Did God create evil? If not, why is there evil?

This is a very interesting question. The thought that would probably cross your mind is if God created everything, then God created evil as well. Well, evil is not a THING, it is rather a CHARACTERISTIC/ATTRIBUTE. Evil is simply the absence of good. Let me illustrate this with an interesting conversation in a philosophy class.

"LET ME EXPLAIN THE problem science has with Jesus Christ." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand. "You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"
"Yes, sir."
"So you believe in God?"
"Absolutely."
"Is God good?"
"Sure! God's good."
"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
"Yes."
"Are you good or evil?"
"The Bible says I'm evil."
The professor grins knowingly. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"
"Yes sir, I would."
"So you're good...!"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could...in fact most of us would if we could....God doesn't."
[No answer]
"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"
[No answer]
The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. "In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones. Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
"Er... Yes."
"Is Satan good?"
"No."
"Where does Satan come from?"
The student falters. "From... God..."
"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking student audience. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen." He turns back to the Christian. "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"
"Yes, sir."
"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"
"Yes."
"Who created evil?"
[No answer]
"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness. All the terrible things - do they exist in this world? "
The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."
"Who created them?"
[No answer]
The professor suddenly shouts at his student, "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!" The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face. In a still small voice, he asked, "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"
[No answer]
The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?" The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world. "All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"
[No answer]
"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" Pause. "Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and
whispers, "Is God good?"
[No answer]
"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do."
The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"
"No, sir. I've never seen Him."
"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"
"No, sir. I have not."
"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus... in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"
[No answer]
"Answer me, please."
"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"
"No, sir."
"Yet you still believe in him?"
"...yes..."
"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling. "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now?"
[The student doesn't answer]
"Sit down, please."
The first Christian sits...defeated.
Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"
The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, yet another Christian in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."
The Christian looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as heat?"
"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."
"Is there such a thing as cold?"
"Yes, son, there's cold too."
"No, sir, there isn't."
The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The second Christian continues.
"You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 273 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than -273°C. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."
Silence. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.
"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"
"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"
"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"
"Yes..."
"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light... but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you... give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"
Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will indeed be a good semester. "Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"
"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."
The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!"
"Sir, may I explain what I mean?"
The class is all ears.
"Explain... ohhhhh, explain..." The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability himself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.
"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains. "That for example there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it." The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"
"Of course there is, now look..."
"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Christian pauses. "Isn't evil the absence of good?"
The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless.
The Christian continues, "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if He exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil.1 What is that work God is accomplishing? The Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil."2
The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't view this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."
The Christian replies, "I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going, Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"
"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."
"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"
The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.
"Professor. Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"
"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.
"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"
"I believe in what is - that's science!"
"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin. "Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."
"SCIENCE IS FLAWED..?" the professor splutters.
The class is in uproar. The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?"
The professor wisely keeps silent.
The Christian looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's mind?" The class breaks out into laughter. The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's mind... felt the professor's mind, touched o smelt the professor's mind? No one appears to have done so." The Christian shakes his head sadly. "It appears no one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's mind whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science, I DECLARE that the professor has no mind."
The class is in chaos.
The Christian sits.

In Conclusion, evil is not created by God. God has rather allowed evil. God has given Man, something called freewill. This allows Man to choose between good and evil. God didn't create robots but men and women with a choice to do good or evil.

THOUGHT: God didn't create evil. God created Man in his own likeness with the choice of doing good or evil.

An Ancient Advice

VERSE: Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but {rather} in speech, conduct, love, faith {and} purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 1 Tim 4:12

Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother, who had become a Christian believer, and of a Greek father. Timothy's home was in Lystra in the Roman province of Galatia in what is now Turkey. Paul, the apostle had written to Timothy advising him to be an example to those who believe.

This world we live is slowly becoming extinct of examples among the youth. Paul tells Timothy to be an example in five things among believers: speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. Paul is advising Timothy to be an example among believers!?!

Well, shocking it maybe, I think it is something that was required and is required. The Church requires young people who can be examples for this generation. The world lacks people who say the right things, who do the right things, who show genuine love, who believe in God and those who believe in purity. The new believer has nowhere to look but in the church for such examples of encouragment, genuine faith, love and purity in thought and action.

THOUGHT: Are you ready for this challenge? If you are young, are you ready to be an example among believers?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

USE YOUR SWORD

VERSE: ...And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:17

If you read through Eph 6:10-17, you will notice that the only offensive weapon in our armour is the Word of God. So it is God's Word that is going to take us through temptations that the devil puts in our lives.

When Joshua was made leader, the Lord instructed him in Josh 1:8, "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." This verse just tells us how important it is read, mediate and apply the Word of God. If that is done, our ways become prosperous and we will have success.

James 1:22 has a strong warning and when I say say strong, it really is. It says, But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. The other word for delude is to "deceive" yourself. So if you don't apply the Word of God in your life, you deceive yourself. This is extremely dangerous.

What can I do now? You can start using your sword by memorising verses in the Bible as it says in Ps 119:1, Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Deut 11:18 also illustrates the same thing, "You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead." Once you mediate on it and memorize them, start applying them in your life, you will start seeing changes in your life!

THOUGHT: Are you deceiving yourself in the use of the sword?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

A bottomless well?

Verses: Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ “And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

[Mark 5:25-32, NKJV]

Most people have a favourite verse. Mine is Philippians 4:13. But there is another verse, which shakes my spirit every time I read it. That is Mark 5:30. In particular the phrase ‘power had gone out of Him’.

Jesus promised that whatever we ask in His name will be given to us. ‘Therefore I say to You, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.’ (Mark 11:24) This is just one of the many places he talks about praying and receiving from God. But when we think of Jesus’ healing power, we normally think of someone approaching Him, presenting His/Her need for healing and then Jesus responding to their faith with kind words and with His healing power. But the woman in the verses above got the power first and the words later. Her faith turned things the other way round.

It is almost like Jesus in His loving-kindness has put His power in a well that is bottomless. All we need is a bucket of faith tied to a rope of patience. We may draw as much as we need. Given that God’s power is infinite, the possibilities are endless...

But we often see that reality is different. We do not always receive what we ask for. There could be many reasons. James 4:3 says, ‘You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.’ It’s hard to admit that we sometimes ask with the wrong motives. Our loving Father does not want to spoil His children. But we may also ask good things that we really need and God still does not answer. Or so we think.

Based on something I heard in fellowship I have realized that it is wrong to say that God does not answer prayer. A father would not turn his back on a son who asks for something. He will always respond in some way. In the same way God always ANSWERS prayer: either with a ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘wait’. The hardest of these is ‘wait’ because during that time, it looks like He is ‘not answering’. But to everyone who has finally received the answer to their prayer, they realize it was worth the wait.

Those who don’t receive what they ask for, even though they are not ‘asking amiss’, would just have to realize that what they ask for may not be according to His perfect will for them, which is what it best (Romans 8:28). But they can always know that His grace is sufficient for them (Read 2 Cor. 12:7-9)

‘Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.’ (1 John 5:14, 15)

THOUGHT: How big is your bucket of faith? How long is the rope of your patience?

Ministry of Reconciliation

VERSE: 2 Cor 5:18 "Now all {these} things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation".


THOUGHT: I couldn't but help share this on THINK BOUT THIS!. This was first shared at my house church(we meet as small groups on weekdays) by Shannon Pinto. This verse and this entire thought hit me and changed my life and I am sure it will help those who maybe struggling in this area.

Firstly, you need to have a heart of mercy to mend a broken relationship. In 2 Cor 2:7(a), Paul advises the Corinth Church that had a problem in reconciliation. It says, "so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort {him,}". Paul advises them to forgive and comfort the person. Secondly we ought to be peacemakers and not just peace lovers. Matt 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Keeping all this in mind let us look at:

FIVE STEPS TO RECONCILIATION IN A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP.

1. Talk to God before you talk to the person.
This is the first important step.Ps 62:8 says, "Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us". secondly, keep your cool as it says in James 1:19,20 {This} you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak {and} slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Finally even if the other person or group involved in the relationship has made the mistake, don't fret.Ps 37:1 says, "Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers".

2. Always take the initiative
The perfect example in the Word is Matt 5:23, 24 "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering". The initiative counts in the case of a broken relationship.

3. Sympathize with their feelings
These verses sum up this statement, Phil 2:3,4 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not {merely} look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others". Humility is a key in mending a relationship.

4. Confess your part of the conflict
A perfect reminder is in Matt 7:3 which says, "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?". Accepting your part in the entire conflict can help resolve the issue.

5. Do not justify
This can sometimes be hard. But Jesus could be the perfect example. 1 Pet 2:21-23 says, "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting {Himself} to Him who judges righteously.".


THOUGHT: Are you ready to embrace the ministry of reconciliation that Christ has asked us to embrace?

Christianity is not a RELIGION!

VERSES: If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,"Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!"(which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. (Col 2:20-23)


I guess the title of this article may surprise many but this is what the Bible says. When you accept Christ, you are not adopted into some religious body with a thousand rules! Christ died on the cross and rose on the the third day to redeem us. This simply means He wanted to restore our relationship with Him not to impose some rules on us but to give us eternal life.

Now we have to realize that we were born to sin. The bondage of sin was broken for us on the cross. We are now free in Christ once we choose to believe That Christ has redeemed us. This freedom in Christ has no additional rules or regulations. We don't need to start wearing white clothes or stop eating non-vegetarian food to show that we are holy and religious. All that we need to do is live a life that glorifies Him and understand that Christianity is a relationship with our Savior. It is that simple. You need to spend time with Him daily and allow Him to change your life. The time you spend with Him is very important. The time you spend with Him helps you realize what He wants in your life. So stop living a life of rules and start living in the freedom that Christ gave us on the cross.

THOUGHT: Do you think Christianity is a bunch of rules or is it a relationship with our Savior?

Do you believe that I am able to do this?

VERSES:
Mat 21:21 And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a [14] firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done.

Mat 9:28 When He reached the house and went in, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, Yes, Lord.



When I first got the news that I was moving to Mumbai(Bombay), I was filled with excitement as well as uncertainity. I wasn't sure of many things especially how I would arrange my accomodation. For those who know Mumbai, it happens to be one of the most costliest cities to live in India and finding accomodation can be a nightmare.

After staying at a hotel for nearly four days we decided, we needed to shift into a new flat. We had only one evening to find a place to stay. We started at 4pm and had not found a place to stay even after looking for one for 4 hours. We were taken to some places that we couldn't even call a place to stay. It was getting frustrating when God reminded me of those two verses I mentioned above. Our mountain was getting a place to stay and God was asking me whether I was ready to believe that He is able to do this? It was that simple. I knew God was in control. All I needed to do was to believe like the blind men.

As we were almost giving up, one of my colleagues got a tip from his friend that a place may be available in Andheri that was quite close to one of our offices. We decided to pay a visit to the place though it was getting late. By 9:30pm, we finally reached the place. We were impressed because it had all the amenities that we required. All that it required was FAITH that HE will do it.

THOUGHT: Many times in our life when uncertainty strikes us, God asks this one simple question, Do you believe that I am able to do this? What will be your answer?

Church? Fellowship? Why bother?

VERSES:

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb. 10:25, NIV)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NKJV)

Please follow the YouTube link below to an amazing video of a battle between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo and 2 crocodiles at a watering hole in South Africa's Kruger National Park while on Safari. You'll have to be patient, it's about 8.5 minutes long, but the end is simply unbelievable! Based on this video, let's see if we can contemplate why it is important and beneficial to be part of a church and Christian fellowship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

(Special thanks to Pastor Peter Duyzer)

Look at Things Unseen

THOUGHT: Matt 17:20 says, And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. (NASB)

Are you looking at your problem or are you looking to God?

Step Up, Step Out

Verses:

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But Jesus spoke to them saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they came into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Mt. 14:22-33, NKJV

In the verses, we see Jesus, through a miracle coming to the rescue of His disciples, who were faced with a perilous situation.

Note that Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and ‘go before Him’ on the other side. Further reading reveals that Jesus went up to the mountain to pray. When you think of it, Jesus in His foreknowledge would have known that the waters would be troubled as the disciples went out to sea. So why did He let them go without Him?

We could picture a parent trying to teach his child how to ride a bicycle. It’s common knowledge that in the initial stages, the parent would hold the cycle as the child tries to push the pedals. But at one point, the parent should let go, without which the child would never learn to balance. He/she would obviously rush to the child’s rescue if he/she loses balance. So can we say that the parent has ‘abandoned’ the child?

As believers in Christ, we may have encountered situations where God ‘let’s go’ for a certain time, which can prove to be a period of prolonged difficulty or distress. But is this God ‘abandoning’ us? Or is it God stretching our faith so we can balance the destabilizing forces of doubt?

Further, Peter wanted to verify the identity of this ghostly figure claiming to be Jesus. I find it hard to determine exactly what was going on his mind, but I think he wanted to see a miracle. The miracle began the moment he left the boat. But when the wind got ‘boisterous’ Peter’s newfound ability to walk on water suddenly seemed to lose effect. Jesus quickly came to his rescue, just when he was losing ‘balance’.

Life can sometimes be like a tight rope walk in a storm. But by faith in the saving grace of the Lord and an awareness of His constant presence, we have all the stability we need.

‘Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,

Which cannot be moved, but abides forever’ (Psalms 125:1, NKJV)

THOUGHT: Can we leave our comfort zone and take steps of faith, even if that involves considerable risk?

"Peace" that transcends all understanding!

VERSE: And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:17

Peace is something everyone desires with no exceptions. For some peace means going for a holiday to escape the torment at their workplace or college and for others it is peace in war like conflict.

The Bible promises a peace that passes all understanding. When I read this for the first time I was awestruck. What is this peace that passeth all understanding?

Peace is not about positive energy or positive thinking. It comes from knowing that God is in control of our lives. This requires us to acknowledge and believe and put our faith in the Lord. Keeping that in mind, Paul says in Phil 4:6, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God". There can be days and moments in our lives which can be really hard to face but putting our faith in the Lord and giving him full control of our lives makes all the difference. Let the Lord know what is troubling you and He can really change things around for you in your life!

THOUGHT: Do you have the peace that passes all understanding?

And so we press on…

VERSES: Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(Phil. 3:12-14, New King James Version)

The name January comes from the name of the Roman God ‘Janus’. It is usually seen with two faces. One looks forward, the other behind. This month is indeed a salient juncture for all of us, being the first month of the New Year. Even as we all rush back to the daily grind of routine work in a couple of days, we may still have some time to reflect on the past and prepare for the future.

A quick reflection on our past may reveal several victories, but also a number of failures. Many of these failures maybe due to broken resolutions from New Year’s Day last year -if we still remember what they were! In the verse we see Paul, the master church-planter apostle for Christ, contributor of 13 of the 66 books of the Bible, admitting that he was not perfect.

‘Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt 5:48, NKJV). If one would read the verses preceding this, we see Jesus prescribing principles that are extremely hard to practice. ‘Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you’ among many others. Even as we look back on our past, we would find that at some point we would have struggled with conforming to these principles, or many other things mentioned in the Word required from us as believers. It is sometimes difficult to face the fact that we, although having being saved from eternal punishment, are imperfect people in the service of a perfect God. But isn’t it this sense of inadequacy – a sense of ‘not having apprehended’ – that can drive us to serve God even more, in a better way?

What is our vision for 2010? Philip Cherian, Director of Formations World Wide, (http://www.formationsworld.com/about.htm) once talked about the concept of vision: ‘Foresight, with insight, based on hindsight.’ We can’t really have a good vision for the future, without some thoughtful reflection of our past – be it incidents, successes, failures or just experiences. Even so, how do we look to the future with hope? Can we be hopeful only if we have got everything all planned and figured out? But if we’ve got it all figured out, why hope?

‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’ (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV) We know the One in Whom we can find hope for the future and perpetual guidance:

For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.

(Ps 48:18, NKJV)

May God bless us all with a prosperous New Year in Him.

THOUGHT: Whatever be our present situation, can we look back with gratitude and look forward with hope?