Whatever Happened to Human Life?

Whatever Happened to Human Life?

Zoë, a three year old girl had a pet turtle whom she really loved. She would play with him the whole day. One day her father returned home to find a crisis at hand. The turtle had died and Zoë was crying her heart out. Her father tried his best to calm her, he even suggested that they buy a new pet turtle, but Zoë would not be comforted. Suddenly Zoë’s father had a brilliant idea; he turned to Zoë and said “I tell you what; we'll have a funeral for the turtle.” Being three years old, she didn't know what a funeral was. So, he quickly proceeded to expand on the theme. "A funeral," he explained, "is a great festival in HONOR of someone." Well, she didn't know what a festival was either so he explained further. "Actually," he said, "a funeral is like a BIRTHDAY PARTY! We'll have ice cream and cake and lemonade and balloons, and all the children in the neighborhood will come over to our house to play." [According to customs in the West when friends and relatives visit the grieving family, they are offered snacks]

Well this tactic worked! Zoë’s tears began to dry, and she quickly returned to her happy, smiling self again. She was very excited at the prospect of all that was going to happen—a party with all the trimmings, all because the turtle had died. This was great! Then, an utterly unforeseen thing happened. They looked down, and lo and behold, the turtle began to move. It wasn't dead after all! In a matter of seconds, it was crawling away as lively as ever. The father was dumbstruck not knowing how to respond to this new development, but Zoë appraised the situation perfectly. With all the innocence of her tender years, she looked up at her father and said, "Daddy, let's kill it."

So often our society responds to its troubles much like little Zoë did that day. When a life interferes with our pleasures and plans, the most popular solution these days is to simply end that life. If a woman is pregnant and it is not convenient for her to give birth....our society says she can deal with that problem by killing the unborn child. These days when people are frustrated with the way the world treats them, many decide to get even by purchasing a hand gun...and then they go on a shooting spree. The Virginia killing that took place in the month of April, 2007 where a young man went on a shooting rampage killing 32 people is an example of how recklessly life is treated. Add to this scenario the problem of suicide, euthanasia, and acts of terrorism, where human life is ended without a second thought. All this goes to say that many people in our society are like little Zoë in that, when a life becomes inconvenient they feel that the best thing to do is to end that life.

What has gone wrong with the world? Why is ‘Life’, God’s most precious gift, treated so carelessly? Primarily there are three things that have caused people to view life in an impetuous way.

· Sanctity of life is lost.
· Purpose in life is lost.
· Significance in life is lost.

The only way we can live life to its fullest as Jesus promised in John 10:10, is by recovering what has been lost. This recovery begins by aligning our worldview with the biblical view. Without a biblical view there is no way to say what the value of a human life is? Who defines it? Who says how it ought to be treated? Without a biblical view it is impossible to understand human life, its worth and its significance. So we turn to the Bible to recover what it means to live an abundant life.

Created in the Image of God

Scripture tells us that “God created man in his own image… male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27). This is a breathtaking assertion. Humans actually reflect the character of the ultimate source of the universe. Out of all the things that are created in this world, humans alone mirror a part of God’s character. The Psalmist in Psalm 8:3-4 says “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?” This question expresses surprise, even incredulity, that God should pay so much attention to his human creation, for we are insignificant in comparison to the vastness of the universe, and impure in contrast to the brightness of the stars. Yet we are the crown jewel of God’s creation. When we turn to the creation account in Genesis 1 it is fascinating to read that at the end of each day God would remark about his creation as “…it is good”, but when God created man and woman, the scripture says He saw that as “…very good”.

Evolutionists on the other hand not only deny that God has created us, but also deny that we as humans have any unique quality that sets us apart from the rest of the creation. Going by their logic we are a result of matter + time + chance; which means humans beings are nothing more than over grown germs, since everything in this world has come from a single primordial cell? There is nothing special that can be attributed to the human race or human life. Ingrid Newkrik, founder and director of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals. (PETA) once said “When it comes to feeling, a rat is a pig, a pig is dog, and a dog is a boy. They are all mammals. They all feel pain. There is no rational basis for saying that a human being has special rights…six million people died in concentration camp, six billion chickens will die this year in slaughterhouses”. With God out of the picture it is but natural that human life is denigrated in an effort to make human species equal with all others.

Sanctity of life can be understood only when we see ourselves and others as people created in the image of God. Only the Christian worldview gives a strong basis for human dignity. When the Christian worldview is negated, the result is a shift from ‘sanctity of life’ to ‘quality of life’. As a result humanness is defined more in terms of what we have, rather than who we intrinsically are. Human life is scared because it alone is stamped with the image of the Creator. Sanctity of life is a forgotten truth in our society; as a result life is treated carelessly. This truth can be grasped only when we see ourselves and others as created in the Image of God.

Created for a Relationship with God

C.S. Lewis once said that “when a ship is out on open waters, there are three questions it must ask itself - How do I keep from sinking? How do I keep from bumping into other ships? And most importantly, what am I doing out here in the first place?” The first question deals with personal ethics, the second with social ethics, but the third and the most important question deals with normative ethics. What am I doing here in this world? Our purpose in life will determine how we live and also influence the way we relate to others. So for a meaningful life one needs to have purpose in life. The fact is men and women cannot live without purpose. Pleasure, freedom, happiness, prosperity-none of these is ultimately fulfilling because none can answer the ultimate question of purpose.

The Bible gives us a clear cut answer to why we are created. Paul in Colossians 1:16 writes “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” The scriptures very clearly tell us that we are created for God, created to have a relationship with him. Man’s primary purpose is to know God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks: “What is the chief end of man?” and the answer given is “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” It’s a staggering thought that we can know and glorify and enjoy the sovereign God, fulfilling His purpose through our lives. It is this all-consuming purpose that gives life meaning and direction in all circumstances. True satisfaction comes only as we transcend our personal pleasure, happiness and prosperity and seek to fulfill God’s purpose for our life.

No wonder then, that even though Paul was in prison he was able to write “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) It seems strange that a man in prison would tell a church to rejoice. Being imprisoned would cause many people to become bitter and to give up, but Paul saw it as one more opportunity to spread the good news of Christ. His purpose in life was to live for Christ. And it did not matter where he was, what his circumstances were, or what hardships he had to undergo. For Paul, even his chains became an opportunity for rejoicing because as he writes in Philippians1:12 ‘…what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel.’ Paul’s relationship with Christ enabled him to see beyond his dire circumstances and focus on the bigger picture. His motto in life was “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Philippians 1:20) Knowing that we are fulfilling God’s purpose is the only thing that really gives rest to the restless human heart. As Augustine has rightly said “You made us for Yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in You”

Created as God’s Workmanship

H. L. Mencken said “the problem with life is not that it's a tragedy, but that it's a bore. A child who is filled with wonder is also filled with a sense of enchantment, a sense of significance, a sense of meaning. When wonder ceases, boredom and emptiness begin to stalk existence.” Notice a child at work or play, no matter how trivial the task may be the child puts in its heart, soul and mind to what ever he/she does. It may be as simple as painting a picture or as complex as building a toy airplane, but everything it does needs to be done in the best possible manner. After the task is complete, the child shows it to everyone with a great sense of pride. Unfortunately, as we grow older our ability to be enchanted by small things diminishes, but the hunger for that sense of wonder remains in us. To satisfy this hunger, many turn to sex, drugs and other cheap thrills, only to find that nothing can satisfy. King Solomon in the Bible was one such man, who tried everything that the world had to offer, sensual pleasure, knowledge, work; you name it and he had done it. Yet his journal, as recorded in the book of Ecclesiastics is punctuated by this remark “Meaningless everything under the sun is meaningless”
All of us want to make a difference; we want more than just a good job with lots of money. We want our lives to be significant in the larger arena of life. How can what we do today, impact eternity?

Paul in Eph 2:10 said “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The context of this verse is about salvation that comes to us as a result of God’s grace. What Paul is saying in these verses is that one of the effects of having come into a right relationship with Christ is that our entire life is infused with meaning and significance because God is now a part of it. Our work that we would consider trivial and meaningless now becomes an act of worship for God. We are God’s workmanship in our offices, in our schools, in our homes and in every other place where God has placed us. Dr. Ravi Zacharias in his book ‘Can Man Live Without God’, shares a story about Eric Liddell from the movie Chariots of Fire. At one point in the film Eric is reprimanded by his sister, Jenny, for trying too hard in his effort to win the gold medal, thus neglecting things of greater importance. His answer to her reveals the profound connection of all of life’s pursuit for him. He says, “Jenny, God has made me for a purpose- for China. But He has also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” For Eric Liddell whether it was running or going as a missionary to China, it had to be in line with God’s pleasure. He was God’s workmanship on the track and in the mission field.

Jesus said in John 15:5 “I am the vine you are the branches…apart from me you can do nothing” In this world there are a lot of things that we can do without Christ, but nothing of eternal significance. It is only when we see ourselves as God’s workmanship, men and women created in Christ, that our mundane life is transformed into a significant life.

Touch of the Maker

There’s a story about an auction taking place. A number of beautiful and exotic items were being auctioned, each being sold at a very high price. Towards the end, an old, worn out violin was brought to be auctioned. The starting bid was a mere Rs.100, but even at such a low cost there were no bidders. The auctioneer encouraged the audience to bid by telling them that the violin was made of the finest wood and that great artist’s had played this piece of instrument but, still, there were no takers. An old man from the audience got up, walked to the podium, picked up the violin, cleaned it, tuned it and played a very beautiful tune and then returned the violin and walked off. Immediately after that the bidding for the violin started to pick up and the violin was sold for a sum that was ten times it’s original bidding price.

Now, there were two men sitting in the first row. One of them turned to the other and asked, “How is it that, all of a sudden, this useless piece of musical instrument is now sold for such a high price?” The other man replied, “The old man who cleaned the violin, tuned it and played it, was it’s maker.”
It is the touch of the Maker that makes all the difference.

No matter how badly messed up our lives are, when God cleans us, tunes us to His will and plays us for his glory, it makes all the difference in the world. Sanctity, Significance and Purpose of human life is found only in Jesus Christ.

Rev. Paras Tayade

TERRIBLE CORRUPTION

TERRIBLE CORRUPTION [Preached on August 19]
Kuruvilla Chandy

Every year Transparency International publishes a corruption index. In 2007 India ranked 72nd, along with China and 6 more countries. Indians may sense some national pride that it is ahead of its neighbours Sri Lanka (94 th), Nepal (131st), Pakistan (138th), and Bangladesh (162nd). However India is way behind Bhutan, but since the country is small and not in rivalry with India, we don't feel too bad about that.

For us in India, corruption is not just a word, it is stark reality. We feel frustration, anger and helplessness in the face of the rampant corruption that even the Right to Information Act has not yet curbed.Sadly, the Church in India and its institutions have not remained unstained. Last year a sting operation showed pastors of churches in Delhi taking bribes to issue membership certificates to non-Christians so that they can gain admission to Christian institutions. Mission schools and colleges that were once identified as representing the highest because of the Christian ethic have also resorted to corruption in admissions, examination results, etc.

One synonym for the word "corruption" is "rottenness." For something to rot, it must first be good. That is why corruption is terrible, because it rots what was good to start with.The history of the Kings of Judah shows us how a kingdom was corrupted, how the internal rot destroyed it. Truly, "Righteousness exalts a race, but sin is a disgrace to any people" ( Pro.14:34).

When Solomon strayed from God's ways, the kingdom was divided. Ten tribes broke away to become the kingdom of Israel, while Benjamin stayed on with Judah to form the kingdom of Judah.Israel's first king was Jeroboam. As he thought about the fact that the focal point of Jewish religion was the temple situated in Jerusalem, a part of the kingdom of Judah, he was afraid of losing the loyalty of his people. So Jeroboam decided to introduce idolatry in Israel, to counteract the attraction that the people of Israel felt toward the temple (1 Ki.12:25-33). Except for Jehu, the reformer who killed wicked Ahab's family (2 Ki.9:14-10:31), every king of Israel went down that road.

On the other hand, a number of the kings of Judah were reckoned as those who did right. But a closer examination reveals that, while a number of them started right, they ended wrong. Some of them were even reformers. How/why did reformers become corrupt?

Faithless in Trouble

Asa came after Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah. The sacred historian informs us that he did good and right "in the eyes of the Lord" (2 Chron.14:2). He was ardent in destroying idolatry (v.3). He commanded repentance: that his subjects turn from their ways to do what the Lord wanted of them (v.4). God favoured Asa's rule giving Judah peace and prosperity ( vv.6-7).When an enemy did attack, Asa trusted God. He prayed, "O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!" ( v.11). God answered with deliverance (v.12). A prophet commended his faith and exhorted him to keep on trusting the Lord (15:1-2,7).

Encouraged, Asa continued with the reformation in Judah (vv.8-15). He even deposed his grandmother for committing idolatry (v.16 ). The historian declared that he was "fully committed to the Lord throughout his life" (v.17). Whatever gifts of silver and gold that he and his father before him had pledged to God he brought into the temple ( v.18), instead of keeping back what had been promised by earlier generations or forgetting his own promises made earlier under different circumstances. How often people make promises when they are in trouble, but fail to keep their promises when the Lord has extricated them from their trouble! The Word of God counsels us that it is better not to vow, than to vow and not fulfil the vow ( Eccl.5:1-7). Asa would agree, for he was a promise-keeper.For 35 years Asa and the people of Judah enjoyed peace (2 Chron.15:19). Other races were afraid because God had fought for them (14:13-14).

After all those years of peace, Israel threatened Judah by fortifying along the border (16:1). Asa was quite unprepared for an attack from Israel, a nation of Judah's brothers. Strangely, Asa lost his faith and courage in the face of this threat from kinsfolk and turned to an idolatrous king for help. Asa gave the treasures of the temple to the idolater ( vv.2-3).Asa must have been one who imagined that since he was enjoying God's protection and favour, he would never have any trouble all his life. Sometimes Christians make the same mistake. I know a missionary whose father was dying of cancer. Susannah prayed that he would turn to Christ before death. Somehow she was convinced that God had promised her that this would happen. She went home to be at her father's side. Her father died without giving any evidence that he had turned his life over to the Lord Jesus. Susannah went into deep depression and it took her a long time to come out of it.

Selwyn Hughes wrote, "Of course, we have to be careful that we do not hold God to promises He has not given. Over the years I have seen the heartache suffered by Christians who have been encouraged to take a statement from the Word of God, turn it into a 'promise' and urged to believe that it would come about. When nothing happened, they became deeply discouraged and disheartened" ( Every Day With Jesus, 9 Feb. 2007)

No Promise

We have no promise that our faith will escape testing. Instead, the Lord said, "In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" ( Jn.16:33). The Apostle James echoed that: "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything... God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him" ( Jas.1:2-4,12, NLT).

Annie Johnson Flint gave us the song "What God Hath Promised." The song is particularly significant in view of Annie's own trials. Her mother died after the birth of her younger sister, and her father abandoned them for a second marriage. The widow, who was deputed to take them in, had two children of her own and her means were limited. Annie and her sister felt unloved. A neighbour influenced a godly, childless couple to adopt them. After finishing school, she had to take a position near her home as her foster mother was ailing. Not much later Annie came down with arthritis. As the disease progressed she had to give up her work. When the foster parents died, Annie moved to a sanatorium. And it was there that Annie started to write the poetry that has blessed Christendom. Her song says,

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through.

How true! Faith that rests on God will weather the storms of life. That is the only promise we have—that God will stay with us and carry us through the storms.

King Asa was clinging to his circumstances rather than God, and when the circumstances changed for the worse, his faith faltered. Our Lord said that some seed will indeed fall on rocky soil or among thorns. In either situation, the germinating seed is likely to be unfruitful. Quickie converts are not rooted deep in faith. Those who allow their lives to be cluttered with life's preoccupations (whether pleasures or troubles) will not be able to grow in faith ( Mk.4:16-19). Instead they will be busy trying to manage their own life by their own craftiness, efforts and skills. That is what Asa was doing when he took the treasures of God's temple to buy the aid of an idolater king.

For this Asa was rebuked by a prophet of God. Instead of responding positively, Asa imprisoned him. He then became an unjust ruler of his people (2 Chron.16:7-10). When God's sovereignty is denied and His voice is suppressed, there is no reason to live a moral life. Then might makes right. Without God as the point of reference, our own desires and pleasures and concerns become the be-all and end-all of our existence. Others exist only to serve our needs and purposes.

Two years later, Asa was inflicted by a disease. The Bible says that he turned to physicians instead of turning to God (v.12). At first reading, this may suggest that the Bible is opposed to medicine. There is enough biblical evidence to contradict such a conclusion. In the well-known story of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan binds up the wounds of the battered man with wine (to disinfect) and oil (to stop bleeding). Paul advised Timothy to take a bit of wine for his persistent stomach trouble (1 Tim.5:23).

In Asa's time, physicians were in all probability pagan medicine men, who relied on magic and the occult for their healing powers. Once again, he was guilty of turning away from God to idolatry for answers to his problems. Asa seems to have gone to his grave without a change of heart.

Forgetting Truth

A few generations after Asa, came Joash. He was the sole survivor of the massacre of the royal family by wicked Queen Athaliah. He was just an infant when it happened. He was saved by his aunt and hidden in the temple for seven years by the high priest Jehoida (2 Chron.22:10-12).In the seventh year, Jehoida conspired with middle level officers of the army and brought Joash out from hiding and made him king. Athaliah tried to muster support, was seized and executed (23:1-15).

Jehoida who had served as protector, became the young king's mentor (24:2). Joash learnt well, and then took initiative to order the repair of the temple ( v.4). Though the Levites took their time going about it (v.5), Joash didn't give up, and pressed the matter of the repair of the temple (vv.5-14).

After Jehoida died, people who were ungodly sucked up to Joash and derailed him from the path he had chosen under Jehoida. The repairer of the temple abandoned what he had rebuilt, and turned instead to idolatry ( vv.17-18).

God sent prophets to call the king and his people to repentance, but they did not listen to the prophets. Finally, Zechariah, the son of Jehoida, the priest, challenged their infidelity. Instead of gratitude for Jehoida's protection that he had enjoyed as a little boy, the king ordered that Zechariah be killed for opposing him ( vv.19-22) This act of perfidy was so dastardly that it was mentioned by our Lord as a prime example of wickedness comparable to the killing of innocent Abel (Lk.11:51).

When Joash turned from God to idolatry, ignored prophets and killed God's servant, he found himself under attack from an alien, idolatrous king (2 Ki.12:17). The sacred historian seems to say that this was more than a coincidence for he connected the dots by saying that it happened "about [that] time."

Instead of waking up to God's call, Joash took all the temple's treasures, dedicated by three earlier generations and along with what he had himself dedicated and offered them to the alien idolater ( v.18).

Fascination With Exotic Religions

Joash's son Amaziah succeeded him. His mother's name Jehoaddin says she was a Jewess (2 Chron.25:1). After Asa, there had been good king Jehoshaphat. Though recognised as one "had sought the Lord with all his heart", by marrying a woman from Ahab's family (2 Chron.18:1), Jehoshaphat did have an adverse effect on the kingdom that lasted for at least three generations.Ahab's wife Jezebel, was an idolatrous foreigner, and gained notoriety in Israelite history for being an ardent devotee of Baal. Marrying into Ahab's family for political gain was disastrous spiritually. His son Jehoram followed in his steps (2 Ki.8:18), and so did his grandson Ahaziah (v.27) in continuing to marry into an that ungodly family. When Ahaziah was attacked and died of wounds inflicted by the reformer Jehu (2 Ki.9:27), Athaliah, his mother, a stepsister or cousin of Ahab (8:26), ruled Judah and no doubt continued with all the idolatry. Joash had broken that trend and married a Jewess who hailed from Jerusalem, the temple city. Her godly influence was evident in her son's life for he did what was right when he became king (2 Chron.25:2). He administered justice according to God's Law (v.4).

Amaziah was keen on strengthening his kingdom and so he began to organise a well-coordinated army (v.5). In the process, he decided to add to the numbers of fighting men, by hiring mercenaries from Israel ( v.6). A prophet of God exhorted him not to rely on Israelite soldiers who were doomed by God (because of the national penchant for idolatry). Amaziah told the prophet that he would lose the money he had paid them and the prophet assured him that if he would trust God, then God would give him more than he would lose. Amaziah dismissed the Israelite mercenaries and succeeded in the war against Seir/Edomites ( vv.7-12).

In spite of this victory given to him by God, Amaziah brought back Edomite idols and began to worship them. How strange this fascination with idolatry! Though he defeated the army that worshipped and depended on idols, he was tantalised by the idols and the ways of idolatry. The idols had shape and size. Not like the God he worshipped, who could not be seen with the eyes. Worshipping idols gave opportunity to indulge in gluttony and immorality and seemed more interesting than confessing sin and seeking forgiveness through sacrifices. God was angry and sent a prophet to confront Amaziah with his foolishness in worshipping the very gods who had not been able to protect the people he had conquered. Amaziah told the prophet to shut up because he had not been appointed the court advisor. The prophet went away saying that he was doomed ( vv.14-16) and that is how Amaziah's reign ended, in defeat (vv.17-28).

Judah, the nation with the temple of God, became corrupt because they progressed from being faithless in the face of trouble to forgetting the truth they had started with to being fascinated with the exoticism of idolatry. Today, the Church stands in danger for the same reasons. There are those who proclaim prosperity as the sign of God's blessing and erode the strength of God's people to face trouble. There are people who claim to follow Christ, but advocate departures from the truth as He gave it. Tiring of old ways, people seem fascinated with anything new, without a concern that when the fountain is poisoned it is not a source to drink from.

What God Hath Promised

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.

Refrain:
But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labour, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

TAINTED CONNECTIONS

TAINTED CONNECTIONS [Preached on August 12]
Kuruvilla Chandy

Most of India gets electricity from overhead cables that are exposed to the atmosphere. There were times when the linemen who came to repair faults or breakdowns, would discover that the problem was caused due to the points of the wires from our home to the main supply line being encrusted with some gunk. There was electric power flowing in the main line but it could not get past the block. Water cannot flow freely where channels are clogged. The floods that wreaked havoc in Bombay a couple of years ago were caused by the plastic waste and other garbage clogging the drains and preventing the rain water from flowing out to sea. Similarly, if the lines of communication between us and God are somehow cluttered with what offends God's holiness, we disrupt the flow of spiritual power into our lives. Solomon is an example of how the tainted (defiled) connections he had in his life disconnected him from the source of all the blessings of his life.

Solomon's Folly

Solomon succeeded David as king of all Israel. When he began his reign, he secured his kingdom by ridding himself of all his rivals (1 Ki.2:22-46). He then married an Egyptian princess for political advantage (3:1), though he loved the Lord and lived by the godly rules of his father David (v.3). Early in his reign he offered a sacrifice at the most important shrine of the time. There he had a dream of God telling him to ask for anything. Though it was a dream, it had reality—the first ever case of virtual reality. Solomon responded by acknowledging God's faithfulness and his own youthfulness, inexperience and inadequacy for the very big task of ruling Israel, and asked God to give him discernment or the wisdom to distinguish between right and wrong. God was so pleased with this that He told Solomon that because he had asked for wisdom, God would not only give Solomon wisdom, but give him honour and riches too ( vv.4-15). In Sunday School, children are always taught of how he passed wise judgement in the case of two mothers disputing over one baby (vv.16-28). What a great beginning! If you were reading the story for the first time, you would think David's son will be a greater and better king than David.

As you continue reading Solomon's story, the first hint that all's not well comes in the historian remarking that Solomon spent seven years to build God's temple, but thirteen years to build his own palace (6:38-7:1). Something definitely wrong there! At least, he didn't have a sense of proportion. Still, he manifested some faithfulness and orchestrated a grand dedication of the temple of God. The Lord was delighted by this extravagant display of affection that, as in the days of the founding prophet Moses, God's glory came down in a cloud that filled the temple with dazzling light making it impossible for the priests to continue their work (8:10-11). On that day Solomon acknowledged before the people that he was king because God had been wonderfully faithful ( vv.15-21). He prayed that God would indeed turn a listening ear to His people when they would gather at the temple to pray for mercy and deliverance (vv.22-61). God responded by appearing to Solomon once again and promised His favour ( vv.3-5) but also threatened disfavour if Solomon or his descendants stopped following God's law (vv.6-9).

The next big event that all Sunday School children learn about is the visit of the Queen of Sheba. The queen is impressed with his wisdom and his great wealth and says that the splendour of his kingdom surpasses all the reports that she had heard (10:1-9).

But I think no Sunday School has ever taught kids about Solomon's great folly. While he had married the daughter of Pharaoh for diplomatic reasons, later in life he began to "collect" foreign women; he had a total of one thousand women in his harem. He married them despite the Lord's clear commandment that His people should not marry those who worship other gods ( Ex.3:15-16). The sacred historian says that Solomon "loved" these women—in fact, he "clung" to them (NRSV), "insisted on loving" them (NLT), "refusing to give them up" (TM). He chose them over God's commandment. As he grew older, they controlled Solomon and diverted him to idolatry (1 Ki.11:1-8). As a consequence of Solomon's folly his descendants lost the kingdom that was otherwise guaranteed to them (vv.-11).

Children of Idolatry

Solomon's son Rehoboam succeeded him. He was the son of an idolatress (14:21) and whereas it would appear that Solomon practised idolatry privately in his own life, it is not surprising that this son of an idolatress led his people into idolatry ( vv.22-24). What one generation hesitantly flirts with, the next generation will brazenly embrace and flaunt and take further.

A prophet rebuked Rehoboam and indicated that his kingdom was under attack from Egypt because of his unfaithfulness to God. (Note that Egypt was the very first kingdom that Solomon had allied himself to but that treaty was not honoured). Rehoboam and his people repented and were rescued from immediate destruction, though they did suffer a loss of independence (2 Chron.12:5-12). In the end, when the summary of his rule was recorded the historian said, "But the final verdict on Rehoboam was that he was a bad king—God was not important to him; his heart neither cared for nor sought after God" ( v.14, TM).

Abijah succeeded Rehoboam to the throne. His mother was a Jewess (1 Ki.15:2), but he chose to follow his father in doing everything wrong: he practised idolatry ( v.3), though he did use the fact that he was a descendant of David and the fact that the temple was in Judah, to claim a moral right to fight to rule all Israel (2 Chron.13:4-12).Solomon's compromise with idolatry affected generations to come.

Good Man, Bad Marriage

Fast forward to a few generations later, to King Jehoshaphat. As a young man he was faithful to God. Not only was he not an idol-worshipper, but he was an iconoclast (17:3-6). He also instituted a programme to teach his people the tenets of the faith (vv.7-9). Neighbouring nations, fearing the Lord who blessed Jehoshaphat, wouldn't war with him and he became more and more powerful ( vv.10-12).When he became rich and powerful he sought an alliance with wicked King Ahab through marriage (18:1). Ahab's wife was the notorious Jezebel. During their regime Israel became a stronghold of Baal-worshippers and Jezebel was more virulent than Ahab, willing even to kill just to grab some property (1 Ki.16:30-33; 21:5-16).

As Ahab's ally, Jehoshaphat was bound to go to Ahab's aid when the latter was attacked by an enemy (2 Chron.18 :2-3). When Jehoshaphat went to his aid, Ahab repaid his faithfulness by tricking him and putting Jehoshaphat's life at risk in order to save his own ( vv.29-32: when those who follow a Christian ethic have tried to partner with those who follow another ethic, almost invariably the Christian has found himself/herself disadvantaged and cheated). After he returned from that war, a prophet confronted him for having gone to the aid of a wicked man (19:2-3). To his credit, unlike other kings, Jehoshaphat didn't try to abuse or kill the messenger of God for confronting him with the truth.Once again, Jehoshaphat went on a campaign to get his people to keep faith with the Lord (vv.4-11).

After that there is the terrific story of how God Himself fought Jehoshaphat's battle when he faced war with a whole army of enemy races. This time he prepared for war, not by consulting with allies or confiding in them and plotting strategies. Instead, he announced a fast for his people, turned to God and acknowledged His great power and quite simply asked for God's help. And God sent a prophet to reassure Jehoshaphat and his people that God was with them: "This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's...you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!" As his army marched out, Jehoshaphat remembered the word of the Lord and said to his people, "Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed." Then Jehoshaphat persuaded his people that instead of marching out with an army, he would lead a choir in singing,

Give thanks to the Lord;

His faithful love endures forever!

Enemy nations heard about the singing army and of God having fought for Judah. As a result the nation enjoyed peace from God (20:1-30, NLT).Sadly, Jehoshaphat's story doesn't end on that note. We read that later on he allied himself with wicked king Ahaziah of Israel. The Lord sent a prophet to warn that the alliance would fail and their venture of ship-building would end in disaster and it did ( vv.35-37). He did make ships a second time but refused Ahaziah's partnership (1 Ki.22:48-49).

Children of Bad Marriages
Good King Jehoshaphat (he was good, on the whole, even though he vacillated so much between keeping to the Lord's ways and aligning himself with those who were powerful in the world) left his kingdom to his son Jehoram. While Jehoshaphat had served the Lord, Jehoram didn't. But he did follow his father's example and married into Ahab's family by marrying a daughter of Ahab. Instead of being faithful to the Lord like his father, he imitated Israel's kings in idolatry (2 Chron.21:4-7,12-15).

Jehoram was succeeded by Ahaziah, whose mother was Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab whom Jehoram had married (22:2). Ahaziah "followed the evil example of King Ahab's family, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, just as Ahab had done. After the death of his father, members of Ahab's family became his advisers, and they led him to ruin" (22:3-4, NLT).

With One Voice

Old and New Testaments speak with one voice that those who love the Lord must keep themselves from marrying those who don't love the Lord. The Bible consistently advocates that God's people need to keep themselves untainted or uncontaminated.
Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil ? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God (2 Cor.6:14-16, NLT).The history of the kings of Judah is an emphatic account of the danger of uniting with those who serve other gods.

Let it be noted: Christians flirt with spiritual danger and destruction when they marry those who do not share their faith in the Lord Jesus.

Sometimes people have argued that there's nothing wrong, and that they can bring their non-Christian partners to faith in Christ. There is no guarantee of that. Scripture says so: "How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?" (1 Cor.7:16,NIV).
At one of our church services when there was an opportunity for members to have a say, an older person got up and said, "Pastor Kuru has preached against marriages of Christians and non-Christians, but I want to say from my experience that it can be good." I am glad that before I could answer that, Pastor Paras Tayade got up and said, "What Pastor Kuru said is what the Bible says about this matter. That your experience has been different is the sheer grace of God. There is no promise in the Bible that that will always happen. I want to tell the young people here that you risk your spiritual life when you go down the road that ends in a marriage where Christ is not Lord."

The question is not how many people vote in favour of a preacher's message or against it. Nor is it a question of what the preacher's standing is, whether he is world figure or a small time pastor. First and last, the question is always, "What does God say/What does the Bible say?"God has told us that we stand in danger of deserting Him, of growing distant, when we put ourselves in a relationship in which we are unable to give Him the place of Lord. Within the family or home where we enjoy the most intimacy, if we have to hide our relationship with the Lord Jesus, where is the freedom to be ourselves? Home is where we should be able to hold what we consider dear.

The light of Jesus shining in our lives today will flicker and diminish, when the conduits or channels are not clean and the power of Jesus is blocked from flowing freely. Let your light shine. Let Jesus be seen in your life.

TOTAL COMMITMENT

TOTAL COMMITMENT [Preached on August 5th]
Kuruvilla Chandy

If you had the task of choosing a person after your own heart for some assignment, what criteria would you follow? Obviously it would have to be someone who shares your attitudes, feelings, character and aim. You would choose someone who would be your alter ego, someone who would represent you, could stand in for you. You would not designate someone of a disreputable character as the one who is after your own heart.

In view of your carefulness in the matter of choosing someone after your own heart, isn’t it surprising that the God who is utterly holy chose David to be the one who would bear that title? David committed adultery and murder, was considered by God to be after God’s own heart. No doubt that was his opinion of David before he had committed these heinous crimes (1 Sam.13:14), but remarkably long after his sins were discovered and condemned, God’s Word still described him as the man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). If God had said that about Joseph who safeguarded his purity in spite of all the troubles heaped on him or about Daniel whose courage sustained his life of devotion to the Lord in spite of threats and dangers, it would have been understandable. But choosing David doesn’t make sense. You and I wouldn’t want David for the job of representing us lest we are tarred by the same brush that paints him. How could God choose such a man and proclaim him to be one after God’s own heart?

It does tell us something about the wonder of God’s grace. There is no comprehending grace. Grace is grace—undeserved, unmerited. It is offered without any strings attached. We need to find out how David responded to God’s overture of grace rendering him one after God’s heart.

A Bit of History

Saul was the first king of Israel. But he was rejected for reason of being one who was more interested in safeguarding his own position than he was to serve God. He appeared to serve God, but appearance was all that mattered to Saul. He didn’t want to follow God’s instructions from his heart. When Samuel the prophet did not appear at the appointed time Saul went ahead with the sacrifice to be performed before the army marched to war. He justified his conduct as necessary to holding on to his army. Then it was that Samuel announced that God would choose a man after his own heart (1 Sam.13:14).

The second time Saul failed in his commitment to God’s clear command was when he spared the oppressive king of Amalek and brought back sheep and cattle claiming that he intended to offer them to God. Samuel pointed out that God doesn’t desire sacrifices as must as He desires obedience: "Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices—empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what GOD tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around GOD is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to GOD’s command, he says No to your kingship” (15:22-23, TM).

Obedient Son

We first encounter David as the one missing at an important family event. Imagine the President is coming to your home for supper, and you are not there at the meal, but running an errand for your dad. That’s the kind of thing David was doing on the day when the prophet Samuel was visiting the family. David’s father had given him the job of looking after the sheep and he kept at his task. He didn’t whine or complain that he was being left out of something as important as the prophet’s visit to their home. It wasn’t an everyday event that he was missing. It was an once-in-a-lifetime event.

Samuel knew that he was to choose a new king from David’s family. No one in the family knew the reason for the visit. They imagined that by some strange turn of fortune they were just being honoured as the family the prophet would dine with when he visited in their neighbourhood.

David’s father Jesse introduced his sons to the prophet. When Samuel saw the firstborn, who was well-built, he thought that Eliab was the one God intended to choose as king in place of Saul. But God said, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; GOD looks into the heart” (1 Sam.16:7, TM).

Right at the very beginning, God discovered that David’s heart was the one that matched His heart.

Faithful Warrior

David is known best of all for his fight with Goliath. We learn about this unequal fight and of the conquering hero right from our days in Sunday school. Too often we miss the point that it was David’s faith in God’s power to rescue him from all danger and not young David’s prowess in fighting that won the victory over Goliath.

David was sent by his father to check up on his brothers who were in Saul’s army. Jesse sent David with some supplies for his sons and a gift for their commander.

At that time the Israelites were warring with the Philistines. But the war wasn’t progressing. A huge giant of a Philistine had announced that he was the champion of his country. He challenged the Israelite army to send just one man to fight their cause. If their man won, the Philistines would be Israel’s slaves. But if he, Goliath, won, then, Israelites would be slaves to Philistines. No Israelite had dared to go against him.

When David heard the challenge, he was appalled that there was no one from God’s people who would go against the ungodly Philistine. He heard that King Saul was offering to give any Israelite his daughter in marriage and tax exemption for the champion’s family. David was interested. Maybe he thought that this was the way he would become king. But when his eldest brother found him talking to people about fighting Goliath, he was angry, accusing David of leaving the sheep untended. Eliab was just envious that David was the one anointed to be king.

What David was saying reached Saul’s ears and he sent for him. Saul thought it was sheer bravado for David to imagine that he could fight Goliath who had been a trained fighter from his youth. David’s response was that he had experienced the Lord’s protection when wild animals tried to attack his flock of sheep. David went after them and recovered his sheep from them. The Philistine had dared to defy God, and the Lord would deal with him while saving David.

Saul tried to dress David in battle armour, but David found it too cumbersome. He went just with a sling, five stones, and his shepherd’s staff. Goliath taunted David whether he thought he was just going to fight a stray dog. Goliath cursed David and swore that he would feed him to carnivorous birds and animals. David replied that the Philistine had only his armour, but he had the Lord’s name as his defence. Goliath had defied the Lord and the Lord would be the one conquering him.
“The whole world will know that there is a God…! And everyone will know that the LORD does not need weapons to rescue His people. It is His battle, not ours. The LORD will give you to us!” (1 Sam. 17: 46-47, NLT).

Peaceful, Patient Subordinate

When the populace praised David for killing Goliath and attributed the victory over Philistines to him instead of Saul, the latter became jealous and angry. God allowed an evil spirit to possess the man (18: 10), who had once been possessed by the Spirit of the Lord and had been empowered to prophesy in the name of the Lord (10:5-10). Saul became aware that David was the one chosen by God to replace him. He recognised that while God had left him, God was with David. He sent David on military campaigns in the hope that he would be killed in battle by Israel’s enemies. Saul had not kept his promise to give his older daughter in marriage to the one who killed the giant Goliath, but promised to give his daughter Michal to David if he brought evidence of killing one hundred Philistines. David killed 200 and Michal fell in love with David. Then Saul became even more afraid because he saw it as a case of David consolidating his position as the one to take the throne after Saul. Saul became David’s sworn enemy (18:12-29).

Saul gave orders to his son Jonathan to kill David, but Jonathan and David were friends (19: 1). Warned by Jonathan and abetted by Michal (vv.11-17) David escaped from Saul’s court.

Twice David had chances to kill Saul. While pursuing David to kill him, twice circumstances placed Saul close to David without any soldiers near him to guard him (24:1-22; 26:1-25). David could have easily killed Saul and felt justified in doing so: he was God’s anointed and Saul was unjustly attempting to kill him. But David refused to lift his hand against “the Lord’s anointed.”

A number of David’s psalms are from this period of his life and they show us what his heart was like. He trusted God to see him through his crisis refusing to match evil with evil. Psalm 18 is a good example. David said God reached down to pick him up from deep trouble (v.16) and brought him to a large place that didn’t confine him (v.19). David was confident that he could fight a large army and jump over a high wall (v.29). David sang,
You give me your shield of victory,
and Your right hand sustains me;
You stoop down to make me great (v.35).
[Other psalms from this period of his life are 7, 34, 52, 54, 56, 63, 142. They are a good example of how to pray to God about one’s troubles].

True Friend

While Jonathan had befriended David, the rest of Saul’s entourage were against David. They wanted Saul’s dynasty to continue. They had selfish reasons because their own rise to power and position depended on Saul’s favour. Those who were on Saul’s side fought against David even after Saul’s death (2 Sam.2:8-4:7).

Sometimes friends forget friends and the debts they owe their friends. In David’s case his friend was himself dead and every one of his friend’s family and group had been busy opposing David’s kingship. David could have easily regarded his debt of friendship cancelled by the animosity that he was subjected to by Jonathan’s family. Instead David kept his promise to his friend even though

• it had been a promise made in secret,
• his dead friend knew of it was dead,
• there was no one to hold him to his promise, and
• he had cause to retaliate eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

David said that those who would ascend to the Lord’s presence would be those who kept their word even when it hurt to keep it (Ps.15:4). In a day when any remnant of an earlier dynasty was suspected as a likely rallying point for rebels, David kept his promise to Jonathan and honoured his lame son Mephibosheth by giving him a place beside him without a care that he could be risking his kingdom (2 Sam.9:3-13).

Just Ruler

David was regarded by Jewish historians to be the hallmark for just rule. The performance of all later kings was measured against the standard left by David.

This will no doubt come as a surprise to those who recall that David stole the affections of a man’s wife while he was away at the warfront, and to cover his misdeed had the man killed by the enemy by having his fellow soldiers withdraw their support and deserting him so that he was exposed to attacks that got him in the end. A soldier’s loyalty had been repaid with betrayal (2 Sam.11:1-27).

That definitely was not an example of just rule. Yet the sacred historians consistently held him up as the paragon of justice.

When David did in the case of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah was an aberration in David’s character. That was not his entire way of life. He could well have lived life that way. After all he was king and kings in those days believed they had the right to grab property, possess people and get rid of anyone whose existence challenged their sovereignty (1 Sam. 8:11-17; 1 Ki.21:6-16).

The sum of David’s rule was described as one of “doing what was just and right for all his people” (2 Sam 8:15). The psalmist Asaph eulogised his rule with these words: “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skilful hands he led them” (Ps 78:71-72).

Penitent Sinner

David did think that he had covered his sins of adultery and murder well. If he had to contend only with human assessment, that was true. But the Lord who looks at hearts had chosen him as a person after His own heart and would not let the hidden sin remain hidden and undiscovered. He sent his prophet Nathan to confront David.

Everyone confronted by the Lord doesn’t automatically feel sorrowful about sin. Kings were especially notorious. Many of them even got rid of the Lord’s messengers as if getting rid of prophets was enough to cover their sins.

David was immediately repentant. He didn’t try to deny his sin, make excuses for himself or justify his conduct. He humbled himself without considering that his royal position would be diminished and he could be the butt of taunts. All that mattered was that he had sinned against God and he needed to get right with God. Psalm 51 captures how he felt about his sin and prayed for mercy without any thought that he deserved to be forgiven. His only plea was that God’s love was unfailing (v.1). He said that his sin confronted him all day and all night (v.3). David said that he was aware that his sin was against God and God alone (v.4—because he was king no one would charge him with sin for what he had done). He wanted his joy back (vv.8, 12). He asked God for a clean heart. He asked God to not take the Holy Spirit from his life (vv.10-11). David said he wouldn’t try to pay for God’s forgiveness with offerings, but just bring his broken self to God (vv.16-17).

While Psalm 32 is not described as a psalm from this period of David’s life, it certainly is one that reflects the lessons he learnt when he went from the state of being unforgiven while hiding his sin (v.3) to that of being disciplined by the hand of God and finding relief when forgiven (vv.4-6), and discovering that the Lord didn’t regard or treat him like an animal to be forced (v.9) but was in a face-to-face relationship and guiding David with His eye (v.8).

Loving Father

Some years later when Absalom his son rebelled against him, instead of being a ruthless king safeguarding his throne against all challengers, David ran away rather than stay and fight his son (2 Sam.15:1-17:29). David was a master-warrior while his son was not. David could have easily put down the rebellion. In the end he pleaded with his army to be gentle toward his son (18:5).

Psalm 3 tells of David’s feelings about that episode in his life. It was a time when he was taunted mercilessly (vv.1-2), but David held on to God as his shield (v.3) and left the matter of his rescue and the punishment of his foes entirely to God (vv.4-8).

Hopeful Visionary

David wanted to build a temple to honour God (2 Sam.7:1-3), but he was denied the privilege. God told him that he had been a man of war with blood on his hands (1 Chron.22:7-9).

A lesser man would have sulked and ensured that his successor would not succeed where he had failed. Instead he made plans for the temple he would never get to build and he made preparations by storing materials that would be needed for the building (vv.1-5, 14-16).

David even wrote a song (Ps.30) that was sung at the dedication of the temple he never even got to see. He praised God for rescuing him from enemies and restoring his health (vv1-3). David said that God’s anger was momentary but His favour was everlasting (v.5), turning mourning into dancing (v.11) and he would refuse to be silent when it came to praising God (v.12). His wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, had despised his public display of exultation (singing and dancing) in bringing the altar into Jerusalem (2 Sam.6:16-22).

The true visionary does not care who gets the job done. He or she cares only that the job is done. That is how David felt. A lesson there for all of us! Ensure that the one who comes after you to the work will go further and do more than you.

No wonder God said that this man was one after His own heart!

The Questions Jesus asked

Profit and loss

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and, yet forfeit his soul?"

Mark 8:36

One of the techniques that teacher’s often use to teach their students is asking questions. Teachers use questions in quizzes and exams but they also use them in their daily lectures, either as a way to review old material or to introduce new material. Well, as the Master Teacher, Jesus of course made good use of this particular method of instruction. In fact, the Gospels record the fact that our Lord used this technique over and over again as a way to help His disciples understand vitally important truth. In the weeks to follow we are going to look as some of the questions that Jesus raised as He taught His disciples.

One of the fascinating aspects about Jesus’ methodology of teaching was that He used stories and examples from everyday life. His parables or His sermons touched the nerve of the people because they could relate to it. Similarly the questions that He raised were also connected to a common man’s everyday life. Jesus drew His questions from the realm of nature [Matthew 6:27-28], He used humor to convey His point [Matthew 7: 3], He also used family relations as an example to teach [Matthew 7-9]. The other area that Jesus heavily drew from, was the area of commerce or business.

In our passage today Jesus asks a question where He use’s words such as profit/gain and forfeit. These are commercial terms, the disciples and the crowds would have immediately connected with these concepts. And so do we, even. All of us in our everyday affairs seek to get a good bargain. Whether it is haggling over price with the vegetable vendor or comparing prices from different shops. At the end of the day all of us want a good deal. Jesus in Mark 8:34-38, warns us that it is a bad bargain to gain the world and to lose our soul. Why did Jesus say that it was bad business sense to keep our eyes only on this world? I believe Jesus said this for two reasons.

1. First of all- Our world and the things of this world are temporary. It won’t last forever.

In I John 2:15-17, John draws a contrast between what the world has to offer, that which is temporary and will soon pass away with what God has to offer that which is eternal. Paul in the midst of his suffering and trails drew strength from the fact that what is seen is temporary [the world and its problems] but that which is unseen is eternal [Kingdom Of God]. [2 Corinthians 4:18]

Prior to Jesus’ resurrections, for the disciples, learning to live in this temporary world with their eyes on the eternal was one of the hardest lesson’s that they had to learn. Mark 8:31 is a pivotal point in the Gospel of Mark, because from this point on, Jesus began to speak plainly and directly to His disciples about his death and resurrection. He began to prepare them for what was going to happen to Him. He foretold of His journey to the cross. In Mark 8:32, Peter responded to this by taking Jesus aside and begins to rebuke him. Peter did not want Jesus to go walk the road of suffering and death. Peter’s response needs to be understood in the context of what has happened before. Mark 8 begins with, Jesus’ miracle of feeding the four thousand, later in Mark 8 22-26; Jesus healed a blind man at Bethsaida. In the light of all these miracles, what Peter was saying to Jesus was “with all this power at your disposal you can rule the world, why talk about death and suffering?” Peter’s focus was on this world and on the gains of this world, where as Jesus’ focus was on His mission. That is-to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus came as the king but not of this temporary earthly kingdom but of the eternal kingdom of God. In John 18:36 Jesus declared before Pilate “My kingdom is not of this world…my kingdom is from another place”.

The disciples understood this truth only after they experienced Jesus’ resurrection for the same Peter who at one point of time rebuked Jesus for talking about the cross and suffering, wrote in his letter In I Peter 4: 13 “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is reveled”. Christian living is a call to live with our eyes fixed on the eternal and not the temporal. Jesus in Matthew 6:19 said “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What are we investing our lives in today? What is driving purpose of our lives? What have we set our hearts on? If it is the things of this world then we are in for a bad deal because this world and its desires will pass away but those who do the will of God live forever.

2. The second reason why it is bad business to invest in the things of this temporary world is the fact that you and I are not temporary.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastics 3:11 “…He has also set eternity in the hearts of men…” If there is anyone who knew how unsatisfying and frustrating it was in trying to fulfill our hearts desire by the things of this world, it was King Solomon. He had everything one would want. Knowledge, fame, wealth, sensual pleasure- you name it and he had it. Yet his journal as recorded in the book of Ecclesiastes is punctuated with this one remark “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless”

Human beings are created with an eternal bend of mind, and can never be satisfied only with the thing’s of this world. We are constantly looking for something bigger and higher than what the world has to offer. C.S Lewis once rightly said “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world” Things of this world may give us momentary pleasure, temporary excitement but ultimate satisfaction in life comes only by being connected with the author of life Himself. I John 5:11-12 says “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life”.

How does it affect our lives here on earth to know that the world we live in is a temporary –but we are not?

A) It alters our perspective on success.

It is said success is a moving target. Having achieved what we aimed for only leave us with a sense of wanting more. Those who live by the standards of this world measure success in terms of wealth, fame and prosperity, but those who live in the light of eternity measure success by a different standard altogether.

In Luke 10:17-18 we read about the seventy two disciples who were sent out to minister. They returned with joy having seen the tremendous results of their ministry, as they ministered in Jesus’ name and with his authority. They were elated by the victories they had witnessed, and Jesus shared their enthusiasm. He brought them to earth, however, by reminding them of their most important victory-that their names were registered in heaven. This honor was more important than any other accomplishment.

When we look at life from an eternal perspective, we learn to measure success not by our temporal earthly basis but based on God’s eternal standards.

B) It alters our perspective on suffering.

Peter who at one point of time discouraged Jesus from taking up the cross, now in his letter in I Peter 1:7 encourages his readers by saying that they must not just endure hardship but should actual rejoice in trails. Why this change of position? Having encountered the risen Lord, Peter has now seen the bigger picture. In comparison with eternity, all suffering would last only “a little while”.
Similarly Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:17 say’s “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far out weights them all.” Paul was confident that one day his trails and suffering would be over and he would obtain God’s rest and reward.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that there is life beyond the grave. And it is this hope of sharing eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that keeps us going even through the most difficult times. The poem entitled ‘End of Journey’ captures the spirit in which a Christian is called to live in the midst of difficulties.

End of the Journey
Light after darkness, gain after loss;
Strength after weakness, crown after cross;
Sweet after bitter, hope after fears;
Home after wandering, praise after tears;
Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain;
Sight after mystery, peace after pain;
Joy after sorrow, calm after blast;
Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last;
Near after distant, gleam after gloom;
Love after loneliness, life after tomb;
After long agony, rapture of bliss;
Right was the pathway, leading to this.

Keep what you can’t lose

It was Jim Elliot who once said “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” Jesus in His question “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul?” Challenges us to consider what our priorities in life are? Are we running after the temporary or are we taking hold of that which is eternal?

Rev. Paras Tayade

Discerning God’s Voice

Discerning God's Voice

What does God’s voice sound like? As a young Christian, I have often pondered on this question, particularly when I hear people saying “God spoke to me” or “God told me”And when I have asked them, “How do you know He told you?” The answers have varied. Some people have given vague explanations while others have described specific signposts and feelings that identified God’s voice to them.
In the Bible itself, God’s voice travelled a range of volumes and intensities, depending on the situation. He thundered when defending His people (Ps.18:13). After a windstorm, earthquake, and fire, He whispered to Elijah at the mouth of the isolated cave(1 kings 19:11-13). But what would be the nature of His voice if He spoke to me personally, in the recess of my heart? I believe that our ability to discern and hear His voice depends on three fundamental issues about which we must be clear.

Why does God speak?

One of the distinctive truths about God of the biblical revelation is that He is a speaking God. Unlike idols which, being dead, are dumb, the living God has spoken and continues to speak. In Isa. 45:19 God says “I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.”
Since God is the true and living God, He can speak to us, but the question we need to ask ourselves is why does God speak to us in the first place?
The answer is found in Deut 4:33-37, where God challenges the Israelites to consider all that He had done for them. He reminds them how He brought them out of Egypt into the Promised Land and because they where His chosen people, He also spoke to them out of fire (vs. 33). And then in vs. 35 God clarifies why He spoke to them. He says “You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; beside him there is no other”. The primary reason why God spoke to the Israelites was to reveal Himself. God speaks to us to make Himself known. So often, we seek to hear God’s voice only while searching for a direction in a particular area of our life. The tragedy today is that Christians too often treat God as some heavenly consultant who is only interested in providing answers to our questions. In our quest to know God’s will we have somehow missed out the aspect of knowing God. The fact of the matter is, until and unless we know God we can never truly know or do His will.

Jesus in His high priestly prayer, in John 17:3 says “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” Jesus equates eternal life, not with doing something, but in knowing someone; that is God Himself. It is only in knowing God that we can know His will. God’s will is not a code that needs to be decoded or some puzzle that needs to be solved, rather knowing God’s will is the result of an intimate and close relationship with Him. The prerequisite for hearing God’s voice is to have a relationship with Him. If that is missing we can never be in tune with God. Jesus, in John 10, used the example of a shepherd and the sheep to demonstrate how important it is to have a relationship with Him before we can discern His voice. In John 10: 4-5 Jesus says “… his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Now, the sheep are not born with an innate ability to differentiate between the shepherd’s voice and a stranger’s voice. It is only as they grow in their relationship with the shepherd, and listen to his voice everyday, that they are able to make the distinction between the shepherd’s voice and the stranger’s voice. Similarly, our ability to listen to God’s voice is the result of a personal relationship with God. Without knowing who God is, we can never know what He is saying?

How does God Speak?

God speaks to make Himself known, but that raises a second question: how does God speak? All around us we hear people who claim that they have seen a vision or a dream, or have had some supernatural experience through which they have heard God speak to them. Does God use supernatural means to speak to us? I believe He does, but that is more of an exception rather than a rule of how He communicates with us. Experience is subjective; it is difficult to critically analyze one’s experience. Therefore experience alone cannot be the norm by which God communicates with us. He has given us something that is more sure and reliable. And that is His Word; the surest way in which God speaks to us is through His written Word.

In 2 Peter 1:16-18, Peter describes his mountain top experience when he witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration, an experience that any Jew would die to have - to see Moses, Elijah and Jesus in His heavenly glory. But then in verse 19 Peter goes on to say, “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you will do well to pay attention to it…” What Peter is saying here is that, as exhilarating as it was to be present at the transfiguration, that experience, must ultimately be seen as temporary. Only the Word of God exceeds the message of the moment and transcends all time. Human experience is subjective but the Word of God is certain and absolute. Christians live precariously when experience is the final authority. In Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:28, when the rich man after his death finds himself in hell, requests Abraham to send Lazarus, (who is also dead and has gone to heaven) back to his five brothers so that they can be warned about their life style, he is told that they have Moses and the prophets; meaning that they have the Word of God with them. But the rich man argues saying “…if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.” To this he is told “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” The point that Jesus was making in this parable was that experience can be explained away, but the Word of God cannot be explained away.

When we’re seeking guidance or making a decision, nothing can supersede the authority of God’s Word. A simple principle that we need to follow is this: if a message runs contrary to the scriptures, it’s not God’s voice. The scriptures reveal God’s character, and God’s voice will always correspond to His character. This is the acid test to authenticate, whether what we perceive as God’s voice is really God’s voice or our imagination, or even the voice of the devil. For example, if I receive a phone call from my father asking me to rob a bank, I would immediately know that, that call is not from him, even if the voice on the other side sounds exactly like his. My first though would be that some one is imitating my father’s voice, for the message that I am now hearing simply does not match his character. Similarly, the more familiar we are with God’s character as revealed in the scriptures the more in tune we are with God’s voice.

When does God speak?

If the Bible is God’s surest way of communicating with His people, why is it then that some would read the Bible from cover to cover and yet walk away with an indifferent attitude? One of the major hindrances for not being able to listen to God’s voice is our approach. So often we try to justify our own ways rather than seek God’s way.

Charles L. Allen, the author of 'Prayer Changes Things' once said “How can I know the will of God for my life? Many will never know because God does not reveal Himself to triflers. No one can walk into His holy presence on hurrying feet. If you merely pray, “Lord, this is my will, I hope you will approve,” you are wasting your breath. Only those who sincerely want God’s will, and have faith enough in Him to dedicate themselves to His will, can ever know it. To pray, “Lord, show me thy will, and if I like it I will accept it,” is a futile prayer. You must accept it before you know it. Whether or not you can do that depends on what opinion you have of God.” This is in line with what Jesus taught in John 7:16 where he says “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” Follow the progression: first comes the choice to do God’s will, and the assurance follows later. Jesus presents the journey of faith as a personal pilgrimage, begun with the will to believe and to act on what we believe.

Thomas Merton in one of his books wrote “We receive enlightenment only in proportion as we give ourselves more and more completely to God by humble submission and love. We do not first see, then act; we act, then see…And that is why the man who waits to see clearly, before he will believe, never starts on the journey.”

The Bible is full of examples where people have often failed to listen to God’s voice, primarily because they did not intend to obey it. The story of the High priest Eli is one such example. In 1 Samuel 2: 17 we are told that Eli’s sons were wicked men, who had no regard for the Lord. They misused their authority in taking from the sacrifices, that which did not belong to them; they also abused the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. In Chapter 3 of 1 Samuel, we are told that Lord spoke to Samuel and told him that Eli’s house is going to be destroyed because of his children. Now why did God tell all this to Samuel who was Eli’s disciple and not to Eli? The reason is simple, Eli was aware of this evil, (1 Sam 2:22.), but he refused to take any action against it, he simply warned his sons but let them go their own way. Even when a man of God came to Eli and warned him of God’s anger against his family (1 Sam 2:27), Eli refused to do anything. The reason why Eli could not hear God’s voice was because of his own hard heartedness. When we have made up our mind not to submit to God then no matter how many time we read the Bible we will never hear His voice speak to us through His Word.

Keep a Tender Heart

To discern God voice in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, we need to hide away with Him periodically, filling up with His presence and emptying out our sin, stress and cluttered-up souls. The more time we spend in His presence, the more God softens our heart and makes it sensitive to His guidance. To keep a tender heart and open ears, we must learn to pray like the Methodist minister John Wesley prayed

Open, Lord, my inward ear;
And bid my heart rejoice!
Bid my quite spirit hear
Thy comfortable voice.
Never in the whirlwind found,
Or where the earthquakes rock the place;
Still and silent is the sound,
The whisper of thy grace.
From the world of sin, and noise,
And hurry, I withdraw;
For the small and inward voice
I wait with humble awe.

With this prayer in our hearts and on our lips, we ready ourselves to hear God’s voice.

Rev. Paras Tayade

Facing Tragedy

Joseph Parker, a great preacher once said to a group of aspiring young ministers, “Preach to the suffering and you will never lack a congregation. There is a broken heart in every pew.” Truly suffering is a universal language. When life hurts and dreams are shattered, we may express our anguish in different ways, but each one of us knows the sting of pain and heartache, disease and disaster, trials and suffering.
As followers of Christ who affirm that God is good, how do we respond when people ask why God allows evil and pain? Many of our answers are mere clichés that not only fail to answer the question in an appropriate manner but fail to bring any sense of healing or comfort to those who are going through pain. Statements like “Time will heal” or “It’s God’s will” are totally misleading. Time does not automatically heal, and not everything that happens is God’s will. If we do not deal with pain in the right way, we end up bitter and frustrated. People need to learn how not to respond to tragedy.

Don’t Rationalize Evil

When we go through any crisis, it is natural to ask the question “Why me?”, but it is risky to answer this within the framework of our finite minds. The Bible itself does not offer any blanket statement that explains all human suffering. Perhaps for the very good reason that it is unexplainable. When we try to explain the suffering caused by evil, we then have to relate it to a meaningful framework within which it makes sense. But the whole point is that evil does not make sense. It is a violation of God’s good created world. When God created the world, evil and suffering were not a part of the original plan. And our attempts to explain evil only end up in explaining it away.
How did Jesus deal with the question “Who is responsible for suffering?” In Luke 13:16, for example, He stated that Satan caused the pain of the woman bound in disease for eighteen years. Yet in the very same chapter Jesus refused to comment on what had caused the suffering of the Galileans, whom Pilate had butchered when they were offering a sacrifice in the temple. Instead Jesus asked the question “Do you think they were worse sinners than other men from Galilee?” He brought up another tragedy of the same period—the death of eighteen men when the tower of Siloam fell— and asked the same question. Jesus did not give any cause and effect theory that explains how a tyrant like Pilate can take lives or why a tower collapsed killing people. Neither can we explain why terrorists are allowed to detonate bombs or why bridges or buildings collapse killing hundreds and thousands of people.
The rush to provide answers has led people to spout utter nonsense to those who are in pain. Their desperation to say anything has caused more harm than any good. Rabbi Harold Kushner’s best seller, When Bad Things Happen To Good People, falls into this category. Demanding an answer for why his son had suffered and died so tragically, he concluded that “God cannot do everything” and that we need to “recognize His limitations.” Kushner concludes his book with this question, “Are you capable of forgiving God even when you have found out that he is not perfect?” What kind of lame God is Kushner talking about? If God is not as powerful as the Bible says He is, then why trust Him with our lives? In his attempt to answer why God allows bad things to happen, Kushner has only raised more questions, which can be answered only by rejecting the biblical revelation of the character of God.
God does not always tell us why bad things happen, because at the end of the day intellectual answers in themselves would do little to help us face our pain. Imagine a child who is taken to the hospital for an injection. After being injected, when the child starts to cry, the parent cannot comfort the child by opening a medical journal and tell the child, “Now look son, this is how the human body works, and you have to take this medicine to build up resistance against the disease.” Would the child respond, by saying, “Oh that makes perfect sense; I think I will stop crying now”? NO! He screams his head off. The only way he can be comforted is when his parents pick him up in their arms and comfort him with soothing words and kisses. More than anything else it is their presence that comforts a child. God may in the same way never explain why we have to go through pain in our life, but what He will do is comfort us by His presence and by His word. The reality of His presence may be shadowed by our pain, the reality of His face might be dulled by our circumstance, but that does change the fact that God is with us as we go through difficulties. “When you pass through the waters I will be with you…” (Isa 43:2).

Don’t Spiritualize Pain.

In South India the Savita Hindu devotees during Chidi Mari festival pierce their backs with hooks and are lifted into the air by a horizontal pole. This pain is endured in the name of devotion for their god. Shia Muslims during Muharram mourn the death of Ali’s two sons by beating their chest and whipping themselves with metal chains, again all in the name of devotion and spirituality. Some times we Christian are also guilty of glorifying pain and equating it with spirituality. Charles Swindoll in his book The Grace Awakening shares a story about an American missionary family who were sent to a place where they did not have access to peanut butter. This family happened to enjoy peanut butter a great deal. And so they made arrangements with some friends in the States to send them peanut butter every now and then, so that they could just enjoy something that they liked a lot. The problem was they didn’t know until they started receiving the supply of peanut butter that fellow missionaries on the field considered it a mark of spirituality to go without things like peanut butter. They equated “bearing the cross” with being deprived of peanut butter. This family was pressured in leaving the mission field because they refused to live a sacrificial life of not giving up peanut butter— a sacrifice dictated by their fellow workers.
I know of Christians who refuse to take medical help in the name of faith. For them taking medicines would amount to not having faith in God. They would rather endure the sickness than turn to medicines. Paul said that Christians “Rejoice in suffering”
(Rom 5: 3) But rejoicing in suffering does not mean that we take pleasure in our pain; rather it lies in the fact that by God’s providence we are not crushed by our difficulties “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed…”(2 Cor 4:8), but we are made strong by His love. (Rom 5:5). The Bible’s spotlight is then on the end result, the use God can make of suffering in our lives, and not on suffering itself. The Christian world view does not glorify pain or suffering for suffering’s sake, but recognizes the sovereignty of God, who is able to use pain and suffering for our ultimate good. Goodness is neither inherent in pain nor automatically emerges from it. Rather the sovereign Lord is able to work through, our suffering and go beyond it, in spite of all the negative things in our lives. This is the basis for Paul’s affirmation when he said “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”. (8:28)
To spiritualize pain is nothing less than committing idolatry because we focus on our pain and not on God who is able to use this pain to mould us in the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

Don’t Trivialize Grief.

Some Christians are of the view that it is inappropriate for Christians, to mourn or to grieve in the face of tragedy. They think that grieving and mourning are meant for unbelievers who have no hope of eternal life, or it is meant for those who don’t trust in God. According to them expressing grief, disappointment or frustration signifies a lack of faith.
People, who hold this view, have not read the Bible carefully. The Psalms are filled with prayers that openly express anguish, anger, confusion, fear and depression. Job protested his integrity and innocence to heaven. His rage is directed against God who seems indifferent not only to his plight but also to the suffering of all innocent victims (Job 24:2-5, 12) Jesus himself never tried to hide His pain; He stood outside Lazarus’s tomb and cried (Jn 11:35) He looked over Jerusalem and wept because of the destruction that was coming (Luke 19:41). In the garden of Gethsemane He was troubled by what lay ahead of Him, on the cross He cried “My God My God why have you forsaken me” (Matt 27:46). Jesus never projected a macho-image of Himself trying to portray that nothing affected Him; Jesus also did not rebuke those who came to Him with their doubts or their troubles. When Jesus arrived in Bethany four days after Lazarus had dead, Mary on meeting Jesus, confronted Him with these words “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” In effect what she was saying was “My brother is dead because You were not here when we needed You.” Jesus did not rebuke her for her outburst nor does He condemn her as one who does not have faith. So paradoxically, it is those who suppress their doubts under a litany of jolly choruses who may well be guilty of unbelief: for they refuse to believe that God can handle their rage. Jesus during His ministry on earth taught us to relate to God as our father. And so if we as His children can’t turn to Him in time of our suffering and say, “Father this hurts…,” where in world can we turn to?

The Only Answer

The best answer we can have in the face of tragedy is not to rationalize it or spiritualize it, or trivialize it, but to face it with the confidence that our High Priest knows our weaknesses. He knows what it is to be broken, what it means to be betrayed and to suffer in this fallen world. As followers of Christ we are not immune from the tragedies of this world, just as He was not. But we are given grace upon grace to go through the most demanding times. Annie Johnston Flint lived most of her life in pain, she had cancer, and suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. Her body was so badly twisted and deformed that she was totally incapacitated. In one of her best known poems she writes, “He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength when the labours increase; to added affliction, he addeth his mercy, to multiplied trials His multiplied peace.” The answer to suffering is more relational than it is propositional. Those who know God personally and understand the cross are better able to find help in times of crisis than those who merely tackle their problems philosophically. Jesus is the central piece of suffering’s puzzle. It is only when we fit Him into the right place, the rest of the puzzle no matter how complex and mysterious begins to make sense.

Rev. Paras Tayade