Empty and Noisy

 

 I know the saying Empty vessels make more noise. Empty, dry, and purposeless is what we often feel deep inside of us? No doubt we are living in a noisy and dusty world. If not mindful, our minds can easily become dirty and our life seems purposeless. 

One rainy afternoon as I stepped outside my house, I saw an empty water bottle tossed on the road making its squeaking noise as it gets hit by the tires of the cars and trucks. This thought flashed in my mind that it is similar to a life without purpose, empty, wandering on the road of life here and there and not serving its purpose. I pondered on that and asked myself does that resemble my life at this juncture?

A life well lived in the past does not guarantee a life of purpose in the present. Every day needs a reminder of who we are and for what we are made for? Also, every day demands the renewal of our minds to understand our purpose in this life.

We do a lot of stuff every day to keep ourselves awake, busy, and occupied and still, it is possible that we feel empty and hide our emotions behind the carpet of the busyness of work. But God in His wisdom knew our hearts are weak, lonely, crazy, and most often empty.  The noise of our silence within us is bothering and makes us ask why we are living such a life?

Surely our silence is guilty silence before our Holy God. God in His great Love and Mercy sent his only son Lord Jesus to save us from this wretched condition of our hearts and mind to have a right standing with God and experience the plethora of His peace and His grace in our lives. The greatest delight in this life is to have meaning and purpose in knowing that we are adopted into the family of God and called children of God (Eph 1:5).  

The question is do we know this God who is so Merciful, so Loving and All-knowing?

Let our minds be deeply saturated with God and His presence every day to overcome fear and Sin. We need to humbly meet God every day (10-15 mins) with all our load of trouble and heaviness of heart.  It is our individual responsibility to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Prov 4:24; Ro 12:1-2; 2cor 11:3).

Enjoy God in simple ways for this is the chief end of man in this life!

Our response to Covid19 - Fear or Faith?

Life in this trouble some days are fearful and uncertain. We are living in difficult times. Faith will be tested and proved and for some it could be shaken. On the outset life seems living on the edge crippled with fear. Where we are heading towards and what are we going to achieve in this world? “No one knows”. Till now we were all chasing after the wind. Now, Life seems to be still and meaningless.

We have faced uncertainties every time and it is filled with sorrow and questions.

Covid19 has taken the Center stage in the world arena. Everyone’s focus are now set on the statistics that corona brings into human history. The death toll is alarmingly increasing, and the hope of people were set on finding a way out from this menace. Living life amidst all these challenges makes us feel so weak and sick.

Eat, fun, celebrate are all have tossed up and have become not so attractive words to us. Fear has robbed our fun. Trust in God has lost its grip and self-reliance has taken its hold. Can God be trusted in difficult times like this? We trust the man-made hand sanitizers that can kill the germs. But truly do we trust in the everlasting, mighty, and faithful God and his promises? How can we beat the odds and trust God completely? Isa 26:3 says – “You will keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you”. There is imperfect peace because of imperfect trust in God. Can faith be truly our antidote? There is a constant battle between faith and fear. It’s a critical choice that we need to make.

Jesus helps us to overcome fear. Do we allow him to take control of our lives? Do we know Him personally as our Lord and savior? He is the only hope to this dying world. It is high time for us to come to him and confess our sins and repent from our wicked ways. To receive his pardon and his mercies are we too far off? He is truly a prayer away from us, call unto Him and He will answer you. And let us find solace and rest for our troubled souls.

Let God who is Sovereign answer our cries in this crisis. Our lives are in His hands. He determines the number of days we live (Ps 90:9-12). Let us not be gripped by the fear of death. He can heal the Nations, as He is the God of the Nations. He can heal the people who are afflicted and restore peace and health in this world. The greatest of all healing is salvation of our souls. Amen!

Who can understand my Loneliness?

The pain of loneliness is true. On the face of life’s disappointments every individual faces loneliness in this life. The emptiness of wondering what lies ahead, and what the future holds is bothering to many of us. The fear that uncertain times and changes in life, children grow, people move, close ones leaves us and loss happens in the business. We feel we are left alone.

The pain of loneliness is no respecter of age, beauty, profession or lifestyle. It can strike a young child at preschool and it can hit the elderly after the loss of a spouse. It can affect the college student, who is new on campus, the graduate who is just starting out in life, the married couple growing apart and the divorcee facing life alone. It affects the rich, poor and it even affects the famous celebrity’s. 

At a conference Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, offered a purpose statement for his entertainment industry: “Fundamentally, we’re about eliminating loneliness and boredom. That’s what entertainment does."

The entertainment industry expects us to see boredom as bad, which is why advertisers, sponsors, filmmakers, and game-makers collaborate to create shows, movies, and games that will capture our attention and keep us preoccupied. Lot of children and young adults in our nation have taken captive by the gaming industry.

Bunch of young people vent out their boredom and loneliness by consuming alcohol, drugs and many more substance. And few think if they can budge themselves in peer pressure and going to dance party’s they can get rid of this problem.

Bible tells in Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death”. Let us beware of not going in the wrong paths.

Loneliness is a real problem. Some comfort for those in loneliness can come through love of friends and family, a companionship built on commitment to a person’s good. To some extent it can ease the pain of loneliness. But for sure it is not the permanent fix.

A Truly Connected Life

A Truly connected life must not be defined by internet access or phone usage by gluing ourselves to social Medias such as Facebook and Watsapp. It’s the life where we are connected to God and to one another, where we know our real worth is. Saint Augustine of Hippo has said like this “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” 

The antidote for loneliness is close relationship with Jesus Christ. You may ask at this juncture who is He? The best place to start with is reading the Bible and get to know Him personally. As we get to know Him more in our lives, our thinking will be gradually transformed. He gives the inner peace which the world cannot offer to us. His abiding presence in our lives will be suffice to face any kinds of turmoil in life.  Jesus said like this in John 10:10b “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”.

Jesus Christ can change our hearts and minds if we are letting Him to do that. He works to bring about good things, clear paths, new beginnings, full lives in us. He assures us that we are not alone! Jesus has said “And surely I am (Jesus) with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mat 28:20b (Bible).

Why don’t you TRUST Him and experience the real peace.

Jesus is the answer to the cry of our lonely hearts!

What will be spoken of me in my funeral? (2 min read)

 

One who gained his life on this earth? Or One who wasted his life for Jesus? I want to be in the latter. Living as a fool for Christ in this world. Whether this world accepts me or not I am not hurt. I am accepted by my Lord and I know where I am heading to…Do you know your destiny?

As I was watching the funeral service of Rev. Dr. Billy Graham the great Evangelist I was deeply moved by the statement made by his son Rev. Franklin Graham and his daughter Anne Lotz Graham. Anne Graham said my dad loved the scriptures and always loved to read the portions of scriptures. Franklin Graham said like this while my dad was on this earth he preached about Heaven to millions and wrote about Heaven in a book and now he Himself is in Heaven, in the presence of God. What a hope and an assurance it is.

A few resolutions taken on the day of His funeral:

ü  To preach the infallible Word of God.

ü  To carry the Bible to the pulpit and speak with all authority.

ü  To preach Repentance.

ü  To Preach Christ and win people for Christ.

Heaven and Hell are real ones. Don’t think it’s a Disney tales that we tell to the children. It’s a matter of choice that determines your destiny. You will be surprised one day in knowing your destiny. Before it is too late, you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ wherever you live now on this earth and turn your life to Him.

A life well lived will always impact others and will leave a legacy behind. The quality of life lived on this earth is important. Examine yourself and ask honest questions to yourself. Because we cannot lie to ourselves.

Repent of your sins – Take heed to what the Bible talks about Heaven – Give your life to Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Oh how I wish my funeral also be impacting others, at least one?

To God be the Glory!

Your Choice Matters

During my student days I heard this imaginative story and it made sense to me:

There was a small lad who had only one rupee coin in his hand and went to a sweet shop with his mom. Looking at the sweets displayed in the shop, his eyes went to and forth. The lad could not resist his temptation and started saying to his mom I want this. I want that. The mom gently replied son all that you have is just one rupee in your hand. You cannot buy so many things with it. Make a choice what sweet you need to buy with your one rupee coin.  

We have only one life to live in this world. But we wanted to do so many things with that.

It’s nothing wrong to be ambitious. But we need to make certain critical choices in our lives to keep us going forward.

It’s not how long we live, but how we live that matters.  

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We all have to make choices in life, and often those choices result in significant consequences

Who we are today is because of the choice we made in our life.

We will have regrets in life if we failed to make right choices.

So how can I make the right choices?  Who can help me? 

"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him."

- Jim Elliot

Few quotes on choices:

“Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you” - John C. Maxwell

“Life is about choices: Some we regret, some we are proud of. Some will haunt us forever. The Message: We are what we chose to be”   - Graham Brown

"The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day." - Chuck Swindoll

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Spiritual Dimension

As Iam speaking on the critical choice that we need to make in our life concerning our faith.

We need to understand that God has placed in us the spiritual dimension of knowing Him and also to believe in Him.

 It is Blaise Pascal, a famous French mathematician and philosopher, put it rightly like this:

"There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ."

 If we try to stuff anything but God into that God-shaped hole in our lives, we'll end up dissatisfied, restless, discontent. But fill that God-shaped vacuum with God. What do we find? In a word: contentment or fulfillment in life.

The problem with most of us is that we have substituted God with Materialism, work, wealth and pleasures of this present life. That God has no place in our lives. I believe that’s why we feel we are lonely in this world. That’s why we feel no one cares for us. No one loves me or accepts me.

I was browsing through one of the blog in the internet (https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/21st-century-lifelessness ) 

21st CENTURY LIFELESSNESS!

Our communication Wireless; Our business Cashless; Our telephone Cordless; Our cooking Fireless; Our youth Jobless; Our religion Creedless; Our food Fatless; Our faith Godless; Our labour Effortless; Our conduct Worthless; Our relationLoveless; Our attitude Careless; Our feeling Heartless;- Our politics Shameless; Our education Valueless; Our follies Countless; Our arguments Baseless; Our commitment Aimless; Our poor Voiceless; Our life Meaningless. Finally,Our Existence -USELESS????

When you allow God to take over your life, you will understand the meaning and purpose of your very existence. Otherwise we don’t have any purpose in our lives.

James Dobson – A Psychologist and a writer – said like this

When God doesn’t make sense, nothing else makes sense in our lives.

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Another important thing to consider in the spiritual dimension is: God’s Disclosure of himself.

God has revealed himself to the world unless otherwise we cannot know him.

Purpose of God’s Revelation: It is for our good to believe and obey Him.  

The special revelation is none other than the scriptures that we are talking (The Holy Bible) and the person of Christ himself.

The choice is with you. But remember the choice that you make now on these matters have eternal consequences.

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Whom to follow the rest of our life?

My story:

In 2001 as I was pursuing my B.com studies I was in my late teen I made a critical choice in my life. To follow God in my life. As I read the Bible I understood that only one person could save me. I decided to commit my life to him to know him as my Personal God. He changed my attitude my perspective towards life.   

Today when I look back I don’t have any regrets in making that choice in my life.

Soren Kirgegarrd the Danish thinker said like this:  “Life can be understood backwards, which has been lived forwards. So therefore live life forwards”

Today who we are depends on the choice that you and I make in life.

Make a choice to know God in your life. Search for the real one and it is worth to follow Him the rest of your life.

Examples of people who made wrong choices??

Way back in 1998-99 I did my schooling in Nilgiris. I had a friend in my class xii. We are friends and we used to play cricket together. We used to sit together in the same bench in the class. But one day I heard the news that he ended his life, because of some strain in relationships. I really don’t know exactly the details. But I feel bad that he made a wrong choice in his life.

Is there anyone who is going through a similar struggle in finding meaning and purpose in life?

The scripture says like this. Listen to this:

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land.”  - Deut 30:19,20

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Listen to this conversation:

A sadhu (Guru) and a boy was having a conversation on the riverside. The boy wanted to fool the wise sadhu by doing something. So what he did was. One day he took a small sparrow in his hand and asked the sadhu. Is the sparrow in my hand dead or alive? The boy thought if the sadhu says that the bird is dead he will leave the bird to fly in the sky. If he says the bird is alive, he thought to strangle that bird and kill by his hands to fool him. But to the surprise of the boy the sadhu said the life or death of the bird depends on you. It’s in your hands.  

God is the solution to your problems. Give him the control of your life. He can direct your lives well.

Your choice Matters. Think about it!

Leaving a Godly Legacy

CT Studd’s famous quote goes like this “Only one life and that too will soon pass away, only what is done for Christ will last forever”.  Life is too short on this earth. We never know when we kick our bucket. What we have is our life today.

It’s my privilege and joy to share this message to the youths gathered at Periyamalai, a 55 km away from Hosur, the first mission station for FMPB (Friends Missionary Prayer Band) in the year 1967.Along with few friends from Hosur and Bangalore we went to this place on May 10^th 2013 and it was a real blessing in my life.

What would we like to be written on our grave tomb after we leave this world? It’s a serious question and it needs a serious introspection of our lives. It is purely based on how we live our lives now.

Let’s draw our focus to the book of Acts chapter 20:17-38 the farewell speech of Apostle Paul to the Ephesian elders at Miletus.

As we read these verses in our own versions, we can derive 6 important lessons from the life of Apostle Paul that will help us to leave a Godly legacy.

Lesson 1: Live a life of transparency vs.18

There is no shadow of doubt or hypocrisy in the life of Paul. His life was so real, transparent and it was an open book to all who lived in Paul’s time. What can be said of our lives today?

Lesson 2: Serve God with Humility vs.19

We cannot serve God with pride and arrogance. It all needs a humble attitude and a servant heart to serve God. Paul in Eph 3:8 says ‘Iam less than the least of all God’s people’. And in 1 Cor 15:10 he says He is the least of the apostles. Someone said the problem in missions is that nobody wants to be second. Today our Model for humility is none other than Jesus Christ. He humbled himself on the cross to the point of shedding his Blood for us. He is truly the humble servant king (Phil 2:1-11). It is worth imitating His humility.

Lesson 3: Be willing to proclaim the Gospel of God vs.24

Paul’s passion and ambition is to preach the Gospel (Rom 15:19, 20). He is not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation (Ro 1:16). AT Pierson says “It is the responsibility of the whole church to preach the whole gospel to the whole world”. Today we gossip many things with our friends. Why not we gossip the gospel? There are places and people groups in our country who have not heard the name of Jesus even once. Let’s have the passion and ambition like Apostle Paul to preach the Gospel.

Lesson 4: Equip the people of God with right doctrines vs.20, 24-27, 31

In all of these verses we can capture the words like Preach – Taught – Testify- Declare – Proclaim- Warning. 1 Tim 4:13 Paul exhorts Timothy to devote himself to preaching and teaching of God’s word.

 Today as we listen to so many fanciful and wrong interpretations of God’s word, the challenge is to preach  & teach Gods word correctly (2Tim 2:15).God is counting on us. And we are responsible for our generation.

Lesson 5: Have a simple lifestyle vs. 33

We read Paul did not covet no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Leaving a legacy requires living a simple life. Many a times we easily complicate life by living in discontentment. There is true joy and peace when we live in contentment. Today the watch word in the advertising world is ‘sophistication is simplicity’. But the truth is other way round. The teachings of Jesus too call’s us to live a simple life. Let’s heed to the warning given in Luke 12:15 “for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possess”.

Lesson 6: Learn to give and support God’s work vs.35

Giving requires commitment and sacrifice from our end. The early church modeled it. Why not we?  2 Cor 8:1-4 we read the Macedonian church set an example in giving in difficult times.

John Wesley the great Methodist preacher said “Earn as much as you can, save as much as you can, give as much as you can”. Christ himself said “for it is more blessed to give than to receive”.

Give as the Lord directs you, Give generously and Give cheerfully for the Glory of God! 

Are we willing to give up our life of complacency and be serious in our commitment to God? If then we too can leave a godly legacy like Paul.