40 years in the wilderness of murmuring and complaining

Much of our lives we are tempted to take on the burden of others. This is one of the things that cause us to murmur and complain. God has not called us to carry the weight of someone else's burden but only to pray for them. Our prayer causes God to send divine intervention to ease their load of those offended.

The Bible say "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I recalled Paul's admonishing the Corinthian church leaders to put away an individual who had openly sinned (worst behavior than most prebelivers - incest) and how this person had then after a season repented and turned back to God. Paul in his next letter to the Corinthian church requested that this person be brought back into fellowship because satan will hold us guilt of the sin of not being in fellowship with a repented brother or sister.

I believe that all the prayers of the saints (even when they were not in fellowship with the disciplined person) may have caused the divine intervention of God to stir the heart of this Christian to repent and return back to God's grace and forgiveness. The saints did not murmur or complain but just obediently followed Paul's Godly instruction and prayed for the change to take place in this person's behavior.

Our God is a God of second chances (many second chances) and He came through for this brother that sinned when he repented and He will come through for us too. The most important issue is to recognize that we are living in that state of sinfulness and repent of the sin and turn away from doing it again and again. This is a very specific case and so it can't be generalized into every of our situation!

Therefore let us not be like the Israelites, who complained and murmured for 40 years, going around in circles in the wilderness and where most of them even died but let us find rest in Jesus Christ - our Rock. Let us take on His yoke which is easy and His burden which is light (whatever He wants us to do because He will do it for us!). We are instructed to take His yoke and learn to be meek and lowly in heart and we shall find rest in our souls.

Today let us hand our burdens, especially other people's offenses, to the Lord Jesus Christ and in its place take on His yoke and be yoke to Him for He is well able to carry us through this journey called life! Remember to pray for all that are offended, as His Body must be healed and be united again, so that He can return for His Bride, the church.

The Lost, the least and the last

Eulogy spoken by loved ones at memorial services always brings back to mind, what on earth was our life all about. In a lifetime of opportunities we had on earth, which will we be remembered for by them. More importantly in our lifetime on earth what was the opportunities we fulfilled that came up to God as a pleasing memorial before Him.

Undoubtly we will stand before Jesus Christ one day to be judged on the works we have done for Him, as it is stated in the Gospel of Matthew 25:34-40. Imagine 3 major religious faith believe in this judgement!!

The lost, the least and the last as stated in the above verses can be classified as follows:
1. hungry, you gave me meat
2. thirsty, you gave me dirnk
3. stranger, you took me in
4. naked, you clothed me
5. sick, you visited me
6. in prison, you came to me
Then verse 40 reads...Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

What would I leave as a legacy for my loved ones to remember me as and for My Lord and Savior to judge me for?

Out of the storm a new light dawns

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Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

1Cr 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This morning as I read the headline of the back page of the NST - 'Lightning' Bolt, it set my mind thinking of the above verse. The world record for the 100 meters was broken by a Jamacian named Usain Bolt with a time of 9.72 seconds. Well, if we twinkled our eyes it will be much faster than the world record timing set by this Jamacian. That how fast we will be with Jesus when He comes again!

This initial thought process actually started when I was setting up for the last Sunday's Grief Seminar which we have been holding at our church premises for the last 5 weekends. One of the trainees called back to inform us of the death of the father of a staff member.

The teaching for that session helped me understand a few important points. One, different ones grief differently and we have to let them grief individually and also collectively as a family. More importantly the family members especially children should not be neglected during this process.

Actually the most important question everyone ask during this time is, "Is my loved one in heaven?". Our assurance is in the following verses...
1Cr 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Cr 15:57 But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have a Good God who loves both us and our loved one who has passed on and we will see them again on that day when we are "caught up" after the dead are "caught up" to Him first. This is the order of "caught up" if we remain here still when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again for His Body (Bride), the church.

Till then we have to labor doing the work of the Lord, steadfast unmoveable as was Paul's conclusion of that chapter in the letter to the Corinthian church
1Cr 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Shalom, may the Lord of Comfort be our portion today and always. Amen.