Christian Fellowship of Loyola

09/03/2020

25/02/2020

Abide in Christ!

13/03/2018

Stand Firm, Be Still and our Lord will Show Up

13 Mar 2018

Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

The Lord told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart so he would pursue the Israelites. What then happened to the Israelites in this situation is that they complained and fretted on seeing Pharaoh’s chariots and men draw near. They were sure that their graves would be dug soon and complained saying it would have been better to die in Egypt. Meanwhile, Moses remained quite calm and did not answer their protest. He did not agree that he was the cause of their situation; rather believed that God was in control. He advised them not be afraid, to stand firm and be still. He told them the Lord would save them, fight for them, and remove the Egyptian army; and they didn’t have to do anything for this to happen.

How many times do we go through trials? When was the last time? Do you remember if you complained, you wallowed in self pity, you fought with God saying He makes bad things happen to only you, you let yourself get depressed than remember the countless blessings God gave you, you blamed, cold-shouldered or fought with the people whom you love? Do you believe in God’s love for you; God wants the best for you even if it means to allow bad things happen, to change you, to ready you for His plans for you? Moses had no idea ‘how’ God would help them but he was ‘certain’ that God would definitely help. Moses knew he was in such a bad situation that God had to come through.

It finally boils down to our faith. If we see that our only help is God, we will be more inclined to trust in Him. The problem begins when we look around and take our eyes away from God – our plans, our friend’s advice, our family legacy, our money from the business, etc. Sometimes it is the littlest things we think that we can do in our own strength, that get us down, not the big things that we know only God can do. The Lord asks us to stop in the time of crisis. We may get cast down by despair; we may retreat in fear; we may do something foolish and impulsive in impatience; Stop, why? Because God can work only if we stop and allow Him to. Because only God can handle the crisis and is waiting to see if we see that too. Because the divine glory can shine through for unbelievers to see God’s power and might in these situations. Because only the Lord will fight us in such times. When we stand still and hold our peace, then God can reveal His plan to us. God saves us and destroys our enemies, His enemies. We are expected to do only one thing: stand firm and be still (and know that He is God)!

26/02/2018

Our Covenant-Keeping God

26 Feb 2018

1 Samuel 12:22 – For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.

Israel demanded a King, an earthly ruler from the Lord and indirectly rejected sovereignty of their heavenly King. They were heavily influenced by their surrounding pagan nations. Samuel, the prophet, rebuked Israel for this grave and rebellious sin against the Lord. Now, here’s the beauty of God – In His mercy, He was still prepared to bless His covenant nation, which He had called into existence through Abraham, Isaac and the twelve sons of Jacob. The Lord honoured His promise that He will not abandon His people despite their repeated grievous sins against Him that would dishonour His holy name, for God had chosen to make Israel His own possession. What a wonderful promise was given to that pride and rebellious nation!?!

That precious promise made to Israel is equally effective today. Yes, that same glorious truth of God’s faithfulness to His people can similarly be applied to us – His New Testament covenant people. The many precious promises, spiritual gifts and eternal glories that God has prepared in heaven for those that love Him can never be broken – for to do so would discredit His righteous name and contradict His eternal character.

Let us never forget that though we may prove faithless yet He will remain faithful to His many precious promises. Let us never forget that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Cor 2:9).

Father, thank You that Your love never fails and Your compassion never ceases towards us and praise Your name for the many examples of Your eternal faithfulness to each one of Your children – which is fresh and new every morning, in Jesus name, Amen!

26/02/2018

For the Sake of His Name

26 Feb 2018

1 Samuel 12:22 – For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.

The ancient Israelites gathered at Gilgal for the coronation of Saul as their first king (1 Sam. 11:15). The Lord was not pleased that His people had asked for a king, yet on this occasion Samuel uttered these words: “The Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people” (12:22).

We too are God’s “own special people” if we have trusted Jesus as Savior (1 Peter 2:9). He will not forsake us even though He knows we will fail Him. He knows what we are like—sinful, weak, and frail. He knew it before He called us and drew us to Himself. The certainty of our salvation rests not in ourselves but on the character of God (1 John 5:20). He will keep us to the end.

This does not give us an excuse to continue in sin. Paul said, “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Rom. 6:2). Our choices do reflect on God’s reputation, our witness in the world, and our fellowship with Him. But God will never reject His people, those who are truly His. The Lord cannot and will not forsake His own (Heb. 13:5).

We can rest assured. What God saves, He keeps—for the sake of His great name!

“Able to keep!” how sure is the word!

He is my Keeper, Savior, and Lord.

“Never shall perish,” one of His sheep,

Glory to God! He is able to keep.

Lives rooted in God’s unchanging grace can never be uprooted.

25/02/2018

God’s Little Flock

25 Feb 2018

Luke 12:32 – “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

It’s interesting to read the different terms Jesus used to address His followers. They’ve been called friends, brothers, children, and in today’s verse, little flock. If the Lord is our shepherd, we are in fact His flock. And the adjective ‘little’ makes sense because we do serve a great, big God. The question here is, do we live in the truth that we are in the constant care of our Mighty Good Shepherd?

In the preceding verses, God reminds the people not to worry about their needs. Instead, He encourages them to seek the kingdom of God. Fear gets a tight grip on us when we start seeking other things, rather than Jesus. But if we truly live with the assurance that we are God’s little flock, we will have peace that He will protect us and provide for us.

If you are feeling lost and helpless today, remind yourself that you are God’s little sheep. He cares for you. If you’ve wandered away from the flock, you need to make the decision to come back. The Lord loves you and He’s looking for you. Your place is beside the Shepherd – and that’s the best place you can ever be.

24/02/2018

True Worship

24 Feb 2018

John 4:23 – “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman by the well left her amazed, and transformed her into an evangelist in her town. The words Jesus shared with her thousands of years ago still hold a lot of potential to drastically change our spiritual lives. In those days, the Jews believed that everybody had to worship God only at the temple in Jerusalem. But after Jesus’s resurrection and consequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we’ve each become a temple of God.

While it’s essential to be a part of a local church and fellowship regularly with people who are passionate about God, we must also remember to worship God in the midst of our everyday lives. Jesus said that the Father seeks people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. What would that look like?

The Bible, God’s Word, is the truth. Allow the truths from the Bible to guide your worship. God has graciously given the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Him. When you spend time in prayer and worship, allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Your daily quiet time would be a lot more effective if you seek out Biblical truth and listen to the Holy Spirit. Make a commitment to worship God in spirit and in truth – that is the true worship the Lord seeks.

23/02/2018

Hope in Christ

23 Feb 2018

Psalm 33:18-19 – “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”

In ancient days, the strength of a kingdom was measured by the size of its army. The kings themselves depended heavily on their mighty men and trained horses to win wars and subdue enemies. It was in this context that the Psalmist penned the verses preceding today’s Scripture portion, “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.” (Psalm 33:16-17)

We often look to tangible things for help, support, and deliverance. We look to friends to help us out in a pinch and expect our immediate family to support us. And if for some reason they don’t, we feel disappointed, dejected and hopeless. We are much like the kings who depended on horses, chariots and strongmen.

Today’s verses remind us that when we hope in Christ and revere Him as Lord, He will deliver us. God is a good Father who takes adequate care of His children. He will not let you perish. God will provide what you need and establish you in His love. Where does your hope lie today? In your education, abilities, job, connections, bank balance? Turn to the Lord and put all your hope in Him. He will never put to shame those who wholeheartedly trust in Him.

22/02/2018

Bearing Insult with Grace

22 Feb 2018

1 Peter 4:14 – “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”

Being insulted and hurt isn’t a nice experience. Often, we allow the bitterness and anger against that person fester inside us and hurt us even further. But in today’s verse, Peter encourages us saying that when we are insulted for the name of Christ, we are indeed blessed. When we’re facing trouble because of our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is with us and the glory of God rests on us.

If you’ve been faithful to follow the Lord and work diligently, nothing people say will affect the impression that God has about you. As long as you’re in this world, you will face negative talk and hurtful comments. But by the grace of God, you can learn to brush it aside and focus on the truth God speaks about you through the Bible. Listen to positive criticism, as it will help you learn and grow. But don’t let harsh words and mean talk pull you down.

You are loved by an everlasting God. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He’s watching over you, and He will heal the pain that others have caused in your life. Take a few minutes to meditate on God’s Word today, and let it wash over all your worries and hurts.