Under His Shadow - Journal

A few years back, I felt I was stumbling along in a dry sandy sinking desert.  I guess the gloom around in the world was also hitting me.  Chilling news of murders, terrorists attacks and the horror of knowing how many Christians were being massacred for their faith, while other innocents were just being mercilessly slaughtered all over the world.

I prayed for the world, and for safety all around me, but the news only delivered out one grim report from another.

Listlessly I turned pages in the Bible looking for comfort, and there was none for some strange reason.  I prayed and felt my prayers were hitting a brick wall.

Finally, I came across a verse, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings" Psalm 17:8. These wonderful words seemed to glimmer out of the Bible and shot straight at my heart.  It was a golden verse of release for me with a message of hope.  We have a great powerful God who protects us!  This realization jettisoned me to the hills with hinds feet, skipping and leaping on higher plains!

It is amazing how a particular verse can nourish and lift one up in that moment of time...a rhema - an utterance sent from God to you.

Then on New Years Eve, Pastor Solomon in Bangaluru ( Bangalore) spoke a wonderful message about dwelling under the shadow of God's wings, abiding and hiding there.  Wow, it was God reconfirming the exact same verse so personally and I was ecstatic.

The beauty is under God's shadow, we are deeply protected.  Peter dwelt in the Presence of God, and when his shadow fell on the people, they got healed!  Wonders happen when we dwell under His Shadow.

In the shadow of His wings, there is great comfort in a world of storm and destruction. Yet, as we belong to Jesus, we pray for our safety, protection and walk out of homes each morning, or remain in our homes trusting God for greater victory, protection and joy for the day.

  

So, how do we dwell under His shadow?  I believe it is in a relationship with God through talking with Him, meditating on a verse during the day, listening to what He says deep within you, and obeying it.  A little example is whenever I am in a walking, talking communion relationship with the Lord, I see change around me.  It never fails to amaze me.  Wonderful peace descends in our home when I am abiding in His presence and the storms wash away.

 

As a family, we always pray for protection before we start off on a journey in the car because we see many accidents and deaths while traveling along the highway.  Now it is a habit to pray for protection on any travel.  A couple of years ago, my husband, two young sons and I were driving back home late in the night.  We were tired and well, my husband was sleepy.  Usually on those late night drives, when he is sleepy, he pulls over and dozes off a while.  However, that night, as he was driving along the highway on the forested way, he was nearly falling asleep.  Then suddenly he braked.  It was a reflex action and he did not know why he did that.  In a flash he was fully awake to realize he had nearly crashed into the side of the road!   The next instant a car raced on in front of him, As he braked suddenly, we all jerked and awoke from a zone of sleepiness with a shock.  He told me in a stunned voice he had braked and he did not know why.  This was no reflex action.  It was God's angel, we know who made him do it.  Psalm 91:10  No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. And He will indeed send His protection over our lives.

I believe that we have angels watching over us.  We cannot imagine what accidents, mishaps and disasters we are saved from each day.  God keeps us safe and alive for a purpose.  He has a plan and that is why we have special protection.  No evil can befall them who trust Him.  We can claim our promises of protection from God.  Psalm 91:10  No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. And He will indeed send His protection over our lives."

When we commit our day to the Lord and pray for protection specifically, we do get delivered from from evil, harm and danger.

 

Psalm 34:7:  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.

Rita Farhat Kurian

In the Vine - Poem

This poem was written after I learned that talking to Jesus throughout the day blessed me beyond my understanding and poured in strength, both spiritual, emotional, and energy, which naturally was not my own!  Abiding in the vine is the richest, blessed most wonderful way to live!

In the Vine

Seasons change, winters pass

And spring knocks

On our door

Or a storm
With a mighty roar

Sometimes through a bad spell

Our soul shrivels and shrinks
As we lose our golden link

Yet some of us stronger souls
In the darkness shine
As we abide in the Vine

And during that swirling season

We don't live on our wits, intellect or reason
And then we experience joy in that season!

In that moment in time

In communion with God
New doors swing open

His wondrous Voice has spoken

Our spirits rise to the sublime

We sit at His table to dine

His presence transfigures us
Miracles happen in our lives!

When we abide in the Vine

© Rita Farhat Kurian

Judgement - Dr. Annamma Abraham

 Dr. Annamma Abraham and (late) Dr. Abraham were veteran doctors in Malaysia (originally from Kerela, India) and also serving the Lord in many capacities.  Those early years were very busy with their working schedule and taking care of their very energetic and lively three sons.  In that very busy schedule of work along with parenthood, they grew stronger in their faith and walk with God.  Today, as Dr. Annamma Abraham delves into the Word in deep study, she shares jewels of wisdom from the Word!

Judgement

Judgment is sentence of court of justice. The final trial of

subjects of God’s moral government at the end of the world.

God’s standards are absolute, and He punishes those who

do not repent of violating the truth. Therefore let us take seriously the fear of

sin’s consequences and make it an incentive for repentance and godly living.

Right kind of fear prompts us to right.

Proverbs 9: 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Jeremiah 8: 12 They were not at all ashamed, nor did they know how to blush.

Therefore they shall fall.

Our degree of accountability before God is in direct

proportion to our degree of knowledge and opportunity. Privilege and

responsibility are two sides of the same coin. No matter what our degree of

knowledge and opportunity, we can thank God for His goodness. We must use

what He has given us in faithful service to Him.

Live today as if you will stand before God tomorrow.

1 Corinthians 3: 13 Paul said “Each man’s work will become evident ; for the

day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will

test the quality of each man’s work .

We should give deep concern that our works will be judged.

If our work is done for Christ they will endure – not burn. When we are

overwhelmed by evil that permeates every aspect of life, or when forces arise

that threaten all we hold dear, it will all change. All great powers of the world

will pass away. The Lord will break them with a rod of iron and dash them to

pieces.

Psalm 2: 9

“Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron,

Thou shalt shatter them like earthen ware.”

We can be confident that everything will eventually be

made right. The Holy One will one day bring all people and nations to their

knees, before His throne. Life can be lived with joy and song in the midst of its

heartache and its pain, for one day God will right each wrong, with peace and

justice and He will reign.

If you know Jesus as saviour you have no reason to fear Him

as judge. An awesome encounter is awaiting us. One day we will stand in the

presence of Christ for His evaluation of our life.

2Corinthians 5: 10 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ,

that each one maybe recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to

what he has done, whether good or bad.

Hebrews 4:13 and there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are

open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

When apostle John saw Jesus in His dazzling glory, he fell at

his feet as dead (Revelation 1:17). Remember what the Lord Jesus said to John,

the One who died on the cross and who rose from the grave touched His

awestruck servant and gently said, “Do not be afraid, I am the first and the

last.” Those words are comforting for all who believe in Jesus. He died in our

place, so we could be forgiven. By rising from the dead, He broke death’s

power over us, so we could be free to serve him.

The prospect of seeing Jesus is indeed awesome. Praise

God, it need not be frightening. If you know Jesus as saviour, you have no

reason to fear Him as Judge.

Divine Judgment

Divine Judgment is to

Punish Evil

Exodus 20: 5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I the Lord your

God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on children, on the

third and the fourth generations of those who hate me.

Chasten (God’s covenant With David)

2Samuel 7: 14 -15

14. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits

iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the son of

men,

15. But my loving-kindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from

Saul, whom I removed from before you.

Manifest God’s righteousness

Exodus 9: 14-16

14. “For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your

people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.

15. For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with

pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth.

16. But, indeed, for this cause I have allowed you to remain, in order to show

you My power, and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.

To correct

Habakkuk 1:12 Art thou not from everlasting,

O Lord, my God, Holy One?

We will not die.

Thou, O Lord, hast appointed them to judge

And Thou, O Rock, hast established them to correct.

Warn others

Luke 13: 3, 5

3. I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

5. I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Causes of Judgement

Disobedience

2 Chronicles 7: 19 – 22

19. But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments

which I have set before you and shall go and serve other gods and worship

them,

2o. then I will uproot you from My land which I have consecrated for My name

I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and byword among all

people.

21. “As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who pass by it will be

astonished and say, ‘why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?

22. “And they will say, ‘Because they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers,

who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and

worshiped them and served them, therefore He has brought all this adversity

on them.”

Rejecting God’s warnings

2 Chronicle 36: 16 – 17.

16. But they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words

and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His

people, until there was no remedy.

17. Therefore he brought up against them the king of Chaldeans who slew their

young men with sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion

on young men or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand.

Idolatry

Jeremiah 7: 30 – 34

30. “For the sons of Judah have done that which is evil in My sight,” declares

the Lord, they have set their detestable things in the house which is called by

My name, to defile it.

31. “And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of

the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in fire, which I did

not command and it did not come into My mind.

32. “Therefore , behold days are coming” declares the Lord”, when it will no

more be called Topheth, or the valley of the sons of Hinnom, but the valley of

slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place.

33. And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and

for the beasts of the earth; and no one will frighten them away.

34. “Then I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of

Jerusalem the voice of Joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the

bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land will become a vain.

Sins of rulers

2 Chronicles 21: 1 – 17 (Read)

Loving Evil

Romans 1: 18 – 32 (Read)

There are different kinds of Judgement

Physical destruction

Deuteronomy 28: 15 – 68 (Read)

Material loss

Malachi 3: 11 Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it may not

destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,”

says the Lord of hosts.

Spiritual blindness

Isaiah 6: 9 – 10

9. And He said, “Go and tell this people; keep on listening, but do not perceive;

keep on looking, but do not understand;

10. “Render the hearts of this people insensitive,

Their ears dull, their eyes dim,

Lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears,

Understand with their hearts,

And return and be healed.”

External destruction

Luke 12: 16 – 21 (Read)

Luke 16: 19 – 31 (Read)

Avoidance of Judgement

By turning to God

Deuteronomy 30: 1 – 3

1. “So it shall be when all these things have come upon you, the blessings and

the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations

where the Lord Your God has banished you.

2. And you return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and

soul according to all that I commanded you today, you and your sons.

3. Then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have

compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the

Lord your God has scattered you.

By turning from sin

Jeremiah 7: 3 – 7

3. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your

deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.

4. “Do not trust in the deceptive words, saying “this is the temple of the Lord,

the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.

5. “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice

justice between a man and his neighbour,

6. If you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed

the innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin.

7. Then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers

forever and ever.

By Humility John 1: 1 – 17 (Read)

By prayer 2 Kings 19: 14 – 36(Read)

2 chronicles 20: 5 – 30(Read)

The last and final Judgement

Described as the day of wrath

Romans 2: 5.

But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up

wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous

judgement of God.

Day of judgement

2 Peter 3: 7

But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept

for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men.

Described as Judgement seat of Christ

Mathew 25: 31

But when the son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with Him, then

He will sit on His glorious throne.

Time of the last Judgement

After death

Hebrews 9: 27

And as much as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes

judgement,

At Christ’s return

Mathew 25: 31

But when the son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with Him, then

He will sit on His glorious throne.

Appointed day of judgement

Acts 17: 31

Because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness

through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by

raising Him from the dead.”

After the world’s destruction

2 Peter 3: 7 - 15

7. But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire,

kept for the day of Judgement and destruction by ungodly men.

8. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved that with the Lord

one day is a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.

9. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is

patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to

repentance.

10. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass

away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and

the earth and its works will be burned up.

11. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people

ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?

12. Looking forward and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord, on

account of which the heaven will be destroyed by burning, and the elements

will melt with intense heat!

13. But according to his promise we are looking for new heaven and new earth,

in which righteousness dwells.

14. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found

by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,

15. And regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our

beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you.

Grounds of Final Judgement

Ones work

1 Corinthians3: 11 – 15 11. for no man can lay foundation other than the one

which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12. Now any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones,

Wood, hay, straw,

13. Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is

to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s

work.

14. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a

reward.

15. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be

saved, yet so as through fire.

One’s faith

Matthew 7: 22 – 23

22. “Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your

name, and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many

miracles?

23. And then I will declare to them, ‘I never know you, depart from Me, you

practice lawlessness.’

Conscience

Romans 2: 12, 14 – 16

12. For all who have sinned without the Law, will also perish without Law; and

all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law.

14. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of

the Law, these not having the Law are a Law to themselves,

15. in that they show the works of the Law written in their hearts, their

conscience bearing witness , and their thoughts alternately accusing or else

defending them,

16. on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men

through Christ Jesus.

Law

Romans 2: 12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without

the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law, will be judged by the Law.

Gospel

James 2: 12 so speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of

liberty.

Christ’s word

John 12: 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who

judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.

Book of Life

Revelation 20: 12, 15

12. And I saw the dead, the great and small, standing before the throne, and

books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life;

and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books,

according to their deeds.

Results of Judgement

Separation of the righteous from the wicked

Matthew 13: 36 – 43

36. Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house. And His disciples

came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares and the field.”

37. And He answered and said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of

Man,

38. And the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of

the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

39. And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of

the age; and the reapers are the angels.

40. “Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it

be at the end of the age.

41. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His

kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,

42. And will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be

weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43. “Then the righteous will shine forth as sun in the kingdom of their Father.

He, who has ears, let him hear.

Retribution for disobedience

2Thessalonians 1: 6 – 10

6. For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict

you.

7. And to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord

Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.

8. Dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do

not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

9. And these will pay penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of

the Lord and from the glory of His power.

10. When He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be

marvelled at among all who have believed – for our testimony to you was

believed.

Crown of righteousness

2 Timothy 4:8

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the

Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me,

but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Attitude toward judgement

Be prepared

1 Thessalonians 5: 1 – 9

1. Now as to time and epoch, brethren, you have no need of anything to be

written to you.

2. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like

a thief in the night.

3. While they are saying, “peace and safety! then destruction will come upon

them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not

escape.

4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like

a thief.

5. For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are neither of night nor of

darkness;

6. So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

7. For those who sleep, do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk,

get drunk at night.

8. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of

faith, and love, and as helmet, the hope of salvation.

9. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through

our Lord Jesus Christ.

Beware of deception

Mathew7: 21 – 27

21. “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of

heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, lord. Did we not prophesy in your

name? And in Your name cast out cast out demons, and in Your name perform

many miracles?

23. “And then I will declare to them, “I never know you; depart from Me, you

who practice lawlessness.

24. Therefore everyone who hears these of mine, and acts upon them, may be

compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.

25. And the rain descended, and the flood came, and the wind s blew, and

burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon

the rock.

26. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them

will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and

burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall

Warn the wicked

2 Corinthians 5: 10 – 11

10. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one

may be recompensed for his deeds in the body. According to what he has

done, whether good or bad.

11. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are

made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in our

consciences.

Hardening of the heart is very serious

As Moses predicted, the air was thick with swarms of flies.

They invaded Pharaoh’s palace, filled the houses of officials, and were found

everywhere in Egypt - except in the land of Goshen where Israelites lived. After

the flies were gone he hardened his heart, and so he set himself and his people

up for even more serious judgements from the Lord.

Exodus 8: 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let

the people go.

Sometimes God uses drastic measures to get our attention.

The swarm of flies “take different forms – trouble, recurring failures, guilt, and

the hurt looks of the people we love. Those are times we especially need to

listen to God. So let us listen carefully to the Lord, while it is still quiet, before

the buzzing of the flies begin.

Dear Lord, speak and make me ready, when Thy voice is

truly heard.

Death is not a dead end, but a fork in the road.

John 5: 28.

Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs

shall hear His voice

2 Corinthians 5: 8

We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body

and to be at home with the Lord.

When believers die, their souls go to be with the Lord.

When Christ returns, their bodies will be resurrected and united with their

souls, and they will be always with the Lord.

1Thessalonians 4: 17

Then we who are alive shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to

meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Unbelievers also will be resurrected one day, but it will be

to stand before Christ in judgement. Because their names are not found in the

Book of Life, they will be sent to what the Bible calls the “lake of fire”

Revelation 20:11 – 15(Read) There they will endure “everlasting punishment,”

Mathew 25:46

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into

eternal life.”

We are destined for heaven or hell, depending on whether

or not we believe in Christ as our saviour.

People will not be judged by the way we see them, but the

way God sees them.

Spiritual counterfeits are able to deceive their friends in the

church. They have cleverly faked credentials of belief and may remain

undetected until God’s judgement. Counterfeit Christians can create problems

in the church – like false teaching and spreading strife. But we also need to be

careful about making false judgement about others. According to Jesus, many

of “the tares” won’t be revealed until the final judgement.

Matthew 13: 30

Gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather

wheat into my barn.

One day before God’s judgement bar, all sham and

pretence will take flight. We all will be known for who we are. There will be no

hiding from his sight.

God’s judgement may not be immediate, but it is

inevitable

Revelation 16: 7

Lord God Almighty, true and righteous is your judgements. Our lord make sure

the guilty paid back in a way that suits what they have done, sometimes in a

way they least expect. Think of Haman, who was hanged from the same

gallows he built for Mordecai. In future as Revelation 16: 6 tells us, those who

“have shed the blood of saints and prophets will be given blood to drink, for it

is their just due”. In these examples, the guilty are punished in a way that fits

their crimes.

Revelation 16: 7 Lord God Almighty true and righteous is your judgements.

The best judge on this earth is not always right and fair. But

God, the righteous judge of all, wrongs no one in His care.

© Dr. Annamma Abraham