24/03/2020
LOOK AT THE STARS
LWC 22/3/2020
“After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
Genesis 15:1-5 NKJV.
COMMUNION
After these things.... After Abram had engaged in a war to rescue Lot and on His way back he has an encounter with The King of Salem, - “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.”
Genesis 14:18 NKJV
Jesus inaugurated the Lord’s Supper/ New Covenant with bread and wine;
Communion is not a ritual but a declaration of our victory against the enemy is ONLY found in the work done by Jesus Christ, through His death, burial and resurrection.
He set us, who were captive free so that we can reign victorious with Him.
And then for the first time we are introduced to tithing. Abram brings a Tithe to Melchizedek.
TITHE
The tithe is an acknowledgement that all we have and all that we need comes from God and not from man. Because the king of s***m told him to take the goods and give the people to him. Abram says “no if I do that you would say you made me wealthy.”
Don't look to people for provision but to your God and “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 NKJV.
Riches in GLORY; Not from the earth. On this earth we could have shortages but God’ provision never runs out. He can speak that which is not to existence.
Abraham was in a situation. He was old and his wife was past childbearing age. He was discouraged and dejected.
Then God appears to him in a vision and tells Abram, “do not be afraid Abram, I AM your shield and exceedingly great reward.”
Put on at this time the shield of FAITH, that’s what is going to sustain you during this time and remember and do not forget that God’ great reward to you is Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
But Abram said , “what will you give me? Seeing I go childless, have no heir. And worst of all my servants will be my heir.
He was in a no hope situation. To have no children unlike today was a curse-was a shame. You were shun by society not to have an heir in that day in that culture.
LOOK AT THE STARS
God does something very unusual. He tells Abram to go outside and look at the stars and try to count them if he can
And then he says your descendant will be numerous like the stars.
In the light of everything that is going on around us because of the COVID-19
Pandemic
Big gatherings are cancelled,
Streets are empty,
People are financially stressed as they do not know how long they would have their jobs;
Food is scares;
Business are folding up.
A new thing called social distancing has been established. We can see the pattern of the devil- fear, chaos, uncertainty, separation.
No matter how insecure you feel today. Or your head is beginning to swim in confusion. Your heart may go weary and the light around you maybe growing dim.
Here is what I would like you to do.
Wait until the sun sets and go out and look at the sky. Then close your eyes and lookup again and see those stars again.
Rest your eyes on them.
Let their mysterious, glorious gentle light shine upon you
And realise that it is going to be alright.
God’ purpose for you and for the world is so much infinitely bigger than
The confusion, the stress and fear you are experiencing at the moment.
Maybe the whole world is tottering; But learn the lesson which the stars have to teach us.
They have been shinning from millions miles away all these years. Since God spoke them into existence-
As nations crumbled kings and presidents rose to power and then died as wars were waged; And as peace was made.
And as plagues swept across the world and claimed millions of lives.
As economies boom and they went into recession.
Through all of these changes, the same stars have been shinning. Watching from above and giving praise to God, as His great plan to redeem the whole world was incarnated in the Person of Jesus Christ.
And these same stars continue to watch and give glory to God as that same plan continue to unfold more and more.....because they know that -
-God is good and nothing will stop His great plan to replace darkness with light
-coldness with warmth- loneliness with Union.
And nothing will stop or block His love and care for us.
No war, violence, plague, pandemic, demons, darkness, hurricanes, earthquakes, politicians or even death.
For all of these things, their days are numbered—- But God’ love is eternal.
Rom.8:38 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:39 NKJV.
So next time you feel fear rising in your heart—-and are tempted towards anxiety, panic and despair..
Take a deep breath,
step outside
Look up
And let the stars remind you what to do in this dark season
Keep on shinning, doing your work, giving glory to God..... In the good times and the bad; For now is the time today is the day that the world need to know about Jesus Christ the ONLY HOPE the world has and will have
In the darkness and the light
Bearing to the fact that He is good and
That He has got the whole world in His hands. Amen.
