Need for Christ's Crucifixion?

          Why was their the need for Christ’s crucifixion when God can forgive the sins of the people from His throne itself?

a)      God is an all powerful, infinite Being perfect in everything and there is none like Him.  All the positive things that we can think about, God possesses that attribute in perfection.  For example, let us consider love; everybody loves, but God’s love is perfect and infinite.  Among all the attributes of a divine Being, love, mercy and righteousness are three major attributes in my understanding.  If God can forgive any sins of men, then he is infinitely merciful, but if the sins are not dealt with justice or compensated, then though God is merciful, He is compromising with His perfect righteousness.  For a just and perfect God, He cannot forgive sins and overlook it by simply commanding it from His throne in heaven.  Having said that we know that our God is an infinitely loving Being.  In the Old Testament, we can see time and again, that our God is rigid against sins like disobedience, idol worship etc.  He is uncompromising and deals harshly with people who have sinned.  He simply cannot overlook the sins, because of His perfect nature.  Christ’s life, death and resurrection are crucial steps for our God to be perfect in all aspects.  With the crucifixion of the Son, God can love and show mercy to sinners without compromising His perfect righteousness, because every sin was paid by the blood of the Lamb.  God can now be merciful and at same time uphold His perfect righteousness.  The fact that our God came in the flesh, lowered Himself to our level and suffered and later rose again, shows us His perfect love for His creation.  Thus Christ’s crucifixion is also a requirement of our infinitely righteous, infinitely merciful and infinitely loving God to deal with His creation.

b)      We understand from the Bible, the Second Person of the Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ was from the beginning (John 1.1).  However, He took on flesh and manifested to us in the old creation as the Second Adam.  In His resurrection, He became the firstborn Son, which means there will be many more sons to follow Him.  Hallelujah.  This happened after His resurrection.  Now, we in this age needs to be in the resurrected Christ to become the brothers of Christ.  This corporate entity will culminate into the final glorious New Jerusalem (Rev 21.2) which will be the bride of Christ.  The whole point of the Lord’s life and death is to produce the New entity the church which will issue in the New Jerusalem, which will be the partner of the Lord for eternity.  Again, we can see that the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ is accomplishing this.  Hallelujah to the wisdom of the Lord.

(Do drop an email to me for free e-books and  other Christian resources to help build your faith.  My email id is shibujohn.me@gmail.com)

Triune God - Three Essence - One God

      What do you mean by a Triune God?  How does the three, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit exist as One being?

Honestly, Trinity is a mystery and the Almighty God has to speak to us regarding this mystery to each one of us separately as per own faith structure.  However, this is one of the basic knowledge area, yet most important as a Christian.  We can understand this mystery to a reasonable extent from whatever is revealed to us in the Bible .  Who is our God?  How is He like?  What should we know about Him according to the revelations in the Bible?  Do we know Him as we ought to or are we deceived by the twisting traditions of Christianity that might makes us ignorantly a Tritheist or an heretic by accident?  Let us look at what the Bible has to say about these matters.  

A short prayer before we commence:- 

O Lord, our heavenly Father, I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus to grant us wisdom to understand You in the manner how You want us to understand.  Lord, we thank You for the Bible and its life dispensing words.  May the Spirit enlighten us and help that these seeds would grow to bring forth abundant fruit for You.  Thank You so much.  Amen

  

Psalms 86.10 says, ‘… You alone are God.’  God is one and we worship Him.  We are not polytheists to worship three separate gods.  Isaiah 45.5 says that our God is Jehovah and there is no one else beside Him (Eph 4.6, 1 Tim 2.5, 1 Cor 8.4)

Now, let us who our God is.  In Gen 1.26, we see God referring to Himself as 'Us', 'Our image'.  The pronoun 'Us' and then God being one simultaneously means He is a Triune God.  Triune means three substance or essence in One being.  At this juncture, we need to confess that we are little men who can never understand the Creator with ease.  Trinity is a mystery and we can only rely upon what the Bible has to say about our Triune God and understand to an extent of how much ever has been revealed to us.  In Isaiah 6.8, God uses ‘I’ and ‘Us’ to address Himself and similarly in Gen 3.22 and in Gen 11.7.  Hence, we see that this one God has three substance or essence in the Godhead.

 

In John 14.23 and 17.11 we see that the Father and the Son are one and existing at the same time.  Further in Mat 28.19 we understand that the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit has one name.  The verse doesn't say 'in the names of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit', but 'in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit'.  This means that the three have one name and they exist as one. How the functionality of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is experienced by us can be understood from the words of Andrew Murray, ‘In the Father we have the unseen God, the Author of all.  In the Son of God revealed, made manifest, and brought nigh; He is the Form of God.  In the Spirit of God we have the indwelling God: the Power of God dwelling in human body and working in it what the Father and the Son have for us…. What the Father has purposed, and the Son has procured, can be appropriated and take effect in the body of Christ only through the continual intervention and active operation of the Holy Spirit.’

Now let us delve further. 

All three are God

The Father is God (1 Pet 1.2, Eph 1.17).  The Son is God (Heb 1.8, Joh 1.1, Rom 9.5).  The Spirit is God (Acts 5.3-4). 

All three are eternal

The Father is eternal (Isa 9.6).  The Son is eternal (Heb 1.12).  The Spirit is eternal (Heb 9.14). 

All three are exiting at the same time

In Joh 14.16-17, we see that our Lord is promising us a Comforter, who is the Spirit of reality, by asking the Father.  Again, in Eph 3.14-17, Apostle Paul is saying that he is bowing his knees unto the Father…. To be strengthened by the Power of His Spirit into the inner man…. That Christ may make His home in our hearts.  Similarly, in 1 Cor 12.4-6 also we can clearly affirm that the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are existing at the same time. Many Christians have no problem understanding until this point.

Now let us read further, 

Son is the Father; Father and Son are one.  In Isa 9.6, we understand that the Son, undoubtedly the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Mighty God, Eternal Father.  Here the Son is the Father and He is the Mighty God.  In John 10.30, 14.8-14, we read that the Father and the Son are one. 

Next, in 1 Cor 15.45, 2 Cor 3.17, we understand that the Lord Jesus is the Spirit.  He is the life giving Spirit and we enjoy freedom in the Spirit.

All three are in us

Eph 4.6, says that the Father is in us. In John 14.20, Col 1.27, 2 Cor 13.5, we read that the Lord is in us.   Then John 14.17 says, that the Spirit of reality shall be in you and thus the Spirit is in us. 

Hence, at the point the Trinity becomes a mystery.  In John 1.1 we see that the Word of God who is Jesus, was from the beginning; He was with God and He was God.  The Lord Jesus is the Spirit (2 Cor 3.17).  Heb 1.8-9, the Son is addressed as God, then God is referred to as His God.  This is why it is mystery.  In Rev 1.4, 4.5 and 5.6, we the one Spirit is called the seven Spirits.  Thus this mysterious Triune God is not for a terminology or for teaching, but for our experience and enjoyment. 

In Mat 3.16-17, we understand co-inherence and co-existence of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.  In Rev 1.4-5 & Eph 3.14-17, we further confirm this co-inherence and co-existence. 

In the simplest words, the Triune God can be understood by the burning lamp.  The oil, the lamp and the light that it shines forth cannot be separated.  The Father as the source of all is like the oil, the Son is the burning lamp, the expression of the unseen God.  The light travels from the lamp, not visible to our eyes, but when it falls on things, it exposes, it reveals this unseen light cast forth from the lamp is the Holy Spirit.  The Father is formless, limitless, infinite Spirit, the source of all.  His expression, or the form is the Son and the power of God that is from the Son which convicts, exposes, reveals things in the world is the Holy Spirit.  Amen

Summary

We see Jesus as the Father in Isa 9.6, Father and the Son as One, the Son and the Spirit are one.  All the three are One.  In the Godhead, we have the Father, Son and the Spirit and they dwell as one Being in us today.  To say that the Lord Jesus as an eternal Father is distinct from the Father is saying that we have two Fathers.  This is heretical.  Apart from this if the three essence are considered to be distinct and somehow, the traditions portrays that the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit cannot be the other essence to be experienced by us, then we fall in the danger of becoming a tritheist meaning we believe in three gods which is again heretical.  In simple words, Father is the Son, the Son is Father; the Son is the Spirit, the Spirit is the Father and the Father is the Spirit all at the same time as one Being is our Triune God.  Amen

  

Who are the Midianites?

Num. 31:2 - Thoroughly avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people.

Footnotes from The Recovery Version Bible.

Num. 31:21 [1]  In typology, the Midianites signify the filthiness of the lust of the flesh, which is related to the devil Satan and the world (1 John 2:16a; 5:19). The Midianites were descendants of Abraham, born of his second wife, Keturah. Hence, by nature they were close to the Israelites in the flesh (Gen. 25:1-2). The Midianites were united with the Moabites, the descendants of Lot born through incest in the lust of the flesh (Num. 22:3-4, 7; Gen. 19:30-38). Furthermore, the Midianites were one with the Ishmaelites, the descendants of Abraham by the flesh, who sold Joseph into Egypt (Gen. 37:27-28, 36). The Midianites were also connected with the Amalekites, the descendants of Esau (Judg. 6:3, 33; Gen. 36:12). Finally, the Midianites produced Balaam, who ensnared the children of Israel in fornication and idolatry (Num. 22:7; 31:16).

Num. 31:21 [2]  By ensnaring the sons of Israel in fornication and idolatry, the Midianites offended Israel to the uttermost, with the result that more than twenty thousand lives were lost. God would not forget that, and He charged Moses to avenge Israel on the Midianite

Polycarp's last prayer

Polycarp's last prayer before his martyrdom

'O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Thy beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have receivedthe knowledge of Thee, the God of angels and powers and of all creation and of the whole race of the righteous, who live in Thy presence; I bless Thee for that Thou hast granted me this day and hour, that I might receive a portion amongst the number of martyrs in the cup of [Thy] Christ unto resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and of body, in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. May I be received among these in Thy presence this day, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as Thou didst prepare and reveal it beforehand, and hast accomplished it, Thou that art the faithful and true God. For this cause, yea and for all things, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal and heavenly High-priest, Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, through whom with Him and the Holy Spirit be glory both now [and ever] and for the ages to come. Amen

who are the Amalekites?

Gen. 36:12 - And Timna was a concubine to Eliphaz, Esau’s son, and she bore  a Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Esau’s wife Adah. 

1 Sam. 15:20 - And Saul said to Samuel, I surely did obey the voice of Jehovah, and I went on the journey that Jehovah sent me on. And I have brought Agag the king of the Amalekites and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites (Exo. 17:8-16;  Deut. 25:17-19) 

Notes:- The Recovery Version

  In typology the Amalekites signify the flesh—the fallen man (Exo. 17:8-16; Gen. 6:3a; Rom. 3:20a). God created man, not the flesh, but man became fallen and eventually became flesh. In the entire universe God’s unique enemy, in a practical sense, is not Satan but the flesh (Rom. 8:7). The flesh, the fallen man, is altogether one with Satan (Matt. 16:23) and is used by Satan to fight against God (Gal. 5:17)

Exo. 17:8 - Then  Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

Exo. 17:8 (1)

 Amalek  (Num. 14:45;  Deut. 25:17;  Judg. 3:13;  6:3, 33;  10:12;  1 Sam. 15:2) 

  Meaning warlike. Amalek typifies the flesh, which is the totality of the fallen old man (Gal. 2:16; see notes 32 in Gal. 3 and 191 in Gal. 5). The fighting between Amalek and Israel depicts the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit within the believers (Gal. 5:17; cf. 1 Pet. 2:11). Amalek was a descendant of Esau (Gen. 36:12), Jacob’s twin brother. This indicates that the flesh is very close to our regenerated being, signified by Jacob. Esau was born first and Jacob second, indicating that the flesh is of the first man, the old man

Exo. 17:8 (2)

  Amalek was the first enemy encountered by the children of Israel on the way to the good land (Deut. 25:17-18; 1 Sam. 15:2). This indicates that our flesh is the first among all our enemies. The flesh, sin, the world, and Satan are all related, but the most prominent among them in fighting against the believers is the flesh (Gal. 5:17). When in our experience the flesh is put to death (Gal. 5:24; Rom. 8:13), the world cannot hold us, sin cannot operate in us, and Satan is powerless to work on us. Amalek’s purpose in attacking Israel was to frustrate them from entering the good land. Likewise, Satan’s aim in stirring up the flesh to fight against us is to keep us from entering into the full enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ as our good land.

Who are Nicolaitans in the book of Revelation Chapter 2?

Rev 2:6 mentions a sect called Nicolaitans. They are working and their works is hated by the Lord.  Nicolaitans is a Greek word consisting of two parts. First part i.e., 'Nico' means 'to conquer or be victorious over' and the second part which is 'laity' means 'common people'. Combinely has a meaning 'victory over common people'.  Hence Nicolaitans must refer to a group of people who esteem themselves higher than the common believers.  This was undoubtedly the hierarchy adopted and established by Catholicism and Protestantism.  The Lord hates their works and so must we. The Lord desires an universal priesthood of all believers without the Clergy and laity.  All are equal in the eyes of God.  Amen.

(Rev 2.6 footnotes, Holy Bible Recovery Version) 

What is the future of the world according to the Bible?

The judgement mentioned in Matthew 25:31-46 is different from the great white throne judgement which will be the final one issued by the King of kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.  This ultimate judgement (Rev 20:11-15) is primarily for the dead unbelieving sinners.  The three realms sea, death and Hades will give up their dead to be judged by the Lord according to their works because of their rejection of Christ's atonement when they were alive.  Along with the dead, death and Hades are judged and cast into the Lake of fire.  

The judgement mentioned in Joel 3.12 and Mat 25:32 is for the people who are alive during the time of the Lord's open Second coming in the glory along with His angels soon after the battle of Armageddon (Rev 16:14, Rev 16:16; Rev 19:11-15, Rev 19:19-21, Joel 3:12).  The Lord will carry out this judgement in two phases.  

The first phase will be the judgement of the believers alive during the Second coming of the Lord as mentioned in Mat 25:19-30.  The careful believers who are faithful slaves of the Lord will be given authority over many things along with the overcoming saints of all ages.  This role of authority is akin to the role of angels in today's age of grace as ministering spirits in the spiritual realm (Hebrew 1:14).  On the other hand, the careless believers will be transferred to the realm called outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mat 25.30).  The punished believers who will suffer the loss of the millennial kingdom will join the believers (who overcame and are part of the kingdom) in the new heaven and new earth as promised by the Lord to all who believed in His name (John 3:16). 

The second phase of the judgement is mentioned in Mat 25:31-46.  Here the Lord Jesus Christ will appear with His angels and gather all nations which will be remaining post the battle of  Armageddon.  It is understood these gentiles will have never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and yet are not part of the armies of the Antichrist annihilated in the war.  Among them the Lord will separate the goats and the sheep.  The sheep represent the people who will be merciful and compassionate towards the brothers of the Lord (believers) and took care of them during the tribulations, while the goat represent the unkind and hateful ones who will hate the brothers of Jesus Christ.  The goat population will perish in the lake of fire soon after the perishing of the Antichrist and the false prophet mentioned in Rev 19:20.  They are followed by the dead sinners who will be judged by the Lord on the great white throne (20:10-15) 

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.4.6.NIV

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Jesus the fourth Person in our lives - Daniel 3

Daniel 3

This chapter is one of my favorites which shows the glory of God in its fullest and has deep meaning.  The world that we live today is no less different from the times of Daniel and his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  These wise children of Israel were faithful and lived a holy life under insurmountable hostility of the unbelieving idolaters.  The evil schemes, jealousy and hate ran was predominant and the children of Israel had a separate life away from it.  This is sanctification, anointment, and a best example of leading a holy life.  You need to be separate from this ever present overwhelming evilness that surrounds you.  

King Nebuchadnezzar erected a mighty golden idol of non-god which was no less architectural marvel in those days.  Finding an opportunity to get rid of the Jews, the Chaldeans accused them of not worshiping the idol to the king, who then condemned them to die in a blazing furnace.  The answer given by the three friends of Daniel was baffling.  They answered and said, 'There is no need for us to give you an answer in this matter......'  Most of us today need to give an answer when presented with circumstances to worship the idols of this world, because we don't lead a holy life.  Our Christian lives are shallow and most often people see no difference between us and the others.  In such scenario, we need to explain ourselves to the world.  However, if our lives are covered in Christ, people will know without explanation that we do not bow down to strange idols no matter what.  

The solution to all our problems lies in our attitude.  A right attitude emanates from a right relationship with God.  The three friends of Daniel had a right relationship with God.  This we know from their answer to the king in the 17th and 18th verses, 'If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the blazing furnace of fire, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But if He does not, let it be known to you, o king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image that you have set up.'  

Most often in our lives, we feel defeated when God may not respond to us like the manner we expect.  His ways are different and wisdom testifies that they are for the greater good. Sometimes, the place you feel you are vulnerable are the best places for a meaningful growth in life.  If Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah hadn't stood fast and if they hadn't proclaimed their faith, there wouldn't have been a burning furnace episode and we wouldn't have had the privilege of witnessing the Lord Jesus Christ as the shining Son of God in the furnace as the Protector.  A right attitude will make us say, 'if God wills, let Him save me, for He can.  But if He doesn't, then know this O world, that I will not bow down to your idols no matter if it is made of gold, no, not even under threat or any insurmountable odds.  Amen.  

Love is Living

Love is a Living Being

Bible Reading 1 Cor 13:4- 13:7

We see the true definition of Love in the above Bible passage.  Among the greatest of all gifts of the Spirit, Love has the first place.  Instead of looking at Love as one of the characteristics of a good Person, we should understand Love as a living being.  The phrase, 'God is Love and in love He had created everything' is familiar to us which explains love as the Person of God.  We need to be imitators of this love, which means we should become love to love others.  

In the beginning of the verse from the above passage, we read 'Love suffers long.  Love is kind; it is not jealous.  Love does not brag and is not puffed up;.....This makes sense, when we look at Love as a living entity.  Love itself has characteristics of its own.  It makes even greater sense when we replace the word love with our names.  Understand the above portion of the scripture by replacing your names with the word 'Love'.  This is what you should aim to achieve in the Lord in your Christian life.  

Do not love others with your natural love which will sooner or later is destined to fail.  Love others with Jesus Christ, who is the Love of God.  When we love others with the Love of God, it will never fail and we will bring glory to God.  Under such a setup, the demands of the love as mentioned in the verse, will not be a burden to us, but it will be so natural to us that we will not feel even the slightest pain.  Such a love will be flowing from a Christ filled life effortlessly as a natural response.  The bottom line is that we should aim to gain more Christ which will result in a natural flowing of pure love like fountains of cool spring in an arid desert from us.  Hallelujah.

No Second Place in Christ

Bible Reading: 1 Cor 9:24-27

1 Cor 9:24 - Do you not know that those who run on a racecourse all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in this way, that you may lay hold.

1 Cor 9:25 - And everyone who contends exercises self-control in all things; they then, that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible.

1 Cor 9:26 - I therefore run in this way, not as though without a clear aim; I box in this way, not as though beating the air;

1 Cor 9:27 - But I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest perhaps having preached to others, I myself may become disapproved. 

Our Christian life is like a running race, a fight to endure until we reach the ultimate goal that is set before us.  Many run, but only one is the winner and this winner is a corporate entity comprising of God's Overcomers.  This entity is His first fruits which He has set apart for bringing justice to the world according to His good pleasure.  Yet, this is not a lofty and unattainable status in this age of grace.  In other words, a call to become an Overcomer is open to all today and we can easily get hold of this life because the blood of our Lord Jesus is qualifying us to the uttermost.  Hallelujah. 

The Bible is instructing us to run in such a way that we become part of that one winner.  Do not be satisfied with second or third places.  On the contrary, be eager to lay hold of the incorruptible crown which will be our true reward.

We don't run a race without training, so let us learn to subdue our flesh and make our body our slave to lead a Holy life.  Have a clear aim because at the end of this short race, we have everything at stake.  May God grant us the vision of the Christian life as a racing event where we are contending for the incorruptible crown.  Come let us be part of the one Winning Entity.  Amen.

God's residence is the Glorious Church

The Church is the foretaste of the coming Kingdom of God.  It is the most precious living entity on Earth today and we are fortunate to be part of it.  When the church gathers, the Lord is in her midst (Matt 18:20).  This shouldn't be a mere assumption or a vague idea, but rather, the fact that the living God is in our midst like every person gathered in the name of Lord should be our firm belief.  But, most often we search the altar, or ponder over some message to vaguely feel the presence of God and in reality living Christ is in our midst. 

Church is the right setup to experience the presence of God where saints gather to glorify God and help others to glorify God effectively.  There is no other place on earth where one can experience Him richly.  When I attend the church, my focus is not on the material, physical stuff, but the invisible but definite presence of God.  The physical and material things are nothing but expressions to worship God in the spirit.  He is not even at a distance from me as far as the altar, but He is near me and He is in my spirit.  These words should not be a mere soothsaying, or an objective wish, but rather, a real experience because it is the truth.  

When we see the church as an Entity which is already in the Heaven (Eph 2:6), we will start appreciating it because the Lord is in her midst.  We know that God resides in an inexpressible glory, in the middle of an unapproachable light (1 Tim 6:16).  When God is among the people who have gathered in his name, He is in such a glorious state.  If only we have a vision of the glory that we are participating, we will lead our church life with a joyous trembling as we are experiencing something that is more real and meaningful than our own lives.  When we fail to see the true vision of the church, we would engage with the fellow believers in a careless, evil and in a futile worldly way.  Our conduct in the church is not a matter of being an exemplary, rather respecting the presence of God in a real way.  May God grant us the vision of the church life and how much He has blessed us to become part of His holy Church.  Hallelujah for the church life.   

Our Living is Our Building

Bible reading:  I Corinthians 3:11-15

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

The above portion of the scripture clearly indicates that we are buildings of God under construction, which summarizes our whole lives in a nut shell.  To begin with, we have been given the same foundation, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, and apart from Him, there is nothing.  This foundation is the basic gift given to all of us by God who has predestined us to be His chosen ones.  Now, believe it or not, we are building on this foundation daily no matter what our spiritual conditions are at present.  Some are faithful; some are worldly; some are outwardly while a few others are deep and genuine in their relationships with God.  Therefore, no matter what our descriptions as believers in the Lord are, we are building our lives daily.  While the faithful and spiritual ones are building with Gold, silver and precious stones, the worldly and outward Christians are building with wood, hay and straw.  This will continue until the DAY of the Lord will dawn upon the world suddenly.  This Day will be dreadful, as it will be revealed by the testing fire which will put to test our buildings, which we had built throughout our lives.  The works that endure this testing will receive rewards and the ones with works of wood, hay and straw will be destroyed by the testing fire and they will suffer loss.  Don't consider this loss as a small one.  In fact, when the Holy word of God mentions it as a loss, then it will be hurtful indeed.  Imagine when we lose something precious, how bad we feel about it and as time passes by, say a few months or years later, we may find the pain had eased out.  However, the loss that is mentioned in the verse is a devastating one and we are spared narrowly by this fire.  We may think about the people who had survived severe burns in fire accidents and how sorrowful their tales are.  

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, dread the Day of the Lord which will bring with it a testing fire.  However, I am going to give you some good news.  You have an opportunity here, to alter your lives, to build it properly now, since there is a little time left.  Make sure that we get up every day and be mindful of our foundation, Jesus Christ, and the manner in which we need to built upon.  Hallelujah.   

Walking by the Spirit

Walking by the Spirit, not by the flesh

Scripture readings: Rom 8, Gal 5:16-26

The Bible is crystal clear about how our lives should be before God in the above chapters.  We find nothing that condones or rationalizes any sort of wrongdoings, habits or sins, in the name of grace.  Hence, we should be very careful lest anyone deceive us by wrong teachings that might tend to dilute or overlook our indulgences or encourage our careless living as Christians instead of condemning our sinful acts and guide us towards the real path.  This needs to be clear in our hearts because God has given us the Holy Scriptures to understand His good Will and what He expects of us.

  

'Walk by the Spirit and do not fulfill the lust of the flesh.'  

To understand the above sentence, we need to know who the Spirit is and what is flesh? 

Spirit here is the Holy Spirit who is everywhere and also He is living in us.  To walk by the Spirit is to have our living in accordance to the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The works of the flesh are fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, divisions, sects, envying, bouts of drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.  The list is elaborate, however, we know that these sinful things arises from the Sin that is in us all (Rom 7:21).  This Sin needs to be dealt with at the cross by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Our belief in the Lord's death and resurrection opens us the way of life.  To lead a victorious life in Christ, we need to look away unto Christ.  Our back sliding and leading a carnal life is wasting the precious grace.  Rom 8:8 says that those who are in the flesh cannot PLEASE God.  And what is more important to us in this life than pleasing God?

Hence, Walking in the Spirit is living in accordance to the indwelling Spirit, having a strong and real belief that our God is a living God and He is near us, seeing everything. While living such a spiritual living, we must put to death the practices of the flesh by walking according to the Spirit, so that we may live a Holy life (Rom 8:13). Amen

Wonderful Christian quotes

1. C.T. Studd "Some wish to live within the sound of church and chapel bell.  I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."        
2. Jim Elliott "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."                                                      
3. Williams Carey "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God."               
4. Sadhu Sundar Singh "If we do not bear the cross of the Master, we will have to bear the cross of the world, with all it's earthly goods."                                                               
5. Pandita Ramabai "A life totally committed to God has nothing to fear, nothing to lose, nothing to regret."                                             
6. David Livingston, "God, send me anywhere, only go with me.  Lay any burden on me, only sustain me.  And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."                                                                
7. George Mueller "The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of faith is the end of anxiety."                              
8. Hudson Taylor "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply."                   
9. Eric Liddel "Many of us are missing something in life because we are after the second best."                                                      
10. Gladys Staines "I forgive completely those who killed my husband and children." 

A Simple morning Prayer

O Lord Jesus, I love You because You loved me first with an uttermost and perfect love.  You have conquered everything and now is seated at the right of God.  I surrender everything unto You, O Almighty.  You are my Rock and salvation.  You are my fortress where I can now remain in safety.  You are the life giving Spirit in me and everything to me.  Thank you for this morning and the peace I am enjoying.  I give all my activities of the day into your hands.  Give me grace, wisdom, and strength to keep You continually before my face. I praise You and thank You for everything.  Hallelujah.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Three Realms Conquered

The Lord Jesus forfeited His throne in Heaven and was made lower than angels that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man on earth (Hebrew 2:9).  After His death and before His resurrection, He visited Hades (Acts 2:24,27).  This is a region of death and of Satan’s power of darkness, which is the lower parts of the Earth (Rom 10:7, Eph 4:9). Until that point, the Lord Jesus endured increasing sufferings and shame.  In the Hades, death had no way to hold Him, in other words, death was defeated, because the Lord Jesus is both God and resurrection (John 1:1, 11:25).  He possessed an indestructible life (Hebrew 7:16). He rose from the abyss, conquering it in His resurrection.  After this, there was the Lord's ascension, during which  He led captives to the Father.  Also, in His ascension, He obtained a position far above the Heavens that He might fill all things (Eph 4:10). Here we see that in His ascension, He has conquered Hades, Earth and Heavens.  The Word of God clearly states that the Lord Jesus is the true conqueror and His glory extends beyond the universe.  Hallelujah, glory to God.  Praise You Lord Jesus.  Amen. 

Experiencing the Presence of God

>> Blessed Christian Life 

Over the last few days, I learned a significant life lesson from the Holy Spirit.  During the period, I experienced the Lord's protection throughout, without which I would have broken under stress because the topic I was pondering was one of the high peak truths of Christianity.

Bible reading: 2 Cor 3:17-18
And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.

Experiencing the Presence of God

1.  Being in the Spirit

In my previous posts, I have explained to you about the meaning of 'being in the Spirit'.  We know that God is a Spirit and those who worship Him should do it in spirit and in truthfulness.  More than a theoretical knowledge, the Holy Spirit taught me how to be in the spirit subjectively over a period of several years.  Being in the spirit is not about shouting and jumping and at the same time, it is not about being silent and still.  In fact, it has nothing to do with the outward expressions which are but the reactions of our souls to the presence of the God.  When we are filled with the Spirit, we may jump, shout or we may sit quietly as led by the Lord to respond to His presence.  Hence, the endeavor here is not to perform certain activities or physical actions, rather, be in the presence of God and enjoy Him.  

2.  Aware of the deception

Being in the spirit is being in the reality of the Triune God.  When we truly feel the presence of the Lord we are in the spirit.  Earlier, I used to think that it was difficult, but that was a deception of the devil due to my inferior knowledge about God.  In fact, recently I understood that this deception work might be Satan's greatest work on Earth right now.  To sum it up - feeling the presence of God is both easy and difficult at the same time.  Easy because He is present everywhere truly and difficult because we are distracted easily and lose our focus at the drop of a hat.

3.  God is omnipresent 

Since we believe in God we know that there is no place where God cannot be in His whole creation.  He is not a person who is limited to the churches, but He is present everywhere. Even in the places where we think we can escape from Him with our petty sins and indulgences, God is present.  I would say that losing this consciousness of the presence of the Almighty God is the curse upon mankind because of the Sin.  When Adam sinned, he was cast out to a miserable and insensitive state, losing the ability to experience the presence of God continually.   However, on God's part, He didn't forsake us, but throughout the centuries, He toiled to earn a set of people for Himself, who could work their way back to regain what Adam lost in the Garden of Eden. This He made possible because of what the Lord Jesus Christ had accomplished for us.

4.  An illustration

Let me give an illustration to understand being in the spirit.  When I am with a person in a room, I will behave in a way acknowledging the presence of that person.  The more I know about the person, the more I would try to alter my behavior that suits him.  If the person left, then I would relax, stretch myself and get comfortable.  But if I knew that he was watching me through a CCTV camera from another room, then I will be still on my guard.  There is yet another scenario that could be very apt to our today's world regarding God and our faith in Him, i.e., I am in a room, but I can't find any CCTV camera and nor there is any person.  I have been told by the previous occupants that someone will be watching me while I am in the room.  Now, though there is no person or cameras, I will behave in a particular manner according to our belief.  I hope you are getting what I am trying to illustrate.  So, being in the spirit is exercising our faith to believe in the presence of God.

Lately, when I began seeking and practicing the presence of God, I suffered a number of petty attacks from the devil.  I knew that I could be doing something right here considering the increased disturbances and I continued to seek the Lord's presence.  Later I came across a book, 'The practice of the presence of God', which was a compilation of the letters written by Brother Lawrence in the 17 century.  Once I started reading it, I was overjoyed at the thought that a person centuries before had experienced what I had begun to understand today.  Brother Lawrence constantly endeavored to live in the presence of God, and when his mind wandered, he would bring it back to focus God by leaving things that had nothing to do with God.  This he had done for decades to experience a continual presence of God.  Brother found real freedom and courage, which the Lord Jesus Christ had purchased for us, and he was like reliving the Garden of Eden life before the fall.

While I was learning this valuable truth, the petty devilish attacks continued but feeling the presence of God made all the difference to me.  I am not alone and I don't have to be alone anywhere-anytime.  An ever-present and an all-powerful God is my Father.  I can depend on Him continually because He loved me to the uttermost.  He is with me when I am writing this message and He is there with you when you are reading it. Amen.

To summarize, practicing the presence of God is not some kind of a mental exercise, rather it is surrendering to God wholly, trusting Him completely and making Him our goal.

Read the book 'The practice of the presence of God'  for more clarity and understanding. 

Grace - meaning & its application in life

>> What is Grace?  Is it a license to Sin?

Rom 6:1-10, Gal 2:20, Col 2:12

There is quite a lot of buzz about this word, ‘Grace’ in the Christian world.  The word ‘Grace’ means experiencing God in Jesus Christ in our lives.  Grace is Jesus Christ dying in our stead, thus we are at peace with the Almighty.  It is something that we received freely.  It is not a license to sin, but rather a provision to lead a holy life.  When I was explaining the meaning of grace years ago to a brother, he was offended thinking that I am proposing some kind of restrictions akin to law.  That was a shallow understanding.  Law has been fulfilled by the Lord Jesus and now we are not in the Law which is the oldness of letter (Rom 7:6), but rather we have been discharged from Law and now we need to serve the Lord in newness of spirit (Rom 7:6). 

We are born in the old man which is the realm of the first Adam.  Then one day we believed in the Lord and proceeded to receive baptism.  This baptism into Christ is, in reality, a baptism into Christ’s death.  We have been buried with Him through the baptism because in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in the newness of life.  If somebody says to you, ‘brother, you took baptism in the Lord, so you ought to walk in the newness of life’, then do not be offended because it is not law.  When we have grown with Him in the likeness of His death, indeed we will also be in the likeness of His resurrection.  So walking in the newness of life is grace.  I request all the brothers and sisters to understand this deeply, - 'Grace is experiencing God in Christ and this is possible when we walk in the newness of life.’  Gal 2:20 says, ‘I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.’  Is it Law?  Absolutely not, this is the newness.  Grace does not mean that you can keep sinning because Christ has paid the price for your sins that have been committed and will be committed in the future.  Yes, it is paid in full and then some.  It is the perfect sacrifice to the satisfaction of God.  Therefore, Grace is our reaction to this perfect sacrifice on our behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ. 

How can we walk in the newness of life?

Knowing that our old man has been crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be annulled, that we should no longer serve sin as slaves (Rom 6:6).  Have you come across anywhere written in the Bible that you are free to go around and sin without inhibitions, as the Lord Jesus Christ had died in your stead?  No!  We need to believe that in our baptism, our old man has been crucified with the Lord and we are no longer slaves of sin.  We are free in the Lord and we have newness in life and a responsibility to walk in it.  Further, since we believe that we have been crucified with the Lord, we also believe that we will live with Him.  For the death that the Lord died to sin was once and for all; but the life which He lives, He lives to God.  Hence, we who are in the resurrection of the Lord, live our lives to God.  This is Grace.  Amen.

Why Jesus Christ died for the sins of many?

Through one man death entered and through another Man 
resurrection from death

Bible readings: Rom 5:12-21, 1 Cor 15:20-28

Why should God Incarnate - Jesus Christ die to save Mankind from sin?  Why should an innocent man die for the sins of others? 

These are a couple of questions, a believer has to face while working in a multicultural environment someday in their lives.  In a way, these queries are good for spiritual nourishment, if we with a seeking heart ponder upon them with the help of the Holy Spirit.  However, these questions could prove negative and time wasting if the people who are asking them are applying their shallow minds or if their hearts are stubborn or have a malicious intent to damage the faith of a believer.  Hence, beware of the children of the Devil in disguise and their lies.  It is futile to talk them, as they selectively choose topics to propagate their lies aiming to influence the gullible.  And to face such liars, a child of God has to build a strong faith upon sound reasoning.  I have heard hypocrites saying that God has given human beings two ears and one mouth to speak less and listen more as if God had given them two mouths and one ear.  These are people who don’t want to learn from you the Way of God, instead toil hard to corrupt your hearts with lies.  So, be watchful and beware of these Antichrists because the Lord has forbidden us to cast our pearls before such hogs, i.e., minister the truths of God to people who consider themselves religious but are unclean in the sight of God:

Matthew 7:6

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and through him, Sin entered mankind.  With the entry of Sin, death entered and started to rule.  Here we can see that Sin and death are closely connected like buddies.  Now, how can the disobedience of our forefathers affect us?  This is the reason that unbelievers might thrown at you.  They see themselves not at all responsible for a mistake which Adam did.  This is not important at the moment, as Sin had entered the world through one man and it is affecting every one of us.  If you move to another country today, will it not affect your children and their children?  You might be gone, but your decision will affect the generations to come.  This is the law of nature.  If you are brown, your children will have the same features.  If your father has left behind a huge inheritance, will you not legally claim it?  Or would you say that it doesn’t belong to you?  In another scenario, you are liable to pay your father's debt.  It's completely legal.  No court will accept the argument that it was your father who took the debt and you are not bound to pay it back.  Therefore, When Adam, the father of the human race had disobeyed God, the entire human race had disobeyed in him.  Do we not die today?  If we believe that death came because of Adam, it is a glaring fact that everybody faces death today. 

What is then the hope for humanity?  We need another great Man who could give us hope, i.e., resurrection from death.  When Adam had sinned against God, man as a creation failed.  God being the Creator, could wipe out the defective creation and start all over again or make it successful by some other means.  So, to make man glorious once again from the fallen state, another Man has to fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law which the first man had failed.  Can you now figure out the need for another Man to die for the sins of many?  Remember we are not talking about any ordinary man here; this is Jesus Christ, the Second Person in the Trinity who became a divine human.  For the second person in the Godhead to successfully take on our transgressions, He had to put on flesh.  Hallelujah.  For all those who say that God cannot become a creature, are you saying that God’s power is limited that He is powerless to do a certain thing?  You may then say, “Yes, God can become a human being, but there is no need for Him.”  So, let us first understand that God can do everything and to ponder upon the need of incarnation, we need to first understand that God is able to become a Man if He wills.  The Christian message is that God didn’t have the need to, but He did it because He loved us to the uttermost.  The freedom He had given Man in the Garden of Eden was still intact and He received those who voluntarily accepted Him.  Then, to those who believed that Christ was the only begotten Son, eternal life is promised and this is our true hope.  Therefore, this message does not limit the ability of God rather proves that He can do anything He wills. 

Was there a need to die for the sins of mankind?  He could have just forgiven them from His throne.  Again to those people who propound such a theory to reject Christ, I say, do not make the Lord Almighty less righteous and unjust.  If God had, without any compensation, accepted mankind with their sinful nature to Him, He will have to make a compromise in His attribute of being infinitely righteous.  Next, why would He accept people with the same sinful nature which was not dealt with or say put to a dormant state?  The man was fallen and will God do the same mistake of accepting the man to Heaven, once again.  Hence, there needs to be a process which renews man.  This is another message of the cross, where the old creation is annulled and new creation is formed in its place.  This new creation is because of the One divine Human, the Second person in the Trinity, Son of God, Jesus Christ, who came to Earth in flesh, lived, died, resurrected and then ascended to the right Hand of God.  Not only a person is saved from Sin and death, but he also reigns in life through this One Person, Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah.

As in the days of Noah

The Business of Ark Building

Bible reading:  Gen 6:14, Mat 24:37-39, 1 Pet 3:20-21, Luke 17:26, 1 Thess 5:2,3, Luke 21:36, Rev 3:10

Noah:

Gen 6:5-7

In the days of Noah, Satan made his move by corrupting the world and filling it with violence.  God was patient, but He saw that the wickedness increased on Earth.  Every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually.  It was the time for the Lord’s next move against Satan’s.  He repented making Man on the earth and it grieved Him in His heart.  What did He do to deserve such a grief?  He was the life giver and He was blessing Man with life and light and yet he fell to a sickening extent that it grieved Him.  Among all the tragedies of this universe, this is the grossest.  In His next move, God could destroy everything and wrap up Earth or allow wickedness to continue in front of His eyes as it was.  Then, He decided to destroy everything from the man to beast to creeping things to the birds of heaven. 

Hallelujah.  Noah found favor in the sight of Jehovah.  He was a righteous man, blameless in his generations; and He walked with God.  Walking with God is a wonderful thing and is a continual process.  This meant that Noah like his great-grandfather Enoch walked with God.  This was a perfect living, where God is acknowledged continually and His will is ruling over man's will.  The amazing thing about walking with God is receiving victory over death like Enoch who was translated without death by God.  Don’t you want to overcome the ultimate result of man’s fall i.e., death?  If you want to, then walk with God every moment, every hour and every day of your life.

Noah lived such a life that God became a winner.  He destroyed the evil part of the world, yet saved a handful to carry on with His plan.  Amen. Noah's generation was corrupt and was filled with violence.  God said that He was going to destroy the wicked people from the face of the earth.  But the good news was that He had a plan for saving his favored children.  He instructed Noah to build himself an ark of gopher wood.  The exact duration of the Noah’s Ark project is unknown, but, we know that it took 75 to 100 years for the Ark to get completed.  God gave adequate warning to Noah and enough time to complete the ark.  

Noah was a herald of righteousness (2 Pet 2:5) in his generation.  Surely people of his time must have noticed the things that were about Noah and the ongoing project which might have led to some curiosity in the people about the ark.  So, Noah as a man of righteousness would have given sufficient warning to the people about the impending judgment of God.  Yet, they didn't care much and they were eating and drinking and living a violent, corrupt and sinful life.  People would have mocked Noah and persecuted him for propounding a theory of an unimaginable thing like a flood that can disrupt their present sinful lives, even though they knew that their sinful lives deserved divine judgment. 

Gen 7:1-16

God invited Noah and his household to enter the ark.  There was a 7 day notice period after the entering and the commencement of flood.  The world around him would have seen Noah abandoning everything and entering the ark, yet none repented.  The door of the ark was open still during this period as the final preparations were going on for 7 days.  After a week, the springs of the great deep burst and the windows of the heaven opened.  And on the same day, Noah and his family entered the ark which he was built for about several decades against the mocking, against the evil generation, against all opposition of the devil and men.  Now, here is the awesome part, Jehovah shut the door behind Noah.  It reminds me of the shutting of the door for the 5 foolish virgins in the parable of ten virgins who didn’t have extra oil with them.  Once you entered the Ark, there is no way out because God had shut you inside.  And Jehovah, the evil generation with all its corruption and violence and the rising flood were outside.  Now, who can save the wicked people from the wrath of Jehovah?  The flood was a surprise for them since they never believed Noah, never cared for God and the theory of Ark would have seemed foolishness to them just like how the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is foolishness to the world today.  The moment Noah received the revelation of the coming destruction, he would have forsaken his everything that was in the world that was destined to be doomed, and he would have worked to build the ark full time along with his family that would save him in the future.

Today, we are just like in the days of Noah.  We are building the ark in one sense and have entered the ark in another, but the door is open still just like it was during 7 day notice period.  We are mocked and called fools for the sake of our Lord, but, we are building an ark and also have entered it.  Just like Noah, we have received an adequate warning and the time of the flood has been announced.  Like Noah, we know that the world which is full of violence and corruption is destined to be doomed, and it will be unwise on our part to put our faith in the world which will be destroyed anyway.  Nevertheless, you go into the world, learn your skills and have your training under the supervision of God and build the ark.  You have some extra money, give it to the workers of the Lord and in a way you are building the ark.  You serve the Lord with your first and best love, you are building the ark.  Use your gifts in the church, you are building the ark.

The Lord Jesus has instructed us clearly in Matt 24:37-39 about His second coming which would be like in the days of Noah when people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark.  The Lord’s second coming is His shutting the door of the ark from behind Noah.  No more chances after that; no more grace time.  It’s all over.  For Christians, the Lord has instructed to be vigilant and watchful of His coming which will be like a thief in the night.  His day will dawn upon us quickly, but we don’t have to be surprised if we are in the business of building the Ark, and our Ark is our Lord Jesus Christ.  For when the world will say Peace and security, then the sudden destruction will come upon them, they shall by no means escape (1 Thess 5:2-3).  

Watch out brothers and sisters, build your ark.  Don’t build boats, but build the Ark.  Ark is built in the church.  An individual boat cannot withstand the ferocity of the flood, but if we are in Jesus Christ our Ark, we will be saved.  Do not worry too much about the world which is full of violence and corruption and is destined to be doomed, but rather worry about the Ark.  Let the world worry about the peace and security, for you are safe in the Ark.  Hallelujah, this is the ultimate move of our beloved God, the Creator.  Amen.  

William Wilberforce's legacy

William Wilberforce (1759-1833)

William Wilberforce was born on Aug 24, 1759, to a wealthy family in the East Riding of Yorkshire.  Being affluent, he became well known in several social circles while still a student, mostly because of his partying, gambling and playing cards.  This is also the time when he met William Pitt the younger, which marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship.  Both Wilberforce and Pitt became members of the House of Commons.  Then, in 1784, William Wilberforce won his campaign from one of the largest constituencies of England and was elected as a Member of Parliament.  His eloquence and pleasant demeanor might have done the magic for him in the elections.  

In 1785, while traveling with his mother and sister around England on vacation, they were joined by an acquaintance named Isaac Milner, who was the younger brother of William's friend Joseph Milner.  Mostly, they discussed the New Testament in Greek during the trip.  William maintained a private journal and read the Bible regularly.  It was like a rebirth for him when he found God or rather as he described to one of his acquaintance that God found him.  This was preceded by several months of introspection and regrets of the sins committed.  Later, William decided to become a devout follower of Christ.  At this juncture, he contemplated his next move whether to leave politics for good and along with it the social circles?  For guidance, he approached John Newton, an Anglican clergyman, a former slave trader himself who repented before surrendering his life to Christ.  John Newton also wrote one of the all-time favorite Christian Hymns, ‘Amazing Grace’ after experiencing firsthand, the love of God in his own life.  He advised William to stay in the politics that God could use him in a better way.    

William Wilberforce then engaged himself in the parliamentary affairs with increased diligence and conscientiousness, making up for the lost time now effectively as a Christian.  He advocated various reforms by introducing several bills in the parliament for the betterment of life for all.  And for his spiritual growth, he adopted a rigorous routine of self-examination, Bible study, and fasting.  He set goals and evaluated his motives on a regular basis.  He deeply inspected his words and actions of the day in the evening and prayed about it.  Further, he wrote a list of people who needed prayers and would pray sincerely for them.  God used William in an instrumental role in the complete abolition of slavery by the year 1833.  The struggle that took 55 years to succeed from the time Thomas Clarkson and his team of abolitionists first approached William Wilberforce for his help as a politician. 

John Wesley, founder of Methodism once referred to Wilberforce and said, “Unless God has raised you up for this very thing you will be worn by the opposition of men and devils.  But if God be for you, who can be against you?”.  William's legacy proved that God had indeed raised him for the very thing and the mighty hand of God led not only William but others who toiled for the sake of human equality against the opposition of man and devils to victory.

    

William Pitt the younger

William Pitt, the younger, a lifelong friend of Wilberforce was born on 28 May 1759.  He became the youngest Prime Minister of Britain when he was just 24 years of age and had the favor of King George III in his political career.  Later, he became the PM for the second time in 1804 until his death in 1806.  His career was dominated by major events in Europe like the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars. Further, he engineered the Acts of Union 1800 and tried to get Catholic emancipation which didn’t succeed much.

The crux of the Message 

Now, I come to the crux of this message.  In his deathbed, William Pitt, a man who had a super successful political career and a long list of achievements to speak for, said to his dear friend William Wilberforce that he was scared and wished he had Wilberforce's faith.  You might be a Christian, but faith needs to be built up over time.  It is not a momentary thing but a long journey of spending quality time with the Lord Jesus. 

No matter what you do in this world, it will all boil down to the climax of our lives when faith will seem the most important thing to take on death fearlessly.  All your earthly accomplishments and efficiency will not speak for you before the Lord, but, your faith and your belief in the Lord will save you.  To face the inevitable door of death and the uncertainty that lay ahead needs courage.  A Christian should amass this courage throughout his lifetime, disregarding all the labels given by the world like freaks, fools etc., while tarrying long in faith to meet his greatest love and His Creator beyond the dark plunge. 

One of the tactics of the devil today is to sedate you with the earthly affairs and indulgences of this world and make appear the nearness of death as a faraway or an alien experience.  However, when death will knock seeking us specifically, then our hearts and minds will take a sober view of the solemn matter and in those moments only the faith in the Lord can truly comfort us. 

The story of William Wilberforce is a common Christian story of finding God and following Him voluntarily with steadfastness and courage in a true sense.  William found his gifts and used it for the welfare of others and his faith in the Lord Jesus had changed the course of history.  But, I go a step further and remind you of the young man, Isaac Milner, who had fellowship with Wilberforce during the European trip.  A simple sharing of God’s word with one another can alter the history in a true sense.  Isn’t this a wonderful example?  May the Lord encourage us to have a faith as strong and as consistent like William Wilberforce's,  and at the same time, remembering other iconic figures in William's story like Thomas Clarkson, Isaac Milner, John Newton, Barbara Spoon, his wife and his dear friend, William Pitt, let us remind ourselves that God is the ultimate Winner.