23/11/13

His Word is True

Daniel 11:28 - Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.


Since a few days many Churches in Mumbai (different denominations) collectively, are reaching out to the people of Mumbai to share the hope in Christ through a campaign named as 'Power to Change'. This campaign has 14 individuals from different walks of society sharing their testimony through a book. Huge posters have been put all around the city, on railway stations, roads, on city buses etc. asking people to call on a toll free number or sms to receive this book and experience the Power to change as these 14 people did.

I have been part of this campaign going to the people at their residence and offices to deliver the book. I get to talk to them and do the initial preparing the ground so that the seed of faith grows.

One person I visited was a Hindu and a friend of his had given his name without his knowledge to receive the book. So he was surprised when I reached his office to deliver the same. Anyway he received me and accepted the book with a smile when he came to know who that friend was and then he started asking me questions. He was a senior manager at this large MNC and also had 2 other junior colleagues of his to be present for this discussion. We got directly to the points quickly since time was less at hand.

Some of the main points we discussed:-
Is there hope in any religious person in this world?
How do we know there is one God and that He is the creator?
How do we know the scriptures we follow in various religions are His Words (Instructions to us)?

To the first point I gave his the 'test of death'. All religious people who claimed they are gods or are from God died and gone; none exist today leaving for 1 person Jesus Christ. If the others had no hope for themselves how can they give hope unto us? About Jesus I told him every day when he writes the date he acknowledges the existence of Jesus Christ for he puts the number of years since His coming in this world.

About God I told him how across all religions including Hinduism they acknowledge the one Creator, but then about how would one know they are worshiping the Creator and not someone else? To this I gave them 'the creation test'. Does the Creator confirm how He created this world and does it make sense to science or to human understanding. I showed him how the Bible details the process in which God created this creation and I also gave him details with dates (periods) of each stage of creation and that too acknowledged by science today.

About the third point I gave the simple 'self-consistency-test'. The easiest way to test a person is telling the truth is to ask that person various questions and then see if all the answers are consistent to each other. So I told him take verses or scriptures from the religious books of the various religions and test them against each other in the same book and the truth would be revealed. If any verse contradicts another or is proved false with history you will know it is not God's Word.

Today's scripture is a confirmation of the Bible being God's Word. It was a prophecy which Daniel expounded on hundreds of years before it happened. It relates to the Syrian king Antiochus plundering Egypt of its riches and then attacking the Jewish nation.

The Jews were called 'people of the covenant' for they were the first people God made a covenant with. This covenant was made by the blood of animals and circumcision of the flesh. We Christians are called people of the New / Better Covenant for our covenant is made by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God without blemish and by the circumcision of the heart.

Let us be confidant and boldly preach who we are and in Whom we believe.



[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, there are many in this world who believe in vanity and become vanity. Lord, we thank You that by your grace You let us know You and today have hope to live eternally with You through your Word and your Spirit. We pray Lord more and more people receive this hope and that this hope gets confirmed in them through faith and authority...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Genesis 15:2-21

Genesis 17:1-11

Matthew 26:26-28
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.

1 Corinthians 11:25 In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

2 Corinthians 3:
12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,
13 and not as Moses, put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away:
14 but [howbeit] their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed that it is done away in Christ.

Hebrew 7:18-22
18 For there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness
19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God.
20 And inasmuch as it is not without the taking of an oath
21 (for they indeed have been made priests without an oath; but he with an oath by him that saith of him, The Lord sware and will not repent himself, Thou art a priest for ever);
22 by so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant.



The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
(All rights are with God)