New Year- Who helps my decisions?

There are many times that i struggled between two years. At the beginning of this year i said to myself that i would not make any mistakes like i did in the last year. Now i stand and look back there are many mistakes i did. Yet now i am here healthy and happy. Its all because in each moment of pressure in the last year, like a rainbow after every rain fall, i could see the hand of the Lord my God. Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save.

There are many that followed the Lord in the bible. But those that made some decisions are highlighted. 

Joshua made a decision that he and his family will serve the Lord alone. Josh. 24:15
David made a decision that he will take care of leading a blameless life. Ps. 101:2
Paul made a decision that he will press on toward the goal.. Phili. 3:14
Peter made a decision that he would not leave the Lord even if others leave. Mt. 26:33

Satan came to both Iscariot and Peter. Peter was addressed by Jesus as Satan. Yet Jesus made him survive because he is a man of decision where as Judas has been an important disciple and never took a loyal decision. Peter could not keep his decision, yet God helped him with it. David could not lead a blameless life but since he took a decision the Lord helped him with it. 

Now, I am taking a decision based not on my ability but on my Lord's faithfulness. He helps me through. Oh I am taking my Savior's hand and stepping into this new year with a complete peace. He is Emmanuel.

Ex. 30:17-21 Laver

You want to wash your hands before you eat. You dont take bathe before you eat because you already had a bath. Laver talks about cleansing.

1. Repentance and forgiveness
John the baptist was not teaching on baptism. His teaching was on repentance and forgiveness.

2. Roots and fruits
John called them brood of vipers. When he said brood, he was talking about their roots. When he said go and show the fruits of repentance he was talking about fruits.

Peter asked the Lord why he was washing his feet. Jesus said that if he doesnt wash then he has no part in him. Then Peter replied "then wash my head also". Then Jesus said, "the one bathed has no need to bath again, just washing hands and feet will do".

A man who is baptized has no need to take baptism again if he sins. He can repent.

3. Fruits and roots
He said every tree that doesnt give fruits will be cut off because the axe is at the roots. 

Ex 32:1 Leader' delay-a negative result

Being late brings some negative results. Either it is from God or from people, it brings negative results. If God is late he can give a compensation. But if we do late, some times the payment would be more than we can bear. The spirits under altar cried out to the Lord, "...How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Rev. 6:10. But it was God. He can wipe their tears off. 

For Abraham God might be late but in God's calendar he is on right time. In the mean time Abraham became father of Ishmael, which is a negative result. Some times God delays like he did in the case of Lazarus. 

One of the negative result is "eat & drink". There is nothing wrong in eating and drinking. But here in Exodus 32, people opened their mouth not because they are hungry but they became perverts. When a leader, Moses here, made late they started to eat and drink and dance before the golden calf.

Jesus said before his coming people would be like the people in the time of Noah. What were they doing? They were eating and drinking, marrying, building their houses etc. There is nothing wrong to eat. God said that he will satisfy you with best wheat. But eating and drinking is not the kingdom of God.

Jesus said to Peter that a servant would turn to be a pervert and start to eat and drink and then beat up his fellow servants. (Luke 12:45)

Another negative result is that delay produces delay. When delay is produced by you into your own life, you would be wondering why, with all your talents and gifts, not developing as much as other Christians do. Its not that you are without gifts but you are lazy. Whatever the reason for your delaying, you should know that your delay produces delay. 

John 1:35-51 Call

Jacob had a call on his life but he himself have to discover it. It took him a long time to meet the One who called him. The promise of the Lord was blocked in his line often time but he fought for it and won it. He understood that the promises of God do not come to manifestation easily and automatically.

Jesus directly did not call Andrew. Andrew heard John the Baptist was saying something about Jesus and he followed Jesus.

Andrew went and called his brother Simon.

Bethsaida was not a good town and more over, it is worse than Tyre and Sidon (Mat. 11:21). Yet Jesus had a person, Mr. Philip there to be his disciple. Capernaum is worse than Sodom and Gomorrah.(Mat. 11:23) Peter is from Capernaum and Jesus had a person to be his Apostle who will make the world upside down. Is it not amazing!

Philip called Nathaniel and it was not Jesus that directly called him.

Isaiah has been prophesying for five chapters until he sees the Lord of hosts, he did not realize that he had unclean lips and living among people of unclean lips. The Lord actually did not say, "Isaiah come", but said "who will go". Then, Isaiah volunteered.

To whom of the above you can relate? God wants you. You are more qualified than the people of Capernaum and Bethsaida. How much time do you want until you discover the call you have on your life? Are you interested to follow Jesuslike Andrew before Jesus actually calls you? Do you like to volunteer like Isaiah? Do you know that God can call you through other people? Mic. 4:2, Zec. 3:10. The problem is not that there are some closed doors for the gospel, the problem is that there are no one to go into the opened doors.