Every knee shall bow and every tongue swear allegiance

I'm in Hampi, India now, the site of famous ancient ruins. These ruins are mainly Hindu temples and palaces. To many who come here to "find themselves", the country of India conjures images of the mystic and spiritual enlightenment. But it is a nation that has been bound in spiritual darkness for centuries now. This is a spiritually dark land, and travelling here, I am emboldened by 1 John 4:4: He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world.

When I see these crumbling buildings, I wonder about the thousands who wore out their lives labouring in the grip of the evil one to craft these vast complexes for false Gods. Please pray for India and for missions like Gospel for Asia, which are, by power of God, bringing the Gospel to unreached millions throughout the world. It is a comfort to remember Isaiah 45:23: that one day, every knee shall bow and every tongue swear allegiance to Jesus Christ.

To show that the surpassing power belongs to God

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

This passage is a paradox, and a magnificent, Christ-exalting one. God chooses to use common pottery and not reinforced chests to store His treasure, because in doing so He is glorified. God chooses to use our weaknesses and insufficiency because in doing so He is shown to be ever more wonderful. It is unremarkable when smart, capable people achieve great things in their own might. Yet, when great things are accomplished by frail men we know that God alone must be at work.

So this is why Paul willingly describes how he and other early Christian leaders are beaten, worn down and suffer to spread the Gospel. He acknowledges their weaknesses, as fragile, common "jars of clay", because this brings out, all the more, the wonder of the treasure they contain: the death and life of Jesus. In following Jesus' example of death, they willingly suffer. And in knowing that they have eternal life in Jesus, they can rejoice.

I pray that I will always live as a "jar of clay": humble, unremarkable and brittle, perhaps, but always bearing witness to the treasure and its "surpassing power" that God has put within me.

Abide With Me

A lovely rendition of one of the most beautiful hymns, and a prayer I can't pray often enough.

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see—
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Sharing the Gospel: help me Lord!

This week I feel a very strong conviction that I want to share the gospel with my school friends. Perhaps it's the many long days and evenings we've spent together elbow-deep in our revision for the exams. I enjoy their company and friendship so much, and we have grown so close, that I know I cannot carry on without sharing with them the most precious thing in my life, and that would be in theirs.

How do I do this? When is the right time? This is such a challenging, difficult matter. I have been praying that God will show me the right time and the right way to share my Faith with my friends. When the time comes, I just ask that God will speak to me and through me. Isaiah 55:10-11 is great encouragement to me:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

I hope and pray that God's word will accomplish its work of redemption in the lives of my friends. Quite often, I feel guilty for not being more sincere or serious about the eternal destinies of those around me. Please Lord, show me when and how to tell my dear friends about Jesus. 

P.S: Pastor John Piper gives some guidance on this matter in a recent APJ session.

At what point should I share the gospel with my neighbour?