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7/30/2019 Issue 23 - What Will You Be Still Doing When It's Time To Go? / Bible Lessons on topics such as porn-watching, etc,…
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Steve Irwin of Animal Planet fame
was still busy doing the things he
dearly loved – lming underwater
to make the world sit up and
notice God’s creatures – when he
suddenly crossed over to Eternity’s
shore. Velupillai Prabakaran of
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam
fame was still occupied doing the
things close to his heart – ghting
for a separate country for Tamils
carved out from Sri Lanka – when
he was unexpectedly found dead
by a lake. Uriah the Hittite, one
of David’s soldiers, was stilldiligent doing the things he was
extremely proud of doing – ghting
for his king and the God of his
king – when his life was abruptly
cut short during a battle. We have
talked about Steve Irwin, Velupillai
Prabakaran and Uriah the Hittite.
What about you? What would
you still be upto when it’s time to
cross-over to eternity’s shores?
In every train ticket we buy, there
is a record of the arrival time and
the departure time. As a prisoner
in a Roman Prison waiting the
day when the guillotine will come
down crashing on his neck, Paul
knew his departure time was
near. He was about to die. Paul
bares his heart with Timothy - his
son in the faith - with whom he
has entrusted the himalayan task
keeping the false teachers under
check. His Protégé Timothy was
to slip into his shoes, soon. The
Eugene Peterson rendering of 2 Timothy 4:6 reads this way:
You take over. I am about to die.
Isolated in that gloomy cell, Paul
pens what were perhaps the last
few lines he penned. These lines
give us a glimpse, a peek into what
he held most dear in his life and
ministry. My personal study of 2
Timothy 4:6-22 has given me an
understanding of nine things, Paul
was still doing at the fag end of his
life. I too want to be doing these
things Paul – Mr. Christian – did
right till the fag-end of my life
and ministry. What were these
things he did? What were some of
the things he was still doing? One
thing we should keep in our mind
is this: our departure time may
come anytime. Yes, any one of us,
old or young, could die suddenly.
Yes, we may have to cross over
to eternity at any second. How
wonderful it would be, if we are
still upto the stuff Paul was uptowhen he crossed over to eternity!
1. He Was Still Faithul
Paul says in 2 Tim 4:7, “I have
fought a good ght, I have nished
the race, and I have remained
FAITHFUL” (NLT). This was
Paul’s self written ‘epitaph’.
– so-called. Earlier in verse 6
3
Duke Jeyaraj
What Would You Still Be Upto When It’s
Time To Cross-over to Eternity’s Shore?
Steve Irwin of Animal Planet and Velupillai Prabakaran of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam fame were still
occupied doing the things close to their heart – when they suddenly crossed over to Eternity’s shore.
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Paul had compared his life to
the drink offering in the Old
Testament. This offering was
done by pouring wine out on the
ground or altar (Num.28). Paul was
saying he had poured out his life
in faithful service to his master.
Paul doesn’t say here: “I have
fought a good ght – I have been
largely SUCCESSFUL.” He says,
“I was faithful.” Have you heard
Mother Theresa say, “God has not
called me to be successful, but
to be faithful”? Even in the dark,
dreary prison Paul was in, he was
faithful to God’s call to pen this
letter. By this model of faithfulness,
Paul was challenging Timothy to
faithfully take the baton from him
and run the Christian race of life
and ministry.
The Corinthians would remember
Paul’s comparison of Christian life
to a race: “I don’t know about you,
I am running hard to the nish
line. I am giving it everything
I’ve got…” (1 Cor 9:24-27, The
Message). More important than
winning, is to faithfully complete
the race according to the rules. SoPaul was in-affect telling Timothy,
“Do your job as pastor of the
Ephesus church faithfully. You
may have only a small ock, but
give the work all you have got!”
This is a lesson to me that I need to
be faithful to complete any given
task – large or small. If I have to
lead a bible study for just 2 people,
I have to do it faithfully. Toilet-
cleaning or article-editing, I need
to give it all I have got. Making
a call to customers on behalf of
your company? Give it your all.
Give it your best. Billy Graham
was faithful in the job of selling
brushes as a young boy. God,
according to his will, used him
to give millions a brush with the
Gospel!
2. He Was Still Fellowshipping
One cannot miss Paul’s plaintive
cry to Timothy: “Please come as
soon as you can”(2 Tim 4:9 NLT).
He repeats his request in verse 21:
“Hurry, so you can get here beforewinter.” What Paul was saying
here was, “Timothy, I desperately
need you! Get onto a ship and
come quickly before winter;
before the sea routes close for
ships to avoid dangerous icebergs
and repeat a ‘Titanic’!” Why did
Paul want to meet Timothy so
desperately? George W. Knight
gives us the answer: “Perhaps
the most compelling reason for
Timothy to ‘come before winter’ is
Paul’s expectation that his trial and
probable execution will not be put
off that long!”
Dr. Charles Swindoll has another
explanation as to why Paul wanted
to meet Timothy. He writes putting
himself in the shoes of Paul: Come,
my friend…. The time of my
departure has arrived. Soon the
blade will drop. Time for me will
be no more.
I cannot bear the thought of
midwinter without the warmth of
your companionship…. Those eyes
of understanding, those words only
you can bring to get me through
this barren and bitter season…
I agree with Dr. Swindoll. Since
the day Ananias put his lovingarms around him when he was a
new believer, Paul, was never a
loner. He teamed up with not less
than 60 people to execute the call
that God placed on his life. Now,
all alone in the prison cell, Paul
was looking for fellowship. He
certainly had read the words of
the preacher–philosopher who
said: “Two people can accomplish
more than twice as much as one;they get a better return for their
labor. If one person falls, the other
can reach out and help”(Eccl. 4:10
NLT).
Paul’s fellow-worker, Demas,
deserted him and the ministry
“because he loves the things of
this life”(2 Tim 4:10 NLT). One
Bible commentary indicates
the tense of that verse is such
that Demas has begun to love
and still loves the present age.
But Paul was hopelessly in love
with Jesus, whom he rst met in
the Road to Damascus. That’s
why he was longing to go to his
‘hometown’ – heaven – with Jesus,
when he appeared. He longed
for the appearing of Jesus for the
second time (2 Tim 4:8). Paul was
like the Girl who waited for her
Boy Friend to show-up at 4:30
in the evening in her hostel. As
the time neared, every time she
heard the door swing open, she
thought, “May be it is him!” She
was so much in love with that boy
and wanted him to come and see
her without delay. Please recall
how Paul reminded the Philippi
church, “We are citizens of heaven,
Are you faithful in your
Christian life race?
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where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
And we are eagerly waiting for
Him to return as our Savior”(Phil
3:20 NLT). Again one cannot
help contrasting this with Demas
who was heading for his earthly
hometown – Thessalonica (Phm
24; Acts 20:4; 27:2). When Jesus
says, “I am coming back soon!”
which of these two words do you
tell Him: “Eager!” or “Never!” Do
you go like, “Jesus, don’t come
back so soon yet. I am still in love
with my dirty habits and so I will
not be ready to meet you!”
To me, one of the ways Paul
indicated that he was in love with
Jesus all his life was this: he
took long walk-talks with hisMaster (it looks like). Take this
incident for example: When
Luke and others wanted to go
to Troas for Assos, which was
30 miles South by ship, Paul
preferred to walk the distance.
Reason? The Nelson Study Bible
commentators explain: Paul may
have felt the need to spend some
time alone with God, to pray and
reect on what God wanted himto do. When Paul met up with the
others in Assos, it is clear that
he had received guidance. He was
now in a hurry to get to Jerusalem
alone to deliver the offering
taken by the Gentile churches for
the suffering church there ( Acts
20:13-16).
I am sure that Paul took several
love-walks with Jesus, asking Him
for guidance in every stage of his
ministry. Even as he sat in the dim
Roman Prison, the lub-dub of his
heart was “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…”
He was so madly in love with Jesus,
that he was ready to have his head
chopped for him!
Once when I was praying, I asked
myself this question: “What is
‘being successful’ in ministry”?
I tried to gure out an answer.
“Being successful in ministry is
not preaching in Germany when
you are 23 (which I have done), but
forever staying in love with Jesus!”
I told myself. Did not Jesus choose
his 12 closest friends the disciples
- rst to be “with him” and only
then preach about Him? The New
Living Translation puts it well:
“Then he selected twelve of them to
be his regular companions“ (Mark
3:14). Only if we are “regular
companions” of Jesus on the earth,
would we like Paul will be “eager
for His coming” so that we will
spend eternity with Him!
3. He Was Still Forgiving
Paul makes this stunning request
of Timothy: “Bring Mark with
you when you come, for he will be
helpful to me” (2 Tim 4:11). Thatsounds incredible because, it was
this very same Mark, the son of
Mary of Jerusalem and the cousin
of Barnabas (Col 4:10), who quit
the Paul-Barnabas Missionary
team half-way because he wanted
to see his mom badly (Acts
12:25; 13:5,13). He was Mama’s
boy, perhaps! Paul was rm in
his decision not to take Mark in
his journey, despite Barnabas
persuasion earlier in his life (Acts
15:37-40). But now on seeing
a different Mark, who proved
himself as ‘a fellow-worker’, Paul
is willing to forgive him of the
past. Now he was to replace Demas
who left his ministry team! Paul
forgives the once-deserter (Mark)
and trusts him to replace the fresh-
deserter (Demas)!
Alexander the Coppersmith is
another person Paul “handed
over to the Lord.” This Alexander
did “much harm” against Paul
and “vigorously opposed (our)
message.” The forgiving Paul
would not take revenge on this particular Alexander who may also
have played a role in turning the
people in Ephesus against him
so much that a riot erupted (Acts
19:33-34). “The Lord would judge
him for what he has done,” Paul
wrote at the end of his life (2 Tim
4:14 NLT). Paul did not feel it t to
describe to his readers, the harm
Alexander the Coppersmith did to
him. This ‘Lord-will-judge-Him’attitude Paul had does not show
Paul’s self-righteousness for he
himself had earlier said, “We all
must appear before the judgment
seat of Christ” (2 Cor 5:10).
In his rst trial in Rome, those
with him ran for their lives (2 Tim
4:16) obviously out of fear. Were
we in Paul’s position we would
have said, “These cowards should
go to hell, for the Bible says in
Rev. 21:18, Cowards who turn away
from me—their doom is in the lake
that burns with re and sulfur.”
But Paul’s response oozed with
love and forgiveness: “I hope it will
not be counted against them” (2
Tim 4:16 NLT). For Paul forgiving
others was a habit. This habit stuck
onto him till the fag end of his life.
Paul forgives the once-deserter
(Mark) and trusts him to replace
the fresh-deserter (Demas)!
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It is impossible to reect Christ-
like attitude in the ministry
without a forgiving spirit. Paul
had earlier told the Colossian
church thus: “Remember the Lord
forgave you, so you must forgive
others”(3:13 NLT). And since Paul
himself calls himself, “the chief of
all sinners” (1 Tim 1:15) he knows
he has experienced a generous
dose of God’s forgiveness in his
life. So this realization eggs him
on to forgive others with the same
generosity!
Have you forgiven everyone who
has rubbed you the wrong way?
Have you pardoned the ‘impossible’
people who have made your life a
pain? Copy Paul and forgive them.Copy Paul and give them a second
chance. When it’s time to go, you
should not have a bitter spirit
inside of you! Hell is a place where
unforgiven people and those who
withhold forgiveness go to!
4 He Was Still Feeding
Paul’s request to Timothy, next, is
still more extra-ordinary: “Whenyou come, be sure to bring –
my books and especially my
parchments”(4:13 NLT). Swindoll
imagination helps us here: I also
need the books. You remember
them. The ones I read under
candle-light as we rode out the
rough waters of the Aegean and
endured the rigors of Macedonia
together. Those scrolls that fed
my mind with fresh bursts of hopeand stimulating ideas. Bring along
those books my friend. I especially
need the parchments! Those are
my most treasured possessions,
Timothy. How I need the comfort
of King David’s Psalms, the
fortitude from the prophet’s pen,
the insights and perception from
Solomon’s proverbs. Yes, the
parchments. Surely they will help
keep my heart warm and my hopes
high in this desolate place.
At the dusk of his life, the writer
of 13 books of the most read
book in the world – The New
Testament—was still a learner. He
was still a regular reader of the OldTestament. That he kept in constant
touch even with secular literature
of his time is evident from his
quotes from secular philosophers/
poets in his sermons (Eg. Titus
1:12, Acts 17:23).
Charles Spurgeon had this to say
about Paul’s request to Timothy to
bring his books: “He is inspired,
yet he wants books! He has been
preaching at least for 30 years,
yet he wants books! He has seen
the Lord and yet he wants books!
He has been caught up into third
heaven and has heard things which
are unlawful for a man to utter, yet
he wants books! He has written the
major part of the New Testament,
yet he wants books!”
When I rst accepted Christ, as
a 12 year old in the year 1986, the
most obvious change in my life
was a strange new love for the
WORD. Many years later, this is
my prayer: “Lord, I want to be
a student of your Word.” With
quality Spiritual books rolling
out of the Christian Publishing
Units every day, the Christians
of this generation have a
tremendous opportunity and great
responsibility to read. What is
more, no generation has had the
Scriptures available to them in
so many versions (The English
Standard Version to Eugene
Peterson’s The Message) which
could be read in so many ways
(online, on the mobile phone). Jesus
said, “Much is required from those
to whom much is given, and much
is required from those to whom
much more is given” (Luke 12:48
NLT). I desire to be a learner-
reader till my last breath. Billy
Graham said in his autobiography
that if he had a chance to re-live
3 years of his life, he would spend
two of them reading and studying
only one of them in preaching!
5. He Was Still Flaming
Even when others ditched the Lord
and the Gospel, Paul wouldn’t. He
wrote, “But the Lord stood with
me and gave me strength that I
might preach the Good News in all
its fullness for all the Gentiles to
hear”(2 Tim 4:17 NLT). Years ago,
There is nothing more fruitful than being the student of His Word.
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when Paul met Jesus, his mandate
was to bear Christ’s name “before
the gentiles and kings and sons
of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Paul never
forgot that “heavenly vision.” He
carried it on with his heart aming
with a burden to preach. Doing
ministry was his life ambition: ‘My
ambition has always been to preach
the Good News where the name of
Christ has never been heard’ (Rom
15:20). HE was still aming with
this very same ambition at the fag
end of his life. At the sunset of his
life Paul was still bothered about
‘all the gentiles’ and if they would
have an opportunity to hear the
Gospel (2 Tim 4:17).
As a preacher of the Gospel, Ishould constantly check if the re
within me is burning aame for
Gospel proclamation like it did for
Paul. And I also must never forget
that I have a responsibility to fulll
in getting the Gospel to the 8000
people groups without Jesus (about
3000 of which is in India). The fact
that 48,000 among these unreached
die daily, must make us accelerate
the task! While in the pulpit or even out of it (for example, when
traveling) we need to still be ame
with the Gospel re. As the re
within burns I give Gospel tracts to
my interested co-travelers in most
of my journeys. In Paul’s case, the
four walls of Roman prison cannot
chain the gospel! Sitting in a
physical prison, Paul’s only thought
was how many more spiritual
prisoners would be released fromthe bondage to sin!
6. He Was Still Firm
Paul is stuck on to the Jesus
Narrow way. He was rm. He
says with condence (minus the
arrogance): “Yes, the Lord will
deliver me from every evil attack
and bring me safely to his heavenly
kingdom”(4:18 NLT). Paul was
no backslider. He was rmly on
his way home – the heavenly
kingdom. There was no thought he
entertained of ever turning back.
Someone said, “When you come to
Christ, every bridge burns behind
and there is no thought of ever
turning back.” Elsewhere he would
write with great condence, “For
I am convinced…neither heights
nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of Christ” (Rom 8:37-
39). Paul at the close of his life was
asserting Jesus’ words: “Anyone
who puts a hand to the plow and
then looks back is not t for the
Kingdom of God” (Lk 9:62). As a
believer, I can have the assurance
of the reward. But I should take
care, I am not arrogant or over-
condent.
7. He Was Still Failing
Paul, the man who once healed
Many and raised the dead, had to
leave Trophimus sick at Miletus
(2 Tim 4:20). Paul’s hand kerchief
was taken to people and they were
healed. But now Paul was faced
with a seeming “healing failure”.
Paul would have been the last
person to say that he is perfect
without fault at the end of his life.
One remembers how cowardly he
became after his conversion – to
ee in a basket (2 Cor 11:30-33)
and how he lost his temper (Acts
23:3).
As a young minister, I should
beware of ‘perfection’ theories. No
one is perfect. We will not become
perfect till we see Jesus face to
face (1 Cor 13). Our weakness
makes us depend on God for
strength like Paul (2 Cor 12:9).
Meanwhile, while on the Earth, I
must do all that is within my power
coupled with the power of the HolySpirit to overcome my weaknesses.
I should not allow my weaknesses
to remain as weaknesses. They
must become my strengths sooner
than later.
We can see this in yet another way.
Paul accepted that it was perhaps
not God’s will to hear Trophimus
and so he moved on. Do we accept
God’s Will for our lives, cheerfully,
even when it clashes with our
desire for our lives? Paul did. Till
the fag end of his life. We too must
follow suit.
8. He Was Still Unanciul
Paul requested Timothy to bring
his old coat which he left in Carpus
in these, the last few words he
penned before he passed away (2
Tim 4:13). When the innings of his life comes to a close on earth,
Paul is almost a pauper. He did
not use ministry as a means to get
rich. He was unfanciful. He stays
simple. He used his wealth to win
souls and did not keep much for his
own comforts. If he had got along
philosophy’s way (that of Aristotle)
he would have minted money
Is the re within you burning
aame for Gospel proclamation
like it did for Paul ?
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and become rich. But Paul chose
the tougher ministerial path. He
worked with his own hands to take
care of his needs. He took help only
for others’ sake, most of the time.
After being many years in ministry,
he tells the church in Corinth: “We
are treated as garbage, potato
peelings from culture’s kitchen.
And it’s not getting any better”(1
Cor 4:13, The Message).
It is my prayer, that I would be
unfanciful and unassuming when I
come to the “Revelation” of my life
and ministry as I am (hopefully)
the “Genesis.” What about you?
Is money-making your life’s only
goal? Learn from Paul. Learn to
live a simple life. When it’s timeto go, you cannot carry that latest
high end phone with you to the
other side of eternity. But you can
carry souls that you have won for
the Lord into Heaven’s shores. So,
get busy in using your wealth to get
the Gospel to as many as possible
in the one life you have.
When I did this reective-devotion
study of Paul’s probable last
words in 2 Timothy 4:6-22, I was
challenged to do some serious
self-reection. Paul was still up to
doing the things he started doing
as a fresh believer. His consistency
speaks volumes. I read in TIME
magazine what the aging former
U.S. President Ronald Reagan
(now dead), suffering from
Alzheimer’s disease said: “I now
begin the journey that will lead
me into the sunset of my life. But
I know that for America there will
be a bright dawn ahead.” As he
faced the executioner’s blade Paul
was in-effect telling his protégé
Timothy, “I now begin the journey
that will lead me into the very
presence of Christ. But I know, if
you imitate me in doing the things
I was still doing till my last breath
that for you there will be a bright
dawn ahead.” Timothys, are we
listening?
Today’s Reading - I Sam. 11-20. What is sin? Pinching things.
Plundering people. Poisoning minds. Perverted thoughts. Porn
watching. You could go on and on. Yes, these are all sins. But
what about another ‘p’ we don’t want to talk about? What about
Prayerlessness? Samuel in his nal speech saw prayerlessness
as sin. He said, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin
against the Lord by failing to pray for you (Saul, the backslidden
leader)” (I Sam 12:23). If we do not take time to pray for the lost,
that is sin. India has about 35 States/UT. If we pray for 1 state aday and two on a sunday, we would have prayed for all of India
in a month. The world has about 200 countries approximately.
If we prayed for about 8 countries a day, we would have prayed
for the whole world in 30 days. Let’s try. Let’s cry - in God’s
presence. “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell
over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our
arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and
unprayed for,” so wrote Charles Spurgeon. Electrifying truth!
How many sins start with ‘p’?
Is money-making your life’s only goal?
Duke Jeyaraj
Duke Jeyaraj, the author of this article, is the founder of the ministry that publishes this magazine and is a
traveling evangelist-essayist who lives in Hyderabad with his wife and two children. Meet him at Facebook.
www.FaceBook.com/DukeJeyaraj
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Stephen Jothiraj
Should Christians be involved in burning the Koran?
No. A thousand times no. The Bible does talk about
burning of books. It does so in Acts 19:19, “And
a number of those who had practiced magic arts
brought their books together and burned them in
the sight of all. And they counted the value of them
and found it came to fty thousand pieces of silver”.
Those who practiced magic arts, when they realized
their sin upon exposure to the preaching of the
Goodnews by the Apostles, burnt the books they
once treasured. They did this on their own. It is one
thing for a Muslim who repents and believes on Jesus
to burn the Koran. It is totally another thing for a
Christian to burn the Koran for whatever the reason.
Doing the second thing is certainly not correct. Rather
than burning the Koran, Christians should look into
their secret lives and see what they have in possession
displeasing to the Lord and burn-up those things,
mercilessly. Things like pride and self-bloated ego.
Things like porn CDs and porn literature. Things like
romantic interest and a relationship with unbelievers.
We have the example of Moses in this regard. See
what he did to the Golden Calf that his own brother
Aaron set up: Deut. 9:21 - Then I (Moses) took the
sinful thing, the calf that you (Aaron) had made, and
burned it with re and crushed it, grinding it very
small, until it was as ne as dust. And I threw the dust
of it into the brook that ran down from the mountain.
Do you know something? We who speak of burning
the Koran, actually burn the Bible, many a time.
Confused? Let me explain: we ‘burn’ the Bible
bybelieving and following unbiblical practices in
ourlives. I refer to beliefs and practices like, depending
on Church attendance for our salvation, like baptising
children, like not sending missionaries among the lost,
like not sharing the Gospel with people we can, like
being materialistic and self-focused.
In the New Testament, the Bible teaches us that we
must be busy destroying unbibiblical ideas, thoughts
and doctrines rather than any particular structure,
building or book. Do you not remember what Paul
wrote in 2 Cor 10:5 - We destroy arguments and every
lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God,
and take every thought captive to obey Christ...? When
you meet a Muslim and enter into a discussion with
him, gently and graciously, counter the viewpoints that
he presents that are contrary to the Gospel of Jesus.
That is what 2 Cor 10:5 is talking about. There is no
point or prot in burning the Koran, the Holy Book
of our Muslim friends. In fact, even in the Koran,
there are places which support elements of the Gospel.
The Koran talks about the virgin birth of Christ, for
example. Using such passages as a starting point
we can share the Gospel with our Muslim friends.
Burning the Koran would burn the very bridge of
relationship we can build with them in order to lead
them to Christ!
Should Christians Burn The Koran? Duke Jeyaraj
We ‘burn’ the Bible by believing and following
unbiblical practices in our lives.
www.TheDAYSofYOURyouth.com
Your Offerings In Operation…
Moved by the Holy Spirit, willing Indian friends have
contributed to the ministry of Duke Jeyaraj, the founder
of the ministry that publishes this magazine, G4 Mission.
It is only appropriate then to disclose how we spent the
money so received. Here are details of how we spent
what you sent, in the last FOUR MONTHS (July to Sept
2010): Printing Charges – Rs. 15,000/-; Internet Chargeswith printout – Rs.6000/-; Refreshments During Ministry
Events – Rs.6000/-; Salaries for all together – Rs.76,000/-;
Rent for Ministry Base with other charges – Rs. 50,000/-;
Outstation Ministry Travel – Rs. 5000/-; Dispatch of
Ministry Resources – Rs.7000/-; Local Transport Charges
– Rs. 2000/-; Volunteer Gif ts – Rs. 2000/-; Raw Material
for this issue – Rs. 2000/-; CDs-Books Production Work
– Rs. 10,000/-; Offerings Given To Other Ministr ies – Rs.
16,000/-. Board Meeting Expenses – Rs.3000/-; Grand
Total – Rs. 2,00,000/- See page 2 for more details if you
want to nancially help this ministry.
9
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The 2010 Football World Cup in
South Africa is over. It was one of
the most gripping, eye-ball grabbing,
Football World Cups ever played.
For over a month, it held centre place
in the news despite several other
important events like the Cricket
Asia Cup and Wimbledon happening
simultaneously in our planet.
Jesus narrated the story of a tower
crash that killed 18 people and
signed off by preaching a message
of repentance around it (Luke
13:1-5). Following
His example, I would
like to narrate some
unforgettable moments
of this Football World
Cup and sign off by
reminding us of Bible
Truths that we sadly do
not care much about.
Te Lesson About
PREDICIONS
Paul the Octopus
predicted the result
of eight games - all
of Germany’s seven
games and the Final
- without a single
mistake. What was
most astounding
was it’s accurate prediction of
Germany loss to lowly Serbia in theGroup Stage. But did you know that
the same Paul wrongly predicted
that Germany would beat Spain
in the Euro 2008 Final? Paul the
Octopus was not 100% accurate in its
predictions of the future.
Only the Omniscient God is. Only
the Bible, the Book He has given us,
is. Yes, the Bible is the only book
which is 100% accurate when it
comes to predictions of the future. It
has predicted close to 600 historical
events with bull’s eye accuracy.
Why? It was authored by God who
knows the end from the beginning.
If the Bible is God’s Word and every
word of it is true, then we must be
prepared for the most-predicted event
in whole Bible: the public return of
the Lord Jesus to judge all the earth
after which people would be either
sent to heaven or hell. Are you ready
for this event? If you repent and
believe in Jesus who died for you on
the Cross and start living for Himdaily, then, you would be ready to
meet Jesus on that terrible Judgement
day.
Te Lesson About PARNERSHIP
The two nals of this year’s World
Cup were masters in the most basic
skill in Football: passing. What
follows are lines from one of the
best articles on this World Cup that I
ever read, written by John Leicester:
“Wesley Sneijder has been getting the
ball from Point A to B with unerring
accuracy all season for his club, Inter
Milan. One example: his pass from
the halfway line that landed at the
feet of Samuel Eto’o in a Champions
League match against Chelsea. Eto’o
collected gratefully, beat his marker,
scored. Thanks, Wesley. Having won
pretty much every trophy there is
this season withInter, Sneijder then
packed his passing
skills in a suitcase
and brought them to
South Africa. If you
missed his perfectly
ighted cross-
eld pass to Arjen
Robben against
Slovakia, then jump
onto the Internet
and treat yourself
to the highlight
reel. From deep on
the opposite side of
the eld, Sneijder
delivered the ball
so perfectly into
the path of the
onrushing Robben
that the winger
didn’t have to break his stride. He
collected it like a warm handshake,cut to his left and scored. Beautiful.”
It was true that in the ranks of Spain
there were no globally popular
superstars such as Christiano
Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Wayne
Rooney. But their passing skills,
more than made it up. The Finals
was dead-locked at 0-0 till the 115th
minute. In the 116th minute, with the
dreaded penalty shootout looming
Bible Truth From Unforgettable
Football World Cup Moments Duke Jeyaraj
Paul the Octopus was not 100% accurate in its
predictions of the future. But the Bible is.
www.YouTube.com (Search under ‘Duke Jeyaraj’).
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large, Andreas Iniesta, the Kapil
Dev of the Spanish team, the team
all-rounder, received a clinical pass
from from Fabregas and red past
the Dutch goalie Stekelenburg for the
decisive match-winning goal.
We need to take a note of this.
Are we good when it comes to
‘passing’ in life? Do we join with
others and fulll great and grand
responsibilities God has given us
such as evangelization of the lost?
You may never be able to share
the Gospel eloquently or write
articles that present Bible truths,
sensibly and practically. But you
could support someone who
does that with words of
encouragement and deposits
of cash in that person’s bank account - can’t you? That is
partnership. That is passing.
That is what the Bible calls
for in Ecclesiastes 4:9-11: It’s
better to have a partner than
go it alone. Share the work,
share the wealth. And if one
falls down, the other helps.
But if there’s no one to help,
tough! Two in a bed warm
each other. Alone, you shiver
all night. (Eugene Peterson
Version). What this verse also
implies is that wherever you are
in the planet you must be part
of a fellowship. If there is no
fellowship in the place of your work
or study you should take the initiate
to create one! That is one of the
things I have always done by God’s
grace. I started small fellowships as
a 12 year old in my colony and that
habit got stuck with me. In HSBCGlobal Resourcing, where I worked
before coming into fulltime ministry,
I ran a ‘three-minute’ fellowship
in an isolated place in the ofce
premises, during the break-times.
I dream and pray that born again
youth who work in various Corporate
Companies across the world would
do what I did while I was in HSBC.
Te Lesson About PORN-WACHING
One Paraguayan lingerie model was
easily Paraguay’s biggest and most
visible and vociferous fans in the
World Cup. She cheered lustily along
with hundreds of fans as Paraguay
unexpectedly progressed to the
quarternals. She promised to run
through the streets of Paraguay with
nothing on but just body-painted
colors of the ag of Paraguay if
her country reached the World Cup
Seminals by beating Spain. But it
was not to be. But nevertheless, in
what she called as an act of ‘tribute’
to the national soccer team boy and
their success, she stripped and posed
for photographs for a Paraguayan
Newspaper in the city of Asunción
on July 6, 2010. What this model
calls as a ‘tribute’ God would call‘terrible’ - a terrible sin. The Bible,
His Word, very clearly teaches
in Leviticus 18 that a woman’s
nakedness is only for the pleasure
of her husband’s eyes. That is why
God was pretty upset David when
took a long, lingering, lustful look at
the nude body of the bathing beauty
Bathsheba, a woman who was not
his wife. II Samuel 11:27 reports
that the Lord was ‘very displeased’
with this. The wife in the book of
Song of Songs in the Bible says to
her husband, “...My breasts were like
towers; then I was in his eyes as one
who nds peace...” (SS 8:10 ESV). I
have read this verse many times and
have reected on it. This verse has
taught me a lesson. May I share itwith you even though this is pretty
intimate stuff? Here it is: “When the
nudity of his wife stays in the eyes of
the husband, he nds peace. On the
other hand, if the nudity of a woman
other than his wife stays in the eyes
of the husband, his peace will be
shattered because he has violated
God’s laws.” This verse explains the
peace-shattering guilt that grips the
porn-watcher perfectly, doesn’t it?
This verse is in my mouth whenever
I am tempted to in my heart to see
porn. And I can see the effect in
my eyes. I can look away and run
away when lthy images come
chasing after me. And power from
on High comes upon me, helping me
to overcome this seemingly “never
overcomable” temptation!
Te Lesson About PINING
The image that still lingers in
my mind about this World Cup is
what happened in the quarternals
between Ghana and Uruguay
in the 129th minute. Ghana’s
Dominic Adiyah’s headed the ball
towards the goal with the scoreline
dead-locked at 1-1 in the last few
remaining seconds of injury time of
the second half of extra time. The
ball beat the Uruguayan goalie and
was about to cross the goal-line.
At that time, Luis Suarez, in an act
of utter desperation to delay the
inevitable and to keep Uruguay’s
World Cup changes alive for a few
more seconds, used his ngers like
a volley ball player and cleared the
ball. He was immediately given a red
card and sent off for this deliberate,
daring foul. Ghana had a penalty
Song of Songs 8:10 explains the peace-
shattering guilt that grips the porn-
watcher perfectly, doesn’t it?
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kick as a result. Asamoah Gyan,
Ghana’s Zindane when it came to
taking penalties, the Penalty Kick
Specialist, took that ensuing penalty
- the last kick of the game effectively
after which the nal whistle would
blow. If he scored, Ghana would
reach the World Cup Seminals
and become the rst African nationever to do that. Having scored
two goals already from penalties
earlier in the tournament, Gyan
would have been very condent
of doing it for the third time and
creating history. What was more
the whole of Africa was rooting for
him. The kick he blasted kissed the
crossbar and went over. The entire
stadium was stunned. In the Penalty
Shootout that followed, Uruguay
held their nerves and won, 4-2. In
fact, Gyan scored in the rst goal
for Ghana in the Penalty Shootout.
If only he had scored in the 129th
minute penalty! Luiz Suarez’ utter
desperation to do whatever it took,
to stop his nation from loosing that
game set me thinking. Am I that
desperate for God in my life? Do I
pine for my Lord that much? When
it comes to reading God’s Word, is
my desperation to do so, obvious?Do I say like the Psalmist: “Mouth
open and panting - I want your
commands more than anything”? Is
my desperation to receive a blessing
from the Lord like Jacob who told
him, “I will not leave you unless you
bless me”? Is my desperation for his
presence like the Psalmist who said,
“My soul thirsts for you; my esh
faints for you, as in a dry and weary
land where there is no water”? (Psa
63:1). Do I desperately pine for my
Lord’s return like Paul that it can be
said that “I love his appearing” (II
Tim 4:8)? My answer for some of the
above questions is NO. I have scope
for improvement when it comes to
my ‘desperate pining’ for my Lord
and his things. I am not sure what
your answer is. Let’s get utterly
desperate to get closer to God in
whose presence is “fullness of Joy”
and “pleasures forever more” (Psa
16:11).
Te Lesson About POWER-YOUH
Mesut Ozil, Thomas Müller, Sami
Khedira, Manuel Neuer and Jérôme
Boateng. Who are these guys?
They played in the 2009 European
Under-21 Champions and won it
for Germany. They now form the
nucleus of the present German
squad which was perhaps the most
entertaining and attacking of all
the 32 teams that took part in the
present World Cup. Thomas Muller,
who is just 20, won the Golden
Boot for his 5 goals and 3 assists
ghting off stiff competition from
David Villa, Wesley Sneijder andDeigo Forlan. He was also named
as the Hyundai Young Player of the
World Cup. The power of youth that
drove the German team to a third-
place nish was such it pumped-in
four goals each against two former
World Champion teams, England
and Argentina. Yes, they scored 4
also against Australia. They scored
more goals in three games than what
the eventual champion Spain did,
all through the tournament. These
young people did not drop into the
German team by accident. The
German Football ofcials (DFB)
worked hard in a planned way to
make this happen. After Germany
went home early in the Euro 2000
Championships, the Football
Federation in that country opened
up 366 training centres across thenation that trained 14,000 youth
in the age-group of 11-14 for two
hours a week by a DFB-appointed
coach. The brilliant performance
we saw in the World Cup from
Germany’s youthful team was a
result of that planned hard-work of
training youth. This observation
makes me go, “We must have more
demonstrations of what Jesus can
do with the power of Youth in
our churches! And churches and
Christian leaders should be more
open for this!” Jesus loves young
people. He looks at young people
and loves them, the Bible records
(Mark 10:21). He chose to live in
this World as a young man. Even
the donkey he rode on was ‘young’
(John 12:14). Even today, he is on
the lookout for youth who can serve
Even the donkey Jesus rode on was ‘young’ (John 12:14).
Even today, he is on the lookout for youth who can serve
as young donkeys on whose backs he can ride on.
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Muthiah Muralidharan could not have timed his
retirement better. He needed 8 wickets to become the rst
bowler to touch the 800 Wickets landmark in Tests in hislast Test Match at Galle. He got them when he claimed
the last Indian wicket to fall, that of Pragyan Ojha. It was
as if he knew before hand that this would be the way his
glittering Test career would end.
If there is someone who is better than Murali when
it comes to timing things to perfection, it is God. He
timed that Mordecai would just be around to listen to the
whispered plot hatched by two eunuchs at the King’s gate
to kill him. King Xerxes could not sleep just the night
before the day the hanging of Mordecai was planned by
Haman. That night the king learnt that Mordecai hadsaved his life and he had not honored him for it. The next
day when Haman came to the court to seek permission
to hang Mordecai, the king tells him to honor him by
driving him around the kingdom in a horse! Wow, what
timing!
Worried that things you want desperately in your life
are not happening? That marriage. That promotion. That
victory. That breakthrough. That trip. That invitation.
That baby. God would show up in the right time and
do things for you according to His Will and Time. His
miracle, very often, comes between the neck and the
knife (Think of what happened to Isaac when he was
bound to the altar). He is never too early. He is never too
late.
They accused Jesus of being late. The duo of Martha and
Mary did. “If you had been there, Jesus, Lazarus would
not be dead!” they complained bitterly. But Jesus was not
late. He arrived just in time to raise up rotting Lazarus
from the dead. He too could arrive just at the right time
in your life and do the miracle you long for Him to do
for you. His never bungles things up by being late. If that
girl you desperately thought would say ‘I do’ to you, did
not, may be, the time Jesus had for your wedding did not
come yet and He saved you from a harrowing wedded life
in the process! If you, as a married woman desperatelywanting to have a baby, had your periods yet again this
month, may be, the time Jesus ear-marked for you to have
your bundle of joy has not yet come! Hang in, there. If
you did not have your promotion in your ofce as you
expected even after a season of sweat, may be, the time
your Lord had for it to come is still waiting to come! Stay
put. A bigger miracle - not just a sick man being made
well, but a dead man being raised up alive - is perhaps
waiting for you!
Timing: Murali’s Vs The Maker’s Duke Jeyaraj
as young donkey on whose backs
he can ride on. Are you ready to
carry Jesus on your back? You can
carry Jesus on your back, by using
your talents for his name’s glory in
the place you go to every day - it
may be your college, your corporate
ofce, your colony, your church. I
had no idea that my message clips
on What the Bible Teaches on Sex
uploaded onto Youtube.com would
bless an American High School
student. But it did. I had the honor
of carrying Jesus on my back into
a High School in the United States,
though I live in Hyderabad, India,
by using my God-given talents. He
would give you similar honors if
only you would surrender your life
to him and let it rip for him in the
One Life you have to live!
I could go on and on bringing
you Bible Lessons from the just-
concluded Football World Cup. It is
time however to practice what we
have read about, above! So let’s goand do it!
If there is someone who is better than Murali when
it comes to timing things to perfection, it is God.
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He popped painkillers, got injected and while still
battling a sore back,He batted with resolve tolead India’s comeback,
He came in when India were 76-5 slowly succumbing to the erce Aussie bowling attack,
He batted with plenty o resolve,and oodles o “wristy” knack,
But wickets kept alling at the other end on a
typical crumbling, Day 5 est Match track,
Yet an another great winning opportunity ater Dhoni’s
run-out, it certainly looked like, India were about to jack,
But Laxman’s stunning partnership with Ishant, the Aussies ound tough to crack,
When Ishant was dismissed, it was as i the Australians were standing on down-an-out India’s neck,
But amidst great drama, India were nally home in a est match whose quality was ‘ top o the rack’!
Since 2001 Eden Gardens, into the batting account o VVS Laxman, the Australians are still trying unsuccessul to hack!
Laxman’s Mohali est heroics reminded me o another Personwho marched to Jerusalem without looking back,
Yes, Jesus went to Jerusalem to be bashed up black and blue everywhere and particularly on his back,
So that you, a hell-heading sinner, to God your ather, comeback,
All you were let with, was disappointment, disillusionment and depression ater Satan’s attack,
But by dying on the Cross, Jesus placed his legs on Satan’s neck,
In repentance and aith come to Jesus without showing slack,
Chasing world’s feeting pleasures your soul’s salvation chances, please don’t jack!
The Tale of Two Men
With A Sore Back Duke Jeyaraj
Harsha Bhogle is one of my favorite Cricket
Commentators. His comments about SurajRandiv deliberate no-ball in the India-
Sri Lanka One Day International on 16
August 2010 to leave Sehwag stranded on
99 wowed me. Here they are: As he grows
into the game Suraj Randiv will realize
grace and competitiveness can go together.
He achieved little with that intentional
no-ball but lost a lot (The Times of India,
August 18, 2010). Harsha’s words made
me recall the uncommon personality of the
One I Worship - Jesus Christ. Jesus had
in his character what Suraj Randiv did not
in this case. Jesus showed that grace and
competitiveness (sternness) can go together.
That is what Paul was talking about when
he wrote: Consider therefore the kindness
and sternness of God; sternness to those
who fell and kindness to you, provided you
continue in his kindness (Rom 11:22). He
was called the Lion (who could growl with
words of warning and judgement against
sin). And yet he was the Lamb (who was
gentle when he was pinned on the cross asa substitute for those very sins he growled
against). He showed grace when the woman
caught red-handed in adultery was brought
to him, by saying, “The one among you
without sin would throw the rst stone on
her!” And after everyone left, he growled
at her, so to speak, by saying, “Leave your
life of sin!” Would you invite this balanced
Jesus in your life and ‘learn from him’?
Jesus Had What
Suraj Randiv Didn’t Duke Jeyaraj
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James in his letter to the Jews scattered all over the world
says, “Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we
will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on
business and make money. Why, you do not even know
what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a
mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”(Jam 4:13,14).
Well, there is no harm in the above plan – Go to a place,
work/trade and get money in return. I nd no harm in such
an idea. There is no sin in it.
I think everyone of us have
such an idea. Go to a place,
work and earn money to live.
But James poses a question
to the ones who have such
a common idea. In fact he
thunders, “What is your life?”James is very direct. He slaps
you in your face and makes
you think. James’ question is a
very important one. “What is
your life?” Have you thought
about this question? Have
you thought of answering this
question? Have you thought
what your life is? James is not
asking “What is life?” rather he
is asking “What is your life?”
Many of us carry on livingeven if we don’t know why.
We need not be philosophers
to answer James’ question. We
know what our life is. We know what we life for.
There were two thieves who were crucied beside Jesus.
The Christians of today are like one of the two thieves.
Let me explain: Those two thieves each had something
to say to Jesus that day. Both of them had just a few more
hours to live. So it was almost their last words spoken. It
was of high importance. Those last words reected their
philosophies of life. One said, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save
yourself and us.” Look at what he said. There is no harm in
this. He was being honest. He wanted to live. He knew that
the Messiah could do anything. He needed a miracle and
he asked for it. Of course he asked the right person. In a
few hours he would be killed. If there was one person who
could save him from that it was the Messiah. Clever chap!
Look at what the other thief said. The other thief said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
What was that!! That was not very clever. Come on! Here
was the Messiah next to you and you ask him something
that you cannot see now. Hey, don’t you want to live in
the present? The Messiah is the maker of the universe. He
made everything and he could do anything. Why would a
thief who was just a few hours away from his death utter
such a vague wish? Strange.
There are two kinds of Christians today in the Church.
One kind is like the rst thief. They seem to say, “Lord,
since you are the God of this universe - omnipotent, all-
powerful, please get me this job. I could live comfortably
with this secure job.” And you
would hear them quote Scripture
too : “Lord, since its written in
your Word that you will do much
more than we ask for and beyond
our imagination we ask you to help
us buy this swank car and pick up
this posh at.” Does this soundsimilar to the prayers that are being
made in your life and fellowship
meetings? Well, these kind of
Christians are only bothered about
this life it looks like (And this life is
a life that James calls a mist). This
life is very precious to them. They
are always looking to be secure
and comfortable. Their idea of God
blessing a person is when he gets a
good job and is comfortable. Their
idea of God blessing a church iswhen the church can afford a mega
structure with air conditioning or
arrange mega meetings in the city
with star preachers preaching in them. You’ll nd this kind
everywhere. “Of course, Jesus said he offers life to the
full,” is what they say.
There is another kind. They are like the second thief.
Their attitude to life is very different. They rarely pray for
the things that they cannot carry into eternity. Things like
a car and a bungalow. They are not bothered about this life
very much. They live here but they are always thinking
about eternity. Their prayers are for spiritual growth –
things that would matter in eternity. Their prayers are
for other people, people who are heading to hell without
Jesus. You rarely see them pray long public prayers. They
are not bothered much about their salaries or possessions.
They are pre-occupied with going the way Jesus went.
They study Jesus’ life and try to follow that without much
fanfare. Their idea of God blessing a person is when there
is power in that person's witness. You rarely nd people
from this group. Would you join this minority group and
please God?
Which Thief Do You Resemble?Stephen Jothiraj
There are two kinds of Christians today in the
Church. One kind is like the rst thief…
www.TheDAYSofYOURyouth.com Adapted from www.StephenJothiraj.Blogspot.com 15
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“Almost-Dead” to “All-Out-For-Jesus”
The story of Mamta Sagiraju Samuel, a girl from a
Kshatriya Hindu family, in her own words...
I was about to die….
At the age of 1, I was rushed into a near by hospital by
my mother, only to discover that I had Meningitis and
had a couple of hours to live. I had already developed
symptoms of enlarged brain tissue with big lumps on my
forehead indicating the nal stage - a step away from
death. In utter despair, making her way home, she noticed
a church next to the hospital. In frail hope, she went on her
knees and said in her heart “if you save my daughter I will
believe that you are the living God.” She rushed me home
and called all my relatives to make arrangements. But
God supernaturally healed me even before they arrived.
To their shock all the lumps disappeared and found me
sleeping peacefully.
No Church! House Arrest!
As I grew up hearing this, I began to believe that Jesus
was the true God as he healed me. However, my mother
could not take my sister and I to the church openly as we
belong to a high-class Kshatriya Hindu family. Converting
into the Christian Faith was unacceptable and was seen
as a disgrace to the family. Sometimes, we used to sneak
out of the house to attend the Sunday school and that’s
where I committed my life to Jesus in the year 1995, at
the age of ten. When my father discovered that we were
attending church, we were totally detained from going tochurch. My mother was forced to give up her new faith.
But I continued reading the Bible secretly in the house and
praying early in life. While I could not go to church or did
not have anybody to mentor me, God spoke to me through
the Bible from Isaiah 41:10. This was the promise that
I clung to as I was growing up. “So do not fear, for I am
with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand.”
Kicked out o home!
I was hungry for the Word of the Lord and used to read
the Bible in the bathroom while everybody was sleeping.
Just like He promised, God held my hand and lead my
walk with Him. As I started my college God lead me
to two believing friends in my Class Eleven. They have
helped me silently to grow in the Lord. We used to pray
everyday gathering an hour before the college started. I
was anointed in the Holy Ghost on one night while I was
praying at home. Nobody laid hands or prayed over me but
God in His mercy anointed me with His Spirit. This has
changed my life. One time I went to church and my father
discovered that and kicked me out of the house at 10.30in the night. As I was walking on the deserted streets,
a friend noticed me and accompanied me to my close
relatives house.
My bed wet with tears!
During these years my Dad's business collapsed. We had
to let go our factory and all the property. In a nancial
crisis like this my father abandoned us. This nancial
crisis lead me to work at the age of 15 and I never
attended my college properly. I had to work and then pay
my college fees. I missed attending college for the next
three years. The smile on my face was erased those days.
There was not a single night that I did not wet my bed in
tears. Sometimes we survived on single meal a day. As a
teenager I was shy, introvert and very timid and could not
handle the nancial pressure.
His Word built me up!
But God used this situation and worked in a mysterious
way. Like the Scripture says in Roman’s 5:3-5, Not
“I used to read the Bible in the toilet
at home!” writes Mamta..
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only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we
know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance,
character; and character, hope. And hope does not
disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. God used
my situation to bring me closer to Him. He was building
my personality and character. He made a way for me to
goto church.
From exam hall to Google God has been gracious and helped me clear three years
in College (22 examination papers) at one go with a 76%.
In this process, God had given me favor in the eyes of my
family and relatives. They respected me and trusted my
decisions. I was determined to just help my family and not
get into any wrong relationships or addictions. I started
working for an MNC and soon became a Manager on Duty
at the age of 21. My father returned back to us and my
mother re-committed her life to Jesus. God answered my
prayer requests. My family began to let me go to church
and allowed me to take
part in church activities.
I began to go to Youth
Alive, the youth
fellowship of the New
Life Assemblies of God
church in Hyderabad in
the year 2001 and began
to help as a volunteer in
the year 2002 in small
ways. I began as a
prayer coordinator andnow support in care-cell
ministry. I made some
good friends at church.
At ofce, some of us
together started a prayer
cell and used to meet
regularly. I continued
this practice even in the
last organization I worked for (which was Google) and
had opportunities to share my testimony to people and
share the gospel. Now I believe I am at the threshold of
a blossoming Ministry. I have resigned from the multi-national company I worked for and I am trusting God to
lead me.
An amazing husband!
For my marriage, I believed that the Prince of Peace would
give my parents peace when the right time and the right
proposal came. God has given me an amazing husband. I
did not have to work hard to convince my parents to marry
a Christian-Believer guy. For when it is from the Lord,
everybody will be at peace. He will work so smoothly on
your behalf. Gals! Do not waste your time chasing men, but
like Ruth get going and be diligent in your work and God
will bring your Boaz into your lives.
Guys and girls, listen!
Most of the young people now are giving into peer pressure
of the world. Girls, You don't have to be hip and happeningon the outside and be an empty soul inside. It is not
necessary to wear revealing clothes to get the attention of
the crowd or boys. Remember, your mirror doesn't dene
you or show you the true U, but God's Word reects your
image perfectly. Boys, being a freak is not cool! We are
ought to be Jesus freaks!
I strongly believe that we need to grow both in the sight
of God and man. It is very important to save our testimony
as we live our lives. Our behavior, walk, mistakes, talk,
dressing all reect the person we truly are. For every
mistake, we will land up paying a great price and the
consequences sometimes
are very severe.
You enjoy the blessings, so….
Some of you enjoy the best
of blessings unlike me
in my early days. Godly
parents, Good Church,
freedom to worship God,
unrestricted freedom tomove about, good friends,
coolest technology. Please
don't exchange these
blessings with wrong
relationships, addictions,
skipping studies and
misuse of your freedom. I
appeal to you do not cross
your limits and misuse the technology, knowledge and
freedom. Some of you may be living in unhappy homes,
but that doesn't still give you reason to mess up your life.
Jesus is our Role Model! He did not have supporting family
but He never strayed!
Ready or U-turn?
Don't exchange the truth of God with an empty deception.
For God loves you so much and it hurts Him to see you
hurt yourself. And if have been doing this, God is saying
to you, “My Child, I'm waiting for you to turn back!” Are
you willing to take a U-turn?
God gave an awesome husband! We serve
God in many ways together!
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It went to a spine-tingling Super
Over nish, this particular T20game. The Chennai Super Kings
Vs Victoria Bushrangers AirTel
Champions League Game 2010
went to the Super Over after
the scores were level after 40
Overs of nerve-wracking, top-
quality cricket on 18 September
2010. As Chennai Super
Kings captain Dhoni looked
around for volunteers to bowl
it, Ravichandran Ashwin, the
gangling Tamil Nadu off-spinner put up his hand. He volunteered.
And Dhoni gave the ball to him
choosing him over his Australian
teammate Doug Bollinger.
What followed was an absolute
disaster. He was ‘looted’ for
23 runs. He forgot his clever
bowling variations in those tense
moments. He forgot his ‘carrom
ball’ – the ball he bowled to get
the wicket of Aaron Finch who
scored 41 off 17 balls, earlier inthe game. He bowled at and full or at and short. He was
carted for three sixes by David Hussey. The last ball he
bowled disappeared over long on for a huge six. In reply,
Chennai could only 13 runs off the 6 balls they faced.
Ashwin’s pathetic bowling had cost Chennai the match. As
he collapsed in the ground in agony and disappointment
Captain Dhoni had words of consolation for Ashwin. Not
only that, he reposed his faith in Ashwin by giving him the
opening over in Chennai Super Kings’ very next game, a
do-or-die game against, the Warriors.
“Yes, you let me down in the Super Over in the last game.
But I trust you. Here is your second chance,” so seemed
to say captain Dhoni, by this bafing gesture. In the
hindsight, it was a brilliant gesture. And Ashwin lived up
to his captain’s faith by claiming three crucial wickets in
his four overs giving away just 24 runs, one run more than
what he given in one single over in the previous game!
After he dismissed Ashwell Prince in the third over of the
innings, He removed Mark Boucher and Justin Kreusch
(who both had stitched-up a brave 44-run fortunes-reviving
partnership) when the game hung in the balance in the 18thOver. Chennai could defend a not-so-impressive 136 in a
must-win T20 game because of his brainy bowling. What a
comeback it was, for Ashwin! It was comeback motivated
by a captain who gave a second chance.
In the Finals, the Warriors had gotten to a ‘violent’ start,
thanks to Davy Jacobs stunning batting, rst-up. But the
man who turned the game on the head for Chennai was
Ashwin, again. In the very rst ball he bowled to Warriors’
captain and player-in-form Jacobs, he beat his reverse
sweep attempt by bowling quickly through the air andtrapping him right in the front for stumps. He was given
out LBW. That reverse sweep reminded me of the similarly
disastrous reverse sweep that Mike Gatting played when
England was cruising to a win against Australia in the rst
ball that part time bowler Allan Border bowled in the World
Cup ODI Final in Eden Gardens 1987, only to edge a simple
catch to the wicket-keeper. England never recovered after
that wicket. And Warriors too did not recover after that
ruinous reverse sweep by Jacobs. Chennai were back in
the game from then on. Ashwin just gave away a miserly
16 runs from his four Overs and nished
Second Chance Giving Captain Dhoni.
Second Chance Giving God, Jesus.
Duke Jeyaraj connects a Bible Truth with an event in AirTel Champions League T20 2010
Ashwin grabbed the second chance that his captain Dhoni gave him. Would
you grab the second chance that Your Creator God gives you?
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the tourney with 13 wickets – the highest wickets tally. And
what was more, he was awarded the Man of the Series! And
to think he could have been dropped from the squad after the
opped Super Over show, but for Dhoni’s great faith in him!
How captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni dealt with Ashwin
in Air tel Champions League T20 Series 2010 is how your
Creator deals with you. Like how Dhoni gave to Ashwin asecond chance, God wants to give you a second chance. He
gave a second chance to Jonah, the reluctant, disobedient
prophet. The Scripture records: Then the word of the
LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to
Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message
that I tell you.” (Jonah 3:1-2 ESV). He had let down his God
in a big way the rst time. He went in the direction, opposite
to the direction God wanted him to go. He disobeyed God
deliberately. But God gave him a ‘second chance’ after the
sh that swallowed him vomited him on the shore.
The God of the Bible can be called ‘the God of second
chance.’ I am saying that because I have read how he dealtwith Peter. God gave a second chance to Peter. After Peter
denied Jesus three times, He found him out and gave him a
second chance by telling him, “Feed my sheep!” (John 21:15-
19). Peter never looked back after that second chance he was
offered. He rmly followed Christ till his death. He was
crucied upside down as a martyr for Jesus, history tells us.
Paul, one of Jesus’ greatest followers, gave Mark, a
second chance. Mark had deserted him during one of his
missionary journeys. Paul refused to take him along in the
next missionary journey he undertook after this event which
greatly damaged Mark’s image. But at the end of his life,
Paul, inspired by the Spirit, writes to Timothy requesting
him to bring Mark, as he languished in prison staring at the
face of death, because, as Paul put it, “he is useful to me!”
(2 Tim 4:11). Yes, he wanted to give Mark a second chance.Mark grabbed this second chance with both hands. God
used him to give us the Gospel according to Mark – a swift-
moving account of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus.
We wouldn’t have had that book, but for Paul’s God-inspired
gesture to give Mark, a second chance.
Yes, God wants to give you a second chance. You may have
failed Him the rst time. You may have embarrassed Him
when you got the initial opportunity. But He still wants
to give you yet another opportunity. Yet another chance.
Would you grab it from God, the way Ashwin grabbed itfrom captain Dhoni in Airtel Champions League T20 series
2010? Would you seize it, the way Peter seized it from Jesus
or the way Mark seized it from Paul? Or would you let even
your second chance slip by and count for nothing like Jonah
eventually did, by getting angry with God for being merciful
to Nineveh? The choice is yours.
Different Kinds Of Pride
Abhimanue Vonteddu
My Church Pastor has been dropping bomb shells, Sunday
after Sunday in Church. The message last Sunday was yet
another Bomb! He spoke about P R I D E, the top most of all
SINs ! ! ! I’ve been tempted ever since to speak more about
PRIDE.... in our message today, let me talk about different
subtle forms of pride
1. It is called the “I am Special” pride!
Symptoms:
You get offended, when your name is not mentioned•
in the address book of a thank you mail! You may not
display it though!
You wouldn’t completely accept apologies of errors•
by others! Take for example, someone accidentally
spills coffee over you. He apologizes to you. He may
even offer to buy you another shirt. But deep inside
your heart, you are still so upset!
Contd...
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You would rather wait for someone to greet•
you rst (especially your subordinates/
associates). Till that time you are busy
ignoring the other person!
You expect personal invitation at all invites•
failing which you’d rather choose not to attend
- even if its a good friend’s celebration. Incase
someone missed you in their invite list, for whatever reason, you begin to brood over it
and never quite get over it.
You seem to get offended at the slightest•
gesture of casualness by a new friend or a
family relative and even give it back at times!!
2. It is called the “I am invincible” pride!
Symptoms:
You have a tough time accepting, or •
considering for that matter, suggestion given
by colleagues / subordinates or anyone else!
You do not entertain people who challenge•
you or correct you! You’d rather keep away
and maintain distance!
You avoid contact with people whom you•
think have a higher potential compared to you.
You get extremely offended when your •
associates seek help for complicated cases
from your friend and not you!
You don’t maintain eye contact when you wish•
your associates back.
Do you know that God considers PRIDE as the top
most of all sins. He opposes the PROUD! It was Pride
that brought Lucifer down!
3. “You can’t touch me” pride!
What is your immediate reaction to someone, who is
trying to correct you? Especially when that person is
your subordinate - and he/she is advising you on your
area of expertise?
Do you patiently listen to the critic or keep cutting
them often?
When you are being corrected, do you get excited or
are you busy planning a counter attack in your mind?
Are you a easy person to talk to? Are you easy to
reach out to? Or are you cut off?
4. “I am the eldest” pride !
Are you a strong believer of, “with age comes
experience, and by default wisdom”?
Do you have a problem working under a boss who is
younger to you?
Do you mind taking instructions from a new member
of the Church?
Do you have a problem taking back your words?
5. “I am super Christian” pride !
Beware of this. It’s a monster!!!!!
You’ve been baptised in water by immersion and then
you’ve been baptised in the Holy Spirit.
You are on re for the Lord. You’ve even brought a
couple of people to the Lord.
You prayed and someone got delivered / healed.
Your Pastor has even made a special mention of you
in Church, soon after which, your perception about
everyone begins to change!!!! You expect your
fellow church friends to do stuff that you do! You
begin to question your fellow believers and challenge
their faith! You start your own analysis of all visiting
preachers / teachers / pastors, and also give them
grades.
Do you want to hear of more kinds of pride? Why
not repent from these ve types of pride, right now
people?
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“We read your mag in the
University of Amsterdam!”
Bro. Duke,
I really thank God for what He is doing through you!
A great blessing for the youth of this age! Yes Brother,
you a great blessing. Got a copy of Your magazine, The
Days Of Your Youth. Read and shared with friends
here in the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
and what a wonderful blessing for all here!
- Two Facebook
comments in response
to Duke’s post with
devotional thoughts
from Psalm 51.
Hi Duke Anna,
It was such a blessing
to see you guys here in
Vijayawada preaching
the WORD. First when
my friend invited to the
retreat, I was like “Ok,
lemme see..!” That was
what I thought. But then,
when I saw your picture
on a exi board while I
was passing through a
street, I was so amazed
and decided to attend.
And it was such a blessing
to hear you (along with
2000 other youth that day
– 2 October 2010). And
I heard Mrs. Evan Duke
speak too that day. She
was so good. I felt like hearing her the second time.
Her teaching about the “B”s helped me a lot to over
come temptations. I learned many things...and I’m so
glad to see that many young boys and gals gave their
life to Jesus. And I hope to see u guys here again... :-)
- A young woman who works as a hospital
administrator via Facebook.
I thank God for the event Read All The Bible With
Duke @ 10 Chapters A Day Starting From September 1, 2010 and Post What You Learn On Facebook. It is
having such a great impact upon my life. Now I can’t
just miss my daily bible reading. I’m reading theBible
more than I was previously and it is such a great
blessing now.
- A young man via Facebook.
Dear Bro. Duke,
Pondering this day about 9/11 fromone of small town in the US as I had to
comefor business trip. That was when
I got your article, September 11, Still
Speaks, via email. Your message was
so very apt and I forwarded it to my
friends.
– A young corporate company
employee on a business trip in the
United States.
Dear Duke anna,
I am a missionary to Nepal serving
God fulltime with my husband. I would
like to tell you that I committed my life
for fulltime ministry during one of the
retreats you preached in at Santhosha
Vidhayalaya School in the year 2001
while i was in class 11. I still remember
that message from the book of Amos in
which you talked the call from Gehenna(Hell), the call from the Goats, the call from guts, etc
in the year month of Jan 2001. I still have what I wrote
at the back of my Bible following another message you
preached in the same retreat: “I promise to stay as a
virgin till the day of my marriage by the power of the
Holy Spirit.” I am encouraging my students to do the
same as I do teach in the Bible College we stay in.
- A Young Married Missionary Woman in Nepal via
On October 2, 2010, over 2000 young people
were blessed in the Vijaywada mega-youth
convention organised by Metropolitan
Mission under the leadership of Rev. Dr.
B. Ebenezer. Both Duke and Evan shared
powerful messages in this event that brought
several youth (like the one pictured above)
to the altar with tears streaming down. More
details in the next issue of our magazine.
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27
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