ministry. But in v.2 God told Elijah to leave the place and hide away. This was not done. Maybe this was the time to prove his mettle a bit more by staying there. But the kingdom is not about proving this and that but obeying God and His commands. We will continue to learn on the benefits of listening to God. But for today, If God commands you, can you hide when you are doing good ?

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com

He loves you

I heard this from a very close friend about the place he studied. The students like any other college had a very crazy approach to freedom. There was all the freedom but no responsibility.  In this very reputed university the professors would often lecture on morality to help the students. But it was considered as invasion into their privacy and old school stuff.

1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

In this generation the moment you talk about discipline, or setting up something right, it is often labeled as condemnation, judging attitude and then the whole discussion is blown out of proportion. Everyone talks about rights but rarely do we bother about responsibilities.

1 kings 16 tells us how the people of Israel, the chosen generation were going away from  God. In 1 Kings 17 as Elijah prophesied about the famine in the land, it was God's plan to bring the Israelites back to God. But for sure it seemed very rude and cruel of God. Often the God of Old Testament is misunderstood as an angry God. But we often fail to understand that even his anger is out of his love. When God begins to shut a door and we feel like being disciplined, let’s be sure of God's love. Let’s realize that He is too good to hurt. His love is so deep and so big that he just can't let you go away. So He will do anything to bring you back.  He loves you.

Influenced by Sis. Grace Johnson sermon in Crossway on 4th March 2018.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com

Let Familiarity bring reverence

Several years ago a young Frenchman captured the attention of the world by walking a tightrope between the towers of New York's World Trade Center (1350 feet high). A few months later, however, while practicing on a relatively low wire in St. Petersburg, Florida, he fell 30 feet and was injured. As he lay waiting for help, he reportedly beat his fist on the ground saying, "I can't believe it! I can't believe it! I never fall!"

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+6%3A1-7&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Chronicles+13%3A9-12&version=NIV

The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant is mentioned in (2 Samuel 6:1-7; 1 Chronicles 13:9-12). As the ark was being transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and a Levite named Uzzah took hold of the ark. God’s anger burned against Uzzah and He struck him down and he died. Uzzah’s punishment does appear to be extreme for what we might consider to be a good deed.

However, these are the reasons why God took such severe action:
God had given Moses and Aaron specific instructions about the Tent of Meeting and the movement of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:12-14; Numbers 4:15, 7:9). It was supposed to be carried on poles by Levites only.
The ark had stayed for a period of time at Abinadab’s house (2 Samuel 6:3), where his sons, Uzzah and Ahio, may well have become accustomed to its presence. There’s an old saying, “familiarity breeds contempt,” that could apply in this case. Uzzah, having been around the ark in his own home, could very likely forget the holiness that it represented. There are times when we, too, fail to recognize the holiness of God, becoming too familiar with Him with an irreverent attitude.
The account tells us the oxen stumbled, the cart didn’t fall and neither did the Ark. Uzzah, for a moment, felt it was his responsibility to save the integrity of God, and that our almighty God somehow needed Uzzah’s assistance. He presumed that, without his intervention, God’s presence would be dealt with a blow. Let Familiarity bring reverence.

Excerpt from Bro. Samuel V Thomas’ notes for the sermon in Crossway on Sunday, 25th Feb 2018.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com

What did you drop ?

John Henry Jowett once said “Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing”

Luke 5:11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

The call to follow Jesus always begins by dropping something. If you did not drop anything then I doubt your call.

It is interesting to note that Peter’s biggest need as the passage began was to have some fish. The most important things for him were the boat and the nets. Once he obeyed the call of Jesus he had a large catch of fish. But the reaction of Peter was awesome. It is because, the desperate moment of Peter was just another opportunity for Jesus to call Peter to follow him. Fish was just a means to the end.  So he dropped the net and the boat in order to follow Jesus. What did you drop ?

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Pastorstanleytisac@gmail.com