Praying for others

Will praying for others make us vulnerable to the Devil's attack? If the Devil was causing problems to the person we were praying for, will he turn on us? Let's have a Biblical look at this question.

There's an incident recorded in the Bible, where a few people tried to cast demons out of a possessed man (Acts 19:13-17). The demons recognized the name of Jesus, but attacked those who used His name, because of their wrong attitude. There is a lesson to be learnt there. The name of Jesus is powerful. When we use His name, we need to have the right attitude. Not a "will this really work" attitude, but a "I've received authority from my Lord Jesus, so obey my command" kind of attitude (Luke 10:19). Let there be no fear in us. God has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power (2 Timothy 1:7)!

When we pray for others, things happen in the invisible spiritual realm. We stand out from others who're not praying. Both angels and demons, who are part of the spiritual realm, are affected by our prayers. Angels - strengthened to do God's will more on this earth. Demons - bound or weakened in their evil work. So naturally we gain some friends and earn some enemies.

We read in Ephesians 6:12 ...
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Is this a cause for concern? Should we be afraid of this spiritual warfare? Yes, it is right to recognize the impact our prayers create, and give it the due importance. But it is not right to stop praying! Because the following verses say ...
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

All the equipment needed for spiritual battle are listed there. We need to check if all our equipment are in battle-ready condition.

What happens if in a moment of weakness, we sin? It is like having a chink in the armour. Is that the end of us? Will we be destroyed? God says "my grace is sufficient for you, in your weakness I'm strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9). We need to recognize our weakness, confess our sins, and get His forgiveness. Immediately the chink is mended, the full protective armour is back in action!

It is God who chose us first and not us who chose Him (John 15:16). He is faithful even though we're unfaithful so many times. It is because of His grace that we're spiritually alive. He knows just how vulnerable we are and gives His grace accordingly. And His mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22,23). Let's go to Him every day, receive that mercy and grace, and fight this battle.

The moment we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we're marked in the spiritual realm. Jesus becomes our best Friend, and the Devil our worst enemy. The Devil goes about like a lion seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). But Jesus, the Lion of Judah, is greater than the Devil! Greater is He who is in us than he that is in the world (I John 4:4). Rejoice! We're on the winning side!

If God be for us who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? Let's continue praying for others.

The seal of God

The revelation given by our Lord to Apostle John talks about the last days. Let's look at a portion of the revelation.

Revelation 9:1-4 (NIV)
The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Here John talks about a certain fearful judgement that can only be escaped if the seal of God is upon our foreheads. What is the seal of God? How do we get it? We see the answer in the following passage:

Ezekiel 9:4 (NIV)
"Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it."

God was executing judgement upon Jerusalem. He first sent an angel to go throughout Jerusalem to separate out people who did His will and those who didn't. Lot of detestable things were being done in Jerusalem. Those who looked at it, grieved about it, and lamented about it were given the seal of God on their foreheads. They were spared the terrible judgement. Those who did nothing about the detestable things were severely punished, as we see in the following verses:

Ezekiel 9:5-6 (NIV)
As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.

Judgement started right from the house of God. Even the elders who were in the front of the temple were not spared, if they failed to do His will.

We are now living in the last days. The second coming of our Lord is imminent. Sin has increased in the world. Detestable things are happening everywhere. What are we doing about it? Do we just ignore them and go on with our lives? Do we judge those who do such things as evil, and just avoid them? What should be our attitude in these terrible times?

God expects us to grieve over the sins of people and intercede for them with Him. He is looking for people to stand in the gap and intercede for people. Only those who do that will be eligible to receive the seal of God on their foreheads and escape the terrible judgement.

The Lord says: "be holy for I am holy". Shun evil ways. Be holy in His sight. Be burdened for friends. Intercede for them. Stand in the gap. Receive His seal.

Run with Perseverance

(The following is based on a message heard in Church sometime back.)

When one decides to follow Jesus, his/her whole life changes. Life can then be compared to a running race. There are many others running alongside. We're not called to fix our eyes only on the goal and somehow win the race. But we're asked to encourage one another while we run. Everyone gets a reward according to the sincerity with which s/he runs this race, the amount of progress we make, and how we've encouraged fellow-runners.

Runners

In this race, there are three kinds of runners:

1. Those who lead – Pastor, spiritual parents, ...
2. Those who are with us – brothers and sisters in the spiritual kingdom
3. Those who follow – spiritual children

Our first role model, is the perfect runner: Jesus himself! Our Pastors, spiritual parents/friends, etc. are our other role models. They challenge us to keep running. Those who are running by our side, in their own tracks, need our encouragement, as much as we need theirs. And remember that there are others starting out on this race and looking to us for support.

We need to remember the following to win this race in the most efficient manner.

1. Overcome deliberate sin

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left ...
Hebrews 10:26 (NIV)

We need to examine ourself first to identify any willful or deliberate sin. Sin disqualifies us from the race. So we cannot afford to ignore it! We are called to love the Lord our God with our whole being, and to love our neighbors (including unbelievers) as ourself. If something we do is against this calling, then it is sin. Even after realizing it, if we continue to do it, it is deliberate sin. Things like anger, unforgiveness, bitterness in heart come under sin as well. If we keep sinning, what does the Lord do about it?

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

Hebrews 12:4-7 (NIV)

His strong desire for us, is that we become His Sons. Like a loving Father, He will try to correct us.

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Being at peace with all men and holiness are linked together. If we cannot love those whom we can see, then how can we say that we love God whom we cannot see? If we come to worship God, and then remember that we have an unresolved quarrel with someone, that there is unforgiveness in heart, then we need to stop right there. God abhors the worship of the unholy. The right thing to do is to reconcile with that person first, and then come before God.

2. Spur one another

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24,25 (NIV)

This race is different from the competitive races of this world. We're not to be focused only on our running. But we're also expected to take time to encourage fellow-runners. Meeting together with fellow-runners, exchanging instances of the Lord's goodness in our lives, go a great way in strengthening our faith.

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
Hebrews 10:32,33 (NIV)

Standing by those who're hard-pressed due to persecution and going through suffering is another way of encouraging each other. Don't get involved so much in the running, that fellow-runners are of little concern to us. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Mourn with those who mourn.

3. Hold on to the hope

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:19-23 (NIV)

This the motivation factor for the race: our God who called us is faithful, He has redeemed us, and He will see to it that we finish this race well. So many times we are unfaithful to God. But He is still faithful. So our hope is not on our own ability to run this race, but on God's ability to help us run this race. He has done all the hard work for us. Jesus made the perfect sacrifice for our sins, made us pure and holy to stand before Him, made us worthy of Him, and intercedes for us before God the Father. Let's hold on to that motivating factor when we run this race.

In conclusion ...

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:37-39 (NIV)

Whenever we fall, He lifts us up. Let's not go back to our old ways, but let's believe, run, encourage each other, trust in our Lord, and keep running ...

Great Joy

What is our usual response when faced with difficult circumstances? Irritation? Anger? Frustration? Confusion? If you answered “yes” to any of that, then you're not alone! That is the reaction that is expected of a normal person. But people who have been bought with a price, those who are called according to His purpose, are expected to be different. They are expected to have Great Joy ...

Diamonds are known for their unparalleled beauty and their toughness. There are two factors that greatly affect the making of a diamond. Pressure. Cutting.

Diamonds are just another form of Carbon. Carbon, like in the form of a decaying tree, goes through a long process, involving enormous pressure. Some of it become coal. Others, various coal-related minerals. Only a portion of it endure great pressure and transform into a diamond.

Diamonds in their raw form are not as valuable compared to the properly cut and polished form. A raw diamond needs to be cut and shaped at the hands of a master craftsman to attain its most beautiful form.

The end result of all that pressure and cutting is a beautiful diamond!

Similar to how a diamond is formed, God is forming us into beautiful ornaments for His glory. Based on the amount of pressure and pain that we can successfully endure, without losing our faith, we attain various levels of perfection in our spirit. Keeping the end result in mind, makes it much more easy to go through the pressure and pain.

James 1:2-4 (NIV): Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you maybe mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Testing of our faith. When our faith is tested through some trying circumstance, what comes out of our mouth? Praise for God? Or, is it a confused prayer, “God are you there? Why's this happening to me?” Apostle James exhorts us, to react in a different way. To consider it all as pure joy. For at the end, we would have developed perseverance. A stronger faith. Spiritual muscles. A perfect, spiritual figure.

But how do we recognize the testing of our faith and come out with the right reaction of pure joy? The key is in the very next verse. We need the wisdom of God.

James 1:5 (NIV): If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

With the wisdom of God, we will be able to rightly judge what we're going through, and put on the right attitude.

Note that this is NOT an encouragement to have a “grin-and-bear-your-burden” attitude! This is an encouragement to be active. To consciously put on an attitude of pure joy, of “rain-or-sunshine-I'll-praise-you-Lord”! For You have plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

It is not all as easy as it sounds! Without the wisdom of God, without His Spirit in us, overcoming the “natural” reaction is tough. But with Him all things are possible.

Once the attitude of great joy is put on, then how do we sustain it, when the circumstance seems to be never-ending? Stop fretting. Be still before Him. Wait patiently for Him. Allow Him to work. He will make a way, where there seems to be none. After all, He is the one who made invisible paths for all the planets and the stars in the sky. Not one of them accidentally bump into each other. If He can do that, He can surely make a way for us!

Psalms 37:5-8 (NIV): Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.

Want to be a diamond some day? Want to be a thing of beauty in His kingdom, warming His heart always? Have great joy, inspite of trying circumstances!

Open Your Eyes

Open Your Eyes

John 4: 35-37

Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

Jesus gives a very interesting command here “Open your eyes”. Does that mean that the eyes of the disciples were closed? The disciples were people who went with the crowd. They thought there are still four months for harvest based on the common world knowledge. But Jesus tells them “No, it’s now!”

God has called us to see things differently than what the common world sees. Are our eyes opened to the need? If not, the sooner we open the better will it be!

I was recently listening to an audio sermon by Keith Green. Keith Green quoted a text from Oswald J. Smith’s book ‘The Revival We Need’. Let me summarize the message I heard:

In the year 1933 there were 7000 churches in Canada. In a survey conducted, it was revealed that NOT EVEN ONE church had won a SINGLE soul for Christ during the entire year. Think about this… A full year has 52 weeks and if we assume just one sermon on one Sunday that would amount to around 35000 sermons! Think about the numerous efforts, time and offerings involved, yet none of them was beneficial in the sight of God. Clearly there is a problem here

• Either the problem is with the 7000 preachers or their sermons or both
• Or the problem is with God.

Remember that Peter gave a short and a simple sermon on the day of Pentecost and the Church was increased by 3000 on a single day.

It is hurting that the Church which is supposed to represent Christ to the world is today invisibly asleep. As Leonard Ravenhill rightly says, “In this grim hour when the world is sleeping in the dark, the church is sleeping in the light”

Is it not time to weep and wail and confess that with all our multi-million efforts we have failed to reproduce the revival of the early church? Is it not time to acknowledge that we’ve spent too much of our time and prayer on our personal needs, job, family and cared nothing for the world or things that Christ is concerned about?

It’s important that we don’t play with souls. If God has revealed himself to us it’s for a purpose. Come what may we need to fulfill the purpose of God’s calling.

God’s will for us is not to live a happy and carefree life but as Paul says in 1 Timothy 2: 1-3

"This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

It is God’s will that “ALL MEN MUST BE SAVED” and if we are not winning souls in our walk, we are clearly falling short of God’s will.

Let’s check this: how much of our praying time is spent with burden for souls? How much of our prayer life is about carrying God’s burden? If not at least half I sense there’s a serious question about our faith and salvation.

Salvation as I understand is not a one-way call. It has a promise and a command to be obeyed.

Let’s take a look at Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you 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."

It has a command “Take my yoke upon you”. Are we carrying the yoke?

Jesus said “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49).

What is our share in the Christ’s desire?

Today the world is fast skyrocketing to hell. But the Church seems to be least concerned. We are too self-satisfied. We feel content with all our soul-passionless efforts.

While the world is bleeding with pain, we as a Church who have access to the living God simply don’t care. Today the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is claiming souls by thousands. Have you ever heard of a prayer being offered for those dying in Iraq/Afghanistan? I have heard of none. We try to cover up our sterile situation with words as “God’s working mightily”, etc but in fact the living God is “wounded in the house of his friends” (Zechariah 13:6) .

Many times when we hear these kinds of thoughts we feel an emotional pain and are challenged to take some decision. But there’s a difference with God. In the Bible God is not a man that he has to change his decision. If God hurts, he really hurts; if he weeps he really weeps. God’s pain is not emotional but real. It is imperative that we understand the heart of God. Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27). Have we taken time to listen to God’s heartbeat?

What do we lack today? Do we lack finances? Or do we lack people? Or do we lack time? I believe the greatest thing we lack today is vision and passion. We lack the hungriness for true soul-shaking revival.It’s true that we cannot do anything without God’s help but if we don’t have passion or vision there is nothing that God can do anything through us too.

Today the world is drifting away from God’s sight, and the reason is not with television or communism or whatever. The reason is with us - the Church! Let’s pray that true revival will first shake us (me, you and every individual), then the Church and then the nation!

Oh Lord, there's just so much to be done.
Oh Lord, so many souls to be won,
Oh Lord, this world is falling apart,
Dying for love from a broken heart.

Here am I, send me, though there's
really not that much I can do.
What I have seems so small,
but I want to give it all to you.

Oh Lord, you said the harvest was great,
But Lord, looks like the workers are late.
It's getting hard to understand,
How they ignore your great command.

Here am I, send me, though you said
the ones who labor are few,
Still my heart hears the call,
and I wanna give it all to you.

Oh, to reach the ones nobody does,
Give up my pride and even work in the mud,
I wanna be like those who spilled their blood,
And gave it like water to you.

- Keith Green

Works of God in the book of Esther

Tremendous works of God were written in the book of Esther. Out of so many works of God, few are listed below.

1. God's grace is always upon His people

The future of God's people is not decided by their current situation but it's decided only by the grace of our Lord. The grace of God is always upon His people, wherever they are and whatever they do.

Esther was a slave in the kingdom of King Xerxes. Her parents were dead. She might have never thought that she will become the queen of the nation where she was a slave. Only by the grace of God Esther became the queen of that nation.

Those who obey God's commandments are His people. They will receive His grace.

2. God knows whom to keep where

It is not by the might of the people or by their talents that they deserve their position/status/authority in society. It is God who decides to give the position/status/authority to His people. The only quality He expects is reliability.

Esther was not the only woman among the Israelites who were slaves under the King Xerxes. But God's chose only Esther to be the queen among all the Israelites. The qualification that God found in Esther was her reliability. Esther was not carried away by her status as a queen in the kingdom of Xerxes. Whether she was a slave or she was a queen, Esther worshipped only the true God and always remembered her people who were slaves.

So, whatever position or status we possess, the quality of being reliable to God should be within us always.

3. God makes His people find favour with men

God makes His people to find favour with men, whenever and wherever they need it.

Favour with men was provided to Esther whenever she needed.

When Esther was in the King's palace, she won the favour of all men there. ".....Esther won the favour of everyone who saw her". - Esther 2:15

When Esther went into the presence of King Xerxes to speak in favour of her people, God commanded the favour of the King to Esther. She was able to convey all her requests and wishes to him, to protect her people from destruction. "...He (King Xerxes) was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand". - Esther 5:2

Esther was obedient to Mordecai, her uncle. Also, she didn't just rush into the king's presence, but fasted, prayed, and only then went into the king's presence.

God's favour is given to all people who obey Him and elders, and to all those who persist in Prayer.

4. God honours His people

God honours His people and gives recognition to His people who do good in all circumstances.

When two men planned to assassinate the King, Mordecai informed the plot to Esther who in turn reported it to the King (Esther 2:21-23). Mordecai was made a slave by King Xerxes in his kingdom. So he could have stayed quietly without disclosing the assassination plot to anyone. Yet he did what was commanded to him in the scriptures through his elders. This goodness of Mordecai was forgotten by the King at that time. But God didn't forget it. God didn't give sleep to the King Xerxes until he recognized Mordecai's good work. Also he was honoured by the hands of his enemy Haman, who planned to hang him in the gallows.

When we do good in all circumstances, we'll be honoured by our Lord.

5. God protects His people

God will surely protect His people who humble themselves and pray before him.

Before any trouble comes to His people, God will choose an Esther and a Mordecai to protect His people. So, when His people humble themselves and fast and pray to Him, He'll surely protect them from all foes and troubles. God always gives more than what we deserve and what we expect. The people of Israel were not only protected by the Lord, even their enemies were given into their hands.

When we humble ourselves and pray to Him, we'll be protected by our Lord.

Conclusion

God is unchanging. He is not a man to change His heart and His character. This God of Esther, Mordecai and Israelites is the same God who is living today. Lets be His people and get all His blessings. Amen.

Powerfully Effective Prayer

The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
- James 5:16 (Webster's Bible Translation)

Note the words "powerfully effective". Webster's translation (and the Tamil Bible) has put this very clearly. There is something different about the insistent prayer of a righteous person. It is a powerful prayer. It is highly effective. How do we do this?

1. What is prayer?

Prayer is a conversation with God. It is more than just talking to Him, or asking from Him. It also involves listening to Him. Prayer is a channel through which we receive His will for us and His blessings.

2. Why pray?

First, we need to pray to renew our spirit. In order to live our spiritual life and to overcome the flesh, prayer is vital.

Secondly, we are called to be co-workers with Christ.

"Without God we cannot; without us He will not" - Author unknown

One of the interesting things about the way God works is that, He has restricted himself to work through His people. He has chosen to work through our eyes, our lips, our hands and our legs! By our unwillingness we can stop God's work. By not asking of Him, many blessings can get blocked. By our prayerlessness, many could stand to miss their salvation. Let us not be slack concerning prayer!

3. Effective, fervent, righteous

How to pray effectively? Start with obedience. Are we living according to His will? Prayer from a sinful heart is detestable to God (Read Psalms 66:16-20, Proverbs 28:9). Confess your sins. Get forgiven.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Cor. 5:21

Put on the righteousness that is ours through Jesus Christ. God hears the prayer of a righteous man. Once you're made righteous through Christ, move on ...

Pray with faith, from a sincere heart. Give your best time for prayer. Not when you're tired at the end of the day. Whichever period of time you'll be fresh, spend a little of that freshness praying to God. Be focussed while praying, don't be distracted by what you need to do later, or what you did previously, or any other thing ...

Let's not restrict prayer to just a particular period of the day. Pray while reading the Word. Rather than reading a whole chapter or a whole portion, and then praying, pray as you read. Pray while you brush your teeth. Pray while you commute to work.

Integrate prayer into day-to-day activities.

The things that we pray for will surely be granted to us if ... read John 15:7,8. The second part of that portion has the key, which is easy to miss. If we ask for anything that will bring glory to our Father, it will surely be done. It is that simple! Let's be unselfish when we ask. Examine the intentions of our heart for all the things we ask. Are we asking for our own pleasure, or are we asking so that God's name is glorified? Even our personal needs like buying a bike, a car, a house, a piece of land, a jewellery item, clothes, ... will those bring glory to God?

And finally, for effective praying, pray expecting that God listens and that He answers.

4. Need righteousness, not perfection!

In the verses following James 5:16, we read about a prayer warrior: Elijah. He single-handedly opposed the prophets of Baal and beheaded hundreds of them. The next moment he was running away from the wicked queen. He went from a bold proclamation of God's greatness to a cowardly request to God to take his life immediately! Elijah was by no means perfect. But when he prayed earnestly God answered Him powerfully.

Likewise, let's not wait for the day when we'll become perfect, but go boldly before God, putting on Christ's righteousness. Our prayers would then be powerfully effective! What if ALL our prayers become POWERFULLY EFFECTIVE?

Bible Study: Daniel chapter 1

Daniel 1:1-5
Unusual opportunity

We are what we are because of the grace of God and not by our might / knowledge / talents.

Daniel was given an unusual opportunity. Out of all Jewish slaves, Daniel and his friends were honoured. The honour is because of the grace of God.

Daniel 1:6-8
Stand by Daniel

Wherever we are, we should stand for God and not be intimidated by men and their authority.

The Babylonians tried to change the identity and principles of the Israelites. Yet Daniel and his friends stood for their identities and principles.

1. Stand for identity: Daniel and his friends were renamed and called after Babylonian Gods. Even though their names were changed, yet their identities were not lost.

2. Stand for principles: Daniel and his friends were offered meat and wine from the table of the Babylonian King. This honour was given only for selected men. But even though they were slaves, bound by the King's laws, they never chose to go with their physical senses of 'taste'/'sight'.

They stood for God and did not sacrifice their principles, inspite of the King's decrees.

Daniel 1:9-14
Daniel was not put to shame

If we stand for God, we'll be placed in awkward position by men. But God'll surely honour us.

It is natural that non-Vegetarian foods have more calories than vegetarian foods. But in the case of Daniel and his friends, even when they ate pulses and vegetables, they looked healthier and stronger than the people who ate meat and wine. God is not controlled or limited by natural laws. If we stand for God, God will honour us irrespective of natural laws.

Daniel 1:15-20
God honoured Daniel and his friends

Though Daniel and his friends were slaves in Babylon, yet they were 10 times wiser and more brilliant than the Babylonians.

So, let us all please God wherever we are and whenever possible. God will surely give His grace to build our place on a solid rock and not on sinking sand.

"YOUR WALK TALKS LOUDER THAN YOUR TALK TALKS"

Blessing or curse: can we choose?

Sometime back, we heard about the surety of God's word: if He says something, it will surely come to pass, whether it is a blessing or a curse. But when does God pronounce a blessing or a curse? Can we choose to be blessed or cursed? Or, is it beyond our control?

Let's go step-by-step and understand this very important question.

1. What is a covenant?
A covenant is an agreement between two people, sealed with a sacrifice. In the Middle East, in ancient times, a covenant had a deep meaning. An animal sacrifice was made. The sacrifice was cut into two pieces. Both parties entering into the covenant walk through that sacrifice. It signified that:

• Both are dead to each other, in the context of the covenant.
• Both will live for each other, from that point onwards. That is, both will seek each other's good.
  
• Each person will have ownership over all the things possessed by the other person.

We see God entering into such a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15:9-18.

Later on, God entered into a covenant with Israel, through Moses. The covenant was sealed with the blood from an animal sacrifice (Exodus 24:8). This is the old covenant, which was not a perfect covenant. The perfect covenant was made when Jesus shed His blood on the Cross. He became the pure and perfect sacrifice for our sins. This covenant was between God and all mankind. This is the new covenant.

2. Blessing or curse
Joshua 23:14-16: "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you."

As we see in the above passage, if the people of Israel kept the covenant of the Lord, they were entitled to God's blessings. Instead, if they broke His covenant, there were sure to be cursed. The above covenant is the old covenant. Now we are in the times of the new covenant. Does the same rule above hold good even now?

Matthew 25:31-46: talks about the last days, when Jesus will don the role of a Judge. He will separate the good people from the bad people. In verse 34, "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father ..." , and in verse 41, "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed ...". Going through the whole passage, we find that by their actions or inactions people were judged. If they did a good thing like helping a hungry person, or a person in prison, they were storing up for themselves eternal blessings. On the other hand, those who did not do a good thing (inaction) were storing up for themselves eternal curses. Eternal blessing or curse depends on the choices we make every day. Doing an evil thing, or not doing a good thing - both potentially stop a blessing and bring a curse!

So, yes! We do have a choice about whether we get blessed or cursed. And, yes again! It is within our control now, to choose to be blessed, and not cursed.

3. The basis for our actions: love
Not every kind of situation we face in life is covered in the above passage. When faced with a situation that is not directly addressed in the Bible, how do we make the right choice, so that we get blessed and not cursed? Matthew 22:35-40. Love is the key. Jesus puts it clearly: love for God, and love for our neighbours. When all our actions are based on love, we'll know for sure which is the right choice to make.

4. The enabler: Holy spirit
It is easy to see the truth above, but very difficult to imbibe this truth and apply it in ALL the situations we face in our day to day life. "Lord! I can love anyone, but that person!" "Lord! I can forgive anyone but her!" "Lord! I love you, but don't ask me to do that!" Infact, it is impossible to keep the above without the help of ... that's right: the Holy Spirit!

Personally, I tried to live the message, after preparing it. But it was tough! I thought it would be so easy to review my day, every night, see where all I've acted in a wrong way, and correct myself the next day. It didn't work out that way! I couldn't consistently sit down and do that review every night. And on the days when I did review my day, I found way too many areas where I had failed. It was so discouraging! It was then that I found the missing link. Without the Holy Spirit, we can never consistently choose blessing over curse.

If we have a living relationship with the Holy Spirit, and give Him room in our life, we will be one among the sheep in the day of judgement! Eternal blessings will be ours!

When we humble ourselves and seek Him ...

II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

From the above verse, we understand:

1. God declares that we are His people by the words "my people". We are His people called by His Name.
2. His people should "seek His Face". In psi 27:8, Kings David says, 'My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek..'.
3. His people should "Humble" themselves before Him before seeking His face.
4. His people should "turn from their wicked ways". Only then, their prayers for themselves and their nation will be heard and answered.

1. Blessings for being humble

King Solomon
King Solomon humbled himself before the Lord and built the temple of God with the best materials available in his kingdom. Solomon prayed to God for wisdom to govern the people of God, rather than for riches or fame. God heard His prayer and blessed him. He even gave him what he had not asked for!

"I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings." -- I Kings 3 :12,13

King David
Even though David was the King of Israel, he humbled himself before God and danced in front of the ark of the covenant, when it was brought back to Israel after so many years. When his wife was angry with him for dancing before all people, David said:

"It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." -- II Sam uel 6:21,22

God blessed David: "David's fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him." - I Chronicles 14:17

Ruth
When she humbled herself and stayed with her aunt, God blessed her to become the wife of Boaz, a rich man in Israel that time. Because of her humbleness, she was part of the lineage of Jesus Christ. We see her blessing in:

"May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." -- Ruth 2:12

Esther
Even Esther was blessed in the same way. She was living with her uncle and was without parents. Since she humbled herself and heard all the advice of her uncle Mordecai, she was chosen as the queen. God used her to protect the tribe of Judah. She left all her greatness and comforts and humbled herself by fasting for three days, which can be seen in:

"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.". -- Esther 4:16

For her humbleness, God gave her the place of Queen Vashti and protected His people through her.

Daniel
When Daniel humbled himself and prayed , God revealed His prophesies to him.

King Hezekiah
When he humbled himself and prayed to God He added 15 more years in his life.


2. Curses for not being humble

King Hezekiah
King Hezekiah instead of giving glory to God, and speaking of His glory, he made a great show of his wealth to the Babylonians. So, the Kingdom of Israel was given over into the hands of his enemies.

King Solomon
King Solomon in the later part of his life, disobeyed God, married foreign women, and went seeking after other gods. He broke the covenant that God made with His chose people. So His kingdom started crumbling.


We have seen that when we humble ourself before God, He lifts us up. When we humble ourselves before Him, take time out to pray to Him, and seek Him earnestly (not just seek His blessings), He will surely hear our prayers. He will bless our personal life and family. He will also bless our nation through us.

Praise And Worship

When and How to Praise God?

We should praise God and Worship Him in all aspects of our life. We should praise Him in the good times, and in the not so good times. We should praise and thank our Lord God the Heavenly King, for everything, by singing hymns and worshipping Him daily.

Ephesians 5:19,20 (NIV): Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why we Praise God?

Jesus was sent to earth to die for our sins, so that we may be forgiven of all our sins. He suffered a lot of pain in order to make us righteous before God the Father. He rose again on the third day so that we rejoice in His resurrection, and we too will one day be resurrected and live for all eternity with our Father in Heaven.

Never think that there are things impossible with Him. All things are possible with Him. He can solve all our problems very easily. According to John chapter 14, verses 13,14,15 anything we ask the Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus, we will receive. We should praise Him because He is always in control of our lives, and we can do all things through Him.

Bible portion for Praise: Psalms 34 & 66.

Surety Of God's Word

"If God says something, it will surely come to pass"

If God says something, whether it is a 'blessing' or it is a 'curse', if it is from the Lord, it will surely come to pass. Two situations in the Bible prove this:

1. Blessing from the Lord:

II Kings 6:24-29

Samaria, where Israelites lived, was surrounded by the King of Aram. So, food materials and other resources didn't come in or go out of Samaria. A great famine prevailed in Samaria. The famine was so intense that "Men were eating men". So, the King of Israel approached Elisha for getting God's word. God's word came to Elisha:

"Elisha said, Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria." - II Kings 7:1

The word of God came to pass.

"Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the LORD had said." - I Kings 7:16

2. Curse from the Lord:

I Kings 22

Ahab, the King of Israel, planned to fight against Ramoth, the enemies of Israel. So, before going to battle, he wanted to know the word of God. So, he called all the prophets of Israel and asked whether he should go to war against Ramoth. God spoke clearly through Micaiah, the prophet of Israel. The words were:

".......The LORD has decreed disaster for you." - I Kings 22:23

Hearing this from the prophet, to protect himself from the attack, Ahab entered the battle in disguise. (I Kings 22: 30). But nothing can prevent the fulfilling of God's words:

"But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor"- I Kings 22:34
"So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there" - I Kings 22:37

From the above two instances, we understand how God's words were fulfilled just the way he spoke it : "Blessings" to those who deserve and "Curse" to those who deserve.

Call for us:

Now, God has declared "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." - Revelation 22:12.

As He has declared
- He is going to come soon.
- Our rewards are with Him. If we deserve His "Blessing" we'll go with Him to Heaven, if we deserve "Curse" we'll go to hell.

So, be prepared to get the reward of God because "If God says something, it will surely come to pass"

Christian Life

Bible Portion : Romans: 12: 9-21

Christian life is all about showing Christ's love to others. In what ways can we show His love practically?

First, we need to have brotherly love towards one another (verse 10). We need to bear each other's burdens, and be concerned about others' wellbeing. If a brother/sister is unwell, or having problems, we need to encourage them and pray for them, until things become normal again.

Second, rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn (verse 15). Mourning with those who're mourning is comparatively easy, than rejoicing with those who are rejoicing! For example, when a neighbour buys a new thing (like a television, a bike, a car, ...), do we rejoice with them, or envy them because we don't have what they bought? When someone in the workplace gets a promotion, do we rejoice with them, or feel bad about not getting a promotion ourselves? As followers of Christ, we should not be envious, but rejoice with others in their times of happiness.

Obedience to God

Throughout the scriptures Bible displays one of God's particular character. God can never stand disobedience. There are several examples both in Old and New testaments.

Cost of disobedience

Moses :
A man who was filled with anger when he saw God's people being afflicted in Egypt. The one who did great things for God before Pharaoh bringing a mighty nation to its knees and nothingness. One who suffered greatly because of the disobedience of Israelites (he once asked God "am I the father of these people?"). But when he disobeyed striking the rock instead of speaking to it, God made his mistake cost a great happiness of entering the promised land. God had to take away his life on the way.

Achan :
God commanded Joshua, 'No Israelite should take anything from the debris of Jericho, all should be burnt'. Achan took some gold ornaments. Though he openly admitted his mistake, he was destroyed along with his whole family. We read this in Joshua chapter 7. Because of the sin of Achan, the Israelites were defeated by the men of Ai and were chased out of their city. Disobedience of one man caused a defeat of whole nation.

Saul :
What a call! Being the first king of a God blessed nation cannot be taken that simply. The one who went searching for a donkey town to town was anointed 'king'. Many wars he won, for God's nation. Still when he disobeyed sacrificing the cattle he took from the land which was an abomination for the Lord, it costed just everything in his life. The Bible says the Lord commanded an evil-spirit to enter him. You know the rest of the story. Could anyone have imagined the kind of the death he went through?

Reward for Obedience

As soon as the word 'obedience' is spelt, the first name that flashes in my mind is Abraham. Not an easy obedience. God promised him a child at 75. Sarah being 65 was laughing. 25 years after the promise, they got the promised child. Came the test for his faith and obedience. God commanded the child to be sacrificed. Abraham did not delay. God himself had to stop him from sacrificing his only son. You know the remaining story. After this whenever God introduced himself, he called himself 'I am the God of Abraham'. Even today Abraham's being called 'father of faith'.

From all this we can conclude, God will not let his word to be taken in vain. He really counts how we obey his word. We clearly see the cost of disobedience and the rewards for obedience. May God talk to us. Praise the Lord! Amen.

What Is It You Want?

In the Bible we come across at least three instances where people were asked:

What is it that you want?

If God is asking the same question in our life what would our answer be?

Let us look at the three specific answers that were given - the three answers which were acceptable to God and which the Bible says were pleasing to God.

We shall divide them into three phases of our prayer life.

PHASE #1

Matthew 20:29-34

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

"Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

The blind men came to Jesus expecting a miracle. Note that they were away from God’s family and were strangers. Jesus had compassion on them and healed them completely. Then they followed Jesus.

PHASE #2

1 King 3:5-14

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

God told Solomon “Ask for whatever you want me to give you”. Solomon asked for wisdom and the Bible says “The Lord was pleased”. Solomon understood the magnitude of his task being the ruler of people too numerous to count. He was not the eldest of the sons yet God made him King. He did not ask for wealth, fame or victory but asked for wisdom to govern the people. And God gave him all! Often we try to highlight our personal requests to God as though our entire life depended on it. Solomon learnt to ask the right thing.

PHASE #3

Nehemiah 2:4-5

The king said to me, "What is it you want?"
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."

Nehemiah worked in the King's palace. He served wine to the King. Though he was a captive, he served in King’s palace. But his profession had no bearing on his vision. His vision was not narrow and limited to his profession but he learnt to look outward. He heard a report that Jerusalem was in shambles; its walls had been destroyed. People living there lived in constant fear. He did one thing:

I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

He prayed not for himself, nor for his family, nor for his profession. He prayed for the nation! He was downcast and his face was sad – to the extent that the King noticed it. He said “Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire”

Today we live in a similar situation as that of Nehemiah. The walls have been broken. The Nations’ spiritual state is in shambles. We were captives - oh but now we are in King’s palace, saved and sanctified, serving God - for what? Do we have enough reason to smile? Or like Nehemiah do we need to weep and fast?

The blind man’s vision was limited to himself. And what did he achieve? He followed Christ and that’s all. Solomon’s vision was limited to his profession. And what did he achieve? He built a temple and died. Nehemiah’s vision was broad and outward. He brought a dead nation back to life!

The problem with most of us is that we feel content to stay in PHASE #1 and do not look beyond. We must learn to prioritize things in our prayer life. Our prayer should not be loaded with personal requests or worldly things. While the dear Lord will bless us and give us everything we ask for, He wants us to move forward. We should not become an embarrassment to God. God’s plans for us are great! If there is someone who can limit the power of God in our lives, it is we ourselves.

Leonard Ravenhill is well known for this quote: “If you only want to be saved, sanctified and satisfied, God’s battle has no need of you”.

LOVE

I corinthians 13 chapter describes love.

- Love calls us to God's ministry
- Love changes others

I. LOVE CALLS US TO GOD'S MINISTRY:

- God's love made Mother Theresa to leave her comforts and come to India for doing the ministry for God.

- God's love made her continue God's ministry inpite of shames and tribulations.

1. Short story:

Once Mother Theresa went to a baker and asked him bread for the children and people in her home. The baker got angry and spat on her. She wiped it off and told the baker that she will accept the spit for her and again asked the baker to give something for her children and people in her home. This statement of hers convicted the heart of the baker. So he gave a lot of bread to the home on that day.

- God's love made Mother Theresa do the ministry. She faithfully did the ministry. So, God protected her ministry.

2. Short Story:

Feeling jealous about the ministry of Mother Theresa, few people complained to a governement official about closing the home run by Mother Theresa. To check what was really going on in the home, the officer went in disguise and observed what was going on in the home. The scene of Mother Theresa's ministry broke the govt. official's heart. She was cleaning the wounds of lepers, and feeding them. The next morning the officer told the jealous people that if they could do what Mother Theresa was doing in the home, he'll close the home. So, God protected Mother Theresa's ministry.

- Love of Mother Theresa was honoured:

To honour the love of Mother Theresa, TamilNadu CM, Mr. MGR opened a university in her name.

II. LOVE CHANGES PEOPLE:

1. Short story:

A man fell in love with a girl. The girl was so cruel that she told the guy to prove his love towards her by bringing the heart of his mother. The guy killed his mother and took his mother's heart to the girl. On the way he slipped and fell down. His mother's heart fell down too. It spoke to him from the ground, saying: "Be careful my son, are you hurt?" Moved by his mother's love, he understood what is true love.

Inference : True love is not selfish, but selfless, just like Jesus' love for us.

2. Story from Fr. Berchmans:

In a college, there was a very pious girl. A guy loved her very much. On the farewell day, the guy proposed his love to that girl. But the girl said that she gave her heart to another person (Jesus) and handed over a Bible, asked him to read it, and left him. Considering her gift as a great asset, the guy read the Bible fully and understood that no love is equal to the love of God. From that day he gave his life to God and started doing the ministry of God.

Inference : Love of God changed that guy to do the ministry of God.

3. Story from Mohan C. Lazarus:

In a town, there was a newly married couple. The husband was very pious and God fearing. He never watched movies whereas his wife liked to watch movies. One day the wife wanted to go for a new movie. She told her husband about her wish. In order to protect the peace in the family, the husband took the wife to the theatre, made her sit in the theatre and told her that he'll come and pick her up after the cinema gets over. He went back home and prayed. The wife initially started to watch the movie. But she could not concentrate on the movie. Thoughts of her husband and what he did without any anger or argument, kept running through her mind. She was not able to watch the movie even for 15 min. She got up and ran back home, and from then on gave up watching movies.

Inference : The love of a husband changed the heart of his wife. True love is patient.

Love is a powerful weapon that changes people. So, love one another in Christ.

Calling of God

Only, if we have a clear CALL from the Lord,

1. a real Ministry will begin to fulfill God's plans ,
2. the Ministry will be blessed by the presence of God,
3. the Ministry will sustain inspite of trails and tribulations by the guidance of God.
   

Moses and Paul did a powerful ministry with a clear Call from the Lord.

Moses:

• Calling : God appeared in the burning bush and called Moses to do His ministry.
• Blessing : God didn't inform Moses that, Moses will divide red sea, bring God's people from Egypt with mighty miracles etc. Since, God called Moses to do His ministry, God blessed the ministry of Moses. Thats why the ministry of Moses was powerful.
• Guidance : Moses had difficult time with the Israelites. They dishonoured God frequently and murmurred against God. Several times Moses was discouraged and criticized by the Israelites. Inspite of all these, God guided Moses and sustained the ministry of Moses.
  

Paul:

• Calling : A light from heaven shone upon Saul and the voice of God clearly spoke with him. He became Paul and then the Holy Spirit seperated Paul to do His ministry.
• Blessing : God didn't inform Paul that, when Paul's dresses were put on sick they will be healed or Paul will rise a dead person back to life etc. Since, God called Paul to do His ministry, God was with Paul and blessed his ministry.
• Guidance : Paul was the only apostle who was bruished a lot and was kept in prison several times. Though he went through a lot of pains, yet he considered all his pains to be smaller when compared to the pains of Jesus Christ during crucifixion. God guided Paul in his troubles and sustained his ministry.

So, if we step into God's ministry, we should have following checklist.

• We should be clear about the calling of our Lord to do His ministry.
  
• Only if we are truly called, the ministry will be blessed and
  
• Only if we are truly called, the ministry will sustain inspite of loses and sufferings.

What is Sin?

According to Matthew 5:28, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. i.e., Just a wrong thought towards anyone in your heart is considered as Sin.

Sin is the only thing in this earth that separates us from God.

Matthew 5:8 tells Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they shall see God. Example - Jesus is sinless through out his life. So he's able to see the father God. Sin is so powerful that at one point of time Jesus himself felt that he is separate from God. (Matthew 27:46)

In this world there is no one sinless(except JESUS). In order not to become prey of sin, we should follow two things in our life.

1. We should guard ourselves by Praying(Matthew 26:41).
2. We should obey everything what Jesus had commanded us(Matthew 28:20).

When we follow these two, God is always with us (Matthew 28:20 - Promise of his Presence).