Truly Seeking GOD's Mind ?

Contributed the following article to the Apr-May '13 issue of VANAMUTHAM,

a Tamil Christian Monthly magazine published by Serve India Mission,

that attempts to connect the world (with its events and practical issues) to God's word.

Our God has always been speaking to mankind, at times through visions and dreams.  Sometimes, God’s message was intended for the person he spoke to, like in the case of Jacob and Joseph.  On certain occasions, particularly when God spoke to those who were not familiar with him, it was in order to fulfill his purpose for his people, as when he spoke to King Cyrus.  At other times, as often with the prophets, it was meant to be received and additionally communicated to a group of people.  Who is a Prophet?  He is a spokesperson.  God shares a portion of his burden with those who get close to God’s heart.  When God’s burden becomes their heart beat, they begin to be his spokespersons.  They begin to represent God to a generation that is not directly in tune with God.

In Amos 3:7 we find that the Sovereign Lord reveals his plans to his servants the prophets when he is about to do anything.  Why does he ever do that? We see 3 reasons across the Bible.  Firstly, to warn the people of impending judgment so they may repent and escape from judgment.  Bible is replete with history of people turning away from God, becoming self-centered, bringing forth evil and trampling others under the feet for selfish gain.  The second reason is for the Prophet to intercede for the people about to be judged.  Finally, God also foretold them about his plan for mankind – redemption through the Messiah and a new covenant that was to fulfill and replace the old.

PROPHECY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

We read in Heb 1:1,2 that “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”  God who had been revealing himself little by little incrementally had finally completely revealed himself in the person of Jesus, when he walked on earth as a man for 33-some years.  The God who had been a far-away being had come close that men could see him, touch him and hear him, not in dreams and visions, but in the physical world.  He was the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being. 

After the Pentecost, God has come even closer, into our hearts, making our bodies his dwelling place.  More than a millenium before the New Testament time dawned, Moses had wished that all the Lord’s people were his Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them (Num 11:29).  What Moses wished has atlast come true.  His Holy Spirit now indwells us and leads us into truth (John 14:16; 16: 13,14).  We live in an age where it is blessed to walk by faith and not by sight (John 20:29, 2 Cor 5:7).

Today, a child of God does not have to look up to someone else as a Prophet to know what God would have us do in any situation.  God has revealed his nature and his pleasure in Jesus and in the written word, and his Holy Spirit who indwells us reminds us of what he has already revealed. We can therefore be God’s spokespersons to the unregenerate around us, if we will only listen to his still small voice and in obedience, reveal him through our life and words.

Can God still use visions and dreams?  He can, in his sovereignty.  Are we to desire visions and dreams? Not after what he has already provided.  Are visions and dreams, a measure of spiritual growth or maturity?  Absolutely NOT. The Bible never says that.  Does God speak to every child of God?  Absolutely, if only you will listen to him as you read God’s word and commune with God in prayer.

PROPHECY TODAY

Today the Lord gives gifts to the church that will help them to bring in those who do not know God.  ‘Word of Wisdom’ and ‘Word of Knowledge’ are often understood to be gifts that help one to understand the secret things of someone else’s life.  People mistakenly understand that God will reveal to a prophet what the future holds for a person – whether they will have a child, will it be a boy or a girl, should they take this job or that, should they marry this girl or that – and they go to someone they think is a Prophet with a gift to foretell.  To be blunt, they think that a prophet is a ‘fortune teller’.  God has clearly and strongly forbidden sorcery, divination and all other practices that the pagan world used, to find what their future held for them (Due 18).

A Prophet as God’s spokesperson is to speak only when God gives him something to tell the people.  There have been times when a Prophet did not have any word from the Lord for long periods.  There was also the inter-testamental period called the hiatus, when God did not speak to the people for about half-a-millennium.  But today people expect to hear a specific word from God every time they go to who they think is God’s prophet.  And this so-called ‘Prophet’ of today always seems to have a word from God, never to disappoint anyone who comes ‘seeking the mind of God’.

DECEPTION

The incident narrated in I Kings 13 is a severe indictment against those listening to false prophets or false prophecies from people who had at some point been used as prophets. These are the deceiving prophets.  Then there are those prophets who are given to deception.  Though they may think that they are indeed prophesying by the Lord, they could actually be following ‘lying spirits’. In I Kings 10 we see about 400 prophets lying to King Ahab influenced by a lying spirit. Paul warns the Corinthians (2 Cor 11:13-15) that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light and his servants too masquerade as servants of righteousness.

Why does God allow such deception?  Deuteronomy 13 tells us that the Lord is testing the people to find out whether they love him with all their heart and with all their soul.  Prophets who lead people away from him are not God’s spokespersons.  What they foretell may take place but that is not a sign that they are God’s spokespersons.  Today’s false prophets lead people to worship idols – not a creation made of wood or stone – their wealth, health, family and sometimes other men who take the place of God in their lives.

Finally, a dream could also be just plain natural with no intervention from God.  A dream comes when there are many cares (Eccl 5:3).  We should be careful not to interpret them as God’s revelation.  Often, we are greedy and itching for something so much, that we want to believe that God is giving it to us.  People who are given to their lusts, tell the Seers to see no visions and the Prophets to give no vision of what is right. They want to hear pleasant things, so they ask illusions to be prophesied (Isa 30:10)

BE ON GUARD

Peter writes in his second letter (1:21) that the word of God in the scriptures is surer than any experience.  We are to look at it as light in a dark place, in our temporary dark periods of anxiety and doubt as well as in our journey called life.  The church at Berea even while listening to Paul who gave us more than a third of the New Testament, examined the scriptures every day to see if what he said was true (Act 17:11). They have therefore been commended as of noble character.

Where there is no vision, people cast off restraint (Prov 29:18).  What we need is a vision in our mind’s eye to catch a glimpse of what God has in store for us.  Let us pray like Paul that that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know him better; that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which he has called us, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephe 1:17-19).

Top 3 Concerns

Contributed the following article to the JAN '14 issue of VANAMUTHAM,

a Tamil Christian Monthly magazine published by Serve India Mission,

that attempts to connect the world (with its events and practical issues) to God's word.

My Friend,

   I wanted to share my views on three issues that I believe will be weighing heavily on the mind of any individual.  It is for you to accept my view or reject it, but I cannot withhold it from you for fear of either being rejected or mocked.  It has helped me handle three of the biggest problems in my life, and it is out of friendship and love that I want to share it with you.

   All of us have done things that we are not proud of -- Things that we did out of some compulsion that we felt in our body and mind; Things that we did hoping it would bring us happiness.  We might have lied to someone who trusted us, cheated our elders, grabbed what is rightfully someone else’s, hurt those who suddenly turned enemies, disobeyed our parents, disrespected our teachers, and humiliated someone who was not as wealthy or handsome (beautiful) or knowledgeable as we are.  All of us may not have done all of these things, but I am sure there is none who has not done any of these things. 

   Memories of some of these things haunt us.  Depending on the values we hold today, we try our best to erase memories of these or justify them.  Some of us justify these by looking at people around us and concluding that none is exempt from these and therefore to be human is to be imperfect.  Others among us justify these by attributing our past actions to impulses in the body which are determined by our Chromosomes, something that we are not responsible for.  To be sure, I have had a good share of these from all the years of my existence.

   Next, all of us want to rise above ourselves. We all want to be good people who will not lie, cheat, grab, hurt or disrespect.  We want to be good, kind and do good to others. But our dormant nature rears its ugly head, just when we think we have moved on.  When we stand in any queue, be it at the Post Office, at the Ticket Counter or at a Wedding Reception, the urge to edge out some and gain a few slots up just would not die down. When we are in a crowd, be it at a social party or a team meeting, the urge to stand up and be counted, even at the cost of putting down someone else, just would not go away. When we are moved in our hearts and would want to extend a helping hand, the thought of what it will cost us in time, money and effort just does not help our actions to match with our intentions.

   We are all struggling with these contradictions within us.  We want to do something beautiful but end up doing something else.  But we tell ourselves that we will improve.  We read self-help books and attend camps.

   We are told that we are intrinsically good; that it is what we have acquired over the years through our up-bringing and environment that is causing our actions to be incongruent with our true self; and that they can be shed by inward gazing to see our self in isolation from our actions.  But we have not become any better.

   Others have asked us to wake up the lion inside us.  But we feel ever smaller as we realize again and again that we just don’t measure up to our own expectations.

   Finally, given our past and our present struggles, we wonder what life is all about.  Is there any meaning in life?  Is it not all about finding happiness?  If happiness is what is paramount, does it really matter if we are kind or cruel?  Does it make any difference whether we are proud or humble?  Despite all our blemishes, if we can still be happy, is that not what we should pursue rather than be bogged by this discussion about good and evil?

   We are told that there is no over-arching meaning in life; that we are to give small meanings to our day-to-day activities and events that we come across; that if we can have small things line up our lives that bring us a smile, or a laughter or happiness, we can provide meaning to our life.

   Accordingly, we have crowded our lives with parties, celebrations, ceremonies and travels.  We have arranged trainings, competitions and performances for our children.  But the emptiness refuses to go away.

   If you have read thus far, it is likely you agree with me that you share the Top 3 concerns for life:

1. We all have done things we are not proud of.  2. We want to rise above ourselves.   3. We want to find what will bring meaning and purpose to life.  I will now want to share how I have got these concerns addressed in my life.

   When I have done things that I am not proud of, obviously they are things that are not right.  I find a moral law written in my conscience that is telling me what is right and what is wrong.  If I know they are not right, I deserve punishment.  My own conscience will judge me as a culprit, as someone who has trespassed.  If my own conscience judges me, God the maker of you and me, is greater than my conscience and He being just is sure to judge me.  I therefore deserve and await God’s judgment.  It is this burden of knowing I deserve punishment that is called GUILT.

   I cannot wish my Guilt away.  The fact that others are equally guilty or worse does not help me.  I still deserve God’s punishment, like all others.  Thankfully God understands and He has provided me a way.  He loved me so much that He came down to pay the penalty so I can be free.  I have chosen to trust Him and enjoy freedom. The alternative will be to refuse to acknowledge His kind act for me, and continue to grovel in guilt.

   When I have found that no self-help helps, obviously I need help from outside.   I find that no matter how hard I will, I just don’t have it in me to carry it out.  It is true that when I sow an action, I reap a habit, when I sow a habit, I reap a character and when I sow a character, I reap a destiny.  But the trouble is with the start.  If I am brutally honest with myself, sowing a thought is not necessarily helping me reap an action.  Despite the amount of good books I have read, the discourses I have listened to and the trainings I have attended, being good is something alien.  I am just too selfish.

   Here again, if I am not too proud to recognize my limitation, help from outside is available.  God Himself comes to live inside me.  He gives me a sensitive heart that easily recognizes His prompting. When I obey His prompting, He enables me to carry it out.  The power of Him that created the universe and all that we see around us with His word is available for me to resist the tug from my weak self. God living inside me transforms me by renewing my mind, and enables me to act as He would.

   Now that I have accepted God’s forgiveness and have Him living with me, fellowship with Him has become a reality.  I am no longer alone.  The all-knowing God is living in me.  He knows best and that is true with knowing what brings me happiness and fulfillment too.

   He made me for Himself.  He did not make me for myself, nor did I create myself.  I am therefore incapable of defining purpose.  My creator alone knows what He made me for.

   He does not give me a blue-print about my future.  He does not tell me what I will become in the next 5 or 10 years, and how I will get there.  He tells me what I should do every moment and in every situation.  He has laid out principles in His written word for me, by which I should direct my steps.  When it is His pleasure that becomes paramount to me, I can be sure that my life will be lived out beautifully and meaningfully.  Any time I turn back and look at how my years have been spent, I will see how wonderfully He has accomplished His purposes through me.

   Would you like to have Him, know His purpose, and enjoy His Enabling presence and power to make your life meaningful?