JUST ANOTHER DONKEY…!!

Let’s read Matthew 21: 5-9 & 2 Peter 2:15, 16 in tandem

 ..‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness”

Some kings rode on horses. Some kings rode on elephants. But the King of kings chose to ride on a “donkey”. While the earthly-minded kings rode with pride and arrogance, the heavenly-minded King rode with humbleness and gentleness..!

There are many spiritual truths embedded in the above scripture portions. Let us look at 3 of these today:

1. God’s commission & our submission – The Creator knows His creation very well. He knows how, when and where to use you. There are no useless tools in God’s workshop.  All you need to do is submit yourself fully to His commission…!
2. Praise and Glory to God alone – You and I are nothing but “just another donkeys”. It is the greatest of all privileges to carry the Gospel and be a witness for Jesus Christ in and through our lives. More often than not we may come across appreciations and praises. We should be fools to even assume that those praises and appreciations are because of us. Do you think the crowds would still have shouted praises if the donkey had walked down the road all by itself? Absolutely no..!
3. God’s rebuke is restraining; Man’s rebuke is like braying – Many so called “Christians” (including the church elders & leaders) have left the straight (and narrow) way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam. Firstly, you and I need to be sure not to be hypocritical like the ones mentioned above. Secondly, in order to restrain these “fake christians”, we should always let God speak through us with love, grace & wisdom. If we rebuke them out of our own knowledge and understanding, then it will sound like nothing but a donkey’s bray (the loud, harsh cry of a donkey).

Are you willing to be “Just another obedient & submissive donkey” for your Lord Jesus Christ…??

The Spirit of VALOUR..!!

Let’s read 2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV), Psalm 27:1(NIV) & 1 John 4:18(NIV) in tandem

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”

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

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love”

Do you remember this classic instruction from your parents/elders/teachers from when you were a kid? – “Don’t ever accept anything (chocolates/sweets) from strangers”

Luring kids through false-incentives is still a popular trick practiced by kidnappers all over the world...!

As a loving and responsible father, God is giving us a similar instruction today. He does not want you and me to get lured by Satan into his “Fear-trap”. Just as a kidnapper tries to entice his victim into confinement through false incentives and lies, Satan who is a “liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44) also tries to entice you and me into FEAR through untrue promises, semi-facts, and total lies…!

The Psalmist was bold enough to say “...whom shall I fear…. of whom shall I be afraid...” (Psalm 27:1) because he found everlasting solutions to the two main causative factors of FEAR - darkness and insecurity. He found LIGHT as a solution to darkness. He found SALVATION as a solution to insecurity. The common synonym he used for both these solutions is – “THE LORD”

If you believe that Jesus Christ is really the Lord of your life, then you should be “FEARLESS”. If you are still “FEARFUL” in some areas of your life, then it is a clear indication that you have not accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of ALL areas of your life. 

The Lordship of Jesus Christ drives-in perfect love into your life. This perfect love then drives-out all “FEAR” from your life…!

PERFECTION THROUGH PERSECUTION..!!

Let's read Matthew 5:43-48(NIV) & Psalm 23:5, 6(MSG) in tandem

Jesus - “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

“You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life”

Secular movies are to most extent nothing but a reflection of the world’s mindset. The stories, the plots, the emotion, the drama – all are based on the concept of good versus evil.

Jesus Christ did not come to this world to give us a logical conclusion to this never-ending conflict between good and evil. He came to give us LIFE, and that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

People around us “persecute” us in various different ways. A simple synonym for “persecution” is “hostility”. The world’s line of thinking goes like this – “Anyone who is not your friend, is your enemy, so be careful with him/her; Show hostility for hostility”.

This “persecution” could be of emotional, social, intellectual or very rarely physical in nature. This hostility could come in any form, shape or size and sometimes even from our very own family/friends. What is our natural reaction to such hostility? – hate, strife, anger, frustration, seclusion etc.

But Jesus says – “..love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven”.

Make good use of the “priceless opportunities” that God is giving you to dine (fellowship) right in front of your enemies, so you can exercise this great LOVE of God and experience His blessing.

This LOVE is not logical but magical in nature. This LOVE uses the tool of “persecution” to take you through the pathway to “perfection”…!!

THE SCORE SETTLER..!!

Let’s read Luke 4:24, 28-30(NIV), Proverbs 20:3(NIV) & Proverbs 20:22(MSG) in tandem

“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown… All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.  But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

“It is to one’s honour to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel”

“Don’t ever say, “I’ll get you for that!” Wait for God; he’ll settle the score”

Jesus went to His hometown Nazareth and spoke the TRUTH and nothing but the TRUTH (read the whole chapter for details– Luke 4). But, He was driven out of His own town by His own people, in order to throw him off the cliff and kill Him. All for what? For speaking The Truth and nothing but The Truth…!

What did Jesus do? – “..He walked right through the crowd and went on his way”. He did not force The Truth down their throats. He was not quick to quarrel even though He was right. He avoided any strife. He was patient right through because He knew for sure that His Heavenly Father is the ultimate SCORE SETTLER.

A surgeon’s scalpel cuts and makes you bleed. But once the problem is fixed he sutures the incision and takes proper post-surgical care till the wound is properly healed. No ethically-sound surgeon will ever try and force the incision on you if you are not willing to be operated on. If he does force the cut on you, it will be considered an injury caused by assault and not a surgical incision.

God the spiritual-surgeon uses his double-edged scalpel (The Truth) to make skilful incisions to your soul in order to fix a problem. This Truth is the very Word of God. But as any other ethically-sound surgeon, He will never force a surgery on you. He never assaults anyone with His scalpel. But, He is ever-ready to operate on anyone in need for free..!

Let us follow the example of Jesus in the following:

1. Never try and force “The Truth” down people’s throats through strife and quarrel.
2. Always be PATIENT and know that you are not the final score settler, your Heavenly Father is…! (read Romans 12:19).

HUMBLER and GENTLER by the day..!

Let’s read Ephesians 4:2, Proverbs 29:23 & 15:01 in tandem

“Be completely HUMBLE and GENTLE; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the HUMBLE in spirit will retain honour.

A GENTLE answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”

The Holy Spirit God commanded the church in Ephesus through the Apostle Paul to be completely humble and gentle. This was not a mere suggestion but a command..!

Why is it so important to be humble & gentle?

The opposite of humbleness is pride. And pride is like a slow-poison that brings a man down slowly but surely. But humbleness on the other hand is like a magical potion that maintains a man’s inner fervour and sustains his outer honour. 

While Pride is a mental attitude, Humbleness is a spiritual attribute.  One can be proud of their education, talents, achievements, external appearance etc, all of which are either physical or mental but never spiritual. There is nothing in the spiritual realm that man can be proud of. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows”(James 1:17). God’s grace is a free gift; God’s Love is a free gift; God’s salvation is a free gift; Peace of God is a free gift; Hope in Christ is a free gift. You name anything which is good and perfect – ALL of them are free gifts from God. Therefore, there is absolutely NOTHING in the whole of universe that you and I can boast about as self-made or self-achieved.

Jesus said “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am GENTLE and HUMBLE in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29, 30). As God’s children in Christ we are to imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1).     

The yoke of PRIDE is too difficult to carry and the weight of HATRED (harshness) is too burdensome – both are extremely fatal. 

Hence, let us seek to be completely HUMBLE and GENTLE in heart and carry His yoke which is easy and bear His burden which is light...!