Author: Sis Mhay

Scripture : Matthew 1:1

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”

Jesus Christ is called the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. Who is the son of David in the genealogy of Jesus Christ? Solomon. He is the king of Israel. During his reign Israel was peaceful and prosperous. Who is the son of Abraham in the genealogy of Jesus Christ? Isaac. He is the only promised son. During his life he was sacrificed on the altar to God by his father. As the Son of David, Jesus will reign in the Kingdom of Peace on this earth for one thousand years when He returns. As the Son of Abraham, Jesus has come as the promised Son of the Father who died on the cross as the sacrifice of sin two thousand years ago.

“Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” (Luke 3:23, 38)

In His genealogy according to Joseph His earthly father, Jesus is the Son of David and the Son of Abraham (Mat 1:1). But in His genealogy according to Mary His earthly mother, Jesus is called the son of God. Who is the son of God in this case? Adam. He is the first man who is called the son of God because he was created according to the image of God (Gen 1:27). Jesus is like Adam. He is also called the Son of God because He is the express image of God’s Person (Heb 1:3). He is the Second Man called the Son of God. The difference between Adam and Jesus is Adam was created on earth, but Jesus was born in heaven.  The apostle Paul wrote, “The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.” (1 Cor 15:47).

Jesus as the Son of God refers to His origin, Jesus as the Son of Abraham refers to His first coming and Jesus as the Son of David refers to His second coming. In the beginning He was in God and then He was born of God. When He came into this world for the first time He was born as a Man in a hidden place and lived a normal and quiet life. However, when He will come again to this world He will come openly in His glory as the Kings of kings. In His origin Jesus was like Adam the son of God, in His first coming Jesus was like Isaac the son of Abraham, and in His second coming Jesus will be like Solomon the son of David.

“Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram…Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.” (Matthew 1:3,5-6)

In the genealogy of Jesus Christ according to His father Joseph there are several women mentioned : Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and her who had been the wife of Uriah (Bathseba). The sons of these women actually did not have the rights to be included in the genealogy of Jesus because Perez was born from Tamar through harlotry, not through marriage (Gen 38). Boaz was born from Rahab who is not the descendant of Abraham and is a harlot in Jericho, a city of Canaan (Jos 2:1), Obed was born from Ruth who is a Moabite, not an Israelite (Ruth 1:4). Solomon was born from Bathsheba who was not supposed to be married to David because she was the wife of another man (2 Sam 11:3). If Jesus were Joseph’s natural Son, His blood would have been contaminated by the sin of His ancestors.

When we look at the genealogy of Jesus Christ according to Joseph we see there are some sons born with problems : Perez was born of harlotry, Boaz’s mother is a harlot, Obed’s mother is not an Israelite, Solomon’s mother had been the wife of another man. However, when we look at the genealogy of Jesus Christ according to Mary we do not see any problem in every generation. Every son seems to be born legitimately from an Israelite mother and inside marriage. From human standpoint, to be a legitimate son (free from any curse of the law and pure Israelite) it is possible that Jesus Christ is born from Mary’s womb but it is impossible that He is conceived from Joseph’s seed. And God did just that! Jesus Christ was born from Mary’s womb but He was conceived from the Holy Spirit’s seed.

“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.” (Matthew 1:17)

Why did Matthew divide the genealogy of Jesus Christ into three fourteen generations, from Abraham to David, from David to the captivity in Babylon and from the captivity in Babylon to Christ? Abraham is the  forefather of Israel, David is the greatest king of Israel, the captivity in Babylon is the captivity of Israel and Christ is the Consolation of Israel. Israel had their beginning in Abraham, Israel reached the highest point when David became their king, Israel reached the lowest point when they were taken captive into Babylon and Israel received consolation and had the new beginning when Christ was born.

There are fourteen generation from Abraham to David, there are fourteen generations from David until the captivity in Babylon and there are fourteen generations from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ. What is the significance of three fourteen generations? Three times fourteen equals to forty two and forty two is six times seven. Six is the number of man and seven is the number of completeness. So after the number of the generations of men  was completed, Christ was born. Since the beginning with Abraham, it took forty two generations of men for  the Messiah to finally come as the Consolation of Israel. This Messiah is God who became a Man.

Scripture : Ephesians 4:23

” And be renewed in the spirit of your mind “

Newness of Life

What is the true meaning of becoming a Christian? A Christian is someone has believed in the name of Jesus Christ. What happens when we believe that Jesus is the Christ? We are born of God (1 Jhn 5:1). God gives birth to us through His Holy Spirit (Jhn 3:6). We become a new creation, a new man; old things have passed away, and all things have become new (2 Cor 5:17). As a new man which was created according to God, we are to walk in newness of life, which is the life of righteousness and holiness (Rom 6:4, Eph 4:23).

The Life of Righteousness

What is righteousness? In the Scripture, righteousness is always related to the law of God. We are said to be righteous before God if we keep His law and unrighteous if we break His law. Hence, righteousness is the state of being right before the law of God. The opposite of righteousness is sin because the Bible declares that whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness (1 Jhn 3:4). Therefore, when we sin, we actually break the law of God. Sin and righteousness both have consequences from the law. If we sin, we shall receive the penalty of death (Rom 6:23), but on the other hand, if we practice righteousness, we will be delivered from the penalty of death and rewarded with life instead (Prv 11:4.19).

The Blessings of Righteousness

If we live in righteousness, the following blessings will be evident in our lives :

1) We will have the peace of God (Isa 32:17).

2) We will see answers to our prayers (1 Jhn 4:22).

3) We will reign in life (Rom 5:17).

4) We will direct our way aright (Prv 11:5).

Walking in Righteousness

How can we walk in righteousness? The answer is simple, by keeping the law of God. However, if we try to do it using our own strength, we will surely fail because we are carnal, sold under sin (Rom 7:14). The only way to walk in righteousness is by trusting in the righteousness of Christ and by walking in the Spirit. The apostle Paul wrote, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:3-4)

The Life of Holiness

Holiness is different than righteousness. Holiness is no longer a matter of keeping the law. It goes beyond our right standing before God. Being holy is being set apart unto God. The standard of holiness is not the law of God, but the purpose of God. We can be righteous, but not holy because we can live according to the law of God, but we do not live according to the purpose of God. Righteousness is, therefore, more of a legal matter, whereas holiness is more of a personal matter. The opposite of being holy is being unholy, which means not set apart unto God. We are said to be unholy when we still belong to ourselves and live for our own purpose. God desires that we belong wholly to Him. Therefore, He commands us to be holy (1 Pet 1:15). We are to pursue holiness (Heb 12:14). Holiness is a state of our heart that will manifest in our conduct (1 Pet 1:16). Righteousness gives us life, but holiness gives us abundant life.

The story of Jesus Counseling the Rich Young Ruler

“Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false  witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mat 19:16-22)

The young ruler had kept the law since he was young. But when Jesus told him to sell what he had, to give to the poor then to come and follow Him, he did not do it. He was unwilling to live according to the purpose of God. He had lived the life of righteousness, but he had not lived the life of holiness. 

The Blessings of Holiness

The following blessings will manifest in our lives if we live in holiness :

1) We will have unspeakable joy (1 Pet 1:8).

2) We will see God (Mat 5:8).

3) We will know the secrets of God (Psm 25:14).

4) We will be directed into the way of holiness – which is the perfect will of God (Isa 35:8).

Walking in Holiness

How can we walk in holiness? By denying ourselves and taking up our crosses daily. The Lord Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luk 9:23)  But just as we have no power to keep the law in ourselves, we also have no power to deny ourselves and take up our crosses in ourselves. The power to deny ourselves and to take up our crosses only comes from the Holy Spirit. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit to live the life of holiness. Our part is to surrender our lives to God.

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

God created man in His own image. What does it mean? It means man was created like God Himself. Why did God create man like Himself? Because God wanted to have close relationship and equal partnership with man. God wanted to live together with man so that man could know Him. God also wanted to work together with man so that man could have dominion over all His creations.

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.” (Genesis 2:8)

God made the garden of Eden and put the man whom He had created there and lived together with him. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15) God made the garden of Eden and put the man whom He had created there and worked together with him. God made the garden of Eden as the resting place as well as the working place for man.

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-9)

In the garden of Eden it seems God and the man whom He had created had a specific time and place for fellowship every day. God always came walking in the garden in the cool of the day to meet him, even after he sinned. But after man sinned, he was afraid to meet God when God came to have fellowship with him at the usual time and place in the garden. When God called the man and said to him, “Where are you?”, it was not that God did not know where the man was, but it was God expressing the longing of His heart to meet the man.

The garden of Eden is the place which God made for man to live together with Him. God made this garden as the place of rest. So, when God put the man whom He had created in it, He wanted him to have rest there. Why? Because He wanted the man to have a close fellowship with Him, and to have a close fellowship with God man must be in the state rest. The garden of Eden is like the home for a family. At home every person in the family can be relaxed and have a close fellowship one with another in order to know one another. Thus, God created the garden of Eden as the home for the man whom He had created where he could rest so that he might have a close fellowship with Him and know Him.

“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19)

In the garden of Eden God and the man whom He had created worked together. God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air but He did not give its name. He brought them to the man and the man gave name to each living creature. Giving name to so many animals is not an easy task. It requires great wisdom. Actually only God the Father has the right and the ability to give name. The apostle Paul wrote “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,” (Ephesians 3:14-15) But, God entrusted this work to the man whom He had created.

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)

God made the garden of Eden as the place of rest for the man whom He had created. God did not only want him to be in the state of rest when he had fellowship with Him but when he worked with Him as well. How did God do that? By giving him the work to call the names of the animals and to exercise authority over them. To call the names and to exercise authority the man did not have to do any physical work. He simply had to speak a word, which is doing the work from the state of rest. God worked creating all things by His word and He wanted man to work like Himself.

God wanted the man whom He had created to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28). So, God made for him a woman as a helper who is comparable to him (Genesis 2:18). The man would then be joined to the woman in marriage and they would become one flesh. The man and the woman would become fruitful by bearing children. Then their children would bear children so that they would multiply. As they multiply, God would expand the garden of Eden so that they would fill the earth and subdue it. In the beginning it was God living and working together with one man, but in the end it would be God living and working together with all men.

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:21-22)

How did God give the woman to the man so that he could be fruitful and multiply? By putting the man into a deep sleep and taking one of his ribs which He then made into a woman. So, the man was put in the state of rest in the garden of Eden in order that he might receive the woman from God and be joined to her and become one flesh with her to be fruitful and multiply. Everything that the man experienced in the garden of Eden, whether having fellowship with God or working together with God or receiving the woman from God so that he might be fruitful and multiply, he experienced in the state of rest.

“Therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.” (Genesis 3:23)

When man fell into sin, he was driven out of the garden of Eden. God sent him to till the ground outside the garden of Eden. Outside the garden of Eden man no longer had a close fellowship with God and there was no rest. Man had to work by himself in sweat and toil because the ground was cursed ( Genesis 3:17-19). Also because of sin, man fell short of the image of God that he no longer could have dominion over all of God’s creations. Instead, God’s creations had dominion over him and also over all his descendants.

The apostle John wrote, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:15) When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and confess that He is the Son if God, God comes into us and we come into God. What happens when God comes into us? Our heart becomes the garden Eden. What happens when we come to God? We come to the garden of Eden. This garden of Eden is not a place in the physical dimension but in the spiritual dimension. And this garden is both inside us in our heart and outside us in the spirit realm.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we have been put in the spiritual garden of Eden by God like the man was put in the physical garden of Eden in the beginning. So, like the man whom God created to live in a close fellowship with God, to work in an equal partnership with God, and to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, we are also newly created in Christ to live in a close fellowship with God, to work in an equal partnership with God, to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and to have dominion over it. The apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he  is  a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

As a new creation in Christ we are put by God in the garden of Eden both in our heart and in the spirit realm. In this garden, we are called to have a close fellowship with God through His Son. The apostle Paul wrote, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9) In this garden, we are also called to be in partnership with God to do the works, which God has prepared for us. The apostle Paul wrote, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10). These works are about taking dominion over the earth through the words that we speak. Besides, we are called to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. How are we going to do that? By going into all the world to preach the gospel and to make disciples of all the nations. The Lord Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15, 17-18) The Lord Jesus also said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Scriptures : 1 Samuel 3: 1-9

” Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see,  and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, ⁴ that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down. Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.) And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. ⁹ Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ”

Samuel Heard the Lord’s Voice for the First Time

There was a young boy named Samuel who ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest in the tabernacle. It came to pass at that time that while Samuel was lying down, the Lord called him. He heard his name was called, but he did not realize that it was the Lord who called him. Samuel thought it was Eli’s voice. He did not recognize the voice of the Lord because it was the first time he heard that voice. Samuel came to Eli, but Eli told him that he did not call him and told him to lie down again. This thing happened three times before Eli perceived that it was the Lord who had called the boy. Eli then told Samuel that what he heard was the voice of the Lord. He was also told how to respond when his name was called by God. (1 Sam 3:1-9)

Being Guided in Hearing the Lord’s Voice

Someone who is learning to hear the voice of the Lord will go through the same experience as Samuel did. At the beginning, he will hear from the Lord, but he will not realize or know for sure that what he hears is from the Lord. Therefore, it is very important that he is helped and guided by someone who is more mature spiritually, someone whose spiritual senses have been sharpened to hear the Lord’s voice accurately. This person should be able to identify the characteristics of the Lord’s voice and also know how to respond to this voice.

Three Important Keys in Hearing the Lord’s Voice

There are three important keys that we need to know and understand in hearing the voice of the Lord :

1. Abiding in the presence of the Lord.

The voice of the Lord comes from the presence of the Lord. Therefore, it is easier for us to hear His voice if we abide in His presence. The boy Samuel heard the voice of the Lord as he lived in the tabernacle of the Lord (1 Sam 3:3) and ministered before the Lord (1 Sam 2:18). It means to hear the voice of the Lord, sometimes we need to be at the place where the presence of the Lord is usually manifested or we need to build first a life of ministering to the Lord, that is, coming into His presence in worship.

2. Recognizing the sign of the Lord.

Before the Lord tells us what He wants us to know, normally He will give us the sign that He is about to speak. It is like a phone call. When our phone rings, we know that somebody would like to speak to us. Samuel beard his name was called as a sign that the Lord would like to speak to Him (1 Sam 3:4,6,8). The sign that the Lord gives when He is about to speak is different for each individuals. We must learn to recognize this sign.

3. Responding to the sign of the Lord.

It is important that we recognize the sign that the Lord gives when He is about to speak to us, otherwise we will not give any response. Samuel did not respond to the Lord when his name was called because he did not realize that it was the Lord who was calling his name.

Instead, he went to Eli because he thought it was Eli who called his name (1 Sam 3:5,6,8). As we respond to His sign, then the Lord will speak to us, just like He did to Samuel when he finally responded to Him, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” (1 Sam 3:10) It is like the person who is calling will begin to speak as we pick up our phone and answer his call.

Scripture : John 5:24

 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

According to the Lord Jesus’ words, there are two places in the spirit realm :

1) Death.

2) Life.

Death is the place where there is no God while Life is the place where there is God. The devil reigns in Death and God reigns in Life. When we believe in the Lord Jesus we pass from the reign of the devil in Death to the reign of God in Life.

There two ways by which the devil reigns in the realm of death :

1) By enslavement of sin.

2) By demon possession.

The devil always tries to make us sin against God because when we sin he will have more control over us. He wants to enslave us. The devil also tries to make us give way for evil to enter our lives because when we become evil he will completely control us. He wants to possess us.

The devil reigned in the life of Judas Iscariot because of the sin which he constantly committed, which is covetousness and theft. The apostle John wrote about Judas, “This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” (John 12:6) The devil also reigned in the life of Judas Iscariot because of the evil which he gave way to enter his life, which is betrayal. The apostle John wrote, “And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him”  (John 13:2) and “Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him (Judas Iscariot)” (John 13:27)

There are two ways through which God reigns in the realm of life :

1) Through righteousness by faith.

2) Through holiness by surrender.

God wants us to live by faith so that His righteousness may always be imputed to us. He wants us to walk in righteousness. God also wants us to surrender to Him completely so that we may be holy (set apart) to Him. He wants us to live for Him alone.

God reigned in the life of the Lord Jesus because He always practiced righteousness. When John the Baptist was reluctant to baptize Him, the Lord Jesus said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Mat 3:15) God also reigned in the life of the Lord Jesus because He always surrendered to Him completely. The Lord Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19)

The Lord Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) In the realm of death, the devil reigns as the thief, the murderer and the destroyer. He steals, kills and destroy. On the other hand, in the realm of life God reigns as the Giver of life. He gives life and life more abundantly.

The devil always tries to steal what God has given, to kill what God has made alive and to destroy what God has build. Therefore, we always need to be watchful. The apostle Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) God, on the other hand, always wants to give back what the devil has stolen, to give life to what the devil has killed and to rebuild what the devil has destroyed.

Scripture : John 10:10

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

The Devil’s Purpose vs The Lord’s Purpose

There are two different persons who take interest in our lives, the devil and the Lord Jesus. These persons have their own purposes respectively. The devil, whom the Lord calls a thief, comes to steal and to kill and to destroy, whereas the Lord Jesus comes that we may have life and this life is not just ordinary life, but abundant life. The devil wants to take this life and everything that we have received or may receive from the Lord.

The Devil Comes to Steal, to Kill and to Destroy The Word

“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:3-8)

“The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;  and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,  and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:14-20)

The Lord Jesus calls the devil a thief not by accident. It describes his personality. He likes to steal, to take away what does not belong to him. What does he like steal from our lives? Many things, such as the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, the material blessings, etc. But, one thing he goes after the most because it is the most precious thing, that is, the Word of God. Described in the parable of the sower as the birds of the air that come and devour the seed which is sown, the devil comes immediately and takes away the word that is sown in our hearts (Mark 4:4,15). The devil is always going to try to steal the word of God every time it is sown. But if he fails to do so, he is going to use his second strategy, which is direct attack of the sown word, using tribulation, persecution or temptation (Mark 4:17, Luk 8:13). This attack is his attempt to kill the word. Like a thief who fails to steal without violence, he would turn into rage like a roaring lion to kill (1 Pet 5:8). Still, if he doesn’t succeed in killing the word of God in our lives, the devil will use his ultimate and most successful strategy. Many people have become its casualties. This strategy seems harmless at the beginning, but it is destructive and deadly at the end. What is this strategy? He sows his own seed into our hearts in the form of cares, riches and pleasures of this life. These are legitimate things, but when they occupy our lives, they will destroy and choke the word in our hearts (Mark 4:19, Luke 8:14).

Abundant Life Is in The Word

The key to the abundant life that the Lord Jesus promised is the word of God. As we receive His word into our hearts, that word will multiply thirty fold, sixty fold and a hundred fold (Mrk 4:20). This multiple fold is the abundant life. But, for us to experience this, we must be able to stand against the devil who always walks about trying to steal, to kill and to destroy the word in our lives.

Scriptures : Matthew 8:23-24

“Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.”

“Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Mat 8:25-26)

“But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.” (Mat 14:24-25)

From the passages above, the Lord Jesus showed His glory as the Son of God in three ways :

1. He could sleep in the midst of a great tempest and waves. He is the Prince of peace.

2. He rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. He is the Ruler of nature.

3. He walked on the raging sea. He is More than a conqueror. 

Can we sleep in a boat in the midst of a great tempest and the boat is covered with the waves of the sea? I think none of us can. But Jesus could. Why? Not because He is God, but because as a Man He has become the Prince of Peace. He has learned to always have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding rule in His heart. Likewise, as a son of God, everyone of us must learn to become a prince of peace. Everyone of us must learn to have the peace that surpasses understanding rule in our heart when we are in the midst of a great tempest in our lives.

The people who do not know God will only feel peaceful when the situation around them is peaceful. And they will lose their peace when the situation around them is not peaceful. But, the people who know God should know how to have peace even when the situation around them is not peaceful. How? By not focusing the mind on the situation, but on the Lord Jesus, the Prince of peace. Prophet Isaiah wrote, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isa 26:3)

When the situation around you is not peaceful but you have peace in your heart, then you have the power to change the situation around you. You do not need to change the situation around you so that you can have peace in your heart, but you may need  to do it so that people around you can have peace in their hearts. Jesus rebuked the great tempest and the wave of the sea when He was in the boat, not for His own sake but for His disciples’ sake. He was in peace, but His disciples were fearful. So, He calmed the tempest and the sea for them.

Many believers try to calm the unpeaceful situation around them, but they fail. Why? Because they are not peaceful in their hearts. It is not possible to calm the situation around us if we cannot be calm in the midst of unpeaceful situation. We must have peace in our hearts first before we can bring peace to the situation around us. Jesus had been sleeping peacefully in the midst of the great tempest and wave of the sea before He calmed the tempest and the wave.

What God really wants from us as believers in Him is not just to stay calm in the midst of a great tempest or to calm great waves of the sea but to walk on a raging sea in the midst of a great tempest. Yes, we need to stay calm in the midst of unpeaceful situation around us. Yes, many times we also need to calm the unpeaceful situation around us for the sake of others. But, ultimately we need to be more than a conqueror in the midst of unpeaceful situation. We need to be able to demonstrate the glory of the supernatural realm in our lives, like Jesus walking on the water of a raging sea.

We are in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic. The first thing that we need to have in the midst of this covid-19 outbreak is peace in our hearts even though the situation around us brings fear. The next thing that we need to do is bring peace to the people around us who are fearful because of the covid-19 outbreak. But ultimately, we must be able to be with the people who are infected by covid-19 without being infected. Instead, we must be able to heal them supernaturally by the power of God.

When we can be calm in the midst of unpeaceful situation, it shows that the glory of God is in us. When we can calm the unpeaceful situation around us, it shows that the glory of God is around us. When we can do the impossible thing in the midst of unpeaceful situation, it shows that we are more than conquerors and the glory of God is full in our lives. The apostle Paul wrote, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor 3:18)

Scriptures: Matthew 7: 7-8

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

How can we pray effectively? How can we pray that will bring answer from God? We must pray according to the principles laid out by God Himself in the Holy Scripture. These principles do not concern about outward things, such as where and when we should pray or what we should say in our prayers, etc, but  about inward things, such as the state or attitude of our heart when we pray.

One of the most important principles of prayer is ask, seek and knock.  This principle was declared by the Lord Jesus Himself when He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Asking, seeking and knocking are three different states or attitudes of the heart that we must have when we pray to God.

1. Ask.

Asking implies dependence. Like little children who depends on their parents for everything, we depend on God for everything. When we ask something from God, it means we acknowledge that we cannot get it by ourselves and only God can give it to us.

2. Seeking.

Seeking implies desire. When little children ask for something they really want, they ask with a strong desire. Likewise, when we ask something from God, we should not just ask, but we should ask it with a strong desire.

3. Knocking.

Knocking implies perseverance. When we knock on the heaven’s door, we will not stop until it is open for us. We will keep on asking until we receive what we ask for.

In applying this principle of asking, seeking and knocking, we must not do it to force our will to God it is not as a form, but rather as a response to the generous and loving heart of God. The Lord Jesus said, “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)

This principle of asking, seeking and knocking principle will be even more powerful if we apply it according to the will of God. We do not pray for our will but for the will of God to be done in us. If we pray according to the will of God, we will have an assurance in our heart that we have received what we have prayed for before we actually receive it (1 John 5: 14-15)

There is power in the blood of Jesus and there is power in the name of Jesus in our warfare against the devil. It is written, “And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb,” (Rev 12:11) and, “In My name they will cast out demons;” (Mark 16:17) The question is when do we use the blood of Jesus and when do we use the name of Jesus against the devil? Does the blood of Jesus and the name of Jesus have the same power over the devil that we can use either of them?

The blood of Jesus is the blood of redemption. We were the slaves of the devil. But by the blood of Jesus we were redeemed and set free from that enslavement. The apostle Peter wrote, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Pet 1:18-19) So, whenever we want to remind the devil that we are no longer his slave, that he cannot own our lives anymore, we use the blood of Jesus.

It is written, “For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.” (Exo 12:23) When the destroyer passed through the houses in the land of Egypt to strike every firstborn there, the Lord would not allow him to come to the houses of the children of Israel where the blood of the lamb was put on the lintel and on the two doorposts. The blood of the lamb is their protection from the destroyer. Likewise, the blood of Jesus is our protection from the devil who comes only to steal, to kill and destroy (John 10:10).

The name of Jesus is the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus everyone will be subjected, every knee will bow. The apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,” (Phi 2:9-10) So whenever we want to make the devil be subjected to us, we use the name of Jesus. The seventy disciples who were sent by the Lord Jesus to preach the kingdom of God returned to Him with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” (Luk 10:17)

It is written, “And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My- Banner;  for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (Exo 17:15-16) Moses built an altar, calling its name Jehovah Nissi (The Lord is My Banner of Victory), because the Lord had sworn that He would make war with Amalek from generation to generation until the remembrance of Amalek is utterly blot out from under the heaven. In like manner, God has sworn that He will make war with the devil and his demons from generation to generation until their remembrance  is utterly blot out from under the heaven and has given us the name of Jesus as a surety of victory over them.

The Lord Jesus said that one of the signs of those who believe in Him is they will cast out demons in His name (Mark 16:17). Casting out demons means commanding the demons to go out or go away. And, to cast out demons we use the name of Jesus because the name of Jesus carries God’s authority in heaven and on earth over all the demonic power. Demons are afraid in terror and are subject to that name.

What is the difference between the blood of Jesus and the name of Jesus as the weapon of warfare against the devil? The blood of Jesus is like the shield and the name of Jesus is like the sword. The shield is the weapon of defense or protection whereas the sword is the weapon of offense or attack. We use the blood of Jesus to protect us from the devil and we use the name of Jesus to resist the devil so that he will flee from us or to destroy his works.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Eph 6:11) If we want to fully overcome the devil we must use both the blood of Jesus and the name of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is our shield so that the devil cannot hurt us by his weapons and the name of Jesus is our sword so that the devil cannot get close to us. Every time we use the blood of Jesus we are fully covered and protected from the devil. Every time we use the name of Jesus we hurt the devil and make him flee from us.

How do we use the blood of Jesus and the name of Jesus as the weapons of our warfare against the devil? By the spirit of faith. The apostle Paul wrote, “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.” (2 Cor 4:13) We proclaim the blood of Jesus over our lives to the devil and we rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus. We do not always have to speak with our mouth to use the blood of Jesus against the devil. Simply believing in our heart is often enough. However, we must always speak with our mouth to use the name of Jesus against the devil.

Scriptures : Luke 9:51-56

” Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them. ” And they went to another village. ”                   

On one occasion, the Lord Jesus and His disciples went and entered a village of the Samaritans on their way to Jerusalem. But the people of the village did not receive them because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. Two of His disciples, James and John saw this and felt offended. They reacted and asked the Lord if He wanted them to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them. But He turned and rebuked them. Instead of reacting like His disciples, the Lord Jesus responded that He did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them. In this story, we see that when bad things happen to people, they can either react or respond. The Lord Jesus and His disciples were rejected. The disciples reacted, whereas the Lord responded.

What is really the difference between a reaction and a response? Both a reaction and a response are a course of action taken by us because something happens to us first, especially something bad or negative. Now, the difference is a reaction comes from an unprepared disposition, thus it is always uncontrolled; whereas a response comes from a prepared disposition, thus it is always controlled. Like when we are given a certain medication, it is expected that our body will give a certain response, not a certain reaction because that would be negative. When the body reacts, we know that it is not prepared for that particular medication.

The disciples felt offended by the rejection from the people in the Samaritan village because they were not prepared for that. They could not believe there were people who would reject their Lord. They reacted angrily because they did not understand the purpose of His coming into this world. The Lord Jesus, on the other hand, knew that people would reject him. But, since He understood the purpose of His coming into the world, He responded calmly.

We have seen that whether we are going to react or respond when we experience a negative situation depends on whether we have an unprepared or prepared disposition. Now, our disposition is the product of our mindset. If we have the right mindset for any given situation, we will never react. Instead, we will always respond. The right mindset is the mindset which comes from the Word of God because it is the mindset of God. This mindset will allow us to respond to a situation the way God wants us to respond.

The word of God gives us the right mindset for any situation that we face or experience. For example, when we are going through a situation that we do not understand, if we have the mindset of Rom 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”, we can still be calm because we believe that all things work together for good to us who love God who are the called according to His purpose. Another example is when we have the mindset of Jms 1:2-4, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”, we will rejoice instead of despairing when we fall into various trials and temptations.

God will always prepare us before we are about to experience adverse circumstances or difficult situations. He will give us His mindset to help us to respond rightly when bad things happen to us. He will do it either through the Word of God we receive directly from God ourselves or indirectly through others. The Holy Spirit always prepared the apostle Paul by testifying in every city that chains and tribulation awaited him (Acts 20:23). On one occasion, God used a certain prophet named Agabus to reveal to Paul as he was on his way to Jerusalem that the Jews there would bind him and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles (Acts 21:11). When the people who were with Paul heard these things, they reacted and pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:12). However, Paul had his mindset already prepared. For him, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phi 1:21). Thus, he responded that he was ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 21:13).

God wants us to learn to respond and not to react when bad things happen to us. Now, what must we do if in any situation of our life, we have already reacted instead of responding? The answer is we must reset our mindset according to the Word of God. Reset here means repentance (from reacting) followed by the renewal of the mind (to have a new mindset so that we can respond correctly). As we stop reacting and begin to respond to the situation correctly, the Lord will make all things work together for our good (Rom 8:28).