- Bro. M. Geo Prakash
AATHAVAN 🔥 947🌻
September 01, 2023 Friday
"...for the children of this world are in
their generation wiser than the children of light." (Luke 16: 8)
Spiritually living people
cannot do many things that the people of this world do; Many businesses cannot
be run by them successfully. The reason is that; you can do business like a
worldly person successfully only if you pretend to be like this world. But in
today's world, many who claim to be spiritual Christians, even though they
claim to be doing spiritual worship, are engaging in various wrongdoings like
worldly people without any conscience.
People who live a truly
spiritual life are often considered fools by their families and the rest of the
world. Because they do not act like other human beings. Some of their actions
may seem foolish to others. Due to this, even the family sometimes consider
them as fools.
The main reason for this is
that worldly people use their brain knowledge to predict the pros and cons of
an action and decide. People who live a spiritual life make decisions according
to the guidance of the Spirit. So, others see the actions of spiritual men as
foolishness.
This is what Jesus Christ
says in today's meditation verse. Children of light are people who live the
life of Christ who is the light. The children of this world are the people
living the life of this world. They are more intelligent than the people of
light in this world view because they make decisions with brain knowledge.
This
is what the apostle Paul said, "We are fools for
Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye
are honourable, but we are despised." ( 1 Corinthians 4 : 10 )
But God chooses for himself
only those who live a foolish spiritual life. "But
God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty" ( 1 Corinthians 1 : 27 ) says Paul.
The
reason is, "For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own
craftiness.” (1 Corinthians 3: 19) Yes, although others seem wise and
intelligent to the world, they are fools before God. Yes, God does not see things
like men.
Beloved, what Jesus Christ
says in today's meditation verse can only be fully understood by those who live
a spiritual life. So, we spiritual people need not worry if we are considered
less intelligent than the children of this world. Because, as the apostle Paul
says, “God hath chosen the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are mighty”. Let's
continue our spiritual journey without being disturbed."
AATHAVAN 🔥 948🌻
Saturday, September 02, 2023
"The kingdom of God cometh not with
observation. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold,
the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17: 20, 21)
There is a difference
between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of God is
what people who live a spiritual life in this world experience. It is the
kingdom of people living spiritual lives. That is why Jesus Christ said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with
observation. Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold,
the kingdom of God is within you." But the kingdom of heaven is the
kingdom what we will enjoy after our death as a reward for the good deeds we
have done.
Although the Jews believed
that Christ, the Messiah, would come to this world to establish the kingdom of
God, they thought it would be a government like the world government. That is
why they asked Jesus Christ when the Kingdom of God would come. Yes, the Jews
did not understand exactly what the Kingdom of God is.
The
apostle Paul clearly explained what the kingdom of God is. "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14: 17)
Righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit. These are the possessions
of the people of God's kingdom.
If we are to qualify for
this kingdom of God, we must become children. That means we should become
childlike and guileless. When people brought little children to Jesus Christ,
His disciples forbade them. Then Jesus looked at them and said. “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not: for of such is the kingdom of God. ( Luke 18 : 16 )
Beloved, if we want to
qualify for the kingdom of heaven, we must first qualify for the kingdom of God
in this world. As the apostle Paul says, it is necessary to live with emphasis
on justice, peace, and the joy of the Holy Spirit without giving importance to
worldly things such as food and drink (i.e. worldly things).
Yes, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither
shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is
within us. The kingdom of God is within
us. It cannot be known by people living ordinary worldly life. We can
experience it when we live a spiritual life. While living in this world,
we should try to live worthy of God's kingdom. Then God will include us in the
kingdom of heaven.
AATHAVAN 🔥 949🌻
Sunday, September 03, 2023
"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye
have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles
of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong
meat." (Hebrews 5: 12)
Any living thing develops
day by day. Lifeless stone, soil, etc. will remain the same for ever. So,
growth is a sign of life. And many species cannot immediately eat the food that
their species eat when they are born. When we were born, we were unable to eat
anything but milk.
The same is the case in the
spiritual life. We do not immediately become fully spiritual people upon attaining
salvation. We become experts in spiritual life by learning and growing through
various teachings, experiences, and life lessons. The teachers who lead us give
us wisdom. This is what the apostle Paul said, "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) says.
How
do we discover that we are still children in the spiritual life? Even after
having many spiritual experiences, we still have the qualities of jealousy,
arguments, religious congregations like ordinary people, which shows that we
have not yet developed in our spiritual life. The same apostle Paul says, "For
ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and
divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of
Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" (1
Corinthians 3: 3, 4)
If one is spiritually
developed, such qualities will be removed from us. Beloved, let us examine
ourselves. Are we still in the milk-eating state or have we qualified to eat
solid food?
Some children do not have
any development even fed with nutritious food. Similarly, some people do not
see growth in spiritual life no matter how many years. That is what the author
of Hebrews says in today's verse. That is, if you count the time when you came
into Christ, you should have become qualified pastors by now. But still
"you have to be preached again the original doctrines of the words of
God."
Also,
the next verse of today's verse says, "For every
one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a
babe." (Hebrews 5: 13) Yes, we do not know the path of the
word of righteousness if we are spiritual babe. Therefore, it is necessary that
we grow in spiritual life and become able to eat strong food. Only then can we
become adapted in the spiritual life.
AATHAVAN 🔥 950🌻
September 04, 2023 Monday
"If I
regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalms 66: 18)
All those who believe in God
pray. Everyone longs for God to hear and answer their prayers. People
who do not believe in God and do not pray live with many benefits in the world.
Generally, we all think that prayer is to ask God for worldly blessings and to
receive them is the success of prayer.
But prayer is receiving and
experiencing God, the source of life; Associating ourselves with Him. Our
applications will be different when we so align ourselves with Him. Then we
will prioritize spiritual things and pray. We will experience God's presence in
our prayer times.
Today in the world we see
many wicked and evil people flourishing. Therefore, worldly prosperity has
nothing to do with prayer and God's blessings. Yes beloved, we must not be
deceived by worldly prosperity. This is because the scriptures say that the
wicked will prosper. "For I was envious at the
foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in
their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men;
neither are they plagued like other men." (Psalms 73: 3- 5) But
their end is like grass
Instead, the righteous will
seek God. His blessing will be different. Yea, "The
righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in
Lebanon." (Psalms 92: 12) says the Vedas. The palm tree cannot be
said to be prosperous. But it thrives in dry areas. Its entire body is useful
for humans. And so is the righteous. It is a sign of complete blessing.
The Bible was not written
for worldly prosperity. In today's meditation verse, the psalmist is speaking
from a spiritual perspective. Yes, if we regard iniquity
in our heart, the Lord will not hear us. This is what God said through
the prophet Isaiah, "But your iniquities have
separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you,
that he will not hear." ( Isaiah 59 : 2 ) Yes, our iniquities
separate us from God.
But today many are unaware
that God has hidden His face from them because, they are receiving worldly
blessings. They consider themselves loved by God. If the prosperity of the
wicked and corrupt is a blessing from God, then we worship God in vain. It is
also in vain that we live a good and holy life. Can we live and die like them?
In the next verse of today's
verse, the psalmist affirms, "But verily God
hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer." (Psalms
66: 19) Yes, it is not as worldly people say. It is of surety that God
has answered my prayer.
Yes, beloved, if we regard iniquity in our heart, the Lord will not hear
us. But when we live a life according to God, even if we do not get the
worldly things that we ask for in our prayers, even then we could say,
"God has heard me and heard the sound of my prayer. But for some purpose,
He is delaying to give me what I asked for. Let us remove the wicked thought
from ourselves; we will experience the presence of God and have the assurance that
God hears us.
AATHAVAN 🔥 951🌻
Tuesday, September 05, 2023
"Say ye
not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy;
neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself;
and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." (Isaiah 8: 12, 13)
When we have sufferings,
diseases and problems in the world, people around us will tell us various
tricks as if they are speaking for our good. "Curses are the cause of your
troubles today" they say; Or, they advise, "Try fortune-telling people
just once." Further, they advise us to follow various restrictions and
tricks to please God.
Today's verse brings clarity
to people who are struggling with such problems and sufferings. It says that
whatever these people call restraint, you do not call restraint, and do not
fear and be alarmed according to the fear they fear. Not only that, it says
that you should commit yourselves to living a holy life according to the Lord
by trusting Him.
As
we continue reading today's meditation verse, Isaiah says, "And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that
have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not
a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?" (Isaiah 8:
19)
Believing in soothsayers is
not the solution to our problems. Those soothsayers are dead in spirit; We are
alive. Should not a people seek unto their God? for
the living to the dead?"
We have to fear only the
living God. When we fear Him, we seek to live holy lives. Yea, "Sanctify
the Lord of hosts; let him be your fear, and he your dread."
Beloved, the people around
us may be of different beliefs. They will advise us according to their faith.
But we believe in the living God. Therefore, today's verse advises us to
sanctify the Lord of hosts, without fear or dismay, according to the fear they
fear.
And,
"The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his
way preserveth his soul." (Proverbs 16: 17) Let us turn away evil
things from ourselves and walk on a straight path. Then we will save our souls.
Yes, when we live as it is
said, "hallow the Lord of hosts; let him be your fear" we will not
consider all the unwanted restrictions and we will not be afraid and disturbed
according to the fear they fear.
AATHAVAN 🔥 952🌻
Wednesday, September 06, 2023
"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the
LORD will take me up." (Psalms 27: 10)
Will mother and father
abandon us? Many people wonder if this is possible. But the fact that, this can
happen is confirmed by various events happening in this world.
Some parents, despite
raising their children lovingly when they are young, show a sense of difference
between their children as they grow up. There are parents in the world who
abandon one son and depend on another for money and luxury.
I have seen a person having two
sons, join the younger son who lives comfortably in a good position and ignores
the elder son. It was the elder son who helped for the education of his younger
brother with the money he earned from working as a mason. But now the younger
brother has achieved a good position. Now he hesitates even to tell the poor
brother that he was born with him.
Younger brother's wife is a
teacher. The children study in a convent school. Now he takes his mother and
father with him as he needs someone to take care of the children and help. As
the mother and father have got a good life, they have also written down their
assets to the younger son. The eldest son and his wife and children live in
poverty.
Beloved, such incidents may
have happened during the reign of King David. He might have been treated as
second class in his home. Having seen such experiences, he says, "When my
father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up."
Prophet Samuel comes to
David's father Jesse's house to choose whom to choose as the next king of
Israel. When he asked Jesse about his children, he introduced his seven
children to Samuel. But the Lord did not choose any one of those seven.
Then Samuel said to Jesse,
"Are here all your children?" After asking that, he replies, "there
remains yet the youngest, and behold, he keep the sheep." Yes, Isaiah did
not introduce David to Samuel in the first place because he thought little of
him (1 Samuel 16: 4 - 11). But it was David, who was counted as little, who was
used by God.
Not only mother and father
but also relatives can ignore us at times. This is a world that values only
pomp, position, money and status. But the Lord is the only one who looks at our
heart and smallness. Yes, "The LORD also will be
a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." (Psalms 9:
9) David also says this from experience. His brothers thought little of
him.
Beloved, today you may be
neglected and underestimated by family, friends, and society. Do not be
disturbed. "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will
take me up." Report that with faith. The Lord will miraculously exalt
you among others. Those who think lightly will know it as a wonderful thing.
AATHAVAN 🔥 953🌻
September 07, 2023 Thursday
"Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an
offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those
that be of men." (Matthew 16: 23)
According to today's
meditation verse by Jesus Christ, many of us are Satan at times. Yes, all of us
many times think of things that are not the will of God, but think and act on
things that are pleasing us.
Jesus is mentioning Peter as
Satan. He had praised this same Peter a little while ago. "Whom do men say
that I the son of man am?" Jesus asked the disciples a question. Then they
said, "Some say that thou art John the Baptist:
some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." (Matthew
16: 14)
Then he said to the
disciples, "Whom say ye that I am?" To this Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God."( Matthew 16 : 16 ) Then Jesus looked at Peter and said, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew
16: 17)
But in today's verse, he
refers to the same Peter as Satan. If the beloved disciple - the chief
disciple, Peter, who spoke contrary to the Father's will, is Satan, whom we
shall be we if we act according to our own will? The only reason Peter spoke
contrary to the Father's will was due to his love for Jesus Christ. Peter could
not accept Jesus Christ dying on the cross. But Jesus Christ says that no
matter what suffering comes or what negative situation we face, we must not act
contrary to the Father's will. That is what he calls the experience of carrying
the cross.
That's
why Jesus says in the next verse of today's meditation, " If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow me." ( Matthew 16 : 24 ) That is, even
if we love as Peter loved Jesus, we will suffer. Let us carry the cross and
follow him.
It is not God's will to take
shortcuts to get rid of suffering; When we try to do that, we become Satan, as
Jesus said. Then Jesus will look at us and say as he said to Peter, “thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the
things that be of God, but those that be of men." Therefore,
whatever we do, it is necessary to think whether it is suitable for God.
Christ says that although we
do various devotional activities and acts of love out of love for Christ,
obedience to the will of the Father is above all. Let the Holy Spirit guide us
by showing us the way to know and do the will of God or the will of the Father.
Only then can we be worthy of God.
AATHAVAN 🔥 954🌻
September 08, 2023 Friday
"And every
spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ come in the flesh is not of God:
and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world." (1 John 4: 3)
We may have seen many
non-Christians have the image of Jesus Christ in their business establishments.
For them, Jesus is a deity like any other deity. That is all. Many may claim
that Jesus is God, Lord. Saying like this is not a pleasing confession; On the
contrary, it is to declare that Jesus Christ, who came into the world as a man,
is the only Son of the Father and that He is the Lord, and that there is
salvation through Him only.
To confirm today's verse,
John says in his second epistle that such deceitful antichrist-spirited men
still exist. “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”
(2 John 1: 7)
Today's verse says that any
spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ is not from God. Not only that, “this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard
that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." The
scriptures tell us that in the last days Antichrist will come and persecute the
believers. But this verse says that the spirit of the Antichrist is still now active
in the world.
Regarding Jesus Christ we
read, "And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians
2: 11) Only when we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord do we give glory
to God the Father. If we claim that Jesus Christ is one like all the other gods,
it means that we have the spirit of Antichrist in us.
Therefore, "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of
God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." ( 1 John 4 : 15 )
Beloved, many people often
say, "Just as all rivers flow into the same ocean, all religions tell us
many ways to reach the same God." Human intelligence may think that this
is a revolutionary idea and that it can be true. But if so, then Jesus Christ
would not have said "I am the way". Yes, he is the Lord; He is the
way. Confessing this is confessing Jesus Christ.
Thus
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved." ( Romans 10 : 9 ) says the scriptures.
This is why in today's
verse, Jesus Christ's beloved disciple John said, every
spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ come in the flesh is not of God:
and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world."
We are called to confess
Jesus Christ in the way the scriptures say and attain his salvation. If we say that
Jesus is a preacher, god, and lord like other gods, it means that we have the
spirit of Antichrist in us that we heard about.
AATHAVAN 🔥 955🌻
September 09, 2023 Saturday
"For thus
saith the LORD God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall
the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the
earth.” (1 Kings 17 : 14 )
Today's verse tells us about
helping God’s servants in their ministries.
Today's verse is the words
spoken by the prophet Elijah to the widow of Zarephath. When there was a severe
famine in the country, Elijah came to the village of Zarephath as directed by
God. God had already arranged a widow there for Elijah to help him. The widow
was also suffering from the famine and offers to help Elijah even though she
has not enough flour and oil for one meal.
See
what she says: - "I have not a cake, but a
handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am
gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we
may eat it, and die." ( 1 Kings 17 : 12 )
Beloved, consider that
famine. It was a severe famine. Because of that famine, even those who lived in
good comfort would have suffered without food. Now also she and her son are not
even able to eat for a while. She knows that afterwards she and her son will die
afterwards. But she bakes the first bread for Elijah even in that desperate
state of poverty.
There are two reasons for
this. First, she firmly believed what Elijah said as Lord had said. The second
is her compassionate nature and desire to help God's man.
Yes, the flour in the pot
and the oil did not run out as Elijah said. She would have helped many people
during that famine with that flour and oil that never failed. All this was
because she believed in the words of the God-man and helped him. Beloved, God consider
our help even though the so-called God’s servants are true or falls. Let us not
check whether the servants are genuine or fake. To know it belongs to God. God
will help us when we help his servants; He will also help us to help many people.
"For God is
not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed
toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do
minister." (Hebrews 6: 10)
Yes, God is not unrighteous to
forget our minister to the saints with our money.
AATHAVAN 🔥 956🌻
Sunday, September 10, 2023
"And
I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness;
that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting
habitations." ( Luke 16 : 9 )
Many of the tools we use in
this world are made for good things. But they do good or bad things according
to the situation or character of those who use them. Let us take a knife for
example. A knife can be used to chop vegetables, meat and fish. Also one can be
killed with the same knife.
Likewise with money and
worldly wealth. Worldly wealth is meant for us to use for good. But they are
also like knives. So, today's verse calls it "unrighteous worldly
thing". We should use the things of the world as we use the knife for good
things.
For example, we can use
money for many good things and at the same time it can be used for things like
drinking, adultery or prostitution, corruption, and bribery. It means that we
earn friends with worldly goods when used for good things. We can use our
wealth not only for God's work, but also for charity and good social works.
When we do this, it means
that we are making friends with unrighteous worldly goods. Thus, the charity we
do with worldly goods "for the administration of
this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by
many thanksgivings unto God" ( 2 Corinthians 9 : 12 ) Paul the
apostle said. Yes, many people praise God and give thanksgiving for our sake
and thus earn us friends.
Beloved, we are not only have
to earn material things properly; it is also necessary to spend the earned
money in a good manner. When we spend it well, there will be saints who will
welcome us into their eternal homes when we die. That is why Jesus Christ says “make
to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness”.
Jesus gives today's verse
after telling a parable about an unrighteous accountant. He tries to earn
friends by causing loss to his master in worldly goods because he wants friends
in the world. We earn friends by spending things in a good way so that we can
have friends in the heavenly home.
AATHAVAN 🔥 957🌻
Monday, September 11, 2023
"And the Spirit of the LORD will come
upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another
man." ( 1 Samuel 10 : 6 )
The words of Samuel the prophet
to Saul is our meditation today.
Samuel's main message here
is "The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will become a
different man." Yes, the Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit that sets us
apart; Spirit that renews us. Those who say that we do spiritual worship, that
we go to spiritual worshipping church, and that we have received the anointment
of the Holy Spirit, have to check themselves whether they are truly a different
person as they say.
The
apostle Paul said, "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8: 11) That
is, our body and soul, which are addicted to sin, have died to sin, and come
alive to righteousness.
Then we will be freed from
sin both physically and mentally. We will know the spiritual secrets of God. "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the
spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but
the Spirit of God." ( 1 Corinthians 2 : 11 ) says Paul. When we are
like this, we are a different person.
We cannot overcome sin with our
own strength without the help of the Holy Spirit. A holy life cannot be lived. We
cannot live a life of witness to Christ. Only when we live with the strength of
the spirit can we become a different person. Worldly men cannot fully know the
activities of spiritual men. Because they are, as today's verse says,
"another person."
This is what Jesus Christ also
said, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and
thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and
whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." ( John
3 : 8 )
We are not called to live
like the people of the world. We are called to live a higher separated life.
Only when we live like that can we become witnesses in our home, town, community,
and the entire world.
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth." (Acts 1: 8)
Let us pray for the Holy
Spirit and for His anointing. Only then can we become a different person and
live a life of witness.
AATHAVAN 🔥 958🌻
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
"The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him;
and he will shew them his covenant." (Psalms 25: 14)
It is something we can see
in the world that many people who claim to be Christians are pious during
worship times but then when it comes to worldly life, they speak bad words and
engage in bad activities and live various immoral lives like the wicked of the
world.
This is because they are
pious but, do not live a holy life. Because they have no fear of God. So, they
are just worshiping Christians. But today's verse says, "The secret of the
Lord is with those who fear him." Today's verse says that, He will make
His secret covenant known to those who fear Him.
What
is the secret? The apostle Paul says this as mystery. "To
whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among
the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians
1: 27) Yes, the glory of the Lord was revealed in the past to other gentiles
who did not know the Lord and set his own people apart by various wonders. God
willed to make known to His saints what that glory was like; "The secret
is that Christ is in us as the hope of glory." Christ will work within us in this worldly
life so that we have the hope of a glorious life in the afterlife. When he
works like that, we will live as different people.
Apostle
Paul says that God chose him to announce this as good news to the people. "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the
dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of
God" (Colossians 1: 25)
Christ
will come and work in us according to this secret when we live a godly life, or
make efforts to do so. "Behold, I stand at the
door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3: 20) says
the Lord Jesus Christ. The secret is that Jesus Christ comes into us and dine
with us.
The
God who created the heavens and the earth and rules the whole world says that
he will come and stay and dine with us. So, when He comes and dwells among us,
He will make His covenant known to them. That covenant is not like the old
covenant written in stone. The author of Hebrews says, "This is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will
put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them"(
Hebrews 10 : 16 )
Let us commit ourselves to
living a holy life in the fear of the Lord. Yes, "The secret of the Lord
is with those who fear Him; to them He will make known His covenant".
AATHAVAN 🔥 959🌻
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
"Thus saith
the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn
unto you, saith the LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 1: 3)
Our
God is not zealous like worldly men; He knows human weakness. No matter how
long we have forgotten and ignored Him, He forgives and accepts us because He
has mercy and forgiveness. That is why He says, “Turn
ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you."
In the book of Daniel we
read, "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we
have rebelled against him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD
our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the
prophets." (Daniel 9: 9, 10)
Beloved,
we may have forgotten him for countless days. Our age may also be very high.
But because He has mercy and forgiveness, He accepts us when we return to Him
wholeheartedly.
But today most of the people
do not turn their face towards God like I was in the past showing their back to
God. They appeal to God only when suffering comes in their lives. God says this
through Jeremiah, "Thou hast brought me forth:
for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of
their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us." ( Jeremiah 2 : 27 ) God
made me realize this. This should be made clear to these people.
Yes.
as Jeremiah says, I lived as one who showed him not my face but my back. I was
a sub-editor of a communist monthly and was writing articles and poems that
would turn people straight to immorality. But at the age of 36 I came to know
Christ through a brother who was 10 years younger than me and turned my face
towards Him. He also returned to me, as the LORD of hosts had said, "turn to
me, and I will turn to you." Yes, God is unchanging. Look to Him with all
your heart; The Lord will return to you.
God
does not care about those who want to use God only for their own needs. God
will hear their voice only when they return to Him wholeheartedly confessing
their old mistakes.
Seeing that the people He
created forget Him and live without the fear of God, God is heartbroken and says,
"Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people
have forgotten me days without number." (Jeremiah 2: 32)
No
bride forgets to wear her wedding dress and wedding jewellery. But the people
whom He chose as his bride have forgotten Him like that, says the Lord.
Beloved,
it is not enough for us to pray daily and devoutly attend church services, we
must return to Him wholeheartedly. Then “I will turn un to you” says the Lord
of hosts.
AATHAVAN 🔥 960🌻
September 14, 2023 Thursday
"There is a
lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are
they among so many?" (John 6: 9)
Once when Jesus Christ was
preaching to the people, a large crowd gathered to listen to his teaching.
Having fed their spiritual hunger, Jesus intended to feed their stomach hunger
as well. So, he asked his disciple Philip, "Where can we buy bread for
these people to eat?" Jesus asked this knowing the miracle he was about to
perform. Then Philip said, "Even if we buy two hundred pennyworths of
bread, it will not be enough for these people”.
Another disciple, Andrew,
who was listening to this, said, “here is a lad here,
which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so
many?”
Beloved, many times we are
saying like these disciples without knowing the power of God. “It will not be enough for these people”, “what are they among so many?”. That is, we do not consider God and His
power seriously, but consider our problem seriously. So, we cannot believe that
God can accomplish this. But Jesus Christ not only fed five thousand people
with those two fish and five loaves, but also miraculously left over twelve
baskets of loaves.
In the same way, the people
of Israel said we were satisfied with eating meat even though we were slaves in
Egypt. We want to meat, "Who will give us meat in this wilderness?"
(Numbers 11) Moses appealed to the Lord. And the Lord said, "You will not
eat meat for a day or two, but for a month."
Even Moses could not believe
this. Moses also said the same as the disciples of Jesus Christ said in today's
meditation verse. He said, "The people, among
whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give
them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. Shall the flocks and the
herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be
gathered together for them, to suffice them?" (Numbers 11: 21, 22)
"And
the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now
whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” (Numbers 11: 23) He also
gave the people the meat they needed to eat as He said.
Beloved, God's hand is not
short. We must believe it. "Not enough". "How is it?",
"Enough?", "Can we?" We do not have to say that in
disbelief.
Our monthly income may be
low, our health may be weak, we may have an incurable disease or we may be
abandoned by doctors who cannot help us anymore. Let us look to the Lord
without giving up faith in any situation. We can see the hand of Jesus working
miracles for us. “Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my
word shall come to pass unto thee or not” says Jesus.
AATHAVAN 🔥 961🌻
Friday, September 15, 2023
"And I will bring the blind by a way
that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will
make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will
I do unto them, and not forsake them." (Isaiah 42: 16)
We are all deficient in the
knowledge of God; blind people who do not know the correct spiritual path. But
if we have the inner desire to know Him and grow up in spiritual life, as
today's verse says, He will lead us in a way that we do not know, bring us
along paths that we do not know, and He will turn the darkness into light
before us. By doing this, he will not abandon us.
And after the next three
verses we read, "Who is blind, but my servant?
or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and
blind as the LORD's servant?" (Isaiah 42: 19)
Those who seek to live as
his servants are blind, those who want to work as his messengers are blind,
those who lead a righteous life are blind, and those who serve God are all
blind who do not know the right path. But God sees their passion and efforts.
That is why the Lord says that He will help them to turn the dark path into
light and the crooked path into a straight one.
As blind people who do not
know the right path, it is enough for us to take a step towards Him, and He is
eager to run towards us. But today it seems that many people look towards him,
but not for their worldly needs. So, he is silent.
A man who truly loves a
woman does not expect what dowry she will bring. Likewise, a woman does not
consider whether the groom she loves has a high position or money. That is,
lovers have only one intention to live together with their loved one. If we
have the same intention and interest in reaching God, God will treat us like
today's verse says.
God will help us just as a
mother sees a little child trying to overcome obstacles and reach her. He
lightens our path and turns the crooked path into a straight one.
If we live as His servants,
messengers, perfect and upright and God’s servants, He will guide us in the
right path that we should walk.
AATHAVAN 🔥 962🌻
Saturday, September 16, 2023
"And they
compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the
father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross." ( Mark 15 : 21 )
Beloved, today's verse
advises us that whatever we do for God, it should be done with love.
Simon the Cyrene, the father
of Alexander and Rupus, mentioned in today's meditation verse, did not help
Christ out of love. Rather, it is said that he carried the cross for Christ out
of compulsion. He was afraid of the Jews and helped carry the cross.
Similarly, we can see many
people. Some people do things out of compulsion rather than being inspired by
God's love for God and church work. They engage in some devotional activities
out of compulsion. God approves of the actions we do out of love without any
compulsion.
In a small town, the youth
of the village collected donations for the consecration of a church in that
area. They also forced the owner of the shop in that town to write down a huge
amount. He also offered to donate a large amount of money, thinking that he
should not antagonize the villagers. Then I heard him tell someone, “every year
it is a big trouble for me....I have to cry and lose what they ask me to
do..." he said boredly.
On the consecration
festival, this shop owner who donated a lot was invited and honored with golden
shawl. He was glorified among men. It was also with the intention that he
should help in this way in the next year as well. Beloved, we too can do many
things out of compulsion. These are things like Simon's forced cross-carrying.
But the people of the world
cannot distinguish between an act of love and an act of compulsion. When Jesus
Christ was staying in a Pharisee's house, a sinful woman came and wet his feet
with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Simon, who invited him to the
feast, thought to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know that
the woman who touches him is a sinner."
Jesus, who understood his
thoughts, gave him some explanations, and finally said, "Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven;
for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth
little." (Luke 7: 47)
Yes beloved, God will
recognize even the smallest act of love. He does not consider any great deed
done out of compulsion. So let us be careful, like Simon of Cyrene, to do
nothing under compulsion. We should also consider this when we do anything for
God. We may have to do some things like this due to the compulsion of the
villagers. But we should realize that it is better to forget the act of doing
that.
But He will count even the
smallest act that we do with true love for Christ. He will also forgive our
sins.
AATHAVAN🔥 963🌻
Sunday, September 17, 2023
"And to
Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that
speaketh better things than that of Abel." (Hebrews 12: 24)
Today's
verse gives us some important messages. One is that, because blood has life
(Leviticus 17:11, 14) it has the ability to speak. Abel's blood also spoke
because of this. We read this in Genesis. God looks at Cain and says, "And
he said, what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me
from the ground." ( Genesis 4 : 10 )
Yes,
because Abel's blood was human blood, he complained to God about Cain's murder.
But the Lord Jesus Christ washes away our sins with His blood. Not only that,
he intercedes with God when we sin.
Abel's
blood sought justice for itself. The blood of Jesus Christ intercedes for all
the people of the world to sanctify them. Therefore, it is said, "In whom
we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" (Colossians
1: 14)
And, "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to
reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in
earth, or things in heaven.”(Colossians 1 : 20 )
This
is what today's verse says, you have come to the sprinkling blood, the blood
that speaks good things rather than the blood of Abel. Yes, "And almost
all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is
no remission.” (Hebrews 9: 22)
And it is said that since
Jesus Christ has made a way for us to enter the holy place with his blood, we
have courage with his blood, and let us join it with a true heart and full
certainty of faith. (Hebrews 10:20)
Today's verse says that you
have come to the sprinkling blood, the blood that speaks good things, rather
than the blood of Abel.
Beloved, knowing the
greatness of the blood of Jesus Christ, let us give ourselves wholly to Him to
be washed by His blood. Then through his blood we will not only have courage
but our faith will be perfected. With that certainty we can join him in the
holy place.
AATHAVAN 🔥 964🌻
Monday, September 18, 2023
"I laid me
down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me." (Psalms 3: 5)
The real beauty of today’s
verse can be seen only by looking at the background in which these hymns are
written. David does not say these verses as we slept comfortably on the
mattress and woke up, and say I laid me down and
slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. On the contrary, these are
the words spoken by David as he hides in caves and mountain crevices as he
tries to escape his son Absalom as he wanders around seeking to kill him.
David reports today's words when
he was wandering without proper food, sleep and rest and tired from wandering. David
wakes up from sleep and says with joy and says, "
I awaked; for the LORD sustained me"
Two
verses before this he says, "But thou, O LORD,
art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head." ( Psalms 3
: 3 ) Yes, David was able to sleep peacefully because he knew that the
Lord supported him with a shield. Therefore, "I will not be afraid of ten
thousand of people, that have set themselves against me round about.” (Psalms
3: 6) says David.
In the New Testament, the
apostle Peter was captured and imprisoned by Herod with intent to kill him.
Before that he had killed James, John's brother. Because it pleased the Jews,
he kept Peter in prison, intending to kill him also.
Now a days prison officials say that prisoners
who are going to be executed usually do not sleep well the night before their
execution. But we read that the apostle Peter was sleeping soundly in prison
without any worries. It says, "And when Herod would have brought him
forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two
chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison." (Acts 12:
6) we read.
As David says, here God also
sent his messengers and freed Peter from prison.
Beloved, do not worry about anything,
suffering or sickness. Let we also say as David, "Lord, you are my shield,
my glory and the one who lifts up my head." God has no partiality. God who
delivered David, and Peter from the hands of the enemies, will deliver us also.
AATHAVAN 🔥 965🌻
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
"Look unto
Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed
him, and increased him." (Isaiah 51: 2)
Today's verse advises us to
follow the example of the great father Abraham and his wife Sarah.
Abraham's father Terah and
his ancestors did not know the Lord; They worshipped a different deity. We read
in the book of Joshua that "Your fathers dwelt
on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham,
and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods." (Joshua 24: 2)
But after Terah's death, God called Abraham.
"Now
the LORD had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew
thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" (Genesis 12: 1,
2)
Thus, "I took your father Abraham from the other side of the
flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed,
and gave him Isaac.” (Joshua 24: 3) says the Lord.
Today's verse asks us to look
at this Abraham and his wife Sarah. Abraham, who was brought up in the worship
of other gods without knowing true God, became strong in faith in God. Therefore,
“I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased
him” today’s verse says.
Our God is a seer of hearts.
God called and blessed Abraham because he knew his innermost heart. Abraham did
not plead for God to multiply him. But God honoured his truth, integrity and
faith and made him a separate nation. Yes, the entire nation of Israel is from
Abraham's descendants.
That
is why today's verse for meditation says, "Look to your father Abraham and
to Sarah who bare you." Abraham is an example to us of how God honours a
person when he believes. The author of the book of Hebrews, when speaking about
faith, says, "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead,
so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the
sea shore innumerable." (Hebrews 11: 12)
Beloved, today's verse
instructs us to aim at this. Let us look at the faith of Abraham and Sarah. We
will also try to follow it in our lives; May the Lord bless us too.
AATHAVAN 🔥 966🌻
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
"For as many as have sinned without law shall also
perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by
the law;" (Romans 2: 12)
Today's verse talks about
Christ's righteous judgment. The commandments given by God to the people of
Israel through Moses are the commandments of the Law.
A friend once asked me about
judgment, how can God judge people who do not know Christ in this world? I told
him today's verse and explained it. Those who sin without commandments will
perish without commandments; Likewise, we who live under commandments will
judge based on those commandments.
“Who will render to every
man according to his deeds” (Romans 2 : 6 ) God has written His vows in the
hearts of men. Of this, it is written, "Which
shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing
witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one
another;" (Romans 2: 15)
And
the apostle Paul says, "For not the hearers of
the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
( Romans 2 : 13 ) Yes, we can know God's commandments because we live as
Christians. But it is not enough to just listen, it is necessary to live by
them. When we live like that, we become acceptable to God.
Other people who do not heard
about the commandments of the law in their lives, when they live according to
their conscience, they unknowingly become obedient to God's commandments. That
is why the apostle Paul says that when they live righteous lives, they show
that the work of the law is written in their hearts.
Beloved, how blessed are we
to receive the commandments of the law and the Holy Spirit to help us live by
them than other people!! Therefore, it is necessary for us to live with the
fear that God's judgment will be too much for us who know His commandments when
we violate His commandments. Yes, to whom more is given, more will be sought.
Apostle Paul even warns us
and advises us, "in the day when God shall judge
the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel" (Romans 2: 16)
it will be known.
Let us pray that the Holy
Spirit of God to guide us in the path of God and that we may escape punishment
on the day of judgment.
AATHAVAN 🔥 967🌻
Thursday, September 21, 2023
"And the LORD looked upon him, and said,
Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the
Midianites: have not I sent thee?" ( Judges 6 : 14 )
Most of the time we get
depressed because we compare ourselves to others, worry about what we don't
have and value ourselves less than others. Such is the background of today's
verse. But God gives strength to his loved ones and helps them in such
situations.
The people of Israel, who
were slaves to the Midianites, suffered greatly. When the Israelites' crops
were harvested, the Midianites would come and take them away. In this
situation, Gideon was harvesting wheat in his field and was threshing it near
his mill for fear of the Midianites. But the Lord wanted to rescue Israel with
this Gideon.
"And the
angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee,
thou mighty man of valour." ( Judges 6 : 12 ) Then
he announces that he has chosen Gideon to oppose the Midianites. But Gideon was
at first reluctant to accept this responsibility citing his inability and
weakness. Because the Midianites were skilled in war and mighty; Gideon
hesitated as to how we could fight against them. Then the Lord said, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the
hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?"
Yes, dear ones, we too
hesitate many times because of our weaknesses. If we have the assurance that
the Lord is with us, no matter what the weakness, diseases, problems, family
circumstances, inability to continue in the spiritual life, we can face the problems
like Gideon met the Midianites. The strength we have is enough.
The Lord encouraged the
hesitant Gideon, " Surely I will be with thee,
and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man." (Judges 6 : 16 )
Like Gideon, when we report
our weakness to God and depend on His grace, He will tell us as He said to the
Apostle Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness." ( 2 Corinthians 12 : 9 )
When the Lord is with us, we
become stronger even when we are weak. "Therefore,
I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2
Corinthians 12: 10) says Paul.
Don't be confused by what we
don't have; Let's cling to God with faith and strength. The Lord said to
Gideon, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save
Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?" The
Lord says the same words to us. Continue to fight with the strength that we
have; Because “I am with you, you will overcome all problems” says the Holy
Lord.
AATHAVAN🔥 968🌻
Friday, September 22, 2023
"And there
followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked
body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and
fled from them naked." (Mark 14: 51, 52)
Not a single note in the
Bible was written without a reason. Today's meditation verse talks about a
young man wrapped in a lien cloth who followed Jesus Christ when he was
arrested.
This incident is only found in
the Gospel of Mark. "What is the reason for mentioning this incident? Is
it an incident of such importance?" Myself and my friend Pastor Sworna Kumar
talked ten to fifteen days ago. Neither of us knew what it meant, but we
assumed there must be a reason why it was written.
The Holy Spirit revealed
this to Pastor Sworna Kumar when he was evangelizing a friend last week. Later
that evening he happily explained this by saying, "Geo, God has given us
an explanation for our doubt."
Beloved, this young man was
not a disciple of Jesus; Instead, he came to have fun. He who does not live a
pure life. He had come there without a garment, just wrapped in a thin cloth.
In the spiritual sense he was without the garment of salvation. He is an
example of those who claim to follow Christ and live unholy lives.
He did not follow Christ out
of love for Christ; Instead, he followed him for fun. Even today there are
Christians who have this kind of fun. People like this are the ones who are
only interested in conducting festivals, temple consecrations, distributing
food in church, conducting Christian art festivals etc., leaving the Christian
way of life.
But God does not allow such
fun Christians. They will be humiliated. We read in the Bible, some of the sons
of a high priest tried to gain reputation among the people by seeing the
miracles that the apostle Paul had done in Ephesus. They did not have the
holiness that Paul had; did not have the power of the Holy Spirit as Paul had.
Like the young man who wrapped himself in a thin cloth to hide his nakedness who
followed Christ, they also wanted to follow Paul and perform a miracle.
"And the
evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and
prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and
wounded." (Acts 19: 15, 16)
Beloved, let us consider how
we follow Christ. Are we following Him in holiness or are we being fun
Christians? If not, are we vainly proud to claim to be Christians and live a witness
less life? Let's take a look at ourselves. Our life should not become like the
youth who left the linen cloth, and fled from them
naked when problems and sufferings are pressing.
AATHAVAN 🔥 969🌻
Saturday, September 23, 2023
"For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.” (Psalms 51: 3)
Although our sins are
forgiven by Christ Jesus, we must always remember our old sinful life. Not only
that, sometimes we may commit sins after our sins have been washed away by the
blood of Jesus and we have experienced redemption and received the anointing of
the Holy Spirit. David who was anointed by the Holy Spirit committed sin with
Bathsheba.
God forgets our sins.
Although it is true that He throws away our sins; Don't forget the sinful life.
Only when that memory is in
us will our love for Christ increase. Alas, even though I have committed such a
sin, God has saved me. When we think of old sins, we feel ashamed. What benefit
did we get from committing such sins before? We were heading for death because
of them? That is why Paul says, "What fruit had
ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things
is death." (Romans 6: 21)
And only with old memories
can we live cleanly now. The parable of the merciless servant told by Jesus
Christ will make us realize this. (Matthew 18:23 - 35) When he owed ten
thousand talents to the king and begged for mercy, the king forgave him all the
debt. But the same man did not remember that. If he remembers that, he would
have forgiven the debt of the man who owes him only hundred silvers.
The fifty-first psalm is the
psalm sung by David when Nathan the prophet reminded David’s sin with Bathsheba.
It is a psalm for forgiveness. Here he says, “my sin
is ever before me”.
If we also remember our old
lives, we will not do them again. Not only that, when you see people committing
such sins, we will feel compassion for them.
Many who attend spiritual
churches today do not have this idea. So they claim that they alone are saints
and all others are sinners. One theologian said, "All those in heaven are ever
lived as a saint; they are old sinners who have repented". Those who have
been washed and made righteous by the blood of Christ. This is the truth. If we
live like David, saying, “I acknowledge my
transgressions: and my sin is ever before me" we can escape from
continuing sin.
AATHAVAN 🔥 970🌻
Sunday, September 24, 2023
“For the poor always ye have
with you; but me ye have not always.” ( John 12 : 8 )
Giving to the poor is giving
to God. Also, in the Bible it is said, "He that
hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given
will he pay him again." (Proverbs 19: 17)
But when we see rich people
donating crores of money to temples, many of us think, "This money could
have been given to so many poor people, but they are giving it to God in
vain." But we do not know whether one is giving from the heart to God or
for vain glory.
This becomes clear if we
look at the background of today's verse. Martha and Mary prepared a feast for
Jesus Christ. Then Mary rubbed expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped it
with her hair. "Then saith one of his disciples,
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, why was not this
ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" (John
12: 5)
Beloved,
the mind of a moneyed person calculates everything in terms of money. Judas was
the accountant of Jesus Christ's money. He had the wallet. We read in the Catholic
Bible translation that he takes from it at times for his expenses. Yes,
"This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief,
and had the bag, and bare what was put therein." (John 12: 6)
In response to him, Jesus
Christ says, “the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” Jesus
Christ knew Mary's inner love. But Judas only knew the price of the perfume.
We should not easily
calculate what one does to the temple and what one gives to God's works.
Because we don't know about the giver's heart and his love for God. If we too
say, "This money could have been given to so many poor people, but they
are giving it to God in vain” perhaps He will say to us as He said to Judas.
Let us not commit the sin of
counting and criticizing the offerings given by others and giving to other
ministries. If our heart prompts us to give to the poor, give to the poor; If we
want to give to church work, give to church work. The poor are always with us; we
can give whenever we want.
AATHAVAN 🔥 971🌻
Monday, September 25, 2023
"Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead
arise and praise thee? Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
or thy faithfulness in destruction?" ( Psalms 88 : 10, 11 )
Today's
meditation verse is the anguished psalm teacher's words. Such pains and sorrows
also happen to us at various times. At the beginning of this psalm with anguish
the psalmist says, "For my soul is full of
troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave." ( Psalms 88 : 3 )
That is, I was dead out of
grief; He says do you still do miracles for me again. In this state of
abandonment, he wrote today's psalm.
But the Spirit of the Lord
can revive a person in any situation and help him stand up. God comforted the
Israelites through the prophet Ezekiel who were in a state where everything was
over. He took Ezekiel in a vision to a valley full of dry bones and made him
say prophesy. "Thus saith the Lord GOD unto
these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall
live:" ( Ezekiel 37 : 5 ) And so the bones came alive.
"And ye
shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and
brought you up out of your graves,” (Ezekiel 37: 13)
Yes, dear ones, I will open your graves and bring you out of your graves, says
the Lord Jesus Christ. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
One can trust in God till
death; It is natural. But only when we believe that God has the power to give
us life and deliver us even after death, contrary to nature, our mental worries
disappear completely and courage is born.
Didn't Jesus Christ raise
Lazarus after four days of death? Lazarus' sisters had no chance of hope in
this situation. We would have been like that if we were in a similar situation.
"Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the
sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh:
for he hath been dead four days." (John 11: 39) But Jesus
Christ resurrected that stinking corpse.
Yes, dear ones, our life may
now be a dead life due to the succession of sufferings; But if God wills, He
can change it in a moment and revive us.
"And ye
shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and
brought you up out of your graves," (Ezekiel 37: 13)
says the Lord. Let us cling to him by faith.
AATHAVAN 🔥 972🌻
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
"Shall I count them pure with the wicked
balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?" (Micah 6: 11)
Whatever business we do, it
is necessary to do it with truth and integrity according to God. God does not
accept giving offerings or giving to temple works with the money earned by
deceiving others and cheating in business. That is what today's verse is
saying.
According to the situation
of that time, it was mentioned here as wicked balance and deceitful weights,
but in today's computer era, business fraud has changed in various ways. So, we
can't get away with saying I don't have wicked balance and deceitful weights.
This verse instructs us to do business with truth.
Similarly, God says through Jeremiah,
"Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and
swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye
know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by
my name, and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations?" (Jeremiah
7: 9, 10)
All the sinful acts
mentioned in the above verse such as theft, murders due to business
competition, adultery sins that followed because of increased money, swearing
falsely, worshiping other deities for the sake of business prosperity are all
easily done by some business people.
Beloved, therefore whatever
business you do, do it honestly. You should leave the sinful things against
God. No matter how much the money earned is given as a offering to church, it
is fruitless. Christian ministers who rely on offerings will not explain this
truth. So, let's be cautious. Many Christian businessmen live like ordinary
people of the world. But in many such industrial establishments, they invite
pastors and conduct prayers.
But
God says, "Therefore pray not thou for this
people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to
me: for I will not hear thee." (Jeremiah 7: 16) Yes, God says
that God will not listen to prayer for those who engage in such wicked acts.
Only when wrongdoers repent
and pray for their sins will God answer that prayer and forgive them.
If we are business people,
we should think about whether our actions are righteous and if we are wrong, we
should ask for forgiveness and become a new person. Otherwise, our prayers,
offerings and devotional efforts are in vain. Shall I
count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful
weights? asks the Holy Lord.
AATHAVAN 🔥 973🌻
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
"When thou goest out to battle against
thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be
not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up
out of the land of Egypt." (Deuteronomy 20: 1)
Even though the Old
Testament events are the things that God did in the lives of the people of
Israel as a history, we need to see them relevant to our spiritual life
according to this time. They are recorded in the scriptures for our spiritual
life. After describing the incidents in the life of the Israelites who were
rescued from the Egyptians and journeyed to Canaan, the apostle Paul says, "all these things happened unto them for examples: and
they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are
come." (1 Corinthians 10: 11)
All events are like this.
Similarly, we should take today's verse as well. The horse, the chariots, and
the great crowd that come out to make war against us are the afflictions, the
sinful circumstances, and the powers of Satan that will overthrow us in the
spiritual life. We should not be afraid of them and continue our spiritual
life. Our Lord Jesus Christ is with us.
Regarding our struggles in
the spiritual life, the apostle Paul said, "For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6: 12)
So,
we must be ready to take on such enemies who pursue us in spiritual life. "Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6: 13) says
Paul. We can read about those armours in Ephesians 6:14-18. (I have mentioned
these in detail in many meditations)
When we live a Christ-like
life, we will have the courage and assurance that He is with us. When we have
that conviction, when can go out to war against the enemies of our spiritual
life, we cannot fear them, even if they are as strong as horses, as big as
chariots, or as many sufferings as a great crowd.
Then, we will be assured
that the Lord our God is with us, who led us out of the old land of sinful life
called Egypt and leads us to the great Canaan.
AATHAVAN 🔥 974🌻
Thursday, September 28, 2023
"And as they went on their way, they
came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth
hinder me to be baptized?" (Acts 8: 36)
(In this meditation I
do not intend to explain, nor criticize, the conflicting opinions within the
various Christian congregations about baptism. Rather, I am emphasizing the
importance of baptism.)
Scripture instructs us to
confirm our faith after we have been washed by the blood of Christ and
experienced redemption. This will be understood if we look at the background of
today's verse. When Philip evangelized the Ethiopian minister, he accepted
Christ. At the same time, the desire to be baptized automatically arises in
him. Then he said, "Behold, here is water; what
doth hinder me to be baptized?".
"And
Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he
answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he
commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water,
both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." (Acts 8: 37, 38)
Baptism is not simply
washing us with water; Rather it is an agreement we make with God. When the
apostle Peter says about baptism, "even baptism
doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ:" ( 1 Peter 3 : 21)
Second,
baptism is the fulfillment of God's willed righteousness. God wants us to
fulfill all basic righteousness and live according to His will. Jesus Christ
did not sin; He did not need to be baptized. But he was baptized. Jesus Christ
said to John the Baptist who forbade him, "Suffer it to be so now: for
thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him." (Matthew
3: 15)
Thirdly,
baptism symbolizes our dying to sin and being buried with Christ and rising
from the dead again as a new man. "Buried with
him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." ( Colossians 2 : 12
)
Fourthly,
by baptism we put on Christ. Baptism is a spiritual garment as we clothe the
body. "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ.” (Galatians 3: 27) says Paul.
That is why baptism is one
of the most important duties we must fulfill in Christianity. Through it we
declare our faith in Christ, make a contract with God, fulfill God's justice,
die with Christ to our sins and rise with Him as a new man, and put on Christ
as a garment.
AATHAVAN 🔥 975🌻
Friday, September 29, 2023
"But as for
them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their
abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord
GOD." (Ezekiel 11: 21)
Our God loves holiness. He
desires our holiness above all our prayers and offerings. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord:" (Hebrews 12: 14) we read.
This is why our Lord Jesus Christ said in his Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see
God." (Matthew 5: 8) He said.
The thoughts of man's heart
are usually filthy. This is why Jesus Christ said, "For
out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man:
but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.' (Matthew 15: 19, 20)
That is why today's verse
says, I will recompense their way upon their own
heads, saith the Lord GOD." That is, they will bear the benefit of their deceitful behavior.
No matter how much we pray,
attend prayer meetings, and give offerings, if no changes are made in our lives,
it is useless. So, it is necessary for us to correct our heart. Because the
heart is very twisted. If you read the news in today's newspapers, you will
understand that ninety percent of the murders, rapes, property disputes and
court cases are due to the lust of the human heart.
So beloved, let us guard
against our hearts not being consumed by worldly desires and perishing.
Whatever worldly desire grows in us is lust. "Keep
thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of
life." (Proverbs 4: 23) says the Lord.
Only
when we guard the heart can we progress towards a holy life. "ye shall
therefore be holy, for I am holy." (Leviticus 11: 45) says the Holy Lord.
AATHAVAN 🔥 976🌻
Saturday, September 30, 2023
"The glory
of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of
hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of
hosts." ( Haggai 2 : 9 )
As we have already seen in
many meditations, all the happenings of the old are the shadow of the New
Testament. Today's verse is also one like that.
Today's verse is told by the
prophet Haggai to the people of Israel who rebuilt the temple of Jerusalem that
was destroyed and repaired. Don't worry about the destroyed old temple,
"The glory of this latter temple will be greater than the glory of the
former temple, says the Lord of hosts."
Beloved, according to the
New Testament the true temple is our body. "Know
ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you?" ( 1 Corinthians 3 : 16 ) we read. The Holy Spirit of God
dwells in the temple which is our body.
That is why it is necessary
for us to keep the temple which is our body holy. The verse warns us that if we
fail to guard our holiness, God will destroy us. "If
any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God
is holy, which temple ye are." ( 1 Corinthians 3 : 17 )
Our
sins are forgiven and we are a new human being, like the liberated Israelites
from Egypt who came to Canaan. Yes, we have been freed from the grip of the old
sin of Egypt. But we still have old sinful tendencies. To overcome them, we
need the help of the Holy Spirit. We read it four verses before today's
meditation, Haggai says about it, "According to the word that I covenanted
with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye
not." ( Haggai 2 : 5 )
Yes, we don't want to
hesitate whether we could able to build our body as a holy temple. As God says
through the prophet Haggai, "My Spirit shall dwell among you, according to
the word of my covenant with you; fear not."
Our physical temple, if we
live a godly life with the guidance of Holy Spirit, will surely be
"greater than the glory of the former temple." Not only that, when
the physical temple is built in holiness, as today's verse concludes, in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
