Message for our Age

What’s Wrong in Watching Pornography Without Hurting Others? - [Part 1]

2013-05-18T03:41:00.001-07:00

Some folks say, “What’s wrong in watching porn when it is simply a matter of sight and mental act without causing any hurt to others? Thoughts are fine as long as they do not turn into actions. Don’t I have the right to do what I do in my private life?”

Well, even when you watch porn secretly without any intention of causing physical hurt to others, I still believe it is sinful and destructive. Let me give three reasons for my conviction. If you ponder over my reasons, you would also agree with me.

1. What You Watch and Imagine Speaks About Who You Are

Think about this—if someone says this to you about your wife or girl friend, “I neither touch your woman nor do any harm to her. I just entertain sexual fantasies with your girl. I just keep this to myself for my entertainment. I promise that I will in no way hurt her.”

Or, what if he says to you—“I am addicted to watching porn. I love seeing the nakedness of other women. I cherish sexual fantasies. I do what all I can in my imagination. I simply do this for my personal enjoyment. I have no intention to hurt anyone.”

Now, honestly speaking, would you be comfortable with your woman in the presence of that person? Would you allow him to talk to your wife or girl friend, even to your sister, at ease, although what he does is just in sight and mind but not in action?

Why not?

You see, a person who entertains unhealthy thoughts in his mind and secretly relishes watching the nakedness of other women speaks a lot about his character. A man defines himself by what he thinks, by what he does in secret, without necessarily manifesting in action.

Why?

Because man is made of mind, soul and body. When something is cherished in the mind, it is a part of us which reveals who we are and what attitude we have. Our thoughts are not different from us. Mind is a testimony of our character.

Now you may not be a serial killer or a rapist, but when you watch nude women and imagine of them secretly, it shows what kind of a person you are and what character you possess.

Remember, it is not just about whether you hurt others; it is about who you are.

Think about pride, envy, bitterness, greed and hatred. If you give careful thought to these vices, you realize that they are not necessarily actions. They can be manifested in action but they are actually evil attitudes and thoughts.

If someone says to you, “I don’t kill you, but I hate you bitterly,” would you still enjoy living with that person, since he is not doing any harm to you?

You can’t.

Why?

Without doing any physical harm in action, because of his bitter thoughts against you, he is still saying to you, “I hate you.” Likewise, without necessarily sleeping with other women or molesting others, the one who watches porn secretly, still says, “I love having sex with different women.”

Are you able to see what a person thinks is equally important to what he does? Our public life may give false impression about ourself, but our private life speaks a lot of who we actually are.

Eventually, it is not about hurting others, which is important. First and foremost, it is about who am I, which is revealed through what I think and cherish in secret.

Let me ask you a question—if what we watch in secret, if what we think and entertain in mind, make sound the way our words do or manifest the way our actions do, do we still secretly watch those things and entertain them in our mind?

We would not.

Why?

Because of what people think about us. More precisely, because of what people think about who we are.

You see, our secret watching and thinking and fantasizing, reveals much about our character. For this reason, the Holy Scripture says, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is” (Pro. 23:7).

So what are you defining about yourself by watching porn in secret?

2. What You Watch and Imagine Speaks About Your Commitment

Our attitude toward sex speaks much about our commitment to our spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend. When you say to someone, “I love you,” you are also saying, “I am committed to you.” Of course, this is not how the modern generation perceives about love. Today’s men and women seem to have no commitment attached to their so-called love.

Nevertheless, love is commitment. And commitment is a matter of attitude. It begins with a resolution in mind.

Do you know—what you watch and do in secret demonstrates your commitment? Your private life is a great testimony of your commitment to your spouse or girlfriend.

When you mentally flirt with naked pictures and videos, fantasizing those things in mind, how can a woman believe that you are committed to her? When you secretly watch nude women, how can you be a committed person to the one you claim to love? Don’t you see yourself as a hypocrite? Don’t you lack commitment which is a great sign of true love?

Sadly, our society today lacks strong men who are courageous enough to stay committed to a woman in thought and action.

Which woman likes a man who says, “I love you very much in action, but in my mind, I sexually fantasize about many women and secretly watch several nude pictures and videos; however, I don’t have anything to do with them in action.”

Will not a woman still feel betrayed by such a man?

Betrayal speaks about lack of trustworthiness and commitment. It speaks about treacherous attitude. It speaks about being nice before your loved one and doing something nasty behind her.

Don’t you think watching pornography is a betrayal to the one you claim to love?

I have read many women expressing how they get deeply hurt or feel betrayed when their husbands or boyfriends watch porn. They feel themselves no more than a mere sexual object. They find themselves secondary to porn stars. They don’t really feel loved by their men.

Now you may feel justified watching porn in secret, for you may think you are not a rapist or a sexual molester. You may feel good about what you do because you think you are not hurting others. But, you know, hurt is not just physical; it is also emotional.

You may think of not causing physical hurt to anyone, but are you not hurting others emotionally by watching porn in secret, particularly your wife or girlfriend or parents or children or other dear ones? They may not yet know what you do in secret. And if they do know and yet have no problem with what you do in secret, then they do not care about who you are, your love relationship and commitment to them (sadly, there are some weird folks like this).

Furthermore, when you watch porn pictures and videos, you are not just seeing it; you are also engaging yourself in it. Sex is such an immense pleasure and powerful act that you cannot watch it without imagining yourself being a part of it. You are mentally committing yourself to become one with the women you are watching.

For this reason, the Lord Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:27-28).

So what are you revealing about your commitment by watching porn in secret?

[Part 2 - To Be Continued Next Week.....]

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When Can We Truly Love One Another? [Part 2]

2013-04-23T22:14:00.001-07:00

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Motivation of Christ’s Love to Love One Another

Christ said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” The second thought I would like to dwell upon is this—Christ’s love for us is the true and pure motivation for us to love another.

We can never truly love others if we love them because they are good and nice with us. We can never truly love others if we love them because they love us. We can never truly love others if we love them for our own security and satisfaction.

He who loves others because he receives love from them cannot love them for a long time, for when he stops receiving love from others he stops loving them.

We can truly love others when our love for others is motivated by God’s love for us. We can do more for others when we know how Christ loved us more than anyone could ever love us.

The love of Christ is our only motivation to love selflessly, joyfully and patiently.

That is why the Scripture says, “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful” (Matt. 5:48). Those who taste the mercy of God are motivated to show mercy to others.

The mercy of our heavenly Father is the motivation for us to show mercy to others.

That is why the Scripture says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). Those who know God’s abundant forgiveness for the great sins we have committed against Him are motivated to kindly forgive others.

The forgiveness of the Father is the motivation for us to forgive others.

That is why the Scripture says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Phi. 2:4-5). Those who understand how much Christ is concerned for us and gave up His glorious privileges for our eternal welfare—they are motivated to have concern for the welfare of others by denying self.

Christ’s sacrificial service to us is the motivation for us to selflessly serve others.

That is why the Scripture says, “Love each other as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12). Those who experience Christ’s love for us are motivated to love one another.

Do we understand now how Paul could write these words, "For Christ's love compels us"? (2 Cor. 5:14) The great motivation we have to love and serve one another is Christ’s love for us.

If not for His love, we have no reason to love one another. After all, why should we love one another when we the sinful and selfish creatures often seek our own advantage and hurt each other to get our own way?

Mark these words—we find no reason to love each other, for there is no good in us. The only reason we find to love one another is that Christ, who is all good, loves evil people like us and conforms us to His goodness.

Therefore, in view of God's love for us, let us not be disappointed to love one another because God is not disappointed to love us. Let us not fear to take risk to love each other because God took risk in loving us.

Let us not give up on loving one another, because God doesn’t give up on loving us. Let us not be apprehensive to love each other because of weaknesses, for God loves us in spite of our imperfections.

How good, beneficial and inspiring it is to keep the love of Christ always before us in loving one another! Christ Jesus is our tremendous inspiration to obey His command—love one other.

So, when can we truly love each other? When we find our continuous satisfaction in Christ’s love, when we unceasingly see Christ’s love as our motivation, only then would we be able to truly love one another. [Click here to go to Part 1 of this article] | 2 of 2

Related Articles:

Did the Lord Jesus Command to Love Oneself?

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When Can We Truly Love One Another? [Part 1]

2013-04-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

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Note: This article is divided into two parts. I request the readers to study this material in its entirety in order to get a proper overview of my presentation.

We all know—it is easy and natural to love money, comforts, cars, possessions, ourself, even animals, but to love one another is the most difficult act to do.

We are aware that loving others involves risk. We may have to experience hurt and ungratefulness. We may have to face conflicts. We may have to make personal sacrifice.

However painful, we cannot excuse ourselves from our obedience to God’s word which commands us to love one another. Of course, we may not love every person in the world, but we are called to love those to whom God connects us, particularly as a local church.

How can we love each other when it seems almost beyond our ability to do so?

The answer to our bewilderment lies in John 13:34, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” From this Christ’s command to His disciples, there are two things we observe about how it is possible to love one another.

Satisfaction in Christ's Love for Us

Let me dwell on the first thought. Christ said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” To love one another we need to first understand the fact of Christ’s unconditional and infinite love for us.

We can only love each other when we are completely satisfied in Christ’s love for us. We cannot love one another, which require self-sacrifice on our part, if we do not find satisfaction in Christ’s sacrificial love for us.

How is it possible to love one another? Because of Christ Jesus who manifested His love for us on the cross to save us from sin unto Himself, thus inviting us to find salvation and satisfaction in Him. When our inner emptiness, longing and dissatisfaction finds its fulfillment in the love of Christ, we would in a position to selflessly love others.

Many of us confess with our mouth “God loves me so much”, but deep in our hearts we still feel unloved and expect love from selfish creatures. What can a selfish person give to another selfish person? It is in vain to expect love from people who themselves are craving for love.

Of course, God does show us His love through His children. But we need to know that they cannot love to the fullest—infinitely and flawlessly. Only in Christ Jesus, particularly on the cross, God manifested His infinite love for us. People's love is only but a shadow. For this reason, he who focuses on getting love from others is disappointed to love them, for no human being can absolutely satisfy the heart which is in the poverty of love.

To gratify his longing heart, the one who seeks love from others remains discontented and disgruntled, and thus cannot be in a position to give and share love with others. Is it any wonder why so many families, friendships and fellowships are broken because of seeking love from each other with a dissatisfied heart?

In my years of studying the Holy Bible, I didn’t find a single exhortation in the Scripture that encourages us to seek love from each other. Yet our human tendency is to use Scripture as a ladder to get what we want from others than view it as an altar on which we lay our lives and selflessly serve others.

Take note of this—we are only commanded to love one another.

And the Scripture is bold enough to exhort us to love another because Christ is the fountain of love in whom we quench the thirst of our lonely and restless heart, thereby becoming a channel of love to others.

No matter how much love we may receive from people, even from each other, we need to enjoy their affection by finding our heart’s satisfaction in Christ alone. Or else, if we start idolizing people’s love for us, we will not only put more emotional pressure on them to love us, but also get disappointed to love them when they don't satisfy our deepest and continuous longing for love.

Remember, people’s hearts are broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Only in Christ we find the spring of living water (Jer. 2:13). For this reason, we need to understand the love of Christ. We need to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Eph. 1:18-19).

Since our heart continuously seeks love, only the infinite love of Christ is lavish enough to satisfy our insatiable hunger for love and affection.

Never think, "Nobody loves me." Even if the whole world loves you it is still but a drop in the ocean of Christ's infinite love for you.

Therefore, as we find the love we have been seeking in Christ, let us share our love with one another out of our overflowing joy and satisfaction in God. [Click here to go to Part 2 of this article...] | 1 of 2

How Does God Teach Us Humility?

2013-04-05T19:21:00.002-07:00

Centuries of years ago, there lived a great king. His kingdom was prosperous. He became a strong conqueror and his name was renowned all over the world. But as you may know, there is one evil which is always tarrying and lingering over the top. Whenever a man rises to greatness, there is an itch to scratch one’s majesty. Pride follows greatness and precedes fall.

One day as this king was walking on the roof of his royal palace, looking at his kingdom, he bragged, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" As soon as he entertained pride, "he was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird."

At the end of that time, as it was prophesized, the king was humbled by afflictions, realizing and acknowledging the King of heaven, who alone is worthy to be praised and glorified. Eventually giving glory to God, the king said, “Those who walk in pride He is able to humble.”

This is a humbling story of King Nebuchadnezzar recorded in Daniel 4:1-37.

God’s Ways of Teaching Humility

We all have a great lesson to learn from King Nebuchadnezzar. Why? Because we all are inhabited by pride and conceit. If anyone has doubts about this, isn’t this itself a great evidence of resident pride?

How did God humble King Nebuchadnezzar? God taught humility by taking him through humiliation. He taught meekness by taking him through weakness. He taught lowliness of spirit by taking him through distressful situations.

There is something worth observing here—God did not directly produce humility in King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart. He took him through sorrow and pain through which He humbled the king before His majesty.

Did you ever pray to God to keep you humble and meek? We expect God to answer our prayer for humility by directly conforming out attitude to meekness. But this is not how God generally works in us.

To produce this great virtue of humility, God often takes us through great afflictions. He lets hardened people to give us hard times. He permits despairing situations. Recalling God’s good work in humbling his heart, C.H. Spurgeon writes:

I am always very grateful for the rough treatment I received in my earlier days from all sorts of people. The moment I did any good thing at all, they were at me like a pack of hounds. I did not have time to sit down and boast of what I had done, for they were raving and roaring at me continually. If I had been picked up all of a sudden and placed where I am now, it is likely that I would have gone down again just as quickly. (The Soul Winner, pg. 49)

God’s Chiseling Tools

Do you want to know the chiseling tools God uses to carve humility within us? Here they are—insults, humiliation, offense, rejection, mistreatment, accusation, injustice, pain, oppression, failure…etc. These are the tools God uses in the workshop of conforming people to meekness.

How often have we prayed to God to humble us but abruptly and vehemently reacted to some difficult person or to some troubling situation which may be God’s messengers to answer our prayer to teach us humility!

O, many of us are still disfigured in Christian character because of our resistance to God’s tools in shaping us into a man and woman He wants us to be! I am convicted of manifesting such foolish and obstinate behavior many times. But those who persevere under adversity are beautifully carved out by the Holy Spirit, grandly reflecting God’s sublime virtues.

If we want to be humble in life, may we heed well the counsel of Andrew Murray:

Place yourself before God in your utter helplessness. Consent heartily to the fact of your weakness to slay or make yourself alive. Sink down into your own nothingness, in the spirit of meek and patient and trustful surrender to God. Accept every humiliation, look upon every fellow-man who tries or vexes you, as a means of grace to humble you. Use every opportunity of humbling yourself before your fellow-men as a help to remain humble before God. (Humility, pg. 76)

Remember, God does not bypass adversity to produce humility within us. We have to let ourself to be deeply hurt if we expect God to produce deep humility in us. No one can learn humility if he is reluctant to face adversity.

All those who have attempted to bypass God’s ways of learning humility and hurriedly climbed over the top through self-effort—they had to learn hard lessons after the fall. Better to learn before the climb than to learn after the fall.

Let us allow God to thoroughly refine us in the flames of affliction and humiliation, for we would not only shine brightly in His virtues but may also remain steadfast in them as we progress in life. Glory be to the Most High God who is able to humble us, the proud!

Related Articles:

Good But Not Humble
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What I Believe About Speaking in Tongues - Part 1

2013-02-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

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Note: This article is divided into two parts. I request the readers to study this material in its entirety in order to get a proper overview of my presentation.

Speaking in tongues is one of the hot topics about which many have differing views. I suppose these differences may continue until we all meet in heaven. Nevertheless, in the meantime, we do have, or perhaps seeking, some kind of conviction on this issue.

Of late I have been asked by individuals from various backgrounds about my belief regarding speaking in tongues. I resolved to put my thoughts in writing so as to clearly share my convictions.

I am not a cessationist who believes that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit were ceased with the end of the apostolic age. I am a continuist who believes that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit are still in operation today. I comply with Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones comment, “I think it is quite without scriptural warrant to say that all these gifts ended with the apostles or the Apostolic Era. I believe there have been undoubted miracles since then.” [David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981, pg. 786.]

Since this post is on speaking in tongues, I would like to confine my sharing to this subject. Let us first see what speaking in ‘tongues’ (glossolalia) is. Wayne Grudem defines, “Speaking in tongues is prayer or praise in syllables not understood by the speaker” [Systematic Theology, pg. 1070].

With this in mind, let me classify my thoughts into two sections, What I Believe and What I Don’t Believe.

What I Believe

I believe that speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit, uttering words as the Spirit enables. (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 12:10-11; 14:2) It is not something self-fabricated, but Spirit-given. Of course, there are those who speak in tongues by cooking something up or by trying to emulate others. However, genuine speaking in tongues is not something mentally made up or superficially mimicked; it is God-given and Spirit-enabled. They are words of prayer or praise expressed to God. (1 Cor. 14:2, 14-17, 28; Acts 2:11)

I believe that tongues are given for self-edification. This is one of the God-given gifts through which a person who speaks edifies himself. As an individual offers prayers or praises to God in mysterious languages, his spirit is consequently built up. This seems to be the only gift in the gifts of the Holy Spirit which God has especially given for self-edification. Paul writes, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church” (1 Cor. 14:14).

I believe that there are various kinds of tongues. Paul writes, “…to another speaking in different kinds of tongues” (1 Cor. 12:10). From these different kinds of tongues, some are comprehensible and some are incomprehensible.

Taking the incident of Acts 2, there are people who conclude that “tongues” spoken by the early church were only human languages which others knew except by the speaker (2:11). However, Acts 2 is the only incident wherein it is explicitly narrated that the tongues spoken by the disciples were in foreign, human languages.

It is good to turn to 1 Corinthians 14, which is a didactic epistle, giving a bigger picture on the aspect of speaking in tongues. Paul makes it clear, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit” (1 Cor. 14:2). Besides, if tongues-speaking is only a human language, does it make any sense in having the gift of interpretation of tongues? (1 Cor. 12:10) So, I believe, the gift of speaking in tongues consists both of comprehensible and incomprehensible languages.

I believe that speaking in tongues is something to be generally exercised in private. Paul writes, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Cor. 14:18). Paul spoke in tongues more than all of Corinthians. Where? In private. But in the church, he chose rather to speak that which people comprehended than in many tongues which they don’t understand.

I believe that speaking in tongues will continue to exist until the return of Christ Jesus. Paul did say, “…where there are tongues, they will be stilled [ceased]…” (1 Cor. 13:8). But he did not specify when these gifts will cease. The phrase, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face” (13:13) probably refers to the return of Christ when we see Him face to face. And I believe this gift will last until that day. [Wayne Grudem deals extensively on this view in his exceptional book Systematic Theology, pg. 1031-1038]

John Piper puts it well:

Both of these phrases ("seeing face to face" and "understanding as we have been understood")...refer to our experience at the second coming of Jesus. Then "we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). The phrase "face to face" in the Greek Old Testament refers to seeing God personally (Genesis 32:30; Judges 6:22)...This means that verse 10 can be paraphrased, "When Christ returns, the imperfect will pass away. And since "the imperfect" refers to spiritual gifts like prophecy and knowledge and tongues, we may paraphrase further, "When Christ returns, then prophecy and knowledge and tongues will pass away." [Signs and Wonders: Then and Now, see the end note "Related Articles" to read the complete article of Piper on this topic]

To claim that “when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears” (13:10) speaks of the completion of the New Testament canon seems foreign to the text. To those who believe so, Dr. Martyn Llyod-Jones raises a good point: “It means that you and I, who have the Scriptures open before us, know much more than the apostle Paul of God's truth.... It means that we are altogether superior... even to the apostles themselves, including the apostle Paul! It means that we are now in a position in which... 'we know, even as also we are known' by God... indeed, there is only one word to describe such a view, it is nonsense." [Prove All Things, pg. 32-33] [Click here to go to Part 2 of this article...] | 1 of 2

What I Believe About Speaking in Tongues - Part 2

2013-02-10T06:26:00.002-08:00

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What I Don’t Believe

I don’t believe that everyone can or should speak in tongues. In 1 Cor. 12:30, Paul asked a rhetorical question, “Do all speak in tongues?” The answer is obviously no.

I don’t believe that speaking in tongues is a certain sign of spiritual maturity. And I do not also believe that those who speak in tongues are more spiritual than those who don't. Paul wrote, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). So it is possible for a person to speak in tongues and yet live an immature life, for he or she has not built her life on the greater gift, which is love.

Take note of this—speaking in tongues is a gift of the Spirit, not the fruit of Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Gift is something that speaks about ability and fruit about one’s character. And character is always greater than abilities.

I don’t believe that speaking in tongues is the only sign of a Spirit-filled life. When Paul exhorted the Ephesians to “be filled with the Spirit” there is no allusion to speaking in tongues in the text (Eph. 5:18). Moreover, when Paul implied not all speak in tongues (1 Cor. 12:30) and if speaking in tongues is the only sign of a Spirit-filled life, was Paul expecting only few to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Certainly not!

Paul expected every believer to live a Spirit-filled life and speaking in tongues is not a necessary sign of it. There were great Spirit-filled preachers who shook the world in the past, like John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon and D.L. Moody, but there is no reliable evidence of them having ever spoken in tongues.

I don’t believe that speaking in tongues is the goal of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The goal of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit is to witness effectively the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Further, what does it say in Acts 4:31? It is written, “When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke the word of God boldly.” Effective witness, not tongues-speaking, is the goal of receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. Tongues-speaking can be a byproduct, which not all can speak, but all can be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and live as a mighty witness of Christ Jesus.

I don’t believe that speaking in tongues should be exercised in public, unless there is an interpretation. Paul clearly instructed, "If anyone speaks in a tongue, two--or at the most three--should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God" (14:27-28).

In 1 Corinthians 14, one primary concern of Paul was to teach people that speaking in tongues will not edify the church, unless there is an interpretation (14:2-19). Speaking in tongues is predominantly for self-edification and should be exercised in private. To do so publicly causes confusion, disorder, even contributing to making it a mockery, unless what is spoken is something comprehensible or interpreted to others.

I don’t believe that praying in the Spirit or the Holy Spirit interceding for us, mentioned in Romans 8:26-27, Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 20, teaches about speaking in tongues. One may speak in tongues when he prays in the Spirit but praying in the Spirit is not necessarily speaking in tongues. I don’t see any notion of speaking in tongues, whether explicitly or implicitly, in these three Scriptures. I believe they speak of general prayer which is led and enabled by the Holy Spirit which in fact results in praying fervently according to God’s will.

Final Words

This blog post is not an essay about my defense on the gift of speaking in tongues; this is just a brief presentation of my convictions. There are many sound books and scholarly articles that are available these days in defense of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Interested readers may study them for their personal benefit.

To be honest, I have no intention to persuade others who strongly differ with me. We are free to disagree on non-central issues. In matters like this, it is always good to heed Paul’s instruction, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Rom. 15:7).

Finally, some think that it is those who are naïve and simply emotional, the experienced-based and not theologically sound, that believe in the current operation of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let me tell you that there are many good theologians and bible scholars, from various denominational backgrounds, who are continuists, believing that miraculous gifts are still in function today. Some of them are mentioned below:

Dr. J. P. Moreland (Christian Apologist and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology)
Dr. Wayne A. Grudem (Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary, and General Editor for the 2.1 million-word ESV Study Bible)
Dr. Sam Storms (Associate Professor of Theology at Wheaton College)
Dr. John Piper (Associate Pastor for Preaching and Vision of Bethlehem Baptist Church and Founder of Desiring God)
Dr. Gordon D. Fee (Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Regent College)
Dr. Eugene Peterson (Former Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College and translator of the well-known Bible The Message)
Dr. Jack Deere (Former faculty member of Dallas Theological Seminary teaching Hebrew and books of the Bible in Hebrew)
Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981, Welsh Protestant minister and an expository preacher and pastor at Westminster Chapel for almost 30 years)
Dr. R. T. Kendall (Former Pastor of Westminster Chapel, succeeding Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones pastoral ministry, and author of more than 50 books)
Dr. Max Turner (Professor Emeritus of New Testament, co-author of Linguistics and Biblical Interpretation)
Dr. David R. Willis (Founder of Trinity Christian College and my first spiritual mentor)

[Click here to go to Part 1 of this article] | 2 of 2

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cstephendavid@gmail.com (or) messageforourage@gmail.com

Becoming Like Child: Learning Forgiveness

2013-02-03T22:55:00.000-08:00

My lovely kids - Joe and Joy

My youngest son, Joe, covered his nose with his left hand and came towards me, crying and full of tears. It was a minor injury with few drops of blood flowing from the edge of his nose. I instinctively thought it was my eldest son, Joy, who caused this trouble.

What a fool I was, without asking questions and finding out reasons, I abruptly slapped Joy. He fell on sofa, weeping profusely and pleading for his innocence.

I believe in spanking with self-control when disciplining children. However, at that moment, I, a foolish man, lost my reason and temper and inappropriately slapped him.

Later, I realized that Joy had no part in Joe’s injury. It was Joe who ran carelessly, hit the cot and injured himself. I felt sad for Joy. I cursed myself for my foolish behavior. I was angry at myself and just sat like a statue for a while.

After sometime, Joy started to speak to me as if nothing had happened. He was cool and nice. I was amazed at his behavior.

If I was in his place and receive that hurt at my age, I might have become mad. I might have stopped talking for days, even months. My heart might have been filled with bitterness and unforgiveness. I might never have forgotten that hurt in my life. It might have been difficult for me to forgive even after pleading for forgiveness.

But look at this child. I didn’t ask apology. I didn't try to appease him. Yet, he simply ignored what had happened and started talking to me. He treated me with respect in spite of the hurt that I gave him. I was humbled by his forgiveness. With shame and guilt, I apologized to him and asked him to forgive me.

When I saw my child’s attitude, I prayed to God to have a heart like his.

What a lovely heart it is which has a spirit of forgiveness! A heart that forgives finds quick healing when it is wounded. It even has plentiful hope to give to a despairing world. But O, how unforgiveness robs all joy and hope in relationships!

We all know how difficult it is to forgive someone who hurt us deeply. But look at a child when he is offended—he simply forgives and forgets. He neither takes things too personally nor does he brood over the past hurts. The hurt on his heart is like mist in the morning—it simply evaporates.

I agree that a child’s heart is not completely immune from evil. There is much envy and selfishness inside of him. However, when it comes to forgiveness, we have to become humble students and learn from them, for they are masters in teaching us forgiveness. O, how I desperately wish to become like my children in regard to forgiving others.

Well, I understand, as children grow older, it would be painful for them to forgive others. We all grew up from the stage of forgiveness to the juncture of unforgiveness. Hurt which easily slips away in childhood sticks and stinks in adulthood.

But I have come to know the perfect model whose nature is unchangeable and whose life is worth imitating by all eternally. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Him there could be no hope of forgiveness of our sins. It is because of Him I do not lose hope to change.

It is in light of who He is and what He had done, this exhortation was given, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3:13).

Related Articles:

Power of Apology
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Surest Way to Ruin One’s Life

2013-01-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

Nobody wants to ruin their life. Everyone wants to be happy and safe. Yet, regretfully, there are so many inadvertently ruining their life. Let’s see how.

When the serpent came to the woman, he questioned, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" (Gen. 3:1-3)

Now observe carefully what the serpent said to the woman—"You will not surely die…" (3:4).

God said that the day you touch the fruit of the forbidden tree—you will die, but the devil said—you will not surely die.

How evil and crafty the devil is! Ever since he deceived Adam and Eve in the garden, he is on a continuous mission to entice people to believe his lies. His goal is to delude and destroy people by distorting God’s words by delivering his own version.

When we look at the people’s mindset today, don’t we see how the devil had poisoned their minds by installing notions contrary to God’s word?

Distortion of God's Truth

Here are some examples of how the devil has been successful in deceiving people:

God’s word reveals Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; that salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12). Yet the devil deceived people into thinking that Jesus is not the only way; He is just one of the ways; there are many ways leading to heaven.

God’s word reveals to repent and trust in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins; that if we don’t repent and turn to God, we’ll perish (Acts 2:38; Lu. 13:3,5). Yet the devil misled people into thinking to simply trust Christ for salvation by undermining the aspect of repentance. He enticed them to focus on merely believing in Christ without seriously considering their sins and the necessity to repent.

God’s word reveals not to be deceived, for neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Yet the devil fooled people into thinking that God is love and the loving God doesn’t send people to hell; that people can simply believe in Christ, live the way they want to live and yet inherit the kingdom of God.

God's word reveals that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness; that those who repent, God will forgive the guilt of their sin (1 Jn. 1:9; Ps. 39:5). Yet the devil seduced some people that God will not forgive them, that their repentance is futile and that there is no hope for them, casting them into the misery of self-condemnation and despair.

God’s word reveals marriage is a lasting relationship and that divorce and remarriage are forbidden, except for adultery; that if believers have to inevitably go for separation, they must remain unmarried (Matt. 5:32; 1 Cor. 7:11). Yet the devil lied to people saying they can go for divorce for many personal reasons and continue to remarry.

God’s word reveals to stay content and not to seek worldly riches which turn the heart from faith and plunge people into many griefs; that we have to stay focused on His kingdom and righteousness (1 Tim. 6:6-10; Matt. 6:33). Yet the devil entrapped people to believe that God wants to make all His people rich and that they have to seek and claim earthly riches and prosperity.

God’s word reveals that to follow Christ we have to deny ourself and take up our cross and follow Him; that we have to give up everything and make Him the Lord of our lives (Lu. 14:26-27, 33). Yet the devil enchanted people into believing that to follow Christ means self-fulfillment, not self-denial; receiving everything, not giving up everything; seeking worldly crowns, not carrying our cross; using Jesus as a means to reach our own ends, not seeing the Lord Jesus as the end of all things.

Believing Truth, Resisting Lies

There are many other truths God’s word reveals about which the devil tempted many people to doubt and resist, luring them to follow their whims and wishful opinions. But we cannot blame him for his deceptions, for we have God's word as a standard whereby to judge all things. We have a choice, either to believe God's truth or the devil's lies.

Just like Eve and Adam who believed the lie of the devil and ruined their bright future, many folks are ruining their lives by believing the lies of the enemy.

The surest way to ruin one’s life is to resist allowing the truth of God’s word to speak as it is and follow one’s own assumptions and lies of the devil.

Remember, the devil’s aim is to entice us to cultivate a casual attitude towards God’s exhortations; he wants us to ignore the holiness of God and the consequences of sin and face inevitable destruction.

Dear friends, let us not be deceived by the lies of the enemy. Let us not permit him to lay poisonous eggs in our mind. Let us not stubbornly cling to our own wishes and notions that do not reflect the truth of God’s word. Let us not entertain the teachings of false teachers whose beliefs are not evidenced by God’s truth. Let us take God’s word seriously. Let us interpret the word of God as it is, believe what it says and live accordingly.

May the Lord who is faithful, strengthen and protect us from the evil one (2 Thess. 3:3).

Related Articles:

Why Did God put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
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Power of Apology

2013-01-05T00:28:00.000-08:00

Every Wednesday evening I meet with young brothers for discipleship at my home. Recently, after having our discipleship meeting, my wife went into our children’s room to check on them. To her astonishment, she observed our eldest son, Joy, filled with tears in his eyes. She inquired the reason for his tears. He didn’t open up.

After some gentle persuasion, he said he cried because his younger brother, Joe, hit him. He couldn’t say anything further. But my wife was not convinced because she felt he was not honestly sharing his feelings.

Without giving up, as my wife further inquired, he eventually opened up saying, “Mummy, after Joe hit me, he so sweetly apologized for hitting me that it made me to cry.”

Joy (8 yrs) wept not because he was hit by Joe (6 yrs) but because of Joe’s sweet apology.

What power lies in apology! A kid is moved to tears by an apology. Not only so, even a tough guy may be broken by an apology. Famed boxer Muhammad Ali said, “If you ever dream of beating me you better wake up and apologize.”

Well, we all know—asking apology is not as easy as committing offense. It appears to break our heart more than we broke the heart of offended ones. It seems to be self-humiliating, degrading oneself before others.

But this is what I have indeed observed—great honor is reserved for a person who apologizes for his mistakes than for the one who justifies himself or silently ignores his blunders.

Asking Apology is Saintly

“To err is human” is a famous maxim, but do we hear “to ask apology is human”? We know the latter is unpopular. We humans are known for committing mistakes, not for asking apologies. I think if to err is human and to forgive is divine then to ask apology is saintly.

Are we working on becoming better humans?

I have learned to often encourage others with these words—if you want to become better men, make it your habit to sincerely say two things—Thank You and I am Sorry. The former is perhaps easy to say but how difficult it is to admit the latter!

Much of the problems that exist in interpersonal relationships are not because of some conflicts or offense, for as sinful beings we cannot evade them. They exist because of lack of apology.

Where there are conflicts and offense but no apology, there is for sure an end to intimate relationship. Apology is dynamite which could break the wall of barriers in relationships.

How many broken relationships can be restored just with humble apology! What tremendous healing it brings to broken hearts! How years of gap in relationships can be filled again with affection just with sincere and humble apology!

Yet, who delights in denying himself?

I have seen again and again how accusatory attitude, self-justification and blame-others mentality erects huge walls in relationships that can perhaps never be broken down except by apology and forgiveness.

Confessing Sins to Each Other

The Lord Jesus precisely taught on the importance of confessing our sin to the offended person. He said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23-24).

How can reconciliation happen without confession and apology? Remember, reconciliation does not happen automatically. We have to take initiation to make restitution. It is not time that heals but apology.

The Holy Scripture exhorts, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). How easy it is to ask forgiveness to God but difficult to confess our sins to each other!

God commands us not only to seek His forgiveness but also to apologize to those whom we have offended. The humility of a person is tested not just by his confession of sin to God but also by his acknowledgment of sin before people.

Do we practice confessing our sins to each other?

It seems many of us are busy either impressing each other or accusing one another. There are so many living with their families, friends, colleagues, neighbors and church without ever apologizing to them! What should this speak about us—that we are most perfect or most arrogant?

Take note of this—lack of apologizing attitude feeds pride but asking apology cultivates humility.

Let us humble ourselves and practice apology, both before God and offended ones, for this is how we obey the word which admonishes, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men” (Heb. 12:14).

When Did I Last Apologize?

Evan Roberts, the renowned Welsh revivalist, is known for asking people this question, “When was the last time you apologized?”

Watchman Nee says, “If the last apology was a very long time ago, something must be wrong. It is inconceivable that one could live for years without offending someone. More likely, we have offended others without being conscious of our sins. If so, it proves that something is wrong with our conscience; it is in darkness, void of light and sensitivity.”

Therefore, before we turn our attention to some other activity, let us examine our hearts and ask ourselves this question—When was the last time I apologized? Isn't it a noble thing to go and ask apology to those who deserve it?

Related Articles:

Admitting Flaws
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Eating for the Glory of God [Part 2]

2012-12-13T22:39:00.003-08:00

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6. Eat but discipline yourself to fast.

We are living in a fast-food generation wherein the temptation to indulge in diverse flavors of food has become almost irresistible. Everywhere we go we see restaurants, bakeries, pizzerias and dessert shops—all tempting us to gobble food or snacks and feel good in the stomach.

Encircled by various food products enticing us, don’t you think fasting has become a neglected discipline of our time? We are used to feasts, not to fasting. We love parties, not prayer meetings. We are lovers of food, pampering our stomachs with all kinds of delicacies. How we hate to see our stomachs starve!

Nevertheless, the Old Testament has so much to say about the importance of fasting (Joel 2:15; Ezra 8:21-23; Jon. 3:5). Although there is no direct command to fast in the New Testament, fasting was practiced and exemplified by Jesus and the apostles (Matt. 4:2; Acts 13:2). The Lord even gave instructions about how to fast and assumed that His disciples would fast after His ascension to heaven (Matt. 6:16-18; 9:15).

Let us, therefore, cultivate the discipline of fasting for spiritual purposes [repentance, prayer and meditation], bringing glory to God. It is said that occasional fasting is even good for physical health. In this food-indulgent age, let us learn to fast and master our appetites, just as Paul who said, "Everything is permissible for me"-- but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Cor. 6:12).

William Bramwell, a Wesleyan preacher, wrote in 1809 that the reason many do not live in the power of their salvation is because ‘there is too much sleep, too much meat and drink, too little fasting and self-denial, too much taking part in the world ... and too little self-examination and prayer.’

7. Eat but do not spend money lavishly on food.

We work to earn and one of our major expenses is food. Food is indispensable to our survival, not to mention something that we greatly relish. But how much money is spent on food, especially more than what is required! The more we earn money, the more the temptation to spend more on food, isn’t it? Our generation is known for its lavish lifestyle and luxurious food.

True, God has given us stomach to nourish our body but He has also given us mind to feed our stomach wisely. Don't be crazy for food, for God will put an end to both food and stomach (1 Cor. 6:13).

Just think, is it necessary to spend money plentifully on food which is tasty only as long as it is in the mouth! Of course, it is fine at times to spend generously on food and give your body a good treat, but beware of spending too much money on food frequently.

As God’s people, we should learn to spend money wisely and be good stewards of His resources. Having food frequently at home rather than in restaurants, eating less meat and avoiding impulsive grocery shopping would save more money and can be used for better purposes.

As I am a lover of food, it is a hard discipline for me to control my expense on what I eat. However, I have learned that I cannot be a faithful steward of God’s resources if I am not careful, moderate and wise in how I spend money on food. Let us, then, glorify God by the way we spend money on what we eat.

8. Eat but do not waste food.

I remember how my dad used to get upset when his children wasted food. My dad was a bus driver and he often told us, “We work hard to earn money to buy food. Don’t waste it.” Now my children also know that wasting food does not bring delight to their father.

After the Lord Jesus fed thousands of people by multiplying five small barley loaves and two small fish, do you know what He said to His disciples? "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted" (Jn. 6:12). The Lord ensured that His resources ought not to be wasted.

Look at parties, restaurants, conferences and even homes—how much food is wasted! According to a study, it is said that roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year.

When millions of people are starving without food, how can we waste so much food on the dining tables? Will the Lord be pleased with such casual attitude towards food which He provides for our nourishment? (Ps. 145:15) How can we waste food when we thank God for what He provided?

In order to prevent wasting food, when we cook food at home, let us prepare only what is necessary. When we go to parties or functions, let us serve ourselves with sufficient food. When we go to restaurants, let us not order more than what is required.

And if food is unavoidably left, we don't have to overstuff our belly to jeopardize our health; but is it not a good idea to pack it and give it to someone on the streets or share it with someone else? Let us be faithful stewards of God’s resources and bring glory to His Name.

9. Eat but also share food.

The Holy Scripture says that God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Tim. 6:17). However, this doesn’t mean that we can just stay focused on personal enjoyment. In the immediate verse, it has been exhorted to be wise in the way we spend money, particularly with an attitude to be generous toward others (6:18).

Christian life is not about storing things for personal enjoyment but sharing things for the joy of others and ourselves. In fact, our joy is incomplete unless we channel God’s blessings to others.

God does not want us to be concerned just about feeding our own bellies but also to think about those who require our help. Do we give thought to God’s concern?

There are so many orphans, needy folks and servants of God in the mission field who need our help. And if we are not in a situation to offer food directly, we may contribute money to buy food and in this way share what God has provided for us.

Remember, sometimes God blesses us richly to test our heart—whether we be generous or give ourselves to self-indulgence. O, God is glorified when we generously share what He has provided for us! Is it not written, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased”? (Heb. 13:16).

10. Eat but do not neglect to eat spiritual food.

Food is necessary for physical sustenance, but food is not everything we need to live. The Lord Jesus said, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (Jn. 6:27). Yes, we need Jesus more than anything else, for He is the bread of life through whom we live now and forevermore (Jn. 6:35). Do we feast on Him through daily fellowship?

We also need God’s word to live. The Lord Jesus declared, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Do we realize how spiritually impoverished we are, living in great need to feed our souls with God’s word, just as we feed our frail bodies with food?

Job confessed, “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12). Do we love God’s word more than our daily food? If so, are we feeding our souls with God’s word continuously, sufficiently and obediently, just as we are feeding our bodies regularly with food?

How many complain today, “I have no time to meditate on God’s word”, but seldom to do we find them saying, “I have no time to eat food.” Is the real problem with time or with priorities and discipline?

It seems we have not yet come to the utter realization that we cannot live without continuously feeding our souls with God’s word. We are in deception that material things are all that we need. Is there any wonder why so many of our lives are miserably miserable?

Are we physically nourished but spiritually malnourished? Do we hear the cry of our soul for the word of God? Let us not let our soul starve. Feed it regularly with the word of God and stay healthy physically and spiritually. O, God takes delight and is glorified in a person who gives priority to His word by meditating on it and living accordingly!

Final Words

I have discussed about food not in a sense which food is pure and impure or which food is spiritual and unspiritual. To those who make food in itself as a spiritual issue, Paul wrote, “But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do” (1 Cor. 8:8).

I have indeed shared about our attitude towards food in regard to that which is healthy and unhealthy, how to discipline our appetites and how faithful stewards we ought to be with God’s providence in our lives. And all these to be done with an attitude to glorify the Name of God. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31) [Click here to go to Part 1 of this article] | 2 of 2

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Eating for the Glory of God [Part 1]

2012-12-01T00:27:00.001-08:00

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Does the food we eat bring glory to God? This is something strange to many of us. We know that worship, prayer, word and good works glorify God, but how come what we eat bring glory to God?

The food we eat is certainly an issue that brings glory to God. Did not Paul write, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God?” (1Cor. 10:31) It is obvious from this Scripture that the food we eat can either bring glory to God or it can become an obstacle to God’s glory.

How does this happen?

The context wherein Paul discusses is about the food offered to idols. This was bought in the market or served in somebody’s house. And in the Corinthian church, some saw it as an abomination to eat while some viewed it as nothing more than normal.

So, Paul counsels the knowledgeable ones not to eat such food that becomes a stumbling block to the weak brothers in Christ. In this way, they glorify God.

Now the problem confronted by the Corinthian church about eating food sacrificed to idols may not be an issue in many cultures today. However, keeping the context in mind, we can generally apply the principle in other aspects too. The following are some ways, I believe, we can eat food for the glory of God.

1. Eat but do not fight over food.

Food is a delightful thing to eat, but is it not grieving to the Spirit of God to see us fight for the sake of food?

The tendency to fight over food is not uncommon particularly at homes. How many get frustrated because the food which is prepared is something we dislike? How many grumble over the taste of food?

And how many lose their temper when the food is not prepared on time? How many couples get into arguments because of their differences in the methods of preparing food?

Further, when we attend weddings or parties or meetings, how is our conduct when it comes to food? What about reacting with an unchristian spirit towards stewards in restaurants because of food?

Does such reaction, whether at home or outside, bring glory to God?

Treasure these words, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).

2. Eat but eat the right quality of food.

A Christian believes that his or her body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, many of us resist smoking, drinking and drug use because it ruins the body. But don’t we understand that even the kind of food we eat either builds or destroys the health of our body?

We generally eat by choosing food based on how it evokes the taste buds of the tongue, not based on how it contributes to our health. We forget that we eat for living, not for tasting.

It is said that the intake of surplus fatty and oily food, deep fried items, sweets, salt, soft drinks and fast foods is considered to be hazardous to one’s health.

Yet, so many are enslaved by such unhealthy food habits for the sake of taste and ultimately ruin the healthy condition of their body, thereby visiting hospitals and desperately praying to God for healing.

Do you know, many folks are dying today because of unhealthy eating habits, just like those who die because of blatant addictions like smoking, boozing and drugs?

Take note of this—unhealthy eating habits do not bring glory to God, just like smoking, drinking and drug use. Eat the right kind of food, stay healthy and glorify God with your body.

Note: Here is a simple DIET proposed by World Health Organization [WHO].

3. Eat but eat the right quantity of food.

God had completely forbidden the evil things and had put limits to the use of good things. But to breach the limited use of any good thing is nothing but to do evil. And gluttony is a perfect example of such abuse.

Gluttony is defined as an overconsumption of food. It is one such habit which many people ignore as being sinful in the eyes of God.

Nevertheless, according to the Holy Scripture, gluttony is a sin, an idolization of food. It is also a sign of lack of self-control and is no better than drunkenness (Pro. 23:2; 20-21; 28:7).

What are the sad results of gluttony? It causes obesity and multiple health disorders, perhaps even accelerating laziness and lust.

Besides, eating the right quantity of food is not only a caution to those given to gluttony but even to those who eat too little. Eating too little is also dangerous to health. It causes anemia and extreme weight loss, decreases metabolism and produces numerous health problems.

Whether overeating or eating too little—both can damage the body. Remember that God has created our stomach with limited capacity to fill. So do not overfill it or let it starve. Eat the right quantity of food, keep yourself healthy and bring glory to God.

4. Eat but work.

What is the purpose of eating? It is to procure energy. What is the purpose of energy? It is to work.

God created man as a working being. Before the fall, God created all kinds of trees in the Garden of Eden and put man to work it and take care of it. (Gen. 2:15) In the Mosaic Law, He decreed that a man must work six days and take rest on the seventh day. (Exo. 20:9)

So God created food and the system of eating and digestion as a means to generate energy in the body to work.

Anyone who eats but does not work desecrates the sacred purpose of the existence of food. He is a slave to laziness and idleness. Such a person—whom neither the church nor the society respects—sins against the Lord and does not bring glory to His Name.

Of course, there are exceptions for not working due to physical disability (like paralysis), serious illness and dire unemployment in a country.

However, there is a general rule given in the Holy Scripture, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat" (2Thess. 3:10). Why this rule? Because a man eats to work and he who does not work should not eat.

Therefore, eat and labor, bringing glory to the Name of God.

5. Eat but do physical exercise.

According to World Health Organization, physical inactivity (lack of physical activity) has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality (6% of deaths globally). Moreover, physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 21–25% of breast and colon cancers, 27% of diabetes and approximately 30% of ischaemic heart disease burden.

Much of the work for many people, particularly in urban places, is not related to physical labor but to mental work. So though we work, because of lack of physical activity, excessive sitting and sedentary lifestyle, many are subjecting themselves to health hazards.

Considering health risks resulting from physical inactivity, there is a great emphasis these days on the necessity of physical exercise. Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis…etc are some of the recommended exercises for the body.

I am apprehensive about Yoga but gym with aerobics is a good thing to consider. I have seen tremendous rejuvenation in my body since my enrollment in a local gym.

We are aware that spiritual disciplines have eternal value, but the Holy Bible does not deny the aspect of physical training which is of some value (1Tim. 4:8).

Our body is a gift from God and healthy food plays a vital role in its nourishment and physical exercise in its building. Eat well, therefore, and do not neglect to take care of your body and give the exercise that it deserves and live mightily for the glory of God.

Note: We don't have to become health or fitness freaks or too legalistic about the food we eat, but we can moderately be concerned about the welfare of our body, which we believe to be God's temple and tool to live for His glory. And living in this way may not guarantee perfect health, but we can do our best by using God-given wisdom in disciplining our diet and body, and the rest we can trust in the Lord for His gracious protection. [Click here to go to Part 2 of this article...] | 1 of 2

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What Makes Your Life Inefficient?

2012-11-25T20:16:00.001-08:00

Mechanic repairing the puncture while behind my two kids playing on the sand.

Today morning, after sharing God’s word with the church, I was in a hurry to attend the memorial service of my relative. When I got on my bike, having my youngest son sit in the front and the eldest one on the back, I realized there was something wrong with the back tire. To my disappointment, the tire went flat because of puncture.

Since there was no repair center nearby, I had to push my bike to some distance. My kids too helped me in pushing the bike. After burning many calories in my body, I was exhausted and so were my kids.

With great difficulty, we finally arrived at the repair center. As I was already late, I requested the mechanic to fix the tire as soon as possible. Thankfully, he promptly attended my problem. He pulled the tube outside the tire, filled it with air and pushed it into the water tub to check from where the air was leaking out.

Within a moment, I saw bubbles coming out of a very small hole. You know, the hole was so small that it could not be seen with my naked eyes. It was as if it was poked with a needle.

As the mechanic was fixing the puncture, I thought looking at the bike—the bike is strong, the engine is in good condition, the tank is with sufficient fuel, yet this very small hole in the tube had brought this big bike to a halt. How a small hole can create a big problem!

What makes our life inefficient? What causes big problems in life? What ruins the serenity of heart? What wastes our life?

This is what I have generally observed—it is not necessarily big sins that make our life inefficient; it is mostly those small sins that paralyze the efficiency of life.

Many of us see murder, robbery, drunkenness and adultery as big sins. We judge ourselves as nice folks based on not committing these so-called monstrous sins.

But what about sins like temper, bitterness, envy, lustful thoughts, greed, white lies, loose talk, negligence and laziness? The tragedy about these sins is that they are not seriously considered as terribly wicked.

How easily we ignore such sins! How casual our attitude is toward these evils! O, these are the vices that brings the efficiency of life to a halt!

Interestingly, most of the sins about which the Holy Bible speaks are such sins that appear quite little to our perspective. But it is these small sins that ruin the peace in our heart. It is these little vices that spoil our day. It is these minute evils which bring enormous troubles in interpersonal relationships. It is these small sins that make our life weak, inefficient and unproductive for the glory of God.

Let us, therefore, not ignore any sin. May we be even more careful with these little sins which blind our heart to belittle God’s holiness. Let us grieve and repent over such small sins, for the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin (1Jn. 1:7). Let us cry out to God to deliver us from these little vices. Let us discipline ourselves, by God's grace, in not permitting these sins to thrive, making our life inefficient.

Be careful not to let “the little foxes that ruin the vineyards” (Song 2:15).

Related Articles:

Sin is Sin
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What Does It Mean to Fulfill the Great Commission?

2012-11-17T06:17:00.000-08:00

It is commonly asserted that the Great Commission is the mission of Christianity, and rightly so. In these days, which many suppose to be the very end times, there appears to be an increasing sense of urgency to fulfill the Great Commission. There is a passion to spread the gospel among all the nations and the unreached people. This is something to rejoice about.

However, there seems to be a blurred understanding about what it means to fulfill the Great Commission.

In my observation, when it comes to the talk about the fulfillment of the Great Commission, many of us just think about spreading the gospel of Christ Jesus. We suppose, evangelism is what the Great Commission is all about. As a result, many individuals and Christian organizations are only zealous about the propagation of the gospel. In doing so, they believe, they are fulfilling the Great Commission.

The Great Commission

When I ponder over the words of Christ Jesus, it becomes obvious that evangelism is not what the Great Commission is all about. It is simply a part of it. Listen carefully to what Christ had spoken in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”

How?

“…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

And what else?

“…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age".

How do we fulfill the Great Commission? Is it just by preaching the gospel of Christ Jesus? No. We fulfill it by preaching the gospel to the unsaved, baptizing the saved and teaching them to obey everything what Christ had commanded.

Planting Churches

Now, a question arises—in what context does baptism and continuous teaching take place? Don’t you think this happens in the context of a church community? It is in church that a saved person becomes a part of God’s family through faith in Christ and baptism. It is in church that he constantly learns to know more about God. It is in church that he grows towards maturity by continuous learning and obeying the word of Christ.

So, what does it mean to fulfill the Great Commission? It is to plant churches in every tribe and language and people, wherein folks get baptized and are frequently taught to obey everything what Christ had commanded.

Don’t you observe this is what the apostles did, particularly Paul, in the book of Acts? Throughout the book of Acts, this is what precisely happened—the apostles preached the gospel, baptized the saved, planted churches that gathered regularly and discipled them to obey the word of God. This is how the early church grew towards spiritual maturity and it is in this way the Great Commission was fulfilled in Antioch, Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Galatia, Colossae, Ephesus…etc.

Two Common Problems

By reading the Great Commission of Christ Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles, I am convinced—without planting churches wherein people are baptized and continuously discipled, I don’t think we are truly fulfilling the Great Commission.

These are the two common problems that are conspicuous in our Christianity today:

First, there are those who just focus on proclaiming the gospel without having a vision to plant churches in order to completely fulfill the Great Commission. This is one reason why so many saved ones are left as spiritual orphans.

And second, there are those who plant churches but don’t focus on discipling them towards spiritual maturity. They simply gather the church to have a service without considering how to take care of the spiritual condition of believers. To them, church is nothing more than a building and a program.

But, according to the Holy Scripture, church is a community that is to be discipled towards spiritual maturity. This doesn’t just happen by the proclamation of God’s word from the pulpit but via personal discipleship.

For this reason, the leaders of the church, from the beginning of church planting, should focus on making disciples who in turn disciple the new believers. And this church ought to grow and multiply into more communities in other parts of the town, city, even nation. This is how, I believe, we effectively fulfill the Great Commission.

Call to Fulfill the Great Commission

This is my plea to the Christian leaders, believers and various ministries—let us not just focus on preaching the gospel, but make it our goal to plant churches where baptism and constant teaching to obey God’s word becomes a common activity. Also, let us not make church a material sanctuary or a program, but see to it that it would be a family community where discipleship becomes a regular activity.

Let us, therefore, fulfill the Great Commission by preaching the gospel of Christ, baptizing people and teaching them to obey everything what Christ had commanded, which is effectively done in and through the church. Don’t you suppose this is how we fulfill the mission of Christ who said, “…I will build my church”? (Matt. 16:18)

Related Articles:

The Great Commission
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Leaders: What Are We Becoming?

2012-11-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

I am learning these days on the difference between doing and becoming. Doing relates to activity and becoming pertains to attitude.

Our tendency is more inclined towards busyness with activities than burgeoning in attitude. We like performance in ministry than perseverance in character. We measure our success by external accomplishments than by internal growth in godly qualities (2 Pet. 1:5-8). Even our friendly conversations are centered mostly on what we are doing than on what we are becoming.

Greatest Temptation

In the sight of the holy and loving God, what I am becoming is more important than what I am doing. In fact, what I am doing should birth from what I am becoming.

Sadly, the terrifying fact in leadership is this—the ministry can thrive while my personal growth in Christ-likeness can remain stagnant. Is this not a conspicuous fact of many leaders today? How many of us look beautiful, spreading fragrance from afar, until somebody draws closer to us only to discover the ugliness and stench of our inner life!

Here lies the problem: The greatest temptation of a leader is to focus more on doing than on what he is becoming every day. The Scripture testifies that God has predestined His chosen ones to be conformed to the likeness of Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:29). But I am tempted to just get immersed in my service for Christ and neglect to work on my attitude to become more like Christ.

Serving Christ by Following Him

Our Lord made His deal obvious, “Whoever serves me must follow me” (Jn. 12:26). In other words, “Whoever serves me must become like me; whoever is engaged in my service should be conformed to my image; whoever is my witness must also be my likeness. You cannot serve me without following me.”

O, in our zeal to serve our Lord, how often are we tempted to neglect becoming like Him! There is a temptation to think—doing is more pleasing to God than becoming. But is it not written, "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams”? (1 Sam. 15:22)

I think, this is what the Lord may be saying to the leaders of our generation—“What you are becoming on the inside is more precious and pleasing to Me than what you are accomplishing on the outside. Let what you are doing for me flourish from what you becoming in me.”

What Am I Becoming?

So, the challenge to me is—along with my passion to let my ministry grow, which is indeed a noble desire and work, am I growing in my inner man, becoming more in Christ-likeness? Am I becoming a better husband, a better father, a better neighbour, a better worker, a better friend...etc? Am I growing in love, compassion, humility and gentleness? Am I growing in the fear and holiness of God? In short, am I becoming more like Christ?

Let us pray we would overcome this temptation of staying just focused on doing. Let us make sure that what we are doing should emerge from what we are becoming. As we evaluate the growth of what we are doing, let us also evaluate the growth of what we are becoming. Let us establish accountability with our dear ones where we question one another in love about the hidden inner man.

Remember, do not let our doing bypass our becoming.

At last, I want to conclude with these words – The growth of my ministry may be dependent on my doing, but the sustenance of that growth is dependent on what I am becoming. Is not the growth of tree dependent on the strength of its roots?

Prayer

Father, help us to become more like Christ and let our service come out of our wholehearted devotion to Christ and our obedience to Him. Amen.

Related Articles:

Hear O Servants of God
Admitting Flaws: An Essential Quality of an Authentic Christian Leader
Leadership: Hidden Vices Behind the Virtuous Screen

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Sign of Christ’s Disciples—Worldly Prosperity or Godly Charity? [Part 1]

2012-11-03T05:31:00.000-07:00

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One of the propaganda tales of prosperity preachers goes like this—prosperity is the sign of God’s blessing upon His children. It is our right to become wealthy. We have the right to claim our right to get the riches of the world. And what’s more, when the world sees this prosperity as God’s favor upon His people, it gets impressed and desires our faith.

Let us examine the above fallible notion in light of God’s infallible word.

At the outset, let me make it clear that, in a sense, earthly blessings could be a sign of God’s hand upon His children. For instance, when Isaac materially prospered in the valley of Gerar, whom the Lord blessed according to His promise given to Abraham, Abimelech said, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you” (Gen. 26:28).

So, I don’t deny the fact that God may prosper His chosen people and in this way manifest His presence with them. However, to say that earthly prosperity is always the sign of God’s favor upon all His people is not in accordance with the sound teaching of the Holy Scripture.

Prosperous and Poor

In the Holy Bible, there were men “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (Heb. 12:33-34).

And there were also men who “faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground” (Heb. 12:36-38).

The above description evidently testifies that in the Holy Bible there were God’s people who were prosperous as well as those who were poor, some who stayed on the mountain top and some who walked through the valley. God’s word, however, doesn’t endorse the doctrine that worldly prosperity is always the sign of God’s blessing for all His children. Indeed, even the wicked could prosper because of which the Psalmist complained, “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Ps. 73:3).

But what is the greatest evidence of being God’s children? How does the world obviously know that we are Christ’s disciples?

Charity and Unity

Considering the way prosperity is emphasized by its proponents, a phrase can be coined something like this, “By this, all men will know that you are Christ’s disciples, if you prosper in this world.” In contrast to such notion, heed what Christ said to His disciples, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:34-35).

How does the world know that we are the true disciples of Christ?

Although God prospered certain people, nowhere in the Scripture does it claim that prosperity is the evidence of recognition by the world as being Christ’s disciples. The old English word for love is “charity”. And Christ said that it is through charity, through love for one another, that the whole world will know that we are His disciples.

The greatest tragedy in Christianity today is not lack of prosperity but lack of charity.

The greatest curse upon this world is not poverty of money but poverty of love.

The world has to witness how we Christians love each other, how we encourage each other, how we forgive each other, how we help each other, how we honor each other, how we pray for each other and how we live together for the glory of our Lord.

The greatest thing that the world has to witness is Christ’s love in us for each other.

In His high priestly prayer, Christ Jesus prayed, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (Jn. 17:23).

How does the world know that Christ was sent by the Father to love His people? When we are brought to complete unity!

Are we desiring and striving for unity to fulfill this prayer of Jesus? Is not the world seeing disunity and indifference among Christians, thereby mocking at us?

The saddest thing in Christianity today is not lack of prosperity but lack of unity.

If the prosperity preachers are really concerned about the world recognizing us as Christ’s disciples, let them motivate charity and unity, as Christ exhorted and prayed, not wealth and prosperity which produces greed, pride and selfish ambition. [Click here to go to Part 2 of this article...] | 1 of 2

Sign of Christ’s Disciples—Worldly Prosperity or Godly Charity? [Part 2]

2012-11-03T05:30:00.001-07:00

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Good and Generous Life

The Lord Jesus said to His people, “You are the light of world” (Matt. 5:14). Christ desired us to be the light of the world and the world, which is living in darkness, has to see the light in us. It has to see that we are different and unique from it. It has to witness that our lives are set apart for God. It has to be influenced by us.

But what is the light that the world has to see in us? Is it prosperity? Is it wealth and riches?

Listen carefully to what Christ said, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Christ didn’t say, “Let them see your great wealth and praise your Father in heaven.” He said, “Let them see your good deeds [generous life] and praise your Father in heaven.”

What Christ’s disciples have to manifest and what the world has to see is not prosperity but generosity, whether living in plenty or in little. It is our good deeds which brings glory to God, not our great wealth. It is our generous life which testifies about our allegiance to Christ, not our prosperous lifestyle. It is our kind acts which we do in the name of Jesus which speaks about us being His disciples, not our earthly comforts.

Just think, when there are millions of needy people struggling to pass every day of their living, what are the affluent or affluent-seeking Christians trying to tell the world by their massive bank balances, luxurious houses and magnificent possessions? Does the world get impressed by looking at the prosperity of Christians or does it wonder at the greedy lifestyle of those who claim being the followers of the One who gave His life for the welfare of others?

O, we are living in an era where there is more emphasis on getting rather than giving, prosperity than generosity, possessing than losing, storing than sharing, success than sacrifice, blessings rather than being a blessing! Has not today's Christianity turned much like the world rather than being the light of the world?

John Piper said it right, “The world is not impressed when Christians get rich and say thanks to God. They are impressed when God is so satisfying that we give our riches away for Christ's sake and count it gain.” Yes, the world has to see how we Christians are completely sold out to God that nothing in this world can buy us to sell our good and generous life.

Final Words

There are so many Christians who are being entrapped by the cult of prosperity teaching. Prosperity preachers are fooling them by making appealing statements and by distorting the sacred Scriptures. They are using God’s word to feed their belly, not to advance the Kingdom of God.

So, here is a word of caution: This giving away or generosity ought to be shown not to those who are already prosperous, who are alluring people to sow in their ministry to make themselves more prosperous. This should be shown to those who are in need. But let us not fatten the people who are already fattened.

When it comes to supporting ministries, let us support such that are Christ-centered, kingdom-minded and faithful stewards of God’s resources. And when it comes to offering aid to people, let us give to the needy, help the helpless, bless the poor, uphold the destitute and look after the orphans and widows.

May God’s people carefully search the Scriptures and discern the false propaganda of today’s prosperity teachers. May we Christians be models of charity and generosity so that all people would know that we are the disciples of Christ and glorify our Father in heaven.

“Think it more satisfaction to live richly than die rich” - Thomas Brown

[Click here to go to Part 1 of this article] | 2 of 2

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Related Articles:
Did Christ Become Poor to Make Us Wealthy Christians on Earth?
Prince of the Poor vs Preachers of Prosperity
How to Become Rich Forever?

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Significance of Having Family Meals Together - Part 1

2012-10-16T00:44:00.001-07:00

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In our busy and fast paced culture, finding time for family togetherness, particularly for children, has become a great challenge. One of the best ways I have discovered in spending time with our children is at the dining table. Research shows that the presence of parents is very beneficial at four key times of the day—early morning, after school, dinnertime, and bedtime.[1]

As the day begins with the members of the family scattering to various activities of the day—children to study and parents to work—the supper time provides the best opportunity for the family to gather together for meaningful fellowship. It is a sad witness that families having meals together is not the norm of our day. Even if they have meals together occasionally, that would be in front of the television. Our generation seems to be valuing only eating, not fellowship.

Benefits of Eating Together

The advantages of spending meal times together as a family cannot be overemphasized. In November 2004, CBS News cited a study showing that children who ate regular meals with their parents were less likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, take drugs, get depressed, or commit suicide.[2] The access to parents that the family meal gives children has been shown to reduce stress and to improve the emotional and therefore the physical well-being of children.[3]

In another study of eighty-six families, half of whom included asthmatic children, researchers found that families who used family routines, specifically mealtimes together, had lower levels of anxiety, which correlated with fewer school absences, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer medicinal interventions.[4]

Do you realize how important it is for your family to have meals together? This does two things: a) It brings all the family members together and b) It paves way for fellowship and sharing, strengthening the family bond.

We need to know that the purpose of eating together is not just eating; it is talking to each other, particularly about things that matters for eternity. [I have learned that no matter what we talk, if we don't teach our children to revere God and to live according to His will revealed in the Holy Bible, all our talking and spending time with them is in vain for the eternal welfare of their soul.]

When we study the Holy Scripture, we observe that dining table was a place where Christ Jesus had had his wonderful ministry. What did Christ do when He had mealtimes with Lazarus, Mary and Martha (Jn. 12:2ff), Simon the Pharisee (Lu. 7:36ff), a Pharisee (Lu. 11:37ff), a prominent Pharisee (Lu. 14:1ff), Zacchaues (Lu. 19:2ff) and with the twelve on Passover night (Lu. 22:14ff)? He had meaningful conversations, imparting to them the wisdom from above, teaching great truths about the kingdom of God and sharing His life with them. I have found dining table to be a great pulpit to be used in impacting lives for the glory of God.

Eat Together and Stay Knit Together

Speaking about my upbringing, it was not the discipline of our family to eat meals together. And even if we had at times, my father made it a strict rule not to speak while eating. He considered it as an improper manner and harbored a myth that it hinders the digestion of food. As you can well guess, I carried this pattern of not eating meals together in my family too. When I was hungry, I was known for eating without waiting for anyone. I also coined this phrase, “When it comes to eating, time and Stephen wait for none.” For years I didn't realize the importance of having family meals.

However, though late, I have learned how important it is to eat with my wife and children, having a time of sharing with them. While there are exceptions, I have resolved not to miss family fellowship meal, for I have realized that just as the family that prays together stays together, so is the family that eats together knits together. I found it to be a great joy to listen, talk and teach my children during our family meals. I am sure my children would carry this sacred habit when they grow up and have their own family. [Click here to go to Part 2 of this article...] | 1 of 2

Significance of Having Family Meals Together - Part 2

2012-10-16T00:44:00.000-07:00

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Other Options for Busy Families

I understand that having family meals together may be found quite difficult by some. They may have such working shifts which may not allow them to be with their families during supper. To some, the boss may require more time from them and often leave them late to home. The usual traffic jams at the evening is another hindrance not to reach home on time. In such situations, the following are some suggestions which may be helpful:

In your absence during supper time, your spouse can still spend time with the children and carry on the healthy habit of eating together. Two are better than one but when two are not available together, one is better than none.
If having supper together is not possible during the week, how about having it at least in the weekend, including holidays?
Something is better than nothing, right? Although it is a hurry time, having a planned breakfast together as a family is a good idea. “Relaxation, communication and a measure of beauty and pleasure should be part of even the shortest of meal breaks,” said Edith Scaeffer.[5]

Tips for Meaningful Family Meals

I have mentioned how mealtime is a good opportunity to teach and train children in the knowledge of God’s word. Also, they learn appropriate behavior, disclose their minds and improve communication skills. How pleasant it would be in your family when you have discussions and sharing during meals together with your children!

But how can we have fruitful mealtime conversation? Here are some tips, offered by Kent and Barbara Hughes, to help your children learn how to participate in conversation with both family and guests.

Listen. When you are at the table, be fully there. You can’t contribute to a conversation you haven’t been listening to.

Learn to ask questions. Don’t wait for someone to direct the conversation toward you.

Don’t talk while chewing.

Has a family member had a bad day? Give a word of encouragement.

Don’t “hold court” or hog the conversation. (i.e. don’t dominate the conversation, thereby not letting other members to talk)

Draw out the quiet person.

If conversation is lagging, bring up a new topic.

Don’t interrupt.

Thank the cook![6]

Recipe for Better Mealtimes

I ought to tell you that having family meals together requires discipline. Without proper planning and commitment this is not going to work. Moreover, to avoid supper time to become either a boring or tedious thing, it is helpful to have proper boundaries, so that having meals together would be an interesting family activity to which all members would look forward to participate every day. The following is a recipe for better mealtimes:

Plan ahead. While some take the responsibility in cooking the food, others should assist in setting up the dinner table and cleaning thereafter.
Insist on prompt attendants when called. It is good to have a fixed time for supper. Let everyone arrange their schedule in a way that they would be present during the dinner time. Don’t allow a come-when-you-feel-like-it habit.
Turn off the TV. This is a great distraction and stealer of family togetherness.
Turn off the radio/CD player. The point is to listen to each other, not to songs or to music. An instrumental music, with low volume, is not a bad idea though.
Start with a table prayer, genuinely expressed. Call on a different family member to lead each time. But keep it short.
Keep the atmosphere positive by encouraging pleasant talk. Don’t allow “attacks” on the food quality or one another. Do not entertain negative, sarcastic and complaining talk.
Don’t fight over quantities, especially with preschoolers, who often go on feast-or-famine jags. Hunger will prevail over time. However, if for social reasons you want to require that children “try some of everything on the table,” fine.
Involve everyone in conversation. Begin your conversation about the affairs of the day and see how all can be edified from the wisdom of God's word.[7]
Switch off your mobile phone. If you expect an important call, put it on silent mode so that you can call back later after the mealtime.
Don’t encourage neighborhood children to join regularly during family meals. Children often get distracted in the presence of other children. So make best use of mealtime to foster your relationship with your children, listen to them, train and teach them. O, sure, make it a fun time too.

Therefore, if you don't have the habit of having family meals together, why can't you commit yourself to start practicing this good habit right away, both for the welfare of your spouse and of your children, not to mention of your own soul? [Click here to go to Part 1 of this article] | 2 of 2

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End Notes:
1. Cited by Dr. James Dobson, Brining up Boys (Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2001), 91.
2. Cited by Ray Comfort, How to Bring Your Children to Christ (Bartlesville: Genesis Publishing Group, 2005), 42
3. Jenn Berman and Donna Corwin, The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy, Confident Kids (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2007), 134
4. Ibid., 135
5. Edith Schaeffer, Hidden Art (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1971), 123
6. Kent and Barbara Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Family (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2007), 130
7. These advices have been adapted from Dean Merrill, [ed] Mike Yorkey, The Christian Dad’s Answer Book (Colorado Springs, Co: Faith Parenting, 1997), 121, with few additions of mine.

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Did Christ Become Poor to Make Us Wealthy Christians on Earth? [Part 2]

2012-09-22T05:17:00.003-07:00

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Macedonian Churches
Second, if we go to the preceding verses of 2 Cor. 8:9, Paul challenges the Corinthian church about generous giving by pointing out to the generosity of Macedonian churches. He writes, “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” (2 Cor. 8:1-2). Mark these words, “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.”

Observe carefully, it doesn’t just say “poverty” but “extreme poverty.” It is also worth noting—the same Greek word “πτωχεία" [ptōcheia] is used when mentioning the poverty of Macedonian churches in verse 2 and the poverty of Christ in verse 9.

Now here is my question—if Jesus had become poor to make His people wealthy, why did the Macedonians churches have to give out of extreme poverty? They should have been wealthy, giving out of their riches of goods. But their greatness stands out, not because they gave out of abundance, but out of their inadequacy. Their poverty did not rob them of generosity.

Don’t you suppose, to claim 2 Cor. 8:9 as speaking about worldly prosperity is to simply distort the context of the Scripture which actually speaks about the poverty of Macedonian churches? Indeed, 2 Cor. 8 doesn’t prove the doctrine of prosperity but refutes it.

Needy Saints of Jerusalem
Third, it is important to understand the reason why Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Knowing its background would help us to stand against the misinterpretation of 2 Cor. 8:9, which is widely propagated by prosperity preachers.

Paul was on a mission to raise funds to financially help the saints in Jerusalem. He writes in Romans 15:25-26, “Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” I think, according to prosperity preachers, there shouldn’t be poor saints, but how come there were poor saints in Jerusalem for whom Paul was raising help from the churches?

He also writes in his first epistle to Corinthians, “Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem” (16:1-3). You see, Paul was encouraging the Corinthian church to set aside some money weekly as a collection for God’s people, so that it would be sent as a financial gift to the needy saints in Jerusalem.

And then in 2 Corinthians, Paul reminds the Corinthians of their desire to help the poor saints in Jerusalem. He writes, “And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means” (10-11). The Macedonian churches shared their contribution to the saints (v. 4) and Paul writes, “There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.” (2 Cor. 9:10-11)

Observe carefully, Paul was not writing these words to raise money for his ministry, thereby living a prosperous life based on the contributions given to him. He was writing to raise money to help the needy believers of Christ, the very thing he was eager to do (Gal. 2:10). The fact that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7) and “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor. 9:6) were written in the context of helping the needy people of God.

But don’t you see all these Scripture are used by prosperity preachers to motivate people to sow money in their ministry rather than giving much to help the needy people?

Well, here is my question—why was Paul striving to raise funds from various churches to help the needy saints at Jerusalem when these needy saints should have been rich and wealthy, according to the prosperity gospel interpretation of 2 Cor. 8:9?

Even if the prosperity preachers use these Scriptures to motivate people towards generous giving, why are they unlike Paul who wrote these inspiring words to help the needy saints of Christ? This is the clear difference I see between Paul and today's preachers of health and wealth gospel—Paul was passionate for the poor and needy saints, and the latter are zealous for prosperity.

Concluding Words
The appropriate consideration of the context of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, and the rest of the Scriptures in connection to them, helps us to come to this plain interpretation of 2 Cor. 8:9—Though Jesus was gloriously rich in heaven, for our sakes, He became physically poor on earth, taking the form of a servant, so that through His poverty we might become spiritually rich.

And the reason Paul writes this is to motivate the Corinthians to imitate their Lord who gave Himself to benefit others so that they too would excel in the grace of giving (compare verse 9 with verse 7). Paul penned these words, not to propagate the doctrine of prosperity, but to spread out our hands out of generosity in order to help God's people in adversity.

Similarly, Paul explains about the deity and the servanthood of Christ in Philippians 2:6-11, so that the Philippians too would possess the attitude as that of Christ Jesus, which is to look not only to one’s own interests, but also to the interests of others (Phi. 2:3-4).

O, how the prosperity preachers twist the Scriptures, manipulating people to give contributions to their own ministries while ignoring the poor and needy people of God! They are giving false hope of prosperity to people while they themselves are prospering on the money given to them. The Living God is going to judge them for their selfish ambitions, if they do not repent of their sin of self-indulgence and for misleading multitudes of naïve people by distorting the Holy Scripture of God.

May the Lord’s people be awakened to flee from the disease of prosperity teaching and cling to the sound teachings of God’s word! [go to first page] | 2 of 2
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Related Articles:
Prince of the Poor vs Preachers of Prosperity
How to Become Rich Forever?

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Did Christ Become Poor to Make Us Wealthy Christians on Earth? [Part 1]

2012-09-22T05:17:00.002-07:00

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“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9)

I think, today’s Christianity is confronting more heretical teachings than any in church history. Out of many false teachings that are abounding in Christianity, one such which is commonly widespread is prosperity gospel. Not only in the Western countries, it is also spreading like a wildfire in the urban cities of my nation, India. Many gullible folks are becoming victims of this dangerous teaching. Hence, I decided to address this issue in my blog.

There are many Scriptures which prosperity preachers use, perhaps it is proper to say abuse, to prove their doctrine that God wants all Christians to become wealthy. And 2 Corinthians 8:9 is one of the key foundational Scriptures for the champions of prosperity teaching. They claim that this Scripture speaks about Jesus giving up His riches to make us wealthy Christians on earth. So, for the time being, I would like to address this particular Scripture.

Was Jesus Rich or Poor?

First, to say that Jesus became physically poor to make us materially rich goes right against their own teaching. What prosperity preachers actually argue is that Jesus was a wealthy person and had surplus goods. Listen to what one of the prominent proponents of this view asserts:

"The Bible says that He [Jesus] had a treasurer-a treasury (they called it "the bag"); that they had one man who was the treasurer, named Judas Iscariot; and the rascal was stealing out of the bag for three-and-a-half years and nobody knew that he was stealing. You know why? Because there was so much in it, He couldn't tell. Nobody could tell that anything was missing..., if Jesus didn't have anything, what do you need a treasury for? A treasury is for surplus. It's not for that which you're spending. It's only for surplus-to hold it until you need to spend it. Therefore, He must have had a whole lot that needed to be held in advance that He wasn't spending. So He must have had more than He was living on." [Fredrick K.C. Price, "Ever Increasing Faith" program on TBN [23 November 1990] <www.letusreason.org/wf15.htm>

If Jesus was wealthy, according to the prosperity preachers, how can they claim that He gave up His riches, becoming poor, to make us wealthy people, as per their interpretation of 2 Cor. 8:9? To the one who is sane in his mind, doesn’t this prove to be a sheer contradiction?

Now to justify their stance, certain prosperity preachers subtly twist 2 Cor. 8:9 to claim Jesus was rich before the cross and the only time He became poor was when He was taken to the cross. However, this doesn’t stand the test of biblical reason. The text doesn’t tell us that Jesus became poor when He was taken to the cross. It simply says, “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.”

This seems to speak about Christ’s incarnation, in which He left His heavenly glorious privileges and became poor, having being laid in a manger, taking up finite and weak body and walking around Palestine as an ordinary man but doing extraordinary things.

Is not because Jesus was born in a simple family that His mother Mary had to offer a sacrifice consisting of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, which only those who cannot afford were supposed to offer such sacrifices? (Lu. 2:22-24; cf. Lev. 12:2-8) Did not Jesus say to one of the wishful followers, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head"? (Matt. 8:19-20) Of course, He had His earthly parents’ house, but he was constantly traveling from one place to another with no permanent home to lay his head.

Moreover, in his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, did not Jesus have to borrow the colt from another man, sat on it and entered Jerusalem? (Mark 11:1-11) Even when Jesus died, He had no tomb of His own. A rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, asked for Jesus’ body and placed it in his own new tomb (Matt. 27:57-60). Finally, someone rightly points out that if Jesus was so rich, having Judas Iscariot as His treasurer, why should he betray Him for just thirty silver coins, which comes to about $15 or about INR800? (Matt. 27:3) <http://www.letusreason.org/wf15.htm>

What Paul says in 2 Cor. 8:9, wherein Christ became poor in His incarnation, goes in line with Philippians 2:6-7, “Who [Christ], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

How clearly we are revealed to the fact that though Christ, being in very nature God, He left His heavenly riches and made Himself nothing, ordinary, poor, by taking the very nature of a servant! Although He was the King of Kings, He became a meek servant. (Matt. 20:25-28)

We have no clear evidence from the Holy Scripture that Jesus was rich before He went to the cross. Nevertheless, to justify their kingly lifestyle and to accumulate more wealth, prosperity preachers twist the Scriptures to make Jesus appear wealthy while He walked on earth, when in fact the Scripture plainly reveals that He became a humble servant and lived a simply life on earth. [continued next page...] | 1 of 2

Recitation from Memory of the Book of James

2012-08-29T03:11:00.001-07:00

One of the significant disciplines I have put on my life, by God’s grace, is memorizing Scriptures. Last year, I was challenged to see John Piper reciting the entire book of Philippians. I thought, “If Piper could do as an old man, why can’t I inculcate this discipline as a young man.”

So, for the first time in my life, I have seen its importance and committed myself to memorizing the Scriptures. I am amazed at how little things, like memorizing one verse a day or few verses in a week, would make a great difference. Within a year, I memorized a couple of chapters from the Bible without forgetting any of them [memorizing without forgetting is an art that can be learned].

One of my greatest weaknesses is forgetfulness. However, memorizing Scriptures is not an impossible task for slow learners like me. I have learned that memorizing Scriptures is not a talent or a gift; it is a discipline. Anyone sane in his mind can memorize the Scriptures and affirm with the Psalmist, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11).

The following video is the recitation from memory of the book of James (NIV). This was delivered at Church at Gachibowli’s camp. I hope this would be an encouragement to the viewers to memorize the Scriptures.

Note: It is no great thing to just memorize the Scriptures. Memorization of Scriptures should be done with a heart to obey God's word. We should treasure God's word within us so that we can measure our lives constantly by it.

It is our desire to help people memorize the Scriptures and enjoy its benefits. We do one-day seminar on this. We share about the exhortations from Scriptures to treasure God's word in heart, the excuses people give for not memorizing Scriptures, the cautions for memorizing Scriptures without obedience, the historical examples of those who memorized Scriptures, the benefits of memorizing Scriptures and finally, how to practice memorizing the Scriptures without forgetting, not just individual verses but also chapters and books. You may stay in touch to update you about our next seminar on Treasuring God's Word in Heart.

"I am convinced that one of the greatest things we can do is to memorize Scripture."

— Billy Graham

"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization."

— Dallas Willard

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Caution about Contemporary Movies: Avoiding Every Form of Impurity

2012-08-03T20:37:00.001-07:00

Watching movies is one of the most entertaining tools of our day. It has become a necessary recreation for many, not to mention, an addiction. Now I don’t believe it is completely wrong to watch movies. There are movies that are quite refreshing, inspiring, challenging and even life-changing.

Nevertheless, most of the movies that are made in our time are found awful, entertaining people with disgusting content. Although there is something to get excited over the way movies are made with stunning technology, it is regretful to see how the current visual media is given over to sexual depravity, losing moral senses and shame. And what amazes me is how the people of the Living God have become desensitized to immoral scenes presented in most of the contemporary movies.

Avoiding Every Form of Impurity

One of the devil’s tricks we learn from the modern media is this—if you want to popularize evil and make it acceptable, just present it in the form of entertainment.

For instance, think about French kiss, foreplay and immodest exposure of one’s body in the movies. I hear many Christians justifying themselves by watching such things, “It is just a drama.”

Well, do we feel comfortable with our wife performing such scenes with other men in a play or drama? I can understand action scenes being faked but how are French kiss, foreplay and immodesty faked? Although it is a play, the actors are really involved in performing the act, sensually exposing their bodies and sexually touching one another’s bodies. Consequently, they are having a detrimental influence on the emotions of the viewers, particularly upon children and youth.

Some say, “I watch them but I don’t feel any reaction to them” or “It is just a movie” or “It's common” or “I am not practicing but just casually watching.”

Listen, my dear people—The Holy Bible instructs us there should not be even a hint of sexual immorality (Eph. 5:3). Note these words: Not even a hint of sexual immorality. Again, it is written in 1Thess. 5:22, “Abstain from every form of evil.” Make these words: Every form of evil.

What should we comment about most of the movies in our day? We not only find a hint of impurity but manifestly perform immorality without shame. So, as God’s chosen people, are we not exhorted to despise and abstain from everything that gives even the appearance or hint of evil? Are we obeying the Scriptural exhortations when we watch sensual performances in the movies?

I was reading in my personal devotion today, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Rom. 12:9). Do we hate the evil projected in the movies or do we get entertained by them? How can I take delight in that which God forbids? How can I just watch sensual things, though with a neutral attitude, when God’s word exhorts to hate such sinful acts?

God's Call to Sexual Purity

Sex is God’s exhilarating gift to mankind with a mandate to enjoy it within marital bond and that too in privacy. But, what shall we say about the actors who participate in sensual acts? They not only perform sensual things publicly, but in real life they are also not married to each other. Much worse, what they propagate in the movies is fornication, i.e. having sex before or without marriage, even live-in relationships.

We are aware of how Dan Brown subtly tried to debunk the historic truths of Christianity in the form of a novel “Da Vinci Code.” Likewise, I see most of the contemporary movies debunking biblical moral standards in the form of entertainment, thereby infiltrating the minds of viewers to make immoral things acceptable in the society.

Don’t you suppose, we, God's chosen people, are fooled by the modern entertainment?

Think about obscene outfits, deep French kiss and lustful scenes found, even in the movies made for kids and that which claim of presenting an inspirational message. Is it biblically okay to entertain people or to get entertained by such things? How many Christians are entertained by sexually immoral acts performed in the movies when in fact they should be filled with righteous indignation for despising God’s moral standards!

Dear friends, if we have engaged ourselves in the sensual entertainment of our day, losing passion for God’s holiness and moral standards, don’t you think it is time for us to repent and take our stand against the corrupt system of our age?

In this age of sensuality and sexual immorality, God is calling us to sexual purity. It is written for us, “It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God” (1Thess. 4:3-5).

If we did not make a commitment like the Psalmist, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing” (Ps. 101:3), then let us pray, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word” (Ps. 119:37).

Finally, the words of Peter said about two millenniums ago are no less relevant today or perhaps even more relevant—“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40).

Related Articles:

To Overcome Lust - Time is Everything
The Conversation of Job on Lust
A Lesson from Cotton Buds on Sexual Purity
Winning the Battle for Sexual Purity
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How Can We Be Effective in Evangelism?

2012-07-28T00:04:00.003-07:00

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, was one of the greatest soul-winners ever lived in the history of Christianity. The Lord used him to win many into His kingdom, to plant churches, to raise leaders and to make a significant impact in his generation and in the generations to come. Though there was opposition and persecution, lack of results at times and various kinds of trials, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Paul was mighty in evangelism.

But why is it that many of us in our time are not as effective as was Paul in evangelism and in impacting the lives around us? How can we become mighty in evangelism like Paul? In my today’s earning morning quiet time, the Lord helped me to understand certain significant reasons behind Paul’s effectiveness. It is my prayer and desire to possess these qualities in my life and I trust you would love to have the same in you.

1. Passion

It is humbling to read these words of Paul, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel” (Rom. 9:3-4).

These are no superficial words. What intense passion and steady burden Paul had for his people! He had a great heart for people as he desired to see hearts changed by the power of the gospel. His passion for the salvation of his people was so tremendous that he wished even to accept eternal damnation for their eternal life’s sake. Paul didn’t just preach the gospel; He preached the gospel with passion and compassion for the lost.

Do we have this passion and love for our people? Do we agonize in our soul that souls are perishing around us? Is our heart broken to see people living a life separated from the Living God? Do we burn in our heart to turn people from going into eternal fire? How can we be effective in evangelism without such intense passion for the lost?

2. Prayer

Paul expressed, “Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (Rom. 10:1).

Paul not only wished to see the salvation of his people, but he also prayed, persistently prayed, that they would come to the knowledge of the truth. His was not a mere emotional wish, but his intense burden led him to fervent prayer. Since salvation comes from the Lord, he poured his soul at His feet to save them. He didn’t simply preach the gospel; He earnestly prayed to the Lord of salvation to save those who hear the gospel. Paul was not just a man of the gospel; he was also a man of prayer.

We who desire to be effective in evangelism, are we effective in praying for the lost? Do we realize that all our labor and methods are fruitless in evangelism without the mighty work of the Holy Spirit? Do we completely depend on God through prayer for the work of the Holy Spirit? Do we grieve, even weep, for the salvation of the lost? How can we be mighty in evangelism if we are not mighty in our prayer life?

3. Purity

Paul wrote, “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed” (1Thess. 2:10).

How careful Paul was when he did gospel work among the Thessalonians! He conducted himself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phi. 1:27). He strived always to keep his conscience clear before God and man (Acts 24:16). He was careful not to say or do anything that would become a stumbling block in the spread of the gospel. Despite his struggle with personal weaknesses, he conducted himself in purity and integrity, making his life attractive to the gospel of Christ. Reading his life makes it obvious that Paul defended the authenticity of the gospel not only by his words but also by the way he lived.

As we want to see people transformed through the gospel of Christ, are we continuously being conformed to Christ-likeness? Does our life confirms or hinders the message of the gospel? Are we making every effort to live an exemplary life so that in every way we will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive? (Tit. 2:10) How can we be effective in evangelism if we are not effective in our Christian lifestyle?

4. Preaching

In his farewell message to the Ephesian elders, said Paul, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace” (Acts 20:24).

We know that the best way to become an expert in any field is to keep practicing it. Paul was effective in evangelism because he continuously engaged himself in proclaiming the gospel of Christ. To him, nothing was more important than knowing Christ and making Him known to others. His life was sharply marked with a passion to preach Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). He was reluctant to miss a single opportunity of witnessing to others. To him, preaching the gospel was not an option, but a solemn obligation (Rom. 1:14-15). He seriously took to heart the Great Commission and made every effort to fulfill it.

How about us, dear friends? Do we preach the gospel at all times? Does our heart beat constantly to proclaim the glory of Christ? Do we grab the opportunities of witnessing Christ to others? Or are we just engrossed in pursuing success and prosperity in this world without seriously considering fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord? How can we be effective in evangelism if we occasionally and conveniently preach the gospel?

5. Power

In his letter to Corinthians, Paul asserts, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power” (1Cor. 2:4-5).

Paul was not just simply filled with the knowledge about the gospel; he was filled with the Holy Spirit and power to proclaim the gospel of Christ. He wasn’t content to present the gospel simply with words, but strived to preach it with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (1Thess. 1:5). O, there was energy, power and conviction in the gospel he preached! His gospel preaching was a power-filled preaching. Just like his Lord, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him as he preached the good news (Lu. 4:18).

Are we discontent with our knowledge, intellect and experience and hunger more for a Spirit-filled life and ministry? Do we continuously seek to be clothed with the power from on high to live as Christ’s mighty witnesses (Lu. 24:49; Acts 1:8) Do we hate our cold heart and dead preaching, and long to have fire in our heart and life in our preaching? How can we be effective in evangelism without being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit?

May the Lord make us men and women of passion, of prayer, of purity, of preaching and of power and use us in these last days to effectively spread the gospel of Christ, proclaiming His glory to the nations.

Our Father in heaven, we come before You with our hearts which is passionless, prayerless, powerless, godless and gospel-less. We ask You that You send Your holy fire from above and revive us to live a life like Your servant Paul. Help us not to waste our precious life on earth by indulging ourselves into materialism and worldly hedonism. Give us Your grace to live our life completely for Your glory, for the fulfillment of Your will and for Your kingdom purpose. May Your name be hallowed in and through our lives. In Jesus Name. Amen.

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To Overcome Lust - Time is Everything

2012-07-21T06:30:00.003-07:00

Last week, as I was riding on my bike, my eyes abruptly fell upon a billboard. I found on it these words, written in big letters, “In Cancer Treatment, Time is Everything.” As I was reflecting on it, a thought suddenly dawned on me—to overcome lust, is not time everything, I mean, an essential element?

Everyone knows cancer is a deadly disease, which is responsible for the death of millions of people. According to World Cancer Research Fund International, it is expected that by 2030 the number of people dying of cancer would reach to 21 million. And one major reason for people dying of cancer is due to lack of early detection and treatment. Time seems to play a vital role, isn’t it?

Lust—which is an inappropriate and unrestrained sexual passion in striking contrast to healthy sexual desire—is perilous like cancer. Lack of prompt dealing with lust is a major cause for so many to fall into sexually immoral acts, thereby ruining one’s personal and family life.

Take Instant Turn

We need to understand that many who fall into sexual sins—be it in pornography, fornication, adultery, homosexuality or lustful fantasies—neglect to deal with them promptly and seriously at its initial stage. They casually face it and miserably fall into it.

Fact: Lust thrives in a delayed and negligent attitude.

For this reason, Jesus exhorted in hyperbolic language, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matt. 5:29). Eugene Peterson paraphrases it in his contemporary translation The Message, “If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer.”

In other words, if your eye is caught up in a lustful sight, turn your eyes instantly from it and urgently root out that lustful attitude. To save oneself from falling into lust, it is only a spur-of-the-moment. If you delay a bit, you will without delay find yourself drowned in a lustful pit.

Fact: The more we delay in resisting lust, the more it becomes difficult to overcome it.

I have learned that to overcome lust—particularly when you bump unexpectedly into something sensual, such as a porn image or a lustful wall poster or a sensual scene on television—it is only a matter of seconds. If I do not turn away from it immediately at my first glance, my mind would easily be captured by its lure. Therefore, when I find myself into a lustful temptation, I am disciplining myself, by God’s grace, to turn immediately or flee in a second.

Of course, when I flee, I do face temptations that I am missing a great pleasure and just need to yield to the temptation to satisfy my sensual emotions. But I know that’s deception and also destructive.

Fact: Lust grows stronger when you stay longer at what you watch.

Flee Lest You Cleave

Therefore, the Holy Bible says, “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18). In my study of the word “flee”, I have found that it means, “To run with rapidity, as from danger; to hasten from danger or expected evil.”

Fact: Lust is such a fiery temptation that if we do not run away from it, we rush into it.

We cannot spend a little time and then walk away slowly from lust. It is like a flood of water released from a dam. If we don’t flee quickly and immediately, we cannot stand against its raging torrent of temptation, having been easily wiped out by its enticement.

O, how many neglect to flee instantly from lust, but once they are swept off by it, they cry out helplessly for freedom!

Fact—The devil doesn’t drag people directly into sexual acts. He first feeds their sight with lust, fills their mind with evil imaginations, and then it is effortless for him to knock them down in immoral acts.

Take Off Lest You Give In

Think about the young man Joseph. Since he was handsome and well built, the lustful eyes of Potiphar’s wife fell on him. After persistently tempting him, one day when none was there inside her house, she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!”

But what did Joseph do? He left his garment in her hand and immediately fled from her (Gen. 39:11-12). Had he given a little room for lust to gaze at her, he could have easily fallen in adultery.

Fact: If you don’t flee from lust immediately, you may cleave to it inescapably.

Friend, may be you are entertaining a conversation or chat with a person which is progressively leading you into an illicit affair. May be you are moving too close physically with a person which may end up in some sexual sin. May be you are staying in a place where there is a danger of getting dragged into immoral acts. May be you are watching certain things which may appear less harmful to you now but they may indeed be stepping stones to greater pits and terrible fall. May be you are constantly tempted by someone or something to enjoy the momentary pleasure of sex which doesn’t fall into the boundary of marital fidelity.

Like Joseph, are you learning to rapidly flee from such lustful traps?

So, the next time, if you happen to find yourself into a lustful sight or place, know—time is everything. Just flee!

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Success in Evangelism

2012-07-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

One of the most demotivating factors in evangelism is to see lack of life-changing results through our preaching of the gospel. Many think that if we continue to preach the gospel and yet do not see people getting transformed, we are failures. We suppose, “I am useless and unproductive in God.”

Some may even dishearteningly think that God has pushed them aside, using only His favorites to win the lost. And when we hear from those who share about how people are coming to Christ through their sharing of the gospel, we may get more disappointed and assume, “I am not gifted or fitted to proclaim the gospel.”

Success in Evangelism

Well, we need to ask ourselves this question, “What is success in evangelism?” Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mk. 16:15). Observe, He didn’t say, “Go into all the world and change the lives of all creation” or “Go into all the world and get everybody into my kingdom.” We are simply commanded to preach the good news. And, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:16).

Fact—we are responsible to preach the gospel; we are not responsible for the response of the people.

Success in evangelism is preaching the gospel of Christ Jesus, whether people believe in Christ or not. Conversion is God’s business, not ours. Our business is to preach the gospel and God’s business is to change lives.

Fact: Obedience to the proclamation of the gospel is what God requires from us, not saving the souls. Regarding salvation, says God, “Leave that to me.”

It is written, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God” (Jn. 1:13-14). How plain it is—salvation is the glorious work of God out of which a person is born-again, not the work of man! It is, as Jesus said, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (Jn. 3:6). The Holy Spirit is the one who gives spiritual birth.

Here is a word of caution—if we suppose of being failures for not seeing people believing the gospel we preach, then we are most likely to take credit for saving a person when he/she believes in Christ, when actually salvation is the result of God’s work in man through man, not man’s work in man.

Reward in Evangelism

Paul said, “Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:26-27). Paul was free from the innocent blood of all men, not because he saved all of them, but because he proclaimed to them the whole will of God, i.e. God’s full plan of salvation.

Fact—God holds us accountable, not for how many souls we have won into His kingdom, but to how many people we have preached the kingdom of God.

When Paul gave his grand evangelistic sermon in Athens, many didn’t believe in the gospel he preached but just a few men (Acts 17:34). Was Paul a failure in Athens? Not at all! I just heard about a brother who is working in one of the most spiritually dark places in India. He is working for thirteen years and led only four souls to the Lord. Is he a failure? I don't think so.

Fact—God rewards us, not for converting people, but for proclaiming the gospel of Christ to the unconverted.

Therefore, let us not lose heart, even if not a single soul is converted. Let us keep on preaching the gospel of Christ as we have opportunities. Who knows, we may just be sowing the seeds of the gospel but others may reap what we have sown! (Jn. 4:37) Remember, “Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Cor. 3:7).

Of course, in our evangelism, we should eagerly expect people to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must fervently pray for their salvation. We need to strongly equip ourselves to effectively present the gospel. We should desperately seek the power of the Holy Spirit in witnessing to others. We need to live an exemplary Christian life. We ought not to remain passive or inefficient in evangelism.

However, we should fix this truth in our mind—we cannot change a single soul to take an inch of step towards eternal life. If anyone believes and is saved, it is only because of the convicting and enlightening work of the Holy Spirit, leading one to confess, “Jesus is Lord” (1Cor. 12:3).

Fact: All our methods, efforts and resources are only a means but they are never the source for converting people. God alone is the source of growth and salvation.

I remember reading Charles Spurgeon saying somewhat like this, “To convert a sinner into a saint is like converting a carnivorous lion into a vegetarian.” In other words, saving sinners is humanly an impossible task. But, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27).

Yes, preaching the gospel is important, for “how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom. 10:14) But our responsibility, our success and our reward is in just preaching the gospel to people. And salvation is God’s work in the heart of a person and his/her faith in Christ Jesus. Let us, then, faithfully and diligently keep sowing the seeds of the gospel in the hearts of people and leave the results to God to accomplish His sovereign will.

Fact—God takes delight in those who preach the gospel, though people may detest what we preach to them.

Question

Let me leave you with a question to consider—Suppose Mr. A has preached the gospel to five hundred people and witnessed four hundred conversions. But when Mr. B has faithfully preached the gospel to five hundred people, not even four people have turned to the Lord. Who do you think is successful and who is a failure?

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cstephendavid@gmail.com (or) stephen@tents-india.org