Just Chill

James 4:10 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

The great land of India is mourning the death of the former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. He was known as the Missile man of India. He was a great scientist, teacher, writer, motivator and above all, a humble human being. On 30 July 2015, the former President was laid to rest at Rameshwaram’s Pei Karumbu Ground with full state honours. Over 100,000 people attended the last rites, including the Prime Minister of India, the Governor of Tamil Nadu and the chief ministers of Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. A great man who lived his dreams and motivated many.

As per protocol a former president and such dignitaries are not to be frisked at airport. But one such incident did happen with Dr. Kalam, infact twice.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dr-Abdul-Kalam-frisked-at-Delhi-airport/articleshow/4801820.cms

In fact, Kalam was very cooperative and underwent the entire process which happened over a month ago," said the public relations officer of Continental Airlines.  

It could have been a very shattering incident for any other so called politician or leader. But Dr. Kalam was unmoved and stayed calm. Guess the honor from the world is not all that we deserve. There is a sense of self-respect which will always remain if we look at things in the right perspective.

They say charity begins at home. But for many it’s not true. But for sure we can choose to live our lives the way we want and that is what really matter. Scripture teaches us not only to show humility but BE HUMBLE.  With humility comes a cool head on the shoulder. A calm state of mind is way better than anything else. Just chill!!! 

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Stanleytisac@gmail.com 

He is about to give you a revelation

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

I was about to appear for my 12th grade  exams. Like any other student I was closer to God during exams. Interestingly, since 10th grade I have always had a calling to serve the Lord. But I was a little hesitant to obey. That morning I was reading Bible with my mom and we were discussing the above written 2Corinthians 4: 16-18. It stuck to me as a revelation. 

That very evening I hurt my right hand in a slight fall outside my house. It was the end of the world for me. I was about to lose a year. But God miraculously provided a writer with the sanction of the Education board (CBSE). I did all my exams and by God’s grace came out in flying colors. But before all this God helped me to respond to HIS call for the glorious ministry. So I applied for my Theological training and thus began my walk of faith in serving my Master.

I am convinced that God gives a revelation with a purpose. Many claim a revelation, but do not draw even an inch closer to God. When you and I get a revelation, it is mostly during tough times. Guess tough times are very conducive to hear God’s voice. So if things are not going your way, it’s going HIS way. He is about to give you a revelation. 

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Stanleytisac@gmail.com 

Do you trust THE best ?

Psalm 27:1 

The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

Some of us limit God to Church and its four walls. We feel that God has very little to do with my studies, struggles and career. So even after singing the best song and praying our hearts out, we trust in our own abilities to make it big in life. 

My New Testament professor would often talk about God as the orchestrator in the authorship of Scriptures. It helped me understand how God is involved in even the smallest details of my life. Most of us walk with the fear of not making it big in life. It is mostly because we are still trusting in our own abilities whereas God wants to lead us from strength to strength and victory to victory.

Let us be able to invite God even in the smallest decisions of our life. Someone said: “Fear God and then you have to fear none. “Let that be our story. Do you trust THE best ?

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Stanleytisac@gmail.com

The final and ultimate revelation

Acts 10: 23b 

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.

Once in a while we hear of friends or family coming with a vision or a strange experience. I am always excited of the fact that God speaks in various ways. But we need to be discerning in our nature to hear what God says and not yield to the flesh. 

When Peter stood up to go to Cornelius’ house he was of course yielding to the vision he had. But it was part of a larger picture. The Great commission had always told the disciples to reach out to nations, but they were always unwilling. So the Spirit of God led Peter to gentiles with a vision. This experience was in line with the Word of God.

When you and I get to deal with such stuff in our daily Christian lives, we need to align it with the Word of God. Because when God works, HE works within the framework of HIS Word which is the final and the ultimate revelation.

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Stanleytisac@gmail.com 

….At all times….

Psalm 34:1

I will extol the Lord at all times;  his praise will always be on my lips.

Cricket is a very famous sport in India. People go crazy about it. Sachin Tendulkar is considered to be one of the greatest Indian cricketers who have played the game. Sachin’s fans have always believed in him. Even when he was not scoring well, they would cheer for him expecting him to make it big in the next game. Such was the belief in the talent of the legendary Indian who retired in November 2013..   

When we follow God, often times we don’t find things going the way we want to. It really leads us to disappointment. We are in fact discouraged to follow HIM anymore. Probably that comes because we sometimes forget the worth of Jesus. We tend to be carried away by the things of the world and do not believe in God’s time and HIS ways.

Psalmist reminds us that as a mature believer you and I need to trust in the ability of God at all times. Come what may, lets not forget that HE IS A GOOD GOD. We can have questions, but let’s never doubt HIM. Let’s be praising HIM at all times.

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Stanleytisac@gmail.com 

Power of confessing God's Word Daily

Isaiah 55:11

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

The Word of God is living and active. If you confess the Word of God over your heart and life, it will not return void. Words are spiritual seeds.

"Words of life produce life. Words of faith produce faith. Words of love produce love. Words of hope produce hope. Words of death attract spirits of death, words of doubt attract doubt, and words of fear attract spirits of fear".Therefore we must guard our SPEECH.

"Opening our ears more to the irrelevant will also affect our Belief"

If we listen to the TV more or divert our focus towards the eye pleasings of the world than to the WORD, we get attracted towards it and we believe in it. It aids the negatives to enter our thoughts which in turn makes us speak more negative.Most of the time we meet people who are believers and still speak negative. If his confession is wrong, his believing is wrong. If his believing is wrong, his thinking is wrong. If his thinking is wrong, it is because his mind has not been with the Word of God. All the three – BELIEVING, THINKING, SAYING – go hand in hand. God has given us His Word not to think according to the world, but to think in line with God’s Word.

Looking again at the key scripture in Romans 10:10, we see in capsule form God’s law of faith. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” In seeking anything from God, we must first believe in our hearts, because the Word said it. Then we must confess with our mouths that it is so. For example, to be saved, a man must believe in his heart and then confess with his mouth that Jesus died for him according to the scriptures, and that He was raised from the dead for his justification.

We confess with our mouths, yes it is for me. For example, to be saved a man must believe in his heart and then confess with his mouth what God’s Word says about it; and third, we see the answer to our prayer. Believe it, Confess it, Receive it. “… Whosoever … shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23).

The first step to manifestation in the kingdom of God is to speak God’s Word. Many times, a person’s heart is full of faith but that faith never gets released into the atmosphere because he or she doesn’t actually say what God has said! Speaking the Word of God is integral in getting results for the kingdom.

We must know that

#Word of God(double edged sword) has power and authority.

#It is alive

#Your attitude towards WORD is your attitude towards JESUS

#Blessing yourself every day will bring changes in your life.

#Logos(written word) can only act when it is spoken "Rhema".

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and if you’re not saying anything, you’re not creating anything. Keeping the Word in our mouths at all times is vital because of the creative power of words.

Tony John

Tony is one of the founding member of Crossway Church. He is involved with the Online activities of Church. He is presently working in Dubai and Serving the Lord with his local Church.

"Have Faith in God!" & Victory always follows faith

Can storms hear? 

We know Jesus spoke to the wind & said to the water, "Quite! be and still and the waters obeyed HIM.(Mark 4:35-41) 

Jesus commands his disciples to "Have faith in GOD!". Then he said,"Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed....." The big thing in Mark 11:22-23 is the word whosoever.

The power lies in the words of Jesus. When he commands us to do something, that command is our authority to do it. God wants us to be a winner in life. Once you accept Christ & begin living a life of faith doesn't mean that you will never experience hard times again. The devil is out to steal, kill & destroy you & He will try to win over you in any manner. He doesn't want you to live the life that God has planned for you. Enemny doesn't want you to be in the convenant relationship with God and God given rights. He doesn't want you to live with peace in your mind, and serve God. But Jesus wants you to walk in faith and be victorious, said in John 10:10.

If you wont quit, if you wont give up, then you are destined to win! Jesus has already defeated your enemy.

As long as you have faith in God and in his Word, it doesn't matter what your circumstances look like. Your problem, your situation, however bad it might be, will not change the Word of God. God's plan is for you to always be victorious! God sees you as winner-always! 

"Have Faith in God!" & Victory always follows faith.

Tony John

Tony is one of the founding member of Crossway Church. He is involved with the Online activities of Church. He is presently working in Dubai and Serving the Lord with his local Church.

Acknowledging the Source of all Wisdom

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.”Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.” Both knowledge and wisdom go hand in hand. A simple illustration would be, Knowledge understands that the lights on the traffic signal has turned red; whereas wisdom applies the brakes. We live in an age of stupendous information and technology where knowledge is available at our finger tips. So in all probability we may possess great knowledge but to exercise the wisdom to make optimum use of that knowledge we need Godly wisdom.

The book of Proverbs is one of the best books in the Bible to learn of biblical wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 speaks of both biblical knowledge and wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, / but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Knowledge is gathered over time through the study of the Scriptures. To fear the Lord, is to start on the path to knowledge, and God can then begin to provide us with wisdom through Christ, who the Bible says is wisdom itself which is so clearly mentioned in I Corinthians 1:30 - “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption”

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” God blesses us with His wisdom to glorify Him and use the knowledge we have of Him.

But sometimes in our desperation to figure out the big picture, we dwell on our own understanding by looking at things and circumstances from a very human perspective, thereby losing track of the amazing plans the Almighty God has in store for us. Isaiah 55:8-9 says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Our understanding can lead us astray. When we choose to direct our lives according to what seems right to us, we often reap disaster, as is mentioned in Proverbs 16:25 which says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."

But when we acknowledge God, as the sole source of all our wisdom and humbly walk in His will and plan then we begin to witness His miracles and wonders and His purpose is unravelled in our lives. Today, I would like to encourage and exhort you to walk in his wisdom, by focussing on these two verses.

Phillipians 2:13 ^“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”.

Romans8:28  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”.

Paul Samuel

Paul is serving as the Worship Coordinator of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at musicbuff99@gmail.com

The Call of the Hour: - A Righteous Generation that Delights in the Law of the Lord

Psalm 1:1,2

¹ Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

A mere glimpse of some of the famous reality shows and serials aired on Television these days would show you the crassness, violence, immorality and extremely low levels of standard that our generation has stooped down to, to be seen as cool and brash. The present generation is the most informed and also the most vulnerable generation the planet has ever seen. We are steeped in a culture where people hate being told how to live and idolize uninhibited “freedom.”

It is here that we as children of the most high God have a huge responsibility of leading by example, exhibiting the true righteousness of God by setting high standards of morality and integrity based on the word of God. Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will”

The psalmist portrays the life of a blessed man and highlights the goodness of delighting in the law of the Lord. The key to living a righteous life is by dwelling on the living word of God. The word gives us clear guidelines on how to conduct and present ourselves as lives that please God. The  word sanctifies and purifies our hearts but any action that doesn’t conform to the word gets enslaved to sin and its consequences thereof. When we meditate on his word and live according to it we are blessed by the Lord and we also get to enjoy the immense favor of God upon our life.

In Joshua 1:8 we read, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful”

Psalm 103:17, 18 says “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts”.

When we delight in the law of the Lord, we no more look to it as stringent laws that bind our freedom but instead we view them as guidelines that helps us live a blessed life nourished and planted in the house of the Lord.

In conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to these beautiful verses from Psalm 92 from verses 12 to 14 which very exquisitely shows forth the fruits of living a righteous life, “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green”.

Paul Samuel

Paul is serving as the Worship Coordinator of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at musicbuff99@gmail.com

Having Complete Faith And Dependence On God

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not be faint. The bedrock of all relationships is an endearing trust upon each other. When there is no trust a relationship stagnates and meanders to a staggering low point. Faith and dependence have no existence without Trust. Trust can only begin when we give our complete self to that  person by not holding back ourselves, hoping that it will all work together for good.

This verse was written at a time when the Israelites were held captive by the mighty Babylonians. The Babylonian empire was the most ruthless and powerful empire at that time. The Israelites were powerless, bruised physically and mentally, weak and feeble, having no prospects of deliverance from their belligerent and merciless captors. Only few prisoners saw a small flicker of  hope that some day they would return to their homeland. It was under these perilous circumstances that Isaiah wrote these words to encourage and exhort the prisoners to not lose hope and trust in the almighty God to deliver them from their captors.

The first part of the verse talks about “waiting”. The term waiting in essence implies an attitude of immense faith and trust. To cite a simple example, when we stand in a que at Mcdonalds we patiently wait for our turn to place the order, because we have immense faith that the item we order will be presented on our table. Similarly, when we wait on God we basically exercise our trust and faith to believe in the wonder working power of our almighty God. Unbelief, pride and self confidence are the biggest deterrents to waiting upon God. When we wait upon God He does umimaginable things beyond our human comprehension. God honours those who are ready to wait upon Him and let him take complete dominion over their life. Then it no longer is a case of us doing things on our own strength but trusting on God to lead us forward victoriously. We need to yield to his will for the period of waiting to come to fruition. This requires complete surrender, placing all our faith and dependence on the sole source of all our strength, God.

The first part of the verse also talks of “renewing our strength”. The Hebrew word commonly used for the term renewal is “chadash” which  means to change, to alter; to revive, to renew, to cause to flourish again that which has decayed. What we think is a dead end is a fresh turn for God. When we give the reigns of our life in His hands He breathes a fresh life into our dead situations by renewing our strength and invigorating us to go higher and deeper than ever before. When we walk in His strength we become more than conquerors in all adversities and troubles.

In the second part of the verse, Isaiah seamlessly draws our attention to an Eagle. He compares the soaring flight of the eagle to those whose strength is renewed by the Lord. The eagle is among a rare category of birds which lives and retains its vigour to a great age. Popular opinion states that a eagle plunges itself in the sea and casts off its old feathers, and that new feathers come forth, and thus it lives for a long age. The flight of an eagle is very high compared to most birds and they possess immense strength and vigour and they fly out of any danger. Isaiah exhorts and encourages the prisoners that their strength will be restored and they will rise up out of their captivity just like a soaring eagles flies high out of any apparent danger. When we walk with God on our side we have nothing to fear because He is in complete control and he takes us on that flight of ascendancy where no danger can befall us.

The final part of the verse says ‘they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not be faint. If we go forth in our own strength, we will faint, and utterly fall; but having our hearts and our hopes in heaven, we shall be carried above all difficulties, and be enabled to lay hold of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus.

Today, lets bring everything to God, learning to trust and depend on Him alone for all our needs, no matter how big or small it is.

Paul Samuel

Paul is serving as the Worship Coordinator of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at musicbuff99@gmail.com

Realising the God given Potential In Our Lives

Anne frank once said, Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is! 

There are multiple stories about people, destined for greatness who simpy put threw it all away to the gooses. One such noteworthy example is Diego Maradona, the great Argentine footballer who once mesmerised and enchanted the whole world with his magical ability. He is arguably considered the best footballer of the century, a title only accorded to the great Pele himself . The artistry he exhibited with a football was pure magic and people who saw him play in his prime still reminisce his exploits on the field fondly, especially how he single handedly guided his nation to a world cup trophy in 1986 .

However due to his famed tomfoolery he couldn’t handle the unprecedented rise to stardom which sometimes assumed fanatical proportions across the globe. Maradona’s genius was often undone by an unquenchable thirst for self-destruction that came to a head on June 30th 1994 when he tested positive for a banned drug , despite similar warnings and precautions issued by people who loved him. He was banned from playing football by FIFA and could never recover from that shock again. If only he knew His potential he would have been wiser in the way he conducted himself. Such a pity, he was destined for so much more but succumbed to his madness and failed to hold the reigns to his own life.

A similar biblical example is of Samson. Samson is among the rare characters in the bible whose birth was divinely pre-announced to his parents. He was born a Nazirite, meaning he was “separated” or “set aside” for God. This meant he was not supposed to drink wine or fruit of the vine. He also couldn’t go near or even touch a dead body, human or animal, nor could he cut his hair (which was the secret of his God ordained strength). Though knowing this fully well that he was set apart for a special service to God, Samson consciously ignored these Nazirite vows of Godly devotion and relied upon his own strength and abilities rather than upon God’s. God empowered him with supernatural strength to begin the deliverance of His people (the Israelites) from the Philistines, but his serenading weakness for the foxy and charming Philistine women did him in.

His desire or lust for women became important to him than God’s expressed will.  It was this passionate obsession for Delilah that led him to reveal to her the secret of his amazing strength. His hair was shorn by Delilah, and, as a result, he was captured, blinded, and forced to grind grain for his enemies. Eventually, while in prison, Samson’s strength did return, and he died while destroying the temple of the Philistine god Dagon, killing thousands of Philistines, more than the number of those he ever killed in his whole lifetime.

Such a shameful ending to a man who was hailed to be a saviour for his generation. His life ended on a tragic note. A man of valour and extraordinary strength, born to be a hero dies with one last redeeming act of divine strength. God did have mercy on Samson even in his last dying moments but his story could have been so different had he realised the enormity of the call and potential that God had placed in his life.

God has placed immense potential in all of us and we need to seek the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit to tap into those resources and walk with God into the glorious life He has kept in store for all of us.

Paul Samuel

Paul is serving as the Worship Coordinator of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at musicbuff99@gmail.com

Compete in the Race to Win

1 Corinthians 9:24

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

At the goodwill games in Edmonton, Canada, the Jamaican team was participating in the four-by-one hundred meter relay. The third leg for the Jamaican team had a friend who was competing in another event nearby. While the sprinter was waiting for the baton, he looked up for a moment to try to catch how his friend was doing in his event. Meanwhile, his fellow teammate who was running the second leg snuck-up to hand over the baton to him. Because he was not focused, there was a mishap during the transfer of the baton. Needless to say, the Jamaican team lost the race. Later, after all the analysis was made, it was concluded that they lost all because the third leg was not focused.

Christians! We are all in a race. And Paul is encouraging us to stay focused, so that we can win the race. Let us stop looking how everyone else runs their race, and focus on running our own race.

Stephen Thomas

Stephen is an ordained Christian Minister and a Bible teacher who is a mentor to several youth leaders in Crossway Church and around the globe. He is a regular visiting Speaker in Crossway Church, New Delhi. He can be reached at stephenthomas6400@hotmail.com

Experience Life in the Liberty of Christ

Galatians 5:1

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage….”

I heard this story about a bear cub that was rescued after her mother had been hit by a car. The cub was put in a temporary 12 x 12 cage by a wildlife rescue habitat until they could decide what to do with her. Day after day the cub just paced back and forth — from one end of the cage to the other—pining for her mother. Months passed by, and no concrete decision was reached as to the future of the bear. In the meantime, she began to grow rapidly. She became proficient in moving about within her 12 x 12 cage. Since she was soon going to outgrow the cage, the bear’s handlers decided to enlarge her world, and built a 36 x 36 foot cage, so that it would allow her lot more room to experience her caged up life. To the amazement of the handlers, even in the new, enlarged surrounding, the bear continued to live her life as though she was still in the 12 x 12 cage. The problem was that it was still hostage to the limitations of the old life. Although the animal had been promoted to a whole new environment, it didn’t let go the old habits that had been learned in her old environment.

Many Christians are like this bear. We are so determined to live under the limitations and restrictions of a performance-based approach to Christian living. Sometimes I wonder if we can even handle the new freedom of living under grace. We continue to live our lives limited by the law, not realizing that we’ve been set free to a lot more room under grace. That is why Paul reminds us not to live the life we lived when we were in darkness, but walk as children of the light. Grace has set us free to live in true freedom.

Stephen Thomas

Stephen is an ordained Christian Minister and a Bible teacher who is a mentor to several youth leaders in Crossway Church and around the globe. He is a regular visiting Speaker in Crossway Church, New Delhi. He can be reached at stephenthomas6400@hotmail.com

HE will take you to the Finish Line

Hebrews 12:2

“…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In the Olympics, one of the events in rowing involves a bunch of guys who row their boats with their backs to the finish line. From the starting point to the end of this event, they are unable to see the finish line. But at the front of the boat seated is “the coxswain,” the leader who gives them the path they need to follow.  The guys who are rowing the boat fixes their eyes on the coxswain, and strictly follows his instructions. It is true that they cannot see where they are going. However, the coxswain gives a cadence and keeps them on track.

Christians, the writer of Hebrews unswervingly states, “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus…. (Hebrews 3:1)”; and motivates us to fix our eyes on the One who has gone on victorious before us. He is the one who gives us the direction in our daily walk. That is why Paul admonishes his readers to have confidence in this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). In other words, the One who got you into the race, will take you to the finish line.

Stephen Thomas

Stephen is an ordained Christian Minister and a Bible teacher who is a mentor to several youth leaders in Crossway Church and around the globe. He is a regular visiting Speaker in Crossway Church, New Delhi. He can be reached at stephenthomas6400@hotmail.com

Judge not, that you be not judged!

Matthew 7:1

Dr. Charles Swindoll, a respected and admired bible teacher in the Christian world, was invited to speak at a camp. A gentleman came to him and said, “Oh, Dr. Swindoll, I have waited so long for this week, I am going to eat up everything you have to say.” Swindoll thanked him.

Sunday night, the man was sitting on the front row, and the man started nodding. Swindoll figured that he had a long drive and was probably tired. Tuesday night, the man started nodding, and so it was on Wednesday night also. Swindoll was now getting a little upset. How could this man sit on the front row and nod away? Swindoll thought. As a preacher who had prepared well for this occasion, it didn’t feel good to see someone sleeping on him. He was getting frustrated with the man. Thursday night, the story was the same.

On Friday morning, the woman sitting next to him came to Swindoll and said, “I want to thank you for the ministry this week. Oh, and by the way, I apologize about my husband sleeping on you. You see, he has terminal cancer and the doctors have given him a couple of weeks to live. When we discussed about what he wanted to do before he died, he said, ‘I want to go hear Chuck Swindoll.’ Dr. Swindoll, the doctors have put him on strong medications to alleviate his pain, but they make him extremely drowsy. I sincerely apologize that he has been sleeping, but I honestly wanted thank you for making this the best week of his life before he goes home to be with the Lord.” Swindoll later said he would have crawled under a rock, because he misjudged, and reacted without proper investigation.

James cautions his readers about discriminating and misjudging people when he writes, “2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:2—4)”

In the last couple of months, God has been teaching me to be sensitive, and not fall into the trap of misjudging and writing people off, but rather, work towards building people up so that they are lead to a closer walk with God. And my sincere prayer is that He will grant everyone reading this blog also to do the same.

Stephen Thomas

Stephen is an ordained Christian Minister and a Bible teacher who is a mentor to several youth leaders in Crossway Church and around the globe. He is a regular visiting Speaker in Crossway Church, New Delhi. He can be reached at stephenthomas6400@hotmail.com

Trials, the Crucible Where God Shapes Your Character

1 Peter 1:6-7

“6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ….”

 

The refinishing of an antique furniture is a remarkable process. Strong chemicals strip away the old varnish. Then sandpaper machines sand it down, exposing all the crooks, corners, and crevices that need repair. The sanding continues until the surface is even. Then it is varnished over and over until it has a smooth, refinished surface. It is varnished until it gets back the glory of its originally intended look.

 

God will strip us down. He will sand and sand. He sands until he exposes every scratch, every corner and every cranny. This is the part that hurts the worst. This is the part where most of us believers, will cry out to the Lord in pain. This is the part where we must trust that His grace is sufficient. God follows the sanding process with the varnish. This is the point at which the life of Christ shines through in the life of the Christian. Our identity in Christ begins to reveal itself, we will find power we never had before after we have been broken. Christian! Take comfort when you go through trials because He’s not finished with you yet!

 

Stephen Thomas

 

Stephen is an ordained Christian Minister and a Bible teacher who is a mentor to several youth leaders in Crossway Church and around the globe. He is a regular visiting Speaker in Crossway Church, New Delhi. He can be reached at stephenthomas6400@hotmail.com