From The Lips of Children

FROM THE LIPS OF CHILDREN AND INFANTS YOU HAVE ORDAINED PRAISE! Matthew 21.16.

The other day at a home fellowship, a young mother made her three children recite Psalm 1 before us all. The children were all under 6! The youngest girl was only 3 probably! In an age when even older and mature Christians do not know any psalm or Scripture portion by heart, how did these little ones achieve their little feat? Their young and busy homemaker mother took the time and the trouble to diligently teach her little ones Bible verses.

This reminds me of the days when I was a child. We were eleven children. My godly parents and grandparents were very strict and they made us learn Bible verses by heart. No one could have their breakfast unless he completed his devotion. If one didn’t learn his verse, he had to miss the food. My grandmother ran a Sunday School in our home for the neighbourhood children. Every Sunday, all the children had to recite the given Bible verses. Marks and prizes were offered as incentives!

It is no wonder that many of us who came from such a disciplined and divine background had the privilege of learning by heart many Bible portions. Today, they come in handy when we need them. They are a boon and a tremendous help when teaching and preaching! Thank God for such parents with godly vision and divine passion who brought up their children and even infants learning to praise God using the Scripture.

You cannot praise God using ‘His language and Words’ unless you take the trouble to learn the Scripture by heart. Unlike the older generation, today's believers pray long prayers but all are their own words and there are no Words of God! Not only our choruses but even our prayers must be bathed in the Scripture verses. Psalms are specially written that we might use them to praise God.

Dear believer, make the time and take the trouble to hide God’s Word in your heart. Young parents and older ones too, you must have the burden and the foresight to make your infants and children memorise verses of the Bible. Then they will be able to bring delight to the heart of their Father in heaven by appropriately praising Him. We may boast of our own vocabulary and eloquence to please the God and move His heart and hand. But to really please God and move Him to act, you must learn to employ ‘His own Words’. They are perfect for praise and petition!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to ‘learn Your Word so that I may praise You’, bring pleasure to Your ears and stir Your heart to act on my behalf (Psa 119.171). Amen.

Don't Gratify Sinful Desires

LIVE BY THE SPIRIT AND YOU WILL NOT GRATIFY THE DESIRES OF THE SINFUL NATURE. Galatians 5.16.

My wife told me today about a friend of hers who was celebrating her birthday. Apparently she said that she is ready to die and go because the world is becoming more and more wicked. But that is no surprise when we note the apostle Paul's description of the last days in his second epistle to Timothy, chapter three. Wickedness of every kind will abound he said! That is what we see today. Don't you and I too struggle with our sinful natures. We are saved and probably have been Christians for a number of years! But the struggle continues! It may come to you as a consolation that the apostle Paul too had the same struggle for some time in his early Christian life. In the epistle to the Romans in chapter 7, he describes vividly the mortal struggle he was waging against his old sinful nature.

You will learn from Paul the way to victory through Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit’s power. “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing…So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members”. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom 7.18 – 8.2).

We are so blessed by God that He has given us His Holy Spirit to abide (stay) in us. As children inherit their earthly father’s property, we have inherited our Heavenly Father’s Spirit. It is His job to work in us and by His incredible power remove our sinful nature and produce the nature of Christ!

All religions teach us to be good but they provide us no power or help to be good! But we Christians have the distinction of having the Spirit of God to dwell in us always. God wants us to keep the Law and the commandments. But God knew that in our fallen human nature it was not possible. Through the blood of the cross of His Son, Jesus Christ, God has forgiven our sins. By the power of the Spirit He has put in us, God enables us to do the impossible – live like Christ and keep the law!

It is a fatal mistake for you and I 'to keep trying' not to do evil! We cannot, as Paul found out! All your determinations and deliberations won't deliver you! That is why God wants to do it for you. Your victory over your sin comes only through Jesus Christ. But we must respond to the working of the Holy Spirit in us. How do we do that? Listen to Paul.

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” How do you live by the Holy Spirit? The apostle explains, ‘be led by the Spirit’. Again he says, ‘keep in step with the Spirit’. It simply means: Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. What He asks you to do, you do. What He asks you not to do, you stop doing. That is all you have to do. The Holy Spirit will give you the power to do this. If and when temptations to sin or to give in to your sinful addictions come, call on the Holy Spirit to deliver you. The pity is that to most Christians 'the Holy Spirit means nothing!' You know the Holy Spirit exists! But only for name-sake and He has no consequence in your life. Dear believer, it is by the Holy Spirit that God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, who are in heaven, is present with you today! It is through the Spirit and by His incredible power at work in you that you are expected to live a life of victory on earth! Not by yourself! Trust Him!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You know how I struggle with sin. Help me to stop struggling and simply trust in the Holy Spirit and seek His power to overcome my sin. Amen.

Silent Before God

IF ONLY YOU WOULD BE ALTOGETHER SILENT! FOR YOU, THAT WOULD BE WISDOM. Job 13.5.

Our generation has become the most noisy of all. We love noise. Our fathers loved silence. That’s why they came up with the saying, “silence is golden!” We don’t speak any more. We shout! Have you seen any TV programmes lately? Why do wives shout at husbands all the time when it is not true? Why is it parents and children cannot talk without yelling? Why is it that patients shout at their doctors? Why do doctors shout at each other rather than discuss issues rationally? Court scenes are episodes from Wild West dramas and lawyers have shouting matches. Have you seen a sane concert in recent times? Scantily clad, madly raving performers scream at the top of their voices and the frenzied crowd yell and shout that no one can hear anything!

We have brought the noise and din into the Church! We have lost our concept of solemn worship of an awesome and holy God and substituted it with a festival mood. Yet we find a somber distinction between the two as you read God’s instruction in the Bible to His people of the olden times. I believe that God Almighty is calling us back to the heart of worship. A pious pastor of a church had enough of the din and noise of his congregation in the name of worship! He ordered his music director to have no music during the church service for a month!

The result: the music director came to realise what ‘the heart of worship’ was! He wrote the song, “When the music fades, all is stripped away, And I simply come…I’ll bring you more than a song, For a song in itself is not what you have required.. I’m coming back to the heart of worship, And it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus. I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it, When it’s all about You, Jesus!” This chorus is now sung worldwide in churches. Pity we sing it with no less noise from the electronic sound system and with even greater shouts from the congregation! We are a 'peculiar people!' When we sing or read psalms that call us to 'shout to the Lord' we keep silent! When we are to 'be still before the Lord and know Him', we shout!

The psalmists, the sons of Korah, echoed the voice of God, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress (Psa 46.10,11). In today’s text, we have the plea of the exasperated Job who was already tormented and had to tolerate also the ‘never-ending self-righteous talk’ of ‘the friends’! He said in desperation, “If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom”. Our silence may speak louder than words, even to the Lord!

Dear friend, you and I who are so used to all the sound and fury at home, in the marketplace and now in our churches also, need to consider, “Is God Almighty speaking to you through the mouth of Job of old?” Does He want you to be quiet before Him and just listen? If the prophet Isaiah had been noisy like us in the temple of God, he would have missed the heavenly anthem of the seraphim and the touch and voice of God! Think about it!

I put myself on a ‘silent mode’ with fasting and prayer regularly so that I would stop hearing my voice or man's voices BUT HEAR THE LORD! Dear friend, I want you to respond to God’s plea, “If only you would be altogether silent”! That would be wisdom and you will hear God! This in no way should deter us from the celebration and festivities that we may enjoy at other times because of our rejoicing in the presence of the Lord. There is a time and a place for everything!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I hear Your call. Help me to make time to be silent before You. I want to know You and hear You afresh each time I draw near to You. Amen.

Upheld From Birth

BY YOU HAVE I BEEN UPHELD FROM BIRTH…MY PRAISE SHALL BE CONTINUALLY OF YOU. Psalm 71.6.

As I crossed over into another year in my life I was meditating on today’s verse. I began to recapitulate the numerous, miraculous deliverances of God in my life. How true the testimony of the psalmist, “By You have I been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You!” Every conception and birth is a miracle and mine was no exception. Thank God for His hand that formed me!

I can clearly remember how the Lord delivered my cousin and I from drowning in a local river when we were yet small boys. While at college, I was saved again from drowning in a deep well into which a friend pushed me. He thought I could swim! During one vacation a friend and I went for a walk along a railway track. We came to a bridge that spanned a mile-wide river. In our enthusiasm, we decided to cross. Before we could cover a few hundred ‘sleepers’ we heard the whistle of an oncoming train. We ran back for our lives and we were saved from being crushed by the train, if not drowning in the deep river. I remember the nasty attack of chicken pox the students suffered while in the medical college. I suffered but not as much as my friend on the next bed in the hospital! Praise God for both of us recovered without complications. All that happened while I was still in India.

In Malaysia, we have had half a dozen nasty car accidents – not because we were bad drivers! Each one was serious enough to either write off the cars or for them to have major repairs. Our very first accident was the worst. Our car skidded and spun and hit a coconut tree, turning upside down like a turtle! But none of us had any injuries or broken bones. But our son and only child at that time had a concussion. Thank God he regained consciousness and has been well ever after!

Then there was the occasion when in a London hospital I had an angiogram, just for a checkup. The cardiologist was the best available but I had a heart attack which almost killed me on his table! Thank God, he provided the best cardiac surgeon available and my life was saved by an immediate bypass surgery. To cap it all, some years ago, I was ‘incidentally’ diagnosed of colon cancer, a killer disease which never gets detected until it has spread all over and it’s too late to operate or treat! God made available the best surgeon, a Christian friend of mine too!

My family and I were some of the very few people who lived through the trauma of the collapse of a multi-story tower block which killed many people. Our tower got spared though only 20 feet away from the one that fell! Each member of the family can tell his or her own stories of God's great goodness and deliverance! With all these experiences of God’s miraculous acts and many others, more than I can count, who else could echo the words of the psalmist better than I, “By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You.”

Dear friend, if you feel as though ‘God is not doing anything for you’, why not find some time to sit quietly and think of the many ‘forgotten’ blessings of God in your life and begin to praise God! Your faith will rise and you will ask and receive great and mighty things from God!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, how much I praise You for all Your wondrous works in my life! I can confidently look for greater things from You for You remain the same forever! Amen.

I Will Never Abandon You

GOD HAS SAID I WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU OR LEAVE YOU Heb 13. 5 .

Many years ago a dear aunt of ours was admitted to the hospital with cancer. Before that I had been meditating on the above promise of God for sometime! So when I laid my hands on her and prayed along with my wife, I claimed this wonderful promise of God for her.

She had been a believer in the Lord from her childhood. She had tasted the goodness of the Lord many times and in manifold ways. She had experienced the promises of God in life’s many difficult situations. There had been many a time when the good Lord had delivered her from all her fears and troubles. Not surprisingly, there were many other times when the same Lord instead of delivering her, helped her to experience His presence and carried her through tough times! Were as confident as she was that at that most difficult time towards the end of life’s long journey, the same Lord God will not leave her or forsake her! He didn't! He took her!

I have lived more than three score and ten years and am nearing eighty! My family and I have experienced “the abiding presence of the Lord and His miraculous power” in times of distress and diseases which were without number. We could boldly say to any of you going through sickness, financial trouble, any kind of tribulation or distress that our God is faithful. We can testify with millions, nay billions of believers, who have trusted in God through the ages, and with the apostle Paul, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ.” (2 Cor 1.20).

Dear friend, just believe it for it is written in the Word of God:. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13.8.) "The righteous will live by faith” (Rom 1.17)

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I thank You for Your promise: "I will never abandon you or leave you." Help me to confidently say, "The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid” – no matter what! Amen.

Be Careful How You Think

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU THINK; YOUR LIFE IS SHAPED BY YOUR THOUGHTS. Proverbs 4.23.

Have you ever been pestered by bad or even evil thoughts? I am sure you have! You cannot escape it, neither can you help it. But you can deal with it! You need to know ‘how’ and practise it. We cannot summarily dismiss these thoughts from our minds. The more you struggle to get rid of the thoughts, the more your mind will be thinking about them! The thoughts might even lead you to sin.

There are two biblical and effective ways you can deal with wrong and evil thoughts. The apostle Paul told the Colossian believers the secret. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Col 3.5). There is no other decisive way to deal with evil thoughts and desires but to “kill” them as soon as they enter your mind! That’s how serious it is. But it may not be as easy as you think. They won’t easily go away. The more you do not want to think of those things, the more you will be thinking about them! Have you experienced it? What are we to do then?

The apostle counsels us to take the second step. “Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things” (Phil 4.8). We have a ‘one track mind’. We can think only of one thing at one time. The moment we introduce a new thought, it will replace the old one! You have experienced this I am sure.

There is yet another way to deal with evil thoughts. Remember the brave young man, Joseph? When the temptation was so strong, he thought of God and His commandment. He thought to himself, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (Gen 39.9). But that was not enough. He did more than trying to change his thoughts. He deliberately changed the situation where his thoughts would have continued to be evil, leading to sin. He ran out and caused the offending circumstance also to be changed.

Dear believer, you who are bothered by thoughts that belong to our earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language, must renew your mind and thought according to our new nature which is of God (Col 3.5,6).

You must also make it your regular habit to fill your heart and mind with things pure and praiseworthy. Reading, meditating and learning by heart God’s Word are good ways of doing so! It will also help to guard you from sin (Psa 119.11). Remember today’s text, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, may Your Holy Spirit help me to be careful of what I think. May Your Spirit guard my mind and thoughts from evil. May He help me to fill my heart and mind with Your Word. Amen.

Did A Foolish Thing?

YOU DID A FOOLISH THING," SAMUEL TOLD SAUL. "YOU DIDN'T FOLLOW THE COMMAND OF THE LORD YOUR GOD. If you had, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently. 1 Samuel 13:13.

One of the reasons why you and I disobey God is that we don’t think of the consequences of disobedience. When we were children, our parents used to tell us, “If you do that, you will get a beating!” Most of us obeyed because we feared the caning. The naughty ones tried their luck and disobeyed. But when they received their punishment, they realised their foolishness.

However, God doesn’t execute judgment immediately when we disobey Him. But, He has reserved punishment for the judgment day. This has created in you and I the feeling that however much we disobey God, there will be no punishment. We feel that we can go against God’s law with impunity. We think that our God is a forgiving God and He will not punish us.

Read how the LORD revealed Himself to Moses. “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” (Exo 34.6,7).

We have a God who is good and loving. Listen to what He says about how He deals with our sins. “He forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin”. Thank God, He does not hold it against us forever. But He also said, “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”. It simply means that God will not hold against us our sins forever, if we have asked for His forgiveness. He will not even remember them any more (Heb 8.12). But because He is a just God, He said that He will not leave the guilty unpunished. This punishment or consequences of our sin will dog us in this life though not in the life to come, for we are forgiven! The tragedy is that the punishment extends to “the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation”.

It is a serious thing to sin against the Lord. Many of us ‘flirt’ with sin, thinking that we can ask forgiveness and the Lord will ‘wink an eye!’ The story of King Saul’s disobedience to God brings out the tragedy of disobedience. Samuel told Saul. "You did a foolish thing. You didn't follow the command of the LORD your God. If you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently. But now your kingdom will not last”.

Dear friend, that is what happens when you sin. You become foolish. You forget that sin has dire consequences here on earth even when you are forgiven. You do not remember that it could affect your generations to come! When you seek genuine pardon, God forgives! But beware! God being just, does not take away the consequences of sin to us and to others!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, often I am so foolish and disobey Your laws, forgetting the consequences to me and to others. Give me wisdom to be like Joseph and Daniel and the determination to obey You at all cost. Amen.

See The Harvest Field

DON’T YOU SAY “IN FOUR MORE MONTHS THE HARVEST WILL BE HERE?” “I'M TELLING YOU TO LOOK AND SEE THAT THE FIELDS ARE READY TO BE HARVESTED”. John 4.35 091907 131304

The other day, at our Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship, we were excitedly giving testimony. All testified to the grace of God that we had experienced in our lives over the years. Everyone was overjoyed because they had found Jesus Christ. Most of them had come to the Lord from ‘non-Christian’ backgrounds, worshipping idol gods!

I was struck with amazement when one of them, a man in his forties, talked about the seriousness with which he has been praying for the salvation of his parents and family members since his conversion. He said that every Friday, he has been fasting and praying for them for many years. Now not only his parents are saved but most of the others in his family are converted! I thought that he had been possibly fasting one meal on a Friday! When asked, he said, “Not one meal but he fasted all three meals on Fridays!”

This brother had caught the spirit of evangelism of Jesus! Food was of no concern! Souls were precious to him! Very much like Jesus! Neither his busy business nor his crowded personal agenda made him put away his deep concern for the salvation of precious souls!

Jesus purposely went through Samaria so that He could witness to the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well in the city of Sychar. He and the disciples who walked from the Judean countryside to Sychar that morning were exhausted and hungry. The disciples went to the city to buy food. Jesus was resting, sitting by the well. Then came the woman. Though tired and hungry, He wasted no time to testify to her about ‘the Living Water’ that could quench her thirst forever!

All over Judea the farmers were saying, “There are four months to the harvest!” They were sitting and waiting for the harvest, doing nothing – waiting for the 4 moths to pass by! Jesus told His disciples not to be like these farmers. He said the HARVEST OF SOULS was always ready. He warned them: ‘Only if you lift up your eyes will you see men and women in dire need everywhere!’

What were they supposed to do then? Jesus told the disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” As they began to pray, Jesus called His twelve disciples and sent them out to testify and minister to the people in His authority. He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease” (Mt 9.36 – 10.1).

Friend, you must pray as never before for the perishing souls all around you wherever you see them! They may not appear to be ‘perishing’ and may even be ‘enjoying their lives!’ Don’t be misled by the devil. You must begin with agonizing prayer. Then go in the power Jesus has given to you and witness and minister to the people in whatever way you can!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, grant me the passion and compassion You have for the needy and lost. Help me to pray passionately for the people around me and minister to them in Your power. Amen.

Live By Faith

LOOK AT THE PROUD! THEIR SPIRIT IS NOT RIGHT IN THEM, BUT THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY THEIR FAITH. Habakkuk 2.4.

I do not know how anyone can live today without faith in God! You only have to read the newspapers and see the TV news and you will know that our lives are in danger and our situation unpredictable. A dear friend of mine called me up as I was having dinner with the family and said, "My father feels ill and is vomiting blood!" I told him to take his father straight to the hospital emergency! Sickness, accident, injury and death, attacks from robbers and criminals, rape and even murder are becoming commonplace in most countries. Our financial situation is also vulnerable. Retrenchment, business failures and losses, bad debts and bankruptcy, all are taking a toll on our minds and body. All the affairs of our life and even life itself are not in our hands. Then, who else holds them?

The apostle Paul said, “In God we live and move and have our being';… For we too are his offspring” (Act 17.28). Only those who are humble enough to live by faith in God can say that. They are the ones who make every effort through the Holy Spirit to live right lives. They are the ones acceptable to God. They are the ones who not only live for themselves but care for others too!

You cannot handle all the adverse situations in your everyday life because they are often beyond you. When you are faced with impossibilities, what do you do? Where will you go to? Who is there to help you? Friends can help us only so much!

How often I have come across people with genuine needs, like sickness, lost jobs, no money to sustain the family, financial crisis, bad debts and many more. They seek our prayers and sometimes help too! On many occasions I have wished I could pray and also help out! It was just the other day, I shared with my wife, “If only I had the power and the money to help everyone in all situations and tell them, ‘Don’t worry we make all things right!”

No! No man can help! They cannot help themselves. But God can help you! The righteous know it. They humble themselves and put their trust in God! They learn to live by faith! God accepts them. As for the proud, they trust in themselves. They boast that they can do anything they want to. But it turns out to be only words with no effect. When everything goes well, they are happy and proudly boast of it. But when troubles come, they are left helpless. They crumble and even commit suicide. Worse still, God will be against them for their pride! Sometimes God uses such circumstances to draw them to Himself! Praise the Lord!

Dear believer, the righteous live by faith in God and do not trust in their own strength or wealth. Humbly seek God in your distress. God hears your call and will answer you (Jer 33.3). He keeps His promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you… So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone or anything do to me?” (Heb 13.5,6).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to live day by day by my faith in You alone and not in myself or anyone else! Let not the situations of life shake my trust in You. Amen.

Jesus Sees Your Troubles

JESUS SAW THAT THE DISCIPLES WERE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE. HE CAME TO THEM WALKING ON THE SEA. Mark 6.48.

A dear old lady, a member of our church came to me after our Sunday worship. She told me crying, "Tomorrow I am going to face a deep financial crisis. Please pray for me!" People go through a great deal of trouble. So do you and I! There seems to be no end to it! We are puzzled as to ‘why we have so much trouble when we are the children of God! Shouldn’t we be always safe and sound? Don’t we have a great God who has given us many promises to deliver us from all our troubles?’

Yes! All the good promises of God are all there in the Bible for us. But we seem to have forgotten that at the same time our Lord Jesus Christ forewarned us before He left, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16.33). He also told us even as He ascended to heaven, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28.18,20).

Therefore, dear believer, you must pluck courage in every trouble and face it with the confidence that God is on your side and the Lord Jesus is always present with you! Look at today’s Bible passage and see how Jesus responded to the troubles the disciples were in. They were caught in a terrible storm on the sea of Galilee. This is how Mark describes it: ‘Jesus saw that they were in a lot of trouble as they rowed, because they were going against the wind. He came to them, walking on the sea”. Jesus got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped blowing. The disciples were astounded. They were delivered from drowning in the sea.

The story sounds very much like the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. Listen to what the Lord said to Moses, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exo 3.7,8).

Dear believer, you may be in a lot of trouble. That’s not surprising! Jesus has forewarned you. But you can trust Him to deliver you from your trouble or take you through it. Jesus sees, He knows, He is concerned and He comes to your help. Of this you can be sure! Jesus will keep His Word! The psalmist said, “God is our present help in trouble (Psa 46.1). Keep on trusting! Cry out to God! Say like poor old Job in his great distress, "Though God slay me, yet will I hope in him" (Job 13.15).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, the testimonies in the Bible and that of many others give me confidence in You and Your promises. They are proof to me that You will be my help too in my time of trouble. Amen.

About Material Possessions

LIFE IS NOT ABOUT HAVING A LOT OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS. Luke 12.15.

The other day, a friend of mine who is an architect came to see me in my office. While conversing, he told me about a doctor whom we both knew. He was retuning from visiting the home of the doctor as he was commissioned to build him a new house. The architect took some time to describe the wealth of the doctor. He possessed many houses and much land. He has a dozen or so vintage cars that were parked all over the place. Now, he plans to put up a house costing a few millions!

It was quite natural that later on, in my quiet moments, I contemplated about the conversation I had with my friend about the wealth that doctor accumulated during his life-time. I also thought of what I had gained! I have everything I need which God in His grace had provided for me during my life-time. Yet, the thought that ‘I didn’t make’ as much as the doctor my friend mentioned, nagged me occasionally for some time!

As someone said, “Our God has a sense of humour!” For, it was when these random thoughts of material possessions overtook me that today’s Bible verse came up for my meditation. “Life is not about having a lot of material possessions”. Jesus also said, “Be careful to guard yourselves from every kind of greed”. In order to prove His point, Jesus told the parable about “the Rich Fool!”

“A rich man had land that produced good crops. He thought, 'What should I do? I don't have enough room to store my crops.' …I'll say to myself, “You've stored up a lot of good things for years to come. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” “But God said to him, 'You fool! I will demand your life from you tonight! Now who will get what you've accumulated?' That's how it is when a person has material riches but is not rich in his relationship with God” (Lk 12.16-21).

Jesus told the people, “Everyone in the world is concerned about the things in life, but your Father knows you need them. Rather, be concerned about his kingdom. Then these things will be provided for you. Don't be afraid... Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your material possessions, and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves wallets that don't wear out! Make a treasure for yourselves in heaven that never loses its value! In heaven thieves and moths can't get close enough to destroy your treasure. Your heart will be where your treasure is” (vs 30-34).

Dear friend, while Jesus demanded some to sell all and follow him, for most of us it a call to total contentment in Him before all things worldly. The apostle Paul taught, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and traps and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (1 Tim 6.6-11). Don't be eager for money and devote all your time and energy for it. Discipline your life to seek His kingdom first!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to stop thinking always of having more of this world's riches. Let me trust You for all my needs. Help me start sharing what You have given me with those who do not have! Amen.

God Showed His Love

GOD SHOWED HOW MUCH HE LOVED US BY HAVING CHRIST DIE FOR US, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE SINFUL. Romans 5.8.

Have you ever heard a non-Christian saying that his God loves him? Or he loves his God very much? Every year at a Hindu festival, we see well over one and a half million devotees climb more than 200 steep steps to reach a mountain cave to pay homage to their god. Hundreds of them perform all kinds of penance to please their god. They pierce their bodies and faces with sharp iron rods and hooks, and some carry very heavy objects of worship on their heads. But they do not endure this torture because of their love of their god or his love for him!

In stark contrast, the Bible reveals that God Almighty “IS LOVE!” (1 Jn 4.8). He is love personified! He loved and still loves all men. The fullest extent of God’s love is expressed in our Bible text for today, “God showed how much he loved us by having Christ (His only Son) die for us, even though we were sinful”.

The true extent of God’s love for you and me, the apostle Paul reveals to us by his argument: “No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person” (v 7). But none of us were good or honest! We were sinful! It was then, that God loved us and let His only Son Jesus Christ die for us. He repeats his argument again by saying, “Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful” (v.6).

Why did the Great and Mighty God love everyone in this world without exception? The Bible tells us “God so loved the world (people) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3.16). We were destined to perish because of the consequence of our sinful lives. We broke God’s righteous laws. We disobeyed Him. We incurred His wrath. We deserved God’s punishment. But God loved us and didn’t want any of us to perish!!

All these are clearly revealed by God in His Word so that we are without excuse in knowing the truth. There is no need for anyone to ‘search for the truth anymore’. You only have to believe the truth and accept it. This is how the Bible sets the simple truth of our sin and salvation: 1). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3.23). 2). “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6.23). 3). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10.13). (This is called “The Roman” Way of Salvation!).

Dear friend, now it is up to you to respond to the amazing love and grace of God to you. I trust you have done so. If not, today is the day! The Bible says, “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! (2 Cor 6.2).

You are already saved from your sin but you may have sinned again! If you are afraid of God’s anger and punishment, here is a promise from God, “Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God” (Rom 5.9). Make a genuine confession of your sin to God. Ask Him to deliver you from sin and temptation daily (Mt 6.13). He will! If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives (1 Jn 1.9,10).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, I thank You for loving me and giving Your only Son to die for me. It tells of the great love You have for me. Help me to love You with all my heart, and obey you in everything, all of my days. Amen.

Submit To One Another

SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE OF YOUR REVERENCE FOR CHRIST. Ephesians 5.21.

Independence is something this generation values greatly! All nations want to be independent. All people want to be independent. And it is good to a certain extent. We train our children and subordinates to be independent. Women have become very much independent today! However, if you and I do not understand the limits of our independence and appreciate the value of inter-dependence, we will be in deep distress. It is so in every walk of life, from home to society to the nation and the world.

As far as our spiritual life and conduct is concerned, we find in the Scripture a totally different and even contradictory principle! The apostle Paul instructs you and I to “submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ”. For such a statement to come from a man so fiercely independent is nothing but the Spirit of Christ working in him! Unless the same Spirit begins to work in us too, we will find it impossible in this day and age of independence to submit to one another and especially, authorities!

In today's Bible passage, we are first given some general teaching about submission in the context of the Christian home and spiritual household. Paul being a very practical Christian, highlights specific areas of life and conduct. Notice that we are taught “inter-dependence rather than slavery!” Otherwise you will miss the divine point and become a vicious opponent of ‘submission to one another’ which the Scripture demands!

The other day, my wife and I were to attend a meeting of a Christian Organisation. We were to discuss a proposal to split our group into three because of the rapid expansion of our city. However, our group being still small in number, we were doubtful of the feasibility of survival if we did split! Hence some were not in favour of a split.

At the meeting several members spoke for and against the proposal to split. The reasons for having more groups seemed to outweigh the arguments against. Hence, those of us who did not favour this move earlier, agreed with the others. We unanimously agreed to have three groups instead of continuing with one! Each of us could have stuck to our independent views and not have submitted to the views of the others. But for the common good, we submitted ourselves to one another for the cause of Christ.

Dear believer, this is what the Lord exhorts and expects us, the members of His Body on earth, to do! We are all created with independent thinking and we have our own ideas about everything! But as members of Christian families and churches we need to learn to 'agree on the essentials' and 'agree to differ on non-essentials' and still work together for our common good'!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You submitted Yourself to the Father’s good will. Teach us to submit to one another and live in peace for our common good, out of reverence to You. Amen.

They Hear & Accept The Word

THOSE ARE THE ONES ON WHOM SEED (GOD’S WORD) WAS SOWN ON THE GOOD SOIL; and they hear the word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Mark 4.20.

I am glad you read the Bible just as I do. Many Christians do not read the Bible even though they possess it, often many copies of it! Sometimes it is difficult for you and I who read the Bible to understand it. You need the Holy Spirit, the ‘real author’ of the Bible, to help you. If you pray like King David, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psa 119.18) before you begin to read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will help you to understand.

When Jesus began to speak to the people about the kingdom of God, they couldn’t understand Him! To add to their confusion, Jesus began to speak in ‘parables’. You would have thought that Jesus did this in order to help them to understand the truth better. But on the contrary He said, ‘everything is said in parables so that they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding” (vs 11,12). The Truth is only for those who seek!

That is what the disciples did. They asked Jesus explain what they couldn’t understand! “When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables” (v.10). You too need to ask the Lord to explain to you what you do not understand when you read the Bible. You need to be alone with the Lord to give Him time to teach us! Don't run for the Bible notes or seek the opinion of others before you search the Bible in prayer!

This parable of the ‘Sower and the Seed’ is the first Jesus ever told the people. Jesus taught the disciples the meaning of the parable. He also told them they needed to understand this parable to understand all the others! It is imperative for you and I to understand this parable well for the simple reason that if we don’t, we will be like the others, “ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding”.

Jesus was teaching here, what kind of people we should be in order for the Word to thrive in our lives. We are typically of four types. 1) Like the roadside – never listens to the Word well 2) Like the rock – no interest to react to the Word 3) Like among thorns – lets worldly things choke the Word and kill it 4) Like the good soil – receives the Word and allows it to grow and bear fruit even to a hundred fold!

Dear reader, what kind of soil are you – your heart? When you hear the Word of God, whether by reading it or through someone teaching or preaching to us, ‘something must happen in you!’ Jesus told clearly what God expects of you – “hear the word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold”.

Early in life, I made it a point to make a mental or written note of what I hear or even read! The reason? I want to get something that will change or better my life and make me a better person! That is why I always carry a pen and a diary. Now I carry a PALM Digital Diary!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, let me ever hear the Word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Help me fulfill Your expectation for me. Amen.

Taste & See God

O TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD; HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM. Psalm 34.8.

Sometime ago my wife and I were quite concerned about our daughter’s new business venture. There have been a few setbacks through no fault of hers. We had been praying very fervently for her and her project. We expected everything to be smooth sailing because we had entrusted all to God.

With each obstacle, we have been going back to God and asking Him to help us through. As we talked about these things, we both felt that this is a time of testing for our daughter. It is after all, her project. We only lend her physical, moral and spiritual support. The primary responsibility is hers. This naturally entails her going to God on her own and taking her problems to Him. She has to find help in time of need for herself from the throne of grace. Others can help only so much and no further, especially when it comes to seeking God and His help. SHE HAS TO TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD FOR HERSELF!

Our daughter had a steady job with a reputable agency and the had been smooth. The challenges to faith were rare. Now she is faring through uncharted territory. Each new task and every hardship is a challenge to faith in the Lord. We have come to realise that these are her trials of faith and not ours!

Like a loving father who deliberately pushes his little son into the pool so that he would learn to swim though he may struggle, the Lord lets us go through deep waters, dark valleys and fearful shadows. He teaches us not only to survive but to overcome, He proves to us His constant presence and the strength of His staff! He is faithful! Remember, the Lord will take us through only such experiences of life that are common to all those who trust in Him!

Soon, our daughter and all others who trust in the Lord will be able to say like David, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD, and was saved from every trouble”. Dear child of God, are you passing through deep waters or dark valleys? Remember, the Lord has put you there! He is there with you! Trust Him. He will take care of you and your situation!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me in all my troubles so that I too can say like David, “O taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him”. Amen.

Giving To God

GIVE CAESAR WHAT BELONGS TO CAESAR , GIVE GOD WHAT BELONGS TO GOD. Mark 12.17.

Most people have a problem with paying their taxes. They feel that they are being swindled by the government out of their hard-earned income! ‘I have worked for every penny. Why should I pay anything to the government. It has done nothing for me. It has no right to take anything from me’. That’s what most of us think and say!

Jesus laid out for you and me an abiding principle about taxes in today’s lesson. We must get it fixed in our minds so that we will not be guilty of tax evasion. Jesus plainly said, “Give the emperor Caesar (the government) what belongs to him, and give God what belongs to Him.” He didn’t give any reason except to show the people the inscription on the coin they brought to Him. There was Caesar’s head.

Caesar represented the government and all that it was doing for the people and the country. To run the government and provide all the various services and amenities for the people, much money is needed. Only when the citizens pay their taxes will the government have the finances for these. No minister or politician will pay out of his pocket and spend it for the people. They need to pay their taxes but they can seek legitimate exemptions and rebates.

While there could be excessive taxation by an unscrupulous government, usually the taxation is based on the budget necessary for all the public utilities and services. You have the right to vote for a good government and see that we pay only just taxes. But taxes we must pay! That is due to the government. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's”.

While dealing with taxes to earthly governments, let us not forget the more important teaching of the Lord, “Give to God what is God's.” About giving a part of our substance to God, we have clear teachings in a number of portions of the Bible. Not giving a ‘tenth or tithe’ to God of whatever He gives us, He calls “robbing God!” ( Mal 3.8-10). The apostle Paul taught the Corinthian believers to keep apart a portion of their income for the week. They were to give it as an offering on the Lord’s Day. If you do that regularly, you will not be burdened large sums to pay out or end up not paying your tithes! Strangely, we often count our taxes and even our tithes as losses from our pockets! They are not only a gift of gratitude for what you received from God but it is also adding treasures in heaven!

When Jesus taught, “Give to God what is God's”, He didn’t mention money! Money is but a small part of what God demands from you. He demands your 'all!' You belong to Him - your body, soul and spirit. Your 'all' is really your time, talent and treasure. God doesn’t want your treasure or a tenth of your money if you are not willing to give yourself to Him first! Many Christians spend all their time for their work or business and neglect God and even their family. Some spend all their time on themselves or on their family at the expense of God! Both are wrong. A young Christian businessman told me that he has not been to church for three years for he has to work on weekends!

Dear believer, don't forget this basic principle which Jesus taught you and it will be well with you! “Give Caesar what belongs to the Caesar, and give God what belongs to God.” You should be finding ways and means to obey God and not find excuses not to do so. Remember that wise saying, “Don’t rob Peter to pay Paul?” Give each one his due: God, the government, family, self, work or business, boss and others!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, thank You for teaching me to pay my taxes and give my tithes to God – in time and substance. Amen.

To Serve Like Jesus

THE SON OF MAN DIDN'T COME SO THAT OTHERS COULD SERVE HIM. HE CAME TO SERVE. Mark 10.45.

Everyone wants to be served. But no one wants to serve. It is understandable in a world of masters and servants and employers and employees. Those who serve say they are slogging for others and get no fair remuneration. Hence they begin to work for themselves and become their own masters. But soon they find that they are the worst ‘slave masters’ of themselves and others. Now they work to death for money and more money!

When we consider work, even service, there is too much emphasis given to remuneration or income. No doubt it is important. We need money to live comfortably and to bring up our children and it is far too expensive today! But the pity is that today’s generation has totally forgotten that whatever work one is doing, his primary function is to serve the people and the community. The civil service, the service providers and the business people too, must be basically engaged in providing service to the people. If you are merely working for money and not for people, you make money your God!

You, as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, must learn from Him the service mentality. We should not only talk about it in our churches but we must practice it in our homes and marketplaces. We must set an example to others in serving the people. Those who have realised this basic responsibility to serve one another and the society will approach their job or business from that perspective. They will become a great help to people, especially the helpless! ‘People’ must come before ‘money’. Though people may pay for your service or commodity, your primary concern must be their benefit.

Dear believer, learn from the Saviour, the compassion He had for the people especially the poor, needy and the suffering. The gospel writers mention on many occasions that the Lord’s heart was filled with compassion for the people. You must learn to combine the servant-spirit and the compassion of the Master and carry on your work, job, profession or business. It is more so if you are involved in any spiritual ministry. People will notice and talk about it and the news will spread if they are pleased with you. You will be sure to succeed in whatever you are doing. Our Father in heaven will be glorified. The Lord Jesus Christ will be exalted in and through us.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to begin to be like You, serving others and not wanting to be served all the time. Let me do it with Your servant-spirit and compassion. Amen.

God Is Sovereign God

GOD CHANGES THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS, HE REMOVES KINGS AND RAISES UP KINGS. DANIEL 2:21

During my lifetime I have seen evil men rise to political and military power, cause colossal havocs and pass off the scene. Even good leaders leave records that include mistakes and weaknesses.

The first chapter of Esther shows us the pride of King Ahasuerus, head of the mighty Persian Empire. He hosted an elaborate festival designed to display his riches and splendor. After 7 days of partying, the king gave orders to his servants to bring Vashti, his queen, before the revelers so they could see her great beauty. But Queen Vashti refused to come. It humiliated the great king of Persia (v.12-18).

Ahasuerus was furious and sought counsel from the wise men of his kingdom. They advised him to remove Vashti as queen and "give her royal position to another who is better than she" (v.19). God used these royal antiques to place a Jewish girl in a strategic position to preserve His people from destruction.

God's name is not mentioned in the entire book of Esther, but the message in chapter 1 comes through loud and clear: God can bring good out of everything, even when flawed and mistake-prone humans are involved. He is the real power behind the throne.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You are the king of kings and the Sovereign God, who can raise up princes and presidents from even commoners and remove them from power when they go against Your will, even as I (we, Your people) pray. Amen.

Adapted from 'Our Daily Bread', RBC Ministries

Don't Walk As They Walk

YOU SHOULD NO LONGER WALK AS THE REST OF THE GENTILES WALK, IN THE FUTILITY OF THEIR MIND. Ephesians 4:17

There are people all around us whose lives have no meaning or hope. They're caught in the web of sin, living "in the futility of their mind" (Eph 4:17). Our role, as followers of the Lord Jesus, is to demonstrate that the life of faith does make sense. In the midst of a world of aimlessness and despair, we are called by the Lord and taught to live with purpose and hope. We must!

It's frustrating to talk to some people about God, Jesus, and salvation. They shrug you off by saying, "I am O.K. I lead a good life and do no one any harm. I even do some good! I do not need to believe in God! You have your belief and I have mine."

How do we respond to such people? Yes! Admittedly what they say is true. So you begin to wonder whether they need to change their life or religion! But when you think of the change believing in God and Jesus Christ brought about in your own life, you begin to think again! It has transformed you from a sinner to a saint. It has given your life meaning now and for eternity. You live in constant fellowship with the Lord. He always guides you and leads you in every situation, easy or tough. You need to tell them and show them that your belief in Christ makes sense.

When you show people the difference Jesus has made in your life, they will see that their life too can have meaning and purpose. In the book Papillon, the main character dreams that he is on trial. The judge says he is being charged with the most terrible crime that a person can possibly commit. When Papillon asks what it is, he is told, "The tragedy of a wasted life." "Guilty!" says Papillon, weeping. "Guilty."

Dear believer, have you found meaning in life and are you living each day with a purpose. Even in your secular or mundane job, you can find purpose and live with a sense of accomplishment. You will find recognition in the eyes of the Lord, even if no one around you notices and acknowledges!

Everyone has the right to live a fulfilled life here on earth and Jesus only can provide it. It is your God-given obligation and privilege to provide him or her with that opportunity by your life and words. A Christ-like life can be the world's Bible.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, let me not live like the people around me who do not know you. Let my life and good works so shine before men that they may want to follow me, as I follow you. Amen.

Tit For Tat Behaviour

IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY FEED HIM, IF HE IS THIRSTY GIVE HIM A DRINK. Rom 12.20.

I was at a function the other day where I met an old acquaintance. She said she was going for a major operation the next day. I told a friend that we could go over to her home which was not very far away, and pray for her. The person remarked, “Why should we? She doesn’t care for us or our prayers or good deeds very much anyway?”

I was thinking about today’s Bible text, “As the scripture says: ‘If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink … Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good”. The thought that stuck in my mind was, “How often we read the Scripture and relish it but we don’t have the slightest intention to obey it!”

In the book of Proverbs we see this same instruction (25.21). Again, in the Sermon on the Mount, we have the Lord teaching us the same thing (Mt 5.54). You have read these many times and know it by heart. You have heard many preachers preaching and teaching you the same thing from the Bible. But the truth is that to most of us these are only ‘good teachings’ to hear. You might even wish that some others whom you know, who hear it will begin to practise it! For you, you are content with the hearing! You have no intention heeding God’s Word and obeying it! How else could we explain our contradicting behaviour?

Dear believer, if you have a problem in dealing with people who are ‘difficult or offending’, you should take special note of our Lord Jesus Christ’s words. “You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5.43-48).

That is practical Christian living! It is not your loud singing or prayers on Sundays! Aren’t you deceiving yourself thinking that you are a good Christian when you are not even willing to behave better than the pagans who do not believe in God? At the judgment seat of Christ, many will have to give account for their ‘tit for tat’ behaviour here on earth and for not obeying the Lord’s teaching! It is what you do TODAY that determines the outcome of that DAY!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, forgive me for not taking Your teaching seriously. I have been behaving like a pagan and not Your follower! Change my attitude and my actions, Lord. Amen.