Lecture 4: Glorious spiritual step called ‘Believing’

(GB Message)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek”, Rom 1: 16.

Let us go through this verse and consider carefully the meaning and implications of the step called “believing” in the life of a believer, and how the under-noted expressions in the same verse garnish it.

• the power of God
• not ashamed of
• the Gospel of Christ
• every one
• the Jew and the Greek.

The power of God
What does an average man understand by this expression “the power of God”? He does not even know what ‘God’ means and so there is no chance of his knowing anything about matters pertaining to God. Even to understand the meaning of the word “power” a man does not have sufficient knowledge.

There was a time when man worshipped the sun, moon, stars, lightning, rivers, mountain, mud, stone, animals, and birds. Things have not changed much since those days. Man is still ignorant, and his ignorance of the fact that he is ignorant leads to more transgression. This ignorance coupled with his sky-high pride are his greatest handicaps in understanding God.

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?

The story of the Caliph of Bagdad

(GB Message)

Click for Tamil translation

There was once a caliph of Bagdad who was known for his justice, fair play, and also for cruelty. A Christian prisoner awaited capital punishment and according to the usual practice, the caliph wanted to give him a last chance to escape. He summoned for him and said to him, “What is the most important factor or requirement in order to be saved; is it faith, repentance, baptism, or something else? If you answer me correctly in one word, you will be set free; otherwise, you will be executed.” Because the prisoner was a Christian, the caliph had arranged, with the help of the local missionaries, to prepare a question such as this.

Are infants included in the word ‘household’?

Look at the following verses:

And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ (Acts 11:13-14)

So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. (Acts 16:31-32)

I do not think that infants could have been included in the word ‘household’ in the contexts of these verses.

Poignant situations

(GB Message)

Introspection

When I look back, I realize that I have lived a life so rich, so varied, and so pleasant, of course with occasional unpleasantness. I am filled with gratitude for the abundant mercy of God and praise Him. I am now quite busy giving the final touches to my various teachings, which I must do prior to meeting the Lord, who will also, I am sure, be equally eager to meet me because this has been a life given by Him to me.

Strangely, I understand that I am old only when I look at my face in the mirror.

Born of Water and Spirit Part 1

(GB Message)

A compendium for the guidance of those who have the anointing for the preaching of the Gospel of Lord Jesus

Who is a truth seeker?

The sole purpose for being in the church is to be trained by the guidance of the Bible to be in heaven. The Bible can be understood only with the help of the Holy Spirit or with the help of one who has the anointing of the Holy Spirit for preaching the gospel of Lord Jesus.

Gospel concerning Jesus Christ Part 2

(GB Message)

Click for Tamil translation

The first lesson was an introduction about the contents of the Bible. I taught you that the Bible is God’s announcement to the people of this earth about the availability of a glorious opportunity to attain immortality and to inherit a place in God’s celestial region, free of cost with a little effort on the part of the individual. Even for that little effort, God is willing to grant the strength if one sought for it earnestly, trusting Him.

After that initial little effort God shows the next step. Through many such steps God leads him in the heavenly path of sanctification. When people do not complete a step, God waits, and does not show the next step. Many stop along the way and do not progress. This is how dead churches are formed and over such churches alone, the gates of Hades prevails.

You have learnt earlier that God is really in search of genuine truth seekers in order to enable them to escape from the clutches of Satan and from the worldly influences dangerously poisoned by the powers of all kinds of evil forces. After all, no one is born with any adequate knowledge of God. A desire for the knowledge of God develops in an individual only gradually and progressively and not at once. The process may vary from person to person. To some it develops with an accelerated speed. But to some others, it is rather slow and progressive.

Gospel concerning Jesus Christ Part 1

(GB Message)

Click for Tamil translation

This is the commencement of my teaching about Jesus Christ and His Gospel (good news), which He proclaimed to the entire world through the Bible.

What is the Bible?
The Bible is one of the greatest literary writings in the world of literature. No book of literature can come anywhere near it in the quality, nature, and purpose of this book. But as true Christians, we are not excited because of this high honour bestowed upon this book, but are exceedingly delighted that it is a spiritual book par excellence and above all the very word of God.

The world does not believe the Bible, and there is nothing we can do about it. The Bible itself makes mention of the world’s rejection. “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him”, Jn 1:10. Sad as it is, this is true.

The oldest manuscript of any ancient publication available in the world is the Bible in the forms called Codex Sinaticus, Codex Vaticanus and the like. I myself was fortunate to spend a few hours looking at these great materials while I was in London.

God Almighty of the Bible

(GB Message)

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This article contains my humble submission as to why I have chosen to worship the God Almighty of the Bible. This is also in accordance with the verse in Peter’s epistle that requires my preparedness to give a defense to everyone who reads this article to find out about the reason for the hope that is me.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (1 Pet 3:15)

Besides, this is a witness, humble though, to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God, glorifying the Name of the One who offered Himself as an atoning sacrifice for all those who pray for salvation with genuine repentance.