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

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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.

With Charles Spurgeon: Eccl. 9:4

“A living dog is better than a dead lion.” – Ecclesiastes 9:4

Life is a precious thing, and in its humblest form it is superior to death. This truth is eminently certain in spiritual things. It is better to be the least in the kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. The lowest degree of grace is superior to the noblest development of unregenerate nature. Where the Holy Ghost implants divine life in the soul, there is a precious deposit which none of the refinements of education can equal.

Image Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:11

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

For Audio in Hebrew click here

For Audio in English (ESV) click here