“Attempt great things for God; and expect great things from God.” —Missionary William Carey

Take a look around, keep your eyes and heart alert; you never know when you might be called on to attend a divine appointment.  You might be called on to lend a helping hand, to lend a listening ear, to share what Jesus has done in your life, or to extend an invitation for someone to join you at church.

John noted such an appointment in John 4:4 about Jesus, who was always in tune with the Father’s divine will, and said of Him, “He had to pass through Samaria.”  Jesus knew that the Father would use Him and so Jesus was always ready to be used.  Sure enough, God’s servant makes a connection that changes a woman’s life and the lives of those in her community.

Do you desire to be alert and yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit today?  One way I have found to prepare myself to be used is to simply pray each morning, “Father, may I be led by your Holy Spirit this day.  I yield my will to you.”  My payer for you is that you will attend a divine appointment today that will bless you and others for life. 

“Attempt great things for God; and expect great things from God.” —Missionary William Carey

Take a look around, keep your eyes and heart alert; you never know when you might be called on to attend a divine appointment.  You might be called on to lend a helping hand, to lend a listening ear, to share what Jesus has done in your life, or to extend an invitation for someone to join you at church.

John noted such an appointment in John 4:4 about Jesus, who was always in tune with the Father’s divine will, and said of Him, “He had to pass through Samaria.”  Jesus knew that the Father would use Him and so Jesus was always ready to be used.  Sure enough, God’s servant makes a connection that changes a woman’s life and the lives of those in her community.

Do you desire to be alert and yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit today?  One way I have found to prepare myself to be used is to simply pray each morning, “Father, may I be led by your Holy Spirit this day.  I yield my will to you.”  My payer for you is that you will attend a divine appointment today that will bless you and others for life. 

There Is A Promise Still Unfulfilled

About this time of the year eight years ago my mother asked me to cut off all of her hair. It was very awkward, but I understood why it had to be done and I promised that I would. Mom was showing the affect of sin and she did not want to have to face it or answer questions about it. So she chose to have it all taken off. You see, mom was fighting a battle with cancer—one of the many manifestations of sin in our fallen world—and the chemotherapy treatment she was undergoing was now causing her hair to fall out in clumps. It was a few years later that death—another manifestation of sin—would take her from this life.

I thank God for the fact that He fulfills His promises. Christmas is a constant reminder of that fact for the birth of Jesus was the beginning of God’s fulfillment to a promise He gave at the beginning of creation, after it was marred by sin (Genesis 3:15). Jesus came to have the righteousness of His perfect life and His sin-removing death transform the lives of all those who would accept His sacrificial gift. But there is one final installment to that promise that every celebration of Jesus’ birth should remind us is yet to be fulfilled—the Lord’s submiting everything to His rule.

In Revelation 21:3-5 the fulfillment is given in these words, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away,’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’”

I pray that in this Christmas Season when we remember loved ones from long ago and miss them, may we also remember that there is hope for today in the birth of Jesus. But may we also remember that there is even a great fulfillment when He returns. Come quickly Lord Jesus, and totally fulfill your promise. ‘Joy to the world the Lord is come: let earth receive her KING!’

The Great Gift

A common criticism I have heard about telling others about Jesus, or sharing one’s faith, is that it seems too contrived.  The feeling is that the Spirit should lead a person and so they wait for the Spirit to tap them on the shoulder and scream into their ear before they take the bold step of inviting others to trust in Jesus.  You know the result, they never hear the scream and those around them never get the invite.

The incredible aspect of the Christmas account given in Luke 2 is that God modeled for us the important value of intentionally reaching out to invite others into a relationship with Him. God went out of His way to invite common, untaught shepherds to His great event. They were some of the first to be entrusted with the universal good news of Jesus’ birth. These shepherds heard the angelic messengers tell them, ‘for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:11). Why did God do this? The answer is given in this verse as the shepherds were told that the Savior’s birth is ‘for you.’

Let us remember in this season that the Savior’s birth is for needy humanity and that there are still many who need to hear of God’s gift of a Savior who was sent for each of us. We who received this same message and have happily believed it now need to pass it on. We also see this in Luke’s account as we note that after these shepherds came and saw the baby they ‘went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them’ (Luke 2:20). They received and then shared it with others.

I pray that this Christmas Season we would each take the time to remember how great a gift we received from the Lord and then seek to pass it on.

The Resume of Jesus Christ

The Resume of Jesus Christ
Address: Ephesians 1:20
Phone: Romans 10:13
Website: The Bible . Keywords: Christ, Lord, Savior and Jesus
____________________________________________________________________
Objective
My name is Jesus - The Christ. Many call me Lord!
I’ve sent you my resume because I’m seeking the top management position in your heart.
Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.
_____________________________________________________________________
Qualifications
I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19)
I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7)
I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7)
I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13)
The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me, (See Galatians 3:14)
_____________________________________________________________________
Occupational Background
I’ve only had one employer, (See Luke 2:49 ).
I’ve never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful.
My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me, (See Matthew 3:15 -17)
_____________________________________________________________________
Skills Work Experiences
Some of my skills and work experiences include: empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the broken hearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised, (See Luke 4:18).
I am a Wonderful Counselor, (See Isaiah 9:6). People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil, (See Proverbs 1:33 ).
Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse you of your sins, (See I John 1:7-9)
_____________________________________________________________________
Educational Background
I encompass the entire breadth and length of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, (See Proverbs 2:6).
In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (See Colossians 2:3).
My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path,
(See Psalms 119:105).
I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart, (See Psalms 44:21).
_____________________________________________________________________
Major Accomplishments
I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times, (See Genesis 1:26 ).
I laid down my life so that you may live, (See II Corinthians 5:15 ).
I defeated the arch enemy of God and mankind and made a show of them openly, (See Colossians 2:15).
I’ve miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!
There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here. You can read them on my website, which is located at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don’t need an Internet connection or computer to access my website.
____________________________________________________________________
References
Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healing, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance.
_____________________________________________________________________
In Summation
Now that you’ve read my resume, I’m confident that I’m the only candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your heart. In summation, I will properly direct your paths, (See Proverbs 3:5-6), and lead you into everlasting life, (See John 6:47 ). When can I start? Time is of the essence, (See Hebrews 3:15).

The Key To This Season Is Not A “spirit” But A Sacrifice

So often during this Christmas Season, Christmas is presented as the most incredible power on the earth. This is often seen in the phrase “the spirit of Christmas” which usually refers to the good feeling many have during this time of the year.  In the classic tale “The Christmas Carol” the true meaning of Christmas (loving and caring for others all year long) is what the rascal Ebenezer Scrooge is transformed to live out. 

But don’t buy into the hype. The key to this season is not a “spirit” but a sacrifice. A sacrifice in that God the Son came to earth to give His life so that God might transform us from within.  No matter how hard we try to keep the Christmas spirit through the year we will only end up frustrating ourselves. The problem is that we need a radical change that will make God’s desire our heart’s desire (The name Jesus means “one who saves His people from their sins” Matthew 1:21).  We also need a radical change that will make God’s empowerment our power (Another name for Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” Matthew 1:23).

So, the most incredible power on earth is not Christmas, but Christ. I pray that you will seek to walk with Him and in His power in order to love and care for others all year long. A great way to allow Christ to walk with us during this season is to seek one area of your life to surrender to Him. What area in which you are still in need of growing in your trust of the Lord would you offer to Him as a gift? I am sure that you will then fully experience the power of Christ in this special season.

Giving Thanks For Everything

“Make sure you eat everything on your plate.” Have you ever heard that statement during a Thanksgiving meal? It is usually said to keep us from focusing on the items that taste good, are more appealing, in contrast to those items that are members of the vegetable family, are less appealing. The message was clear—it is not always the items that are most appealing that are best for you.
This Thanksgiving make sure you take the time to give thanks for everything that has been placed on your plate since last Thanksgiving. In that time period you may have experienced some very difficult events: the death of a loved one, the lost of a job, difficulties in a close relationship, a health challenge, or one of a number of items that aren’t appealing to us. We normally don’t like to focus on these events, but they are how we grow. Typically our desire is to grow deeper in our relationship with God without going through difficult times. We want “insta-deep” or “Deep-o-matic” without a challenging after taste. But that is not how God works. God is concerned about the process as much as He is about the goal. We are more concerned with the goal.
        In Jonah 2:8—9 we are given an important truth that there is a sacrifice of thanksgiving we can offer God, even in the midst of our difficulties. Jonah states while in the belly of a great fish that has swallowed him “All who worship worthless idols turn from the God who offers them mercy. But with shouts of praise, I will offer a sacrifice to you, my LORD. I will keep my promise, because you are the one with power to save.” It is clear that Jonah had come to realize that God had him in a difficult place to draw Jonah close, and the best way to respond was through thanksgiving.
        Remember this Thanksgiving Season to give thanks, or eat, everything that has been placed on your plate. Give thanks for it all—“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Treasure God’s Word

One of the blessings of this Thanksgiving Season is that it reminds us of one of the greatest needs we have—the need to trust God.

The Psalmist tells us that he has hid (“treasured”) God’s Word in his heart so that he might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11).  One of the ways in which we sin, go counter to God’s desire for us, is to worry.  Worrying tells God that we do not trust that He can provide for our needs, therefore we must handle it ourselves. This approach is at the very core of the Bible’s definition of sin for it denotes a failure to trust God and a choice instead to handle the challenges we encounter ourselves. 

The opposite of worry, therefore is to trust in God.  That is why we are often commanded to not worry, or be anxious.  Philippians 4:6—7 gives us God’s command to trust Him rather than to worry—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” No wonder Jesus in Luke 10:41—42 corrects Martha by telling her that she is “worried and bothered about so many things.”  He then focuses her on the key concern of life, connecting and trusting in the Lord.

I pray that you will take Jesus’ & the Psalmist’s advice—treasure God’s Word in your heart and trust. So, make that commitment to memorize (“treasure”) God’s Words in your heart as we journey through this season of remembrance, thanks giving, and trust.

Creating A Masterpiece

What are you creating today, a masterpiece or a ‘good enough’? A creed John Wooden, the famous University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball coach, was given by his father upon his graduation from high school and lived by had this significant line—‘Make each day a masterpiece.’ This creed led Coach Wooden to become an incredible husband, a cherished friend, and one of the greatest coaches of all times.

Unfortunately it is very easy for us to just get through a day rather than viewing that day as a canvass upon which we are to create something wonderful to God’s glory. I believe the latter outlook is what was envisioned in God’s command to man in the Garden of Eden, “subdue it [creation]; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Humanity’s taking dominion over creation was their way of thanking and glorifying God. This outlook is what led the Psalmist to boldly proclaim in Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The Psalmist clearly realized the great opportunities present in every new day.

Here are a few ways we can transition from creating works of mediocrity to masterpieces with our days:

1. Begin every new day with thanksgiving to the Lord. Define your days, don’t let others or other events do that for you (Psalm 118:24).
2. Seek to do your best ‘as unto the Lord’ in all that you do throughout your day (1 Corinthians 10:31; Proverbs 22:29).
3. Don’t allow difficult situations and people to take you off your focus in a day (Colossians 3:22; Romans 8:28).
4. Take a creed, a set of fundamental beliefs, to guide your approach through a day. Here’s the full creed that John Wooden lived by:
“Be true to yourself,
Help others,
Make friendship a fine art,
Drink deeply from good books and especially the Bible,
Make each day a masterpiece,
Build a shelter against a rainy day,
Give thanks for your blessings and seek for guidance.”

Have a masterpiece of a day!

Jehovah Jireh - God our Provider

Today it is my privilege to remind you that God can provide all your needs, even when He imposes those needs on you. He can provide another job in a bad economy. He can heal whatever is ailing you. He can enable you to get fixed that which you ‘cannot live without.’ He can provide friends in a new community. He can grant you favor with a grumpy new in-law. I know this because it is presented to us in Scripture.

In Matthew 17:24—27 Jesus demands that His disciples be subject to the laws of the land based on His being asked if He pays His taxes. After telling them that they should pay taxes Jesus performs a miracle (He commands a fish to carry the tax payment to His disciple) to provide them the means to meet these taxes. This miracle reveals and teaches some very important truths:

1. Wherever God leads you He will provide for you there.
2. Christ’s followers must be subject to the different authorities they find themselves under.
3. God’s knowledge is unlimited so don’t doubt His knowledge of your challenges, no matter how minor or major they seem to be.
4. God can accomplish anything. The key is not His ability but our trust in His ability.
5. Every situation you find yourself encountering is an opportunity God has placed you in so that His glory would be shown through your experience. So, you have the best seat in the house, remember to enjoy the privilege.

What we usually tend to do when we encounter challenges that are imposed on us is to get frustrated and angry. But can I encourage you to ask the Lord what He desires to do with you where He has you.

God Knows & He Cares

We’ve all probably heard the old saying ‘People don’t care what you know till they know that you care.” There is a tremendous amount of truth in that saying that we have all probably experienced at some time through our interactions with others. But can I tell you that this saying has an interesting twist to it when it comes to God. The Bible encourages us in the fact that we are to take great encouragement in the fact that God both knows us and cares for us.

David marveled that God knew him even better than he knew himself—“Even before there is a word in my tongue, behold , O Lord, you dost know it all’ (Psalm 139:4). Isaiah calls us to be awestruck at God’s great knowledge of everything—“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable” (Isaiah 40:28). 

Yet they both realized that such incredible knowledge of us allowed our sinfulness to be revealed to a holy God and should result in Him not desiring to know us—“Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). He knows every bad thought, sees every mistake, has every flaw magnified under His gaze, and is acquainted with our full potential to do wrong. Yet the Bible states that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7), promises to let us find Him when we seek Him (2 Chronicles 15:2-4), and guarantees that He will provide all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

In a world where we are not always sure that we will be accepted when others get know us intimately (‘to know me is to love me’ is not always the case), it is important to know that God both deeply knows us and cares for us.

Here are 3 ways we can respond to this great truth:
1. Daily seek a greater level of surrender to the Lord for He not only knows who you are now but also knows a greater path for you to be much more in the future (Jeremiah 29:11).
2. Stop throwing yourself pity parties when you mess up. His mercies are new every morning so have recommitment parties (Lamentations 3:22-23).
3. Don’t let your challenges or failures define you for God knows your flaws and deeply cares for you anyway (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

God Knows Better

There is nothing more frustrating than leaving out an important ingredient, part, or step in a process. There is a reason why a recipe calls for a specific amount of sugar or baking powder. Yes, all the parts included in the box are important to putting together that item. Cleaning an area before applying a substance will make a difference in the process. The frustration is even greater when we make a choice to withhold that item and wonder what could have been the result with a different choice.

An area in which this commonly occurs is the area of our walk with God. Jesus addresses this in Matthew 6:33 where He taught us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” This command was a contrast to what we typically try to do—carry the burden (stress) of what we want to occur and then seek what seems best for us. When things don’t turn out right we then cry out to God for Him to make up for what we left out of the process—His direction. But the verses that lead up to verse 33 give us some important reasons to ‘seek first.’ In these verses we read that God truly knows what we need (6:32) and that He is more than capable to provide for our needs based on His provision for the rest of His creation (6:25—31). A key way in which we accomplish this command is through prayer.

So, are you going to God first to let Him inform you of your true needs, and to then provide those needs to you? The key is not to complete the task and then wonder what could have been. Pray first.

Do This In Remembrance Of Me

There are many actions we take in life to remind us of some great events or situations we have benefitted from. We wear wedding rings, frame diplomas, throw parties, hang pictures, circle dates on calendars, and many other markers to revisit in our mind that which we never want to forget.

The celebration of the Lord’s Table is a reminder that is to play a pivotal role in the life of a church. Jesus commanded us to engage in this in your face, or should I say ‘in your mouth,’ reminder of God’s incredible love for His children on a continuous basis—‘do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:24—25).

As you recollect or look forward to your next communion experience I pray that you will focus on how much Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you so much that His body was created ‘for you’ (v. 24) with the one intention that it would be mercilessly tortured and then crucified. That in this murderous process the blood of a perfect human would be sacrificed as the legal payment for a relationship contract (‘the new covenant’) to be established that binds God to us forever (v. 25). This may sound brutal but such is the harsh reality of how serious our sin and the steps to remove it are to God.

So as you go through this week and you are tempted to think that God does not love you or that your life does not matter remember the Lord’s Table and God’s incredible love for us that it commemorates. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim [to others and to ourselves] the Lord’s death until He comes” (v. 26).

God Wants You To Know That He Wants To Use You Today

Here is a brief but on point teaching on our preparing ourselves to be used by the Lord. It is written by the pastor of the church we’ve traveled to partner in ministry with in Trinidad for the past three years.

Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus…For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:3, 10).

The battle is about what God is doing to draw more and more people to trust Him as Saviour and for forgiveness and a new life empowered and directed by Him. That is what God has been working for in this world all along. It is the reason why He has not brought history to a conclusion yet. It is why He has left you and I on earth instead of taking you straight to heaven. To share that salvation is not a turning or giving of our lives but by simple believing that Christ died, buried and rose again for our sins, and accept Him as our Saviour; he will give us eternal life …assurance in heaven. John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-9.

God wants you to know that He wants to use you today, and tomorrow, and the day after that, to help the people in your life move towards Christ. As you pray about your day today, focus your prayers, not on your wants, but on your relationships. Ask God to use you in those relationships to help those people take one small step closer to Him today.

Then look for God’s answer as you spend time with people today. Look for any chance to have a spiritual conversation, to talk about what God means in your life, or how He has changed your life, or something you learned from Scripture this week.

Thanks for reading and have Blessed day in Christ.
Dr. Boodram
Pastor of Kelly Community Bible Church

I pray that you were blessed. This is especially timely as we prayerfully consider inviting those in our relationship networks to our Friends Sunday on October 2nd. Have a great day in the Lord.

Jesus Is Watching!

In Mark 12:41 we read the surprising statement that Jesus sat where He could intentionality look at what people were financially giving to God. This may surprise us if we wrongly believe that God is not interested in how we spend our money or in the financial aspects of our lives. But in this account we see that God the Son is very focused on these things.
     
  It is surprising that Jesus even notices the specifics of what people are giving for the offering time in the temple was usually crowded and loud as numerous coins were clattering into the bottom of the receptacle. In this loud moment Jesus notices that which would not have seemed important to anyone else. As the “multitude” were putting money into the receptacle and as many rich people were putting in large sums of money Jesus focuses on a poor widow. She doesn’t have much for she is “poor,” therefore starvation is always a possibility, and to add to her plight she is a “widow,” she has no advocate in a male dominated society. Her present situation is bleak. The immediate question is why even look at this giver?

Yet Jesus continues to watch her and sees that she gives only two small copper coins which is only worth a penny! Her gift was so small that it was probably not even heard in the midst of the loud outpouring of funds. We could easily think, “What a waste of one’s time and money. With such a little offering it is not even worth a trip to the treasury. Especially when you are facing starvation!”

Have you ever felt that way? You may not have much and wonder if your giving even matters. You may be barely making it and wonder how can you give and still make ends meet. But please don’t miss the key point of these verses—Jesus is watching!  Never underestimate your giving to the Lord based on how it compares with others.  Never refrain from giving to the Lord because He knows what you have and will bless your trust in Him.

Please note that God is still looking at what we give for He knows that how we handle money is a litmus test of our true character and a measure of our true spiritual walk. Our stewardship of our money and our possessions becomes an accurate read of our spiritual lives.

The story does not tell us, but I am sure that all this poor widow’s needs were taken care of after her sacrifice. Remember, there is no sacrificial gift you can give to God that does not get His attention and His blessing. Step out and believe God and see how He responds—‘O Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge [trusts] in Him!’ (Psalm 37:4).