Friday, July 27, 2007

Set Yourself To Seek God

UZZIAH SET HIMSELF TO SEEK GOD IN THE DAYS OF ZECHARIAH, WHO INSTRUCTED HIM IN THE FEAR OF GOD; AND AS LONG AS HE SOUGHT THE LORD, GOD MADE HIM PROSPER. 2 Chr 26.5.

Being a Field Representative for the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship and a medical doctor in private practice for many years, I have had the opportunity to meet with many businessmen. Many are fervent in their businesses and in the business of the Lord too! The Lord has been good to them and has made them prosper, some beyond measure! It has made me very glad.

However, I have also been ministering in the Church for more than four decades and have seen a phenomena that has saddened me much. Many a young man and woman come into the church and show great promise in spiritual growth and ministry. But quite a number of them get too engrossed in their profession or business even as they are blessed by the Lord. As they begin to climb the ladder of success, sadly they begin to put God aside. More and more of their time is taken up by business and pleasure and they neglect the church and even their spiritual lives. Since God still blesses, they assume that God is still pleased with them and their lives. As for giving tithes, they give even much more. There are those who come and put their offering in the bag and scoot off! They have paid off their dues!

This is a greater tragedy and today's deception by the devil is worse than what happened in the days of God's people of the past! When they become too wealthy, healthy and prosperous, they forget that it was God who brought them up in the first place. They begin to trust in themselves and become too proud, taking all the credit for their success and prosperity!

God is taken by surprise by today's desertions or yester years of ingratitude of His people. We should read the warning that the Lord gave to His Old Testament people of Israel. “When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you--a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant--then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you - wealth, health and prosperity. For the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah. Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers” (Deut 6.10-18).

Dear believer, whether you are a top professional, CEO or a common clerk, give God His due praise if God has been good to you. Do not forget Him or His goodness just because you have now prospered, some of you beyond your dreams! If you do, remember, if God did not spare Israel, His chosen people and even their kings, like Uzziah, He will not let you go! His curse will haunt you to your grave as King Uzziah found out in his selfish pride!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You have commanded, “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that He may lift you up in due time” (1 Pe 5.6). You have also said, “Pride goes before destruction” (Pro 16.18). Keep me humble when You lift me up. Amen.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Delight In My Work

MY HEART TOOK DELIGHT IN ALL MY WORK AND THIS WAS THE REWARD FOR ALL MY LABOR. Eccl 2.10.

Long before electricity and light, everyone got home before dark, having finished their day’s work! While there were people in the service industry who worked on shifts, only doctors ‘worked round the clock’ treating the sick. Now that we have 24-hour light, many people work day and night! Friends of mine in secular jobs work till late at night and come home only after their wives and children are in bed! Early in the morning they leave home for work before the family is up! It is quite common that the mothers in the family too do the same. It has become the ‘angel of destruction’ of the twenty-first century’s family and society! And who are the losers in the game – the children of the future, yours and mine!

Of course, you who have put in a life-time of hard work could boast of much wealth, position and achievements! There are many who take pride in their achievements, much like King Solomon in today’s Bible text. “My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor”.

Solomon immensely enjoyed the fruit of his labour as we see in the accounts of the Bible. Unfortunately, most people today have ‘no time” to do that. They are a “no time for anything generation”. They have no family life, physical exercise or any enjoyment because they work late into the night. Work keeps them occupied everyday of the week and even on weekends. Many get home only after midnight. Working all night is not unusual. They can take no holiday for rest and recreation for themselves or with the family. A friend of mine is unable to accompany his wife and little child to the weekly Home Fellowship because he is loaded with work and more work. ‘Deadlines’ are taking the toll on his vital spiritual life too!

I have read stories of many who lived such lives of ‘all work and no play’. You and I may know others in the same situation. Perhaps you are one of them! Though in the nursery rhyme ‘Jack only became dull due to all work and no play’, today many such people are ‘dropping dead’ or falling sick and are bed-ridden! The reason - no amount of counsel by the family, friends or physicians could make them change their lifestyle.

Dear friend, only when people face these dire consequences of their pointless hard-working life do they begin to realise that what Solomon said is true! “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (v 11). For many, it will be too late even to think! For others too, it will be too late for ‘they cannot regain their lost past!’ But for those who have still time, listen to the somber words of King Solomon.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You have put me here on earth to live, labour and be blessed. Teach me how to do my work wisely and to take care of my family, my body and above all my spirit. Amen.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Jesus' Favourite?

JESUS' FAVOURITE DISCIPLE TOLD PETER, "IT'S THE LORD". JOHN 21.7

Don't you like the way John, the disciple of Jesus, describes himself. Often he refers to himself in his gospel as, “Jesus’ favourite disciple!” The old versions translate it as, “The disciple whom Jesus loved!” John described himself as Jesus' favourite disciple! Love the Lord so much as did the young disciple and you too can say so!

The other day, my two younger granddaughters were talking to one another. One said, “I am my father’s pet!” Immediately the other retorted, “I am ‘my’ father’s pet!” I laughed with joy. While the children perceived their father’s love as special, I wouldn’t recommend father’s to have favourites! It brought such tragedy in Jacob's family as described in two little verses in the Bible. “Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him” (Gen 37.3,4).

You should so express your love to all your children in such a manner that each child would say, “I am my father’s favourite!” To my wife and I, every one of our four children is precious and each one is our favourite. We gave no occasion for any to think otherwise. We learned the lesson from the Bible from Jacob’s mistake!

Young John’s self-declaration of Jesus’ love for him compared to the others, is sincere and it is beautiful! In his gospel only do we find such a description and it is found there four times! John’s appreciation of Jesus’ love for him is most wonderful! He 'believed' that Jesus loved him the most!

It is fascinating the manner in which Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus about their brother’s illness, “Lord, the one you love is sick” (Jn 11.3). It’s no surprise that John mentions in his gospel about them, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (Jn 11.5).

It is an attitude that you should develop in your relationship with Jesus, your Saviour, Lord, friend and helper! I would love to say about myself now and again, what John said about himself, “The disciple whom the Lord loved!” It will take away all my anxiety and concerns in life. If I am loved by Jesus, why should I fear anything at all? He will take care of me and all my needs and problems!

Did Jesus really have any favourites? There are no instances in the gospels that give us reason to believe that He had! All those who love Him are His favourites! The disciples, John, Mary, Martha and Lazarus and for that matter, Mary Magdalene too, showed great love towards Jesus and He responded in return. They themselves and others who observed these interactions of love, spread the news that ‘Jesus loved them!’

John says in his gospel, “God so loved the world (the people) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3.16). God loves us all! Dear believer, the greater the manifestations of your love to the Lord, the greater would be His response and reciprocation. Then, you too will feel like John, believe like him and say, ‘I am the Lord’s favourite!’

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord Jesus, You know that I love You. Let me love You more than all, and feel and experience Your love to me like John the disciple! Amen.

You Created My Inner Being

YOU ALONE CREATED MY INNER BEING. YOU KNITTED ME TOGETHER INSIDE MY MOTHER. Psalm 139.13.

It was hard work spending days and nights learning embryology (science of the human embryo) in the medical college. The more I learned about the development of the human embryo from texts, the more I began to understand what the psalmist knew through divine revelation! That was long before embryology was developed and recorded. For those who have not learned about the development of the human embryo and do not have a clue as to how you and others came into existence, I cannot recommend any book better and more accurate than the Bible, and especially today’s passage.

Scientist Charles Darwin watched his aged father, they say, and came up with the theory of evolution which explains that man’s distant ancestors were monkeys! There are many who believe it! Today we are so civilised and intelligent that teaching the 'monkey business' is allowed but we refuse even to read from the Bible!

But, let me quote for you, David’s words, “Lord, You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this. My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, when I was being skillfully woven in an underground workshop. Your eyes saw me when I was only a fetus. Every day of my life was recorded in your book before one of them had taken place” (vs 13-16).

Once I was invited to speak in a church on ‘the sanctity of life’. I was convinced that the first thing one needs to know is that, if God made us so wonderfully and miraculously, then we have to consider each other’s life and body as precious and respect its sanctity! We do consider our lives and that of our families as very precious. We take care of them. That’s good.

But we need to care for the life and health of others and never harm or destroy them. The sixth commandment is, “You shall not murder” (Exo 20.13). Jesus taught that the second greatest commandment is, “Love your neighbour as yourself”. He said it is as great as the first (Mt 22. 39).The atrocities that people commit against one another, even to infants in the society nowadays are terribly inhumane!

One issue that bothers me as a medical doctor is the millions of abortions (killing of fetuses in the wombs), 50 to 100 million worldwide yearly, that take place. The major culprits are young unmarried couples who have illegitimate sex! Often the boys leave the girls during pregnancy and the girls cannot handle the unwanted babies alone. Christian young people, premarital sex is a sin against God and your partner! Abortion is murder of the baby in your womb!

There are also the Christian married couples who do not take due precautions, medical or otherwise, and hence face unwanted pregnancies. Millions go for abortions! Those who don’t, face much family constraints and severe financial burden! Christian parents have the solemn responsibility not only to bring forth children, whatever their number, but also to give each one of them adequate attention that a child should get. Much time must be spent on each, not the so called mythical 'quality but quantity time'. It alone could possibly bring our children up in the fear and favour of God and men. Let us show the world the way!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You have wonderfully created me and I praise You. Help me to give due consideration to the sanctity of life, mine and others too, especially children. Amen.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Forgive One Another

BE TOLERANT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER. Colossians 3.13.

Often I hear good Christian brothers and sisters say, “Don’t ask me to forgive this or that person. I can’t! I won’t!” I once heard a preacher make a remark about a church in England. He was there to preach. The pastor of the church briefed him about the peculiar situation in the church. He said that the church basically consists of the members of two families in the village. One family head had an argument with his neighbour about his cattle straying into his farm. The issue though small, became a matter of serious contention because of their stubbornness. They stopped talking to each other, even in the church. The family members took sides. Not only did they all stop talking to each other but they even sat on opposite aisles and never mixed!

I wonder if you have an issue with your brother or sister, natural or Christian? It could be only one or the other: a simple matter or an issue of great contention! I hope you might be persuaded to follow today’s Bible text, especially if the issue is small, “Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else”. It would then be wonderful! You would be indeed a true child of God, obedient to His Word. Surely, God’s blessing and forgiveness will be yours.

However, what would you do if you have some great contention with your brother or sister and you have tried many times to settle it with that person. There is no solution. Maybe your name is at stake or much loss of money is involved.

There are two divine suggestions the great apostle Paul gives us. Let me take the second, first. God’s Word to the aggrieved or hurting person is: “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” Don’t you see the counsel is the same as in today’s text. Forgive as Christ forgave you! Jesus said, “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Mt 6.14, 15).

The warning to the one who has cheated or caused hurt to the other (he should know it!) is, “you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers”. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived” (1 Cor 6.7-9).

Here is the word of God to the aggrieved person: If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do not take it to the gentile court! Don’t go to law against another-- in front of unbelievers! Take it to godly saints in the church. The reason: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!” Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! (1 Cor 6.1-6).

If an unbeliever takes you to court, you can’t help it. Yet the Word of God is, “As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way” (Lk 12.58). I was foolish not to obey this once and got into much trouble which could have been avoided!

Brothers, it is easy to say in anger, 'I will take you court!' It is difficult to get out of court for it will take many years for a judgment and mind you there is a 50-50 chance you might lose! God's way is better, faster and pleasant – be tolerant be forgiving!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to forgive those who offend me as You have forgiven me.

Say I Love You

DAY AND NIGHT THE LIVING CREATURES NEVER STOP SINGING: "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, WHO IS, AND WHO IS TO COME. Revelation 4.8.

Our worship of the Almighty God on Sundays lasts only an hour or so. But these ‘living creatures’ worshipped God on the throne in heaven and the lamb in the midst of the throne day and night. Why do they worship God continuously? Is it necessary? Didn’t they get tired?”

Though we have only a one hour worship of God, once a week on Sundays, people keep asking, “Why should the worship services be so long? Why should we sing so many hymns and choruses? Why should the song leader repeat the words of a song so many times?

There are reasons why such questions are asked and why there is much criticism sometimes about worship. One is the inadequacy of the leaders, their failures, lack of giftedness and ingenuity in leading the worship in ‘hymns and songs and scripture recital’. It is not unusual for worship leaders to choose any and every kind of song to entertain the people, especially today's young. Sometimes they miss the mark and lose the importance of worship altogether in their enthusiasm and carry on with evangelistic choruses!

The other is the fault of the congregation - lack of preparation for worship and non-committal in joining whole-heartedly in the spirit of worship. When people come to worship late and sometimes so late that the worship time is all over, what do you think of their fervour towards the Almighty God who is our heavenly Father who condescends to come to our midst! What do you make of the believers commitment when they fiddle with their handphones or keep chatting to their friends and family!

Many of us lack the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the character and nature of the Almighty God enthroned in heaven above. It is so that we do not see the God whom we worship but there is little reason for us not to have a good knowledge of Him for we have the Scriptures that tell us about Him. This is a serious obstacle to true and enjoyable worship.

I was reading in a secular magazine a write-up about a young couple. The interviewer followed them a whole day to know more about them to write his article. One thing that struck him most about them and hence he highlighted it, “the bridegroom was calling the bride every now and then by such names as, ‘gorgeous, princess, honey, darling etc. etc.’” Why did he do that? He was worshipping his beautiful young bride! Did he get tired of it? No! Never! Did he stop that day when the reporter left? No! As long as they were together in love, he worshipped her and showered her with ‘flattering words!’

Dear believer, if you love God so much as that young couple, you too won’t stop worshipping Him! Any time would be worship time and all the time we would be adoring Him whom we love! I believe one of the good reasons why the book of the Songs of Solomon was included in the Bible was that it reveals to us human love and passion with which we are all too familiar. It beckons us to use our emotions and not just mere intellectual knowledge to worship God. How Christians today need to use a little more of their heart and emotions to tell God, “I love You!”

Pray and practise with me: Dearest Lord Jesus, I love You! I love You with all of my heart and soul and mind and strength. Help me to worship You all the time and in everything. Amen.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Move On!

THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, "WHY ARE YOU CRYING OUT TO ME? TELL THE ISRAELITES TO MOVE ON”. Exo 14.15.

Have you ever been in difficult situations with no way out? You can't go forwards; neither can you go backwards! Much like being in a traffic jam. The only difference in a traffic jam is that you are safe though you get nowhere!

The children of Israel, God’s chosen people, were in a deadly fix! The forbidding Red Sea was before them and they couldn’t move forward. The mighty army of the cruel Pharaoh of Egypt was behind them, ready to attack. Want to know what their reaction was? They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. Who wouldn’t? You and I would have done the same. And it was the right thing to do!

But what they did next was shameful. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? …It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Do you know what their problem was? They didn’t know God’s plan for them or for the Egyptians, neither did they trust in God's power to help them.

But the man of God, Moses, was told God’s plan beforehand. He knew that God was going to deliver them from that predicament. Hence, Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again”.

In spite of all his faith in God and His promises, Moses kept crying to God along with all the Israelites. He was not ready to act! It was then God told Moses, “Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground”.

Fear paralysed the people and even Moses. They couldn’t move when God intended them to move! Moses had his staff which God had asked him to take with him to work wonders for the people and before the Egyptians (Exo 4.17). He had seen the power of God through his staff many a time. It was now time to act! It is one thing to stand still and see the deliverance of God and yet another to ‘move on and work out that deliverance’. You need to know the difference.

Crying out to God is all right. Having faith in God is fine. But you need to act in faith by the power God has given us. Pray for healing and receive it. Speak against the evil that attacks you. Rebuke Satan who disturbs you. Resist the devil when he tempts you. Make strong intercession for those in distress. Don’t be paralysed by the fear of the problems, however difficult, and do nothing! ‘Move on in faith in your God who is Almighty!’ Only then will seas be divided and mountains depart! That’s the way God works.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You have given me the faith that moves mountains, divides the seas and uproots trees! Help me Holy Spirit to make use of that faith in the impossible situations of my life and that of others. Amen.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Help Me To Obey

THESE PEOPLE ARE REBELLIOUS AND DECEITFUL CHILDREN, CHILDREN WHO REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THE LORD'S TEACHINGS. Isaiah 30.9.

A mother once said, “Now that I am old enough to understand what my mother told me, my daughter has begun telling me, ‘I don’t understand you!’” How often you tell your children, “If only you would listen to me?” We tell it with so much concern in our hearts for our children because we know how much they would benefit from listening to our mature advice. We are also aware of how much they would suffer from the consequences of not listening!

Now that I am a grandfather, I can understand ‘a little bit’ of the mind of God and the agony of His Spirit when we turn away from His teachings and instructions. It is very much like us who have done wrong and experienced the terrible consequences of them, when we caution our children - except that God has no sin! God knows the terrible consequences of our not listening to His voice and He fears for our awful destiny from wrongdoing. He feels its pangs in His soul, much like us parents, only much more!

Listen to the desperation of God’s heart as he tells through the prophet Isaiah, “These people are rebellious and deceitful children, children who refuse to listen to the LORD'S teachings”. It has become the human trait to resist good and invite evil. It began with the first man, Adam! We used to call it ‘hereditary’ but now they describe it as ‘genetic!’ The Bible explains it as ‘the sinful nature’ inherited from the first man. “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Rom 5.12).

Seeing my children and grandchildren and for that matter having noticed the two generations, I have often wondered, “How is it that every child in every country behaves exactly the same way from the time of its birth?” The developmental stage of all children of every race and colour are similar. Even their attitudes develop in the same manner! Babies grow to be selfish, obstinate and demanding on their own without even seeing these in others! Children become disobedient without any coaching and no amount of coaxing will make them listen to you.

The parents often hope and wish that their children would listen to them and learn from their experiences, good and bad. I often pity the old king, Solomon. He began as a boy who feared God and one whom the Lord loved much! By not listening to God’s teachings, Solomon messed up his wonderful life of great divine possibilities. He didn’t even follow the words his father David, not even his death-bed instructions!

Our Great God and Father in heaven keeps pleading with you and every generation. Listen to Him again, “Write this on a tablet for them, and inscribe it in a book so that it will be there in the future as a permanent witness. These people are rebellious and deceitful children, children who refuse to listen to the LORD'S teachings” (vs 8,9).

Dear believer, do not make your God disappointed and so desperate as to say those awful words to you! If you will turn to your God and listen to His voice and obey it, then He has beautiful promises for you, “The LORD is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. Blessed are all those who wait for him. The LORD will certainly have pity on you when you cry for help. As soon as he hears you, he will answer you” (vs. 18-19).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to listen to You and obey You. Help me to make You smile on me as a father would on his son who listens (Psa 119.135). Amen.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

No Other Gods

YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME. Exodus 20.3.

Do you know that over a billion Indian Hindus worship about 64 million gods of all shapes and sizes and about the same number of Buddhists bow before the numerous statues of Buddha in all kinds of posture and paint? A neighbour of mine gave us a gift some time ago – a pewter mug with the monkey god, Hanuman, sculptured on it, without thinking that we were Christians, though Indians!

The God Almighty always reveals Himself to those who seek Him, and search for Him diligently. That is His promise. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD" (Jer 29.14). The Lord God chose to reveal Himself to a man, Abraham as He began his search for the True God, leaving the many idol gods of his forefathers. But as his descendants became a nation, they slowly reverted to the worship of the idol gods of their neighbours.

It was then, God gave Moses, another man who decided throw aside wealth, power and prestige to seek the true God, a vision of Himself and a fuller revelation. God appeared to him in 'the burning bush' in the Sinai Desert. This is how God revealed Himself to Moses, "God passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped (Ex 34.6-8 ).

God wanted all His own people, Israel, to know and worship Him only. So He gave the very first of the Ten Commandments: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me" (Ex 20.2,3).

Dear friend, do not be deceived. You may say that you worship only the True God. You may believe because you are a Christian or a Sunday church-goer you are worshipping the True God. But if you are seeking wealth, fame and fortune all your waking moments and have no time or energy left to seek your God, by listening to Him and talking to Him, it is time for you to pause and think, "Who or what is your God?"

Gold and silver are necessary for life. They are meant to serve you. But many in the church today have become bond slaves to them? Are you so? Have you become so obsessed chasing after them that you will cease to be a God-seeker or ‘God-chaser!’ Do you want only to become richer? Is all that you can think about health, wealth and prosperity? Do all your conversations revolve around making more money? The people you admire, talk about and desire to imitate, are they the world’s successful and rich? But you do not care to know or want to know those who sought hard after God and gained spiritual wealth!

What occupies your mind determines who your ‘god’ is and what you worship! On Sundays, you may go to the church and worship but your attitude from Monday to Saturday determines whom you worship – God or mammon! Jesus told His disciples, "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Lk 16.13).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, save me from loving money so much and pursuing after it so hard that I spend all my time slogging for it and not seeking You. Amen.

Bless Him Who Trusts

BUT I WILL BLESS THE PERSON WHO PUTS HIS TRUST IN ME. Jeremiah 17.7.

Did you notice that the above promise of God starts with a “BUT”? The Bible is full of the promises of God for every occasion and all needs. BUT, all of God’s many promises for blessing are conditional! There is no blanket offer for everyone. God is good BUT He offers His blessings only to those who trust and obey Him. Even life eternal is offered to all freely BUT it is only to those who trust and keep trusting in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Saviour.

BUT there are many among those who acknowledge God, who are more anxious for His blessings than having a deep commitment to God. They blindly hope that because God is merciful and gracious, they too will receive all His blessings. Yes! The Bible says, “God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Mt 5.45). They receive many other material blessings too.

BUT the ‘blessings that matter, that are real, that cannot be taken away from us or lost, that make us spiritually rich and cause others to be blessed by us and those that bring glory to God Himself’, are only for those who trust in God. The prophet Jeremiah describes one such person, “He is like a tree growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water. It is not afraid when hot weather comes, because its leaves stay green; it has no worries when there is no rain; it keeps on bearing fruit (v8).

There are many ‘fair weather Christians’. When everything is going well, they trust in God. BUT when the sunshine is gone and the weather is not fair, they stop trusting in God because of the trials of faith. You will be surprised that there are even those who, because of God’s rich blessings, begin to trust in them and stop trusting and depending on God. They even leave God and go after the blessing He has given them.

BUT God knows those who trust Him fully. They trust God not because He blesses BUT because HE IS GOD! God blesses them because they trust Him at all times. Sunshine or cloudy, rain or draught, they still keep trusting in God. In today’s text, God promises to bless such ones. Are you one such believer? You and I could be!

You and I need to decide to grow near the RIVER THAT FLOWS FROM THE THRONE OF GOD. It is full and overflowing with LIFE-GIVING WATER. BUT you must put your roots deep into the river of God by READING THE WORD OF GOD. You must make time to swim in the river and drink deeply THROUGH PRAYER. Be like prophet Ezekiel who at first was like the others playing in the shallow ankle-deep water. BUT he decided to go deeper to knee depth, then to the waist until he was in the deep waters of the river which carried him afloat! (Ezek 37). Is that the picture of our spiritual lives?

You and I could be like the ‘Sunday Christians’, satisfied and PLAYING CHURCH in the shallow banks of the RIVER OF GOD. BUT, you can go deeper and deeper by decision, determination and discipline. Then, you will know the blessings of God. Friends, I am not talking about earthly blessings – like health, wealth and pleasure. God will give those and more. I am talking about ‘spiritual blessings’ which many do not know of! Lately I visited a sister in her 80’s and a brother in his 60’s both riddled with cancer and pain, BUT still trusting in the Lord.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I will always trust in You. Let Your blessings flow over me. I thank You for You have promised “goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psa 23.6).

Thursday, July 12, 2007

How We Show Love?

WE SHOW OUR LOVE FOR GOD BY OBEYING HIS COMMANDMENTS. THEY ARE NOT HARD TO FOLLOW. 1 John 5.3.

Lately, there were two murders, one of a young woman and the other a small toddler. It shook our nation and terrorised the minds of adults and children too! The local papers were full of suggestions by people of all walks of life and various professionals for stopping these atrocious crimes against the innocent! Much of what was said and written was that the criminals should be summarily dealt with by severe corporal punishment and even sent to the gallows!

While wrath and vengeance were reigning in the minds of all, there was a small segment of saner people who voiced a different opinion. They said that no amount of torture or threat of life imprisonment or hanging will deter the would-be criminals! Their minds are bent on wrongdoing and obsessed with what they are after. Moral and spiritual education of the people from young was suggested as the only viable, long-term solution.

The Bible reveals and addresses this moral and spiritual problem of evil and wickedness in all people. It agrees to what the scientists are finding out today - the genes are the problem of all diseases, traits and behaviour! God said, “sin entered the world through one man (Adam, the first man), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Rom 5.12).

In the beginning, in order to stop sin, or at least to limit it, God gave the ‘Ten Commandments’ through Moses (Ex 20). But that didn’t stop men from sinning! The terror of judgment and punishment even by death which God instituted did not stop acts of wickedness of man to man, or man to God. We see this all through the Old Testament.

In His wisdom and foreknowledge, God changed His ‘dealings’ with people in the New Testament. God sent His Son Jesus Christ! Through Him God showed His love for man and wooed his love, allegiance and obedience. The Bible says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (Jn 3.16, 17).

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15.13). That is what the Lord Jesus did for us! He loved us unto death, bearing our sins on the cross! “God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5.8).

Dear believer, you are to show your love to the Saviour who loved and gave His life for you ‘by obeying His commandments!’ Fear of God and His punishment may ‘force’ you to obey Him but ‘only to an extent’. Beyond that, perfect and willing obedience from you can come only from a heart of reciprocal love. If Jesus loved you and gave His life for you, you must show your love to Him by obeying His commandments! The Bible says, "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome" (1 Jn 5.3). When you think of it, every commandment is given either to protect you or your neighbour!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, give me a heart full of love for You because You loved and gave Your life for me. Let my love compel me to obey Your commandments whole-heartedly. Amen.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Defend Confidence In God

ALWAYS BE READY TO DEFEND YOUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD WHEN ANYONE ASKS YOU TO EXPLAIN IT. 1 Peter 3.15.

Some years ago, we were going through a terrible time of testing and trial. We had health problems one after the other. As though that were not enough, we had the most weird thing happen to us. We were living in a condominium where there were three apartment blocks. They were situated on the slope of a beautiful hill. We had wonderful views of mountain ranges on three sides. On the fourth side, there was a full view of the whole city sprawled out before us.

About fourteen years ago during one monsoon season, we had incessant rain for three consecutive weeks. The whole hillslope gave way. It came crashing down and took off the foundations of the block about 20 feet from ours! Within a few seconds, the whole 12-floor building collapsed killing 48 people.

Our family, hearing the terrible rumble and crash, ran to the balcony to see what was happening. The tragedy was unfolding before our very eyes! It was only moments later that we realised that the block adjacent to us was collapsing! Next could be ours! We left everything in our penthouse apartment and ran out for our lives. The power was gone and the lifts had failed. Along with all the other families, we climbed down the 12 floors helter-skelter! We couldn’t go back and live in our home anymore, for the whole area was declared unsafe.

Not too long after that incident, we were in India on a holiday. We visited a dear cousin of mine who was a very high official at that time. He knew that I was a keen Christian. He was puzzled that I was a staunch believer in God and very active in Christian work and in the church. He asked me, “How is it that inspite of all the terrible things that God has allowed in your life, you still have confidence in Him?”

I told him, “I trust in God for who He is: The Almighty God, the Sovereign Lord and Creator of all things, who has made me too! I know that He has loved me to give His Son, Jesus Christ to be my Saviour. I believe in the goodness of God and His ‘good will’ for me. I know that God has promised, “He works all things together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8.28).

Dear friend, if you know your God like the apostle Paul did, you too can say, "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Rom 8.38,39).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I thank You for Your love to me and the whole world. I thank You for who You are and what You have done and what You are doing. To You be glory for ever and ever! Amen.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

What Do You Want?

Jesus asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi, where do you live?" Jesus replied, "Come and see!" John 1.38,39.

When people come to the altar for prayer they are often asked, “What do you want us to pray for?” They come up with all kinds of needs – physical healing, financial breakthroughs, relationship problems, exam blues, employment, retrenchment, family relationships, marriage struggles and a host of others! These are the needs of the people today, whether you are a Christian or not.

All these are genuine and valid reasons to come to Jesus and pray for or be prayed for. But you should not limit your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to such mundane things only! You need to realise that all these needs for which you come to Jesus are secondary to the great purpose for which He came to earth and for which He has called you.

Jesus came to seek and save the people of this world lost in sin. Jesus came to call us to follow Him and become His disciples. He called you that you may become like Him – a fisher of men! It is true Jesus had compassion for the needy and suffering people. But the miracles He performed to meet their needs was to make them believe that He was the Son of God. He proved to them that He had the power to heal and therefore the authority to forgive their sins.

Why are you following Jesus today? Why do you come to Him? What Jesus asked the two disciples who followed Him that day on that Galilean Road, He asks you today! "What do you want?" What will your answer be? The disciples answered, "Rabbi, where do you live?" Do you get the point? They wanted to be where Jesus was! They wanted to get to know Him intimately.

Jesus’ reply to them was interesting, "Come and see!" Today, it is common for us to ask each other, often casually, “By the way, where do you live?” But we do not even care to listen to what they say! Neither do they expect us to visit them! Unlike us, the disciples were serious in their question just as much as the Lord was in answering them. So they followed Jesus to where He lived. They stayed the day with Him. They decided to live with Him for the rest of their lives!

Dear friend, you could come to Jesus and get your wish, whatever it is – healing, wealth, prosperity and success! Many are coming to Him for these. But His desire and purpose is that you come to Him and never leave! He wants you to spend your time with Him and never leave Him! Live with Him your whole life, moment by moment. And when our walk with Christ on earth is done, be translated into His presence, like Enoch and Elijah of Old! What a prospect for you and I!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You have called me to live with You, day by day, moment by moment. You will help me though life and meet all my needs and at last take me home to be with You. Amen.

Friday, July 6, 2007

My Grace Is Sufficient

My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12.9.

My wife, daughter and I were driving back home after our Sunday Worship service. Our discussion turned to “Prayer” for some reason. Suddenly my wife said, “When anyone desperately cries to God, He will certainly answer him!” My daughter asked us, “What about Tom and Liz (not their real names)? They have been praying earnestly for a child for the past many years! They haven’t got one yet!”

Prayer should be the simplest of all spiritual exercises for a child of God. A preacher once said, “Prayer is simply asking God and receiving!” The Bible abounds in God’s promises to answer our prayers. Let me quote the three-fold promise of the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Mt 7.7,8).

Yet, prayer has turned out to be one of the greatest puzzles of all time! The reason is that ‘not all our prayers are answered as we expec!’ But if you would take a little time to recount, you will find that God has answered many or most of our prayers immediately or in His time!

Unfortunately, the problem is that we often set our minds on our unanswered prayers! We must change our mindset about prayer! First of all, we must learn that it is wrong to doubt God’s promise to answer our prayers because of the few unanswered prayers. Don’t you think that you should be thanking God for the many prayers that He answers daily? Then it would dawn on us that our loving God and Father in heaven might have had good reasons not to answer some of our prayers! Hear the argument that Jesus put forth, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Mt 7.11).

Why then are some of our prayers, desperate and even broken-hearted ones, not answered by our loving Father? Let us take a little time to understand from the experience of the apostle Paul and try to solve our eternal dilemma about unanswered prayers! It will encourage us to engage in prayer with renewed vigour and trust.

The apostle Paul related to us his own experience. “There was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12.7-9). We clearly see here that there was a reason and a purpose for the good Lord not to answer Paul’s repeated prayer. But the merciful Father answered his prayer by granting him ‘grace sufficient to sustain and strengthen!’

Dear believer, God is always faithful to all His promises (2 Cor 1.20). He answers all our prayers. Often times it is “yes" pretty quickly! Sometimes He makes us wait for His time to answer. At times the answer may be different than what we prayed for. Other times it may be "no!” and we know it because we do not receive what we asked for! Paul’s experience teaches us and gives us confidence that when the answer to our prayer is ‘no’, God has very good reasons for it. We might as well accept it even if it be sorrow or pain. His grace will be sufficient for you!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I thank You for all answered prayers. Thank You that when Your answer is no’, You give me ‘grace sufficient’ to live with it! Help me to keep on praying no matter whether Your answer is going to be 'yes or no'. Amen.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Sow The Seed of Peace

A HARVEST OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS GROWN FROM THE SEED OF PEACE PLANTED BY PEACEMAKERS. James 3.18

My heart was broken and I was greatly saddened when I heard from a friend that a church I knew well had a violent split! It’s pastor and leaders were my good friends. They had strong differences of opinion and couldn’t reconcile. I wondered how these mature Christian men and fellow-servants of the Lord could allow their human emotions to jeopardise and destroy their unity in the Lord and in the body of Christ! But unfortunately, that’s the way things happen.

The apostle Paul strongly exhorted the Ephesian believers, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4.3). They were not asked to endeavour to create a unity but to keep the unity that was already made by the Triune God Himself. You and I, and all the leaders and mature believers who are co-workers with God in the body, must make every effort to keep that unity. There will be many occasions when due to various reasons we could destroy the unity that God has established! Satan loves to work through our selfish ego and stubborn nature which make us think that only we are right!

In my book on Discipleship, I mentioned that the leaders of the churches are often not friends but foes. They are competitors and rivals. They are jealous of each other and their achievements, even when it comes to such a sacred task of saving souls! When someone falls or fails, which colleague of his will stand with him and give him support and encouragement? Aren’t we quick to condemn when someone has done wrong than commend people for the good things they have done?

Our selfishness and pride are the biggest obstacles in keeping our unity in the body of Christ. The unfortunate strife and divisions which we claim are for righteous reasons (only God knows who is right!) are seen as legitimate and hence inevitable! The tragedy is that the world watches and sees all this. They come to the conclusion that while we make great spiritual claims, we are no different from anyone else!

It is time we learn from the Word what it means to, “Agree to disagree and part and still live in peace!” This should enable us to ‘keep the unity in the Spirit’, if not of our mind and body! At least then, we could explain our stand to the people and still proclaim our unity in Christ and His body.

Dear believer, Jesus made it so clear, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn 13.35). The love for one another is to be seen at home among the family members as much as it must be noticed in the church. You must have a testimony before the people of living in love and harmony with your spouse, children and other members of the family. Only our love for each other will draw men and women to Christ and the Church. All our evangelistic efforts and social work to win men for Christ will be futile if you and I cannot demonstrate our love before them!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”. Help me to do my best to sow the seeds of peace and fulfill Your righteousness. Amen.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

In The Eyes of The Lord

ALL WHO DO EVIL ARE GOOD IN THE EYES OF THE LORD, AND HE IS PLEASED WITH THEM. Malachi 2.17.

We live in an age when wealth and fame have taken the world by storm. If you have one or the other or both, you command respect and admiration. Whatever you do is accepted by the people and even imitated the world over. The tragedy is that not only the good, but even the bad and the evil that they do, are condoned and even applauded! With globalisation and multimedia propaganda, these ‘celebrities’ and their odd behaviours, queer doings and even wicked acts are spread across the world faster than one can imagine. The poor, gullible public, especially the younger and impressionable generation, is misled by all this. They tend to imitate them and their wrong lifestyle of immorality, divorce, crime, drugs and violence!

It is a great pity that even we Christians are not able to withstand the onslaught of such evil. We have become so weak that we express no strong dissenting voice and do little to withstand the onslaught of wickedness. This is seen by the secular public as the Church condoning evil. We are unable to stop the spread of wickedness in the society and even among the Christians. Many have begun to tolerate, accept and imitate these ‘rich and famous people’ who indulge in all kinds of sinful deeds. Some governments try to regulate and control evil by banning or censoring the multimedia. But, the Church has taken the backstage.

However, this compromising attitude and stand of ours is an affront to our God who has called us to holiness and separation from the world. By our attitude we are accusing and condemning God saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"

To stand up against the ‘new age morality’ is to uphold the standards and statutes of the Scripture. It is to condemn the world and its falling morals. It is to honour God and uphold His justice. It is time for the Church of God with its leaders and faithful members to convince the world by our voice and conduct that God is just and there is due retribution for breaking His laws and regulations. He will hold every man and woman accountable for their every act. That day, God will vindicate His children who walk in His ways!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to walk worthy of Your calling and please You by my life here on earth before others. Amen.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Should I Accept This?

YOU BRING THE STOLEN, THE LAME, AND THE SICK AS AN OFFERING! SHOULD I ACCEPT THIS FROM YOUR HAND?" SAYS THE LORD. Malachi 1.13.

There is a lot of talk and writing about ‘worship’ in our midst today! Everyone is concerned about the ‘right kind of worship’. The ‘big question’ about worship in our generation is, ‘How should we worship?’ Should we continue singing old hymns with their ‘slow and dead beat’ which our forefathers cherished? Or should we go along with the clapping and shouting which excites the in-generation of today? Or do we go wild and dance across the floor in some kind of trance?

The worship of God may vary from age to age according to the culture and trend of the in-generation. It would be difficult for the older generation to stick on for long to what they are used to and relish much. The reason for this is simple - while the fathers are aging and dying out, their children and grandchildren are filling our churches. Their tastes and desires will overtake the Church. Happy are those who learn to adjust and accommodate the past and the present!

The vital issue in this great quest for ‘the perfect worship’ that has escaped the concern of both the young and the old is “What has God to say about our worship?” You must understand and acknowledge that worship is ‘God-ward’ – towards God! God has spoken through His Son Jesus Christ about “how you should worship Him.” He told a curious woman of Samaria who argued with Him about true worship, “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks".

Dear fellow-believer, whether you sit sluggish or jump up and down while worshipping God, what God is concerned about is your heart and spirit! Is your heart, soul, mind and strength in your worship? Do you prepare yourself in your spirit to move with the Holy Spirit as He endeavours to lead you in worship? Looking at the large crowd that carelessly walks into our churches anything from 5 to 50 minutes after the worship has commenced, one would wonder (even God would) – why these people are arguing and fighting over the ‘right kind of worship’?.

To add insult to injury to God, there is such a pitiable lack in the quality of our worship! Do you want to know what God thought about the quality of worship of His people Israel of old? Hear the LORD’S complaint, “you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" What about us? You don’t bring animals for sacrifice today. But you come unprepared, shabbily or skimpily dressed, in shorts and slippers, empty-handed, even without your Bible! Whoever prepares the tithes beforehand to offer to God? Everything must be done for you by the ‘cheering song leaders, the lively and witty emcee and the spirited preacher!’

Dear friend, God says, “It is time to make worship your personal responsibility”. Think of how you prepare your body, soul and spirit before you come into the sanctuary of God. Do you bring anything to God? How much do you offer and how? What do you do during worship? How do you listen to God speaking, and what is your response?

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to consider how I worship You. Help me to prepare myself to worship You in truth and spirit from now on so that it will be acceptable to You! Amen.

Join Me In Praying

I URGE YOU FRIENDS BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND BY THE LOVE THAT THE SPIRIT GIVES: JOIN ME IN PRAYING FERVENTLY TO GOD FOR ME. Romans 15.30.

One of the greatest things you and I could do for each other is to pray. We all need prayer. If you want to know how much others need your prayer, just think of how much you pray for yourself! Yet, do you consider praying for others a great necessity? At the very beginning of this new month, I pray for you all the great prayer of the apostle Paul, which you will read below.

In today’s Bible text, you see how earnestly the great apostle Paul himself pleads for fervent prayer on his own behalf. Doesn't it reveal to you how important to him was the intercessory prayers of the believers. He was a prayer warrior himself. He prayed much for himself and for all others as we shall see below. But he realised that ‘self-prayer’ though important, was not enough! From him we learn the need to pray for others and also to request prayers from others.

At our weekly Home Fellowship, one of the things we enjoy the most and everyone appreciates is the intercessory prayer! Each one tells of his or her need and someone prays for them. We intercede on behalf of our unsaved relatives and friends. We pray for people who are sick or in distress. When God answers our prayers, it is reported for thanksgiving.

The Bible exhorts us to “pray for each other” (Ja 5.16). The apostle Paul mentions in his many epistles that he “prays always”, “prays constantly” and “prays earnestly” for the believers. He prayed for all kinds of needs. Most importantly, he prayed for their spiritual welfare and progress. At a time when believers are least concerned about their spiritual needs and cherish only physical and material blessings, how important it is for godly fellow Christians to intercede for them! My wife is a prayer warrior. She prays a lot for all sorts of people, known to her and even unknown. She makes use of her sleepless hours at night profitably by engaging in intercession!

Every time I read the prayer of the apostle Paul for the Colossian believers, I am thrilled and even fascinated by it. It is no surprise that I have learned it by heart and made it my choice prayer for my fellow-believers all over the world and all my devotional readers like you!

“We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord

and may please him in every way:

bearing fruit in every good work,

growing in the knowledge of God,

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might

so that you may have great endurance and patience,

and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light” (Col 1.10-12).

A number of my devotional readers from all over the world send me emails thanking me for my relentless efforts which are a blessing to them. They assure me of their prayers. Dear believer, follow the apostle's example and start praying for me and for others!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to find the time to pray and intercede for others as much as I pray for myself. Some of their needs are greater than mine. Be merciful to them. Amen.