“Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.”
“मुझे शिक्षा दो और मैं चुप रहूंगा; और मुझे समझाओ, कि मैं ने किस बान में चूक की है।”
- Job 6:24
Those who have read the book of Job are aware of how he lost everything including his children, his wealth and even his health (Job 1). Satan touched Job only when God allowed him to do so and so every child of God must remind themselves that when we are in the path of obedience and we find ourselves in a severe trial, then we must remind ourselves constantly that nothing can come to our life that is outside God’s will. Job’s three friends who came to comfort him travelling long distances, were silent for seven days (Job 2:13), and Job later wished they had stayed that way (Job 13:5). Job’s three friends said Job was suffering because he had sinned, and that was not true. Elihu said that God was chastening Job to make him a better man, and that was partly true. We do not heal a broken heart with logic; we heal a broken heart with love.
Job made two requests of his friends: “Teach me” (Job 6:24) and “Look upon me” (Job 6:28). He didn’t need accusation; he needed illumination. Many times, we are not even looking at the plight of others and are just interested in sharing our sorrows when the person in front of us is overwhelmed with grief already. As Job said we become vain comforters sometimes. Physically we may be sitting on heaps of ash just like Job’s friends were sitting with him but in our hearts we are more like the priest and Levite, passing by “on the other side” (Luke 10:30–37). We forget the very basic principle laid down by our Lord and our Teacher Jesus Christ that in everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you (Matthew 7:12). We must therefore encourage, admonish, exhort one another, and edify or strengthen and build up one another, consistently in love (1 Thessalonians 5:11). The world out there is not looking for a theology of Christianity but are looking for those who dare to live that theology daily. All Christians (believers, servants of God and leaders) must understand that it does no good for anyone to quote scripture and pray for others unless we first build a bridge between our and their hearts. Then we could minister to them as our God wants us to do. Did you visit anyone lately who needed comfort? What comforted them the most - was it your words or your heart filled with a genuine love for them that heard their bitter cry and understood their deep anguish?
“There will come a time when three words, uttered with charity and meekness, shall receive a far more blessed reward than three thousand volumes written with disdainful sharpness of wit.” - Richard Hooker
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“But you who clung to Yahweh your God are alive today, every one of you.”
“परन्तु तुम जो अपने परमेश्वर यहोवा के साथ लिपटे रहे हो सब के सब आज तक जीवित हो।”
- Deuteronomy 4:4
In this discourse of Deuteronomy 4 with Israelites Moses in very strong words commands uncompromising obedience to God in everything. This allegiance to obey God is due to the very sole reason that God has chosen them out of many nations, delivered them from the hands of their oppressor, and is going to bring them into a promised land flowing with milk and honey. Obeying God is not a matter of compulsion but it’s a matter of choice, a choice made out of Love for our God. King Solomon says in Proverbs 10:17 that he who heeds instruction and correction is not only himself in the way of life but also is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof not only himself goes astray but also causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others. We may think that our obedience to God is for our survival only but in fact, it’s the reason for the survival of many around us especially in the context of Family -> Church -> City - > Nation.
Moses said all of you who ·continued following or clung to the Lord your God are still alive today. It is not merely that our Obedience to God helps in our physical survival but it’s also decisive for our survival in Spiritual, Moral, and even Emotional lives. God’s people must be careful not to become friendly with the world (James 4:4) or spotted by the world (James 1:27) because this leads to loving the world (1 John 2:15–17) and being conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). To fear the Lord means to respect who He is, what He is, and what He says, and by our submission and obedience show Him that we love Him and want to please Him. Do we knowingly or willfully defy God’s authority on us? Do we realize that our obedience is the only way we can survive the perils of these end days?
“To place ourselves in range of God’s choicest gifts, we have to walk with God,
work with God, lean on God, cling to God, come to have the sense and feel of God,
refer all things to God.” - Cornelius Plantinga
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land of Egypt.”
“तब फिरौन ने मूसा और हारून को बुलवाकर कहा, तुम जा कर अपने परमेश्वर के लिये इसी देश में बलिदान करो।”
- Exodus 8:25
One of the most common narratives or events in the Bible is about how Israelites were in the bondage or slavery of Pharaoh and God wanted Pharaoh to let them go, Pharaoh refused to let the people go. Thereafter God sent awful judgment upon Pharaoh and his people in the form of ten devastating plagues that finally made Pharaoh let the children of God leave Egypt. But it was not an easy negotiation between Moses and Pharaoh. In the first negotiation that we read in today’s scripture, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, offer sacrifices to your God within the land of Egypt”. If we take this narrative in a modern context then Pharaoh represents the devil, Egypt represents the World and Israel the Christians today. Just like Pharaoh, the devil still brings this proposition to us Christians today that if you want to be a Christian, go ahead and be a Christian, but don’t change your lifestyle too much. You can be saved and still be just like everyone else in the world. How convenient and how desirable is this offer. Just worship God as the world wants to worship Him. There is no harm in going to Church on Sunday but just be like the world or blend into worldly lifestyles for the rest of 6 days of the week.
Many today are trying to blend every modern means like sight, sound, light and whatever possible just to make worship that pleases the masses but we forget worship is not to be created artificially. Faith and Praise cannot be “manufactured”; they must be received as God’s gift. In Psalm 56:10–11, David affirms that “God alone gives him the power to praise Him and trust Him”. The problem with the devil’s offer to worship God in his terms and ways is that the message of the cross and the modern worldly music, methods or means are like oil and water. They simply do not mix! Moreover, it wasn’t what God had commanded Moses. The Lord told Moses to go out of Egypt and bring His people out to Worship Him (Exodus 3:10, Exodus 8:1). Anything less would have been to compromise the commandment of God. Today we Christians have to realize the same principle, that worshipping God without inner change of heart and with just outer glamour is not what God commanded. Jesus said, “God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4:24). Are you still worshipping God as He wanted or as the World demands? Are we still trying to compromise on the commandments of God or following it unconditionally when it comes to the worship of our living God and our allegiance to God? Are we trying to merge into the World so much that we have lost sight of what God desires or commands?
“The foundation of true holiness and true Christian worship is the doctrine of the gospel, what we are to believe. So, when Christian doctrine is neglected, forsaken, or corrupted, true holiness and worship will also be neglected, forsaken, and corrupted.” - John Owen
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;”
“निदान, सब के सब एक मन और कृपामय और भाईचारे की प्रीति रखने वाले, और करूणामय, और नम्र बनो।”
- 1 Peter 3:8
Apostle Peter after addressing Christian wives who had unsaved husbands, telling them how to win their soul mates to Christ (1 Peter 3:1-6), added some important admonitions for Christian husbands as well (1 Peter 3:7). Apostle emphasizes that wife’s obedience is not from intimidation but is instead from quiet confidence which they receive as the fruit of their trust in God. Likewise, Husbands have to dwell with them with godly understanding, giving honour to their spouses and always be aware to consider the lesser physical strength and vulnerability of their wives (the weaker vessel). After addressing husbands and wives Apostle encourages all believers to evaluate their love for others. Peter knows how hard it is to love as he himself has struggled in the past to love and our Lord Jesus has to train him well on that aspect especially.
The first evidence of this God-given Love is that it must be projected to others around us by our “Unity of mind” (united in spirit). Unity does not mean uniformity, but it means cooperation and understanding even in midst of diversity. The next evidence of this Love is Compassion (Godly sympathy) which basically is a genuine heartfelt feeling for the needs of others. And the simple reason for this is the fact that we all are brethren in the same family (1 Peter 1:22; 1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 Peter 5:14). We are “taught of God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9). The apostle continues that Love reveals itself in pathos that leads to the tenderness of heart (being pitiful or merciful) toward others. We are told to be “Be courteous” or “Be humble-minded” as humility is the foundation for honest courtesy, for the humble person puts (or strive for) others ahead of himself always. Apostle concludes this with literally the most challenging aspect for us Christians that not only should we love God’s people, but we should also love our enemies (1 Peter 3:9). How do we show our love to others around us? Does our demonstration of the unity of mind, compassion, courtesy and kindness depend on how much we receive these from others, or do we show it to others irrespective of how others have treated us? Remember God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
“Mercy requires that we learn to love others, to value their welfare more than our own!”
- John Hagee
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise”
“क्योंकि तुम्हें धीरज धरना अवश्य है, ताकि परमेश्वर की इच्छा को पूरी करके तुम प्रतिज्ञा का फल पाओ।”
- Hebrews 10:36
Endurance is the ability to withstand hardship or stress or put up with courage against affliction and adverse situations and hard people sometimes. Apostle James tells us to count it all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance (perseverance or patience) (James 1:2,3). Apostle Paul says we all need steadfast patience and endurance, so that we may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive what is promised. This statement follows after Paul has admonished in some very strong words that if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:26) and It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).
Paul is very well aware of the spiritual struggles and challenges faced by the just or righteous generation and encourages them not to feel tired, discouraged, disheartened or disappointed because if we persevere little more in the face of our hardships then the one who lives by faith will “go on to perfection” (Hebrews 6:1) and will inherit promises of God including “God is coming soon! It won’t be very long” (Hebrews 10:37). Sadly, the believer who lives by sight will “draw back unto perdition” (Hebrews 10:39). We need endurance and one way to develop endurance is that we need to tell ourselves we are not doing this alone, but God will be with us in this journey (Deuteronomy 31:8). Endurance also requires that we must develop and shift to an eternal perspective (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Do you allow the enemy to convince you that this situation is impossible and better not try? Will you just give up because you failed too many times? If you’ve tried 100 times, try 101.
“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”
- Philip Yancey
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up”
“और ये आज्ञाएं जो मैं आज तुझ को सुनाता हूं वे तेरे मन में बनी रहें; और तू इन्हें अपने बाल-बच्चों को समझाकर सिखाया करना, और घर में बैठे, मार्ग पर चलते, लेटते, उठते, इनकी चर्चा किया करना।”
- Deuteronomy 6:6,7
The greatest commandment written in Bible is called Shema which is “Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Eḥad” (Hebrew), meaning “Hear, O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). It is followed by You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength (your entire being) (Deuteronomy 6:5). Maybe many of us paused and reflected on these verses many times in the past but God who is our heavenly Father immediately tells us, earthly parents, to do something critical or important. God through Moses says “Let these words that I’m commanding you today be always on your heart and Teach them repeatedly to your children. Talk about them while sitting in your house or walking on the road, and as you lie down or get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6,7).
God reveals the importance of the Word of God in successful parenting. The crux of the matter is Parents must learn right (first). We have to study it, the Word is to be taken in unconditionally, and it is to be allowed to change our lives. If we expect our lives to impact our children, then we must be transformed by the Word of God ourselves first. Nothing can happen through us until it first happens in us. It is absolutely critical that parents have a consistent personal time of prayer and Bible study. Thereafter we are to “diligently” teach the Word to our children. We need to equip and help them, on the basis of God’s word to be keen, stay sharp and exercise discernment when it comes to living life in this ungodly world. We do this by consistent loving them and living as per the Word of God ourselves in front of them. If we live one way and try to push them in another, we will fail for sure. If you live lazy and compromising spiritual lives, then don’t complain when our children turn out just like you. Are you trying to teach your Children something and living contrary to that? Are you trying to go the way first which you want your children to follow? Remember you need to be growing in your relationship with God first so that you can help your children to grow as well.
“The secret of the homemade rule is self-rule, first being ourselves what we want our children to be.” - Andrew Murray
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
“इस बात से उसके चेहरे पर उदासी छा गई, और वह शोक करता हुआ चला गया, क्योंकि वह बहुत धनी था।”
- Mark 10:22
The rich young man (Mark 10:17-22) in many ways is the prototype of today’s Christian generation which seeks Jesus, even kneeling before Him and dare to ask the eternity defining question to the Lord “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”. To this question of the young ruler, Jesus answered you know the commandments, ‘Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Do not cheat. Respect your father and mother.”. Jesus wanted the young ruler to see himself as a sinner bowed before the holy God. Jesus wanted him to understand that we cannot be saved from sin by keeping the law (Galatians 2:16–21; Ephesians 2:8–10). The law can bring the sinner to Christ, but the law cannot make the sinner like Christ. Only God’s abundant Grace can do that. Many times, just like this young ruler, we too measure our obedience to God by only our external actions and not with our inward attitude towards our God.
Jesus said that one thing he was lacking which is a living faith in God. Money was his god: he trusted it, worshipped it, and even got his fulfilment from it. For some people, if it is not money then it can be self-approval, self-righteousness, and self-glory, whatever it is, if that rules your heart instead of God then that’s an idol. Just like the young ruler we too break the very first commandment “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3) and are even not aware of it. This young man’s wealth robbed him of God’s greatest blessing, eternal life. Do you realize what robs you of your eternal salvation today? Is it your job, beauty, wealth, social status, education, or traditions that stop you from receiving the gift of salvation today? Do you still go away sorrowful and grieved from the presence of God because you can’t obey what the Lord demands?
“A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God.” - Charles Finney
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who [e]meditate on His name.”
“तब यहोवा का भय मानने वालों ने आपस में बातें की, और यहोवा ध्यान धर कर उनकी सुनता था; और जो यहोवा का भय मानते और उसके नाम का सम्मान करते थे, उनके स्मरण के निमित्त उसके साम्हने एक पुस्तक लिखी जाती थी।”
- Malachi 3:16
Malachi points out that God has unchanging love for His people because of His mercy that endures forever. In this book, prophet Malachi rebukes irreligious practices of the people, their denial of God’s justice and they are defrauding the Lord by withholding the required tithes and offerings. On the same note prophet also addresses the corrupt priests who for their personal gains and for following their corrupt worldly desires were negatively influencing the people of God and making them stumble in sins. Lord warns them that He will not be an idle spectator and will severely punish them if they don’t repent.
The passage today becomes part of Malachi’s sixth and one of the last accusations in which he addresses four different groups of people, The complainers (Malachi 3:13-15), The Believers (Malachi 3:16–18), The Evildoers (Malachi 4:1–3) and finally The Preachers (Malachi 4:4–6). But talking about the group of true believers who are part of His remnant, it is written that they remained faithful to the Lord. They feared the Lord. They met together, not to complain but to encourage and edify each other. They spoke about the Lord, and they weren’t afraid for Him to hear what God is saying to them. God was paying attention and keeping a record of their words (Book of remembrance). God claimed them as His own, and God promised to spare them in the future judgment when everybody would see that there is a difference between the righteous and the wicked and that this difference is important. Is your name written in the Book of Remembrance? What part of your life do you think is pleasing your God today? The day will come when God reveals “His jewels” (“treasured possession”), and then the faithful will receive their reward. Are we going to be part of His treasured Jewels? Decide and invest in your eternity today.
“Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset; eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.” - Thomas Watson
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.”
“क्योंकि धर्मी चाहे सात बार गिरे तौभी उठ खड़ा होता है; परन्तु दुष्ट लोग विपत्ति में गिर कर पड़े ही रहते हैं।”
- Proverbs 24:16
There is no denying the fact that a righteous person is tested and tried in the furnace of life consistently. Sometimes the struggles are on the physical front and many times these struggles impinge on our moral and spiritual lives as well. If we closely look at the lives of many giants of faith in the Bible, we can clearly see they rose to spiritual maturity and came more closer to their God due to these failures which God used to mature, prune, and sharpen them in their faith. Psalmist David says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). The allegory of “Seven times” is not new in Bible, but in the context of a righteous falling seven times, we must understand the fact that a righteous may fall less or more but God will enable him/her to rise up again. A just man, though he does not fall from his righteousness, which is an everlasting one, nor from the grace of God; yet he may fall into temptation, and by it, he may fall into sin, as every just man does; “There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). A just man will fall, a just man will fall MORE than once but a Just man will get back up too. For a righteous person, the failure is not his final destiny but in the strength of the Lord and for the Glory of God, he rises up again from these failures and presses on towards his/her spiritual goals. A fall of a righteous person is a steppingstone and an avenue to make him a better person. In contrast with this is the fate of the evildoers, who fall utterly even in single distress. Psalmist David says, “Evil shall destroy the wicked” (Psalms 34:21). Are you able to rise up again when you fall? Are you holding unto the hands of your God when you fall? Do you know you can do all things through Him who strengthens you and the greatest thing you can do today is to trust God, rise up and walk again with your saviour?
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
- Abraham Lincoln
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
“क्योंकि मेरे लिये जीवित रहना मसीह है, और मर जाना लाभ है।”
- Philippians 1:21
As we all walk in Faith, we should learn slowly but steadily to view our present circumstances in the light of future promises of God. We all are work in progress in our race of faith, but our hope is that God will complete the work He is doing in us and through us as well. As apostle Paul says, we do not need to fear death because being in heaven with Jesus will be wonderful. Our endeavor each day should be to somehow live each day to fulfill the purpose of God and live for the glory of God. For Paul, to live is Christ (He was his source of joy, his reason to live) and to die is gain (for he will be with Him in eternity). But he had a strong sense of duty and fully understand that all around him still need him and that’s why he is to stay on to help them grow and be happy in their faith (Philippians 1:24). His life as a Christian has an extremely good legacy for us to follow. Because of Paul’s chains, Christ was known (Philippians 1:13), and because of Paul’s critics, Christ was preached (Philippians 1:18). But because of Paul’s crisis, Christ was magnified! (Philippians 1:20). The believer’s body is to be a telescope that brings Jesus Christ close to people. The unsaved when they watch the believer go through a crisis must see Jesus magnified which brings them too close to our saviour. For some it is “For to me to live is money and to die is to leave it all behind.”, or “For to me to live is fame and to die is to be forgotten.” or “For to me to live is power and to die is to lose it all.”. If you are asked to fill in the blanks, “For to me to live is ______ and to die is _______.”, what will you fill today?
“When the time comes for you to die, you need not be afraid, because death cannot separate you from God’s love.” - Charles Spurgeon
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.”
“यहोवा ने तो अपना सिंहासन स्वर्ग में स्थिर किया है, और उसका राज्य पूरी सृष्टि पर है।”
- Psalms 103:19
One of the most debated and often less understood phrase is “The Kingdom of God” which even our Lord Jesus used many times during his public ministry. “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15), “Kingdom of God is in midst of you” (Luke 17:20-21), “Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness” (Romans 14:17), “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10) and “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3) are few of the many references about the kingdom of God. But one of the least obeyed scripture in the context of Kingdom of God is “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33).
The Kingdom of God must be understood as a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority. Jesus said it is poor in Spirit who inherit the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3) perhaps because it’s the poor or humble in spirit who truly acknowledge the Lordship of Christ and gladly surrender to God’s rule in their hearts. Psalmist says, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all and everything” (Psalm 103:19). We can easily comprehend the basic meaning of the word Kingdom as Rule. It doesn’t mean that His kingdom rules over His realm (only), but it means that God’s reign or rule governs all things and everyone including you and me. The only criterion to be part of this kingdom is our honest repentance as is preached by Jesus. The one who repents will ultimately allow God’s mighty hands to make them completely humble and gentle which allows them to surrender to God’s will and His rule wholeheartedly. Kingdom means God’s Kingly rule - His reign, His action, His lordship and His sovereign governance over us. Are you willing to submit yourself to His rule and His Lordship? Are you sure that you are part of God’s kingdom?
“Greatness in the kingdom of God is measured in terms of Obedience.” - John Stott
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
“हे प्रियो, यदि हमारा मन हमें दोष न दे, तो हमें परमेश्वर के साम्हने हियाव होता है। और जो कुछ हम मांगते हैं, वह हमें उस से मिलता है; क्योंकि हम उस की आज्ञाओं को मानते हैं; और जो उसे भाता है वही करते हैं।”
- 1 John 3:21-22
A Christian must work hard and aim to live a blameless life that is pleasing to God. Apostle Paul says “Therefore, whether we are at home on earth away from Him or away from home and with Him, we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:9). All through the Bible, we are encouraged to make sure that our only goal or aim must be to please our God. For a born-again child of God who has accepted Jesus Christ as His personal saviour and has obeyed Him in water baptism the only longing thereafter is to get closer each day to their God through His son Jesus Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. Such an endeavour requires a deep personal commitment that is independent of the Church we go to, fellowship, we attend or even good things we do in the name of Jesus Christ.
This endeavour in the words of David requires us to live a blameless life before our God. He says “I will ·be careful to live or lead an innocent life and the way that is blameless” (Psalm 101:2). But we must have this deep consciousness that such a life is only possible when our Lord Himself will come and dwell within us and thereby empowering us and enabling us, “When will you come to me?” (Psalm 101:2b). The most profound and wonderful result of living a life pleasing to God daily is that He will smile upon our lives and approve us (Matthew 3:17). Apostle John says this is why we are so sure that God will hear and answer our prayers too (1 John 3:21,22). This promise is indeed challenging, for it not only tells us the way to get our prayer answered (because we please Him), but it also explains why some of our prayers are not answered sometimes (because we don’t, please Him in many aspects of our lives).
Are we careful to live a blameless life before our God? Do we really desire to please our God through our lives today?
“Let us think often that our only business in this life is to please God. Perhaps all besides is but folly and vanity.” - Brother Lawrence
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so, we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.”
“पर जैसा परमेश्वर ने हमें योग्य ठहराकर सुसमाचार सौंपा, हम वैसा ही वर्णन करते हैं; और इस में मनुष्यों को नहीं, परन्तु परमेश्वर को, जो हमारे मनों को जांचता है, प्रसन्न करते हैं।”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:4
One of the glorious and in fact gospel worthy attitudes and conduct of apostle Paul is that he had the courage through God to speak God’s good news in spite of a lot of opposition and in midst of a great conflict (1 Thessalonians 2:2). He did not resort to the flattery of any kind or put on a false front to mask greed something which is sadly the way many preach Gospel today. Paul abhorred flattery (1 Thessalonians 2:5) just like David also hated this sin. “They speak vanity every one with his neighbour; with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak” (Psalms 12:2). Many in their zeal to praise others cross the fine line between genuine appreciation and flattering others and thereby committing themselves to worship imperfect human idols (which ultimately disappoint big time).
When Paul shared the gospel with the perishing souls, he did not desire any glory and honour from people but instead he shared with a gentle and caring attitude like a nursing mother caring for her own children. There was no partiality when he shared the gospel with the needy nor he ever burdened the listeners with any undue demands and personal benefits or expectations. He was careful not to emotionally exploit his listeners to satisfy his own material needs. Like Paul, we all must keep speaking the truth of God’s word even if it offends because Truth by default will offend. But it’s the Truth that one day will set the prisoner free too (John 8:32). A true servant of God will always speak what God has to say to His people and not what His people wish to hear. Spiritual witnessing and “Christian salesmanship” are different. Salvation is the result of God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5). As a listener, what truth of the gospel and the Word of God you are deliberately trying to ignore and reject just because it does not fit in our past learning and traditional setups? Do you get offended when you hear the true word of God, or do you humble yourself to obey it unconditionally whatsoever cost you may have to pay? As a proclaimer of the good news of God, do we speak to please men or please God?
“If you seek to please men you can never be a servant of the Lord.” - Zac Poonen
Have a Blessed day with God !!
“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.”
“सो अपना हियाव न छोड़ो क्योंकि उसका प्रतिफल बड़ा है।”
- Hebrews 10:35
It is not the confidence in man but confidence in God that sustains us in our deepest moments of agony, fear, disappointments and failures. Psalmist says, “It is better to ·trust and find refuge our in the Lord than to ·trust or have confidence in people” (Psalm 118:8). In the words of Apostle John, we who are children of God should have confidence in God that when we ask anything in His will, He will surely answer us (1 John 5:14). Confidence in God means freedom from every doubt and unwavering belief in our God and in His ability to rescue us from the situation that stands like a mountain before us today. Our confidence in God and in His son, Jesus Christ infuses in us a state of hopefulness that everything we are going through today will eventually lead to our good and will bring glory to our God in some way.
Not easy at times but still we need to learn to put our confidence in our God in times of sickness, helplessness, in moments of uncertainty about our future or our children and in situations where we ourselves are unable to find a way out. We had to let it go and let our God handle few situations completely. Our God is faithful; He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with every temptation, He will also provide the way out so that we may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). The secret of our victory is in our faith and patience (“courageous endurance”). How blessed it is indeed if the Lord is our confidence because then He will keep our foot from being caught (Proverbs 3:26). We all know that our God is there to help us, but do we really place our confidence in Him when it is needed? What hinders us from putting our confidence in Him? Let’s have our confidence in God who said “Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be overwhelmed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you” (Isaiah 41:10).
“God is looking for broken men who have judged themselves in the light of the cross of Christ. When He wants anything done, He takes up men who have come to the end of themselves, whose confidence is not in themselves, but in God.” - Harry Ironside
Have a Blessed day with God !!
Have a Blessed day with God !!
