Conversion of the Converted

We live in a pluralistic world. India has the most pluralistic society where there are 1652 languages spoken. We are blessed with a wide mosaic of cultures and people groups. How do we effectively play the role of being the salt of the earth and light of the world? In my life I have gone through many reconversion experiences through which God taught me to love and respect diverse people. Here are some Scriptural learnings I had in my faith journey.

Conversion of Peter: Love for All People

In Acts 10, I have always wondered whether the highlight there was conversion of Cornelius or that of Peter! To me it is Peter because he had to undergo three rounds of visions, rather admonitions, to bring him out of his hatred for gentiles. All the three times the same sentence was spoken by God. It was: "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." (v.15-16) When we read the rest of the story there we see how God loves all people equally. I still struggle to understand the conversion experience of Peter because in Galatians chapter 2 we read about his hypocritical nature with regard to eating with gentile believers (v.11-13). Paul had to oppose Peter face to face for his reconversion again!

How much of this nature is still prevalent in our churches, Christian organisations and families today? God wants us to come out off our hypocritical attitudes and demonic oppressions that divide us on the basis of caste, race and any such divides. Let us not call something unclean that God has made it clean!

God Helps: Love for All Languages

In Daniel chapter 1 we read about how Daniel and his three friends were taken as captives to a foreign land where the culture and languages were all new! But the interesting verse for me there is verse 17 which says: God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams. It is interesting that God helps us to respect differences so that we can learn new languages to communicate in contexts other than ours.

God not only takes missionaries of his gospel to lands where new languages are spoken. People in the so-called secular contexts also get transferred because of job and education opportunities to diverse contexts. Let us be rest assures that God will help us to communicate with new friends in places of our influence. In Daniel and his friend’s situation, there was an overarching plan of God for the gentile rulers to know about His sovereignty which eventually happened. Rulers of foreign nations acknowledged the supremacy of Yahweh. One such proclamation is in Daniel 2:47: The king said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the LORD over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret."

God’s Plan: Love for All Nations

The emphasis of the Bible in its entirety is for all nations. One such revealing portion of the Bible is Psalm 67. The formula for blessing for us in this Psalm is to bless the nations. Are we involved in world missions? We need a conversion experience if we are not involved in it. I have always believed in praying for the world meaningfully. Here is a link to do that: http://www.operationworld.org/prayer-calendar. Here is also a story of a woman whom I love dearly who travelled to nations through her knees: http://graceidarajan.blogspot.in/2012/01/precious-person-in-my-life.html. Let us be challenged and let us go through many conversion experiences and be transformed to fullness and glory! Amen.

Blue Whale? Hope For New Gen-kids!

The name, “Blue Whale” (an online game) brings chills down our spines. Immediately our thoughts shift towards our children and grandchildren. Technology is both a blessing and a curse. Perhaps ours and the coming generations live in the “not so” blessed times. But we always have HOPE that the Scripture offers to us.

Forty-two Young Boys
In 2 Kings 2:23-24 we read about the unruly behaviour of some young boys. It says that Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!" He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. The context of the story can be understood by reading what happened prior to this incident. V.11 says a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and Elijah went “up” to heaven in a whirlwind. The usage of the words, “Go on up!” by the youths could have been an effort to tease Elisha to climb “up” along with his mentor. I believe they not only insulted the prophet but also his God, Yahweh.

The story ends unpleasantly. The prophet cursed. Thankfully two bears only mauled the youth and did not kill them, leaving them with a strong warning for their misbehaviour. However as a parent, I wonder about their upbringing. Did the parents of the forty-two young boys and the Yahweh- educators of their time fail? Jewish boys had education both at home and outside. I think it was a lack of value educatio from both these sides that led to a lack of respect of God and a minister of God. Lack of Christian education and good values for sure lead to disasters in churches and families even today.

Three Young Boys
I shift my focus to three more young men who belong to a time prior to Elijah namely, Samuel, Hophni & Phinehas (1 Samuel 1 & 2). The latter two were the children of the local priest, Eli whereas Samuel was the son of the “so called” lay member in the priest’s jurisdiction. Hannah & Elkanah together raised Samuel in Godly values. No wonder prophet Samuel changed the then world upside down and was a huge blessing to society.

Coming to Hophni & Phinehas, these young sons of Eli were sexual perverts and also were known for laying their hands on the offerings on the altar and licking the taste of the best portions. As a good parent Eli warned his sons saying, "Why do you do such things? ... If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke (2:23-25). Eli failed as a dad, for God said to Eli, “Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?” (v. 29) He failed to restrain his children (3:13) The result was chaos: Ark captured, disaster to nation, loss of lives of Hophni, Phinehas and his wife, all in one day.

Hope for Our Children
The Biblical solution is for parents to take their priestly role seriously following the footsteps of our forefathers of the patriarchal times. It is said that Abraham not only built tents but also altars (5 occasions specifically). Lot built tents, not altars. It is sad that some parents even today only build tents/ houses for children like Lot, but there is no family altar/prayer and no respect for God’s words. Abraham was blessed with Isaac and generations after him are blessed until today. In contrast Lot’s wife died as a pillar of salt, his children sinned with their own father also earning generational curses. Job who also lived in the patriarchal era took his priesthood seriously that it was a 'regular' custom for him. Early in the morning every day he offered sacrifices for each of them (Job 1:5) Though he lost them all in a day to death, the truth we learn from the full story is that Job got all of his blessings doubled. He did not lose his children at all because in eternity their count was also doubled! (ten earlier and ten later).

A typical family priest can even be a mother or a grandmother like in the case of Timothy, where his mom, Eunice and grandma, Lois took a lead. Timothy’s faith is attributed to these great women of faith (2 Timothy 1:5). Pastor Timothy learnt Scriptures from his infancy from them! (3:14-15) A godly upbringing can bring blessings in the lives of children and grandchildren. We are the priests to our children. It is the senior generation that can change the destiny of the juniors, trusting the word of God. We bring hope through Christ, the victor.

Love Life!

I started to love life on earth, afresh, when I prepared the following exposition for a senior citizens' meet in Chennai. Hope this study would RENEW all who believe in the living word of God.

Goodness– Life Long

The psalmist and King, David said, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” in Psalm 23. It is said about Abraham that he lived for 175 years, and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life (Genesis 25:7-8). The last verse of Psalm 91 says,"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." Can anything good come out of old people? Why not?

Consider Naomi. She would have died in bitterness. But much goodness came out of this lady in a highly adverse situation, much later in her life, when she was pretty old. She was widowed, left with two daughters-in-law who were widowed too. Loss of two sons in their prime age, even before they could beget children should have been a painful experience for this single mom. A child that loses parent is an orphan but thankfully there is no name, label in our vocabulary that would stigmatise a parent/s who have lost child/children. Even among the two daughters-in-law, one went away, however one clung to Naomi. Life turned upside down for her with this one remnant person, Ruth.

Old Naomi became a channel of blessing to young Ruth. Naomi could enjoy her life till her death, because of a great turn of events. Naomi was blessed with a grand kid, Perez, a progeny leaving a great legacy. Women said to Naomi, “He (Perez) will RENEW your life and sustain you in your old age.” (Ruth 4:15). Renewal of life happens for God’s children.  The highest honour was, Jesus, the Saviour of the world was born in her lineage. 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 says that though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are RENEWED day by day. Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine.  Long life in a fuller biblical sense means eternal life and glory! Our bodies grow old, but our inner man/woman is renewed. We grow & glow as we age!

Elizabeth & Zechariah, an old couple were good role models, life-long, in spite of an adverse situation of not having a child of their own. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. Miraculously they gave birth to a baby, who later became a great man of God. But alas, John the Baptist did not live long in this earth. Yet he was a huge blessing in his short span of life. He prepared the way for Jesus! Goodness and Mercy will follow all the days of our lives in spite of our adversities and sufferings.

Strength – Life long

The Bible says that Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever (Deuteronomy 34:7). Caleb said like this:  I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming (Joshua 14:10-11). Not all are physically as strong as Moses and Caleb! But, the Bible says in  Deuteronomy 33:25 that our strength will equal our days! Paul had a thorn, a pain life-long. But God’s answer to that was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Isaiah 40:29, 31 says: He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. But those who keep waiting for the LORD will RENEW their strength. Then they’ll soar on wings like eagles; they’ll run and not grow weary; they’ll walk and not grow tired.” The eagle analogy God uses here logically connects to all who are worn out. At age 40, just like human bodies start wearing out, eagles undergo a painful and ugly process called moulting. With the coming of new feathers after a long wait, the eagle starts to soar high again! Psalm 103:5 says that God satisfies our desires with good things so that our youth is RENEWED like the eagle's. Isaiah 46:4 says, “I will still be carrying you when you are old. Your hair will turn gray, and I will still carry you. I made you, and I will carry you to safety.” I love the triple emphasis on the word, “carry “in this verse. Yes, God carries us all through our life, especially in difficult phases of our life.

Ministering– Life long

It was old Joshua who said, As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Joel prophesies about seniors too! God said through him, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions (Joel 2:28). C.S. Lewis said: You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream! Consider the old people who blessed and prophesied/ and spoke about baby Jesus. Simeon blessed and prophesied about Jesus to Mary. Anna, a widow, who was eighty-four, did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. She praised God and spoke about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:37, 38). Paul was an old man when he was a prisoner of Christ Jesus (Philemon 1:9). These people ministered to God, life-long! Psalm 92:12-14 says, “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!”” Being in fruitful ministry all through life is a blessing!

I conclude with a senior citizen’s prayer from the Bible:  Now that I am old and my hair is gray, don’t leave me, God. I must tell the next generation about your power and greatness (Psalm 71:18-19).  Let that be our genuine desire and prayer too.  God would bless us so that we would love life here in this earth and inherit life, eternal too!