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Monday, September 26, 2011

Sampark February 2011: He Spoke, I Heard

The police had surrounded the village. Each and every house was being searched for things that had been stolen and hidden in houses and those found were being impounded along with the house owners. Samir was very restive and apprehensive. His problem was that had the stolen goods been few or small, he would have somehow managed to hide them somewhere, but how to hide five gunny sacks full of sugar; and where? If caught, he would be thrown in jail. He waited for nightfall. In the darkness of the night he started carrying and throwing the sugar sacks into the well in the backyard of his house one by one. By the time he brought the fifth sack, he was exhausted and in throwing the sack into the well, lost his balance and fell inside the well. He started to yell for help, his wife raised an alarm, and the villagers gathered and somehow managed to pull him out of the well. But he was badly hurt from the fall and by morning he succumbed to his injuries. His last rites were done and he was buried. Later when people drank the water from the well, they started to wonder “How has the water become sweet?” They concluded that surely Samir was someone special from god. By evening the grave of that thief had become decorated with flowers and candles; it soon became a revered place and then the day of his death started being commemorated annually and people began to worship him.

Worship Wonders

Man has the tendency to worship something or someone – either from fear or for selfish desires. People may even start worshipping a man because of some marvel he may have done.

It is a sign of the last days that people will have a tendency to believe in wonders and marvels and become followers of those who perform them; the Lord had already warned us about it beforehand. Amongst the prophecies and signs of the end times given by Lord Jesus about 2010 years ago, one was “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders …” (Matthew 24:24). All over the world, many preachers are deceiving the people by wonders and marvels nowadays.

It is true that God performs miracles and gives healings, but there is some purpose and plan in His doing so. He did not come just to show us miracles and give us healings. Therefore our faith should not be in wonders and marvels but in the Living Word of God.

There is a difference between books and Holy Writ. Once read, a book becomes old. But the Holy Writ keeps renewing us as we study it day-by-day and over and over again. It starts dwelling within us and changes us bit by bit into its own likeness. Every time we read it, it remains fresh and new for us and keeps renewing us. When thoughts of sin rise up in our hearts, this Holy Writ becomes a shield for our thoughts and hearts. It is our safety cover when we confront evil and when discouragement strikes us; it counter-attacks the discouragement and assures us, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). This Holy Writ speaks to me – I will convert every defeat of yours into victory.

By this Word I learn of the nature of God; and it makes me wonder what if God been of the same nature as I am? What then would have been the course of history? In that case this world would have come to an end a long time ago and heaven would have been a desolate place; and a single hell would not have sufficed for all I would condemn. Lord be thanked that God does not have the same nature as I have.

God’s Word tells me about the nature of God, of His forgiveness, His love, His mercy. It is because of His forbearing and forgiving nature that I am saved and remain saved. This love, mercy and forgiveness of His, I have come to know only through this Word. God’s Word is not only a part of history, but within it is found the secret history of my life and of yours.

Nobody likes a mirror that shows us as we actually are; who wants to see that? A candid mirror will show me my true condition, but we don’t like such mirrors. What I have placed before you is the mirror that reveals your actual self.

It is easy to hide the sun; just close your eyes and the sun will disappear and darkness will appear, and you may say that you are standing in the light, but within is only darkness. If you close the doors of reasoning, then no matter what light is brought to you, it will only be darkness.

The Foolish, Wise and the Prudent

There are three kinds of people: foolish, wise and prudent. God’s Word tells us that foolish are those who listen but do not accept, fall down but do not rise up again; they commit mistakes but instead of learning from their mistakes they repeat their mistakes “A dog returns to his own vomit and a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:22). Wise are those who do commit mistakes but learn from them and do not repeat them “For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity” (Proverbs 24:16). God’s Word records the mistakes and their sad consequences of so many people. Prudent are those who learn from what is written in God’s Word and avoid repeating those mistakes.

News that you may be ignorant of

Every morning the newspaper full of vicious news is laid at our door steps. The irony is that if the vicious reports are not there, then news does not seem to be news to us. But God’s Word has news for you; news that you may be ignorant of – news of life, of abundant life. That you may receive life and abundant life; that you may have joy, abundant joy. God’s Word has the power to transform, if it sinks into your heart, it will bring life with it. In it is the life that causes a man to live even if he dies.

Defeat turned to Victory

If you are discouraged by your circumstances and are giving in to them, you are inviting defeat in to your life. The fact is that we are not defeated yet. Had God’s Word not recorded the stories of defeated people who turned victorious, how could it encourage me to live? Did you know that when I see the story of my life in this Word, then a discouraged person even like me receives a new hope? My God will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). He will change all my defeats into victories.

I am happy that you are reading this Sampark, because I am going to give you good news, one that is for today tomorrow and eternity. You are blessed because you are reading this. Satan and his demons do not want that you read this and believe. Listen very carefully; this message is not from me but from God and from His Spirit. By not believing you will be insulting not me but Him. If you read this good news and keep it to yourself, your joy will not increase, rather will decrease. If you want this joy to remain in you always, then spread this good news around, and you will find that your joy is increasing. Will you do this?

If you say that you do not know how to share this news and if you are not sure what to share, look carefully at that which you are holding in your hand – this printed magazine, go ahead and share it with someone else. When you do so, your joy will increase and bear fruit.

Has this Word of God spoken to you? If this Word is pricking you somewhere, then there is still a residual spark of spiritual fire within you. Even if your life is just emitting some smoke, the smoke is proof that there is still an ember within you. Therefore God’s Word says, “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench” (Matthew 12:20).

Monday, September 19, 2011

Sampark February 2011: Simple Answers to Complex Questions

The well-known atheist of the last century, Bertrand Russell, snares people through his shrewd arguments e.g. he says: “A child is born crippled and will spend his whole life bed-ridden and dependent on the mercies of others”. He then adds, “How god plays around with children; how can he be so hard-hearted? He can only be a sadist. It is better to not believe in god than to believe in such a god. It is sorrows that have caused man to invent god. If there are no sorrows, nobody will bother about god either. Eliminate sorrows and you will also eliminate god”. He said, “Demolish all the religious places of worship and build up hospitals and schools instead. Looking at the sorry state of this world it seems that if there is a creator then he must be crueler than Hitler and Mussolini. So long as god exists in the human intellect, murders, terrorism and all malevolent deeds will continue to happen”.

The question that this raises is – the atrocities being committed in the world, who is responsible, god or our religions?

If you review the history of those who believe in religion and those who don’t, you will not find any difference between them; neither has left any stone unturned in doing their utmost to annihilate humanity and human beings. The reason why humanity is being murdered every day is because our religions have taken humanity away from humans and have turned man into a machine incapable of rational thinking or differentiating between right and wrong. Our religions often keep us from thinking wisely. The followers of religions have written a painful history of humanity by the shedding of innocent blood in the name of religion.

Kill or be killed in the name of religion. For these adherents of religion, religion is their god. The forces of darkness have so blinded them that it is of scant concern for them if humanity and humans perish; for the sake of the perceived righteousness according to their religion they are ready to commit any unrighteousness. Is this what religion wants us to believe? If the acrimony amongst religions does not end, they will bring humanity to an end; either the acrimony will remain or humanity.

Man is quite capable of destroying himself

People are being killed and are perishing. Children are killed soon after birth or even inside their mother’s wombs. Our society is turning into a rotten society. We have brought the world to the brink of disaster. We have polluted everything in the world – the air, water, snow, vegetation – everything; and though we all are well aware of it, yet we are content with ourselves and our doings.

What all has man lost; he has lost his love, his contentment and so much so that he himself is lost. He has lost faith so that now no one is willing to trust anyone else.

The son of a politician said to his father “Father, teach politics to me too.” The father replied, “Okay, come learn the first lesson in politics. Come and stand here and then jump down from there.” The son said, “No father, I will get hurt.” The father said, “Come on and jump now, I am here for you.” The son again said, “No father.” The father insisted, “Come on jump, I will take care of you.” The son gathered some courage and jumped, as he jumped, the father stepped away. The hurting son got up with much difficulty and with an annoyed voice asked his father, “Why did you do this?” The father replied, “This is the first lesson in politics – in politics don’t even trust your own father.” Such are the politicians who rule over us.

We believe that we can solve and sort out our problems. Every nation thinks that through mutual cooperation the answers to the problems besetting the world can be found, but this does not happen. The leaders of the world stand up in the UNO and deliver speeches on peace, suggest ways to live in peace, hold talks and discussions for peace but in their own lives, within their own families they have no peace and yet they go around talking and sharing about peace.

Man is of dust and needs just a little of it at his end

Most lives are spent worrying what will we eat? What will we wear? What will we earn? How will we bring up our children?

Is this all that life is? This body has not been given to man to only appease his hunger – of stomach or of desires. Man suffers from unquenchable thirsts; a thirst for money that is never satisfied, no matter however much money he may get. A thirst for status that is never satisfied no matter however much he may rise. He is ever striving to find something that may satisfy his thirst, but in vain. Why is man so dissatisfied? Why is he under so many compulsions? Why is he unable to live the way he wants to? Man has achieved much, earned much but yet he constantly feels that there is still something that remains to be achieved. Every person knows that he is dust and will one day return to dust; he will not need anything other than a little bit of the same dust to lay him to permanent rest. He knows that whatever he amasses will be left behind here after him, yet he continues to hoard more and even more.

The greatest tragedy of this age, or the greatest curse on this age is that man yearns for happiness and love. He has no peace in his life, his family, his world. Every life has its own sorry story. How inadequate and how much under compulsion is life. What can he do? The burden of sin has made life a misery. The heart of man is so filled with confusions that till his last breath he remains restless and dissatisfied. The poor man is worried about what to eat when hungry, while the rich man worries to find something to make him feel hungry. Both are beset with problems – one has an abundant appetite but no food while the other has abundant food but no appetite.

Words like dead body, coffin, grave, cemetery etc. bring feelings of uneasiness and a peculiar kind of fear. Man fears death, but has no fear of God.

No one will accompany you beyond the grave. Only your sins will keep you company beyond your grave. As you sow, so will you reap. If you plant cactuses, you will not get roses; if you sow weeds you will not get a harvest of apples. If you sow sin in your lives, you will harvest eternal damnation. Is there anyone who has borne the penalty for sins of others? If there is anyone, then who is he; who is the one not ashamed to accept you even in your most shameful condition?

A preacher once asked, “Is their even a single person in this world who has never spoken a lie?” From amongst the crowd, a man raised his hand and said, “Yes, there are many such people.” The preacher asked, “Who are those people?” the man answered, “Those born dumb; they have never spoken a word in their lives, how can they then speak lies?” The preacher then narrated a small story: the mother of a person born dumb asked him, “I had kept three pieces of sweet here; now there are only two, what happened to the third one?” The dumb gestured “I don’t know.” He lied – not by words but through gesticulations. Do you believe that the Judge who declares a person guilty of being a liar has never lied in his life? This is why God’s Word declares, “There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10) – not me, not you.

Delivered from a Defeated to a Victorious Life

I was very disappointed with myself and my family. Not that we did not have money, but because there was no love, there was no happiness, there was no contentment in my life and family. But, do you know, everything changed for me. I did not need to change my religion; only a simple prayer came as an answer to my problems, and changed everything for me. It changed my hatred into love, defeat into victory and despondency into hopefulness – everything became new for me. This was a new birth for me, which came by a simple prayer – “O! Lord Jesus please have mercy on me a sinner and forgive my sins.” This prayer can work just the same for you too.

I am not telling you all this just to make my tale interesting; but I am telling you the truth from the depths of my heart. Whether you believe it or not, this is the only way to be free of this restlessness. To accept it or not is your decision. You are free to choose, the decision is entirely yours.

The Decision that Eliminates Distances

I believe that it is a grave sin to entice anybody into changing religion. But a change of heart and life, being delivered from sins, attaining salvation, having a life full of joy and peace – such a change is essential and required.

What if the unexpected should suddenly happen? You may say that this is mere preaching. I neither know you nor do I know your name, but trust me, this message has your name on it. This publication is God’s letter to you. I am addressing you, you who have the privilege of being able to read this by the grace of God. Maybe you think that since you are healthy, doing well and are at peace then what need is there for God? God is for those who are troubled, restless, defeated in life and slaves of their bad habits. But whatever be your condition, God is waiting for you.

You may think that you are not somebody important; neither might the world give you any importance. But for God you are very important and valuable; so important that He shed His blood and gave His life for you on the cross. He can do all that in your life which you cannot even imagine, far beyond than you can ask or even think (Ephesians 3:20).

God is in the business of saving people. He loves them all, no matter what their religion or caste may be; no matter what they may be like. We love only those who love us in return, but He loves even those who hate Him. What you are reading is not just preaching it is a message of God’s love – a love that has done what no one else has ever done.

If you do not accept yourself to be a sinner, you are deceiving nobody but yourself.

Once this moment slips away then it will never come in your grasp ever again. Who knows if you may have another opportunity to repent of your sins. I beseech you, say this prayer now – “O! Lord Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner and forgive my sins.”

The only condition to receiving forgiveness is asking forgiveness. You may wonder, “Is it possible for God to forgive me?” Prayer from a sincere heart never goes in vain. Just this simple prayer is all that is needed, “O! Lord Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner and forgive my sins.”

Monday, September 12, 2011

Sampark February 2011: Averse to Understand

A social worker was at pains to make a drunkard understand the bad consequences of his addiction. He said, “If two buckets were to be put in front of an ass, one containing water and the other containing alcohol, the ass will never drink the alcohol; it will only drink the water. Do you understand what I am telling you?” The drunkard replied, “Yes sir, I understand.” The social worker asked, “What have you understood?” The drunkard replied, “All of what you have told me – asses don’t drink alcohol!” The disappointed social worker struck his head with his hand. No one can make an unwilling person understand anything?

Now try and understand this – this New Year with its set of 12 months is with us. In the store house of our lives, it is like 12 packed bundles. These 12 months contain 52 weeks, i.e. Eight thousand Seven hundred and Sixty hours, i.e. Five lakh Twenty Five thousand Six hundred minutes, i.e. Three Crore Fifteen lakh Thirty Six thousand seconds – all for you. You and I were not worthy of this wonderful gift, yet it has been granted to us. We can utilize this time only in tranches of 24 hours at a time. It is up to you how you use this time – worthily or unworthily. None of us have the ability or power to bring back even a single moment of the time that has passed away.

Did you know that in the time you take a single breath, 10 people have taken their last breath and departed forever from this world? This year is a gift to you. The Lord does not differentiate between persons; whether you are wealthy or poor, weak or strong, a failure or victorious, whatever be your religion or caste – time once lost can never be returned, it is lost forever. You can only look ahead from here.

Come; let us begin this year with renewed freshness. It is now time to rectify every mistake of the past.

To change punishment to forgiveness,

To change hatred into love,

To change curse into blessing,

Now is the time.

Yes! This is the opportunity to forgive and to receive forgiveness. If you miss out now, then you will miss out on many things. Just look within yourself – how much hatred, how much bitterness is present for how many and for how long? Now is the time and opportunity to bury all that bitterness forever.

God’s Word exhorts, “go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother” (Matt. 5:24) – do you have the courage to do so, or, will you again in your cowardice ignore God’s voice and trample under your feet the blessings of this New Year? Do you follow, or are you loathe to understanding? If you remain obstinate, then no one can help you in anyway.

Lest some of us may depart forever, God’s Word also cautions us, “Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 3:15).

We have brought God’s message for you on this piece of paper; it is for you to accept or to reject it.

I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments – Psalms 119:60