I used to wonder at the disparity among believers in terms of the privileges they enjoy in this life on earth. Some are vulgarly rich while others are the poorest of the poor. Yet, they all call God “Abba Father”! It became more obvious to me a few years back when I was teaching in a Bible College in Chennai for a couple of years. In those days I used to have the privilege to minister the Word in different congregations in the city there. One Sunday I would be with a group of believers where some of them would come in some of the best cars in town. The very next Sunday I would be with another group where they worship sitting on the floor and where some of them just survive on the meager old age pension. Yet the worship services in both the groups were heartfelt and real. While being bewildered about the disparity among the children of God in this way, I was asked once by a youth group to give a talk on overcoming temptations. Obviously I had to turn to the passage of the Scripture which talked about temptations and it took me directly to James chapter one. As I studied the passage for the sake of the presentation there, I got answer to my long awaited question. Yes, indeed, the question of disparity among believers when it comes to their status in life and possession of material goods!

From vv.2 & 3 in chapter 1 of James, we get the understanding that temptations are really occasions when our faith is under trial. When we are under severe trials, naturally there come the temptations to give up or fall short of our faith life. Thus every temptation is a trial of our faith and with every trial there is a temptation to fall short as well.

As we look at the chapter we see that in vv.2 & 3 James talks about trials and temptations and then he goes on in vv.12 ff to talk about the same issue once again. In between these, two topics are discussed which look rather unrelated to the subject of trials and temptations in the first reading. For example, vv.5-8 James talks about asking God in faith for wisdom. This is a passage which is usually quoted out of its context. People usually use this passage to tell some one who lacks general wisdom that they need to ask God in faith for the same. Of course, this is absolutely true! But that is NOT what is intended by this passage here. In its context the passage admonishes us to ask God for wisdom to understand that temptations are indeed trials of our faith! Many well meaning believers do not understand that when we are tempted to do some thing wrong, it is that our faith is under trial and by falling into temptations, we are indeed falling short of our faith. In v.2 James is talking about manifold temptations. It simply means that every situation in life is a trial of our faith. In every situation we are asked to remain blameless and harmless children of God in this crooked and perverse generation, holding fast the word of truth (Phi.2:14-6). When we get this truth straight, we will be very careful to not to yield into temptations. Let us remember that every situation in life is a trial of our faith.

Then the next topic which looks rather unrelated to our subject of trials and temptations is found in vv.9-11 where James talks about the rich and the poor and how they are to behave themselves. The poor are asked to glory in their high estate and the rich are asked to be humble acknowledging the transient nature of their earthly riches. Here James is NOT talking about a totally unrelated topic. On the other hand, what James tells us here is that status in life is a trial of our faith. By knowing this fact both the poor and the rich believers must make sure that their status in life should not become a platform for sinning against the Lord. We know from observation that many people give themselves to sinful ways of living due to their poverty. They indulge in such things which will bring them some easy money. And very often they turn out to be sinful ways. We know others indulge in various sins because of their affluence and wealth. What James tries to tell us is that status in life is indeed a trial of our faith. Some are tried by being made poor while others are tried by being made rich! It is God in His Almighty wisdom who decides what is to be given to each. We are clearly told in the Scripture that no one receives any thing except it is given from above (Jn.3:27). In His sovereign will He decides whom to give what (Acts 17:26; Dt.37:8). And every believer must know that status in life is given as a trial his of faith!

 Since God is an impartial giver (Js.1:17), James tells us that the poor brother must glory in his high estate which he now enjoys in Christ. Later in 2:5 James tells us that God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith. 1 Cor.12:25 gives us a wonderful insight in to God’s way of doing things. He arranges the body in such a way giving more honor to that part which lacks. So every believer who is poor in this world must look in to his life clearly to see what God has given to him to compensate his lack of material wealth. He must then use it (may be a talent or a spiritual gift) for God’s glory; thus enjoying a cheerful life before God instead of contemplating about the lack that he has in his life, or murmuring about it, and thus living a life below the standard of God. When I visited a relative of mine who owns a huge mansion is a hill station, I saw a wall text in their sitting room. It read, “the poorest man on earth is the one who has money as his only wealth”. What a true statement!

 On the other hand, the rich are asked to remember the transitory nature of this world’s wealth. They are asked to recognize the fact that that which God has given in to their hands is really one of a lower status, that is the perishing wealth, and that they should think of using it for God’s glory instead of indulging themselves in unwanted worldly luxuries. Dt.8:18 tells us that it is the Lord who gives strength to earn wealth that He may establish His covenant. In Lk.16 where we read of the wicked steward, we are asked to make use of the unrighteous mammon in our hands to earn friends for ourselves who will welcome us into eternal habitations when this wealth would fail us one day (v.9). Simply put, the Lord is asking us to spend as much of ‘our’ money as we can for the extension of His kingdom.

The Bible teaches us that all wealth belongs to God (Hag.2:8). Therefore, every one who possesses it is just a steward of it and must one day give an account of it as to how it was handled. No one who is unfaithful in this temporary material wealth, will ever be given true spiritual wealth which are of permanent value (Lk.16:11). God is testing a ‘rich’ believer by giving material wealth to see if he would be worthy to receive spiritual wealth which will never be taken away from him! William Macdonald has rightly put it when he said that any money spent on ourselves is finished with the using and any money which is spent on others or for the kingdom would have its dividends both here and now, and in eternity. Let us remember that our status in life is indeed a trial of our faith and let us live worthy of our vocation when it comes to looking at riches or poverty of this world in the lives of believers.

I might add one more sentence based on Ps.17:14 that the riches of this world is the portion God has allotted to the people of this world as their portion and a believer should NEVER aspire for the same; instead we are asked to have our treasure laid up in heaven which will never perish (Mt.6:19,20). Gladly, the perishable wealth of this world could be made use of to earn imperishable wealth in heaven if handled in the fear of God and for His glory. May He give us grace. Amen.

                   Abel, the keeper of the sheep; and Cain, the tiller of the ground!!

Gen 4:2 has the names of these two brothers listed for us in one place.  These two brothers in the first family represent two groups of people in humanity in general.  Some are keepers of the sheep while others are tillers of the ground even today.  It does not merely talk about what they did for a profession.  It talks about their attitude towards life in general. 

We know from Gen.1:29 that the Lord gave herbs yielding seeds and fruits as their food for men in those days.  Cain knew that if he tilled the land and cultivated the herbs he would have plenty to eat and so he turned his attention towards that.   We can imagine that he would have been quite successful in his career and that he made huge profits out of it as well.  Because we read in Gen.4:17 that he built a city and called it by the name of his son.  Cain was the first ever brilliant and successful entrepreneur in the history of humanity!  Though he was the first ever man to be cursed by the Lord (Gen.4:11), no one could ever imagine that that indeed was the case.  Every one knew him as the most successful man around!  What a paradox?!!  But we know from Ps.17:14  that God gives  to the people of the world their portion in THIS life!!

But look at Abel now.  He chose keeping the sheep as his career.  We know that meat was allowed to be eaten only after the flood (Gen.9:3).  But why was Abel keeping sheep if it was not for his food?  Of course we know that he could make clothing out of the skin of the sheep.   But Abel had a completely different reason to become a keeper of the sheep.   Both these brothers and other siblings knew from Adam and Eve that when they had committed sin, God had made a sacrifice of an animal to clothe them.  From their parents all these children knew that if they had to approach the living God, it was only possible through a blood sacrifice.  God had made it very clear to humanity later on in His Word (Heb.9:22).  But Adam and Eve had told the same truth to their children without a doubt.  And so here was Abel, his only desire in life was to present to God an acceptable sacrifice.  He did not bother much about what he ate or drank.  He ate whatever was available to him.  His motto in life was not how best to eat;  but  how best to please God.  Thus he obtained a certificate later from God that he was righteous (Heb.11:4).  Are you a tiller of the ground or a keeper of the sheep?  Jesus, our Lord, said in Joh 6:27  “Work not for the food which perishes, but for the food which abides unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed”.  Let us have our priorities set right as we begin this New Year!!  To His Name be all glory!!

Poverty is the results of sin.  God has permitted them for a season.  A believer should have a positive attitude towards them and make use of them for God’s glory.  Now read on…

The very first thing to remember is that today we are living in an earth cursed by God (Gen.5:29).   Before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve had every thing in plenty and there was no lack for any thing.  But sin brought curse in to this world and then came along sweat and pain and lack along with death.  Heaven is conceived as eternal bliss and there is no place for poverty there either.

In the Old Testament God gave commandments to Israel so that they will live happily and in prosperity in the promised land.  The land of Canaan is described as the land flowing with milk and honey.  If any thing, this gives the picture of peace and prosperity.  In the blessings chapters of the OT like Lev.26 and Dt.28 blessings of God bring peace and prosperity in the land.  It is only when they are under a curse by disobedience to the commands of the Lord that there will be hunger and poverty.  God gave them the commands in such a way that there may not be any poor in the land.  That was why God ordained the Sabbatical year (Ex.23:11) and indeed the Jubilee year when every thing was restored to the original owner (lev.25:10ff).  Dt.15;4f promises that there will not be any poor among them if they are diligent to keep all the commandments of the Lord.  

But both OT and NT take it for granted that there will be always poor in the world (Mt.26:11).  And the Bible is very consistent when it says again and again that we should be considerate, compassionate, impartial to the poor always.   It is not God’s desire for them to be poor but they happened to be poor for various reasons mentioned above, basically sin.

Coming to the NT riches of this world takes a back seat in the plan of God.  It is spiritual blessings which are in focus.  Worldly riches are often seen as a hindrance to seek after God and His kingdom.  In fact in the words of our Lord, mammon (the word of wealth in Aramaic) can take the place of God and one has to choose between serving God or mammon (Lk.16:13).  Poverty is idealized in certain passages in the NT.  Look for example where Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor” (Lk.6:20). We know that the parallel passage in Matthew talks about ‘poor in spirit’.  But Luke does not say that.  He just says, “Blessed are the poor”.  Blessedness of poverty is some thing to be experienced.  For any thing, it gives one absolute trust in God having nothing else to rely on!  Thus our Lord went around as a poor village preacher, His needs being taken care of by other around Him.    Again look at Jas 2:5 where  poor of this world are chosen by God to be rich in faith.  “Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?”

Look at other passages which see the riches of this world in a negative sense. 

Mat 13:22 talks about the deceitfulness of riches.  “And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful”.

Jesus our Lord said it was harder for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God. (Luk 18:24)  “And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”

One of the most solemn passages in the NT about the rich of this world is found in Js.5:1-6.   There is condemnation on people who become riches by oppression of any kind.

 “Come now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you.

Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.

Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days.

Behold, the hire of the laborers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.  Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.  Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous one; he doth not resist you”. 

Jesus our Lord condemns any one who is not rich toward God (Lk.12:21).    In 1Ti 6:9 Paul talks about the snares of riches.    “But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition”.

I think of all passages which talk about riches and poverty, Js.1:9-11 gives the greatest insight about how God views the rich and the poor in the church.  James 1 is the chapter on trials and temptations.    Thus both riches and poverty are seen as  trials of one’s faith.  Many commit sins because they are rich.  Others do so because they are poor.  But God has both the rich and the poor in His fold and each must realize that it is a trial of his/her faith and live according to the will of God in spite or riches or poverty.  Lk. 16:9 tells us that God expects the rich to make eternal friends with their unfaithful mammon which they possess now.  In other words riches are given to the believer that he/she might use it for the extension of God’s kingdom.  

 This is exactly the same teaching of the OT when it says that it is God who gives one strength to earn wealth in order to establish His covenant (Dt.8:18).  Both OT and NT believer’s attitude should be :“Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me: (Pro.30:8).     “but having food and covering we shall be therewith content” (1Tim.6:8).

With all the riches attached to him, Abraham is said to have lived in tents  looking for that heavenly city (Heb.11:9) while Cain is said to be the first city here on earth (Gen.4:17).  So it is all a matter of the heart.  However  much wealth God gives in our hands, we should live like the poor in the heart.   When Paul was discussing the question of the gentiles and the faith, it is very interesting to note that James, Cephas and John would tell Paul and Bernabas that the Gentile believers should be taught to remember the poor  (Gal.2:10).      May the Lord help us to taught to remember the poorhave the right attitude towards riches and poverty.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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