Psalm 111

The works of the Lord are great,
Studied by all who have pleasure in them.


His work is honorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures forever.

4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.


The works of the Lord are 

Great, Honorable , Glorious

Works of the Lord.

You see this creation. the stars, the galaxies,  the mountains, the oceans. When you see all this creation. you wonder and say how great are His works. the works of the Lord are so great. You look at our own body. David says I am fearfully and wonderfully made. How great is our God. A baby in the womb is a miracle. When you see an ultrasound of a baby in the womb. You marvel and say how great are Gods works. 

But above all,  Turn to John 6:28,29 

What is the work of the God.

28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

God takes us through the journey of believing.

Abraham has to believe all the way through his journey to canaan and then about the promise of son and even after the son then sacrificing the son.

Every challenge we face is an opportunity to believe God.

Isaiah 7:9

Unless your faith is firm,
    I cannot make you stand firm.”

What is work of God.  The  work of God is to make you believe in Jesus Christ.

V2 Study and V4 Remember

If you take pleasure in playing Guitar, then you will study , you learn and you will invest time , money, energy in it.

Meditate on it.

Remember : Studying is one thing , but when a challenge comes, remembering that He has done before and He is able to do it again is another thing.

Proverbs 2:4 says

4 If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,

And He will show them His covenant.

Body Of Christ Part 3 (Esther)

Body Of Christ Part 3 (Esther)

Body of Christ..

Body of Christ is led by the leading of the Holy Spirit God and by the Shepherds that God appointed. And we need to be sensitive to Spirit's leading.

In this year of greater Glory, are we sensitive to Holy Spirit , sensitive to the Word of the Shepherd.

Today,  we will see How Body of Christ should be ready for Lords second coming. 

How we can move from Glory to Glory.

Let us learn from life of Esther. 

King Ahasuerus

Esther

Mordecai

Hegai

Haman

Esther 2:2

Vasthi was invited by the king, but she refused to come.

Matthew 22: 1- 10

Parable of the King who sent wedding invite .

Those who are invited didn't come.  So the King said,  go and bring all those on road side.

Similarly queen Vasthi rejected kings invite, and the king asked to bring all the young women in the kingdom.

The encouraging things in this call is the king did not look for any specific race or background in calling out the young women.

Esther 2:2   Doesn't matter who she is, which race, which background, which family.

If we see Esther background, she is humble girl. 

Background is very humble.  No parents, 

Can you imagine a child not having both parents

But Mordecai took her as his own daughter. Mordecai represents Shepherd of Church.

This is what Shepherds do , they take people who are lost in the world and sacrifice their own careers and time and take these Esthers of the world as their own daughters and raise them up for God.

Now many young women are called. And Esther is also called.

All the young virgins are kept in the custody of Hegai.

V9- as soon as all the young women came to Hegai s custody,  some might be headstrong,  some might be careless, some arrogant, some might be rebellious,  

but as we know that Esther grew up under Pastoral care of Mordecai and as a result she won the favor of Hegai.   She was given special beauty preparations. And also 7 maids and best place in the house of Woman.

See the life of Esther:

She was an Orphan  -->  and next she became a Child of Mordecai  -->  then Under the special care of Hegai ( representation of the leading of Holy Spirit to  be prepared for the king) --> Then became the beloved wife of the king.

Glory to Glory. - This is how God grooms from glory to glory.

You and me who were orphans once upon a time and God saved us and made us His children. 

Esther after becoming Child, she obeyed Mordecai and her obedience is revealed when she was pleasing Hegai. 

Mordecai instructed Esther not to reveal who she was and what her background is.  

Esther 2: V 10: 

Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. 

Esther didn't tell her family,  background or anything. 

Honestly, many people although they became born again christians, still boast about what their background and what their race, and their traditions because there was no foundation laid.

But Mordecai laid in the heart of Esther one characteristic that is obedience 

Psalm 45:10 says

Forget your family, fathers house.  The King will greatly desire your beauty.

This is a time of beauty preparation so that King will desire her beauty, and as a Pastor Mordecai knows in his wisdom what to do and he told her not to reveal and she obeyed.

Once you become a Child of God, if  are asked not to reveal what your background is and you rebel and reveal who you are ,Then you will not see that moving of one level to another level.

And Hegai moved her from one of the places in house of women to the best place in the house of Women.

Glory to Glory because of obedience you moved to another level.

V11. Is a heart of a Shepherd. Just because she is in Kings house for women, he did not ignore her, rather everyday enquiring about her. This is What a Shepherd he is.

Genuine concern of the Shepherd.

1 And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.

Paul says 1 these 3:10 , pray day and night for you

2 Timothy 1:3  I remember you day and night. 

V12: Beauty Preparation.

There is time for beauty Preparation

6 month with oil and 6 month. Remember verse 9, apart from the given allowance,  beauty preparations are given. 

What's this beauty.

As we read psalm 45, leaving the old traditions , that beauty is what king desires. 

Revelation 21: 9, 10

Revelation 19:7,8

Righteous Acts of Saints.

V13.

Now every young woman before going to the King, she can take whatever she desires to the kings palace.

Some might have taken the best of the grandest of clothes. 

Some might have the best of jewellery.

Some might have gone with best of perfumes.

What did Esther took to the king?

she took only what Hegai gave her. 

This is Church. You hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and take only those things that Spirit instructs you and take that to King. Don't go with all your old baggage.

You may say these jewellery is good, perhaps King might like it, 

But Who knows better about Lord Jesus, only HolySpirit God. The Spirit leads us into all Truth.

How did Rebekah go to Isaac ? With father s house ornaments ? Or what Eliezer gave?

Esther obeyed Mordecai. and obeyed Hegai and finally became queen.

Race

The world we live in is a  competitive world.
If you are in a school, you want to score highest than anybody else.
If you are in work place,  there is always a competition for a promotion or for a hike, or to impress the authorities above.
If you have a friends or relatives has bought some thing big, then some get  pulled into thinking of ohh i need to buy something like that.
In corporate world, This is called  rat race.

A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. It conjures up the image of lab rats racing through a maze to get the "cheese" much like society racing to get ahead financially.

someone said -  Often, people work long hard hours at jobs they hate, to earn money to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't like. 

The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat.



But Bible talks about a different race that believers should  run. 

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith


I finished the race. 

When a marathon race begins, many people start well and slowly after couple of miles some drop off, and slowly some others, there will be few who endure and cross the finish line.

When Paul says he finished the race means he began the race and ran the race and now about a time when wrote this letter he says he finished the race.

So what is this Race he began, what is he talking about.

It is not the race that world thinks of. Not race of money, Not race of positions, Not race of Status and not race of properties.

This is Race of Faith. So this race is a life of Faith.
This greatness life of Faith can speak even after a person dies. It says about Abel

The whole race at every moment it is rof faith.
Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So that means after a person believes in Lord Jesus and takes baptism, the life I live by Faith alone. 

So when should we exercise this faith.? when Some difficult situations come that we cannot solve. Some
I said this before - previously that if there is small thing i will try to manage and but if it out of my hands then i will say Lord I need your attention

But this race is full of faith.

Romans 14:23
and everything that does not come from faith is sin.[c]

Every moment of our life should be driven by faith in Lord Jesus Christ.
Not just when we are in a serious problem or when we are sick, but even my smallest aspect of life should be driven by faith.

Faith is believing what God has already spoken.
When God says your are sins are forgiven, some think may be that sin is not forgiven.
Some say what temptations i go through nobody will have it.
If God says you will not be tempted than what you can endure, you should believe that it is Word of God. 


How we should run this race?

Hebrews 12:1-2

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

The Race is already marked out for us. How we should grow in the Word of God. SOme try to go in the race that is not marked.

If you are running a marathon, there is a track that is marked out, you cannot say i will go out of the way and run. 

There is way that is marked out for us. 

Being under a shepherd.  Being in the fellowship of believers. 
Loving one another.

 Some say i will sit in home and watch tv and worship.
God called out to be Church and there you will be built. in the fellowship of believers you will be built.

Some might say I dont need a shepherd.
The Lord has marked out how the race should be.
In any races, the participants has coaches who guide them, how to run.
Submitting under authority is always important.
The best example is Our Lord Jesus. In the race He ran, He always submitted to the God the Father , even i Garden of Gethsemene where he said Father take this cup away, but not my will but Your will be done.

If you are in fellowship with brethren in Church then only you will know how to love others.

1 John says, if you dont love your fellow brother, then Love of God is not in you and you dont know God. and if you dont know God then there is no eternal life, because eternal life means knowing God.  


How to run the race is marked out for us, Run in the race that is marked for us.


1 Corinthians 9:24-26

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 


Aspects of Running the race:

After i beleived in the Lord and born again and baptized, one brother from Church came and asked me what is your vision in your life.
I have no idea. I said am trying to live sinless life.
So he said you are still in elementary teachings. you should have vision for the life.

Vision:

proverbs 29:18
Where there is no [l]vision, the people are unrestrained,
But happy is he who keeps the law.


Paul compares this race to Olympics.



Paul not disobedient to heavenly vision.

Acts 26:17-19

17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now[a] send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ 

19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 

Paul had a vision from the Lord to preach forgiveness of sins to Gentiles and he was not disobedient.

Today i want to ask you, Whats the vision that you got from the Lord.
Some say God told me to be an evangelist, Preacher of the Word, for some to be helper, for some to Intercede for the people. Are you obedient to the vision you received. Are you running this race keeping the vision in mind? 

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 



Fixing our Eyes on Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith

Hebrews says Fixing our eyes on Jesus.
In the worldly rat race, we fix our eyes on colleagues, relatives and you want to go ahead of them.
But in the race of faith your eyes is fixed on Jesus. ? WHY

When the eyes are

There is a joy at the end. - Endured the cross , taking the shame.
Many people when the run the race because others are running.

2 Corinthians 4:18
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

what is seen is temporary : we see other people , we see our situations, we see whats happening around.

Example: Others

Abraham fixed his eyes on the city , he was waiting for the city which has foundations, that is why he was living int tents. With the money he had he could have built a city or like the people of babel he could have built something, but he has a goal he has a vision , the vision is there is a city which has foundations and he was living by faith for that city.

Acts 11:9
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Only when we look at Jesus we can Endure, otherwise will fall.


Hindrances;
Galatians 5:7

7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

There are many things that brings hindrances to this race.
Some try to lead us away from Truth.

Hebrew 13:8

I will never leave you not foresake you. 

The contentment comes by looking at the Lord.

Boldly declare,  the Lord is my Helper, what can man do to me? 

You should be prepared to run. 

Self discipline. 

I make my body slave . Some 

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

I Corinthians 9:27 NKJV

http://bible.com/114/1co.9.27.NKJV

Paul says after all the preaching he didn't want to be disqualified because of lack of  body discipline. 

Really can lack of body discipline disqualify.

See in a marathon, it's your physical weight that disqualifies , you need to in shape to do marathon.

Some say how much ever I try I cannot wakeup for a morning prayer.

How much ever I try I cannot control eating.

You can name your area of discipline that is required for your body. 

For some they don't have control on the body

When you are running the race of faith, there are things that hinder from obeying Truth. 


Church,
Jesus Christ finished the race,  and all others could of witnesses are a great source of encouragement  to run the race. 
running this race is worthy. Its glorious. because in the end there is eternal life.
In the world, everyone step down others and run the race.
But in the race of faith, we uphold each other and run the race.

Psalm 110

This is a prophetic psalm about Lord Jesus Christ.
This psalm is quoted by Lord Jesus Matthew , Hebrews.


What do you mean by Right Hand.

Psalm 48:10

According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.

Genesis 48:13-17

13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said:

“God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

Jacob placed His Right hand on Ephraim, and said Greatness. 

Galatians 2: 9

9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 

Right hand is hand of fellowship.

Right hand represent Mighty Power of God, Victory,  Righteousness of God, Fellowship with God.

What is the purpose.

V5. The Lord is at Your right hand;

Psalm 16:8
                   I have set the Lord always before me;
                   Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.


V3: Your people shall be volunteers
In the day of Your power;

We are born again not sit just idle.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places

We are called to fight. Not with flesh and blood, with 

 but we His people are volunteers in the day of Gods power. Gods power is revealed everyday and we should be volunteers.

2 Timothy 2:

You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier

V 3

In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,
You have the dew of Your youth.

Youth represents strength, power.

Psalm 96:9

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

What does that mean?

When everyone around you following the pattern of the world, traditions of the world, you set apart and say I will follow the Lord.

When everyone around you has fellowship with the world, you say I will fellowship with My God and my brothers and sisters in Christ.

The morning dew is fresh for everyday.

When we worship the Lord in Holiness and we will renew  our strength.