December (part 1 of 2)
December 1
"... prove me now" (Mal. 3:10).
"Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year" (Deut. 14:22). Many believers fail to give their tithes to God joyfully and regularly. In the beginning when their income is less they give their tithe regularly. But when their income increases, they find it difficult to give their tithes. Many believers misuse their tithes. Some think they can spend that money to poor relations; or beggars or wandering preachers or a charity. Tithes are meant for God, and God's House. By giving our tithe to God's House we acknowledge that all what we have and all what we are, is from God. Abraham gave tithe to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20), to acknowledge that by God's strength and help he could rescue Lot and defeat the kings. Your tithes must be brought to God's House. You have no right over it. If you want to help your poor relations or neighbours, do so from the remaining portion of your income.
In the beginning I myself never knew how to give tithe. At that time I had no money. I was having my training without any payment. If someone gave a small gift I spent it on myself. For more than one year I did not give tithe. I remained in poverty; no money for many days. I had to walk many miles almost every day as I had no money for bus fare. If someone felt sorry for me and gave me a small gift I thought, "It is not much, it is meant only for my need", With that understanding I never gave any tithe. Then the Lord rebuked me saying, "You are a robber. Even though the amount is small you are robbing Me". Then a thought came to me; "If I can manage with Rs. 10, I can manage with Rs. 9. Why rob God of one rupee?" So I decided to give tithe. I began with giving God one tenth, then two tenths, then half, then three fourths, then everything I received. I said, "Lord, all that I have is Yours. I won't touch a single paisa without your permission". It is from that day, He began to give abundantly and gave me a privilege of helping many people. He went on multiplying and multiplying. Now I do not even know what it is to be in want. All these past years, the Lord has been supplying in abundance every need in God's work of any kind. He met all my needs, when I learned to give Him joyfully.
Do not be a robber. Give God your tithe. That is God's portion. Thank Him for the strength, health and wisdom He gave you to earn something. And whatever He gives be content. Do not be greedy and covetous. Do not beg, do not borrow, not even from your father-in-law or mother-in-law. That is God's Word in Rom. 13:8. "Owe no man anything." You may be a preacher or anyone else. It does not matter. Whatever your need may be, never borrow. If you want to testify before other people that the Lord is your helper then do not borrow. (Read Heb. 13:5,6). If you do borrow then you say, "My father-in-law is my helper, my mother-in-law is my helper, my neighbours and friends are my helpers." It is by contentment and by refusing to borrow anything that you can be a witness. Please do not borrow from any man. Give God's portion joyfully to God's House and He will abundantly reward you and bless you.
December 2
"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).
There were 250 princes who rebelled against Moses and Aaron the chosen servants of God. God was speaking and working through them, that is why, those princes became very jealous. Jealousy is a very terrible thing, and brings weakness and loss in many lives. Jealousy brings hatred, anger of all kinds, suspicion, murder and strife, and separation between friends and relations. We have seen how young children become jealous when they see their mothers showing love to some other child. You may also have seen jealousy between husband and wife, for jealousy brings constant strife and quarrels between husbands and wives. Even the bald-headed, grey-haired husbands are jealous of their wives; that is why we find in many houses constant strife and quarrelling. In the same way when a third person come between two friends there is jealousy. Many preachers have lost their ministry and power through jealousy, and many God's servants have lost much privilege because of jealousy. Because of jealousy, some tell lies, or make false and hurtful statements. If you want to be used of God, if you want your life to be like a rod blossoming and fruitful, be prepared to meet jealousy. We give you this warning from God's Word. You have received God's Word and no doubt you have found a heavenly joy in God's work. God's power will work through you in your home, streets, neighbourhood and country. People will see that God is using you for the saving of souls, and for helping others and they will begin to say, "He is not the only man whom God can use or who is being used of God. We are as good as he, in fact we are better than he. We know more of the Bible than he does, yet look at that man. He says he knows God, and that he is a God's servant. We can do much more than he can." Then they will begin to say things against you and spread stories. Even your brothers and sisters will begin to say things against you. If God has begun to work through you then surely ungodly and worldly men will begin to work against you. In Num 17:8, we see how the rod bearing the name of Aaron budded, blossomed and brought forth fruit, but the other rods remained as they were. That is how God proved His servants. We too, may be called by any name, and have any amount of Bible knowledge, we may be baptized anywhere by anybody, but all these things are not going to prove that we have been chosen by God. It is only by fruitful life and ministry that the murmuring and hatred of people can be stopped.
December 3
"..thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me" (Psa.119:75).
God wanted a man after His own heart, a man to whom He could reveal His heavenly plan concerning the Temple. He desired a man willing to be governed by Him, who would thus be able to gather the true material for the Temple. So David was chosen and the Lord took him through many sad and painful experiences. As believers, we often go through trials and afflictions which are beyond our comprehension. In our early Christian life our concern is to live a good life in the eyes of men, and to expect God to bless and help us according to all our personal needs, without any thought of our taking part in church meetings and activities. Very few believers know the real purpose for which God has called and saved them by grace which is in Christ Jesus.
Only after David had gone through many sufferings and afflictions did he realize that the Lord was preparing him for something far more wonderful and important than he had ever imagined. That is why he said in his testimony, "LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions" (Psa. 132:1). He was not praying to God for sympathy, neither was he asking God to lessen his afflictions, but he earnestly desired to know and to understand the purpose that God had for his life.
Job also could not understand why God was taking him through such painful trials. Only when God came and spoke to him face to face did he realize that God was preparing him for double blessing than what he had before his afflictions. So also David through his sufferings, was being prepared to be God's partner and co-worker, to accomplish His purpose on the earth i.e., when David began to see that God wanted him to build a House for Him, then he vowed to God saying, "I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob" (Psalm 132:4,5). So also the Lord reveals His own purpose for His Church. He has to take His redeemed one through many refining fires, before His work of building them together for an eternal habitation for Himself is completed.
December 4
"For the preaching of the cross is... unto us which are saved... the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18).
God greatly desires to cause all of us to live a victorious life in Christ. He has made every provision for every one of us to live such a life; but this we can do only if we understand our relationship to the Lord, and our union with Him in His death, burial and resurrection: otherwise a triumphant life will not be possible. Therefore it is necessary for us to make sure by every possible means that we are united with the Lord Jesus Christ in this threefold manner. Baptism is a symbolic expression of our spiritual union with our Lord; and that is why the testimony of Baptism is very important.
With all the advantages at their disposal the believers at Corinth should have grown spiritually and become mature Christians. Instead, they still remained babes, and were not ready to receive the strong meat which Paul, the apostle, wished to give them. So, Paul had to reprove them, "You are still babes, and can digest only milk." Something had gone wrong with their spiritual growth. Though God's Word had once come to them with power, now they were not in a position to understand it. There was strife amongst them both about spiritual, as well as temporal things. There was envy, there were divisions, there was fornication (1 Cor. 3:1; 5:1; 6:1). They began well, but they continued to remain babes spiritually. This is the condition of many believers today. They remain full of shortcomings and failures, spiritually barren, and unable to understand the hidden things in the Word of God. Consequently they are easily deceived by the enemy, and fall into his subtle temptations and wrong teachings. As it was with the Corinthians, so it is with believers today. Lack of proper understanding of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is the cause of spiritual weakness and barren and unfruitful life.
If you want to grow spiritually and be strong, then you too must have a proper understanding of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise, remember, you will remain a spiritual babe, stunted and barren. It does not matter how hard you work, how long you pray, or how much Bible knowledge you have. You may have all these, and yet not be growing spiritually. God's power can be manifested fully only in those who are willing to be fully identified with the cross of the Lord Jesus. The apostle Paul repeats this truth, again and again in different words (1 Cor. 1:18,23,24; Phil.3:10).
December 5
"For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14).
Mordecai, Esther's uncle refused to bow down to Haman: that is why he determined to destroy not only Mordecai but the whole Jewish nation (Esther 3:6). Haman is a type of Satan who is angry with the believers and persecutes those who refuse to bow down to him. Haman was full of wickedness and wanted to kill all the Jews. If his scheme had been successful all the Jews would have be killed in one day. To save His people the Jews, God raised Esther for that period. She never knew why she was brought to such a high position. When the enemy's scheme was known, her uncle said the above words to her (Esther 4:14).
Mordecai speaks of believers who refuse to bow down to antichrist and the false prophet in the end days. In Revelation 13:15 we read that the enemy would raise up an image of the beast and persecute and kill those who refuse to bow down to it. The man child in Rev. 12:5 speaks of those believers who refuse to worship the image. They are the overcomers who will rule with a rode of iron in the millennium (Rev. 2: 26,27). The woman in Rev. 12:1 with a crown of twelve stars wearing the sun and the moon speaks of the Church. Among many names given to the Lord Jesus Christ, one is the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2).
The moon by itself has no light but the light of sun falling on the moon reflects the light. The moon under the feet of the woman speaks of the prophets who receive the message of the Lord and give it to the Church. The twelve stars speak of the twelve apostles. The enemy is ready to devour the man child (Rev. 12: 4). Thus we see that those who want to overcome have to go through all kinds of sufferings and persecutions. But in the end, they will be rewarded and will rule with the Lord Jesus Christ. There is going to be great persecution upon all the believers. These days are not far ahead. In communist countries and even in Roman Catholic countries the enemy is using every possible means to weaken the faith of believers, to persecute them and to destroy them.
Esther did not know that the Jews were in great danger. We also do not know that many Christians are in danger. Because things are going on secretly, we do not know the danger coming upon all the believers of the world. When Esther realized the danger she prayed to God. Because of her intercession the Lord delivered all the Jews. On account of one person's intercession, God gave great deliverance. Even though we are few in number through our prayers the Lord will deliver many believers from persecution and all trials.
December 6
"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth" (Romans 8:33).
In John 15:18 the Lord said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you". Do not say that you are the only one who is reproached. If reproaches should come to us, they come first to the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever people speak about us, they speak about the Lord also (John 15:19-25). "... mine enemies ...hate me without a cause". This prophecy is given in Psa. 35:19. If we obey the Lord Jesus Christ, and identify ourselves with Him, we also will be hated, despised and persecuted without a cause. Our Lord Jesus Christ became our Saviour in order to forgive us of our sins to save us, change us and purify us. That is why He allowed people to curse Him and spit upon Him. If I want others to be saved through me, I must be reproached and despised. The more we are despised and reproached the more the Lord Jesus Christ will use us.
When we know God is with us, then let men do what they like. We know that the Lord will take up our cause, because He is with us. If we are sure that God is with us, then there is no need to take any notice of what people may say against us (Rom. 8:31-39). "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (v.31). That is the main thing to remember. He is called Jesus, because He is our Saviour, Christ because He is the king and Emmanuel because He is with us. If you have that assurance in your heart that the Lord is with you, then let men say what they like. They may reproach us or hate us or persecute us. Let them do what they like. Satan will use that weapon again and again. Many believers lose their peace because of reproaches. They feel so troubled. Simple reproaches also they cannot bear. They lose their sleep and appetite. In different ways the enemy makes them lose their peace and joy. Imagine the reproach that Mary and Joseph had to bear from the beginning. If you want to enjoy your salvation, be prepared for reproaches. They must come. The more you rejoice in reproaches the stronger you will become. Do not let reproaches of any kind rob you of your joy. That is Satan's strong weapon to weaken many believers. We know the Lord is with us. He has promised saying, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD" (Isa.54:17).
December 7
"...the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him" (Deut. 32:12).
In Deut. 32:7-14 God was reminding the children of Israel through Moses that as He had blessed them in the past as long as there were no strange gods among them, so also He would do in the future. God wanted them to remember this as they were about to enter the land of promise. It is very easy for us to forget the blessings we have received in the past and to miss the purpose for which we have been saved by God's grace. But it is good for us to think more and more of the grand and lofty purpose for which we have been sought and saved by Him.
It was a constant failure among the children of Israel to forget God and His love and His purpose for them. They thought of Him only when they were in some need, some trouble or distress. But soon after their prayers were answered and their requests granted, they forgot the living and true God once again and went after strange gods. We also may have the same weakness. After we have tasted and enjoyed the love and faithfulness of God, if any object or person or desire or association lessens our love for God and weakens our faith in Him, then that becomes a strange god in our life.
God had blessed Jacob, but he could not go on further with the Lord after that, because there were strange gods in his household (Gen. 35:2,4). God had much greater blessings to give him, much more than could have ever imagined; but he was not in a position to receive them. Even though we have received many blessings already there are many more which we have yet to receive from our loving Saviour, but He will not be able to give them to us as long as there are strange gods in our lives.
When God met Jacob at Penuel, He changed his name from Jacob to Israel which means, "A prince with God". God had much more than all this to give to Jacob in order to bring him to Bethel, the proper place where He could meet Jacob and bless him. In Shechem Jacob had become very prosperous and had no lack of material things. Yet in God's sight he was very poor spiritually, so He commanded Jacob to leave that place and go to Bethel. Spiritually, he was far away from Bethel. As Bethel was the place which God had appointed to bless him fully, Jacob could not receive the blessings until he came back to Bethel.
December 8
"...For Christ is the end of the law" (Romans 10:4).
God gave the Law to Moses for several reasons. First, it was given so that people might understand God's definition of sin. We read in Rom. 3:20, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
Secondly, the Law was given to us to understand God's holiness. "Now we know that what things sover the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Rom. 3:19). The Law was there, and they knew right from wrong, but when they tried not to commit sin, they failed and had to admit that not a single person had the strength or human energy to obey and fulfil what God said, and thus the whole world became guilty, and every mouth was stopped before God.
Moses went on the Mount and a great fire from heaven came on the Mount: there was an earthquake and nobody dared to go near. When they saw the fire, they trembled and said, "God is Holy, He is a consuming fire." If they dared to go near where God was speaking they would have been consumed and reduced to ashes. If that fire was so holy that nobody dared to go near it, how dare you come near the fire of God? That was a glimpse of God's holiness and God says, "Compare yourself with that sight, look at your hands and feet and say if you are holy, and then come near my fire." Nobody was allowed to go up the mount except Moses. Thus the mouth of every man was stopped.
Thirdly, the Law was given to help us to know how terrible sin is. "Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful" (Rom. 7:13). The Law was given to make sin still more sinful. In other words, to help us understand how dangerous, destructive and horrible sin is.
We think so lightly of sin and say, "Oh, it is only a thought, only a desire, only a feeling, only friendship, only affection, only a little association, not much. " But the Lord tells us how dangerous a small thought is. How much destruction has been brought into homes and lives by one thought! How much unhappiness by one feeling! How much darkness by one blind step! The Law was given for that purpose to make sin look exceeding sinful.
Fourthly, the Law was given to bring us to Christ as was read in Gal. 3:24. "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." There is no salvation in the Law i.e. all the sacrifices offered, circumcision and commandments, prepared and trained the people like a schoolmaster for the Lord Jesus Christ, and when He came, there was no longer any need for the schoolmaster. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom. 10:4). Christ is THE END OF THE LAW. How clear God's Word is, that when the Lord Jesus Christ came, He put an end to Law. Now we are no long under circumcision, Sabbath or sacrifices, we have come under Grace. It is not by doing something that we become righteous, but by believing. The Seventh Day Adventists who say that you should observe the Ten Commandments and keep the Sabbath come under God's judgment for changing the Word of God.
December 9
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things" (Rev. 21:7).
The Book of Revelation is a book that we should read again and again upon our knees. Then and then alone we shall be able to get the right word or message from this book. Its main purpose is to teach us how to live an overcoming life, and thus be qualified to inherit all things of the new creation. Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is being prepared for a great, rich, heavenly and spiritual inheritance, "an inheritance incorruptible...reserved in heaven" (1 Peter 1:4).
To begin with, we require a strong, active, living faith. "This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith." God has to use many means to put into us such a strong active faith. So for such a tried faith, we must be willing to go through many refining fires.
May be during these days, the Lord is taking some of you through refining fire. Don't think God is punishing you. If you are truly born again, God's Word says you are free from every condemnation (Rom. 8:1). You may say, "Lord, why did it happen in my case or my family? Or in my country?" None of us can understand everything upon the earth. Many unexpected things can take place in our lives. Our friends may fail us, our parents may fail us, our plans may be broken, our health can fail, and we may find ourselves alone for a period, without a single person to sympathise with us. Even though may have been blessed through our ministry, yet they may also turn away. Such things are bound to discourage us.
At such a time we require a new glimpse of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, for our individual life, our family life and our church life. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave John the apostle a fresh vision of Himself. He Himself became his wisdom in his old age. No angel came to take him out of the jail. In the case of Peter, the angel came. In the case of Paul the earthquake came and shook the jail. But John was a prisoner in his old age, in a very lonely place, hearing that many have lost their lives, that many have gone astray like Demas; and naturally all this sad news would make him sad and discouraged. But the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to John the apostle to answer his questions and to let him know the secret of God's purposes. We are living in the end days, and must be prepared for the signs of the end days. Don't be surprised. These things must happen. Be ready and be prepared to face them.
December 10
"...thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself..." (Deut. 14:2).
God's fulness is to be revealed finally through His Church (Eph. 1:23). It cannot be revealed through angels or other heavenly beings. Similarly God's manifold wisdom, God's glory, God's power, God's life, God's grace and purpose are revealed through His Church. That is why the Church is so precious unto Him. He wants us to be a part of the Church and He uses every possible means to make us a part of the Church. This preciousness is symbolized by the twelve stones on the breastplate, which were engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel in their marching order. This order had also to be maintained whenever they went on their journey from Egypt to Canaan. This was the order: the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun had to camp on the east side; Reuben, Simeon and Gad on the south; Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin on the west; Dan, Asher and Naphtali on the north (Num.2). This order was never to be changed and it revealed the order of 12 spiritual experiences necessary for us if we are to be very near to the heart of God. You may remember that the names on the onyx stones were in the order of their birth (Exo. 28:9,10). Now for their marching and camping God had changed the natural order. He was showing that He was not governed by any human qualifications. Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart (1 Sam.16:7). Jesse brought all his sons one after another to Samuel, and the Lord said that they were not His choice. When finally David came before Samuel, the Lord asked Samuel to anoint David. Thus you may be deceived by outward appearances. You may also deceive others by your words, by your face and appearance. Others may admire you and say, "What a fine Christian! What a kind man! How devoted he is!" But in your house you are a different person, full of temper and wickedness.
God was saying that we should come into His divine order and into His heavenly plan to become precious. As we are inwardly transformed and willing to be in His heavenly plan, we are brought near to His heart. God was saying in a simple way, "You are very precious unto Me and I want you to be near to My heart that I may love you freely and love you for eternity and pour into you My fulness."
December 11
"...make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee..." (Hebrews 8:5).
After Nehemiah had come to Jerusalem and seen the condition of the broken wall and the burnt gates of the city he went and told the other people also about it and got ready for rebuilding. Nehemiah knew that it was God Who sent him there and that He would open the way for His work. Hence he had faith that God would help him without fail. He went ahead without any hesitation and divided the work among the people in such a way that all could take part in the difficult task. When we see the barren condition of the people today and begin to consider how we can make the condition of the people better, it may appear altogether impossible. So, many people who are discouraged say, "We should not be bothered about the condition of the people. After all we are not living in the days of the apostles." Others think that they should work according to the times. But God is not happy about such a condition of His people. If you are willing to obey and follow Him, He will give you extra strength and grace. We should not forget that with all our human limitations and handicaps God can wonderfully use us if we are willing to trust and obey Him.
Nehemiah divided the whole wall into different sections according to divine order. No one complained or refused that he should be given a particular corner or portion of the wall according to his liking. Some people like to select work according to their fancy and say that they can do only some particular job and not other jobs. For instance during the Holy Convocations some people say that they can only wash vessels and cannot do other jobs. We find even among God's servants many who want to serve God according to their own liking and thus refuse to fit into God's plan and order. Nehemiah divided the whole work according to God's guidance among the people whether they were rich or poor, young or old. He did not pay attention to any consideration except God's guidance. We know that God's order and plan are always the best. If there are any difficulties He Himself will give us the strength to overcome them; if there are any obstacles He Himself will remove them and if there are any impossibilities He Himself will make them into possibilities. If there are any needs He Himself will supply them.
December 12
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world... I am the way, the truth, the life..." (John 8:12; 14:6).
Just as the high priest had two stones, Urim and Thummim, to find God's will, there are two stones possessed by the Lord Jesus Christ also (Psalm 43:3-5). The Lord Jesus Christ is our life, our light and our truth (John 8:12;14:6). When He comes into us as our Saviour He becomes The TRUTH and the living WORD. That is why, at our new birth we have unusual hunger for God's Word. Though we read it daily, we never get tired of it. Before our conversion we loved to read magazines, novels and worldly books. Now we want the Word of God in the morning, at midday and in the evening. Unless we have the living Saviour in us we cannot enjoy God's Word. Holiness becomes real to us after we experience the Lord Jesus Christ. God's plan and will are revealed to us day by day, by reading the Word of God slowly, systematically and prayerfully. The Lord Jesus Christ is our life. We say by faith, "Lord Jesus, open my eyes, give me Thy divine life and let me see things more clearly." With the help of His divine life and the Word of God we are able to find God's will even for small things. That is the greatest privilege of a believer; knowing and doing God's will.
The whole life of the Lord Jesus Christ was lived in doing God's will (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). If we want to enjoy His love and affection and come near His heart, then we must learn to know and do His will. It is only by doing God's will we can enjoy His presence. Just as the high priest carried these stones, Urim and Thummim, and could find God's will for individuals, for families and for the whole nation, now we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Urim and Thummim. The Lord Jesus Christ Who has come into our heart is our heavenly High Priest, our life and our truth. So by receiving God's Word into our hearts and by receiving divine life by faith. He becomes all in all to us.
December 13
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord" (2 Cor. 6:17).
God had asked Jacob to go to Bethel, saying, "...now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred" (Gen. 31:13). But Jacob was tempted to obey God partially. He yielded, and halted at Shechem. It was here that his daughter Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land and was defiled by Shechem the prince of the country. This was Jacob's fault. We cannot blame Dinah. She was young and inexperienced. Her parents ought to have known better than to behave as they did. Parents are for the most part responsible for the behaviour of their sons and daughters. Very often, they are the very ones who lead their children into sin; they allow young men to stay in their house, quite unmindful of the danger of their own daughters. One day they will have to give an account to God for their folly. If Jacob had proceeded on his journey in obedience to God's command, Dinah would not have been left open to temptation.
Jacob had now to face another temptation as we read in Gen. 34:8,9. Hamor, the father of Shechem, came to Jacob with a proposal for his son Shechem, to marry Dinah. Simeon and Levi intervened and by a subtle trick destroyed the men of the land (Gen. 34:25). Even then, Jacob was not thinking of leaving the place. Perhaps he thought that since the men had been killed it was quite safe for them to continue dwelling there. Again the Lord spoke to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel" (Gen. 35:1). There at Bethel, Jacob could understand the purpose of God. "Bethel" means "The House of God." It is there we can understand the deep purposes of God. Many people do not know this secret. They are content with the blessings of the past. They are deceived by the world and its prosperity and as a result they keep away from the House of God. Unless you take your full share in the House of God in fellowship, worship and in service, you are liable to fall into many dangers. People give different kinds of excuses. Some say they are busy buying lands and buildings houses. Others say they have to look after their children. And when on a rare occasion they get ready to attend some spiritual gatherings they find some worldly friends or relatives coming to visit them, and so they stay behind to entertain them. They say, "We can go to the House of God next Sunday." When next Sunday comes they are hindered in some other way. When parents are so careless regarding their devotion to the Lord and love for His House it is no wonder that their sons and daughters are carried away by the lusts of the world and fall into defilement and sin.
December 14
"Behold, I give unto you power... over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19).
Strong faith is a great spiritual weapon to fight with the enemy. We need strong faith in prayer. Evidently, the devil comes in to weaken our faith as he desired to do with Peter. "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethern" (Luke 22:31,32). The Lord Jesus Christ, knowing beforehand the devil's attack, used a mighty weapon to strengthen the faith of the man of God. If we do not have strong faith, no matter how many words we use in prayer, they are of no use. By weakening our faith the enemy makes our lives barren. That is why we have to pray by faith, "Lord, make my faith strong and active". We must have faith in God, as we read in Mark 11:22. In the margin it says, "Have the faith of God". That means, the Lord Jesus Christ living in us gives us strong faith. Our weak faith becomes strong by the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ coming into us. With such a faith we can rebuke and bind Satan.
Another spiritual weapon is to learn to bind the powers of darkness. When the enemy attacks us we should know his weapon. Otherwise we cannot say whether the attack is from the devil or not. Some attacks are from human beings and some from the devil. We have to have understanding and sense of the enemy's attacks. Then only we can confront him and bind the powers of darkness. That requires faith and oneness. "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18:19). That is a great privilege we as a church have, to bind the powers of darkness. Very few assemblies, God's servants, and believers use it. Some repeat the words like magic. First of all we have to have the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then only we can bind Satan. If we live defeated lives and the enemy has gained some place in our lives, and yet we pray, "Lord, we bind the powers of darkness", it will have no effect. We have to see that the enemy has no place in our life. Only then by one mind we can bind the powers of darkness.
Once some of us went for open air preaching. When we began the ministry, we found that our throats had gone sore. After a few minutes all throats became hoarse. Suddenly it dawned on us that it was the enemy's attack. We came back and spent the whole night in prayer. Next morning all the throats were clear. So we know, there are enemy's attacks which can be bound by faith, oneness and unity.
December 15
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (2 Cor. 6:14).
We read in 2 Kings 8:18 that Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram had married Ahab's daughter. This could not have happened all at once. Ahab was a very subtle man and knew that if he suddenly proposed this match, Jehoshaphat would immediately turn down the proposal. Was not Jehoshaphat a God-fearing man? So, in a clever way, he first made friendly alliance with Jehoshaphat as one king with another. After establishing his friendship, he slowly brought in the marriage proposal. Perhaps Ahab might have been suggested to Jehoshaphat that because he was a God-fearing man, he would be able to convert the girl after she became his daughter-in-law. Somehow Jehoshaphat was persuaded to agree; and his son married Ahab's daughter. What a tragic downfall followed this marriage! After all the love and zeal Jehoshaphat had shown for God and His Word, now this marriage brought about his downfall. Then Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to go with him to battle against Ramoth-Gilead. Notice how cunningly the enemy worked. Ahab did not say abruptly: "Come to my palace in Samaria", or "Come with me to battle in Ramoth-gilead". He planned it all very cunningly in order to bring strong yet subtle pressure upon Jehoshaphat. By this time Jehoshaphat was so tightly caught in Ahab's net that he did not even pay attention to the warning given by the prophet Micaiah (2 Chronicles 18: 8-22).
In Deut. 7:3 and Joshua 23:12, God had given solemn warning against marriages with the heathen. Ahab had married a heathen woman, Jezebel, who was noted for her idolatrous practices. Now his family was no better than a heathen family. In spite of this Jehoshaphat had taken Ahab's daughter, Athaliah, to be his son Jehoram's wife. Thus Jehoshaphat had fallen into Ahab's trap. Now, like a slave, he accompanied Ahab to the battle, in spite of the prophet Micaiah's repeated and emphatic warnings. He was a good king, and a zealous one. But, sad to say, he had fallen low under the influence of Ahab. Through the marriage alliance and through feasts and friendships, the devil had made him weak. Whenever we do anything wrong, even if we do it sincerely or unknowingly, we become weak spiritually.
December 16
"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized" (Acts 22:16).
Baptism is the third fundamental and foundational principle of salvation (Hebrews 6:2). Many believers are ignorant about its necessity and importance. Supposing some vitamins are lacking in our body, we will fall sick. Many people go the hills in South India for summer holidays because it has a good climate. Years ago, it was found that people there were suffering from some skin disease. The reason was not known. The climate was good, there was nice and there was plenty of good food, yet people were falling sick. After much research it was discovered that there was no calcium in the water. When calcium was added to the drinking water, they were healed. Thus we see that a lack of calcium or phosphorous or iron or vitamins brings sickness in the body. Similarly, if we do not obey in the waters of baptism we cannot grow spiritually. Baptism is as important as any other fundamental principle of salvation. The enemy uses many devices to keep believers blind about it. Some believers say that baptism is not necessary; if we are born again that is enough. For nominal Christians baptism is only a ritual, but for believers is it a testimony. It is by baptism that we understand by revelation our union with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.
After my conversion, for two years I never thought of baptism. I read the Bible every day. Sometimes I used to spend a whole day with the Bible, but was not baptized thinking that it was not necessary. One Saturday morning in the month of February 1932 as I was having my quiet time the Lord spoke to me through Matthew 3:13. "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him." The Lord said to me clearly, "Are you in any way better than your Saviour?" I replied, "Lord, I never said so." He said, "Then what about baptism?" I had been thinking that baptism was not very important because I was born again and was giving my testimony everywhere. But the Lord spoke to me very clearly, that He was baptized for my sake, even though there was no need for Him to do so. The very next day I took baptism. That day I myself took the meeting and during the meeting I was baptized. I was filled with great joy when I came out of the water, and from that day onwards the Bible became a new book to me. I enjoyed much liberty in prayer and witnessing. Everything became new to me. I discovered that there are 51 references in the Gospels and the Epistles about baptism. I put them all together and studied them.
December 17
"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!" (Psa. 139:17).
God is love, and He wants to give everything so that we might enjoy and be blessed. Yet we neglect God and grieve Him. Once I came home very late in the night after a Gospel meeting. As soon as I came my mother said, "Have something to eat". I replied, "I do not want any food, I have no appetite. "Then I went to my room and was praying for an hour or so. When I got up from my knees I saw my mother sitting and weeping. I asked her, "What has happened?" she replied, "My son, this morning, I went to the market to buy things for you. I knew what you were fond of in your school days, and I spent many hours preparing food for you. I also have not eaten till now, because I thought we could eat together. Now you say you have no appetite." And she went on weeping, even though I said to her several times, "Mother, forgive me". In the same way, we go on hurting God continually. We do not realize how much He loves us. No man or woman can love us as He does. Yet we despise and neglect His love.
Every human being will change, whether mother, father, brother, sister, children, wife or husband; their love also will change but God's love will never change. Even though by nature we are God's enemies, and go on saying and doing things to grieve Him and wound Him, He goes on loving us and seeking us. Again and again He comes to us and pleads, "My son, my daughter, give me thine heart." Now why is He doing this? It is to make us "One New Man".
We read in 1 Cor. 15:45, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit". Adam was only an earthly, natural man; but the Lord Jesus Christ is spiritual man: He was born of the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, lead by the Spirit, and whatever He said or did was all by the Spirit. Every word that Jesus spoke was filled with power. Even though the first man Adam lived for 930 years, he was still only an earthly man with a body of clay. But the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord from heaven. His body saw no corruption. No bad smell came out of the sepulchre in which His body lay. He came out of it with a glorified body. In 1 Cor. 15 the Lord Jesus Christ is called the last Adam, the quickening Spirit (v.45), the Spiritual Man (v.46), the Second Man, the Lord from heaven (v.47), and the Heavenly Man (v.48). All these names are given to Him to show us the meaning of the wonderful New Man. The Lord has saved us to make us a new creature and members of His Church which is called one New man.
December 18
"...he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him" (Luke 24:30,31).
Our Lord's fourth appearance after His resurrection was to two disciples on their way from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus. They were discussing the strange things that had happened at Jerusalem. They had been told by the women who had been to the sepulchre that they had seen the Lord. The women had been told by the angels that He was risen from the dead. As they were going, the Lord Jesus Christ walked a long distance with the two disciples, expounding to them the Scriptures with great authority, but they could not recognize Him. In the evening when He came to stay with them at their own request, at the meal, according to the Jewish practice, He took bread, gave thanks and broke it. Then they recognized Him in the act of breaking of bread. They remembered what He said at the time of the last supper, "Take eat, this is my body, which is broken for you." Now they understood the significance of His statement that He was going to give His body to be broken, His precious blood to be shed, as atonement for the sins of all people.