Image Scripture: Omnipresent (Psalm 139)

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Alang thuak (The Irang River)

Luangkak khou luangbam alang dui,                       (8)     a

Thingpui, taodai, siniangpung rui,                            (8)     a

Thing mangna luang siauh siauh bam e.                  (8)     x

Nrim rai rai mei Alang dui paeng thang,                 (9)     b

Thaochui bam ndiak rih rih mei mphuai bang,       (9)     b

Alang phai siniang tausiam rak khou.                      (9)     x

Nring rui rui ramkhuan khatse chu mak ge,            (10)   c

Duithu khatni duithuat khuan na dithe,                   (10)   c

Hou nikhang kum e nzianmei nun guai ta.              (10)   x

Talam rui sam na bam kajaeng gaihakna,                 (11)   d

Neiriu gaimei khou kasukaeng kalapna,                  (11)   d

Dui ru, mphuai ru, taodai lap khou sam bam e.      (11)   x

Saengmei mphuaibang guaini neilahakna bam gei,         (12)   e

Nchuzaeng mei puan alu ri rih bam mei khou tei-           (12)   e

Kanuk chui hak na bam rianra mei nai mak na.               (12)   x

Ai Mphuai kum, Talam kumna neila zaengai thaini,        (13)   f

Nrou mak na tanbau thai ni Alang dui kumnani,             (13)   f

Ringpou tuang bansiam ta zauhna meizaeng gai hak e.  (13)   x

Grace-life

“… join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,” – 2 Timothy 1:8-9

Summarize in a Word: Grace-life

Key Principle: We demonstrate God’s Grace deeper when we live for the One who died for us

Illustration: My friend stood strong against a mob attack

Exhortation: Be a witness of Christ wherever you live.

Sponsor Issue: Contributed by Pastor Daril Gona, MBC, Mumbai

Every breadth that humans take proves that our creator is gracious. But God’s grace towards His elects is way grandeur; in Christ, He gives them eternal life when they deserve eternal death.

By the grace of God, we are saved. As we are infinitely incapable of saving ourselves from our sins (Eph2:1), God sent His beloved Son to save us (Matt1:21). Christ is the channel for God’s grace. This grace in Christ was granted for us in eternity. Which means you and I could repent and believe in Jesus because God in eternity sealed our salvation in Christ. When we truly understand how sinful we are, we start understanding God’s grace. 

God saved us and called us to a holy life. We are saved to serve God, to be His witnesses in all circumstances. Everyone can profess Christian faith in the church, but only a true disciple of Jesus can profess his faith in the midst of sufferings.

I was personally encouraged by my friend’s faith when he stood strong in persecution with the power of God. When a mob attacked him for being a believer, he could have denied but he didn’t. He prayed to the Father “Lord, this life is yours, let your will be done”. God who empowered us to be saved will also empower us to suffer for the gospel.

Are you living for the one who died for you? Living for self is a sin as we ought to live for God. The more we understand the grace of God, the more we would want to please God. Be a witness of Christ wherever you live.

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Thanks for the time of Reflection,

R. Solomon

(This issue is contributed by my Friend, Daril Gona, Pastor, Mumbai Bible Church, Mumbai, He is an alumnus of Pastoral Training Seminary, Goa (2018). Please pray for his ministry and for him to get a godly wife soon! cf. Proverbs 19:14; 18:22)

Image Scripture: Isaiah 35:8-10

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Professions

You look for money,

I look for people;

You are paid for your job,

My work drained all I’ve got.

You work for money,

I work to serve;

You would work for higher pay,

I would pay to do my work.

You are Professional,

I am Apostle Paul.

Does Heaven shut its Door to You?

“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.” – Daniel 10:13 [NASB]

Summarize in a Word: Spiritual Warfare

Key Principle: God’s Grace is Greater than Satan’s Scheme

Key Application: Have courage in the Grace of God.

Main point of the Passage: Despite Satan’s influences upon the earth, God’s grace sustains the universe through the active working of His angels.

Illustration: Daniel’s Prayer

Exhortation: Keep waiting on God. Be of good courage!

This passage reveals the reality of on-going spiritual warfare which we do not notice. Despite Satan’s influences upon the earth, God’s grace sustains the universe through the active working of His angels. Christians are with angels in this battle, and non-Christians are under the influence of the demonic force (Eph. 2:2)

Image Scripture: Lamentations 3

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Giving

[A poem written for a generous friend of mine]

You know that I know I don’t deserve this,

You know that I know I shouldn’t expect it.

I know that you know this to me is a bliss,

Though this is too surprising to accept it.

Indeed, ‘giving’ is well deserved to be received!

It reveals more the character of the giver

Than the condition of the one who received!

May you thrive and be fruitful more than ever!

Spiritual Fruitfulness

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22 -23

Summarize in a Word: Spiritual Fruitfulness

Key Principle: Christian ought to Bear Much Spiritual Fruit

Key Application: We must keep on walking in the Spirit

Main point of the Passage: We can overcome Sin and have Spiritual Fruitfulness when we continuously walk in the Spirit.

Illustration: Charismatic wave of seeking miraculous gift instead of fruit in Manipur

Exhortation: Remember what Christ has done for you and demonstrate the Fruit in your life too towards other!

We all want to overcome sin and live a spiritually fruitful life. Don’t we? Many times, we make strategies and resolution but fail to live out victoriously. This passage tells us to keep walking in the Spirit because it is the Spirit that bears fruit in us: Love, Joy Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. What a package of Virtues! In Lord Jesus Christ we see all these virtues in fullness.

Image Scripture: Psalm 73:1-2

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

For Audio in Hebrew click here

For Audio in English (ESV) click here

For Audio in Hindi click here

An Escape to Himalaya

Does my Lord ascend from the Mount Olivet?

Must I ascend from the Mount Himalaya?

Without fields to plow, no souls to bring, I fret.

The prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah

Remind me to linger on, no matter what –

Even when heaven’s door seems to remain shut.

Indeed, no sin, no devil, and no darkness

Can conceal the surety of God’s faithfulness!

Why I blog "With the Word" series

In my school days, I loved reading Our Daily Bread (popularly known as ODB) produced by Radio Bible Class (RBC) ministries. It was a devotional calendar-style booklet arranged for the whole year. Year after year, I would save money or ask my parents to buy for me this precious devotional book. Each morning before I step out of my bed I would be reading and would be praying after it.

I was so devoted to reading this book that one of my friends used to make fun of me saying, “ODB to him is like a medicine to a patient of cysticercosis.” (We grew up with that disease around us. Doctors would prescribe a tablet and syrup instructing us sternly to ingest before we step out of bed.) There were times I would like to get into the washroom, but I would not unless I completed the daily reading schedule of ODB. I was so passionate about reading it because it blessed my soul very much. I would even promote it by giving as Birthday gifts or Christmas presents to others.

Image Scripture: Psalm 119:105

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

For Audio in Hebrew click here

For Audio in English (ESV) click here

For Audio in Hindi click here

Fun-Orientated or Gospel-Oriented?

One late Sunday night, my friend came home after a hectic day of ministry. I happened to be standing at my door with a bottle of water. He stretched out his hand on a buoyant face to quench his thirst. I just said (pretending to be rude), “No! Go and drink in your room. You have fresh water in your room. It's just upstairs.” I was busy conversing with the pastor who was with him. He smiled tacitly with a  little wear of embarrassment on his face and went upstairs. I went back to my room and engaged myself in what I had been doing before.

Then I lay down to sleep, the picture of my thirsty friend came as a flashback. I just felt bad because I chose to make fun when he was really in need of water. I remembered Matthew 10:42, where the word of God says clearly, “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” I thought to myself, “Oh! I have forfeited the blessings.” I decided to apologize to him the next morning, and I did. 

Of course, he knew I was just grabbing an opportunity to make fun of him, which we often did to one another. Moreover, his room was not far away. He had chilled water inside his refrigerator well-suited and well-timed to battle the humid environment. After all, my water was just warm, he would not like it. However, I was not right; for I preferred making fun over helping him. It occurred to me that I was fun-saturated more than Bible-saturated (at least at that moment!)

I must have done like that many times before. We often choose to laugh at people instead of doing good things for them. We must be gospel-oriented, not fun-oriented people. I admit I must have sacrificed many noble works at the altar of fun and sense of humor. Jesus had a sense of humor when He dealt with the need of a Syrophoenician woman to cast out a demon from her daughter; but He did heal her too (Mark 7:26-30). Any sense of humor or fun without actual help is not Christianly. It is said that when Paul Washer was asked why he was so serious all the times, he answered, “The gospel of Jesus - heaven and hell is a serious stuff; so must I.” If there is a choice between seriousness and fun, I believe we must choose seriousness because we have been too much to fun and seldom to seriousness.

I also remember one day in a classroom, a wall fan felt over one of the students. By the grace of God, he was spared from major injury. The students were so relieved to realize that he did not get hurt, that we all burst out laughing. The professor reproved us to not laugh at adversity.

I also remember reading a book of Ravi Zacharias, where he recounted the incident of crowds laughing heartily in one of the streets of India. He went to see what was happening. He was shocked that people were laughing at the sight of somebody making fun of a beggar. We are not supposed to laugh at sin or injustice, or pain or suffering or adversity. Nor are we to laugh at God, the holy God. Our generation does not know how to be serious anymore. They would do anything for fun!!! Are you a fun-oriented person? Be a gospel-oriented one! Are you funny? Come on, be serious also! After all, the Son of man did not come to give a fun, but to call the sinners to repentance. That is serious – it is hell or heaven.