Elderly people normally lose their zest for life. They will also lose hope in living. The older we get the more we ponder the purpose for us to keep on living.
My mother in her 80s often talk of going "to see my father" signifying her desire to leave this earth. I have to ask her to continually call on Jesus in her time of need and to remind her that my dad is in heaven. To go to be with my father, she has to accept Jesus into her life.
As children we try to make our elderly parents as comfortable as possible. As my sister often say "we need to give mother a good quality of life in her golden years". That's why today we have put my mother in an expensive retirement home and also arranged a driver to take her 'kai kai' (go out sightseeing in Hock Kien).
2Cor 14:16-17 is entitled "Seeing the invisible" in the NKJV.
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory"
We are made up of two parts:
- the outward man who is perishing day by day (visible)
- the inward man (who through prayer and fasting) is being renewed day by day (invisible)
We can indeed see this beautiful truth in scripture intensify when we go into the August prayer and fasting month.
In the natural we cannot see it because our memory seems to be failing (sometimes I crack my head real hard to remember the names of my colleagues in the bank even though I see them at the lifts very often).
My knee cartilage seems to be giving way (however I realize that when I focus on the pain less and keep focusing on God more, the pain does not manifest itself as much as it did when I was focusing on it)!
I pray to God "I am not going to let my arthritis keep me from coming to morning watch! I am going to keep on climbing those stairs to light the prayer altar in the church"....surely God will see my faith and reward me.
Perhaps the most telling signs about the outward man perishing is the grey hairs on my head which I try to cover by coloring it.
Recently I discover something else about ageing...hearing loss! I found that I just could not hear the whispers of my colleagues when they want to tell me some juicy gossip about so and so. Perhaps this is meant for good. God does not want me to hear things that I should not be hearing for sure!
The other day at the Conference, the music was loud, the preaching was amplified by the mike...I could feel my eardrums hurting....some of us had to literally cover our ears to hear ourselves sing! No more earphones for me cos I believe this has affected my hearing!
Caleb (like Anna) kept his vision alive even till his old age.
In Joshua 14:10 - Caleb declared his age as 85 years old:
"And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old"
Despite his age, his inward man was being renewed day by day.
Joshua 14:11
"As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in."
His spiritual age was ageless. He was a man who was full of faith even at 85 years old:
Joshua 14:12
"Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said"
I am comforted. I am encouraged by the example of Anna and Caleb.
Though my outward man perishes, my inward man will be renewed daily through prayer and fasting.
Prayer and fasting is not limited to age. We can still serve the Lord in prayer and fasting even at 85!
FAITH HAS NO AGE. FAITH IS AGELESS.
When Anna saw the baby Jesus she knew immediately that she was looking at the Messiah of Israel!
As she had spent her days and night in prayer and fasting, she knew the seasons and the times for the Consolation of Israel. She was not in the dark.
God gave her spiritual vision to see that the child which Mary and Joseph brought to the temple was going to be one who would bring redemption to Israel. This type spiritual vision and prophetic insight can only be imparted by the Holy Spirit. It can only be received by saints who walk close to God, who choose to spend hours in His presence.
In fact during the same time there was another elderly man named Simeon who was told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Lord Jesus Christ before he die.
Simeon and Anna have often been cited as examples of elderly folks who can still be of service of God inspite and despite of their age as long as they live a life of holiness and purity.
Simeon was described as "just and devout". Like Anna he had also had a prophetic mantle and knew the time and appearing of the Child Jesus in the temple. He was also told by the Spirit in Luke 2:26 that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ.
He was even told by the Holy Spirit where he could see the Christ. He hastened to the temple just at the right time baby Jesus was brought to the temple....
Luke 2:27-28
"So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God...."
He then prophesied in Luke 2:30-32 that Jesus would be one who would bring salvation to all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.
In Luke 2:38 it was Anna's turn to prophesy about the Child Jesus:
"And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all those who looked for the redemption in Jerusalem"
How did Simeon and Anna receive such amazing insight? They received this insight whilst spending time with God!
Consider this for a moment....if you have not been fasting or praying or seeking the Lord would you have recognized that the child Mary and Joseph brought into the temple was the Messiah?
I am sure Jesus would have looked like any other baby and the other temple goers would have been none the wiser. Maybe they could have cooed over him and his cuteness. Maybe they could have admired him, touched his head and praised Him for being a handsome child!
When his parents brought him into the temple, they would have looked like any other parents. Baby Jesus would have looked like any other baby.
It takes prophetic insight and revelation from God to know that this was a special baby destined for the "fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign which will be spoken against" - verse 34.
May we be like Anna and Simeon (no matter our age) having such a close relationship with the Holy Spirit that we will know when Jesus comes again.
May we recognize why things are happening the way they are happening.
May we discern from the Spirit of the Lord the reasons for the challenges facing our nation.
May we discern the seasons and times of the age we are living in.
May we prepare ourselves by regular fasting and praying so that when He comes again a second time we will be like Anna and Simeon, a generation who would know immediately who He is in the time of His return!
The second "A" of Anna is to be "Anointed".
The Hebrew word for "anoint is "mashach" with means "pouring" or "smearing". "Mashach" is the root word for "messiah".
Anna is anointed of God because of a life surrendered to God in prayer and fasting!
The Greek word for "anoint" is "chrio" from which word comes the word "christos". Thus the Christ of the New Testament is the Anointed One, the Messiah, Prophet, Priest and King!
The "pouring" or "smearing" is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our lives. Those of us who have received the Holy Spirit is anointed of God.
2 Cor 1:21-22
"Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who has also sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee"
1 John 2:20
"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things"
1 John 2:27
"But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him"
Thus it is clear that to be anointed is to receive the fullness of Holy Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of God's presence in our lives. The Holy Spirit will also help to establish our faith in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit will also reveal the truth to us.
To be anointed is also to be authorised or empowered. Who does the authorisation and empowering? God.
Who is the agent? The Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit is poured forth on our lives by God we will stand in a position of spiritual authority taking on the mantle/our spiritual inheritance as "priests and kings" following the footsteps of our King.
Revelation 5:10
"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth"
What are we authorised or empowered to do? To pray His kingdom come, His will be done on the earth. To enforce God's kingdom rule and kingdom reign in the lives of others who are still in the kingdom of darkness by reaching out to the lost. To pray for the Lord's return.
What must we do to release the anointing in our lives?
Prayer and fasting are the spiritual keys. As we pray and fast, we will be purified in our thought-life, our speech, our character, actions and attitudes.
We will become more and more yielded to the Lord, quick to obey Him when He speaks. Our hearts will be tender and humble towards Him.
Prayer and fasting is an act of intentional humbling of the soul.
When the soul is humbled, it will cease its incessant fleshly demands and we will gradually experience a dying to self. God's anointing can only flow through a clean, yielded and pure heart.
Psalm 35:13
"But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth, I humbled myself with fasting. And my prayer would return to my own heart"
Anna was anointed of the Lord. She was given the spiritual authority to prophesy and to be there not only to see but also to declare to others the first coming of the Messiah.
In Luke 2:37 we read that Anna "did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day".
She was consecrated to the Lord to a lifetime of prayer and fasting. She could do this without distraction as she did not leave the temple after being widowed from her husband.
When she saw baby Jesus in the temple, she stood in a position of authority (a prophetess) to give thanks and to declare that this is Jesus, the Redeemer of Israel.
Luke 2:36
"....who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day"
Luke 2:37
"And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem"
But then you might say "well this lady is different, She has no financial commitments, no earthly assets, no earthly concerns. She was also probably homeless and destitute and the temple was the only place she could call home". However it is also probable that she made an intentional decision to forego the pleasures of life to seek God and God alone....
What about us? We need to work. We cannot afford to stay in the church and intercede 24 hours! Be realistic....
However I strongly believe that we can indeed stay in the "temple of the Lord" by ensuring that we stay in God's presence.
To stay in the temple daily is to STAY IN GOD'S PRESENCE with a posture of waiting on God up to 24/7 to commune with Him!
How do we stay in God's presence daily when we lead such busy lives having so many commitments to fulfil.
Very simple.....glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's.
1 Cor 6:19-20
"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's"
The temple is also the tabernacle where God dwells with man. It is not the physical church building but each and everyone of us dwelling in our own bodies making a decision to glorify God in everything we do!
Revelation 21:13
"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God"
Jesus clearly mentioned this in John 2:19-20 "Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"
As though Jesus could read the mind of his audience (just as I can probably read your mind now - no prizes for guessing how I do it) he explained in John 2:21 "But He was speaking of the temple of His body".
How can we glorify God in our bodies?
By not giving in to the works of the flesh but yielding to the Holy Spirit. By being obedient to His Word. Prayer and fasting will make it easier for us to resist the works of the flesh and to move into the depths of the things of the Spirit....
Prepared this for the offering exhortation tomorrow - July 5.
There was a man in the Bible whose name was Job. In a short time, he faced a great financial loss. He had lost all his material wealth, his home, his cattle, his sheep, his children and finally his health.
Are you in this situation now? A time of great financial distress which you are facing and you really do not know what to do. I would like to share with you the three things which Job did in a time of such severe trials that finally got him out of it.
1. Job kept on speaking right things about God throughout his financial loss
Job 42:7 "...you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has..."
God was actually listening in to the conversations between Job and his friends. God actually wanted to see what was in the hearts of Job and his friends for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
All this while God had kept silent but He was not deaf. He was a silent listener, He was discerning the thoughts and intents of their hearts through the words that Job and his friends spoke.
In our financial loss, the first thing we need to get right is to speak right about God.
Job's wife asked him to curse God and die but Job answered her "Shall we indeed accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this, Job did not sin with his lips"
2. Job prayed for his friends.
After all the arguments, criticisms, comments and accusations, Job finally heard from God in Job 38 onwards. That was when he knew that his speech during his time of suffering was acceptable to God.
What did God tell him to do for his fortunes to be restored? Pray for his friends.
Job 42:8 "Now therefore, take for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you..."
Its important for us to pray for others even during our time of suffering. Why did Job had to pray for his friends? After all the condemnation, accusations, criticisms, debates, arguments, self-justification, Job needed to forgive his three friends for speaking against him in such a manner.
Job had to bring all his resentment, bitterness and hurts against them before God. Job had to have a big heart towards those who spoke evil against him. Instead of helping him, they made him even more depressed and sad. The prayer was needed to restore his emotional wholeness.
3. Job waited for God to act
Job 42:11 "Then all his brothers and sisters and all those who had been his acquaintances before......consoled and comforted him for the adversity that the Lord had brought upon Him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold"
I think if 100 people were to give Job one silver and one gold, he would have enough capital to start his life all over again!
But I wonder why they took so long to visit him and to bless him with the capital Job needed to restore his financial loss?
I can only think of one reason i.e. that the waiting time was necessary for God to test Job and his attitudes. God wanted to see what was actually in Job's heart all along. He wanted to teach Job the correct heart attitude toward God during trials and testings!
I also believe that prayer and right confession on the nature and character of God was more important to God than giving us rich financial blessings!
Let us pray together:
"LORD JESUS forgive us of any anger and bitterness against our friends and family members. We forgive all who have hurt us with their words and their actions during this time of financial distress. We intentionally release forgiveness to them today. Help us not to sin with our lips no matter how depressing our situation. We bless all our family and friends with wisdom, revelation, peace and joy and abundant opportunities to know You. We pray for them to be release from every bondage and deception of the mind. In Jesus Name. Amen"
