Forgive n Love...

The good Lord was clear in charging us with His teachings when He said:

> Love those who hate you (Mt 5:44)
> Bless those who harm you (Mt 5:44)
> If somebody strikes you on one cheek, show him the other (Mt 5: 39, 40)
> If you have something against a brother, leave your gift at the altar; set things right with him and then come back to pray (Mt 5: 23, 24)

Lovely preachy material... But the real test is in applying these teachings to our lives when we are surrounded by misunderstanding, people who are waiting to find fault with us and bring us down and better still, when we are hurting due to all this.

As i was thinking and even struggling with the same today, i realised that these words of the good Lord are not giving us much of a choice; as much as they are in the imperative tense. Each one of those statements contains in them the verb 'do' in an imperative usage (in the greek):

> afes             ekei        to     dwron         sou (5: 24)
  leave you!     there     the     present     of you(rs)

> streyon     autw       thn     allhn (5: 39)
  turn you!     to him    the     other (cheek)

> agapate         tous     ecqrous       umwn (5: 44)
  be ye loving!    the     enemies        of you(rs)

These are not one of those good to do (like good to know) statements of our Lord. Infact, He never did give us a choice in these particular directives. These statements were authoritative commands from the master the universe to His creation. What then shall be your and my response to the same? We might say i forgive... but are we able to look the same people in the eye and wish them all good things and bless them Jesus name???

May God bless us and grant us His grace to forgive (over and over again) and  to deal with our enemies and those who want to see us down; to exemplify Him even through our response to people and situations, despite our hurt.

A Type Of...

What makes the Word of God so alive and applicable to our lives even today… I mean most of what was written is over 2000 yrs old and was intended as a promise God had made to those people at that time; but the key factor is that it was NEVER INTENDED FOR THOSE PEOPLE, FOR THAT TIME only.

The word of God is everlasting and unchanging (Isa 40: 8; 1Pet 1:23; Mt 5: 18; Lk 16:17). And His promises to us, His people are eternal and will prevail. In this, we find proof of the same; His Word is filled over and over with His promises given to His people and renewed from generation to generation. For example Isa 59: 17 contains the similar instruction as does Eph 6: 14-17 and 1Thess 5:8.
(From the NASB)
Isa 59: 17
He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.

Eph 6: 14-17
14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

1Thess 5:8
8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

Biblical Theology refers to these references as a type of the other. But what does this typology mean for us???
> It is His way of reassuring us through the times that His word once spoken will prevail and accomplish what it was meant to do; ‘coz He knew just how many times and how easily we would doubt Him when things are not going as expected them to be.
> His Word has never changed (but only been renewed) since the beginning of time and it will not change now. We can gain confidence in that He will grant us our needs no matter what our immediate situation be.
> Many people try to undermine the power of the Word of God. But we need to realize that it is through His Word that He has chosen to give us strength and something to hold on to in those storms of life (‘coz human that we are, we all desperately look for something to latch onto when going through difficult times).

Some other references of this typology that I’ve come across in my personal study (and these are very very few of the whole number in the Bible) :
Isa 22: 20 – 25 == Mt 16: 17 – 20
Mt 5: 19b == Jam 2: 17
Isa 60: 19, 20 == Rev 21: 23
Isa 60: 3, 11b, 10 == Rev 21: 24
Isa 60: 11a == Rev 21: 25
Isa 60: 6, 7, 12, 13, 17 == Rev 21: 26
Isa 60: 21 == Rev 21: 27
Ecc 7: 20 == Rom 3: 23
Psa 30: 11 == Jer 31: 13

When things don't work out...

Its extremely frustrating when things dont work out in a way you had planned for them to. You start to question your own abilities and wonder whether there was anything else that you could have done...

But then thinking about it from another perspective, it becomes abundantly clear that we have no charge over the way anything goes, let alone what happens in our own lives. We're frail and human... So just how far can we take self-will and where does free will fit in???

Just yesterday i was having a discussion with a colleague about what necessarily entails free will. God did allow us a free will and we have the freedom to make the choices that lead our lives towards Him or away from Him; to live our lives how we choose to live them or submit ourselves back to what He would want us to do. But what about the situations and circumstances that we have control over? What happens to our freedom there? The answer lies in understanding the fact that our freedom doesn't mean freedom from causality (the relationship between an event (the cause) and a second event (the effect), where the second event is a direct consequence of the first) or materialism; rather it means freedom from compulsion and restraint. For example, the laws of gravity put certain restraints failing which a person cannot fly, but it doesn't prevent the person from flying. Similarly when faced with failure, we can choose to be optimistic and make it a learning experience our choose to be negative and downcast (why so downcast oh my soul....)

No matter what the situation or the circumstance thrown at us, we can choose to respond in different ways. In this we have free will. We are able to make the choices that determine whether we do what we know is right in our heart (our conscience) or do purposefully do wrong. We therefore are free to make choices that determine the course of our life towards God or away from Him.We can exercise our self will to the extent of making the choices that will bring us closer to Him and make the best out of our situation, circumstance or material standing. But beyond this, we have no choice but to realise that we are frail and human (created).

And the best part is God has proven to us time and again that we can trust Him for His plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a bright hope and a future... (Jer 29:11). Also that everything happens for the good of those who love the Lord... (Rom 8:28) and He is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love... (Heb 6:10). Even if all seems lost, we need to remind ourselves that the context in which God promises His people that His plans are to prosper them and give them a bright hope and a future; is when Jeremiah is prophesying over the land of Israel that they will be conquered. The people have no hope of coming back from there and have no certainty of what their future will be as a conquered nation. It is here that God gives them this promise. Nothing is lost in Him and with Him; if we have done our best, leave to God the rest... and be still and know that He is God (Psa. 46: 10)

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. 
(Psa. 42: 5, 6)

FOR

He gives and takes away, but my heart will choose to say Lord blessed be Your name (Job 1: 21)

Why He can say I AM???

Every once in a while its strange how we gain a sudden realization our tinyness and His awesomeness; especially when faced with the death of a loved one. We had a similar experience when a friend of ours went to be with the Lord 2 days ago (diagnosed with Leukemia in the final stage) - Haeirisim Nemwe, aged 26, pursuing his research in Linguistics at the Hyderabad Central University.

For those who knew Harri (as we all used to call him), he was a prayerful guy, quiet, dependent on the Lord but above all else, a nice guy; for his sorrow and suffering churned him to loving people.

And when faced with such a sudden death, its amazing how we realize that the very breath that we take for granted is not in our control. We get so caught up with our lives and ourselves that we completely miss out on what God is trying to do. We forget the big picture of how our great Lord, God Almighty chooses to fit us into that tiny gap in the puzzle of the great mystery called life in order to achieve that purpose for which we were created by Him.

I've always been puzzled to a certain extent about the term the good Lord uses for His name during His conversation with Moses (Exo 33) - I AM! Its always seemed spectacular to me that He would refer to Himself as I AM. Until one day i had a revelation about the same. Around a year ago, my father passed away. And i remember how striking it was that in less than a day's time, we were referring to him with was in our conversations (he was...). But with God, we can never say He was; its always He is... and will be. He who holds time in His hands can never be the past tense. He IS (and always will be) - I AM!

Our God, the great I AM; praise be to Thee! For we are to happy keep our hope in Thee alone, the giver of life, the creator of the heaven and earth and all that is therein. (Psa 146: 6-10).

The Character of a Happy Life

by Sir Henry Wotton

How happy is he born or taught
That serveth not another's will,
Whose armour is his honest thought,
And simple truth his highest skill;

Whose passions not his masters are;
Whose soul is still prepared for death,
Untied unto the world with care
Of princes' grace or vulgar breath;

Who envies none whom chance doth raise,
Or vice; who never understood
The deepest wounds are given by praise,
By rule of state but not of good;

Who hath his life from rumours freed,
Whose conscience is his strong retreat,
Whose state can neither flatterers feed
Nor ruins make accusers great;

Who God doth late and early pray
More of his grace than goods to send,
And entertains the harmless day
With a well-chosen book or friend.

This man is free from servile bands
Of hope to rise or fear to fall,
Lord of himself, though not of lands,
And having nothing, yet hath all.

Missing - My Energy (Mk 9:33 - 41)

Ever wondered where all that energy you had as a child and a young person vanished? Is it just the effect of our body aging or is it our mind that is aging must faster? Or is it the cares of this world and the running behind things unnecessary that makes us lose our energy so fast?

These were the questions running through my mind even as i spent the weekend suffering from my usual breathlessness and palpitations. The answer to which, i'm reminded from this portion of scripture is simple - It is the child like spirit that finds life's golden gates and that finds them all ajar; teeming with energy even as the will to learn and explore keeps them prancing around. So lost is a child in their own world that nothing else matters except having fun. You might argue at this point that a child doesn't have much responsibility. But also is true that the Lord asks us to be like a child (Mk 10:15).

The Lord never taught us to back away from responsibility. As we grow up (even in Him), we are expected to take on more responsibility and stand strong. But were these charges to us meant to steal us of joy is the question? I think not!

Paul in reminiscence says that he put away childishness as he grew up (1 Cor. 13:11) and even urges the Corinthians to grow up in the Lord and stand up to the duties given to them as God's people (1 Cor. 3:2). Yet in all that, his attitude towards the good Lord was that of a child. This is something that can be observed all through his writings as he constantly talks about keeping faith, trust and hope in God alone. But perhaps the most important of all characteristics that Paul wanted to assert through his life was the simple dependence on God's mercy - for nothing else can lead us into and even keep us in the Kingdom. Because actual dependence on God comes only from first trusting Him completely; as a child does their parent.

So when the Lord asks us to be as a child - its for our own reckoning. "Come unto Me all ye who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of me; for i am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt 11: 28-30). The reason for that instruction then becomes simple - that we would continue to enjoy life (with Him, in Him and through Him) always; even as a child does!

So if you find yourself without energy or saying, "Lord, i'm tired," you should probably ask the question - am i growing away from childlikeness?

Are you working in a ministry or is your work your ministry?

Working in a ministry place is almost always frustrating because our expectations are hardly ever met. Rather it almost seems like people around us are only trying to make life difficult. And rightly so i should say...

Are you rolling your eyes right now? Well, but that is the truth! The good Lord never promised us an easy life. Instead, he did warn us that we would be ridiculed, mocked and persecuted for His sake (Mt 10: 17-23). We're warned against storing up riches for ourselves while preaching His Word (Mt 10: 6-10); or even falling into the trap of keeping our confidence in our earnings (Mt 6: 24-34; 10: 27-31). We're warned that our own family will go against us when we follow Him (Mt 10: 34-36); that we ought not to be hypocrites (Mt 6: 2-6; 7: 3-7). He redefined the meaning of sin to encompass most things we care not twice about (Mt 5: 22-42) and taught us what love should mean (Mt 5: 43-48) and is in giving His life on the cross of Calvary that we might live. He never promised us the easy life. Rather He did tell us to brace ourselves up to follow Him (Mt 16: 24-26). So what is the most demotivating factor for you to stop serving Him and moving away from the center of His plan for your life today?

My personal experience has been my constant disappointments with people; either not doing what they ought to or doing what they ought not to, well either ways making my life difficult. But i'm reminded that my own family will turn against me when i'm following Him; what better can i then expect from anybody else? The second driving factor for me was always the riches and glamor of this world, the comforts i would like to give my family. Again i'm reminded of the fact that even Solomon was not clothed as richly as the grass in the field (Mt 6: 29). And there i rest my case that things are not happening for my family and me; for i have nothing further to find fault with.

My brother, my sister, my friend - if you feel you are really suffering in your work place, large chances are you are in the center of His will for your life. I'm reminded of this little quote, that does sum up our daily christian life very aptly:
Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world. They should probably tell you this while you are applying to the ministry place huh? ;-)

So, ARE YOU WORKING IN A MINISTRY PLACE OR is your work your ministry?

P.S - I'm not denying the fact that ministry places are where you get taken for granted as a person more than anywhere else. Stand up for what is right and what you ought to get. Only remember that you are a christian and that there is a very thin line between voicing your concerns with God on your side and being overpowered by your emotions and lashing out all by yourself.

The Invisible Presence (Exo 33:12-23)

I have constantly asked myself the question - what made Moses so special to God? And here lies the answer... "Now therefore, i pray thee, if i have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that i may know Thee, that i may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people" (Exo 33:13).

There stood Moses in the gap between God's anger and God's people; further angry himself about the way the Israelites had behaved. And during that weak moment, he chose to look unto God seeking not just asking forgiveness for the people but also asking for the grace to go on dealing with them. His abject dependence on God alone is brought forth clearly here. The striking thing about this entire episode though is God's response to Him - "I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight" (Exo 33:17). Moses had found favor in God's sight for one reason alone - he sought God's presence with him (Exo 33: 15, 16a). For he realised that without God he was able to do nothing, let alone lead the people into the promised land.

For this reason God's answer is "I will make all my goodness pass before thee..." (Exo 33:19a). Truth is, that is all the glory we need upon the immediate road. His companionship means everything, because life's glory is but to feel Him near. Like when the loving wife feels that the husband is in the house and when the loving husband feels that the wife is in the house and that is everything! The joy of each other's presence is the crown of married bliss. So it is with the good Lord. When His presence is the soul's delight and 'Thou, Oh Christ art all i want'; He is well pleased with us. Not because He needs us to adore Him so, but because we choose to for who He is, even to us. Then my friend He shall show us His inheritance as it shall please Him and we shall be special to Him even as Moses (and David).

Magnum Opus (so far...)

What can the Lord do when you release yourself to Him completely, even helplessly???

He uses every gift He has placed in you to produce a work; the result of which you look at and know it wasn't you.

Such is the story of my thesis - recovering from heart surgery without much help around, and writing my thesis within a week's time to meet the submission deadline. The result - i can only look at and say wow!

Read Thesis

The Two Mountains (Heb 12: 18 - 28)

Imagine you were in front of the mount Sinai today - the mountain is ablaze with fire even as God's wrath is waiting to consume all of the israelites. Everybody is trembling and shaking and nobody has the courage to as much as touch the mountain's foot even as a tempest is at bay. So terrible is the site that even Moses said "i exceedingly fear and quake" (Heb 12: 19). Could you and i stand amidst such a charged atmosphere and whisper our vain prayers and confessions? I think not.

God redeemed us to mount zion. We stand today in the city of the living God and in the company of innumerable angels (Heb 12: 22). We stand today in the church of the firstborn, in front of God the judge of all (Heb 12: 23). And we answer "to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant and the blood of sprinkling" (Heb 12: 24). So, my friend be sure to refuse him not; "for if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall we not escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven" (Heb 12: 25). Our true home is not Sinai but Calvary. At the first mount there is no place for the sinner; at the second mount there is place for no one else. For here we find the grace to drop the burden of sin and find our way back to the holiness we lost at Sinai; it is here we begin to wear the garments of salvation. "Therefore let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear - for our God is a consuming fire!" (Heb 12: 27, 28)

Here goes...

I started off this blog 3 years ago; but since haven't allowed my energies to be channeled towards writing about His work in my life.

Finally today, having decided that this would help me move on further in Him; i decided to restart this blog and dedicate it to His work in my life and my musings about all things Him.

So here goes...