God in the wilderness with me!
Numbers 1:1 "And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,"
This is the sermon that I shared in our Shiloh Revival Church, Night prayer on July 28, 2023. It was during this time that a shocking video of sexual assault on two Manipur women sparked national outrage, besides many other heinous brutalities are being committed too in the State. Well, when I sat down to prepare the sermon, God started speaking powerfully and immediately to me, that I first downloaded in my heart and also put it in writing.
The opening verse says, “the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai”! God delivered the Israelites from the hands of Pharoah, revealed His power to them and the enemies, He journeyed with them, taught them to discern the clean and unclean, worship laws in the book of Leviticus and now we arrive at the book of Numbers. God did not leave them midway, He is going with His people step by step, are you listening? He is with them in the wilderness, appointed powerful leaders like Moses and Aaron and was guiding them continually. Glory to God!
Isaiah 58:11And the LORD shall guide thee continually.." After you surrender your life to Christ, it can be through some personal experience or encounter, God does not just leave you there to navigate on your own, He walks you through the complicated labyrinth of life journey.
Illustration: Since personally I was a voracious reader, God sent people miraculously to give me spiritual books that helped me grow, also He helped our family move to a good Church. When we relocated our family and ministry to a new State, Hyderabad - God moved with us too. Hallelujah! He kept a Principal sister ahead of us in Hyderabad who offered her palatial villa for rent, also she offered her School auditorium free of charge to start our weekly prayer meetings, thereby our ministry started here. Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you!
MEETING PLACE WITH GOD/TENT OF MEETING:
Numbers 1:1. The LORD spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt
Even though in the wilderness, ‘meeting place with God’ was fixed right there, where Moses and Aaron would go and enquire of God. Amen. That was the secret of the success! They did not up pack their bags, book the tickets like some Christians and say “Praise the Lord”, that’s pseudo worship and fake Christianity. No….no….the ‘The Tent of Meeting’ should be in our house where we meet God everyday and seek guidance. Hallelujah! It was a place where Moses could go to meet God face to face, we are also told when the meeting took place, it was on “the first day of the second month, of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt.” That is, it had now been over a year since God had miraculously delivered the nation of Israel out of 400 years of Egyptian slavery. The leaders received guidance for their journey right there at the ‘Tent of meeting!’
When we diligently obey the Lord and His commandments, God has promised to be in our midst. Read:
Leviticus 26:11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
There should be a ‘meeting place with God’ in your home, no matter what, you need to figure out a time to gather as a family and pray. Someone in the family has to take the onus to do this diligently and aggressively because the evil forces would fight you tooth and nail to stop this. Anybody listening? I started the ‘Tent of meeting’ at home and in my work place, which actually became the launching pad for my ministry.
We started Abide School in Hyderabad in the year 2011, September 11, I was not ready for what I would face. I thought it was a cool job; however, when kids from rag pickers and children of auto drivers joined the school, everyday it would be a nightmare. They would narrate tales of moms trying to commit suicide, drunken dads beating wives and much more. To begin with I started cooking good food for the children myself and then I pitched the ‘Tent of meeting’ in school – we started elaborate prayers. Hallelujah! We would worship and pray for solid 45 minutes, I taught them the Bible, praise God the demons fled.
After several years, I still continue to pitch new Tents of meeting: my husband conducts 5am to 6 am prayers on mobile conference, along with my daughter I conduct 5 to 6am prayers on zoom called Booster group.
MIDWAY IN JOURNEY
Numbers 1:1. The LORD spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt.
Though the Israelites were delivered from the clutches of Pharoah; however, they have not reached the promised land yet, when the Lord spoke the above words they were midway in their journey.
From your stating point to the promised land, there is a midway in the journey that we all have to endure and pass through. This is the most arduous stage of the journey.
I would like to quote a poem I read:
Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost. Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say What was this forest savage, rough, and stern, Which in the very thought renews the fear.
Yes, MIDWAY can be tough, eerie and scary! A young adult married man surrendered his life to Christ, left his secular job that was not in line with God’s Word, so life ahead looked really uncertain and ambiguous. From where would the money come, how will I manage my family, what would be his career, how can I discern God’s will and million other questions would taunt. God is not going to give you a blue print of your future; nevertheless, He will unravel things slowly one at a time. God had great plans for this young man who obeyed God and today he is a leading Gospel singer, musician and preacher too. Stay firm in your decision though at times it would be pitch dark but believe God’s mighty Hands will lift you up! Amen.
Illustration: As a young mother of two children, the last one was just 3 years old when I resigned from the multinational bank where I worked to join the Lord’s vineyard as full time servant. I did not know where the next day meal would come, God was faithful, though. Both my children have now completed 2 Masters degree and are also serving the Lord as full time servants. All 3 of them are pastors, that includes my husband too! God is faithful! We need to with grit and determination cross the journey of our life, focussing our attention on God’s Word and promises and not on circumstances.
Charles Swindoll says, “You may be going through a trial so overwhelming that its borderline unbearable. You want to see the end of the tunnel. Which is only natural, because once we see that little speck of light, we feel we can make it through to the finish. But God’s tunnels are often twisting, too complex and dark to see the light for many days. In such settings He says, “In that dark, twisting, seemingly endless period of time, trust Me. Stop running scared! Stop fearing!”
We need to live by faith and not by sight.
THERE IS A BATTLE TO FIGHT-Part 4
Look at this, God says in Numbers1: 3 “From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.”
It was Christmas Holidays, my children had already travelled to their grandma’s house, after church service along with my husband, we were also getting ready to travel, to stay few days in my mom’s place. My heart was already fluttering, I packed food for the train journey and looking forward to spending time with mom and sister; however, our tickets were not confirmed but I was sure that it would be done by His grace. Shock awaited for us when the tickets were not confirmed and God was stirring my heart to stay back, fast and pray. What? During holidays? Yes, God kept a burden in my heart to stay back, fast and pray - we did that. I would say it was the most lonely holidays in my life, I crucified my flesh and obeyed God. It was imperative that we stay back and be in His presence because that was the year we registered “Abide Welfare Society” through which the social work is being done for children, free distribution of food to the homeless etc. Abide School is separate ministry dealing with education. Battles are fought on knees! We are dealing with no ordinary people but drunkards, alcoholics, rag pickers and construction workers; without prayer we can do nothing. Jesus said in John 15:5” "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
How naïve Christians are, how irresponsible Christian ministers are, when they fail to educate, equip and prepare the believers and new converts to tackle the devil in prayers. You cannot live a wishy-washy Christian life and expect success. Many so-called Christians who have names of prophets and Bible Apostles spend more time in gyms, beauty parlours, theatres and malls; therefore, they lack grit and power to tackle the devils. You can hear God if you stay near Him!
God clearly told them, be prepared for battle, recruit strong people 20 year old and above and station them well equipped. No namby-pamby words, but God was clear about battle, likewise, we need to understand, life after salvation is not the end, no…no...it is the beginning. David said : Psalm 144:1” Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”
We have been saved from sins, bondages but still in this world though, is it not? There are still battles to fight , we’re living in the wilderness! Look at the blood shed, violence and brutality we are surrounded with… afflictions, illness, broken homes, betrayals, rebellious children are all part of the wilderness experience! Today I write this portion of the sermon, when India is boiling with heinous brutality committed against women of Manipur and communal riots in Haryana.
We have the wonderful chapter Ephesians 6 in the Bible, where God teaches us to be equipped for battle. Stay connected with church, fellow-believers, and also attend weekly prayer meetings which would be a wall of fire for you and your family. Fast once a week, pray and read the bible everyday and also have family prayer. Hallelujah!
CALLS YOU BY NAME:
Numbers 1:5 And these [are] the names of the men that shall stand with you,
People were specially and precisely selected by God and appointed to stand with Moses and Aaron, not to be just in the audience but to assist them in the work of God. If you are serving the Lord in some capacity, in the church or ministries, let me tell you, you have been personally cherry-picked by God Himself, so fearfully do the work wholeheartedly. The names were appointed and named by the Lord himself, which was doing them great honour. Hallelujah!
God is watching you work in the bush, don’t think you are forgotten or ignored, never – heaven is watching you work faithfully. While preparing my presentation for a Camp meeting, I spent several hours picking photos of soldiers working in the snow and difficult conditions, until I was fully satisfied, I kept searching for the right pictures in the internet. However, after my presentation, everybody walked away hurriedly to pick up their lunch, except one young man who came to me and said:” sister, I am sure you must have spent lot of time working on that presentation.” Those words were so refreshing, he is now a village pastor working among the downcast and villagers. My efforts had not gone in vain, I had raised a firebrand for God! Glory to Jesus!
“Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people. You know that you will receive an inheritance as a reward. You serve the Lord Christ.”
