Worship God In Truth And In Spirit June 18, 2008

Question Text.  Now I am living in a country where Sunday is a working day.  Back home I used to attend worship services on Sundays.  Is it alright for me to attend worship services on Fridays as that is the only possibility?

Answer Text.  Thank you for your question. In order to understand your problem, you need to understand what the Bible teaches about worshp. Then worship services will fall in the right place.

Worship is defined as human response to devine revelation. The Englsih word worship has come to us from the Anglo-Saxon word which meant `worthship`. In other words in worship we are trying to ascribe worth to God. How could this be possible at all? We can decide the worth of a wrist watch or we can evenn decide the worth of a huge business complex. How in the world are we going to ascribe worth to God who is Eternal and Invisible, and who lives in light unapproachable? St Paul comes to our aid when he says in Rom 12:1 `I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service`. The last phrase `reasonable service` is rendered as `spiritual worship` in other translations. Thus true worship according to the Bible is to give ourselves completely as a holy, acceptable, living sacrifice to God. This is an attitude of life. This is the whole of our lives. So worship is our holy living before God every moment of our lives. With out this if you go to a worship service, Jesus our Lord would say, `This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.` (Mat.15:8-9). I hope you are a true worshipper of the Lord in this sense of the Word. If not, write back to me and I shall guide you in the Lord.

Now, about worship services. There is no command any where in the Bible that we should gather on Sundays. We are admonished not to neglect the gathering together of the saints(Heb.10:24). When ever the people of God gathered together, they had corporate worship. There is no question about it at all. We are commanded to do this(breaking of bread and sharing of wine)in remembrance of the Lord (Lk.22:19). Paul in 1Co 11:26 tells us, For `as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show` the Lord`s death until He shall come. Ofcourse we know from Acts 20:7 that the early disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread. This must have been Saturday evenings according to our recokening as a Jewish day began in the evening (Lev.23:32b). So the time of our gathering together to worship the Lord is not specified in the Bible. You can be happy and attend a worship service on a Friday as you would do it on a Sunday.

 I hope this answers your question. Please feel free to write back to us if you need clarification on  spiritual issues.

Read articles on prayer and experiences in prayer at www.mathewpaul.org .

 

 

Praying For One Another June 14, 2008

In  chapter 5 and v.16 James talks about praying for one another. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.”(Js.5:16). This verse is a misunderstood verse of the Scripture. Taking a cue from this verse, our Roman Catholic friends have developed confessions to priests. Surely this verse is not talking about that at all. It is talking about interpersonal confession of sins when ever required.

‘Healing’ in this verse does not merely mean physical healing. It is an all inclusive word and it means the healing of the whole being. It means mental healing as well as physical healing. It means to become wholesome and whole before God. Mt.13:15; 1 Pet 2:24, Heb 12:13 and other verses in the Scripture clearly tell us that ‘healing’ is much more than mere physical healing. In all the above verses the total well being of the person is in mind. Here in our verse also it is the same.

For the total well being of a believer James suggests that we need to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another.

 Are we enjoying wholesome lives in our families and in our assemblies? If not James tells us the secret of our failure. We have failed to confess our sins to one another and we have failed in our responsibility of praying for one another. The word for ‘sins’ is not the regular words used for sin in the Bible. The regular words for sin include the idea of transgression and missing the mark and being unrighteous, but the word here carries the idea of ‘fall’ or we may say ‘pit-falls’ or ‘failures’ or ‘faults’ or ‘offences’ in our lives. They may not be the regular things which we call ‘sins’ but small failures in our lives which make life unwholesome. It may be my body language which hurts the other believer in the pew. We may not have said nor done any thing wrong. It may not be called a sin in the regular sense of the word. Nevertheless, it has wounded my brother or sister either at home or in the house of God. If I do nothing about it, the wholesome life which we should enjoy at home or in the house of God is affected. They need to be healed, and that healing is implemented by our confession and our praying for one another.

Is some one hurting you in one way or the other? I suggest, you begin to pray for that person. Pray for the spiritual growth of that person. Pray for the material needs of that person. Amazingly you will see that your prayers have tremendous impact on both of your lives.

 Do you feel that some one is hurt by you in some way? I suggest it is time for you to talk to that person and rectify the situation. To confess means ‘to say the same thing’. To confess sin means to agree with that person and say that it was wrong to have done something which hurt them. On the other hand if you say, “but… you see…”, that is giving reason or explanation. That is not confession. If your reason or explanation does not satisfy the other person, you need to confess in order to enjoy wholesome life.

 Are you enjoying a wholesome life? Have you been hurt and no one bothers about it? Or have you caused a hurt in the heart of a fellow believer or member of the family and you are not bothered it at all?

 Do you know that your worship and singing and offerings have not been acceptable to God if you are living an unreconciled life? “If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar and there remember that your brother has some thing against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering”(Mt.5:23.24).

 Let us not fool ourselves thinking that we are great worshippers or that we are great givers. Our worship and our gifts would never reach God if our failures in our relationship to our fellow believers were not rectified, confessed, prayed over and reconciled with. Let each one of us search our hearts to see if there are pit-falls or failures in our lives which prevent us from being wholesome worshippers before God and being acceptable to Him.

 How often we go to the Lord’s presence after hurting one another at home? Let us begin at home. Let us learn to say ‘sorry’ to our loved ones. Let us be open before them. If we harbor ill-feelings towards one another, remember that we are the losers. Their wounds have come between us and God and we would lose our ever abiding presence of God.

 There are verses of Scripture at which I shudder. One of them is found in Mt.18:7. Jesus, our Lord said, “…woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes”. Have I been causing a hindrance to my fellow believer? Remember, I am under a woe! Brother, sister, wake up, get reconciled, remove all causes of stumbling from your lives, humble yourselves before God and before man and rectify the situation. Let that woe go away from your life. Be a blessing to the family and to the assembly and indeed to the world around you.

 There is a verse in 1Cor. 8:18 where it says to sin against a brother by wounding his weak conscience is to sin against Christ. How many of us are guilty before God in this area of our lives! God, have mercy on us. Next Sunday before you stretch your hands for the bread and the wine at the time of remembrance, make sure that there are no unsettled issues in your life. Shudder to eat and drink judgment to yourself (1Cor.11:29).

 Let us confess our pit-falls, failures, faults and our offences to one another. Let us pray for one another. Thus let us enjoy a healed and a wholesome relationship not only with one another but also with God.

 For more articles on prayer and for experiences in prayer visit www.mathewpaul.org

To His Name be all glory.

An Explanation OF Lk.16:1-12. June 10, 2008

Question Text:   Kindly explain Lk.16:1-12.  What does this passage teach us?

Answer Text:  This is a portion of the Scripture which gives a lot of discomfort to casual readers of the Bible. Here our Lord seems to appreciate the character of an unfaithful servant who showed more shrewdness when he was dismissed from work and the master appreciating his latter behavior is really hard to understand.

In order to understand this story, one must know the difference between a parable and an allegory. A parable is a story told to bring home one point. But an allegory is a story where each participant or incident in the story represents some thing else in real life. There are several allegories in the Old Testament. Isa. 5:1-7 is a good example of an allegory. But there are several parables in the New Testament. The present one is a good example. It is told to teach one point and that one point is found in v.8. The Lord commended his wisdom in that he planned for his future. If you begin to allegorize parables, you are going to end up in real trouble and come out with many funny interpretations of the Bible. Don’t ever do that, please.

Let us come to the story itself. Vv.1-7 is the parable. When an unfaithful steward was dismissed from work, he thought very carefully and he cunningly PLANNED FOR HIS FUTURE. Planning for his future was appreciated by the Lord.

 V.8 says that the children of this world are wiser than the children of light. How are they wiser? They are wiser because they plan for their future! Their only future is their retired life here on earth. They plan very well for the same. But the children of light are not wise enough to plan for their future which is ETERNITY.

V9 our Lord says that we should use the ‘unrighteous mammon’ (earthly riches are unrighteous simply because they are earthly) which you have to leave one day, any way, to make friends for eternity. That means spend your money to win souls and the souls there in heaven because you used your money to spread the gospel will receive you gladly as they probably would not have heard about Christ if you had not shelled out your money to reach them with the gospel.

V.10 is a simple statement of truth. One’s faithfulness is tested in small things. No one can be faithful in much if he is dishonest in small things.

V11. Unrighteous mammon represents earthly riches. True riches at the latter part of the verse represent spiritual things. No one who is unfaithful in earthly things will ever be given spiritual responsibilities. So earthly riches/responsibilities given to you, are really a test of your faithfulness to God.

V.12. Earthly riches are really not yours as you have to leave it one day and go. That is why it is described as ‘another’s’. Spiritual riches are yours for ever to keep. That is why it is described as ‘one’s own’. The moral is, if you are not faithful in earthly things, then you are never going to get spiritual riches which are going to be yours for ever to keep.

 So be wise and plan for your future which is eternity. Use your earthly riches, which is going to fail you one day, to make as many eternal friends as is possible. Only the spiritual riches that you gained on earth are going to be with you as your own for ever to keep. May the Lord bless you.

Read articles on prayer and experiences inprayer at www.mathewpaul.org .

Faith Is Assurance; Faith Is Confidence June 9, 2008

I think the word ‘faith’ is one of the most misunderstood words in the dictionary.  To many people faith comes into play when evidence fails.  Faith for them works when there is no assurance whatsoever.

 One  Dictionary defines faith as ‘complete trust or confidence’.  That indeed is the basic meaning of the word. Thus it comes to mean ’strong belief in a religion’  and then ‘a system of religious belief’.  

The verbal form of faith is ‘to believe’.  Believe is defined in the dictionary as ‘accept that(something)is true or (someone) is telling the truth.  To believe in means ‘have faith in the truth or existence of’.  To believe then comes to mean ‘have religious faith’.

Belief is defined as ‘a feeling that something exists or is true, especially one without proof’.  Belief is ‘a strongly held opinion’.  Belief in means ‘trust or confidence in’. Then it comes to mean ‘religious faith’. 

 Just a casual look at the dictionary definitions of these words will tell us that ‘faith’, ‘belief’ and ‘to believe’  are not essentially religious words to begin with.  Faith and beliefs are the essential core of human existence.  For instance, if we have strong conviction that eating certain kinds of food is not good for health, that is our belief based probably on experience or based on our reading. 

Human society can not function without faith and trust in one another.  For example, I can not drink my morning coffee with milk in it if I do  not trust my milkman.  I believe that he supplies clean milk without adulteration and it is therefore not harmful for my health.  If I  have slightest of doubt(opposite of faith)that there is poison in the milk, I would never ever take it.  I take milk because I trust my milkman.  Likewise I take a flight because I trust the Airlines company. I work in a company because I believe that at the end of the month they will pay me.  I go to the railway station in time because I have faith in the railway timetable.  Thus we see that faith and trust are essential for the very existence of our human society.

Ordinarily people trust each other based on  personal experience or based on the experience of other people around them.  They do trust because things are  visible to their naked eyes.  Many have difficulty in trusting the invisible.

That invisble things are around us is an indisputable thing.  The air that we brethe and the electricity that we use are not visible to naked eyes.  But we yet we heavily rely on them based on our experience.

When it comes to God, God also is invisible to naked human eyes.  Yet He is real and His presence is real.  This we know from experience.  The experience we have about God is gained from reading the Word of God which is the Bible.  The Bible gives us insights about the person and the works of God. The Bible tells us what we can expect from God when we behave in a particular way.  This truly comes from experience.  Just as we trust people and things around us based on experience, we can learn to trust God based on experience.  That is why the Bible defines faith as ‘assurance’ and ‘evidence’ (Heb.11:1).

 Ofcourse there are occasions when we trusted some people and  they failed us in the last minute.  No one can be a hundred percent sure that the next train will come in time or the next flight will reach safely.  Yet we trust in them.  But one can be a hundred percent sure that God would do what He says in His Word.  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will not )Mt.23:35).   Yet many do not want to trust Him because they have not experienced Him.  To me faith in God is more reliable than faith in  any man or  faith in any human system.  That is why the Bible says, it is better to put your trust in God than to put your trust in man(Ps.118:8).

(For Articles on prayer and experiences in prayer visit www.mathewpaul.org)

 

Why God Demands Obedience From Man? June 6, 2008

One of the dictionary definitions of obedience is ‘humble respect’.  God expects man to pay humble respect to all His laws.  In fact, the very first sin of humanity was disobedience to the command of God. 

 

The word ’sin’ is a totally misunderstood term.  When the Bible says all men are sinners, many are offended at that.  When one realizes that the word ’sin’ in the Bible is a technical term and that it has special meaning attached to it in the Bible, the problem is somewhat solved.  For example, the words ‘bug’ and ‘virus’ in a computer textbook are technical terms and they have special meanings attached to them.  Unless those meanings are arrived at, one can never comprehend a computer textbook.  1Jn.5:17 defines what the Bible means by the word sin.  “All wrongdoing is sin” (RSV).  In simple terms all mistakes are sins.  Is there some one out there who has never ever made a mistake in life? The Bible categorizes all spiritual and moral mistakes as sins.

 

If God expects man to obey Him and then when man disobeys, it is a mistake and therefore it is a sin.

 

The Bible could not be clearer when it says, “And Samuel said, ‘Has the Lord much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed better than fat of rams’” (1Sam.15:22).

 

Why is there such an emphasis on obedience in the Bible?  Are we to think that God is a cruel despot and He does not want any one to think or do any thing against Him as some people are prone to think?  No, never.  God is not a cruel despot at all.  He is a God of love.  Yes, indeed, God is love (1Jn.4:8,16). 

 

Why does the loving God expect every one of His creatures to obey Him always?  The answer is very simple.  Since He is our creator, He knows what is best for us.  Psa.103 v.14 puts it so beautifully when it says, “He knows our frame”.  He knows what is best for us.  He also knows what is going to hurt us.  And graciously He has revealed His laws to His people. The Bible is like an operator’s manual.    “He shows His Word to Jacob, His Precepts and His judgments to Israel”(Psa 147:19).  He has not done so with any nation; and they have not known His judgments. Praise Jehovah!” (Psa 147:20).   And that is why Ezekiel would ask, “Oh, House of Israel, why should you die?” Eze.18:31b).  

 

In His sovereign will, God has given man the ability to choose to obey Him or not to obey Him.  But when man chooses to disobey Him, God knows it is going to hurt man. And God is helpless as man is using the freedom to his own ruin.   When man gets hurt, that is hurting God Himself (Is.63:9).  That is why God says, “I have no delight in the death of the wicked” (Eze.18:23). God permits it with tears.  God hates disobedience and sin as it is going to hurt the sinner.  In turn it is going to hurt God Himself.  So let us remember that when ever we break a known command of God, we are hurting ourselves and in turn hurting the loving heart of God.  Hence the talk about crucifying the Son of God afresh in Heb.6:6.

 

For Articles on prayer and experiences in prayer visit www.mathewpaul.org .

You Can’t Do With Out Prayer June 5, 2008

Have you ever wondered why is there such an emphasis on prayer in the Scripture?

I see two unavoidable reasons for such instructions. The first reason is that man is basically a dependent being. Physically we depend heavily on the air that we breathe and the food we eat. No one could imagine living physical life without depending on them. Likewise we depend a lot on people around us. Imagine an individual in total isolation. What kind of dress is he going to wear? What kind of food is he going to eat? What kind of house is he going to live in if he was all alone in this world? People around us make our lives so easy and we all depend on the society that we live in.

This is not only true for our physical existence, but also for our mental well being. We need the moral support of people around us to make our lives happy. If there is no moral support from any one around, our lives will become all the more difficult.

Then we all know that man is not merely body and soul. Man has a spirit and that spirit in man craves for the Infinite Spirit who is God. Man can ultimately be satisfied only by totally depending on God for His spiritual survival. Without this dependence on God, man would be left alone and he would be a ‘cave-dweller’ spiritually. So for his spiritual well being, man ought to depend on God in prayer regularly.

Another clear and simple reason as to why men should pray is clearly spelt out in Scripture when it says, “Ask and you shall receive” (Mt.7:7); “…you have not, because you ask not…” (Jas.4:2). From these and other verses it is clear that God does not interfere in our lives without our asking for it as God has given us the right to choose Him or not.

Based on the Scripture we can categorically say that God does not, God will not, yes indeed, God cannot work in our lives without our prayer. That sentence may sound a little harsh; but I strongly believe that it is true. Can God save a person who does not want to repent and call upon His name in faith? No; it is not possible according to the Bible.

So prayer is a must if God must work in our lives. 

Read more articles on prayer and experiences in prayer at www.mathewpaul.org

 

Taking Authority In Prayer June 4, 2008

As God`s adopted children through Christ (Eph.1:5; Gal.4:5) now we already enjoy spiritual authority with which we address God as `abba` `Father`(Rom.8:15; Gal.4:6). When Jesus, our Lord, was talking to His disciples in Luke 10, He said, `I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over the whole authority of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you` (v.19). At His ascension our Lord said, `All authority is given to Me in heaven and in earth (Mt.28:18). So on the authority of Christ we enjoy a spiritual authority which is unquestionable.

Now if one wants to exercise this God-given authority, one must live in close communion with Him. Only in fellowship with Him can we enjoy and exercise this authority. Our Lord said, `Without Me you can do nothing` (Jn.15:5). The same verse tells us that only those who abide in Christ can enjoy such authority. John15:7 is a crucial verse in this context. It reads, `If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, (then) you shall ask what you will and it shall be done to you.` From this verse we know that abiding in Christ literally means His words abiding in us. Only a person who has allowed himself/herself to be filled with the Word of God can ever enjoy the spiritual authority which God has already granted us.

Let the Word of Christ dwell in your hearts richly is the command given to all believers (Col.3:16).

 I think I should tell you the difference between authority and power. By the indwelling Spirit all children of God are people with authority. But we shall receive power only when the Holy Spirit shall come UPON US (Acts 1:8). Every child of God has the spirit of God IN them (Rom.8:9). But only very few have the Spirit of God UPON them. This happens when one is filled with the Spirit (Eph.5:18). Being filled with the Spirit equals being filled with the Word of Christ (cf.Colossians 3:16) as they both produce the same effect. So if one wants to take authority in prayer, one must be filled with the Word of Christ and filled with the Spirit, live in accordance with the Word, discern God`s will through the Word and then pray. Then you can take authority in prayer. When you pray in God`s will you are sure that ALL your prayers will be answered (1 John 5:14).

Look at David praying boldly in 2 Sam.7:27. He says, ‘I pray this prayer boldly because you have revealed this to me`. This indeed is the secret of bold prayers. Or we might say this is how we take authority in prayer. Be filled with the Spirit and with the Word, live in God`s will, discern God`s will for indivivual situations through the Word, then pray in spirit (Ephesians 6:18). You can take authoirty in prayer. May the Lord give you grace. May He give you power to bring glory to His Name by taking authority in prayer. Amen.

For more article on prayer and experiences in prayer visit www.mathewpaul.org

 

Striving In prayer June 3, 2008

Any one who knows God intimately spends long hours in His presence.  They cherish this experience.  They long for it.  A day in the presence of the Lord is better than a thousand else where.  They enjoy the fellowship with God.  They become spiritual heroes.  This is truly an enviable experience.

Only those who have had this kind of experience in prayer can ever hope to climb the ladder and reach the third level in prayer.  In the third level prayer becomes striving.  In Rom.15:31 Paul exhorts all believers to strive with him in prayer.

Every believer has battles in life.  But many forget that it is in prayer that these battles are fought and won.

Many want to avoid battles somehow.  They are cowards.  They do not see victory in life.  Victory is seen if only battles are fought.

Many fight their battles in the ability of their flesh.  They continue their Christian life without ever tasting victory.

What is this striving in prayer?  Let us look at the life of Jacob.  As he ran away from home, he was all alone and slept on the way side.  He had a dream there.   Almighty God gave Jacob promises that he would bless him.  That was Bethel.  There at Bethel God promised Jacob that He would bless him and bring him back to his place (Gen.28:10-22).  Years later, on his way back home, he was once again all alone at the bank of brook Jabok.  There he met with God face to face.  There he wrestled the whole night.  He had a grip on God and he would not let Him go unless He blessed him.  There his name was changed to Israel.  He now owned the promises which were given to him at Bethel.  That was his experience in Peniel (Gen.32:22-32).

The promises of Bethel were experienced in life only after Peniel.

Striving in prayer is claiming the promises which God has given to us in His Word.  “Lord, you have promised this, and unless you fulfill this promise, I will not let you go” is the prayer of a striving believer.  Thus striving in prayer is taking hold of God to fulfill His Word.  God loves a striving believer because He loves to fulfill His Word.

There are many promises in God’s Word.  These promises are for every believer.  But tragically very few believers only enjoy these in their lives.  As we wait in the presence of God, He gives us His promises through His Word (Jer.23:l8).  But if those promises must be fulfilled in our lives, we too need to have the experience of Peniel in our lives.    Many believers have been up to Bethel.  They know the promises of God.  But they have never been to Peniel.  They never had the experience of striving in prayer.  If those promises must be fulfilled, they need to be strived for.  There is no alternate way.

Unless God’s people strive in prayer, God’s promises will not be fulfilled (Rom.15:30-32).

For more articles on prayer and experiences in prayer visit www.mathewpaul.org