Don’t be afraid to change

Paul changed! This news would’ve made headlines the next day in the local newspapers. But this meant trouble for Paul because he was going to be attacked and severely punished by his early associates since he would be a serious threat to them.

Analyzing the current scenario, Paul was inviting a lot of troubles even to the extent of death. For someone to take such a life-changing decision needs immense courage and emotional firmness. But what I see here beyond the complexity in the decision is a simple step of faith. Paul was so captivated by his encounter with Jesus Christ that he was left astounded. All that he could do was to just surrender to the call of the Master. Would Paul have actually analyzed all the problems that could arise, he would have never taken that decision. But Paul took a leap of faith, yes, a leap of faith, and went on to become one of the greatest heroes in the history of the church.

Here’s what Paul had to say years after the incident took place in his life, “Then I came unto the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc; and they glorified God in me.“ (Gal 1:21-24 ASV)

The change in his life had a far reaching effect. His change left a prolonged impression not only in the people who knew him personally but even among those who he never had seen before. He was regarded as an unseen hero among churches where he never had been before. What a blessing indeed! Though the change meant for Paul difficult times ahead, it was but for the blessings of thousands, or should I say, millions around the world.

Paul over here is leaving an important lesson for us to learn. I look back into my life to see so many areas where I fear to tread. Areas of my life among my friends, in church, in college and in society at large where there are certain things I hope for the better, but…sigh…things are just too complicated and difficult to navigate through. Relationships which are hard to maintain because of constant hurt and lack of concern from the other side; problems which might have risen because of petty issues but now are too huge to even contain; misunderstandings at first but now it has led to enmity and hate.

So many a times we are found on the wrong side, stuck in bad decisions or even held by our ego. Had we taken a right decision, or had we paid heed to some advises things would have been so much better. Sometimes it could be something as simple as bad mood that could have developed into an argument. Sometimes it could be my brother or sister with whom I would’ve have had an argument which now is difficult to sort out. Sometimes it could have been my anger that blew out of control but now when I think of it, I was just being foolish. Sometimes it could have been a certain lifestyle which I practiced since early but now seems clumsy or foolish.

Whatever be it, we are so many a times faced with such minor or major situations in life which we hope that it gets sorted out but it just doesn’t happen that way! We know the right from wrong, but just can’t follow the right. It’s over here that Paul encourages us to do what he did. Take a leap of faith. Paul knew the troubles that he was going to face and the consequences of his decision. But that didn’t seem to be bigger than the blessings of his decision. He wasn’t afraid of changing. He went ahead and took a leap of faith and left it all upon God to take care.

Our problems may seem too big to sort out. But hold on! Take a leap of faith and go ahead and face your problem. Try to sort it out. Try to find a solution to it. Don’t be afraid of changing. Yes there may be direct consequences of our actions which we may have to face. But that’s ok. Your step of faith will indeed be a blessing. It may not be seen in immediate. But like Paul, you may keep discovering the blessings of your faith even years after your change. We also see that they glorified God because of the change in Paul. You may also be a cause for people to thank God because God is working in you and you have changed. Much more importantly, since your leap of faith is what God is expecting his child to do, you will be a bringing a smile to God’s face.

Would you change like Paul? Paul began to see the blessings of this step and still saw it years after his conversion. Can you give up some costly things in life for the better? Taking a leap of faith may come with a lot of problems. But with it will be countless blessings even beyond your imaginations. Are you afraid to change? Don’t be! Because one day, others will glorify God through you!

ROCK ON!!!

Behind those large king-like royal red curtains, I saw a glimpse of what I’d love to be, a dream almost touchable and true. The music echoed more elegantly than ever. But now every next step takes me away from that stage reminding me the reality. It’s over! I pack up my keyboard neatly in its case. In that bent posture, I look behind and try to relive the excitement and ecstasy. Then I lift my guitar to detune it wondering whether this dream really can be detuned.
Another day, I found myself rushing to catch the 12:39 slow local to Andheri from Dadar. Suddenly, a gentle, melodious and sweet sound caught hold of my ear. On my left, was standing a blind beggar piping his flute beautifully. I paused for two seconds and then continued to run. Within few moments that music got muffled away in the noise around. Wondering whether I could one day hire him to play for me or if we could just sit together and write some beautiful music, I looked behind searching for him. But the crowd thronged, covering me with the grim realities of life.

Another day, I found myself watching a movie. August Rush. The movie was about a small boy who realized his talent for music and went on to become a prodigy. It made me smile. Gentle shivers ran through my body. Every second reminded of my childhood fantasies and dreams. It felt like my dreams were being sketched behind those glassy screens. Soon the movie ended. The screen went blank. It felt like waking up from sleep. Will my dream just remain a dream?
Dreams. They envision us to accomplish great feats in life. I dreamt about becoming a great musician. As a child, music didn’t mean anything much to me. Piano classes, though interesting, felt a little like a punishment. I dreamed of playing the piano well but that demanded hardwork which I couldn’t give. If at all I listened to songs, they were Christian. Secular songs were a strict ‘no-no’ at home. So with no much exposure to music, music wasn’t appalling at all.

Then it all began to change as I entered college. With music more or less a fashion, the need to adapt to the current society’s trends and choices in music were felt. So in that attitude I began trashing songs which didn’t match up to that level. To that my friend advised me, “You really can’t judge the song by how much it appeals to you. This song would have actually touched someone else.” True, in my attitude was a complete disregard to the inspiration and labor behind the making of that song. But what really made me think was that the song would’ve touched someone else!

Every song carries a special tune and rhythm which appeals to certain groups of people. For example, a band which I love, Mokshraag, writes songs which have a North Indian style of music in them. To the North Indians, those songs are THEIR songs. They can very well connect to the lyrics of the song mainly because the song was composed in their own music. It took me time to understand this that if a song isn’t appalling to me, it doesn’t need to be bad, simply because every song is not written for me.

I’m reminded of the time we taught in Sunday school a song, ‘What if Cartoons got saved?’ It was a different kind of song, more hippy and choreographed than the normal Sunday School songs. “WHAT???...Cartoons?” they exclaimed. They beat their ears again and said, “Cartoons??” They had all the difficult times making their cramped-up bones doing those actions (you know teenage problems). But lastly time ran out saving them from more self-made embarrassment.

“Arrghhh…what is that noise?? It’s giving me a headache!”
“Just chill maa…wait I’ll change the song.”
This isn’t an unusual scene at home when I play Rock music aloud. My parents can’t stand Rock music. In similar views, my grandmother finds all English songs unspiritual when compared to her Malayalam songs. Some of my friends can’t digest jazz or blues. Others prefer oldies and conventional choir performances.

I would believe that a song can be better evaluated by its lyrics, can’t it? In church the favorite song amongst the Hindi speaking brethren is “Yeshu tu acha hai…” I would wonder why they loved that song so much. It really didn’t have any of those profound lyrics I was searching for. But yet, it was their ‘national anthem’.

Different people, different tastes; different generations, different likings; different songs, different groups! But yet, something in common – music. Music is like a work of art! From the greatest Maestros and prodigies in music to the insignificant beggar who pipes his flute to earn his living, music is painted in these beautiful and diverse colors. It can make the listener dance, laugh, cry or even dream along with the artist. This common language enjoins the diversity in us humans hailing from different backgrounds, to make music the thump and rhythm of our heartbeat.

To appreciate music just as it is was a lesson important though difficult to understand and accept. And yet I’m still learning. All these rules could be very well applied to Christian songs and safely, that too. But secular songs?

Once I found myself in a group of shocked and alarmed people when I was caught casually humming a secular song. It was a by-product of the rules written bold and loud: “No secular music. Full stop.” Why? Well, it does not edify, bad lyrics, they are not Christian; are the couple of notable reasons.

However, there are so many secular songs with beautiful lyrics and superb music. For me to simply accept those reasons were difficult. But is this why I listen to secular music; for good music? I asked myself. Hmm…difficult to answer. Honestly, I never much listened to secular songs. If at all I listened to them, I listened to only those that my friends thought were good. It was an unknown compulsion or say, a pressure that made me want to listen to secular music. To hear all my friends talk about different songs and I stand amongst them clueless was disheartening.

But my whole funda of listening to secular music gradually changed as my interest to learn better music developed. I began searching for songs right from the oldies to the modern age music through all artists and genres. It didn’t matter if others thought it good or not, I began developing my own taste. But there were songs that influenced me otherwise from which even now I prefer keeping a distance. Some of those songs directly affect the weakest areas of my spiritual life, from which I caution myself even more.

Hmm…ok. Today I listened to Elvis Presley, Hillsong, Pink Floyd, Ernie Ford, Steven Curtis Chapman and Switchfoot. It’s funny you know, because a few years back I wouldn’t have even heard of these people or listened to such kind of music.

Music has revolutionized you and me. Yesterday while travelling by bus, I saw an old man plugged in listening to music. An old man!!?? I wonder what song he would have been listening to. Music has that something in it which attracts everyone whether young or old to listen to it. Most of the time, I listen to music because it simply delights me. At that time, I really don’t bother to follow the lyrics, neither I’m worried about the technicalities behind the music, but just want to sit back and enjoy music as it is.

Once in college, my friend once grabbed my mp3 player and started listening to some songs on it. I geared myself to answer all his possible queries because the songs on it were Christian. After a couple of minutes, he looked up surprised and said,
“Man!!...I’ve never heard of these artists…”
“Yeah…I know…” looking a bit put-off, I said gearing up for more embarrassment.
“But this is good music!”
“Ehh…what…You like them?” shocked, I said.
“Yeah…what kind of music is this?”
“They are Christian…Christian Rock…”
“I really like them…Can you give me some of them?”
“Yeah…certain…certainly…”

Now doubly shocked, I was amazed at the sudden change of events. My expectations were crushed and I began redefining what I thought cool and not. Christian Rock is cool, I asserted! It didn’t matter to him that those songs were Christian. What attracted him was the music. Interestingly, he still likes those songs and shows interest for more. More importantly, one day maybe through these songs I’ll be able to communicate the gospel of Christ!

Can I? Is it possible? I play the ‘G’ chord on my piano. I hear it echoing through the auditorium. “Wow that is melodious!” On stage is my college band. Next is our performance. The red curtains lifts.

Shepherding

“And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.” (1Sa 17:14-15)

Saul is busy recruiting soldiers for the biggest battle he ever faced. Ahead is standing Goliath, a man almost double his stature, challenging him for a fight. Saul scrambles through his forces to find the perfect man for the battle against Goliath. The scene is quite tensed. That’s when we see the three brothers of David bravely stepping forward for the battle. But David, although he could have followed his brothers to join the army, went back to Bethlehem.

David had something more important to complete. He had to feed his father’s sheep. David, a shepherd, well knew his flock of sheep. He knew how scared  they were of the wild animals and how easily they could get into a mischief if left alone. So when David was faced between a choice to feed his sheep and fight the battle with Saul, he chose an option which was stupid, rather which was completely secondary as compared to the battle. Who would give more importance to some flock of sheep over a battle that threatened the whole of Israel? Was feeding some flock of sheep more important than the salvation of the Israelites?

Jesus before ascending up to heaven gave the commandment, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations...” (Mat 28:19 ASV) The commandment to make disciples was something that Jesus stressed upon throughout his life and ministry here on earth. There were people who followed Jesus for their benefits but didn’t look forward to anything spiritual. Jesus stayed away from these people. However there were very few who stuck with Jesus. While preaching the gospel was important, making disciples of those who heard the gospel was even more important for Jesus.

In these times when we stress a lot on witnessing and preaching the gospel to the unsaved, the church has fallen short of the commandment to make disciples. Making disciples is like feeding the flock of sheep. When this world keeps getting wickeder day by day, the chances of the flock of Christ drifting away is great. At these times, it becomes the duty of the shepherd to feed his sheep. God has appointed some as Elders over the church to specially shepherd his flock of sheep. The duty of the elder being awesome compels him to take extra care to nurture the spiritual health of his flock. However it’s not only the role of the Elders to make disciples but each one of us has to play a part in this ministry.

But it didn’t mean that David couldn’t go for the battle. We see David leaving his sheep under the care of a keeper before going for the battle (I Sam. 17:20). It reminds us that while making disciples is important witnessing too should be done along with the spiritual health of the flock being taken care of.

Lessons in prayer from the life of Samuel

Throughout the life of Samuel we see a beautiful  portrayal of humility in the sight of God and complete dependency on him. Samuel, a man of prayer, had a passionate prayer life that epitomizes these very things.

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And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. (1Sa 8:21)

Here Samuel was placed in a very difficult situation. He had to mediate between the people’s demands for a king and God’s disapproval to that demand. He wasn’t allowed to take any decision without God’s permissive will. At the same time he was constantly being pressed by the people who ignored God’s protest to their demands and insisted more for a king.

Samuel communicated what God told him to the people and tried to persuade them to listen to God’s voice. But alas, they weren’t going to budge. So helplessly Samuel went back to God with their demands and rehearsed them in the ears of God. It’s strange because God would have already taken note of the people’s insubordination to him and yet Samuel rehearsed the whole situation back to God.

Did he make God look deaf? No. I think that in this very act, Samuel showed what it meant to be humble and completely dependent on God. He didn’t really think it appropriate for him to take any decision. Hence he approached God with all humility asking him for help. Samuel was a people’s man. The people loved him and respected him. And in all this, Samuel loved the people equally. He corrected them from God’s word occasionally and guided them when necessary. He understood their feelings and recognized himself with their emotions. That’s why when he went back to God in prayer; he went as a negotiator to God. He brought forth the people’s feelings to God. That’s why we see him ‘rehearsing’ the whole situation to God. And what was the outcome? God listened to the people’s cries!

Was it because of Samuel’s intercessions? I fail to see God listening to the people’s petitions without Samuel being there as a mediator.

When was the last time we went to God interceding for someone else fervently? Are we concerned for our fellow brethren’s needs even though they may sound not important? It makes it doubly important for God when you bring your brother’s need to him in prayer. Can we do this for our family, church and even our nation? Let us approach God with all humility and dependency on him and pray just as Samuel prayed.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent (passionate) prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (Jas 5:16)

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Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: (1Sa 12:23)

After appointing a king over Israel, the people realized their mistake in asking for a king and ran back to Samuel that he may intercede with God for the forgiveness of their sin. In the process of replying back to them, Samuel makes this stunning statement, “God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you.”

Samuel considered praying for his people very important. He expressed a deep feeling for them and prayed ‘without ceasing’ for them. He went to the extent of considering it as a sin to cease praying for them. As James puts it in James 4:17,

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Samuel was determined. He didn’t allow any of his humanly excuses hinder his prayer life. He chose to be faithful in his prayer life. He chose between an easy life and a hard labored life. He spent a lot of time towards the growth of his people in the Lord. He ensured that he taught them the good and right way. ‘He lived for others’ as simply put. And all of this was backed up by a strong prayer life that empowered him to work for the people.

Where are we today? Busy in our work? Lost in the busyness and concerns of our life? Could we be like Samuel, passionate in prayer and seriously concerned about the needs of our people?

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Be still and hear

As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still first, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God. (1 Sam. 9:27)

I picture myself in that situation which Saul was in. It wasn’t a really comfortable decision for Saul to make when Samuel asked him to wait back. Saul had to rush back home because he was already very late and his father began to worry for him. Also he was asked to let his belongings and his servants go ahead him back home. Further what Samuel told Saul was to wait for a while which has its root in the Hebrew word meaning ‘a span of hours’, or ‘a day’ etc. So it wasn’t going to be fast for sure.

And what was Samuel asking him to wait for? That he may hear the word of God…! It looks easy and simple at the first glance for Saul to listen to Samuel but that came with some difficult decisions. If we read further, God blessed him for obeying his voice and chose him to be the king of Israel.

I wonder when was the last time I actually waited and was stilled before God’s presence so that  he could speak to me. Today my quiet time lasted for less than 10 min and I can but little call to mind what God taught me today morning. I have my huge list of prayer needs for God day in and out. But it really bothers me because it has been a long time since I last sat and waited upon God to cause me to hear his word.

God wants us to take out some of our time from the busiest and the most urgent situations in life we are in and wait and listen to his Word. Maybe the answers to our problems may lie in those solemn moments with God or maybe God would want to communicate something totally different to us. But where are we?

It’s not easy you know. Saul had to leave behind his belongings and companions to listen to God’s word because that was what God required him to do. It’s much more important for us to realize that God wants us to separate ourselves from our busy lives so that he can talk to us. Let them pass on ahead us. It’s not that we cannot catch up with them later. God wants us to honor him first. As he says in 1 Sam. 2:30, “…for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

Better done than said

Worship….Worship and worship….that’s what I’ve been hearing from so many months in church and in youth meeting. And it was really nice to get so many of my doubts cleared off. But now came the bigger part – to get it into practice. More important than the Sunday morning worship in church, it was necessary for me to start worshipping in my day to day life.

And as each day kept passing by, I kept thinking as to how did I worship God today. But at the end of the day, those questions weren’t getting answered. I was left confused as to whether I was found as a faithful worshipper or was I found lacking. Knowing that worship isn’t just words of praise but living a life that pleases God, for me to practice worship became more difficult.

I learnt that it’s only when you experience God daily and thus worship him that you are in a position to worship on Sunday. But at the end of the day, I needed to know what did my God mean to me? That was one question that I needed to get answer. I needed to discover my God more for worshipping him. Without that Sunday worship lacked depth and seemed empty.

In all this quest of discovering my God more and more, I was getting left behind in living a life that pleases God. But here’s what God told me then,

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (I Sam. 15:22)

It’s kind of surprising, God is more interested in me obeying him than worrying about worshipping him. But then God just turned the tables. While I was out to discover my God, he told me, “Wait…I guess you got to start with the basics…Obey my Word. Let’s forget a while about worshipping me, because indirectly by obeying my Word, you will be worshipping me. You don’t need to worry about discovering me now. You’ll learn it through experience. I am not that concerned about your worship as much as I am for your Christian life.”

These words shook me and actually awakened me. Strong as they can be, it pierced my heart. But can I again leave it on paper or will I put it into practice? Should I wait for tomorrow or start today? Some questions are better left put into action than answered verbally.

LIVING THE EASY WAY

“Who’s got time to wait? Introducing Airtel’s 16Mbps broadband connection…so you’ll never have to wait.” I saw this ad flash across the screen and I sighed, “How I wish it was mine…!” It’s amazing how fast the world is progressing today. Today I fancy over luxuries like an iPhone or a Sony WAIO. But can I go ahead and buy it?

Yes or No - the only two possible answers to the question. But most of us lie in the ‘I don’t know’ or ‘Not sure’ category. We would have known this answer if we knew our scriptures well. But that requires time, efforts and perseverance in the scriptures. However on the contrary, we tend to be impatient, show slothfulness and quit easily when it to comes to living a Christian life. My desire is to take you through few areas in our Christian lives where we generally tend to show these weaknesses and pick up a couple of valuable lessons along.

1. CHRISTIAN LIVING:

We all wish to be spiritually mature Christians, sound in doctrine and having a worthy testimony in this world. But then on the other hand, we are too busy for God and in our Christian life, lazy and undisciplined. Subsequently we want to be spoon fed by other people and the church when it comes to the Word of God. Then we blurt out ‘Why??’ and again ‘But...why??’ when the Word of God requires us to make changes in our life.

Maybe the fault actually lies in us because we really don’t know our basics well and are not really keen on putting in the efforts to search the scriptures ourselves. Impatience is what I would label it as. Today, when everything is so easily available, why not an effortless Christian life too?

Even in our secular life we show impatience in our decisions. With the increasing luxuries around us, we tend to want more. It’s not wrong to want. But God teaches us to live to our necessities. Abraham did so! Though he was the richest person around and could have lived luxuriously, yet he chose to live in tents. Solomon, on the other hand, ran behind his ever increasing wants and found futility after his labor.

Repeatedly the Bible reminds that to our every need, God is ever present to provide it (Matt. 6:32; Phil. 4:19). But we fairly realize this truth. Maybe that’s why sometimes our prayers are not answered because our wants are more than our actual necessities. It calls us to introspect and check the decisions that we make daily.

Paul sums it up well in I Cor. 9:24-27, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

2. RELATIONSHIPS:

Some of the basic things that go into maintaining relationships are time and energy, the both being very scarce today. People have become so business-oriented that they don’t have time for their dear ones. It’s not their fault completely. The need to survive in this world compels one to work that much. And sometimes even with time and opportunity in our hands we barely are able to put in enough efforts to work towards a fruitful relationship. Maybe it’s because we are so succumbed by the pressure and the discomfort the world offers us.

Maintaining relationships is a costly affair. Relationships are not made in a day or two, but earned over a period of time. As we see in Rom. 12: 9-21, relationships are earned through the labor of love. It’s when relationships are earned there is sweetness and satisfaction in enjoying it. God when he ordained the church to function as one body, he meant this very same relationship. It’s a relationship that goes beyond saying ‘Hi’ and ‘How do you do?’ You need to earn it! It might require you to go out of your way, sacrifice your time and resources, and even put down your ego.

Most of the time petty issues and misunderstandings play a spoilsport in relationships. I remember the time when a close friendship of mine broke due to some misunderstanding. The process of reconciling didn’t take a phone call or two. It took me more than six months to earn back my lost friendship. It wasn’t easy though. It required me to show true repentance and live the ‘sorry’ that I said.

It comes back to the point that relationships need to be earned. It requires patience, hardwork and endurance in nurturing it. But this doesn’t come without God’s help. It is God who removes the monotony in maintaining relationships to something that you would love to do.

3. SOCIAL LIFE:

The society today is deprived of love. Day in and out we see fights, abuses, murders, suicides, wars, betrayal, anxiety, pain, cruelty and so many other things that dominate the headlines. It’s in such a world God has placed us as Christians to love this hopeless society with the true love of Christ.

It’s unfortunate that we play a very passive role in this regard. We choose to be onlookers to the evils around than lend a helping hand to someone hurt. We choose to keep our status and our ego in a crowd that boasts the same when it comes to doing things that may be below our status. We choose to condemn others of their wrongs, when we ourselves are many times guilty of the same. We choose to stick to our rituals and traditions that we claim as godly when it comes to sacrificing some of them to reach out to the society.

We respond to the government by cursing it. If not the government, we at least would have cursed the BJP, or the VHP, or the Bajrang Dal or any of those Hindutva groups. What different are we from them? We really love condemning the municipal corporation for their untimely and haphazard work. Doing so doesn’t even change the situation nor does it profit. It would rather profit if we could go out and sweep the roads ourselves than cursing the BMC for dirty roads.

We continuously classify and judge the so many different people around us and label them conveniently according to situations. We call some ‘samples’, others we label as ‘the cause for all the problems’, and others as ‘they are always like that’. We picture government officers, politicians and policemen as corrupt; the sweeper, beggars, etc. as inferior. We consider Muslims as a potential threat and Hindu fanatics as ‘enemies of Christians’. We disrespect and disown the Catholics and even those other nominal Christian groups we today conveniently label as ‘cults’. And then we claim that we are going to reach out to these people when we don’t even love them!!

We are all guilty of betraying our society! We preach that we live a witnessing life but are unable to keep a true testimony even in such small situations. We expect others to change, but we ourselves are not ready to change. If we truly claim to be living a witnessing life, we need to love our society, our government and our nation just as Christ loved us. It’s not a love that shows itself only when going to communicate the gospel or anything in respect to that, but it’s a love that lives day in and out among the people, respecting the society and honoring the nation and its values. And this requires a lot of patience, hardwork and endurance with the help of God.

We hear all this from the preacher’s mouth and at this time it might just sound the same. But in conclusion, this is a greater challenge for me than you because just as Paul said, “…lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

but JUST A CRY?

Just a cry, that’s all he needs! But is it that easy for God?

“I saved you from all your enemies. I did so many things for you. And yet, you forsook me and served other gods. Why don’t you go and cry to them for help? I’m not going to save you. Let them save you in your distress!” God protests against the children of Israel (Judg. 10:11-14). It wasn’t adamancy that dominated his tone, but his heart-brokenness. He did so much for them and in return they mocked him and rejected him. Why should he waste his time over people who weren’t ready to obey him? Why?

I wonder how many times God would have protested against me because of how wretched a sinner I am. It makes me think that every time I keep on doing the same sins over and over again, God is hurt, heart-broken and disowned. And more gravely it would have made God think why he ever did choose me to be his son? Why? I disowned him and served other gods – my sins. Why should he ever take pleasure in being my God?

God isn’t an emotionless God. When I think of those times I sinned, I made my God look as a forgiveness-machine. But it’s so easy to forget that he too has us-like emotions. We see him weeping at Lazarus’s grave and crying bitterly in the garden of Gethsemane. And then on the cross he broke his heart out and cried! Why? Just for me!

He just didn’t cry for us and for our sins. I believe in those tears were hidden emotions just like us. Just like how we would express our hearts out to God in prayer or to our closest friends with all our emotions, he would have constantly cried to his Father. In those times when he went out into the desert alone to pray, it wouldn’t have been just prayer for strength and guidance; but a time to express his emotions to his Father. He got adamant, heart-broken, disowned, hurt when he saw his children sin. I think of God crying, complaining and expressing his hurt because of the many times, in spite of correction and love, I went back to my former sins and nailed him back to the cross with those sins of mine. And what more heart-breaking would it be to undergo that painful suffering again. In those tears that he cries for me everyday are hidden solemn emotions which I faintly can comprehend in my human wisdom.

“And his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel” (Judg. 10:16). There is something so special about this grief that baffles me whenever I think over it. It something beyond human understanding and perception of how great a God we have. Simply put, just like a father would grieve if his child did wrong, the same way God grieves when we sin. He grieves with his soul – an outpour of emotions. Why? Just for me!

Just a cry, that’s all he needs to rush to our rescue. Yes it’s true. But it comes with a price – the tears of God.

Just a cry, that’s all he needs

In and through the book of Judges we see the children of Israel sinning against God. God proved to them that he was a righteous God and wouldn’t tolerate sin. Neither would he behave partially in punishing them and punished their sin justly.

But even through all this, God was still a loving God. He loved them from the depth of his heart. He just couldn’t see them going after other gods and serving them. The minute he heard them calling out for his help, he ran to their rescue by sending prophets, judges and deliverers. He fought for them their battles with what great might and zeal and destroyed their enemies completely.

All he needed was just a cry that came out of a sincere and helpless heart; a heart that had lost sight of the road in the way, a heart that betrayed his God and ran after other gods, a heart so weak and dirty that kept falling into evil. And it was this cry that meant so much to God. It meant that his children had accepted their faults and wanted his help and forgiveness. It was just a true and sincere cry that broke the heart of God Jehovah that made a God so great and powerful, run to the rescue of wretched sinners. Just a cry, that’s all he needs.

Petra puts it beautiful in the song, Just Reach Out

Just reach out and He'll reach in
Take your broken heart and make it whole again
It don't matter who you are or where you've been
Just reach out, and He'll reach in

Understanding God’s purpose

31^st December 2008:

We had gathered together as a church to refresh ourselves on the year that went by. It was a time to thank God for all his blessings and maybe a time to take a couple of decisions to revamp our lives. For the same purpose, we had a testimony time. Inspired by a couple of testimonies shared, I stood up to share my testimony.

There was one thing that kept inspiring me in my mind, a thought that kept provoking me to think deep, a desire to be of some use to God, a desire to know God’s will in my life, a desire to know his calling and his purpose in my life.

“I deeply desire to know his purpose, because I feel that he has called me for something important. This year I look forward to finding out his purpose in my life.” I sputtered words out in a jiffy with glaring eyes praying that the words become true.

15^th February 2009:

I called back to mind those words I said almost 2 months before. It was a Sunday morning. Unprepared for the worship gathering at church, I cuddled in my seat for what was supposed to be a long one hour of worship. Pinching myself away from sleep, I put in an extra effort to hear the others speak.

Still those thoughts kept ringing back in my mind. If I am here to live for myself, why live in the social and moral upbringings of life? Maybe there is a purpose that reaches its hands out to my fellow-brethren to understand their needs, to walk their life, to feel their pain, to wipe a tear from their eyes, to bring a smile in their wrinkled faces. If there is a greater joy in living for others, a greater happiness achieved in helping my fellow-brethren, a higher satisfaction attained in imparting love, it may perhaps be my purpose.

Then someone shared a beautiful meditation from the scriptures,

“Christ had his angels to strengthen him in his time of need. Even through the hard wept tears in the garden of Gethsemane, there were his angels to strengthen him. But on the cross, not even his Father neither his angels nor would anyone console him nor strengthen him. He was left helpless in agony and grief, crying in bitter pain and sorrow with no one there to neither wipe away his tears nor extend a warm hand of love towards him…He hung there just like an orphan!”

The picture of an orphan brought mixed emotions of joy and tears in my heart. Pictures of the countless number of children around me, children who were orphans, homeless, deprived of their childhood by child-labor, begging, and hardships of life, flashed through my mind. Was this my call? Am I called to go and serve these children, to be a friend to them, to help them socially and spiritually?

This thought really inspired me. It felt like as if God was talking to me. He was slowly revealing things he has planned for me in my life. Maybe this could be a part of something greater I am called to do, or maybe this is what God wants me to do. And still on the contrary, this perhaps wouldn’t be what God has really called me for. Only time will reveal, what God has written down in the pages of my life.

But if this is what God has called me for, from today I will start the journey beginning on my knees. I will pray every day as much it is possible in me that God may keep convincing me, equipping me and preparing me for his purpose in my life.

Does God still exist? – A case for existence

It’s highly debated whether God exists or not. But it’s interesting when you take a look at the other side of the coin. Do you know why you exist? If you are here on this earth, it should obviously be for a purpose. Everything around us exists not by accident but with a purpose.

It’s on this very point few of us would argue on - the fact that the universe, evolution, man, etc. are all products of accidents and chance. But what is chance, what is an accident? An accident or a chance is a consequence of three or more people or factors involved at a same time, the third or the deciding factor of it taking place being a barrier or an obstruction. An accident never happens because two people after deciding to crash their cars together rammed into each other, but because their cars collided together due to some external or internal factor that could not be diagnosed or prevented at the required time. An accident is a direct interaction between two factors while the third factor or the deciding factor plays the role in defining it as an accident. Also an accident is something not desired at first though the product of it may or may not be pleasing. If evolution of man was a cause of an accident, what are the factors that caused the accident to happen?

The evolutionists define an accident as an outcome that was subject to the earlier event, and no longer being an accident as we think it to be. So then how is it an accident? Isn’t it just an expected process? But why is it an accident? It is because they claim that the possibilities of the event taking place are so little in an ocean of probabilities, and hence the event occurring is an accident keeping in mind that the accident was still subject to the earlier event. Here we see the accident taking place between man - the evolving animal, and the environment - the external conditions. But what was the barrier, or the accidental factor that caused the whole accident to take place?

An accident is not a desired event as discussed earlier. If evolution was an accident, was it a desired event? If the whole process is termed as an accident referring to both the evolutionist’s and creationist’s points of view, obviously, there would’ve been something else expected, something more probable to happen than probability of the evolution of man to what he is today, considering the probability of the evolution of man insignificant, and hence being termed as an accident. The whole theory of evolution is based on these facts of accidents and chances which when studied carefully are contradicting.

The basis of our existence being life is the very catalyst that distinguishes a human from a robot. Man in all his wisdom and abilities could at the most land up replicating the human body in itself. But can he give it life? Can he breathe breath into his nostrils and make it alive? I guess this is strong enough to acknowledge that man cannot in all his strength and abilities create man.

But doesn’t evolution explain the source of life? The human body without life is as good as a puppet or a sculpture. Evolution does explain how the human body evolved through millions of years and how by adaptations to the environment it perfected to what it is today. But it really doesn’t talk about how the human body got life. Look at it a bit deeper. The human body is made up millions of DNA’s that contain volumes of information. Where did the DNAs get life from? Could it all just have come to existence or evolved through time by chance? And what is chance again?

What is life? Life is defined by three things that make it so precious and unique – emotions, intelligence and purpose.

Life is exemplified through emotions and feelings. These make us different from a robot. Emotions define our lives, develop our character and give us a heart. Can the theory of evolution go further and explain how emotions, the things that add living colors to our lives, evolved through atoms and cells that are incapable of emotions? Assuredly, it’s not by chance.

Life is then defined by our ability to think. As science would put it, we are the most intelligent of all the animals. Our ability to think is governed by the circumstances around us. As infants we are void of understanding. But as we grow, our ability to think and reason sharpens, and it because of that we are asking these difficult and intellectual questions today. It is a process of maturity and evolving that sharpens our intellect and knowledge. So doesn’t evolution explain our intellect?

But to every intelligent mind there is at least an ounce of wisdom. Knowledge comes through learning but wisdom through experience. What is wisdom? Wisdom rests in the heart of him that has understanding. And understanding develops in a man that has the power to discern between right and wrong, good and bad. And good and bad is a direct indication that God exists. (How? – read at the end) If this is so, wisdom doesn’t come from an evolutionary process but is a divine gift of God.

Emotions, feelings, intelligence, wisdom all put together is what is commonly known as the soul or the conscience. Can evolution give an account of this? You and I are living masterpieces of someone so creative and wise, someone who we fail to recognize as God.

What is so special about life that makes it so complex to understand, so huge to comprehend and so exhilarating? We live from a child to a youth to an adult, walking the road of life from school, to college, to work, so that we can earn a name in this world, that we may be able to fulfill our dreams, achieve something in life, and create something new for this world and for ourselves. We all have our purposes in life and they may be so varied and vast.

But if we are here on this earth to just fulfill our purposes and die, how different are we from a robot, a computers or any other gadget that fulfills its purpose and expires? Why dream all those ambitions and sweat it hard to live it out, why ever live through all the sorrow and pain life has to offer, if our tomorrow is going to be robbed away from us unexpectedly? In that case, what have we gained or lost from life from the day we were born to the day of our death? Dust we are and to dust shall we return. “As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand” (Ecc. 5:15). If there is nothing we are going to carry with us at our deathbeds, none of our merits, none of our status, what is the purpose of life? If death is the ultimate thing that is going to happen to all of us, is there any purpose in living for today, forget tomorrow? Why don’t we just die even before we take our first breath in this world?

It brings us to an essentiality that there has to be something more to life, than it just ending with death. And if that is true, it would mean that there is life after death, our lives our immortal, and there is a God who would have given us this immortal life. But, being still adamant, why can’t life just end with death? Why should there be something more to life after death? Why can’t life just be defined by just fulfilling these purposes in life?

Till now we have been looking at the purposes we have in life. But as a larger question, what is the purpose of life? Why do we have this life? Why couldn’t we be like super robots that fulfills its programmed purposes and then perishes?

To make things simpler, let’s look at an example of a computer. A computer in its smallest forms is made up of thousands of executable codes and programs. But it’s not these codes that matter to the user, but the desired output he gets when he uses the finished product. That is the main purpose of the computer.

Our life is like the computer. From the time we are born to the time of our death, we are in the process of fashioning our life through the many and varied purposes we have. It’s when we die; the purpose of our life gets accomplished. But however, like every other purpose, there has to be a result to the purpose. And if that is true, there must be a Creator, a giver of life, a God who would require these results.

There is a time and judgment to every purpose. If I create a music player, I would want it to work when I switch it on and, obviously I would want it to work well. If I purpose to do medicine as a career, I would expect it to complete it in at least 5 years after which I would expect myself to be working. Every purpose in life is accompanied by a time towards its accomplishment and a judgment towards its result. If every purpose in life fulfills this law, truly the purpose of life should also fulfill this law. And if it does fulfill this law, truly there is a God who would judge our lives at his desired time.

And what is the purpose of life? It is important to take note that the creator defines the ultimate purpose of his creation. And if God does exist, truly, the purpose of the life given to mankind is defined by him. To know the purpose, we would have to search his scriptures diligently.

Concluding the topic I would like to summarize the facts and observations I noted.

1. Accidents cannot really happen as stated in the theory of evolution.
2. The reality of the soul is a case for the existence of God.
3. The purpose of our lives is proves the existence of God.

Keeping in mind all these facts, it’s wise to say that God exists.

“The very fact you exist proves that God exists!”

(Good and bad is a direct indication that God exists:-

1. If good exists, obviously there has to bad on the other side, and vice versa.
2. If that is true, there has to be a law that has defined the bounds of good and bad.
3. Can the law come from man? If yes then who then gave him that law?
4. Consequently, law doesn’t come from imaginations or opinions of man but from God.
5. If the last step is further argued by one who claims that the law could have just come into existence by ‘chance’ or by imaginations:-

• Good or bad is never an abstract affair, but always in relation to a person or an individual.
• It’s always a judgment passed by someone to another.
• Keeping that in mind, it is necessary for someone to pass a judgment of good or bad and thus, is not a product of imagination or ‘chance’.

)

Does God Still Exist?

Is this another religion freaking talk? Is this another religious enthusiast talking about God? Or is this the new generation talking about “Who cares a damn about God?”

Look at the world today and what do you and I represent in this world? A new generation, a new era, a revolution – that’s what we represent in our society. But look at our society; it’s come from a tradition and a religious background dating back to hundreds of years. How could they live under the misery of religion and tradition for these so many years?

Here are we, the new generation. It is we who create our world, carve new laws and live the lifestyles we choose. Science has far advanced in itself that we can paint every imagination in our minds into art so beautiful and complete. We indeed can look at these arts, the canvas of science, the luxuries we enjoy, the world that we own and sit back and enjoy.

Does God still exist? But hey, why do I need him? We have science at our disposal. We have conquered the moon, and now march ahead to mars. Science has equipped the nation with the best of weapons. It has created wings for man and given us fins to explore hidden depths. It has searched deep through the biology of nature and animals, penning down volumes of researches. It has provided a cure to most of the diseases. And well, it has satisfied our daily necessities and enhanced our living. Do we need God when we have science?

And why do we need God? All that he wants is our money, resources and time. His religious institutions take from us money and wealth all in the name of God. And what does he give in return? Nothing! If he ever gave anything, it was terrorism, corruption, violence, hatred. In the name of God, people go around killing hundreds of people, threatening people, assaulting people. Is this the God I’m looking at? If so, why do I need him? I would rather believe that he doesn’t exist. I still can survive without him.

And should God exist, would he bear the sight of this wicked world? Everyday witnesses so much violence, so many deaths, and so much pain. If he was a righteous God, wouldn’t he judge the wicked? But here is the world suffering under the clutches of terrorism, violence, rape, murder, hatred, robbery, racism, corruption, and so many other wicked things. What more? Here is a world being judged by natural calamities. A world where the sufferings people face never seem to end. Even the ray of happiness is stopped by some kind of pain. Would a loving God, a caring God, a just God, allow all these things to happen and that too to his creation, if it ever was his? Does God really exist?

What about rebirth, heaven, hell…??? Anyways if God doesn’t exist, why worry about these? On the other hand, they are all just another myth. Science proves through evolution that we are all from monkeys and going back to the dust once we breathe our last breath. And who knows about the authenticity of their scriptures. Some people would have come out with their own ideologies and myths. And others would have added their own stories into it claiming themselves to be gods. So why ever believe in all this crap?

Look at the world without religion and God. People are today bound by the laws of their religion. But without it, it would mean freedom. It would help people to express themselves much better, explore places unreached before. It would help bring education and enlargement to the doorsteps of every individual. He would no longer have to waste his time, money and resources for someone called God. Apart from an individual in himself, look at the country as a whole. A place where there is a united democracy. There wouldn’t be hundreds of political parties running around in competition for power. The law would be better written down. Maybe those will be the days when abortion will be legalized, gay marriages will be celebrated and so many other amendments will be made to the Constitution. Development in areas earlier prohibited by religious institutions will be ushered in. Maybe, that day, the world will be united together and it will admire a person as her leader. Wow, that will indeed be a great day!

Who needs God? The world would be a much better place only if God didn’t exist for people… Does God still exist? Now that’s an easy answer!

- (Part 1 of ‘Does God still exist’)

Confessions not meant for you

Professing to be a Christian and being one is truly a challenge. It’s a greater challenge when you are asked to answer the questions the world throws at you. It’s not another day when you’re asked to stand up for what you believe in, what you profess yourself to be. It’s not an easy thing to speak out volumes at that time for each word that you say will be marked, noted down and maybe rehearsed back to you for a very long time.

My friends and I were hanging out in college after school hours. While we were enjoying our chats, one of them seemed to be rather busy in downloading some file from his friends mobile. It didn’t seem rather different or notice worthy, but however the others seemed rather fascinated with it. It didn’t bother my attention till they began talking over it. And to my surprise it was porn. Now that indeed troubled me at that moment. I began to feel restless being there at that time as I just couldn’t feel at home.

To add to my uneasiness, they were my good friends who were so enthralled by those porn videos. While I was just about to slip away, one of them noticing the restlessness on my face, curiously put forth this question, “Haven’t you ever watched porn??”

A numb silence griped my ears as the question echoed through my ears. As of a fact that literally shook me leaving me speechless. Other than God and me none knew my heart better. What could I say? Could I tell them that I too am a victim of this terrible disease? Could I tell them that it was my weakness somewhere down within? I was left stranded. How would they understand my problems are different from theirs, if they ever counted theirs as a problem? What they considered as a pleasure was a struggle for me. What they considered talk worthy, was a disgrace for me. Would they understand that I as a Christian am not supposed to be doing such stuff and though I hate it, it keeps sticking back? Would they understand all of this?

If I would have to agree, it would mean a completely different thing to them. It would make me no different than them. I had to choose between truth and lies. I had to choose between saving my identity and identifying with them. More importantly, I had to choose between the test of God and the temptation of Satan.

The next few moments were a literal face off with my friends. They looked at me with anxious eyes while I looked at them with confused and shocked eyes. It was a decision far too difficult for me to take at that moment. “Are you going to say something or not? Don’t worry we all watch porn and are frank about it. It’s ok if you watch porn,” my friend said again urging me to say something.

To them I was different. To them I was someone who was different in choices and decisions. To them I was someone they knew who wouldn’t go with them wherever they went. To them talking about porn was something that didn’t digest in me, was well known to them. In spite of all this, this question seemed rather interesting to them. They eagerly waited for my answer. But I still looked confused and awestruck by the question.

Could I be a hypocrite? Even before the question could actually digest in me, I held my nerves and nodded affirmative. But they weren’t going to leave me there. Another wanted me to speak it out. I mumbled, “Yes”. To that another asked to confirm, “So, you watch porn, right?”

The latter question was different from the earlier one. It was an open challenge thrown to me. Am I like them going to fall into this misery over and over again? Would I want to be a part of it again? Giving a second thought to it, I paused and then said, “No…”

When I look at them, I see them as people who were unknowingly addicted to porn. One of them said that he didn’t have anything to do at home. So he rather would watch porn videos than do anything else. Others would watch it passionately and faithfully everyday. Did their conscience ever prick them? Or was it just peer pressure and sweet addiction?

My “No” shouted louder than my “Yes”. What didn’t digest in them is that I didn’t want to watch porn. One of them said, “I’ve got a really good video. Maybe we can watch it together later sometime.” I was kind of embarrassed because it seemed to them as if I didn’t have resources. Hey I’ve internet at home. Can’t I use that if I want to get more ‘resources’? Did I look to them that dumb or innocent? “No, it’s fine. I don’t want to watch it,” I promptly replied.

I’m happy I looked dumb, weird, not cool, and different to them. But it meant a lot to me to be ‘God’s own fool’. Maybe taking that stand was difficult. It wasn’t easy to do all that without God helping me. Though I was spiritually very weak that day, God helped me. Yes, I’m not at all perfect. Yes, I’m not that good as I look from outside. And who would know that better than God. He knows how bad I am from inside. And what a way to open my eyes! And what a way to put me to shame in front of the world! And indeed what a way to lift me out of that shame through his grace!

And as Petra writes in one of their songs,

Just reach out and he’ll reach in Take your broken heart and make it whole again. It don’t matter who you are and where you’ve been Just reach out and he’ll reach in.

Called to be Victorious

Being victorious, for me, is an overwhelming feeling of happiness and a God given achievement always cherished. However, it’s very rare that I experience victory in my secret life; a life that only God and I know page in and out. Subsequently , the victories that I experience in my secret life are some of my dearest. Maybe it’s because I understand what it means to be a miserable failure, what it means to be a loser, what it means to be defeated!

“Could this ever be true?” I shrieked out, “Does the Bible say, a person in Christ is a new creature, old things are passed away and, behold!...all things have become new?” Well I’m still trying to behold…through the last so many years. But…things just haven’t seemed to change. I just keep falling into the same old sins again and again. It’s not that I like to do it. I hate it! And the thought of it disgusts me. Although I profess the same, but my stand somehow deteriorates when I’m tested. Its like I’m so helpless and weak to fight against it.

And when did my old ‘things’ pass away, or did it ever go away? It’s surprising that it never left me nor will it leave me in this present world. All that happened was that it lost its authority over me. But it’s still there in me and that’s why I guess I keep getting my feet dirty all the time. As long as I feed my new God-given nature, that ol’ fellow will never grow. Assuredly, this is the first step to living a victorious life. That old fellow loves it when you don’t have that spiritual strength. That’s when he plays his cards.

Trying to fight temptations myself, I end up leaving God out of the battle field. I would bring in mine own strategies, mine own ways of fighting my secret sins, and would land up failing miserably. It is one thing to know that the battle belongs to the Lord and another to experience God fighting the battle for us (1 Sam. 17:47; 2 Ch. 20:15, 25:8; Ps 55:18). When God brought us out of the land of Egypt, his sole and main purpose was to be our God (Num. 15:41) and that he could be glorified through our lives. And hence he confirms that by assuring his children saying, ‘I AM, the Lord YOUR God’. He is not any god, but OUR God. We poor puny mortals get lost in our struggles and do often forget that God is on our side. Well, God too knows that and hence he’s given us his Word.

It is so important for us to get back to his Word, to study more about our God, to learn more about our struggle. We so many a times try assuming facts about what the Bible says because we have being hearing it over years. But what exactly does the Bible say? Who is this God we have on our side? Maybe this sounds like another preachy write up. But hey, that’s what I thought too sometime before. Till when I realized that I really don’t know anything much about my God.

Understanding who your God is strengthens you in your battle. Our victory is a cause for a big time celebration for him, and our loss is his loss too. You are the commander but keep in mind, the battle is his; the choices you make will decide the game. The right choice ensures you the victory, because you are not fighting the battle, but God.

To be able to take a right decision when faced with our secret sins requires God’s Word to guide you. We are so good in just doing a quick daily glance through the Bible. But I want to encourage you to take out some more time and study the passage you are reading. Being victorious is not something we can master in a couple of days but what we mature in through experiences. We are called to be victorious because God is on our side. It’s not a call that is a request, but an affirmation from God himself!

Along with the Word of God, we need proper Christian fellowship to back us up in our everyday life. Being in the company of God’s people encourages me in my spiritual life. The times when I’m down, there is the church that is able to push me ahead through some way or the other. Might be their enthusiasm to serve God, or their brotherly love, or their “Hi” and “Bye” handshakes, or their warm “How are you my dear friend” queries, or the discussions in our youth group, or those messages that leave me challenged, whatever they be, there are so many things that in some way or another gears me up for my spiritual battles. Fighting my struggles no more is a lonely affair. There is a huge army of fellow-brethren backing me up. Wow, now that’s a battle indeed!

On the other hand, the struggles I face really can’t be told to anyone. They might be so disgusting and horrible for people to even relate to it or to even believe it to be true. And if people can’t relate to it, it might as well as be a hot story for gossip. But how long could I keep all these things to myself. I needed someone who could understand my problems, counsel me, understanding the depth of my struggles.

Now when I look at my friend, as of a truth, it has made me accountable to someone at least. Now someone cares for me, knows me in and out, knows all those times I run around with a mask, knows those areas I’m prone to fall and can advice me and help me out at that time. Facing such struggles does put you down, make you lose your sense of direction; they make you so ill with God. You begin to get frustrated with life and yourself. At such times you need a shoulder to run to; someone who can put you back on right gear, someone who understands you and can relate with you, and help you even if it is in a very small way. It’s not that he is a perfect guy who can guide me out. He too is searching for answers like me. But we are no longer alone. I know that he is praying for me more sincerely than anyone else.

The Bible supports this friendship through the life stories of David and Jonathan, Paul and Barnabas, etc. Through experience I can say that it is very encouraging to have such a friend in your call to be victorious; a friend who understands you completely and someone with whom you can share all your problems.

“Flee away from youthful lusts” that’s what the Bible instructs us. Flee away from those pleasures that just give you momentary pleasure like drugs and alcohol. Avoid going to those areas will tempt you. Run away from the pleasures of Satan. Be alert in your battle because your adversary, the devil, is not only a roaring lion, but also an angel of light. Being victorious is a no easy task. So get up on your feet, sharpen your weapons, and get ready for the battle! Remember we are called to be victorious because God is on our side!!

BETWEEN GOD AND ME

During the testimony time in church, one of my friends while sharing his testimony, exclaimed, “Only I and God know how we passed the exam!” Wow! Now that’s indeed a close relationship with God! Hey, it’s like as if he and God were walking through the same path of difficulty all along.

Maybe writing an exam is a struggle. But did you know that you are not writing that exam alone. God is there with you. God wants you to know that he has answers to your problems. He is that special friend who helps you copy when you are stuck in a problem. Not through unlawful means, but through divine help.

And hey, your struggles are not your own. Its God’s too! Your success is a time for celebration for him. And your failures do bring sadness and grief to his heart. God knows your struggle equally well as you do and better! He is the one who knows how well you have prepared for your exam, how well you’ve attempted the paper. You are completely open before him though you try hiding the results from others.

But be encouraged by the fact that he’s with you! Though you are open before him, he is not there to condemn you, but to help you. You never would have to walk alone, because through every step you take, he is ALWAYS there with you! His promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is unchanging and steadfast!

Experience that relationship between God and yourself. Reach the heights of his love, grasp the wideness of his ever-present presence, dig deep the depths of his wisdom, live by the strength of his power, experience the closeness of his friendship! I assure you, it is BREATHTAKING! If THIS IS OUR GOD, why do we need anyone else!