Beggarly Past, Sacrificial Future

Reference Passage:

Acts 3:9-10 (NIV):

When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

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Those were the days, when existed such a time as 'the hour of prayer'. The Jewish convention for time was different from our system today. For them, the first hour began at about 6 am, which goes on to mean that the ninth hour was actually 3 in the afternoon. For most people moving in the vicinity of the Jerusalem temple, the hour of prayer probably meant nothing much, as it is to most of us today. Praise and worship, miracle crusades, concerts and conferences are all exciting events which we cannot afford to miss. But prayer? Its been weeks, months and years since we opened up our deepest secrets and longings before the Lord in prayer. We have ignored the power of prayer too long, that we no longer expect our prayer to yield any solid result. Prayer is soon becoming a forgotten secret, lost to the vultures of complacency. The sad state of affairs is appropriately summed up in a certain character, upon whom we now fix our attention.

He's seated at the temple gate, and the hour of prayer to him, means business as usual. He's a beggar as his physical handicap makes him unfit for manual labour. Coins laden with pity or piety drop from time to time, which only ensures, at best, that he returns the next day to repeat the routine for there is no healing in sight. I call this Commercial Chrisitianity, and this has the following characteristics.
Firstly, our friend had to be carried each day to his place, by well-meaning people. At the gates of Heavenly worship, you often will find people who are pushed, pulled and forced into following Christ. Its the classic 'You-can-take-the-horse-to-the-water-but-not-make-it-drink' kind of situation. Such people are content with sitting in a spot of convenience at the gate, where their business continues unhindered. With the invasion of technology, its easy to find these 'businessmen' right beside us, during a prayer meeting, frequently jumping up at the ring of their cell phones. The epidemic is so widespread that I once found a notice outside a prayer hall bearing the following inscription: “Please switch off your mobile phone, or else we'll baptise it in water.”
Secondly, our friend's life at the gate is defined by a single activity: asking. The Lord taught us to ask, seek and knock, but we have missed the point completely. Have you noticed how much the subjects of the Lord's Prayer, as taught to the disciples, differ from our own prayer? With prime importance to worship and doing God's Will, His prayer also dealt with the issues of mutual forgiveness, victory over sin and our daily needs. We've taken the 'daily needs' section alone and translated it into hours of prayer time. Subjects like forgiveness have no place, while health, wealth, job and family hog the prayer prime time. It doesn't end with this. “What am I going to get out of this?” is the foremost question on our minds whenever we involve ourselves with the things of God, as if He doesn't deserve our sincere service, free-of-charge. Its no wonder that we have successfully played the role of our beggar friend in the 21st century – we have become Christian beggars.

Along came Peter and John for the hour of prayer, their attitude vastly different from the man at the gate. Out came the upturned hand with the perpetual request for alms. As the Christian walks the roads of this hurting world, hands are thrust at him from very direction, pleading for help. Although this cry might be placed before every other human, its his response to the problem that truly places the Christian apart.
Peter's response bears 2 significant pointers for the believer preparing himself for ministry.
Firstly, Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have.” The man of God is clear about what he does not have and cannot do. Had it been me, maybe I'd have tried and raised a collection for “our needy brother”. However, Peter knows that a few more coins is not going to make any lasting difference in the beggar's life.

Many seem to believe that the world's problem is poverty. Pointing to the seemingly endless troubles such as corruption in the Third World countries, they opine that it is only an economic solution coupled with healthy education, made available to all citizens, that can raise a nation to its feet. Although this idea sounds revolutionary and liberating, it is yet to conquer the challenges of reality. From the outside, the so-called developed countries appear to be Paradise, where the sun never sets. Live there, and you will know all that glitters is not gold. The courts are still filled with bickering citizens and jails overflow with criminals convicted for shoplifting and murder, and everything else in between. Its not easy to forget that some of the worst high school shootings have taken place in the United States, and some of the world's worst terrorists are known to hold respectable educational qualifications.

Clearly, mankind's problem is not of an economic nature at all.

More importantly, Peter says, “...what I do have, I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Though he had no money to provide, he had Jesus to offer and this paved the way to a permanent solution. As Christians, it is strange that we are still so uncomfortable discussing Christ with non-believers, and we often reserve this task for the pastors. We have no difficulty in talking about politics or sports or even fashion. However, as soon as the opportunity comes to share the Good News, the well is dry and we are tongue-tied. Those of us who have managed to courageously begin such a conversation, soon find our enthusiasm wilt away in the face of very uncomfortable questions. Sadly, for Christian salespersons like ourselves, the act of offering a fake substitute in lieu of Christ has only zapped the buyer's trust, because a substitute cannot solve the problem.

Offering the power of Jesus' name did immediately, what every other effort had failed to do. Behold the three-fold changes!
The power of God manifested firstly as healing in those feeble knees. As the man discovered for the first time what it meant to stand on one's own feet, the well-spring of praise and thankgiving burst forth in worship of God. God's saving grace applies as much relevantly to the needs of our physical existence, as to those of our inner man.

The man who had to be carried all his life to the temple, had now left the business of the gate and stepped into the courts of God. His worship had acquired a fresh personal dimension because he had tasted the goodness of the Lord first-hand. He could no longer remain at the gates. Of course, there are some beggars who would still choose to remain in the same seat and identify themselves as handicapped beggars because its a profitable business. However, those who have experienced God's touch, know that the Christian's past cannot match the glorious future that awaits the children of God. The disciple of Christ reminds himself, “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philipians 3:7)

Thirdly, the beggar is transformed into a giver and the first offering is his testimony. The bold witness pulls in the crowd, for Peter's follow-up Gospel message. Recall the blessing Abraham received in the book of Genesis - “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2) Do you know how easy it is occupy ourselves with receiving the blessing, and forget the fact that we are also called to be a blessing? Being a blessing is not what beggars do at the temple gate, but the act of true worshippers who receive from the Presence of God.

The question remains - Christian, have you anything to offer a dying world or do you sit around and beg just like the rest? If its Jesus we are offering, we are bound to see the said three-fold changes in people around us. Maybe, we're so used to demanding and taking, that giving is usually not on our minds. Mary E. Maxwell penned the following words in the hymn “Channels Only”, that supply food for thought, expanding upon the Christian's role in receiving from God and giving to the world:

Just a channel, full of blessing
To the thirsty hearts around
To tell out Thy full salvation
All Thy loving message sound.

Channels only, blessed Master
But with all Thy wondrous power
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Everyday and every hour.

Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
Hearts that full surrender know
That the streams of living water
From our inner self may flow.

Our Lord's love bears the distinction that He defined love with a weighted emphasis on giving, and not taking. This is why the theme of sacrifice is widely used in Scripture, ultimately culminating in the Great Sacrifice on Calvary. Let's therefore gather at the foot of the Cross and learn what God's love is really all about, before we step out by faith, and offer Christ to the nations.

The Pricelessness of Truth (Part 3 of 3)

Reference Passage: Acts chapter 12 verses 1 to 24
Just follow the link to read the passage online here

My humble request to all my readers would be to prayerfully read the Scripture at least once before proceeding.


In the meanwhile, against all the odds, there was a church praying for Peter's freedom. We read in the fifth verse that prayer was made without ceasing. This church just couldn't get tired of praying for Peter. There had to be something in the relationship between Peter and the praying believers that made this possible. They needed him back and they expressed their need ceaselessly to the only One who could make a difference.
Is it the same with us today? When was the last time we prayed for someone's need till we received an answer? I think Apple Computers co-founder Steve Jobs puts it rightly when he says that we now want everything within 3 clicks. So our Christian experience has also come to mean a quick visit to 'the Church', a quick song, a quick prayer and a quick offering. We do not know the names of the people around us (even the pastor, for that matter), neither do we care.

Each time Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He asked the seeker to get right with God and to get right with his neighbour (Read Mathew 22:35 to 40). Both relationships are important and fundamental to human existence by God's design. We might be the most saintly Christian hermits in town but if we haven't gotten these basics right, we aren't anywhere close to pleasing God.

Peter's tight security cover made it impossible for human intervention of any kind. Sometimes, I think God allows problems that will push us to see our own frailty and His sufficiency. There are certain things only God can do. We could encroach into God's territory and try but failure is all we'll get for our efforts. We must learn to discern our contribution to the solution and leave everything else to God.
I have often seen well meaning parents try to bring up their children in godly ways and fail. I've talked to youth who keep telling me how much they're disillusioned by the meaningless rituals and elaborate ceremonies they see on Sunday. Knowing God is possible only by a personal revelation from above - no one can induce faith by a method. So then would that mean that we should quit trying to help our kids? No, obviously not. All that we do is speak the truth in love and constantly ask God to help it make sense for the hearers. Solomon says in his book of Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) But then, for the parent, that would involve a personal relationship with God in the first place and that's precisely what's lacking.
We're so dependent on people and methods, we've sacrificed our own intimacy with the Lord on the altar of convenience. Maybe we're hoping our praying mothers will get us through, maybe we're banking on the priest, maybe a patron saint. But each time we walk the corridors of God's Word, humanity still hears the echo from time past, "Adam, where are you?" and its directed at each individual, not just a representative. Apostle Paul emphasises (in Romans 14:10) that each of us will have to face and answer the Judgement Seat of Christ individually.
Some others tell me that the Bible is a very complex and difficult text to understand. I totally agree. The problem is this: if we think we can decipher the Bible on our own with the concordances, dictionaries and maps that we possess, we'd fail. The Word of God is after all, exactly that - His Word. So, you've got to take the problem to Him to find the solution, your software can't help.

When God's time had come, the angel arrived and began the rescue operation. He patiently brought Peter out, set him on his own and disappeared. The angel's demeanor suggests that he was clearly under Someone else's orders. We, as Christians, still don't understand this and all who see our lives are left wondering what all this big preaching is about.
Peter proceeded to the house of prayer and another drama played out - it becomes obvious they'd all been praying without completely believing that the answer would arrive in the middle of the night and ring the calling bell! I thank God He doesn't always consider the amount of our faith before He sends His answers.

Further down, Herod had the guards cross-examined and executed, for letting Peter slip through their fingers. Herod then went to resolve a crisis with the people of the regions of Tyre and Sidon. (See footnote for details) Having completed his speech, he sat down to extraordinary applause - the audience shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." How foolish! He actually thought they meant it! Solomon accurately remarks, "A rich man is wise in his own eyes." (Proverbs 28:11)
Coming from a country like India, you've got to be careful how you handle applause: I can even remember my college days when students would applaud teachers for reasons other than genuine praise! They would even throw in hearty laughter when jokes were cracked - maybe thats the nice Indian student version of saying, "What a nut!"

We can shroud ourselves in a cloak of self-imagined "I feel good" perspectives but the farther away we are from reality, the harder the crash will be when God topples our puny thrones. Herod's end is a grim reminder of how politics and playing to the gallery does not sit well with God's style. Sadly, Herod's attitude not only haunts the passages of power in the Government, but also the insides of the church where God is worshipped. I've seen several churches torn apart by similar politicking and chair play. At the end of it all, the innocent believer, like Peter, is forced into bondage for sincerely seeking and preaching the truth. Apostle Paul, in Romans 14:19, writes thus: "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." May we take note and beware because our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

The 24th verse wraps it up nicely for the sincere God-seeker: "But the word of God grew and multiplied." Think of this: this is a yet unforeseen character in the drama - the word of God. We thought the three characters that mattered were Herod, Peter and the praying church. Yet, here we see a character who transcends the confines of the situation and draws the bottom line. Now we understand the whole struggle was exactly about this: God's truth. Someone preached it, someone believed its power, someone tried to suppress it. Yet, at the end of it, truth rises victoriously, over friend and foe, in visible triumph.

Let me draw a final lesson here: often, the circumstances of life has made us wonder if truth really mattered. Wasn't the lie the seeming winner? In college, at work, in a business deal and so on, its so obvious which way is the easier one. But God speaks today and puts Himself behind His Word: truth reigns in the end. He asks us to hold on till the end and see how the game plays out because He has a few surprises up His sleeve.

Here, I tie up the loose ends and ponder the final question: Whats the price we will pay for this truth in our lives? The writer to the Hebrews exhorts thus, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) I think that this throne room is the only place to find the right answers as we are faced with uncomfortable questions about our relationship with God. I won't say we get the answers that we like, but I believe they're the answers we need. As has been God's advice since ages, let's humble ourselves in His Presence and just look to His face - the Pslamist says, "They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed." (Psalm 34:5)

God bless us all with these thoughts.


More on King Herod:
The King Herod, of Acts chapter 12, might possibly be King Agrippa I (10BC to 44 AD), also known as Marcus Julius Agrippa. According to historian Josephus, he was known in his time as "Agrippa the great". Further Josephus records the king's zeal for Judaism, both public and private. After Passover in 44, Agrippa went to Caesarea, where he had games performed in honor of Claudius. In the midst of his elation Agrippa saw an owl perched over his head. During his imprisonment by Tiberius, a similar omen had been interpreted as portending his speedy release, with the warning that should he behold the same sight again, he would die within five days. He was immediately smitten with violent pains, scolded his friends for flattering him and accepted his imminent death. He experienced heart pains and a pain in his abdomen, and died after five days. Acts 12 relates simply that he was eaten by worms.

References:
-wikipedia
--> Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae xix. 345-350 (Chapter 8 para 2)
--> http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_agrippa_i

The Pricelessness of Truth (Part 2 of 3)

Reference Passage: Acts chapter 12 verses 1 to 24
Just follow the link to read the passage online here

My humble request to all my readers would be to prayerfully read the Scripture at least once before proceeding.


Moving on to verse 3 of our passage, we see a strange irony. The Jews were celebrating an ancient religious festival of tremendous significance. Yet, they seemed to find enjoyment in the fact that someone who claimed to worship God had just been put to death. Given their orthodoxy, we could understand their fervour to some extent. However, did they reach their decision after a thorough examination of their own Holy Writ?
Sometimes, I think we're living in a similar contradiction today. We love to sing God's praises and attend Sunday meetings; we even do not mind distributing a few tracts once in a while. However, the moment someone comes along and says something thats contrary to our perceptions, we want to shoot him down. We shut our ears to anyone who admonishes our foolish living; we're ready to stone the Stephens who stand up and question our unrestrained lifestyle. We dismiss people saying, "Don't get so preachy, man..." But I ask: Is God our sole point of moral reference? Do we care enough for righteousness? Jesus foresaw this, when He warned, "They shall put you out of the synagogues: the time comes, that whosoever kills you will think that he does God service." (John 16:2)

The king had gone to great lengths to keep Peter bound. The ratio was sixteen to one: King Herod had very high regard for Peter's abilities to escape, it seems. However, a very chilling question surfaced as I reflected on the fourth verse. Would sixteen soldiers be sufficient to drive away my faith and my Christianity? Would the enemy be able to arrive at a price tag to snatch away the precious truth in my life? We cannot even concieve today of having to suffer for our faith.
Recently, I was in a conversation with a friend of mine who hails from a well known Keralite family with a rich Christian heritage. As we pondered over the political climate in India and the rising challenges to the Gospel, he told me how it was impossible for him to accept persecution because of the influence his family has wielded in the past. To even imagine a time like that was close to impossible, even though the reality cannot be denied. Solomon says, "Buy the truth and do not sell it." (Proverbs 23:23) The truth must be so precious that come what may, we'd do all we can to acquire it and be unwilling to sell it off. Pain or pleasure, joy or sorrow - nothing must be big enough to sacrifice the truth for.
A story that I heard long ago comes to mind about Christian persecution in Romania. Once, a secret gathering of Christians was raided by the police. The commander promised freedom to all who would spit at the Bible that was laid at the entrance, on their way out. Slowly and reluctantly, the members of the congregation proceeded to their escape, each doing exactly as the commander said. Finally, only a girl was left behind. Weeping, she walked up to the Bible, took it up in her arms and began to wipe away the spit that had almost drenched it. Immediately, the roar of gunfire descended on her and she lay down her life for what she treasured more than her life itself - the true Word of God.
My intention is not to excite you emotionally. We just need to ask ourselves the right questions and seek God's mercy for all the lame excuses we put up when Christianity becomes tough going. "Surely God understands - do I have to be that serious? Come on, all those people had lives to live...families to feed, responibilities to fulfill...God wouldn't mind." I wonder how different the situation would have been if Jesus would play around before the Crucifixion hoping to find a way out. Maybe, we still haven't understood what it took to make our salvation possible.

Our Lord said, "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Mathew 10:38-39) I think that gives an indication of what He expects from us. It needn't necessarily be persecution - it could be choosing not to cheat in the exams even when cheating is the norm and you don't know a thing. Or it could mean sacrificing some of the pleasures that everyone else enjoys, for God's sake. I'm trembling myself when I write this for I'm aware of my own limitations. All I can do is kneel in His presence and ask Him to make me stronger.

To be continued...

The Pricelessness of Truth (Part 1 of 3)

Reference Passage: Acts chapter 12 verses 1 to 24
Just follow the link to read the passage online here

My humble request to all my readers would be to prayerfully read the Scripture at least once before proceeding.


The passage talks about a phase of harassment that Christians of the first century faced at the hand of a tyrant called King Herod. Surprisingly, switching centuries to the present, many of us seem oblivious to the reality of suffering and harassment en route to Heaven. Even our prayers sometimes sound as if we believe nothing of this sort could come close to us. I've very often heard exhortations at prayer meetings, "Lets praise the Lord that we're alive and healthy - so many people are in pain and suffering, yet here we are to rejoice in His presence..." I ask a question here (this is not blind criticism): Are we trying to say that just because we're close to God, pain or sorrow cannot come our way like it does for all the others in the world? Besides, in the midst of all our good health, if we've still not grasped God's purposes over our lives and we're wasting it all on ourselves, are we not guilty of arrogance in God's Presence?
Let me make this clear: our rejoicing is not in the fact that no difficulty comes our way; rather, its in the fact that our Lord, who is victor over all, is right there with us through thick and thin, helping us on towards the goal. Read what He had to say in John 16:33. He does not sadistically enjoy the fact that we suffer - His aim is to use the fire to melt us and mould us and then rejoice at the shining end product in His hands. Take a look at what Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 8, verses16 and 17.
We all know how the swine flu virus has managed to capture headlines the world over and even as you read this, people are in terror in various parts of the globe. As I was driving to a prayer meeting recently, I was listening to the radio and silently thanking the Lord for being in control in the midst of all this turmoil. A question flashed through my mind. Let me word it like this:"Paul, its so easy for you to be thankful and peaceful when you're not in trouble. Would you be doing the same if you were the one with the flu, quarantined and shut away somewhere, hounded by media, shunned by all near and dear? Would it be just as easy to recognise My lordship or would your faith just melt away?" I had no answer. I hope we will not act like we're distant and hidden away from all thats happening around us; rather, lets pray with compassion for all who are suffering around us. Thats exactly what Jesus did: He took one look at the multitudes and was moved with compassion for them.

To be continued...