"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?

A Fresh Start

VERSES: There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” ……..

…….. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:32-34,39-43 (NKJV)

In the verses we see the infinite mercy of Jesus, the Son of God. Even in the bitter experience of crucifixion, He had the heart to forgive.

Many of us are still carrying the burden of things that we said or did, which we now regret. Some of us may have sinned so much that we would think God would not even look in our direction. But here we see a wretched criminal, under capital punishment for his deeds, receiving entry into Paradise – probably just hours before his death. It’s never too late.

But this might tempt one to think that committing one’s life to Christ is something that can wait. God will accept us even if we commit ourselves to Him on our death beds! But even as we breathe our last, will we look back and see a life of sin? Or a life filled with grace, blessing and fellowship with our Creator? It may not be too late, but does it have to be so late?

For those of us who are walking with the Lord, our lives may still be much less than perfect. We may be struggling with sin and certain weaknesses that hinder us from serving Him the way we should. But the word reminds us: ‘…we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are and was yet without sin.’ (Heb 4:15) ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 Jn 1:9)

Whatever be our situation, we can still make a fresh start in Christ.

THOUGHT: When it comes to repenting of our sin and committing all to Jesus, is it worth the wait?

When He stopped

VERSE:And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him {here.}" So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you." Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, {I want} to regain my sight!"And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and {began} following Him on the road. Mark 10:49-52

Two qualities make Bartimaeus, the blind beggar stand out; his persistence and his faith.

I can just imagine this blind beggar who was pretty well informed that Jesus was passing by, was sitting by the road expecting his miracle. He must have just heard of Him through one of his beggar-friends, but he knew one thing, he would get healed if Jesus touched him. He was so persistent even though people(which was his obstacle to the miracle) told him to shut up.His cries of mercy reached Jesus and He stood still or rather stopped.

Put a pause button in the story right there where Jesus stopped for this 'blind beggar' on the road from the resort city of Jericho. You must realise that this blind beggar's persistance made Jesus stop so that he could get his miracle. He was blind but he believed a report that Jesus can heal. He cast his doubts away, was filled with boldness and persistence, and called on Him who healed him.

THOUGHT: Are you persistent to stop Jesus for your miracle today?

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.

Pride goes before Destruction

VERSE: Pride {goes} before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. Prov 16:18

Even if we try to deny the fact that we have been proud, we have been so sometime or the other. The Word of God tells us clearly what happens to the proud: there is destruction coming.

Prov 13:10 says “Through insolence comes nothing but strife, But wisdom is with those who receive counsel”. When we are proud, we refuse to say that we were wrong or that we need advice. Pride is a component of every quarrel. Being humble, allows us to seek counsel and understand that we can be wrong sometimes. The Word has examples of what happens to people with pride. The best example is King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son who had a spirit that was hardened in pride(Dan 5:20) and he was ultimately deposed of his throne. Prov 16:5 says “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished”. By being proud we are telling God that our way is the best and finally denying God’s leadership in our lives. We pay for being proud. So it is time we examine our lives and eliminate pride from lives which can destroy us and rather live with humility like Christ wants us to. Humility is an asset of every successful leader after God’s own heart. They are successful because God leads them.

THOUGHT: Are you being proud at heart and denying God’s leading in your life?

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.