SPIRITUAL WEATHER
Matthew 16:3' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”
The Pharisees and Sadducees ( the so called spiritual people) were unable to see Jesus as the Messiah in their midst, they treated Him shabbily and thus missed the wonderful opportunity of salvation and redemption. Thus Jesus out of sheer frustration looked at them and said ‘you cannot discern the signs of the times?”
What is discernment? We should be able to distinguish, identify, recognize the good and the bad. You should be able to see through the veneer, which means, we should be able to "see the inner side which is hidden or covered by its appearance or look. You need to pause and think here…
RED FLAGS: Don’t you think we need this discernment, as we are living in a very crucial period in the history of the world surrounded by wars, threats of nuclear war, financial crisis, famine, violence, uncertainty and much more. When the students studying in the Ukraine University were asked to leave the country due to possibilities of attack by Russia; yet, they carelessly shooed it away and later faced horror. Likewise, all of us, we need to look at the ‘red flags’ in our life, that is ‘SIGNS’ which Jesus mentions in the above scripture and we need to be cautious. If we as Christians, throw caution out of the window then our life would be mayhem. Anybody listening?
HARD-HEARTED PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO SEE SPIRITUAL THINGS: Jesus had already performed hundreds of amazing miracles such as multiplying the bread and fish to feed the multitude, opened blind eyes, healed the lame and drove out many demons from people; however, they asked for more, their hearts remained untouched by this and they did not consider these signs as authoritative and proof enough. After I received my miraculous healing and the birth of my son Joshua, I would enthusiastically go around and narrate the whole episode of healing to each and everyone I meet, during this time, one of my relative, who was an atheist said, “every woman has pregnancy related problems and they get healed, why is Bala creating a big mountain out of this?” I felt sad for that man who did not experience Jesus and was resisting the Truth because he was materialistically very blessed. “…But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”(Proverbs 28:14)
CRY OUT LOUD: An unbelieving heart cannot see or experience the power of God, only when we desire to get beyond the normal and seek God for wisdom and understanding, can He open our spiritual eyes to see His magnificence.
These scriptures from the book of Proverbs kind of created fire in me:Proverbs 2:
3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.
When you don’t care to read even one chapter a day from the Bible and when you carelessly scroll through the pages, then you cannot see beyond the surface, BUT when you CRY for discernment, did you read that? Cry. How many of us cry for wisdom, discernment and knowledge, we cry out loud and pray for frivolous but when your heart is this serious about knowledge then God would open His treasure house and bless you. Amen.
Faith causes our spiritual eyes to see that which is important, to discern the purposes of God. Two women in the Bible, in the midst of pain, chaos, suffering and emptiness were able to discern the ways of God and save their lives.
WIDOW: 2 Kings 4:1 “Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha..” The woman lost her husband, she was in severe debts and the creditor were about to come and take her two sons away, at this point of crisis, she cried out to the right person – prophet Elisha.. Glory to Jesus! You need to have spiritual discernment to call the person with wisdom.
The Shunammite Woman :
2 King 4:8 Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food.
9 She said to her husband, "Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually.
The Shunammite woman was not only wealthy, influential but she had sharp discernment to realize that Elisha was no ordinary man but a holy man of God. Hallelujah! She wisely invested in him, she prepared food for him, prepared a place for him to stay comfortably in her house during ministry and thus God saw all this and opened her barren womb. Glory to Jesus! You need to have this wisdom to see with spiritual eyes and thus be blessed.
Hey friend, look around, there are several anointed men/women of God, not the fake ones that speak lies but the genuine servants of God like Elisha, sow into their lives and watch miracles unfold in your life.
DANIEL:
Daniel 6: 3”Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an excellent spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.”
The heathen king Darius spotted ‘an excellent spirit” in Daniel and the Bible says that the king “thought of setting him over the whole realm.” Why was Daniel promoted and blessed beyond measure? Because of an ‘excellent spirit’ in him. Because of God in him. A person who walks with God has such a spirit. They have a spiritual nature that causes them to be different. In John 15:5 Jesus described it this way, “Abide in Me and I in you, and you will bear much fruit.” If you are meeting alone with God regularly, then He is able to work on your mind and heart in such a way, that it will change you and make you different. Abiding in Jesus by developing a personal relationship with him alone in private WILL change you. Any real inner strength you have, is developed in your quiet time alone with God, where He teaches you and enables you to grow. It is clear that Daniel is such a man. The strength he received to face the lions came from his prayer closet. Are you listening? The Bible says in Daniel 6:23 “ ..So Daniel was taken out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.”
Where did Daniel learn about his great God and His Power? Where did Daniel gain the strength to confront heathen monarch like Nebuchadnezzar? Where did Daniel get the wisdom from? Daniel received all this while ‘he was locked up with God!’
SOLOMON/ DISCERNING MIND:
1 King 3:9”So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil…”
When you so passionately ask for wisdom rather than gold and silver, that would captivate God, He acceded to his request:
God's Answer : 1 King 3:
10 It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice,
12 behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.
13 "I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.
The Queen of Sheba: Now when we read chapter 10, we see Solomon in the peak of his blessings, with God’s favor engulfing him all the areas of his life, so much so, queen of Sheba traveled long distance just to see Solomon’s wisdom. Wow! It was a long trip to Jerusalem of about 1500 miles (2400 km), she did not come for business, trade or for military help but her main purpose was to see the wisdom of Solomon personally. 1 King 10:1” Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.” God watched the queen’s efforts, her passion, her thirst for wisdom, her planning and preparation and therefore she successfully met king Solomon and was able to first hand witness God’s awesomeness through the life of Solomon.
When you look at the end product of whatever was done through a man/woman of God with wisdom, you can transparently see the wisdom of God flowing in and through. Queen of Sheba was awed, she finally said:
1 King 10: 7”…behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.
8 "How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.
9 "Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness."
She directly pointed to the God of Solomon who was behind all this, clap hands for God!
Jesus also in the New Testament mentions about Queen Sheba, He said:
Matthew 12:42 "The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.”
Queen of Sheba did not ask for signs or sit in her country and say, ‘we have people of wisdom too', but she took the journey to travel to Jerusalem to witness the power of God for herself. Are you such a seeker???
I would like to close this sermon with my testimony, I have given my website link towards the end, you can click to read my full testimony given in the front page, you may subscribe for my Daily Delight Devotions, also you can follow me on facebook:
I started seeking for God and His Word ravenously , voraciously like one who was famished for several years, yes, I had been a dead Christian until that point of time, when God entered my life through sickness, pain and dark valley. While in the emergency ward, I started reading the Bible and also taking notes from my hospital bed. This habit continued even after my healing, I would carry two diaries with me along with my big Bible, pens, pencils and colorful high lighteners, I would carry all this neatly in a bag and it was called the Bible bag in our family, my family noticed my insatiable hunger for God and His Word. They would affectionately tease me for carrying this bag along with me all the time, later my husband got saved, my daughter got saved and then my son Joshua too. There are 4 Bible bags now in our family, filled with the exact items that I carried in my bag, except me, the other 3 of them: my husband, son and daughters are trained pastors now. God’s glory will fill your life too when you seek Him with all your heart!
Website:https://worshipjesusministriestrust.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bala.samson/
