Tag: Lenten

Lenten Devotions 2015: Should we be passing the plate around?

Published by V John on March 5, 2015

In the last post, I tried showing the biblical requirement of returning to God a portion of the blessings we have received from Him and that it should be done regularly. But one of the ways we practice giving in the church is not necessarily the only right way. I am talking about passing the collection plate/bag! I have always felt so uncomfortable when I see the offering plate being passed around in the church with deacons/ushers staring down your neck or at the plate. It has been even more awkward in the churches of India where I came to know Christ and grew up in faith. I have often wondered about how embarrassing we make it for our visitors in the church when, out of the blue, an offering plate is passed to them. I am sure you know the feeling of rummaging through your purse or pockets and hurriedly dropping into the plate the first coin/bill that comes in your hands. Giving for the work of the Lord suddenly becomes a haphazard obligation in order to please others and not an act of gratitude.

I have also wondered about the origin of this practice and if it was necessary, because I have not observed this graceless practice in other places of worship in India except the Christian church. It is obvious that like many other practices and rituals, the custom of passing the plate during the worship service has been unquestionably adapted from the western church traditions. In most Indian places of worship, on the contrary, instead of passing the plate, offering boxes have been placed where people voluntarily put their money when they please. If I suggest this to churches, many Christians would object saying it is not biblical. However, nothing could be farther from the truth.

In the 2nd book of Kings, during the reign of a godly king named Jehoash, the priest Jehoiada installed offering boxes (chests) in the Temple of Jerusalem:

“Then the priest Jehoiada took a chest, made a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord; the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 12: 9 NRSV).

In the New Testament, when Jesus teaches about the virtues of a poor widow giving all that she had, he is depicted as keenly observing how people gave in the Temple. Instead of a collection plate being passed around to worshipers, Jesus saw them putting their offerings in the treasury out of their own volition and not from a forced obligation.

“He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums” (Mark 12: 41 NRSV).

I have also observed in disgust that, in some churches of North America, they make a foreign “missionary” stand with an offering plate at the entrance after his/her presentation. This is not only a casual attitude to the graceful act of giving to the Lord’s work but also humiliating to the person who is standing there with his outstretched collection plate expecting for people to leave a tip for his work. Imagine the local pastor standing after the Sunday service with an offering plate in hand for his weekly pay! The “missionary”, from wherever s/he may be, must be treated with dignity and the giving to missions must be done with thoughtfulness. For example, the Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse on how this should be done with the respect the Christian giving deserves. He instructed:

“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made” ( I Corinthians 16: 2 NIV).

This Lent, may we pause to reconsider our practice of giving and receiving for the Lord’s work in our churches. If necessary, let’s remove the feeling of obligation from our guests and regular donors. Instead, let us help make it a true part of our worship to God by not making it intrusive. Amen.

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Lenten Devotions 2015: Giving up on giving money?

Published by V John on March 4, 2015

Most people try giving up something or other during the Lenten season. Giving up, giving, or rather alms-giving has traditionally been part of this holy season. However, in recent years, people are giving up on giving money and material things. Instead, some people are giving up conveniences such as Facebook/Twitter, Internet, chocolate and so on which do not cost them anything at all other than a little inconvenience. So I would like to pose and try answering the basic question: Should we be giving our hard-earned money to the church or charity?

Giving your money during Lent does not have any special merit; however, Lent provides us one of the best opportunities to develop a spiritual discipline of giving away money. The Bible never says that money is evil. No, the often cited saying “money is the root of all evil” is not found in the Bible! Instead the Bible says: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (I Timothy 6:10 NRSV).

Therefore, we need a spiritual discipline to resist the love of money controlling us, our decisions, and actions. We need to learn to control money and one of the ways a believer could do this is by inculcating systematically giving away money.

The biblical God, from the earliest days, is seen as requiring people to give back to God from what they have graciously received from Him as a blessing. God wanted the first fruits of their labor from the Israelites as soon as they settled in the promised land of Canaan. Notice that God wanted the first and the best and NOT the last and leftover! Moreover, God also required from them to give away a tenth, a specific amount or percentage, of all they made through their labors. He even declared it “holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27: 30-32). In fact, a tenth was only one of the requirements of giving in the Old Testament. If one calculates all required giving for the people of Israel, it comes to around 33 percent!

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ talks about money more than he talks about the kingdom or salvation. In one of these instances, Jesus says, “When you give to the needy…” (Matthew 6: 2-3). Notice that Jesus didn’t say “if” you give money. He presumed that God’s people should have learned by now to give. That’s why he said “when” you give money. Throughout the New Testament we notice several instances of believers generously giving away money for the work of the Lord. Most apostles of Christ encouraged believers to give for the Lord’s work because the Lord has given himself to us and we need to be giving as the Lord prospers us. How is your giving and giving up this Lent? I hope and pray that you have not given up on giving!

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Lenten Devotions 2015: What’s your status?

Published by V John on March 2, 2015

One of my greatest pet peeves is ostentatious people who love to show off their wealth, position of power, rank or status in society. It just puts me off because not only do they want others to recognize what they are worth, but they also look down upon others. I am sure you know at least one such person in your life. Whenever I come across such showy types of people, I am reminded of the status that Jesus Christ confers on believers. The Apostle John writes,

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1: 12 NIV)

The other versions of this verse help further show the meaning of this verse. For example, some translate as “the power” (KJV), or “authority” (ISV/LEB), to become children of God. That means Christ empowers those who come to trust and obey Him. He gives us the privilege, the power, the authority, the ability, or the right to be called children of God. And with that status comes dignity, liberty, and prestige that no other status can give a child of God. Whether you admit it or not, I am sure you have had days when you felt really low and downcast. Maybe it is one of those days, today, when you are disheartened. As believers, it is easy at times to look down on our faith and not find anything uplifting in it. However, I want to remind you today of your empowerment that comes through Jesus Christ, our Lord. No matter who you are surrounded by today. No matter what your circumstances are now. No matter who is making you, through their ostentation, feel dejected and deprived; just remember who has empowered you and to what status. Also recall what this new status as a child of God carries with it. Since we are God’s children, we are also partakers of the inheritance of God. Whatever God has is actually ours to claim and to posses, as the Apostle Paul wrote:

In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance^,having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will” (Ephesians 1: 11 NRSV).
“…and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1: 12 NRSV).

Therefore, let us take pride in our place, status, and inheritance in Christ Jesus which has been granted to us through His grace. Amen.

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Lenten Devotion 2015: Grace Vs Karma (Part II)

Published by V John on February 28, 2015

A friend of mine made some interesting comments about my last post on Karma vs Grace. It helped me think more on the topic and since many of you may have the same concerns, but won’t read the “comments” section here, I thought it would be helpful for all if I posted the edited version of my response.

I don’t claim knowledge of any religious system, but I am on a spiritual journey and value any help and route corrections by fellow travelers.

Karma has different meanings. The doctrine of Karma and its meaning is quite complex and it has also evolved over different periods of Indian religions. So, it will take sizable space and time to be expounded.

Let us not confuse the meaning of karma as an “act” or “action,” that is a necessity for everyone’s existence, with the “karma” as a theological concept or as a law of causality (cause and effect) employed to explain the sufferings of life just like it is done in every religious system. What is meant by “karma” as a sacrificial or ritual “act” (as in karmakanda) during the Vedic period is not the same meaning of karma as one’s moral obligation used in the later literature of “the Epic Period” of which the Bhagwad Geeta is a part.

Most believers of karma understand individual karma to mean: “If I do X, then Y happens; and Y is the result of my past X action.” Good actions reap good results and bad actions result in suffering and pain. However, they’re at a loss to understand and explain when something happens at a large scale such as an accident in which several people die or a natural calamity (an act of God!?) such as tsunami that claims thousands of lives. Whose karma was it the result of? Was it the result of collective karma of all who died or the result of the karma of individuals themselves? It is difficult to answer these questions for the believers in individual karma; therefore, it is also difficult for them to justify engagement in removing of societal injustices and wrongs. It is also hard to motivate believers of karma to engage in helping others for the betterment of their life, which is actually the result of their own actions in the past. Furthermore, believers of karma do not like the idea that they’re at the mercy of an omnipotent and omniscient God. Logically speaking, if one fully believes in the law of causation, there is no room for an omnipotent celestial Being; hence, there is no place for grace or mercy in one’s life!

Moreover, since X happens because of Y, and Y is the result of X, it naturally leads one into a vicious cycle, which the followers of karma call the “karma samsara” or the cycle of rebirths. The goal of an individual is to escape this karmic cycle. As only an individual is wholly responsible for his/her actions, he/she alone should strive for moksha or liberation from the karma samsara, without any outside help. Because of your X actions, Y is the result; so you’re not committing any “sin” against a Supreme Being. Hence, there’s no need or room for any grace of that Supreme Being.

As for the concept of karma in the biblical literature; yes, there is no denying that the concept exists as it has been part of almost all religions. However, it is the doctrine of grace and its absolute necessity for the believer’s life and salvation and not karma that is emphasized in the Bible (please see the first few chapters of the book of Romans). Yes, the Bible and particularly the New Testament talk about good works (karma) and the need for a believer to engage in good deeds. However, the most significant difference here is that the forgiveness of our sins, our salvation now and the eternal life after death are NOT dependent on our deeds however good they might be. That is absolutely the work of grace by God which we need to appropriate by faith. As the Apostle Paul clearly states, we are not saved BY good deeds but by grace FOR good deeds:

“All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2: 3- 10).

Some might cite Galatians 6: 7– “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” as belief in the karma worldview. However, it must be seen in the larger context of what the Apostle Paul is saying to the believers who are already saved by grace. He’s not exhorting them to do good deeds for their future salvation or eternal life. Paul said that it is seeding time now and the reaping time will be later in the afterlife. Therefore, believers should be busy doing the sowing by engaging in good deeds of the spirit than carnal deeds. Again, like Paul writes in Ephesians, these good deeds are done not to earn our salvation because that is by grace alone, but because we are saved by grace for doing good deeds. That is why Mother Teresa and millions of other believers have engaged in doing good to others.

Grace cannot be grace if you have to work for it. Instead, grace is what you need but don’t deserve! It is the sheer mercy of God which He decides to grant me what I need it but don’t merit it through my works/actions—good or bad. That is grace. May the Lord continue to lead us all into the deeper spiritual recesses of the grace of God during this Lenten season. Blessings!

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Lenten Devotions 2015: Grace Vs Karma

Published by V John on February 27, 2015

The main reason people are still talking about Mother Teresa and her ministry to the destitute in Kolkata is due to the worldview she adhered to in her life. Teresa’s worldview—the way she looked at the world and in particular fellow human beings—was that of grace. The rich and capable people who could serve the poor with their resources chose not to do so mainly because of their worldview. This worldview is characterized by karma. If you subscribe to the worldview of karma, you would indubitably believe the popular sayings such as:

“We reap what we sow…we sow what we reap”

“If the good is sown, the good is collected”

“What goes around comes around”

“Do good and good will come back to you”

“People pay for what they do”

“You get what you give, whether it’s bad or good.”

Thus, the natural corollary of karma worldview is that you do not engage with the world and its problems. You leave the world to go the way it is destined to go. You leave people in their sufferings for that is their destiny due to their past karma. You do nothing to alleviate misery and poverty. You do not spend time and resources in researching the root causes of sicknesses and produce better treatments, medicines, and vaccines, and so on and so forth.

On the other hand, if you subscribe to the worldview of grace, you would realize that we are not good enough in ourselves and need the grace of God to save us. Grace means God loved us so much that he decided to reveal himself fully to us in and through Jesus Christ (John 3: 16). The grace of God not only saves us from sins but enables us to be a channel of His grace to others (I Corinthians 15: 10). In short, the following summarize the effects of a worldview of grace:

Grace enables you to see the world in light of hope.

Grace enables you to find beauty, hope, positivity, and possibilities all around you.

Grace helps you see people in misery through the eyes of God and God does not just sit around doing nothing. Rather, He works out the grace through us to find solutions for the problems of the world.

Grace makes you recognize that you are already part of the Kingdom of God; therefore, you would do everything possible to not only pray but also help bring the Kingdom of God on earth.

Grace empowers you to see yourself as salt and light in the world; therefore, your words and actions would reflect the characteristics of salt and light.

This Lenten season, therefore, let’s pause to consider which worldview defines us: karma or grace? Which perspective would you like to view the world with? Some of us who are saved by nothing but grace still think and operate under the law of karma. For example, some think that by doing a few pious looking deeds such as giving up meat or chocolate they could keep Lent holy and please God while their lives remain unchanged. May the grace of God dispel such thinking from us and may we choose to be a channel of God’s free-flowing grace in the needy world.

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Lenten Devotions 2015: Karma, grace, love, and service.

Published by V John on February 26, 2015

Photo courtesy: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MotherTeresa_090.jpg

Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of a Hindu fundamentalist group, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), recently raised a storm in India by his callous, ignorant, and malicious comment on Mother Teresa. Bhagwat remarked that behind all her social service of helping the orphans and poor people, Mother Teresa had a “hidden agenda” of converting them to her Christian faith. Many people in India and abroad, including prominent Hindus, have taken exception to Bhagwat’s comments. The Upper House of the Parliament of India, too, discussed the matter and has demanded an apology from Mr. Bhagwat. However, this is not a new issue in India as it is tied to the debate on religious conversion, and India has always shown aversion to conversion.

Therefore, the question I want to deal with today relates to the reason Mother Teresa did what she did, that is, serving the poor in India. The first thing to note is that Mother Teresa found the streets and slums of Kolkata lined up with destitute lepers, orphans, disabled people, elderly parents deserted by their well-to-do children, and young children abandoned on the streets because they were either born out-of-wedlock or born with deformities.

Secondly, one must pause to think, why did Mother Teresa encounter what she did in Kolkata? Why did people behave as they did with their sick relatives and disabled children or parents? The answer is very simple: because of their belief in the theory of karma. People believed and continue to hold that whatever you suffer today in your life is the consequence of your karma in the past life. If one is born with physical deformities or develops sicknesses like leprosy, it is the curse of deities as well as the punishment for their bad karma. No one can do anything to alter the consequences of bad karma. And if I do well in my life, it is because of my good karma. Therefore, I should fully enjoy my life without being bothered about those suffering around me due to their bad karma.

Thirdly, why did Mother Teresa choose to intervene in the lives of destitute suffering in the slums of Kolkata? Why would she decide to leave the comfort and security of a convent to go out and risk her life and dignity serving on the filthy streets of Kolkata? It is certainly not because there were no wealthy people in the city with money to spare for the poor and needy. It is also not because there were no hospitals to look after the lepers and abandoned children and the elderly. It is definitely not because there was dearth of temples and ashrams in the city. Nope, none of the above is true. She did it, instead, because of her livid vibrant faith in Jesus Christ, which she always openly acknowledged. She never hid the fact that it is the love of Christ that compelled her to engage what others had conveniently ignored. If Mother Teresa also believed in the theory of karma, it would not lead her to helping others. Thank God that she believed in the inherent dignity, value, equality, and worth of human beings as they are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1: 27) and not as low-caste or high-caste people. Mother Teresa also believed in the grace of God freely available to all people irrespective of their caste and creed and particularly to the destitute, needy, rejected, disabled, abandoned, marginalized, and oppressed human beings in our society. Her faith in Jesus Christ and his command—“love your neighbors as yourself”—did not limit her to keep her time, talents, and resources to herself or to waste them on feeding animals, birds, or idols; instead, her faith led her to use them in the service of fellow human beings who were created in the image of God just like herself. May our belief in the love of God and his grace lead us, too, to be in the service of humanity wherever we find a need around us. Amen.

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Lenten Devotions 2015: Forgiveness is a command!

Published by V John on February 25, 2015

We saw yesterday that the relatives of 21 young Coptic Christians from Egypt were able to forgive ISIS murderers because of their faith in Jesus Christ. It is precisely this aspect which differentiates the Christian faith from other religions. In his discourse on the Kingdom ethics, Jesus Christ so unequivocally stressed forgiveness that Apostle Peter had to ask him for a clarification as he could not believe that Jesus would recommend forgiveness in such a way.

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18: 21)

It was not a common practice in Israel or anywhere else in Jesus’ time to offer forgiveness to someone who is bent upon hurting and offending you. Therefore, Peter thought he was too generous by asking if one could forgive seven times, as the number seven in the Bible represents completeness and perfection. (“Seven” is used about 735 times in the Bible. It appears to be derived from the seven days of creation by God and that the Sabbath was on the 7th day of the week. For further significance of the number seven, please read: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/09/26/what-does-the-number-seven-7-mean-or-represent-in-the-bible/).

To Peter’s astonishment, Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18: 22 NIV). Or, as in other versions: “seventy times seven” (KJV, NASB, ASB). Of course, Jesus did not mean to forgive 7, 70, or even 490 times. Jesus was not dealing with numbers or mathematics at all but with something deeper at a spiritual level. What he wanted for Peter and his followers to understand is that, in the Kingdom ethics, which Jesus had come to establish, forgiveness doesn’t depend on a specific number. Just as God’s grace and forgiveness is freely available to the sinner, our forgiveness need to be unlimited. It should be offered whenever the occasion arises. Jesus also knew that the average lifespan of a person is about seventy years as Psalm 90: 10 had observed. Therefore, the followers of Jesus are commanded to forgive as long as the offender lives. That would be a complete and perfect forgiveness according to Jesus.

Apostle Paul understood this very well. That’s why he wrote to the church in Ephesus:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4: 32).

Paul repeats it again:

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3: 13)

What is our attitude to forgiveness today? Are we calculating when it comes to forgiving others who have offended us? Are we keeping a record of all people who wronged us and the number of times we have given them a second chance? May the words of our Lord lead us today to offer complete and unlimited forgiveness to whoever needs it. Amen.

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Lenten Devotions 2015: How is forgiveness possible?

Published by V John on February 24, 2015

I am sure you have either read about or watched in horror how the ISIS beheaded 21 young Coptic Christians from Egypt. These young men left their homes and loved ones in Egypt and came to Libya to earn their livelihood and support their families. They had no idea what awaited them in Libya. These 21 Egyptians were singled out to be slaughtered by ISIS only because of their Christian faith. They were asked to deny their faith in Christ, which they all refused to do, instead they chose to embrace a martyr’s death with the name of their Lord Jesus Christ on their lips till their last breath. However, as with most incidents of persecution, a very positive outcome from these killings has many people amazed at the reaction of relatives of these martyrs.

For example, the mother of Kyrillos, one of the 21 Coptic Christians killed by ISIS, said in a recent interview that “she forgives the Muslim murderers of her son — since he is now ‘with his Lord’ — and prays that they see the light and turn from evil” (http://www.raymondibrahim.com/from-the-arab-world/coptic-christian-mother-forgives-prays-for-isis-slaughterers-of-son/ )

In another related incident, during the telecast of a program on Sat7Arabic Television, the brother of one of the 21 people called in and openly declared forgiveness to ISIS. Please watch this below:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yCmnyzYeW8&w=560&h=315]

I am also reminded of Gladys Staines, an Australian missionary who worked in Orissa, India. Her husband Graham Staines and two teenage sons were burnt alive as they slept in their vehicle in 1999. Even though one of the main culprits of the crime was caught and brought to justice, Gladys Staines chose to forgive him in her personal capacity.

Forgiving someone who offends is not an easy and normal thing to do. I know this by personal experience. So, the most baffling question is: How is it even possible for someone to forgive evil, unrepentant murderers? If you watch the above video closely, you will find that time and again the brother and the mother referred above stressed that it was possible only because of their and the martyrs’ Christian faith. And believe me, this is the most crucial aspect of forgiveness. It is possible to forgive murderers and perpetrators of evil only because of Jesus Christ and the gospel He preached. This Lenten season, which reminds us the suffering and death of Christ, let us recall that the gospel just does not present a theory of forgiveness as a lofty ideal or a moral virtue; rather, Jesus Christ exemplified it in his own life and death by forgiving those who crucified him. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23: 34). That is why Jesus could teach his disciples with authority and categorically asked his followers to forgive others:

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6: 14-15).

During these days of confession, repentance, and prayers; are you reminded of the offenses committed against you? Do you recall the grudges you hold against someone in your immediate family or in the community of believers? May be the Lord is asking you today to forgive them before you go ahead further in the holy season of Lent. Will you obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit? Let me leave you with a few quotes for us to ponder today:

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain

“Forgiveness is the final form of love.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes

“Forgiveness is the economy of the heart… forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.” – Hannah More

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Lenten Devotions 2015: The church is in need of repentance.

Published by V John on February 23, 2015

o4btMqS — “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

In the last post, we learned the significance of repentance during Lent. Today, we would like to focus on the urgency of repentance for the church. The church as a whole today is in need of a season of repentance. The church is in need of prayer and penitence from its lethargy, lukewarmness, worldliness, and from shying away from the truth in order to be politically correct. Most importantly, the church is in need of repentance for abandoning its primary and essential calling of being a missionary church in the world. If the church fails in this respect, it ceases to be a church. The church may be inclusive in its approach and involved in a variety of activities and programs for the sake of the world. However, these do not make the church what it is as per its calling and essential nature.

The New Testament is very clear on the purpose of the church. The only ground of church’s existence, the only purpose for which its Lord, Jesus Christ, established it, is for the church to go, preach the gospel, and to make disciples of all nations. One of the gospels put it this way,

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 20: 18-20).

It is as simple as that and the church is guilty of making it complex to understand and complicated to follow. This season should be taken as a divine providence by the Lord for the church to pause its programs and look within to introspect its own calling. Only if the church is true to its calling and essential character of being missional, can this world be evangelized and God’s kingdom be established on earth as it is in heaven. It is for no reason that the seers of old longed for and prophesied about the kingdom of God. For example, Prophet Habakkuk wrote,

“Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2: 13-14)

Or, as Prophet Isaiah said,

“They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11: 9)

Isaiah further prophesied,

“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 40: 5)

Since God is going to fill the earth that He created with His knowledge, shouldn’t the church be the first one to pause and ponder what this knowledge is and for what purpose? Is your church doing it? How are you helping your church fulfill its mission of being salt and light in the world and bringing God’s kingdom on earth?

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Lenten Devotions 2015: Repentance during Lent

Published by V John on February 21, 2015

In many church traditions, the Lenten season does not find an appropriate place. The argument is often that all days are equal and one can fast and pray every day of the year. Yes, it is true that daily sins call for daily repentance. It is also true that all days are the same and fasting/praying during Lent does not have any special merit. However, our experience convinces us of another truth no less certain that often the worries of this world take over our frail bodies and resolve and make us all enervated and negligent to the spiritual concerns. If this neglect is not dissipated and dispersed by frequent admonition, it would be sealed up within our souls, resulting in impenitence. If we leave the choice to our sinful nature to choose a convenient time to turn us from unrighteousness to repentance and holiness, that convenient time would actually never come. Thus, the lofty words of advice of keeping everyday holy alike turns out in reality to be keeping no day holy at all.

Therefore, if the Church provides us with a season of drawing closer to God through kneeling in prayer with fasting, we ought to make use of this opportunity. The cares as well as the fascinations of the world around are such that they will certainly choke the little seeds of the gospel in us. So, let us admit that our souls have become sluggish, careless, and indifferent to godliness. Let us admit that we are in need of reanimating our piety, increasing our spiritual fervor, and taking them to a higher level in the service of God as well as fellow human beings. If we confess, there is hope for us. If we repent, there is grace in abundance for us. The problem is not that we make mistakes and are prone to sinning; rather, the problem is not admitting that we are on the wrong path as Dieter F. Uchtdorf once said: “The heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth.” Let me therefore urge you to make use of the Lenten season to repent as I close with this meaningful quote:

“The church is not a theological classroom. It is a conversion, confession, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and sanctification center, where flawed people place their faith in Christ, gather to know and love him better, and learn to love others as he designed.”

― Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change.

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