Do your Role - Third Sunday after the Epiphany

 

When we look around, the world is so competitive that some people don’t know what they are supposed to do. If a person does something, there will be people around him who try to imitate, just to compete with the other person. If a person starts running / jogging, there will be somebody who tries to do the same thing and to prove himself better that the first person. Same is the case of studying, selecting a job, selecting a branch for higher studies etc.

It happens to the believers who does the will of God. They do things according to the will of God and the ones around them who don’t have an anointing, questions the believers and tries to demotivate them. Same thing happened when Nehemiah came to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, people opposed him. Why people opposed him? They did because according to them, they cant do it, so they don’t want him also to do it. 

The same happens in every believers life. They does things others don’t do. But they will get demotivation and embarrassment from around them. At this time they need to do what Nehemiah did. He told the priest Ezra to bring the book of Law and read it before the people to keep them connected with God. You need to be connected with the word of God every time you need to do something difficult, even  other times. When the world comes against you, the word of God will provide you the faith, hope and belief to stay calm and go ahead (Nehemiah 8)

At the same time, if you are a believer in Christ, you need to accept the fact that everyone are members of a single body. So everyone has their own jobs to do. Your hands take the food and give it to your mouth and the mouth will accept the food. The food gives strength to your body. Same way you need to know that you have a role to play in the body of Christ. You don’t need to Xerox another member’s ministry. You stay close with God and He will provide you the role. As in 1 Corinthians 12, every one is being given the gifts and you need to use if accordingly for the benefit of the body of Christ. 

Stay simple to the calling of God and do it to your best

May The Lord help you to stay close with His word, get motivate from it in the midst of troubles from around, and do the ministry of caring the needy to salvation in the way God speaks to you.

Living for Jesus

 

“You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20)

     When problems surround our life, we believe our God has given up. We may even think of leaving every thing and end our precious life. Most of the people even me have been in these situations. I am taking about the people who suffer from pain from their relatives or from some diseases or some loss in Job or wealth or sudden death etc.

    Sadhu Sunder Singh, a great man of God once told – “Leaving a life for Christ is very easy, but to live a life for Christ is very difficult”. Yes if you want to die for Christ, it is very easy job as terrorists are there to help you out. But in this sinful world where trials and temptations are there, living a life for Christ is very difficult. But in that also, our faithful God leaves us his word – “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” – (Psalm 34:7)

Once a great man told, if you didn’t face any issue the whole day, that means you must be going in a wrong direction. Yes there are problems all around. But as people who trust in God, our comfort is not behind the worldly pleasures, but behind thy word.

Some people when faces with tough situation will go for other options, like seeing an astrologer to see whether their time is going good or not. You see, Astrologers are calculating every thing according to the rotation of Earth and Planets and Moon around the Sun. Their main reason for the calculation depends on the Sun. For them Sun is the center of everything. But my dear brother and sister, the God whom I serve is the creator of this Sun, Moon and all the planets, even the time. In his word, when Joshua prayed to stop the sun and moon for sometimes, God answered his prayer. (Joshua 10:13-14) (2Kings 20: 9-11). NASA computers performing the astronomical calculations have also found that a day is missing (http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-a001.html). So I don’t need to go to an astrologer to see whether my time is bad or where the Sun is, but I will go to my God who made time and the universe. He takes care of me and makes a way for me from no way.

Even in this world when Jesus was there, he had to go through lost of trials, temptations and persecutions. But he was not moved by anything; instead he fasted and prayed to God for everything. When you see his disciples, every body had gone through tough pain and trials in their lives. But they stood faith in the highest one, even to their death. When we have any problems we go and see the men of God, servants of God. They will comfort and console us and council us. Have we ever thought of how their life is? To your information, ask any servant of God personally, and they will tell how much problems they are going through in this world.

Devil is the toughest hard worker in this world. So it will try to defeat a man of God through various situations. They might get problems in family, Job or from any one. But the true servants of God, still in the midst they will keep their faith in God and they will continue their glorifying God with more strength from the Holy Ghost whom they ask.

Yes dear friends, problems will come to our life, but their will be a way to come out of it. Just be in the presence of God alone and pray to God in Christ Jesus name who took all our problems in the cross. Cry to God and he will comfort you with his powerful spirit. Just wait and think how you can with his help overcome the situation. Just think what things you are doing against his will. Stop all and pray to him for the help. Surely he is a merciful God and you will get his mighty help from above. As the psalmist says, “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” (Psalm 42:11).

Now don’t ever think of ending your life because of problems as that is not a solution as you are sinning against your God. Your body and soul belongs to him and you are the temple of his spirit. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit lives in you? If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). When you are God’s temple, remember to keep your self clean even in midst of all your problems.

Let his presence fill you and read thy word and lead a life which pleases God instead of a worldly one. Just trust in him and believe that he will make a way from no where. That is our God. Praise be to him only.

Blogged on March 2010

Confession of St. Peter

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” – Matthew 16: 16

The confession of Jesus’ disciple Peter help you to understand how Peter considered Jesus in his life. If someone tells Christ as his Messiah, it means they considered Him as the deliverer. The Jews at that time was looking for a deliverer to fight for them against the nations and free them. But Peter’s confession is on our spiritual deliverer. He understood Jesus is the Son of God who came to deliver him from the sins.

Jesus replies to him that it is the Holy Spirit who helped Peter to say so. In human understanding it is not possible to digest the supernatural things God does. Human understanding cannot comprehend a virgin giving birth to a baby through the Spirit of God. Same way Human mind cannot accept Christ as the savior of this world. It is revealed only through the Spirit of God.

It doesn’t mean that when you are filled with the Spirit of God, you will say right things and select perfect decisions. The same Peter got casted out by Jesus in Matthew 16 as “Get behind me Satan”. Peter denied Jesus 3 times before His death also. That is life. When a person is filled with the Spirit, it is the Spirit who does everything in that person. Other times, it will be a human effect.

In Acts 2 we see the Holy Spirit anointing upon the Apostles. After that Peter and other apostles got the special power and boldness to preach the gospel to the world, which was not possible before the anointing. So when the Spirit starts working in you, the boldness to go ahead comes in your character and you will walk along the path that Spirit guides.

In Acts 4 we can see Peter and John been jailed. As a result of arrest, Peter was able to preach a Spirit-inspired sermon before the Sanhedrin. The religious rulers could not escape the truth that these men showed a power and understanding far beyond their own strength and ability.

When you are in Christ and when the Spirit guides you, everything you do will be towards the glory of Jesus Christ. You will be guided to preach the salvation to others through your work, daily life and the way you mingle with others. Same way in Acts 4 Peter got the courage to proclaim the Salvation to the religious leaders. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” – Acts 4: 12.

All this starts with a small confession. The confession that you have sinned and Christ came to the world as a Messiah to save your sins and your belief in this Christ. Peter did the same in Matthew 16: 16 and the Spirit of God worked in his life, anointed him and made him a bold person in Jesus.

You may be prosperous, healthy and in good position. But according to the creator you are not valuable because of your sins. You have a choice. You can live like this, or can confess your sins and accept the Messiah who died for your sins. If you confess Jesus as your savior, your name will be written in Heaven and you will be in Christ. You don’t need to let loose all your belongings. You can do much more, but this time by the guidance of Holy Spirit through love and compassion.

May The Lord help you to confess Jesus as Savior and be guided by the Spirit to do Supernatural things in Jesus name 

GIFTS - Second Sunday after the Epiphany

 

In the book of 1 Corinthians 12, Paul mentions about some spiritual gifts that is been given to the body of Christ. It is been given to the members of the body of Christ. If you are a member of a church, you may not receive it. Only way to receive the gifts is that you should be a person who has repented your sins before Jesus and accepted Him as your personal Savior. He died for your sins, and as you have repented and accepted Him, you are a new creation.

When you join a club or a new company, they give welcome gifts to welcome you. Same way, once you are in the family of the body of Christ, God has special spiritual gifts for you. Keep in mind the gifts are not any money of anything to eat. The gift is not between you and another person. No other people are involved in the gift God is going to give you. It’s all between you and Almighty.

Before receiving the gifts, you need to understand that Christ is the head of the body of Christ. We cannot live without head. Our head directs our body into meaningful activity. Christ guides us into all activity (1 Colossians 1: 15-18; Ephesians 1: 22-23; 4: 15-16; 5: 23).

If Christ is the head of the body, believers of Christ are the body. As a believer you are part of the body (Romans 12: 5). Believers from every race, color, land and nations are all part of the same body.

In our human body, if one part or member is not working/ paralysed, it affects the entire body. Similarly every member in Christ’s body is very important to Him. Every member in Christ’s body is a share of that body (1 Corinthians 12: 27). As in our human body each member has a particular function. All members do not have the same use. Every member has his own function.

Each part of our body is different from each other. Same way God made each of us different from anyone else. God made us who we are and placed us where we are for the good of the whole body for His own glory. So being unhappy because our gifts are not the same as another person’s make us judges of God. Our gifts may not seem as important as another’s gifts. Always understand the gifts God has for you are just right for you. Each of us should benefit from the other’s gifts (Romans 12: 5). Our feet carry us to our food. Our hands carry the food to our mouth and our mouth eats it. But the whole body profits.

Gifts received are to be used for the purpose for which they are given (Mathew 10: 8). The purpose is not fulfilled when the believers fail to use the gifts and if they use them selfishly and without love. Faithful use of spiritual gifts brings glory to the giver and blessing to the body (1 Corinthians 4: 2).

May The Spirit of God provide you with the gifts as you live a life with love and peace in Jesus name

Feeling Anger

 Every body is bound with Anger. Every one of us has the courage to tell to others that we have one more personality in us – that is Anger. By telling this to others we think that we have done something very great. By giving this type of statements to others just think… What will we get? Many may say that we will get respect from others. Is this the way to get respect from others?

            Sometimes we get angry because of others. Sometimes our friends or may be our enemies does something against us. We get angry. We even react with that anger. When anger comes into us we think that we can destroy our enemies. How can we destroy our enemies? Is it through anger? We can’t destroy a person with anger. The only way to take revenge to a person is by forgiveness. What ever he does just forgive him or her. At first he won’t change. But gradually he will change.

            There once lived a boy. He was weak in his studies. But he believed in God. Some of his relatives didn’t like him. As he believed in God even though he was weak in his studies, God gave him blessings. The relatives told bad things about him to the people. So people didn’t talk to him. Any way he came to know about the situation. At first he got very angry. But then he went to God and prayed to him, asked him what to do? Suddenly his anger went down and he didn’t react. His relatives didn’t stop. So everyday he will come in the presence of God and what ever he wants to say he will say to God. After being with God he will forgive every thing his relatives had done to him.

            We may ask one thing. What will we get if we forgive others? Let me tell you, this boy who went to God and forgave, he was blessed. People understood that whatever they heard about him was totally wrong. So they liked him and loved him more than in the past. What happened to his relatives? God stopped blessing them. They couldn’t get any thing in life. But what the boy did was that when all bad things were affecting his relatives he went to God and cried for them. God heard his prayer. God blessed his relatives. What happened to him? He was blessed with double measure.

            Friends, this is a true life story. You can also be blessed like the boy. In the Holy Bible God said these words – “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12: 19-21)

            Even God wants us to be a nice person. He doesn’t want us like a man or woman of anger. He wants us to forgive one other and be helpful. In Scriptures God says – “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4: 31, 32)

            Many people make New Year resolutions. Let us make this year’s resolution as to forgive others, doesn’t matter what ever they do. Let us put Jesus Christ in our heart and do what he did – Forgiving others. As God says in the Holy Bible – “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.” (Hebrew 10: 30)

Blogged in January 2003

Fire Baptism - First Sunday after the Epiphany

 “He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” – Luke 3: 16

In the book of Acts 2, we see the birth of Church. When Apostles started the church, they never thought or planned about a ministry in Samaria, even though Jesus told them to do so before ascension. In Luke 9: 51-56 we see Samaritans refusing to welcome Jesus to their village because He was going to Jerusalem to the Temple.

But still why John and Peter went to a follow up in Samaria? Follow-up means someone would have already have a ministry of Jesus in that place. How it happened?

After the filling of Holy Spirit and the birth of Christ, the believers and Apostles stayed in Jerusalem. They never went anywhere else to preach the gospel. In Acts 6, we find some confusion and conflict happening in the church. Here we see Stephen emerging as a leader. When you read Acts 6, we find how good things can come from difficulties. But then what happened, to human was worse. Stephen got killed and what followed was a heavy persecution by a man called Saul. At that time, believers and Apostles fled from Jerusalem. That sent Philip to Samaria and to the Ethiopian official. 

When we see hard things, you might think how tough life is, but God does good things from tough situations. In Acts 1: 8, we see Jesus commanding to His disciples to be His witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth. But after receiving the Holy Spirit, the believers were staying in Jerusalem. God took this persecution to expand the ministry to widen it to Samaria and Judea. Believers feared the persecution and fled to Samaria. Where ever they went, they witnessed Jesus.

That is the power of the Holy Spirit. When a believer is filled with the anointing of God’s Spirit, even if He goes through the toughest time in his life, He will make sure to witness Jesus. He will have the strength and heart to glorify Christ Jesus.

In Luke 3: 16, we see John the Baptist introduction Jesus to people saying, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave us a task to do, to witness Him everywhere. The task is too big. So without the power of God’s Spirit, it is difficult to do. So Jesus gave us the helper, Holy Spirit. If you need the anointing of Spirit, you need Jesus In your life.

It doesn't mean that you know Jesus, but you need to have Jesus in your life. Satan knows Jesus and theology much more than any man. If you need the Spirit’s guidance in your life, Jesus should be in your life.

To have Jesus in your life, first you need to believe in faith that Jesus is the son of God and He came to the earth from heaven to take your punishment for sins. All your sins punishment have been put into His life and He was sacrificed for your sins, to cleanse you from that sin so that you can be sin free. It has already been done before 2000 years. Jesus died on the cross for your sins.

There is one thing you need to do in your life to claim that salvation. You need to repent your sins before Christ Jesus, accept the truth that He took all your punishment and accept Him as your Savior with all your Heart and soul. Its so simple. There is no need to change your religion, or change your government records etc. You are a child of God once you accept Jesus

Once you accept Jesus, try living a life knowing that God is near you and He is seeing everything you do and hearing whatever you speak. Since now, you are a believer, He cares for you more. Live a life pleasing to Him. How will you know what is pleasing to Him? Read and study His Book, the Bible. Get into a place where you can study it, ask someone to help, if needed. Moreover Pray in the name of Jesus. There is no procedure to receive the Holy Spirit, even though some people may tell there is. Continuously pray to be filled, and definitely you will be filled.

May the Sprit of God guide you and help you to receive His anointing and be a powerful witness for Him in Jesus name, Amen.

Mystery - The Epiphany

Mystery means something is hidden until the appropriate time comes for God to reveal it.

God created Adam and Eve, and their generations spread throughout the Earth. But these people became sinners and wicked (Genesis 6:5; Mathew 24:38). God choses Noah as he did everything according to the will of God. His generation multiplied and they also became wicked people who worshipped pagan gods.

So God choses a person called Abraham. He was old and was not having children. But God called him and told him that he is going to have a child and his offspring’s will be like stars in the sky. Abraham believed in God and God counted him as righteous because of his faith (Romans 4:3; Genesis 15:6; Galatians 3:6). Through his wife Sarah, Abraham got a child Isaac and Isaac had two sons through Rebekah – Esau and Jacob. Even though Jacob was a deceiver, at one point of time God called him and changed his name to Israel (Genesis 32:28). So God started blessing the offspring of Israel (Genesis 22:18; Genesis 35). Even though the people of Israel were not obedient to God, He did not leave them.

Through prophets God blessed Israel. In Isaiah 60:1-6, God is prophesying about future glory of Israel. He tells people will come to you with gold. Israel is blessed even today.

In New Testament, Paul tells in Ephesians 3:1-12, the great privileges in the gospel not only belong to Jews, but to the believing gentiles, even though they are not circumcised. He tells it as a Mystery of God. The mystery is that the gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ, by the gospel.

Paul tells in Ephesians 3:9, his business was to make all men see what is the fellowship of mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus. It is a mystery of Christ because it was revealed by him (Acts 26:16-18; Galatians 1:12).

In Old Testament we see Jews as the chosen people. When Jesus Christ came into this world as a child, gentiles came to him as wise men (Mathew 2:1-12). The respect paid to Christ by these gentiles was a happy specimen of what would follow when those who are afar off should be made high by Christ.

Christianity does not begin with “once upon a time”, but starts with Bethlehem in Judea. Jesus is not just another man, but that he was descended from a royal family, and there was a King’s blood in his veins (Mathew 2:6). Wise men, the gentile came to worship and honour a King. They did not come to see a saviour, but a King (Mathew 2:2).

In Psalms 72:1-11, we see certain characteristics of a King. In this Psalm, even though Solomon’s name is mentioned, Christ’s Kingdom is being prophesied. He has the authority which is being given by father and he is a righteous King. All the verse in this Psalm depends on the first verse – “Give righteousness to the King’s son”. In verse 3 we see prosperity as a by-product of righteousness. In verse 8 we see Solomon wants to extend the kingdom whole on Earth, which only Christ can when he comes a second time. In verse 10 and 11, all kings came and bow before him. Even though Solomon failed to go to gentiles, in the new kingdom gentiles will come, through this Mystery of God. Till verse 17 we see how kingdom will be of Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament God held back from the gentiles the secret that they should be heirs and shareholders of the gospel and have admission into the church (his body) on the same terms as the Jewish people (Ephesians 1:10).

Difference here is that gentiles are being chosen by faith in Christ Jesus. We as gentiles don’t want to do any physical method to be the chosen ones like the Jews. We need to do is accept Christ as our King and saviour and believe that he died for our sins ad we are made righteous through his blood. When you believe this in your heart and soul, you are saved and is a new creation in Christ Jesus, and are heirs and shareholders of his body.

All gentiles are being chosen by faith (Romans 15:9,10; Galatians 3:8,9). Once you are chosen, you enjoy the life in the temple of God and are yielded into obedience to him.

We are saved by faith, not of good works. We are saved to do good works.

 

Short Sermon blogged - January 2018