Elections...elections...

ELECTIONS...ELECTIONS...

Hey, the Election Fever is in the air. The International media in recent times has been abuzz with US Presidential Election News. The campaign speeches and moves of the Presidential candidates are analyzed by every News channel, even as the Candidates are presenting to the public their panacea to everything that ails the US economy. Add to all these some stimulating Presidential debates and the picture of a juicy and spicy Electioneering campaign is complete.

Nothing quite like our Master’s way of connecting to his audience by using relevant topics…Didn’t He

a) Speak about the Living WATERS with the Samaritan lady beside a WELL,

b) Call the would-be World shakers beside the Galilean SEA as “FISHERS of men”

c) Give a call to repentance using the hot “media” topics of his days (Luke 13:1-5)

Toeing the Master’s line, Yours truly felt inspired to select Christ’s ministry related topics for meditation in this message which would revolve around a recent HOT TOPIC "E.L.E.C.T" (ACRONYM PLEASE), with Electioneering lingo thrown in for good measure. So here goes…

E-Easy to understand manifesto

Heard of a party with complicated manifesto designed to confuse people’s mind? No, the name of the game is KISS..."Keep it simple silly"! The Poll plank has to be sometimes as simple as “Read my lips, no new taxes”. Well, Christ’s “party” manifesto even as He launched the campaign “Save Souls” was as simple as it comes “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt 4:17), reinforced by Apostle Peter on the day the Church was born (Acts 2:38).

The question which would follow on hearing the word “Repent” is who should “repent”? Let the Scripture itself give the answer “EACH of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Really everyone, including the respected ones’ of the society with no police record? Even the Presidents and Prime Ministers? Yes, for the Scripture says “…for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). In connection with the fallen Adamic nature, all of us have inherited; I heard an insightful, humorous which goes thus…

There was bright student in school, who had a problem pronouncing the word “Electricity”, for it would always roll out of his mouth as “ElectriKITTY”. Now his sympathetic, empathetic class teacher with an intention to help, wanted matters to be set right with proper training at his ward’s home itself. So the teacher went to his pupil’s home and explained the issue to the composed, well-educated, highly-placed (in society) dad who after a patient hearing sighed “You see that is not my son’s fault, it is beyond his capaKITTY to pronounce the word electriKITTY properly”. Just as the teacher was recoiling from a shock, in walked the erudite grandfather who had overheard the conversation from a nearby room “ Sir”, the grey gent pleaded “Please do not make publiKITTY, about this problem running in our family for generations”. We smile. Are only speech “impairments” inherited from our parents? Is not the deep down sin problem also “transmitted” which all began in the Garden of Eden, when our first parents sank their teeth into the forbidden? No wonder the Scripture says “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Was not the Saviour sent specifically for performing the much-needed “heart –transplantation” operation (Ezekiel 36:26)?

The phrase “Kingdom of God” which is oh-so-near reaffirms not only the proximity of salvation (read Eternal life- Romans 10:8-10), but also that of abundant life (John 10:10) which the Saviour guarantees whereby with the Holy Spirit indwelling us (Gal 5:22-23), we can experience in full measure the joys of Heaven RIGHT HERE ON EARTH. Hey, not a sneak peek into what Heaven would be but actually scaling the peak of ethereal joys, which cannot be adequately described in words but has to be experienced personally to be believed! Have you “voted” (read accepted His manifesto) for Christ’s party? Have you parted ways with self-power (number one enemy which prevents a sinner from coming under Redemptive Grace) in trying to score over sin? If so, it would be PARTY TIME IN HEAVEN (Luke 15:7/ 24)!!!

L-Loyalty

After a terrific experience of enjoying the Heavenly joys on accepting Christ, if someone (God-forbid) wants to defect back to Satan’s party, then the “divine Anti-defection law” would be invoked and a terrible punishment would be round the corner (Heb 10:26-31/ 2 Peter 2:20-21)! Remember, what happened to the Redeemed Jews (from Egyptian slavery) who wanted to return back (how tragic) to the very place of their bondage, from which they had sought deliverance (Heb 3:15-19)? On the other hand, the Lord wants us to give “EVERY AREA” of our lives into His hands (including the TV Programs we watch). Hey Christ comes into our life not to be a mere resident but to be a PRESIDENT!!! Going back to OT Times, remember our unchanging God (Heb 13:8) gave the LAW (613 of Divine rules covering every area of Jewish life, including the maintenance of their Toilet facilities-Deu 23:12-14) to our OT counterparts ONLY after their “Salvation” experience from Egyptian bondage and NOT BEFORE it. Simply put, He saves us NOT because we are holy but to make us COMPLETELY Holy.