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).
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