Monday, November 26, 2007

Weakest Link—your body!

“…Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak Matt 26:41 NIV 1984 [italics and emphasis mine]

If you call a seminar on prosperity, the church will be full; call seminar on courtship and marriage the pews will almost be filled...but dare to call seminar on prayers, the turn up—Pastor and his family. On the eforum, no lively contribution is made when we talk about prayers—why is that? We know we ought to pray without ceasing, we know the importance of prayer yet we somehow become aloof when it comes to it.

The disciples in the scripture above went to sleep when Jesus asked them out to pray, they let him down at the time when he needed them most. Our religion has not helped either, it has turned the most beautiful experience into religious ritual—prayer is simply talking to God. It doesn’t have to be in the synagogue, it can be in your bedroom, bathroom, car, office—anywhere. When we pray, we not only communicate our heart to God, but also affirm in our spirit what we believe and ask of Him.

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copyright ©2007 Light to my path by TJM Kyara

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path Ps 119:105 KJV

Monday, November 19, 2007

Can God Forget?

“…Put Me in remembrance [remind Me of your merits]; let us plead and argue together. Set forth your case, that you may be justified (proved right) … ” Isaiah 43:26 AMP 1987 [italics and emphasis mine]

I don’t know about you but for me, the idea of a God who forgets scares my wits out. What if He forgets He created us? What if on judgment day He forgets that He saved me? What if He forgets to uphold the universe and the entire creation plummet into bottomless dark void beneath to posterity forever? This makes me wonder what the above scripture really means.

When the prophet of God told King Hezekiah that he will die, he turned to God and began to remind him (God) of his walk before him [2 Kings 20:1-6] and guess what? God listened (and remembered?) He changed His decision and added unto him 15 years. I believe the scripture above is about prayers/talking to God, bringing to his attention the things that we want to highlight at that moment. This is what James says that “…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results…” [James 5:16b NLT]

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copyright ©2007 Light to my path † † † by TJM Kyara
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” Ps 119:105 KJV

Monday, November 12, 2007

ye have not, for ye ask not!

“…you want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God

James 4:2 NIV [italics and emphasis mine]

I have realized recently that I worry more than pray as pressure from all corner of my life has increased and overwhelmed me over the years. I realized that there are so many things that I have not really ‘asked’ God for them/about them. I once read a banner which said “why worry if you can pray” and I thought mmmh…easier said than done!

James reminds us that, one of the reason we don’t have what we want is simply because we have not asked God for them. “ask, and it shall be given you” [Mat 7:7 KJV]; “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” [John 15:7 KJV]. However, James also cautions us that sometimes even when we pray (ask) we will not receive because we have wrong motives “…even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure…” [James 4:3 NLT]

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copyright ©2007 Light to my path by TJM Kyara

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" Ps 119:105 KJV*

Monday, November 5, 2007

Worship, an art or act?

“…but the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him…” John 4:23 NKJV [italics & emphasis mine]

From ‘American Idol’ to ‘X-factor’ people pay million of dollars/pounds in true worship of their idol. Our ancestors worshipped big trees, mountains and caves, the modern society worship celebrities and wealth. This is the proof of the thesis put forward years ago that “when purpose is not known, abuse will take place” God is the one who created the thirst in our soul to worship, we have abused this creation and turn our affection from creator to creation [createes].

The church is not exempt either, we worship our pastors (bishops), worship leaders, singers e.t.c. but God is looking for people who will worship Him and Him alone. True worship comes from within [heart/soul], it emanates from a deep respect [reverence] for who and what God is…it is an attitude of the heart. Kneeling down, clapping hands, dancing, stoop, crouch e.t.c. is simply an outward expression of worship from inward conviction and it is only meaningful if it expresses the right attitude and heart.

Question: Can an un-believer worship acceptably before God?

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copyright ©2007 Light to my path by TJM Kyara

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” Ps 119:105 KJV

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