Thanksgiving

"The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light" (Mt 6:22) The lust of the eyes is a problem for many people who have accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour. They are not able to maintain holiness in their thoughts. They become obsessed with guilt. They may repeatedly get convicted of their sin in revival meetings and make decisions to stay pure, but only to be defeated in a few days. Is there a solution? Many young people struggle with this problem. There is definitely a way to be victorious over this temptation. Don't be discouraged. Jesus Himself passed through the youth stage. He Himself was tempted and so He is able to help us with perfect understanding (Heb 2:18). "Let us then approach the Throne of Grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Heb 4:16). We who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour must also accept Him as our Helper. This...

"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart"  (Col 4:2) Vigilance is indispensable for victorious Christian life. The enemy of God becomes our enemy when we decide to walk in God's ways. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Therefore we are warned in the Scriptures: "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy" (1 Pet 5:8). Apostle Peter, who wrote this, knew how his failure to be watchful in prayer in the Garden of Gethsamane led to his fall. He must have remembered the Words of Jesus: "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing, the body is weak" (Mt 26:41). There are several reasons why we must stay alert. Deception abounds everywhere in Christendom. False prophets outnumber genuine ministers of God. Jesus forewarned His disciples, "Take heed that no one deceives you" (Mt 24:4; Mk 13:5). Preventi...

"Take heart, because I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33b) Hebrews 11 is called the Chapter of Faith. The word "faith" occurs 24 times in this Chapter, and the reference to "pleasing God" atleast 5 times (vv 2,4,5,6,39). The faith that pleases God is a victorious faith. It acknowledges Him marching before us as the Victor. It trusts Him for safety (v31) and triumph (vv 30,33) in all situations. Such a faith is optimistic. A threefold knowledge results from this kind of faith— a) God knows how to protect us from all peril around us. "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace" (v 31). Apostle Peter said, "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2 Pet 2:9). Rahab was saved because of the red thread which is indicative of the Blood of Christ. The enemy trembles at the Blood. When we are covered by the Blood, there is no need for any fea...

"Rejoice in hope; Be patient in suffering" (Rom 12:12) We often think that the absence of trouble is what happiness in life is. It's erroneous. The Bible calls us to "rejoice in hope, being patient in trouble" (Rom 12:12). The shame and suffering Jesus experienced could not disturb His joy because of His patience and hope (Heb 12:2). We don't find happiness by jumping out of difficult situations. The secret of happiness is to learn to accept the impossible, to do without the indispensable, and to bear the intolerable. Happiness comes when we stop wailing about the troubles we have, and offer thanks for all the troubles we don't have! "Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psa 30:5b). We miss happiness if we are not patient enough until sunrise. Life is a series of tunnels. No tunnel is without an exit. Impatience makes the time between entry and exit miserable. When Christ says, "Let's go over to the o...

"Pray for kings and all in authority, so that we can live in peace  and quietness, in godliness and dignity" (1 Tim 2:2) Praying for those in authority is a solemn obligation of each Christian. It is God on the Throne who has seated leaders on chairs (Rom 13:1). Prayer moves the arm that moves the world! What should we pray when we seek God's face for leaders? We must pray— a) That they may lead a clean life and their hands be free from corruption. The mother of King Lemuel taught him, "Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes, intoxicating drink" (Prov 31:3,4). How can we point our finger at the unrighteousness of a leader before lifting our hands to God for him? b) That they may depend on God who is the Source of all authority, rather than on popularity from men. King David emphasizes this truth in Psalm 21. "The king shall have joy in Your strength, O ...

"Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance,  that they might obtain a better resurrection" (Heb 11:35) Today is a black day in Indian history. The Australian medical missionary Mr. Graham Staines (1941-1999) and his two sons were burnt alive in the tribal State of Orissa, on this day in 1999. Though the killing of the Staines has a left stain on Indian soil, they are grains of wheat which are fallen on the ground to give plentiful harvest. Apostle Thomas was martyred in Chennai. The Church in India is strongest in this city! Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) penned, "Divine presence made the martyrs as willing to die as to dine!" God in answer to the prayer of the Church sent an angel into the prison chamber to release Peter. What our prayers can do for the persecuted at critical hours and perilous situations cannot be underestimated. When challenged before martyrdom, Bishop Polycarp (70-160) replied, "Eightysix years I've served Christ and He never...

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go" (Psa 32:8) While talking about the will of God, we must understand two aspects. One is the general will of God and the other the specific will of God. The former is basic and it is the same for all of us, but the latter is different for each individual. Sanctification, Praise, Doing Good, etc., relate to the first aspect (1 Thess 4:3; 5:18; 1 Pet 2:15). When we are faithful in fulfilling this aspect, we will be able to understand God's specific will. There are usually four means by which we can ascertain God's specific will. First, the teaching of the Scriptures. The Word of God is the final authority in all matters of life and conduct. Once a course of action cannot be fully endorsed by the Scriptures, there's no further consideration. Next, we have the inner voice of the Spirit. The indwelling Spirit leaves impressions on our hearts and minds. He is the Divine Helper to lead us. Thirdly, we r...

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." - Galatians 6:7-8

"What God has joined together, let no man separate" (Mt 9:6) Family is God's eternal idea. It's God's basic unit of creation. The devil is all out to destroy it. More and more families are breaking up. Covenant relationships vanish. Spouses grow impatient and irritated with each other. Children turn bitter against parents. These are endtime signals. The last verses of the Old Testament speak of the restorative ministry of the Holy Spirit in the endtime (Mal 4:5,6). Apostle Paul predicted, "In the last days perilous times will come; For men will be lovers of themselves... disobedient to parents... without natural affection" (2 Tim 3:1-3). These days are already on us. Though separation or divorce is not easy in Indian culture, unresolved conflicts are there in every other family.   Follow these simple guidelines for family survival— Husband and wife should consistently grow in mutual love and respect by spending quality time with each ot...

"Don't go to war without wise guidance;  victory depends on having many counsellors" (Prov 24:6) The strategy of Satan is always, "Strike the Shepherd; the sheep will be scattered!" Those who are called to preach God's Word and lead God's people must be extra-careful because they are constantly targeted by the devil. Here is some counsel to escape the enemy's traps. Listen patiently to counsellors and critics. "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Prov 11:14). When we reach certain level of popularity, more and more worldly people will surround us, and the simple but godly friends will go unnoticed. The book of Psalms begins with a warning: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly." Criticisms will not appear pleasant to us, but if we prayerfully and patiently consider them we will be greatly benefitted. "Faithful are the wounds ...

"Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord." -  Psalm 4:4-5

"Sow your seed in the morning,  and at evening let not your hands be idle" (Eccl 11:6) Evangelism is compared to agriculture. The planters are those who meet others to share about Christ. One cannot sow seeds or reap harvest if he keeps waiting for a conducive atmosphere. "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap" (Eccl 11:1-6). The Biblical command is, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season" (2 Tim 4: 2). Share the Gospel with as many people as possible. Distribute as many gospel tracts as possible. "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (2 Cor 9:6). George Verwer, the Founder-Director of Operation Mobilisation, continues to distribute Gospel tracts personally and daily to as many people he can, because he believes in Ecclesiastes 11:2,6, "Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, for you do not know what ev...

"First clean the inside of the cup and dish,  and then the outside also will be clean" (Mt 23:26) Hypocrisy means contradiction. That is, the difference between thoughts and words— keeping something in mind and saying something else. It is also a contradiction between words and deeds (Mt 23:2,3); a difference between life inside home and outside. There are some who behave themselves excellently outside, but their behaviour at home will be awful. They will be like angels on Sundays and the devil during weekdays. How does hypocrisy arise? Many think that it is alright to be hypocritical. They find fault with others and justify themselves (Mt 7:4,5). One reason is that they simply `act' desiring public applause (Mt 23:27,28). Another reason is that they give undue emphasis to the external things rather than the inward life (Mt 23:25,26). Covetousness (Ezek 33:31) and emphasizing minor things rather than the fundamentals are also the other reasons (Mt 23:24). Jesus ...

"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you" (Mt 6:33) We need to give the first place to God in all areas of our life. We must seek the fulfilment of God's righteousness in all affairs. Did not Christ Jesus, who knew no sin, got baptized just to fulfil God's righteousness? (Mt 3:15). Let our aim in life be to please God in everything and love Him more than we love our parents and family members. It will disappoint Jesus if we hesitate to obey Him in anything for fear of relatives. He has pointedly said, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Mt 10:37). The Bible teaches us, "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Col 3:23). Is our aim in life to please God like Jesus who said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work" (Jn 4:34)? L...