Post by Zac Loh on Jul 17, 2009 23:31:49 GMT -5
We seriously need the favor of God in every area of our lives, in every sphere of living.
As such, may we learn to walk in His favor ...and may His favor overflows ...running to us through others whom He had chosen to bless us.
For God Was With Him
Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
In ministry, we need the favor of God. If Jesus Himself was successful in His earthly ministry because He had the favor of God, how much more we need the favor of God!
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)
I have something funny to talk about here. A few of us …close Christian friends arranged to meet at a restaurant to have a meal together and fellowship. It was our usual weekly thing. Unexpectedly, there was another man who came to join us, by accident, out from nowhere. This visitor knew most of us. But he was someone most of us wanted to avoid.
One of us friends reached the restaurant a bit late. When he parked the car, he saw the visitor sitting with us. Immediately he called and said he was going somewhere else. You must be wondering what is so peculiar about the visitor. Well, the visitor had a long history.
The visitor had been a Christian for 35 years (he made it clear). He had much Bible knowledge but he couldn’t stop talking. Most knew that whenever he is around, no one else has a chance to talk. He confuses people. He thinks people are avoiding him because he has truth that others don’t want to hear. He will pick things out, from the Bible, so he could always correct others. Well, all of us moved-out from that table except one (this guy didn’t know about the visitor’s history).
The whole episode was just too funny to me.
So then, how do we increase in favor with God and men? I am interested to know, wouldn’t you be?
I have written somewhere that when you have favor with God, you will have the favor of godly men. Not everyone will favor you because some will persecute you. But godly men will favor you because they are with God.
In reading Luke chapter 2, we see that Jesus not only had favor with God and men, He had favor with the angels. There was such a beautiful manifestation of angels proclaiming the favor of God upon Jesus, witnessed by the shepherds in the fields at night. It was only appropriate because the future great Shepherd had come.
Simeon, who was known to be just and devout, went to the temple by the Spirit’s leading. He held baby Jesus up in his arms, blessed God, and proclaimed the favor of God upon Jesus.
He then spoke to Mary, and prophesied that it won’t be a bed of roses (of course …not these words which I just used …I am just summarizing!).
You see, the favor of God doesn’t mean that there won’t be challenges, hardship or suffering. You yourselves know what our Lord Jesus had to go through. You read the end of the Gospels. But the good news is that He triumphed over them.
Briefly soon after Simeon, an old prophetess Anna who lived in the temple and served God with fastings and prayers night and day, spoke about Jesus to all who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.
Later on, in Luke 2:40, we read:
And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
The Child, Jesus, was filled with wisdom. He was twelve years old when He showed this wisdom. He was asking the religious teachers in the temple questions, and He got the answers from them. But He kept-on asking. Either the teachers couldn’t answer anymore, or as a matter of method/custom, the teachers asked Him in return. And He answered them. And they were astonished. His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, were amazed when they saw Him.
Mary, who was exasperated looking for Him, because they thought He was lost, confronted Him.
“Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:48-49)
He was about His Father’s business! He was much, much, much, more than their earthly son. He was, and is, and will always be, the very Son of God!
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Mark 9:2-7)
The Father God Himself proclaimed: “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. Not Moses. Not Elijah. Not Peter. Not James. Not John. Not you. Not me.
I had a vision one day in prayer. I saw a family in a house. The parents were about to go somewhere. They have many sons in the house. They put the eldest son in charge to tidy-up the house. But, what was shocking, was that, immediately after the parents had left, the younger sons went about, each and everyone, doing their own individual thing, without listening or looking to the eldest son at all. The eldest son just stood there. He couldn’t do anything.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)
Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. He is the first. The favor of God rested upon him. And the favor of God is continually resting upon Him. We are under His covering when we submit and fall-in-line in His headship. He is the head of the church.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. (Psalm 133:1-2)
The anointing is flowing down from the Head of the church, Jesus Christ. Our unity is focused at the head where the divine thinking brain is. All impulses, reflexes and responses have to go through the Head.
In another vision which I had while in a group prayer, I saw multitudes of people marching and circling round a mountain. I knew the people were the church and the mountain was Jesus. Our unity is centered round Him!
All ministries have to come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God...to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
How do we have the favor of God in ministry? It is when we are submitted, subjected, and subservient, to the Head.
It is like the lyrics of a popular worship song that says,
“Lord, we need Your grace and mercy …We need to pray like never before …We need the power of Your Holy Spirit …To open heaven’s door …Spirit, touch Your church …Stir the hearts of men …Revive us, Lord …With Your passion once again …I want to care for others …Like Jesus cares for me …Let Your rain fall upon me …Let Your rain fall upon me …Lord, we humbly come before You …We don’t deserve of You what we ask …But we yearn to see Your glory …Restore this dying land.”
As such, may we learn to walk in His favor ...and may His favor overflows ...running to us through others whom He had chosen to bless us.
For God Was With Him
Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
In ministry, we need the favor of God. If Jesus Himself was successful in His earthly ministry because He had the favor of God, how much more we need the favor of God!
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)
I have something funny to talk about here. A few of us …close Christian friends arranged to meet at a restaurant to have a meal together and fellowship. It was our usual weekly thing. Unexpectedly, there was another man who came to join us, by accident, out from nowhere. This visitor knew most of us. But he was someone most of us wanted to avoid.
One of us friends reached the restaurant a bit late. When he parked the car, he saw the visitor sitting with us. Immediately he called and said he was going somewhere else. You must be wondering what is so peculiar about the visitor. Well, the visitor had a long history.
The visitor had been a Christian for 35 years (he made it clear). He had much Bible knowledge but he couldn’t stop talking. Most knew that whenever he is around, no one else has a chance to talk. He confuses people. He thinks people are avoiding him because he has truth that others don’t want to hear. He will pick things out, from the Bible, so he could always correct others. Well, all of us moved-out from that table except one (this guy didn’t know about the visitor’s history).
The whole episode was just too funny to me.
So then, how do we increase in favor with God and men? I am interested to know, wouldn’t you be?
I have written somewhere that when you have favor with God, you will have the favor of godly men. Not everyone will favor you because some will persecute you. But godly men will favor you because they are with God.
In reading Luke chapter 2, we see that Jesus not only had favor with God and men, He had favor with the angels. There was such a beautiful manifestation of angels proclaiming the favor of God upon Jesus, witnessed by the shepherds in the fields at night. It was only appropriate because the future great Shepherd had come.
Simeon, who was known to be just and devout, went to the temple by the Spirit’s leading. He held baby Jesus up in his arms, blessed God, and proclaimed the favor of God upon Jesus.
He then spoke to Mary, and prophesied that it won’t be a bed of roses (of course …not these words which I just used …I am just summarizing!).
You see, the favor of God doesn’t mean that there won’t be challenges, hardship or suffering. You yourselves know what our Lord Jesus had to go through. You read the end of the Gospels. But the good news is that He triumphed over them.
Briefly soon after Simeon, an old prophetess Anna who lived in the temple and served God with fastings and prayers night and day, spoke about Jesus to all who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.
Later on, in Luke 2:40, we read:
And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
The Child, Jesus, was filled with wisdom. He was twelve years old when He showed this wisdom. He was asking the religious teachers in the temple questions, and He got the answers from them. But He kept-on asking. Either the teachers couldn’t answer anymore, or as a matter of method/custom, the teachers asked Him in return. And He answered them. And they were astonished. His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, were amazed when they saw Him.
Mary, who was exasperated looking for Him, because they thought He was lost, confronted Him.
“Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:48-49)
He was about His Father’s business! He was much, much, much, more than their earthly son. He was, and is, and will always be, the very Son of God!
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Mark 9:2-7)
The Father God Himself proclaimed: “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. Not Moses. Not Elijah. Not Peter. Not James. Not John. Not you. Not me.
I had a vision one day in prayer. I saw a family in a house. The parents were about to go somewhere. They have many sons in the house. They put the eldest son in charge to tidy-up the house. But, what was shocking, was that, immediately after the parents had left, the younger sons went about, each and everyone, doing their own individual thing, without listening or looking to the eldest son at all. The eldest son just stood there. He couldn’t do anything.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)
Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. He is the first. The favor of God rested upon him. And the favor of God is continually resting upon Him. We are under His covering when we submit and fall-in-line in His headship. He is the head of the church.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. (Psalm 133:1-2)
The anointing is flowing down from the Head of the church, Jesus Christ. Our unity is focused at the head where the divine thinking brain is. All impulses, reflexes and responses have to go through the Head.
In another vision which I had while in a group prayer, I saw multitudes of people marching and circling round a mountain. I knew the people were the church and the mountain was Jesus. Our unity is centered round Him!
All ministries have to come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God...to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
How do we have the favor of God in ministry? It is when we are submitted, subjected, and subservient, to the Head.
It is like the lyrics of a popular worship song that says,
“Lord, we need Your grace and mercy …We need to pray like never before …We need the power of Your Holy Spirit …To open heaven’s door …Spirit, touch Your church …Stir the hearts of men …Revive us, Lord …With Your passion once again …I want to care for others …Like Jesus cares for me …Let Your rain fall upon me …Let Your rain fall upon me …Lord, we humbly come before You …We don’t deserve of You what we ask …But we yearn to see Your glory …Restore this dying land.”