Are you the lost son or the brother?

Luk 15:11  Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.

Which son are you?

Luk 15:12  The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

Much like the younger son, I was born-again in my teen but wasn't interested in the Father and His kingdom, thinking that there was better world outside...

Luk 15:13  "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

It was kind of exciting in the beginning... worked in a corporate, made some money, bought a car, got a wife... as desire increases, soon enough left the job and started my own, business seem good, so bought a new house, trying to live a flashing life style and show off the world... "I can do it". But that didn't last too long.

Luk 15:14  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

Yes... soon there was a famine in the land, the stock market clashed, projects cancelled, payment delayed and some even turned into bad debt. So business began to go under...

Luk 15:15  So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

Business couldn't go on, no choice but to get a job... changed to a smaller car and sold the house finally...

Luk 15:16  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Market was slow and sales were tough. But life goes on... so turned to quick money scam, multi-level, gambling, even worship idols hoping that things to turn around soon... but it didn't.

Luk 15:17  "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

One night, my dear sister said to me that she got a good friend who is so kind and helpful and he would like to help me with a new car and a new house. It so happened at that time my car was in major repair and I needed one quick. Also I was still renting a house... 

Luk 15:18  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I knew she meant Jesus cos where on earth you find such a person? So I asked what's the catch? And she replied... "Nothing but to believe in Him".

Luk 15:19  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'

So I said to myself... I'll be the biggest fool if I don't accept. May be she meant to buy me the new car and the new house herself.

Luk 15:20  So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

So I accepted and came home to my Father... for the new car and the new house. But Daddy said "I've waited more than twenty years for you to come home".

Luk 15:21  "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

I said "Daddy, I'm so sorry. Now I realised how much I missed You".

Luk 15:22  "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

And Daddy said "Welcome home and I missed you since the day you left...

Luk 15:23  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.

Now let us forget the sorrow and let's celebrate!".

Luk 15:24  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

I'm so glad that I've come home, to be alive again... and I realised how good my Daddy is and how stupid of me to leave Him... He gave me the new car in the same month and the new house is BIG, though it is still in construction but it is already mine. 

Luk 15:25  "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

A long lost friend of my teenage years found out that I've come home to Daddy. 

Luk 15:26  So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

He was happy for me at first but then...

Luk 15:27  "Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

He realised that I've come to a church that preaches the gospel of Grace, a church that believes only in the finished work of Christ and His resurrection. And worst... this church does not preach the law at all...

Luk 15:28  "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.

He started to warn me of false teaching and that I've joined a wrong church...

Luk 15:29  But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

That I must join a traditional church that teaches repentance of sin and the work of the law... 

Luk 15:30  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

and that Grace alone isn't enough, that Jesus alone can't save me. That "Jesus + nothing = everything" is not true...

Luk 15:31  "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

but my Daddy said... whatever is Mine is yours... "As He is so are you now in this world". 

Luk 15:32  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

It is finished! (John 19:30) Jesus has done it all by the cross! Sins have been cleansed and no need of repentance anymore. The law's been fulfilled so now we live by His righteousness and not ours. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 Jn 5:12) Hear Him!

The power in the word

My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (Prov 4:20-23) 

...they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, (Mat 8:16) ...the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. (Luk 5:15) And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases. (Luk 6:17) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Christ). (Rom 10:17 NIV) Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Gal 3:5) Christ the power is in the word. Hear Him!

Blessing through the seed

God said: I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. (Gen 12:2) Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. (Gen 22:17) The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. (Prov 10:22)

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. (Rom 4:13) For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "SURELY BLESSING I WILL BLESS YOU, AND MULTIPLYING I WILL MULTIPLY YOU." And so, after Abraham had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (Heb 6:13-15) and Christ redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to us through Him (the seed), so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Gal 3:14) Whatsoever God had promised to Abraham are also true to us because by faith in Christ we are the sons of Abraham, we are the heirs of the world through the seed Jesus Christ. Do you believe that? Are you blessed? Now is not the time to give up... because Abraham patiently endured and obtained the promise. Hear Him.

Enter by the narrow gate

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Mat 7:13-14)

Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:27-29) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1Pe 1:6-9) "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Behold unto Jesus for in Him is our peace, our salvation. Blessed are you who have not seen and yet have believed. Hear Him!

Christ conscious or self conscious

(Mark 8:11) Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." 13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." 17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? (NKJV)

In Mark chapter 8, we read that Jesus just fed the multitude of four thousand with seven loaves of bread yet the His disciples were concerned with not bringing enough bread. It is indeed very strange. Why? If your father just gave generously to everyone all that they can eat and take, will you be worried that you forgot to bring enough cash with you?

It has something to do with verse 15: Then Jesus charged them, saying... In the NIV it states: "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." Who are the Pharisees and Herod and what is leaven/yeast referred here? The Bible tells us very clearly that the Pharisees are the teachers of the law, Herod is an unbeliever. Another word these are people do not accept the Grace of God, people without faith. And leaven/yeast is their self-righteousness, their works of the law, their dependence of self effort, another word their unbelief which had influenced the disciples subtly diluted their faith, blocked them from perceiving or understanding and even hardened of their heart toward Christ (Grace) without them knowing it.

Don't be deceived, if it is not important Jesus won't have warned us... That's the power of the dark side, the devil will tell you of your self-righteousness, your self-ability, your self-desires, all about yourself. As long as your eyes are on yourself, you are being deceived, you have become like the disciples losing the ability to perceive and understand, you heart is hardened from hearing God. But fear not for He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1Jn 4:4), for He said "I will never leave you, nor forsake you" (Heb 13:5), for He said "be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Remember only when our eyes are on Christ, only when we are Christ conscious, then our self consciousness disappeared. Then come His peace, His wisdom, His health, His prosperity, His victory, His everything in our life. In Him we are everything but without Him we are nothing! (John 15:5) Behold unto His glory always. Hear Him!

I desire mercy, not sacrifice

After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (Hos 6:1-3) For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hos 6:6)

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mat 9:11-13) If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. (Mat 12:7)

For by one sacrifice He has perfected forever those (who believed in Him) who are being sanctified. (Heb 10:14) It is not what you do for Him but what He has done for you... let us acknowledge His mercy (His grace) and not our sacrifice (our dead works). The two days have passed and now it is the third day... the day the stone is rolled away, the day of His mercy and grace, the day of our final restoration! Praise be our Father for His mercy and grace to us through our Lord Jesus Christ! Hear Him!

Lift up Jesus

"Haven't you read this scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?" (Mark 12:10-11)

Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them. And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. (Jos 3:5-7)

Interpretation: Joshua is a picture of Jesus Christ of the Old Testament, so is the ark of the covenant. The priests are the church, the believers in Christ of the New Testament. In the last day which is today... Jesus said to the church, "Lift Me up and pass on ahead of the people." And the LORD said to Jesus, "Today I will exalt You in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses". Let us all lift up Jesus and exalt Him, let His light so shined before all Israel that they may know He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world... the One they rejected and that God is and was with Him as was with Moses. Jesus is the Christ! Hear Him!

Do not worry

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Mat 6:25-30)

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Mat 6:31-34)

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Mat 7:7-8) And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Mat 21:22) "... For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. (Mat 6:8)

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Mat 16:24-25) He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Mat 10:39)

Do you still worry about tomorrow? Do you still seek your own life? You are truly blessed if this is what you said: "I do not worry about tomorrow for Daddy in heaven shall take care everything because He is my Father and He loves me. All I want now is to love Him too by seeking His kingdom and His righteousness and not my own things. For now I know only in Him I find all things!". Thank you Daddy for Jesus! Hear Him!

The will of the Father

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Mat 3:10) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!' (Mat 7:19-23) The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1Jn 2:17)

What then is the will of the Father? ...The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth. (Acts 22:14) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's Grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ. (Eph 1:7-9) He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the who is and who was and who is to come (Rev 1:8) and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Col 1:17) In Him is the will of the Father. Only Hear Him!

In His secret place

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. (Psa 27:5-6)

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." (Psa 91:1-2)

Where is His secret place? At a time of crisis like now... diseases, financial famine, disasters, terrorism, wars and death and many more. This is the time we must find His secret place for protection. But where and how?

The answer is the mercy seat which is overshadowed by the wings of the two cherubim on the ark in His tabernacle. But this is only the shadow of the real thing. Jesus Christ is our mercy seat and in Christ we are in His secret place. In Christ we are in His absolute protection. In Christ we found peace. So let us offer sacrifices of joy and sing praises in His name in the time of trouble, in time of crisis for He said: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world give, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) In Christ we have been delivered! Hear Him!