Where are the Couriers and the Carriers?

2 Chronicles 30:10-11 “¹⁰The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them. ¹¹ However, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.”

This is an incident that talks about the urgent call for repentance. Hezekiah whose name means, ‘whom Jehovah has strengthened,’ was the son of Ahaz (2 Kings 18:1). In Verse 3 this is what is testified about him. “He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David has done.”. The history of this king is contained in 2 kings 18:20, Isaiah 36-39 and 2 Chronicles 29-32. He is spoken of as a great and good king. In public life he followed the example of his great-grandfather Uzziah.  He set himself to abolish idolatry from his kingdom, and among other things which he did for this end, he destroyed the “brazen serpent,” which had been removed to Jerusalem and had become an object of idolatrous worship (Numbers21:9).

After the cleansing of the temple and the renewal of temple worship, it is written that King Hezekiah and the officials and the Levites sang praises unto the Lord and worshipped Him. Then in 2 Chronicles 30 we see the King sent word throughout all Israel and Judah to come to the temple in Jerusalem and observe the Passover of the Lord the God of Israel. (2Chro 30:1-3).  In 2 Chronicles 30:6 NLT it says, “At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said: O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings.”. In other version the word ‘couriers’ is mentioned in the place of ‘runners.’. In either sense the urgency of the message is portrayed.

The key verse in 2 Chronicles 30:11 says, “The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them.”. The urgency of the message even today, is muddled in attendance and celebration, devoid of the Mission Christ pronounced to the Church. The mission, which is the call for repentance, is intended to be taken swiftly because it comes along with the judgement too. The same urgency the runners displayed during the time of King Hezekiah needs to be replicated today, even more because it is Christ’s mandate, which is the Great Commission. But sadly, repeatedly it is lost in the decorum of the Church programs and weekly attendance. Today’s Churches demand peoples’ commitment in so many other forms and in the areas which have nothing to do with His mission at all.

It is said about the runners in the above verse that most of the people just laughed and made fun of them. The Church goers are only expected to attend week after week, without a need to make a commitment to be a courier or carriers of the gospel. All that is expected of them is to form the Sunday crowd, pay their offering and money to the Churches to feel good and important. For most of the believers it is just too difficult to come from the comfort zone. They are made to stay inside, procreate, and fill the Churches. Can we prepare the Church members to be the couriers and carriers of the Gospel?

Let us not forget, you and I are runners, announcing the good news of forgiveness! Some will listen, ponder it, and receive it. And some will laugh at us and mock us. But it’s okay. We aren’t the first to be laughed at, scorned, or jailed for our faith.  Today, people in many nations are suffering in jail for announcing their faith. Many are beaten, hungry and destitute. They would gladly do it again for Jesus! They don’t live for applause of men. It is recorded that some religious rulers mocked Jesus. (Matt 27:41) And some laughed at Paul. (Acts 17:32) So even if people laugh at you, will you be a faithful runner sharing your faith-story?

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Surprises or Shock ahead-Watch out!

 

As Christians our familiarity with the nature of God - His goodness, kindness, gentleness and most importantly the blessings are something we don't want to miss. Our God is a God of surprises. Yes, He does always surprise us. Especially, when we go through a bad phase or rough patches, His divine intervention, and provisions at the point of our need, when we least expect, surprises and overwhelms us.

Jesus constantly assured that all who come to Him are never disappointed. The words of Jesus as recorded in the Bible as, "...all those who come to me I will never cast out." John 6:37. What an assurance?

There is also another side of Jesus, where He warns as through His parables and teachings that He would surprise many by calling a large group as strangers. The large group includes people who claim to be Christians, Pastors, prophets, people with gifts of healing and celebrities of Christendom. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly keep ourselves in check so that we are not disappointed at the end. The end can be devastating for people who have lived their life full of lies. This verse is worth pondering over. "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it like this. But what will you do at the end of it?”, Jeremiah 5:31 CSB.

The parable of ten virgins is the best example through which He warned us. In the parable, the five foolish virgins were remarkably similar to the wise. They were prepared to meet the bridegroom, initially their flames did burn for a period of time, they were impacted by the delay of the bridegroom and both the foolish and the wise were tired and slept - "when the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep." Matthew 25:5 CSB.

The five virgins who are tagged as foolish virgins were so close to meeting the bridegroom yet missed the chance forever. The parable narrates when the bridegroom took away the five wise virgins, He shut the door to the foolish five despite of their pleas to be let in. But the sad part is the bridegroom failed to recognize them. “He replied, ‘Truly I tell you; I don’t know you!’  Matthew 25:12 CSB. They just became strangers to Him. That’s the biggest shock of their lives. What a pity?

The same scenario will happen to the spiritual giants which we see in Matt 7 21-23 where the prominent people who influenced so many will become strangers to our Lord Christ Jesus. Let me quote v 22 'On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ The response becomes the greatest surprise for all. It says, "Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’ Matthew 7:23 CSB. Our Lord would fail to recognize and in addition condemn such people vehemently as lawbreakers. Many are going to be shocked to know after death, that this will be the case if they continue to use Christ for their personal benefit.  We don't live with a Christian brand to make it. Don't take His goodness for granted.

Ponder the following questions in the light of His word: These questions will refine our perspective and give clarity to our life lived here on earth.

• Who are we in Him?
• What have we secured for Him?
• What have we secured for us?
• What are we trying to build?
• Why are we doing what we are doing?

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Be a Crazy Sower!

 

We are all familiar with the “parable of the Sower” (Matthew 13:1-9). I have heard all my life this parable coming in so many different forms and ways. The specialty of this parable is to know that Jesus took time to explain the whole parable second time to the disciples. This came in allegorical form as well us in a lay man language.  The highlight of this parable is to know that though the seeds were sown, yet all did not yield growth due to various interceptor and infiltration.

There are so many factors that probably draw the attention of the reader. Factors like where the seed fell, the factors that choked the growth, description of variable outcome and even more. But here I wish to direct all your attention to the Sower. Curtis Mitchell once shared about the Parable of the Sower emphasized on this, which said, “Don’t be a soil inspector, be a crazy Sower.” The highlight of the parable is not the spiritualization of the parable itself but the focus on the Sower, the crazy Sower who went about sowing irrespective of the ground realities. The Sower was least bothered about the quality of the field level. He sowed in almost all places.

Are you a crazy Sower? Or, are your other priorities have robbed you from the prime Job that you are called for, i.e., Sowing? Today, many instead of Sowing are busy only praying for the soul and getting involved in all the spiritual activities without actually going out to Sow. If you notice the life of Jesus you will notice He did spend lots of time in prayer which included praying all night in preparation to go out during the day to for all the activities that would primarily focus on preaching the good news in a Holistic approach (Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:35-36; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12-13; Matt:11:25-26; John 6:1; Matt 14:23; Mark 7:31-37; Matt 7:31-37; Matt 15:36; Luke 9:18). He did not pray all night and then go to sleep during the day. Today many who say they are busy praying so much day and night miss the most important part, Sowing. Even if the sowing had to happen it happened within the four walls of the Church building, but rarely among the larger community, the Non-Christians.

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is a remarkable one.  In 17:9, the prayer says, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours,” is a confidence for all of us. But it does not end there. In Verse 18  Jesus acknowledges his obedience to the mission that was given to Him and the passing of the mission. “As You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”.  And Paul exactly followed the same when he said in 1 Corinthians 15:3, “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received…” What is happening in Sowing? The gospel is sowed in all places. In an agricultural field there is a framework, a boundary. You don’t sow outside the boundary because it will contradict the law of agriculture. But while sowing the word, the living word which is the gospel there are no framework. You just have to have one qualification, i.e., to be a crazy Sower. Are you so long overlooking the parable of the Sower to different components mentioned in parable? It is time that we all come together and teach the people, motivate the people, inspire the people, revolutionize the people to be a Crazy Sower. Do not forget this fact which says, every minute 49 people are dying without knowing who Christ is. We are responsible. We have no other job than to sow. Keep sowing, Be a cray Sower. 

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