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God of Regeneration
First things first. What is the chief and highest end of man? Let the revered Christian Book namely the
Westminster catechism give the answer. Man's chief and highest end is to glorify (worship) God, and fully to
enjoy him forever. When it comes to glorifying Him and fully enjoying Him, let it be said that the entire
exercise ought to be “absolutely genuine emanating right from the innermost core of one’s being (read spirit)”.
This would lead to the next question, how could the process of glorifying Him originate right from the depths of
one’s heart? It is only possible, when a person is truly fascinated by His unique traits. Remember,
worshipping God for WHAT HE IS, is the highest form of worship, standing head and shoulders above other forms
of worship, which come with strings attached, such as worshipping Him for the blessings, He showers upon us.
While on the subject, at this stage, it would serve us well to look at the synonym of the word “Glorify”,
which is “Magnify”. When, one magnifies Him, that is to say, when one keenly observes His Divine nature,
with a magnifying glass, as it were, the “spiritual explorer” (if you permit me to use this expression)
in you is bound to come across several unique attributes of the Almighty, which would at once evoke awe,
and in turn lead to spontaneous, heart-felt worship and praise.
In this New Year message of five sub-headings punctuated with…what else… “Hallelujahs”
(incidentally Hallel in Hebrew language means To praise and Yah means God) I would like to bring before my readership,
one definite attribute in the Almighty, which at once fills me with a spirit of adoration that is …He is a
GOD who RENEWS AND REGENERATES His people, Nation and even His Creation.
Financial
 
Down in the dumbs financially as you stand at the threshold of a New Year?
Gone broke in the Stock broking business? Now no one would have known better about
financial upheavals than one Mr. Job, the resident of Uz
(Job 1:13-22)
who did not go broke gradually but lost it ALL in a space of few hours of a dreadful day.
Worse was to follow. Anyway, in this message I would stick to the collapse of “Job Corp”,
as it existed thousands of years back. What was its C.E.O’s response? Let the Scripture take over…light
shines through his spiritual maturity…
“…Then he fell to the ground in WORSHIP and said:“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”” –
Job 1:20-21
Well, how did the Job story end? For the one who reposed his faith on the Almighty’s
goodness even at the time of severe provocation
(Job 2:9)……
“… the LORD RESTORED his fortunes and gave him TWICE as much as he had before.”-
Job 42:10.
Talk of Biblical boom-doom-boom trade cycle…
Surely for those of us, caught in financial troubles, the moral of Job’s troubles comes booming
“cast all your burdens on Him”. A breakthrough is just around the corner
(I Peter 5:7/10).
God can breathe life into any “dead and buried” financial situation and quicken it up.
Physical
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him…..No longer will you be called Abram;
your name will be AbraHam, for I have made you a father of many Nations.-
Genesis 17:5
God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be SaraH.-
Genesis 17:15
From the case of individual Job, let’s move onto a family. The one of Abram and Sarai.
Well the aged couple representing the “Biblical first family of Faith” had long given-up hope of becoming parents,
so much so they had used debatable surrogacy to have a child thirteen years earlier
(Genesis 16).
Lo and behold suddenly at a grim period in their lives when all of vim, vigour and vitality had ebbed out of
their ageing bodies, there comes a renewal
(Genesis 17:16-17)
of Divine promise made earlier
(Genesis 15:4)
that they would have a son. Quite justifiably Father Abraham well aware of the effects of Father
Time had had on his and his wives body (all of 90 years old) initially laughed at the prospect of begetting a son at that age.
However, he took the omnipotent God at His Word (for the word “impossible” does not figure in the Creator’s dictionary).
And the result? Boy, there were such metabolic, physical changes in the bodies of this aged couple that Grammy (of that age)
Sarah acquires a new a glowing look which even modern-day rejuvenating beauty creams simply cannot bring about.
Some time later, awed by her beauty a pagan King takes her into his harem and it is another story altogether that
God delivers this Blessed Couple from this messy situation
(Genesis 20).
Shortly afterwards, arrives Baby Issac (in Hebrew means Laughter)
bringing joyous laughter in the lives of now youthful Abraham and Sarah. Talk of 30 year olds “living inside” 90 year old bodies…
Now for some semantic study of the Scriptures. Raise your hands those who know that “H” is an aspirate word
(cannot pronounce it without inhaling revitalizing oxygen). Notice in the above-captioned Scripture portion
the good Lord added “H” into the names of this epochal couple, so as to say, He was breathing new life into their bodies
(a la Creation account of Adam -
Genesis 2:7)
which were well past the age of child-bearing.
Feeling down and out physically at the dawn of a New Year? Take heart, if EL-SHADDAI God
(in Hebrew meaning of the word  is ALMIGHTY-
Genesis 17:1)
could regenerate the bodies of two nonagenarians’, it wouldn’t take him long to renew you physically too,
once you look unto Him prayerfully seeking the same. In God’s scheme of things, whenever it comes to
recovering from physical, incurable, chronic ailments, it is always RIGHT to do our part
(whatever is within our means) and leave the remainder to Him
(2 Kings 20:7).
National
Well, the good Lord can not only be the Master of renewal in the life of an individual and a family but that one whole Nation.
Permit me to hit the rewind button here. Let me also plead for some patience on the part of my committed readership
even as I go on a flash back mode here.
Four years ago, the International media was agog with the News of Israel celebrating its 60th formation day.
In my own favorite Newspaper The Hindu (now they have their own ideological stance on West Asian crisis,
to which they are perfectly entitled) I remember reading an article “Israel at 60” on May 8th, 2008.
Now what is that about Israel that interests all keen Bible students? The reason is as simple as it is profound.
The World’s future events are not so much linked as inter-twined with Israel’s II birth, as it were. Take the Biblical
prophecy for instance in
Isaiah 11:11,
which clearly foretold the formation or re-formation of Israel way back in 7th century
BC- with its attendant implications (we shall attempt to study these “attendant implications” in light of other Biblical
prophecies, later on in this message) but first things first.
“In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people—those
who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia,and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath,
and all the distant coastlands.” –
Isaiah 11:11 (NLV)
When I ponder on this prophecy especially on the light of what all happened just before the UN approved
“Mandate of Palestine” in 1947 came to pass, I cannot but cry like a little child holding my Bible in my hands.
At this stage, let me give an historical overview to the original creation of Nation of Israel and their subsequent
“Blow hot, blow cold” relationship with their redeemer God . This is needed for us to understand the main
reason behind their dispersion from the Land flowing with “milk and honey”, after having lived in it for
nearly 1500 years.
According to the Bible, the great Patriarch Saint Abraham (revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike the world over)
was brought by God from Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan
(Genesis 12:1-4).
This is thought to have occurred around 2000 BC. To his descendents who would be oppressed in A FOREIGN LAND for 400 years,
the same God promised to give the Land of Canaan-the modern day Land of Palestine
(Genesis 15:13-16).
Note here that this Canaan, was promised to only those Abraham’s descendants, who would be oppressed in foreign land
(both Canaan and Egypt) for 400 years.
Yes, while Abraham’s direct tent-dwelling descendents
(with no land of their own) Issac and Jacob had to endure their share of oppression from local Canaanite residents-
Genesis 26:12-22/
Genesis 34:1-2
-during their stay in Canaan, their offspring in Egypt after Jacob’s migration thereto, suffered miserably under
Pharoah’s oppressive rule (Exodus 1). Now for a subject within a subject. Please come out of the myth that people stayed in
Egypt alone for 430 years. Look at the Graph below for better understanding of this subject.
Now you can trust Paul the author of
Galatians 3:14-17,
to know the Jewish history trained as he was methodically by Rabbi Gamaliel
(Acts 22:3).
Coming back to the main track…the subject of Israel settling in the Land of Canaan, just as it was prophesied to
Abraham 430 years before, the twelve tribes of Israel under the leadership of that great leader Joshua completed the
Conquest of Canaan round about 1400-1450 BC (reading of the Book of Joshua would certainly help). Even before the Conquest,
the good Lord through Moses had clearly spelt out His conditions of obedience to the nation chosen by His grace alone
(Deuteronmy 7:7-8/
28).
Did the people of Israel obey the Law whole-heartedly? Their obedience if plotted in a graph would reveal wild swings.
Assuredly the reign of King David
(II Samuel)
and to some extent that of King Solomon
(I Kings 1-10)
would constitute the “Golden age” of Israel’s history (approx 1000-900 BC), as the devotion of Jews to their redeemer
God touched its peak, at that point of time in their poignant history. However after that “Golden age” came the “Dark age”
(around 900 BC-600BC) beginning with the splitting of the Nation of Israel into 2 Kingdoms (10 tribes banded together
to form the Northern kingdom of Israel and 2 tribes cohered to form the Southern Kingdom of Judah).
This age witnessed the coming to power of Regents “whose hearts were not like their ancestor David”.
While the Judean Kingdom, had at least in its ranks some God-fearing Kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah,
the Kingdom of Israel could not boast of a single King with a heart like David, who would lead the people properly
in the ways of the Lord.
With sin rampant, warnings of imminent exile from the “Land of Milk and honey” trumpeted by diligent Prophets like
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, Ezekiel and Joel followed but sadly they fell on deaf ears. The chosen people chose
their own sinful pathway of worshipping the created things, instead of their glorious Creator God
(Ezekiel 8:8-18).
Through Prophet
(Joel 1:4)
for instance, the Almighty graphically (using the imagery of locusts invasion with each locust being symbolic of a
ravaging army stripping the pleasant land bare) announced the coming judgment on His disobedient, stubborn people.
This warning, which went unheeded, can be better understood by having a look at this picture below…
The picture above depicts the veracity of fulfillment of prophecy (with historical proofs, may I add) recorded in
Joel 1:4.
While their punishment from 588 BC (resulting in exile to Babylon and subsequent return back to Palestine in 518 BC
in batches) till 70 AD, can be termed as MILD (despite paying stifling taxes to their human conquerors, nevertheless
by being in the Land of Palestine, they continued to enjoy the fruits of the Promised Land) that of dispersion from
Jerusalem after the destruction of Temple in 70 AD, can be described as SEVERE (as they roamed around as landless,
homeless people for nearly two thousand years). Before the devastating punishment arrived, did they not also
brazenly call upon the fair God to judge them for spilling the innocent blood of Jesus
(Matt 27:1-25),
thus adding one more hideous sin to all of their other sins? Divine comeuppance was going to catch-up with them,
sooner or later and it did in 70 AD, decimating them in the process. Need any further proof that God can be love
(I John 4:8)
as well as a consuming fire in His judgment
(Heb 10:31/12:29)?
Now, after 2000 years of Divine indictment, if the Sovereign God in His Sovereign plan “FOR A SPECIAL PURPOSE”
(I would focus upon it soon) forgives them and eventually brings them back to the Promised Land
(in accordance with His promise to their ancestors) in perfect fulfillment of
Isaiah 11:11,
(permit me to quote it again)
“In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people—those who
remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia,and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the
distant coastlands.” -
should we not all be excited? The basic point that one more prophecy of the Bible has been fulfilled with pin-point precision should excite us,
for it simply means, other unfulfilled prophecies are also soon going to be fulfilled. If a friend of ours, with a
proven track record of always fulfilling his promises, gives his word on giving us a gift after a week, would we not take
him at his word? Ditto this with our Promise-keeping God. Countless times, He has brought the Biblical prophecies to fruition.
This begs a question. Now should we not believe Him, with regard to some prophecies, which are not yet
fulfilled but would be fulfilled soon in His own perfect timing like the birth of His son Jesus was
(Gal 4:4)?
I reiterate that when I ponder on this prophecy
(Isaiah 11:11)
especially on the light of what all happened just before UN approved “Mandate of Palestine” in 1947, I cannot but cry
like a little child holding my Bible in my hands. How true is this Grand ole’ Book! It leaves absolutely no room for
speculation! Now this prophecy recorded eons back, is certainly not about the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon
or for that matter from Assyria (Jews of Northern Kingdom of Israel were exiled to Assyria in 742 BC approx-
II Kings 17:18).
Kindly underscore the point that the above-captioned Scripture portion, while listing the names of Nations from
which the Jews would return does not limit itself to merely mentioning Assyria or Babylon, but rather it even
goes on to mention somberly “DISTANT COAST LANDS”, as though to reserve the best for the last. Dear readers, do
you know the process of formation of Modern-day Israel was triggered amongst others by initial settling of 4000
Jews brought by the Ship Knesset Israel from Yugoslavia (a country with a with a huge coast line) in November 1946?
Then what about that Ship “EXODUS” captained by its legendary Captain Harel that captured International
imagination in its epochal attempt to bring 4500 Jewish families in 1947 from the coastal city of Marseilles, France?
In fact, Captain Harel in toto commanded four expeditions that took thousands of refugees to the shores of Palestine.
Many of the Ship Exodus who were originally refused entry into Palestine, latter arrived there…from…you
guessed it… yet another Island country…CYPRUS! As the import of these historical events register, oh Boy…oh Boy…I
cannot help falling in love one more time with my oh-so-sweet, oh-so-perfectly prophetic Bible!!! For those of us,
who feel that it would have been terrific to see some awe-inspiring Biblical miracles like parting of Red Sea captured
in camera, how about this? Now have a look at some of the TRUE relevant pictures comprising Ship Exodus in 1947,
along with the Map depicting Yugoslavia, Marseilles, Cyprus and Israel.
The Historic Ship Exodus berthed at Haifa port in 1947
Hey, the Almighty can regenerate not only one’s physical body but he regenerate one complete nation.
Well, He has regenerated the Nation of Israel with a purpose. To trumpet the truth about the Redeemer Christ’s imminent return!!!
Consider the words of the Master recorded here…
“Now learn a lesson from the FIG TREE. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that
summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.
-Matt 24:32-33
The proverbial Fig tree is the Nation of Israel
(Jeremiah 24)
which had withered in 70 AD but is now green and budding once again.
GLOBAL
God can not only regenerate a body, a nation but He can regenerate the whole wide world, as the following
Scripture portion testifies in relation to the Millennial Kingdom of Christ which shall follow the
imminent Church rapture and the subsequent 7 years of fiery tribulation…
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the RENEWAL of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his
glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Tired of moral corruption and escalating violence all around, with our supposed problem solvers (political leaders)
themselves having pending criminal charges against them?
Some tell-tale pics below…
Do not our hearts bleed to see the plight of innocent victims of violence and corruption?
At the onset of this New Year, for those of us desperately wanting to breathe “pure air” free of moral corruption,
there is BAD NEWS to start with. It would get WORSE before it would become better. The World would plumb
further the depths of ethical bankruptcy. Remember the TIMING of eventual Divine judgment on sinful
Canaanites who were having sexual relationship with even animals before God purged that Land
(Leviticus 18:23-27).
“In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet REACHED
ITS FULL MEASURE.”-
Genesis 15:16
It was only when sin of the decadent Canaanite nations had “RIPENED” that
the good Lord moved the Israelites from Egypt, whose population had grown in the intervening period (their stay in Egypt)
to fill the entire Land of Canaan.
When the sin of this decaying World would reach its FULL MEASURE, the Master would come to purge it off its sin and set-up
His righteous Kingdom. Let these words REALLY come alive when we utter them even as most of us ritualistically and
mechanically parrot what is popularly known in the Christian parlance as the Lord’s prayer:
“MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME. MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”.
For better understanding of the sequence of the soon-to-occur Prophetical events, you may have a look at this Graph…
COME LORD JESUS AND TAKE OVER SOON THE ROTTING WORLD AND RENEW IT IN THE WAY, YOU ONLY CAN.
Moral renewal aside, hey, there is going is to be physical renewal of our once Green Planet once again…
The all encompassing “oxygen tent” in the clouds which was there before the Flood (no wonder with extra-supply of
oxygen to their bodies life-expectancy in the Pre-flood times was 900-
Genesis 5)
but was destroyed subsequently
(Genesis 7:11)
with the onset of the Flood (human life span decreased after the Flood)
SHALL MIRACULOUSLY RETURN. No wonder, the life-expectancy in the Millennium, when we would be ruling
with Christ shall once again go up…
“No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have
lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred....”
Isaiah 65:20
I can stand-up and testify personally from roof-tops nay mountain –tops on the benefits of breathing more oxygen.
Due to severe sinus problem from childhood (untreated because of no noticeable debilitating effects in active,
sports-filled Childhood), I developed hyper-tension and Diabetes problems by the time I was into my early thirties’.
If Diamonds are forever then so are some life-style diseases like hyper-tension and diabetes. Now can you believe it?
After undergoing sinus operation in 2004 and subsequently reducing weight, I bid goodbye to both diabetes and hypertension…
nothing quite like good ole O2 really!!!
UNIVERSAL
Man is only a spirit living inside a tent
(1 Cor 5:1/
2 Peter 1:3)
so more than perishable physical bodies, one needs to take proper care of the ever-lasting spirit. Good News for all
spiritual back-sliders with a capital “G” is that ONLY IF WE LET HIM, the great re-generating God can regenerate us in our
fallen spiritual condition also ANYTIME.
Now of the all the soul-stirring visions which came to God’s Prophets from time to time in OT days, if there is one vision
that makes tears flow copiously from my eyes every single time I read it, it is that of barren, dry bones coming to
life in the Book of “Mr. Meticulous” Prophet
Ezekiel (Chapter 37).
Oh boy, oh boy… not dead Lazarus of four days coming back to life but dead and dry bones are fully regenerated to
become once again NOT businessmen or Government officials but SOLDIERS ready to fight the Lord’s battles like every
Christian ought to do
(Eph 6:10-17).
Say Christian is your spiritual life dead, dry and barren. You are no longer fighting the Lord’s battles, the way you used to.
Now take heart. There is none greater than our Lord, when it comes to regenerating ANYTHING. Seek Him and He will regenerate
you spiritually once again.
Now Dear Friends, have you ever noticed a remarkable sidelight to this prophecy of the “meticulous” Prophet Ezekiel?
Firstly, why do I call Prophet Ezekiel as Mr. Meticulous? FOR HE ALWAYS DATES HIS PROPHETIC VISIONS.
Now consider some Scripture portions which validate this truth…
In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River,
the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God-
Ezekiel 1:1
In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of
Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign LORD came on me there.-
Ezekiel 8:1
In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day,…-
Ezekiel 20:1
Now the amazing fact is, this meticulous Prophet by Divine Inspiration deliberately does not date the vision of
Dry bones becoming an army
(Ezekiel 37),
so as to say that it is a TIMELESS, UNIVERSAL MESSAGE APLLICABLE AT ALL TIMES TO ALL
THOSE who seek the God who regenerates in the only way, He can. HALLELUJAH!!!
Hey, no theology ought to end without doxology. MOUTH A LOUD HALLELUJAH TO OUR GOD OF REGENERATION!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR OF RENEWAL TO ONE AND ALL!!!
HALLELUJAH!!!
(Suresh Manoharan)
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