Thanksgiving

"Seek first the Kingdom of God and the things acceptable to Him;  then all these things shall be given you beside" (Mt 6:33) Youth as well as parents usually have a question: Can youngsters, who should totally devote themselves to studies, indulge in prayers and Bible Study and involve in evangelistic activities? Let me tell you briefly about my college days. When I was a student in the Pre-university Class in 1962 in St. John's College, Palayamkottai, the Lord Jesus redeemed me this same day. I did my Bachelor's degree in Engineering from 1963 to 1968 in the Alagappa Engineering College, Karaikudi, and my Master's in Technology, 1968-70, in the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. I passed out with flying colours. It was such an opportunity to spend all the eight years of my life in College with Christ and for Him. I would get up at 4 or 5 in the morning and spend an hour in praise and prayer (Psa 143:8). The next half an hour was for Bible medi

"The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good your entire body will be full of light" (Mt 6:22) Make this prayer today for your eyes— O God, open my eyes! Without Your touch I was blind. The god of this age had blinded my eyes (2 Cor 4:4). Now I need Your second touch (Mk 8:25). There are yet scales to fall off my eyes (Acts 9:18). Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your Word (Psa 119:18). I want not pebbles but pearls. Help me find the treasures hidden to the natural eyes (Prov 2:4). Give me a telescopic vision to look beyond to understand Your prophecies for tomorrow. Give me a microscopic vision to search the depths of Your wisdom. Fit me with a wide angle lens to grasp Your whole counsel. Lord, open my eyes to see the angelic hosts who encamp all around me (Psa 34:7). Many times I so depend and trust on material things like the servant of Prophet Elisha that I become blind to the supernatural protection and ministry of Your ange

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (Js 4:6) William Carey (1761-1834) who came to India as a missionary and translated the Bible into many Indian languages had earned much respect among the learned men and high officials of the City of Calcutta. He was quite influential too. Once he was invited by the Governor General of India for a dinner. One of the guests, referring to Carey, said to another, "Isn't this Carey a shoemaker?" Carey turned around and said to him, "No, Sir! I am just a cobbler!" Almost everyone desires he must be more eminent than others— more distinguished in stature — more important in leadership — more honourable in social status. Even the disciples of Jesus were not an exemption. Once they debated among themselves, "Who is the greatest?" (Lk 22:24). "The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves," said Jesus (v26). Wasn't His motto, &qu

"It is not yours that I seek but you" (2 Cor 12:14c) In these days when missionary organisations are on the fast track, we observe certain tragedies prevalent in many Churches. We looked at two of them yesterday. Here are another two— *  Many Givers but few Goers! I am afraid we have placed more emphasis on money than men. The first call is not to give but to go. "Who will GO?" (Isa 6:8). Lots of young people were volunteering for missionary work a decade ago. But there is a sudden drop in missionary candidates whereas missionary contribution has increased. Oswald J. Smith's " Go or Send " has been misunderstood by many of us. You must first consider going. A substitute may be sent only when and where one can not go. Dear young man, young woman, Don't you have a  missionary call ? When you come across passages like Matthew 28:19, Romans 10:14, don't you hear a voice from ABOVE? As you look around you and see thousands without Ch

"O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act!" (Dan 9:19a) This is the day of missionary revival. Several missionary organizations have been born in the wake of this revival. The percentage of Christians in India is on the increase. However, there are certain tragedies in many Churches today in the context of missions. Let us look at this today and tomorrow. * Many Organizers but few Agonizers! There is not much difficulty in getting volunteers to organize a missionary challenge meet or a fund mobilization programme or even a missionary prayer meeting. But the actual agonizers in prayer are scarce. organizing needs talents, but agonizing involves tears. Organizing is possible with just fleshly enthusiasm, but agonizing is a spiritual excruciation. Though organizing is necessary, it cannot precede or take the place of agonizing. Apostle Paul was a great organizer but first an agonizer. He was a missionary institution. He strove in his prayers. He be

"Reject profane and old wives' fables,  and exercise yourself rather to godliness" (1 Tim 4:7) Deception is the most undiagnosed disease in the Church. The worst thing about deception is that the deceived persons will not know that they are deceived. The number of the deceived is increasing at an alarming rate as we approach the end of the age. When the disciples asked Jesus, "What will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?," His very first statement in reply was, "Take care that no one  deceives you!" (Mt 24:3,4). He added that even the very elect might be deceived (v24). Recovery from deception is extremely difficult. Prevention is better than cure. That's why Jesus said, "See, I have told you  beforehand!"  (v25). Let me suggest here a few safeguards against deception— Give top priority to Bible meditation among the other disciplines of devotional life. The Bible admonishes us to go to the presence of God "

"Just as the One who called you is holy, be holy yourselves  in all your conduct and manner of living" (1 Pet 1:15) God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Love, Unchanging and Holy. But the only character that is thrice-repeated in any doxology found in the Bible is God's holiness. We have one example in the Old Testament and the other in the New. In Isaiah's vision the heavenly creatures called seraphim cried to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts!" (Isa 6:3). In John's revelation of open heaven the four living creatures kept worshipping God, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!" (Rev 4:8). To say the word "holy" twice in Hebrew is to describe someone as most holy. To say the word "holy" thrice intensifies the idea to the highest level. In the majority of Greek texts the word "holy" in Revelation 4:8 occurs nine times! Undoubtedly holiness dominates all other characters of G

"If we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask,  we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (1 Jn 5:15) As we study the Sermon on the Mount we will certainly conclude that it is a Sermon on Prayer. Our meditations continue today on this Sermon.   Mt 6:14,15,  "If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Forgiveness of sins is conditional. Jesus meant what He said. Harbouring an unforgiving spirit is to our own disadvantage. God has generously forgiven what we have confessed as well as what we have failed or forgotten to confess. Should we not have the same attitude?   Mt 6:16-18,  "When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites. When you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who s

"Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find;  Knock and it will be opened to you" (Mt 7:7) We shall continue our meditation on the Sermon on Prayer.   Mt 5:44,  "Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Christian life is delightful when we obey, and difficult otherwise. The commandments of Christ are not unreasonable or impossible. When we start praying for those who contradict us or conspire against us, the love of God overwhelms us so we can love them with the same love. The Lord purposely puts us with difficult persons. It is part of our discipline. Grace sufficient to live with hostility and misunderstanding is granted to us when we pray. Prayer prevents bitterness enter our hearts, and uproots if there's any against the person who has hurt us and for whom we are praying.   Mt 6:5,6,  "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray that they may be seen by men... But you, wh

"Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer  and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests  be made known unto God" (Phil 4:6) Today is the birthday of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. His favourite passage in the Bible was the Sermon on the Mount. A portion of this Sermon (Mt 5:3-10) is engraved in the Gandhi Memorial in the city of Chennai. Reading through the Sermon on the Mount once a month will keep our walk trim before God and man. Matthew 5 through 7 can be actually called a Sermon on Prayer. Here the Lord elaborates more on prayer than any other subject. At the very heart of this passage is a prayer which we call the Lord's Prayer (6:9-13). The priority Christ demands for prayer in our life cannot be overstressed. We shall be meditating on these passages today and the next four days.   Mt 5:6,  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." Prayer is a great sanctifier.

"If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask,  My Father in Heaven will do it for you" (Mt 18:19) God's eternal idea in creation to accomplish His purposes is the Family. Husband and wife are called "heirs together of the grace of love" (1 Pet 3:7). We are admonished not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14,15). If a child of God marries a child of the devil, he will have problems with his "father-in-law." If the person proposed to you is not a believer, you do not need to "pray about it" at all. The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Holy Scriptures. Jesus said that when two are agreed together on earth, nothing shall be impossible (Mt 18:19). Apart from your individual time of devotions, spend time with your partner daily for prayer and meditation. Holding your spouse's hand in the prayer closet in holy intercession is a rich experience. On your return from a Convention or a Conference

"Will the thing formed say to Him who formed it,  Why have You made me like this?" (Rom 9:20) When we sin, we start blaming everything and everybody. A comparative study on how Adam and Christ faced their temptations teaches us many lessons. * Blaming God God was more than a spiritual reality to Adam and Eve. He was their personal and literal Friend, Guide and Provider. They could "hear" the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden (Gen 3:8). He spoke to them face to face. Even while enjoying this literal and immediate presence of God, they failed. On the other hand, Jesus overcame the enemy eventhough angels came to minister to Him only after the devil left Him (Mt 4:11). Never say, "If only God had sent me help at that moment..." Never complain, "God forsook me!" He is Immanuel and He is always with us, whether we "feel" His presence or not. The Throne of Grace is open day and night. God is never too busy to help us or b

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor  stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful" (Psa 1:1) Separation is a fundamental doctrine that runs through the Bible from the beginning to the end (Gen 1:4; Psa 1:1; Acts 2:40; Rev 22:14,15). There is no argument against the call for separation. The problem however is in the outworking of it in practice. In order to avoid confusion, let us see how God expects us to relate to the ungodly. By virtue of creation, all men and women, godly or ungodly, belong to God. He loves them all equally and grants them "shine and rain" without any partiality (Mt 5:45). As God's "offspring" the entire humanity "lives, moves and has its being in Him." He is not far from any man or woman (Acts 17:27,28). Without understanding this truth the religionists of Jesus' day were practising exclusivism. But when He freely moved with the irreligious and sinful people

"Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men" (Mt 4:19) We are saved to save others. We are Christians to make others Christians. We are born again to win others for the Kingdom. We are God's children to bring others into God's family. We are disciples of Christ to enroll others as His disciples. We are in the Church to church the unchurched. We are sanctified to show others the way of holiness. We are going to Heaven and we cannot meet our Lord empty-handed! One sometimes wonders why there is no joy in our Churches. People are long-faced and there is no excitement or enthusiasm or exuberance. The answer is simple. There is no soulwinning. When the shepherd found his lost sheep he called his friends and neighbours and said, "Rejoice with me!" So said the woman who found her lost coin and the father who found his lost son (Lk 15:1-31). Soulwinning excites Heaven with great joy! (vv 7,10). One who does not win souls is out of tune with Heaven. Danci

"Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love,  so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives" (Psa 90:14) Moses was 80 when God called him. Although he cited many excuses, he never mentioned his old age. He was active in serving the Lord and His people till his death. The Scripture records, "Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigour abated" (Dt 34:7). There may be retirement from secular jobs and even from Christian ministerial positions. But God never relieves anyone from serving Him just because of age. It is advised that retired people take up regular voluntary work in service organisations. Idling will lead to all sorts of physiological and psychological maladies. An idle man's mind becomes the devil's workshop. Don't lose your enthusiasm.  Walterson was right when he said, "Years wrinkle the face, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." John Wesley (170

"Those planted in the Lord's own house ...  will produce fruit even in old age" (Psa 92:13,14) The Bible has many secrets for the old people to stay young. One of them is to seek and enjoy the company of God's people. That's the message of today's memory text. Here's the conviction of an unknown old man: "I shall not mind the whiteness of my hair, or that slow steps falter on the stair, or that young friends hurry as they pass, or what strange image greets me in the mirror — If I can feel as the roots feel in the sod that I am growing old to bloom before the face of God!" There's fullness of joy in God's presence. When we gather with the fellow saints in the Name of Christ and worship God, our hearts rejoice and tongues are glad. This also blesses our physique with a refreshing restfulness (Acts 2:25,26). Though the things of the world give us temporary kicks of pleasure, they ultimately sap us of our vitality and vibrance. It i

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:30) We are called to be like John the Baptist who burnt himself out to shine for God (Jn 5:35). We desire to shine for Jesus but we are not ready to burn out for Him. We want to be like electric bulbs; but God is looking for candles, which melt away in the process of giving light. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) burnt out for God in his missionary service in China. He challenged the Christians, "God is looking for some wicks to burn. The oil and the fire are free!" Bearing of the Cross and dying to self are not an one-day affair. It's a lifetime exercise. Apostle Paul summarized his life of self-denial in 2 Corinthians 6:9,10, "Not I but Christ!" He testified, "We are well known, but we are treated as unknown. We live close to death, but here we are, still alive … We own nothing, and yet we have everything!" Evangelist D.L. Moody (1837-1899) was honest when he confessed, "I have more trou

"The godly may trip seven times,  but each time they will rise again" (Prov 24:16) A casual reading of texts like, "Thanks be to God who  always  leads us in triumph in Christ" (2 Cor2:14), and "In  all  (these) things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Rom 8:37) would make an average Christian believe that he would never have any failure in his life. Though it is not the will of God that His children live in defeat, He does allow failures in their lives for their own good. The biographies and autobiographies of God's men and women sketched in the Scriptures prove substantially that no one escaped the "discipline of failure." An analysis gives us atleast five reasons why God allows failures in our lives.   To make us humbler:  "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov 16:18). It is natural for us to be puffed up with pride when everything goes alright and successful with