It's That Time Of The Year Again!

Christmas!

How I wish I could go back and re-live those childhood years!  The winter sun, school holidays, hunting and trapping birds in the forest, flying kites, climbing granpa's orange trees and gorging oneself with lots and lots of ripe orange fruits!  Going to the river for fishing, hunting snails or crabs!  Collecting firewood for Christmas, preparing rice cake, watching the Milky Way on a winter sky, listening to Christmas Carols, sending and receiving Chriatmas Cards, Christmas Trees, Christmas presents, new clothes, new shoes, Santa Claus, the Star of Bethlehem...and so on...and on!!!

Now I am far past those wonder years and far from home!

 But  I can't help it! It's that time of the year again when everyone goes back memory lane to those wonderful wonderful childhood years when everything seemed possible under the Christmas sun!  Ohh...how I wish...!!! How I wish.....  

The Language of Tears!

I don't pretend to know a  lot about tears, but when I shed tears I know I have expressed something deep within which words cannot express adequately. Tears are expressions of the soul!  I love tears!  Tears flows not from the eyes but from the soul deep within! Tears makes you vulnerable and open!  Tears breaks down barriers. Tears releases the soul and the emotions, relieves burdens and tensions. Tears are the stepping- stones for the soon coming smiles and laughters!

The language of tears could be many, but I will confine myself to my own experience. I shed tears most when I am in the presence of  the Lord!  Whatever the situations and circumstances may be, I believe, among many things, tears say:

• I am sorry: Sorry for failing you. Sorry for hurting you.
• I am so happy!  I do not deserve it but you have given me anyway! I have hurt you, but you still loved me! 
• I love You!  Yes, I love you! I love you so much!
• I am overwhelmed & helpless: with sorrow, pain, burden, guilt, shame! Please help me!
• I am broken and vulnerable:  Handle me with care!
• I understand!   I know what you feel. I am with you all the way. 
• I forgive you! Please come, let me embrace you!
• This is who I am, I'm not ashamed!  I am an open book! Love me as I am.

He Made No Mistake!

Are you an ordinary person like me? Do you at times feel like a nobody with no particular talents or beauty? Or are you a person who feels that life is unfair to you? Have you ever wished to be somebody else rather than YOU? I did...


One day, I complained...

Why am I not like a friend down the street who is tall and handsome?

Why am I not rich like...?

Why am I not talented like...?



Then I heard a gentle whisper..


"You are special!"

What??!.. You are kidding, right?

"I created YOU!"

Then You must have run out of ideas while creating someone like me!!

"I created all things bright and beautiful, great and small...and I created you according to my perfect plan. I did not creat anyone else like you. You are uniquely special...and I made no mistake!"


I looked around...and for the first time I saw and realized that I am the only one in all humanity who looks, thinks, talks and walks exactly like ME! I am a rarity..one in thousands of millions!!

"I told you, you are special!"

Yes....

"And I love you!"

Tears blurred my eyes.....this time not because  of self pity but of gratitude! 
 
Softly I said, "Thank You, Father!"

The Reality of Hell

Over the past few years there seem to have been an increase in the  acceptance of Universalist teaching that says in effect that there is no hell as told in the Bible, and even if there is one, such a loving God will never send any body to hell, and ultimately all will be saved and go to heaven! In the past only the more liberal groups of Christians are said to have accepted this teaching, but now it  is being increasingly accepted  even among the so called conservative groups. If this is true, it surely  is an alarming trend because this teaching goes in direct opposition to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I believe this teaching finds wider and wider acceptance because many people are afraid to think about hell as they knew in their hearts that they are going to end up there if hell actually exists. They want to continue enjoying their easy and sinful life in this world.  Whenever the topic of hell comes up, they feel quilty and condemned, and they would rather cover up those feelings and pretend that all is well, and no matter what kind of life style they lived in this world, they are going to end up in heaven anyway!  Therefore, according to this belief, you don't need to repent of your sins ('sin'  to them is also a relative term), nor you need to do anything special to go to heaven.  No matter you are a drunkard, or you commit adultery or murder,  you will ultimately make it to heaven at the end of the day! In short, you don't need a saviour, and YOU DON'T NEED JESUS!  God the loving Father will take you to heaven anyway!  Its amazing how far people could go away from true Biblical teaching and yet call themselves Christians!

JESUS CLEARLY TAUGHT THERE IS HELL:   The most vivid picture of hell was in the story told by Jesus in the gospel of Luke 16:19-31.  Jesus did not tell this story as a parable. He told it as a fact. The story is about one rich man who enjoyed life all for himself, and a beggar named Lazarus who was laid at the rich man's gate to beg, but apparently the rich man never allow him to eat even the left overs that fell from his dining  table. After both of them died, the beggar was carried  by angels to heaven, but the rich man found himself in hell where he was in torment. 

I have read a number of testimonies of people who died and went to hell but came back to life. Most of their accounts are amazingly similar to Jesus' story in the gospel of Luke.  One of the most detailed account of hell is Mary K. Baxter's account in her  book, "Divine Revelation of Hell".   Her testimony is also available online as audio download, for example  from  sites like http://www.spiritlesson.com/

Hell is a place of torment and is eternal in nature:  Whenever hell is mentioned in the Bible, it is  always implied as a place of torment and punishment.  As in the above text in Luke, Jesus said that the rich man was in torment in hell.  Again Jesus said in Mark 9:49 that hell is a place where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched".   Revelation 20:10 confirms the eternal nature of hell in no uncertain terms: "And the devil. who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever". Again in Matthew 25:46, Jesus said that those condemned  "will go way to eternal punishment".

The human soul is immortal:  Another false teaching is Annihilationism which goes something like this:  The human soul has 'conditional immortality', meaning that those believers in Christ will enjoy immortality and joy in heaven whereas all unbelievers will be completely annihilated and they cease to exist forever. There will be no conscious suffering for any length of time. They will be just obliterated completely from their existence.  This belief is held by many Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists and some liberal evangelicals. But according to Biblical view, the soul (spirit) is immortal, and those who are sent to hell will suffer their torment will full consciousness for ever and ever.   The idea of eternal conscious suffering is hard to accept for any normal mind, but we have to accept what the Bible says, as John Stott* says: " Emotionally, I find the concept [of eternal conscious torment] intolerable and do not understand how people can live with it without either cauterising their feelings or cracking under the strain. But our emotions are a fluctuating, unreliable guide to truth and must not be exalted to the place of supreme authority in determining it . . . my question must be — and is — not what does my heart tell me, but what does God’s word say?"

 (*Stott: Essentials, 315-16)

Hell is not meant for human beings:  According to Jesus, hell is not prepared for human beings but for the devil and his angels. (Matt 25:41)  However, those who reject God and His plan of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ are automatically condemned  and have to go to hell, as they have not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.  "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe  stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son". (John 3:18)

We all have to choose now!  Our eternal destiny is determined by our choices while alive on earth.  The choice is really very simple:  Either choose to believe in Jesus for your salvation that leads to eternal life and joy in heaven, or ignore Jesus and end up in hell!  Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". (John 14:6)  The choice is yours!

Finally,  Do not be deceived by false ideas and teachings. Remember: Hell is real as much as Heaven is real! 

A. W. Tozer's Ordination Prayer

(The prayer of A.W. Tozer, on his ordination as a pastor of the church, is so awesome.   I wish all pastors and ministers of the Word would pray that kind of prayer.) 


"O Lord, I have heard Thy voice and was afraid. Thou hast called me to an awesome task in a grave and perilous hour. Thou are about to shake all nations and the earth and also heaven, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. O Lord, our Lord, Thou has stooped to honor me to be Thy servant. No man takes this honor upon himself save he that is called of God as was Aaron. Thou has ordained me Thy messenger to them that are stubborn of heart and hard of hearing. They have rejected Thee, the Master, and it is not to be expected that they will receive me, the servant.



My God, I shall not waste time deploring my weakness nor my unfittedness for the work. The responsibility is not mine but Thine. Thou hast said, “I knew thee—I ordained thee—I sanctified thee,” and Thou has also said, “Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Who am I to argue with Thee or to call into question Thy sovereign choice? The decision is not mine but Thine. So be it, Lord. Thy will, not mine, be done.


Well do I know, Thou God of the prophets and the apostles, that as long as I honor Thee Thou wilt honor me. Help me therefore to take this solemn vow to honor Thee in all my future life and labors, whether by gain or by loss, by life or by death, and then to keep that vow unbroken while I live.


It is time, O God, for Thee to work, for the enemy has entered into Thy pastures and the sheep are torn and scattered. And false shepherds abound who deny the danger and laugh at the perils which surround Thy flock. The sheep are deceived by these hirelings and follow them with touching loyalty while the wolf closes in to kill and destroy. I beseech Thee, give me sharp eyes to detect the presence of the enemy; give me understanding to distinguish the false friend from the true. Give me vision to see and courage to report what I see faithfully. Make my voice so like Thine own that even the sick sheep will recognize it and follow Thee.


Lord Jesus, I come to Thee for spiritual preparation. Lay Thy hand upon me. Anoint me with the oil of the New Testament prophet. Forbid that I should become a religious scribe and thus lose my prophetic calling. Save me from the curse that lies dark across the face of the modern clergy, the curse of compromise, of imitation, of professionalism. Save me from the error of judging a church by its size, its popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. Help me to remember that I am a prophet; not a promoter, not a religious manager—but a prophet. Let me never become a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of carnal ambitions and deliver me from the itch for publicity. Save me from the bondage to things. Let me not waste my days puttering around the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O God, and drive me to the place of prayer where I may wrestle with principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating and late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that I may be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.


I accept hard work and small rewards in this life. I ask for no easy place. I shall try to be blind to the little ways that I could make my life easier. If others seek the smoother path I shall try to take the hard way without judging them too harshly. I shall expect opposition and try to take it quietly when it comes. Or if, as sometimes it falleth out to Thy servants, I shall have grateful gifts pressed upon me by Thy kindly people, stand by me then and save me from the blight that often follows. Teach me to use whatever I receive in such manner that it will not injure my soul nor diminish my spiritual power. And if in Thy permissive providence honor should come to me from Thy church, let me not forget in that hour that I am unworthy of the least of Thy mercies, and that if men knew me as intimately as I know myself they would withhold their honors or bestow them upon others more worthy to receive them.

And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, I consecrate my remaining days to Thee; let them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let me stand before the great or minister to the poor and lowly; that choice is not mine, and I would not influence it if I could. I am Thy servant to do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches or fame and I choose it above all things on earth or in heaven. Though I am chosen of Thee and honored by a high and holy calling, let me never forget that I am but a man of dust and ashes, a man with all the natural faults and passions that plague the race of men. I pray Thee therefore, my Lord and Redeemer, save me from myself and from all the injuries I may do myself while trying to be a blessing to others. Fill me with thy power by the Holy Spirit, and I will go in Thy strength and tell of Thy righteousness, even Thine only. I will spread abroad the message of redeeming love while my normal powers endure.

Then, dear Lord, when I am old and weary and too tired to go on, have a place ready for me above, and make me to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting. Amen.

Spiritual Warfare

A few facts from the Bible:

• There are 2 kingdoms at war against each other: The Kingdom of God (the Kingdom of Light) versus the kingdom of Satan (the kingdom of darkness).  (Luke 11: 14-20)

• The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work:  (1 John  3:8(b))

• Jesus has conquered all the powers of Satan at the cross: (Colossians 2: 15)

• Christ is the head of every power and authority: (Colossians  2:10; Matt 28:18)

• God has rescued us from the dominion(kingdom) of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of His Son. Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:13). He has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light. (1 Peter 2: 9)

• By Christ  all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him: (Colossians 1:16)

• Followers of Christ are soldiers for Him (2 Tim. 2:3&4)

• Jesus said: "I have given you authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you". (Luke 10:19)

• "On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it". (Matt. 16:18)

• "Take heart! I have overcome the world". (John 16:33)

• "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matt. 28:18-20)   "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tounges....they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well". (Mark 16: 17&18)

• Satan is a thief (John 10:10), a murderer, a liar and the father of lies(John 8:44). Satan can masquerade as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14)

• Satan  prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

• Christ's followers are NEVER instructed to run away from Satan, but to:
• "Resist him" (1 Peter 5:9)
• "Resist him , and he (Satan) will flee from you"(James 4:7)
• never give him a foothold (Eph.4:26)

• "The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world".(1 John 4:4)

• Christians' weapon of war: (2 Cor. 10:3-5)
• not the weapons of the world
• they have divine power to demolish strongholds
• they demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself against the knowledge of God, and they take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

• Christ followers are at war against spiritual forces of darkness: rulers, authorities, powers, and other spiritual forces of evil in the heavely realms. Therefore, we must put on the full  armour of God: (Eph. 6:10-18)
• belt of truth
• breastplate of righteousness
• shoes of the gospel of peace
• shield of faith
• helmet of salvation
• sword of the Spirit (Word of God)
• prayer in the Spirit

• Nothing on earth or heaven can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38&39)

• By deceit, Satan still controls the whole world systems (1 John 5:19) Therefore, "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted". (2 Timothy 2:12)

• But Satan will be finally defeated and thrown into hell where he will be tormented day and night for ever and ever! (Rev. 20:10)   Amen!

Cancer, Cancer Everywhere!

I just received news through Facebook that one well-known aunty of mine had passed away after a long battle with cancer.  During my last Christmas holidays in Mizoram, I saw her lying on her sick bed, pale and emaciated. It was hard to believe that she was the same person I prayed with 2 years earlier following the death of her husband, who too died from cancer.  Another news from my locality on the same day says that a 56-year old man just died of cancer while his wife was away in Mumbai for cancer treatment!  One thing that worried, alarmed and shaken me so much during my stay in Mizoram was the apparent rapid increase of cancer among the Mizos!  Even just among my close relatives and friends, I could count so many of them with cancer!  Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, CMC Vellore, etc are so well-known among the Mizo people not because of any other reason but because of cancer!  I asked myself many questions.   Why is cancer so common among us? Perhaps the single most common cause of death in Mizoram is cancer!  I feel sad and afraid too. I am sad and worried because:

1. We are not afraid of cancer until we get one ourselves!   It is not surprising that Mizoram, being the highest concentration of smokers in India, should have the highest incidence of cancer.  The fact that  tobacco consumption has been a well-established factor for causing various forms of cancer in humans has never deterred Mizos from smoking and consuming tobacco in various forms.  We just ignore the warnings, 'burying our heads in the sand' like the proverbial Ostrich.  We are too addicted and hooked to tobacco, and we would rather smoke and die than giving up our precious habit!  Even when we give up, many of us give up smoking only after we get cancer, which is a bit too late!

2.  We loved 'smoked' pork!  I do!  I myself liked smoked pork (Vawksa rep) very much! Even the fat itself makes us over-weight and obese which increases the risk for cancer!  Not just pork, even other meats and vegetables are commonly smoked and dried before eating among the Mizos.  It has been proved that those people who eat smoked foods are more likely to get cancer, especially of stomach and other gastro-intestinal cancers, than  the average population.

3. We are over-weight and lazy! Not all of us, of course, but  many of us! Our life-style has been changing rapidly. Beware of over-weight and obesity. Exercise and reduction of weight lessens the risk of cancer and heart-attack.

4.  HIV is here: The increase in HIV/AIDS will also bring an increase in cancer because of lowered immunity.

5. We don't take care of our health until it is seriously wrong! I recently heard of one well-known figure in Aizawl who died of cancer. He had been having some complaints for a few years, but he did not get any medical check up because he was afraid that it might be cancer! He quickly passed away after he was really sick and finally being diagnosed as having cancer.  Many cancer cases could be cured if diagnosed early.


It is not my intention here to discuss all the causes and risk factors for cancer. My main concern here is the above points which have been making me very worried  when I see so many cancer deaths among my fellow Mizos. If only we take note of the above few points and make positive decisions for our own lives, I believe cancer among the Mizos will decrease. Mizoram being a Christian state, I continue trying to convey   the fact that smoking and Christianity don't go together, but my message don't seem to go very far!  We would rather pray for healing of cancer than making our body (the Temple of the Holy Spirit) holy and healthy for God!

Cancer, Cancer everywhere in Mizoram! Let's do something about it.  Please take care of yourself!

Thank you.