Jesus our "Soma Tonga"

"When walking through the rural roads of India, you will occasionally come across a post with a sturdy shelf about shoulder height. These posts are called Soma Tonga, which means 'resting place.' As people travel on foot, they can stop at a Soma Tonga and place their heavy load on the shelf for relief. Once rested, they can continue their journey.
One can easily see why Christians in India call Jesus 'My Soma Tonga.' "
Published in Mchenry's " Stories for the Soul"


While you are traveling the dusty roads of life have you experienced the rest that only Jesus can give to you?   Isn't it time that you rested from every burden and worry?  I'm inviting you to come to Jesus right now and give him your burdens and hurts.  He loves you so much more than you will ever understand. 
 
Jesus said " “Come to me, all of you who are weary and over-burdened, and I will give you rest! Put on my yoke and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matt 11:28-30
 
Part of resting in Him is truely trusting Him to take care of you no matter what the circumstances are that you are being faced with.  
When David speaks about Jesus he says, ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh will also rest in hope, because you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in your presence."   Acts 2:25-27
 
To whom did God swear that they should never enter his rest? Was it not these very men and women who refused to trust him?  Yes, it is all too plain that it was refusal to trust God that prevented these men from entering his rest.   Hebrews 3:18-19

I know it might be hard to face what your going through right now and your circumstances might look very hopeless right now but if you simply give Him your burdens and fears and rest in His love for you you will begin to experience that precious peace that surpasses all understanding.   A peace and rest that only He can give you.  


Do not rest the weight of your confidence on the transitory power of wealth but on the living God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. Do good and be rich in kindly actions, be ready to give to others and to sympathise with those in distress. Your security should be invested in the life to come so that you may be sure of holding a share in the life which is permanent. 1 Tim 6:17-19





Are you feeling overwhelmed?  Sometimes its only when we come to end of ourselves that we are able to let go and LET GOD do His work in our lives.  Have you ever considered that maybe he wants you to feel overwhelmed so you will stop looking to your own abilities and start looking at the Greatness of our God?     The early apostles felt what your feeling right now.  

"At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet we believe now that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead.

It was God who preserved us from imminent death, and it is he who still preserves us. Further, we trust him to keep us safe in the future, and here you can join in and help by praying for us, so that the good that is done to us in answer to many prayers will mean eventually that many will thank God for our preservation.  2 Cor 1:8-11


Even Jesus and the apostles needed time to rest.  " The apostles returned to Jesus and reported to him every detail of what they had done and taught. “Now come along to some quiet place by yourselves, and rest for a little while,” said Jesus, for there were people coming and going incessantly so that they had not even time for meals."  Mark 6:30     When was the last time that you went away to rest ?   Sometimes you just need to get away from the hustle and bustle of people around you and find a quiet place that only you and the Lord know about. 

Now since the same promise of rest is offered to us today, let us be continually on our guard that none of us even looks like failing to attain it. For we too have had a Gospel preached to us, as those men had. Yet the message proclaimed to them did them no good, because they only heard and did not believe as well. It is only as a result of our faith and trust that we experience that rest.   Hebrews 4:1-2 

There still exists, therefore, a full and complete rest for the people of God. And he who experiences his real rest is resting from his own work as fully as God from his. Hebrews 4:9

Let us then be eager to know this rest for ourselves, and let us beware that  one misses it through falling into the same kind of unbelief as those we have mentioned.  Hebrews 4:11  So brace up your minds, and, as men who know what they are doing, rest the full weight of your hopes on the grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ reveals himself. Live as obedient children before God. Don’t let your character be moulded by the desires of your ignorant days, but be holy in every department of your lives, for the one who has called you is himself holy. The scripture says: ‘Be holy, for I am holy’.  1 Peter 1:13-16

Be patient, my brothers, as you wait for the Lord to come. Look at the farmer quietly awaiting his precious harvest. See how he has to possess his soul in patience till the land has had the early and late rains. So must you be patient, resting your hearts on the ultimate certainty. The Lord’s coming is very near.  James 5:7-8 

Have you made Jesus your "Soma Tonga" today ?  

The Season of Lent

If you are a Christian who is not familiar with this terminology. Not all Christian churches observe Lent. Lent is the Christian observance of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday.  These are the 40 days in preparation of Easter.

It is a season of soul-searching and repentance. During Lent many make it a goal to give up some form of luxery as a form of penitence.  Some even fast.   The tradition of Lent is man-made but there are biblical roots that can be found in some scriptures in the bible. 
For instance, the practice of repentance and mourning in ashes is found in

2 Sam 13:19
"And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent the long robe which she wore; and laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went." 

Esther 4:1-3  
"When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry; he went up to the entrance of the King's gate, for no one might enter the King's gate clothed with sackcloth.  And in every province, wherever the King's command and decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes. " 

Job 2:8
"And he took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes. "  

Daniel 9:3
"Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.  I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, O Lord, the great and terrible God, who keepest covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances; we have not listened to thy servants the Prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. "   

Your Deliverer

The Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.  So they made the people of Israel serve with rigor, and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field; and in all their work they made them serve with rigor.  Exodus 1:12-14  

Have you ever felt oppressed because of the circumstances that you have been going through?   Everytime you turn around the price of gas goes up and the price of grocercies goes up and then all the utility companies want their cut as well.  


The Israelites felt the same way. They were doing hard labor and getting nothing out of it.  Their oppression caused them to cry out to the Lord.  What happen when they cried out?  The Lord sent them a deliverer.   God got the attention of Moses with a bush that would not burn although it was consumed with fire.  

The Lord said, " I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and bring them up out oof that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.  "  Exodus 3:7-9   
I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.  Exod 6:7

We know the end result of this conversation don't we? 

 

 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.  And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.  They Egyptians pursued, and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharoah's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.  And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down upon the host of the Egyptians, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily; and the Egyptians said, " Let us flee from before Israel; for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians."   Then the Lord said to Moses,

" Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen."  So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its wonted flow when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled into it, and the Lord routed the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not so much as one of them remained.  Exodus 14:21-28  
I delivered you from the power of Egypt and the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave you their land. Judges 6:9



The Lord has a way of removing the things from our lives which are distressing and troubling us if we would simply call upon his name and ask Him to intervene and bring His deliverance.  Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly.  He does not want us going through life constantly crying out because we are not getting our fair share.  He is saying to you today. 
 

I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket.  In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder;  I tested you at the waters of Meribah.   Hear, O people, while I admonish you!    Psalms 81:6-8 

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my mountain where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2  I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4   Seek Him today my friend and see if He will not bring you the deliverance that you need. 

Jesus still heals today

Jesus Christ is always the same, yesterday, today and for ever. Do not be swept off your feet by various peculiar teachings. Heb 13:8

If he healed people then He has the power to heal you today!   As you read these scriptures let your faith arise to receive the healing power that only Jesus can bring to whatever you need healed today.  

Jesus now travelled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of illness and disability.
As he looked at the vast crowds he was deeply moved with pity for them, for they were as bewildered and miserable as a flock of sheep with no shepherd.

Matt 9:35-36
Then he came down with them and stood on a level piece of ground, surrounded by a large crowd of his disciples and a great number of people from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal district of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. (And even those who were troubled with evil spirits were cured.) The whole crowd were trying to touch him with their hands, for power was going out from him and he was healing them all.  Luke 6:17-19

At that very time Jesus was healing many people of their diseases and ailments and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. The blind are recovering their sight, cripples are walking again, lepers being healed, the deaf hearing, dead men are being brought to life again, and the good news is being given to those in need. And happy is the man who never loses his faith in me.  Luke 7:21-23

The crowds observed this and followed him. And he welcomed them and talked to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who were in need of healing. 
Luke 9:11

It is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, who has done this thing to honour his servant Jesus—the man whom you betrayed and denied in the presence of Pilate, even when he had decided to let him go. But you disowned the holy and righteous one, and begged to be granted instead a man who was a murderer! You killed the prince of life, but God raised him from the dead—a fact of which we are eye-witnesses. It is the name of this same Jesus, it is faith in that name, which has cured this man whom you see and recognise. Yes, it was faith in Christ which gave this man perfect health and strength in full view of you all. Acts 3:12-16

You must have heard how God anointed him with the power of the Holy Spirit, of how he went about doing good and healing all who suffered from the devil’s power—because God was with him. Now we are eye-witnesses of everything that he did, both in the Judean country and in Jerusalem itself, and yet they murdered him by hanging him on a cross. But on the third day God raised that same Jesus and let him be clearly seen, not indeed by the whole people, but by witnesses whom God had previously chosen.

We are those witnesses, we who ate and drank with him after he had risen from the dead! Moreover, we are the men whom he commanded to preach to the people and bear fearless witness to the fact that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of both the living and the dead. It is to him that all the prophets bear witness, that every man who believes in him may receive forgiveness of sins through his name. Acts 10:34-43 

Your healing is directly related to your faith.  Do you believe that Jesus can and will heal you today ?   Sometimes what is hindering us from receiving our healing is our lack of faith.  For example, He could do nothing miraculous there apart from laying his hands on a few sick people and healing them; their lack of faith astonished him.
Mark 6:5-11

Ministry Organization News

Our beloved friend and fellow minister Dr. James Albee has went to be with the Lord.   He leaves behind his wife Pat so lets pray for her and her family during this time. 

The body is “sown” in corruption; it is raised beyond the reach of corruption. It is “sown” in dishonour; it is raised in splendour. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. As there is a natural body so will there be a spiritual body.  1 Cor 15:42

We realise that being “at home” in the body means that to some extent we are “away” from the Lord, for we have to live by trusting him without seeing him. We are so sure of this that we would really rather be “away” from the body (in death) and be “at home” with the Lord.  2 Cor 5:4-6 

With these promises ringing in our ears, dear friends, let us keep clear of anything that smirches body or soul. Let us prove reverence for God by consecrating ourselves to him completely.  2 Cor 7:1

As God’s prisoner, then, I beg you to live lives worthy of your high calling. Accept life with humility and patience, making allowances for each other because you love each other. Make it your aim to be at one in the Spirit, and you will inevitably be at peace with one another. You all belong to one body, of which there is one Spirit, just as you all experienced one calling to one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one Father of us all, who is the one over all, the one working through all and the one living in all.  Ephes 4:1

The Little Fishes

Some years ago a headline told of three hundred whales that suddenly died. The whales were pursuing sardines and found themselves marooned in a bay. Frederick Broan Harris commented, "The small fish lured the sea giants to their death. They came to their violent demise by chasing small ends, by prostituting vast powers for insignificant goals." 

"How often in life 'little things' can seem so insignificant. For instance, the kid who smokes his first cigarette probably reasons with himself, 'One smoke will not hurt,' never dreaming he would get addicted to nicotine. The same is true of the alcoholic and the drug addict. One drink will never hurt, or one drug will never hurt, never dreaming that they would end up as hopeless addicts.

Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes"
(Song of Solomon 2:15).

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  1 Cor 5:6  

Then there are those of us who pride ourselves that we are not addicted to any substance, but allow our lives to be consumed by so many little things that are harmless in and of themselves, but take us away from God's purpose for our life. All too often even good things become the enemy of the best in that they hinder or stop our becoming all that God has envisioned for us.


He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Prov 28:13


May we so live that in the end when we meet God face to face we will have no regrets but hear his welcoming words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.'"
Bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.  1 Tim 4:8 

Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “ Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool .  Isaiah 1:18
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
1 John 3:7



Source :  Richard (Dick) Innes is the founder and international director of ACTS International, a non-profit, multi-church organization whose purpose is to help churches bridge the gap to their non-church community. ACTS philosophy of outreach is the application of the gospel and Christian message to the healing of the whole person—physically, emotionally, and relationally as well as spiritually.]

Jesus Died for You and I

Yahoo news reported that fitness guru, Jack LaLanne died at the age of 96.

He was a pioneer of healthy living and regular daily exercise long before it was a national obsession. Famous not only for his television exercise programs, chain of fitness studios, and sponsorship of the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer, he also gained notoriety for some pretty memorable fitness stunts. At the age of 43, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on the "You Asked For It" television show.

At 60, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat. At 70, he performed a similar stunt in Long Beach harbor.  As late as 2006, he was still keeping up his own personal exercise regimen, making television appearances and granting interviews. Notably, he remarked, "I can't afford to die. It would wreck my image."  

When Jesus first told his disciples that the Son of Man must die and be offered up, they couldn't believe it.   How could he possibly accomplish His work if He were only sent here to die? It would "wreck his image.” After all, who will follow a dead Messiah?

It was then that Jesus revealed the plan—death wouldn’t wreck His image; it would solidify it as the Savior of the World. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28) … “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. … and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. … And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:23-32).


Jack Lalanne boasted (albeit jokingly) that he couldn't afford to die. For our sakes, Jesus couldn't afford not to. It was "for this very reason" that He came