THE GOODNESS OF GOD

Exodus 33:18-19

18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you”

The theme of this year's PCG annual convention Itarsi was declared last week by Dr. Matthew K. Thomas as "The Goodness of God". 

Let's understand this theme by concentrating ourselves in the text aforementioned. The text we read above pictures an intense desire of a man named Moses who wanna see the glory of God. When it comes to to leadership, there is no one in history as Moses. Here Moses wanna see the glory of God. By this time God had already done/shown many great things before the eyes of whole nation, Israelites and also before Moses. However, Moses was not satisfied with that he still wanna see something more outstanding which will satisfy his urges to know God than what God had already made him known. 

Just as Moses many of us, in times, wanna see something extraordinary than what is most obvious. In following verses we see God says, "I'll show you my goodness". 
God had been so good to nation  Israel and Moses had seen that by his own eyes. But was not  contented with that. If everyone of us would turn around and see how God had been good to us we would surely come up with some story in which God has intervened and shown His goodness. 

Few years back because of a viral fever I was bedridden for a while and it was at that point of time I began thinking about all my privileges as fully functioning human being. One of those was ability to walk. How blessed I'm to have two legs to move wherever and whenever I can. Frankly speaking, I never realised that unless I found myself confined in the sick bed, though be it for a short while.

Another instance, last week because of some emergency, I had to travel by a passenger bogie in a train and wondered to see the struggles and misery of people even to take fresh breath in those overcrowded bogies. Then I realised how blessed I'm to be not so frequent commuter in those compartments. I began thanking God for what I had been enjoying so long. Again this may vary for people who always travel in a/c couch and once happened to travel in non-a/c. 

Though these examples may seem very insignificant for others to consider but they matter a lot to one who has experienced, especially in the context of discussing goodness of God. Similarly, everyone of us has a story to tell from our own life. 

More than all these human experiences of God's goodness we have seen greatest act of God's goodness in His sacrificial love through giving His Son for our goodness that is nothing but the gift of salvation, the greatest goodness man can ever see in his/her life. 

As we celebrate the goodness of God this year along with PCG Itarsi let's, instead asking for more from God, start thanking His for all His goodness that we have already experienced so far and if not just take some time and ponder for a while or have an introspection within, you would surely find God's goodness in your life working everyday. 


GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, ALL THE GOD IS GOOD!!!

Read More

GO-WAIT-BE

Sometimes we think that we have arrived. 

We all are a part of the great commission. Though you be an entrepreneur, engineer, doctor or a mere believer, everyone one of us is a disciple of Christ. First of all Jesus before ascending above commissioned disciples with great commission but then again in Book of Acts first chapter told them to wait and then finally to be in the same chapter. So there are three commissions not one. Let's analyse these three in their appropriate paradigm.

1. Great commission-Go

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of father, the son and ye Holy Spirit and teach them everything I have taught you. Before we make disciples we have to become a disciple. Now someone may ask how can Jesus say first to go and then wait? Because in this busy world you have to go in a place where you can find time and a place to wait. Going is more of a decision making than actually physically going somewhere for ministers. When Jesus called disciples to follow Him, He first called them to go and from the part of disciples they first chose to follow Jesus then started act of following. So we have to take decision to go and then comes a time to wait for something fascinating. This for no doubt is the great commission. 

2. Greater commission-Wait 

Acts 1:4, here we find second communion by our Lord that not to depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise. The Promise of the father is the Spirit, the Spirit of truth. John 14 and 15 talks about this promised Spirit. Because unless you have the Spirit of truth you can't share the truth, which gospel of Jesus Christ. A lot of people think that they can accomplish what God wants through their life just by their own might. But biblical principal says that everything God does is through his Spirit whether in OT or NT. And Jesus said to His disciples to wait for the Spirit of God to fill them with power. And we see disciples of Jesus waited for this. So we need to realise our weakness of human state and the power that God gives through His spirit to prefect us in our weakness. This is the greater commission. 

3. Greatest commission-Be

Acts 1:8 "to be" you can't go unless you are like Christ. Now the disciples were with Jesus for almost 24/7 for three and half years. But still many of those guys could not be what Jesus expected them to be. This might be because of the absence of the power of the Holy Spirit. So we are not just called to do alone but to be. A lot of ministers think that they just have to do the gospelization, preachings, teachings and prayers, however, for what God has called us involves something more intriguing that is to be. This be has to do with becoming. Because be incorporates a process of becoming something. That is to be like Christlike. Then to be witness. 

Here I remember the quote that Francis of Assisi said, "preach the gospel and if needed use words"

So our life matters more than our preachings and teachings. Unless we have become we can't make someone. Philippians, in chapter 2, says let that mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 says that we are the living epistles of Jesus Christ. Let's make all attempts to be what God's wants us to be and fulfil greatest and final commandment. 

Read More