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Category: Be ye steadfast

Be ye Steadfast :: In your mind until death

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On July 20, 2012

In Be ye steadfast, Christian

The Bible counsels us to be steadfast (1 Corinthians 15:58). Ruth 1 records the account of Naomi, asking her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth to return to their own people (the Moabites) when their husbands, the sons of Naomi, died. Orpah obliges but Ruth asks Naomi to not intreat her to return. She tells Naomi, wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people will be my people and your God will be my God, and wherever you die, I will die and be buried there. What is interesting to note, is that when Naomi noticed how stedfast Ruth was in her mind to go with her, she stopped asking Ruth to return.

Points to ponder:
Ruth was steadfast in her mind, to no only go with Naomi, but to stay (lodge) with her. She was steadfast in her mind to not only accept Naomi’s people but Naomi’s God as well as her  own. She was steadfast in her mind to go with Naomi until death.
Are we steadfast (in our mind until death) like Ruth, to be the followers of Jesus Christ?

Ruth 1:16-18 (KJV)
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

Be ye Steadfast :: In perceiving faith

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On July 19, 2012

In Be ye steadfast, Christian

The Bible counsels us to be steadfast (1 Corinthians 15:58). Acts 14:8-9 records the incident of the healing of a lame man, who was crippled from birth. This man was in Lystra, where Paul and Barnabas has fled, to escape the assault of the Jews in Iconium. He had never walked since birth. But what is of note is that Paul steadfastly looked at this man, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” and the man leaped and walked. One one hand, it was the man’s faith that he would be healed that healed him, but on the other hand, it was the steadfast look of Paul on that man, by which he perceived the faith that was in him, that made this miracle happen.

Points to ponder:
Do you and I  take the time to steadfastly look at those around us? And when we look, are we merely glancing at those around us or are we steadfastly looking at them and perceiving the faith in them; faith to be saved and be made upright; to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:4). Let us be steadfast in perceiving the (saving) faith of those we look at and let us boldly proclaim for them to be saved by pointing them to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of their faith and ours!

John 14:8-10 (KJV)
8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:
9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

Be ye Steadfast :: In your focus

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On July 17, 2012

In Be ye steadfast, Christian

The Bible counsels us to be steadfast (1 Corinthians 15:58) and to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

When all those who sat in the council looked steadfastly on Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit of God, they saw his face, as if it had been of an angel (Acts 6:15). Some of the Jews that disputed with Stephen, unable to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke, lied against Stephen and accused him of blasphemy against Moses and God and sought his death before this council. Even when Stephen’s life was on death row, he used the opportunity to witness about Jesus Christ, the Just One, who justifies all who believe in Him by His blood (Romans 5:9). But those who heard him, resisted the conviction of the Holy Spirit’s that Jesus, spoken of by the prophets (whose voice they did not hear as well) is the Just One, whom they have now betrayed and murdered. This made those who heard Stephen furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:55) and when he expressed this, the people who were furious cast him out of the city and stoned him to death.

Points to ponder:
When the people steadfastly looked at Stephen, who was full of the Holy Spirit of God, they saw his face to be like that of an angel. If the world was to steadfastly look at you and me, will they find our face angelic because of the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God in us?

On the other hand, Stephen’s focus was not on the people, who for all practical purposes had his life in their hands, but his focus was on God, in whose hands, he knew his life was. His focus was on life and not on impending death. He focus was on the Solver and not on the problems of life. His focus was steadfast (unwavering) into heaven, where he saw the glory of God and Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross, despising its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). But did you note, that Stephen sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God and not seated down; as if, Jesus was giving Stephen a standing ovation for his unwavering faith and steadfast focus. Is your focus and mine, like that of Stephen’s; steadfast on Jesus?

Acts 6:15 (KJV)
15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. 

Acts 7:55 (KJV)
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God 

Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)
2 Looking unto Jesus [steadfastly] the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Be ye Steadfast :: In your belief in God

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On July 16, 2012

In Be ye steadfast, Christian

The Bible counsels us to be steadfast (1 Corinthians 15:58). Recently, after my beloved wife, Sangeetha checked the weight of our darling 6 year old firstborn son, Reuben’s, she was concerned as he had no change in weight for a considerable period of time. Out of love and concern, she was counseling him that he ought to eat well so that he can grow physically. When they were sharing the constancy of his weight with me, I used the opportunity to jokingly express to Reuben, that when we teach him, that he ought to be like Jesus, the same yesterday, today and for ever, the matter of his weight is not what we were talking about. Reuben asked me, “Really, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and for ever?” and I responded affirmatively and assuredly, “Absolutely!”

The Bible teaches us that Jesus is stedfast; the same yesterday, today and for ever (Hebrews 13:8). He is good and his mercies are stedfast (endures for ever) (Psalm 136). Even Darius, a foreign king, recognized this, when Daniel, was miraculously saved from the lions, by God, who sent his angel to shut the mouth of the lions, because Daniel believed in God (Daniel 6:22-23). And when Darius recognized this, he made a decree that in every dominion of his own kingdom, men should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. Why? Because God is a living God and stedfast for ever and God’s kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be unto the end (Daniel 6:26).

Points to ponder:
God is a good God and his mercies endures for ever. He is a living and stedfast God. Do you and I tremble and fear before this living and stedfast God, who is the same yesterday, today and for ever? Are we stedfast in our belief as was Daniel? Is our belief so stedfast (unmoveable) that the kings (rulers/powers/authorities) of this world would recognize the indestructible nature of God’s kingdom and his very own nature as Sovereign (ruling over all), Stedfast and Living?

Daniel 6:22-23…26 (KJV)
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
…
26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever [is stedfast].

Psalm 136:1-26 (KJV) 
1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth [is stedfast] for ever.

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