Thanksgiving

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"Those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God"  (Rom 13:2) Obeying civil authorities is obeying God. Read what Paul wrote to the believers in Rome the political capital of the then world (Rom 13:1-4). Peter belonged to the illiterate section of the society. Yet he clearly understood how God was behind the civil authorities. He writes in his first Epistle, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the  Lord's sake , whether to the King as supreme, or to governors" (2:13,14). He beautifully brings out how our obedience to civil authorities is the other side of our obedience to God: "Fear God. Honour the King" (v17). What a different world this would be if only all the Christians would pledge not to evade tax payment, not to cheat customs officials, not to bribe anyone, not to break traffic rules, not to disregard town-planning regulations, and so on and so forth! (Rom 13:6-8). We are the salt of the earth. If we

"He who believes in Me,  out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water" (Jn 7:38) God wants us to share the faith in us with others. Sharing increases and improves our faith. "He who waters others will himself be watered" (Prov 11:25). Let us meet in the Bible a few folks who shared their faith with others.   *  Barnabas "Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And large numbers of people were brought to the Lord" (Acts 11:24). The faithful sharing of the Gospel by an individual was responsible for an explosive Church growth. Do we see regular additions to our congregations? If not, our lethargy is to be blamed. *  Paul Oratory skill is not a must to share our faith with others. All we need to do is to present the Gospel in simple language. Eventhough Paul was a learned man, he never depended on his knowledge and skill. He trusted in the power of God's Word. That was the secret of his successful mini

"Let your gentleness be known to all men;  the Lord is near" (Phil 4:5) Gentleness or meekness and patience have often made a couplet in the Scriptures (Col 3:12; 1 Tim 6:11). Among the word pictures for "gentleness" in the Bible, two are prominent: One is that of a shepherd "gently leading the mother sheep with their young" (Isa 40:11c); the other is that of a mother "gently feeding and caring for her own children" (1 Thess 2:7b). When we decide to follow Jesus, He enrolls us in the School of Gentleness. He does not teach us from textbooks. As a role model He stands before us beckoning us, "Learn from Me, because I am humble and gentle" (Mt 11:29). Isaac exemplified in gentleness in his patience with those who quarrelled with him over the wells (Gen 26:15-22). He kept yielding until there was no more quarrel. Gentleness does not fight for rights. Later Jesus taught, "If anyone takes away your shirt, give him your coat, t

"He who raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your bodies by His Spirit which dwells in you" (Rom 8:11) All the three Persons of the Godhead are interested in our health. (Psa 35:27). God the Father bound Himself to His people with a promise, "I am the Lord who heals you" (Ex 15:26). God the Son bore our sicknesses on the Cross (Mt 8:17). God the Holy Spirit bestows gifts of healing and gives life to our mortal bodies (1 Cor 12:9; Rom 8:11). Though healing is a free gift from God, there are several conditions to receive healing. There was no sickness prior to the fall of Adam and Eve. Therefore it is proper to seek healing of the soul before the healing of the body. To the paralytic, Jesus first said, "Your sins are forgiven you" and then, "Arise, take up your bed and go to your house" (Mt 9:1-7). While listing the benefits God bestows on us, David put them in proper order. First, forgiveness and then healing (Psa 103:2,3).

"He who is holy, let him be holy still" (Rev 22:11) In order that you may survive these evil days, spare no pains to live holy. As the world becomes filthier and filthier God commands His people to become holier and holier (Rev 22:11). Go up and up on the rungs of the ladder of holiness and never come down. Those who came out of Egypt perished in the desert because of lust for evil things, idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God and murmuring. "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they are written for our instruction, on whom the ends of ages have come" (1 Cor 10:6-11). There is filth in the media, both electronic and print. The very air has become sin-toxic. Bribery, crookedness, extramarital affairs, love of money and lack of love have become common. Temptations abound. But for every temptation God has provided a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13). His grace is sufficient for any situation. God works in us both to will and to do and we ar

"Love your enemies... do good to those who hate you" (Mt 5:44) "How can I love my enemies?" Every other Christian is bothered by this question. Enemies for a Christian are essentially those who are the enemies of the Cross and those who oppose the preaching of the Gospel. Occasionally there could also be some who, because of their differing tastes and temperaments, would hate you. Sometimes it becomes really impossible to get along with such folks. That’s why the Bible admonishes,  "If  it is possible,  as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men" (Rom 12:18). Here are some guidelines to help you improve your relationship with those who oppose or hate you—  First, meditate on God’s love to them too! "He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust" (Mt 5:45). Each person is precious to God. Christ died for every man and woman, good or bad, so called. Secondly, remind yourself

"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (Jn 3:16) Christmas is celebrated in India largely in Western style. Christianity is still thought to be the religion of the whiteman. So our non-Christian friends hesitate to participate in Christmas celebrations. Christ was not born in the East or the West, but in the Middle East. Announcing the birth of Christ, the angel told the shepherds that it was good tidings of great joy to "all" people, not just to any particular community (Lk 2:10). Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, came to India in the very first century with the message of Jesus Christ. Christianity is two thousand years old in this country. Hence it is a crime if we the Indian Christians still wrap the message of Christ in the Western jacket. Here are some tips to celebrate Christmas the Indian way-   * Christmas may be called as  "Kiristhu Jayanthi."  Invite non-Christian neighbours to your Christmas dinner