A Lenting 1

8/7/2019 A Lenting 1

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A Lent Thing 2 201

Lenten Meditations from differentcontributors

Feb22nd 23rd

24th

25th

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28th 29th Mar 1st 2nd 3rd

5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

10th 21 th 31 th 41 th 51 th

61 th 71 th 91 th 20th 21st

22nd 23rd 24th 26th 27th

28th 29th 30th 31st Apr 2nd

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Feb 22nd

Psalms 46: ,4-5, ; Romans 2: ; 21 10 1 1 Chronicles 6:91

God is our refuge and ever present help in

trouble. But what's more amazing is that inthe midst of the turmoil, the fear of theearth being removed, the mountains beingcarried to sea, and the sea roaring, there isa river that makes glad the city of God. She

will not be moved and God shall help her atthe break of dawn. Verse goes on to exhort10 us to be still and know that I am God.

We become that river when we live a life

worthy of Him(makes glad the city of God) - aneveryday offering to Him, holy andacceptable. And that river He will be in themidst of; she shall not be moved. That is thepromise. That is the faith in which we bestill and know that He is God indeed. No storm


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need make us fearful. The same God who madeHeaven and Earth, and the God who can snap

it to cease and turn it as he pleases. Thealmighty loving God who watches out forthose whose heart is perfect toward him.

Sunil Noronha

Feb 23rd

Psalms 42 & 43, Job 3: 51 1

The Psalmist here is in what seems to be aconfused state of mind. He's drifting betweena time of trouble where he's wondering whereGod is and the reaffirmation of his faith in

God. He keeps calling out to an at-the-timeunanswering God asking him why he has lefthim to this fate and then states thatwonderful verse repeatedly:

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why


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art thou disquieted within me? hope in God:for I shall yet praise him, who is the health

of my countenance, and my God.

Similar to Job many times over, this speaksof faith regardlessRegardless of your troubles

Regardless of everything around you andhappening to youInspite of all your problemsRegardless of what he doesRegarding only the Person himself

Praising him who is the health of yourcountenance...No frown shall wrinkle your faceNor shall doubt settle in that He isalmighty, supreme, over all things, and most

importantly, your God - the one in whom youcompletely place your trust.

Sunil Noronha


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Feb 24th

The period of Lent, is a time for us toreflect on not only the life of YeshuahaMashiach, but also our own lives. Let usall pray for God to reveal our trespassesthat have bypassed our consciousness. May He

reveal the stumbling blocks in our path ofprogression. Whatever hindrances we mayhave in lives, particularly in our hearts -so we can turn away from them, and bringinto fruition His plan. The plan made before

the foundations of the heavens and the Earthwere ever created. The plan not to harm us,but for us to................PROSPER.

So lets seek to become what Hed have of us,

be where Hed have us be and do what Hedhave us do.

Vishal Chauhan


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Feb 25th

Unity (Part )1

Philippians 2: -21

There is a constant competition from variousquarters, fighting to get our attention,mind space, affections of the heart and ourdevotion. I find it of great value to alignmy heart to the plum line of scripture as my

point of reference. I find it brings balanceand tranquility.

I found myself asking many questions andbeing reminded myself of many truths I have

heard being taught over the years.

If you have any encouragement..

If??? This is obviously a rhetorical

statement that does not need an answer to


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justify it. If is stating the obvious of course I have received encouragement. What

one may ask?

Any encouragement in Christ

Here is what I have received my sins have

been forgiven past, present and future. I have a relationship with God where I cantalk to him and He talks to me. My salvationis secure. My prayers are answered. Since Ibelong to him, He fills me with His Holy

Spirit who empowers and energizes me to livea Godly life.

Navaz D'cruz


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Feb 27th

Unity II

Phillipians 2: -21

Comfort from His love

Is that even a question that needs asking? Ofcourse I have been comforted knowing Hisfaithful love will never leave me. His love

is complete and unconditionally accepting.His love for me took Him to the cross. Yes, Iam comforted by His intense love for me thatis unending and pure.

If any fellowship with the Spirit

Oh yes!!! The Holy Spirit unlocks the doors tountold mysteries, abilities thus tapping intothe power of God in order for me to live the

Christian life: to conquer temptation and


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sin, to release the stranglehold of darknessof sickness and so much more.

Navaz D'cruz

Feb 28th

Unity - III

Phil 2: -21

Tenderness and Compassion

Paul is appealing to a minimum level ofcharity that ought to be in very Christianheart. Am I not capable of some measure ofcompassion and tenderness? Ifso the following is something I can do.

Since I have been the recipient of the aboveit surmises that I am able to the following :


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to be like minded, havingthe same love, being one in Spirit and

purpose. This is an action packed, loadedpassage. Id like to think about it phrase byphrase as I seek to align myheart to this plum line of truth.

Like minded

Does this mean uniformity, becoming aclone? Does this mean there is no room fororiginality? By no means! Grace celebrates

unity in diversity.

So what does it mean? Put in another way Ithink it means being of one vision/intent.Its not pulling in different directions, in

other words, having one goal, workingtogether toward a common purpose. Its awillingness to put aside the much exaltedand celebrated individualism for a commongood. Its willing to compromise wisely, itswillingness to let go, to give ground to


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anothers point of view or way of doingthings.

Navaz D'cruz

Feb 29th

Unity - IV

Phil 2: -21

One Spirit

Paul is really emphasizing this maybebecause it was a very real issue for the

Philippians. Is it not one today too? Thismeans being united not divided over issues i.e when a leader says something about beinginvolved in a certain project/vision, we arequickly able to align our minds, wills and

heart to support the leader in that call, not


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getting all super spiritual and saying,Ill have to pray about it. A church or

organization will make very littleprogress with that attitude in the ranks.

Purpose

The same as above. Am I running in adifferent direction or am I putting myweight behind that one purpose thereforebeing effective?

There is so much food for thought here. ButId like to draw this part to a close quotingone of my favourite authors, CharlesSwindoll.

The longer I live, the more I realize theimpact of attitude on life.

Navaz D'cruz


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Mar1st

Mark 4:4,5 (Part - I)1

But some were there who said to one anotherin anger, Why was the ointment wasted inthis way? For this ointment could have beensold for more than three hundred denarii,and the money given to the poor.

Down through time, many have asked why thiswoman would make such an extravagant gift.An equally important question is why wouldit provoke such anger in others. I suspectits because anger, in a sense, is the opposite

of gratitude. The woman gives freely because,aware of her great blessing, she is caughtup in a sense of abundance. The others,however, can only see lack and scarcity andbecause of this can only wish to control, to

hoard, and to manage.


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How true that is in my own life. When I count

my blessings I am blessed yet again with asense of abundance, gratitude, andgenerosity. Yet when I focus on what I stillwant, what I lack, then I become afraid and,sometimes, that fear that there is not enough

makes me miserly, even angry.

VC John

Mar 2

nd

Mark 4:4,5 (Part - II)1

The culture we live in depends upon a sense

of lack to function. If we do not feelinadequate, or lacking, or thatwe dont have enough, we will not keep buyingthings we dont really need and keep thismassive economy going. From

an early age we are therefore taught that we


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dont have enough, that the answer to fear isto have more, that we ourselves are not

enough. The messages are so regular andrelentless that it is difficult not tosurrender.

Can it be, therefore, that part of being the

community of Christ is to remind each otherthat God has given us enough? Enough tohave, enough to share, enough to be happy inthis life together.

There are, I think, two choices in front of usto focus on our blessings and respond with the open hand of gratitude and generosity,or focus on our lack and respond with theclosed fist of fear and anger. The choice,

ultimately, is too difficult to make alone,and so we need each other to remind us ofGods abundance and love.

VC John


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Mar 3rd

Proverbs : 2; Rom 2: 710 1 1 1

Our worst tendencies want to repay evil withevil, spite for spite, pettiness with

pettiness, and hatred with hatred. God hasalways wanted his people to be the redemptiveinfluence in their world, society, andrelationships. Paul reminded the Christiansin Rome to ''not repay evil with evil''. Here,

God's wise man teaches us a similar truth.Love removes the teeth out of difficultsituations, while hatred only turns up theflames of bitterness and hate. We're called tobe a different kind of people that leave theworld a better place. It isn't always easy,but it is always powerful.

Lipsita Sahu


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Mar 5

th

In the wildernessI rest,waiting still,preparing,receiving thisgiven giftof hope,of restorationand renewal.

+

In the wildernessI rest still,

my hopecan only bein you,only be fulfilledin you.


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+

So herein the wildernessI ask onlythat youre-order

my priorities, andas I meet youface to face,may I findthat I

am not onlyknown by you,BUTinfinitely loved.

+

VC John


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Mar 6th

Mark 4:6-9 (Part I)1

There are six incredibly important wordslodged in this scene that are easy to

overlook. In between wondering what Jesusmeant by saying the poor you will alwayshave with you and his focus on hisimpending crucifixion, its easy to miss thesesix words: She has done what she could.

Why is this so important? Because it remindsus that faith doesnt have to be heroic to besignificant.

She has done what she could. Nothing more,nothing less. Jesus recognizes the gift ofthis woman and holds her up as a paragon offaith. Think about it. Mark doesnt tell usthat she followed Jesus to the cross (she mayhave, but we dont hear about it). She hasnt


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somehow prevented his crucifixion. She hasntgiven up everything, taken up her cross, and

followed Jesus in any demonstrable ordramatic way. She has simply done what shecould do. And in that simplegesture of devotion and gratitude Jesus isanointed, purified, in a way that she could

probably not even imagine. No wonder we stilltalk about her!

Which brings us back to Jesus statementabout the poor. In this light, Jesus isnt

being cavalier or dismissive. Rather, he issaying that we have all around us ampleopportunity to do what is right, to practiceour faith, to love others as Jesus did. Wewill always, that is, have the opportunity todo what we can.

VC John


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Mar 7th

Mark 4:6-9 (Part II)1

I have often mourned the fact that this

woman who will be remembered because of

what she has done isnt given a name. Ive regularly assumed this was just one moreexample of a culture that didnt value womenand regretted how omitting her namereinforced some of our own unhelpfulattitudes about women. And that may verywell be the case. But lately Ive alsowondered if Marks omission was intentional,inviting us to identify with her, toactually see ourselves as her. In Mark, yousee, it is regularly the women whounderstand what real discipleship is, and soI wonder if this is another example of awoman who understood that to be a discipledoesnt necessarily involve scaling


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mountains or having everyone know your name but instead reflects a day-to-day

commitment to live as Jesus did. Discipleship,that is, is doing what you can.

So with that in mind, what can you do? Whatcan we do together? What small gestures can

we offer? Care for a friend, shovel aneighbors walk, read to a child, contributeyour time and talent to an organization thatneeds you, work together so that fewer peoplewill go to bed tonight hungry and cold.

What? It doesnt have to be big. And, in lightof Jesus words, we may well discover that,when done in faith, there is no smallgesture.

VC John


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Mar 8th

Mark 4: , (Part I)1 10 11

This is one of the moments in Marks account

not only of great drama, but also of nearlyunbearable tragedy. We do not know whatmotivated Judas to betray his Lord. Perhapshe had anticipated thatJesus would be the kind of Messiah who would

lead an army to vanquish the Romanoppressors.

Perhaps, whatever Jesus said to the contrary,Judas hopes had been fanned by the adulation

of the crowds that welcomed Jesus intoJerusalem just days earlier. Perhaps Judasfelt now, at last, Jesus would his destiny andstart the revolution.

But then Jesus names, once again, his sure


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conviction that he will die. And Judas isconfronted with the fact that Jesus is not

and will never be the kind of Messiah heexpects. And so spurred by bitterdisappointment and his own feelings ofbetrayal, he offers to betray his teacher tohis adversaries.

This is all speculation. There are variousclues here and there that might point tothis interpretation, but it remainsspeculation nevertheless. Yet if it is

at all close to the mark, then it intimates aparallel to an earlier scene between Jesusand Peter. Peter too, imagines he knows whatit means to proclaim Jesus the Messiah. AndPeter, too, is shocked and disappointed by thepossibility that Jesus destiny might beabout shame and death, not power and glory...

VC John


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Mar 9th

Mark 4: , (Part II)1 10 11

(...)Yet Peter manages to overcome his

disappointment and remain faithful. Notperfectly, of course, not by a long shot;after all, he will deny his Lord not once butthree times, and it is unclear whether heever really understands what Jesus is about

until it is all over. Yet Peter continues tofollow. Even the moment of his denial, aswell see, occurs as Peter is following Jesustoward the cross.

Perhaps Mark offers us two options fordealing with disappointment with God: followor desert.

Following doesnt have to be perfect, and itdoesnt assume we understand what is going


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Mar 10th

Mark 4: 2- 6 (Part I)1 1 1

When I was young, I always read this story asanother example of Jesus being omniscient

you know, life Father like Son, a chip offthe holy Block. I can understand why Ithought this. After all, there are otherscenes where Jesus predicts what will happento him.

As I read this now, however, I dont thinkthis story is about foreknowledge, but aboutcourage. I think, that is, that there is nomiraculous or omniscient vision at work;rather, Jesus made plans. Like you and I

might do when were traveling, makingarrangements to stay at a certain placeahead of time. Jesus can give his disciplesexplicit directions of where to go, who tomeet, and what to expect because he made


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these arrangements ahead of time.

Why does this matter? Because it means thathe was prepared for what was coming. Thelast meal he shared with his disciples, hisconfrontation with the authorities, thefalse trials, mockery, and crucifixion

these things werent accidents that hesomehow fell into. Rather, he saw them, wasprepared for them, faced them, and enduredthem intentionally

VC John

Mar 21 th

Mark 4: 2- 6 (Part II)1 1 1

William Barclay, one of the most prolificChristian writers of the previous centuryand minister of the Church of Scotland, once


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observed (commenting, I believe, on just thisscene) that there are two kinds of courage.

The first is the courage of the person whoreacts instinctively and bravely in the faceof danger jumping into a cold river to save one who has fallen in. The second is thecourage of the person who sees danger a long

way off and resolves steadfastly to face it.Both are valuable; the second is harder toachieve.

When we travel down this Lenten road to the

cross, we do so knowing that Jesus sethimself on this road not only before us, butalso for us. Seeing danger a long way off, henevertheless set out to embrace his destiny.All we can do is watch and give thanks and perhaps also do as he did by looking at thosearound us worthy of love because they, too,are people for whom Christ died.

VC John


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Mar 31 th

Mark 4: 7-2 (Part )1 1 1 1

Betrayal. It is an incredibly painful word.

It is more than just hurting someone forgain. It is more than just wishing anadversary ill. It is far more than evendesiring the death of an enemy.

Betrayal. What makes it so painful is thatbetrayal implies indeed, is defined by a breech of trust. It means that someonetrusted you, cared for you, counted on you,perhaps loved you. And yet despite all of

that you did that person harm.

Betrayal. It also implies that the breech oftrust was intentional. An accident is onething, but betrayal implies a conscious,

knowing, deliberate act of using the trust


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someone has placed in you against thatperson.

VC John

Mar 41 th

Mark 4: 7-2 (Part II)1 1 1

Betrayal. It is an awful, painful word

because it is an awful, painful experience,perhaps one of the worst we can know. And, ofcourse, its part and parcel of our humanexperience. We have been betrayed by others,and we have betrayed those we care about aswell. Perhaps not to the extent that Judasbetrays Jesus. Yet who among us has not letanother down, been unworthy of a confidence,disappointed the reasonable expectations ofothers, failed to live up to the trust placedin us. And who has not experienced the same


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from others.

Betrayal. It is painful. And it is ordinary.And perhaps this is why our Lord experiencesit, too. Because Jesus came to this earth,shared our life and our lot, suffering allthat we suffer, that he might both

sympathize with and redeem us from all thatafflicts our life and condition in thisworld.

As the author of the Letter to the Hebrewswrites, we do not have a high priest who isunable to sympathize with our weaknesses,but we have one who in every respect hasbeen tested as we are, yet without sin. Let ustherefore approach the throne of grace withboldness, so that we may receive mercy andfind grace to help in time of need (4: 5- 6).1 1

Jesus knows what we suffer because Jesussuffered it to. And because it didnt finishhim, we have his promise that it will not


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finish us either. For whatever difficult orlow places weve been or may yet go, Jesus has

already been there. And where Jesus is now,we will also one day be. Thanks be to God.

VC John

Mar 51 th

Proverbs 29:25

Jesus told us not to fear other humanopponents (Luke 2:4-5). When we try to please1 others, when we fear what others may say ordo to us, we place ourselves in a position ofgreat vulnerability. Our lives no longerremain our own. We become captive to whatothers think, want, or threaten. We are totrust only the LORD and reverence him. InGod is our safety, both now, and forevermore.


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Lipsita Sahu

Mar 61 th

Psalm 34:8

Some aspects of faith are indescribable: theycan only be experienced and known by doingthem. Taste the Lord. Sample his goodness.Lean on his grace. Take refuge in his care.We are blessed to find him near and take our

refuge from life's greatest dangers anddeath's greatest fears.

Lipsita Sahu

Mar 71 th

John 5: -2 (Extra references: I1 1


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Peter 4: 2- 3; Hebrews 2:5- ) - I1 1 1 11

One of my precious friends sent me this versethe other day. It seems quite expected for TheLord to say that He "cuts off" branches thatdo not bear fruit, even though in reality itis a very chilling thing. But what caught

my imagination is what He does with thosewho DO bear fruit.

Does it say "He rewards"? or "commends"? "patson the back"? "gives special blessings"? Of

course He definitely does all of that too. Butthis verse is drawing our attention to theone all-important thing the Father does withthose who truly bear fruit for Him - HePRUNES them. Pruning involves shearing off

boughs and leaves to stimulate growth, whichin turn stimulates more fruit.

Do you feel today that He has dealt harshlywith you and you don't know why? Do you feel

like here you are, going through the very


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valley of the shadow of death, and He doesnot seem to care? Do you feel prayers going

seemingly unheard? Do you feel your effortsfor the Kingdom are not precious to Him?

Praveen Deepak

Mar 91 th

John 5: -2 (Extra references: I1 1 Peter 4: 2- 3; Hebrews 2:5- ) - II1 1 1 11

This verse tells me that in order for me togrow to fulfill His purposes and His purposesonly, He must indeed let me go through thevalley of the shadow of death. He knows thebest way to teach me hard truths, to refineand purify me. And sometimes this involvesfeelings of abandonment, smallness, enormousfeelings of having wasted efforts, andprayers not being heard.


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If you are in a bad way today, God knows what

He is doing. Do not mistake yourcircumstances to be His displeasure or Hisabandonment. It is only MORE PROOF of Hisdeep involvement, His appreciation of howprecious your faith is to His and how

precious you are to Him. I can personallytestify that when I come through the valley,He has taught me so much I never even knew Iwas learning. And I realise that He couldonly have taught me those truths in thevalley. If I was in the plain, on levelground, happy and without a care, I wouldnever learn those truths.

Praveen Deepak


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Mar 20th

John 5: -2 (Extra references: I1 1 Peter 4: 2- 3; Hebrews 2:5- ) - III1 1 1 11

Another reason God PRUNES us is to refine us.Isn't our prayer to Him primarily to enterinto His righteousness? To become like Him?Well, if He is going to have to answer thatprayer, hard times are ahead because we are

full of sin. He is going to have to purge,cleanse and perform surgery, sometimeswithout an anaesthetic. Sometimes, He isgoing to leave us crying for a while.Sometimes,

He is going to have to be harsh with us, sothat we will learn how sinful we are.

So, dearly beloved, let us remember John 5: -21 1 in our troughs, valleys, and hard times. Let's


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pray what David prayed when God confrontedhim with his sin - "David said to Gad, "I am

in deep distress. Let me fall into the handsof the LORD, for his mercy is very great; butdo not let me fall into the hands of men." - IChronicles 2 : 3. Let us fall into the ever1 1 loving arms of our Lord! Be blessed!

Praveen Deepak

Mar 21st

The Cross - I

"A shadow of a mighty rock within a wearyland, A home within the wilderness, a restupon the way, from the burning of the

noontide heat, and the burden of the day"

- Elizabeth C Clephane

Indeed, the world we live in is all of those


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things - a weary land, a wilderness, just away, the sapping, burning shimmer of

noontide heat, a burden every day.

The Cross of Jesus is also indeed all of thosethings - the shadow of a mighty rock, a home,a rest. The most grisly scene on earth, is

still all of those things.

It's probably like that, because the Cross ofJesus is the ultimate answer to intimidation,brute power, cosmic violence, unbridled tideof red evil, the hot breath of hatred, andthe purposes of the pit of hell itself.Imagine all of these spent over one frailhuman body. And one human life - mute,resigned, resolute. No talking back, nocomebacks, no defense, no rationalising, no

duplicity, no making it palatable. Nothing.Just mute resignation.

Praveen Deepak


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Mar 22nd

The Cross - II

...It amazes me that there were no words fromheaven, or from earth, on that fateful day.There was no voice of validation,confirmation, victory or assurance fromheaven; there were no words from down here

as well. It was mute.

Wordlessness.

That comforts me, because the victory isobtained in silence. In solitude. Inloneliness. In one single life fighting alone.No one can really come there with you. OnlyGod can. And in those silent times, Godimpresses victory. There may never be words.Victory actually needs no words. Neither do

j h l f d Th i


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joy, or hope, or love, or freedom. Their verypower to give life is in wordlessness.

And in wordlessness I come to the cross. It isnot the part of me that says things, thatcomes to the cross. The heart actually iswordless. And it is the heart which comes.And there, what I see shuts out words. Shutsout voices. Shuts out sound. I can imaginewhat Stephen felt in those last moments.Wordlessness. Soundlessness.

And then, a strange, almost eerie, unrealcalm. With a refreshing cool breeze whichhas the power to soothe and rest. Torejuvenate, refresh, percolate breath andlife back into choked veins, and hearts, andminds.

Praveen Deepak


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Mar 23rd

The Cross - III

...The Cross of Jesus calms me. No earthquakecan touch it. Because all the horrors theworld can concoct, were met, and neutered, onthe Cross. There was no enemy left standing,however loud, however brute, however

powerful, however inexorable. No one wasleft. And this was done wordlessly,soundlessly. In the dead calm of pin-dropsilence.

Permanence. Purpose. Resolute resilience. Forall time. No marauder or invader wouldrender the Cross a ruin. It can never becomejust a sign; it will stand for all time nomatter who or what came against it. The

battle would rage all arou d it but he who


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battle would rage all around it but he whocame to its foot would not be molested.

The ultimate, ultimate safe place. The onefortress in this world no one can conquer.Its sanctuary is eternal; its protectionirrevocable. No one who enters will ever betaken to his doom by force. The ultimateunstormable citadel.

Come away to the foot of the Cross of Jesus.Let the battle rage around you. Let the heatof the day burn unquenched. Let the burdenbear down. None of these will touch you.Because you are in the safest place you willever find.

Praveen Deepak


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Mar 24th

The Plumb Line - 1

In a world full of worldly managementfundas filling up bookshelves, it's easy toget lost in a world of advice from almosteveryone who's willing to win you over with

their advice on absolutely anything underthe sun. However, I find the best advice inthe enduring, flawless, timeless Word of God,and it is important to set my heart rightagainst that plumb line.

Phil 2:3-4

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vainconceit.


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This is such an area of temptation. I need to

keep a guard over my heart and motivesknowing the heart is deceitful above allelse. Every now and then its good to take apit stop and take stock of what is going onin the boiler room of the heart. If I dont,busyness gets me or the success of what I aminvolved in can cloud/dull and even blind meto whats going on, on the inside.

Jesus was always interested in what goes onin our hearts. Everything will be tested byfire ( Cor 3: 2- 5). So I would be wise to stop in1 1 1 my tracks every now and them and do a heartcheck up allowing the Holy Spirit to shed His light, wash and clean me which He does with much grace and love.

Navaz D'cruz


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Mar 26th

The Plumb Line - 2

Phil 2:3-4

Selfish ambition

Doing things that promote self interest, self

glory. Doing things that get me recognition,for my glory, promotion and elevation in theeyes of men. Often this would involvedputting others down, even subtly, ignoringothers peoples gifts and talents so that only

I get noticed. The object with which Iconduct myself is that I increase and. thatI get glory. This is nothing but I-dolatry.

Vain conceit


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The dictionary tells me the synonyms of

conceit are egoism, egotism, narcissism,*

vanity. The dictionary tells me vanity isbeing inordinately proud of one's appearance,possessions, or achievements, given toostentatious display, especially of one'sbeauty, worthless, senseless or futile. It isthe very opposite of humility. Its thinkingthat only I can do the job well. What is thefall out of this? We dont train others to doour job. We think we are indispensible. We getvery critical and condemning of other

peoples efforts. We dont delegate. We areunable to encourage and appreciate the babysteps others take to grow their gifts. It alsoshows a lack of humility to realize that allour gifts and talents are Grace Gifts that

we dont deserve in the first place. We owe itall to God and need to hold these thingslightly.

Navaz D'cruz


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Mar 27th

The Plumb Line - 3

Phil 2:3-4

Rather, in humility value others aboveyourselves

This gives me the antidote to the first halfof the verse. How do I cure myself of thismalady of selfish ambition? By practisingthe very opposite. Firstly, being humble- how

does humility express itself? In this case,considering others better than yourself andnot looking out to my own interests. How doesthis work out? Others better than your self-this will put the breaks on self-exalting

thought patterns that constantly assail our


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thought patterns that constantly assail ourminds. It will nudge us to look for ways to

appreciate others. It will nudge us torelease others, give others a chance to usetheir gifts.

...not looking to your own interests but eachof you to the interests of the others.

Look not only to your own interest but alsothe interest of others. This strikes a deathblow to self ambition. When we put othersbetterment before our own we cannot exalt

ourselves. We can only do one or the others.If we all had this attitude it would breed so much growth for everyone (includingyourself because someone else will be lookingout to your interests well). It will breed an

atmosphere of acceptance, grace and security.It will breed an atmosphere of encouragementand appreciation and an atmosphere ofwanting to mentor others so that theyprogress and get on in their walk with God

and all that God has called them to with no


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strings attached.

It will mean that sometimes we have to let goof our lofty ideals/standards for the sake ofunity, for the sake of brotherhood andoneness in Spirit ( without compromising yourprinciples). But when you look at the bigpicture, when you look from Eternitysperspective it wont seem that ideal at all.

Navaz D'cruz

Mar 28th

Phillipians 2:5-11

This passage gives us the grand key andperspective to everything. The way down isthe way up. As you lower yourself to thepoint of nothingness, God comes bursting in

and does the very thing you sought after but


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y g y gin a wrong way. Jesus was offered power, andfame when tempted in the dessert. But heovercame selfish ambition and loweredhimself to serve the interest of His Fatherin heaven thus serving us sinful men. Theend result: it is not only gloriousexaltation to the highest place but He hasbeen given the highest Name the name above every other. Satan would like todeceive us into thinking we need to do thisfor ourselves how wrong!!! When we leave things in the hands of a sovereign God He

works out things for our best, ALWAYS.

When life rattles me, this is one of thepassages of scripture I take refuge in andfind great solace, comfort and assurance. I

leave you with these thoughts may you know rest in knowing His way- aligning yourheart to the plumb line of this scripture.

Navaz D'cruz


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Mar 29th

Imagine a case if all that we believed didn't

exist. If all that we bet our life on was notknown to us. Thankful we are indeed that itnow is. But if we did not the love of Jesusand then the joy of knowing God...

Now that we do know Him, what piece of thepuzzle does that complete? Through ourChristian journey, it's easy to believeabsolutely anything that can fall under thecategory of God's ways that are 'amazing',

'powerful' and any other such quality thatwe'd like to (and sometimes are taught to)attribute to Him. But what if theseparticular ways of His are simply figmentsof our imagination. God is not necessarilyexistent to satisfy our desire for a

swashbuckling divine saviour who will


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provide us the cushiest life we can think of.

Sunil Noronha

Mar 30th

...What we need is an ever present realitycheck. Here's one that's very suggestable.Hold on to nothing and cling for life. Testeverything with your fingers crossed and

with a good amount of salt. Let the truth init speak for itself. When it does, under areasonable amount of salt, it will be thetruth that's only worth hearing. You won't befooled by the kind you'd be inclined to

manufacture.

Watch the puzzle solve itself. Trust God towork His magic His way. Have a quest for Godthat is not centred on his acts. His acts areonly for his own glory, mostly not

necessarily for your comfort. You will end upf l h l f h


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filtering the anyway reality from theimagination in your head. You will have thereal faith you need, not an over-rated one,in a God that truly does exist. If (and since)God is God, trust Him to lead youunderstanding of Him that is real, notimaginative.

Sunil Noronha

Mar 31st

...One of the most effective ways to do thatI've learnt is to take a Jesus Freefall. TrustHim in absolutely everything and jump intonotknowingness I'd that be the case as he

leads. In the process, you will learn to leadthe life of a necessary faith - one that won'thave any imaginative frills. The real deal.You will learn a faith that is rooted onlyin God and absolutely nothing else.

A J F f ll i h t ll J t


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A Jesus Freefall is when you tell Jesus totake all control and let him only possibly bethe person who sees you through. You tellhim you will take anything he gives you andthat doing without anything else isabsolutely fine by you. Speak your heart outbut ask nothing as a matter of right. Whenyou do that, you truly have no faith issues.Your existence becomes as much less about youthan it truly becomes about him.

Sunil Noronha

Apr 2nd

The word go has an enchantment to it. WhenJesus said, Go, he fully meant that we mustsimply just GO. He didnt say wait till youhave the means. In Luke , when he asks the10 72 to, Go, he didnt give them a ministryname, get a few sponsors, tell them who to

call so that they get to sleep eat welle h a d et e le t et the la e f


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enough and get people to get the places ofmeeting ready and inform the people toattend the event. They simply went, of coursereplete with instructions.

One dimension of how we have gone wrong iswhen we seek to ensure a comfortable wayforward. We, for some reason, should know howthings will fall in place well before weleave and must check up of the arrangementsthereof till the moments arrived. While Iagree that, when we have the option to do

that we must, it should never be an issuewhen we don't have the option.

Sunil Noronha

Apr 3rd

When we dont just simply go, we lose out on,one, the romance of the affair. The thing

that Abraham felt when he just went musthave been awesome Of course he had a lot


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have been awesome. Of course, he had a lotwith him and not so much to worry about, buthe had NO clue where he was going. He justwent where he was told to go. I can imagineAbraham, if he was asked to do it today,letting the wind hit his face and feelingthe sweet wind of the adventure the Lordwould be bringing up on him. Not that itwould be very easy in worldly terms, but Ithought we leave those terms of referencebehind when we choose to follow the Lord. The(truer) intrinsic blessings outdo any possible

thing in the whole wide world.

Also, just simply going, paints a rather non-corporate picture of how we are reaching outto the world. It is not a pretty picture, one

that is akin to buying tickets to a concertthat you want to see or a play or a movie youwant to go to. And, while it is nice toattract people with pretty pictures, we mustconsider what we are attracting them to. Are

we saying come have a good time and nottelling that we have a message implanted in


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telling that we have a message implanted inthe programme that will tell them aboutJesus secretly? When ever did the actualfirst step to Christ become one that isdesired, wanted or is found cool by a personwho has not met him yet? That moment of theencounter when the poverty of the spirit is

brought to light and the degenerate heart isconfronted, something that only be done byChrist himself? Is that moment somethingthat is designed to be enjoyable, wonderfuland nice? Does a corporate approach

facilitate this entry into Christ?

Sunil Noronha

Apr 4

th

...For generations, the questions have notchanged. The quest of the soul has remainedthe same always. The answer to it is not

painted in pretty pictures that corporateministry only allows It is a difficult


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ministry only allows. It is a difficultdecision when the moment of confrontationcomes and must not be sold in any easierform. It should be either sold in completenessor not sold at all. The fact that the optionmust remains open, through the lives of theGods people around them, does not change.

Lastly, as people in ministry, we are notfully polished and round. We also are beingworked in by God as He wants to work in otherpeople through us. We cannot present a

polished picture because we are not polishedpeople. We cannot seem, in the least, selfrighteous. A picture that is rough aroundthe edges is the picture that is one that isonly completely true to all of us.

So the question is now, have you just simplyGONE as yet?

Sunil Noronha


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Apr 5th

The Cross was where the blood was shedThe Cross was where for your sins He bledThe Cross: There your heart forever turnedThe Cross: A place your indebted to and apassion you forever yearn

It's not a mere event that upstaged the worldand turned it right side up for the very

first time. It's the place where a journey inChrist takes root and it's the place whichthat journey never leaves or forgets. It's notone you visit once a year. The Cross is aliveand kicking every second after you paid your

first visit, like when you never leave itsfoot thereafter.

If your life is not defined by it, you need toset the root back at the foot of the cross. As

you do that, think about what it is and whatit means today, down to every last detail.


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it means today, down to every last detail.What does it really mean to have the crossdefine your life? What does it mean whenthat stands true for each step that you takeevery day? How do you not only celebrate itas an event, notion or a symbolic piece ofwood or metal?

Sunil Noronha

Apr 6th

Hebrews :6; Lamentations 3:25;11 Jeremiah 29: ; 2 Chronicles 6:9 - I11 1

As we seek God, the right foot forward isalways the right start. Seeking andsincerity are the essentials of a rightlyguided journey. The right foot forward isalways seeking sincerely and seeking open


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your heart, truly, truly desiring it, andtaking on that desire to wherever it leads


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aking on ha d sir o wh r v r i l adsyou. When we seek sincerely, we seek to learn.We don't know what it is we're looking foryet. We should be ready to dive deep into thesearch for the thought of which makes ourhearts beat with joy.

This is a continuous exercise that willdefine your Christian Walk. To seek. Tosearch. To be sincere. To desire. To dive in. Tofind to joy of getting your hands dirty withthe Truth of Jesus. To do this repeatedly as

he reveals and shows you new things in Histime. To have a heart that's available andperfect toward him. To always be ready tolearn the next new awesome thing God wantsyou to know.

Sunil Noronha

Contributors:


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Contributors:

Navaz D'cruzColin D'cruzPraveen DeepakVC JohnLipsita SahuVishal ChauhanSunil Noronha

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