AATHAVAN - Tuesday, August 18, 2020
TODAY’S BIBLE MEDITATION
- Bro. M. Geo Prakash
"Take heed unto thyself, and
unto the doctrine; continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save
thyself, and them that hear thee." (1 Timothy 4:16)
There is a big difference between
Bible verses and words in the books of the world. World poets and sages have
gone on to give many advices to the people. But if we look at what percentage
of them adhered to it would be very low. It is easy for anyone to give advices
to others. But, they are hard to follow.
Paul Apostle says that the preacher
who proclaims Christ to the world should not be like this. "Persevere in
these things and in doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to
you." If we are to direct others to salvation we must first have the
experience of living in accordance with the teachings we teach. Otherwise our
speech will be like the speech of a petty politician. That speech does not work
in the hearts of others.
A famous poet of Tamil Nadu lived his
life in prostitution and alcoholism. But he also taught that alcohol and
prostitution should be avoided by others. He wrote many songs propaganding his
views. To those who ask him about it, he says, "I speak from my
experience." He enjoyed wine and liquor throughout. But taught others
should not enjoy them. But what is the use of his teaching? He is useless to
himself as well as to others. All the books of world justice are like this. Justice
books are bountiful in Tamil than in other languages. But what's the use?
Jesus Christ said, "First take
the beam out of thine own eye, and then proceed to take out the straw out of other’s
eye." It is a good thing to pick up the straw from the eyes of others. But
before that it is important to keep our eyes clean.
Paul wrote the above verses to his
disciple Timothy. The purpose of evangelism is to lead others to salvation. If
that purpose is to be fulfilled, then what is being taught must be followed and
taught. The reason why most evangelical proclamations today are useless is that
those who proclaim them do not have enough self-experience or adherence to any
teaching.
This applies not only to the great
pastors, but to all of us. Beloved, try to apply the scriptures we read in our
life. Only then can we be enlightened to others. By our deeds others will come
to know Christ and come straight to salvation.
AATHAVAN - August - 17, 2020 Monday
TODAY’S BIBLE MEDITATION
- Bro. M. Geo Prakash
"Son, you are always with me.
Everything I have is yours." (Luke 15:31)
The parable of Jesus Christ, quoted
in Luke 15, is excellent. This is called the parable of the prodigal son or the
parable of the good father.
We know that this parable in general
illustrates the love of the Father. How the father loves the wronged son and
longs for when he will return to his senses. It means that God eagerly expects
us to repent and come to Him.
But this parable contains a different
idea. That is, the younger son loved the property of the father more than the
father and the relationship with the father. What he did not know at first was
that he would get all those assets if he had a relationship with his father. He
knew it after poverty had shattered his life.
After splitting his father's
property, he goes away and spends it lavishly and then returns to his father
after living in poverty. Many Christians today make the same mistake. We desire
the worldly blessings that God gives more than our relationship with Him. Many
Christian ministers refer to this as blessing. But God wants us to live in a
relationship with Him. Take a house.. Does it make sense for everyone in the
house to talk and have cordial relations with each other? God wants us to live
in a relationship with Him like this.
The prayers and supplications of many
today are not about seeking God inwardly. Their prayers are aimed at the
father's property like this extravagant son. They pray for worldly blessings.
That is why they seek God. Because he is a merciful Father, he can answer our
prayers. But it will not satisfy our life. God is waiting for us like this
Father. He wants us to live in a lasting relationship with him. When will you
come to love me?
So when we come he will gladly look
at us and tell us as he told his eldest son. "Son, daughter, you are
always with me. Everything I have is yours."
Our goal should be to receive the
true total blessing of God. That is why Jesus Christ said, "Seek first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things will be added to
you." (Matthew 6:33) If we seek God, His blessings will automatically come
to us.
Let us cling to Him who is the source
of all blessings, rather than asking God to divide us into parts and receive
meager blessings. The Lord Himself will fill us with the blessings of this
world and the next.
AATHAVAN - Sunday, August 16, 2020
TODAY’S BIBLE MEDITATION
- Bro. M. Geo Prakash
"If anyone forces you to go a
mile, go with him two miles" (Matthew 5:41)
The implication of this verse is that
if someone asks you something, give it to him. Not only that, but given him
more than he wants. This is a very difficult process to follow in practice. But
when we live a life that is pleasing to God, God will repay us for what we
give. I am not yet complete in this matter. I mean I am not fully following
this. Yet God proved to me early on in my spiritual life that this verse was
true.
This has happened in 1994. Back then
I had an old Rajdoot bike. It only runs eighteen or twenty kilometers per
liter. Further, I had no other income also then. So I will use it very
sparingly. I will park it inside a church compound near Veppamoodu in Nagercoil
and take a bus to other places nearby. I will come back and take it home. Once
when I parked the bike like that a spiritual friend of mine came and asked if the
bike had petrol in it? The question was just like he was planning to go
somewhere else. I thought for a while and planned to say 'there is a little petrol
in it?' Then I thought for a minute and
said "yes, there is petrol in it ".
He said, “Then take the bike, I had
to go somewhere nearby” he insisted. Unable to deny his persuasion at the end, I
agreed. I took the bike and went with him thinking ‘God will take care of everything’.
After finishing the works on the way back home, I went to the nearest petrol
station and put a liter of petrol. I parked the bike and went to the counter
and paid for a liter and came back. (In those days we have to pay for petrol at
the counter) Then the petrol station employee kept some petrol in a small
measure and said to me, "Sir, open the petrol tank, I will pour this in
the tank. I do not understand anything." Why? Did you fill too little previously?
"
I did not understand anything then.
But when I got home God spoke in my soul. "Did you see? Did I not help you
even in this small matter? Continue to be honest like this."
I thought, I would not have had this
experience if I had not gone to the place with my friend by saying “there is no
petrol in my bike”. Also, when I told that friend about the incident the next
day, he said, "I just asked if I could put you a liter of petrol if you
said you don't have petrol."
Anyway I would not have had this
experience if I had told that friend a little lie. Yes God weighs us down even
when we are faithful in small things. Small matter but God has taught a great
lesson.
God is watching every word we speak
and every action we take and doing just to it. Beloved! Every command in
Scripture is as faithful and alive as this. They are not matters simply written
on paper with ink. God has done many things like this in my life. We can enjoy
the miracles of God in our daily lives when we believe in the scriptures and
truly obey God’s fantasies. Let us live faithfully before God and receive true
miracles in life and bear witness to the Word of God.
AATHAVAN - August - 15, 2020 Saturday
TODAY’S BIBLE MEDITATION
-Bro. M. Geo Prakash
"That he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his
Spirit in the inner man;" (Ephesians 3:16)
We need to be strengthened in our
spiritual life. We live in an experience similar to attending elementary school
in the early days of knowing God. Only then we start knowing the alphabets and
learn writing them. But we are not like that throughout our life. We study each
class in the course and come to a higher level of study such as MA, MBBS,
Engineering course etc.
So is the spiritual life. We must not
be always in the early stages of knowing Christ. We must be strengthened in
Christ Jesus. Paul Apostle says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his might." (Ephesians 6:10)
Many Christians think of miracles and
the gift of healing as a sign of strengthening in spirit. This is because of
today's wrong teachings. The real strength is that we are completely free from
sin and sinful habits.
That is why Apostle Paul says,
"Be strong in inner man, by his Spirit." What we see is the external status
of every human being. But God sees our inner state. That inner man must be
strengthened by the power of God. The power of the Spirit is not the same everyone.
God will fill us with His power according to our heart's desire and according
to God's will.
If we are still in our carnal
thoughts it means that we are not strong. Paul says, "I have fed you with
milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet
now are ye able” (1 Corinthians 3: 2)
“For
ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and
divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” ( 1 Corinthians 3 : 3 )
We must be strengthened by the power
of Christ to destroy the carnal thoughts, lust, envy, and so on. We can
proclaim the gospel in many ways. God's words can be spoken and written
wonderfully, but "for the kingdom of God is not in word , but in power."
(1 Corinthians 4:20) Yes, true power comes from the power of God's spirit.
Beloved, let us be guided by the power of the Spirit of God. Only then can we can
truly proclaim Christ to the world.
AATHAVAN - August - 14, 2020 Friday
TODAY’S BIBLE MEDITATION
-Bro. M. Geo Prakash
“To open their eyes, and to turn them
from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by
faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:18)
These are the words that God spoke to
Apostle Paul when he called him to His ministry. God clearly states here what
the work of a true servant is, to lead people straight from the darkness of
ignorance of God to the light of knowing God and to liberate those who get
caught up in Satan's activities and led them straight to God's ways.
But most Christian pastors and preachers
do not do this job. Many evangelicals in India and Tamil Nadu today lead people
straight from darkness to utter darkness and from satanic activities to more
satanic activities.
Jesus Christ said, "I am the
light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the light of life." (John 8:12) One can walk in the light only if he
knows Christ. But the blessings of the world are being proclaimed as gospel today
rather than proclaiming Christ. So people could not know the light.
We can notice great change in a man
who knows the true light. He cannot live like the people of the world. But
today the evangelicals and the people who follow them live far worse than the people
of the world. Many pastors are stepping on the doorstep of the court to seek
justice for their quarrel, not just quarrels between Christian churches,
quarrels within the church, property quarrels etc. This is the scene we see
today.
But all Christian pastors are not
like this. Real and good God’s servants are there. But in comparison, they are
numerically very few. But who is visible in the eyes of other people? Even if small
black dot is there in a white dress, that will catch others eyes.
We read in Acts that the disciples
were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). That is, those who lived
a real disciple life were called Christians by others. We are called to live
such a life. The true servant is the one who leads the people straight to this
life. Apostle John says, 'God is light, and in him is no darkness at all; (1
John 1: 5). Similarly, the true servant of God is the one who leads people
straight to God, who has no darkness.
Today many Christians are blindly
addicted to some celebrity evangelists and preachers just as fans of movie
stars today. Whatever this so called preachers says to them is like scripture.
AATHAVAN - August - 13, 2020 Thursday
TODAY’S BIBLE MEDITATION
-Bro. M. Geo Prakash
“I did this so that we would not be
corrupted by Satan; His tricks are not unknown to us.” (2 Corinthians 2:11)
I had a different experience when I
worked in a Non Governmental Organization (NGO). It reminded me of the above scripture.
At that time, AIDS Prevention and Control
Program was implemented at the NGO. Part of the program is to educate Women in
Prostitution (WIPs) about AIDS, how it spread and the preventive measures.
Accordingly, such women (WIPs) come to our office. They are named as Commercial
Sex Workers (CSWs). Sometimes, if I get an opportunity, I used to talk to them
about Jesus and His salvation.
I was once talking to a woman like
that. The talk some way turned to explaining sin. The woman said to me,
"Are you saying I am a sinner?" She asked. I said, "I'm not
saying you are a sinner. Everyone who is born into the world is born with a
sinful nature. We all are sinners”
Now the woman began to listen
carefully to what I was saying. She nodded and nodded her head as if approving
of what I was saying. I was happy inside. I was glad that this woman was
receiving the words of God in her heart. The woman also frequently asked some
suspicious questions. It boosted my confidence. After a while the woman said to
me, "Brother, you have told me all good things ... I have nothing to give
you. Stay with me tonight if you want. You need not pay me any money."
This answer shocked me.
Beloved! This is Satan's trick. Satan
is equal to Satan itself in creating an illusion that we are talking and doing good
and leading us straight to sin. That is why Jesus Christ said, "He was a
murderer from the beginning, because the truth is not in him, and he did not
remain in the truth; because he is a liar and the father of lies, he speaks in
his own words." (John 8:44)
Satan is the one who also tempted our
Lord Jesus Christ. His testing of us is nothing new. His trick is to talk like
good and lead us straight to evil. Like this Satan will tempt spiritual people
through other worldly men and women as well. That is why Apostle Paul quotes
this verse as a warning to us.
Beloved, men should be careful when
talking to a woman or a woman to man. I know many pastors and evangelists who
go to some houses to pray alone and fall into the sin of prostitution. My
advice to Christian ministers is this: Do not go to homes of your followers alone
for praying. Go when there are other family members also in the house where you
go to pray.
And as the scripture says, "Put
on the whole armor of God, which you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil." (Ephesians 6:11)
Those who rely on his own strength
are bound to fall into Satan's trap. Beloved, we can take victory over him only
if we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit on us. Let us confess and pray to
God. God's Spirit will lead us in a pure way.
AATHAVAN - Wednesday, August 12, 2020
TODAY’S BIBLE MEDITATION
- Bro. M. Geo Prakash
"For the time will come when
they will not listen to the doctrine of health, but will listen to their own
lusts and turn their ears away from the truth and turn to myths." (2
Timothy 4: 2, 3)
This is the verse that the apostle
Paul prophesied. "People are selecting pastors according to their own
desires," he says. That is, God has a desire or a will of His own, but
people know the pastors according to their own will instead. This is what is
happening today.
What is God's will or plan? The
apostle John says the purpose for which the Gospel was written which is also
His plan. He says, "These things
were written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, and that through his name you might have eternal life" (John 20:31).
That is the reality. The gospel was
written so that we might have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, the
Son of God. But many pastors and famous convention preachers in Tamil Nadu as
well as in India today do not talk about it. What they teach is just worldly
blessings. "The Lord will bless you, and you will prosper more and more.
If you pay a tithe of your earnings to the Lord, He will repay you
tenfold." Such are the false teachings of today's Gospel proclamation!
One will get as much as one wants.
That is what the runners to hear the blessing sermon gets. God will give
appropriate teachers to those who desire eternal life.
"I will give you pastors
according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and
understanding." (Jeremiah 3:15) God will give us pastors who are fit for
His heart when we want to live according to His will. They will shepherd us
with knowledge and wisdom.
But God will give meager pastors to
meager believers who want to fulfill their own desires. They lead the people
straight to destruction by teaching that myths are a blessing, as Paul says,
"The time will come when they will turn away the ears of the people from
the truth and turn to myths."
This happened not only today, but
also in Old Testament times. Seeing this, Psalm says, "Tears run down my
eyes because people do not keep your law." (Psalm 119: 136) The teachers
of that time also cheated the people so that they would not lead in a right
way.
Beloved, majority of the famous God’s
servants today are not giving the teachings that are God's will, but the
teachings of their own desires. Large crowds may gather to hear their sermons.
But God says that the gate that leads to destruction is wide and many enter
through it. All we have to do today is to pray for the real spiritual conversion
of these so called famous servants of God who are leading the people straight
to destruction. Let us pray for these preachers to repent.
AATHAVAN - August - 11, 2020 Tuesday
BIBLICAL MEDITATION FOR TODAY
- Bro. M. Geo Prakash
"Whosoever shall seek to save
his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve
it." (Luke 17:33)
Sadhu Sunder Singh, a Godly man who
lived in the early part of the twentieth century in India mentions an incident
in his book. That shows how the above verse was fulfilled in his life.
Sadhu Sundar Singh and another monk
were once walking along an ice valley on the Himalayas to preach the gospel at
a village in Tibet. They were walking so fast that they had to reach there before
nightfall. The cold was too severe. The fingers and earlobes looked numb. Suddenly
they saw a man fell on the path they were on, unable to bear the cold. Sadhu
Sundar Singh went near him and saw if he was alive. Yes, he was breathing
slowly.
Sadhu Sundar Singh said to the monk
who came with him, "Come and we will lift him up together." But the
other monk said, "Are you crazy? It's hard for us to survive. Sadhu Sundar
Singh told him, "No, he has life. We must not go without saving a human
life." But the monk did not agree. "I can't carry him with you and
die. You can lift him if you want," he said.
Sadhu Sundar Singh carried the man on
his shoulders and walked away. Doesn’t our body heat up when we work hard? Similarly
body of Sadhu Sundar Singh became hot that he became steady now. He could also
feel the movement of the man on his shoulder also. As he walked a short distance
in a little while, the man was somewhat alive. What happened? The heat caused
by the body to body friction made the man come to life.
Sadhu Sundar Singh continued to walk. At a distance
he saw a man lying on the snow. When he went
near him and saw, he knew that it was the monk who had come with him. He could
not withstand the cold and lay frozen to death. Then God spoke to Sadhu Sundar
Singh by this verse. "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it; he who
loses will bring it back to life." How the words of God are true!
Beloved! It is a warning to those who
live a selfish life. Helping others can somehow benefit us. Rather it can even
become a problem for ourselves when we act with the idea that we alone have to
escape. Even Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for the salvation of the people.
But God resurrected him and gave him a name above all names. We read this in
the Philippian epistle as follows: -
“Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth; And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father. (Philippians 2: 9-11)
We should not only look at the
wellbeing of ours, but also look at the well-being of others even when we
suffer for that cause. May the Lord give us the strength to do so and bless us.
AATHAVAN - August - 10, 2020 Monday
BIBLICAL MEDITATION FOR TODAY
- Bro. M. Geo Prakash
"Therefore thus saith the Lord
GOD; because you multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and
have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have
done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you” (Ezekiel
5: 7)
Many Christians, who claim themselves
spiritual Christians, believe prayer and reading scripture are the only means
of spiritual life. Many spiritual Christians do not have the justice or
fairness that the people of the world have. Many Christian ministers also
emphasize prayer and scripture reading, but do not insist on living a life of
truth, justice, and righteousness.
I have many other religious brothers
and sisters and also atheists. But many of them are more just in many ways than
people who claim to be spiritual Christians. It was this situation that
confused me the most in my early Christian life. Many, who claim to have
received the Holy Spirit, as well as many Christian Ministers, are involved in
deception and sexual activity.
I knew a Thasildhar who was in the
ministry. He is accused of praying to the Lord in his Government office.
Complaints against him were sent to superiors. But not many people know that
this man is a big cheater. This man has been in the full-time ministry since
his retirement.
A friend of mine purchased a piece of
land from this Thasildhar. But when the friend who bought the land went to
fence the land it was found he was deceived. The man had deceived and sold the
land by preparing false documents (as he was a Thasildhar he easily did it). When
it came to light the Thasildhar has disappeared. His cell phone has been
switched off.
Aren't there many who do not know God
who live more truthfully and honestly than this man who acts like a third kind
of scoundrel? This is an example. I can cite many Christian Ministers like.
At the same time a teacher friend of
mine who has an atheistic policy is 100% faithful. He lives by the truth, no
matter how small. For example, what would we say if someone gave us a wedding
invitation? “Definitely coming?” But he
is the one who thinks he should not lie even in that. Looking at the calendar, he
would say, “I have another job that day so I don't have a chance to come.” Many
call him an over-preacher.
Beloved, is
the deceiver who serves God worthy of God? or is this atheist teacher who denies God? That
is why God says he will annihilate you if you do not walk according to the
righteous judgments of the Gentiles around you.
Beloved, there are many things we
need to learn from watching other people around us without turning a blind eye
to nonsense. We cannot proclaim Christ because we are clothed in white and
carrying the Bible unless we live up to those righteous judgments. Let us pray
and live with justice. That is also proclamation of the gospel.
AATHAVAN - August 9, 2020, Sunday
BIBLICAL MEDITATION FOR TODAY
- Bro, M. Geo Prakash, Mobile: 96889 33712
Let us meditate on the verse from Proverbs 28: 13:
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
Generally, people do not confess their sins. Not only that, if the mistakes are pointed out to him, but the person also gets angry and stops talking with that person. However, no sins can be concealed from God. We will receive mercy if we confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
During the beginning of my realization of God, one teacher of my father’s age was talking to me. While talking to him, somehow our conversation turned back to the subject of the Bible. He asked me, "Brother, you always say about sin and sin? What is sin?" I said, "Transgressing the commandments of God is sin." He sarcastically asked me, "Do you mean the Ten Commandments or the commandments of the Church?”
I told him that there is a list of sins given in the Bible. For example, I cited from 1 Corinthians chapter: 6 verses 9 and 10 that says: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
After hearing these words, he suddenly became furious at me. He angrily slandered me saying "you childish guy, did you know about me? Do you say I am having sex with men? Did you see it? Did you see it? I am your father’s age. It was my fault to talk to a childish person like you.” Later I came to know that he had such a sinful habit.
This is how many people get angry when others tell them their sins.
If somebody points out our sins, we should explore its truth in the presence of God. If they are true, we should correct them and ask for God’s forgiveness. Sometimes God speaks to us through others and makes us realize our sins.
Today’s verse says very harshly, “He who covers his sins shall not prosper” This amounts to a curse. If God says that he shall not prosper, he will never prosper in his life.
Dear friends, we may hide our sins from others. But we could not hide from God. Let us sincerely confess our sins to God. If we confess before God, He will definitely forgive even our indirect sins that no one knows,. Not only that, but He will also liberate us from such sinful habits so that we will not repeat those sins.
“O if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36)
Message by:
AATHAVAN - August - 8, 2020 Saturday
"Blessed is the man that
endureth temptation: for when he is righteous, he shall receive the crown of
life which the LORD hath promised to them that love him." (James 1:12)
I once met a friend who works at the
Kolar goldmine. I learned a few things while talking to him. Gold is not as
shiny and beautiful as the gold we see when it is cut out of a cave. Rather it
will be just dirt. It is just like clay, with no difference from normal
soil. To extract it, it is heated in a
furnace and melted and subjected to various stages to remove the soil from it.
Then, if it is to be turned into jewelry, the goldsmith melts it down, beats it
with a hammer, and turns it into jewelry. The hardship met by the glittering
gold jewelry on the shelves at the jewelry store is unknown to us.
Job, the Old
Testament believer, knew this clearly. That is why he said, "Yet he knows
the way I go; I will be golden when he tests me." (Job 23:10).
It is necessary for God to change
people to be like Himself. Just as gold is extracted from the earth, so God
separates and transforms one from the rest of the world to make one worthy of
Him. It is God's separation from us that is the cause of our worldly suffering.
Just as the gold extracted from the soil does not stick to the soil later, so
the man extracted from the people of the world by God cannot be reconciled to
them, nor can they function as they are. This is the cause of the suffering of
those who want to live in a way that pleases God. That is why Jesus Christ
said: "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; the world
hates you, because ye are not of the world, but I know you from the
world." (John 15:19)
Beloved! Why do you worry about this worldly
suffering and murmur about it as it is for you alone? Do you think that people
who live wicked lives are prosperous and happy and deviate from your integrity?
Know that God is overpowering you. Scripture says that the wicked will prosper.
(Psalm 73: 3-7) It is like grass. But "the righteous shall flourish like a
palm tree, and shall grow as the cedar in Lebanon" (Psalm 92:12).
"The fining pot is for silver,
and the furnace for gold; but the Lord trieth the hearts” (Proverbs 17: 3) Let
us live faithfully before the Lord, who tests our hearts, and does not let
trials tempt us. The Lord Himself will transform us in to gold and use us.
AATHAVAN -August 3, 2020, Monday
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