Biblio

Acts 13:36 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, Acts 13:26 explains we are called to serve God’s purpose in our generation like David. Basically we have two purposes:     Primary purpose: To serve in God’s redemptive plan which is the salvation of human beings through Jesus Christ.   Secondary purpose: To serve the job or whatever position we are in. Serving Primary Purposes of Life in Marketplaces We often compartmentalize spiritual role and marketplace role. However, both have an integral connection.  Esther 4:13-14 tells primary purpose for Esther was not to become queen but to save the lives of Jews. God raises up people from nowhere to great positions and influence to serve God’s primary purposes. Genesis 45:5 tells primary purpose of Joseph was not to become in charge of the lands of Egypt but to preserve lives of people of God – Israel. God has given job, op

Matthew 5:14-16: You are the light of the world-- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see.  15 Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.  16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.             Who You are? We were under darkness. Our minds were blind. God opened our heart and removed darkness from our mind and life. Devil has no more any authority over us. Light indicates all God given revelation about Christ and the life change and blessing that has brought to our life. God made us light. Our light comes from  Christ who is the Light of the world. We are now like a city on a mountain. We are light for those who are still in darkness like light in the night. This is the purpose of the light that God has given to our lives: share the light to others. Where is your light? We know that we are the light in this world. However, we

God visits us. It is very precious moment of our life. We all have very special moment of God’s presence in our live. God appears to us in special ways. Sometimes his presence is tangible and other times intangible. One of the peculiarity of our God is that he appears in the form of human being. Even Bible describes God using anthropomorphic words. Here God appeared to Abraham in human form (Gen 18).       1. Receptiveness and Sensitiveness to God’s presence (V.2) Abraham saw God. Even though he is very old man, he stood and went out to receive God’s presence. It is very important to leave our tent in order to receive God. We may have different comfort zones but sometime we need to leave them to receive God. God wants to draws very close relationship with us. He likes to come near to man in intimacy. But man should be sensitive to God’s move and also should be receptive. 2. Humbling Yourselves in worship (V.2) Abraham bowed low to the ground before God. It is an act of wor

1. Putting trust in God When Abraham gave up the wealth offered by a king in trusting God and gave tithe to God (Gen 14), God appeared to Abraham and said "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward"  ( Gen 15:1).  God has relationship with Abraham which here specified as “your shield” and “your …reward.” When Abraham put his trust in God in front of king Sodom and gave tithe to God, God assured to Abraham these things. Shield indicates protection and reward indicates blessings . God is ready to give reward to faithfulness of Abraham and his trust in God. When we put our trust in God, God will be our reward. He will be never ashamed us when we trust in him.   If he takes the reward of the king it will limit only to him but when Abraham put trust in God, God given rewards went beyond him to his generations . Psalm 127:3 identifies the inheritance of children as a “reward” given by the Lord. He is our protection too. Jesus said I am with you

Our lives are conditioned by several factors such as our family, job, education, place of living and so on. We live out everyday a conditioned life. It is important to make sure that a Christian’s life is conditioned by God. Paul is an example for this. Let us look at Paul’s life and see how his life was conditioned by God. 1. Condition your life with final destiny He was ready to forget what is behind him. He had very prestigious background. Such background can give him good confidence in flesh. But Paul had no confidence in the flesh (3.4-6). He did not hold his prestigious background or position when he met Christ. He sacrificed what was profitable to him according to the standards of the world in order to know Christ (3.7). He was ready to lose the world to gain Christ (3.7). His priority was to be found in Christ (3.9). He depended upon the righteousness that comes from God (3.9) rather than self righteousness. He was like a runner in the track. He forgot what is behind

These are some of the thoughts that can lead and guide our minds with respect to our church. What is God doing around us? Jesus said “I will build my church...” (Mt 16.). He is doing right here in your place through you. The building and providing growth to the church is completely God’s work. It is God-sized program which any human being may not able to do unless God equips someone. However, the beauty is that God likes normal human beings to participate with such God-sized program. What should I do? It is our responsibility to join with God in his work which specially manifests around us. We need to learn to jump into the place where God is really at work. In order to participate in God’s work around us, we need to adjust our life (time, relationship, finance, work and all other life activities) to God’s plan,  purpose and work. How I should participate with God? Nehemiah might be a good example to answer this question. 1. Fill our hearts with burden for perishing

         God is active in this world. God has a plan for you. You have to take your role in God’s programme in this world. To release yourself into such plan and role, you need a few principles. These principles are drawn from Nehemiah’s personal life and ministry. 1.    Prayer with Burden to achieve God given task (Neh 1)        Nehemiah heard the pathetic condition of the city of Jerusalem and its people. He was keen to know it. He could see need and situation that beyond himself and his situation. This had brought prayer and burden for people to the life and heart of Nehemiah. He filled with burden. That led him to pray. He started to move beyond himself in prayer and burden. Paul said “ I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish” (Rom 1.14).  Mk 6.34 says “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” Lk 19.10 says “For the

                Everyone in the church is a living stone (1Pet 2.4-5) who finds their foundation in Jesus, the cornerstone. Church is compared with a building. Here, it says the church is a growing spiritual building.  In the building, every stone is connected and carrying the burden of the other stones, likewise it is expected that every believer is to be connected to the other believer and should carry the burden of another. As every stone in a building has its own special role and function to build the building, to give the shape of the structure and to give existence for a building, every believer in the church has a role and function in the church to build it up. This particular role or function is nothing but the individual ministry of every believer in the Kingdom of God.                  The greatest job that Jesus is doing in this world is building his church (Mt 16.13-20). To this end, Jesus has given to all of us an authority. This authority is to overcome the pow

      ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CHURCH GATHERING              Church has different gatherings which aim to strengthen and nourish the spiritual life of believers. Heb 10.25 says that we should not give up any church meetings. It is an opportunity to us to receive ministry of God towards our entire being through the gifts of Holy Spirit (1Pet 4.10). Holy Spirit has very major role in our meetings. Spirit ministers to us through different gifts and manifestation through different people. Christian gathering should be Spirit filled gathering. The different manifestation of the Holy Spirit is to strengthen the believers and also for the common goodness of the community (1Cor 12.26,7).  However, the different ministries of the Holy Spirit should administer in order which should not disturb the order of the service.             One of the important parts of our gathering is giving to God from our material resources. It a most neglected part of the worship by many Christians and

                               The church is the community of all true believers of all time, whom God called out from the world to participate his salvific programme. Church is body of Christ and Christ is the head (Eph 1.22–23). Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2.47). The church is local but universal. The metaphors that used for the church are: family (1Tim 5.1-2), bride of Christ (Eph 5.32), branches on a vine (Jn15.5), an live tree (Rom 11.17-24), field of crops (1Cor 3.6-9), a building (1Cor 3.9), a new temple (1Pt 2.5), God’s house (Hb 3.3). The main ministers of the church are: apostles, pastors, evangelists, teachers, prophets, deacons, other ministers. The important events of the church are: Baptism, holy communion, worship, prayer, fellowship, ministry of word of God, evangelism and so on. Following are the essential attitudes which every believer needs to have in his or her spiritual life towards the church. 1. ATTITUDE OF UN