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The last part of the 4 Gospels speaks to us about the details of the resurrection of Jesus.

In Luke 24: 36-49 – Jesus told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem till they receive power from high. The disciples know the truth that Jesus is alive and they also saw Him for the next 40 days and received His teaching about the Kingdom but to be His witness, they need to get this power!

Acts 1:8 – Jesus told them that they shall receive power when the Holy Spirit shall come upon them.

We see in Acts that after being filled with Holy Spirit, they started to witness that Jesus is alive!

They were not witnessing far away outside Jerusalem, but they were witnessing in the very city where Jesus’ tomb is there and they boldly proclaim that Jesus is alive!

Even the religious leaders agreed the truth that the tomb was empty and this proclaim loudly again that Jesus is risen!

Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians 1:17-20, told 3 important things we need to know.

1. Hope of His calling.

2. Riches of the glorious inheritance in saints.

3. Exceeding greatness of His power towards us.

Many don’t know or feel the power of God because they don’t KNOW what happened to Jesus after resurrection.

Apostle Paul says, because our eyes of hearts are dull to the spiritual reality and it needs to be open.

So he prays that eyes of our understanding should be open so that we may KNOW.

The resurrection of Jesus and what He became after resurrection shows us the greatness of God’s power to us.

Apostle Paul is praying that we may KNOW something by experience!

He is not praying that we get the calling or get inheritance or even get power. Instead he is praying that we may KNOW.

He is telling here that you have a calling, you have inheritance, you have power, but you don’t know as you should!

So Apostle Paul is showing us a way to measure the immeasurable greatness of God’s power from Ephe 1:19-20.

1. The power of God towards us is like – the great power that worked in Christ when He raise Him from dead.

2.  The power of God towards us is like – the great power when God raised Him and seated Him at the right hand of Father in the heavenly places.

3. The power of God towards us is like – the great power when God exalted Christ far above all rule, authority, power and dominion.

4. The power of God towards us is like – the great power when God put all things under His feet and made Him the Head.

5. The power of God towards us is like – the great power that God worked when He made Church, His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Here we see 5 glimpses of what Jesus became after is resurrection.

THERE ARE 5 WAYS TO MEASURE GOD’S POWER TOWARDS US NOW

1. God raised Jesus and broke the power of death.

God raised Jesus from the death, never to die again. Power of death is broken for all who are in Christ Jesus. The enemy death is defeated. Death of Christ was death of death. Through His death, He destroyed death (Hebrews 2:14).  We, believers also die if the coming of the Lord tarries, but the sting is removed. The painful event has now become a pathway to paradise! Death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15: 54-57).

The power of God towards us is like this power. It raised us spiritually from death (Ephe 2:5).

2. God seated Jesus at His right hand and we also with Him!

The power that raised Jesus and made Him seated at right hand side of Father has put us there too Ephe 2:6).

3. God placed Jesus over all powers.

In Colo 2:15 – we read that at the cross Jesus disarmed all powers. Now the resurrection power is a devil defeating power.  When Jesus rose from death, He was exalted over all (Phil 2: 5-9)

So Satan and his powers is a defeated enemy but they are yet not out of the world. We have battles yet to be fought. But the Power of Christ for us now in these battles is the resurrection power!

4. God gave Jesus as Head over all things.

God put all things under His feet (Ephe 1:22).

Risen Jesus is Head over all things. Over all human beings, nature, governments, businesses… All authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him (Matt 28:18)

5. He is also Head over all things to Church (Ephe 1:23)

With all that power, He serves us as our Head, our Leader, our Saviour, our King and our Friend! We believers are His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. He intends to make us, the Church, thos who believe, the embodiment of that fullness.

That means, when He rules, we will rule. He created us in the beginning to inhabit and rule and reflect His glory in this world. So through the Church, God wants to reveal His glory! The fullness of His glory!

In Ephe 3:8-10, Apostle Paul says, through the Church the manifold wisdom of God will be made known to the principalities and powers.

Satan and his forces are real. We are many times unaware of the working of the enemy. They hate us, hate our faith, our marriages, our children, our ministry.

Why Apostle Paul is praying this prayer in Ephe 1:17-23?

We need to KNOW this power so that we can fight our battles against the demonic forces and in the name of Jesus and by the authority of His blood we will win!

Because Christ is risen and the power that raised Jesus from the death is in us!

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This year is going to be a ‘Year of Supernatural’ for you. Unexpected miracles and surprises awaits you this year! Amazing things will happen to you because Amazing Grace is upon you!

You may say like Mary said to the angel in Luke 1:34 ” How can this be? ” She said this when the angel told her about the promise God spoke. Then the angel told her, “Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Power of the Almighty will overshadow you.”

So it is going to happen in your life, not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God.

Friends, this year is going to be an year of Amazing Grace and favour!
Year of abundance and harvest. You will be surprised by the way the Lord do things in your life.

Just trust in the Lord. Do not be anxious about anything. Jesus cares for you. Let us be submissive to one  another and be clothed with humility.

God bless you all.
Have a glorious 2012.
Remember, You are precious for Jesus.
The Lord is coming soon! Be ready for Him.

In His Love,
Ps. Abe & Ps. Reji.

The Church from its founding has sought to emphasize the biblical themes of trusting God for daily needs, sacrificial giving as an expression of love to our Lord, and valuing spiritual over material things. Anything that draws us toward the world and away from eternal truth and values is worldliness. Materialism, or fixation on earthly possessions, is one of mankind’s strongest temptations.

Wealth in itself is not condemned in Scripture. In fact, it is considered a gift and a blessing, especially when not sought (1 Kings 3:13). But there are many scriptural statements about the dangers of wealth and instructions about its proper use.

Wealth should not be accumulated for its own sake. It should not be gained by injustice or oppression. Wealth often leads to covetousness. It belongs to God, not to us; we are simply stewards. We sin if we do not use it to help the poor, the weak, and the oppressed (Ezek. 22:29). Generosity marks the Christian use of wealth.

Few Christians would claim to be wealthy. But when we have more than needed for essential food, clothing, and shelter we are wealthy compared with the majority of the world’s population. The temptations of wealth and materialism are not a problem of the wealthy alone. Covetousness among the poor is an indicator of materialism just as greed is for the wealthy.

Secular society has always placed a high value on wealth and material possessions (the unrighteous mammon of Luke 16:9,11). It is easy for this emphasis to color and erode the spiritual priority that should characterize the church. Jesus, our great example from Scripture, lived in humility and obscurity, never accumulating wealth or possessions. Jesus taught His followers not to be anxious about the future, for their heavenly Father would provide for them (Matt.6:25-34).

While it may seem that the New Testament has strong words of exhortation and warning for the wealthy, we should not assume that material poverty has inherent value. The Bible does not teach such. Jesus and the apostles applauded the efforts of Christians in their efforts to alleviate suffering. It is evident that there were some early Christians with a degree of wealth.

How much wealth is enough? Materialism says, “Just a little more will be enough.” But it never is. The example of John Wesley is a challenge for every believer. In his middle years Wesley calculated how much money he needed annually to live during his early years. He then covenanted to keep his expenditures at nearly the same level, turning his increased income in later years to the work of the Lord. The Church encourages it members to be good stewards of all God has given them.

CONCERN:

Great pressures from contemporary society have impacted the people of God, causing an erosion of biblical values and priorities. These pressures include an inordinate valuing of material things, the accumulation of material goods as symbols of success, pursuit of upward social mobility, and fixation on immediate gratification. The earthly life of Jesus was a stark contrast to cultural attitudes today. The “gospel paradox” of Mark 8:31-38 calls for a discipleship that lives according to the principle that life comes out of suffering and death. Jesus came to die for mankind. There is a cross before there can be a crown. Sacrifice should always be part of the Christian walk.

God blesses some believers with material and financial success so they can provide the needed resources for fulfilling the Great Commission. But material success is never an indication God shows His approval by showering wealth on His favorites.

It is easy for those who have fewer possessions to look on those with more as the ones who need the cautions about wealth and materialism. But coveting and grasping for material things one does not have can be sin while the wealthy person who holds his material possessions loosely and is a good steward of that which God has entrusted to him is pleasing to God. It is not the having or not having of material wealth, but the priorities in one’s life that constitute true godliness (1 Tim. 6:17-19).

Is there a limit to the closeness of certain friendships? Isn’t it important to have secular as well as Christian friends if one is to be salt and light in our world?

Friendship is the selfless, mutual sharing between two persons. It typically grows out of participating or cooperating in common activities or endeavours, or simply through acceptance of others as equals. Friendship is also fostered through shared views or possessions. The highest form of human friendship is based in acceptance and mutual respect for who and what each friend is as a person. This includes their actions, ideals, and commitments.

Recognizing the important and powerful influence friends have in one’s life, we encourages Christians to be concerned about the influence and relational level of their closest friends. Ultimately, all close friendships affect one’s character either for good or bad. For this reason it is essential that Christians discern the spiritual impact of their friendships.

Generally it is risky for Christians to build deep friendships with those who do not share a spiritual bond in Christ. If the friendship has no deep spiritual unity, it is then based on secular values, material interests, and views of the world. In such instances the negative spiritual toll on the Christian is significant as one’s spirit is constantly dulled through repeated exposure to worldviews and ideas. Few Christians are able to live consistent holy lives when unequally yoked in deep friendships with unbelievers. Proverbs says, “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (12:26).

Christian friendships have an added ingredient. Both individuals have friendship with Jesus—a friendship that enriches and strengthens human friendship. When two friends also enjoy friendship with God, they add permanence and beauty to their human friendship. They understand and share standards and priorities for their lives. Christian friendships are often closer than family and blood relationships because of this strong spiritual bond (Proverbs 17:17). Therefore our closest friends should be other Christians (Proverb 13:20).

Christians should be careful in how they approach friendships with the opposite sex. It is important that they build safe boundaries in such friendships in order to protect themselves from temptation, sin, and accusation. This is especially important for married individuals. In such cases it is best that friendships of one or more married individuals of opposite genders always be conducted publicly (with others in attendance). They should maintain a safe emotional and physical distance in such relationships. Few Christians who implement such safeguards in their personal lives fail morally. Proverbs says, “Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you” (2:11).

God’s plan for reaching the world with the message of salvation requires a level of friendship with non-Christians. Jesus said we are to be salt and light to our world (Matthew 5:13-16). In other words we are to be shining examples before our communities of God’s grace and goodness. This is not accomplished from a distance, but rather through loving friendships. While such friendships must be genuine, the level of closeness should be guarded. The direction of the friendship should ultimately lead toward God and His ways. As the Christian spends time with, talks at some depth with, and is somewhat open and vulnerable with non-Christian friends, the opportunity to lead a friend to Christ can become a reality. Almost everyone who has become a Christian did so because a Christian friend directed him or her to Christ. If a Christian has no non-Christian friends, the opportunity for effective witnessing is very limited. But in those situations of mixed friendships including believers and non-believers, the Christian must be the leader (the one who sets the moral course), not the one led. Only then do we fulfill the scriptural instruction of being salt and light.

God is love (1 John 4:16), and as such He is mankind’s greatest Friend. He is a Friend of sinners as well as of Christians. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16). The Old Testament patriarch Abraham believed God, “and he was called God’s friend” (James 2:23). The Bible says “Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). From these scriptures it becomes apparent that our friendship with God is a matter of spiritual life or death.

J. C. Ludgate’s great musical testimony reminds us that friendship with God should take precedence over all human relationships. “A friend when other friendships cease, a friend when others fail; A friend who gives me joy and peace, a friend who will prevail. Friendship with Jesus, fellowship divine; Oh, what blessed sweet communion, Jesus is a friend of mine.”

CONCERNS:

Christian parents should be concerned about the friendships their children form. This is true even at a young age when small children are learning important values such as honesty, sharing, and respect. It becomes especially critical in the later preteen/teenage years when pressure to conform to behavior and standards of peer groups is extremely strong. The Bible says, “Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Association with rebellious groups or even with one “friend” who leads in the wrong direction has led unsuspecting youth into escalating stages of disrespect for authority, and into profanity, drinking, drug use, sexual permissiveness, and other destructive sins. All Christians should be greatly concerned about the friends of Christian youth.

The marriage relationship should also be based in friendship. The spouse should in fact be a husband’s or wife’s closest friend. Biblical marriage is the epitome of deep and lasting friendship. Though it is romantic and encompasses philo love as well as agape love it must be built on real friendship from its beginning. Marriages that lose the important element of friendship within the marriage relationship become unhealthy and often fail. While husbands and wives may have close friendships outside their marriage, they must never usurp or substitute for the level of disclosure, vulnerability, or closeness that spousal friendship should enjoy.

Last week we had a Kairos time with Ps. Shibu Thomas (Atlanta, USA) learning on the 10 tests from the life of Joseph. If you are blessed by this teaching do write your feedback on Exodus page on FB – Click here to write your comments.

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