There is a time for everything.

     

In the book Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 verse 1 began by saying that to everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under heaven. The author of Ecclesiastes is saying that for everything that is happening under heaven there is a time. God has put time for each and everything. When we read Ecclesiastes chapter 3:2-8 there are many activities mentioned in it. Those activities are opposite of each other.  For example, there is a time to be born and there is time to die. Thus the two activities to be born and to die which are opposite to each other are mentioned. We can expect that thing that is happening at this moment can change and opposite of that thing can happen anytime. The time changes everything or it can be said everything changes with time. Like there is a time for a day there is also time for night. There is time in which the sun has to rise and there is also a time the sun has to set. We can expect a time in which we could laugh and we could also expect a time in which we could cry. It is not possible for a day to remain without night. There should be time for night too. We cannot expect a person to remain alive forever on this earth. There is a time for that person to die. Thus we should expect that opposite things can happen in our life. All the things that is happening under heaven is controlled by God, even time is in His hand.

    We read in 1 Peter 5:6. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Thus we learn that it is needed in our life that there should time of humbleness before God. This will lead us to a time in our life in which we would be exalted in our life. We have to wait for the time when God will bring changes in our life. The promise which God has made would be fulfilled in it time. What the scripture say is true, since we observe this happening in our day to day life.

    Joseph was a man of God who in his earlier age has to go through many difficulties. God had given him dreams which showed that he would become a great person to whom his brothers and his parents would bow. This dreams was fulfilled after a long time. Each and every time Joseph has to go through different circumstances until the dreams were fulfilled in the life of Joseph.

    Habakkuk 2:3 says for the vision is yet for an appointed time. But at the end it will speak and it will not lie. Though it tarries wait for it. Because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Thus the vision has a time in which it is going to be fulfilled. Thus again we need to wait for it’s time. We should know that the time we spent in waiting for God‘s time is never a waste of time rather it is worthwhile .We need to believe that God will make all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

    We read in Isaish 40:31 But those who wait on 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.Thus we should wait on Lord in our weakness. We can expect that God will change our time of weakness into a time in which we are in full strength. We should always remember this that God does not do anything before time, nor does He do anything after time but He always do anything in perfect time. What we need to do is wait for His perfect time.

   It is said that “ time and tide waits for no man”or “Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back.”But we should remember that time is under the control of God. We read this what David says in Psalms 31:15 “My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me”. God can create opportunity in the life of a person, even when that person lost them or could not use it. God can increase the life of a person.  Hezekiel was about to die. But God added fifteen years into the life of Hezekiel. Thus he remained alive for another fifteen year even though time of his death has came.

   We are warned in the scripture to make perfect use of time. We read in Ephesians 5:16 making the best use of the time because the days are evil. It is God Who has provided time in our life we should use it in best way as possible. We should consider time as a gift provided by God and live our life according to it. We should also understand the position to which God has raised us and do our duties perfectly in time. Mordecai warns Esther in this manner in Esther 4:14 For if you keep silent at this time relief and deliverance will rise for Jews  from another place but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Thus Mordecai was reminding Esther that it was not the time for her to remain silent but to speak out for the redemption of Jews. Which she fulfilled in the perfect time. Not only that she had redeemed the Jewish people but was able to hang the man who was ready to kill all the Jews.

    In the book of John 9:4 Jesus says we must work of Him who sent me while it is day night is coming when no one can work. In this way Jesus was telling His disciples that there was time given to Him and His disciples  to share the gospel in which there was a message of repentance. We have to know this that this is the time in which we have to share the message of gospel. The end time is coming in which there would be no possibilities for us to share the gospel. We have to use the time perfectly. Jesus went on preaching in Mark 1:14-15 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."Thus the scripture says that it is now the time in which we need to repent and believe in gospel. The word of God is true all the time so we have to spread the message of cross to all people of the nation . We have to fulfill the great commission of Lord and savior Jesus Christ Who went on the cross for our sin. Sometimes it is possible that we feel that God is not working in time. We feel that God has promised a day of judgement but it is not coming to fulfillment .But we are reminded  from the word of God in 2 Peter 3:8-10 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. In  Psalm 77:8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? And again in Hebrews 10:37 For, "In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay."

  Thus we learned from the scripture that there is a time for everything under heaven. And now it is the time to repent and believe in the message of the gospel. We read in Romans 13:11 And do this understanding the present time . The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than we first believed. It is not the time to sleep but to wakeup. We read in Mark 13:36 If he comes suddenly do not let Him find you sleeping. And also in ! Thessalonians 5:6 we read So then let us not be like others who are asleep. Let us be awake and sober. May God bless you with this message.

Neither hot nor cold.

The Laodicean church was established in the ancient city of Laodicea on the river Lycus in the Roman province of Asia. The word of God came to them like rest of the six churches. In Revelation 3:15-16 we read- I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

    The word ‘hot’ means ‘to be in higher temperature’. But in spiritual sense it can be said that the person who is ‘hot’ is the person who is ‘saved’. While  the word ‘cold’ means that the person is ‘unsaved’ .The word ‘lukewarm’ means that the person is a person ‘who believes that he is saved but actually is not saved’. Now it might be argued how could ‘cold’ denote a situation where a person is ‘unsaved’? because Christ says “I wish you either one or the other”. How could a loving God wish that a person be ‘unsaved’ ?as we read in Romans 5:8 –But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read- The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish but all to come to repentance. In 1 Timothy 2 :4 we read  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth .But we should not forget Revelation 22:11-Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong: Let the vile person continue to be vile, let the one who does right continue to do right: and let the holy person continue to be holy”. Thus again we need to think how could God wish that a vile person continue to remain vile or let the one who does wrong to continue to remain wrong? To begin with, the answer to the question "Is it God's will that all people be saved?" must be "Yes," because that it what the Bible says.  But does that mean that all will be saved?  The answer is obviously, "No." Was it the desire of God that Adam and Eve rebel?  No.  Was it God's will that David commit adultery?  No. Yet, they did the very thing God did not want.  God desires that all people repent (Acts 17:30); but not all do. Clearly, God's will is not always done. In theology, when examining this issue of God's will and His allowance of sin, we distinguish between what is called God's perfect will and His permissive will.  In His perfect will, He desires that all refrain from sin.  But in His permissive will, He allows people to sin. We   see in Ezekiel 20:39 God says "'As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.”  When Jesus said “I wish you were one or the other”  He meant to say that the harm that is possible by lukewarm condition is higher than when one is cold condition. Thus a lukewarm church is a compromising church which can actually bring a lot of damage to the image of Christ in the world. The unsaved( cold ) would not take the name  of Jesus  but lukewarm church will do and they would spread the message of Jesus at the same time they will show their wrong doing in the midst of the people. Thus God’s name would be disgraced before people. We read in Romans 2:24 As it is written “God’s name is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you.” Thus Jesus knows that it is dangerous to have a church which is in lukewarm condition.

   The lukewarm condition is such a terrible situation because Jesus says I will spit you out of my mouth which means total rejection. No one like to take back the spit which has been taken out of the mouth. It is shameful thing to be rejected by Jesus . We read in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Thus lukewarm condition is that condition in which the church think that they are saved but are not. By one hand they work for the Lord with another hand they practice evil.

   We all know that there are animals which survive on land, this could not remain in water for longer time. We know that fishes survive in water and they cannot remain alive when they are taken out of water for longer time. Similarly a spiritual person cannot remain longer in a unspiritual environment neither the unspiritual person can remain in spiritual environment ,they will suffocate.  We know David sinned but he soon repented .He felt bad to remain in sinful condition hence he ask God to cleanse  him. There are also some animals which can survive on land as well as in water. This are called Amphibians. Frog is an Amphibian which can dance on land as well as in water. Thus there are individual who can survive in both spiritual and unspiritual environment. They are people who can be a leader of singing choir in church and be a drunkard at home. Thus such person can be called has lukewarm. They are so dangerous because they seems to be something but are not what they actually seems to be. We may consider them to be spiritual but they are highly unspiritual.

       The lukewarm church is similar to Pharisees who believed that they are saved but actually were not saved. They were self righteous people. Jesus was always in conflict with Pharisees in His ministry on earth. They were the hypocrites whom Jesus hated the most. Thus this is the reason Jesus wanted to spit them out of His mouth. The things which we hate we usually we spit it out of our mouth. Thus Jesus is showing His hatred toward Lukewarm church.

         In Revelation 3:17-19  we read 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,  I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. The problem with the lukewarm church is that they are physically rich but spiritually they are but poor. We should not be like lukewarm church be proud of our physical wealth. We should be spiritually wealthy so that Christ would not find us wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. He advise the lukewarm church to be zealous and repent. In another He want the lukewarm condition to turn to hot (saved ) condition.

           God want His church in Hot (saved) condition. He want us to be in fire continuously. We read in Leviticus 6:13 ‘fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar it is not to go out’. When the spirit of God burn in us continuously we would be hot. The condition of lukewarm comes when the fire is not in us. We need the Holy spirit fire all the time so that we don’t come to a stage where we are lukewarm. We know that our God is a consuming fire. He should consume all evil in us and help us to remain in hot condition. May God bless you.

  

A right decision can change your life

           We all know that we become that based on our decision which we have taken in past. Decision is nothing but a choice that we make about something after thinking about it. At times life gives us various choices. Sometimes it is two or sometimes it is more than hundred choices. We have to look at those choices and decide which one is better for us. We need to make the right decision in order to reach the right destination. Most of the time the choices are such that only one of those choices can be selected though we desire to have all of them .so we need to be careful when we are selecting a choice. As Christians our decision should be based on the scripture. Let us look into the scripture and see for our self what it has to say about decision making.

   In 2 kings 7:3-8 we see four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. These four leprous men were isolated from the people. They were the people who had no hope in life. They were kept away as people feared them that the disease they have would come on them. They asked each other why are we sitting here until we die? And they said to each other if we will enter the city the famine is in the city and we shall die there. And if we sit here we die also. Now therefore come let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive we shall live and if they kill us we shall but die. This four leprous men had three choices to make.

     First choice-They can remain sitting at the place they are. Second ,they can go to the city where there is famine  and finally they can go to the Syrian army and surrender their life to them. They decided to choose the third option as there was a hope of living in it. If the army of Syrian would allow them to live they could live. So they went to the army of Syrian. And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.  For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!”  Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives.  And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also ,and went and hid it.Thus they made a right decision due to which their life changed. If they had decided to go for the first and second choices they would have without becoming a blessing to others. In verse 16 of the same chapter we see a fine flour was sold for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel , All this happened because they made right decision. Thus they received blessing in their life and they become a blessing in other peoples life all because they choose the right option.

  In Ruth 1:6-22 we see two daughter-in-law of Naomi, Orpah and Ruth. Both of them Moabites ,both of them lost their husbands to death. One of them Orpah decide to go back to Moab ,while Ruth decide not to go to Moab. She says to her mother-in-law. “Entreat me not to leave you ,Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people ,And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die ,And there will I be buried .The Lord do so to me, and more also ,If anything but death parts you and me.”And she remained strict with her decision .Because of her decision she went to Bethelehem where she met with Boaz and later married him .Thus  she became the great grandmother of king David. Her name is mentioned in the genealogy of Christ. She received such blessing all because of her decision to remain with Naomi her mother-in-law and serve the LORD to Whom her mother-in-law served.

  In 1 Samuel 1:1-18 we see here a women named Hannah who had no child as she was barren. She was married to Elkanah who also had another wife called Peninnah. Peninnah had children so she used to provoke Hannah severely to make her life miserable. Hannah used to go year by year to the house of the LORD and Peninnah would provoke her therefore she wept and did not eat. Though her husband loved her more than Peninnah still she was not satisfied at all. But once she made a vow in the house of the LORD “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”After making a decision to provide her son for God’s work. She went her way and ate and her face was no longer sad. Because of such a decision she made in her life God opened her womb. She became the mother of a great prophet and a last judge of Israel called Samuel. Not only that she also became mother of three sons and two daughter. She who was always sad became glad and a prayer which is mentioned in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.

  In bible only two books are based on the names of the women. One of them belong to Ruth another belong to Esther. Esther was a Jewish girl who was brought under Mordecai who was her cousin. There came a time in her that she could decide whether to help Jews or not. But she decided to help the Jews by saying this to Mordecai Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” We see later that this decision of her to help the Jews according to her uncle’s will changed the life of Jews. Jews were able to destroy all their enemies only because of this decision made by Esther.

  Now we have seen how a right decision made progress in the life of those individuals who made it. Now what if the decision made was faulty.  We see in the book of Genesis chapter three how Adam and Eve sinned. They did ’nt made a good decision. They first decided not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But when they came across the words of the serpent, they changed their decision due to which sin entered the world and death through sin. Romans 5:12. Thus Adam and Eve died a spiritual death. They were taken out of the Garden of Eden. They lost their privilege which they had previously.

  In numbers 14:39-45 we see how children of Israel was going against the order of Moses. They decided to fight the Amalekites and the Canaanites which was not according to the will of God. Their decision was not right due to which they were defeated by their enemies.

    We see that, in the life of Jonah he was called to preach in Nineveh a great city. But he decided not to listen to God’s words due to which he had to face great difficulty in the ship which was heading toward Tarshish. He was thrown out of the ship and swallowed by a great fish. All this happened in the life of Jonah because of his wrong decision. He should have obeyed the word of God and decided to go according to it.

     We see how a right decision made some good changes in the life of those people who made it, while the opposite was found in the life of those who made a wrong decision. There are many example in the scripture but only few are mentioned here.

 We see in the teaching of Jesus where He speak about decision making. Few examples are mentioned here below;

                     Jesus says to enter through the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it. Jesus is showing that there are two choices. One can enter a narrow gate and one can enter a broad gate. But He is telling that it better to enter the narrow gate rather than entering the broad gate since it leads to life. In another place Jesus says no one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Thus Jesus is making a statement that you have to decide to Whom you have to serve whether God or money. Jesus also said “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Thus Jesus is giving His audience to choose whether to hear and obey His words and be like the wise man who built his house on rock or hear his words and does not obey them  and be like the foolish man who built his house on sand.

       We all know that one day we are all going to die. No one can escape death. But how we are going to live before we die is important. Can you like Apostle Paul say “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”? Can you decide to live a life on earth which is only for Christ? Thus by dying you may gain Him in your life. Can you like Apostle Paul say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”? The scripture is clear it says in Mark chapter 16:15-16 And He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned”.Today you have to decide to believe in Jesus so that you be saved. My dear friend,  if you have not decided to live for Christ till now do it now. Because this decision you make is an important decision you will ever make in your entire life. This decision which you will make will bring blessing in your life. May God bless you.