You took the fall and You thought of me

A long time before I was born ... in a far away place unknown to me .... there was someone who went through excruciating torture and inhuman treatment .... he was spit upon ... despised ... mocked .... and all for no crime of His. He could've very easily silenced all His accusers through His unparalleled wisdom. But He didn't. At a snap of His fingers He could have struck down all his enemies. But He didn't.

He humbled Himself to the point of death. Just so that I can escape eternal punishment, He allowed Himself to be tortured to death. And through it all, He thought of me .... What? WHY? Who am I that You're mindful of me? What did I do to deserve Your gift of life?

And He said ....
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13

He called me friend! He's still alive ... His name is: Jesus.



Compared to all the best that this world has to offer - power, riches, fame, ... - Jesus is above all. There's nothing greater than knowing this Jesus as my best friend. And He wants to be your best friend too!

P.S.: Paul Baloche and Lenny LeBlanc, wrote this beautiful song: Above all powers. They have written, how they came to write the lyrics for this song.

Courage and Time Management

It's been a while since there was a new post in this blog. In the meantime, I got married! Was also involved in a whole lot of activities at Church and in our local prayer group. 2008 has been an exciting time so far. And unbelievably, almost 2 months are already gone! Time is flying away so fast ...

So what's Courage got to do with managing our time? Read on ...

I was reading this particular devotional from ODB about "Courage: Live it" by Dave Branon. He says:

Perhaps you need someone to tell you: Volunteer for that job at church—they need you. Have lunch with your co-worker to discuss matters of faith. Or join that small group.

Be courageous for Jesus. Sometimes it takes just that first step of courage to serve our majestic God.

Just last Sunday, when we had a discussion in a small prayer group, we all agreed on one thing. All of us lead busy lives. But when we make time for God and the things of the kingdom of God, inspite of pressures from our job, our personal work, our family, etc. , God does something marvelous. He works for us in parallel, even as we're working for Him. He fulfills our most pressing needs. Isn't God so amazingly loving?

Just a few years back, I used to give one excuse for not going to Church, for not taking time to do something for God. And that excuse was: my job. I said I had to be in office 7 days a week, and often spent a few continuous days living in office! I was so self-righteous about doing my job. After all, my job was a God-given responsibility! This slowly hit my prayer life, sin creeped in and finally I was far, far away from God.

When I started making time for God in my life, He started working for me in my job. He made me realize that when I seek His kingdom first, everything else I need is automatically added to my life. He changed my life.

That's why when I read what Dave Branon wrote, I felt compelled to write about it. It needs courage to steal time for God from our busy schedule, but it's well worth the effort. As you start doing this, You'll rediscover what an amazingly loving God He is :)

We worry

We worry. We know it’s a waste of time. Yet a lot of us find ourselves in this dilemma—we know we should trust God, but we wonder just what He’s going to do.

The above lines hit me hard when I read the devotional passage from Our Daily Bread!

I've been going through some anxious times running around for my wedding preparations, balancing my commitments to places where I've volunteered, my job, the need to rent out a house to start my family and so many other unexpected tasks. I've started praying more than I usually do (which isn't much in the first place). But still I seem ill-equipped to face all the challenges. Frequently, I'm getting anxiety attacks and get down to dangerously low levels of faith.

And yes, I realized that worrying is a waste of time. But I just couldn't help myself.

Through the devotional passage, the truth has struck me that I need to run to His Word, cast all my cares upon Him, for He cares for me.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you - 1 Peter 5:7

I'm going to do that from now on to overcome my anxiety attacks.

Pillars of His Church

In the days of King Solomon, when the temple was getting built, there was a demand for lots and lots of Cedar wood. King Hiram of Tyre met the huge demand, by cutting Cedar trees in his kingdom, and floating them to Israel via the sea. These Cedar logs were then received off the sea, made to dry under the hot sun, cut into precise lengths, and used as pillars in the temple. The pillars were then covered with gold. (I Kings 5)

There are some interesting parallels between these Cedar logs and the life of a Christian in the body of Christ. This was shared by a Pastor in a new Church inauguration meeting.

When the word of God convicts a person and s/he receives the call of God and commits his/her life to Him, then it is like the cutting of the Cedar wood. From that point onwards s/he has no link to this world. The journey has started!

The transportation of the logs by sea is like the baptism of the person in water. From that point onwards, the true walk with God starts. Conflict between the flesh and the spirit happens everyday.

By persisting in seeking God, meditating and following His word, the flesh becomes weaker and weaker, and the spirit becomes stronger and stronger. This is the drying of the wood in the sun. This needs to happen continually, otherwise the person does not grow, but becomes spiritually weak, like wet wood that starts bending when bearing load.

Once the spirit is in control (wood is dry), the person is ready for greater use in the body of Christ (that is, His Church). Then the person needs to humble himself/herself and become a pillar in the Church. This is the cutting of wood into precise lengths stage. Everybody is equal in the house of God, there is no place for ego in His Church.

If after all these stages the person becomes a pillar in the Church, and if more such pillars are ready, then the Church can be built perfectly. And God honours such a Church, by filling it with His glory (covering of the pillars with gold)!

Which stage are we in today?

Spiritual Strength

Praise the Lord!

To get physical strength, we need to eat nutritious food. But what can we do to get spiritual strength?

1. Isaiah 40:31 " But those who wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength".

It's true, when we wait on the Lord, we will get spiritual strength. The other part of the verse is: "they shall mount up with wings like eagles". Think you all know the characteristics of the eagle. The eagle always wants to fly high. It always builds its nest in high places.

Yes, we also when we get the spiritual strength by waiting on the Lord, we can soar like an eagle. We do not have to restrict our abilities. It is God who shapes us. So give yourself to God, He will make you soar. Through His strength, you can do everything.

2. Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you".

When you read this chapter from verse one, you will come to know who is speaking to whom. God is speaking to Israel's people, His children. When we hear God's voice or when God speaks to us, we get the spiritual strength. It is like a father comforting his child when that child is forsaken by everyone else. When the father speaks to that child with comforting words, the child gets strengthened and says "yes dad, I can do it!"

Don't stop after hearing God's voice! You should also be ready to speak to Him. Long for His presence! Don't just seek God once a year or once a month, and then feel disappointed if God does not answer. Speak to Him consistently. Like Jacob who wrestled with the Angel of God until He blessed him, seek God continually.

3. Ephesians 3:16 "... to be strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man."

Allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen your spirit. He is the great Comforter, who knows what you're going through, and what you will be going through in future. Be sensitive to His leading and get spiritually strengthened.

Wired, Breakthrough Band, CCF, World Vision, ...

Chennai Corporate Fellowship (CCF) organized a concert called Wired, featuring Pas. Chadwick Samuel and the Breakthrough Band. The concert brought many of the corporate fellowship groups together for an evening of praise and worship. As usual the singing, the music and the worship experience was top-notch! And the choreo done by the dancing girls of the "Amazing" group added some extra flavour.

The highlights of the concert were the dance numbers given by kids from the Deaf and Dumb school, Santhome. They did an excellent and colourful job! A major portion of the concert proceeds was donated to this school.

A presentation about the work of World Vision was given in between. The urgent need is to get sponsors for more than 400 differently-abled children by the end of this year. If you have a burden for the needy children of India, get in touch with World Vision and sponsor a child.

So pray ...

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray and not how to preach. The result of prayerless life and prayerful life of the disciples is an eye-opener for all of us.

Mathew 26:40-41
"Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. 'Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?' he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Prayerless disciples ...

The disciples didn't pray with the Saviour in Gethsemane. Following were the consequences:

1. Flesh takes over the spirit Mathew 26:51 "...One of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear."

Though the disciples ministered along with Jesus Christ, when they lacked prayer, circumstances influenced their character. Jesus had taught his disciples to love their neighbours as themselves, and to even love their enemies. But the disciples disobeyed His teaching when they didn't pray. Infact Jesus had even told them so many times that He would soon be handed over into the hands of sinful men to be crucified. But they failed to grasp that as they were not watchful in prayer. Their flesh overtook their spirit.

2. Going away from God

Mathew 26:56 "...Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.".

Prayer keeps us close to God. When we lack in prayer we will also flee from the Lord.

3. Witnessing for Christ becomes hard

Mathew 26:69-70 "Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. 'You also were with Jesus of Galilee,' she said. But he denied it before them all."

Witnessing for Christ before men becomes hard when we lack in prayer.

Prayerful disciples ...

The same disciples realized what they were lacking and started praying.

Acts 1:14 "They all joined together constantly in prayer ..."

When they prayed together in the upper room, the Holy Spirit filled them and they started witnessing boldly for Christ! In the name of Jesus, Peter was able to bring healing to the lame man sitting at the gates of the temple. They started performing many miracles and signs to bring glory to God.

What a great difference between a prayerless life and a prayerful life! So pray ...

Can't wait to see daddy!

Just the other day, a thought was shared in our prayer fellowship, which is a simple but profound one. It goes like this ...

We ought to come before God, not like a beggar, but like a child. Everyone who receives Jesus has rightfully become a child of God (read John 1:12-13).

The beggar keeps begging for this and that. Just like that, when we go before God the Father, we shouldn't keep on asking for this and that.

The child, on the other hand, is longing to see dad come back home in the evening. S/he is waiting at the door, stretching to see if s/he can catch the first glimpse of dad returning home. That's the kind of eagerness we need to develop - longing to see God the Father's face. Spending time with Him. Getting to know Him more and more.

Photo courtesy: Afroswede

Escaping the Lure of Sin

Are you really serious about gaining victory over temptation? If you are, are you willing to take a few steps back?

Do you have habits that are continually taking you down the wrong path? While some temptations occur unexpectedly, others are more predictable. Those that happen routinely provide a unique opportunity for you to plan how you will handle the situation––ahead of time.

This is a simple and effective principle to break-free from Dr. Charles Stanley. Read the whole article.

Introduce Jesus: the only hope!

When the parents are slaves to alcohol and drugs, the children suffer. In a clinic in Ukraine, lie many young children suffering from tuberculosis. They are either orphaned or abandoned by an abusive family.

But there is also Oksana Chernota, a volunteer who tells the children about Jesus. Every week she goes to the clinic to sing with them, play games, and teach them the Bible.

"My heart is just for them, to teach them the Bible because that is their only hope. There is no other hope but God," she said.

"You have to play; you have to talk to them; you have to know their need; what their pain is; what their sorrows are; what they like to do. Then they open their hearts, then they attach to you, and then you can show them what Jesus can do for them," she said.

The doctor says many of these children have stopped smoking because of Chernota's influence.

Jesus said, "do not stop the little children from coming to Me". An abusive family, a drug-addicted parent, no roof to call as their shelter, no assurance of their next meal - all of these can stop them from reaching God's love. That's when we need to be God's hands, God's feet and share the love of God in a practical way.

Remember, God didn't stop with words of love toward us, but sent His only Son to suffer and die for us. He is a God of action. We need to be His children of action.

The Orphaned, the Widowed, the Young, the Old

Jesus said:
... the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Gracious Home is a home for the aged and destitute people. Little Flock is a home for the orphaned children. They show God's love in a practical way. [Find some photos of these two places on flickr]

What have we done for the Orphaned, the Widowed, the Young, the Old? What have we done for Jesus?

Read a full account of God's judgement that each one of us needs to face in the not so distant future. Be prepared!

If you love Me ...

I was going through some confusion, restlessness and discouragement. Started prayerfully voicing my thoughts to God. Like dew which vanishes when the sun shines, all my confusion, restlessness and discouragement started melting away!

I found out one more reason why we need to link up with God frequently. If we don't link up frequently we gradually lose His peace, start believing in the lies of the Devil and ultimately self-destruct. So if you're going through any of these symptoms in your life, then spend some time alone with God. Express what you feel to Him. Be honest with your feelings. I'm sure He'll talk to you!

In the course of my prayerful talk with my Best Friend, I was reminded of the short summary that He (Jesus) made of the entire Law and all the words that God had spoken through all the prophets. He pointed to only 2 laws: (1) love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and all your mind, and (2) love your neighbour as yourself.

He pointed me back to the basics. He started poking around my heart to find out whether I was keeping these 2 laws. I was surprised to find out that I was breaking these laws every day ...

If I loved God with all my heart ... I wouldn't be slack concerning my prayer life. I wouldn't spend so little time in reading and meditating on His word. I wouldn't be slack concerning my job (my job is my God-given responsibility). I wouldn't have such a careless attitude towards sin and the sinful things that I come across every day of my life. I would pray with a burden. I would weep and intercede for others. I would be very careful to spend my time to bring praise to His name.

If I loved my neighbour as myself ... I wouldn't have shouted at that person. I wouldn't hold a grudge against that guy because he wronged me. I wouldn't have been so reluctant to forgive that person, though I go countless times to God to get forgiveness for my own transgressions. I wouldn't expect God to overlook all my shortcomings, but punish my enemy for every single wrong he has ever done in his life. I would rather look at my friends and those whom I wouldn't call as my friends, and see a precious soul who needs the love of God.

God is looking for obedience. He doesn't expect us to change overnight, for He knows what we can and cannot do. But He does expect an obedient attitude. To obey is better than sacrifice.

It is so easy to sing "Lord I love You, You are my everything, Lord I worship You", but not so easy to keep these basics. God is not impressed about our singing, but He takes note of our obedience.

God is challenging you with the same question that he asked me: do you love Me?

Audio/video sermons

Audio and video sermons from New Life Assembly of God Church, Chennai are available on the web-site: http://nlag.in. English service audio messages, and Tamil service video messages are uploaded every week. Listen-in and be blessed!

You may also submit prayer requests, read a daily word, etc. from the web-site.

If you're in Chennai and you speak English/Tamil/Hindi, you're most welcome to join my home Church! Service timings are updated in the web-site.

In the coming weeks, expect to see a summary of some sermons from NLAG here!

No Other Name?

Acts 4:12:

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

A Christian is supposed to believe that Christ is the road to life, to heaven and to eternity. But in doing so, either knowingly or unknowingly, directly or indirectly, he seems to condemn the world’s majority population to eternal hell. Is this right? Is this justified? What’s the rationale for this belief?

Let’s go back to Jesus. Did He believe in eternal hell-fire for unbelievers? Did He claim that He was the ONLY way? When doing so did he ever realize that there are millions around the world who’d never know Him? Did He ever care that his claims if true would literally throw millions of people in the danger of hell-fire? Did Jesus have a heart to claim that?

Spending eternity in hell - is that so easy?

There can be only two reasoning here: Either Jesus did not claim that He was the ONLY way (or) He did claim but he has given everything in our disposal to prevent people from spending their eternity in Hell.

If Jesus had a heart and claimed that He was the only way, I can easily visualize Him as follows:

1) He would have warned about hell so many times
2) He would have stressed on final Judgment so many times
3) He would have shown the urgency in proclaiming the Gospel – either He Himself would have proclaimed or encouraged others to do.
4) He wouldn’t have considered His life or His disciples’ lives more important than winning souls
5) He would have done everything possible to win as many as possible.

For all of the above, The Gospel of Matthew says a big yes!

Jesus talks about Judgment and hell-fire in almost every chapter of Matthew. How good will it be if we – who identify ourselves as Christians – lived every moment of our lives with thoughts on eternity! How good will it be if we ask God to make us a blessing to the fallen world! How good will it be if everyone did everything with the sole purpose of populating heaven!

Jesus is coming soon! Whether our lives are short or long, the only thing that will stand is how much we have lived up to our calling.

Let’s get on straight with the Bible. Let’s not be content anymore with our traditional styles of preaching or doing ministry or worship. Rather let us look unto Bible to learn what it conveys and what it asks us to prioritize. Let us try to imitate how Jesus ministered, how Paul and the other apostles ministered.

Keeping the Bible as our sole authority let us read and meditate on the following verses (Matthew 10) and allow God to share His burden.

As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Whoever publicly acknowledges Me I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven. But whoever publicly disowns Me I will disown before My Father in heaven.

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

PUSH, Red Hills - follow-up visit

Some of us went to PUSH, Red Hills, to make a follow-up visit. Had a good time with the kids. They were happy to see the photos taken at the Scripture Union (Mahabalipuram) outing on December 16th, 2006. 

Practicing before Preaching

The verses that made a change in my life in the first week of 2007 are:

Romans 2:17-24

17. Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God;
18. if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;
19. if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,
20. an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth
21. you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
22. You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23. You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
24. As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

The Bible devotion from Romans chapter 2 convicted me of my behaviour in following areas of my life:
1. Work or Job
2. Character
3. Humbleness
4. Offering

1. Work:

I use to testify to my friends and others that the job/work given to me is purely by the grace of the Lord. I'm given so much privileges and freedom in my work that I was misusing them. But when I read the above verses from Scriptures, they convicted me of truthfulness in my work. Also, when I went to my native place, I noticed a weaver who was weaving chairs in hot sun for half a day to earn a sum of Rs. 100. I was reminded by our Lord that, "I preach God gave me this Job but I seldom remember to remain faithful and dedicated in my work which our Lord has given me".

2. Anger:

I've advised so many people not to get angry in any situation. Even I've heard a lot of sermons to love others, even our enemies. But when I was in my native place, I kept on complaining my dad about the shirts he bought for me and hurt him by my words. Also, one day, while praying in the night, I got a call from my brother. Since he called me in an unusual time, I attended the call while praying. Triggered by his words I got angry and scolded him at that moment and ended the call. When I continued praying, I was convicted that I forgot to show love towards my brother. The word of God in Romans 2 again reminded me to practice what I preach to others.

3. Humbleness:

It is easy for oneself to be taken away by pride. I've thought that my work is the key part in the module in which I'm working rather thanking God for providing His knowledge to complete the works.

4. Offering:

While reading The Acts of Apostles, I came across a passage which indicated that people sold their lands and jewels to fund the Apostles. I was awestruck by their commitment in offering. It is easy, to say let's give unto our God our offerings and to give a certain amount as offerings. Though we can't give in that measure, let's decide to give dedicatedly for God's ministries in 2007.

Through Romans 2, God wanted me to change in 2007. Hope this small message will be useful for those who read it. Let's practice before preaching.

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!