We Worship God because HE is God

We Worship God because HE is God

During the tenure of the great orator Henry Ward Beecher, a visiting minister (Beecher's brother) once substituted for the popular pastor. A large audience had already assembled to hear Beecher, and when the substitute pastor stepped into the pulpit, several disappointed listeners began to move toward the exits.

That's when the minister stood and said loudly, "All who have come here today to worship Henry Ward Beecher may now withdraw from the church. All who have come to worship God keep your seats!"

Psalm 96:9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

For the next few days we are going to talk about Worship.

Often the worship leader encourages the congregation to praise God and worship HIM for all the blessings God has given. For many the idea of Worshipping God is limited to the fact that he help us so we praise Him. Perhaps it is borne out of our flesh and the materialistic approach to God himself.

It is very important to know that God is good and HE is love. There is no doubt about it. God is the provider and he provides. But often our Worship is motivated by the needs that he has met and the new doors he has opened. Well then it’s not Worship, it’s just being grateful and perhaps diplomatic as well.   

We Worship God because He is God. There’s no other reason to add to it or make him more worthy. God alone is worthy of our Worship and he alone deserves it. Whether He works to our expectation or not, HE is still God. Whether we Worship HIM or not, HE is still God. We Worship God because HE is God.

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Stanley Thomas Isac

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

The unseen hand of God

THE UNSEEN HAND OF GOD

When we flip through the book of Esther, we realise that there isn't even a single mention of God in the book. Yet it is in this book that we see the mighty hand of God amidst the labyrinth of events. It was the providence of God on the Jewish race that saved them from genocide - the plan of an enemy of the Jews to mass slaughter the community.

In the Persian culture once an edict sealed with the king's signet ring was passed, there was no way to revoke that. Haman, the second in command to King Xerxes had made such an edict in the name of the King and it was decreed in all the provinces of the kingdom. The Jewish race was about to be annihilated by their amalekite enemy, Haman. There was no way out of this trap.

And to top that, from the first chapter of the book and throughout the unlikely events that follow, it seems as if there is no interception by God or mention of him.

It is true that the Jews were temporarily placed in the hands of Haman the agagite.
It's possible to question God's care and providence amidst this circumstance. It is also possible to question the trust of the Jewish exiles on God.

But God had a perfect plan in everything to get them out of his hands too.  In the right time Esther is brought into power and made the Queen to Xerxes. It was God's perfect framework.

Esther 4: 14 :- " And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this."

This was Mordecai's question to Esther. In the events that follow we see the entire community fasting together and Esther risking her life before the king to save her people.

The influence that Esther makes on the king and God's unseen hand to all these events are mesmerizing. Indeed the book of Esther does not directly mention God, but his providence is clearly at work. So is the trust and faith that Mordecai had on God. He is sure about the fact that restoration for Israel would arise from someplace. A true jew who had not forgotten the paths that his ancestors had been through.

There would be times in our lives when it's hard to see God's providence. But be sure to know that he is always at work. Maybe that is in a way which is unlikely, but remember to trust in him.

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Ansu Susan Oommen

Ansu is a student of Delhi University and a youth leader in Crossway. She can be reached at ansususan9828@gmail.com

Weak Foundation leads to destruction

Weak foundation leads to destruction

 
Jesus modifies His previous parable and applies it negatively to those who refuse to obey His words. In 7:26 He says, “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” The opposite of a wise man is a foolish man. A person who disregards Jesus’ words is called a stupid person. He is foolish. He didn’t build on the rock of Jesus’ words! Please note: The foolish builder also heard Jesus’ words but didn’t act upon them. The decision not to act on Jesus’ words, for whatever reason, is already a big decision. Every person is building a life according to some scheme, some design. People don’t build at random. Everyone has a world view or a philosophy. Who or what is your foundation? If it isn’t Jesus Christ, make sure He is today.

Why did the foolish man build his house on the sand? He miscalculated the weather. He thought every day was going to be sunshine. He thought his life was always going to be smooth. So he thought a sand hill would do as a foundation. Let’s face it; it is appealing to build on the sand. It’s found in a good location. It’s adequate. It’s easy. Who wants to dig down deep if you don’t have to (see Luke 6:47)? It takes more work to build on the rock. It takes more time and energy. And it costs more. It is easier and faster to build on the sand. It’s always easier to take shortcuts in building a home. It’s cheaper to use inferior materials. And for a while, no one may notice. But somewhere down the line, you will pay for your poor construction. The same is true when it comes to the foundation of your life. It is easier to go with the crowd. It takes less time and energy if you simply maintain a superficial faith. And frankly, most of the time, who can really tell the difference anyway? It’s easier to just show up for church for an hour a week than it is to develop spiritual roots. But there’s only one problem with this mentality, the Bible teaches that storms are coming……...

In 7:27, Jesus closes His parable with a storm warning: “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” Jesus concludes His parable and the entire Sermon on the Mount with an illustration of warning rather than of encouragement. I love encouragement. I like to encourage others and be encouraged myself. Yet, as much as I appreciate encouragement, there is something about a strong word of warning that catches our attention here. Jesus is saying, “You neglect My warning at your own risk!” Jesus’ warning has both a future and immediate application. The word “great”  is the last word in 7:27, hence the last word of the Sermon on the Mount. The point is that if you reject Jesus Christ, you will spend eternity separated from Him. This is the future judgment. Yet, there is also a present judgment that concerns believers. If you choose to disregard Jesus’ commandments, you too will fall in this life as well.

Do you know what many Christians do when it starts raining? They try to change foundations. When the sky gets dark, the winds pick up, and the rain begins to pour they pick up the telephone, call the most spiritual people they know, and say, “Help me build a new foundation under my house. It’s falling apart.” But you can’t change foundations when you’re in the midst of a storm. You have to lay your foundation before the storm comes, so that when the rain, the floods, and the winds come, your house is secure. This is also true in construction business. It is hard to lay a foundation when it’s raining. Workers have to stop pouring concrete when it begins to rain. The foundation has to be done on sunny days.

How is your foundation? Is it built upon the rock or is it built upon sand? If it’s built upon the rock, keep on. Continue doing what you’re doing. Continue to study God’s Word. Pray that He gives you an even greater hunger and thirst for His Word. If your foundation is built upon sand and you know you’re sinking down, build your foundation on the rock of God’s Word. Today, I invite you to do a building inspection of your life. If you want a stable life—one that doesn’t give in when the rain comes—build it on the rock TODAY.  

If you have never believed in Christ as your foundation stone, do so today.  

The Sermon on the Mount concludes in 7:28–29 with Matthew’s powerful first-hand account: “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” The crowds were amazed at two things: the matter and the manner of His teaching. They were spellbound by what He taught. He differed from anyone they had heard before. He kept going back to their motives, to what they were deep inside. He said that what mattered to God was their relationship with Him. He said that true religion wasn’t a performance; it was a deep reality of who we are deep inside.

In addition to their amazement at the matter of Jesus’ teaching, the crowd was impressed by the manner in which He taught. Jesus taught as one having authority, not as the teachers of the law. Rabbis were highly educated. They knew their 2,000 years of religious tradition inside and out, and they had studied all the learned opinions but they did not teach as if they had authority. In most of their teaching they simply quoted the experts But Jesus standing 2,000 years away from the Sermon on the Mount, thirty years of age, grown up in Nazareth, a carpenter without much schooling and yet, spoke with an authority that the older teachers of law did not have. He spoke with His own authority. He spoke with authority all through the sermon when He interpreted or reapplied the law. Indeed, Jesus Christ was and is amazing!

The sad thing is: The crowd didn’t accept Jesus as Savior; they were merely impressed. Don’t stop at being impressed with Jesus’ words. That is not enough! Many religious leaders, professors, literary writers, and moral people have been impressed with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. But this is inadequate. Belief in Christ is necessary for salvation. Obedience to Christ’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount is necessary for Christian health and growth.

When I go to the doctor, I must believe that he is able to help me. I must then submit myself to his authority so that I can become well. If I refuse to trust in the doctor and don’t submit to him, I have no one but myself to blame. Similarly, you must trust Jesus Christ for your spiritual deliverance and build your life on the strong foundation of God’s word.

Excerpt from the sermon notes of Dr. Sanjay Patra - Crossway - 22nd July 2018.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

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

Importance of strong foundation

Importance of strong foundation

 
In 7:25, you will discover why it’s so critical to build on the strong foundation. Jesus says,“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” Just look at the word “and” in 7:25. Jesus does not say “if the rain falls” or “if the floods come” or “if the winds blow.” He says, “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house” (italics mine). Jesus tells you clearly that storms will come and you will not be spared! And if you’ve walked with Christ for any length of time, you’ve observed that people who hear and do the words of Jesus have the very same crisis in their lives that people have who don’t do His words. Obedience to Christ does not mean rain, floods and winds will not visit. Anyone who tells you that the Christian life is all sunny days has told you a lie. Any way, the storms are what test us. Living in the sunshine of life doesn’t tell us much about ourselves. Anybody can build a house that will stand firm when the sun is shining and the wind is still. It is the storms that reveal the strength of your foundation. When you build on the rock you must expect storms, because only storms can show your wisdom to the world around you.

Sometimes the storm come in as you are pushed by sickness or the fear of death. You may develop a nagging injury that refuses to heal. Maybe you’re beginning to feel your age and this discourages you to no end. Times like these reveal the foundations of your life.
Sometimes the storm is a serious personal loss. You may lose a job that not only provides income but also provides you with self-esteem and personal security. Your carefully made investments but it stopped giving you returns you expected.  When you realize that you cannot depend on the thought you can depend on, everything in your life can come tumbling down and you see the faulty foundations of your life exposed.
In many cases, your foundation can be tested by prosperity. Prosperity comes like a gentle mild rain. At first you’re convinced it will make your life nice and comfortable. But when prosperity keeps coming, it can develop into a large destructive force as damaging as a storm. What you gain, not what you lose, often serves as the supreme test of your foundation. More men and women have been knocked off their spiritual foundation by wealth.
In 1999, Super cyclone destroyed thousands of homes in Orissa. One area I visited after the cyclone, I found the whole place completely devastated but in the midst of this one house remained standing, still firmly on its foundation. I realized, this house had a strong foundation and therefore the cyclone could not demolish it.

When personal storms come, many lives will be destroyed and left in shambles. Most people don’t build on the foundation of God’s word. But if you construct your life according to the building plan of Jesus, you will not be disappointed. While obedience to Jesus’ words is not a protection from the troubles; it is a protection in the troubles.  Your life may be shaken but it will not collapse and be swept away. I want to encourage you: All the time that you are investing in laying your biblical foundation will pay off. Building on the rock is the best flood insurance you can invest in. Storms will come and go. But, if you’ve built your life on the foundation of Christ, you have nothing to fear. A storm will only demonstrate the stability of your foundation.

Does the house of your life have a rock? Have you built your life on a strong foundation? We all need the rock. Without the rock, we would all just roll away. Place your faith in Jesus Christ today. If you’ve already placed your faith in Him continue to grow in Him. Base your life on God’s word. Read and meditate on God’s word, be involved in the church, invest your time, energy and money in the church.

Excerpt from the sermon notes of Dr. Sanjay Patra - Crossway - 22nd July 2018.

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Stanley Thomas Isac

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

Strong foundation

In Matthew 7:24–27, Jesus tells a parable that compares and contrasts two builders: one wise and one foolish. He emphasizes how critical it is to have a strong foundation.  Jesus was a carpenter. As part of the firm of Joseph and Sons in Nazareth, He must have built the furniture that people put into their homes and He had probably built some of the homes as well. Jesus knew the difference between a solid house and a weak one. However, this story is not just for architects, carpenters, and contractors. It is for you and me. Building a house is simply an analogy for building a life. The point is this: You are building a life and the foundation you choose is the most important feature of your life. In the verses that follow, Jesus provides two options for building your life.

Let's look at the first option today

1. Build your life on the strong foundation (7:24–25). Jesus says, “The only way to build a strong foundation is by obeying His words.” He begins His parable in 7:24 with the word “therefore,” which looks back to the entire Sermon on the Mount. In light of His teachings, Jesus says, “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” By using the word “everyone” (cf. 7:26), Jesus reveals that His words are intended for all people and for all time. He begins by stating that you must “hear” His words. In order to do so you must expose yourself to the truth. You can do this by reading the Bible, by reading Christian books, by attending church and other Bible studies, by getting involved in classes and small groups, and by meeting with Christian friends who can teach you. While this may sound quite challenging, this is what you do in every other area of your life, right? If you want to learn a skill or profession you must work hard. An athlete listens to coaches and more experienced players. An artist becomes an intern to learn from those who are more experienced. A student learns from a teacher in a classroom environment. In each of these cases, it is essential to not just hear the truth but to listen to the truth. Anyone who is married knows that there is a difference. Anyone who has a teenager knows that there is a difference between hearing and listening. The key to listening is to interact with the one doing the speaking. The best listeners I know are people who ask lots of clarifying questions such as: “What do you mean?” “Are you saying...?” “Can you explain that further?” These questions show that a person is listening. We should ask clarifying questions when reading God’s word. Is God warning me of something? Do I need to repent? Is this a promise that I can claim or a command I need to obey?

Jesus urges you to hear His words, but He doesn’t stop there. He goes on to say that you must act upon His words. If you are going to build on a solid foundation you must actually DO what Jesus wants you to do. Hearing His words is not enough. You are building your life on His words ONLY as you obey them. Let me explain: I have heard that vegetables are good for me. I believe this is true. I have even prayed that the Lord would change my taste buds and give me a desire for vegetables. Yet, I rarely obey what I know to be true by eating vegetables.  

In the same way, you can hear all of Jesus’ words and know them very well, but if you don’t do what He says, you aren’t building on the right foundation. Maybe you are not like that. That’s great. You have made a commitment to obey His words. When your finances have been especially tight and you’ve been tempted to not give to the Lord, instead you trust the Lord and give in obedience. In an impure world that glorifies immorality, you choose to abstain on a daily basis. When your children have these arguments with you, you continue to persevere, loving them and sharing God’s Word with them. When you have been the victim of gossip and slander and your flesh rises up to take revenge, you choose to forgive. When there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day, you still find a way to serve Christ’s church and people in your community. God sees your heart.

Strong foundation matters. We will continue to learn a bit on the importance of strong foundation tomorrow.

Excerpt from the sermon notes of Dr. Sanjay Patra - Crossway - 22nd July 2018.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

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

Walk like a champ

In February 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team slipped its foot into a glass slipper and walked away with a gold medal at Lake Placid, New York. Those collegians had shocked the world by upsetting the powerful Soviet team, and then they grabbed the championship from Finland while the crowd chanted, "U.S.A.!"  Before his team's victory over the Soviet Union which advanced them to the finals, the coach of the U.S. hockey team told his players, "You are born to be a player. You are meant to be here at this time. This is your moment."

Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

More often than not we are waiting for a victory, a deliverance and a breakthrough in our own life. We keep looking out of the window into the lives of others and just stare at their success and amazing life. We are like when will my time come. But we just forget that God has already given us the secret of success through Jesus Christ. We might be smiling on the outside, but in our hearts, we are like a lost warrior.

Most of the times we tend to be thinking with drooping shoulders and such poor thoughts about ourselves. Whereas we just forget that we are already victorious in Christ Jesus. But we haven’t accepted it. In Christ, our victory is not earned but received. It has to be translated into our behaviour, thoughts and walks. We already have it, Let’s just enjoy living the life given to us by God. Walk like a champ.   

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

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

Prayer and Scripture

As we continue to learn on prayer. We have learnt that we can only pray when we look at God as the Father. Else it will be a religious activity and won’t bring the effect of a relationship.

Once we have been acquainted with the Father and have tasted His love, His word becomes like honey to us for obedience (John 17:6), like how David mentions in Psalms. This obedience is different from the one that we have in the law that points us to ourselves. We are called into the obedience of faith (Romans 10:17).

Psalms 119:16 (NET) - I find delight in your statutes; I do not forget your instructions.

Psalms 119:97 (NET) - O how I love your law! All day long I meditate on it.

John 17: 14, world will hate because we are not ordinary.

The practice of reading the scriptures and praying are done in parallel. They cannot be isolated from one another.

The truth sets us free from a wrong perspective and preconceived notions. Jn17:7, We must understand everything which leads our focus to Christ. Understanding of our identity has to change from the person of Adam to the person of Christ.

We have to move into renewing our mind to test that God’s will is good, pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2). Jn 17:17, Jesus said “set them apart or sanctify in His unique truth”. His word cleanses us from all impure thoughts (John 15:3). We need to have a clear conscience to pray. It’s not God’s requirement. God will always accept us the way we are. But the clear conscience is for us. You can only go far as the knowledge of the truth helps to discern what is from God. So it’s very important to base our prayer along with the reading of the scriptures.

Excerpt from the Sermon Notes of Bro. Samuel V Thomas - Sunday 15th July 2018, Crossway.

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Stanley Thomas Isac

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

Encourage

The persecution and ravaging of the early Christians and the church in AD 34 were led by the young zealous Jew named Saul. He just had one mission - to wipe out Christians from the face of the earth. Thus, it was hard for the church to accept the subsequent transformation and conversion of Saul into being a follower of Christ. This is indeed a very well known story.

But often times we forget the man who encouraged Saul and brought the apostles to accept him. Inciting the disciples to believe in Saul by being a strong support to him, Barnabas earnestly worked to strengthen Saul.

Acts 9: 26,27 :- "When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.  But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus."

When no one was ready to accept Paul, Barnabas took him in and helped him to be in fellowship with other disciples. Barnabas is known as the son of encouragement. It was indeed his kind and positive attitude towards Saul that made him into apostle Paul. In the new testament, there are almost 14 epistles written by Paul, all encouraging Christians throughout the centuries to hold fast in faith.

It is in accord to the Bible that we live by encouraging and building up one another. Bearing each other's burdens and loving others earnestly is like being good stewards of God. A word of encouragement is enough to build up a man.

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Ansu Susan Oommen

Ansu is a student of Delhi University and a youth leader in Crossway. She can be reached at ansususan9828@gmail.com

Pray to our Father

Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."

John 17:1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you

For several in the Church, personal or corporate prayer look very boring. People make their best excuse to stay out of it. Probably it’s more of a religious thing rather than talking to Daddy. It looks like hard work than a daily habit for many. So our prayer lives suffer and we are more like the people of the world, who treat God more like an ATM than a loving father.

We often think that prayer is initiated by us. But no! The moment we call Him Father, we have just responded to who He is. He has always been the initiator and we merely respond. Our prayer begins with our response of knowing the Father. So our prayer times will be to receive his love and to express our love. His presence will fill us and we must get addicted to this. Let’s not pray to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob but let's pray to our Father.

Inspired by the sermon notes of Samuel V Thomas - Crossway - 15th July 2018

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Stanley Thomas Isac

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

God first

Someone once asked Tom Landry why he had been so successful as a football coach. He said, "In 1958, I did something everyone who has been successful must do, I determined my priorities for my life — God, family, and then football.”

Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

More often than not most tend to stick to one's own knowledge and understanding for most of the decisions. Perhaps when it comes to terminal disease we may invite God to heal and provide. Whereas the Bible teaches us to give the topmost priority to God and then everything else shall fall in its own place.

Sadly we seek God at the 11th hour or at our convenience. But we forget that God Is interested in all of our lives. Every bit of it and wants complete control. That's when HE can have HIS way and make our lives the most beautiful as it ought to be. Let God be our top most priority in every facet of life. God first.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

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

It’s now or never

In Saint Louis in 1984, an unemployed cleaning woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer the bees continued to fly in and out the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing city of bees.

The whole attic became a hive, and the ceiling of the second-floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of hundreds of pounds of honey and thousands of angry bees. While the woman escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated neglect.

Acts 24:27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

Felix the governor seemed to be a champ at procrastination. He had the best opportunity to know Jesus. He even knew the message of the cross and even realized his sin. But did not repent of it. Neither did he repent, nor did he release Apostle Paul. He was like, I will look into it later.

Most or maybe some of us, do use the phrase “I WILL DO IT LATER” extensively in our life. Whether it be Financial, Physical or Professional, we are like, “I WILL DO IT LATER. When it comes to God and things of God, I WILL DO IT LATER, is always there. The Church as a body is suffering because you and I as an important organ of the body are not functioning well. When you and I are not responsible in small or big thing, the whole body suffers. It’s now or never.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

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