Resignation

God seems slow but all other ground

Is sinking sand,

The Lord is good, wise, and just;

Slowness must be the only way, the best.

 

I do not know my heart,

Unlike the Lord, I ain't smart.

Hope, delight, or despair,

Desiring or not, fair or unfair,

I will wait on God, my advocate;

All other ways are inadequate.

To Love

Admire me for what I am good at

Love me for what I am bad at

 

If you love me for what I am good at

And hate me for what I am bad at

We will be miserable because you will find that

I have more “bad at” than “good at”

 

And I intend to do the same with you

At all things, to admire you and love you

 

Anyone can love us for what we are good at

And people will hate us for what we are bad at

Let our love for one another cause us to love

Especially when we are unlovely and guilty of

 

That's difficult, but that's the love

I've decided to love you, and would ask you too, my love

 

I think that's the love that pleases the Lord

The love we must afford

The love that's true and rare

The love that endures without despair.

Prayer Walk In Imphal

However it be

No goodness did I see

I marched towards that tree

In my agony.

 

I shook that tree hard

To awaken my Lord

Yet not to hear a word

Just to ease my heart

The 500th Help Think Blog Post

This is my 500^th blogpost for Help Think.

I started 9 years ago, here’s the link.

I’ve been here for 3,296 days

Though nothing worthy of praise.

I ain’t in the league of geeks

Although I‘ve been here 470 weeks.

Posting an average of once a week

Barely three to four at its peak.

 

Two years, I took a break

They were not a mistake;

2015, overwhelmed in seminary,

2017, busy in pastoral ministry.

How long will I go on blogging?

Maybe as long as I keep writing.

I do have 100 more to post

Yet, that’s nothing to boast.

 

Thrice a week, my target, to post

That’s enough for this year to last.

Gratitude to my WhatsApp friends

With their partnership Help Think sustains.

Who are my readers? I cannot tell

I write for Christians, and for anyone as well.

To help them think to know God’s words

And help them live a life that accords.

 

My goal on social media, or online

Is for Romans 1:11, in me, to shine:

“That I may impart to you

Some spiritual gift to strengthen you”

To be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

And to hold on to Romans 8, twenty-eight.

For the redeemed, all things work together for good;

That cannot be forgotten nor be misunderstood.

 

Aye, we shall not be utterly cast down,

Though we may fall; for we are God’s own.

Um, that’s Psalm 37, twenty-four

Three Scriptures a lot, I shall mention no more.

I ain’t a great writer, not even good

Though I wish and strive that I would,

Nor a techie as you see on my web page;

I hope to be better in both as I age

 

A few weeks ago, I pondered

Not to let the 500^th post be squandered.

Thank you, my readers and encouragers!

Would you read all the more and be firm believers?

Certainly, I shall not write a 500-line rhyme

That will take me a lot of time.

Noteworthy are some special occasions

Though they need not require celebrations.

 

This blogpost (poem) is a dedication

To Mermie, my greatest fan, without hesitation,

A delightful friend more than I could wish for,

Yet shall be better evermore.

Who’s a friend to me?

Lord, one whose desire is to honour Thee,

Whose mind is set to know and live

Out Thy word as long as we live.

 

Lovely are the struggles of God’s people

Though weak and slow they battle

Against sin, vain philosophy, and worldliness

Even if it leads them to loneliness.

They choose to live for God, a self-denial

Even in times of suffering and trial;

Yet they will remain imperfect

Someday, God shall make them perfect.

 

Such ones are my delightful friends

They shall last even when the world ends.

I set out to compose a 500-word poem

I only wish you appreciate this as a poem

Now, I must bring this to a close

It’s time I suppose

Before you get an overdose

To bid y’all adios!

Something or Nothing?

When we really do

not have anything,

We would like to

have some sort of a thing.

 

We say, “Something is

better than nothing,”

But ‘Nothing’ is

better than a wrong thing.

Prodigious and Miniature

Spurgeon got converted at sixteen,

Began preaching at seventeen,

Became a pastor at eighteen,

Dominated England at nineteen!

In 2 years period, before he came to London,

When he was just 19, preached 670 sermons.

He went on to preach over 7000 sermons,

Of which we have around 3600 sermons.

At 17, I began preaching to my peers,

Since then I’ve been preaching for 12 years,

Yet achievement of Spurgeon’s first 2 years

Is still an impossible feat, it appears!

              – S.R. [2020]

Odd, odder, or Not

Evening Prayer

“Sweet thing happens when we fellowship around the word of God”

(Recalling 1st December 2017. On this day, I sent this email message to some of my friends before I started to blog "With the Word")

I am not supposed to write and send anything tonight as I have already issued “With the Word” (through email). But, something sweet happened tonight, that I just cannot keep silent. What to do…! I am like that! Prone to tell Good news – gospel or personal news.

I have been conducting a family Bible Study in a home of one of our church members. Tonight was the end of that fellowship because we have completed the book of Ephesians, as well as I would be leaving Goa the coming Wednesday. We celebrate with bicycle ride, family games, and grand dinner. 

After everything is done, I decided to go back to my room. Then, I received this (look at the image). It is the best card I have ever received. I have been to many places and to many institutions. Thousands of people have bid me farewell already over the years. This one comes as the best! Look how beautiful my name looks, especially when it comes from just eleven years old kid, whose first language is not English. I bet you cannot come up better than that...! Can you?

I re-affirm again tonight that fellowship around the word of God produces surprising joy beyond measure. May we all continue to grow up in the fellowship of the word of God wherever we are!

Good Night!

Lighten your sadness!

When circumstances tear your heart out,

When opportunities have passed you by,

Remember the song, “Pass me not,”

Sung by the blind Fanny Crosby,

Grace has not passed you by salvationally!

And to His chosen ones, His goodness

Endures forever and faithfully!

May that lighten your sadness!

The City

Yes, I am a traveler,

Journeying towards the city where

God is its builder and maker.

Yes, I am a tent-maker,

Laying up treasures in heaven where

Moth, rust, and thieves do not plunder.

Yes, I may and will suffer,

Bearing the afflictions of Christ for

Indeed I am His follower.

Yes, it is always ever,

Persevering like the Old saints for

The city which is much better.

To a Friend Concerning a Friend

Why do we cry when someone has died?

Is it the company we miss by our side?

Is it for things we have not done?

Is it for the promise he has not begun?

Is it for things we will soon be denied?

Why do we cry when someone has died?

Yes, there's a lot we can do for someone,

Yes, this world offers a lot of fun—

The breathtaking grandeur of God's creation,

And also the beauty of human emotion.

But isn't he in a better place when he died?

Why this truth to the heart is not satisfied?

Death, we have no complaint against you,

It is the wage of sin each of us is due.

Lord, we know You are taking to the better place,

That, in deep solace we can embrace Your grace.

But we still cry when someone has died,

Because there's a pain deep inside.

The Lord on account of Lazarus cried,

He even for our eternal death died.

The Lord knows the grief and the pain of death,

He was, is, and always will be God, yet

He cried identifying our grief, 

Long or brief we cry, and shall find in Him a relief!

Lo! We shall meet again with no more tears,

We shall be together again for countless years,

Heaven and earth shall be ours; the road no more narrow!

No more sin, no more death, no more sorrow.

Unto that imminent reality, let us fix our hope

Especially when in such a situation we try to cope.

Sarimaya and Tuingamla (SSEU friends)

Sunday Night (1st September)

Staying awake this hour of midnight,

Lonely sitting without anyone,

For any kind of conversation,

In this big empty hall situation,

I feel despondent and abandoned,

As if there’s no more morrow’s daylight!

The dimly lit hall looks like my heart,

The bright day is gone, the night is long,

Sleep stays not and the mind is not calm,

Yes of the day’s work, there is a qualm,

What possibly could I have done wrong?

I long for the dawn for a new start!

The slow whirling fan seems to not care,

The presence of many or any,

Doing what it knows and is called for,

Cooling the summer heatwave indoor,

It makes me think, though ordinary,

To stay put without any despair.

Thinking Through Tough Questions

When should one be found guilty:

when it sees no fruit?
when it sees no success?
when it gets no applause?
when it gets no response?
or when it gets boring?

When is the soul more distressing:
when you get angry and react?
when you presume the worst of others?
when all you hum is, "Does He care?"
when you claim the right to self-pity?
or when your action is inconsistent with your principle?

What is more loathsome:
when sin is preferred to stupidity?
when sin becomes appropriate?
when ‘to sin’ becomes a right?
when ‘to sin’ becomes a must?
or when one has a seared conscience?

What is more deceitful:
when you think you are busy to make it?
when you think it's difficult to make it?
when you see no relevance in it?
when you see no benefit in it?
or when you find it boring?

Claypot

CLAY POT!

You are nothing, (Jn.15:5)

But, just a clay pot, (2 Cor.4:7)

Gifted to Impart, (Rom.1:11)

Blessed to be a Blessing, (Gen 12:2)

Received to Deliver, (1Cor.15:3)

Enlightened to Make Known, (Eph.3:2)

Equipped to Entrust, (2Tim. 2:2)

Privileged to be Responsible. (Gen. 1:28)

Yes divinely PASSIVE, (Eph.1:4)

Be manly ACTIVE! (2Cor.6:1)

You, a Recipient of Grace, (Eph.3:8)

Be an Ambassador of Grace! (2 Cor. 5:20)

Lonely Night!

Tonight, I'm all alone,

Loneliness, who have not known?

Even a heart that is hard as stone,

Would melt, and cry in a groan,

If one stays in this building as I, alone!

I should not put on all the light,

For I wouldn’t be able to pay the bill,

Though darkest it looks to me this night!

Hmm! To spend the time of loneliness is a skill!

I can’t afford to call up friends,

For morrow's Sermon needs attention.

As if everything’s alright I pretend,

Though I yearn a soothing conversation!

Back to my table, I must, to study,

Or get my knees to the floor to pray,

Before all my emotions get muddy,

Maybe that’s how one drives emotion away!

Rock of Ages Highlighted

Augustus Toplady