Beyond Remedy!

 

Global news is flooded with catastrophes, natural disasters, riots and man-made threats rendering human devastation beyond remedy. The world seems to run into perpetual chaos shaking everything at its foundation. There is a sense of hopelessness looming despite of relief and rehabilitation work done through Government and religious institutions. Death of family members and loss of job are adding to the woes. We all need God's intervention in this turmoil. Churches are praying for the healing and restoration of the land and God has to show mercy on the entire human race.

Are we able to infer anything from all of this chaos? God is drawing the attention of the entire world towards Him is an undeniable fact. Especially, reminding the Churches to be even more inclined towards His mission. Activities and strategies on reaching the nations are thriving but the actual reaching of the non-Christian world is still comparatively low. With Christendom held up in its own crisis during this time, its focus has stunted to safety zone and the four walls of the Church.

Let us not forget things are moving rapidly to the final culmination. Allow me to reiterate that He is a God of justice and fairness, as His judgement perfectly fits parallel to His divine nature of love. God has not become less gracious or powerless. Things need to culminate. Few Biblical verses which paints the current dreadful scenario are as follows:

“The one who is far off will die by plague; the one who is near will fall by the sword; and the one who remains and is spared will die of famine. In this way I will exhaust my wrath on them." Ezekiel 6:12

“Whoever flees at the sound of panic will fall into a pit, and whoever escapes from the pit will be caught in a trap. For the floodgates on high are opened, and the foundation of the earth are shaken.”. Isaiah 24:18

“It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him. Won’t the day of the Lord be darkness rather than light, even gloom without any brightness in it?” Amos 5:19-20

“What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.” Joel 1:4

We are so used to speaking blessings that sometimes we fail to take heed to the warning messages. All is not well! Each day we are moving closer to the coming of the Lord. Incessant disasters are an alarm of the eleventh hour. I think it is important to accelerate our urgency in the gospel work and sensitize human race.  There are few questions we need to retrospect personally. They are:

>How do we understand a time like this?

>How are we carrying the Mission of God to the Non-Christian world?

>Is our Church really burdened to connect with the Non Christian community? What is the Evangelism growth rate?

>What is satisfying us in a time like this?

>What is hindering us? 

>How are we willing to align our obedience to the Great Commission?

May the Lord prepare us to be effective and faithful workers in His vineyard.!

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Imbalance overlooked seriously!

 

“Why should some hear the Gospel many times over when others have not heard it even once?” Does this question disturb us? This has haunted me often and its glaring truth breaks my heart. Randy Alcorn Founder & Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries in his finding states, "the Church budgets irrespective of where it is located, often designate less than 10 percent of their income to missions. And what’s called “missions” often includes our own country or community.”.  If we all believe the Church is the only hope for the dying world, why then is our energy spent in preserving the members inside the four walls of the Churches than broadening the horizon? It can be observed, today’s Church has become salt and light to itself and not to the world as it was called to be, which left to itself becomes artificial light and self-preservation? The concern highlighted in the book of Hosea is about Israel profiting itself, “Israel is a lush vine; it yields fruit to itself…”. It is a warning that we should refrain from being "self-useful".

Do you know what is the central message in most of the Churches today? Week after week sermons from the pulpit emphasizes on taking care of the family, raising children, enhance family bonding, love their spouses, love their pastors and attend Churches regularly. Where is the message that talks about going out, obedience and engagement to the Great commission? Matthew 19:27, Peter on behalf of the other disciples says, “See we have left everything and followed you…”. The point to note here is that it was a response to the call of Jesus. It was not just a call, “Follow me”, but little more than that.  If you notice in Matthew 16:24-25 Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”. And it comes with a warning in verse 25 “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.”. Following which, Jesus confirms the reward for leaving everything and following Jesus in verse 29, “And everyone who has left houses or brother or sisters or father or mother or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred-time ore and will inherit eternal life.”. Though all the disciples are believed to have taken care of their families well, but we don’t get to read what they did with their families and their loved ones but we are definitely apprised about their commitment to leave everything and take the Gospel throughout the world. Thank God! Thomas came to India in 52 AD and spent twenty years spreading the good news before he died in 72 AD.

We are bombarded time and again that when we come to Christ, He will bless us manifold, everything will be fine and we will start climbing the ladder of success. Sorry to break your bubble! this is not what Jesus said at all.

Some of Christ’s disciples must leave behind their money and possessions to go reach the thousands of unreached people groups of the world. Some of His disciples must stay where they are, reaching out to those around them and living lifestyles that allow them not only to pray for others but also to give generously, to send and support them, and more importantly to share the Gospel in their work spaces and in their community.

We are called to obey His mission. What does it mean? Paul explains Christ mandate beautifully in 1 Corinthians 15:3 “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that was buried that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.”. That means we have no right to keep what we have received. This is the format of the Gospel work. But unfortunately, we are never burdened for the sins of not giving out what we have received. We only want to repeat hearing and repeat teaching about the love of Christ. Let us not forget the central verse of the Bible in John 3:16 “For God so loved that he gave his only begotten son…”. Love resulted to give His son. Let me close with the question again, “Why should some hear the Gospel many times over when others have not heard it even once?”

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Lifestyle Evangelism!

 

Times are such that I cannot but emphasize on Evangelism and our response to the edicts of Christ, i.e., our obedience to Great Commission and Great commandment. It's  imperative that we show our fervor and aggressiveness in taking the Gospel to the world like never before. The world is in such turmoil with the pandemic and it's new variants threatening globally. Though the world leaders are trying out best solutions, the challenges outnumber. Extreme and erratic weather conditions, political unrests, Bio wars are some challenges. In all of these should the priority of the Churches alter? Absolutely not. The focus of the Churches and every Christian should remain the same, i.e., reaching out to the people dying without Christ, more precisely 49 people per minute.

It's an encouraging fact that Churches and Christian Organizations are demonstrating the Love of Christ in action by meeting the physical needs of the poor; thereby, fulfilling the demands of Great Commandment which says, “Love your neighbors as yourselves.” Mark 12:29. But the question remains as to what extent the Gospel is shared with the same enthusiasm? I fully believe social intervention does open doors to present Christ to people, but are the Christians prepared to present it effectively? Krish Dhanam underscores on obeying to His mandate, “If you practice Great Commission and share about Christ you are an irritant, and if you practice Great Commandment and talk about the love of Christ you are interesting, but if you do both Great Commission and Great Commandment together you are irresistible.”.

A lifestyle of Evangelism is when you are not just seen as a believer or a Pastor but one who is able to share His faith in a convincing way that wins a soul for Christ. Many are just a little better than a good Christian but failing to present the Savior to the world. It is observed, many Christians who claim to be His disciples are blissfully ignorant. They try to proclaim a heaven they can’t prove while here on earth. Lee Strobel states, “I’m all for lifestyle evangelism, but I’m also in favor of intentionality, where we seek out opportunities for spiritual conversations and are equipped to explain the gospel and why we believe it”.

Each one of us are under the obligation to present the Gospel. It makes heaven rejoice. The alarming fact is that mathematical calculations of big number does not bring glory to God but on a contrary invites His indignation on us. Luke 15:7 says, “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.”. Intentional sharing of the Gospel takes time and energy in relationship building to induce honest commitment. It is doubtlessly the work of the Holy Spirit, but there are umpteen components that comprises Gospel sharing. This has been addressed in one of my previous blogs, which you can check HERE. It's appalling to observe that big organizations and Churches fall into the temptation of brandishing huge numbers of Gospel shared and people making commitment to Christ assuming heaven will be impressed, disappointingly cheating themselves.

 It is good to note how the Gospel numbers were calculated in the Bible. It was done with stunning accuracy. For example, in the case of people who were fed with seven loaves and few small fish, Matthew records four thousand men ate, besides women and children (Matthew 15:34-37). If it were to be us, we would have calculated big numbers hoping to bring glory to God. Numbers keep exchanged, duplicated, over calculated but heaven is still waiting to rejoice over one sinner making an honest confession and committing to follow Jesus. While Churches and organizations are looking for number of decisions made, Jesus is looking for disciples. We need revival. Let me close with the words of Leonard Ravenhill, "There’s no blueprint to revival. But there’s one thing that’s always there and it’s what the Apostle Paul said: “My little children, for whom I travail in birth.” For what? That you become Evangelists? That you become Missionaries? No! He says: “that CHRIST may be formed in you”!" And after Christ is formed in a person he /she cannot contain himself/herself.

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