THE MEEK

DIG INTO YOUR COVENANT :

This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. – 1 Corinthians 11:25

New Covenant. It's a familiar phrase to most of us. But do we really know what it means?

If we did, every one of us would be faith giants. Instead of struggling, "trying" to believe the promises of God, we'd be like Abraham. "Strong in faith...fully persuaded that, what God has promised, he is able to perform!" (Rom. 4:20-21).

That's the kind of confidence that welled up in Abraham when God cut the covenant with him. It was an inferior covenant to ours, made with the blood of animals. Yet it transformed a doubting Abraham into the very father of faith. Why? Because, Abraham understood the significance of it.

He knew that entering into the Covenant of Blood meant you were totally and forever giving yourself away to someone else. Once you did it, nothing would ever be exclusively yours again. All that you were, all that you had or ever would have became the equal property of your covenant partner.

During the covenant ceremony in Abraham's day, the partners exchanged coats, each one giving their authority to the other. They exchanged weapons as a way of saying, "Your enemies are now my enemies. I'll fight your fights as if they were my own." They walked through the blood of slain animals, pronouncing their loyalty to one another, even to the death.
When God made covenant with him, Abraham knew there was no longer any room for doubt. God had proven how intensely He desired to be God to him. He'd given him every thing He had and bound Himself to Abraham in a relationship that could not be dissolved. Abraham comprehended the gravity of a covenant agreement. It convinced him once and for all that God's promises could be trusted. It became an anchor to his soul.

Do you want to be a faith giant like Father Abraham? Then dig into the covenant you have with God. Study it in the Word. Let the Holy Spirit show you what really happened when Jesus became the sacrifice that ratified your covenant with God. Let Him show you what it meant when He gave you His Name (John 16:23), His authority (Matt. 28:18-20), His armor and weapons (Eph. 6:10-17).

Once you realize what Jesus actually meant when He said, "This is the New Covenant established in My blood," your life will never be the same again.

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK :

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. —Matthew 5:5

One problem with the English word meek is that it rhymes with weak, and people have linked the two words together for years. A popular dictionary offers a secondary definition ofmeek as “too submissive; easily imposed on; spineless; spiritless.” This causes some people to question why Jesus would say, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5).

Greek scholar W. E. Vine says that meekness in the Bible is an attitude toward God “in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.” We see this in Jesus who found His delight in doing the will of His Father.

Vine goes on to say that “the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power. . . . The Lord was ‘meek’ because He had the infinite resources of God at His command.” He could have called angels from heaven to prevent His crucifixion.

Jesus told His weary, burdened followers, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [meek] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29). He was the perfect model of meekness.

When we are tired and troubled, Jesus invites us to discover the peace of meekly trusting Him.

Love sent the Savior to die in my stead.
Why should He love me so?
Meekly to Calvary’s cross He was led.
Why should He love me so?

God has two dwellings, one in heaven and the other in a meek and thankful heart.

RANSOMED, REDEEMED, RESTORED!

'He provided redemption for His people.' Psalm 111:9 NIV

Ever been to a pawnshop? The idea is simple; if you need money, you take a valuable item like jewellery or a musical instrument to the shop where the pawnbroker appraises it and gives you cash. But if you don't return within the specified time to redeem the item, you forfeit ownership.

Although it was yours originally, you no longer have legal possession till you buy it back. And if you wait too long, it can be lost forever. Have you ever thought of yourself as somebody who needs to be redeemed, so you can be returned to your rightful owner? God created us to enjoy fellowship with Him. But sin caused us to fall into 'the snare of the devil...held captive...to do his will.' (2 Timothy 2:26 NAS) Restoration to God, your rightful owner, could only come through redemption. And that's exactly what God did! 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' (John 3:16 NKJV) Christ's death was the price of your redemption; that's how much God values you!

But redemption only becomes a reality when you realise you're a sinner, and trust Christ as your Saviour. The moment you do, He reunites you with God - ransomed, redeemed, restored to your original owner. So the question is: have you taken up His offer of salvation, the one that makes you a member of His family? If you're able to read this, it's not too late. You can do it right now wherever you are.

TRUST COMPLETELY IN JESUS

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 1 TIMOTHY 6:17

The Bible tells us clearly not to put our trust in money. Our eyes should never be on money and money should never be our goal.

It is unwise to put your trust in uncertain riches. Rather, turn your eyes upon and put your trust completely in the person of Jesus. Don’t make the mistake of pursuing the provision and missing the Provider. The Word declares that it is the Lord who gives and provides us all that we need for our enjoyment.

Beloved, when you have Jesus, you have everything. You have peace, righteousness, forgiveness, wisdom, health, power, provision, favor and every blessing. Now, this is true prosperity and good success. So anchor yourself on Him and not on material things, and enjoy the security and unshakable peace that is found only in Jesus!

RECEIVE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH :

GALATIANS 3:5 - 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?...

Imagine that you are at a healing service. An alcoholic walks into the church reeking of alcohol. He sits behind the pianist, a nice elderly lady who has been serving in the church for 50 years. Both of them are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The healing power of God is present. In an instant, the alcoholic, who has never been in church before, gets healed. The pianist does not.

Most people, on hearing stories like this, would get upset and confused. They might ask, “Shouldn’t God heal this nice, old lady who has been serving Him faithfully all these years, and not that debauched drunkard?” You see, many people still believe that God heals only the deserving.

But that is not how God works. God looks at faith, not works. His power is made manifest in those who trust His goodness instead of their good behavior. So if we go back to the above example, God wants to heal both the alcoholic and the nice elderly pianist. All they need to do is to receive by grace, or unmerited favor, through faith.

You see, we cannot earn the blessings of God. We receive them by believing God’s love and grace toward us. If we receive the greatest blessing—salvation—by simply believing that Jesus did it all for us and not by working for it, what makes us think that the other lesser blessings can be obtained by our works?

So if my daughter Jessica falls sick, I don’t go to the Father and say, “Father, heal my daughter because I a Pastor and I preach healing to the people.” No, I go to Him by the blood of Jesus and say, “Father, I thank You that 2,000 years ago, Jesus bore Jessica’s sickness in His body. On that basis alone and by Your grace, I pronounce her healed in Jesus’ name.”

When you simply believe that you receive your blessings based on Jesus’ finished work and by His grace alone, you will receive your blessings!

JESUS IS IMMANUEL—GOD WITH US

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated,“God with us.”MATTHEW 1:22–23

Jesus is also known by the name Immanuel, meaning the Almighty God is with us. How comforting it is to know that our awesome Almighty God, who is also our loving Father, is always with us!

Now, what does it mean to say “God with us”? We must understand it the same way the Hebrew people would have understood it. The Jewish mind understands that when the Lord is with you, you become successful in every endeavor. The Bible records that whenever the Lord was with them in battle, the children of Israel were never defeated, and every military campaign ended in overwhelming success. In fact, in the battle for Jericho, the city was theirs with just a shout (Joshua 6:20)! The Lord was with them. Even in battles when they were outnumbered, they triumphed because the Lord was with them.

It is no different for you today. Jesus is with you to help you, assist you, turn things around for you and make good things happen for you. He is not with you to condemn, judge or find fault! When Almighty God is with you, good things will happen in you, around you and through you. Expect this to happen to you today!