Why Death when there is Life to live? (3 min Read)

 (September being World suicide prevention month. I dedicate this article to all the youths of our Nation)

The statistics concerning suicide rates in our country are alarming. Around 7 lakh people die committing suicide every year in our country. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15–19-year-olds. 77% of global suicides occur in low-and middle-income countries.

The incidence of student suicides continues to surpass both population growth rates and overall suicide trends. Over the last decade, while the population of 0-24-year-olds reduced from 582 million to 581 million, the number of student suicides increased from 6,654 to 13,044. (Source: IC3 Institute)

Life in this 21^st century is not an easy cakewalk for most of us. Young minds are constantly assaulted with negative thoughts and mixed ideologies affect their Mental Health. Utter chaos and busyness is the state of their mind. Where can one get help and find solace in such troubled moments?

As human beings, we are made with intrinsic worth. No doubt we are wonderfully created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26). We are not just an accident on this planet, without any purpose. We are specially crafted by God and our lives are in His hands. We have no right to take our lives. God is the sole owner of our lives. The clay learns submission only in the hands of the potter. Are we like the clay submitting in His hands?

Suicide is surely a cowardly, devilish act when we don’t dare to face life’s challenges. “Winners never quit; those who quit never win”. we are called to soar high like an eagle. Never look down and walk without hope. There is a ray of hope and light for you in the following lines.

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

As you read these lines (whoever you may be) allow these words to speak to you and take a grip on your life. Make a simple prayer in the place where you are right away and place your life into the hands of God.  You will be a changed person with renewed strength to face life’s challenges.

Rest is assured from God as you read and reflect on these comforting words of Jesus in Mat 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Respond to this invitation. Ask for immediate help if you have any suicidal thoughts. Seek the help of your friend, family member, or a trusted counselor without any delay. Talk to anyone whom you are comfortable with and get help. There is so much to live in this present life. You’re not alone in this fight. 

NEVER EVER GIVE UP!  

FOUR END-TIME ETHICS

1 Peter 4:7-11

⁷ Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer. ⁸ Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. (HCSB)

Background:

Date – (62-64 AD) – Nero’s time

AD 70 - Destruction of Jerusalem temple.

Also, it was a time of severe persecution.

“…‘the end of all things’ here is the entire end of the Jewish economy in the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the holy people… It is quite plain that in our Lord's prediction the expressions ‘the end,’ and probably ‘the end of the world,’ are used in reference to the entire dissolution of the Jewish economy” (Expository Discourses on 1 Peter, vol. Ii. Pp.292-294).

These are vital signs of a healthy Christian life.

1st Ethic - Be watchful for Prayer  v.7

·       Many of us could possibly become weary of praying. Especially times like this. Easily we become prey to the devil and stop praying.  

·       Luke 18:1 – Lord Jesus said to his disciples – don’t give up praying.

·       As we are living in last days – make prayer a non-negotiable discipline in your life.

·       If we fail to pray now we will fail to pray even later.

·       It is time for all of us to be watchful and pray. 

     2nd Ethic - Love one another intensely v.8

·       Today we know relationships are falling apart. Losing its value & meaning.

·       1 peter 1:22b - By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart

·       Not only the love of many has become cold today, but it has frozen. Only God needs to break our hardened hearts and show us what love is – He demonstrated it for all of us on the calvary. Pure and sacrificial love.

·       Have you received or understood this unconditional love on the cross?

·       Ro 5:5 - Apostle Paul says – "God has poured out His love into our hearts through His spirit".

·       Spirit of God can help us in loving even tough and difficult people.

3rd Ethic  - Be Hospitable v.9

·       We are not living in isolated islands. We are living in close communities.

·       Now this pandemic has even made this more miserable. keeping our doors closed for others.  

·       Romans 12:9-13 - Apostle Paul also speaks this in the context of spiritual gifts.

     Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in   zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

·       How as families and individuals we can show this hospitality in times like this?

4th Ethic - Use your spiritual Gifts to Glorify God. Vv 10,11

·       Here in this passage, we see serving gift and speaking gift. Every believer in Christ will have at least one spiritual Gift. (1 cor 12, Ro 12, Eph 4, 1 Pet4)

·       If you ask me why there is no growth in our spiritual life? I would say it is because we haven’t discovered our giftedness yet.

·    Do you know what spiritual gift/ gifts you have? Discover it and use it. 

Conclusion

All these ethics will make sense only if you are born again.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead".   1 Pet 1:3

Believe in the Gospel and be saved. Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross. He was buried and raised on the third day. He will come back as he promised to judge the world and take us home.

Let God bless our hearts and give grace to all of us to practice these end-time ethics and bring glory to his name.

Note: This message was shared virtually on 22.4.2021 on the Memorial Thanksgiving service for late Mrs.Glory Jacob (My grandmother).

Amen!

Tribute to my dear Ammachi (1924 – 2020)

Missed a valuable person today (22-04-2020) from the face of the earth. It was a grim reminder to me that death is inevitable. One day I too will face it.

Glory Maragatham was her name. She was born in a small town in TamilNadu, was married to Mr. Jacob, a made for each other couple. She was a teacher in govt high school in Karur and served as Headmistress in various schools in Tamil Nadu.  She has four children, 8 grandchildren, and 11 greatgrandchildren. God has blessed all of us abundantly. As listed in proverbs 31, she was a prudent woman, blessed by God to be a blessing to others.

All the grandchildren call her dearly ‘Ammachi’. She is close to all of us. She was really a prayerful woman, a devoted person, and a woman of faith. She was consistent in her faith life and prayed for all of us.

I still remember she is the one who taught me the old Tamil song Magizhvom Magizhvom for the first time during my school days when she came to our home at Ooty. She was a good geography teacher and taught me during summer vacations.

On every birthday of mine for several years, I remember she sends money-order through the post and with a postcard handwritten with lots of love and scripture promises. She remembers every need when we share with her and she prays earnestly with concern.

She loves eating sweets (poolipu mittai) and shares with us after every meal. She took care of me like a mother when I was working in night shifts in Bangalore. She checks on me whether I had food or not before I sleep. She was such a sweet and loving grandma I had.

How can I forget that she came to my wedding in 2012 to Hyderabad from Chennai and blessed me and Vasantha. We as a family cherish every moment spent with Ammachi. I could not even imagine how she could travel such a far with all her weaknesses. She is really a strong-willed person.

Thanks to God as we could recently visit her and spend time with her and sang songs with her. I still cherish her humor. With a grateful heart, I thank God for all these memories to recollect on this day. There are many more memories that I could not describe in my words. But I cherish those in my heart.

I learned about prayer from her life. To keep praying persistently to God even when the answers are delayed. Also, I learnt how important to intercede for others. One day personally she said to me I never pray for myself; I always pray for others. That really challenged me. 

Her life was well-lived. A simple and plain life. She was 96 when she entered eternal glory. She lived life to the fullest for God’s Glory as her name sounds. A good example to all of us. I salute her for leaving a legacy to our family. Let her soul rest in peace in God’s presence. One day I will see her in eternity. This is the hope of Resurrection for all those who die in Christ.

No Jesus -No Heaven; Know Jesus -Know Heaven. Amen!

Hollow blocs

Col 2:6,7 ‘So then just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness’.(NIV)

Are we like hollow blocs looking strong outside and hollow inside? If we observe today’s most of building constructions hollow blocs are been used. We also notice that the work is done overnight very quickly. But it makes us to think how strong will it be? But to my findings hollow blocs are good for building small and medium sized houses.

This analogy goes well with our spiritual health check. How is our inner lives built in this post modern days. Are we spending enough time at the feet of the Lord praying and reading the word or our devotions very quick and fast every time? Facetiously someone said that believers today are called watch watching believers, very much conscious of the time we give to God. Let’s remember there is no short cut for spiritual growth.
We grow only in spiritual disciplines. It takes time not like an overnight construction. Someone said like this ‘Conversion of a soul may be a miracle in a moment but making of a saint is a life time task’. God is patiently working on us but are we patiently waiting on him?

We all have an enormous responsibility today in building our lives in Christ. What steps are we taking with the available resources at hand? Are we growing strong in God everyday or still remaining as infants showing impoverished growth? Here goes the warning from the writer of Hebrews Chapter 5:12-14

Vs 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Vs 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
Vs 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil’

The following acronym for GROWTH will surely help us to build our lives in him. (Read my blog entry on what is Growth for more detail)

G – Get to know God personally in your life. (Why not today as you read these lines)
R – Relate to God through prayer. (Prayer is a simple conversation with God)
O –Obey his Word by doing what it says.
W –Worship him truly in Spirit and in truth.
T –Tell others what God has done in your life.
H – Have fellowship/friendship with God’s people. (Find a church in your vicinity for fellowship)

On Christ the Solid rock we stand. All other ground is sinking sand. He is our Rock eternal (Isaiah 26:4)

God Bless!

Try these ‘add ons’ to your Prayer Life!

Faith,fervency and faithfulness..

Faith in prayer
It is looking beyond our possibilities. Christian walk is best understood as “a walk by faith and not by sight.” The Bible again and again portrays people who fashioned their lives by faith. Hebrews 11 is just a small list of millions who lived by faith. Do we have faith in God like those witnesses who gone before us? Do our prayers reflect the faith element? Situations may look impossible to us but truly it is Him-possible.

Fervency in prayer
Prayer is a deep sigh to God. Christ himself is our model in fervent prayers. His prayer in Gethsemane is one such – a Prayer offered at his breaking point. Most intense prayer comes when we are in the threshold of taking critical decisions. Oswald sanders says that prayer is a paradox – an agony and ecstasy in itself. It needs lot of fervency or in other words passion while praying. Are we really passionate to pray? It’s not a monotonous repetition of phrases. It’s a deep cry to God.

Faithful in prayer
How often we fail to be faithful in our prayers. Romans 12:12b instructs us to be faithful in prayer.
Are we faithful to pray for those who asked us to pray? Saying yes to them and not praying is being unfaithful. Even in the face of our many unanswered prayers are we consistent to pray without giving up? In Luke 18:1 the Lord says to his disciples that they should always pray and not give up.

Let’s have these three ‘add ons’- faith, fervency and faithfulness in our prayers.