The Easter Season

John 20: 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

You have to put His first appearance after resurrection to the group of disciples in perspective. Here were a motley bunch of Israelites whom Jesus had called out to follow Him, who had abandoned him in His greatest time of need. His first recruits to His fledgling army that would establish His kingdom on earth had taken flight. The disciples believed that they would be blamed for the disappearance of the body of Jesus. God's grand design to save mankind had not sunk in even though the prophets of old had apparently spelt it out clearly in the Torah. Between the loss of inspiration and hope at the death of a movement, the guilt of having abandoned their Lord, the fear of the Jews & the Romans, the lack of purpose in an uncertain, unchalked future and perhaps even the guilt of having in some way frustrated God's design, the disciples, I am sure were a trembling, broken, spineless, uneducated bunch. They were probably dwelling on plans to flee Jerusalem. The last thing they needed was to meet a Jesus look alike or even a Ghost! BUT, Jesus, entering such a scene as this, just as he was in the boat on that stormy night, says this one word that was needed to restore and carry on. Shalom! Peace be with you! That I believe is the message of Easter- Restoration; the realization that its all been taken care of on the cross and that I am accepted as I am! From restoration, came the Relationship when Jesus breathed on them His indwelling Spirit (John20: 22). From the restored relationship came the challenge or Mission (John 21: 15-17) to take care of the harvest which was followed by the command to stay on in Jerusalem to be Equipped with the gift of the Power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1, 2). Restoration, Relationship, Mission, Equipping summarizes the Easter season.

What does it mean to be consecrated?

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 14 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. These verses clearly show us that the a man lives unto the Lord because he is constrained by the Lord's love. .......No one can consecrate himself unless he first touches the Lord's love. .....Consecration is based on the Lord's love. But it is also based on the Lord's right. This is the truth revealed in I Corinthians 6:19-20: "You are not your own... For you have been bought with a price." .....Therefore, as far as the Lord's right is concerned, we belong to the Lord. .....But merely being constrained by love or acknowledging His legal right does not constitute consecration. After a person has been constrained by the Lord's love and has acknowledged His right, there is a further step that he should take......Through the Lord's constraining and based on His purchase, we separate ourselves from every other thing. Henceforth, we live for and unto the Lord. This is consecration. .....It is to say to the Lord, "Today I will separate myself from everything to serve You, because You have loved me." - Watchman Nee

In the old testament, we see various instances of consecration or being set apart. Exodus 32:27-29 is one. 1 Chronicles 23:13 says '...Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the LORD, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. The Israelites were set apart from the other nations around them & the Levites were further set apart among the Israelites. But now by the grace of Christ, all who believe in Him are now Priests who are set apart to offer sacrifices of worship and praise to our Lord. But whereas certain laws compelled the levites, its the love for God & the recognition of his right that compels us now.

The Goal of Consecration is to serve Him, to wait on Him, to retain the honor that has been bestowed as vessels of God.....Consecration is not how much we can give to God. It is being accepted by God and being granted the honor of serving Him.....We do not beg others to consecrate themselves. Instead, we tell them that a way is now available for them to consecrate themselves. - Watchman Nee

Lets not look at the obvious. Consecration means you were set apart from Sin. Thats taken for granted. But we may have to change the way we view sin. 1 John 2: 15, 16 says 'Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world'. Mark 10: 17-21,........Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. 22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth'. Jesus said a radical thing here. The same way he said that to look at a woman with lust is equal to adultery. Jesus said basically that you cannot have two masters. There is no percentages or sitting on the fence. Can you let go of the world for God? The answer to that question is important to God because he paid a heavy price for you. Many may say there is nothing that holds one to the world. But the evidence is in truly giving it up (even for a period of time)! I am reminded of Abraham here. At his age, he had nothing much to look forward to except an heir and the promise of fathering nations. But that very hope, he was willing to sacrifice when he placed Isaac on the altar. That's consecration.When everything for you starts and ends with the Alpha & the Omega!

But lets move beyond sin here. Luke 10: 38-41 says 'As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." This passage was a mystery to me. After all doesn't it say in 1 Corinthians 12: 7-26 that each member of the body performs his function and each is equally important. Didn't Jesus realize that if Martha didn't cook, he & his disciples would have to go hungry! Notice that Jesus didn't rebuke Martha. Rather He commended Mary on having chosen a BETTER thing. Jesus did not say that Martha worshipped in her own style & Mary in hers either. Mary knew in her heart that her Lord would be around only for a little while and so she separated herself to BE with Him, away even from the everyday aspects of life. That's consecration!

Unfortunately many of us including the author are still struggling with sin and are yet to reach a place where we have to make choices in the common. The difference between you/me & the Men of God is that they have reached a place where the Spirit of God can prompt them. Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. If you have hardened your hearts & quenched the Spirit in the bigger things, you will be unable to discern the voice of the Spirit of God in the common.

Which brings me to a few areas in our lives that people talk about, when referring to consecration. What is important to note is that while certain areas seem to be more important to some than others, consecration is not dependent on calling. The call to hate the world & everything that encapsules is given to everybody!

1. Entertainment: I am reminded of David Wilkerson, author of 'The Cross & the Switchblade'. The turning point or his moment of truth came when he decided that television was taking too much of his time when he should be praying. He disposed of his television, started praying, & God led & used him from then on among the inner city gangs. Entertainment per se is not wrong. (though one must be wary of what one sees, hears & does). But there is always a BETTER thing and that will not be taken away from you!

2. Music: I had this discussion many years ago with a worship leader about listening to secular music. His opinion was that, a lot of us don't pay attention to the lyrics that are being sung (sometimes the sweetest sounding number can be really obscene) and that will influence you in certain ways (especially the hip-hop & heavy metal genre). I agree with him on that front. Some people take the stand of not listening to secular music at all. IF it draws them closer to God, it is a better thing. But some people are so caught up with God & the worship of Him that they have no time for secular music or the argument of whether its good or bad. THAT is a good place to be in.

3. Dressing: A call to be modest about their beauty for women is not based on the views of men. Its for every christian woman in any culture to figure out for herself what consecration to God in this area is without getting into the argument of what turns on men in a particular culture & what does not. In some christian circles, people wear simple white clothes especially to church & shun jewellery. While some of us may say it smacks of legalism, it was probably sparked off initially by the desire to hate the world and its pursuits that they may be truly given to the Lord & not greed. But in institutionalizing this, legalism crept in & a religion of works akin to the Pharisees crept in. I met a Man of God in Delhi, a Chemistry professor by profession and a man given to fasting & prayer. In his country, I am sure he is considered well-off. But he owns only 2 pairs of pants & 2 shirts. By refusing to let the desires of the world overcome him, he is able to single-mindedly pursue God and is able to devote his energy, heart & time to God. That is a BETTER thing and that will not be taken away from him!

4. Alcohol: There are enough verses in the Bible that can be dug up to support total abstinence and the embrace of the drink. And lets not get into biblical, cultural, Enological (enology- the art & science of wine making) and linguistic interpretations of the same. But atleast ALL of us agree that getting DRUNK is a strict no-no. Its a part of life in some cultures that have embraced it in their social interactions or culinary traditions. In some cultures like in India, it is still viewed as more of a problem than as a way of life. Whatever the culture, it is for each individual to discern his motive (like in all things), practice moderation (like in all things- even food) & to ensure that he is not brought under the drink and instead is a witness for God before ALL men. If you are a person who believed that drinking is fine; but have found that you do get out of hand once in a blue moon, perhaps its time you thought about giving it up because YOU are the temple of God. Let each person be convinced in his/her own mind about this. After all consecration is a personal thing and each one gets HIS reward from God.

There is also something as corporate consecration. Many times in the old testament we see God removing the unhealthy elements from the Israelite camp. After losing a battle when they enquire of the Lord, they are forced to acknowledge that sin and put to death those responsible, before God went out with them again & led them to Victory. This is important even in view of the modern Church.

I am reminded of Samuel at this point. 1 Samuel 1: 22, 28 & 3:4 "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always."....So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there....Then the LORD called Samuel. When you read it thus, you realize that Samuel was consecrated to the Lord, ministering before Him and from that consecrated state, when he was obedient to God (unlike Hophni & Phinehas), God called him to be a prophet. The call to consecration is small if you have a small view of that word and would like to interpret it in your own way. The call to consecration is small if you have an unbalanced view of God's grace vis-a-vis His holiness. But what's needed is a radical change, commitment, dedication & obedience that will result in a huge price to pay. No servant is greater than his master and if He paid a certain price to draw closer to His Father, we will have to too.

Consecration is about loving God and hating the world. Its amazing, when you are tuned in to God, that you actually know every teeny-weeney thing that displeases God instantly. What seemed OK at one point may suddenly not seem OK anymore. God cannot use an unconsecrated vessel. What took priority before and interested you doesn't interest you anymore. Consecration draws you closer to God, enables you to have a relationship with Him and enables the power of God to move freely through your life. If at this point you run through the areas of your life, your pet sins and things not yet yielded to God would you say that you are consecrated unto God? If at this point you do a simple calculation of the time you have set aside to be with God this month, would Jesus say that you love Him & not the world? He who has ears let him hear.

Rewards & Recognition

Working in the corporate world, you quickly get used to the words 'Rewards' & 'Recognition'. Nobody would like to work for free unless he is a philanthropist or working for perhaps social causes. Everyone expects monetary gains & appreciation for a job well done. Its not very different for us believers too. We labor & .....rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Rom 5:2).

The purpose of 'Rewards' & 'Recognition' in the Corporate world is to stir people into action & encourage competition towards achieving set objectives. But in the world of believers there does not seem to be much effectiveness of this. Once we accept Christ (recruitment), our behaviour seems to suggest that this is it. There is no struggle, no effort, no pressing ahead to achieve any objective. Paul himself said in Phil 3:12, 14 'Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of (recruited) me'. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. So we can safely conclude from this that there is an objective/goal which is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil 3:10). We can also conclude that there is a prize/reward for everyone who runs this race & finishes it.

But will all be rewarded equally? Do some of us misconstrue the verse 'the first will be last & the last will be first' to assume that everyone will be rewarded equally? Do you seriously expect your reward to be the same as Abraham, Elijah, David, Paul and such men of faith? Psalm 62:12 says.......Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. Isaiah 49:4 says.......Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God." Jeremiah 32:19 says......Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve. Mathew 16 :27 says ......and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I have no idea what God's measure is going to be. But what I do know is God will dispense different rewards according to your faithfulness with whats been entrusted to you, your obedience, love, your conduct, your actions/achievements/deeds etc. And it doesn't matter who planted, who watered & who harvested (Refer 1 Cor 3:8) or in which time in history you were born. For, in that sense the first will be last & the last will be first.

Remember that God's keeping score on everything. Mathew 10:42 says And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. Please take heed that all believers have access to every resource in Christ equally. But only some take hold and many don't. Most are satisfied with having got past the pearly gates and very few are yearning to stand before him & behold his glory. I believe grace will get you to heaven, but will not determine your reward. Maybe the reward is the joy of beholding his Glory. A front seat pass for an eternity of worship could be the highest reward.

Yes! Its not fully clear what God has in terms of a reward as it is written in 1 Cor 2:9 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him". But have faith that the reward is going to be 'AWESOME' and let each one of you be convinced in his own mind that its worth giving up everything in this world for. Lets live eternity now. Lets really live like strangers, soujorners in this world. Lets be patient in this instant world where each one wants to know what his reward is before pressing on and wants to know how soon he can get it. Hear what your master says "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." (Rev 22:12). He who has ears let him hear.

Whose side are you on?

Joshua 5:13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" From this its quite evident that Joshua had no idea who he was talking to. It seems a valid point in a war to ask every armed man, whose side he is on if his battle fatigues do not clarify that. But the reply to this question is 'beautiful' and 'challenging'.

Joshua 5:14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Can you believe this? The angel of the Lord looks at Joshua square in the face and tells Joshua something that I am not sure Joshua got the import of at that moment. Let me rephrase what the angel actually said- "Joshua! You & the people you are leading may be God's chosen people. But remember that the world, its fulness thereof & the people in it all belong to God. The promise to your forefather Abraham was that he will be the father of ALL nations. God is not fighting your war Joshua. YOU are fighting GOD's war. Can't you see child? Its not the Israelites vs Amalekites. Its Good vs Evil. Its God vs devil. Change your perspective Joshua. There are bigger things happening here".

Years ago I met a man of God in Delhi who reiterated the same. He had said that in any crisis, challenge, conflict, trouble, hardship or issue we need to know that the enemy is not people, its always the devil. The devil would like you to believe that he doesn't exist & would like you to be angry with yourself & those around you. But remember the big picture always, that the fight is between God vs devil and your attitude & reaction at that moment will determine whose side you are really on. You are not asked to call on God to fight your battles. You are asked to fight God's battles. Remember that in the scheme of things there are just 2 sides - God's & the devil's. If you have a narrow perspective like Joshua had, you are likely to be misled and may find yourself resisting God and submitting to the devil.

Jesus had said this once- Mathew 12:30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. Its not written, but the angel had actually asked an implicit question to Joshua- "Whose side are YOU really on"? He who has ears let him hear.

"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Mathew 22:14 is intriguing to say the least. Heard an interpretation of this verse the other day that basically placed the onus of being a christian on God. And I was led immediately to ponder on the parable to derive the truth on what Jesus actually meant. Can we throw our hands in the air and say that God has already chosen people for eternal damnation & people for salvation? There is nothing more that can be done about it. If so what is the meaning of John 1:7 - 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him ALL men might believe.

Mat 22: 3,9 - '3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' The following truths emerge: that many reject Christ at the invitation stage itself as they have hardened their hearts to God & that God invites everybody.

Mat 22:11, 12- 'But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. This is interesting. The man had heard the word, accepted Christ, but came to the banquet unprepared by not wearing wedding clothes. But if he was homeless and a pauper he couldn't have afforded the wedding clothes anyways. So why was the King angry?

The King was angry because the only things that was required of the man was wear his wedding clothes & he didn't. The King of course knew that this man & many men like him who had been invited were poor & couldn't afford wedding clothes. It was highly probable that the Kings bearers had given them all royal robes to wear for the occassion & this man had scorned them. In other words he had taken the invitation too lightly. Luke 13: 26, 27 highlights this: 26"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 27"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' All of us are called to put off our old garments once we accept the invitation. Ephesians 4: 22 illustrates this- 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.

Which brings us to the hard part. Will all who accept Christ go to heaven. the answer is a hard-hitting NO. Because if we continue to wear our old self & not wear the wedding garments symbolizing the holiness & righteousness of Christ, we mock God. You have to understand that the proof of your invitation to the banquet is the wedding clothes which the King Himself gave you & nothing else.

I hope the answer that we receive will not be as in Luke 13: 27- 27"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' . We are called to wear our wedding clothes permanantly and stand watch for that day & hour we know not. Mathew 24: 42- 42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. For many are invited, but few are chosen. He who has ears let him hear.