EGM Times May - June 2023

EGM TIMES

HURRY UP AND SLOW DOWN BLESSED ARE THE CONFRONTERS?

UNDERSTANDING SUFFERING: A TALE OF THREE TREES WHAT A BUTTERFLY TAUGHT ME ABOUT JESUS

“If you are too busy to pray, you are busier than God wants you to be.”

-Wanda E. Brunstetter

All Bible references are from New International Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, King James Version. EGM Times is published by Elohim Gospel Ministries, USA & India. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. EGM Times has no subscription price and is supported through contributions worldwide. Because all EGM Times editions are preplanned, we are unable to accept unsolicited manuscripts. For more information or to subscribe, visit: elohimgospelministries.com

President: Evg. Jacob Vilgi Oommen

Chief Editor: George Vilgi Oommen

Associate Editor: Gideon Pingkihan

Content Editor: Effie Ochago

Design: EGM Media

elohimgospelministries.com

egminspirations.com

-Janet Jackson

-George V Oommen

-Dawn Ward

Hurry Up and Slow Down

Blessed are the Confronters?

CONFIDENT ANSWERS 18

Understanding Suffering: A Tale of Three Trees

What a butterfly taught me about Jesus

28

LIFE IN BETWEEN

-Shannon Cramer

-Jacob Varghese

-Christa Joy Spaeth

-Daya Raja

MEET OUR WRITERS

Dawn Ward is a speaker, writer, and life transformation coach. She is the founder of The Faith to Flourish, a ministry that equips women to grow in their faith, overcome adversity, and thrive in all seasons of life. She also ministers to women with loved ones struggling with addiction, mental health issues, and life-destructive behaviors. Dawn is the co-author of the book “Still Standing After All the Tears Workbook: Faith in the Battle Edition. She has been married to her husband, Steve, for over forty years and is a mom to three adult children. You can know more about Dawn by visiting www.thefaithtoflourish

Janet L. Jackson is retired from 31 years of teaching in various areas of exceptional student education in public schools and five years of teaching at a private high school. She is the author of Jesus Didn’t Fit In: Raising Nontraditional Children. She enjoys reading, writing, Bible study, and flower gardening. Janet and her husband of 45 years, Bill now reside in Florida. They have two grown children and a twelve-year-old granddaughter. Janet shares snippets from her book at facebook.com/jesusdidntfitin or on instagram.com/janetlvsjesus/

Shannon Cramer is a wife, freelance writer, and aspiring author. She hopes that her first book, How to Keep Believing When You’re Suffering, will soon be published as a guide for Christians braving chronic illness. Diagnosed with narcolepsy, POTS, and gastroparesis in her early twenties, Shannon is passionate about equipping people with Biblical tools they can use to fuel their faith and rekindle their joy. She believes that Jesus redeems both our souls and our stories. For encouraging messages, follow her on Instagram @strengthsufficient and facebook.com/strengthsufficient, or visit her website at shannoncramerwrites.com.

Christa Joy Spaeth, author, and Registered Dietitian is the owner of Christa Joy Ministries which was founded in 2022. Christa received a compelling message from God. In a prayer cabin called “Whisper,” the Lord prompted her to write a seven-week devotional titled “Powerful Whispers.” Since then, Christa’s eyes, heart, and ears were opened to more whispers so that she may start fulfilling her new purpose of helping the hurting and sharing the love of Christ. This blessed wife, mother of two, and businesswoman lives in Minnesota, USA.

Dawn Ward, USA Janet Jackson, USA Shannon Cramer, USA Christa Spaeth, USA

EDITORIAL

I recently started going outside without a jacket after almost five months. It feels good to enjoy the spring and the sunshine after the winter season. For the past eight years, I have been living in a northern state in the USA and getting to experience all four seasons in a year (and I love it!). In many ways, these seasons represents the seasons in our life. Throughout the ups and downs in life, God wants us to cling to Him. Psalms 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Yes, there will be winters in life. But trusting in God will help us navigate through the winter and usher into the season of spring and sunshine.

This edition has a collection of articles on different aspects of Christian life. We also have SAFT Apologetics founder answering the question on Christian response to inequality in the world. You can reach us with your questions at egmtimes@elohimgospelministries.com. I hope you will be challenged by reading this edition of EGM Times.

Happy reading.

God bless you.

George Vilgi Oommen Chief Editor

Did you know?

The world population crossed 8 Billion in November 2022 as per UNO. Also India became the most populous country in April 2023 surpassing China.

HURRY UP AND SLOW DOWN

Life in the Fast Lane

I’ve started to feel my age catching up with me. While my body is holding up or at least holding on, my mind seems to want to skip over what it considers unnecessary details. The little things that mean so much are the ones most often overlooked. I find myself wanting to catch these moments and hold onto them forever.

Moments like enjoying an early morning coffee and Bible study with my husband. Moments shared with my daughter when we take a lunch break at our office or do a workout together. These are the moments I live for, yet, they are easily lost in the busyness of life. While I participate in them, I am not always "present" in them. My "to-do" list is calling.

– Lori Schumaker

-Dawn Ward

Life need not be in such a hurry. But hurry, it does. Tick tock. That wretched clock grinds on me like water slowly dripping from a leaky faucet. My list of "to-dos" has been replaced with a longer one of "save-it-for-later's". After all, there’s plenty of time to get it done tomorrow, right?

There is more of an urgency these days to find meaning and purpose in my life. I want to be remembered for more than just the inattentive wife and worried mom my husband and kids have come to know me as. I want to be remembered as the cool mom. You know, the one whose house everyone wants to hang out at? Okay, it’s a little late for that. But it’s not too late to slow down and take a chill pill. For this go-getter, the struggle is real.

I guess I want to do both. Get it all done without wasting needless time and effort, plus be super suave while doing it. But part of learning, I’m not as young as I used to be. It is accepting that multi-tasking while on medicines wears me out. Actually, the thought of it wears me out. After all, this is a marathon, not a sprint, right?

How do we do it all and, at the same time pace ourselves to endure the race set before us?

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)

Getting Ready

I hope I have many more years ahead of me. Years in which I will be cleansed and purged of the stuff that I thought made me who I am. Years that will ready me for my departure and prepare me to meet Jesus face-to-face. Years that will remind me of what’s really important.

While I wait, the closer I get to meet my Savior, the more I realize the ticking clock doesn’t matter as much as I thought it did. His plans for me are infinite and eternal. He will finish the work He started in me, no matter how long it takes me to get it right.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

Are you starting to feel like the clock is ticking faster than ever? I sure do. But we don't have to be in a constant state of hurry, do we? As we grow older, if life has taught us anything, it is to stop and smell the roses. Here are some changes I will do my best to implement in my life as I enter my golden years.

- I will practice gratitude daily

- I will be a worshiper, not a worrier.

- I will spend time regularly in quiet solitude

- I will be careful how I think and speak about my situation.

- I will say "yes" more and "no" less to new opportunities.

- I will practice patience.

- I will be "present" when engaging with others.

- I will obey God no matter the cost.

“His plans for me are infinite and eternal. He will finish the work He started in me, no matter how long it takes for me to get it right.”

Making the Most of Your Days

Now some of you reading this may be thinking, "Hey! Wait a minute! I am not that old yet. Why are you talking about aging so much?” The reality is that no matter what decade we are in, life passes us by quickly. The Bible tells us our lives are but a vapor. So, even though we may have a very long life ahead of us, we must realize that time still passes by more quickly than we expect.

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." James 4:14 (ESV)

God gives us 24 hours, 1440 minutes and 86,400 seconds each day. How would you like to spend yours? Laughing or crying, angry or happy, stressed-out or chilling out? Do you want to spend it giving or taking? Forgiving or bitter? Selfish or selfless?

As you think about your life, take time to reflect on what matters most to you. Family? Friends?

Success? Money? Career? Take a few minutes to pray and ponder what you place as a priority in your life. What do you think about the most? Who or what do you hold closest? When I ask myself these questions, it's quite eye-opening.

I am choosing not to waste another second of my day worrying about things I can't control, complaining about stuff that doesn't matter, or doubting the goodness of God in my life.

As I mature I am no longer concerned so much with what others think of me. I want to know what the Lord says about how I am living my life. I no longer live to please people. Instead, I want to love them as Christ loves me. It is my hope that I will please my Lord and Savior more with each passing day. May this be your prayer as well.

"Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." Matthew 25:23 (ESV)

Dear Lord,

Even though it seems time is going by too quickly, help us keep our eyes on You, not the clock. Your plan for us is for our good. We choose to make the most of every opportunity You put before us and embrace each day with joyful anticipation. Thank You for teaching us to wait with hopeful expectation for your return.

-Colossians 3:5-10

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Left, Right

& Center

-George Vilgi Oommen

As I write this column in the USA, the news of Ron Desantis, the Governor of Florida announcing his presidential campaign is all over the headlines. Mr. Desantis is considered a strong challenger to President Donald Trump to win the party nomination to contest for president of the country.

In 2024, the biggest democratic country (India) and the oldest democratic country (USA) are heading towards a general election to elect their supreme leader. Since the rise of social media, political leaders and parties have been using it as an important tool to influence voters. It is estimated that political spending in the 2020 election totaled around $10 billion in the United States. Election season is also a time of polarization and division in the society. Nowadays, election campaigns online thrive by spreading misinformation and stoking fear. As a child of God, we have to stay vigilant and careful during election times. In every season of life, we are called to be a witness for Christ (even when the people around us are not cheering for the candidate/party we are supporting!).

I am concluding by sharing a few important points to keep in mind whenever you are facing an election season in your country. Or maybe your country is not run democratically, but these points can still be helpful to you.

- No manmade system of governance is perfect (including Democracy!)

- The Bible is not aligned with right, left of centrist view. Christian worldview has its own identity.

- No matter who is in charge of the country, God is the one in control over everyone. Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.”

- Our love for fellow human beings cannot be dependent on their political beliefs. Jesus died on the cross for everyone!

- If you have more passion and love for a political candidate/party than for Jesus and the gospel, it’s time to rethink about your life as a Christian.

BLESSED ARE THE CONFRONTERS?

My husband and I broke into a heated “discussion” one evening over the best way to deal with a family matter. We had lovingly offered a room in our house for a friend of our church to stay while she was having financial difficulties. It became apparent she enjoyed her stay and was not making any plans of moving out. I was convinced it was time to set more structured boundaries. Hubby calmly proposed we needed to allow her more space to make her own decision. As I bellowed my opinion, we soon discovered we handle situations differently due to our contrasting personality types. He is the peacemaker. I am the confronter.

“Speak up openly and honestly. Set boundaries. Lay down the law.”

-Janet Jackson

Why is it that peacemaker leaves one thinking love, harmony, holding hands, and singing “Kum Ba Yah?” Confronter, on the other hand, conjures up clashing, discord, and a tune of “Hit the Road, Jack.” As far as I am concerned, when a problem rears its ugly head, you fix it. Speak up openly and honestly. Set boundaries. Lay down the law.

In our conversation about our different temperaments, my husband calmly replied, “If it’s part of your personality, it can’t be helped.” I allowed the words of mister holy man to roll around in my mind as I tossed and turned in bed. H-m-m. Blessed are the peacemakers. OK, OK. Blessed are the confronters? I don’t think so.

As I dragged my weary self out of bed the next morning, I recalled Christ’s promise in Romans 8:1, “There is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (NIV). So why do I feel condemned? Why am I this way? Why can’t I be a peacemaker too? I had to examine again the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. There it was in verse 9. The peacemakers - they being called children of God and all. Yes, we need peacemakers. They keep us manic ones in line. They gently point out the options and can somehow do it with both sides feeling valued.

But wait… move back a few verses. In verse 6, there I was too! Blessed are those who hunger and thirst (dramatic pause with face heavenward and fist clenched) for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. We also need the ones who insist on doing the right thing, even if it means uncomfortable moments.

Hubby and I did come up with a “righteously peaceful” solution that involved lovingly setting a boundary. We calculated when she should have enough money saved and could be out on her own. Regardless of how she managed her money, that was the day she would have to move out.

I have learned over the years as a parent and a teacher, one needs to build loving and healthy relationships along with setting boundaries. Thus, as my personality type might describe it, “Love ‘em to death, and don’t put up with their stuff.”

“He blesses both the peacemakers and the confronters. A refreshing reminder that our Creator knows”

Picture a measuring scale. One extreme of this scale is relationship building to the point of desiring peace at all costs. The harm comes when one is actually an enabler. The other extreme is limit setting. But the risk is being a rigid rule maker to the point where a loved one may feel undervalued. All of us tend to lean to one extreme, vulnerably recognizing which way we lean can help us strive for a healthier balance of relationship building with limit setting. What a crowning complement our Creator uses to bring about the perfect balance to challenging situations!

Of course, since our house guest issue needed to be addressed in a harmonious manner, the peacemaker was the one who proposed it as his calm demeanor was needed in this touchy situation. Hubby and I agreed we would support each other regardless of our friend’s decisions. She was offended by the boundary setting and chose to move out the next day. She did not leave without making some guilt tripping comments, but we lovingly stood our ground and helped her pack.

This experience taught hubby and me how we complement one another through our contrasting personalities. When I lean too far towards the rigid rule-maker end, his personality helps to pull me back to that healthy balance. Likewise, when he drifts too far towards the extreme enabler end, my personality helps to pull him to that healthy middle. He blesses both the peacemakers and the confronters. A refreshing reminder that our Creator knows what He is doing.

“If you worry too much about money, you might get rich, but in that process, you will lose many things your money cannot buy. Trust the Lord with all your heart because He is the Jehovah Jireh”.

- Evg. Jacob Vilgi Oommen

ANSWERS

Q - Inequality is getting worse in the world. What is the Christian response to fight this pandemic?

- Robin

Thank you for sending in this question Robin. It is always encouraging to see Christians pick up tough questions that, by virtue of relevance go beyond the confines of matters that pertain to only Christians. I believe it is in engaging with such questions that permeate the discourse of humanity that we are able to strive back toward our original ideal of being stewards of the planet.

As an Economics graduate, ‘inequality’ comes off as both a precise challenge and a broad spectrum. Inequality can be of various forms. In a given nation, you will find some with higher income, higher wealth, better standards of living, better access to healthcare, better access to education, better working conditions etc. Inequality can also be understood as racial, gender and social class inequalities. We use different tools to assess and quantify inequality at various levels of units of measure. For instance, in comparing inequality among nations, we use the Gini Coefficient. However, we can get a better grasp about the extent of inequality if we expand our investigation by including deprivation in our understanding of poverty. By doing so, we can assess poverty using the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). The MPI is highly acclaimed as it includes deprivation across three dimensions; education, health and standard of living. However the MPI doesn’t inform us about the levels of pervading inequality. This is because inequality and poverty have become quite entangled in how we formulate them. This is, but a peek into the murky definitional waters Economists must wade through before a study can be conducted, let alone providing an effective solution.

At the heart of the Gospel lies the life of Jesus of Nazareth, whose divine mission as Messiah was to eradicate inequality of the highest order: sin. It was not man’s comparative disparity in holiness or wealth when juxtaposed with his peers that was the object of Messiah’s mission, but rather it was to equalise the fallen man with his pre-fall state of union in fellowship with the Most Holy God.

The root of all evil and brokenness we see in the world around us is indubitably and inescapably traceable to humanity’s fall from God’s ideal status of mankind. When working to eradicate poverty and the other ills of the world, we must keep the root cause in mind. Sin has defiled all (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8) without distinction of class. However, Marxism is built on the assumption that the evils of proclivity to exploit and be profit-maximising-driven are secluded to just the capitalist class. The great err of all the ‘isms’ that Marx’s ideas gave way to is that they failed to take into account that the State that controls the production and distribution, the mechanism by which equality was to be brought about, comprises sinful humans who are no less inclined to exploit and be profit-maximising-driven. History testifies accordingly through Stalin, Mao and the like.

Throughout the Old Testament, God has worked through His people to care for the disadvantaged by providing laws and customs (Leviticus 19:9, 10; Deuteronomy 15:7–8). The Torah is replete with many more counts of such directives. With God instating man’s dominion for stewardship of the planet in Genesis, Exodus begins with the assumption that the ‘right to own’ anything on earth cannot be permanent ownership but rather is a ‘right to stewardship’ extended to be the means for human progress endowed upon man by Yahweh(1). The codes received by the Israelites in the desert show us how God intends for mankind to tend for each other. At the heart of these directives remains the firm conviction that God alone is the true owner of the world we inhabit and it is to Him we are to be accountable. We have to trace back to mankind’s purpose and inherent worth to rightly understand the pathways to pursue to offset inequalities. To do that is to know the heart of God.

Fighting inequality then becomes multifaceted. That’s a fancy way of saying it’s complex! While laying out black-and-white dos and don'ts may be ineffective and could also fail to take into account the complexity of the institutions that are stakeholders in each of the readers’ social surroundings, I shall attempt to give general pointers.

We need to remind ourselves:

- Of the unalienable worth of all humans and that Christ died to redeem everyone (2 Peter 3:9).

- That the greatest evil in the world is not economic or racial inequality but rather sin. Every form of exploitation is the result of a broken world.

- That everyone needs salvation more than they need higher standards of living or better access to education (Mathew 16:26).

- That not all inequality is evil. Sluggish attempts to succeed or the lack of any such attempts can lead to less than optimal results and inequality.

- That we must work to bring about far reaching cultural and political shifts to shape the social fabric of the nation for inequality alleviation efforts to be successful.

- That long-run damages of one-shot policies and affirmative governmental actions may offset their short-run benefits.

- To be constantly on the lookout to keep exploitive thoughts away when transacting with others. Exploitation is always wrong no matter who is at the receiving end, be it Tesco or the street vendor.

In summation, while the blueprint to eradicate inequality may seem humanly impossible, we can take heart “For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

By, Jacob Varghese, Founder-Director, SAFT Apologetics

SAFT Apologetics is a web-based Indian Christian initiative that aims to equip the believer defend their faith so that they may effectively evangelise. We work towards fulfilling our Vision to break the language and accessibility barrier and make apologetics resources within easy reach for all communities in India and beyond. We live out our Vision through our podcast, conferences, blog, YouTube channel and live speaking sessions. In short, we are creating an online library with an invitation to all to seek answers so that they may find the truth.

(1) Wright, C. J. H. (2004). Old Testament Ethics for the People of God. Inter-Varsity Press.

“I am convinced what this world wants is true men and women, not great men, but true and honest and upright persons that God can use…”

– D.L. Moody

Understanding Suffering: A Tale of Three Trees

-Shannon Cramer

“Why would a good God allow bad things to happen?” This is the question I wrestled with when I developed three debilitating conditions in my early twenties. It is a question I’ve heard voiced by people who have lost loved ones, marriages, and dreams. It is the heartrending cry of those who survive unforeseen disasters and violent acts. Human experiences with suffering are very different. But when the unthinkable happens, each of us wonders, “God, you have infinite power at your disposal. Don’t you want to spare your people pain?”

The Bible assures us that he does—because God planted three trees.

The First Tree:

God’s initial vision for the world protected us from suffering. He created the earth to be an ideal home for his children. He placed Adam and Eve in a garden paradise where all their needs were met. Their work was meaningful. Their souls were satisfied in God’s presence. Fear and hardship didn’t exist. Like all caring parents, God wanted to bless his sons and daughters with every good thing life has to offer.

“In an unparalleled act of love, God’s perfect son becomes human, willingly sacrifices himself to take the punishment for our sins, descends into hell, and rises from the dead to restore us to the right relationship with God.”

Yet in this Eden, God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He commanded Adam:

You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die. –Genesis 2:15-17 NIV

Why would God plant such a tree? If he cares about human welfare, why did he create an opportunity for suffering to enter the world? To answer these questions, we must ask ourselves another: Is it possible to truly live and love without free will?

The very best parents give their children freedom of choice as they grow. Living in blissful ignorance of evil, it may seem like Adam and Eve didn’t have choices. But by planting the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, God gave them the best-case scenario of free will. Adam and Eve could have protection from hardship, live in a vibrant relationship with God, and know that they loved him of their own accord. It was ultimately up to them to look at all the evidence of God’s goodness and decide whether to obey his rule about the tree. God’s choice for Adam and Eve was, “Will you trust me?”

Unfortunately, the forbidden fruit was eaten. Innocence was lost. Suffering entered the world as people became vulnerable to evil and the consequences of sin.

The Second Tree:

God took out his spade and planted another tree. Good and evil face off for a second time as Jesus is nailed to the rough wooden timbers of the cross. In an unparalleled act of love, God’s perfect son becomes human, willingly sacrifices himself to take the punishment for our sins, descends into hell, and rises from the dead to restore us to the right relationship with God.

He bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed. –1

Peter 2:24 ESV

Once again Jesus lays the proof of God’s love before us and asks, “Will you trust me?”

The Third Tree:

For everyone who responds “yes,” a third tree awaits so that when your time on earth is finished, you may live eternally with God. The leaves of this tree will heal nations. Where it grows the curse is undone. As you eat this tree’s fruit, you will flourish in God’s presence, for “He will wipe every tear from [your] eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things [will be] gone forever (Revelation 21:4).” The third tree is the tree of life.

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. –Revelation 2:7 NIV

The Testimony of the Trees:

Whatever you mourn today, these three trees are evidence that God has always been fighting for you. Timothy Keller got it right when he tweeted, “Everything sad is going to come untrue and it will somehow be greater for having once been broken and lost.” When I grieve how much I suffer compared to healthy young adults, I am comforted by what the three trees teach me about God’s character:

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil reassures me that it was God’s preference to spare his children’s pain. Our Heavenly Father introduced one crucial choice that gave the first human beings the ability to have free will in paradise. But with no point of comparison, Adam and Eve were easily convinced to doubt.

The cross reveals God’s heart—he heard his children cry and came running. God (in the form of Jesus) carried our burdens because he would rather suffer in our stead.

The tree of life proclaims God’s goodness and genius. He has restored his people to paradise! Our homecoming will be all the sweeter for vague memories of suffering because in Eden 2.0, discontentment will be unable to tempt our hearts. We will finally unquestionably trust him.

“Our heavenly father introduced one crucial choice that gave the first human beings the ability to have free will in paradise.”

What a butterfly taught me about

Jesus

On a prayer walk in my neighborhood, I found a Monarch butterfly on the sidewalk. The butterfly was oddly lying on its side, so I bent down and noticed it was missing a wing. My heart mourned for this helpless creature and I decided to bring this beautiful hurt butterfly back to my home.

I’m sure the butterfly was in pain and scared, so I gently carried him home with tears streaming down my face for this poor guy. I sat him upright in the palm of my hand so he could see the world as we walked home. Then I carefully propped him up in my thick flourishing flowerpot high above the ground to keep him safe from predators. I looked up online that a butterfly this badly injured was most likely going to perish in a day or two. I was determined to be able to provide him with some comfort. I sat with him to give him company, fed him, and hopefully some peace.

We learn in Psalm 19:1-2 NIV that God speaks to us through His creation.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” I asked the Lord what He was trying to show me with this injured butterfly. I gently heard “I see you, I know you, and I care for you.” Wow, Lord, thank you!

-Christa Joy Spaeth

Jesus sees you: How about you?

When you feel lost and alone, it is encouraging to remember: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 121:8 NIV

Jesus always sees you when you are lonely, when you think no one else knows how much your heart hurts, and when you think no one cares for you. He is there for you and He is with you. He will never leave you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Jesus knows you:

Jesus knows you inside and out. The Lord was there for you when He knit you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). He knows every detail about your body and life. He LOVES you so much!

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew

10:29-31 NIV

Jesus cares for you:

Jesus tenderly cares for us. He stops to spend time with us when we are hurting and in despair. Jesus is kind and merciful and he focuses on us. As an imperfect human, I cared for the little butterfly in his final moments; imagine how much more Jesus will care for you throughout your life. “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Isaiah 41:13 NIV

Are you hurting spiritually, physically, or mentally right now? Remember Jesus loves you and He cares for you. I encourage you to reach out to the Lord today. He is waiting for you to call out to Him. He wants to minister to your heart and soul. He wants to heal you completely right now. In order to help you understand a little of Jesus’ immense love for you today, close your eyes and imagine Jesus holding your hand and walking with you slowly next to a beautiful stream surrounded by flowers. Pause and realize, He is there with you, just the two of you. He sees you and is intently listening to every word you say. Let His presence envelope you and give you comfort today.

I encourage you to pause and reflect on Jesus’ love today and every day. Spend time with Jesus in your secret place. He longs for you to talk to Him throughout each day. He wants to continue to get to know you and for you to know Him and His love for you.

Pray with me. Dear Jesus, thank You for being a good friend. Help me to remember that you always see me. You know me more than anyone and you are there to care for me. I am deeply in awe of your love for me that you came to die for my sins so I didn’t have to. Thank You for your kindness and for being merciful to me always. Thank you for taking care for all my needs, even the ones I don’t even realize I have. I give you praise, glory, and honor today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I cried again the next day when I found the lovely butterfly had perished. I am comforted in knowing I was there for this beautiful creation of God when he needed comfort and protection. I am most grateful that this little experience gave me a peek at the amazing love of Jesus.

“Jesus always sees you when you are lonely, when you think no one else knows how much your heart hurts, and when you think no one cares for you.”

The Deep Seated Nature of Faith

For a long time, I have been puzzled by the verse, ‘everything that does not come from faith is sin.’

(Romans 14: 23) I thought of faith as trust in God I require for the forgiveness of sins, big decisions, impossible situations, life challenges and so on. Not something I needed for my everyday mundane life. But this verse seems to suggest that the presence or absence of faith affects everything that we do, not just the big and scary things.

But on a day-to-day practical level, what does it really mean? Everything that we think, decide, or act stems from a place of belief or unbelief, even the seemingly straightforward decisions. For instance, a family member provoked you and you decided not to react. On the surface though it might look like you are a calm person, it stems from a belief system or faith in what is good. Because of that belief system, that is, (it is better not to engage with provocation) you chose to be unmoved. Or in another instance, someone hurt you and you chose revenge. If you look deep into it, what does it reveal? Your response shows what you believe about justice.

However, if you had decided to forgive because the scripture says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44,45) Or “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12: 19), it shows that your faith is in God to give you justice.

-Daya Raja

Faith or the lack of faith is deep-seated in who we are, and it directs our reactions, behavior and decisions. In other words, faith in God or faith in ourselves is a deeper reality that influences how we live. If we look at how we treat people, manage finances, and take critical decisions, it reveals what we believe about these aspects of life.

We can either look at God as a larger reality that we tap into for bigger decisions, or as Romans 14: 23 says, we can do everything from a place of faith. The former depends on one's own strength, knowledge and lived experiences to navigate life, but the latter requires leaning on the word of God.

This is why the Bible says, ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’ (Romans 12: 2) When we spend time in God’s word, it helps us to build faith in different aspects of God. We become acquainted by his ways and it then changes the way we approach life and becomes our sounding board. We see this eloquently displayed across people of faith in the Bible, be it David, Moses, Daniel. These individuals had a lifestyle of interacting with the Word and spending time in prayer, which enabled them to anchor in the nature of God. It eventually helped them to respond courageously when faced with difficult decisions.

As you go through life this month, my prayer is that everything you do will originate from a place of faith in God; and God’s goodness will be your sounding board. God bless!

Daya thinks it’s absolutely cool to be known by Jesus. She deeply appreciates nature, art and silence. Her dream is to fall in love with Jesus and humanity every day. Daya can be reached at dayaraja95@gmail.com

Daya Raja, Bangalore

Final Word

Dear friend,

Thank you for making it to the end of this edition. We hope that you found this edition of EGM Times challenging and inspiring.

If you are reading this and have not experienced the love and power of God, we encourage you to embrace His love – offered as salvation through Jesus Christ. In His unending affection for us, God has a lot in store for your life and longs to have you as part of His family. We also encourage you to rededicate your life to God if you were born again but drifted away from the call. Make the following prayer and accept Jesus as your savior:

“Lord Jesus, I come before you today. I acknowledge that I am a sinner, and my sins have separated me from you. Today, I believe that you are the son of God and that you had me in mind when you got crucified and died. I believe that you are resurrected and seated at the right hand of the Father. I accept you today as my Lord and savior. Thank you for paying the price for my eternal redemption. I am now the righteousness of God in Christ. I now ask you to fill me with your spirit. Amen.”

Congratulations on surrendering or rededicating your life to God. You are now a new creation in Christ. We encourage you to join a family of believers (church) in your area, and we pray that you get established in your faith through studying the word by the grace of God.

We at EGM Times team love you and would like to hear from you. Send your feedback, comments, and constructive criticism to egmtimes@elohimgospelministries.com. See you in the next edition.

God bless you!!!

Team EGM Times

memory lane

The fifth anniversary of EGM Times featured Rev. Biju Thampy on Mar_Apr_2018 edition. Above is the cover photo of the fifth anniversary edition.