CTS Vol 12 Issue 04

Volume 12| Issue 04 | Mar - Apr 2014

Christian Thought Series

God’s Provisions

My Help Comes From the Lord, The Maker Of Heaven And Earth Christian Thought Series | Volume 12(Ps.121:2) | Issue 04

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Ilakiya

Ilakiya’s Housing Dilapitated

Razed Down

Ilakiya with her son

New House

Work under-way

Editorial Life as a whole is subject to the over-ruling provision of God I walked down the street the other day and looked up to find a brightly lit billboard which read: Provision Store. Most residents in the neighborhood quickly walk across the street to buy for their daily needs here. For many of their urgent needs, “The immediate help comes from this grocery store.” Be it food grains, vegetables, poultry or meat – the provision store provides! We live in an age of supermarkets – all under one roof! Gone or the times or days when we had to toil in order to buy the needed things for our family. Sometimes, we searched for important items or things the family required specifically. When one shop did not have it, we went in search of those things in more than one place.

If Christian families have the habit of praying together, they might also probably pray the Lord’s Prayer which says: “Give us this day our daily bread.” The two dimensions of this prayer is directed both Godward and man-ward. To God –His Name, His glory, His Kingdom and His Will. For Man- Food, Forgiveness, protection and eternal provision.

Dependence On God: As long as this understanding helps us, we shall all do well without self-conceit and pride. Or else, we would begin to boast of our own achievements – be it power, position or possession.

God taught the Israelites to remember this truth.

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deut.8:2,3).

Not many of us would want to undergo humbling experiences

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– of want, rejection, loneliness or pain. Unless experienced, we will never be able to appreciate the provision of God given to us during such times. It is easier to recite or teach our children: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.” In case, our ward-robes are stuffed with expensive clothes and our refrigerators are stacked with food-stuff – we may not be praying “Give us this day, our daily bread.”

Our forefathers knew the value of hard-earned money. They understood the fruit of their labour. Many of them knew how to thank the Lord for their lives, food, clothing and shelter. Nevertheless, the relatively wealthy among them had their ‘air of pride’ and arrogance just because they had suffered with the problem of plenty while their counterparts suffered with the problem of poverty. Do we not make distinction between people based on their caste, colour, or economic status? The poor we tend to despise knowing well that they cannot compete with us. This is where pride begins to creep in to our being.

Too soon we forget how we have progressed in life through pain and hardship. Quickly, all of what God had provided for us is forgotten.

When we become self reliant, it is hard to appreciate God’s provisions made for us each day. We take them for granted.

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt (Deut.8:10-14).

As often as we see it, material prosperity brings spiritual decline in the lives of many believers. Too soon, those who began their walk quite well with the Lord in their early years with all simplicity and commitment are seen to be drifting away. The joy of the Lord seem to disappear from their lives. Self-pity makes them all too concerned about their lives. Most of them tend to lead self-centred lives. Their worries are endless. Believers are accumulating upon themselves 02

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more of material burden that weighs them down. (To further elucidate this, please read Joshua Fields Milburn story given in page 24) The simple truth of “God is my provider” is well forgotten by many of them.

Divine Provisions Enjoy: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Cor. 2:9).

Since we live in a material world, our lives tend to naturally operate the way we are controlled by human senses. Feelings overrule facts.

When a majority feels a certain way, others follow the herd mentality of following as dumb animals. In that sense, we are all becoming part of a society that appears to be less-humane, proud and arrogant. There seems to be an utter disregard for fellow human beings. One of the reasons could be our ability to produce wealth. Economically speaking, the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. In other words, the economically strong group marches on the road to self-reliance.

When self-sufficiency takes over man, he tends to forget God sooner or later. One might attribute this factor to globalization. We might further state that this is the end result of economic liberalization.

There is a global trend of uniformity – of the way we dress, consume the kind of foods or the way we behave culturally. The unification factor is something that a Christian must carefully observe. For When self-sufficiency takes example, the formation of over man, he tends to forget God sooner or later European Union (EU) with their Euro Dollar tells much about how global economy would take a turn in the future with paperless common currency. This may be a pointer to the upcoming “One World Order.” The Bible itself portrays the future World Ruler – a kind of AntiChrist to be arrogant and proud: Who (He) opposes and exalts himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thess.2:4).

Against this back drop, it might appear to be foolish to “Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” No matter what the

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consequences are, a Christian is called to obey God’s command – even though a vast majority had already left this premise of trusting God. We live in a materialistic world and our basic concerns are: “What shall we eat? What shall drink? And how shall we be clothed?

God tells us to look beyond these human, materialistic and economic needs. We must be the people of the Kingdom. The principles of the kingdom work differently. God has a different arithmetic. He counts differently from us. What we consider gain, he counts loss and what we lose, we gain in return.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? (Luke 9:24-25).

Faith looks beyond what is seen. What is seen is temporal. Look at the confidence of Paul when he knew of the eternal provisions of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

The principles of the kingdom work differently. God has a different arithmetic. He counts differently from us. What we consider gain, he counts loss and what we lose, we gain in return Death to Life Experience: It is time that each Christian must ask if he or she is dead in the true biblical sense. If yes, then we have a life.

Before death, crucifixion of ‘self’ must take place. Thereafter, the burial follows. The Old Man indeed is dead by then! He is crucified, dead and buried. When a spiritual process of this kind takes place in a believer’s life, then he can look forward to a resurrection experience. Any man or woman with this experience will look up to a different Kingdom values.

He or she will march to a different drummer. He will think “out-of-thebox” and would not conform to the patterns of the world. (Rom.12:1.2).

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The Apostle Paul had this experience and therefore spoke boldly:

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal.2:20).

No doubt, he could talk about his trip to paradise. His experience of visions and spiritual depth of wisdom is unknown to us. Why? It may be the reason that self might still continue to reign in us.

The greatest provision God had made through Jesus Christ is the provision of life from death. Thereafter, God made us to be seated together with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). A believer is accorded a heavenly status (it is neither a waiting position nor a reservation against some cancellation!), here and now!

Downward or Upward Look? What should be the outlook of a believer who has had a resurrection experience? Too often, we are those who are good at making big claims about our spirituality. Is Christianity all ‘faith-talk’ with no power? E.M. Forster calls it as: “The poor little talkative Christianity.” Dr. Radhakrishnan, the famed Philosopher and former president of India commented: “Christians are ordinary people who make extraordinary claims.” What are our claims? Are we those who put on a form of godliness but deny its power? (2 Tim.3:5). As I write this, I read of a pastor in Kentucky who died of snake bite when he handled poisonous snakes in the church service to demonstrate that he possessed spiritual power over serpents! It is a clear and pitiable case of mistaken understanding and interpretation of the scriptures.

Did Christ ever tell people to become snake-charmers or preachers of the gospel? The world is watching us – of our motives, methods and means of proclaiming the gospel. No doubt, When Paul came to the Island of Malta, he was bitten by a viper and he was unharmed (Acts 28). There may have been many cases where God’s people were miraculously provided or protected by God. But that does not leave a believer with exclusive privileges that contradict the claims of the gospel.

Paul admonishes the Colossians to look upward. There is an

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eternal provision that God had made for every believer who had been resurrected.

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. For you died… and your life now is hidden (safely protected) with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:1,3).

If we are one of those who have trodden all through the life looking downward, it is time to look upward. We need to change the course of our lives at least now. Some of us have squandered way with much of our precious time and resource. Nevertheless, all is not lost. The time to appropriate all of God’s provisions is available now (Eph.5:16, 2 Cor.6:2). But we must allow the process of CDBR – Crucifixion, Death, Burial and Resurrection.

Where lies our provision? ‘Where the treasure is, there will your heart be also,’ (Matt. 6:21), said our Lord Jesus Christ.

We used to sing that small chorus which is not so much sung among Christian circles. The words are as follows:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of this world will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace.

God in Christ has made provisions of tremendous worth and value to each believer. The provisions are both temporal and eternal.

They are applicable to both “here and now” and “hereafter.”

What counts is how well we apply or appropriate God’s eternal provisions!

- Joshua Dhanabalan 06

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HOW DOES GOD PROVIDE?

How well do we understand rightly the provisions God had

made for our lives? Let us try not as the way the world understands it.

To a large extent, it might be true that humanity is soaked in the thought of utilitarianism. Its doctrine is that: virtue is based on utility and that conduct should be directed toward greatest happiness of the greatest number of persons. No doubt, proponents of Prosperity Gospel too seek to bring this happiness to greatest number of persons reaching out through mass media.

It has often been said in a lighter vein that Christians do not ever lie. But they only sing them!

Isn’t it a merely simple thing to sing: “Jehovah Jireh, my provider”, than to apply this truth in one’s life? This is a divine truth which also can become a divine reality in the life of a believer. Modern Christian music had drowned many sound biblical teachings into the depth of its music. The music reigns while its message is forgotten.

Unconsciously, Christian precepts are viewed mostly materially and any monetary wealth or prosperity received in this world by believers is merely understood to be of God’s blessing. Churches invite such people to share their ‘testimonies’. Many Christian magazines are filled with ‘blessings received’ columns.

God’s blessings come to a believer in so many ways. In the sight of the world, a believer’s life may appear to be a paradox. He or she may be poor yet rich in so many ways. The world is not used to view richness that way. What one owns or possesses is considered as blessing. To some extent, it may be true. But it is not the truth always.

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Provision Or Provider? The psalmist understood this quite well so he wrote: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.” It means that God guides our lives. We follow Him. He becomes our Shepherd.

In this order, blessings overflow. Our cup overflows. Surely, goodness and mercy will follow all of our days – provided He is our Shepherd.

There is a subtle teaching that goes on in the Christian church. It is about the unconditional love and abundant provision of God. Once again, it may be true, but not the whole truth! When we deserved to be punished, God extended His love. But the truth on the other side of the coin is this: That it happened when we appropriated God’s love and mercy by faith and responded to Him in humility and repentance.

Modern churches do not teach about humility, repentance or confession of sins.

Too subtly, something on these lines are taught: Believers are cleansed and forgiven, set at liberty and they are once-for-all guilt free.

Sin’s dominion is forever gone. They simply have to receive blessing that is in store for them.

This might appears to be true at the first hearing, but is not in keeping with the biblical truth! Often, a believer forfeits God’s blessing because of his/her arrogance, pride or rebellion. Such people cannot claim and sing: Jehovah Jireh, My Provider or The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want. By nature, we are tainted by sin and our motives are corrupt even We are too concerned about when we approach God. We want to be recipients of God’s abundant blessings, the Gift than the Giver of gift. while all the time we would not bow to His prerogatives. We are too concerned about the Gift than the Giver of gift. God’s ways are higher and His love immeasurable. Therefore, He still exhibits his love and kindness to a believer time and again even though he is turns out to be ungrateful.

This is the goodness of God. He showers His goodness both on the righteous and wicked. I am blessed not always because of my obedience, but because of the character of God’s love and goodness which makes it so.

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What Matters Is Matter! By this, we mean that we live in a material world and everything is matter around us. In other words, the physical world is surrounded with matter. Anything which occupies space and has mass is called Matter. This is basic science. A further study will take us into the field of chemistry. Isn’t that man is made up of matter? It was said that man is nothing but: FAT – enough for seven bars of soap.

IRON – enough for one medium-sized nail.

SUGAR – enough for seven cups of tea.

LIME - enough to whitewash one chicken coop.

PHOSPHORUS – enough to tip two thousand two hundred matches.

MAGNESIUM – enough for one dose of salts.

POTASH – enough to explode one toy crane SULPHUR – enough to rid one dog of fleas (Prof. C.E. M. Joad).

But then, who or what is man?

The astronomer tells that man is just a speck on the face of medium-sized planet spinning round the middle-aged star. The star, “our” sun, is just one of a thousand million stars in a universesupposedly seventeen thousand million years old.

Don’t we feel small and lonely?

Biologically, man is further classified as Homosapiens – the scientific name for human species. This study supposedly traces human origin to Neanderthal species which are extinct. Deeper still, the study of evolution tends to conclude that man evolved from the primal ape.

Against this backdrop, the Bible records this as God saying: “Let us make man in our own image” Further, the psalmist says, “We are the work of His hands.” David could not contain but exclaim: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps.139:14).

Isn’t this matter far beyond human comprehension?

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Soil And Soul: God, as the Marvelous Architect designed the external super-structure of man through the ‘dust of the ground’ (Gen. 2:7). But the generating power for the living soul came to man from the breath of God. Matter simply does not evolve without the breath of God. Adam may have been a carved sculpture and would have soon rotten if the living breath had not entered his soul. The Bible says: “Man became a living soul.”

The study of Organic Chemistry should not lead us to believe exclusively in cell-atom theory, thereby dehumanizing humans to subclassifications.

When we delink the image of God from man and make him the ape-man, he would think nothing - except, “what shall I eat, what shall I drink…” Except the fact that apes do not dress up nor do they blush!

Now, man longs to go nude all over again. Nudity reigns. But this is contrary to the way God had created him in the beginning. The first man and woman had the divine haze a kind of godly robe all around them in Through all his pursuit of order to cover up their nakedness. Who God over the centuries, knows? This again was part of God’s man had invented countless creative work – say, a combination of moisture, dust, smoke and vapour. gods of his own After the fall, this haze may have been evaporated! The opaque covering and opalescent appearance no longer covered man. Now that man is said to be”dead in sin and trespasses.” He lost the ability to connect himself to God. Materialism taught him to be anxious for tomorrow. Therefore, man constantly strives and seeks after something that he does not seem to know. The spirit in him is lost. He is just a mortal man. But the ‘God-kind’ is missing out of man. Nevertheless, deep within him, there lies an urge that makes him a seeker of God. His desperate attempts to know and find God frustrates him. Through all his pursuit of God over the centuries, man had invented countless gods of his own. If man is all matter, why then there lies within him the utmost longing for that Great Someone? Though misled, he finds himself in Chinese Confucianism, Yoga, Eastern Mystic Religions,Witchcraft, Drug-trips etc., 10

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This is the greatest blunder man had made since fall. He invented his own gods and religious beliefs. The actual provision of God is forgotten. The great “I am” is all sufficient for man to steer through life’s difficult maze.

To compensate his loss of spiritual bankruptcy, man has turned to materialistic pursuit. He makes money through unjust gain. Greed and lust for power ensnares him. He can only think of “here and now,” and cannot for a moment think about “hereafter.”

Following this order, we have more Epicureans, Stoics and Heathens merely calling themselves as Christians – coming to church Sunday after Sunday. Their world view is utterly materialistic. They care so much for the Soil than for the Soul.

The Word of God declares: “What good it is for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” (Matt.16:26) All calculations are material based. There is hardly any scope or consideration for the soul of man. It is only in a Christian funeral, the verse is read: “For you are dust and to dust you will return (Gen. 3:19)” Matter is laid to rest. But the soul that sins also dies. This means, a man who is enslaved by sin is eternally separated from God. Eternal Provision: The Bible says that God had to slain a Lamb before the foundation of the world to atone the sin of man (Rev. 13:8). This refers to the Son of God who became the sin-bearer. God alone can make a remission and provision through the Lamb for the sacrifice. That Lamb happened to be the very Son of God. This is the very core of the gospel. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)”. Until, the provision of God is appropriated by man, he would continue to be sick, alienated and spiritually impoverished. St. Augustine said to this effect: “Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee.”

That part of the verse – “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” does not simply mean that we enjoy

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the benefits of salvation through certain oral utterance. It is not even a mere mental assent. For the Bible declares:

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified….. (Rom.10:9,10).

There is an “if” to be saved. We might call it the conviction that stems out of the heart to believe and the confession to declare that Jesus is Lord who rose up from the dead.

When such a declaration takes place based on true conviction and faith, instantly, a believer is made as a recipient of God’s eternal provision.

A man who had known this truth will never frantically run to and fro just to satiate his inner longing For his longing is met and he finds fulfillment in what he had made up his mind.

We might come across number of people who have tasted the goodness of the Lord. It is easy to recognize from their language.

They are not those who wallow in self-pity all the time. The fear of the unknown does not haunt them. Many believers are afraid of even life more than death. Death is just a door way to the immediate presence of God. Such people will boldly say together with Paul: “For me to live in Christ and to die is gain” (Phil.1:20). What more can we say about a believer’s eternal security?

John White in his book, The Cost of Commitment asks: “Why then are we so quick to opt for earthly treasure and so slow to be obsessed with the heavenly? Perhaps it is because we do not believe in heavenly realities.”

When a believer attains both conviction and confidence of this sort, it will pave the way for him toward total freedom in Christ. John White again says, “the miserable bits and pieces” are the things of this life to which we naturally cling. If only we were to grasp what glories he has for us we should realize how silly we are to cling to such 12

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rubbish ! We must be honest with ourselves. How important to us are possessions and ambitions? How real are heavenly treasures? We are like the man with the muckrake in the House of Interpreter in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, so absorbed with straws and rags that we fail to see the glorious crown extended to us.”

A higher order of distinguishing or discerning God’s provisions is when a believer will recognize what is that which puts him under severe yoke and that which sets him free – for freedom does not consist in what one wants to do, but to do such things for which one had been designed by God. Provisions of God will then naturally overflow into the life of such a person!

- J. D

There are more and more people who are fascinated by the study of the Bible. A lot many of them have done a good survey of the Old and the New Testament, cover - to - cover. More books related to it have been bought. Yet, one can find such a Bible-man or woman is mostly untouched by the core of its message. No doubt, God had planted in the heart of man the desire to know Him. For a Christian the thirst is all the more – since he has been exposed to the love of God – either through the Sunday School or a sermon heard in the church.

But the exact appropriation of knowing God in personal terms has been misunderstood for knowing about him through scriptural information. Therefore, one constantly reads and explores and goes by the notion that acquiring Bible-knowledge will make him a knowledgeable person about God. Yes, his knowledge about the truths of the scripture may be vast. Such a man or woman is dependent more on information than illumination. When the Spirit’s illumination takes place, such a man will say: “My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods.” (Ps. 63:5) - J.D. Christian Thought Series | Volume 12 | Issue 04

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ASK NOT FOR PROVISIONS!

W

hen God’s abundant blessing follow in a believer’s life, we do not need to seek after some blessing. We simply have to receive blessing that is on our way with thanksgiving. Sometimes, a believer comes to a stage where he stops praying for personal needs. For he would already be enjoying the provisions of God. He might say together with David:

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods (Ps.63:5).

There comes a stage in Christian live when a mature believer stops praying for this or that. Provisions are sent then and there.

God’s people enjoyed this blessing in the centuries past. I am both fascinated and felt ashamed whenever I read about the life of George Meuller. For all his personal needs and the needs of children’s home he was running in Bristol, he trusted the Lord. He testified that the Lord never let him down even once.

Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Ps.121:2). How true is this in our lives? God is interested in our lives more than we care for them. He makes daily provisions – not just for our bodily needs, but for the spirit and soul.

We live in times of intense marketing techniques that influence Christians and even those involved in full-time ministry. Fundraising is an important concern that is foremost in the mind of a Christian organization. How to pay hundreds of missionaries every month?

What about their children’s education? How well would we meet with emergency medical bills? These are real issues. The needs and cares of this world often weigh us down. . In Jesus’ words:“What shall we eat, what shall we drink and what shall we wear..” dominate our thinking.

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Our Master was quite explicit about these things and said: “These things the heathens seek after. But first, seek after God’s Kingdom.”

In other words, He was saying that we must seek the Provider than Provisions.

In the Old Testament, Jehovah God challenged the Israelites to even test Him for His provision of blessings. But there was an “if”- ‘a condition for that blessing’.

“Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (Mal.3: 10).

Honouring God is not just a matter of mechanically offering our tithes and offerings. We must offer ourselves to God as Living Sacrifices . Our time, talent and all other resources to be surrendered to the Lordship of Christ so that He would govern and guide us as to how we dispense with them effectively. Such a person would be able to say “my cup overflows!”

Honouring God is not just a matter of mechanically offering our tithes and offerings. We must offer ourselves to God as Living Sacrifices Is your life an example of experiencing the abundance of God’s riches and provisions? When we say provisions, let us not limit them to our bodily needs alone. Are we prospering spiritually? Are our souls enjoying peace and rest?

Many years ago, a man of God came to see me. Before leaving my house, he told me that I do not have to wait or look for open doors in the ministry. He said: “If only you remain in the will of God, doors would swing open just like that.” True to his saying, I do not go looking for ministry opportunities. I do not write or pester people in this regard.

I have enough of work to do for the Lord daily. In the same way, it is true of finances too. Why should we be involved in some gimmick just in order to manipulate people into giving money? We have tasted the

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goodness of the Lord. Sometimes the Lord puts us through hardship or need. We have learned to be joyful, both in our need and in prosperity.

Again as David says, “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me (Ps.131:1, 2).

What more can a child of God ask for?

I do not believe in ‘restless activity’ in the name of ministry.

Somehow, this kind of guilt-ridden thought had been passed on to us – even by well meaning Christians, particularly those in the Lord’s service. The Lord wants His children to enjoy quiet repose when the next move would be made clear.

Not many would agree to this. But I am of this opinion. While I would stand for all diligent and legitimate ways of disciplined and organized living or working, too much of a programmed life with a mechanized way of living is too dangerous for our lives or our institutions.

This is the modern day curse. There is this ill-gotten idea that too much of working results in producing wealth, prosperity and development.

It may appear to be so, but not without a price-tag. It might harm your health, your society or family in some way. The system with which we operate programmes in our ministries everywhere do not bring refreshment to our body, mind and spirit. Consider this: Lengthy prayer sessions, too many testimonies, and lengthy preachings–too much of endless ‘spiritual’ activities are not good in themselves. Too much of everything is bad. It holds true to every other sphere in a man’s life.

See what the Word tells us: In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – he grants sleep to those he loves (Ps.127:2).

Self-inflicted suffering does not find place in Christian discipleship.

God’s will and work just happens when we are aligned to Him. You do not have to seek or search after it – for heathen do such things!

While in Joppa, Peter was resting in that smelly upper room which the 16

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tanner Simon had provided. Were there times when we have become weary and hungry before the noon mean and just dozed off for a while?

Perhaps, this might have taken place with Peter too. While the meal got ready, he himself had a vision and got prepared to go on the next mission (Acts 10).

Peter just slept. He needed some rest. Is it ok to sleep in the middle of the day? It can never be accepted if such a habit becomes a daily affair in the life of a believer. Sometimes servants of God toil.

They are exhausted due to long hours of travel. Late night meetings and prayer may have upset their routine sleeping pattern. It does not mean that we must put our body to unnecessary hardship to earn God’s favour. But there are situations that one cannot avoid.

The point is that even on such occasions, God’s call is perceived

by His servants.

That should be the way each child of God must be led of the Spirit. Fasting has a definite place in the life of a believer. But we must never make fasting a programme or an event. We make a public event out of fasting. I have a friend of mine who always wishes to announce that he or his friends are on a fast when there is a meeting going on.

Generally speaking, any convention or a retreat usually ends with a good meal. What is the point of a few men (im) posing themselves as “extra-spiritual” and not “part-taking” in a love-feast? Our spirituality must have relevance.

Men and women must learn to live naturally – avoiding every bit of artificial spirituality. Our Lord is the model – He never pretended to be spiritual. When evening came, he withdrew to a quiet place to be with His Father. There is a place and time when each believer must look forward to enjoy true spiritual retreat and fellowship with the Heavenly Father. We must desist from much ado concerning fasting or prayer meetings. There need not be a public announcement, except when the situation demands it (Esther 4:15, 16). Jesus never showed off that he fasted or prayed. He even denounced fasting or prayer in the context of the Pharisees who were making a hue and cry over it.

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Jesus never showed off that he fasted or prayed. He even denounced fasting or prayer in the context of the Pharisees who were making a hue and cry over it.

Aren’t we becoming too insecure or struggling with a sense of desperation that we tend to go far and wide, announcing about ministries through media, cut-outs and banners in a big way? God can send us to places or people will be sent to us. If you have doubts as to this, ask men and women who have impacted greatly but silently the work of God’s Kingdom! Many of whom lived and died. In most cases, the world knew of much of their work after they had been dead.

We are raising a generation of Christians who do not know their church history. Encourage your friends and church members to read through missionary biographies.

This character is alluded to the Servant of the Lord by the prophet Isaiah: He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets….In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged…..

(Isa.42:2-4).

Would we still be asking the Lord to provide when He had already bestowed His blessings? Ask Not!

- J.D

Nothing is more needed among preachers today than that we should have the courage to shake ourselves free from the thousand and one trivialities in which we are asked to waste our time and strength, and resolutely return to the apostolic ideal which made necessary the office of the pastorate. (We must resolve that) we will continue steadfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the Word.

-G. Campbell Morgan.

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Christian Thought Series | Volume 12 | Issue 04

BOOK REVIEW Indian Edition of US#1 National Best Seller Book on Fatherhood- 10 Tools Every Father Needs

By The Honorable Gregory W Slayton Foreword by Charles H Colson

Published in November 2013 by GLS Publishing, Mumbai, Price `300 USD 6. Buy online http:// glsindia.com/shopping/ Fatherhood- The Most important job a man will ever have!

Fatherhood is the most important job that any of us— including the President of the United States or the CEO of the world’s largest company—will ever have. It is the only role in life for which we are truly indispensable. Our futures, our family and our entire society depend on the job we do as a dad.

Be a Better Dad Today! is a book for every one of us who want to be a better Fathers for our family. Written in an encouraging, fun to read style by bestselling author Gregory W. Slayton, Be a Better Dad Today! is designed to help each of us become better Fathers, better Husbands and better Men. It is bound to be an instant classic on the subject of Fatherhood. Background for Be a Better Dad Today!: Professor Slayton has studied the art and practice of Fatherhood on six different continents over the past 25 years. He grew up in a difficult family environment even before his father abandoned his family.

Professor Slayton has been married to his wife Marina for 22+ years. They have four great kids, the eldest two of whom are attending Ivy League universities. As a family they have weathered many storms – as all families must. But by God’s grace and with His help, all things are possible. Like its author, Be a Better Dad Today! is a work in process.

The Ten Basic Fatherhood Tools are highlighted in Be A Better Dad Today!! Like anyone trying to do a difficult job, Dads need the right tools to get the Fatherhood job done right. Be a Better Dad Today! I devoted an entire chapter to each of the Ten Tools Check out excerpts from each of the chapters (GOSPEL LITERATURE SERVICE)

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I t is easier for some of us to choose to suffer physically or externally than to be forced with inner realities of life.There are battles of life we need to wage courageously. We must never term suffering as a mere external one. Taking up the cross does not necessarily mean physically inflicted suffering. Our Lord never volunteered to suffer. It was the path or in other words – the way of the cross which was prepared for Him. He suffered not just physical pain, but more of mental anguish. There are so many Christians who suffer greatly because of their obedience to Christ–mental, emotional and psychological agony which may not be obvious on the outside. They may be termed in the Biblical sense, “men and women of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” While on the outside such a disciple may appear to be pleasant and joyful. The whole concept of Christian suffering should not be misunderstood. Suffering can at times be an escapist solution. Dodging tough issues of life, spiritualizing it with prayer or fasting can be a form of inflicted, involuntary suffering.

In some cases, Christians expose themselves to unwanted risks and dangerous situation –such as climate, places or people and earn much sympathy and appreciation of people for their sacrifice. There is no virtue in suffering for suffering’s sake. If God is permitting us through the furnace of fire or make us stay through the night in a lions’ den, it is altogether a different matter. Men and women of God have lived for many years with humans fiercer than the lions! Some have trodden rugged paths where wicked men and women existed more venomous than hissing serpents and scorpions ready to strike the feet of those who brought good news!

-J.D. B y being a faithful servant of God, one can either provoke anger and

opposition or powerfully draw the attraction of people. As Paul says, to some it will be ‘the smell of death,’ and to the others, ‘the smell of life.’

It may be that a servant is faced with unpopularity and lack of prosperity often times. But the opposite also could be true at times.

-J.D. 20

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W e have been living in a rented quarters for over a decade.

The building itself is in a bad shape. A civil engineer, a plumber or an electrician would be able to explain the actual condition of the building.

Since we have no place to go and do not own a house of our own, our mortal bodies continue to live here – purely by the mercy of the church institution which owns the building. Any attempt to repair or re-paint the building usually ends in utter frustration. Minor corrections are useless since the structure itself had not been cared for in many years.

Here is an analogy.

The structure needs attention. We must make a comparison to our Christian life. Watch out if the structure is intact. Take utmost care of its maintenance. At the time of conversion, a Christian may have laid the foundation on matters such as: obedience to the Word of God, submission to the will of God, discipleship, servitude etc. Those spiritual structures must be maintained. Anyone laying a quick foundation on the above is bound to develop cracks everywhere over a period of time. Any minor corrections carried on later would prove to be futile. We might find Christians of this sort in our Churches. They keep spending time and energy on minor corrections that lead to more complications. What cannot be cured must be endured. This applies to fundamental Christian faith and conduct.

-J.D.

A Christian’s life can be compared to a flowing stream in the desert.

One cannot imagine its current to slow down unless there is a steep that obstructs the flow. But the stream will always find a way to flow out.

It is only when we check it by raising the level of the soil, or by building a dam across it that the water will be stored up from flowing out. But the good thing about the stored up water is that it will turn out to be a potential resource or energy. Jesus said: “He who believes in me, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).”

-J.D.

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THE HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS Silver and Gold I do not have. But What I have I give to you (Acts 3:6)

T

he prince and the pauper do not have anything common in this world.

Jesus was imaginative that he narrated the parable of Lazarus and rich man in Luke 16:19-31. He too narrated beautifully the wide distinction that existed between the two persons to point out that there was nothing common between both of them.

We must be honest. You and I are selfish in one sense or the other. Deep within in us are lurking those things such as: fear, dishonesty, pride, greed, lust, anger and so on. Yet you and I call ourselves spiritual. Yes, we battle with sin daily – till death do us apart! But we need to ask ourselves - Is sin the controlling factor in our day-to-day lives?

The pride of becoming relatively richer than someone is our problem. Our comparisons with those who are less intelligent, less charming make us arrogant.

The church is riddled with such kind of sickness. We are not yet courageous to speak on these issues.

God’s people are considered mostly as the scum of the world (1 Cor.4:13). The world ignores them even though they are endowed with heavenly riches (God’s provisions). They do not seem to have commercial value.

Time and again, God is showing the world that those who are considered ‘foolish’ are the ones who confound the wise people of this 22

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world (1 Cor. 1:27). This is God’s way of handling the “haves and the have-nots.”

Soon after the day of Pentecost, Peter and John demonstrated their power of resurrection. The lame beggar leaped and jumped when his feet and ankles became strong (Acts 3:7).

This is spiritual power- the greatest provision of God that any man or woman could have.

Explaining this a little further, Paul compares this: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Cor.4:7).

It becomes all the more difficult to explain logically what this means to a man who is conditioned by the spirit of the world.

St. Augustine when once invited to Rome saw heaps of gold and silver in the treasury of the Roman Church. With a look of pride the Archbishop said to St. Augustine: “No longer would the church say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’ Augustine paused for a while, but said: “Yes, true, but no longer can the church say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and walk!’ “ How true it is in the context of our own churches! We make tall claims. But our claims do not seem to match with our credibility as Christians. We have round the year programmes in our churches.

But are they power-packed?

Can we find God’s provision of this kind in our churches today?

-J.D. Christian Thought Series | Volume 12 | Issue 04

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IS YOUR LIFE ALL CLUTTERED UP?

A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things….(Luke 12:15)

Jesus said: “If your righteousness does not exceed the

righteousness of the Pharisees, you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt.5:20). For the people of the world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light (Luke 16:8). Here is something we as Christians together can learn from the people of the world-* source: Internet. (Editor) Joshua Fields Millburn, who at age 27 became the youngest director of operations at a large telecom company in the Midwest, had been asked to craft a plan to close eight retail stores and terminate 41 workers. But when he handed the report to his boss in early 2011, it included 42 names. At the top of the list he’d written his own.

Two years before, Millburn had watched his mother die and his marriage dissolve in the span of a month. When he looked around at the life he’d built for himself — a six-figure salary, impressive title, and big house full of stuffed closets — he didn’t feel fulfilled. Instead, he felt weighed down by the things he’d accumulated. Working 80 hours a week trapped in a cycle of consumerism had ultimately ruined his relationship and left him with $100,000 of debt.

Then he came across the idea of minimalism, a lifestyle dedicated to clearing the clutter in your life and making room for the things that are truly important to you. Over a period of eight months, Millburn stopped buying things he didn’t need, gave away most of the stuff he had, and downsized to a one-bedroom apartment in Dayton, Ohio.

When his longtime friend and coworker Ryan Nicodemus finally 24

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asked, “Why are you so happy lately?” he realized he was onto something. Millburn explained his new lifestyle, and Nicodemus was instantly hooked. Together they launched a website about their journey, TheMinimalists.com, and recently published a book, “Everything That Remains.”

“Once I shed the superfluous things I owned, it led to other parts of my life: my health, relationships, work,” Millburn tells Business Insider. “I had wrapped up my identity in my career and status, but started to realize that it wasn’t in line with my beliefs.”

Since walking away from the corporate world and dedicating himself to his writing, Millburn, now age 32, says he’s paid off all his debt, lost 80 pounds, and moved to a small town in Montana, where he surrounds himself only with things that are functional and bring him joy.

On his website and in talks, Millburn shares his strategies for paring down, and he insists that embracing minimalism doesn’t have to be as dramatic or life altering as his experience. For some, it may be as simple as thinking more carefully about what you buy or how you spend your time. He suggests these three steps for getting started today: 1. Ask yourself how your life might be better if you owned fewer material possessions. “A lot of people might want to declutter their closets,” says Millburn. “But without understanding the purpose behind it, they will just get cluttered again.”

2. Get rid of one thing each day for a month.”This will help you build momen tum,” he says. At the end of the 30 days, you’ll likely end up tossing a lot more than 30 items, since you’ve devoted that time to really looking.

3. Recruit a friend to help. “The act of decluttering is fairly boring,” Millburn says. “If you can have an accountability buddy that’s helping you, it can make it fun.” Plus, if you motivate each other, ultimately you both win.

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Dear Reader, I trust you have been blessed reading these articles. If you’ve found Christian Thought Series for the first time, please let us know.

We shall include your name in our mailing list.

Kindly pass on the magazine to someone after you have finished reading it. Those who might wish to discontinue receiving CTS, kindly inform. Change of address if any, please indicate so that copies do not go waste.

It is with an endeavour to teach, admonish and edify Christian believers, Christian Thought Series is published and had been sent free mostly across the country. There is also an-email version available on-line. Please provide your e-mail ID so you could receive it and pass it on easily to friends and relatives staying far away from you .

For details of our ministry, please go through the information given on the last page of this magazine.

We produce Gospel literature, DVDs, Training Manual and other booklets for both believers and those involved in different kinds of ministry.

Seminars,Training Programmes, Church-Planting and evangelistic work are going on across the country.

Needy people are cared for, particularly the HIV AIDS – providing them basic food grains, clothing and at times erecting small dwelling places for them.

It is a faith-ministry and we have not been involved in intense promotional activity for over two decades. Nevertheless, we share these details with like- minded believers, churches and prayer groups to be involved with us through their prayers, partnership and sacrificial sharing.

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SPECIAL PROJECTS DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST had been involved in extending care to a few families of HIV AIDs patients by providing them food grains, medical help, housing care, meeting educational needs and other miscellaneous requirements from time to time. As the needs kept multiplying, we thought it appropriate to share these concerns with our partners. Please look through the photos printed in the cover pages. Sometimes photos are not shown for maintaining anonymity.

If the Lord prompts you please involve in whatever way possible.

We thank partners who are already providing some ration and little contributions specially meant for these patients.

• Lourdu Rani: Polio affected and HIV+ve. She has a 5 year old daughter, Mercy - who lost vision in both her eyes due to side effects of ART (Anti -RetroViral Therapy), as the child is also HIV+ve.

Guidance, counseling and care with provisions given from time to time.

• Suguna (mother HIV +ve), Udayakumar (class 11)and Pavithra (class 9) – son and daughter are however negative. Grocery, Health drinks and provisions are given. Gift of Personal Computer provided.

• Ilaykiya (young mother) and Kishore both positive. (Housing – fillip provided).

• Rajan (name changed)- we found a decent employment for this young man recently.

• Vasantha – HIV+ve – also suffering from blood cancer.

Personal care and lot of moral and spiritual support provided.

Their husbands are no more. They are in need of monthly rental for housing, school expenses, transport for children, nutritional care etc.,

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In spite of the dreaded disease, they too are susceptible to common man’s faults such as manipulation, lying and cheating .

We teach, comfort, guide and also admonish to take life seriously.

In most cases, we do not part with them money directly, but provide the needs as and when required by them.

Unlike most NGO’s, our concern here is not to run social programmes merely. We instill biblical values and tell them often that ‘man shall not live by bread alone but by God’s Word.’ Kindly note that God has not primarily called us to do this, yet we are prompted by God not to ignore the needs before us.

Those who may like to be actively involved in any one of the above ministries, please contact us: Contact : joshbalu@yahoo.com Mobile : 9380709875, 9962434697 Contributions may be sent to : DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST, STATE BANK OF INDIA (KELLYS BRANCH, CHENNAI 10) SAVINGS BANK A/C NO : 32694836912 IFSC : SBINOO11736 BRANCH CODE : 11736

Sermon in March https://soundcloud.com/joshbalu/sermon-at-egmore-wesly-church 28

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Work among HIV-AIDS patients in recent months Please read write-up:Special Projects on Pg:27

Gifting our computer to Suguna’s John, our volunteer meeting Suguna children

Supplying provision for the family

Spiritual Nurture

Suguna & Children

Lourdu Rani & Mercy

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT SERIES is a bi-monthly magazine which is part of the ministry called Disciples For Christ. Since 1990, this ministry is engaged in developing and training of young people into Christian leadership, Discipleship and Church-Planting. We emphasize godliness, sincere commitment to the call of God and a life of witness through effective sharing of the gospel. More so, we insist that this must be done through an exemplary life-style as Christians. We respond from time to time to the urgent needs we come across in the society such as disaster, natural calamities, poverty, need for education etc. This is purely a faith ministry and we are led by God for over two decades without a definite budget drawn or regular funds received from sources.

We mentor young believers through sessions of counseling, Bible study and prayer. We have been able to penetrate through different states and provided short study programmes for rural pastors, evangelists and missionaries.

Our burden is to pray and work towards the spiritual renewal of the churches all across the country. Kindly pray and be willing to be a part of this movement. Training seminars, spiritual renewal conventions in churches are being worked out with prior planning with churches, institutions or small groups. Please contact for further enquiry and details.

Rev. Joshua Dhanabalan Christian Thought Series 1/3, Happy Homes, 17, Balfour Road, Chennai - 600010 E-Mail : joshbalu@yahoo.com | Mobile : +91-9380709875 Website : www. disciples-for-christ.weebly.com Christian Thought Series - Bi Monthly Magazine Yearly Subscription - Rs. 100 ( India ) Call or E-Mail to subscribe If undelivered, Please return to the above address

Cover Design & Layout : Gifty Isaac