What a calling!

(Murali’s notes about GB’s message)

God has chosen each one of us in the church for a very special purpose and then for the glorious eternal life. Are we walking in a manner worthy of our calling? Let us examine our situation with an illustration from a story.

Once a rich doctor wanted to experiment on a project of adopting a slum girl, bringing her up in a high society, and providing her with a good education and support. He selected one of the dirtiest and ugliest little girl from a slum. The girl was so filthy that he didn’t even want to allow her in his car, but had someone bring her to his house by auto.

You are responsible for your choice

(Murali’s notes about GB’s message)

Each of us came into this world alone, will leave this world alone, and will one day stand alone before God and give an account of ourselves. In Genesis 3, though God knew who first ate the fruit, he questions Adam first because he was given the charge, and he is responsible for his family. When God questioned Adam about his sin, Adam put the blame on “the woman whom Thou gavest me.” When Eve was questioned, she put the blame on the serpent. Both of them didn’t own up to their own responsibilities for their fallen state. Similarly, on the Judgment Day, millions will blame their circumstances, families, relatives, friends, church, pastors, and others for losing salvation instead of owning individual responsibility.

Being sure of going to heaven

(Murali’s notes about GB’s message)

Every growing church should have intelligent questions about the topics they study and should provide regular feedback to the preacher.

Every heaven-going believer will have great grief for people whom he knows will go to hell.  What is our feeling towards people whom we know for sure will go to hell if they do not change their course?  Do we really grasp the implications?  What have we done for them?  Have we done everything short of falling at their feet and pleading that they accept Jesus?

Advice for B’lore church

(GB Message)

Venomous schemes of Satan against members of the church

Thirty years ago, I witnessed a scene that is vivid to me even today. I was in Calcutta, and the institute where I was employed (IIM) was at that time situated on the Barackpore Trunk Road. Being a highway in the city of Calcutta, it was a road with very heavy but fast-moving traffic at speeds up to 80 kmph. I did not usually need to cross this road because I used the institute bus. Once I happened to cross that road myself. It was a double road. I crossed the first road, stood on the traffic median till the traffic from the opposite direction thinned and then ran across to the opposite pavement. There was no problem except that I had to wait for a long time on the traffic median between very fast-moving vehicles on both sides.

As I was returning to the institute by the same process, I saw a good-looking dog with four or five puppies trying to cross that road.

Gist of talk with B’lore church

(Murali’s notes about GB Message)

• You reiterated the genius and craftiness of Satan. We are totally inadequate to stand against his wiles unless we seek the strength and help of the Holy Spirit.
• He is behind the ministries of god men and miracle workers. It is disheartening to note that even some of our own congregation members wanted to attend such meetings.

Church to clear confusion and train

(GB Message)

Church is where confusions are cleared

A confused person may be:

• So confused that he is not aware that he is confused
• So used to it that it does not occur to him to seek any solution from it
• Driven to seek a solution

Rather than dwelling on the first two cases and get confused ourselves, let us deal with the third one; at least there is a search involved in it.

Covenant relationship

(GB Message)

These are the last days. Most of the churches we see carry on without a semblance of godliness. This is an indication and a warning to every one of us that the satanic spirits are actively engaged in swallowing up churches. In Peter’s epistle we read of Satan personified as a hungry lion who walks about seeking whom it may devour. In these days, Satan seems to be swallowing entire churches instead of individuals.

Counterfeit churches Bending Circumstances

(GB Message)

Glad to note that you have two visitors in your congregation today. I am quite aware of the fact that my sermons are often hard and cutting as against encouraging sermons based on texts like, “If God be with us, who can be against us?” Honestly I feel that only a hireling or an agent of the devil can keep preaching comforting sermons like that.

I enjoy fairly good health. This is because medical specialists constantly take particular care of the areas of my body that are sick, giving me timely medicines; I too have to meet them periodically for routine medical checkups. I prefer to have a physician care for my physical well being than people who may want to encourage me by commenting on how well I look, how strong my limbs are, and how well I digest my food.

True and counterfeit churches

(GB Message)

We learned how Satan has already devoured many churches. He is like a man-eater having tasted the blood of members of dead churches and so he is keen to capture many more. With the experience that he has gained, he runs pseudo churches parallel to genuine churches. One thing is certain, Satan has no power whatsoever over living churches.

We may wonder what is a live church and how they may be identified.

All equal before God

(GB Message)

Each of us is born in this world under circumstances that are different from those of the next person. Some of us are born into good families, some in very unfortunate families, some in affluent families, and some in families that are extremely poor. Some families had a good educational background while others were more backward. Some of us hail from families with a Christian background, and some of us hail from religious backgrounds that are alien to Christianity.

Because such is the case, do we consider that some are in advantageous positions and some in very disadvantageous positions? We may imagine so. But strangely the conditions to be in heaven are in no way connected to the categorization that we have just mentioned.