Even as the Indian cricket captain wielding his bat as a sledgehammer sent one from a hapless
Kulasekara (of the Sri-Lankan team, which proved to be a worthy opponent in the finals) soaring over the fence,
the entire nation of India rose as one man to applaud the Captain courageous and his troops for the title triumph AND WHY NOT!
For in that memorable moment crystallized all the hopes and aspirations of countless Indian cricket aficionados.
Had they not been waiting for this moment since that peerless Indian captain Kapil Dev flashed his toothy winning
smile on the balcony of the hallowed Lord’s stadium …28 long years ago (for an old timer, it may seem as though it
was only yesterday) holding aloft the Prudential World Cup? And when it did arrive…it was bound to be PARTY TIME!!!.
Now are there spiritual lessons to be gleaned from this momentous victory? Certainly…here goes…
Jubilation
Even as we are all rejoicing at the paramount triumph, has it ever occurred to us the Christian pilgrims that
we can also contribute to a heavenly celebration, by playing a role in leading the sinners to the Savior?
Consider this well known Scripture portion “cut” from the familiar Prodigal Son parable, where a doting, forgiving
Father’s equivalent is our own righteous, gracious Heavenly Father and his “home”, Heaven…
“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him.
Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening.
We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost,
but now he is found.’ So the party began.
- Luke 15:22-24
Is the knowledge of the fact, that all of Heaven rejoices
(Luke 15:7)
when “one sinner” comes “home”, putting a spring in our feet, when it comes to Gospel sharing
(Romans 10:15)?
When it comes to Gospel sharing, it would serve us well to remember ONE cardinal truth.
The truth is that since Gospel sharing can be done broadly amongst only two “DIFFICULT” groups (I would come to that point shortly),
NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN EVER BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT HIS POWER. It needs no reiteration that if to us belongs the responsibility
of sharing the Gospel (I Cor 15:1-4 defines the Gospel oh-so-lucidly)
and then to the Holy Spirit belongs the role of touching the needy one’s heart. The “needy” one is EVERYONE living without the Saviour. Here it needs to
be told unequivocally THAT THE BIGGEST SIN IS NOT TRANGRESSING ANY OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS BUT LIVING LIFE ON ONE’S
OWN TERMS KEEPING THE CREATOR OF EVERY CELL AND EVERY DROP OF BLOOD IN OUR BODIES AT AN ARM’S LENGTH!
Talk of a tenant living as though the house is his, to the utter dismay of the Landlord
(Psalm 24:1Job 41:11)!
By instinct alone, many know God exists
(Romans 1:19)
but the problem with these souls is the doubt dogging them “is He worthy to be trusted”
“will I not lose out on all the fun, the World gives, if I seek God”.
My answer is taste Him and see that God is good
(Psalm 34:8) and in due course,
one would also realize that the good Lord gives “richly all we need for our enjoyment”
(Romans 12:2/
I Tim 6:17).
At the supernatural level, as directly relaying the Gospel to a sinner ethereally through a direct Divine-human “one on one” communication mode would
deprive a sinner of taking the leap of faith, which is oh-so-necessary in the matter of Salvation (believing/acting without
seeing with a naked eye is FAITH), the Master depends on His stewards who are “enjoying Him” to be carriers of the
Gospel to the sin-infested World.
Oh yes, only once in this age of human history, after the end of the Grace dispensation
(during the second phase of 7-year terrible tribulation to be more precise), would an angel be
used to convey the Eternal Gospel
(Rev 14:7-8).
Now coming to the two “DIFFICULT” categories of people to whom, we can possibly reach with the
Gospel-an exercise which needs “INVESTMENT OF TIME”. If in the first category belong those
whom we meet regularly (our co-students, office colleagues, family members etc), the second
category are those whom, we may meet only once in a while (our fellow plane, long-journey bus/rail passengers etc).
While the former to be influenced would need us to not only to SPEAK BUT ALSO LIVE OUR FAITH day in and day out,
which can be accomplished only by His strength
(John 15:4), then the latter would need to see THE URGENCY
IN OUR DEMEANOR AND EARNESTNESS OF THE MESSAGE in the few hours we may be with them
(a la Phillip – Acts 8:26-39),
which too can be accomplished only by His power. Oh how true the words of our Lord
“…FOR WITHOUT ME, YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING”
(John 15:5).
Yes, I agree that after all our earnest, Holy Spirit powered Gospel sharing efforts,
we may probably find only one out of every four souls with a prepared, ploughed heart
where the seed of the Gospel would take root
(Matt 13:1-9 /
18-23)
immediately. I also concur that only those whom the Father “attracts” would eventually accept the Saviour
(John 6:44).
Since we do not have any spiritual “x-ray” equipment to discern as to which out of “every four hearts” is
“GOOD SOIL” and who is the blessed “Chosen one”, we need to “sow the Gospel seed” fervently in EVERY
Christ less “soil”, we come across, with a hope that the Ethereal seed would take root, if not
immediately… that it ultimately would at least in due course of time
(Mark 4:26-29).
Pray tell me, mate have you “batted for the Gospel” with the Savior power, of late and set-off a
joyous heavenly celebration or two? Nothing quite like being a party to the heavenly party, you see!
Exemplification
Waxing lyrical about the Indian captain and most importantly about the Captain of our salvation
(Heb 2:10 KJV to be hyperlinked)
“GOING INTO THE MIDDLE” to finish the job at hand, my devout brother in faith-Duke Jeyaraj- penned these lines
As Dilshan brilliantly caught and bowled the well-set Kohli, He could have stayed back in the safety of the Indian hut,
And sent into the middle, the in-form Yuvraj Singh, to bear the pressure's brunt,
But Dhoni walked into the middle, voluntarily, with a steely determination to keep India in the hunt,
His trademark strokes were thankfully back after a long time - the shovel power drive, the sizzling helicopter cut,
To let go of his golden opportunity to win it for India - he was no senseless nut,
And along with gutsy Gambhir, he gave a fitting reply in response to Sri Lanka's first inning run glut,
His body was tiring, his nose was 'running', but he kept batting in what was an amazing display of gut,
In the end, when he hit that six, he ensured, in India's camp, the World Cup, for the next four years, would stay put!
As the whole world was caught in the web of sin and was going to eternal hell, Jesus could have chosen stay back in Heaven's hut,
And sent in Angels to save humanity and bear the horrible consequences of sin's brunt,
But Jesus himself voluntarily walked toward Jerusalem to be crucified for your sake, in a daring display of his loving gut,
He sweated blood, his back was ripped open, a crown of thorns was pressed down his head, but on the Cross route he stayed put,
All for your sake, all so that you can be forgiven, and if you refuse this amazing love of his, I am afraid you have to only be a senseless nut!
It is said of a true leader, He not only shows the way, he not only leads the way but Himself goes the way first.
Not only in the matter of Salvation, WHICH HE ALONE COULD AND WOULD SECURE FOR MANKIND by
“going into the middle of the action”(Note: Jerusalem is said to be in the middle of the known World during
Ezekiel’s time-Ezekiel 5:5)
but in all matters of God-pleasing life, Jesus principle was NOT “practice what you preach”,
good as it is, but a more commendable one: “PRACTICE AND THEN ONLY PREACH”. Note in the following Scripture portion
(Acts 1:1),
it is said that our Lord first “DID” and then only “Taught”.
“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach”.
No wonder, even before He preached a single sermon, a Divine commendation came His way “This is My beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.”
- Matt 3:17, affirming that He was first “fleshing out” His Sermon on the Mount,
even before He had actually preached it.
Yes, this exemplary Jesus stands not only in the middle of human history (calendars are dated based on His birth),
He is keen to come right into the middle of your lives. Without meddling carelessly with God’s will for you,
how about MAKING IT CENTRAL (MIDDLE) TO YOUR LIVES?
Expedition
Noteworthy feature of the Gambhir-Dhoni match-transforming partnership was that they kept up with the asking rate,
without allowing to spiral out of control, at any stage. Not for them, any procrastination nor any last minute rush!
Want to know secret behind the success of the first servant in the parable of the talents
(Matt 25:14-30)?
“The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.”
(vs 16 NIV). Now what are the key operative words in the afore-referred Scripture portion? At once, the answer would be AT ONCE!
In the matter of salvation, it is said do not postpone receiving Christ into your life to the eleventh hour,
you may die at 10.30 (Heb 9:27)!
For those who have already received the Savior into their lives, in any God-assigned
responsibility (be it evangelical, pastoral or any socio-spiritual challenge), they need to show urgency,
“not leaving it to the last minute”.
… “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
…was the instruction to Philip! Did Philip obey AT ONCE or put it off? YES, he obeyed
instantly and as he ran (not easy in a desert road) history was being made
(Acts 8:26-40).
That Ethiopian official would go on to establish the Ethiopian Church! Say, Pal do you need to do something AT ONCE…
Co-ordination
What stood out in the Indian camp, before, during and after the WC Campaign was the TEAMWORK.
Team work in its noblest form is not only about playing with each other but playing for each other.
Gautam Gambhir would put his wicket at stake while stealing cheeky singles which would add not only to
his individual score but to also that of Kohli’s, SO THAT ULTIMATELY THE INDIAN TALLY WOULD KEEP GOING UP!
YES SIR!
By the same token what is a Church with several “gifted individuals” without proper co-ordination amongst
themselves? A non-entity! Consider Apostle Paul’s wise words here, spoken in the context of much needed
“teamwork” in the Corinthian church…
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways,
but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so
we can help each other.” –
I Cor 12:4-7
Best example of team work? You do not have to look beyond the “Team Trinity” working in unity to procure our salvation.
God chose us, Son shed his blood on the cross as a ransom to purchase us from sin’s grasp and the Holy Spirit convicted
us at the right time and made us accept the Divine Redemption plan and would keep the sanctification process going till
we reach the heavenly shores or the Bridegroom comes first to receive us
(I Peter 1:2).
Didn’t somebody say in this context of Salvation “God thought it, Christ bought it, Holy Spirit wrought it and though devil fought it, praise God, I have got it”!
Hallelujah! Also have we ever praised the Trinity for absolute selflessness within themselves?
The Son was willing to die an excruciating death on the cross to obey His Father’s will
(Luke 22:42) and the Father
selflessly exalted the Son’s name above ALL names-
Philippians 2:9
(including His own names such as Elohim, El-Shaddai, Adonai etc)
and the Holy Spirit when we are worshipping helps us but never calls attention to Himself. AMAZING ISN’T IT?
THE OTHER-CENTREDNESS IN TRINITY! If this does not inspire us to play for each other, then nothing else will!
Historically, it has been proven that if the Church is to take wing… all the wings of the Church have to work in harmony.
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up
the church, the body of Christ.- Eph 4:11-12
Remember the good ole’ definition of the word TEAM?
TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE!
Do I need to say MORE?
RECOGNITION
It’s pouring…the accolades in cash and kind for Dhoni’s men and they deserve every bit of it.
Now do I see some criticism coming my way for making such an observation?
Hey, have not the “Dhoni’s dashers” added immeasurably to our “feel-good factor”
and the national pride? Poor fellas’, our Cricketers’, remember also that their shelf life is limited.
From a promising teen to a struggling veteran, the transition can be quite fast.
So are they not entitled to their “pound of flesh”?
You do not agree? Let’s then, agree to disagree.
What then would be the rewards for those in Christ’s team? Let the Scripture itself give an answer
“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.” -
I Cor 2:9. Mind-boggling both literally and figuratively!!!
Here we would agree that Scripture is inviolable! Mind you “salvation is
FREE but rewards have to be earned”.
WHILE ENTRY INTO HEAVEN IS GUARANTEED FOR A CHRISTIAN, HIS ELEVATION OR DEMOTION IN
THE MATTER OF BEING DESIGNATED FULFILLING HEAVENLY RESPONSIBILITIES, WOULD DEPEND SOLELY ON
THE QUALITY OF SERVICE RENDERED TO THE MASTER ON THIS EARTHLY SIDE OF ETERNITY!
Lest our works for Christ get burned up
like dry grass, let’s strive in order they come out as shining gold
through fire at the hour of reckoning
(I Cor 3:12-15)
which incidentally is RIGHT AT THE DOOR
(Rev 22:12)!
(Suresh Manoharan)
P.S…For more on the subject of Heavenly Crowns awaiting Christians,
you may click on the following link….
