Teacher! Do you not care that we are perishing?

Life schedules series of challenges capable to immerse even the strongest one in order to break every hope someone has on God. One learns to understand that the latest victory he/she had is not the final and the last one. What you hope for becomes a mirage and what you dread becomes more and more a reality. 

The tempest is bellowing and the storms are swaying you all over, you just wish if you can have a breathing space and the Savior notices you and rescues you to safety. Yes, my friend, I understand what you are going through because I go through the same and mine is also very intimidating and life threatening too.

I am clinging on to His promises and quietening my heart in the fact He watches over me. Even if your heart refuses to believe that God will help you, yet force yourself to trust on His sovereignty because no trouble is too tangled for God to untie. No path is too twisted for him to straighten. No heart is too shattered for him to gather up and put back together. Your problems may be agonizing, but your God is tender. Place all your fears and frailty before him, and ask him to quiet you with his love.

 I want to draw your attention on Jesus traveling in the boat along with His disciples, when the storms were fierce and loud. The first reaction while they were battling to keep the boat to sail was questioning God if He was not concerned of their lives. “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”  Mark 4:38 CSB What they failed to understand at that point is God was in the boat too and He was tossing all sides yet sleeping peacefully. How could they forget all the greatest miracles performed by Him and now believe they will sink to death along with Him? We all know the story thereafter, He hushed the storm by saying, ". . Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ". Mark 4:39 KJV.

When the promises of God seem powerless to quiet our fears, soothe our grief, lift our worries, or motivate our obedience, we need to do more than simply hear his promises again. We need to behold the God who gives them. Jesus is just there beside you. Try to come out from all your personal entanglement and focus on the savior.  Jesus does understand. He’s felt every sorrow you have, and he’s walking with you in yours right now. The God who did it so far will do it again. Listen to this beautiful song.

Blessings.

Dare to throw a challenge

“How long will you waver between two opinions? (18:21)

1 Kings 18:20-40

The story of Elijah challenging the king and the Baal worshipers is breathtaking. It is so dramatic that it appeals to our mind and challenges us, time and time again. I am challenged by the fact how could someone dare to try the unusual and demonstrate the power of God standing alone as a protagonist. What an audacity to stand the ground firm and keep bombarding with propositions to challenge their dumbness and infidelity towards the living God. The story is so dynamic and animated that it makes a great sermon, even motivating for children. But I am afraid if anyone today would want to try something closer to show how big God is.

 Magicians and illusionists perform live and are so spontaneous but note, prior to the public show they make a rehearsal in private with all the specifications sketched and drawn in the mind. They are sure of every move while they trick the audience. But in the case of Elijah it was completely different, this is a first time, on the spot, unique act. What makes so special about this whole incident is his daring faith on God, He knew God better than the situations. If you notice in this incident, Elijah made the challenge easier for the people who wouldn't acknowledge the true God but increased the severity of the challenge unimaginably difficult for himself. The water was overflowing all over the altar, the trench was overflowing too. (1 Kings 18:35). After making the situation extremely challenging, he makes a simple, short unselfish Prayer, immediately heaven opens and people see the mighty power and act of God, rest is history which we are all familiar with.

As people of God at the foremost, are we convinced that our God is living and Big enough? And do we possess the required faith that He will never let us down however intimidating the situation can be? Most of the times we are not successful because we give specification to God to makes things happen as per our expectation and that’s the disappointment unfortunately. David Bowden quotes “God is often absent in the ways we desire, but present in the way we most require”. How often we want to hide and go invisible when we are in a plight and in some desperate situation. If we come out victorious we make a public testimony, otherwise we align our perspective based on the situation and continue to remain invisible. Can we ask God to increase our faith in order to live an extraordinary supernatural life? The only successful way to have so is to soak oneself in the word and build an unselfish relationship with God. In Romans 10:17 it says “..faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.”’ NASB. 

His power and acts are timeless. Acknowledge Him with a sincere and honest heart. British preacher Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy used to say, “Faith is not believing in spite of evidence-that’s superstition-but obeying in spite of consequences.”. Having faith does not mean never having doubts or questions. It does mean remaining obedient. The same Elijah after the magnificent performance in Mount Carmel was intimated when Jezebel challenged to kill him the very next day. Elijah ran from there and asked God to take his life, but the Lord did not give up on him. He sent his angel and provided a hot meal to nourish him and then instructed him to resume his journey to 'Horeb' the mountain of God. After every challenges you throw to satan you are likely to be attacked by the evil in order to crush your faith you demonstrated recently. Henry Kissinger quotes "Every success only buys admission ticket to a more difficult problem", but be of good courage, God will not abandon you. God is bigger than all your misfortune, most difficult challenges and unfavorable contexts, just trust on him for a breakthrough each time.

Blessings,

David Raj

How Worship is understood and misunderstood in our times?

Worshiping the Lord is one of the most satisfying gesture expressed unto the Lord. All creation and the highest heaven worship the Lord in reverence. Today we notice worship is skewed to suit the church denomination, taste of people, age group and the style of music. Before I could take this further, I wanted to draw your attention to the first place in the history of Bible where worship is mentioned.

We are familiar with the story of Abraham taking his son Isaac to the land of Moriah in obedience to God's command to offer his son as a sacrifice. And just before Abraham and his son could leave behind the servants and climb up to the mountain in Moriah Abraham asks the servants to leave them for a while, "Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” Genesis 22:5 CSB. Abraham meant sacrifice to worship unto the Lord. Apostle Paul is so precise when he profoundly explains the same concept of worship in the book of Romans 12:1 "Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.".Romans 12:1 CSB.

True worship is one hundred percent commitment of your body, mind and soul. Unfortunately, today worship in most cases is limited to songs, great music and so-called worship leader's emotional status. If you carefully analyze, worship is also confined nowadays to 'feel good factors'. Worshiping silently is criticized and condemned by the charismatic Churches at the same time worship style of charismatic Churches are critically condemned by mainline Churches.

In recent decades, ambient sounds have become omnipresent in church gatherings. Meetings start with a synth swell and every song after that is connected to the next with musical glue. Synth pads play softly behind prayer, Scripture readings, song intros, communion and, in some cases, the preaching. But while music and the Holy Spirit’s presence can be related, they’re not the same thing. That’s why David’s lyre comforted Saul at one point and on another occasion led him to try to pin David to the wall with his spear (1 Sam. 18:10-11). Music is a means. God is the source. God often uses physical means to do his work. But when we start to view a means of grace as a “need” for worship, it can subtly take on the characteristics of a mediator (1 Tim. 2:5).

Harold Best warns, “Christian musicians must be particularly cautious. They can create the impression that God is more present when music is being made than when it is not; that worship is more possible with music than without it; and that God might possibly depend on its presence before appearing.” (p. 153). Let us be careful to balance at the same time worship the Lord in spirit and truth. Listen to the short video by R Stanley which clearly explains what worship is in its true sense and what it is not as mostly understood by us.

Blessings.

70% or more (worldwide) in queue – Do you have the capacity to deliver?

David Geisler & Norman Geisler in their book ‘Conversational Evangelism’ beautifully defined Evangelism this way, “Evangelism is every day and, in every way, helping your non-believing friends to take one step closer to Jesus Christ.”. Apostle Paul in the book to Corinthians writes, “Yet preaching the good news is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! . . . for God has given me this sacred trust.”. (1 Corinthians 9:16-17) NLT. Mind, this obligation is not confined to any particular group of people, we all are responsible. R. Stanley from Blessing Youth Mission emphasizes by saying, ‘Every heart without Christ is a missionary field and every heart with Christ is a missionary force.’. He further challenges by saying, ‘every Non-Christian funeral is the missionary call.’. 

Let me point out couple of hurdles that stand out when we are trying to reach the Non-Christian. 1) Most of the time we are lost in the fellowship of believers that we aren’t thinking to reach out to the Non-Christians. 2) It is seen in many Christians, including senior leaders, in order to reach the people with the gospel they quickly rush in abruptly and witness adverse results. 3) The other crucial area of barrier is when it is seen Christians are only familiar with Christian worldview and completely ignorant of other worldviews and this complicates the whole deal of delivering the gospel effectively. 

“When we are confronted with other world view we do not have adequate resources to equip ourselves because we are in love with this gospel in an emotional way when we also have to be committed in an intellectual way”.” Krish Dhanam. A professor from Oxford University once said ‘The good news is only the good news when people think their lives are bad.' How are we going to address this?

‘We should be careful not to burn our bridges and make the task of another Christian who comes after us more difficult. Rather we should talk to our non believing friends in a way that they actually want to learn more about our faith.”. Conversational Evangelism throws good amount of light by providing different perspective on Evangelism. The book further comments by saying, ‘We may have to till the ground before we have the opportunity to plant a seed. We are not called to bring all persons to Christ but simply to bring Christ to all persons.’.

First, we need to redefine what we mean by evangelism. Most of us have been taught that evangelism is “proclaiming the Good News and inviting others to trust Christ.” Yet, a valuable element is missing in that definition. The missing element is simply that evangelism is a process. The apostle Paul said, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6). You and I may not be able in one conversation to share the entire Gospel with our non believing friends and then invite them to trust Christ. But we may be able to help them take a step closer to the cross with each encounter.

Possible suggestions; You may add more to the list,

*Build relationship with Non-believers in order to deliver the Good News effectively.

*Get to know other worldviews by picking good books or attending seminars.

*Stop using Biblical terminologies while relating with Non-Christian.

*Stop concentrating to write articles and messages for Christian group exclusively. If you have the     gift, start addressing general topics connecting to eternity and address common crowd.

*Do not force people to come to Church. It may disrupt your efforts. (The Bible says “Prepare your   work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.”. Proverbs 24:27)

Blessings.

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religious_populations

Reversing Conscience to Compliance level- Matter of concern

           Compliance level    To   Conscience level;

                    Reversing again

Conscience  level    To   Compliance level

When we go through the old testament, the so many laws (613 laws), system, regulations are so overwhelming and burdensome. It is a sheer grace of God that through His son Jesus Christ we are actually free from the huge burden of laws. Paul when cites in Ephesians 2:15 says like this, “He made this no effect of the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.”.

In Romans 2:15 it says “They show that the essential requirements of the law are written in their hearts; and their conscience [their sense of right and wrong, their moral choices] bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or perhaps defending them”. God has refined and tuned everything to our conscience level. God’s voice is now so powerful with the help of the holy spirit that ignites our conscience to do things that are pleasing to God and do things right. God moved the entire old testament from a compliance to Conscience level, but the Big question is, how much are we accountable in all level?

During the time of Joash when the temple was repaired, the Money and wealth collected was given to those doing the work- and those who oversaw the Lords temple would pay it out to those working on the lords Temple (1kings1: 11-12) There was no confusion, in fact stronger testimony of the people who supervised is cited in 1 Kings 2:15 CSB, “No accounting was required from the men who received the silver to pay those doing the work, since they worked with integrity”.  

How about today? Can this be so true now? We have different committees, task forces, and when it comes to money, there are diversification of interest, sadly in many cases resulting to court cases and litigation. Even Christian make headlines when it comes to property and wealth. The utilization of offerings is another big challenge in most of the Churches. Working with most of the Churches all over India for more than a decade there are sad stories that I witnessed. I wish and pray the leaders are more careful to use the money for the right purpose.

There is definitely a breakdown of systems in terms of utilization of funds in temples, mosques, Churches and in any religions places. Anytime the freedom is not used properly or misused God makes a way out, now It is becoming a forced level of pushing once again to a compliance level. You are going to be monitored seriously. Supreme Court in India orders massive judicial scrutiny of all religious shrines, where Church is included too. 

Your choices are limited hereafter. The Church leaders are responsible to use the resources for all good reason and most importantly to restore and recover the early Church model ensuring that the poverty related issues are addressed effectively.

Check this site: 
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/sc-orders-massive-judicial-scrutiny-of-all-religious-shrines/videoshow/65513061.cms

http://persecutionrelief.org/church-schools-in-india-among-those-that-should-not-exist/