Shepherd's voice from the pasture…

When someone approaches me with a prayer request, I seldom pray for them instantaneously. I know that the Lord can heal deadly sicknesses and solve any problem that seems impossible in human eyes. However, I understand from the word of God that I should seek the permission of the Lord before I pray for an individual’s predicament. The reason is that a child of God cannot pray for every issue brought to his attention. Before praying, he has to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We read in Acts 16: 6 & 7. “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to”.

Paul and his companions had plans to preach the word of God in the province of Asia and that was a sound plan with good intentions. However, the spirit of the Lord didn’t permit them to preach the word there. The same was the case with Bithynia.

How can preaching the true word of God in Asia or Bithynia be wrong? It’s not, one would say. Nevertheless that was not in God’s agenda. He had a greater and better plan. Our duty is not to analyze the logic behind the Lord’s decisions. Instead we have to submit to His will. “

..To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15: 22).

Similarly, we have to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit before we pray for anybody or for any issue.

When a person comes forward requesting a prayer that he/she believes would rapidly solve his/her problems, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I frequently ask whether the individual received Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior.

When someone, heartbroken, pleads for a prayer, is it fair to ask him whether he attained the experience of salvation or took immersed water baptism? When someone asks me to pray for the deliverance of a patient, who is inflicted of a deadly-disease, is it cruel to ask whether the patient has accepted Jesus as his personal savior? Is it fair to assume that the Lord hear the prayers of those who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior and received immersed water baptism?

People raise such questions because of their ignorance towards the word of God. In connection with prayer, many Christians have developed wrong concepts and understandings. One of them is that anyone on the face of the earth can pray to the Lord for anything at any time.

When a person prays to God, he has to meet certain conditions that are clearly recorded in the word of God. Only those prayers that meet the conditions laid by His word are even considered. Among those conditions, I would like to present one of the most significant.

The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples began like this: our Father in Heaven. When a person prays to God, he must be eligible to address the almighty God as Heavenly Father. By being born into a Christian family or involving in charitable activities never makes him qualified to call Him ‘Heavenly Father’. The righteous way to become eligible to call Him our ‘Heavenly Father’ is recorded in the Holy Bible in simple words.

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (Acts 1: 12). When a person fulfills this condition, he will be qualified to address God as ‘Heavenly Father’.

A beggar in ragged clothes is in front of a mansion pleading for money. The mother comes out of the mansion and tosses a few coins into his bowl. If he didn’t have food, she may give him some quantity from the leftover food. The beggar has no right to complain about the inferior quality or the insufficient quantity of food given to him.

Mean time, a little boy stepped out of the school bus in front of the mansion. Her face became bright like the mid noon sun. He came running and threw his school bag, shoes and shirt in the portico. As soon as he reached the dining table, he doesn’t have to beg for food. The most delicious food is ready on the table. Like any other mother, she stood near him and encouraged her little boy to have more food. Why is there a difference? Certainly, one is a beggar from the street and the other is her own son.

Those who have not received Jesus as their Lord has to beg to the Lord like any other beggar for his needs. The Lord is not liable to fulfill his needs. Every Sunday he has to plead in the church like a beggar. “God, please have mercy on me”.  The Lord has no obligation to hear his prayers for he has no relationship with him. Our God is a merciful God and does at times answer with sympathy to us.

At the same time, children of God don’t have to beg to God for blessings. It is their right and they can claim them by faith from their Heavenly Father at any time of need.

That’s the reason why I often ask a person who requests a prayer, whether he has received the Lord as his personal savior. If he has not received him, he is in the position of a beggar, and my prayer to the Lord may not make a big difference in his life. The best way to receive the blessings of the Lord is by establishing a father-son relationship with the Lord. It is my duty as a humble servant of the Lord to pass on this message sincerely to those who are ignorant of this fact at a time when many are misguiding them with the total folly that the Lord is merciful and he will solve all their problems even if they are not children of God.

Even when a patient is facing the last moments of his life, he is unwilling to receive Jesus. Even at that moment, he rebels God by not committing his life to the Lord. How can the Lord heal such a person who is rebelling even on his death bed?

What can we do for those who are unwilling to surrender their lives to the Lord? Can we pray to God for their healing? Can we pray to the Lord to solve their problems? Based on my spiritual experiences and the word of God, I don’t think so. We can pray to the Lord for their repentance. That’s all we could do for them at that moment.

When a sinner kneels in the presence of God with repentance, He will definitely forgive him and accept him as His son. He will fulfill all his needs and solve all his problems. However, a child of God cannot pray for the needs of a sinner till he brings to an end his relationship with the power of darkness and comes to the presence of God.

Next Issue: How We Can Handle ‘Unspoken’ Prayer Request?

We are nearing the last moments of the year 2009. This is the right time to look back to the past and analyze our achievements and failures in our spiritual life.

Many of us started the year with new decisions and great goals. It would be a tragedy if some of us have forgotten them in the midst of our hectic schedules.

Most of the Watch Night Services, these days, are reduced to mere meaningless, namesake gatherings. On that occasion, many believers’ tongues transform into a launching pad for lifeless, long testimonies that literally kill the spiritual atmosphere of the service. The sum and substance of most of the testimonies would be the same. “During the past one year, the Lord was faithful to me in spite of my unfaithfulness and failures’. Some of those believers even go to the extent of threatening the Lord by declaring that they would do something remarkable in the New Year for the glory of God.

If anybody tells his employer at the end of the year that he didn’t do anything during the year and was just wasting his time lazily, that person would definitely receive a termination letter  from his boss. Some of us didn’t receive the termination notice from the Lord yet just because of His unlimited mercy.

Within a few hours, the year 2009 will become an inseparable part of history. The year was full of problems. Economic crisis is still hanging above mankind like the sword of Damocles. Thousands lost their jobs and ended up in the streets. Terrorism did spread its wings all over the world during the year.

Many of us are scared of the unknown. As we are stepping into the New Year, we don’t know what is waiting ahead for us.
I read somewhere the story of a few people who were travelling in an old ship. In their voyage, they came in the middle of a turbulent sea. The sea was so rough and stormy that they thought that the ship was going to sink. One of the frightened traveler went to see the captain and said-
“Captain, are we safe?”
He said-
“Well, I’ll put it to you in this way. The boilers on this ship are very weak and may explode at any moment. The ship is very old and she’s taking on water. To be very honest with you, we may have an explosion or we may sink. We may go up or we may go down. At any rate, we are going”.

As we are entering into the New Year, this is the present situation of the modern world. With all its accumulated problems, this planet is on the verge of an explosion. However, those who believe in the Lord have great hope for they have learned from their experiences that the Good Shepherd used the events of the last year, even their failures, to help them to grow in their spirit. King David says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for thou art with me…” (Psalm 23 :4).

There are two questions relevant at this moment. Is it practical to lead a victorious Christian life? How we can lead a meaningful Christian life in the coming New Year?

The former baseball player Billy Sunday was converted to Christianity. Inspired by the conversion story, a believer put his arm around his shoulder and said-
“Billy, there are three simple rules I can give you. If you hold to them, no one will ever write backslider after your name. Take 15 minutes each day to listen to God talking to you. Take 15 minutes each day to talk to God. And 15 minutes each day to talk to others about God”.

Listen to the Lord every day. Talk to Him and talk about Him to others every day. Let that be our New Year resolution.
May the new year be a year of joy and prosperity for us enriched with spiritual blessings.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Once in a while in our spiritual life, we come to a point where we struggle to put into practice what we preach. The futility of preaching without practicing is highlighted by Edward G. Bulwer Lytton. He said, “When a person is down in the world, an ounce of help is better than a pound of preaching”.

When Benjamin Franklin said, “Nothing preaches better than the act”, he was emphasizing the fact that practicing is much more important than preaching. We are living in a world where we can see fiery preachers in abundance, seldom interested to practice what they preach.

Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy was that an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching where as Bowen Baxter believes that if somebody thinks practicing what he preaches is tough, he should try preaching what he practices.

‘Good Samaritan’ is a beautiful Bible story narrated by Jesus Christ in the New Testament Times highlighting the significance of practicing what we preach. This week, I would like to present my own version of that old story in the modern context.

Long ago, a man was on his journey from Jerusalem to Jericho. Unfortunately, he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him off his clothes and beat him very badly. After robbing him off all his valuables, they left that poor man half-dead on the road.

On the way, at last, came a Christian. Instead of carrying a wooden cross on his shoulders, he felt it more convenient to carry a golden cross. A twenty two carat gold chain encircling his neck reached his belly. A tiny golden cross hanging in the middle of the necklace was the symbol of his faith.

Fondling the little cross with his finger tip, the Christian said-

“Lord, it’s a pity that the Jews gave you a wooden cross. If I get a chance again, I will definitely offer you a golden cross”.

When the wounded man saw the cross-bearing Christian, he groaned-

“Help, help….help…”

The Christian drew back in horror. He blasted at the wounded man.

“How can you stay in the middle of the road?”

“Sir,” he said with much difficulty, “some cruel robbers wounded me and left me here”.

“I cannot blame you, my friend,” he said, “However, you have now become a burden for the public”.

“Sir, little water please”, he begged.

“I really want to help you”, said the Christian and continued, “At the moment, I don’t have a single coin with me to offer. Moreover, I am on my way to attend a Union Christian Convention and I have to reach there within an hour. I am sure that the loving Lord will send somebody to help you”.

Holding his Bible close to his heart, the Christian disappeared into the thin air.

After some time, a young evangelist reached the spot. With a moustache semi-circular in shape and a well-trimmed French beard, the evangelist looked extremely smart and handsome. He stared at the struggling man and said-

“Oh, gracious God! Who did this heinous crime?”

Thoroughly watching the wounded man for a few moments, the evangelist said-

“Brother, being a well-known Bible scholar and a holder of several doctorates, I feel you are reaping the rewards for everything you have done in the past”.

With much effort, the wounded man said-

“Please … give me … little water…”

Ignoring his request, the evangelist said-

“The Holy Bible says, whoever drinks of this water will thirst again”. After a small pause, he said-

“I am on a world missionary trip and have a very busy schedule. Yesterday, I was in Tehran and today I am going to Bahrain. Next week I will be in Boston and after two days I will be in Houston”.

“Sir, I am dying….”

“Don’t worry”, said the evangelist with a new vigor and added-

“By the time I come back, if you are alive, I promise that I will arrange a grand crusade. I will conduct a healing ministry and I will heal you right on the spot. By the time I return, if you die, I will arrange a superb funeral service and bury your body in a tomb constructed of imported marbles. Till the time I come back, may our Lord keep you in peace and prosperity”.

The evangelist quietly left the scene.

On the way came bishops, priests, pastors, elders and many more. The need of the hour was none of them but a Good Samaritan willing to wet the wounded man’s dried lips with a few drops of water. Sadly, that Good Samaritan never came.

While waiting patiently for the consoling presence of a Good Samaritan, the wounded man was ignorant of the heart-breaking truth.

Good Samaritans are endangered species indeed!

The wounded man is still struggling. His need is not a garland of orchids or a grand burial. He is thirsty for the living waters that quench the thirst of his inner man.

The Lord is searching not for preachers or teachers. Instead, he is searching for some Good Samaritans who can heal the wounds of the struggling man.

Now, here comes the one million dollar question. Who will play the role of the Good Samaritan? Each one of us has the same answer to the question.

Brother, you can definitely do it. You are talented to do it. There is nobody else;  you are the right person to do it and not me.

Unfortunately, that is the most sympathetic part of the story.

Moses Mendelssohn, a fourteen-year-old Talmudic student entered Berlin in 1743 through the city gate reserved for Jews, cattle and pigs. The sight of the boy was so pathetic; a hunch-back, wearing ragged clothes like a beggar, nearly penniless and barefoot.  After his long journey across a hundred miles of hilly country side, he was weary and entirely drained off his strength. Only a small number of rich Jews, plus the occasional scholars, were allowed to live in the Prussian capital. The gatekeeper’s job was to keep out all others without visible means of support. He questioned the boy as to what he wanted in Berlin. Mendelssohn humbly replied, ” To learn.”

In the depth of every man’s heart, there is a genuine urge to acquire knowledge and to discover truth. Unfortunately, modern education hardly contributes anything to quench the thirst of the inner man.

Condemning the limitations of modern education, Bertrand Russel, an English philosopher, mathematician and writer, once said that education is one of the chief obstacles to intelligence and freedom of thought. Pointing to the futility of education, G. M Trevelyan, the renowned British historian said-

“Education… has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading”.

The news that appeared on Saturday, the 7th of November in Malayala Manorama daily newspaper is worth mentioning in this context.

Discussing a report by software industry group Nasscom which says that 75 percent engineering students in India are unemployable, education experts here said today that the Indian higher education system must give skill building and practical training equal importance as academics to give them an edge.

A.D. Sahasrabudhu, director of the College of Engineering, Pune said that one of the major reasons why engineers, even from reputed institutes, are not easily employed because they lack hands-on skill.

“The focus in most institutes here is always on academics and theory. Thus a mechanical engineer may actually not know how to change a part of a machine. Therefore even if a high scoring student gets placed in a good company, eventually that lack of practical knowledge catches up,” Sahasrabudhu said during a panel discussion at the sixth Higher Education Summit organised by Federation of of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

“From our experience we now know that practical, hands-on training is very crucial in the education system,” he added.

In their latest report released in the last week of October, National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) said that Indian IT firms reject 90 percent of college graduates and 75 percent of engineers who apply for jobs because they are not good enough to be trained.

And because there is such a dearth of competent people, companies like Infosys increased its training of employees to 29 weeks from this year. That’s seven months of training, the report added.

It is unfortunate to see in the present world that in the name of education, poison is injected in high doze into the minds of students.  Blatant lies and distorted truths are systematically implanted perpetually in the hearts of those who are in pursuit of truth and knowledge. Hypotheses that have no firm basis are taught in the universities with incredible enthusiasm. However, there is a university that excels all the universities under the sky combined together. That’s the Heavenly University run by the Triune God.

If knowledge can be considered as a huge ice-berg, what the worldly universities teach in the name of knowledge is just the tip of the ice-berg. After conducting experiments within the four walls of it’s laboratory and later declaring that God is just the product of human imagination, is bizarre. In spite of transmitting knowledge, skills and values accumulated by the society as a whole, there still  remains many incomprehensible queries. However, in the heavenly university, each and every query is certain to be justified. Some times, the answers to our numerous questions may be delayed, but definitely be answered someday, either here or in the heaven of heavens.

In the well-known universities on this planet, teachers and students oftentimes analyze various problems. They may find cutting-edge information about those problems. However, many a times they find themselves desperate for an intelligible solution.

At the moment, the whole world is being crushed under the iron heels of economic crisis. Even the world powers are struggling to survive. Active discussions are going on in various universities. Seminars sponsored by business magnates are organised regularly to find some solutions to the present problem. Many have their own opinions as to what is best for their country. Later on, they would realize that their suggestions are impractical and only worsen the situation if implemented.

Modern science is capable of predicting a possible hurricane and the disasters each one would cause. Science has christened them with special names solely based on their nature. But so far, there is not  even a single university on the surface of the earth that teaches its students methods to stop or at least control a hurricane.

One of the most unique creations of the Almighty God is the earth that we live in. However, man has gone to the extreme extend of burying highly destructive arms and ammunitions in the womb of this planet. Just a click on the remote is more than enough to convert this beautiful globe into a fireball. The credit for bringing this planet to such a grave situation belongs to the modern science. Atom bomb, hydrogen bomb, nuclear bomb and other deadly weapons are the products of human imagination. In these days of human conscience descending to the freezing point, nobody is bothered to ponder over the damages inflicted on innocent civilians caused by this weaponry. The ozone layers laid by God to filter the most dangerous ultra-violet rays originating from sun is shockingly perforated by the smoke and gases produced as a result of bomb explosions.

Modern science doesn’t know how to repair the damages imposed on these protective layers. Neither the worldly universities nor the environmentalists  have any idea on how to heal the deadly wounds on earth as a consequence of irresponsible and senseless use of modern weapons during wars. The atom bombs dropped by the U S in Hiroshima and Nagazaki on 6th and 9th of August 1945 converted those areas into places impossible for human existence. The science that gave birth to disastrous weapons now have no solution in their hands to replace the old glory these places once possessed.

When the worldly universities lack quality in coaching their students, there is a unique university with a difference. The greatest Guru of this university is the Triune God who revealed himself to mankind in various periods of human history as God the Father, God the Son,  and God the Holy Spirit.  Apart from teaching numerous valuable subjects, the living God handles another significant subject that no human genius could ever think of. The name of this branch of science is not mentioned in any dictionaries. This science is beyond what any human mind could ever comprehend.

Solutionology! The science of solutions that can only be handled by the living God.

When the worldly universities transmit wisdom on Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Physiology and Ecology to students, the Science of Solutionology is handled only by the living God of the Heavenly University. In this university, problems are clarified, reasons for the problem are analyzed and the right solution is recommended. The only qualification eligible for an admission in this university is a complete surrendering to the will of the Lord. In this university, theories will be taught systematically and intensive training will be given to those students who are willing to proceed.

Those who joined this university with shortage of wisdom graduated in flying colors adorning themselves with glittering pearls of wisdom. Those shepherds who learned here became powerful leaders, mighty kings and great prophets. The intensive coaching in this university transformed Moses, born as a slave in Egypt, as one of the most efficient and powerful leaders the world had ever seen. That coaching inspired him and strengthened him to lead almost 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years.

When David’s parents and brothers ignored him and considered him as a weakling, the Lord chose him as the future king of Israel and trained him in this university according to his own will.

Amos, an ordinary shepherd from Tekoa testifies in his own words how the Lord promoted him to the enviable position of prophet in Israel-

“I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel” (Amos 7 : 14 & 15).

Now the most significant question is, where is this university located at? Don’t waste your precious time looking for it in world maps because you won’t find it there. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, found out that genuine wisdom can be acquired by kneeling at the feet of the Lord and that is where this university is located.

We claim that we have a Father in heaven and He takes care of us each and every moments in our life. However, some times, especially when we have to go through trials and tribulations, we may feel that we are alone and abandoned by the Lord. Even King David who had always experienced the comforting presence of the omni-present God fell into the trap of doubting God.

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13 : 1).

Alex Haley, the author of  the best seller, Roots, had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was the picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. Once one of his friends asked him-

“Why is this strange picture on the wall?”

Alex Haley answered-

“Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words, and think that they are wonderful and to begin to think proud of myself, I look at the picture of the turtle on top of the fence post. That picture reminds me that the turtle didn’t get there on his own. It had help”.

Even when sitting on the golden throne of Israel, wearing the golden crown on his head, the symbolic expression of victory and holding the golden sceptre, the emblem of royal authority, King David says,

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103 : 2)

If we have to give thanks to the Lord, we should have the willingness to spend a few moments to look back and remember the miraculous ways the Lord had led us in the past. Just ask ourselves-

“Where I have started in my life and where I have reached in my life?”

None of us can answer this question without tearful eyes, for we know from the depth of our heart that the blessings we are enjoying in our life is only by His grace and we don’t deserve it.

Secondly, if we have to remember the heavenly blessings we enjoy each and every day, we have to spare a few moments in the midst of our hectic schedules. As long as time is much more precious than money, only a person with a grateful heart would be willing to spare those few moments.

When somebody does something good in our life, a cultured person living in a sophisticated society would say at least a ‘thank you’.  Later, he may forget about the incident.  But if a person risks his life to save a stranger or his enemy from some kind of danger or disaster, walking away by just uttering casually a ‘thank you’ and forgetting about it is the height of ungratefulness.

Unfortunately, some times we easily forget the goodness of the Lord.  Some of the believers are selfish to such an extend that their attitude breaks the heart of the Lord. They are confined to the small circle of their families.  The only thoughts in their life is focused on their prosperity and their bright future. Their only concentration is on how to solve their problems and how they can become rich instantly. They live as if they are the only one existing on the surface of this planet. Such believers regularly forget the blessings of the Lord and remember Him only when they are in need. They kneel down to pray only when there is an emergency in their life. Whenever they have to undergo bitter experiences in their spiritual journey, they get upset and irritated and some times go to the extreme extend of denying the Lord like Peter.

For them, God is a remote-controlled robot, existing only to bless them, protect them from all their dangers and heal them when they are sick.

If there is anybody who consider God as a supreme being existing only to shower worldly blessings on him/her? If so, he or she has formulated a wrong theory or philosophy that doesn’t match at all with the truths recorded in the word of God. Instead of  their futile efforts to control God, he or she should submit to the will of  God.

Whether we are prospering or undergoing agonies in our lives, realize the fact that we are not alone in our spiritual journey. Our loving Lord is always with us. Even when walking through the fierce shadows of death, King David says with a grateful heart-

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23 : 4).

When we are in trials, be grateful to the Lord for not leaving us alone. Be grateful to him for safeguarding us and leading us even through the valley of the shadow of death. When our long-cherished dreams are fulfilled, when we feel that we have reached the top of the world while many are undergoing struggle for existence, remember with a grateful heart that we didn’t reach there on our own. The one who promised, “I would never leave thee nor forsake thee”, was holding our hands till we reached our destination.