In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said: People ask me, What is the purpose of life?

And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body–   but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act – the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one.  The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is  in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.  This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.  I used to think that life was hills and valleys – you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like  two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad  that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something   good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:

If you focus on your problems, you’re going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.’ But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don’t think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety  and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?  Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God’s purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if  I don’t get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn’t put me on earth just to fulfil a to-do list. He’s more interested in what I am than what I do.

That’s why we’re called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
                                                                               – Courtesy: Gabrielle Gannon

Here the ‘day approaching’ signifies the Coming of the Lord. What the writer of the epistle wanted to emphasize was that, as the Coming of the Lord is approaching, we should meet together and have fellowship with one another more than before. If this was so two thousand years ago how much more careful we should be now, not to neglect our meeting together in fellowship and worship, seeing we are in the last moments before the Coming of the Lord!

Once a young man named Jacob was going from one village to another village on a Sunday morning. He had to cross a forest. As he walked along a thief caught him and demanded all his money. Jacob pleaded with the thief asking him to release him as he had no money. The thief threatened to kill him if he did not hand over the money. Then Jacob again pleaded with him saying that he was a Pentecostal believer and did not tell lies. Immediately the thief took him by the throat and angrily said, “Then you ought to be in church now, this being a Sunday morning!” Jacob was cornered and had nothing to say. “Hereafter, will you regularly go to church?” demanded the thief. To this Jacob readily agreed. Then the thief asked, “Do you pay tithes?” Jacob was shocked. He hadn’t expected a question like this from a thief. He had already said that, being a Pentecostal man he didn’t tell lies. So he meekly said. “No, I don’t pay tithes.” The thief got very angry. Shaking him like a rabbit he shouted, “Hereafter, will you faithfully pay your tithes.” He hurriedly agreed and the thief let him go. The next Sunday Jacob came to church and gave a testimony about this incident during the service. His life was changed and he later became a very good servant of God.

Do not wait to be caught by “the thief” before starting to go to church and paying your tithes.

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself…

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

” Be strong and of good courage” ” Be not afraid, I am with you ” Josh 1:9

SLAYING THE GIANT OF ANGER

I claim these Scriptures to overcome anger:

1.A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15; 1

2.Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can crush opposition. Proverbs 25; 15

3.Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking put away from you, with all malice. Ephesians 4; 31

SLAYING THE GIANT OF RESENTMENT

I claim these Scriptures to overcome resentment:

1.Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not upset others, Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.1Corinthians 13; 5

2.And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4; 32

3.In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1; 7

SLAYING THE GIANT OF FEAR

I claim these Scriptures to overcome fear

1.The Lord is on my side ;I will not fear; what can man do to me? Psalm 118; 6

2.The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29; 25

3.Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isa 41; 10

SLAYING THE GIANT OF PROCRASTINATION

I claim these Scriptures to overcome procrastination

1.So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90; 12

2.Behold,now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. II Corinthians 6; 26

3.Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27; 1

SLAYING THE GIANT OF DOUBT

I claim these Scriptures to overcome doubt;

1.Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear; Isaiah 59; 1

2.Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen, Hebrews 11; 1

3.Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37; 5

SLAYING THE GIANT OF LONELINESS

I claim these Scriptures to overcome loneliness;

1.When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me, Psalm 27; 10

2.The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit Psalm 34; 18

3.Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. MATTHEW 28; 20

SLAYING THE GIANT OF FAILURE

I claim these Scriptures to overcome FAILURE;

1.As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103;13-14

2.The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He make me walk on my high hills. Habakkuk 3; 19

3.Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help time of need. Hebrews 4; 16

SLAYING THE GIANT OF TEMPTATION

I claim these Scriptures to overcome temptation;

1.Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

2.For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted He is able to aid to those who are tempted. Hebrews 2; 18

3.Therefore submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you James 4;7

SLAYING THE GIANT OF JEALOUSY

I claim these Scriptures to overcome jealousy;

1.Asound heart is life to the body; but envy is rottenness to the bones. Proverbs 14; 30

2.The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145; 18

3.The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10;22.

credits :

Sister Lilly Selvaduari

Australia

TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN..

I have been following the battle for the banning of the DA VINCI CODE and on the eve of the release of this film world wide I would like to say my part.

One of the unique qualities of Jesus Christ during His life on earth was His ability to be silent in the face of false accusation. (In fact false accusation was the ONLY way that they could nail Him to the Cross, in order to fulfill God’s eternal plan of salvation for all humanity).

I believe this is the stance that all Christians require to take. After all Christian means ‘little Christ’ and the very title indicates that we need to emulate Him.

WHAT WOULD JESUS DO if He were here on day of the release of the Da Vinci Code? I believe He would stand silent. He does not need to defend Himself or prove anything to anyone. He is GOD and He is Truth. No one and nothing can change that.

Psalm 2 in the Bible says – Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing…against the Lord and against His Christ?…He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The LORD shall hold them in derision….Now therefore, be wise O kings, be instructed you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest He be angry.’

As Christians, our feelings rage when we see our Lord maligned and ridiculed, and it is natural for us to run to His defense. But we must rise from the natural to the supernatural. The Bible says that the ‘reason’ He suffered silently, while committing Himself to Him who judges righteously, was to teach us, His followers, to do the same.

So down through the ages they have thrown us to the lions, burned us at the stake, imprisoned us in solitary confinement and tortured us with unspeakable means for our faith, yet out victory comes in suffering in silence because He taught us how.

Didn’t He rise from the dead and have the last laugh over His enemies? That is also the end result for all those who put their trust in Him. That is the reason He is the one Man in all of history who has influenced the world more widely and deeply than any other.

So I write to all Christians everywhere…the Da Vinci Code will pass, and many more attempts will be made to disprove Jesus and His divinity, but He and we will have the last laugh.

So stand still and see the salvation of our God. We live in time and space, and so we get impatient and restless, but He lives in eternity and even through this He is working out His eternal plans.

Doesn’t it say in Proverbs 15:4 in the Bible, ‘The Lord has made all things for Himself, yes. Even the wicked for the day of doom?’

The Da Vinci Code is just another book, but Jesus Christ is not just another God!

Anne Manning.

Vashi, New Bombay.

GOD NEVER ABDICATES HIS THRONE…