Playing it God’s Way!!!
Media was abuzz recently with the release of the autobiography “Playing it my way” by the Icon of Indian Cricket …Sachin Tendulkar. On or off the field the best contribution of this Demi-God of Indian cricket to Sport at large would be not only the numerous records he “built monumentally” displaying transcendental skills along the way but simply his dignified disposition not for a jiffy but for a period close to twenty five years which in "here today, gone tomorrow" Sports circles represents “an eon”. In all circumstances’… be it in facing “chin music” in his debut in Pakistan initially or fulfilling consistently the “back-breaking” burden of expectations of a massive albeit fickle-minded fan following without complaint in a long lasting career or enduring grimly complaints of a body crying for rest and relaxation towards the latter stages of his career or even dealing with tricky controversies like agitation over acquisition of a Ferrari car without tax payment or ball tampering (thanks Dennis the menace), let it be said that in public perception at least, Sachin faced it ALL offering a “straight bat” all along. Boy, objectively assessed, Mumbai’s maestro’s career would to the discerning eye appear to be an expression of not only sublime skills but also a strong statement of character. Needless to say, youngsters’ of Indian sport needn’t look beyond Sachin, if they are searching for an ideal role model.
While exceptional talent and judicious management of the same by the individual concerned in a game like Cricket can guarantee applause and approbation all around for a life-time, what about the infinitely more serious game of life with priceless Eternity in the offing? How do we need to play it? Who better to coach us…a la Ramakant Achrekar (long-time coach of Sachin) in this subject carrying eternal ramifications’ than the Creator of life Himself!!!
Solution…
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?-Jeremiah 17:9
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,-Rom 3:23
Dr. Christiaan Barnard, Louis Washkansky, Denise Darvall….do not blame yourselves in case these names do not ring a bell with you. Well, Dr Barnard was the Cardiac surgeon who performed the first heart transplantation surgery in medical history on 3rd December 1967, at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa replacing the ailing heart of Louis Washansky with the healthy one of 25 year old Darvall who had succumbed to his injuries in an automobile accident.
Spiritually speaking all of us humans whatever be our social standing (King or slave, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, a Sports legend or a mere spectator of sport ) being spiritually and genetically connected to the first sinners’ in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-19) have inherited a rebellious heart…one in which holiness does not come easy. Parents and teachers’ have to instruct the children “not” to lie or steal in their young age, because these “unholy” actions’ stem from the young ones’ naturally without anyone having to teach them. Why? The human heart by birth is deceitful as the Scripture declares. Where do we go for solution to this deadly disease which can maim not only body but the eternal, indwelling spirit? Is a person snapping all ties with the sin-cursed World (because of the original sin-Romans 8:19-22) and dwelling in the snow-clad Himalayas’ donning saffron clothes’ guaranteed a deep peace of mind emanating from a realization that all is well with him now… spiritually? No, for there too into the Snowy peaks, he is forced to carry his sin-infected heart along with him!!! The infection of Sin doesn’t depart from one’s heart by mere change of address. If it were that easy, there would not have been any need for the Saviour’s advent into this sin-marred World. Some would logically argue at this stage that, they are not responsible for the original sin, so why should they be born with a sinful heart, in the first place? Let’s address this issue…
Can anybody other than the hard-hearted lay the blame of being born with a hardened heart at the door of the good Lord who has kept ready the solution for this lethal malady-one which is more dangerous than Ebola or Aids can ever be- at its very door, so to speak? One look at Romans 10:6-10 (TLB) and the picture of the Saviour having completed the Redemption plan at an immeasurable cost, standing with nail-scarred hands at the door of the Sinner’s heart and knocking with a plea to let him in “to heal” would emerge with no shades of grey. If only we let Him in, this Scriptural promise would be fulfilled in our lives…
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.-Ezekiel 36:26
Yours Truly who was unable to “cure” himself of this deadly disease with his own puny, finite abilities underwent this “heart –transplantation procedure” 32 years ago and can now thus herald from the roof nay mountain tops that Lord Jesus Christ alone can perform this “heart surgery” of the spiritual realm with guaranteed success. Do you know that the first heart-transplantation patient died 18 days after the operation? Contrast the same with this abiding truth…. the recipient of the new heart from the Saviour is guaranteed Eternal life and unstinted praise would arise from your heart spontaneously…unless it is hardened!!! By the way, common sense dictates that for one to undergo a heart-transplanation surgery there has to be a donor who cannot live even whilst donating his heart. Remember the Calvary sacrifice of the Redeemer…is it evoking sentiments of immeasurable gratitude (2 Cor 5:21)?
Kindly note, on the Day of Judgment the Almighty would not so much condemn the sinner for sinning as for not accepting the Saviour. No, I reiterate the fair God will not punish you if you are born a sinner, you would be condemned only if you die as one. Here while we are alive we need to get salvation… God’s way…by accepting THE WAY (another name for Jesus-John 14:6)...for there is no other way!!! So in case you have not made this confessional prayer before, say along with me “Father, I confess I am a sinner, today believing that Your Son Jesus came, died and rose from the grave for the forgiveness of my sins as per the Scriptures, I seek Thy forgiveness. Replace my stony heart with a heart of flesh flowing with love for Thee and my fellowmen. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen”. If Divine joy is welling up in your heart, utter a loud hallelujah and read Paul’s epistles’ to Colossians and Ephesians (preferably New Living translation or the Living Bible) to further strengthen your faith.
Direction…
“If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all TRUTH. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be in you. No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm—I will come to you.-John 14:15-18 (TLB)
“… you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, in your hearts, so that you don’t need anyone to teach you what is right. For he TEACHES you all things, and he is the Truth, and no liar; and so, just as he has said, you must live in Christ, never to depart from him.”-I John 2:27 (TLB)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path-Psalm 119:105
A Christian is not only a given a new heart at the point of re-generation but is also given two “Coaches’ (God’s Word and His Spirit) to teach him/her how to “play” in this “new life”…in other words how to keep the “new heart” healthy till he/she reaches the Ethereal shores.
Of course there are mature, godly Christians’/Pastors’ in a Church environment also to guide and nurture the “new born” but the ever-present two constant guides’ (Isaiah 59:21) are His Word and Spirit to lead the “new babes in Christ” “all the way in all the areas’ of their lives (physical, spiritual, emotional, financial etc). How thankful, we have to be to our Heavenly Father for the same!!!
Don’t cause the Holy Spirit sorrow by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who marks you to be present on that day when salvation from sin will be complete. –Eph 4:30 (TLB)
In our new life too, we have to play it His way…for our eternal good.
Affiliation…
Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord in whom they trusted.-Acts 14:23
Yes the “new babes’ in Christ” besides constant spiritual, joyous fellowship with Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31) and exposure to rejuvenating God’s Word also need flesh and blood fellowship within “a family” where there is an in environment of love, trust and security and what better place to find all of that …God’s Way…than by becoming a part of a local Church. No, no you cannot go it alone in spiritual life …you need a spiritual family, not only to be a recipient of spiritual and other blessings’ but also to be giver of the same to others’, as you mature and grow spiritually…
If you are a part of lively, healthy local Church where the Lord’s Name is glorified, John 13:35 is in operation and there is a hunger for souls to be won to His Kingdom, then utter a loud Hallelujah!!!
Function…
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,--…Eph 4:11-12
While witnessing (telling everyone we come across what difference Jesus has wrought in our lives) is one “function” in which all Christians ought to participate right from the point of re-generation, there are some specific functions which the good Lord as per His Sovereign wisdom entrusts to only some of the Christians (as the above Scripture underscores) as they move along in their journey of life.
As the good Lord expects more from those to whom more is given (Luke 12:48), the Ministers’ of God “to whom much” is given have to “play” their roles with full integrity obeying their Master all the way. What about the resources (material or spiritual) they need for His service? Over to Hudson Taylor that pioneer of Christian Ministry in China who knows a thing or three about God’s faithfulness in providing for His servants…“God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.” The key operative words here… God’s way…Ladies and Gentlemen…
Preservation…
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.-John 10:27-28
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been FOUNDED on the rock.-Matt 7:25-26
Now the going in Christian life (in full-time Ministry or otherwise) can get more tough than that of Sachin in his “baptism by fire debut test” whilst facing hostile spell of pace bowling by Waqar Younis. Yes, storms in various forms triggered by the Enemy (“permitted” for Christian’s eventual welfare by the Sovereign God) would come buffeting numerous times. How would a Christian defend himself at that time? By simply “attaching” himself to the “Rock” (I Cor 10:4) as the above-captioned Scripture culled from Matthews’ Gospel exhorts!!! Mind you, just as a survival of a branch depends on its “attachment” to the True Vine (John 15:5) and that of the building to the Rock during tempestuous times, the saved ones’ need to simply cling to the Saviour during times of testing. If you cleave to him, be assured He will not leave you (2 Tim 2:12-13), rather His Grace and power as promised in the comforting Scriptures would flow through you sustaining you during those difficult times. Yes folks, during times of fiery trials when things are not going your way, clinging to Him is the only way (Job 19:25)!!!
Fashion…
“ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” Rom 8:28-29
What “good” is accomplished, we may well ask when the Sovereign God in His infinite wisdom permits trials and tribulations into our lives. Well, that is His way of moulding us into the image of His Son (2 Cor 3:18). So no complaints please!!! What then exactly is the meaning of the word “image” of Christ would be the next question? Would we become as beautiful as Him (SS 5:10)? More than anything we would acquire the beautiful virtues and goodness of Christ (Heb 5:8) meaning we would become like the Son Himself is, in His love and obedience to the Father, by the time we finish the Christian journey of life. At the core of Christ’s life, when you look beyond his Ministry of preaching, teaching and healing (important as they were) was His unshakeable love and obedience to the Father. Ah…love and obedience…wouldn’t we need all of that, when we are going to spend Eternity with our Creator? While this is true what about effect of a life “played” in God’s way on the watching World? To illustrate, let’s shift the spotlight once again to Hudson Taylor’s pioneering Evangelistic Ministry in China. Long after he had died, in order to tarnish his image the ruling Chinese communist government appointed a Special officer. His mission? To tour all the places, where this seemingly devout soul had ploughed the lonely furrow and examine all the related records available of his ministry, with a magnifying glass as it were to detect “irregularities” therein and then publish a report to the Government, which in turn would duly publish the same in the National Newspaper. So off went this Special Officer on this “classified assignment” to detect irregularities in the way this pioneer missionary to China went about his ministry. And what did this special officer find? Place after place… in only increasing measure the evidence of Hudson Taylor’s oh-so-deep sacrificial commitment to Christ borne out of his great love for his Redeemer!!! The result of it all? This Special Govt-deputed Officer was so moved and touched by Hudson Taylor’s ministry that following the conviction by the Holy Spirit he duly surrendered his life to Christ. Talk of Prophet Elisha’s dead bones bringing a deceased man to life (2 Kings 13:20-21)…
Dear Friends, none of us may have the resources to build a Taj Mahal (timeless memorial of marital love) by the time our life ends, but our life lived in total love and obedience to our Heavenly bridegroom (2 Cor 11:2) would stand as a shining witness to the love that exists between us and Him in the present and future forever strengthening and encouraging the fellow believers’ in their faith besides attracting countless unbelievers to the Saviour. Simply put, the public testimony as regards our life after we depart from the physical realm would sound something like this…“oh..he/she ‘played’ his/her life completely God’s way”. This testimonial more than anything else is what any Christian (ordinary laity or the most gifted charismatic clergy) should aspire for…hmmm…”play” for…
Earthly plaudits aside (treat them as a bonus, if they come your way in your life time down here) finally dear Friends, should not we all want to see/hear our Saviour Himself waxing eloquent (Matt 10:32) about us in the presence of a far greater, heavenly audience than the glittering one which witnessed the release of Sachin’s admirable auto-biography offering tributes galore? Mind you His testimony about us matters more than the all the testimonies of the World put together. Want to receive the Divine distinction which heroes’ of faith had received in the past (James 2:23/Acts 13:22)? Then, let it be said again, we need to play the game of life His way “all the way”!!!HALLELUJAH!!!
Suresh Manoharan
An Unworthy Servant
ps...this message replete with pics is also available at the following URL...
http://jandsmministries.com/message_nov1_14.asp
