Bethel Couples and Family

2012-03-03T10:33:00.000-05:00

Fruitsof Our Labor!

Luke 13:6-9:“Then (Jesus) told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard,and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the manwho took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to lookfor fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should ituse up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone forone more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, thencut it down.’”

Proverbs 27:18: “Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat itsfruit; so he who patiently and faithfully guards and heeds his master shall behonored.”

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Hema and I have seen manyfamilies struggling to set goals and achieve the levels of excellence God hasfor each of them in the family. We haveseen leaders not prioritizing their goals of putting God first and their familynext and losing the most important thing in their life – Family relationships.

The above verse in Proverbs27:18 makes it clear that those who plant and take good care of a fig tree willeat its fruit and those who faithfully serve their masters will receive theirhonor. The parable Jesus shared fromLuke 13 tells us of His own ministry in which the Fig Tree, the nation ofIsrael, chose to receive nothing and stayed barren! This is something Hema and I have always keptclose to our hearts in our own walks with God and with regards to our familyrelationships. We do not want to digin vain, plant in futility and reap thorns and thistles. Oh, we did plenty of it but sooner than laterwe learnt to depend on God and strive for fruits in our lives and in the livesof those surrounding us.

The Bible refers to us as trees(Psalm 1:3; Jeremiah 17:8) and at home we are a collection of trees – treesof righteousness! We mustyield fruit personally and collectively as a family, as a church, as a businessand as a community. Gifts will manifestsooner than the fruits. Fruits requirepatience, perseverance, wisdom and the knowledge of the timing to know what todo and when to do those things. Gift isbestowed by God but fruit is what we produce for God. What we produce will demand everything ofus.

Jesus came as a seed planted onthe ground to die and to produce after His kind! Jesus produced “fruit” in every facet of Hisministry and in the lives of those surrounding Him. Everything Jesus did, He did it with apurpose and He achieved an end result. WhenJesus prayed, people were healed, delivered and set free from bondage. When He spent time with His Father, He heardfrom the Father. When He spoke, He spokewith authority that shook and rattled the devil and his demons. After every successful miracle crusade, Jesuswould spend time all night in the company of the Heavenly Father with a singlenessof purpose to perfect what was in Him and to perform toward a final outcome– Our Salvation! When He died, He diedfor the outcome for which He came to the earth – To produce fruit and to earn Salvationto all who would believe in Him. Jesus’life was real and with a performance aiming toward a final outcome. I am one of the fruits He has produced andso is Hema.

Justas Jesus lived and died with a singleness of purpose to produce and finish themission He came for, we must strive to reproduce Jesus within ourselves and inour family as a unit. One of the significant blessings we can everhave is to enjoy the fruits of our labor. When we die daily, pick up our cross andfollow Christ and be diligent to give ourselves to developing our family afterChrist, we will too produce fruits and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Or else, we will have unfinished andundernourished trees that will have either died or stayed barren. Life will bevery hard if we planted but not reaped, sowed but never saw the harvest. Let us be mindful and pray today and everyday that we will produce spiritual fruits and fruits of excellence ineverything God has called us to do! Letus instill the same in all of our children.

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I come to You in the precious name of your Son,Jesus! Father, help me produce fruit inYour Kingdom – Fruit of Repentance, Fruit of Holiness and the Fruit of theSpirit. Lord, help me to be an exampleafter my Lord Jesus to start in the Spirit and to finish in the Spirit. Help us as a whole family unit to producefruit in Your kingdom. Lord, remove fromme the tare, suckers and all that inhibit me from producing what You expect ofme. Let me drink from Your fountain ofLiving Waters and taste of Your Heavenly Manna to help me produce godliness inmy life. I ask this in the precious andholy Name of my Lord Jesus, Amen! Amen!!”

2012-02-25T16:49:00.002-05:00

TheFoundation of Your Family Relationship!

Ruth 1:17-17: “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me toleave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stayI will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will beburied. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even deathseparates you and me.’”

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Ruthmentions God twice in the commitment pledge she had made to Naomi, her oldmother-in-law! The only lasting relationship you can ever have in your own family isthe relationship founded on God!

Godis the main part of conversation throughout the Book of Ruth. Here are the specific examples:

1) Naomi’s return to Bethlehem: “When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD hadcome to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and herdaughters-in-law prepared to return home from there” (Ruth 1:6).

2) Naomi blessed the daughters-in-law in thename of the Lord: “Go back, each of you,to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shownkindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the LORD grant that each of youwill find rest in the home of another husband.”

3) Naomi’s grief: “Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Evenif I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight andthen gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remainunmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you,because the LORD’s hand has turned against me” (Ruth 1:12-13)!

4) Naomi’s offer to Ruth to going back to hergods: “Look, your sister-in-lawis going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her” (Ruth 1:15).

Itis when Naomi drew the line asking to Ruth to go back to her gods that Ruthclung to her and followed after her with the pledge – after her God, the God ofAbraham, Isaac and Jacob! The bond between Naomi and Ruth was not inthe flesh but by the Spirit of the Living God – A SPIRITUAL BOND!

Godwas central in subsequent conversations:

5) Naomi to the people of Bethlehem about heraffliction: “Don’t call me Naomi…Call meMara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, butthe LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflictedme; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me” (Ruth 1:20-21).

6) Boaz’s kindness to Ruth: “May the LORD repay you for what you havedone. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whosewings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12).

7) Naomi when heard that God had led Ruth toBoaz’s field: “‘The LORD bless him!’Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. ‘He has not stopped showing his kindness tothe living and the dead.’ She added, ‘That man is our close relative; he is oneof our guardian-redeemers’” (Ruth 2:20).

8) Boaz was overwhelmed with Ruth’s kindness:“‘The LORD bless you, my daughter,’ hereplied. ‘This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You havenot run after the younger men, whether rich or poor’” (Ruth 3:10).

9) The people’s blessing of Ruth: “Then the elders and all the people at thegate said, ‘We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming intoyour home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. Mayyou have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem’” (Ruth 4:11).

10) The Women’s blessing on Naomi’s grandchild:“The women said to Naomi: ‘Praise be tothe LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May hebecome famous throughout Israel’” (Ruth 4:14)!

Do you see how much God was anintegral part of the family relationship between Naomi and Ruth? It is by the choice that Ruth made to followthe God of Naomi that she was led to her ultimate destiny to become one of theancestors of Christ. The secret to theonly lasting family relationship that you can ever enjoy is to pray that theother member of your family knows and loves God just as you do. The secret to a sound relationship betweenyour sons and daughters is also the same – their individual relationship withGod. As hurting as it may be, any otherrelationship is bound to come to an end because God has drawn the line betweenyou and the others in the family.

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I thank youfor the knowledge of knowing You and for the covenant You have made with me,the New Covenant, through the blood of Jesus! I yearn and pray that You show Yourself strong and mighty to my lovedones just the same way as You have graciously revealed Yourself to me. Thank You, Lord for Your grace and mercy inincluding those I love in Your loving embrace. In the Precious and Matchless Name of Jesus, I pray! Amen! Amen!!”

2012-02-19T16:00:00.000-05:00

ASeparation in the Family!

Genesis 13:10-13: “Lot looked around and saw that the wholeplain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD,like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom andGomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set outtoward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land ofCanaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tentsnear Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatlyagainst the LORD.

Luke 12:51-53: “Do you think I came to bring peace onearth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one familydivided against each other, three against two and two against three. They willbe divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughterand daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law anddaughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

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Aspainful as it is, there are God-ordained separations as we see in the above twopassages. The first talks about theseparation between Abraham and Lot and the second makes it clear by the wordsof Jesus that there will be separation when we follow the will of the Lord.

Letus see for a moment what separated Abraham and Lot:

1) Abraham heard from God and received a promise(Genesis 12:1-3) but Lot just went with Abraham (Genesis 12:4)

2) When the moment of separation came between them,Lot decided to leave Abraham and chose what pleased his eyes (Genesis 13:10-11)but Abraham waited on God to show him the land which he would later inherit(Genesis 13:14-18)

3) Abraham had 318 faithful servants of whomEliezer was the Chief of Staff all of whom obeyed and served Abrahamfaithfully, Genesis 14:14; Genesis 24:3. Lot had none that served him nor anyone that followed him when he wasdriven out of Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 19:12

4) Abraham and Sarah were in agreement and God wasthe Lord over them, Genesis 17:5, 15. There was disagreement between Lot and his wife. His wife turned back to look at the burningcities and became a pillar of salt, Genesis 19:26. Jesus’ words: “Remember Lot’s wife,” Luke 17:32.

5) Abraham laid his son Isaac upon the altar as anoffering to the Lord (Genesis 22:9) while Lot offered his daughters to thewicked men of Sodom, Genesis 19:8.

6) God came to have dinner and fellowship withAbraham and Sarah and to reveal Abraham His plan of judgment of Sodom andGomorrah, Genesis 18:18-21. God’s angels(not God) came to Lot’s house to bail him out of God’s judgment, Genesis 19:1

7) Here’s the main difference: Even afterseparation, Abraham redeemed Lot from his captors (Genesis 14:16) andinterceded for Lot’s family to be spared from God’s ferocious judgment (Genesis19:29). The Scriptures do not recordthis but I strongly believe that there was no pleasant memory of Abrahamand Sarah shared in Lot’s household, or else, the daughters of Lot would nothave resorted to take matters into their own hands after the fire by sleeping withtheir father to produce children of the incest. They would have most certainly sought after the good company ofAbraham’s household and the results would have been entirely different!

Thereis a separation caused within the families by the Holy Spirit who knows the endfrom the beginning. It will be painfulto bear but we have no choice other than to obey the Spirit and stillcontinue to love and intercede for those that have separated themselves from uson account of their interests and desires.

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I thank Youfor leading me and guiding me through the power of Your Holy Spirit. I want to be sensitive to listen to You andfollow You fully. My heart aches forthose within my loved ones that do not see what I see and experience in You andin Your holy presence. I plead with You,Lord, to fill me with Your love and grant me patience to bear the pain ofseparation from those whom You have separated me. Father, I pray that You strengthen me and setme free from harboring any bitterness and offenses against anyone and keep mefree to intercede for their salvation. Ithank You Lord for hearing my prayer. Inthe Precious and Wonderful Name of Jesus, my Lord, I pray, Amen! Amen!!”

2012-02-12T15:08:00.003-05:00

NullifyingFear!

I John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfectlove drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fearsis not made perfect in love.”

ICorinthians 13:4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It doesnot envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, itis not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, alwayshopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

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We have always heard that the opposite offear is faith which is partially true. Fear comes from the lack of knowledge but faith is built up by hearingthe word of God and understanding it. But love confronts the overwhelming fear in a child that has no priorknowledge of good and bad and expels it completely! We read in the above passage that perfectlove drives out fear!

The example I can think of is that of a childfacing a nasty storm in the middle of a night and wakes up in his sleep. When they come running to your bedroom, youdo not give them a lecture of what the storm is all about but to hold themclose to you to reassure them first of your love to secure them in your arms andcomfort them. After they calm down yougive them the knowledge of the nature of the storm. Theknowledge (and the faith) that you have by virtue of your own experience withGod is not the same as what our children (or unbelievers) have and you can onlytransfer that knowledge and build them in their faith through LOVE! Knowledge will be very useful only whenthe initial fear is overcome and the mind is free from fear to comprehend thetruth behind any given situation. Theremedy to counter fear is love offered at the right time.

Hema and I have always confronted deadlyand dangerous situations with regards to our children and in those moments ourfirst reaction was to reassure them with our overwhelming love. When the situation calmed down, after a fewdays, we will discuss the matter calmly at a time when we have their undividedattention to heed and capture the warnings we would give them. Knowledge is priceless especially when givenat the most appropriate time when a child can listen. Love edifies and comforts first and faithbuilds on top of it. Let us never forgetthat we are saved by the grace of God through faith at the very moment when wehad first yielded ourselves to the unconditional love of the Father wholoved us so much that He sent us His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Let us practice the divine love at home firstand teach our children next to build their faith.

Prayer

“HeavenlyFather, I thank You for saving me through the power of Your divine love. Fill me with the same unconditional “agape”love to love my spouse, my children and all those around me. Teach me patience to counter the fearfulmoments of our home with the power of Your love. I ask this in the powerful and matchless Nameof Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Amen! Amen!!

2012-02-06T10:52:00.004-05:00

TheAdded Measure of GRACE!

Genesis 17:4-5: “As for me, this is my covenant with you:You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for Ihave made you a father of many nations.”

Genesis 17:15-16: “God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Saraiyour wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I willbless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that shewill be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’”

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Justbefore fulfilling His own promise to Abraham and Sarah with a son, Isaac, Goddid something amazing for both of them at the same time – HE CHANGED THEIRNAMES!

Hereare the Hebrew letters for Abram, Abraham, Sarai and Sarah:

Abram –אברם(a-v-ra-m – Reading from right to left)

Abraham– אברהם(a-v-ra-ha-m)

Sarai –סאראי(s-a-r-a-i)

Sarah –שרה(sa-r-ha)

Noticethe letter added to their initial names – it is the letter “ה” (addedas the second letter from the left in “Abraham” and the first letter from theleft in “Sarah”) which has a numeral equivalent in Hebrew of the number “5.” Twoparts of the unpronounceable name for God in Hebrew “YHVH” also contains thesame letter.

Whatdoes this mean? The number “5” standsfor “divinegrace.” At this point, Abrahamand Sarah had walked with God (they were in habitual fellowship with God) for24 years but in spite of their walk of obedience and faith, they both came to aplace where they could no longer produce what God promised them in theirlives without God adding His Divine Grace to them. In their weaknesses, God’s strengthprevailed! In their impotence, God’spotency came forth! When their time cameto an end in their biological clock, God added time to it by His grace! Graceis God’s ability (His endowment) to help us produce what we cannot with our ownnatural abilities! The divine gracewas added and the promise was fulfilled when Abraham was 100 years old andSarah was 90.

Thereare things in my life that I fully know that I cannot ever achieve without the addedgrace of God Almighty! How I desperatelyneed God and His divine grace in my life! I pray that God in His mercy will move with compassion to grant me justthat – His divine grace – so as to help me become who and what I am in ChristJesus!

Letus depend earnestly on God’s grace and when our work is done and when we reachour destination, we will fully know that it is God and God alone in Hismatchless mercy and grace that took usthere, and give all glory, honor and praise to Him!

“Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.”

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, You are the God of mercy, love and grace.  You are an awesome God

and awe-inspiring God. Only You can transform an individual by Your divine grace

and love. Father, I yield myself to You and to Your sovereign grace. Save me, wash me,

cleanse me, strengthen me and empower me to become all that You have destined me

to be. Father, help me never forget how Your grace reached out to me and pulled me out

of the miry clay of sin that I was in. Help me not to exploit nor frustrate Your grace but

to abide under Your mighty hand and be transformed by Your matchless love and grace.

I am determined to become all that You want me to be, so help me, Lord! In the precious and wonderful Name of my Lord Jesus, I pray! Amen! Amen!!”

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2012-01-29T17:34:00.001-05:00

The Keyto the Fruit of the Spirit!

Galatians5:19-24: “The acts of the flesh are obvious:sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred,discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions andenvy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, thatthose who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness andself-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus havecrucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

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It was last October when I was returningfrom a Retreat with my precious Hema and our daughters from Jacksonville,something changed in me. I felt like Godwas drawing me to a greater place but it involved my dedication andconsecration to Him. One early morning,I felt like the Spirit of God asked me a question: “My Son, What is the biggest obstacle you need to overcome?” I did not want to answer the questionexcept ask Him a question with tremendous fear: “Is it my flesh, Lord?” Theanswer came quickly: “Yes, My son!”

I have seen (and I am notexaggerating) during the course of our ministry demons fleeing the people butthat morning I realized that the biggest thing I needed to overcome wassomething bigger than Satan himself – it was my “flesh!”

What is the reason? The devil obeys the authority, fears the nameof Jesus and flees the scene when commanded but not the “flesh.” The flesh will not take orders; it cannot besubdued with any counsel; it cannot be consoled or coxed; it must only becrucified! “Flesh” and not the enemyis the reason why so many homes are split, churches divided and communitiesdestroyed! Many movements were (and are)formed in the flesh that have resulted in the sacrifice of many hundreds andthousands of lives!

In the above passage we see thedifference between the acts of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. We all know that fruit of the Spirit is love,joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness andself-control but the fruit will not be manifested until the flesh is crucifiedas it is stated in the last verse of the above passage.

That same morning when the Spirit of theLord asked me the question, He also led me into one of the powerful Scriptures thatwould become the center of my life’s existence forever! It is a Scripture bythe Apostle Paul to Galatians that I find myself repeatedly praying with every day sincethat morning: “I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared Hiscrucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me;and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to andreliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gaveHimself up for me” (Galatians 2:20, Amplified).

What a joy it will be when each member ofthe family can take hold of this special Scripture and yield their life to thecross on a daily basis! That life andthat home will never ever be the same! The fruit of the Spirit will undeniably begin to operate in that home! With God’s love in my heart, I challenge youto do just that.

Prayer

“HeavenlyFather, I yield myself to the Cross of Calvary. I am sorry, Lord, even as a believer, I find myself operating in my flesh,my own selfish ambitions and my self-will. Forgive me, Lord, and transform me through the power of the Cross. I no longer live but Christ Jesus lives in andthrough me. The life I live is not mineown but belongs to You and only You. Letmy loved ones see Christ in me and be transformed by the same Christ who ischanging me. Help me bear the fruit ofthe Spirit so as to draw my loved ones into the power of Your intimacy. I ask this in the most powerful and wonderfulname of Jesus, Amen! Amen!!”

2012-01-25T11:33:00.002-05:00

A Sense of Timing & Urgency!

Dear Couples and Families:

Greetings in the precious name of our Lord! While I was writing to the CEO's last night, I was struck by the fact that the following message is so very important to Couples & Families. We had changed the references and included references pertaining to some of the families in the Bible to stress the importance of the message.

Hema and I continue to hold you and your family up in our prayers as you walk in the will of God and serve your family with Christ's love.

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Sense of Timing & Urgency!

I Samuel 25:32-33: “David said to Abigail, ‘Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.”

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Abigail was a wise and beautiful woman with great understanding and a good sense of timing! She also operated with a great sense of urgency to avert the danger caused by the egregious slandering of David by her husband Nabal! Had she not operated with her wisdom, timing and urgency, her family would have been destroyed by David’s army!

I strongly believe in this new season, God will quicken His people, especially His families, with a sense of timing and command them to operating with a great sense of urgency. Through the Bible we see several examples of family relationships operating with a sense of timing and urgency. In addition to the above passage, consider the following Scriptural examples:

Lot was urged to get out of Sodom and Gomorrah with his family in a hurry or else they would have been destroyed by the fire, Genesis 19:22
Rebekah had but a few minutes to decide to leave her family behind and to go with Eliezer, Abraham’s steward, to become Isaac’s wife, Genesis 24:58
In a matter of just a few hours, Rebekah had to make the dinner ready and her younger son, Jacob, ready so that Jacob could inherit Abraham’s blessing from Isaac, Genesis 27:8-10.
Jacob had to flee in haste, or else he would have faced death in the hands of Esau for the stolen blessing, Genesis 28:1-4
God set the time to separate Jacob from Laban and Jacob left immediately with the cooperation of his entire family, Genesis 31:11-16
A quick and wise decision by Rahab saved her entire family and her house on the wall of Jericho that fell down, Joshua 2:1, 12, 15; Joshua 6:22-23
Ruth’s quick decision to leave her sister-in-law behind and to follow Naomi led her out of a Moabite curse and into her inheritance, Ruth 1:14-18
In one night, by obedience to Naomi’s instructions, Ruth’s status changed from a foreigner to becoming Boaz’s wife, Ruth 3:1, 4-5, 7, 10-11
The wise men and Joseph were warned in a dream of the danger for the Baby Jesus by Herod and took evasive actions in a hurry – the wise men took another route and Joseph fled to Egypt with Mary and Baby Jesus, Matthew 2:12-13
Prayer
“Heavenly Father, help me to be Your child of wisdom and understanding to discern Your times and operate with a sense of urgency to receive all that You have promised me in Your Holy Word. Help me and my family not to miss anything You will instruct us to do. Lord, I want to be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit with a clear sense of Your timing and urgency to do all that You have commanded me to do. I yield in the Precious and Wonderful Name of Jesus! Amen! Amen!!”

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Blessings & Regards,

John & Hema Jeyaseelan

Bethel Ministries

PO Box 150

Daytona Beach, FL 32115-0150

www.bethel-ministries.com

2011-10-25T16:07:00.001-04:00

Unresolved Conflicts!

Dear Couples and Families:

Greetings in the precious name of our Lord! Please read the following meditation carefully and prevent any unresolved conflicts in your home and among your loved ones. By the grace of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will find strength, favor and God's restoring power dwelling in your home.

Hema and I hold you and your precious family in prayer.

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Unresolved Conflicts!

II Samuel 13:21-23: “When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there.”

II Samuel 13:38: “After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years.”

II Samuel 14:23-24, 28: “Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, ‘He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.’ So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king…Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face.”

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I have underlined the years that the conflict of David’s household was not resolved. Here’s the timeline of offenses and unresolved conflicts in David’s home:

1) It began with David’s sin with Bathsheba (II Samuel 11:4, 15, 17, 27). Even though David repented before the Lord (Psalm 51:1-7, 10-12, 17) he did not call for a family meeting and communicated with them with contrition to alert them to the consequences of his sin.

2) Amnon disgraced his half-sister Tamar by raping her; David as the head of the household did not take any action; Absalom, Tamar’s brother, was fuming and brooding over the offense for two full years.

3) Absalom killed Amnon and fled to Geshur and stayed there three years without any communication with his father David. David was unwilling to resolve the conflict for three more years.

4) King David finally sent Joab to bring Absalom to Jerusalem and let him live in his own house but not let him see his face for two more years. In other words, David forgave Absalom but not wholeheartedly.

5) The Result – The unresolved conflict that was brooding over seven years exploded finally with loss of lives, loss of the throne for David and a tragic end to Absalom at the end!

My Beloved, do not let the past take control over you without seeking restoration and forgiveness from a merciful God from your past. No matter the sin you had or someone else committed in your household or in your parent’s household, you have never taken yourself out of the mercy of God. Seek God with a heart of humility for His help and restoration. Repent and receive forgiveness from God and resolve any lingering conflicts in your household today without fail. Tomorrow may be too late!

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, You are the God of mercy, love and grace. I thank You, Lord, for forgiving me of my past and cleansing me with the blood of Your Son, Your Precious Son Jesus. Father, in Your mercy, set my household free from the consequences of my past. Grant me wisdom to see what my children go through and help to resolve any conflicts with the power and the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. Grant me with Your ability to be transparent before my family and communicate Your love to my spouse and children. For me and my house, we will serve the Lord and we will enjoy Your Holy Presence. Satan will not enter into our home to divide and scatter us away from Your perfect will. In Your precious and wonderful Name, I pray, Amen! Amen!”

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Blessings & Regards,

John & Hema Jeyaseelan
Bethel Ministries
P.O. Box 150
Daytona Beach, FL 32115
Phone: 386-672-0250www.bethel-ministries.com
www.globalprayercenter.net
www.peaceforisrael.org

The Blessed Legacy of a God-Fearing Family!

2011-10-19T13:10:00.000-04:00

Psalm 112:1-3, 6-9: “Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever… Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.”

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One of the great Scottish preachers, Thomas Chalmers, wrote about Jonathan Edwards who was instrumental in the great awakening and the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon America during the 1740’s, “Never was there a happier combination of great power with great piety.” In the Old Testament “piety” refers to the fear of the Lord which the scriptures describe to the reverential trust of a believer with an unbreakable commitment to doing God’s will combined with the hatred of evil. Do you ever wonder what legacy you will leave behind for your descendants? Consider leaving them with the life-changing knowledge of the fear of the Lord. It is a legacy which, when followed in submission to the Lord, brings forth eternal results. Jonathan Edwards’ family is an example.

Kurt Bruner and Otis Ledbetter published a research paper comparing the descendants of a godly family such as the Edwards and an atheist family, the Jukes, around the same time period. The results are startling but true. Here is a quote from their article:

“The Edwardses are probably best known for producing the famous 18-century preacher Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan’s father was a Minister and his mother was the daughter of a clergyman. Their descendants include the following:

· 14 college presidents

· More than 100 college professors

· More than 100 lawyers

· 30 judges

· 60 physicians

· More than 100 clergymen, missionaries and theology professors

· 60 authors

Contrast the impact of the Edwards line to the influence of the Jukes family. It has been estimated that this (Jukes) clan has cost the state of New York millions of dollars over the years. Since the 18^th century, the

Jukes have produced the following:

· 300 professional paupers

· 60 thieves

· 130 convicted criminals

· At least 7 murderers

Is there any question that the prior generations can influence our present lives?”

There is no question in my mind that the fear of the Lord in a godly person is the most important legacy that a Christian can leave to their descendants. It is a legacy that will impact the world!

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I yield my life to You in total submission, respect and regard for Your holy Word. Please transform me through the power of Your word in Your wisdom and in power. I and my family want to be everything You want us to be in the richness of Your love. Help us as a family unit to make a difference in this world at this critical hour. Thank You, Lord, for Your strength, wisdom and counsel. I love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen! Amen!!”

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Blessings & Regards,

John & Hema Jeyaseelan

Bethel Ministries

P.O. Box 150

Daytona Beach, FL 32115

Phone: 386-672-0250

www.bethel-ministries.com

www.globalprayercenter.net

www.peaceforisrael.org