Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Monday, July 16, 2018
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Realities of life series- Dr. Johnson Cherian
10 years back, when I had to endure a severe trial in my life, I questioned or perhaps satan made me question my faith in Jesus Christ. That was because I prayed and prayed but saw no deliverance. Evil people were troubling me no end and we as a family were in distress. For a while, I prayed and worshipped mechanically, going through the motions day in and day out.
John the Baptist, the one who initially proclaimed to all that Jesus was the lamb of God who took away the sins of the world later had doubts regarding Jesus being the Savior because he had been put in prison by King Herod and Jesus was doing nothing about it.
Perhaps you are going through something similar...nothing seems to be working.....many doubts have crept in to your mind regarding your Christian faith....satan is having a gala time pestering you with troubling thoughts.......but consider this....
The fact that you are still holding on to your faith in Jesus Christ, despite the struggles, failures and disappointments in your life points to your genuine love for your Savior and your hope and belief in eternal life in heaven at the end of your life or when the Lord returns.
The Apostle Paul writes,
Who/What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:35,38,39)
Hang in there brother/sister.....Things will work out.... because He lives....Yes Jesus lives and all authority in heaven and on earth is with him.
10 years back, after a season of passing through the bad trial, one fine day, the Lord wrought deliverance for me and my family.
You then dear Christian....stay true to him till deliverance comes.
John the Baptist, the one who initially proclaimed to all that Jesus was the lamb of God who took away the sins of the world later had doubts regarding Jesus being the Savior because he had been put in prison by King Herod and Jesus was doing nothing about it.
Perhaps you are going through something similar...nothing seems to be working.....many doubts have crept in to your mind regarding your Christian faith....satan is having a gala time pestering you with troubling thoughts.......but consider this....
The fact that you are still holding on to your faith in Jesus Christ, despite the struggles, failures and disappointments in your life points to your genuine love for your Savior and your hope and belief in eternal life in heaven at the end of your life or when the Lord returns.
The Apostle Paul writes,
Who/What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:35,38,39)
Hang in there brother/sister.....Things will work out.... because He lives....Yes Jesus lives and all authority in heaven and on earth is with him.
10 years back, after a season of passing through the bad trial, one fine day, the Lord wrought deliverance for me and my family.
You then dear Christian....stay true to him till deliverance comes.
Realities of life series- Dr. Johnson Cherian
While travelling by taxi or autorickshaw in India, I rarely tell the guy who is driving that I am a Physician, because then (going by the trend for the last 25 years), they would usually give me details of all the sicknesses they have suffered in their lives and also get a free consultation and prescription for their present illnesses. Moreover some would overcharge me thinking that the Physician's pockets are overflowing. Anonymity is good to a certain extent...
Sitting by Jacob's well in Sychar (John Ch.4), Jesus, the anonymous stranger started some small talk with a woman who had multiple life partners. When she came to a realization that the man could possibly do miracles because he claimed he could give her water that would be the ultimate thirst quencher, she pleaded...“Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” (John 4:15)
She must have thought that this would be the answer (a quick fix) to the troubling whispers that she had to endure each day as she went to draw water, (being part of the SIC-Sychar Immoral Club). But as she dreamed of a miracle, the stranger nonchalantly told her to go call her husband. She had an answer ready to the stranger's question, perhaps one that she had told many in the past....“I have no husband”. What Jesus said next must have pierced her innards, a statement delivered with surgical precision......“You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband." The spiritual dialogue contined till the stranger revealed himself to her as the Messiah and she believed in him. Not only her, many others in the town believed.
Jesus may not be the anonymous stranger to us anymore, but he knows precisely where we are erring and speaks to us repeatedly to get rid of our moral filth, whatever it be.
James, the Lord's brother states it aptly,
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. (James 1:21)
Are you looking for a quick fix for your sin?
By the way, the definition of Quick Fix is...an easy remedy or solution, especially a temporary one which fails to address underlying problems.
Sitting by Jacob's well in Sychar (John Ch.4), Jesus, the anonymous stranger started some small talk with a woman who had multiple life partners. When she came to a realization that the man could possibly do miracles because he claimed he could give her water that would be the ultimate thirst quencher, she pleaded...“Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” (John 4:15)
She must have thought that this would be the answer (a quick fix) to the troubling whispers that she had to endure each day as she went to draw water, (being part of the SIC-Sychar Immoral Club). But as she dreamed of a miracle, the stranger nonchalantly told her to go call her husband. She had an answer ready to the stranger's question, perhaps one that she had told many in the past....“I have no husband”. What Jesus said next must have pierced her innards, a statement delivered with surgical precision......“You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband." The spiritual dialogue contined till the stranger revealed himself to her as the Messiah and she believed in him. Not only her, many others in the town believed.
Jesus may not be the anonymous stranger to us anymore, but he knows precisely where we are erring and speaks to us repeatedly to get rid of our moral filth, whatever it be.
James, the Lord's brother states it aptly,
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. (James 1:21)
Are you looking for a quick fix for your sin?
By the way, the definition of Quick Fix is...an easy remedy or solution, especially a temporary one which fails to address underlying problems.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Realities of life series- Dr. Johnson Cherian
1 Corinthians 10:14
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
We were 5 people travelling in a section of a train compartment from Chengannur to Ernakulam in Kerala. Funny that all 5 of us, though strangers should be involved in the same activity. Necks bent forward, fingers intermittently working furiously, all 10 eyes were glued to our own idols. Different colours, sizes, all were rectangular though; the gadgets kept us busy. At the stops, every neck took a break, had a snack or tea and then were back in their own worldsl More patients being readied for the Ophthalmologists and Orthopeditians. That aside, how come this idol got a stranglehold over our lives? A couple of decades back, people were not so addicted to devices as they are now to this gadget called mobiles. There was the idiot box then, which at least did not make necks bow. For those addicted to television, here was another added addiction vying jealously for it's share and succeeding enormously.
Earlier idols were put on pedestals and worshipped. Now many hold them in their hands day in and day out. Most place them at arm's length at night too, as if their life depended on it.
So what's the Christian's stand?
Are we going to go as the world goes? No doubt, mobiles and cell phones have made life easier, but where do we draw the line between it being a useful device and an idol?
I doubt whether believers care!
Is it too late for you and me to give less importance to this man made thing and spend more time with our Creator?....Spending more time in genuine prayer, worship and meditation of the Word of God!
Christian exiles in Mobileland. It's time to return.
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Realities of life series- Dr. Johnson Cherian.
Whereas you don`t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. (James 4:14)
Ambulances with sirens wailing whiz past regularly on the main road adjoining my house. Every time it happens, I wonder who might be lying sick or injured in it. Perhaps someone had a heart attack or someone must have been in an accident. The ones travelling with the patient must be sore anxious or terribly upset thinking what may happen next. Perhaps it must be the first time they must be travelling at such high speeds. If you have been in the situation either as a patient or as one travelling with one, you would have your story too. Things like these are sobering experiences. Ah...The fraility of human life. So every time the siren wailing ambulance speeds by, I pray a silent prayer for the ones travelling in it and also mutter a "Thank you Lord" for him sustaining me and my loved ones for the day.
Realities of life series- Dr. Johnson Cherian
Job 16:2
Job replied, "I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you!"
When you pass through different trials in this earthly Christian life of yours, you may rarely find people who really care for you. In fact, the numbers won't be too hard to count on your fingers. Some would be like Job's friends who showed they had great concern, but ended up giving him advice by the barrels; advice that he did not need. He wanted someone who would listen to what he had to say in his misery, but could find none. Even nowadays it's difficult to find listeners, there are more of advisers. And when people hear your woes, there will be many who will immediately say, "We will be praying for you", but there will be few who would faithfully do it. Also it's rare to hear someone ask, "What shall I pray for you?"
You may not be wanting prayers from all, perhaps a few kind words, that's all.....but you will find most saying, "We will be praying" and that would include idol worshippers too and you would be caught in a situation where you cannot say, "Please don't pray", for that would be snobbish, so you keep quiet and suffer silently.
Trials in the Christian believer's life can bring the best and worst of emotions as we see in the life of Job. It will be like playing on a see-saw; an up and down faith game. One day, there's faith that God will deliver; another day, depression and sadness, wondering where God is or why the delay in deliverance. You are not alone though...
The Apostle Peter writes,
1 Peter 5:8-10
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings and the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
So hang in there...don't give up.
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