Thanksgiving

"Shall we indeed accept good from God,  and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10) In an Indian Airlines domestic flight I heard two kids shouting from behind my seat, "Fly Indian Airlines. No other hostess is so kind!" I soon found out that the air hostess had given them some extra chocolates! Unfortunately the theology of many an average Christian is so childish! God is no more than a Santa Claus for them! How do we justify our belief that only seemingly good things proceed from God, in the light of the following Scriptures? "Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life" (Eccl 7:14). "The Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow and spread its shade over Jonah's head... But God also prepared a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant, so that it soon died and withered away" (J...

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and  the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God,  God will destroy him" (1 Cor 3:16,17) Hardly a youth programme passes off without someone asking in the question-answer session, "Can Christians smoke?" Several young people start smoking just for the thrill of it. They feel that they enjoy their freedom and self-worth that way. But in course of time they become addicted to this habit and feel miserable. In the initial stages the smokers feel that they get a kick to think better and work better. But soon they realize their folly. Those who smoke to forget their worries are also disappointed. Because smoking was not perhaps known in Biblical times, there's no specific reference to it in the Bible, unlike drinking. But the statutory warning in every cigarette packet is good enough: Smoking is injurious to health!  This fact is proved worldwide. Even passive smoking is equally b...

"Whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give you" (Jn 16:23) Whom to address in prayer, is a lesson that must be learnt at the very commencement of Christian life. During the days of Jesus on earth, the disciples straightaway asked Him whatever they wanted. But pointing to the new dispensation which Pentecost would usher in, Jesus said, "In that day you will ask Me nothing... whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My Name" (Jn 16:23,24). Eventhough Jesus is the One who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, He has directed us to ask "the Father" for this gift (Lk 11:13). The early Christians prayed "to" the Father (Acts 4:24-30). The apostolic teaching is clear: "Through Him (Jesus) we have access BY one Spirit TO the Father" (Eph 2:18). Paul writes of his own prayer practice: "I bow my knees TO the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 3:14). God Almighty ...

"Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit..." (Zech 4:6) In these days when so much of Christian activity is carried out by mere human strength and skill, we need to have a fresh look at Jesus to learn how He ministered. Luke, a doctor as well as a historian, explains the secret of Christ's ministry: "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). Jesus emptied Himself of all His own power and strength and received the power of the Spirit, thus giving us a pattern. The Word of the Lord to one of God's servants of old was, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts" (Zech 4:6). The sooner we learn this truth the better. Christ's dependence on the Holy Spirit was manifested by the fact that prayer was His top priority. He spent 40 days in fasting and prayer before His 40 months of public ministry. He came out from the wilderness "in th...

"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God  in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14) The temptation for pastors and preachers to involve themselves directly in administrative matters is simply too strong. Many powerful messengers have become managers in Churches and ministries. The saddest fact is that because administration is not their calling their performance is awful. The gifting of "apostles, prophets and teachers" is essentially different from the gifts of "helps and administrations" (1 Cor 12:28). Rarely do we come across ministers gifted in both areas. Even in such cases, unless the order of priority is definitely established both will suffer. History tells us that the ministry of the Word has lost more ministers to administration than vice versa. It's unfortunate that many senior pastors and preachers have not understood the need or learnt the art of delegation. The plain truth is that they are afraid. They are tormented...

"Listen to me, for blessed are those who keep My ways" (Prov 8:32) There are three more lessons for us from the wedding at Cana—   Philosophy of Elders Mary was probably in her fifties. What a blessing it was to have someone like her in the function who had walked with the Lord for decades! (Jn 2:1). Ours is a generation which least respects the elders. Young people mistake education for experience. Bildad's advice to Job is timeless: "Inquire, please, of the former age, and consider the things discovered by their fathers; for we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you and utter words from their heart?" (Job 8:8-10). But for the inspired advice of Mary, the wedding feast would have ended up in utter chaos and confusion. It was she who directed the servants to Jesus (Jn 2:5). True there are traditions which are meaningless today. But our understanding gets enlightened w...

"I have singled Abraham out so that he will direct his sons  and their families to keep the way of the Lord" (Gen 18:19) Happy family is but an earlier Heaven! Sadly the devil has robbed families of joy and peace by offering substitutes. But God desires each family to experience happiness abundantly in every area of its life. It was perhaps to indicate this concern of His for families that His Son Jesus performed His first miracle in a marriage party (Jn 2:1-12). From this first century incident of Cana we can pick out some lessons today and tomorrow, for a happy home.     Presence of Jesus Jesus was "invited" to the wedding! (v 2). This made all the difference. The first secret of a happy home lies here. The presence of Jesus cannot be taken for granted. His presence is promised on condition that two or three shall "gather" in His Name (Mt 18:20). There was a time when it was hard to find Christian homes without family prayer. But nowadays...

"I will declare Your Name to My brothers;  in the midst of the congregation I will praise You" (Psa 22:22) One of the favourite texts used often in charismatic worship meetings is Philippians 2:10,11, "At the Name of Jesus every knee should bow...and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Undoubtedly this is a very appropriate text for worship. But we tend to lose sight of its closing words: "To the glory of God the  Father ." The meaning is, all worship must ultimately be to the Father. We are to worship the Father "by" the Spirit of God and rejoice "in" Christ Jesus (Phil 3:3). "We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Col 1:3). "We bless our God and Father" (Js 3:9). In fact, Christ also joins us in praising the Father! He tells His Father, "I will declare Your Name to My brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You" (Psa 22:22; Heb 2:11-...

"Our faith is what overcomes the world" (1 Jn 5:4) How to be victorious over sin? This is the problem of problems. A concise but comprehensive description of sin is given in 1 John 2:16. "All that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but of the world." All sins fall into these three only. Take for example, the temptation faced by Adam and Eve. The fruit was good to eat — This is the lust of the flesh; It was pleasant to look at — This is the lust of the eyes; They were promised that they would be like gods if they ate the fruit — This is the pride of life. Jesus Christ the Second Adam faced the same temptation in a different setting of course. "Command these stones to become bread" — lust of the flesh; "Taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world" — lust of the eyes; "Jump down from here; God shall give His angels charge over You...

"May God be merciful and bless us.  May His face shine with favour upon us" (Psa 67:2)  Pentecost may be understood as a fresh visitation of God among His people. What the disciples went through or did during those 50 days, between Resurrection and Pentecost, presents for us lessons on preparing for Revival. If we prepare ourselves in these areas, the long-awaited Revival will "suddenly" come! The Spirit of prayer and worship gripped the disciples even  before Pentecost, especially during the last ten days following Ascension. Luke, who has given us "an orderly account" of the ministry of Christ and the Holy Spirit, mentions this graphically in his Gospel and the Book of Acts. Following Christ's Ascension, "they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God" (Lk 24:52,53). As they went up into the upper room, "they all continued with one accord in prayer...

"If it is possible, as much as depends on you,  live peacefully with all men" (Rom 12:18) Labour problems have assumed alarming proportions all over the world. Students, doctors, teachers, officers and workers are demanding so many things. Strikes are commonplace. Some of these end in stone-throwing and lathi-charge. We need to consider whether God's children should participate in this kind of activity. Many Christians ask us if it is right or wrong to join strikes. I cannot give an yes-or-no answer easily. Since strikes were perhaps quite unknown in the early days, there is no direct answer in the Bible for this. But I believe the Bible has sufficient principles laid down for life and conduct. Here are a few Scripture passages to consider— A leader must "not be violent or quarrelsome but gentle" (1 Tim 3:2,3). "God is not the author of confusion but peace" (1 Cor 14:33). "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's ...