Salvation by Grace - Bro. Vernul Sequeira || Zion's Gate Church

Introspection

Dearly beloved brethren in Christ,

Grace and peace unto all. In this post, I shall talk about what led me to sharing my thoughts with you and the importance of said matter. Please read and feel free to share your own story in the comments. Over the past few weeks, I have been faced with quite a number of questions, doubts and situations that have all led me to do some much needed soul searching. I do not have all the answers I seek and hence, my introspection continues. Introspection or soul searching has never been a top priority for me. Although I have frequently questioned the purpose and value of my existence in the world, I had never given it a serious thought until a few weeks ago. But I guess you have to cross the bridge when you come to one..or something like that.

Proverbs 14:8 says,
"The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit."
In order to 'understand his way', one must first know his soul. This is when introspection is of paramount importance. On a personal level, keeping ourselves in check plays a very important role in determining the outcome of our lives. Paul, writing to the Galatians warned them saying,
"For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
Such a deception in the long run can have grave consequences. Not only does it affect our personal lives, but it also makes a difference in our spiritual walk. Think about the incident in Jonah 1. Think of the ship as a person, the crew and passengers as its soul and the storm as the rough times that we all experience in our daily lives. When the sea got rough and the storm threatened to sink the ship, the crew frantically threw away precious cargo to save the ship not knowing that the storm was caused by Jonah's disobedience to God's will. Only when they asked around and found Jonah guilty, they were able to save the ship, the crew and the remaining cargo and carry on with their voyage. Similarly, if we are unaware of what's resting in those deep, dark corners of our soul, we will lose a lot of 'precious cargo' when the storm hits our lives. It is essential that we know who or what is in the bottom of our ship.

Now, having said that, I do believe that God has a plan for all of our lives and it will come to fruition at the right time. The Lord keeps predestination and free will well balanced. So, if at any given point in time you find yourself overwhelmed by everything around you, turn to God for wisdom and understanding. Seek the scriptures daily so that they may illuminate your path and not let you go astray. Talk to God when things seem to be out for your hands and you will see that they are in His very capable hands. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30,
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
That is a direct promise from a God who delights in making and keeping His promises. So do not worry, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, the creator of Heaven and Earth, has His eyes on you. Lastly, do not forget, He has put His angels in-charge of you. Be strong and of good cheer because Jesus loves you.

Making a solid comeback: Why? and How?

The phrase "to make a comeback" refers to returning back to an activity or position in which a person has previously had success in. While our worldly goals are of substantial significance, what about the commitment we made to God? Have we steered off the road? Did we mistakenly take a wrong turn from the path that was supposed to lead us into the embrace of a tender loving God only to find ourselves in the snares of adversity?

If you are already walking a righteous path, I admire you discipline and faith and pray that our Lord gives you the strength to carry on. But maybe, just maybe you have drifted away like the prodigal son who left his father's home thinking that he could make a name for himself on his own. Maybe you can't seem to find your way back or perhaps you are unsure if God will accept you back into His arms if and when you do return. Now there are many things I have never been sure of in this world, but this I promise you, all you have to do is ask and God will surely take you back. How can I be so sure ? Because Matthew 7:7-8 said so.

Since I mentioned Matthew 7:7-8, let us have a closer look at it.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

If you pay attention, the above verses not only provide a procedure of sorts for returning back to the Lord but also teaches us how to stay on track and continue walking with God.

Let us analyse the verse part by part:

• “Ask and it will be given to you": The "it" in this phrase refers to forgiveness. Psalms 1:5 says, "Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous". So if you want to stand in the presence of the Lord, you have to set the record straight. Get down on your knees and simply ask Jesus for forgiveness. But is that all ? I'm afraid it is not. Firstly, you have to turn away from sin and turn to God. That means, you need to confess your sins, invite Jesus into your life and accept Him as Lord and saviour. Secondly, you also have to present a sacrifice to Him. In the Old Testament, the Jews offered a sin offering in the temple to redeem themselves but God today, does not ask us to sacrifice animals or any worldly possession to Him. In Psalms 50, God says He does not need these offerings because everything is already His. So what is it that we can give Him that He does not already have ? The answer is YOU. Offer yourself as a living sacrifice to Him. Give Him your time, offer to Him your heart, mind, body, and soul and He will surely forgive AND forget all our sins. Be sure that once your father in heaven has forgiven all your sins, it is like you never committed them. We should also strive to never again make the same mistake, atleast not intentionally. 

• "seek and you will find": Ask yourself this, when was the last time you truly and wholeheartedly tried to 'seek' God ? The problem with us today is that we are trying to 'find' God instead of seeking Him. When I say seek, I don't mean merely searching for Him. No ! I mean desiring Him with every fibre of your being. You need to hunger for Him, long for His presence and His Holy Spirit all the time. Matthew 16:24 of the Amplified Bible explains it best. It says, you need to "cleave steadfastly" to the Lord. Once you have understood what it means to seek God, the next step is knowing how to do it. The answer is quite simple: Persistent prayer. You need to pray constantly, asking God to help you understand His plans for your life. But before you pray for anything else, you need to ask Jesus to give you the strength and discipline to pray. (trust me, you will need it). Another way of knowing God, which goes hand in hand with prayer, is reading the Bible. Don't just read it, study it, pay attention to it, follow it. Let the Bible be your best friend. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you and you will see the depth and intensity the Bible has to offer. Spending time with Jesus through prayer and the Bible will soon become your lifestyle and you will see yourself and your surroundings blessed. 

• "knock and the door will be opened to you": Notice that it says "the door". Not a door or doors, it talks specifically of one door and that is the door to the banquet hall at the wedding feast of the lamb. If you want to be invited, all you have to do is accept Jesus into your life and His grace and mercy will be sufficient for you. Another aspect of this verse is consistency. You keep knocking persistently everyday. You must go before the Lord and offer yourself up as a living sacrifice daily. You need to be consistent in your relationship with Jesus. Most people misunderstand Christianity to be a religion because that is how society has labelled it but it is much more than that. It is a lifestyle that requires a 100% commitment. You cannot be a part-time Christian.

I will end on with this final thought. No matter what happens, please do not forget that 2000+ years ago, a father sacrificed His only begotten son and paid the price of our sins by shedding His blood for us so that we did not have to shed our own. Stop trying to pay for your own sins. They have been paid for by Jesus. He is the living embodiment of abundant grace and mercy, all you have to do is believe and accept Jesus as your personal saviour and offer yourself to Him.


It is my sincere prayer that if you have found yourself on the wrong path, you may come back to Christ and submerge yourself in the living water that is our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Speak to the Lord and He will speak to you.


God bless you.

Biblically Ruth-ed Christian

Dear readers,

Many a times we have a tendency to put God in a box. We think God is confined by the restrains of our thinking but we forget that it is He who gave us this cranial capacity. Something similar happened today as I was going about my daily routine. God spoke to me what I am going to share with you now when I was least expecting it. So let’s dig into the word of God straightway.

Let’s begin by reading Ruth 2. I personally would encourage you to read the entire book of Ruth. It only takes a couple of minutes but for now, I would like to focus on chapter 2. In this chapter we see Ruth meeting Boaz for the first time. She goes out to collect grain for her mother in law and herself where she catches the eye of her future husband Boaz. What do we have to learn from this? A very important lesson! It teaches us how to live our lives as Christians and our walk in the presence of God. When we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and saviour and get saved, what do we do next? Let’s put ourselves in the place of Ruth to get an answer.

1. It was Ruth who took the initiative of picking up grain from wherever she could find it. That’s the first step. We need to take the initiative to gather spiritual food for ourselves. You do this primarily by reading the Bible, collecting commentaries, watching Christian TV, etc. It is only when you are hungry that God can feed you. Unlike many parents, Jesus does not force feed! 
2. Next, Ruth began to glean in the field of Boaz behind the harvesters. Now wait a minute, how did she end up the fields of a kinsman? Was it by accident? Beloved brothers and sisters, one thing every Christian needs to understand is that there are no accidents in the kingdom of God. He put her there. Another thing that I would like to bring to your attention is that she gleaned BEHIND the harvesters. Who were they? They were servants who were sent to work in the fields of their master. We too need to get ourselves under a servant of God. Join a good church under a man of God who can provide for your spiritual needs. Many of the Old Testament men of God were blessed because they served the servants of God. For example, Joshua served Moses; Elisha served Elijah; etc. Everyone wants to serve the master but we must learn to serve a servant of the master first. Jesus is the perfect example in the New Testament who, being the son of the master, served His father faithfully, even to the cross. I must tell you, I learned this while literally walking behind my pastor.
3. Picking it up at verse 7 now, it says that Ruth worked steadily in the field from morning only stopping for a short while to take rest. How many of our lives have become just the opposite today? We waste most of our time doing things that do not matter and spend only a couple of hours in the fellowship of God. I do not suggest that you sit at home the whole day praying and don’t go to school or for work. Although personal prayer in the quiet confines of your room is mandatory for every Christian, but our God is the God of all things. Hence, you can go to college or work in an office or even be a pizza delivery guy and still be in constant fellowship with God. 
4. Boaz, impressed by Ruth’s humility, tells her not to go away into other fields but stay with his servants. This is the stage when God ordains you into a particular ministry/church. God puts you under the protection and care of a shepherd. Just as Boaz allowed Ruth to drink from the jars his men had filled, God allots you a particular vessel from which you can avail of His spiritual water. In verse 22, Naomi tells Ruth to stay in this field or else she might be harmed. Similarly, when we stray away from under the wings of our shepherd, we run the risk of being harmed. How? Because by going away, you directly go against the will of God.
5. The Bible tells us that at mealtime, Boaz offered Ruth to sit at the table with the harvesters and she was given bread, grains and wine vinegar. Not only did she eat and fill herself, she also had some left over. This is where God lifts you up. He will allow you to gain the insight, knowledge, and all kinds of blessings that his servants enjoy, so much of it that your heart will overflow with His spirit. Be careful! This is also the time, we become most vulnerable to pride. We may feel that we have enough to take over at this point. It is essential that no matter how big a commission you receive from God, you always continue to serve the man of God you have been placed under.
6. Now Boaz’s heart was moved toward Ruth and he orders his servants to let her take from the sheaves and even pull out some stalks and leave them for her. All this while she had been collecting the leftovers but now she was, without her knowledge, collecting from the main harvest (something only the rightful owners of the crop could do). One can’t help but be reminded of the incident with Jesus and the woman in Matthew 15: 21-28 who humbled herself to the taking the position of dogs but found favour in the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we learn to be humble like these two women, God will exalt us also both, in the sight of our friends and our enemies.

When Ruth returned back to her mother in law Naomi, she took with her an ephah (an Old Testament Hebrew measure approximately equal to 35 litres). That was besides the food she ate from Boaz’s table. Not just that, if we read further, Boaz ultimately marries Ruth and it is from their line that the messiah comes into this world. Praise God! The same way, if we tarry on till the end, we will surely be rewarded. Trust me, you and I do not have the capacity to even begin thinking about what a great bounty awaits the faithful ones.

So to summarize, want to be a good and blessed Christian? Easy! Hunger for the Lord, humble yourself and learn to faithfully serve a servant before you can be trusted with the affairs of the master. It is also very important that you are guided through this process by a mature and biblically sound man of God. So join a small prayer group, ministry or church where you can be well fed. And in the end when you are filled, do not forget to share this sweet and tender spirit of God with others. As you empty yourself by giving it to others, our father in heaven will replenish you.

God bless you.

Obedience to God

Dear brethren in Christ,

In my last blog-post titled Grace or Law, I seem to have not given emphasis to a few immediate issues that arise from such a discussion, the most important being obedience to God. But before I get into this topic, I would once again remind you about Acts 17:11, which tells us to look into the scriptures and seek the truth personally. 

Before we go deep into the matter, let us acquaint ourselves with the meaning of obedience. Wikipedia defines it as "a form of social influence in which a person yields to explicit instructions or orders from an authority figure". This might serve the purpose in a secular lifestyle but as a christian, this definition turns out to be a bit myopic. 
Allow me to elaborate. In the Bible, we come across two forms of obedience. For lack of a better term, I will term them as the servant's obedience and the son's obedience. 

1. The servant's obedience: This is the type of obedience we come across most often in the Old Testament. It is a concept that was known to man long before Moses and the law. When God created Mr. & Mrs. Adam, He gave them specific instructions which they were to obey (Genesis 2:16-17). Later we have the nation Israel under Moses and Moses himself, called to obey the Lord. We see how Israel always found victory when they obeyed God. It was due to their disobedience that they wandered for forty years in the wilderness. Moses did not inherit the promised land only because he disobeyed God and struck the stone twice to bring forth water. This was the obedience that servants would show towards their master. 
2. The son's obedience: The Lord in John 1:11-12 (I love that verse, it's one of my favorites) gave us inheritance into the kingdom as official heirs. By the grace of God, we received salvation and inheritance (both being two distinct terms). So if we aren't under the subjection of the law an have been elevated to the position of the children of the most high, why do we need to take the place of a servant and obey God ? Simple ! Because the son of God himself did so. Matthew 26:36-45 is one of the most magnificent passages in the New testament in the sense that we see Jesus intimately praying with His father. He demonstrates the obedience of a son. Putting His father's will ahead of His own, He endures through the trials of the following night even dying on the cross for each and every sin that had been committed so far and all the sins that would be committed throughout the centuries that have followed that day. A son's obedience is voluntary and is not subject to any legal contractual obligations like a slave or servant. We learn this from on of Jesus' epistles, namely, the letter to the church of Laodicea. Christ says in the letter that He wishes that they were either hot or cold. We have the option ! Yes, it would hurt Him if you did not obey Him but He gave each person the free will to choose. But yes! He does have rewards in store for those who do obey. 

So does God punish those who do not obey him today ? Well, the book of proverbs does say spare the rod and spoil the child. The Bible also tells us that God disciplines (but does not punish) those that He loves like a father to a son. Although being the children of God is not a licence to disobedience, nobody is holding you back from rejecting God and going away. But you do this at your own risk. If you do not accept Jesus as your saviour, you have no room in heaven with His people. If you aren't in heaven, that implies, you go down to the pits of hell. Still...your choice !

To sum it up, our obedience is not that of a servant, but one of a son. Obedience that comes out of love for our father. Neither I nor anyone else can force you to obey God, but out of my own experience, I would encourage you to do so because it is written: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
God Bless You ! 

ShalomLife Messenger July 2013

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Grace or law ?

The topic I shall discuss now is by far the most debated topic I have come across. It has many convincing viewpoints which come from many competent Bible scholars. I will try to present mine in the next few paragraphs but before I do so, let me remind you of what the Bible says in Acts 17:11, "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Hence, I urge you to search the scriptures, do a good Bible study, listen to what Bible scholars have to say about it and come to your own conclusions.

Paul writing to the Ephesians says in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Before he came to faith, Paul was Saul of Tarsus, a pharisee who was at the front-line of christian persecution during that time. But one day he comes face to face with Jesus. Acts 9:1-19 details this encounter and his conversion from Saul to Paul. It was the grace of our Lord that had brought about this change. Paul had been saved by grace. If the Lord was to look at his deeds, i don't think we would know him as Paul today. Many a times we think that doing good will get us to heaven even if we don't believe and accept Jesus as our saviour.

Let's have a look at what Matthew 7:22-23 has to say on this matter. Jesus says, "Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" Well, what happened ? They cast out demons in His name yet He din't know them ? what does that mean ? Well, it means they din't have His grace upon their lives. Why ? Because they din't know Him intimately/personally. Then one has to ask the question, how did they prophesy and cast out demons? Aah ! Jesus already answered that! The demons din't come out because of these false prophets but because of His name. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us how the name of Jesus was given dominion by the father above all other names. My dear brothers and sisters, you and I have salvation only because Jesus shed his blood as the ultimate sacrifice so that we may be cleansed of our sins and we may be made righteous.

So what about the law ? God gave the ten commandments through Moses to the Israelite people and Jesus ADDED two more! Read Matthew 5:17 where Jesus himself says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." People often advocate that since the law giver himself came to Earth to redeem us, the law is terminated. Really ? If we read verses 18-20 of the same chapter, Jesus hammers away at the importance of the law. By saying that Jesus abolished the law, you run the risk of doing two thing; one, calling God a liar and two, blaspheming. Oops! not good !

Oh well ! that means salvation comes by obeying the law right ? Hold that thought and let's have a look at Romans 3:21-31 has to tell us. Paul in writing to the Romans asserts once again that just because we are saved by grace does not mean we do away with the law. On the other hand, it means that we should uphold the law. So finally what conclusion do we come to ? faith or works ? The answer is BOTH! We often tend to look at grace and the law as two sides of the same coin What that does is makes them mutually exclusive. It becomes either the law or grace just like you can see only one side of the coin at a time. They should be rather illustrated two oars of the same boat. If you use only one of the oars, you end up moving in circles and not reaching the destination. Only when you use both the oars equally will you reach the proper destination. I like the way my pastor puts it. Your work should come as a fruit to the salvation you receive through grace. If you don't give fruit, it only shows that you haven't been saved.

As i end(which I should by now) I would like to give you a small piece of advice that has been of great help to me. Whenever you find yourself surrounded by the darkness of doubt, remember Psalm 119:105 and you will never stumble.

God bless you.