FEAR HIS NAME:
Malachi 4:2 “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall”(NIV)
When you fear His name, following are the blessings that we would enjoy, I have split the message under four headings:
A) HEALING
B) YOU SHALL GO OUT WITH JOY
C) LEAP LIKE CALVES
I watched a woman break 100 coconuts in front a temple. I have heard about it in the past but when I witnessed the terrible scene, it was heart breaking. There are others who put a fence around their work spot with good luck idols. It is sad that their wishful thinking would never come to pass. I have also been reading many things that are happening around the world because of the global economic recession. In South Korea alone about 3 lakhs of soothsayers and astrologers have started fresh business and are flourishing because people under depression turn to such people for advice and counseling. Latest article in Indian Express titled “jogging down your past for clues” is very interesting. There is a belief that incidents of previous birth affects the present life. Dr. G.V. Lakshmi who charges a whopping amount of Rs.4,500/- for a half-hour session, helps people to trace their memory to remember about their past life and then gives them counseling. These are certainly disturbing! As I was praying one early morning, God spoke to me through the above scripture. It was the absolute crystal clear voice of the Lord, who said,” those who fear my Name shall be blessed.” Multifold blessings of healing, freedom, leaping, growth and prosperity are given to those who reverence His Name. Amen!
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. “ Friend, where are you running? Consultants, Website, friends, relatives or the bar??? None can help you! Blessings cannot be bought with mantras, we need to turn to the Lord Jesus who is the “Source of our blessings”. We have ignored Him enough! Churches would not be empty, our children would not be flooding the pubs and malls on Sundays, we would not be muttering slogans like, “In ……. we trust”, if we have placed our trust in God ! Got that?
Today I am talking about ‘holy fear’ for the Lord. Anybody listening? It’s a challenge to you and me as we read, “But for ‘you’ who revere my name!” Forget the world, but this is an irrevocable promise by God for those who fear His Name. He says you shall be blessed! Fantastic! These are not electoral promises which would be forgotten after the ballot, never, these are the promises of an unchanging God! Fear of God sheds all other fears in our life! You would never bother about sickness, uncertainty, recession or debts. When the British Reality TV Star Jade Goody died of cervical cancer, on the day she was diagnosed in August 2008 of the disease, Cancer Research UK witnessed ten times the usual number of hits to its website. It has become known as the 'Jade Effect.’ Such is the fear of the world!
I like what Peter says here, he says, “throughout the time that you spend on this earth live with fear for God.” Do we? It is not with fear that He is going to physically hurt us if we miss the mark but we obey Him instead with godly fear. Fear out of love for Him!
In one of the corporate sectors where I worked, once in a month they would go out for a luncheon-get-together. On one particular day, a young married woman told us that she has to get her father’s permission to come out with us. Since she was a married woman, we wondered why she has to seek her father’s approval. We asked her if he would get angry if she goes out for lunch. She said, “not at all, since he makes sudden visits to the office to see me, I don’t want to hurt him but I want to inform and seek his permission before I step out of the office.” I don’t want to hurt my dad! I have noticed her dad come to meet her in the office with her favorite food specially prepared for her and a beautiful rose too. Great love indeed!
That is what it means to walk in godly fear. Friend, our relationship with God should be like this! It means you have such a fellowship with your Heavenly Father that your concern is not what is HE going to do for me, but what am I doing for Him! Got that? I remember a time when my sister had come to Chennai to stay a few days with me. On a Saturday she invited us to go out with her to one of the beech resort. That particular day I had a meeting in the evening where I had to preach the Word. I tried excusing myself but she insisted that I join them and we could return early. But I felt the nudge in my heart to stay back, pray and be in His presence and prepare for the meeting. I stayed back alone at home while the entire family left for beech. I had to obey God! In the evening while I preached the Word, people who heard the message were able to witness the wonderful anointing of the Lord and the presence of God. That’s the reward we receive! My sister enjoyed the presence of the Lord with tears in her eyes. Isn’t this joy worth more than anything that the world can offer?
I know of people who grudgingly read the Bible or reluctantly walk late into the church. They had to be reminded, shouted at and literally dragged into the church. But passion for God should make you run to church much before time. My passion for God was such that on Saturday evening I would get everything ready and prepare myself for church the next day. Since I was a working mother with two small kids slogging the whole week waking up early in the morning, YET I did not mind giving up the early morning sleeping hours for God on Sundays. Such was my passion for Jesus!
Do not look around and fear, draw near to God and rejoice for His mercies are immeasurable and bountiful on those who fear His Name. Jesus loves you and He will take care of you and your family! Stay tuned for the next part of the message tomorrow!
Share this Word with those who are hurt!
A) Healing in His wings:
Malachi 4:2 “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall”
What better time to talk about the sun than now in summer? Gear up for a warm and pleasant message!
Have you dipped your feet and played games in sea water? It’s fine as long as you are in the water, but once you are out of the water, then it is not pleasant because you feel sticky, muddy and messy. Nothing is more inviting than the sun! As you languorously bask under the sun, the mud drops off, the wet feet gets dried and you get reenergized. Such would be the effect when you come to Jesus! Fear cripples you but faith in Jesus gives you hope! Jesus can give financial healing, emotional healing and healing wherever you are hurt. He is the God who healeth you! You need to come to Jesus! There is rest in Jesus, Jesus says, Mathew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Your mind should not be oscillating as to which side to go. Take a bold decision for Jesus and come to this side of the shore. Did you know there is healing in His Word? If not, after you read this testimony, you would know that the Bible is not just a collection of 66 books but they are the Words of the Living Lord! I read the testimony of a man from the book “Positive thinking”. He had a problem and it was diagnosed as osteoma of the jaw, that is bone tumor of the jaw. The doctors told him that is was incurable. Even though he was a Christian, he had scarcely touched the Bible. But one day after the diagnosis, he requested his wife for the Bible and started to read. He started to read for extended periods every day. Slowly he started to notice that the condition which had troubled him was growing less noticeable. Initially he felt he was imagining, then he became convinced that some change was taking place. One day while reading the Bible, he had a curious inward feeling of warmth and great happiness. He could not describe it though, but he knew he was healed. Praise the Lord! The Word of the Lord killed the disease! Osteoma which is the name of the cancer could not stand before the Name of the Lord!
Start reading the Bible as though your whole world depends on it. Do not lethargically scan it or dig just for ‘promise scriptures’, delve deeper into the Word, and give every molecule of your being to it. If today your job looks uncertain, your future looks bleak and murky, do not worry, take the Bible and start reading His Word. He would guide you!
Psalm 107:20 “He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”
B) YOU SHALL GO OUT WITH JOY:
Malachi 4:2 “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall”
We have a deep longing in our hearts for freedom. It is essential to joy. And Jesus promises to give it. Until He comes, we are all trapped. We might party all day and all night; but we will never know the freedom for which we were made – until Jesus sets us free. I am filled with joy as I preach this message and I tell you this is contagious and after you hear it, its going to catch you too! Be ready! Glory to Jesus!
I remember as a school kid watch the Pentecostal Christians walk back from church in the blazing sun, laughing and chatting chirpily all the way. Since they were in white garments, I used to consider them as ‘crazy pentecostals’ though I never knew the joy that they were experiencing in their life until Jesus walked into my life after many, many years. I was living in a closed dark corner bound by religion. I was a dead Christian until Jesus walked in to set me free. Hallelujah!
John 8:12 ”Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
Have you watched the cockroach, it loves to settle in the dark crevices in the buildings. They ransack the place in the dark but shun the light. Likewise, there are many out there who shun Jesus. Why? Because of the darkness in their life! A married man trapped in the arms of his girl friend, will never step into my meeting. People involved in a wild lifestyle would never settle for a peaceful life with Jesus. They love to sit and watch the hero smash the villain with his fragile hands. We live in a fictional universe where people love to float in the dream world and fear to face realities.
People hang on with bated breadth for the weekend and they just crash on the dance floor and call it ‘unwinding’. The world has misled people to find joy outside Jesus. What is paramount in your life today? Your job, family and promotion or your relationship with Jesus? Figure out for yourself? The Indian Badminton player Saina Newal says, “ I was ranked third in the world, now I’m ranked ninth. My game is improving; I’m enjoying myself on court. And the results are there for everybody to see”
We need to instil this principle in our life. Friend, Jesus said, “You would be like a city on a hill”. The results would be there for everybody to see whether you are in or out of the job, that doesn’t matter. While I was working, people in the bank would call me ‘an oasis in the desert’. They found peace on my face that comes from trust in Him.
Folks, are you listening? A powerful and anointed Word of God from an anointed person has left me relaxed, peaceful and refreshed. When would people understand the peace and joy in Jesus?
C) Join the joy club
Malachi 4:2 “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall”
When God sets us free, we will not just walk out but we shall leap like calves. To leap is bouncing in the air with joy! As a child, I remember bouncing in the air like a ball when I am really, really excited. I experienced that joy after I met Jesus in my life! It’s absolutely exhilarating! Come join the club!
Now the image of the young calves leap and run out of the stall is certainly beautiful. Living in an agricultural country like India and having traveled to the innermost parts of the villages, I surely know about this. They have such huge, mischievous and expressive eyes. They are agile and full of life. For a long time, they are kept tied in a dirty, old, smelly dark stall. They get restless in their captivity. But one warm day, the farmer lets them out in the sun. They enjoy the warmth, freedom, clean fresh air. That’s how we would feel when we are set free by the Lord! The feeling is inexpressible and incomprehensible!
I remember walking into an anointed church carrying by infant baby in my arms. The anointing was so powerful that I literally started jumping in my place. I mean it! My husband quickly grabbed the baby from my arms and let me free to enjoy His Presence. I was jumping, crying with both my hands lifted to God, tears of joy and repentance rolling down my cheek. My, that was glorious! I still remember the joy that filled my heart that day which has never left me till date. Even as you read this devotion, this same joy will fill you right now! Every pain of betrayal, every pain of rejection and humiliation be removed in the Name of Jesus. Be released from the spirit of envy, pride, strife, anger and fear. Let the healing power of Jesus flow into your heart right now. Let there be joy!
After a particular operation, I was bedridden for some time and the post operation pain, loneliness, uncertainty and helplessness was frustrating. There was lot of work to be done in the ministry and people around me kept telling me to ‘stay put in the bed’ for few months. I did not want to make a wrong move that would harm my health at the same time, I needed a ‘direct word’ from God. Early one morning, I started wrestling with God in prayer and pleaded Him to reveal His will for my life. Just after that personal prayer, we gathered as a family for our morning prayer, little did I know God was going to speak to me loud and clear. After a couple of worship songs, my husband picked up a devotional book and read a devotion written by an anointed servant of God. The portion of the day talked about the time the servant of God had a paralytic attack and how he was confined to bed for four months. Further, he said, ‘arise, let not the devil confine you to bed, arise in the strength of the Lord and do the work of the Lord. Do let the enemy keep you down.’ I sat listening to the voice of God speak to me with tears in my eyes. I heard the Lord tell me, ‘move forward!’ Oblivious to the physical weakness, I started reading the Bible and preparing sermons and within a couple of days started preaching with power. Amen. God would heal you too and you would go out and leap like calves released from the stall
If you are set free, you would not be sitting and eating popcorns, you would be serving the Lord in whatever way you can. I remember the testimony of an American writer, George Verwer in his book “Come out of the comfortable zone”. He comes to Mumbai a town in India for a missionary trip and after working the whole day they are just washed out and that’s when the leader gives them a call to work during the night to distribute gospel tracts and minister to people on the pavements. George looked at the vast mass of people lying on the pavements, his heart goes out for them and with tears he sacrifices rest and sleep that night to reach out to the pavement dwellers. Do we have this burden today in us? Let us wake up to pray for our fellow brethren around the world who are hurt, fearful and filled with anxiety.
Merlin Carothers describes his first experience of reading the Bible as: “it was even better than jumping off an aeroplane with a parachute.” Come join the club of joy!
When I got free, I went berserk. I went on the highways, I went to the pavements, I went to shopping complexes, bazaars everywhere and shared Jesus. We were out the whole day on sundays and working for God. Some felt it was too much….we went mad for God..
John Flavel said: “The carnal person fears man not God! The strong Christian fears God not man! The weak Christian fears man too much, and God too little.”
