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October 19th, 2014

10/19/2014

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2 Kings 20:1-11 
May be any of us may not have a condition or a situation that may be similar to King Hezekiah was going through.
But many experience situations filled with a conditions of sickness, financial or relationship crisis.
We do not know when we will face such crisis in our life.
But our condition should not control us and force us to a conclusion that all is hopelessness.
I. Understanding our CONDITION (Verse 1)
We see King Hezekiah in a bad state of health – Prophet Isiah delivers 3 pronouncements.
A. Put your house in order
B. You are going to die
C. You will not recover
Such pronouncements nobody wants to hear from a doctor.
Prophet Isiah delivers this message to King Hezekiah that he is going to die for sure.
II. Responding to our CONDITION (Verses 2&3)
First response of Hezekiah was to pray.
For sure he knows that God would answer him before his death whether he will live or die.
Hezekiah did not allow his condition of death to distract him from his prayer of faith.
He tuned his face from others to the wall and cried to the Lord.
In his prayer Hezekiah appeals to God as the one who faithfully obeyed God and did what was right in HIS eyes.
He reminds God to remember his wholehearted devotion for HIM and governing his country.
Second response was to weep bitterly
This response was from the anguish of Hezekiah’s heart because of his eminent death.
This is just a human response to his/her condition like any advanced Ebola patient 
III. God remembered Hezekiah (Verses 4-6)
These three verses speak of God’s response to Hezekiah’s prayer.
It is said that “expectation is the breeding ground for miracles”.
In one word we can say that God remembered Hezekiah.
Many biblical accounts speak of God remembering people and provided the way out. 
God remembered Joseph in that Egyptian prison.
Lord Jesus remembered the thief on the cross. 
Above all, God remembered all sinful humanity and provided a way out through Lord Jesus Christ.
As a result of our Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection, God has made a way for us to escape the death of our soul and pass on to the eternal presence of the Lord.
God made a way to turn it around and added 15 years to Hezekiah’s life.
IV. God’s remedy and the proof are supernatural in nature. (Verses 7-11)
God’s remedy is always supernatural requires complete faith and trust in HIM.
God’s confirmation of healing is also supernatural.
Isiah assured Hezekiah that God will show something as a proof that he was healed.
The shadow will go backward ten steps instead of forward as desired by King Hezekiah.
We need to understand that no matter what our condition may be it should not be our conclusion. 
The enemy, Satan tries to make us feel that we will always be bound by our condition.
When God made a way out of our sinful condition and redeemed us through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, any of our condition in life should not be beyond God’s supernatural response.
God does not heal people every time or provide the needed help the way we expect from God as a response to our prayers.
God does not act that way – HE does what is right for us in our given conditions.
As believers in the Lord Jesus we should never lose that trust in HIM no matter what we go through in life.
HE is always there and always listens to our prayers – HIS response may not be the one we expect or like – But HE does respond according to HIS will and purpose.



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October 12th, 2014

10/12/2014

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Ephesians 1:3-7
Comprehension of our Identity shapes our Life – who we are?
What we do defines our identity - Our social status defines our identity - Our education defines our identity - Our political affiliation defines our identity.
Many ways we use to define ourselves and choose to allow others to define us. 
Many times our identities keep changing from time to time.
The Lord wants us to understand one thing that we are more than any one of those labels. 
Our true identity is based on who we are in Christ. 
WE ARE BLESSED WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING
Verse 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 
God’s blessings are heavenly things more than earthly things.
Earthly blessings are added to the spiritual blessings.
In Christ we receive these spiritual blessings – not available for everyone – only in Christ.
Gift of Salvation – partnership of Holy Spirit – the joint heirs - the hope of eternity
Our identity is that of receiving spiritual blessings in Christ
WE ARE CHOSEN PEOPLE
Love is the underlying motive for all that God does.
We are an object of God’s unfathomable Love. 
Verse 4 “For HE (God) chose us in Him (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in HIS (God) sight. In love”
Our identity in Christ is that we are chosen people.
WE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN 
Verse 5 He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--
To be called as God’s children is the greatest privilege in the world – as a believer that is our identity – unfortunately not all are God’s children – yes everyone is created in HIS image.
Children of God, is our special privilege only in Christ.
God determined every to be adopted as HIS own children through Christ.
Israel is God’s covenant people because of God’s covenant with Abraham.
Our identity in Christ is that we are adopted sons and daughters of God.
WE ARE THE CONFIDENT PEOPLE
Verse 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 
HIS glorious grace is revealed in Christ – Christ died for us – redeemed us from sin because of God’s grace – what Apostle calls it ‘glorious grace’.
In the One means in the Lord Jesus Christ – We receive God’s grace through Christ – no other way it becomes glorious grace.
God’s grace is on everyone but HIS glorious grace is through Christ only.
Our identity in Christ is that we have received the special grace of God.
WE ARE REDEEMED PEOPLE
Verse 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
In Christ God chose us, bestowed with such grace, redeemed us from sin, chose us as God’s children yet we behave we have nothing.
In this identity driven world, we should know our identity in Christ. 
Our identity in Christ is the most privileged identity than any other identity the world gives to us.


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October 05th, 2014

10/5/2014

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Rom. 13:11-14
For everyone on earth God sets a time-frame in an individual's life between his/her birth and death.
In a way time controls us, time cheats us, time chokes us, and time corrects us, and time heals us.
We can observe that today’s time is moving like an F-16 at Mac 3 speed.
We don’t know when our Lord Jesus will return, but we know that He will surely come. 
Apostle Paul is deeply concerned about the time factor in a believer’s life.
Let us see some remarkable things about time in Christian believer’s life.
I.  Understand the TIMES
11 And do this, understanding the present time: 
He is not referring to a 24hr clock but speaking of the days which we live in.
He is speaking of the world systems, changing values, re-defining Morales, and confused spirituality.
Not only that, God is becoming irrelevant, obscure, and unimportant.
We are living dangerously in a confused and godless society.
Biblical truth is rejected and salvation through Lord Jesus is ‘an unacceptable theory.’
II. TIME to wake up
11 The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber,
The dangerous thing for a Christian is to live without any understanding of his/her spiritual life – name sake Christians.
Why people sleep during sermons because that’s what the devils wants the people not to hear the message of the Lord.
III. Any TIME for the Lord’s coming
11 because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed
In this context the word “Salvation” has a different connotation.
The salvation means escaping from this earthly existence.
When we die that is our salvation of the soul.
We have to give a serious thought about our spiritual life keeping in view of the times we live in.
IV. TIME for a new day dawn
As the world wakes up for a new day dawn a believer is challenged to s spiritual dawn.
Enough with the deeds of darkness - they are always contrary to our faith and beliefs.
It is time for new day dawn as we look to a bright morning under the Lordship of Jesus.
First: Come out of the present way of living, deceptions of the world, lures of the world, and temptations.
Second: ‘put on the armor of light’
In Ephesians 5:15-17 Apostle Paul cautions to Be careful, Be wise, Be attentive, Be submissive.
Time is a very precious commodity and we should use our time wisely.
The Lord’s return is eminent and may come anytime during our life time.
Even if did not happen or delayed, we still have to stand in His Presence when we die.
The times we live in today are dangerous, uncertain and discouraging.
We have to be ready to meet HIM in our life or after we die.
We have to identify the dark deeds and make all out efforts to stay under the light Of God’s Word.
We are encouraged to live out a life that pleases Lord Jesus Christ every day of our life.

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    Author

    Pastor John Sesham
    Abundant Grace Community Church, Hayward.

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