There will be and must be exceptions for every rule

 It is the general rule of this universe that there cannot be a general rule for all situations and individuals. There will be and must be exceptions for every rule. This is the rule that governs the universe – There may be some exceptions even for this rule! All the laws in the spiritual and physical realm are applicable situationally. All the moral and ethical laws are applicable dispensationally and situationally. An act or a deed which is allowed in one dispensation is counted as sin and crime in another dispensation. A thing which is an abomination in a given situation and dispensation will be highly revered and loved in another situation. This is the all embracing law of the universe. Many examples can be given to substantiate this statement.

   Under the Mosaic law of Old Testament it was prohibited for an ordinary Israelite to eat the bread that was in the Holy place of the Temple of God. But we know that David entered into the Holy place and ate the Holy bread of the Temple of God. On the surface level it seemed as though David was breaking and transgressing the law of God. But God accepted the actions of David and blessed him. David was an exception in God’s judgment and assessment. Many more similar examples can be given. God had deliberately commanded prophet Hosea to marry a Harlot. This was actually prohibited for any spiritual leader of Israel. The case of Hosea was an exception. Moses himself gave the commandment of the Lord to the kings and leaders of Israel that they should not marry a woman from gentile nations. But Moses himself had later married a Cushite woman. Moses was again an exception. The list will be long enough almost to write a small book.

   Apostle Paul wrote against the practice of circumcision among the Christians. But we know that he himself got Timothy and Titus circumcised!

   The Lord Jesus said – “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” but we know that the thief on the cross who repented and was saved was not baptized. The thief on the cross was an exception. It is good to see people who strictly want to keep the law of God. There is nothing wrong with that kind of an attitude. It can be even said that such an attitude is highly commendable. But we must also be mentally prepared to allow for some exceptions for every rule and law. All the rules and laws of God were given not only to restrict the freedom of mankind but to teach certain precious spiritual lessons. Let us learn to use the law of God to edify rather than cause harassment for people. May God give us the right perspective in this regard!

Ye believe in God, believe also in Me

“Ye believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1) (Authorized KJV)

   Jesus is encouraging and admonishing us to have faith in God and in Himself. We are living in a faithless generation. Faith is an unpopular word today. The most popular word today is understanding or knowledge. People want to understand everything. A great majority of the intellectual section of the society maintain that they do not want to believe in anything which they do not understand. Such an attitude shows the pride and arrogance of the fallen human nature.

   The statement that they do not want to believe in anything unless they understand is not honest. The truth is that we believe in many things we do not understand. In other words, we all believe in many things which we neither understand nor can explain. The modern science pretends to understand and explain certain things but everyone knows that the explanations offered by science are not satisfactory.

   No one fully understands how we digest our food. The modern science may talk about our digestive system, the digestive fluids and chemicals produced in our belly in order to digest our food. But even that doesn’t explain the process fully. The digestive fluids and chemicals which can melt away the hardest food stuff don’t eat away our tender intestines. ‘What causes the difference?’ and ‘what forces guide those chemicals in our belly?’ are questions still unanswered.

   We board the airplane and fly without understanding how the mechanism makes the aircraft fly. We swallow a pill and get relieved from our headache or stomach ache without necessarily understanding how the pill works. The world is run by faith. People are living by believing in the unexplainable.

   But when it comes to God, people do not want to believe Him because they do not understand Him. Why is it that we can trust in the mechanism of the aircraft and risk our lives by boarding it and why is it that we do not want to trust in God just because we cannot explain Him? Such an attitude is definitely not fair to say the least.

   Let us have faith in God and in His only incarnation, Jesus Christ. He is definitely more trustworthy than the mechanism of an aircraft. Let us not continue making dishonest statements like “I will not believe if I cannot understand”. Let us be honest to confess that we can and we have to believe in many things which we do not understand. Faith is more powerful and essential than our reasoning. Blessed is the person who is honest enough to confess it. May God cerate in us such an honesty!

Under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield

“Under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield” (Psalms 91:4, KJV)

Everyone who has belief in God’s existence wants to take shelter under His Almighty Wings. The very thought or imagination of living under the mighty Wings of God gives us unspeakable comfort and confidence. But most of the Christians don’t know what it really means to be protected under the mighty Wings of God.

   Our present text gives us a beautiful definition of the concept of being protected under the Wings of God. The text tells us that our position under the Wings of God and our faith and beliefs in our mind are interconnected. The verse we have just quoted says, “His truth shall be thy shield”. Firstly, the verse speaks of having shelter under God’s Wings and then goes on to say that the truth of God shall be our shield.

   That means everyone who takes refuge under God’s Wings will automatically come into contact with the truth of God. It also implies that it is impossible for us to be under God’s Wings without being confronted by the truth of God. The truth will be the shield for everyone who comes to dwell under the Wings of God.

   We cannot ignore the truth of God and be safe under His Wings. There are so many Christians who want God’s protection but are not keen to believe only the truth. They believe that what we believe in our minds never interfere with our relationship with God. This is totally unbiblical concept. Anyone who neglects or rejects the truth of God will surely come out of God’s protection, because he cannot continue to dwell under God’s Wings without honouring God’s truth in His heart.

   We, Christians, must be careful about what we are believing in our head. Believing the right doctrine alone doesn’t guarantee our salvation, but it surely does affect our relationship with God and determines our status before God.

   It’s important for us to be right in our hearts but the perfect Christianity is being right both in our hearts and heads. Let us examine our hearts whether we truly hate the father of lies or not. If we hate the father of lies we will hate every false doctrine as well. Let us resolve right now that we secure our place under the Wings of God by establishing ourselves in the truth! God bless you! Have a nice day!

I hear my lover’s voice

“I hear my lover’s voice” (Song of Solomon 2:8)

   Christianity is not a dead cold religion of some lifeless philosophies, doctrines and dogmas. Christianity is a living relationship with the Creator and Redeemer of mankind. Christianity is not simply believing on the Lord Jesus but it is fellowshipping and walking with Him, talking to Him and listening to Him.

   In the book of Song of Solomon, we find two major characters. One is the shepherd boy who is a type of our Lord Jesus and the other one is the Shulammite girl who is the type of the Church. In our present text the Shulammite girl is testifying about her experience. She says “I hear my lover’s voice”. Every Christian must have this experience. The Lord wants us to hear His voice. We must hear the prophets and apostles of our Lord. But we must also have an experience of listening to His voice directly. I submit humbly that it is both necessary and possible for every Christian.

   If only we have the thirst and longing to hear, God is always willing to speak to us. In fact God is all the time speaking but unfortunately, we are unable to hear him. The reasons are many.

   God is articulate in the nature. If you have your spiritual ears open the nature around you constantly conveys the message of our Lord. Needless to say He speaks when we read His Holy Scriptures. Then He speaks to us when we sit silently in His presence and meditate upon Him. Every Christian can hear God’s voice in his own heart if all other inner noises can be silenced. There are too many noises in our hearts which hinder us from hearing His voice. It is important for us to maintain the inner calmness of our heart.

   In order to achieve the silence in our heart we must stop worrying about the unnecessary worldly issues. We must leave all our burdens on our Lord and maintain inner peace in our hearts by the help of the Holy Spirit. Only then can we hear the blessed voice of our precious Lord. It is so enriching and satisfying to hear God’s voice. No other joy can be compared with that experience. Only those who learn to hear the still small voice of the Lord can be confident to be raptured when the last trump sounds. May the Holy Spirit help us to hear God’s voice and walk accordingly!

Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with whom is the Spirit

“Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with whom is the Spirit” (Joshua 27:18)

   God had declared His determinate will that Moses should not lead Israel right into the Promised Land. God had decided that Moses should die and join his forefathers in Paradise before crossing the river Jordan (13v). Moses, the most faithful and obedient servant of God, had immediately submitted himself to God’s will. He did not try to convince God to somehow allow him to enter the Promised Land. He only prayed that God would raise another leader who is worthy and able to lead the people of God to take possession of the Promised Land.

   We have many lessons to learn from this instance. Moses had two sons, Gershom and Eleazer. Yet we see Moses asking God to show him the person who should lead the people of Israel after him. So the first lesson for us to learn here is that spiritual leadership does not and should not come as heredity to anyone. No one should be accepted and appointed as leader of God’s people just because he is the son of a great leader or preacher. Each leader must be selected and appointed by God according to His own sovereign will.

   Secondly, we must consider the first and foremost qualification required to become the leader of God’s people. God did not say “pick up Joshua and appoint him the leader - he is highly educated!” nor did He say “take Joshua and make Him the leader of my people because he is very strong and sturdy!” God did not even say that Joshua should be the next leader because he comes from a great family. None of these is the reason for God to choose Joshua as the successor of Moses.

   God said “take Joshua and appoint him the leader because he has the Spirit!” The first and foremost qualification to serve God is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

   No man can serve God effectively without the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This truth is so important that it is impossible to over emphasize it. All the men who were used by God in a mighty way have been anointed men. Education, physical health, experience and training are good but they cannot be of any use in the ministry if the minister is not anointed.

   God wants all His children to be anointed. The precious anointing of the Holy Spirit is not meant only for the full time servants of God. It is not meant for evangelists and pastors alone. The leader cannot lead properly if he is not anointed and the followers can’t follow faithfully without the anointing on their heads.

   Let us recognize the importance of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, pray and receive it. May the Lord help us and guide us in our pursuit of this most precious blessing! Amen and Amen!

The Replica of God

"The Replica of God"!

   Man is the crown of God's creation. After creating innumerable galaxies and nebulae, all the stars and milky ways, God was still not satisfied. Because all these beautiful heavenly bodies like stars and planets can never be friends of God. God wanted intelligent beings with whom He could make friendship.

   The Bible tells us that God is love. God's heart is filled with love. He delights in loving others. But in order to love, the recipient of love must be an intelligent and emotional being. You cannot fall in love with a fan or a refrigerator! You may like it very much but you cannot say "I fell in love with my refrigerator"! In the same way God wanted children for Himself. He wanted some intellectual, emotional beings that could fall in love with Him and receive His love. For this reason God said "let us make man in Our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26).

   We must never forget that God had a special purpose and plan for mankind. Even today after all the development in astronomy, scientists still do not know the boundaries of this universe. In this vast universe, man occupies a very special place. God is thoughtful of mankind and loves it in a special way. God has high and lofty purposes for mankind. Unfortunately a great majority of men and women do not realize this glorious fact. They live as though there is no purpose in their existence and there is no goal to be reached. The prime concern of their life is to earn bread and clothing, to fulfill their physical desires. Such an attitude towards life is not worthy of one made in God's image.

   We are made in God's image and in God's likeness. We are destined to be children and friends of God. Animals too are hungry and thirsty and need a creature of opposite sex. But men are more than animals and have a greater need, a hunger for God. Every human soul is thirsty for God. If we ignore the great maker of the universe we are insulting ourselves and degrading ourselves to the standard of animals.

   It may be argued that animals cannot make airplanes, spaceships, computers and automobile vehicles. May be you would like to argue saying "even if man doesn't care for God, he is still superior to animals because he is able to do so many things which the animals cannot". Of course man's intelligence is superior to that of the animals. With all his technological and scientific sophistry, man is still hungry and thirsty. Man, with all his wealth and scientific advancement is not satisfied. And that hunger will not be quenched until and unless he finds peace with his Creator.

   Our highest goal is to reach God. We are created with this purpose. The poorest of the poor who have found God, are happier and satisfied than the richest who have not found God. My dear brother and sister, whoever you are, you are a replica of God. Don't miss the greatest blessing in your life. Don't ignore the hunger of your soul. Don't try to quench the thirst of your spirit with money, physical pleasures and other amusements. Such an attempt is futile. Nothing else can satisfy your soul. You need God and it is possible to have Him as your best friend, through Jesus Christ! Come to God through Jesus. Your future will be glorious.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved

   It is the general rule of this universe that there cannot be a general rule for all situations and individuals. There will be and must be exceptions for every rule. This is the rule that governs the universe – There may be some exceptions even for this rule! All the laws in the spiritual and physical realm are applicable situationally. All the moral and ethical laws are applicable dispensationally and situationally. An act or a deed which is allowed in one dispensation is counted as sin and crime in another dispensation. A thing which is an abomination in a given situation and dispensation will be highly revered and loved in another situation. This is the all embracing law of the universe. Many examples can be given to substantiate this statement.

   Under the Mosaic law of Old Testament it was prohibited for an ordinary Israelite to eat the bread that was in the Holy place of the Temple of God. But we know that David entered into the Holy place and ate the Holy bread of the Temple of God. On the surface level it seemed as though David was breaking and transgressing the law of God. But God accepted the actions of David and blessed him. David was an exception in God’s judgment and assessment. Many more similar examples can be given. God had deliberately commanded prophet Hosea to marry a Harlot. This was actually prohibited for any spiritual leader of Israel. The case of Hosea was an exception. Moses himself gave the commandment of the Lord to the kings and leaders of Israel that they should not marry a woman from gentile nations. But Moses himself had later married a Cushite woman. Moses was again an exception. The list will be long enough almost to write a small book.

   Apostle Paul wrote against the practice of circumcision among the Christians. But we know that he himself got Timothy and Titus circumcised!

   The Lord Jesus said – “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” but we know that the thief on the cross who repented and was saved was not baptized. The thief on the cross was an exception. It is good to see people who strictly want to keep the law of God. There is nothing wrong with that kind of an attitude. It can be even said that such an attitude is highly commendable. But we must also be mentally prepared to allow for some exceptions for every rule and law. All the rules and laws of God were given not only to restrict the freedom of mankind but to teach certain precious spiritual lessons. Let us learn to use the law of God to edify rather than cause harassment for people. May God give us the right perspective in this regard!

The end of all things is near

“The end of all things is near” (1 Peter 4:7)

   The Bible is one incomparable book which speaks about both the beginning and end of all things. Now if I should list out the things which are revealed in the Bible and explain how and when those things have begun and are going to end, this message will extend into a voluminous book. It would be both impossible and unnecessary within the premises of our present purview.

   The Bible speaks about the beginning of sin in human life. The great fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is the beginning of human sin. The sin which had its beginning in the lives of Adam and Eve will come to an end only through the manifestation of the power of the blood of Christ. Every other problem we face as individuals and as a race has its roots in the fall of Adam. Our problems are innumerable. The world is full of problems today. We have problems like unemployment, inflation and uncontrollable epidemics like cancer and AIDS. And we have the problem of racial discrimination which results in war. These are the problems we are facing as a race. We have some individual problems too. Each one knows his/her own problems. Some of us are facing financial problems and some have problem keeping their family intact. Most of the individual problems result in indigestion, acidity and insomnia. No one is really happy in this world; even millionaires and their children are attempting suicide. There’s no peace in the hearts of the people and in the families. These are all the vicious fruits of the original sin in the Garden of Eden.

   But we have good news! The words in 1 Peter 4:7 “the end of all things is near” may sound like an announcement of the doomsday. But it is also a positive announcement of the happy end of this world. When God says that the end of all things is coming, He means that even your problems will come to an end. Jesus, the God of the Bible, can put an end to your sleeplessness. He can put an end to all your physical ailments and sufferings. Jesus came to this world to put an end to all the problems which the devil brought into the human race through the sin of Adam and Eve.

   My dear brothers and sisters, are you living as a slave of secret faults? (Psalms 19:12). Jesus is able to put an end to the misery of double life in you. The devil is the beginner of all human problems and Jesus is the mighty God who ends all human problems and sufferings. Whatever your problem is just talk to Jesus about it and that is the end of your problem.

The ultimate truth

  God is the author of all true science but the devil uses and misuses the science for his own evil and destructive purposes. Devil cannot create anything but can only use what God has created. John 1: 9 tells us that the true light comes into the world and enlightens every person. Because of the enlightenment caused by this divine light there is so much of scientific advancement.

   One of the important branches of modern science is the study of human anatomy. Today we have much information about the different glands in human body. There are so many glands in human body which produce different kinds of chemical fluids which in turn create certain desires and attitudes in us.

   The modern biological science tells us that some people are hyper sexual because of the hyperactivity of certain glands in their body. Certain hormones in the body create the desire for physical sexual relation. If the concerned glands do not function properly and the required hormones are not present in the body, the person becomes frigid and disinterested in sex. The doctors inject the required hormones into the bodies of such people. By and by there is an increasing conviction in the society that glands are the root cause of the individuality of the person.

   But this is only half truth and half truth is more dangerous than a total lie. It is true that glands mould and shape one’s individuality but it is also true that the individuality and the determinate will of a person also rules and guides the conduct of the glands!

   We know that fans create breeze. When fans are rotating they create breeze. But sometimes there is a power cut or the fans are switched off. A powerful natural breeze comes into the room and the blades of the fans are moved and they begin to rotate, though at a low speed. This is a good illustration of the interdependence of human character and human glands.

   When the glands function we have certain desires. But when deliberately oppose those evil desires with our determinate will and intelligently try to create holy thoughts and desires in our minds even our own glands will turnaround and cooperate with our mind. This is the way a Christian must cultivate holy thought life and holy conduct. Praise God that we even have the Holy Spirit to help us in this holy exercise. This is the ultimate truth of the whole matter. May God help us to understand and be guided by truth.

Learning about God

Learning about God

   God is invisible. He is not within the grasp of five senses of human beings. How, then, can we know Him? This is the biggest question in the area of theology. Philosophers around the world, down through the ages, have tried to explain God. With all the explanations, God is still unknown to mankind. God is a mystery and difficult to comprehend.

   Yet we cannot give up our desire to know Him. We exist because of Him and for Him. He made us with a purpose; unless we know that purpose and live up to it, our existence would be meaningless. Unless we know God, we cannot know His purposes for us. Hence our desire is to know Him. Knowing God is most difficult and essential in human life.

   How do we know God? There are various means through which God reveals Himself to us. Firstly we know God by observing the nature. Nature is an expression of God's attributes. Romans 1: 20 says "God's invisible qualities, both eternal power and His divine nature have been clearly seen… in the things that God had made".

   Secondly God reveals Himself through His written Word, the Holy Bible. Every other religious holy book contains a part of the truth about the creator. But the Holy Bible is God's inspired Word and is the ultimate authority on all spiritual issues. Where other books differ with the Bible, the Bible is to be preferred as the only reliable testimony of God. Those who want to know God must know the Bible.

   Thirdly there is the human conscience. One's own conscience is the voice of God, the mouthpiece of God, implanted in the human soul. Our conscience tells us what is right and what is wrong. Even when we think of God our conscience tells us which thought is right and which concept is not right.

   Then the final and the most wonderful revelation of God is His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the final revelation of God and His character. He is the visible image of the invisible God. By looking at Jesus and meditating upon His words and His deeds we know what God is like.

   We cannot know God unless we approach Him through Christ. Any claim saying that someone knew God without accepting Jesus as Lord, is a false claim. Every person who is thirsty to know God must come to Christ.

   Come to the Lord Jesus Christ, read God's holy Word and then study the nature under the guidance of your conscience - this is the right way to acquire the correct knowledge of God. May the Lord give you the wisdom to make the right decision! God bless you

The Secret of Success

The Secret of Success

   These are the days of tough competition. In the field of business there is an ever growing competition. So many children of God are finding it difficult to survive and succeed. Even the educational pursuit has become very tough and full of competition. Students, businessmen and employees and every other section of the society are facing difficult times.

   My dear brother and sister this may be your story; you may be making attempt after attempt and loosing every time. Whoever you are and whatever your profession is or whatever ambition is, you may be facing disappointment every time. You may be a job seeker making every possible attempt but never being selected. I have a good news for you! The Bible guarantees success and prosperity. You need not be the looser, you need not be an unsuccessful person.

   The Bible speaks of an amazing person in 1st Psalm, 3rd verse. It says, "he will be successful in all that he does", what a wonderful promise! What a life to live! I think that is the best promise in the Bible. God says that you'll never be unsuccessful. He promises that you'll succeed in all your attempts. What more can we expect from God? What must we do to inherit this wonderful promise?

   Nothing too difficult! God asks to do something very simple and easy! We must rejoice in the Law of God and meditate upon the Law day and night. That is all God wants from us. We must love the word of God and meditate upon the word of God continuously, day and night.

   Please do this and see what God will do for you. Begin each day reading the Bible. And before you go to bed, read the Bible. And throughout the day whatever you are doing let a section of your mind be fixed upon the holy Word of God. As long as your mind is thinking of the Word of God you'll not commit sin. You'll be able to face and overcome any temptation. You'll know the mind of God and the will of God for your present situation by meditating upon the Word of God. If your heart is filled with the Word of God, it will be easier for you to be guided by Holy Spirit in every situation and in all that you do. If you are filled with the Word and led by the Holy Spirit, you'll automatically do the right thing in every situation. You'll always speak the right word and do the right deed.

   When you do the will of God always, defeat will become impossible for you. God promises your success in all that you do. All God's children must be successful and prosperous. This will glorify God and bless the whole world. It is my sincere prayer that you should be successful in your life. Take hold of this wonderful promise of God. May God bless you.

Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition

“Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition”. (Matthew 15:6)

   They are two major forces that form the ideology and trends of human society. One is the Word of God and the other is tradition. Among these two the latter is more popular than the former. A great majority of people want to follow the tradition.

   What is tradition? Tradition is what the most respected and elderly people of former generations have felt, taught and passed on to their future generations concerning all the vital issues of human life. Tradition is all the opinions and beliefs of highly respected people of yester generations put together.

   Every nation and race has its own traditions and so does the Jewish nation. God had specially blessed the nation of Israel by giving them His glorious Word! In spite of having the Word of God with them, the Jews have formed their own tradition.

   The Jews have not only formed their own traditions but have also nullified the Word of God for the sake of their traditions. The teachings of the leaders of the Jewish society were at sharp variance with the Word of God. On many issues the commandments of the Lord were very clear but the Jews were ignoring and deliberately breaking the Law of God saying that the tradition teaches otherwise.

   This is the general tendency of all the children of Adam. The human tradition and the Word of God are always opposed to each other. Whenever a man of God brings the Word of God to their notice, people brush it aside and say “the elders have taught us otherwise. The elders cannot be wrong. We want to follow the tradition”. People always prefer to follow the tradition rather than the Word of God.

   But very rarely something unconventional happens. Suddenly someone has an encounter with the God of the whole universe. He/she becomes angry with the whole situation. He joins with King David and declares “Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law”. (Psalm 119:53)He/she will be pleasantly surprised to discover that there are God’s chosen few who share the same feelings. This is the remnant of God who make a firm resolution and set out to walk a new way to nullify the human tradition and lift up the Word of God.

   In every generation we find these two classes of people. The majority lives to nullify the Word of God for the sake of their own traditions and the blessed minority lives and strives to nullify the traditions for the sake of the Word of God. My dear brother and sister, to which class do you belong? Better stand by the Word of God and God’s minority! May God give you the wisdom and courage to do so!!

And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?

“And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?” (Hebrews 3:18)

   If we carefully study the Scriptures we will understand that there are two different ‘Canaan’s. One is earthly and the other is heavenly. Abraham lived for sometime in earthly Canaan and from there waited for the heavenly ‘promised land’ (Hebrews 11:10). We, the New Testament believers must follow Abraham’s example. We must inherit the earthly ‘promised land’ and then wait for the heavenly ‘promised land’.

   What is the earthly ‘promised land’? The Scripture plainly teaches us that the anointing and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the ‘promised land’ we have to inherit while we are still living on earth. Ephesians 1:14 tells us that the Holy Spirit is the “earnest of our inheritance until the redemption”. If the earnest is paid, it guarantees that the transaction will definitely be completed. In the same way the presence of the Holy Spirit in us guarantees that in due time we will surely enter our eternal promised land.

   We must acknowledge the fact that the Holy Spirit is essentially God and is our Emmanuel in this dispensation. We must believe that every born again Christian believer has the indwelling Holy Spirit. We must also understand and believe that the anointing of the Holy Spirit something more than the simple indwelling Holy Spirit. We must understand that our heavenly Father wants each and every one of His children to be anointed by the Holy Spirit. The anointing of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not meant just for the Pentecostals. The anointing is for every child of God. It is a tragic fact that many denominations are systematically brain washing their members into believing that the anointing of the Holy Spirit is unnecessary and outdated. Apostle Peter declared on the day of Pentecost-“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call” (Acts 2:39).

   These days every denomination and church is expecting to be caught up into the mid air when our Lord returns and live in the heavenly Canaan for all eternity. Of course it’s good to have such a hope but our hope is justified only if we have inherited the earthly Canaan first. Those who are anointed by the Holy Spirit have a more sure foundation for their hope of Rapture. May God bless each one of us to come to the earthly Canaan which is the precious anointing of the Holy Spirit!

The Word was God……..Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made

“The Word was God……..Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:2, 4)

   Primarily the portion of this Scripture is speaking about the process of creation. The Bible is telling us that all things were made by the Word of God. The Scripture is telling us among all the things that were created; nothing was made without the Word of God. Through Him all things were made. Here the pronoun ‘Him’ refers to the Word of God.

   The Word of God is the most important thing in the whole universe. The importance and significance of the Word of God can never be over emphasized. King David says in Psalm 138:2 “You have magnified Your word above all Your name”.

   Psalms 111:9 says “holy and reverend is His name”. While it is true that God’s name is holy and to be superlatively revered, the Word is exalted above the whole name of God. God made everything by His Word. Psalms 33:9 says “For He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast”. Whenever God wanted to create something, He simply spoke! God’s almighty Word came out of His blessed mouth and accomplished what God wanted. That is the divine modus operandi.

   God has not changed! He works even today in the same way. Even today God does everything by His Word. When He wants to save the perishing souls, He speaks. When He wants the saved people to be perfected, He speaks the Word. When He wants His children to grow, He speaks. In order to work out the restitution of all things in the church, God speaks. When He wants to prepare the church for the coming of the Lord Jesus, He speaks.

   The only difference is that today God speaks through His anointed servants, His prophets. This generation has become a generation of mockers. The Bible says “there shall come in the last days scoffers” (2 Peter 3:3). These days we see people scoffing at the men of God who preach the Word of God. They always try to point out some flaws in the lives of the men of God. Men of God are men and not gods. They are men of course but not ordinary men. They are men- OF GOD.

   God is speaking through the men of God in this generation. And those who recognize the Voice of God and receive it and obey with due reverence will receive all the spiritual and material blessings. Blessed is the person who doesn’t scoff at the message of God proclaimed by His anointed prophets. May God give us the wisdom to recognize His Voice!

Ask and it will be given to you.

"Ask and it will be given to you." (Matthew 7:7)

   Prayer is an imperative exercise of Christian life. Prayer is a necessity. Prayer is a commandment of the Lord. God actually commanded us to pray. It is a sin not to pray. Prayerlessness is the mother of every other sin in Christian life.

   But then, prayer is a mystery! It is difficult for us humans to understand the whole concept of prayer. Prayer is nothing but submitting our requests and feelings before God. God as we know Him is an omniscient Person. In fact He is the only omniscient Person in the universe.

   It is also an indisputable fact that God is love and He loves all His children immensely. A loving father who knows everything in the universe must know the needs of His children too, even before they ask. Once He knows the needs of His children, He must be also able to fulfill all their needs.

   Why then should we tell the All-knowing God that we need a certain thing? A new born baby needs to drink milk. The baby doesn’t ask its mother for milk. The mother knows the need of her child and feeds her child in due time.

   Why then doesn’t our God meet our needs in a similar fashion? Why doesn’t He come and help us and give the blessings we need even before we ask Him? This is the mystery!

   The fact is the planet earth on which we now live, is directly under Satan’s rule. Once upon a time in the beginning of the world’s history Adam the progenitor of the human race was the king of this planet. But he handed over the authority to Satan when he disobeyed God. Now Satan the arch enemy of God is the rightful ruler of this planet for the time-being.

   Because of this situation Satan raises legal objections whenever God intervenes in the affairs of this world. All the children of God, viewed from Satan’s point of view, are rebels from the kingdom of Satan. As such Satan is unhappy when God helps His children who made peace with Him through the blood of Jesus.

   He says “God! You are doing an illegal thing! You are intervening in my kingdom without my permission! You know that I am the legal ruler of this world!”
Then God will answer saying “Satan, you are the legal ruler of the planet earth only till the Son of David comes to take His throne. But even before My Son who became the son of David comes to receive back the kingdom into His rightful hands, I have authority to intervene in the affairs of the earth because some of the citizens of earth have invited me to work there!”

   This is the secret reason for God to require us to pray. God can work in this world only in answer to the prayers of the redeemed people this world. That is why we must pray, pray much and pray without ceasing. God’s problem today is not the non Christian anti gospel elements of the society. His problem is the prayer-less Christians.
Let us not become a problem to God. Let us become mighty instruments of blessing in the hands of God by spending much time in prayer each day of our lives. God bless you.

Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands

"Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands" (Psalm 119:72)

   Consider how David is approaching God. While he's approaching God, he's recollecting the relationship between himself and God. He's saying to God - "Oh Lord you have created me". That is a fact we should never, never forget.

   In our spiritual sojourn, we will be required to undergo many severe times of temptation. During those times of testing, we will be tempted to doubt our very relationship with God and our very stand before God. For example, the devil may tell us that we are not saved. Or he may lead us to think that God doesn't love us anymore. He may cause us to doubt our calling to the ministry. He may create doubts in our hearts about our eternal prospects. He may tell us we are not among the elect who are going to be raptured at the Second Advent. As Jesus is the author of faith, the devil is the author of doubt. He may create 101 doubts in our hearts.

   The beauty of the whole situation here is, that we even when we cannot approach God with a confidence that we are His children, we can be very confident that we are His creation. The devil may tell us that we are not God's servants or he may tell us that we are not His children, but he cannot tell us that we are not God's creation.

   Sometimes when we approach God in prayer our conscience tells us that we are not worthy to be in God's presence. Immediately the devil tells us that it is futile to pray. The next moment we imagine that God is looking at us angrily, and questioning us, "What right do you have to come into My presence?"

   In such a situation we can confidently say, "Lord, I may not have any right in Your presence. I may be totally unworthy of Your blessings. I may not have any claim or right in Your presence but at least I'm Your creation. You have created me and You are the only one I can approach for help."

   Such an approach is the ultimate one and always will be honoured by God. If we are nothing else it remains an unquestionable fact that we are God's creation. As the Creator, God has to be our Provider too otherwise He would be an irresponsible person. So let us be confident about the goodness of God and His acceptance.

   Secondly, David is conscious that as God's creation He must live in obedience to God. He is asking God to give him grace to learn the Divine commandments. Once we realize that we are God's creation and live in obedience to God, our eternal security and bliss are 100% guaranteed. May God help each one of us to live and walk in absolute obedience to God! God bless you, have a nice day!

He died at a ripe old age, wealthy and respected and his son Solomon succeeded as king

He died at a ripe old age, wealthy and respected and his son Solomon succeeded as king (1 Chronicles 29:28)

   The greatest need of Christian life is integrity, commitment and sincerity. No Christian can be successful without being committed to reach his goal. We as Christians do have a high calling from God. God is calling us to live in heavenly places for all coming eternity. He is even calling us to sit upon the throne together with His Son and rule the universe in the coming ages.

   Those are the words telling us about the end of King David’s life. We know from the Scriptures that David’s life was full of ups and downs. His life was not “A Bed of Roses” He had experienced every kind of suffering and pain in his life. He was hated by King Saul without any reason. For a long time he lived under the constant fear of death. He had to run for his life and hide himself in jungles and caves. He was loved by people and admired as a hero by many.

   He was a man of many talents and saintly qualities. He was a friend of God. He loved God and worshipped him with all his heart. He was an ardent student of Scriptures. He red and searched into the Scriptures day and night. He was a worshipper. He was a man of faith and prayer. He was also a prophet of God. He prophesied about God’s son and his crucifixion for the whole mankind. Many of David’s psalms were Prophetic and Messianic. The bible tells us that he was even musician and a singer. It is little wonder that he was respected and admired by many.

   But he had his own week moments of life. There were times when he fell into sin. The whole nation and the whole world knew about his fall. Many people criticized him and hated him. He knew what it is to lose the joy of the presence of God. He knew what it is to lose the joy of salvation. He knew the pain of his prayers being rejected. Many times God’s answers for his prayers were delayed. He was praying and agonizing in the presence of God for many days while heaven was silent. He knew physical suffering and spiritual suffering. He knew the blessings of God and the anger of God. He knew the glory of social admiration and social rejection. In short we can say that David experienced every possible joy and pain of human life.

   Now the scripture tells us in our present text about the glorious end of this man of God. The present text tells us three things - Firstly, David died at a ripe old age. God has blessed him with long life. Secondly, he was rich and wealthy when he died. Thirdly, the Bible tells us that he was respected. That means he no more suffered social rejection and hatred of people. At the end of David’s life everything was glorious and enjoyable. Ecclesiastes – 3:11 tells us that “God has made everything beautiful in its time” It is said that all is well that ends well. David’s life which ran through so many upheavals has ended as a glorious success.

   This is what we can expect from our Lord Jesus. David’s life is the typical Christian life. As Christians we should not expect a life without ups and downs. Many Christians find fault with God when they have problems and painful situations in their lives. They expect that God should rule out all pain, humiliation and unpleasant events from their lives. My dear brothers and sisters let me tell you that is not the right Christian life. A Christian life without pain and suffering is no Christian life at all. As someone has rightly said, God has not promised a smooth sailing for us but He has definitely promised a smooth and safe landing. May God grant us the serenity to accept life as it comes to us!

Do not use harmful words, but only healthful words

"Do not use harmful words, but only healthful words, the kind that buildup and provide what is needed so that what you say will do good to those who hear you." (Ephesians 4:29, TEV)

   These days we hear a lot about the right to know everything that is happening around us. We hear everyone talking about the freedom of expression and freedom of the press and journalists to expose all the events taking place in the world. That kind of talk which encourages and advocates for the fundamental right of the people to know the facts of the surrounding world sounds very attractive and reasonable. But we must be cautious enough in using the right to express and the right to know.

   To say the least, it must be said that the freedom of expression without control and discretion is dangerous for society and will cause further decline in moral and ethical values.

   Few years ago a leading daily news paper reported that the flesh trade was the main business in a certain village situated besides one of the main highways of Andhra Pradesh. The news reports said that all the vehicles which were traveling on the highway were stopped in that village and the villagers were offering either liquor or a call girl to the passengers.

   This news caused two kinds of damage to the society. Firstly the illicit trade which was little noticed so far had suddenly gained much publicity and people who are looking for opportunity to commit sin flocked to that village from all sides.

   Secondly it became too difficult for the girls of that village to find marriage alliances. Needless to say, all the girls and women of that village were not of bad character. Only a few have taken up the flesh trade as their livelihood. But, because of the indiscreet news coverage all the women of the village became scandalized. Even the Godly pious and virtuous girls of the village were humiliated and looked down upon as bad girls. What good have the newspapers achieved by their thoughtless coverage of news? Many other similar instances can be quoted.

   Even among the Christian society we find a similar responsible talk. Whenever a believer commits a sin or an error, every other person puts forth all his time and energy to propagate the bad news. What is the benefit and use of such a talk? First of all the news itself may be false. On the other hand, even it is true that the believer has committed something wrong, the slander will do good neither to the erring believer nor to the fellow believers. If there be some weak believers who are looking for a fallen believer to fulfill their own unclean desires will immediately find one. On the other hand the believer in error will find it more difficult to rise up and to correct himself and be accepted in the society.

   Any talk about sin will only cause damage to the society. We must immediately stop all talk about evil. Talk only about good things. Leave the bad things to the Judge of the whole universe. May God give us this wisdom!

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people" (Luke 2:31)

   Luke 2: 26 tells us that Simeon spoke these words “Moved by the Spirit”. What did Simeon speak when he was moved by the Spirit? He said – “my eyes have seen your salvation”! In yesterday’s message we’ve learnt that we have to actually see what the salvation of God involves and contains.

   It is very important for us to understand the Biblical concept of salvation. As we have observed the salvation offered by Christ is not a one time experience. The salvation according to the Holy Bible is a very lengthy process. It actually takes a whole life time. Let us see what the Bible actually teaches us about our salvation.

   Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we have been saved by God’s grace through faith. This happens to us when we trust in Jesus Christ as our personal savior and Lord and be baptized in the water. This is our salvation in the past tense. We hear many people testifying that they have been saved on such and such occasion and under certain circumstances. We believe those testimonies and we praise God for those testimonies. But the fact remains that there is much more to be understood about their salvation.

   If you carefully read 1 Peter 1: 9 we’ll see that we are still being saved. Here the scripture says “you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Please note that we ARE RECEIVING the salvation of our souls. This is the salvation in the present continuous tense.

   Then Romans 13:11 gives us another dimension of our salvation which is our salvation in the future tense. Here the Bible tells us that “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

   What do those words mean? Let us use our common sense and think! The words “our salvation is nearer now” mean that we have not yet reached our salvation. That means we are yet to arrive at our salvation. That is the reason we have to believe that we have been saved and we must be saved everyday so that we can be saved when Christ comes for the second time.

   When we first believed on Christ and obeyed Him in the waters of Baptism we were “provisionally saved” from the horrible punishment brought upon us by the original sin of Adam and Eve.

   Though we have been provisionally saved from God’s wrath, we still live in the same old body of sin and death. This body always desires and works against the Spirit. That is the reason we see so many believers and even great saints falling into sin and loosing their testimony. We need the power of God to keep us from such temptations. Our gracious Savior has promised even to save us from day to day from sin and temptation. This is what we call “salvation from the power of sin”.

   Then when Christ comes we will be saved even from the very presence of sin. At the second coming of Christ we all will receive glorified bodies in which there will not be any law of sin and death. Praise God for this wonderful salvation! How unfortunate are the people who reject this great salvation!

So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize

“So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above” (Philippians 3:14)

   The greatest need of Christian life is integrity, commitment and sincerity. No Christian can be successful without being committed to reach his goal. We as Christians do have a high calling from God. God is calling us to live in heavenly places for all coming eternity. He is even calling us to sit upon the throne together with His Son and rule the universe in the coming ages.

   We are not the people of this world. We are not ordinary people. We do not live and strive for earthly gain. We do not strain ourselves to gain earthly recognition and honor. We may or may not receive honor in this world. Our ultimate goal is to be honored amidst the angels in heavenly places.

   Because of this fact we must be keen and careful not to be engaged in unnecessary activities and interests. We loose the price of our high calling sometimes because of our sin but sometimes we loose the reward because of our unnecessary burdens.

   There are many good Christians who want to do many good things. This surely is a snare of the devil. These beloved believers are engaged in so many good activities and ultimately become too busy to pursue the heavenly reward and honor. We must avoid this snare.

   Paul must be our role model even in this regard. He was “running straight to the goal”! There were many things attracting him and calling his attention along the way. But Paul was not distracted. His mind was totally concentrated on one thing. He wanted to get what God had prepared for him.

   Let us follow the example of Apostle Paul. This world has so many attractions, both good and bad. We must stay away from the evil attractions of this world of course but that is not enough! We must also protect ourselves from the seemingly “good activities” which may draw our attention away from the main work entrusted by God to us. Such an attitude is the saturation of divine wisdom. Each one of us should know what exactly is the work Christ wants us to do and dedicate all our time, energy and abilities to complete that work. Let us make up our minds to “run straight to the goal”!

No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless

" No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless " ( Psalms 84:11 )

   This world is full of deceit and hypocrisy. At times we feel that no one is to be trusted. We even get tempted to become hypocrites ourselves! We begin to put on an artificial face that hides our real feelings and live in a secluded world of our own! We feel that there is no use being honest and outspoken!

    As Christians we must never give in to such temptation. Let the world be as corrupt as it wants, we must never be conformed to this world. We must always be honest, sincere and righteous in everything we do! It’s only honesty and sincerity that pays in the long run. The benefits that seem to come by means of crooked ways are only short-lived.

    In our present text the Bible tells us that the Lord will certainly reward those who are upright and blameless. It further goes on to say “God will not withhold any good thing from the righteous people”!!

    Take it from God today, He will give you every good thing if you are honest in whatever you do! He will not withhold any blessing from you! Of course, people will hate you if you are righteous, but God will be on your side! Eventually you will be on the throne and all your enemies will be at your feet! In the way of honesty, victory is delayed but it is hundred per cent assured!!

    Think differently. Be different from the world around you! Be conformed to the Word of God, not to the world! Be worldly wise as well as spiritually wise! Say what you want to do, and do exactly what you say! Let there be no deviance between your words and deeds!

    Rest assured for some day in near future you will be on the top! Make a firm resolution today to be honest and reap the glorious blessings of God in abundance! God bless you!

You are my King and my God who decrees victories for Jacob

" You are my King and my God who decrees victories for Jacob " ( Psalms 44:4 )

   That is the prayer of the sons of Korah. In the original Hebrew text it is actually a petition. The psalmists are asking God to "command victories, command deliverances to Jacob".

    Immediately after praying thus, the psalmists are making a confident declaration "Through you we push back our enemies" (5th verse). That is the right kind of prayer we must practice! Prayer followed by confession of victory! Prayer followed by praise for the deliverance!

    Have you prayed this morning for deliverance from some problem? It’s good you prayed but you will not be able to experience the desired victory if you don’t confess it first. You won’t enjoy the victory if you don’t praise God for the victory first! If you have prayed this morning, start praising God now! You will see God’s power and glory today!

    God has decreed victory and deliverance for all His people, but only those who take it by faith and praise God for it will experience it in their real lives! Begin to praise God and start pushing back your enemies! You shall crush down all your enemies today! Everyone everywhere will celebrate their victory today! Hallelujah! This is the "Rhema", this is God’s Word for you today! God bless you, have a wonderful day !!

When your Words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight

" When your Words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight " ( Jeremiah 15:16 )

   There are many in this world who still argue that God doesn’t exist. Many believe that God exists, but don’t know the real God. This subject is an unsolved enigma for a great majority in this world. But we are fortunate enough to clearly know that God is revealed in human form, with a human name i.e Jesus Christ, and that there is no other God besides Him.

    We have found eternal salvation in Christ. As Christians what is our chief delight in this world? What should we be looking and striving for? Jeremiah says “they were my joy and my heart’s delight”. The Word of God is the delight of Jeremiah’s heart. That must be the experience and testimony of every Christian believer!

    There can be no greater joy for us than the Word of God. We must begin and end each day with the Word of God. There is nothing more important than God’s Word for us. It is the main attraction for us in the congregation of saints. We attend such gatherings not only to worship our Lord, but also to listen and to meditate upon the Word of God.

   We must receive God’s Word into our hearts in as many ways as possible. We must read the Holy Bible, listen to God’s servants preaching, and so on.

    Jeremiah says “I ate Your Words”! Different people like different kinds of food. But all the children of God in every generation in every country have relished the Word of God above everything.

   God’s Word is our food that nourishes us. It’s our sword when we fight the devil. We see the path we walk in the light of God’s Word only! We do the wisest thing when we spend our time with God’s Word, and commit a very costly mistake when we neglect it. Carry the Bible wherever you go and it will carry you in the times of your troubles and temptations!

    David said “Blessed is the man who….meditates the Law (God’s Word) day and night” (Psalm 1:1). Make it your habit to meditate upon God’s Word day and night. You will see God exalting you in everything you do, wherever you go! Think of God and His Word today and all the days of your life continually. God bless you, have a wonderful day!

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow" (Matthew 6:34)

   Those are the gracious words of our Lord. Those loving words of encouragement are necessary because human race is crushed under the burden of worries. Worry is the by product of insecurity and uncertainty. We are not certain what is going to happen next and we feel insecure. We are afraid that something bad may happen to us next moment. So, naturally we worry. Children of Adam do not know the future and their powers are limited very much. So, worry became a natural and unavoidable ingredient of human life. It is but natural for a human being to worry.

   Any person who tells that he has nothing to worry is actually lying. Even multi millionaires have their own worries. Kings and rulers have got their own worries. Their worries are heavier and more torturing. An ordinary person has to worry only about his basic needs like food and clothing. But kings and heads of nations have to worry for their lives and the problems of a whole nation. As it is said that erring is human, we can say that even worrying is human.

   Why then does our all wise Lord tell us not to worry? He tells us not to worry because we have a wonderful Father in heaven worrying about us (1 Peter 5:7). There are two undeniable facts about our problems. It is a fact that we cannot change nor solve our problems by worrying. Another important fact is that the One sitting on the throne of heaven caring for us is able to change our circumstances and solve our problems. Whether or not we care for our problems, He cares for us because He is a loving Father.

   He prepared food for us in our mother's body even before we were born. Just consider what would be our fate if we have to pray and cry out to God to get our food on the first day of our life in this world. We didn't ask Him to prepare milk for us and we didn't even know that we need milk immediately after being born! Yet our food was ready, the moment we were born! Hallelujah! What a wonderful and caring God we have. Earthly parents think of their children's marriage long before the children grow up and realize the need for marriage. Earthly parents also prepare clothes for their children though they do not ask for them. How much more our heavenly father prepares and provides what we need even before we ask for it.

   It is natural for a human to worry but it is not necessary for a Christian to worry. Worrying is both needless and useless for a Christian. As someone has rightly said, "Worrying is a wrong state of mind which doubts God's promises". If we simply trust God's promises and His goodness, we have no need to worry. If we trust that the One who cares for us is almighty, we will not worry. May God give us grace to place all our burdens in the almighty hands of our Lord!

Our oxen will draw heavy loads...Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord

“Our oxen will draw heavy loads...Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord” (Psalms 144:14-15, NIV)

  Our present text tells us that the people who have God of Abraham as their God are truly blessed. The text also says that blessed are the people of whom this is true. What must be true about us if we want to be blessed? The verse says, “Our oxen will draw heavy loads”.

   The word oxen is just symbolic and allegorical. God is not worried about oxen but He is worried about His people. The text means that God’s people will be able to draw heavy loads. It means God’s people should be strong enough to carry heavy weights.

   These days we see people who are mentally very weak. Most Christians today can’t take the stress of work, the stress of financial problems and opposition from unenlightened people. They cannot tolerate even a small disappointment. As soon as they face a little opposition and criticism they immediately become mentally depressed and even lose the desire to live. The Devil is tempting many Christians these days to commit suicide!

    If we feel we are justified in our suicidal attitudes, what should be the response of Job towards the fiery furnace of test he had to undergo? Let us just recollect in our minds what Joseph and David of Old Testament had suffered. Just read the situations the Macedonian believers had to live in (2 Corinthians 8:1)

   These saints suffered a lot but did not entertain any suicidal attitudes in their minds but rather grew stronger in their faith. That is what Psalm 144:14 is foretelling. The oxen are the believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit! Only the anointing of the Holy Spirit will bring such power and strength into one’s life. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”. Only the people anointed by the Holy Spirit will be like oxen capable of drawing heavy loads. Let us claim this promise on this Sunday morning so that the resurrected Lord fills each one of us with the power of His resurrection so that we can carry heavy loads of the burdens of life and ministry. God bless you!

“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11, NIV) Those are the words of the Most High God. One of the many purposes of God behind giving us His Holy Bible is to reveal His nature and character. The Bible tells us the actual history of the beginning of our world. The Bible tells us how our world began and how it got corrupted and how it can be brought back to glory. The Bible tells us how the human race was created and how and when it fell in sin and how we can be delivered from the problem of sin and its consequences. The Bible also gives us practical hints on how to face our day-to-day problems. The Bible also tells us how this world is going to come to an end. But most important of all the Bible was given to reveal God to all those who sincerely seek Him. In our present text God reveals the beauty of His character and nature. God says in this verse that He doesn’t take any pleasure when a wicked person receives his punishment and dies. The person truly is wicked and really deserves death. There is no need for anybody to have pity on that wicked person. It is hundred percent justice when a wicked person receives the penalty of his own wrong doings. But strangely God says He is unhappy when a wicked fellow receives the punishment for his sins. God also says that He is pleased when the wicked person turns away from his wicked ways, escapes God’s judgement and lives. The One Who pronounces the punishment of death on the wicked person is God Himself and ironically God says He’s happy when someone escapes His judgement. How can God be happy when His judgement is not executed? God can be happy if His judgements don’t bring death on anyone because He is full of love. He punishes someone not because He enjoys it. He judges and punishes people because the Law and Justice demand it. But God’s loving nature is neither happy nor eager to punish somebody. It gives God the highest pleasure when the wicked man turns away from his ways and receives eternal life. My dear brother and sister whoever you are and whatever your spiritual stature is God wants to show His mercy upon you. You may think that you are not worthy of God’s goodness and you may be convinced that the only thing you deserve is God’s punishment. But let me tell you that God is eager to show His mercy on you. He is just waiting for you to turn back to Him. Today you can turn to God and receive His richest blessings. This is the day of your restoration. God bless you!

“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11, NIV)

   Those are the words of the Most High God. One of the many purposes of God behind giving us His Holy Bible is to reveal His nature and character. The Bible tells us the actual history of the beginning of our world. The Bible tells us how our world began and how it got corrupted and how it can be brought back to glory. The Bible tells us how the human race was created and how and when it fell in sin and how we can be delivered from the problem of sin and its consequences.

   The Bible also gives us practical hints on how to face our day-to-day problems. The Bible also tells us how this world is going to come to an end. But most important of all the Bible was given to reveal God to all those who sincerely seek Him.

   In our present text God reveals the beauty of His character and nature. God says in this verse that He doesn’t take any pleasure when a wicked person receives his punishment and dies. The person truly is wicked and really deserves death. There is no need for anybody to have pity on that wicked person. It is hundred percent justice when a wicked person receives the penalty of his own wrong doings. But strangely God says He is unhappy when a wicked fellow receives the punishment for his sins.

   God also says that He is pleased when the wicked person turns away from his wicked ways, escapes God’s judgement and lives. The One Who pronounces the punishment of death on the wicked person is God Himself and ironically God says He’s happy when someone escapes His judgement. How can God be happy when His judgement is not executed?

   God can be happy if His judgements don’t bring death on anyone because He is full of love. He punishes someone not because He enjoys it. He judges and punishes people because the Law and Justice demand it. But God’s loving nature is neither happy nor eager to punish somebody. It gives God the highest pleasure when the wicked man turns away from his ways and receives eternal life.

   My dear brother and sister whoever you are and whatever your spiritual stature is God wants to show His mercy upon you. You may think that you are not worthy of God’s goodness and you may be convinced that the only thing you deserve is God’s punishment. But let me tell you that God is eager to show His mercy on you. He is just waiting for you to turn back to Him. Today you can turn to God and receive His richest blessings. This is the day of your restoration. God bless you!

They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!

“They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:19, NIV)

   Those are the words of Jesus. He is prophesying and foretelling His sufferings and crucifixion which were about to take place. His words show that Jesus already knew what He was going to face. He was determined to go to Jerusalem and He knew what was going to happen in Jerusalem. In spite of His knowledge about the things to happen He still decided that He should go to Jerusalem.

   Would any intelligent person behave in this manner? Would you go to a certain place if you knew that somebody was planning to kill you there? If you knew for sure that you will be going to be tortured unto death in a certain town, would you still venture going there? Certainly not! No intelligent person in his sound mind would take such a risk.

   Why then Jesus decided to go to Jerusalem? He decided to go to Jerusalem because He wanted to fulfill the Scriptures. He was willing to be crucified because that was the only way mankind could be saved from hell. He deliberately had decided to go to Jerusalem because He loved us more than He loved His own life. The salvation of mankind was more important to Him than His own comfort, pleasure and His very life.

   Right now we are observing the Lent and we do well to remind ourselves how much Jesus loved us. We must also take time to examine our own hearts to see whether we are reciprocating the same love towards Jesus. Jesus was willing to die for us. The cruel Crucifixion of Jesus was not an unexpected mishap. It was planned before the foundation of the earth was laid. Jesus came with the very purpose of dying for us. Jesus was fully prepared mentally to undergo all that agony, pain and shame! He died and rose up again for us. What are we doing for Him? Are we indifferent towards Jesus? Do we ever really thank Him for what He has done? Do we speak about His love to our friends and relatives during this Lent season? Let us re-examine our spiritual attitudes and do justice to our own conscience by rededicating ourselves to serve Jesus. God bless you!

I will cry unto God with my voice, Even unto God with my voice

“I will cry unto God with my voice, Even unto God with my voice; and he will give ear unto me.” (Psalms 77:1, ASB)

   The psalmist Asaph declares his commitment towards prayer life. He is determined that he will continue to pray and cry out unto the Lord until He hears and answers the prayer. The psalmist is not willing to give up even if the answer is delayed. He is determined to continue to cry out unto the Lord and never stop until God comes down to help him.

   This is what we call perseverance. Perseverance is the steadfastness of faith which refuses to give up even if the answer is delayed. That is the wisest thing a believer can do. Leading the battlefield of faith before attaining victory is very illogical. We must continue to trust the Lord and serve Him even when we don’t feel like it. We must continue to trust and praise Him even when our feelings and experiences compel us to believe that He has left us. That is the wisest thing to do because there is nothing better we can do.

   We may be strongly convinced that God has left us but we must continue to trust Jesus, love Him and serve Him because there is no one better than Jesus in the whole universe. Among all the so called gods of all the religions can we find anyone more loving and forgiving than Jesus? Can we find any other god who made a bigger sacrifice than what Jesus did for us on the Cross? Definitely not! Why then should we leave Jesus? We would be doing a wise thing in leaving Jesus if we can find a better alternative. But leaving the Lord whom we have loved and served so far and not finding anyone else who can take His place in our lives is definitely a foolish decision, isn’t it?

   The same logic is applicable when we are being tempted to leave our prayer life. When the Devil tempts us to give up our prayer life we must ask ourselves, “Is there something better I can do? Is there anything better than prayer?” You know the answer. The Devil may convince us that it is useless to pray but still prayer is the best thing we can do. When the Devil asks us, “What is the use of prayer?”, we must ask him back, “What is the use of stopping the prayer?”! Even the Devil cannot answer the question. Even the Devil will have to agree after all that there is nothing better than prayer. So we can safely conclude that perseverance is the wisest attitude in spiritual life. Let us be steadfast in our faith till the Lord returns to gather the faithful unto Himself. God bless you, have a nice day!

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus

“Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18)

   This verse discloses the prime interest of the church of Christ and the main objection of the world towards the church. The church or the Christian always wants to speak in the name of Christ and the world objects to it. The world says to the Christian – “speak anything without mentioning the name of Jesus”. But it is the most important thing for us to know that all our message and moral teaching is powerless, fruitless and meaningless if we do not proclaim the name of Jesus Christ.

   I want to tell you something interesting. All the teachings of the Holy Bible can be found from holy books of other religions. The same concept and the same perspective can be drawn from the teachings of other religions.

   We Christians talk about the need to have faith in God. Interestingly even Hinduism teaches the same principle. We have the story of Job in the Old Testament who suffered because of his righteousness. God was testing Job’s faith and demonstrating the genuineness of his godliness before the devil, the earthly saints and the inhabitants of heaven. We have a similar story, a story of Satya Harischandra, in Hindu mythology. The Bible and the Hinduism, both teach about the need for holiness. All the principles and the teachings of the Bible are taught in Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism either in letter or in figurative speech.

   We can spend our whole life talking about these spiritual, moral and ethical issues and still not enter into a personal relationship with God. Nobody objects when you talk about the need for faith, hope and love. No one objects when you talk about holiness. Every one appreciates when you talk about the need to help the needy and the suffering. Every one admires the story of the Good Samaritan. But when you begin to talk about Lord Jesus, suddenly the atmosphere is heated up. People begin to resist the message. They say “we don’t want to hear about that man, Jesus”!

   Let me tell you my dear brothers and sisters, all the spiritual principles and truth become meaningful and possible only after we receive Christ into our hearts. If Christ is living in us, we will be able to really live a holy life. We can love and serve the suffering and the needy only when Christ lives in us. We can implement and practice all the moral and ethical teachings of all the religions and also enter into a personal relationship with God only after we receive Christ into our hearts. This is so because the blood of Jesus cleanses us and the Spirit of Christ empowers us to live with right principles and in right relationship with God. Nothing and nobody else can do this for us. We as Christians must take this message to the whole world. May God help us fulfill this responsibility!