Who is your best friend? Surely good moments you had together and memories might flood your mind even as you think of him or her. What if Jesus is your best friend. It is possible. For Jesus told his disciples, “I have called you friends” (John 15:15).
#1. Love
The first thing about friendship is love. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). When he bled on the cross he showed the full extent of his love for all he called friends. And those stretched out hands on the cross is welcoming you to be friends with him.
#2. No Secrets
The second thing about friendship is that there are no secrets between friends. Jesus said, “I have told you everything the Father told me” (John 15:15). Jesus took time to be with his disciples telling them about the kingdom of heaven and what the future is going to be. You too can have intimate friendship with Jesus. Tell him everything—your good and shameful thoughts, your worries and anxieties, and your desires, both good and bad. This habit will bring you closer to Jesus.
#3. No Barriers
The third thing about friendship is that there are no barriers separating friends. When it comes to friendship with God; the separation comes only because of sin. God forgives all your sins through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. You need to turn away from what is not pleasing to God and ask him to cleanse you through his blood. Then the dividing wall will come down and there can be continual friendship with God.
#4. Quality Time Together
The fourth thing about friendship is that friends invest time to build the relationship. Friendship grows over time. It happens through a lot of conversations, sharing, and caring for each other. Sometimes we neglect this principle when it comes to God. Do you give him quality time? The kind of time you spend with God and the time you spend on social media: Which is more important to you?
#5. Desiring the Best
The fifth thing about friendship is that it is desiring the best for the other. Surely, God desires the best for you. Our friendship with God is often strained when life doesn’t go as we hoped. When our plans don’t work out, we might miss this truth: God could be redirecting us. He might be trying to get our attention to lead us toward something better that he has lovingly kept in store for us.
#6. Access
Now think about this. What if you were friends with the President or Prime Minister of your country? How privileged you might feel? What if you had the freedom to speak to them over phone any time of the day or night 24 x 7? That might not be practically possible. But when Jesus says, “I call you my friend,” you have absolutely continual and unrestrained access to God through the blood of his cross.
#7. Guard Your Friendship
Finally, good friendships are about jealousy too. You guard your friendships; don’t you? Likewise, the Bible also warns against things that destroy friendship with God.
James, a brother of Jesus wrote: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4 NIV)
John, another friend of Jesus, wrote, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:15, 16 Berean Standard Bible).
Yes, to safeguard friendship with God, you must say NO, jealously, to every distraction.
Featured image courtesy: Image by kp yamu Jayanath from Pixabay | Fotor
If you ask me, what is the glorious hope ahead, without doubt I can answer that it is the hope of seeing you and me in the likeness of Jesus. It is the most awaited and anticipated event in God’s timeline for the end of human history.
It will also be the beginning of the glorious and never-ending companionship of Jesus with his brothers and sisters; for Jesus shared in our humanity having flesh and blood.
For then we shall see God face to face and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
When and How Is this Glorious Hope Going to Happen
Resurrection of the dead is what happens in the twinkling of an eye sometime soon. It will happen when God makes a trumpet call and those who are dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, Jesus. Instantly they will live and be changed.
This mortal body will be clothed with immortality, what is perishable will be transformed to what is imperishable, what has no honour now will be crowned with glory and honour.
This promise reassures us that we who have borne the likeness of the first man, Adam , who was of the dust of the earth, will one day soon bear the likeness of the man from heaven, Jesus.
Each one of us will bear our own individuality and personality; but at the same time when God looks at each one of us, he will see Jesus in us.
Your body will be released from all its earthly limitations; its weakness changed to power; and it will be glorified like the resurrected body of Jesus.
Why this Glorious Hope of Jesus’ Likeness
The truth is God created men and women in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26, 27). But that likeness was marred and smudged and blurred by sin, disobedience and rebellion against God.
And there came an immediate separation that prevented God from having friendship with us anymore.
But Jesus restored that friendship through satisfying God’s demand for an appropriate sacrifice through his blood on the cross. It was innocent blood shed for the sins of the whole world.
Where this Glorious Hope of Jesus’ Likeness Becomes Reality
This resurrection of the dead will be sudden and universal. Out of tombs and graves, out of ashes, out of the depths of the earth and the oceans; God will bring back to life all those who have put their hope in him.
And they all will be caught up in the air to be with God forever.
All those who are alive and have put their trust in Jesus will also be caught up to God in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye.
What a glorious and joyful gathering it shall be. Hope to see each one of you then. Changed. Transformed. Made brand new in his likeness.
“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven .” (1 Corinthians 15:49 Bible)
But What About Those Who Say No to this Glorious Hope
Then what about those who say No to Jesus now? Hope is lost for them for ever.
For even God cannot offer any hope to those who deliberately walk away from his love that sacrificed his Son Jesus on the cross.
But they too will rise from the dead. This is called the second resurrection at a later time and date.
It is for judgement and hell and unquenchable fire, where there will be darkness and weeping, gnashing of teeth and worms which never die and agony and never-ending torment. Jesus while on earth had warned people of this sad reality.
Those who go there are separated from God for ever. There is absolutely no second chance.
“If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).
What About You Who Have This Glorious Hope
Know that God never created hell for man. It was originally meant for the devil and his angels (see Matthew 25:41). It is only because men and women reject God’s love that they go there.
For this is the heart of God:
“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, ‘declares the Sovereign LORD.’ Repent and live (Ezekiel 18:30)!”
For the Bible says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).”
So, do not reject this hope and promise given to you.
Who Is Present and What Is Absent in this Glorious Hope
The glorious hope is that you will see God face to face and you will be in the likeness of Jesus.
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2 Bible).
The Spirit of God will complete this transforming work. And we will live with God for ever in a place where there will be no more sin, no evil, no disobedience or rebellion, no sorrow, no suffering, no sickness; no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Heaven!
What a glorious hope of being in Jesus’ likeness for ever and ever!
Featured image courtesy: Photo by Joëlle Moreau on Pixabay | Pixir Fotor
യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനിയുടെ 85-ആം ജന്മദിനം (2010 February 14) പ്രാർത്ഥനാപൂർവ്വം കുടുംബാംഗങ്ങളോടൊത്ത് ആചരിക്കാൻ ആലോചിച്ച സമയം. അന്ന് എനിക്ക് ഒരു ആഗ്രഹം തോന്നി. തിരുമേനിയുടെ ജീവിതത്തിലെയും ശുശ്രൂഷയിലെയും മികച്ച നിമിഷങ്ങൾ ഫോട്ടോകൾ ചേർത്തുവച്ച ഒരു കോഫി ടേബിൾ ബുക്ക് പുസ്തകമായി (Coffee Table Book) പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിക്കണം. അത് ഇനിയുള്ള തലമുറകൾക്ക് ഒരു പ്രചോദനമാകും എന്ന് വിചാരിച്ചു. പല ദിവസങ്ങളും തിരുമേനിയുടെ ഭവനത്തിൽ ചെന്ന്, തിരുമേനിയുടെ ഔദ്യോഗിക ജീവിതത്തിലെ നിർണായക നിമിഷങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ച് ചോദിച്ച് മനസ്സിലാക്കാൻ ശ്രമിച്ചു.
അങ്ങനെ ഒരു സംഭാഷണത്തിനിടയിലാണ്, LMS (London Missionary Society | Later name changed to Council for World Mission) ദ്വിശതാബ്ദി “സ്വപ്നം കാണാൻ തുനിയുക” (Dare to Dream) എന്ന ആശയത്തെ ആസ്പദമാക്കി ലണ്ടനിൽ 1995-ൽ ആഘോഷിച്ച അവസരത്തിൽ, ഒരു പ്രത്യേക യോഗത്തിൽ പ്രസംഗിക്കാൻ മൂന്ന് പേർക്ക് മാത്രമേ അവസരം ലഭിച്ചുള്ളൂ എന്ന് തിരുമേനി പറഞ്ഞത്. അതിൽ ഒരാൾ ഇംഗ്ലണ്ടിലെ എലിസബത്ത് രാജ്ഞി. മറ്റൊരാൾ ആഫ്രിക്കൻ ഭൂഖണ്ഡത്തെ പ്രതിനിധീകരിച്ച് ബിഷപ്പ് ഡെസ്മണ്ട് ടുട്ടു. പിന്നെ, ഏഷ്യൻ ഭൂഖണ്ഡത്തെ പ്രതിനിധീകരിച്ച് യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി.
വളരെ ആവേശത്തോടെ ഞാൻ തിരുമേനിയോട് ചോദിച്ചു: “അതിന്റെ ഫോട്ടോ ഏതെങ്കിലും ഉണ്ടോ?” അതിന് തിരുമേനി പറഞ്ഞ മറുപടി എന്നെ വല്ലാതെ നിരാശപ്പെടുത്തിക്കളഞ്ഞു: “എടാ, ഫോട്ടോ എടുക്കണം എന്ന് ചിന്തിച്ചുകൊണ്ടല്ലലോ നമ്മൾ പ്രസംഗിക്കാൻ അങ്ങോട്ട് പോകുന്നത്.”
ഒരു ഫോട്ടോ പോലും തന്റെ മഹിമ കാണിക്കുന്നതിന് വേണ്ടി സൂക്ഷിക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കാത്ത ഒരു മനുഷ്യൻ. അതാണ് യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി.
യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി എന്നാണ് യേശുവിൽ മറഞ്ഞ മോസ്റ്റ് റവ. ഡോ. ഐ. യേശുദാസൻ ബിഷപ്പിനെ ഏവരും സ്നേഹത്തോടെ വിളിച്ചിരുന്നത്. അഖിലലോക സഭാ കൗൺസിലിന്റെ (WCC) കേന്ദ്ര കമ്മിറ്റി അംഗമായും (1983–1991), ആദ്യം ഡെപ്യൂട്ടി മോഡറേറ്റർ (1980-’81), പിന്നീട് തുടർച്ചയായി മൂന്ന് കാലയളവുകൾക്ക് (1982-’88) ദക്ഷിണേന്ത്യ സഭയുടെ (ചർച്ച് ഓഫ് സൗത്ത് ഇന്ത്യയുടെ) (Church of South India) മോഡറേറ്ററായും, 17 വർഷം ദക്ഷിണ കേരള മഹായിടവകയുടെ മൂന്നാമത്തെ ബിഷപ്പായും സേവനം അനിഷ്ഠിച്ചു (1973 to 1990). ആ കാലഘട്ടം മഹായിടവകയുടെ ചരിത്രത്തിലെ സുവർണ കാലഘട്ടമായി അറിയപ്പെടുന്നു. ആത്മീകവും ഭൗതീകവും സാമൂഹികവുമായ സമഗ്ര വളർച്ചയുടെ കാലഘട്ടമായിരുന്നു അത്. തന്റെ ശുശ്രൂഷയിൽ ഉജ്ജ്വലവും ഉത്കൃഷ്ടമായ നേതൃത്വം കാഴ്ചവെച്ച വ്യക്തിയായിരുന്നു യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി.
നൂറാം ജന്മദിനം | 14 February 2025
Bejoy Peter delivering sermon on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Bishop Jesudasan at St. Luke CSI Church
ബിഷപ്പ് അങ്കിൾ എന്നു ഞാൻ സ്നേഹപൂർവം വിളിച്ചിരുന്ന യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനിയുടെ പ്രാർത്ഥനാനിരതമായ ജീവിതത്തെ ആസ്പദമാക്കി അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ നൂറാം ജൻമദിനവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട ആരാധനയിൽ (ഫെബ്രുവരി 16 ഞാറായഴ്ച 2025) CSI St. Luke സഭയിൽ പ്രസംഗിക്കുവാൻ എനിക്കു അവസരം ലഭിച്ചതു ദൈവകൃപയുടെ ധാരാളമായ അനുഗ്രഹമായി ഞാൻ കരുതുന്നു. തിരുവനന്തപുരം ജില്ലയിൽ അമരവിള എന്ന ഗ്രാമത്തിൽ കരിയിൽത്തോട്ടം കുടുംബം സ്ഥിതി ചെയ്യുന്ന പ്രദേശത്തു തന്റെ പൈതൃകമായി ലഭിച്ച കുടുംബവീട് St. Luke സഭയായി മാറ്റപെടുന്നതിനു അദ്ദേഹം തന്റെ അവസാനത്തെ ആഗ്രഹം എന്ന നിലക്ക് മഹായിടവകക്ക് കൈമാറുകയായിരുന്നു.
ദാസ്യ നേതൃത്വത്തിലെ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Servant Leadership
ബിഷപ്പ് യേശുദാസൻ തന്റെ പേര് അന്വർത്ഥമാക്കുന്ന വിധത്തിൽ സ്വയം യേശുവിന്റെ ദാസനായി കരുതിയിരുന്നു. “ക്രിസ്തുവിനായി ഞങ്ങൾ മൂഢന്മാരാകുന്നു” (“We are fools for Christ” | 1 കൊരിന്ത്യർ 4:10) എന്ന വിശുദ്ധ പൗലോസിന്റെ വാക്കുകളിൽ നിന്നാണ് അദ്ദേഹം ധൈര്യം കണ്ടെത്തിയത്. തനിക്കായി ഒന്നും നേടുവാനോ കീർത്തി സമ്പാദിക്കുവാനോ അദ്ദേഹം ഒട്ടും താത്പര്യം കാണിച്ചിരുന്നില്ല. ബഹുമാനവും അദ്ദേഹം ഒരിക്കലും അന്വേഷിച്ചിട്ടില്ല. എന്നാൽ ഈ സാധാരണ മനുഷ്യനെ, ദൈവത്തിന്റെ വിനയശീലനായ ദാസനെ, ദൈവം അതിശയകരമായ രീതിയിൽ ഉയർത്തി. സ്ഥാനമാനങ്ങൾ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ തേടിയെത്തുകയായിരുന്നു.
സഭാ നേതൃത്വത്തിലും, എക്യൂമെനിക്കൽ പ്രസ്ഥാനങ്ങളുടെ അമരത്തും, പൊതുസമൂഹത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യേയും അദ്ദേഹം കൈവരിച്ച അത്യപൂർവ്വ നേട്ടങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ച് നമ്മൾ എത്ര മഹത്വമായി കരുതുന്നു എങ്കിലും, തന്റെ കല്ലറക്കൽ ലൂക്കോസിന്റെ സുവിശേഷത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള ഒരു വാക്യം (Luke 17:10) എഴുതണമെന്നായിരുന്നു അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ആഗ്രഹം. അതോടൊപ്പം “കർത്താവിന്റെ അയോഗ്യ ദാസൻ, നിന്റെ സ്നേഹമുള്ള കൈകളിൽ വീഴുന്നു,” എന്ന വരിയും.
Bishop Jesudasan’s tombstone in M. M. Church Cemetry, LMS Compoiund, Thiruvananthapuram.
ജനാധിപത്യ നേതൃത്വത്തിലെ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Democratic Leadership
യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി ബിഷപ്പായിരുന്ന കാലത്ത്, ചർച്ചയിലുള്ള വിഷയം സംബന്ധിച്ച് അഭിപ്രായമറിയിക്കാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ച എല്ലാവർക്കും അതിനു അവസരം നൽകിയിരുന്നു. അജണ്ടയിലുള്ള വിഷയങ്ങൾ നന്നായി പഠിച്ചു, നല്ല തയ്യാറെടുപ്പോടെ മാത്രമേ അദ്ദേഹം മീറ്റിംഗുകളിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കുമായിരുന്നുള്ളു. വ്യത്യസ്തമായ കാഴ്ചപ്പാടുകൾ പങ്കുവെച്ചവരെ ശ്രദ്ധാപൂർവം കേൾക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.
എല്ലാവരും അവരുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങൾ പ്രകടിപ്പിച്ച ശേഷം മാത്രമേ തിരുമേനി സംസാരിക്കാറുള്ളു. ആ സമയത്ത് ആരെങ്കിലും ഇടപെടാൻ ശ്രമിച്ചാൽ, അദ്ദേഹം ഉറച്ച നിലപാടോടെ, നിർണായകമായ അധികാരത്തോടെ, “ഇപ്പോൾ ബിഷപ്പ് സംസാരിക്കുന്നു” എന്ന് പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുമായിരുന്നു. അങ്ങനെ ഇടപെടാൻ ശ്രമിച്ചവർ “Now the Bishop is speaking,” എന്ന വാക്കു കേൾക്കുമ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ നേതൃത്വത്തെ തിരിച്ചറിയുകയും ശാന്തരാകുകയും ചെയ്തിരുന്നു.
കാലത്തിന്റെ ചുവരെഴുത്ത് | അഗ്നിസ്ഫുടമായ വാക്കുകൾ
അദ്ദേഹം CSI മോഡറേറ്റർ ആയിരുന്ന അവസരത്തിൽ സിനോഡിൽ (Synod) ബിഷപ്പുമാർക്ക് വിരമിക്കേണ്ടതില്ല എന്ന വാദം ചിലർ അതിശക്തതമായി ഉന്നയിച്ചു. മറ്റു സഭാവിഭാഗങ്ങൾക്കു ഉള്ളതു പോലെ നമുക്കും ബിഷപ്പ്മാർ മരണം വരെ അധികാരത്തിൽ തുടരണം. അതു ബിഷപ്പ് എന്ന പദവിക്കു സ്ഥായിയായ (permanent) സ്വഭാവം കൊണ്ടുവരും എന്ന് ശബ്ദയാനമായ സംവാദം നടന്നു. ഈ ചർച്ചക്ക് അവസാനം കുറിച്ചത് യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി നൽകിയ ചരിത്രപരമായ മറുപടിയാണ്.
ദൃഢതയോടും ഉൾകാഴ്ച്ചയോടുമുള്ള യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനിയുടെ കാലത്തിന്റെ ചുവരെഴുത്ത് എന്നു പറയാൻ സാധിക്കുന്ന അഗ്നിസ്ഫുടമായ വാക്കുകൾ ശ്രദ്ധിക്കുക:
“Are you permanent? Am I permanent? None of us is permanent.”
ഈ വാക്കുകളാണ് ബിഷപ്പുമാർ 65 ആം വയസ്സിൽ വിരമിക്കണം എന്ന ചരിത്ര തീരുമാനം എടുക്കുന്നതിൽ നിർണായകമായത്. പുതിയ തലമുറക്ക് നമ്മൾ മാറി കൊടുക്കണം എന്നും അവർക്കു മാത്രമേ കാലം ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്ന വേഗത്തിൽ തീരുമാനങ്ങൾ എടുത്തു മുന്നോട്ടു പോകുവാൻ കഴിയു എന്നാണ് തിരുമേനി ഇതേ പറ്റി പിന്നീട് ഒരു സ്വകാര്യ സംഭാഷണത്തിൽ പറഞ്ഞത്.
പ്രൊഫഷണൽ നേതൃത്വത്തിലെ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Professional Leadership
തിരുമേനി അദ്ധ്യക്ഷനായ യോഗങ്ങളിൽ പ്രൊഫഷണലിസത്തിന്റെ ചിന്തയും ലക്ഷ്യബോധവും അദ്ദേഹം കൊണ്ടുവന്നിരുന്നു. ഒരിക്കലും സമയം കളയാതെയും, എല്ലായ്പ്പോഴും കൃത്യസമയത്തെത്തിയും, യോഗങ്ങളെ ബിസിനസ് രീതിയിൽ നടപ്പാക്കിക്കൊണ്ട് അതിൽ അച്ചടക്കവും ക്രമവും കൊണ്ടുവരികയും ചെയ്തു. തിരുമേനിയുടെ മരണ ശേഷം, അന്നത്തെ CSI മോഡറേറ്റർ, “യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി ഓരോ യോഗത്തിലും കൊണ്ടുവന്ന ദൈവസാന്നിദ്ധ്യത്തെ” കുറിച്ച് പരാമർശിച്ചിരുന്നു.
തിരുമേനി ഓരോ ദിവസവും പുലർച്ചെയുളള സമയം ദൈവവചനം വായിക്കുന്നതിനും ധ്യാനിക്കുന്നതിനും ചിലവഴിച്ചിരുന്നു. ഈ സമയത്തു പ്രാർത്ഥനയിലൂടെ ദൈവസാനിധ്യം ആഴത്തിൽ അനുഭവിച്ചിരുന്നതാണ് അദ്ദേഹത്തെ ഈ വിധത്തിലുള്ള ദൈവഭക്തിയുള്ള നേതൃത്വത്തിലേക്ക് നയിച്ചത്. തിരുമേനിയുടെ സ്വകാര്യ ദൈവാനുഭവം, പൊതുജീവിതത്തിൽ അദ്ദേഹത്തിനു പ്രൊഫഷണൽ ആയ മുന്നേറ്റം നൽകി.
സമൂഹ നേത്യത്വത്തിലെ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Community Leadership
ദൈവം തന്നെ ഇടയപരിപാലനത്തിനു ഏല്പിച്ച ജനങ്ങൾ ഭൂരിഭാഗവും ദരിദ്രരും തളർന്നവരും പാർശ്വവത്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ടവരുമാണെന്നു ബിഷപ്പ് യേശുദാസനു അറിയാമായിരുന്നു . അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഹൃദയം എപ്പോഴും അവരുടെ കൂടെയായിരുന്നു. കേരളത്തിലെ രാഷ്ട്രീയ നേതാക്കളും, അവരുടെ വ്യത്യസ്ത പ്രത്യയശാസ്ത്രങ്ങൾക്കപ്പുറമായി , തിരുമേനിയുടെ ഹൃദയം ദരിദ്രർക്കായി നീതി ഉറപ്പാക്കാനാണ് തുടിക്കുന്നതെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞിരുന്നു.
അദ്ദേഹം ഒരു കുഞ്ഞാടുപോലെ സൌമ്യനും താൻ സേവിക്കുന്ന ജനങ്ങളിൽ ഏറ്റവും എളിയവന്ന് എപ്പോഴും സമീപിക്കാവുന്ന വ്യക്തിയുമായിരുന്നു. എങ്കിലും ദരിദ്രർക്കായി നീതി ഉറപ്പാക്കുന്നതിനു ശബ്ദം ഉയർത്തുന്നതിലും സഭയിലെ എല്ലാ അഴിമതികളേയും വിമർശിക്കുന്നതിലും അദ്ദേഹം ഒരു സിംഹം പോലെ നിലകൊണ്ടു.
എക്യൂമെനിക്കൽ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Ecumenical Leadership
യേശു തന്റെ ശിഷ്യന്മാർ സ്നേഹത്തിൽ ഒന്നാകണമെന്ന്, “അവർ എല്ലാവരും ഒന്നാകേണ്ടതിന്നു” പ്രാർത്ഥിച്ചു, (യോഹന്നാൻ 17:21). ഇത് ദക്ഷിണേന്ത്യ സഭയുടെ മുദ്രാവാക്യവുമാണ് (Motto). ബിഷപ്പ് യേശുദാസൻ ഈ പ്രാർത്ഥന യാഥാർത്ഥ്യമാക്കാനും പ്രകടമായതാക്കാനും വിവിധ സഭാവിഭാഗങ്ങളെ ഒന്നിച്ചുകൊണ്ടുവരുന്നതിലൂടെ എപ്പോഴും ശ്രമിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. ദൈവജനത്തിനിടയിൽ ഈ ഐക്യം സാധ്യമാക്കുന്നതിന് അദ്ദേഹം എപ്പോഴും ദൈവത്തിന്റെ ആത്മാവിൽ ആശ്രയിച്ചിരുന്നു. “ദൈവരാജ്യം ഭക്ഷണവും പാനീയവുമല്ല, നീതിയും സമാധാനവും പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവിൽ സന്തോഷവും അത്രേ (റോമർ 14:17) ” എന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം ശക്തമായി സമർത്ഥിച്ചു.
ഈ ഐക്യം വിശ്വാസികളുടെ തലത്തിൽ സാക്ഷാത്കരിക്കുന്നതിന് അദ്ദേഹം നിരവധി പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങൾ ആരംഭിച്ചു. ഇന്നും അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ എക്യൂമെനിക്കൽ ദർശനവും ദീർഘവീക്ഷണവും വളരെ ആദരവോടെ കരുതപ്പെടുന്നു. മറ്റ് സഭാവിഭാഗങ്ങളുടെ തലവന്മാരുമായി അദ്ദേഹം ഉഷ്മളവും ഹൃദ്യവുമായ ബന്ധം പാലിച്ചു. മറ്റ് മതസ്ഥരും സംഘടിപ്പിച്ച യോഗങ്ങളിലേക്കും അദ്ദേഹം ക്ഷണിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു.
ആത്മീയ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Spiritual Leadership
ബിഷപ്പ് യേശുദാസൻ കരുണയുള്ള ഒരു വ്യക്തിയായിരുന്നു. ഹൃദയം തകർന്നവരോടൊപ്പം കരയുവാൻ മടി കാണിക്കാത്ത ഒരു വ്യക്തി. വേദനയുടെയും കഷ്ടതയുടെയും സമയങ്ങളിൽ ഒരു ദൈവദൂതനെ പോലെ യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി അവരെ ഭവനങ്ങളിൽ സന്ദർശിച്ചതായി അനേകർ പറഞ്ഞു ഞാൻ കേട്ടിട്ടുണ്ട്. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ പ്രാർത്ഥനകൾ ദൈവത്തോടുള്ള ഒരു ആത്മീയ ബന്ധത്തിന്റെയും പരിചയത്തിന്റെയും സ്വരത്തിലായിരുന്ന. ലളിതവും ശിശുസദൃശവുമായ വാക്കുകളിൽ അദ്ദേഹം ദൈവത്തെ ഭയഭക്തിബഹുമാനത്തോടെ “നീ” എന്നു പറഞു സംബോധന ചെയ്തിരുന്നു .
വ്യക്തതികൾക്കും വ്യക്തിഗത ആവശ്യങ്ങൾക്കും കുടുംബങ്ങൾ, സഭകൾ എന്നിവയുടെ ആവശ്യങ്ങൾക്കും വേണ്ടി ദൈവത്തോട് പക്ഷവാദം ചെയ്യുന്നത് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ വിശ്വസ്തമായ ശീലമായിരുന്നു. വെള്ളിയാഴ്ചകളിൽ അദ്ദേഹം ഉപവാസം ആചരിച്ചിരുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഹൃദയം നിറഞ്ഞ പ്രാർത്ഥനകളുടെയും കണ്ണീരുകളുടെയും ഫലമായി പലരും അനുഗൃഹീതരായി.
അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ പ്രാർത്ഥനകൾ ദൈവത്തിന്റെ സ്തുതികളെ പ്രതിധ്വനിപ്പിച്ചു. പ്രതിസന്ധികളിൽ അദ്ദേഹം അക്ഷോഭ്യനായി നിലകൊണ്ട്, “യേശുവിന് സ്തോത്രം” എന്നും “പറഞ്ഞുതീരാത്ത ദാനം (യേശു) നിമിത്തം ദൈവത്തിന് സ്തോത്രം” (2 കൊരിന്ത്യർ 9:15) എന്നും പറയുമായിരുന്നു. “ദൈവം കാൽവരി ക്രൂശിൽ യേശുവിലൂടെ പ്രകാശിപ്പിച്ച സ്നേഹം…” എന്നത് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ പ്രാർത്ഥനകളിൽ പല അവസരങ്ങളിലും മുഴങ്ങി കേട്ടിരുന്ന വാക്കുകളായിരുന്നു.
അദ്ദേഹം നിരവധി പുസ്തകങ്ങളും ലേഖനങ്ങളും രചിച്ചു, അതിലൂടെ തിരുവെഴുത്തുകളിൽ അദ്ദേഹത്തിനുള്ള ആഴമുള്ള ജ്ഞാനം മറ്റുള്ളവർക്ക് പകർന്നു കൊടുക്കുവാൻ സാധിച്ചു. ദൈവത്തിന്റെ ജനം ദൈവത്തിന്റെ ഉദ്ദേശ്യങ്ങളുമായി യോജിച്ചുനിൽക്കുമ്പോൾ, ദൈവത്തിന്റെ ആത്മാവ് വ്യക്തികളെയും കുടുംബങ്ങളെയും മാത്രമല്ല, മുഴുവൻ സമൂഹങ്ങളെയും പരിവർത്തനം ചെയ്യുമെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം വിശ്വസിച്ചു.
ഒരു അനുഭവകഥ
യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനിയെ കുറിച്ചുള്ള എന്റെ കുട്ടികാലത്തെ ദീപ്തമായ ഒരു ഓർമ പങ്കിടട്ടെ. ഒരു ദിവസം മുതിർന്നവർ സ്ത്രീകൾ കുട്ടികൾ ഉൾപ്പെടെ ഏതാണ്ട് 20 പേർ ഒരു വാഹനത്തിൽ തിരുമേനിയെ കാണുവാൻ LMS കോമ്പൗണ്ടിൽ സ്ഥിതി ചെയ്യുന്ന Bishop’s Houseലേക്ക് വന്നു. ഏതോ പാവപ്പെട്ട ഗ്രാമീണ മേഖലയിലുള്ള സഭയിൽ നിന്നുള്ളവരാണെന്നു കാഴ്ച്ചയിൽ എനിക്കു തോന്നി. അവരുടെ ആഗമനോദ്ദേശ്യം തിരുമേനിയോട് സംസാരിച്ചു കഴിഞ്ഞ നേരത്ത്, തിരുമേനി അവരെ ഉള്ളിലെ ഒരു ചെറിയ മുറിയിലേക്കു ക്ഷണിച്ചു.
ഞാനും അവരുടെ കൂടെ ചെന്നു. അപ്പോൾ ഒരു കർട്ടൻ മാറ്റി തിരുമേനി ആ മുറിയുടെ ഉൾവശം കാണിച്ചു അവരോടു പറഞ്ഞതു: “ഇതു എന്റെ പ്രാർത്ഥനാ മുറി” എന്നാണ്. അവിടെ ഞാൻ നോക്കുമ്പോൾ ഒരു മേശ ഒരു കസേര ഒരു ബൈബിൾ ഒരു പായ് എന്നിവ മാത്രമേ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നുള്ളു.
എന്തു കൊണ്ടന്നെന്ന് എനിക്കറിയില്ല ഈ ഒരു നിമിഷം നാൽപതു വർഷങ്ങൾക്കു ശേഷവും ഇന്നും മനസ്സിൽ മായാതെ നിൽക്കുന്നു. തന്റെ ഔദ്യോഗിക ഉന്നതികളെ കുറിച്ചൊന്നും വാചാലനാവാതെ യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി പ്രാർത്ഥനയെ ഉയർത്തിക്കാട്ടിയത് എത്ര മഹത്തരമാണെന്ന് ആ നിമിഷത്തിലേക്കു തിരിഞ്ഞു നോക്കുമ്പോൾ എനിക്കു മനസ്സിലാവുന്നു.
ക്രൂശു-കേന്ദ്രീകൃത ദൈവശാസ്ത്ര നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Cross-centred Theological Leadership
യേശുവിന്റെ രക്തത്താൽ ദൈവം ഒരു പുതിയതും ജീവനുള്ളതുമായ വഴി നമുക്കായി തുറന്നിരിക്കുന്നു, അതിലൂടെ നമുക്ക് ദൈവത്തെ സമീപിക്കാനും (എബ്രായർ 10:19, 20) പാപമോചനം പ്രാപിക്കാനും ദൈവത്തിനും മനുഷ്യർക്കും ഇടയിൽ നിരപ്പ് പ്രാപിക്കാനും കഴിയും എന്ന് യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി ഉറച്ചിരുന്നു. യേശുവിന്റെ ക്രൂശിലൂടെയും അവിടെ പ്രകടമാകുന്ന ദൈവത്തിന്റെ സ്നേഹത്തിലൂടെയും എല്ലാ തിന്മയെയും ജയിക്കാനാകുമെന്നും അദ്ദേഹം വിശ്വസിച്ചു. ദൈവത്തിന്റെ വചനമായ യേശു ജഡം ധരിച്ചു മനുഷ്യനായി നമ്മിലൊരുവനായി; അവനിലൂടെ ദൈവം നമ്മോട് അടുത്തുവന്ന വിധത്തെക്കുറിച്ചും അദ്ദേഹം ഉത്സാഹത്തോടെ സംസാരിച്ചിരുന്നു.
അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ദൈവശാസ്ത്രം ക്രൂശിനെ കേന്ദ്രീകരിച്ചതും ജനങ്ങളെ മുൻനിറുത്തിയുള്ളതുമായിരുന്നു. ഒരുവശത്ത് ദൈവത്തിൽ മഹത്തായ വിശ്വാസം കാണിക്കാനും മറുവശത്ത് സഹാനുഭൂതിയും സ്നേഹവും നിറഞ്ഞ ഹൃദയത്തോടെ തന്നെ ഭരമേല്പിച്ച ജനത്തോട് അടുക്കാനും ഈ ദർശനം ബിഷപ്പ് യേശുദാസനെ സഹായിച്ചു. “ക്രിസ്തുവിൽ ഞങ്ങളെ എപ്പോഴും ജയോത്സവമായി നടത്തുകയും എല്ലാടത്തും ഞങ്ങളെക്കൊണ്ടു തന്റെ പരിജ്ഞാനത്തിന്റെ വാസന വെളിപ്പെടുത്തുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന ദൈവത്തിന്നു സ്തോത്രം” (2 കൊരിന്ത്യർ 2:14) എന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം വിശ്വസിച്ചു.
നേതൃത്വത്തിന്റെ സ്വരത്തിലെ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in The Voice of Leadership
ദൈവത്തിന്റെ കൃപ യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനിയുടെ മുഖത്തെ പ്രകാശിതമാക്കിയിരുന്നു. ഒരു പ്രഭാഷകൻ എന്ന നിലയിൽ, ആ പദത്തിന് സാധാരണയായി അർത്ഥമാക്കുന്ന രീതിയിൽ അദ്ദേഹത്തിന് കരിസ്മ (charisma) ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നില്ല. എന്നിട്ടും, അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ പ്രസംഗങ്ങൾ അവയുടെ ആഴം, ചിന്തയുടെ വ്യക്തത, ദൈവവചനത്തിൽ അടിസ്ഥാനമാക്കിയുള്ളത് എന്നിവയ്ക്ക് ഓർമ്മിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. 1983-ൽ കാനഡയിലെ വാങ്കൂവറിൽ നടത്തിയ “ദി ഫീസ്റ്റ് ഓഫ് ലൈഫ്” (The Feast of Life) എന്ന പ്രസിദ്ധമായ പ്രസംഗത്തിന്റെ വിശകലനം കാണുക.
അദ്ദേഹത്തിന് സ്വാർത്ഥ താല്പര്യങ്ങളൊന്നും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നില്ല, സ്വന്തമായി ഒന്നും സമ്പാദിച്ചു കൂട്ടിയതുമില്ല. താൻ നേതൃത്വം നൽകിയ ജനങ്ങളുടെ പൊതുനന്മ മാത്രമായിരുന്നു ലക്ഷ്യം. അതിനാൽ സംസ്ഥാനത്തെ രാഷ്ട്രീയ നേതൃത്വം അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങളെ ബഹുമാനത്തോടെ കേട്ടിരുന്നു.
ടീം ബിൽഡിങ്ങിലെ നേതൃത്വത്തിലെ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Leadership in Team Building
ഒറ്റയ്ക്ക് പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്ന രീതിയായിരുന്നില്ല ബിഷപ്പ് യേശുദാസൻ അനുവർത്തിച്ചിരുന്നത്. സഭാനേതൃത്വം നല്ല സംസ്കാരം ജീവിച്ചുകാണിക്കുമ്പോൾ മാത്രമേ അത് പഠിപ്പിക്കാൻ കഴിയൂ എന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം മനസ്സിലാക്കി.
അതുകൊണ്ട്, സത്യസന്ധതയുള്ളവരെയും അവരുടെ സ്വന്തം മേഖലകളിൽ മികവ് പുലർത്തിയവരെയും അദ്ദേഹം തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്ത്, സഭാ ഭരണത്തിലും പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങളിലും പ്രധാന പങ്കുവഹിക്കാൻ അവരെ കൊണ്ടുവന്നു. ഈ ടീം വർക്ക് ആയിരുന്നു അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ജനനേതൃത്വത്തിലെ വിജയത്തിന് നിർണായകമായത്. എല്ലാവരുടെയും സംഭാവനകളെക്കുറിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹം വളരെ ബോധവാനായിരുന്നു. വ്യക്തിപരമായ ബന്ധങ്ങൾ പാലിക്കുന്നതിനും മറ്റുള്ളവരുടെ നേട്ടങ്ങളിൽ സന്തോഷിക്കുന്നതിനും അദ്ദേഹം വളരെ ശ്രദ്ധാലുവായിരുന്നു. പുഞ്ചിരിയും പ്രശംസാ വാക്കുകളുമായി അദ്ദേഹം എല്ലാവരെയും പ്രോത്സാഹിപ്പിച്ചു.
നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പടിയിറങ്ങുമ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹം തന്റെ വിടവാങ്ങൽ പ്രസംഗത്തിനായി തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്ത ദൈവവചനം , ടീം വർക്കിനെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ തത്വചിന്തയെ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ പ്രതിഫലിപ്പിക്കുന്നു: “ഞാൻ നട്ടു, അപ്പൊല്ലോസ് നനെച്ചു, ദൈവമത്രേ വളരുമാറാക്കിയതു.” (1 കൊരിന്ത്യർ 3:7 വിശുദ്ധ പൗലോസിന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ).
ആത്മപരിശോധന മാതൃകയാക്കുന്ന നേതൃത്വത്തിലെ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in Leadership in Modelling Self-Introspection
ബിഷപ്പ് യേശുദാസന്റെ പെരുമാറ്റ ശൈലി ഉന്നതമായതും മാന്യവുമായിരുന്നു. താൻ എത്തിച്ചേർന്ന ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായ സ്ഥാനങ്ങളുടെ ഔന്നത്യവും മഹത്ത്വവും യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ എല്ലാവരുടെയും മുന്നിൽ അദ്ദേഹം ഉയർത്തിപ്പിടിച്ചു.. സി.എസ്.ഐ. മോഡറേറ്ററുടെ പദവിയെ അദ്ദേഹം സത്യസന്ധതയോടും പരാമർത്ഥഹൃദയത്തോടും ദൈവിക നേതൃത്വവും ഉള്ള ഒരു ബഹുമാനപ്പെട്ട സ്ഥാനമാക്കി മാറ്റിയതിൽ ഇത് വ്യക്തമായി കാണാമായിരുന്നു. ദൈവം ഉയർത്തുന്നതനുസരിച്ചു ദൈവത്തിന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ അദ്ദേഹം താഴ്മയോടെ നിന്നു.
അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഒരു മറക്കാനാവാത്ത ശീലം എന്നത്, എല്ലാ വർഷവും ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 5-ന്, അദ്ദേഹം ബിഷപ്പായി അഭിഷിക്തനായ ദിവസം, എല്ലാ പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും വിശ്രമിച്ച് പ്രാർത്ഥനയിലും ആത്മപരിശോധനയിലും ദിവസം മുഴുവൻ ചെലവഴിക്കുക എന്നതായിരുന്നു. ആ ദിവസം തന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിൽ ദൈവത്തിന്റെ വിളിക്ക് വിശ്വസ്തനായി നിൽക്കുന്നുണ്ടോ എന്ന് പരിശോധിക്കുകയും ആലോചിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.
ഈ ആത്മപരിശോധനക്കു അദ്ദേഹം യേശുവിന്റെ ക്രൂശാണ് മാനദണ്ഡമാക്കിയത്. “സമൂഹത്തിൽ ഏറ്റവും നല്ലവരെന്ന് ആദരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നവരും തങ്ങൾ എന്തുമാത്രം പാപികളാന്നെന്ന് മനസ്സിലാക്കണമെങ്കിൽ യേശുക്രിസ്തുവിന്റെ ക്രൂശിനു മുന്നിൽ നിന്ന് സ്വയം പരിശോധിക്കണം.” [യേശുക്രിസ്തുവിന്റെ ക്രൂശുമരണവും തിരുസഭയും ഒരു വിഹഗ വീക്ഷണം” എന്ന തലകെട്ടിൽ യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി എഴുതിയ പ്രബന്ധത്തിൽ നിന്നു എടുത്തത്. ക്രൈസ്തവ ദീപിക ജൂലൈ 2010].
അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തിലെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠത എന്നത്, മറ്റുള്ളവരോട് പ്രസംഗിക്കുന്നതിന് മുമ്പ്, യേശുവിന്റെ ക്രൂശിനു മുന്നിൽ നിന്ന് ആത്മപരിശോധന നടത്താൻ അദ്ദേഹം തയ്യാറായി എന്നതാണ്.
യേശുവേ നിന്റെ രൂപമീയെന്റെ
കണ്ണുകൾക്കെത്ര സൗന്ദര്യം
ശിഷ്യനാകുന്ന എന്നെയും നിന്നെ-
പ്പോലെയാക്കണം മുഴുവൻ
എന്ന പാട്ടുപുസ്തകത്തിലെ തനിക്കു ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട 282-ആം ഗാനം തന്റെ 85-ആം ജന്മദിനത്തിൽ ഗായകസംഘം പാടണം എന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം നിർബന്ധമായി ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടതു ഈ ആത്മപരിശോധനയുടെ തുടർച്ചയാണെന്നു നമുക്ക് മനസ്സിലാക്കാം.
അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ നേതൃത്വ പൈതൃകത്തിലെ ഉത്കൃഷ്ടത | Excellence in His Leadership Legacy
യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനിയെ ഇന്നും ജനങ്ങൾ വലിയ ആദരവോടെ ഓർക്കുന്നു. താൻ നേതൃത്വത്തിൽ ഇരുന്ന കാലത്തിലെ മഹാന്മാരോടൊപ്പം അദ്ദേഹം ധീഷണാശാലിയായി നടന്നിരുന്നു. എങ്കിലും ജീവിതത്തിന്റെ ഒടുവിലത്തെ വർഷങ്ങളിൽ ഒരു ചെറിയ വീട്ടിൽ (Bishop’s Cottage ) വസിച്ച് താഴ്മ പുലർത്തിയ ഒരു ജീവിതമായിരുന്നു അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റേത്. ഇന്നും നമുക്ക് ഒരു മാതൃകയായി കാണാനും പിന്തുടരാനും കഴിയുന്ന ഒരു വ്യക്തിയായാണ് അദ്ദേഹം ഓർമ്മിക്കപ്പെടുന്നത്.
അദ്ദേഹം ജീവിതത്തിന്റെ അവസാനം വരെ ദൈവത്തിന്റെ വിളിക്ക് വിശ്വസ്തനായിരുന്നു, ഓഫീസിൽ നിന്ന് വിരമിച്ച ശേഷവും കർമനിരതനായി ജനസേവനം തുടർന്നു.
അദ്ദേഹം തന്റെ ജീവിതം മുഴുവൻ യേശുവിന്റെ മുഖത്തേക്ക് നോക്കി, ആ നോട്ടം അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ജീവിതത്തെ മാറ്റി മറിച്ചു—അന്ധകാരത്തിലും ദാരിദ്ര്യത്തിലും മറഞ്ഞിരുന്ന ഒരു കൽക്കരികട്ടിയിൽ നിന്നും ശാശ്വതമായ തിളക്കവും പ്രകാശവും ഉള്ള ഒരു വജ്രമായി അദ്ദേഹത്തെ മാറ്റിയത് യേശുവിലേക്കുള്ള നിരന്തരമായ നോട്ടമായിരുന്നു. അനേകരുടെ വാക്കുകളിൽ, “യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി ഒരു വിശുദ്ധനായിരുന്നു, കൂടാതെ തന്റെ ഭൗമിക ജീവിതത്തിൽ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ അദ്ദേഹം യേശുവിനെ പ്രതിഫലിപ്പിച്ചു.”
Bishop’s Cottage where Bishop Jesudasan lived after his retirement.
അനുബന്ധം
P. Christudas
1800 കളിൽ എപ്പോഴോ മിഷനറിമാരുടെ പ്രവർത്തന ഫലമായി യേശുവിനെ അറിഞ്ഞ നല്ല കായികാഭ്യാസിയായിരുന്ന സുബ്രമണ്യം. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ മൂത്ത മകൻ ജോഷ്വ. ദൈവത്തിൽ തീക്ഷണമായ വിശ്വാസം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്ന, നല്ല പ്രാർത്ഥന ശീലമുണ്ടായിരുന്ന ജോഷ്വ എന്ന കരുത്തനായ മനുഷ്യന്റെ 9 ആൺ മക്കളിൽ മൂത്ത മകനായ Rev. J. Isaiah യുടെ മകനായിരുന്നു യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി. എന്റെ പിതാവ് പി. ക്രിസ്തുദാസ് രണ്ടാമത്തെ മകനായ പത്രോസിന്റെ മകനാണ്. യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനിയും കൊച്ചു ദാസ് എന്ന് കരിയിൽത്തോട്ടം കുടുംബാഗങ്ങളുടെ ഇടയിലും അമരവിള സഭയിലും അറിയപ്പെട്ടിരുന്ന എന്റെ പിതാവും തമ്മിൽ ഗാഢമായ സഹോദര ബന്ധം നിലനിന്നിരുന്നു. പലയിടത്തായി ജീവിതമാർഗങ്ങൾ തേടി പോയ കുടുംബാംഗങ്ങൾ തമ്മിൽ സ്നേഹ ബന്ധം നിലനിറുത്തുന്ന കണ്ണിയായിരുന്നു എന്റെ ഡാഡി.
1962 ൽ അമരവിള സഭയിൽ മഹായിടവകക്കു ആകെ മാതൃകയായി ആദ്യമായി Poor Fund (സാധു സംരക്ഷണ നിധി) നടപ്പാകുന്നതിൽ ഒരു സുപ്രധന പങ്ക് വഹിക്കാൻ എന്റെ പിതാവിനു ദൈവം കൃപ ചെയ്തു. മഹായിടവകയുടെ നന്മയും വികസനവും മുൻനിറുത്തി പലരേയും നേതൃത്വത്തിലേക്കു കൊണ്ടു വരുവാൻ നിർണായകമായ റോൾ വഹിക്കുകയും അതിനായുള്ള ചർച്ചകളുടെ നാഡീകേന്ദ്രമായി പ്രവർത്തിക്കുകയും ചെയ്ത എന്റെ പിതാവിനെ Kingmaker എന്നാണ് മഹായിടവകയുടെ ആദ്യ സെക്രെട്ടറിയും പ്രഗത്ഭ പട്ടക്കാരിൽ ഒരാളായിരുന്ന Very Rev. Philip David അച്ചൻ വിളിച്ചിരുന്നത്.
ഞങ്ങളുടെ പൂർവപിതാക്കന്മാർ കായികാഭ്യാസികളും മർമ്മചികിത്സാവിദഗ്ധരും സിദ്ധവൈദ്യത്തിൽ നൈപുണ്യം ഉള്ളവരുമായിരുന്നു. ഒരു കാലത്തു അവരുടെ വിശ്വാസത്തോടൊപ്പമുള്ള ചികിത്സാശുശ്രൂഷയുടെ ഓർമ നിലനിറുത്തി കൊണ്ടാണ് യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി തനിക്കു പരമ്പരാഗതമായി ലഭിച്ച കുടുംബവീട് യേശു ശിഷ്യനും വൈദ്യനുമായിരുന്ന ലൂക്കോസിന്റെ നാമധേയത്തിൽ ഒരു ദൈവാലയമായി മാറ്റണം എന്ന് തീരുമാനിച്ചത്.
Martha opens her house for Jesus and makes herself busy trying to prepare; probably a meal. See, hospitality was held in high esteem in the culture of those days. The story says that she was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. It leads us to the “Great Kitchen Debate. Distraction or Devotion Which Is Better?”
Now she had a sister named Mary. She came and sat at Jesus’ feet listening to his words. This troubles Martha. She comes and asks Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me.”
This seems to be a normal complaint and request in this context. One person is doing all the work. The other is simply chatting with the guest. Martha feels herself a victim left alone to do all the work.
Don’t you also feel like complaining when others seem to take it easy while you alone shoulder the burdens at work, whether it be home or office?
The Response: Nailing the Problem Which Is Lack of Focus
What makes this normal situation different is Jesus’ response: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus is not finding fault with Martha’s hospitality. But Jesus is pointing out that she is worried and upset about many things. The language that Jesus used tells us about a person being pulled in different directions at the same time. There seems to be a lack of focus.
Isn’t it typical of many of us? Aren’t we pulled in many different directions when it comes to work? When that happens, can you stop for a moment and try to prioritize. Look at what is urgent and of utmost importance at that point in time. Then focus on that one thing. It will make a difference.
Which Is Better: Distraction or Devotion
Jesus is trying to point out to Martha that her value in life does not come from what she does. God does not give us marks according to our performance even though he has promised many crowns and rewards to his faithful followers.
Jesus is present in her house. He was welcomed as the guest. Yet Martha is now very busy, distracted with preparations, her many tasks, and much serving.
She failed to value his presence. She failed to value his words—his words which Peter once described as words of eternal life (John 6:68). More than that she feels herself to be a victim of the situation when she could have had the joy of having the companionship of the Son of God in her home.
Martha is someone with great faith as her extraordinary declaration of who Jesus is shows (John 11:27) while at another time she conversed with Jesus by the grave of her brother Lazarus. But on this occasion, she is making her kitchen the greater priority.
Always put people first and tasks below them in your priority list whether at home or the office. You will be blessed and you will be a blessing in doing so.
God Is Valuing Your Companionship Not Your Busyness
We live in a fast paced world. We are busy all the time. We are dominated by the chores of life and its dull routines. Unless you make a deliberate effort to sit at Jesus’ feet, you will miss him altogether even when he is present with you.
Jesus in his response to Martha tells her that the better choice is devotion. Spending quiet and quality time with him is more important than attempting to do something for him.
So many of us are trying to do things for him. He doesn’t find fault with that. But he is asking us not to lose focus. Not to miss the better thing.
Life’s moments might not repeat themselves. So when you are with someone who loves you and cares for you, give him or her the fullest attention you can possibly give. That is the better thing than the good things you might be able to do for them.
Choose Devotion: Spending Time with Jesus
When was the last time you enjoyed the presence of God in your life? It is not something dramatic. It can happen in the kitchen in the ordinary routines of life. Just think on God. Thank him and praise him. Tell him you love him.
Will you not take a few moments to stop and talk with Jesus. In the words of Robert Frost,
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Choosing to spend time with Jesus who bled and died for you on the cross is a choice very few make on a daily basis. That is a road that is less travelled by. But if you choose to go that way, the way of love, adoration, worship, and devotion; it will make all the difference.
Featured image: Photos by Monika and Elina Fairytale from Pixabay | Adobe
It was the time we had planned to prayerfully celebrate the 85th birthday of Bishop Jesudasan (February 14, 2010) with family members. I then had a desire to publish a Coffee Table Book that would compile photographs capturing the most significant and finest moments of the Bishop’s life and ministry. I thought it would serve as an inspiration for future generations.
For several days, I visited him at his home, trying to understand and document the defining moments of his official life.
During one such conversation, Bishop Jesudasan mentioned that during the LMS (London Missionary Society | Later renamed the Council for World Mission) bicentenary celebration in London in 1995, around the theme “Dare to Dream,” only three people were given the opportunity to speak at a special gathering. during the event. One of them was Queen Elizabeth of England. Another was Bishop Desmond Tutu, representing the African continent. And the third was Bishop Jesudasan, representing the Asian continent.
With great enthusiasm I asked my Uncle, “Do you have a photograph of that moment?”
His response deeply disappointed me: “Hey, we don’t go there to speak while thinking about taking photos!”
A man who never sought to preserve even a single photograph to showcase his own greatness—that was Bishop Jesudasan!
Bishop Jesudasan
Bishop Jesudasan. That was how people lovingly called the late Most Rev. Dr. I. Jesudasan, who exhibited excellence in leadership in his ministry during his tenure as member of the Central Committee of World Council of Churches (WCC) (1983-1991), as Deputy Moderator (1980-’81) and then Moderator of the Church of South India (CSI) for three consecutive terms (1982 to 1988), and as the 3rd Bishop of South Kerala Diocese for 17 years regarded as the golden period in its history (1973 to 1990).
It was a period of holistic growth—spiritual, material, and social—for the diocese. Bishop Jesudasan, who exhibited brilliant and exceptional leadership in his ministry, led this growth from the front.”
Bejoy Peter delivering sermon on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Bishop Jesudasan
The sermon I had the joy, honour, and privilege of delivering on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Bishop Jesudasan, my Uncle, at the St. Luke’s CSI Church, Kariyilthottam, Amaravila, a village in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday 16th February 2025, focused on the prayer life of Bishop Jesudasan. This church stands where his ancestral home had been and as his last wish it was deeded to the diocese to. build a church.
Excellence in Servant Leadership
Bishop Jesudasan considered himself a servant of Jesus. That is what is name means in his native tongue Malayalam. He found courage in the words of St. Paul, “We are fools for Christ” (1 Cor. 4:10). He showed no interest whatsoever in gaining anything for himself or acquiring fame. He never sought honour for himself. But God exalted this ordinary man, a humble servant of God, in extraordinary ways. Positions and honours sought him out.
Yet in spite of all that we consider his phenomenal achievements in church leadership, ecumenical and social standing; he asked that his tombstone bear the words from the Gospel of Luke (17:10). And also inscribe the words “An unworthy servant of the Lord, falls into they loving hands” along with it.
Bishop Jesudasan’s tombstone in M. M. Church Cemetry, LMS Compoiund, Thiruvananthapuram.
Excellence in Democratic Leadership
During his tenure as Bishop, he always gave space to everyone who had something to say, allowing them to share their opinions on the topic under discussion. He came to meetings well-prepared on the agenda items and listened attentively to those who held opposing views.
After everyone had their say, he would finally rise to speak. If someone attempted to interrupt him at that moment, he remained firm and, with decisive authority, declared, “Now the Bishop is speaking.” Those who tried to heckle him would then recognize his true leadership and settle down.
The Writing on the Wall of Time | Fiery Words
When he was the Moderator of the CSI (Church of South India), during a Synod (the highest decision-making body) meeting, some strongly argued that bishops should not retire. They reasoned that, like in other church denominations, CSI bishops should remain in office until death, as this would bring a sense of permanence to the role of a bishop. A heated, intense vocal debate ensued. What brought this debate to a decisive conclusion was the historic response given by Bishop Jesudasan.
Bishop Jesudasan. with his firmness and insight, spoke words that can be called the “writing on the wall of time”—fiery words worth noting:
“Are you permanent? Am I permanent? None of us is permanent.”
Later, in a private conversation, Bishop Jesudasan reflected on this decision, saying, “We must step aside for the new generation. Only they can move forward at the pace that the times demand.”
Excellence in Professional Leadership
He brought a sense of professionalism and a sense of purpose to the meetings he chaired. He never wasted time, was always punctual, and brought discipline to the meetings by conducting them in a business like fashion. After his demise, the then Moderator of the CSI remarked about “the presence of God he brought into every meeting.”
It was his daily habit of early morning quiet times with God in reading the Bible and prayer that helped him bring this kind of a godly leadership to all meetings. His private time with God gave him the professional edge in public life.
Excellence in Community Leadership
Bishop Jesudasan knew that a vast majority of the people God had called him to shepherd were poor, downtrodden and marginalized. His heart was always with them. Even the political leadership of the Indian State of Kerala irrespective of ideologies knew that his heart beat with the thoughts of helping the poor and brining them social justice.
He was gentle like a lamb and always approachable to the least among the people whom he served. But he was like a lion when he championed their cause for justice and spoke against all kinds of corruption within the church.
Excellence in Ecumenical Leadership
Jesus had prayed that his disciples be united in love, “That they all may be one (John 17:21 which is the motto of the Church of South India as well).” Bishop Jesudasan was always looking forward to making this prayer real and tangible by brining denominations together. He always relied on the Spirit of God to bring about this unity among God’s people. He truly championed that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Ref. Romans 14:17).
There were several initiatives he took to make this unity happen at the grassroots level. Even today his ecumenical vision and farsightedness is held in high esteem. He maintained a warm and cordial relationship with the heads of other denominations and he was invited to many meetings organized by people of other faiths too.
Excellence in Spiritual Leadership
Bishop Jesudasan was a man of compassion and someone who would weep with the broken hearted. I have heard people describe him as an angel of God who visited them in their time of pain and suffering. His prayers had a tone of familiarity with God addressing him “You,” with reverence and adoration in simple childlike words.
He had a faithful habit of interceding with God for the personal needs of individuals, families, and churches. He observed a fast every Friday. Many were blessed through the fruit of his heartfelt prayers and tears on their behalf.”
His prayers echoed the praises of God. In crises, he stood firm and unshaken. and was often heard saying: “Praise be to Jesus,” and “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift (Jesus)! His often repeated prayer was: “May the love of God that shone through Jesus on the cross . . .”
He authored many books and wrote many essays that showed his deep understanding of Scripture. He believed that when God’s people aligned themselves with God’s purposes the Spirt of God would move and transform not just individuals and families but entire communities.
An Anecdote
Let me share a radiant childhood memory of Bishop Jesudasan. One day, a group of about 20 people comprising of elders, women, and children arrived in a vehicle to meet him at the Bishop’s House located in the LMS compound. From their appearance, I felt they were from a poor church in a rural background.
After they had spoken with him about the purpose of their visit, the Bishop invited them into a small room inside. I, too, followed them in. Then, drawing aside a curtain, the Bishop revealed the interior of the room and said to them, “This is my prayer room.”
As I looked inside, I saw that the room contained only a table, a chair, a Bible, and a mat. I don’t know why, but that moment has remained vividly in my mind even after forty years.
Looking back at that moment now, I realize how profoundly the Bishop upheld the power of prayer without making any effort to highlight any of his achievements in life.
Excellence in Cross-centred Theological Leadership
Bishop Jesudasan championed the truth that God had opened a new and living way through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross through which we could approach God (Hebrews 10:19, 20), find forgiveness of sins, and also reconciliation between God and men. He also believed that the victory over all evil is possible through the cross of Jesus and the love of God on exhibit there. He spoke passionately about how God came near to us in Jesus, the Word of God become flesh, human just like us.
His theology was cross-centred and people focused. This vision helped Bishop Jesudasan show great trust in God on one hand and be near to the people he shepherded with an empathetic and loving heart. He believed that God “leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
ഒരാളായിരുന്ന
Excellence in The Voice of Leadership
Bishop Jesudasan had the grace of God lighting up his face. As a speaker he did not possess charisma in the way that word is popularly understood. Yet his sermons are remembered for their depth, clarity of thought, and grounding in God’s Word. Kindly see the analysis of his famous sermon, The Feast of Life, delivered at Vancouver Canada in 1983. As he had no vested interests—only the common good of the people he led—the political leadership of the State listened to his opinions with respect.
Excellence in Leadership in Team Building
Bishop Jesudasan was not a one-man show. He understood that culture can only be taught as it was lived out by the top church leadership.
Therefore, he found people of integrity and having a track record of excellence in their own respective fields and brought them to key roles in the church administration and activities. This teamwork was crucial to his success in leading the people. And he was very conscious of the contribution of every one of them. He was very particular about keeping personal relationships and rejoiced in the achievements of others. He encouraged everyone with his smiling face and words of appreciation.
The words he chose for his farewell speech as he stepped down from leadership truly reflect his philosophy of team work: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” (Words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:7).
Excellence in Leadership in Modelling Self-Introspection
Bishop Jesudasan had a manner of conduct that was dignified exhibiting a true knowledge of the Chair he occupied and elevating its stature in the eyes of all. This was more than evident in the way he made the CSI Moderator’s post an honoured one with his reputation of integrity and godly leadership. The more God exalted him in leadership roles, the more he humbled himself before God.
One of his unforgettable habits was to take a day off from all activities on 5th of August, the day he was consecrated as Bishop and spend the day in prayer reviewing and reflecting on whether he is staying true to the call of God in his life.
The cross was his touchstone. In one of his articles he wrote:
“Those who are respected as the best in society must examine themselves before the cross of Jesus Christ to realize how great sinners they are.”
(Christava Deepika: July 2010 Article titled: The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and God’s Church—A Bird’s Eye View). His excellence in leadership was that he was willing to do this self-introspection standing in front of the cross of Jesus before he preached to others.
“Jesus, how beautiful is Your form to my eyes!
Make me, Your disciple, wholly like You.”
യേശുവേ നിന്റെ രൂപമീയെന്റെ
കണ്ണുകൾക്കെത്ര സൗന്ദര്യം
ശിഷ്യനാകുന്ന എന്നെയും നിന്നെ-
പ്പോലെയാക്കണം മുഴുവൻ.
The 282nd song from the Malayalam Hymn Book, which he particularly loved, was one he insisted the choir sing on his 85th birthday. This can be understood as a continuation of his practice of self-introspection:
Excellence in His Leadership Legacy
The legacy he left behind is that even today his name is spoken with great admiration as he had exhibited a life of humility (living in his small cottage in later years) even while he walked with dignity along with the great men of his times. Even today he is spoken of as a role model whom we can look up to and emulate.
He was a man faithful to God’s call on his life till the very last. He prayerfully continued to serve the people even after retirement from office.
He looked to the face of Jesus all his life and that look transformed his life from a lump of coal in obscurity and poverty to that of the enduring shine and brilliance of a diamond. In the words of many, “he was a saint and during his earthly life he truly reflected Jesus.”
Bishop’s Cottage where Bishop Jesudasan lived after his retirement.Bishop Jesudasan–Positions Held, Books Authored. പ്രവാചകദൗത്യം was published in 2013 while he was on his deathbed.Click the logo to see all editions of Sunday Sermonettes on LinkedIn
Saul, in response to a request, went in search of his father’s donkeys that were lost. He was an impressive young man, without equal in that land. He went for an ordinary task. But that led him to his destiny. He met with the Prophet Samuel to whom God had already told to anoint the young man coming to meet him, king. This post from Sunday Sermonettes has invaluable tips to assist you in your job search as you are #OpenToWork.
Be Enthusiastic
When you are #OpenToWork, always be enthusiastic about the work you currently have a chance to do. It might not be something spectacular. But when you do it with diligence and mindfulness, it will lead you to better opportunities.
Believe in Possibilities
When you are #OpenToWork, always believe in possibilities. How can you know if some ordinary task you are doing will not lead you to find a greater purpose in your life? Even after Samuel told him about the kingship, Saul was not fully convinced. When the time came and the people gathered together to greet the new king, Saul was not seen. Finally, they found him hiding behind the baggage.
Your inferiority or insignificance is no barrier for God to exalt you in the time of his choosing.
Seize Opportunities
When you are #OpenToWork, be ready to seize opportunities. It might be a half-chance or might not even have anything to do with your true calling in life. You might get an opportunity for something as ordinary as looking for lost donkeys. But like a goal-scorer in football who anticipates where the ball might come in the penalty area; you should anticipate opportunities to come your way.
Be Aware of What’s Happening Around You
That brings us to the next point. When you are #OpenToWork, be prepared. It requires constantly updating yourself and also having a big picture of trends and changes happening in your domain. As far as Saul was concerned, the political climate of that time was that people were clamouring for having a king like the other nations around them. Even though he least expected it, he became their first king. But you should make yourself aware about what is happening in the job market to be prepared for your opportunity.
Travel with Hope
When you are #OpenToWork, travel with hope. There came a point in their journey Saul was discouraged in his search for donkeys. It was his servant who encouraged him to go and meet the seer (the prophet was called seer in those days because he had a God-given ability to see into the future). His servant told him that the seer would tell them what way to take. As R. L. Stevenson wrote in his essay El Dorado: “To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.”
Sharpen Your Skills
Again, when you are #OpenToWork, sharpen your skills. If your axe is not sharpened, all your efforts at felling trees is not going to be effective. And King Solomon shares his wisdom encouraging you to be skilled in your work: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings, he will not serve before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29 Bible)
A Change of Heart
Perhaps, one more thought from the episode of Saul being chosen king is that you and I need a change of heart. Often when you search for a job, you might be rejected multiple times. That can lead to discouragement, resentment, and even a sense of failure. Saul, in response to Samuel informing him that he is to be king, says that his family is one having the least social status in their land. So God had to change his heart to prepare him for his destiny.
Similarly, you too have to realize that your worth and significance come from your value as an individual in God’s eyes. You need to see yourselves from his perspective.
When you are #OpenToWork, do not allow being fired from your work, being laid off, networking without results, enduring long periods of silence when you don’t hear back from your potential employer, or your applications being repeatedly rejected even after many positive rounds of interviews define you or your worth. They are just layers on the core value of who you are in God. He values you for who you are and not based on your performance.
“Follow Me” to Your Destiny
The big lesson to learn is that the lesser things will be taken care of. The donkeys for which Saul went searching were later found. Saul had no role in finding them. But he had found his destiny.
When Jesus asked a man to follow him, he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” What he meant was that he will finish all his household duties and after everything is settled he will come and follow Jesus.
To this Jesus replied, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” What Jesus meant was that those who are not having God’s life in them will take care of the ordinary tasks. You don’t worry about the routine and lesser things of life. But think of the destiny that God has planned for you. Act on it now.
The story of Saul’s search for donkeys and rise to the throne is found in 1 Samuel 9 and 10; and Jesus’s conversation with the man is found in Luke 9:59, 60.
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“Who despises the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10a Bible). These words should inspire hope in you because they beam a light on what the Spirit of God can do in your life even if it is in ruins right now. So get started on rebuilding your life right now. Do not despise the small beginnings of this change or transformation.
Do remember that if there is one thing that has made people fail, it is that they never get started. Some people never begin because they fear failure. Others think too much about what people will say. A few think about a perfect beginning and postpone it for a later date. And it never happens.
And if there is one thing about success you would like to know, it is to start small. Most of the things that are begun with the help of the Spirit of God are humble beginnings. They are mostly like a shoot out of dry ground. It doesn’t promise much. But God will see to it that it is watered and it flourishes in spite of extreme circumstances it finds itself in.
If your life is in ruins, and you think all hope is lost; God is encouraging you to start rebuilding your life once again with his help. It will be an effort that will be accomplished not on your human strength or power but by the Spirit of God. It calls for your reliance on God and his unlimited resources.
You need not look at your insignificance and lose heart, for it is God who is on your side. You might face discouragement looking back at the lost glory of your past; the seeming impossibility of the present task, and also the opposition you are facing. But God’s purposes would prevail.
You just begin the task. The beginnings will seem small and humble. But God will do a great work. And its accomplishment will bear the stamp of God’s glory in it as well.
Today, when you begin to realign your life to God’s purposes, you might feel disheartened by the slow progress you are making. God is encouraging you today not to despise the small beginnings you are making.
What you are now attempting can become a source of inspiration, a lampstand that gives light continually with the oil supplied by the Spirit of God, and a significant milestone in the plan of God to call others to his love and care.
And opposition is not a sign that your beginning was a mistake; but it is probably the surest sign that you are on the right track. God is building resilience in you through the opposition. He is teaching you to rise above discouragement like how an eagle uses the might of the wind to rise higher.
Yet there will come a moment when God will demolish the mountain-like opposition and help you complete the task that you have begun to do with his help. When God acts; there is no chance for the opposition to stand against you.
All this requires a shift of focus from your side. Stop looking at your smallness or the smallness of your beginnings to rebuild your life. Instead turn your focus to the Spirit of God who is mighty to accomplish what human strength can never do.
Yes, there is hope for you because there is no limit to what the Spirit of God can do to rebuild and transform your life from small beginnings so that it will blaze with the glory of God.
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Sin, failures, mistakes, and troubles caused by people who are close to you can cause your head to bow down. You might feel defeated. Sometimes you are burdened by sorrow. Or you can think of any number of reasons that pull you down. It is at such times that you need to think of God, who is the lifter of your head.
Life might bring unexpected reversals of fortunes. Sometimes friends and family can act against you. Those who stood by you in your good days and were loyal to you might change sides quickly. You might be forced to lick your wounds. When everyone and everything seems to turn against you, and your head is bowed down in despair, it is then you need to remember that God is the lifter of your head.
Even when others think that you are finished and there is no fight left in you; know that God is not finished with you yet.
First, he will be a shield around you. You know what that means. It means that God himself will take the hits against you so that you will be protected. It means that he has a stake in your life that no force on earth or hell can disrupt. He has invested in you by the blood of his Son Jesus shed on the cross. He will therefore surround you with help.
Next he will be your glory. You know what that means.
In spite of all the trouble you are going through right now; your value, worth, and significance come from God.
No matter what negatives others are telling about you, no matter how much they shout you are a failure, no matter how firmly they believe that God will not help you anymore, the weight of evidence is on your side. God will come to your help and will be the lifter of your head.
What you should always recall in your mind is that the author of Psalm 3 (where we find the words, “But you … O LORD … lift up my head” ) was going through a great crisis in his life when he wrote these words. His own son was trying to kill him and take over the throne. He had to flee for his life, covering his head, walking barefoot, and being pelted by stones while being cursed by his enemies. Moreover people were saying God will not help King David because he had committed grievous sins.
It was true that he had sinned—adultery and murder. It was true that he had no right to expect help from God. But because he admitted to God saying, “I have sinned against the Lord,” and had sincerely repented of his sins; he found mercy and forgiveness with God. At the same time the troubles he was now going through were the consequences of his sin.
Yet, in spite of his present misery, David had the courage to hope in God. You too can hope in God even when defeated and down. Seek God’s mercy and expect his help. There is no defeat in your life that God cannot bring good out of it.
So David cries out to God for help. He is assured that God will answer him. Therefore even when enemies are closing in on him, he is able to lie down and sleep at night. For his found strength to sustain in his trust in God. And he expressed confidence in God even when tens of thousands are drawn against him in battle on every side.
You too can find consolation in the fact that your deliverance and your salvation does not depend on your goodness but God’s mercy alone. Even when you find yourself in a defeated situation today, lift up your eyes and look to God who is the lifter of your head. He will not leave your head bowed down in shame. He will lift you up. For God delights in showing mercy to those who trust in him.
“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the LORD’s wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness.” — Micah 7:8, 9 Bible.
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The shortest message of Christmas is: “Baby Jesus in Bethlehem and in my heart.” Even a child can understand this. But there are two truths here that we should not miss:
One is the historical reality of Christmas. When you write today’s date you are affirming the fact that Jesus came to divide history with His Story.
The second truth is about the current reality of Christmas. Jesus came to bleed and die on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. So that your history can be remade into brand new life by his story.
And this new life is eternal. That is the hope of Christmas and the joy and peace it brings to you now when you trust in Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — Jesus Christ | John 3:16 Bible
“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 Bible).
That is an exciting promise. No limits. It simply states that God will give you the desires of your heart. When God’s Word says so, you can put your confidence in it because God always keeps his part of the promise made. As you look at this promise you find God’s part as well as your role in it. God will give, but you have to delight in him.
God First
In simple words, it means you should not put the cart before the horse. You have to put God first in your life. In all things. It is then that God becomes the delight of your heart.
When your thoughts revolve around God most of the time; he becomes the delight of your heart. This is a simple way of saying it. But it can become a start pointing. Start thinking about God and his everlasting love for you. Think of God sending his Son Jesus to bleed and die on the cross for you. Think of his forgiving love towards you.
Love for God
Delighting in God is all about love for him. He simply desires you to love him “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Love for God and delighting in him go hand in hand.
Again, try to express your love to God. Start to praise him. Just thank him that he has been good to you. Maybe you have gone through great troubles in life. You feel a grudge against God for the bad things that have happened. Still, make a try to tell God that you love him.
It might seem like offering God bits and pieces of a broken toy. But he accepts them all from you because you are genuinely trying to express your love. He accepts it from you as a loving father would accept it from a little child.
Talk to God
If you persist in expressing your love for God and try to talk with him; then over a period of time, God works in your heart. Be honest with God when you talk with him. Bring all your desires to him. And tell him all that is in your heart. He listens to all that you say and even what you do not say. Your heart is an open book before him; so are all your thoughts too. So he knows it all.
When you delight in God, that is when you put God first, something happens. That means you don’t fight with God about your desires. You don’t quarrel with him over it. You just tell him whatever is in your mind.
When God’s Desires Become Your Desires
During this process, God gets the chance to help you understand what his mind is about the desires you have. He will, through different people or situations but mainly through words of the Bible, speak to you. And he will show you what is best or wrong about your desires. And you get a chance to align yourselves with the best that God desires in your life. It is like having the sail of a boat catch the wind.
Then God’s desires for you become your desires. And he will give you the desires of your heart. So delight yourself in the LORD, Let him be first in your life. It will exclude and put to death every evil and sinful desire; and the temptation to do wrong that comes to your mind.
The Cleansing Blood of Jesus
And then when your heart is free of all darkness and is filled with God’s light, there is no limit to God fulfilling the desires of your heart. You might wonder how your heart can be rid of evil! Is that even possible? Yes, it is possible if you ask God to wash you clean by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for you. The power and effectiveness of the blood of Jesus is overwhelmingly real.
Yes, when you delight in God, he will fulfil the desires of your heart. Isn’t that like one blank cheque given you to draw from the unlimited resources of God?
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Audacity is courage or confidence of a kind that other people find shocking. We are now talking about that kind of courage or confidence to hope in God. It becomes shocking as you continue to hope in God when people are against you and perhaps all circumstances look negative. For the Bible confidently declares, “I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
The audacity of hope in God is what you can hold on to when you lose control over your life, when people turn against you for no reason, when fortunes take a plunge downwards, and money to make both ends meet seems hard to come by. Hope encourages you to persevere in the midst of troubles of various kinds including illness, depression, and burnout.
Hope is the expectation and the confidence you have about the good that God is capable of bringing out of adverse situations and circumstances you find in your life. It takes a long-term view rather than being shortsighted and having a grumbling attitude in life. It gives you the courage to wait for God to act on your behalf.
In other words, the consumerist world we live in encourage us to grab things now, gratify our desires now, lust for more now, and instantly do things now; be it on credit. That kind of greedy attitude does not work with God. For he delights in those who hope in him and are willing to wait for his perfect time to act on their behalf.
The audacity of hope in God helps you rejoice even when you’re defeated and down. It is not positive thinking but something deeper that expresses its confidence in God even when outward circumstances are gloomy, and dark, and seems to be hopeless. For God is the source of all hope and he is the One who can cause you to abound in hope or overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit given to us.
The Bible speaks about Abraham, who is known as the Father of faith, believing in hope against all hope, and holding on to what God had promised him. And he was rewarded for his expectant faith in God after waiting long years for it. That perhaps is the secret: Looking to God with expectation and anticipating the good that he is going to do in spite of nothing-seems-to-be-happening days, months, or years.
Here we stand on sacred ground. The promises of God seem unbelievable when people and circumstances are against us. There might be delays. And there might be no indication from God that he is going to do something far above what we have asked or imagined. It is at these moments of silence that our faith is tested. Yet let us believe on in hope.
When you keep on praying and no answer seems to come by, it is the hope that God will listen and answer that gives you the ability to ask, seek, and knock without losing heart and courage. Persistent prayer and untiring enthusiasm to seek God’s face is what turns hope into reality.
The audacity to hope gives you the boldness in prayer to claim God’s promises. It says, along with King David, “You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” (Psalm 18:28). For it is when darkness surrounds us that we need to hope and trust in God all the more.
And it is when you have this kind of a buoyancy in hope or have optimistic faith that you see a small cloud the size of man’s hand rise on the horizon. It is just a small sign of the abundance of rain that is coming. And you can be assured that your prayers are being answered in response to your hope in God.
Yes, believe that hope in God will not leave you disappointed. You’ll certainly be a better man or woman for holding on to hope when despair clouded your mind. Yes, God is able to do immeasurably more than you ask or imagine. And when the object of your hope is Jesus and his precious blood he shed on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, there is the overflow of hope not only for this life but also for the life to come which is eternal. He is the greatest dealer and leader in hope the world has ever seen.
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” — Romans 5:5
I remember the emotion I felt when I read the first five books of the Bible for the first time. The realization that I stand in front of a holy God hit me with full force then.
Often we think of God as God is love. That is true. But the one unique thing about God is that he is holy.
I have no clue how to describe the holiness of God. In simple terms, he is separate from us because of his holiness. Glory, splendour, majesty, worship, awesome, beauty, unapproachable light; are all words that are associated with his holiness.
God’s Holiness is Incomparable
Often we compare ourselves with others and think, “I am better than him or her.” But God is inviting us to be holy like him. And it is impossible by any human effort.
Why? When Moses, who twice spent time with God forty days and nights on a mountain, asked God to show him God’s glory; he was told: “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Prophet Isaiah, likewise, had a vision of God seated on his throne and heavenly angels calling out to one another non-stop in his presence:
“Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
His response as he cried out was: “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips.”
Simon Peter, who was a disciple of Jesus, had his first encounter with Jesus when his fishing boat was empty after a hard night’s toil in the sea of Galilee. Jesus told him to put his nets into deep water and there was a huge and miraculous catch of fish. Then Peter fell at Jesus’ knees and said: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.”
All these examples show us that not one of us qualifies to stand before God. The Bible says that all our righteous acts, which means all the good deeds that we do, are like filthy rags or really dirty clothes before God. They cannot earn us our salvation.
God’s Holiness Will Search Us Out
As we stand before God, his light will bring out all the hidden things in our heart and mind—even those things, minute things, that we might have forgotten. There is no escape. Every single thought; every single word; every act that we did will all be shown for what they truly are:
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Can we stand before this holy God? No. There is a huge separation between God and us because of his holiness and because of our sinfulness.
God’s Holiness Demands Sacrifice of Sinless Blood
Therefore God himself made a way for us to approach him. He sent Jesus as a human being to bleed on the cross and die for all the sins that we have committed. As we look to Jesus and accept the truth that he died for you and me; God cleanses us from all our sins by his blood.
How is that possible? It is because Jesus lived a sinless life. And the sacrifice of his broken body and blood has all the merit in the world to give us the right to come before God without fear. For the Bible says,
“And without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
And since Jesus shed his sinless blood for you; that is the only way we can go to God who is holy. He is inviting us to be holy like he is. As you look at your own sins; you might feel like giving up because being holy is impossible. But God is coming near to you in Jesus; loving you and accepting you just as you are.
God Is Commanding You and Me to Be Holy like He Is
But he won’t leave you just as you are today. He will work on you and put in your heart a desire to be holy like Jesus. And he will also make you holy like him.
That is why the Bible calls us to repent of our sins. In popular terms, it is like making a U-turn from the wrong way and moving on in the right way.
As we walk on the roads, dust and other dirt will definitely stick to us. And therefore we take a bath everyday. It is the blood of Jesus that washes us clean every moment from all sin in our lives so that we too can share in God’s holiness.
It is a process; and not just a one-time event. So the bible asks us to purify and cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. So let us fear God and shun all evil and constantly increase in desire to be holy like God.
“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”
Do you consistently speak words of hope or do you speak words of despair? The power of words we use is immense. Some of their impact even time cannot erase.
But from where do words pour out? Jesus spoke the truth when he said: “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Yes, speech is an outflow of the abundance of good or bad we store up in our hearts.
Words spoken do carry great power. In fact, the wise King Solomon said, “The tongue has the power of life and death; and those who love it will eat its fruit.” It is no secret that words affect us, influence our emotions, and colour our relationships.
So let us strive to build others up through our words. Let us encourage others; and let us avoid diminishing people in front of others. A little bit of kindness in our hearts can make the words we speak have a healing touch. It can become a lifeline of hope to a discouraged person.
But an empty vessel cannot pour out water. Likewise life-giving thoughts have to be stored up in our hearts to give life-giving words to others.
In other words, motivational speaking is effective only when the speaker is overwhelmingly thinking of uplifting the audience and painting for them the possibilities that life and the future holds for them.
His or her words should help the listeners look away from their current reality which might look like a wet blanket of despair to the future that is like a door wide open to what each of those persons can become.
Your words therefore can throw open God-gifted possibilities in the life of people. So store up God’s Spirit-filled wisdom in your heart; and your words will truly ignite hope for others. Let your mouth always speak the good, the lovely, and the inspiring that your heart is full of.
But inspiring words do not happen by chance. It has an intense and intimate connection with what our character truly is. And character is not formed in a day or two. It is shaped over the years.
For we are shaped not only by what we allow to influence us but also by what we make an honest effort to avoid. For if we avoid the baggage of words that are acidic like slander, gossip, and mocking others; our mouths will speak only of the beautiful things stored up in our hearts.
Then when we talk; our conversations will turn out to be pleasant; filled with kindness like food seasoned with salt. It will taste good and preserve relationships in contrast to having a bad taste and destroying others.
Let us therefore keep our eyes and ears open to store up good things in our hearts so that when we speak they will bring words of cheer, hope, and comfort out of the abundance stored up there.
“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.” — Jesus Christ
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Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” People were crowding around Jesus. So his friends had lowered him on a mat before Jesus from an opening made through the tiles in the roof of the house. They had faith that Jesus would heal him. And they were desperate to get him to Jesus.
It was clear to all that the man needed physical healing. Some of our needs are obvious like this. But when you come to Jesus, he often confronts you with a deeper and greater need than the physical. It is a need that nobody can help you with. It is your need to find forgiveness and peace with God.
When Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven,” the religious people who had gathered there began to think, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” They were right. Only God could forgive the sins of any man or woman. But they failed to understand that Jesus was God in human flesh.
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus asked them whether it was easy to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up , take your mat and walk?”
It brings us to the question of authority. The government or a bank can decide to cancel debts that individuals or organizations owe them. This is because they have the authority to do so. But when it comes to sins; no human agency or individual has the authority to forgive. It is an act of God’s mercy alone.
That also tells you there is nothing you can do to earn God’s forgiveness. No self-punishment, no pilgrimage, no acts of charity, no good deeds are enough. But if your heart is broken and you humbly seek God for his mercy; he will certainly forgive. Remember, no man or woman on earth can forgive sins. Only God alone can forgive.
And there is no limit to God’s forgiveness. There is no sin, however greatly it has stained your life, that God cannot forgive. Jesus shed his blood on the cross so that all can find forgiveness for their sins. He not only forgives when you tell your sins before him; but his blood also cleanses you from all sins.
Sometimes, you look at your own goodness and think there is no need for God’s forgiveness in your life. But is that true? The Bible declares, “There is no difference, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” And all of us know that there are thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions that are not right in my life and your life as well.
The point is that when such wrong things happen in our lives, you and I owe God a huge moral debt that not one of us can pay. The only solution is to take it to God and seek his forgiveness. Then, if you are truthfully earnest, God will tell you. “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” That settles it forever.
God hurls your sins into the depths of the sea and sweeps away your offenses like a cloud when he forgives you. Even though he has kept your secret sins in the light of his presence, when he forgives; he will remove them from you as far as the east is from the west. How sweet and comforting to hear Jesus tell you: “Friend, your sins are forgiven!”
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Read more on the healing of the paralytic man in the Gospels of Matthew 9:2–8, Mark 2:1–12 and Luke 5:17–26.
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Each one of us has stared into the face of despair at some point in our lives. No hope. No one to say words of comfort. No one who understands. We, at such moments, question God’s care for us. But there is one Name that you can call upon at such times. It is the name of Jesus.
The name of Jesus brings to you God’s love and compassion. For God is merciful to those who call on him. When you speak the name of Jesus, all heaven is ready to come to your help and aid.
Many people, even those who have not known Jesus as an intimate friend, have called upon the name of Jesus while in danger and have found help. The Bible says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” You find that true in the name of Jesus. Yes, there is divine protection in his name.
The name of Jesus is also a lover’s password. The more you love God, the more you fall in love with the name of Jesus. For in that name is contained the fullness of God’s being and character. When you speak the name of Jesus with love for him in your heart, it draws you close to God.
So fall in love with the name of Jesus. When he becomes the object of your thoughts and conversations, he draws near to you. There is no other name like the name of Jesus to release God’s love and power and authority in whatever situation you find yourself in. His name means your salvation.
For, the primary meaning of the name Jesus is that he will save his people from their sins. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Your burdened heart because of guilt or shame of past sins will find a sweet medicine in the name of Jesus. His name is forgiveness if you are willing to turn away from wrong.
The Bible also says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” So there is hope for you. There is healing in his name and deliverance from all kinds of oppression of your mind for God has given the name of Jesus extraordinary power and authority. Even demons are subject to the name of Jesus who made peace between God and you through his blood shed on the cross.
When you trust in the name of Jesus, you are moving from ignorance to truth, from darkness to light, and from death to life. When you trust in the name of Jesus, you receive a rich welcome to God’s family as his child.
Like how one of the thieves crucified along with Jesus became one. He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today, you will be with me in paradise.” Yes, today, now, this moment, you can become a child of God in Jesus’ name.
And when you are his child, prayers in his name are always heard and answered. It is a child’s privilege to ask; for there is freedom to access God the Father’s presence at all times. Be bold. Ask with confidence in the name of Jesus. It is God’s great joy to listen to you speak the name of his Son. And he will answer your prayers.
Finally, when you speak the name of Jesus and proclaim his name to your friends; there will come a change in you. Slowly but surely, you begin to capture the loveliness of the character of Jesus in you. So fall in love with the name of Jesus, the name that is above every name! Sunday Sermonettes | The Glorious Hope of Seeing You in Jesus’ Likeness
Life is like that. The calm of life is suddenly broken by the unexpected changes that come. And it is quite natural that we become afraid when our boat is caught in the storm.
Remember it was the same sea Jesus and his friends had travelled many times before. But the challenge of the storm this time was totally new. And all the wisdom of past experiences failed to give the friends courage in the sight of this present danger.
As we look at this incident; there are many simple lessons we can learn from it:
One, just because Jesus is in the boat with you and me, doesn’t mean that the storm won’t come. Life’s struggles are common to all. Some storms do threaten to drown us. And being afraid is a normal reaction at such times.
Even though the friends of Jesus who were with him in the boat were experienced fishermen; they were afraid. They came to Jesus, sleeping on a cushion, woke him up and asked, “Teacher, don’t you care, if we drown?” For the waves threatened to sink the boat.
Second, Jesus sleeping is no sign that he does not care. Often, we expect him to do something in our desperate situations. And he seems to be totally not available to attend our frantic prayers and calls of distress.
At such times, it is quite natural to find fault with God for the troubles we face in life. But don’t ever forget that Jesus, the Son of God, is with us in our boat; even in the storm.
Third, we find the disciples waking Jesus up. It was after talking to the crowds and teaching them during the day that Jesus was sleeping. He, as a human being, was just like us. He became tired, hungry, and thirsty like any one of us.
But Jesus did not become angry with his friends for waking him up. He immediately got up and took care of the storm. So don’t you worry to call him 24 x 7 in any of your crises in life. He understands. And he helps because he too was caught in the storm.
Fourth, we find Jesus having authority over the winds and the waves. There is no situation or difficulty in our lives he is not able to handle.
When frightening situations seem to overwhelm and destroy us, our emotions will give us no rest. We will be tossed about on the rising waves. Yet, let us find courage in this true incident that Jesus is in control even when the circumstances are all against us, and threatening to drown us.
Again, one word from Jesus, the wind died down and it was completely calm. He stood up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet, Be Still.” The storm is not the end of the story. The command of Jesus is.
He, with you and me in the boat, is the greatest assurance we can have in life. He won’t throw you or me away. But will act when it is needed.
Finally, his question to his friends, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” is a challenge to each one of us. His friends had seen him do a lot of miracles. They had seen impossibilities turn to triumphant possibilities with Jesus. Yet the storm drove the wits out of them!
But when calm had come, the friends were terrified and they asked: “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” The storm had rocked their boat; but it also made the friends of Jesus get a real glimpse of who he truly is.
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Based on Mark’s Gospel Chapter 4: Verses 35 to 41
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Jesus is calling you to himself. You cannot stay where you are to answer that call. You have to take a step forward. He is inviting you to a life of daring into the unknown. He is not promising you a bright future. He is simply promising himself.
Many people are disappointed because they look for material benefits when following Jesus. But Jesus pointed out that he had no place to rest his head unlike birds of the air which have nests and foxes which have holes or dens to retire to at the end of the day. So he was not promising an easy life to anyone who chose to follow him.
Jesus also demands for himself the highest priority you can give when he invites and commands you to follow him. He is asking for your best love towards him. All other loves you have will appear like hate compared to your love for him. Perhaps this is hard to swallow.
Then look at role models; we have many. But when we look closely; there are so many things we find in them that can disappoint us. With Jesus, the more you look at him, the more you talk with him, the more you think of him, his loveliness only increases. He is not asking you to follow rules; he is simply calling you to follow him.
That also means that even when he seems to be absent in our struggles of life; he is always there. Though at times, he seems to have forsaken us; he is there. For he who said, “Come, follow me,” will not leave us or forsake us in times of our distress. He has gone ahead of us. Our role is to keep our eyes focused on him; and him alone.
Following Jesus can be a lonely journey at times. Some of your best friends might hate you because you follow Jesus. Your close relatives might not be as enthusiastic as you are in following Jesus. But Jesus is not calling you to follow him with a crowd. His call to you is personal.
Following Jesus demands that we focus on him; and try to avoid distractions. It is not easy. We are surrounded by gadgets that steal away much of our precious time. So to focus on Jesus, you need to make deliberate choices:
Instead of reaching out for your mobile to check for messages or updates the first thing in the morning; why not spend five minutes thanking God for the gift of a new day. Ask him for his help, presence, wisdom, and guidance to do all that you need to do that day.
“Come, follow me,” is both an invitation and a command. You are free to accept or disobey. The choice is entirely yours. But if you reject Jesus and his call; you are missing a journey along with the One who loved you and gave himself on the cross for you where he bled and died.
There are so many broad paths in this world that lead to destruction. But Jesus is inviting you to follow him along the narrow way and find life.
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“Where are you?” That was the first question God ever asked the first man and woman. Even now he is asking that question to you.
The question “Where are you?” is full of mercy. It shows that God has not given up on you. You might have made mistakes and also gone away from the right ways. God doesn’t want to lose you. So he is calling out to you.
“Where are you?” God is asking because you belong. If you did not belong to God; he would not be searching for you. You have been lost. But God is coming after you to find you and celebrate it with joy. That is why Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
“Where are you?” God is asking not because he doesn’t know where you are hiding and why you are hiding from him. He already knows what you are thinking. He knows that you are afraid to face him. But he is asking the question to give you a chance to become friends with him again. Will you listen?
The question, “Where are you?” is so simple. But it has potential in it to bring you back to your senses. The question should make you think: “Am I now where I am supposed to be?” The question will help you to know that now there is an opportunity to return to the love of God. Those who will return to him; he accepts without finding fault.
The question, “Where are you?” is God calling out to you to come out of your hiding from him. He is hurt by your disobedience. But he is looking at you with love.
The question, “Where are you?” finally is a chance for you to be honest with God. It is easy to put the blame on others for your moral failure. But God’s question is an invitation to you to confess to God what you have wrongly thought, said, or done. And find in him a father’s love and a mother’s comfort.
Now what will be your response to God’s question? Will you come to God with a grateful heart, seeing that he cares for you and came to seek you? For the ultimate need of any man or woman is God’s forgiving love. You find that in Jesus, the Lamb of God, who came to reach out to you.
Remember, God is asking “Where are you?” not to the crowds, but to you as an individual. It is a very personal question; because he is concerned about you and cares for you.
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The opening verse of the Bible does not introduce God. He needs no introduction. He was, is, and always will be.
He created everything out of nothing. He created everything with a purpose.
The heavens are vast. They are beyond the stretch of human imagination and its ends beyond discovery.
But the earth he created for you. That you may know him and love him. He does not yield to your intellect. Because your intellect is like a spoonful of water beside the oceans. You cannot know him with your intelligence.
Like every kingdom has a currency; the kingdom of God too has a currency. It is faith. Therefore the Bible says that “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
This faith is more personal when it comes to the cross of Jesus. When the world demands that we find God through knowledge and wisdom; God says find me through my message of foolishness.
The cross of Jesus is the message of foolishness. Why? Because the cross says you can have a new beginning in your life by simply looking to Jesus in faith.
He shed his precious blood there for you; that you might find peace with God. Yes, you can be friends with God right now as you look to the cross and put your faith in the Son of God who bled and died for your sins.
When you trust in him who lives forever, he makes you a brand new creation. It is a new beginning for you. For he puts his own life within you.
Circumstances might not change but the power of this new life will give you the lift to fly above all that pulls you down. You too can enjoy this new beginning in life.
It is impossible to grow in your career without being able to say No. If you say Yes all the time, that means you are being a people-pleaser. It means that you are not focused. It again means that you don’t set priorities. It also means others don’t respect your boundaries or are not even aware of them.
If you say Yes to everything; you are going to bleed your time, energy, resources, and money for the tasks others are responsible for. That means others easily make you work for them for nothing. A Yes man or woman does not realize that he or she is an individual worthy of respect and esteem like anyone else.
Now the question is how can you say No. You might be afraid that you will hurt people if you say No. That might be true. But we are not talking about saying No to genuine requests for help. Instead, you need to ask questions to find out the real intent of people asking for favours from you. If you discover that, you will be shocked to know that what they said to you to get things done was not sincere but only a mask to conceal the real motive of manipulating you.
Often there are people who want to get things done by dumping the task on the head of someone who is weak-willed. That is not delegation but just making use of you to get them some leisure time.
Now be courteous when you say No. Tell them you have more urgent priorities to deal with at the moment. Point out to them some other method or resource or help they can seek.
A No response comes from your realization of what you are called to do in life. The more you grow as a professional the more focused you should become. That can happen only if you learn to say No to anything that distracts from what you are converging in on life.
There is great power in 3 things when you think about Don’t You Quit:
First of all, trust in God. When things look hopeless and no one is in a position to help you and no door seems to open, God is still there. He is ever willing to help you. So hold on in faith. Don’t you quit.
Secondly, trust in the dream God has given you. There might be things that have gone wrong. You might have made mistakes and have had your share of failures. But the good Lord who put the dream in your heart wants to see it fulfilled. So sharpen your skills, raise your vision to higher goals, and bless people through your efforts. Hold on in faith. Don’t you quit.
Thirdly, trust that a comeback is possible for you. Don’t lie down. Don’t give in to despair. It might take longer than you think. Progress might be painfully slow. But every step you take is forward. Every failure is just going to increase your resolve to succeed. So hold on in faith. A comeback will truly showcase to the world how God showed mercy to you. Don’t you quit just at the verge of victory.
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This post was inspired by the Movie HOOVEY | INSPIRATIONAL TRUE STORY | PATRICK WARBURTON
Welcome 2024 with hope in God. Out of loss in previous years; there can yet come a sprout out of the stump left.
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January 2, 2024 | Treasure Hunt
Life is a treasure hunt. You need to restrain restless pursuit of the things of the world to find things of true value.
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January 3, 2024 | Taste
What adds taste to life is not salt, sugar, or pepper; but love and togetherness. Even in simple dishes, they add abundance.
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January 4, 2024 | Mirrors
Mirrors don’t tell truth; they only tell us what we like to hear. We look at mirrors that show us our smiling best; but shun God’s Own Mirror which show us as our hearts truly are.
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January 5, 2024 | Prayer
We pray to God to change our negative circumstances. But God often gifts you grace and courage to rise above them. He first of all makes you bold before he changes difficult situations. Therefore never lose heart; never lose hope. Keep on praying. God hears. God answers.
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January 6, 2024 | Failures
Do not wallow in self-pity when you fail. Instead, look up and rise up now out of your bed of despair. Trust God. There is hope for your tomorrow.
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January 7, 2024 | Be Still
There are moments in life when the best thing to do is to remain still and trust God to do the impossible. Then it becomes Himpossible.
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January 8, 2024 | Space Exploration
Each scientific discovery tells us how small we human beings truly are. The stunning progress of Science and Technology, especially in Space exploration in recent years; should move us to worship God the Creator, who gave us life: for his holiness, greatness, wisdom, mighty power, majesty, and glorious splendour.
The vastness of unending Space; its marvellous beauty; its stillness and laws that govern the perfect order in which stars and planets move; speak volumes of God’s incomparable greatness.
It is not scientific spirit that rejects God or deny his existence; but simply our pride that does not accept our smallness.
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January 9, 2024 | Hope in God
God says, “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”
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When we listen to gossip, it can crush someone like this beautiful and innocent butterfly. Say a deliberate NO when people tell you negatively flavoured stories of others. Imagine if the story is about you. How would you feel? You can make this world a better place by refusing to listen to gossip. Yes, you can!
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January 11, 2024 | Winning
Winning at the highest level of competitions is all about: One, a burning desire to win, and Two, staying calm under pressure. Without these two; all hard work, game plan, practice, and fan support will go wasted.
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January 12, 2024 | Professional and Personal Growth
God’s best work of art in us comes through cutting away like how grape vines are pruned to produce luxuriant fruit. What are we willing to put the chisel to in our lives that even when producing pain will enable growth and fruitfulness?
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January 13, 2024 | New Every Morning
We all fail miserably at times. And then we feel like giving up and calling ourselves failures. But God is willing to gift you yet another chance; always. For “his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”
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January 14, 2024 | Your Look Matters
So many of our thoughts start with seeing. Therefore it is important to keep an eye on what we look at. If we look too long at what is not rightfully ours; it can lead to coveting. And that can explode like a volcano; destroying trust and relationships.
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January 15, 2024 | Smile
Never forget to smile; never fail to shine a ray of hope with your smile. For you are counted richer than a billionaire if you can gift a smile.
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January 16, 2024 | Mockers
Many sit in the seat of mockers in today’s world. They try to outsmart their competitors by laughing at their expense and making fun of them. But it won’t last long. Mockers will surely fall one day.
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January 17, 2024 | Simple Words
Simple words can have great impact in communication. “I have good news for you,” need not be said as; “The report that I am going share with you is profound and impactful.” Simplicity in choice of words hides greatness within it. So, go for simple words when you communicate.
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January 18, 2024 | God Remembers You
When troubles come; it is easy to lose heart and get discouraged. But the Hebrew Poet and King David found comfort that God stores all his tears in a bottle, writes them on a scroll, and keeps a record of them. Let us be thankful that God values each one of us as individuals; and he remembers our tears.
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January 19, 2024 | Do Not Be Apologetic
You might have heard many speakers begin saying, “I’m not thoroughly prepared,” or “I am not knowledgable about this topic; but will still try to say a few words,” or something apologetic like this. Why spoil audience expectations like this? Instead, start positively and with joy and the audience will echo the same to you quickly.
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January 20, 2024 | God Cares for You
So many of us worry to death each day. The only antidote to worry is to trust in our Heavenly Father who cares for even a sparrow no one is worried about a bit at all.
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January 21, 2024 | Postpone Death If You Can
Almost anything can be postponed; except the day of death. That surely is a compelling reason for mindful living today.
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January 22, 2024 | The Blood of Jesus
The blood of Jesus on the cross is the greatest hope ever gifted to all.
A poem written on Good Friday, April 6, 2012.
January 23, 2024 | Running On Track
It is not speed, power, or efficiency; but what is more fundamental is whether you are running on track? Planets, stars, and galaxies obey heaven’s laws and follow their God-ordained orbits and there is order, harmony, and peace. So run on the track assigned and find success.
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January 24, 2024 | Follow Up
Call it leadership, management, or plain common sense, “follow up” is what gets things done. Neglect it at home, office, or anywhere else; and you’re undone.
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January 25, 2024 | We Speak What Our Hearts Are Full Of
Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We have felt the power of angry words bursting forth at us from someone.
Often daily, we too hurt others with words. These are no accidents. It is coming from what we have stored up in our hearts.
Let us try to store good so that what spills out from our mouths even in angry moments are gentle words. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it impossible? No. Let us give it an honest try even though we have failed multiple times in this regard in our speaking.
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January 26, 2024 | Authority and Power
Authority and power are given. It is wise to use them with humility; for it is God who changes times and seasons.
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January 27, 2024 | A Matchstick Can
You can be a simple matchstick. Yet you can light many torches. Do not look at your insignificant appearance. But look at what God can do through you.
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January 28, 2024 | Valentine Gift Heart Love
There is power in love. Not many forget the first time you met true love! Here’s a story of love lifting up someone from the slimy pit; and restoring that person to dignity. Lavished love! Amazing love! Everlasting love!
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January 29, 2024 | Failures Come Because You Don’t Aim High
Some failures, though not all, happen because your goals are meek. Set your standards higher than normal. And that will help to bring out the best in you. Even if you fail then, you would have outshined your previous best. No failure is final when you have the guts to dare an audacious goal.
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January 30, 2024 | Take a Short Break
Long hours of intense coding can break you. Take short breaks in between. For your code matters; but your life and health matters most.
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January 31, 2024 | Forgiven Much, Love Much!
Forgiveness is the true colour of love. When God forgives, he asks no questions why you sinned or failed? He only asks, “Do you love me?” If you are forgiven much, you can love him much more!
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These are inspirational words & images originally published on LinkedIn in January 2024. They are short snippets of wisdom motivating you to better living. They are words of hope.
“Give us each day our daily bread,” is a simple prayer Jesus taught us to pray.
First of all it is a child-like prayer to God our Father in heaven. A child simply expects his or her father to provide. It is an expression of trust in the love relationship between a child and father.
Secondly, it is a community prayer. It is not give me and my family our daily bread. Instead, it is a prayer for others included. We are taught to shun selfishness and embrace others’ needs too in our prayers and action.
Thirdly, it teaches us not to take anything for granted. We may have money and purchasing power. But food and our ability to enjoy its taste is God’s gift.
Fourthly, it teaches us to be thankful. There are many who thank God before they eat. It shows us that we should not forget the Giver of good gifts when we receive them.
Fifthly, daily is a key word. Life is, and should be lived one day at a time. The present moment is of great importance. We should not be paralyzed by our yesterdays nor should we be worried and anxious about our tomorrows.
Sixthly, bread is a result of man’s labour, toil, and sweat. It is a reminder to work hard with sincerity and earn one’s bread. Idleness is not part of God’s economy. When you work with professional excellence, you are being part of the answer to your prayers.
Finally, daily bread can also remind us about feeding on God’s Word each day morning; which nourishes and strengthens our spirit. It can satisfy us more than our daily food.
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” — John 6:27 Bible
There is every chance that the title resonated with the pain in your heart; isn’t it? Many people are unhappy at work. Why is it so? There are no easy answers. But let us try to know what can be the reasons and perhaps how to try to get the better of them.
One, probably your immediate boss is your primary problem.
Always finding fault, always pressurizing you to meet deadlines, perhaps shouting at you occasionally might best describe this person. These are negatives, no doubt about that. At the same time, try to see all this as helping to push you beyond your limits to be the best you can be. This change of perspective can take the focus away from the negative boss to the positive process of growth that is happening for good.
Secondly, your passion might be somewhere else and your heart is there.
There are compromises we all make to meet current realities related to meeting our personal and family needs. No need to become frustrated about that. You need to wait patiently till the pressure of current needs are met and then you can think of switching to a new career or try to talk with your management to help you be in a role that bests suits your talent and passion.
Thirdly, it can be a toxic work environment, a bad work culture, or even your nosey colleagues that can be the problem.
There are no easy answers here. But for the sake of argument, let me say that you will always meet people who create trouble everywhere you go. Learn to avoid being with people who are potential volcanoes waiting to erupt. When they try to pry into your personal lives; don’t fly off the handle but instead with a gentle smile try to steer the topic away to something that is currently in the news. Not easy, but definitely doable.
Fourthly, it can be that you are too focused on the pay packet.
It can be less compared to others like you in other Companies or someone junior to you has been hired with a greater salary than yours. Both are hard to digest. One way to see your job is to see the big picture. If you can find meaning in your work because of the impact and influence it has on people it can make your burden light. Monetary rewards will come when you excel. Focus on excelling in your work even if your salary is not unto expectations at this time.
Fifthly, it can easily be a problem with work-life balance.
Personal and family needs and dull daily routines can take away your happiness at work. But life is real and not a fantasy. Problems are real and can lay their weight heavily on your mind. Try to see if some chores can be delegated. Try better prioritization of tasks and time management. Try talking with your friends. Take some deliberate time for yourself each day and spend it on your hobby. See, most people never ever get started on what they wish to get done in life. Get started now. Even if it is 5 minutes a day.
Sixthly, probably you are carrying someone else’s monkey on your back.
This concept was originally proposed by William Oncken Jr. in a Harvard Business Review article way back in 1974. It is a powerful image pointing to a daily reality at work. You might be saying yes to requests for help coming from others. There is nothing wrong with helping others. But consider whether they are just putting their monkey on your back and taking life easy. You should learn to help without carrying the burden. A gentle, firm, honest No to not-so-genuine requests can make life happier for you at work.
Finally, let me conclude by pointing out something we are all guilty of. Lack of gratitude.
So many of us take things for granted in life. Our loved ones, a home, a job, means of travel, good health etc., are some of the things that we don’t think much about. See, there is much in life we can be thankful to God for. An attitude of thanks and praise to God is a sure way to bring back joy and happiness in your work and keep the hope of a better tomorrow alive.
There is not one who does not feel anxious at some point in time. For a student it can be just before an exam; for a professional it can be some pending work or a meeting with the boss. For many others it is fear of the future; health issues; financial insecurity or being late to catch a train. It is natural to feel anxious. But let us try to look at how to manage it.
First of all, look to God.
He is a strong tower, a mighty rock, a shade and shelter, a comforting mother, a helping hand ever present, who lives for ever and never sleeps. He is watching over you all the time. Even when you are struggling he is seeing it and is moved with compassion for you. Cast all your anxiety on God, because he cares for you says the Bible1. So look to God. Make a conscious effort to think about God.
Secondly, try to declutter your life.
See when we organize poorly; when we accumulate little things over the years; when we say yes to all unimportant requests from people; when we refuse to say No to activities that blurs our focus on what is important; they all lead to anxiety. So take time to remove the weeds that mar the beauty of the garden of your life. When you declutter it will make life simpler.
Thirdly, talk to your friends.
Just admit that you feel anxious. Talking things with your friends can relieve anxiety. They may or may not give advice. What they say might not help or be practical in your situation. But still talking with friends will relieve anxiety. Do not be like a dam with all shutters down; but open the spillways with trusted friends.
Finally, travel with hope.
Life might not be easy. It is natural to fear and feel anxious. But hold on to the firm hope that you will emerge strong in spite of all your anxiety; God-helping you. Never give up hope. Miracles do happen. It might not be like a burst of lightning always; but like the simple ordinary blooming of a flower bud more often.
Your look matters. What you see is what makes you think. Looking up at the twinkling stars is what made the poet ask, “How I wonder what you are?” Likewise looking at the beautiful can trigger your imagination to see diamonds in every twinkle in the sky.
That kind of look of wonder and imagination was in the past. Today people are hooked to what they see on the screen or in the streets. When you engage with what you see; you imagine, you think, and you act on your thoughts. So it is important to know that your look matters.
What you look at constantly can feed your mind. It can create a web which links to emotions. So it is up to you to choose what links you like to create. Remember it all starts with what you choose to see. Unlinking the hooks you have created is not easy like how you unlink when you write a piece of code. So be careful for your look matters.
There are a lot of things you cannot avoid seeing. Life is busy and your eyes and sight collide with too much visual information, entertainment, and enticement through the media too. Like there are censoring boards and editors in the movie world, you should consciously have filters in place which will weed out unwanted images and thoughts.
Otherwise, distractions can easily make you slip and fall. And it all starts with what you look at. The choice is yours. Make a wise decision not to look at what is wrong, what is tempting, and what can lead you down to a slippery path to destruction. Please God and you will have the courage to say no to the glittering things of life that appeal to your eyes. So watch what you look at; for your look matters. Read Your Look Matters on LinkedIn
Featured image courtesy:Photo by Marina Vitale on Unsplash
Shankumugham Beach, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
10th September 2010.
Scene I
Two sets of fishermen were standing in line. They were holding on to two ends of the fishing net. With great effort they were hauling the net in. Two men were out in the sea guiding the net even as they kept swimming. Though the tide seemed low, the waves were crashing in. And soon it started raining.
But my wife and I stood watching the fishing process with great fascination. It was the first time we were seeing it live. We found that our umbrellas were no protection against the slanting rain. And it was cold.
Yet the men toiled on; unmindful of the weather. I admired their sense of unity and purpose and how focused they were on their work. Dark and cloudy skies, crashing waves, heavy rains and biting cold—circumstances that look not promising to an average onlooker did not seem to even bother them the least. And finally they brought in their catch. Small and big fishes were there. They struggled to hold on to their freedom and life one last time. But the game was over. They were soon transferred to the waiting baskets of fisherwomen.
As the umbrella offered little protection from the rain and the winds, we tried to find shelter underneath the roof a small house nearby. From there we watched a group of fishermen trying to wash their nets. It was a fascinating sight. All of them together carried the bundled up net down to the sea. They were singing and chanting “ellelo, ellelo” and “hoi, hoi” encouraging each other and creating a jubilant mood.
Perhaps their hearts were content and thankful because of the catch of fish they got and for the safe return of those who had gone out to the sea. Well, in that heavy rain, and drenched to the core, they cast the bundled net into the sea. As the waves washed it, they straightened out that net into one long stretch.
As we watched, what happened next fascinated us very much. One fisherman lifted up the straightened out net at one end and drew it towards himself from the sea. After the net had come up two or three feet, another man stepped forward and took hold of the net ahead of the first man. Then the process repeated. Young and old stepped forward in almost rhythmically timed fashion, one at a time, until the entire net was carried by them in a single file. The wonder was that there was no one to instruct. It all happened with great precision. It was one example of brilliant teamwork.
What I thought was that they knew and understood their roles well. Without jealousy, without any thoughts that one was better than the other, with a great sense of purpose and unity, they toiled.
Epilogue
We left the shore with the thought that the morning was well spent. It was a joy to learn some life lessons first-hand. I also thought once again about that bit of sidelight information that I had read many times: Jesus called some of His first disciples “as they were casting a net into the lake” or some others who were “in a boat, preparing their nets.” Did something of the teamwork of those “unschooled, ordinary men” attract Jesus’ attention to them that made Him make them part of His team? I wonder.
Like the sea our lives are a big canvas. Nothing great can be painted there without such teamwork as these fishermen exhibit. Unflagging enthusiasm, unlimited patience, endurance and hope, the joy of celebration; all mark the lives of these men. They rise together as a team. This is their glory even as they wait for each new dawn.
Hard work leads to success. There is no doubt about it. So many people have proven that through their life and experience. So what makes hard work work for you? Let us consider what it does.
Hard work often begins from a burning desire to get things done. It begins from a passion to fulfill some ambition or dream. It begins from a drive to achieve some goal.
Hard work without planning and organizing or scheduling your work doesn’t go a long way to get things done. You need to create a time table and learn to stick to it. Hard work therefore involves time management and effective use of resources available.
Hard work definitely involves working more than normal or usual. It involves saying NO to legitimate entertainment or other distractions to focus on your work. Disciplining yourself to spend extra hours at working hard is essential to success.
Then there are 3 enemies to hard work you should be aware of:
One is talk. There are many who talk big and deliver nothing. The Wise King Solomon wrote: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”1 Therefore talk less and focus on getting things done.
The second enemy of hard work is laziness. Let us look again at what King Solomon had to say. “Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And a lazy person will suffer hunger.” 2 So many people know what is defeating them. They know that they are their own enemy. And they are defeated not by anyone from outside but by their now laziness. The best way to get out of laziness is to act immediately. NOW is the key word.
The third enemy of hard work is procrastination. That is putting off doing something for a later time. Let me quote King Solomon again: “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.” 3 Postponing things by looking at unfavorable circumstances is like never getting on the boat because you wait for the waves to stop.
So what is the conclusion of the matter. Stop talking. Stop being lazy. And stop postponing. Instead start doing now. Yes hard work with God’s blessings leads to success.
Are you facing giants in your life? They can either kill you or make you strong if you fight and conquer them. The choice is yours. If you decide to fight, here are a few simple steps to remember when you face giants in your life. By the way giants refer to the BIG problems you are facing.
The first thing is to realize that every person fights a giant at some point in life. No one is exempted. Your giant might appear small to another; but to you the giant looks imposing. Don’t let that discourage you. The truth is that giants are everywhere and they are meant to be conquered.
The second thing to remember is that God is willing to help you. When you feel powerless, weak, and without strength; look to God for help. Your prayers are never lost. There might be delays; but God will answer in his wisdom with what is best for you. So trust him to conquer the giants in your life.
The third thing to remember is that giants always fight back. They never give up easily. So don’t expect an easy victory. Like the classic David and Goliath fight; the odds might be overwhelmingly against you. But then it was a simple stone slung in faith that felled the giant. Don’t fear when giants advance against you; you can conquer them if you face them with boldness and courage that the God-confidence you have gives.
Fourthly, remember that giants are meant to make you grow in your faith in God and to have courage in your character. Without giants you always will remain feeble unable to face the realities of life. So one of the best ways to face giants is to thank God for them and cherish the opportunity you have to graduate in life. Conquering giants will not only make you strong; but also inspire others to fight and conquer giants in their lives too. Believe it.
Finally, face giants with hope. There is nothing like hope that keeps your spirit bubbling and buoyant in your fight against giants. Hold on to hope even when the progress seems snail-pace slow. Don’t lose heart over repeated failures. Simply get up and fight again. You might get hurt but the victory is yours. So get up and conquer the giants that threaten you today.
A young woman in England was troubled in her mind. She felt herself unworthy to come to Jesus. A Swiss evangelist, Cesar Malan who was visiting the town told her, “Come just as you are.” But she was not willing then to come to Jesus. It was only 12 years later that those five simple words would impact her.
She became invalid and was confined to her room. And then one night in 1834 the burden of the lost condition of her heart and soul became unbearable and she, Charlotte Elliott, thinking on those five words, “Come just as you are” came to Jesus.
She simply came with her sense of unworthiness and uselessness. That night she wrote the words of the hymn Just as I am. She said in that hymn that she was coming to Jesus not because of any claim she had to make. Instead, she was trusting the blood of Jesus the Lamb of God which was shed for her and his invitation to come to him. She said that she was not trying to clean herself but instead she was coming to the blood of Jesus which can cleanse all dark spots.
Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bid’st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
My dear friend, would you like to come to Jesus today? Bring your sins, your guilt, your shame, your sense of unworthiness; bring it all to him. He has not only invited you to come, but he is also eagerly waiting to see you return to him. Will you come? Will you return to his love today?
See, God’s love is not about emotions. But it is practical and sacrificial. He showed his love for you on the cross where Jesus bled and died for you. This is the central truth in all human history.
You have to look to the cross and the blood of Jesus to come to God. There is no other way. It is a narrow way. Many people reject this way because they want a way to God which is easy and popular and based on their own goodness.
But there is no other way to God. For the Bible says, in Hebrews 9 and verse 22 “and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (NIV) And again, the night before he was crucified, Jesus said, in Matthew 26 and verse 28, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Yes, the blood of Jesus has tremendous power to cleanse and to forgive. Because it is sinless blood;
because it is innocent blood;
because it is the blood of the Son of God fully and willingly surrendered to his Father’s will;
because it was poured out as sacrifice to the very last drop;
and because it speaks words of forgiveness even today,
it has in it the power to cleanse and forgive all your sins.
There is not one sin in your life, however great and evil it is, that the blood of Jesus cannot wash clean.
Your every secret sin, every act of disobedience, every act of rebellion against God; all their bright red scarlet stain can be washed as white as snow in the blood of Jesus. Just come to him with a sincere and broken heart; ready to turn away from evil and darkness to the light of God.
In 1 John Chapter 1 verse 7, the Bible says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (NKJV). “And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” My dear friend, there is cleansing power in the blood of Jesus.
The one thing you need to do is to walk in the light. Do not run away from God when the Spirit of God convicts you of sin in your life. Like King David, agree with what the Spirit of God is showing you and say, humbly say, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
When you thus confess your sins before God, the Bible says in 1 John Chapter 1 verse 9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Let me read that again: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So, you can find forgiveness with God and cleansing from all your sins by the blood of Jesus.
You can come again and again to the blood of Jesus every single time you become conscious of a wrong thought, a bad word, or a sinful action from your side. For the blood of Jesus is a cleansing fountain as said in Zechariah Chapter 13 and verse 1. You cannot exhaust its cleansing flow and power.
Therefore, do not hesitate to wash yourself in the blood of the Lamb of God. Yes, do not hesitate to wash yourself in the blood of the Lamb of God. That is the only way you can enter the holy presence of God. In fact the Bible says in Hebrews Chapter 10 verse 19 that we can have confidence to enter the presence of God in the most holy place in heaven by the blood of Jesus. With boldness and freedom, we can definitely enter the presence of God by the blood of Jesus.
It further invites us to draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. That means you need not doubt. God will welcome you for sure when you come to his presence through the blood of Jesus. This is the significance of the curtain of the temple being torn in two; from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross.
For the blood of Jesus removes all barriers and opens the way for you to come to the presence of God. The door in heaven is open for you. The curtain, the body of Jesus, was broken for you. So come boldly; come with boldness and with confidence that Jesus your high priest in heaven is bringing you near to God by his precious blood shed on the cross of Calvary.
Yes, the blood of Jesus has permanently opened a new and living way for you to approach God. Do not hesitate when you become conscious of sin. The moment you realize you have sinned; come to God confessing your sin and be cleansed and forgiven by the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus makes it possible for you to have access to God at all times.
Do you find it unbelievable? Then think on what Pastor Stuart Silvester had to say about this. He once had a conversation with a friend of his who frequently flew his small private plane in and out of Toronto International Airport. He asked the pilot if he ever faced problems taking off and landing a small craft at an airport that was dominated by so many large jets. His friend responded, “My plane may be small, but I have the same rights, the same privileges, and the same access to that airport as anyone else—even the jumbo jets!” “the same access to that airport as anyone else
Yes my dear friend; don’t think yourself small or insignificant when you to come to God through the blood of Jesus. You have equal access to the throne of grace just like any giant of faith you might know. You are always welcome to go to God crying out Abba Father, crying out My Dearest Daddy, through the Spirit of God dwelling in your heart.
So draw near to God now. For the blood of Jesus has the power to make you stand before God having your past wiped clean. Come to God with a heart that is truthfully and sincerely hurt by all your sinful attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. Ask God to help you turn away from all that is wrong in your life. The Bible calls that repentance, and it is godly sorrow that leads you to repentance.
Isn’t it sad that you still trust in your self-righteousness? Now what does that mean? You think by going to church regularly, by prayer and Bible reading, by giving tithes, by your church traditions, by your good deeds, by going on a pilgrimage, doing penance, and so on you can earn access to God. Impossible. It is your pride that makes you think so. The cross of Jesus is where man’s pride ends. No one can come to God except through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
So humble yourself before God. The Bible says in Ephesians Chapter 1 verse 7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” The Bible says again in 1 Peter Chapter 1 verses 18 and 19 that we were redeemed not with perishable things such as silver and gold “but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” “but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.”
The sacrifice of Jesus was costly. As I mentioned earlier, Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 22 says, “And without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” The blood of Jesus has purchased your pardon and freedom. There is absolutely nothing in you or your possessions with which you can clear the debt that you owe God to clear you from all your sins. Only the blood of Jesus redeems. So come to this cleansing fountain now itself.
When you do so, God justifies you. For the Bible says in Romans Chapter 5 verse 9: “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him.” “Since we have now been justified by his blood.” Now what does it mean? It means that God will not count your sins against you. In simple terms, it means you have a clean new beginning in your life; a brand new beginning in your life. It means that as God looks at you through the lens of the blood of Jesus, it is as if you never ever sinned.
Dr. Warren Wiersbe talks about Dr. Roy Gustafson who has the finest illustration of justification he has ever heard. It seems that there was a man in England who put his Rolls-Royce on a boat and went across to the continent to go on a holiday. While he was driving around Europe, something happened to the motor of his car. He cabled the Rolls-Royce people back in England and asked, “I’m having trouble with my car; what do you suggest I do?” Well, the Rolls-Royce people flew a mechanic over! The mechanic repaired the car and flew back to England and left the man to continue his holiday.
As you can imagine, the fellow was wondering, “How much is this going to cost me?” So when he got back to England, he wrote the people a letter and asked how much he owed them. He received a letter from the office that read: “Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce.” “Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce.” That is justification!
It results in you having peace with God. In Romans Chapter 5 and verse 1 we read, “Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is “through faith in his blood” as is made clear in Romans 3 and 25. So if you trust in the blood of Jesus, God’s anger against you is turned away from you because of Jesus’ blood. Romans 3:25 is a very important verse which specifically mentions the object of faith which saves. That is faith in the blood of Jesus is what saves. Many non-believers accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, a divine healer, a worker of miracles, and a powerful prophet. That is all true. But that kind of faith is not enough to save. What saves you from eternal hell is your faith in his blood! So come to this cleansing fountain of blood and find peace with God.
And he will heal your wounds which were caused by sin. The Bible says in Isaiah Chapter 53, “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” He will also restore you to friendship with God. For, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. All the sin of the world was placed on Jesus the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. Why? To reconcile us to God. It simply means that through the blood of Jesus, God is telling you and me, “I will be friends with you.” Will you believe that? Come to the cleansing fountain of the blood of Jesus.
When you trust his blood for your salvation, sin that separated you and God is removed. The shame and guilt of sin is also taken away. That brings you into close connect and fellowship with God. Instead of enmity with God, there will be peace with God.
God has also brought you out from Satan’s dominion and darkness and evil and given you the power to lead a life that becomes increasingly holy. See, Jesus took the punishment for sins that should have come upon you and me on his body broken on the cross, to set us free! Does that mean we will never sin again. Not at all. But the blood of Jesus puts in our heart a new attitude which hates sin and evil.
In spite of that, a sinless life might not be possible, for we all sin against God from time to time knowingly or unknowingly. Therefore we need repeated cleansing by the blood of Jesus from day to day and moment by moment. So when you allow the blood of Jesus to operate in your life and submit to the powerful influence of this cleansing fountain, there will be a gradual dying to all the wrong desires as God gives you a stronger desire to be holy like him. In Hebrews 13 verse 12 we read: “So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood.” The Bible calls this sanctification. It is the process by which we consistently turn away from all that is evil and become increasingly holy in our lives.
Sanctification refers to the moment by moment cleansing we all need through the blood of Jesus. Imagine you taking a walk on the road. When you come back home even though you didn’t deliberately touch any dirt, lot of dust and other matter will have accumulated in your body mixed with your sweat; isn’t it? Likewise as we live in the world things we happen to see and hear defile our mind and spirit.
Often this defilement discourages us. Then we need to consciously seek the cleansing through the blood of Jesus. We also need to separate ourselves from all known sin in our lives. And then there are matters that make our consciences unclean. We may not be aware of all that. Yet if we consciously seek the cleansing by the blood of Jesus he will do it for you.
After mentioning about the outward cleansing achieved through the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those ceremonially unclean in Old Testament times, the writer points out the inward sanctification as well: “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.” Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 14. Let me read that again for you. “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.”
How does sanctification happen in your life? Let us listen to what Jesus said in John Chapter 6 verses 53 to 57, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” Even the disciples of Jesus who listened to him say this found this a hard teaching and they were offended. So what does this mean?
Drinking his blood simply means that we allow the blood of Jesus to have an unrestrained and unrestricted influence in our lives. When we allow that to happen, it leads us to the deepest and intimate union and closer walk we can have with God. Therefore there is a great sense of nearness to God’s presence when you go to him in prayer through the blood of Jesus. From now on, practise the presence of God through the blood of Jesus even while you work or study or play or drive your car. Thus you can always experience God near and have his joy in your life. But like that disciples even today many are offended by the mention of the blood of Jesus. It certainly is not popular.
And when you allow the blood of Jesus to have an unrestrained and unrestricted influence in your life, you also have victory through the blood of Jesus. As the Book of Revelation Chapter 12 verse 11 says, “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” That means there is victory over sin and Satan, and protection and deliverance from all forces of evil and darkness in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, your Lord and Saviour. In today’s world filled with all kinds of evil, temptations, distractions, worries and anxieties, depression and discouragement; your means of victory over all of it comes through the blood of Jesus. So look to Jesus and his shed blood on the cross. That is the banner of your victory. Wave it high.
Let me end with the story Billy Graham told of a boy who lost his way. a police officer was on night duty in a city in northern England. As he walked the streets, he heard the sound of a quivering sob. Shining his flashlight into the darkness, he saw a little boy in the shadows sitting on a doorstep with tears running down his cheeks. The child said, “I’m lost. Please take me home.” “I’ll be glad to take you home. Where do you live?” the officer replied. But the little boy was so tired and so scared that he couldn’t remember his address. The policeman began naming street after street, trying to help the boy remember where he lived. He named the shops and the hotels in the area but the little boy could give him no clue. Then he remembered that at the centre of the town stood a church with a large white cross that towered high above the rest of the city. The policeman pointed to the cross and said, “Do you live anywhere near that place?” The little boy’s face immediately brightened up. He said, “Yes, sir. Take me to the cross and I can find my way home.”
This day let me point you to the cross and the blood Jesus shed there for you. That is the only way home to God and to heaven and to life eternal.
The blood of Jesus shed on the cross has the power to cleanse you from all your sins.
The blood of Jesus sanctifies you by giving you power to live a holy life.
The blood of Jesus redeems you by delivering you from the power of Satan and darkness and evil.
The blood of Jesus justifies you giving you a clean brand new beginning in life
The blood of Jesus heals you especially from the brokenness of your heart caused by sin.
The blood of Jesus gives you access 24 x 7 to the throne of grace in God’s presence.
The blood of Jesus gives you victory in your fight with the world, with your sinful nature and with the devil.
The blood of Jesus gives you protection from the evil one.
And the blood of Jesus reconciles you with God and let you be friends with him.
So come to the Lamb of God. Wash your robes white in the blood of the Lamb and as recorded in Revelation Chapter 5 sing the praises of heaven saying:
“Because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise.”
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power for ever and ever.” Amen!
ഞങ്ങളുടെ പൂർവപിതാക്കന്മാർ കായികാഭ്യാസികളും മർമ്മചികിത്സാവിദഗ്ധരും സിദ്ധവൈദ്യത്തിൽ നൈപുണ്യം ഉള്ളവരുമായിരുന്നു. ഒരു കാലത്തു അവരുടെ വിശ്വാസത്തോടൊപ്പമുള്ള ചികിത്സാശുശ്രൂഷയുടെ ഓർമ നിലനിറുത്തി കൊണ്ടാണ് യേശുദാസൻ തിരുമേനി തനിക്കു പരമ്പരാഗതമായി ലഭിച്ച കുടുംബവീട് യേശു ശിഷ്യനും വൈദ്യനുമായിരുന്ന ലൂക്കോസിന്റെ നാമധേയത്തിൽ ഒരു ദൈവാലയമായി മാറ്റണം എന്ന് തീരുമാനിച്ചത്.
