Spiritual, laterally thinking

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on November 29, 2009, at NLF-Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)

For the past few weeks, I have been sharing with you about the foundations of Christian living. You will all appreciate how a foundation is so important for any building. If the foundation is poor, will the building be safe to dwell in? It’s much the same way in the Christian life. We saw that in water-baptism, we become a part in the body of Christ; firstly the universal body of Christ, where we identify with all the saints everywhere in the world and secondly, the local expression of that body in Christ, which is the local  church – the church near our dwelling place, where we become members. When we take part of the Holy Communion, we express that we are ‘one body’ in Jesus Christ-our head. We have a fellowship with one another, as in the family of God, walking as children of light. You see, God never intended us to be lone-rangers, roaming alone in this world without being spiritually alive in our relationship with one another.

This is my burden today to share about the great part we have as ‘members’ in the body of Christ. Communion with God is not just an upward relationship, but also establishing a relationship with our fellow members in the local church.

Do you think that the essential part is only drawing close to God? That you can do-worship, pray at home and draw close to God; sit in the comfort of your home and hear the word of God expounded by world-renowned speakers on TV? But, you know what? Our spiritual growth is also dependent on our relationship with fellow members in the body of Christ.

Psalm 92:13 says, “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God”. Observe two things together here-‘planted’ and ‘house of the Lord’. So we must be planted – firmly established, in the house of the Lord – the local church. And the result is growth – shall flourish. There is a commitment involved when we say planted. For, a plant here, planted some time back, in Sector-6 Rotary Club-if you take it out and re-plant it in Sector-19; and then after some time move it to Sec-29 and then again to Kopar-khairane; do you imagine that the plant will grow? Is it any wonder why people who go church-hopping find their growth stunted? But, if it is firmly established in one place, the plant will have time to develop roots and grow and flourish.

Going to church is not the same as having food in the hotel. Someday you may prefer Chinese from one hotel; then may be Punjabi dishes from another hotel; then again South-Indian or Goan food. But the fact is you are going to need home food on the regular basis. In a city like Mumbai, you may find more than 100 New Life Fellowships. But wherever you have joined as a member, be committed to find your growth. Hebrews 10:25 says, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some…”. The author of Hebrews exhorts us not to take lightly the sacred assembly as is the manner of some. Even in those times there were some who thought the gathering together was not that important.

1 Peter 5:6 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time”. It is God who gives us growth; it is He who lifts us up. As we remain committed to a fellowship, we express our humility before God. If you look above, at the previous verse, it talks of submission. Verse 5 says, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility…” We have elders in the church we can listen, and submit ourselves. If you look at some verses below, v8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. What it means, if you put all these verses together, is that in submission there is safety; we are protected from the devil who seeks to devour. By humility and submission within the church, we guard ourselves; we calm ourselves and become vigilant. Otherwise, if you think you can do it alone, you roam around aimlessly and are vulnerable for attack. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God in the local church.

Ephesians 2:19 says, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” We are family in the local church – the household of God. Romans 12:5 says, “so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” We are part of the same body formed of different members-having different functions roles, but nevertheless knit together as one body. In your function as individual members, the whole body finds growth. That is why it is important to understand, that we gather together not just to receive from God, but also give to one another as members of the same body. We are called to function as God’s representatives and God wants to use every one of us – whatever may be your gifting, talent or ability, in the growth of the local church that you are members of.

If a part of the body does not function, we say it is paralyzed, for example the left hand or the right. In a similar manner, every member has a function to fulfill in God's great plan for the local church growth. There are members in the body you may not even be aware of, because it is hidden; but nevertheless doing its function properly. For example, you may not bother to know anything about pancreas-a small member present in our bodies- till you have a diabetic problem. Then you come to know its important function of breaking down sugar molecules for nourishment of the entire body. In much the same way, whether small or great, each member has a vital role to play, vital function to perform, a vital responsibility to shoulder - for the growth of the local body of believers.

Today, I would like to share with 8 such responsibilities for members to fulfill in the purposes of God for the local church. If we read, receive and impart the word of God, it will surely make a difference in the congregation of believers, in the assembling together of the saints.

The responsibilities are

1. Get to know each other

In 3 John verse 14, the last part of the verse says “…Greet the friends by name”. We have not come here to be alone and aloof in the way we conduct ourselves in the church. It is for each one of us to be friendly and know others by name. In this way, you can start knowing one another.

2. Accept one another

Romans 15 talks about Paul's ministry to the Gentiles; where he talks extensively of accepting one another within the body of Christ. Verse 7 says, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God”. I remember a time, when I was in Thailand and went to a united international fellowship on a Sunday for worship. There were people from many nations there and yet united to worship one and the same God. People there accepted me although we were meeting for the first time. And I was invited to lunch after the service. I realized that this was the work of the Spirit of God.

Verse 5 and 6 encourages us to be like-minded in patience and comfort, and with one mouth glorify God. You see, when we know and accept one another, and continue a friendly relationship; there is also an opportunity to get hurt. But in the unity of relationship and in the pursuit of peace, we can learn to forgive one another. Eph. 4:32 says, “…be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Yes, don’t show a cold shoulder when others seek reconciliation. Don’t feel vindicated when the other person is struggling in his/her growth. But be kind.

3. Pray for one another

Ephesians 6:18 talks about praying always…with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. When you know the needs of others, you can come before our God and pray for one another.

4. Encourage and exhort one another

Heb. 10:25 talks about exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching. When you’ve prayed for some person, you can counsel and encourage the person to be strong in the Lord for that Day is surely coming.

5. Love one another

Jesus told His disciples, ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’ (John 13:35)

6. Care for one another

1 Corinthians 12:25 talks about caring for one another. In the body of Christ, as fellow members, you must look around for people in need and help them.

7. Serve one another

1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God”. Our gifting and talents are to be used to serve, to minister to one another.

8. Restore one another

Galatians 6:1 talks about restoring a person, in a spirit of gentleness, into the fold of God, when the person has gone astray.

When we continue in these above responsibilities, there are benefits for the fellowship and for our own soul and spirit. These can be fourfold.

1. Growth

Ephesians 4:16, talks about this. “…according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

2. We know our God who is love

Ephesians 3:18, 19 says that we “may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ…”

3. We are protected

Jesus taught us that if any brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. If he would not, take along two or three brothers and reason with him-enable him to understand. You see, by this we are cared for and walk the straight path.

4. We hear God's voice

1 Peter 4:11 says, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God”. In our lonely time, we may cry out like the psalmist, ‘Why are you hiding yourself, O God?’ or ‘Why do stand far away?’ But, when we assemble together as one body in the local church, and as we are ministered to, we receive the word of God. We hear God speaking to us. We share with one another and receive God’s word and counsel from our brothers and sisters in Christ. We do not need any counsel from the world. Psalm 1 talks about the blessedness of the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. But, in the multitude of counselors, in the body of Christ, there is safety and victory.

Therefore, seek to build friendship. Seek for people to guide and counsel. Don’t be yoked with unbelievers but have room in your hearts for God's people. Speak it out to one another, confess and bear one another's burden.

It is vital to remain committed, to belong, to participate and to relate to one another. Utilize your talents and gifting for fulfillment of God's purposes in the body of Christ. And we will flourish, grow and will be protected and will hear God's voice.

Thank you, O God, for every brother and sister who have blessed us here, who have been a source of encouragement and strength for us in need. Help us to value one another and grow in the unity and love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Knowing God...in prayer

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on November 22, 2009, at NLF-Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)


Hebrews 8:11 says “None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord’, for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them”

We are living in these privileged times of the New covenant where God declares ‘…ALL shall KNOW Me…’. It is talking of not just knowing God as the Savior, but also really knowing Him in a personal way…in an intimate relationship. This is quite a contrast to the days in the old covenant, where there was a chosen leader who ‘knew’ God, yes even face-to-face, and who would be the mediator between God and His people. The ‘rest’ of them were merely instructed on what to do, how to walk, follow His commands. But now, there are no boundaries. Every person whether in their teen ages or in their sixties, can take hold of this privilege of knowing God. The verse says, ‘…from the least of them to the greatest of them’. Don’t just settle down like the people in the old covenant. Don’t settle down for anything less than a close relationship – a personal walk with God. This is my burden today, to share with you my own personal experience of knowing God, day by day, year by year, right from my teenage years and now for the past thirty years. You know something – you cannot live by the faith of your leaders; you cannot live by the faith of your parents. Your parents may be great men and women of God; I too was brought up in a Christian home. But somewhere in my teen years, I made this decision to know God personally. It is for you to make that decision for yourself. By faith, we can know Him as our Savior.

Our God is a perfect Gentleman; He will not force you to do something which you do not WANT. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you”. After you've known Him as your Savior, it's for you to long for a closer walk with Him. Draw near to Him-make an attempt, make an effort...then you will find Him drawing near to you. You can have all of Him that you really want of Him. Otherwise, you can live all your life, knowing God just as your Savior and miss out on so many other areas, in a relationship that is so special.

In Matthew 15:8 Jesus says, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me”. Let this not be His heart-cry concerning you as you come up to praise, sing, dance and worship with your lips! Or do you draw near to God only with your mouth as you say some lofty words and honor with your lips as you mumble some familiar phrases? God is more concerned about matters regarding our heart condition! And God wants to have a heart-to-heart relationship with us. John 4:24 says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

We must relate to God in our spirit. As a human being, we possess a spirit, soul and body. Now we can worship Him with our lips-that is our body; or we can worship Him emotionally charged up-which is our soul part. But God really is concerned about our spirit. We can really draw close to God only in our revived and renewed spirit; because God is Spirit. 1 Cor. 14:14 says that we can pray in the spirit. This is what I would like to explain today…how we can draw near to God in prayer; whether young or old, from the newest believer to the oldest, we can all know what it is to know God and draw near to Him.

You know, in the world around, people can understand ‘body’; and people can understand ‘soul’; but it is only us-the believers, who understand the ‘spirit’-our innermost being. It is in our spirit man that we relate to God and His voice.

Let me give you an illustration of prayer from the Old Testament-the tabernacle. You know, the tabernacle is divided into three distinct regions-the outer courts, the holy place and the Holy of Holies. The outer courts signify our body; the holy place-our soul; and the Holy of Holies-our spirit. The outer court is where God’s people gathered to make their sacrifices, washing themselves bodily. In the New Covenant, we remember Jesus is the Lamb sacrificed for our sins; we are washed, cleansed by His blood. This is the salvation experience-where we know Jesus as our Savior. We can enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. We offer the sacrifices of praise-the fruit of our lips in exalting Him for who He is. We understand Him as God with us. We are free from any condemnation, and are now ready to enter the Holy Place.

In the old covenant, only the priests from the tribe of Levi, only one of the twelve tribes of Israel, were allowed into the Holy Place. You know, a person can spend the rest of their lives just being satisfied to remain in the outer courts like the people in the old covenant. But there are still two more steps to ‘know’ God in the place where He is. In the new covenant, Jesus has made us ‘kings and priests’, and we can enter the Holy Place. In the Holy Place was kept the table with the show bread, signifying the Word of God. We receive the richness of His word, the fresh ‘Rhema’ that satisfies our soul. We begin to know something more of God. On the other side was also kept the lit lamp-stand, signifying the Holy Spirit. We walk in the light of His Word and are guided by His Spirit in us. We understand Him as God in us. Is it enough? We can be like the priests in the old covenant, satisfied to just be in the Holy Place. But it’s my burden today, that you will go one step further-one step closer to God.

In the outer courts, there is dancing, singing; we raise our hands, wave and clap-expressing our joy in our body. But remember, it is only the outer courts. In the Holy Place, we can experience an emotional release. We can laugh, cry and feel elated-all in the emotional relation with our God. But let us go further. In the old covenant, not even the priests were allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. Only the High priest, and that too only once in a year, entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of the covenant. But in the New covenant, Jesus has made a way…He Himself became our High Priest, entered with His own blood, and obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9). The veil is torn; the way is open for you and me to enter into the Most Holy Place. It is here that we come face to face with God. It is here that we know how we are found in God. It is here that we can have a meaningful relationship with our God.

You know, repetitive actions have a tendency to become a ritual. Like the Holy Communion, where people sometimes lose sight of the meaning in prayers that has been repeated so many times. It is the same way, with the reading of God’s word, just for the sake of reading – maybe sub-consciously ticking off as ‘one of the things’ to be done in the day. And same with prayer-some people have a chain of beads and keep repeating prayers meaninglessly and finally count and see how many times they have ‘prayed’. You know, many will understand prayer as communicating something to God, making your request to God; asking God for His favor. But you know what, prayer can be more than just all those, when you’ve entered the Most Holy Place. Proverbs 8:34 says “Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates…”. You see, prayer is also God talking to you. God is asking you to listen to Him. If you do listen, you are blessed; and it is a daily happening, as you see in the verse.

No more is prayer a mere ritual; but an expectation of God speaking to you in your spirit-heart to heart. And prayer therefore must become our priority to have an intimate relationship with God. And we must daily enter the Most Holy Place to listen to Him. Jesus asked us to do this while we pray…that we go into the inner room, shut the door and there pray! This is the secret of intimacy with God…just you and Him, no one else. We shut out everything, and everybody, else as we enter the Most Holy Place.

Jesus also taught us that we must ‘pray’-speak out, verbalize when He taught us the Lord’s prayer. Some people say that they are praying in their minds and so do not speak out. Of course, God can ‘hear’ your prayers while it is still in your mind; but it is better that you ‘hear’ your own prayers too and know what you are praying! And there are many postures mentioned in the Bible for prayer-standing, sitting, and even while lying down. But the most common posture, for men in need has always been ‘kneeling’ in prayer. But whatever be your posture, we must pray in accordance with God’s will. And we will receive from Him (1 John 3:22). Jesus in His example prayer, showed us; how we ought to be concerned about God’s name-‘Hallowed be Your name’; God’s kingdom-‘Your Kingdom come’; God’s will-‘Your will be done’ (Matthew 6:9, 10).

You know, when we all get to heaven, we think that we’ll find it’s wonderful and beyond our imagination in meeting with God Himself. How awesome! But you know what? We can experience those days while we are still here on earth! Meeting with God on a daily basis…eternal life begins here. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain…”. Yes…God’s own throne of grace…we can come to it! Not when we get to heaven…but while we’re still here on earth.

As I said earlier, our God is a perfect Gentleman. He will not interfere in your life without your permission. If you want to live your own life, have your own way, do your own will, you may! If you’d like to carry your own burdens…you may! But His call is clear…you may choose to cast all your burdens on to Jesus. And you may ask Him for His will in your life. If this becomes your plea-your prayer, God will certainly draw near to you. Prayer is also our guard against the enemy. Jesus said ‘Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation’ and ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one’. Thanks be to God who daily bears our burdens!

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…” We can ask God for wisdom and direction daily-in our day-to-day lives. Jesus chose His twelve disciples after spending a prayerful night with God. Jesus taught us to ask ‘Give us this day our daily bread’- we can ask God for our bodily and material needs. Job? Money? God knows that you need these things. Philippians 4:6 says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. Jesus has comforted us with His assurance, “Let not your hearts be troubled”. Do not be fearful.

He speaks to us in our prayers. “My sheep hear My voice”. We can distinguish His voice from all other voices craving for our attention. If somebody is familiar to me, with whom I have interactions on a day-to-day basis, I need to only pickup the phone, hear one ‘hello’ and immediately know that ‘It’s him’ on the other end. Same is the way with our God. When we have a heart to heart conversation with Him everyday, we know for sure, it's Him who speaks and not our own voices-voices of the soul, mind, emotions and will. You see, God can speak to us in an inaudible way too; because He communicates with our spirit. And our spirit has no limitations like our body-which needs ears and sound for the brain to process the audio. But in our spirit, God can impress upon our hearts, His voice-clear and distinct. And we are sure, "It's Him".

So this is my desire for us today, that we all step into an intimate relationship with God in prayer, in the Most Holy Place and recognize and know His voice. Yes! Really ‘know’ Him as more than just our Savior. 1 Peter 3:12 says, “…The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers”. Song of Solomon 2:14 talks of God saying to us, ‘Let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet…’. That is God’s desire for you and me. Now it depends on how further you would like to take your relationship with Him.

So the next time you spend in prayer, I urge you to go into the Most Holy Place and there meet with God, from the least to the greatest…from the teenager here to every elderly person.

I pray that every brother and sister here, who feed on your word, will bear fruit in their lives for sure. Help us enter the Most Holy Place and lead us closer to You, for this is our desire; in Your name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Studying the Word of God

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on November 15, 2009, at NLF-Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven't missed much. Happy reading!)

God is in the business of communication; communicating with us. He wants to get our attention in matters concerning our life; and He wants us to get His attention. Let me bring your attention to the Word that came to us during the time of worship; one shows us how we can be to get God's attention and the other how God is communicating with us to get our attention. If you turn with me to Isaiah 66:2, in the last part of the verse God says, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word”. There are three aspects involved here – humility, a contrite heart and a high regard for God's word. The second Word during the worship was from Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”. Be still-be attentive to hear what God is speaking to us. Many of us know only too well what busy means; there is the work or business, travel, family. Even young school-going children will know what busy is. We may even think that these are all very important-and hardly any time left to KNOW God. I think, that is why, maybe, some people get connected to God only post-retirement.

If you look at Psalm 138:2, the last part goes ‘For You have magnified Your word according to / in proportion to/ above all Your name'

God's word is magnificent in proportion to His holy name. God is looking for people who have a premium, value or high regard for His word. And remember, we can get as close to God as we really want to!

This is what I would like to share today – about the importance of God's word in each one of our lives. Turn with me to 1 Peter 2:2 “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby”

The purpose of God's word is our own growth. Just as babies long for-have a desire for milk, we must have a desire for the pure, unadulterated logikos milk of God's word.

When I got engaged to my fiancée, we used to communicate to one another. In those days, there were no mobile phones, even telephone communication was rare; and we used to write letters to one another. Once I complete writing my letter, I would wish that the letter would reach her by speed-post as soon as possible and eagerly wait for the reply. When it arrives, I immediately open it and begin reading the contents. After reading it, I keep it carefully and then after sometime, open it and read it again…and again, and again. You see, I wanted to make sure that I understood every written word for its exact intent.

And it is the same way, with God's word; we have it in written form-His letter of love for you and for me. We must open it, read it-again and again, till we fully comprehend what God is speaking to us. We cannot simply say “I love you, Lord” and forget about His letter. If you love God, then this book-the Bible is for you to READ.

Its my burden today that each one of us will be STUDENTS of His word. That we dig deep into its words, phrases and sentences, and get a hang of what He says to us.

The Greek word ‘logikos’ is used in two sense. One, as is here, the ‘logikos’ milk representing the spiritual side equivalent of sincere or pure. Another verse found in Romans 12:1 uses the same Greek word ‘logikos’. The verse goes ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your logikos service’. Here we find the use of the word in its rational sense meaning ‘sincere’, ‘reasonable’. We observe the use of ‘logikos’ in its spiritual and rational senses, which are in fact two sides of the same coin. That is why, we must be careful to understand both sides while studying God's word. It is essential to get a grasp of both the spiritual side and the rational side. People, who study the Bible only as a devotional book (the so-called ‘super-spiritual’ people), may miss out the rational side.

And great scholars, who study the Bible only as a rational book, will miss out completely the spiritual side of it. That is why, 1 Peter 2:1 says ‘…laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking…desire the pure milk…’. Remember, Jesus was speaking to the Jews, who had a high regard for the Old Testament. They were all well-versed in its content. But they viewed it rationally. That is why Jesus asks them in John 8:43 “Why do you not understand my speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word”. We need a right attitude in studying and listening to God's word-to be able to understand. We need to trust and ask God to give us a revelation of His written word. That is why we say ‘Open our eyes, Lord that we may see’ (Eph. 3:9). God has hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes (Matt. 11:25).

On the other hand, those who read the Bible only as a devotional book, miss out the ‘logikos’ rational side of God's word. These are the super-spiritual who do not apply their mind to understand, but think everything is done by them in the spiritual way. They may open randomly any page in the Bible and begin reading some verses and come out and say ‘God has spoken to me’.

In India, we can see this-a man sitting with hundreds of cards-fortune cards and a single parrot. On a call, this parrot will come out, browse the cards, reject some and then pick one and give to the fortune-teller. The gullible customer receives it as a divine guidance. Do you think you are like that parrot to randomly select a portion of the Scripture? That you close your eyes, open up a page, point your finger and there you are; do you expect God to speak from where you have pointed? You see, the Bible is a book to study systematically-right from Genesis and through Revelation-chapter by chapter, book by book. How do you prepare for your exams? By randomly opening and studying-will you not fail? Some people are like that-some where in the 'middle'-ages (middle-pages); they have never read Genesis or Revelation and so they neither know the beginning nor the end. They try to get by, quoting some scriptures from the middle portions of the Book. But the milk is a wholesome food for the babies.

There was an Ethiopian going on the road in his chariot; reading from the book of Isaiah. But he could not understand the spiritual meaning as to the person and fulfillment. You know that Philip was sent to explain God's word to him. In the English language, we find quite a few translations of the Holy Bible; and some para-phrase Bible such as the Living Bible, which is not exactly a translation. If we read the Queen's English now, we may not grasp the entire meaning, like in the King James Version, translated in 1611. Since Bible is a rational book also, first, we need to get a good, reliable and accurate translation for our study of God's word in English.

The second aspect is that we need to read the Bible in context. When we study God's word, it's better not to randomly pick and interpret its meaning. For example, if we open 1 Corinthians, chapter 7, and read from verse 1, it goes like this: ‘Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman’ (or ‘It is good for a man not to get married’).

And one may conclude that it is God’s will for man to be a bachelor and say that he’s quoting from the scripture (and that too with reference). But if you read the first part of the verse carefully, and read the previous chapter (chapter 6) on the general tone of Paul’s writing, it is clear that Paul is making an exception and not a rule. Paul says, that ‘with regard to what you wrote to me earlier…’ and in 6:13 he says ‘…the body is not for sexual immorality’ and continues in the same tempo in 7:2 ‘Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife…’. It is with regard to these things, Paul is making the statement in the last part of verse 1 (chapter 7). That is why it is important to read the Bible in context. Read few verses before and after; know about who is the speaker and to who is it addressed.

The third aspect is that we need to look at any subject holistically…reading from Genesis to Revelation. Continuing in the same subject of marriage, if you read from Genesis, to revelation, (like I did before getting married), and find out all references concerning marriage, we find that it is indeed God's will for man to get married to a woman. This kind of reading is known as the ‘complete mention principle’. But, there are exceptions; like Paul-himself, unmarried, as called to an apostolic ministry; the people in Corinth because of the situation prevalent there at that time.

We must know other references to the subject within the Bible to fully understand what God is speaking to us. We see that during the temptation of Jesus, Satan came with a quote from God’s word saying ‘For it is written…’. Jesus countered Satan with ‘It is ALSO written…’. That is why it is important to read the entire Bible and not just familiar and favorite portions of it. We see also, people coming up and speaking encouragement with just one side of God's word. Jesus depended on the Scriptures to counter Satan. For us too, it may be helpful to have a concordance Bible to study relevant subject in other portions of the Bible. Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope”. All things are written for our instruction and guidance; from the faith of Abraham, to prayer of Jacob, to the song of Moses and comfort of psalms, the patience of the prophets…we can learn from them all.

Why must we read God’s word?

James 1:22 says “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves”. If we read the Bible, just to quote ‘pompously’ in the crowd for others, or as a ritual and practice reading the Bible just for the sake of reading, or just be hearers but not willing to make any changes in accordance to God’s word, the Bible says, we deceive ourselves.

What must be our response?

We must believe. It is God’s word-the truth. Jesus spoke in John 5:46, 47 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for He wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” We can absolutely take God at His word. The problem of the Jews was their unbelief. They never believed the writings of Moses, although they ‘knew it’ rationally speaking. The word is given to us too. It is for us to believe. There are wonderful promises of God kept for us. We can take it at its face-value. Every promise of God requires a partnership with our faith to make it happen.

Some people ask me, ‘How does God speak to us?’ or ‘How do we know that God is speaking to us?’ The answer is, when we familiarize ourselves with what God has spoken already in His word, the Helper, the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance the particular word, verse or portion from God's word. He brings us a revelation of who God is. That is how God communicates to us.

That is why we need a foundation in God's word. We must not nibble bits and pieces of God's word, and think that we are prepared to face the world. Remember, the word of God is a weapon in the believer's armor-the Sword of the Spirit. We need to study God's word in its entirety. If we do not, we expose ourselves to strange doctrines and man-made ‘knowledge’. If we are strong in the Biblical foundation, and if someone prophesies to us, we will know God only confirms what He has already spoken to us.

God's word is pure, unadulterated, uncontaminated food for us. We can hang on to every word of God; because it will be fulfilled. It will by no means pass away until all is fulfilled. Let us understand spiritually and rationally, God's word given for us.

May our eyes be opened and may God grant us a revelation of the goodness hidden in His word for each one of us; and I pray that each one of us, whether young, youth or old, may find growth and strength in His word. Amen.

Let us keep the feast

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on November 8, 2009, at NLF-Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven't missed much. Happy reading!)


You know, the Lord has asked us to symbolically observe [keep/ follow] TWO things in the New Covenant – one, the water baptism and the other the Holy Communion. We've seen the essence of water-baptism. We recently had a water-baptism service; God made His presence manifest, just as I knew He would, during the service. Five young people in our church committed their life to Lord Jesus Christ. I trust in the following days too, these people experienced a close relation with Him. Because, when we take one step towards Him, He draws closer to us too. (Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you_James 4:8). After a person is baptized, he or she has the right to partake of the second ‘symbol’ in the New Covenant – the Holy Communion. And today I would like to speak on this subject.


I trust this message will guide those who partake of the Holy Communion for the first time and will also bring to remembrance, to others here, of what this ‘symbol’ signifies.


In the Old covenant, there were many ‘symbols’, ordinances and practices that one had to follow; many rituals had to be performed by the priest, many sacrifices by the people. Each of them had a purpose, spiritually, and by which people could draw near to God. The circumcision, for example, was a one-time event, by which one could enter into the covenant blessings of Abraham. There were other ordinances that were repetitive in nature, which, people performed, daily, weekly or year after year. But in the New Covenant, the equivalent symbol is the water-baptism-a one-time event in a believer's life, when, he could enter into all the covenant blessings. This is something wonderful in our life. No more a slave to sin and self. But living a life of ‘Christ in us the hope of glory’ (Col. 1:27).


In the same way, the Holy Communion we observe is the only other, repetitive, ‘symbol’ in the New Covenant; that was hidden in ‘Passover’ of the Old Covenant. This too is so significant in the believer's life. You see, when the people of Israel prepared themselves to come out of Egypt, they were told that this was going to be the beginning of months. And were instructed that on the 14th day, they would slaughter a lamb (without blemish), and put the lamb's blood on the door-posts of their homes. For the Angel of death would come out to kill the first-born, in every home, except those that had the lamb's blood on the door-posts! We can read about this in Exodus 12. So, the Angel of death ‘passed over’ the homes of the children of Israel, who had put the lamb's blood on the door-posts. To commemorate this, to celebrate this, the children of Israel kept the Passover year after year, in the first month on the 14th day of the month. And from 14th till the 21st of the month, they celebrated the ‘Feast of the Unleavened Bread’. They were instructed to purge out the old leaven (Exodus 12:19).

• What is the meaning of this Holy Communion?

We read in 1 Corinthians 5: 7, 8 says, “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”.


These verses speak to us that Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb – spotless, without blemish; sacrificed for our sins; for the sins of the whole world. His blood-put on the door-posts of our life, is now our protection from destruction. Therefore we can keep the feast; not just 7 days as in the Old covenant, but a perpetual celebration – all 365 / 366 days in the year.


The feast is the feast of unleavened bread. Leaven denotes sin. Paul is talking to the Corinthians in this chapter regarding the 'old leaven'-the sin of immorality; of fornication (1 Cor. 5:1). The verses here talks of malice (in our hearts) and wickedness (in our life) as ‘leaven’. ‘Therefore purge out the old leaven’ and the ‘leaven of malice and wickedness’ as you keep the feast – the Holy Communion. If we have any of these ‘leaven’ in our lives, we must not celebrate the feast. Rather, we must be sincere, truthful (unleavened) while partaking the bread and the cup.


In Luke 22:15 Jesus talks to His disciples: Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you , I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God”.
Here Jesus confirms that ‘Passover’ (of the old covenant) is fulfilled in Himself.


• Why must we follow this ‘symbol’?

Luke 22: 19, 20: And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me”. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you”.


This is the establishment of the ‘symbol’ in the New Covenant; to ‘do in remembrance’ of the sacrifice of Jesus; the institution of the Lord’s Supper-the bread and the wine. The bread signifies His body, and the wine-His blood. We know in our hearts that we have been cleansed completely from our sins by the blood of Jesus. Our conscience is cleared from the guilt of sin; justified in the blood through faith. It means that God looks at us as if we had never sinned! God has MADE us righteous by the blood of Jesus.


“…redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Romans 3: 24, 25)


• What are we ’actually’ doing? How often and how many times? When? Where?

As we partake of the Holy Communion- the bread and the wine, we must be conscious of what we are doing. We are putting these 'emblems' into our mouths.


1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes”.


We must understand this in our hearts that we proclaim the Lord’s death. How often should we have the Holy Communion? The verse says, ‘as often as you eat this…’ In the early church, we see that they instituted the Lord’s supper, everyday. Because they had seen Jesus; they had been with Jesus; and it was all very REAL to them. And they wanted to remember and give thanks daily. And for how long should we continue with this ‘symbol’? Continue with the ‘symbol’ till He comes again. Whenever and wherever, people are gathered in the name of Jesus, we can institute the Lord's Supper and partake of the bread and the cup.


• What does the cup signify?

In the 2nd and 3rd century after Christ, the celebration was also called as Eucharist meaning thanksgiving. For the people in the early church and early times of Christianity, Jesus and His completed work was very real. Their hearts were filled with thanksgiving for God who sent His only begotten Son and the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They understood that the blood of Jesus cleanses and protects them. So in every gathering they commemorated the sacrifice of Jesus Christ with the Eucharist. This ‘symbol’ is filled with spiritual meaning. We are secure in His blood.


People in the old covenant looked forward to the work and sacrifice of Jesus. While they sacrificed animals, year after year, they knew the blood of animals only covered their sins but was not able to cleanse them of it (Hebrews 10). People in the new covenant, look back to the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross and are exempt, themselves, from offering any animal sacrifices. Jesus Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed ONCE and FOR ALL. (Rom. 6:10; Heb 10:10). The one-time sacrifice of Jesus is ALL sufficient to purge out the sins of the whole world, for all times. So we can remember, as we partake of the cup, that it is the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sins.


• What does the bread signify?

1 Corinthians 10:17 says “For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread”. We may come from different backgrounds, different regions, speak different languages; different social standing – some intellectuals, some illiterate; some rich, some poor. But as we come together as believers cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and partake of that ONE bread-Jesus Christ-the bread of Heaven, we proclaim that we are in fact ONE BODY – brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Spiritually it means that we ought to have a harmonious relation with one another (Remember to purge out the leaven).


• Who can take part in the Holy Communion?
 God has made a covenant. You know a ‘covenant’ is different from ‘agreement’ in some ways. You see, in an agreement, say to buy a house, we write down a whole lot of mutual agreements about facilities, payments, time and transfer on the paper, between the buyer and the seller; but we also put in some ‘exit’ clauses in case one does not comply or unwilling to proceed further. There may be losses on one or the sides, but we can still ‘nullify’ the agreement and make it void. But ‘covenant’ in a way is an agreement without any exit clauses. You see, marriage too is a covenant relationship for believers (till death us do part). Similarly, the Holy Communion too is for the covenant people of believers who say “Come what may, here or away, my life is only to Christ always”.


Even in the old covenant, the circumcision was the ‘symbol’ of making the covenant with God. And Passover was celebrated by people circumcised. No circumcision – No Passover. Similarly, we have now the water-baptism and Holy Communion. Holy Communion is for those who have committed their life to Jesus Christ and are water-baptized.


• We want to have Jesus too. But what about our life on this earth?

1 Corinthians 10:21 says, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and the table of demons”.
That is the essence of it. You must have both feet secured in the kingdom of God. You cannot have a little of Jesus and the rest of the world and expect to come into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.


• But isn't that too much to ask? What about others then?

Nothing is too much to give to God. Think about it! God loving us so much that He sent His only begotten Son…to die for us; Jesus Christ-God's own Son, being sacrificed on the cross for our sins; on that cross, for a brief moment, God-the Father turning His face away from His own Son; and Jesus crying out “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). And to us, the same God-the Father saying “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). Do you still think He will not care for you?


As a covenant partner with Jesus Christ, you inherit all the covenant blessings that Abraham was blessed with. God saying “I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:2)


For others, it may not mean anything. For the bread will remain as bread and the grape-juice will so remain. In a human way, repetitive actions too lose meaning, after some time. They may not attach any significance to it. But for those in the covenant, it has deep spiritual meaning; each time we partake – we remember our covenant relationship with God.


• What else?

The Communion is something solemn filled with meaning. Our covenant is for all the seven days of the week and every week in the year – and not just Sundays.
1 Corinthians 11:29, 30 says “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep”


Paul is writing to a church filled with divisions; some saying ‘I am of Paul”; others “I am of Apollos” and yet others “I am Christ’s”. Paul warns them to discern and partake in the Holy Communion in a worthy manner. We partake of the bread and the cup, signifying we have no enmity with one another; no divisions; that we have no bitterness with anybody. We testify “I am for peace and I have nothing against you, my brother / my sister”. Paul urges the church to examine their own selves in this regard, as many are weak and sick and some have died, drinking the cup in an ‘unworthy’ manner.


1 Corinthians 10:16 says that it is “cup of blessing”. The Holy Communion is a blessing in every sphere, in every realm; known and unknown. Jesus Christ became a ‘curse’ for us on the cross (Cursed is the man hanging on the tree_Gal 3:13) in order that we may inherit the blessings of God. We do hear testimonies of God healing people as they share in the bread and the cup.


Jesus Christ became the conqueror of sin and death. But He made us to be ‘more than conquerors’ through Him. If God is for us, who can be against us? God is on our side. God and you together is always a majority. No human number-counting matters.


We can rise up above all our problems – no problem is too big. From Monday to Saturday, we can get deeper into a fix; but on a Sunday, as we partake of His body and blood, we can mount up on wings like an eagle and soar above all the problems-that did seem ‘big’. You know, it just depends on the altitude. A pilot experiencing turbulence in the aircraft, will request for a higher altitude with the Air-Traffic-Controller. And as he climbs higher, the turbulence disappears. “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, shall mount up…." (Isa. 40:31).


In Ephesians 1, we see that we are seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places and all things are under our feet. In Revelations 3, God counsels us to buy gold from Him.


We can go on and on with the blessings. May God grant us a revelation about the significance of the bread and the cup. Shall we pray?


Thank you O God, for Jesus and all things that you have given us through Him. Bless us and make us a blessing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Never Give Up!

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph at NLF, Vashi on 1st Nov. 2009. Statuary warning exists...recalled from notes etc...yeah, better be there to hear than read here...otherwise happy reading!)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1, 2).

Let me share with you today on Perseverance; about never giving up! All of us are in a race. The Word here talks about running the race with perseverance. There are people here who are born-again, water-baptized and they start of the race. There are some who make a spectacular start to their spiritual race. But as they face obstacles / hindrances, they become discouraged and fall away. It IS a matter of great importance, on how you finish the race; and not how well you started. The Bible clearly tells us that '…he who endures (perseveres / stands firm) to the end shall be saved' (Matt. 24:13, Mark 13:13).

If you look at 2 Peter chapter 1, the Bible lists 7 qualities of the Christian. And perseverance is one of the seven. The author of Hebrews shows us the example of our Lord Jesus, ‘…WHO for the joy set before Him, endured the cross…’. There is a sure reward to those who run the race with endurance and finish the race. Never give up!

As a young lad of 15, I was water-baptized, having a simple trust and faith in Lord Jesus. I did not know of what the future held for me; what obstacles, what hindrances. One thing I learn during these 31 years, is to run the race with perseverance. One thing we know is that the Lord is with us! He has promised never to leave us.

I'm going to share with you about perseverance in 3 areas/dimensions of our life.

(i)              Persevering in the midst of trials

(ii)            Persevering in prayer

(iii)          Persevering to bear fruit

(i)              Persevering in the midst of trials

Romans 12:12 talks about being ‘patient in tribulation’; persevering in the midst of trials. James 1:12 says “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” This is persevering even when we don’t understand. There is not a single believer on earth who will not face trials in his life. Just as Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him, every disciple is called to endure trials for the reward-a crown of life.

Trials in your life do not mean that you have done something wrong – or you are out of favor with God. Oh No! You see, as humans we tend to have intellectual understanding of our situations; rationalizing and reasoning for our circumstances. Job was a man like that! He looked for reasons in his trials. He could find none. His miserable friends too joined to help him find his wrongdoings! But you know what! Trials are for even the righteous ones.

God allows trials in our lives so that we may pursue perseverance, trust Him, stand firm, determined in faith and finally have the reward. Job answers “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him…” (Job 13:15). That is a statement of faith. Trusting God, no matter what! No human may understand, yet we can manifest a heart of faith. And it will see us through the trials! ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And lean not on your own understanding’ (Prov. 3:5). Don’t be submerged in your trials; don’t collapse under the weight of hindrances. As you keep on trusting, you will come out victorious.

God has promised us that no trial will be too hard to bear. For He knows our weaknesses. He knows each one of us. He has promised us ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Cor. 12:9). That is why we must NEVER GIVE UP!

(ii)            Persevering in prayer

Our Lord Jesus spoke many things in parables. We learn about persistence and perseverance in prayer from two parables of Jesus. In Luke 11, we find a parable of a man going to his friend's house at midnight and asking for loaves of bread for his guests (v5-8). Jesus concludes the parable, saying though the friend may not rise to give him because of friendship, yet he will rise to give him because of his bold persistence. Jesus compares the message of the parable to prayer and says ‘… ask (and keep on asking) and it will be given to you; seek (and keep on seeking) and you will find; knock (and keep on knocking) and it will be opened to you’ (v9). God will answer every prayer; God will positively answer every persistent prayer! If you know it is the will of God, you must keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking till the answer is manifest. Jesus has promised “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

In Luke 18, we find another parable about perseverance in prayer. A judge-who did not fear God, nor regard man; a widow pleading for justice “Get justice for me from my adversary” (v2, 3). Jesus concludes the parable saying, the unjust judge will certainly do what the widow wanted because of her persistence. God's word says that Jesus spoke this parable that ‘…men always ought to pray and not lose heart’ (v1). Therefore, persevere in prayer!

When you know it is the will of God, you must continue to pray. It may surprise you to know that in the will of God, there will be hindrances; that can be overcome by persistent prayer. When God anointed Jesus with His Spirit, it says in the Bible, Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. As we start the spiritual race, we may feel elated in the spirit, but then there will be trials and hindrances; even when we are 100% in God's will. That is why we must NEVER GIVE UP!

(iii)           Persevering to bear fruit

Luke 8:15 says, “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience”

We can bear fruit only by patience. Ask any farmer who has sown a seed. They know that they have to wait patiently to see fruit from their seed. Look at the verse in front of you ‘…God will make us fruitful’ – the promise for this year 2009. And already 10 months are past. Do you now think ‘O, the promise is so wonderful; but only this does not work for me’? If you’ve patiently waited all these months, it is time to bear fruit. Never give up!

Gal 6:9 says “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart”. Do not lose heart! Do not be discouraged! It is a deception from Satan to bring discouragement and disillusionment. Hope in God! Psalm 42:5 says “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance”.

In the great commission-the great mandate, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). If you notice, in the great commission, there is no provision. Just go and preach! And then the promise “…Lo, I am with you always” (v20). You see, God is our provision. God with us! And we can keep on seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness…and ALL these (other) things will be added to us. You will bear fruit in your ministry, if you persevere. That is why, we must NEVER GIVE UP.

We can find encouragement in God’s written word. Rom 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope”

We can meditate on God’s Word. Every thought-every dart of discouragement can be conquered by the ‘Faith’ shield. As we choose ‘Life’, we must know it is not going to be a bed of roses all the way. But we must press on towards the goal and ‘…lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold…’ of us. NEVER GIVE UP!

Therefore, let us run the race with perseverance through trials, persevering in prayer and persevering to bear fruit in the calling God has called us for. Amen.