In His Time.......... with P.Ramachandran

Its only after going through the furnace the gold is in its finest brilliance. In like manner he, whom the Lord intends for extraordinary pursuits, often goes through the refinery, before being brought to the war-front. This is more of a rule than an exception. The Lord equips those He calls, and in equipping, He molds his servant to be a vessel fit for the master's use. Moses was stripped of all his pride and glory for forty years in the wilderness before he became the Commander-in -Chief. So did Daniel, Elijah and the others. Even Paul was taken away for three years , before Barnabas brought him to the lime-light as the Apostle to the Gentiles. God cannot use a man who is self-righteous, proud and legalistic. That is why most of the wars fought by the children of Israel were not won, not by military might of superior weapon,s but by the mighty power of the Lord. Imagine: Samson destroyed 1000 Philistines with the jaw of an ass David killed Goliath with one stone Jonathan d

This week-end, I was engaged to speak in Emmanuel Church of Singapore. On Saturday, I facilitated three sessions on Biblical mandate for Evangelism. On Sunday morning, I preached on facing life' crisis. Praise God for the opportunity to share and impact lives. All glory to God. Thanks to Bro Hock Seng for giving me the invitation.

Rebekah knew that Jacob was preferred to Esau. But now Issac intends to bless Esau rather than Jacob. This is contrary to the prophecy given when the boys were in the womb. Panic, "godly concern".."I need to defend the church of God"..."I need to do what's right for God." Such were the thoughts that may have been raging through her mind at that critical time because in a few hours Esau will show up with the prepared meal and take the blessings. Instead of consulting God, as she did in the past, or instead of reasoning with her husband, she decided to take the matter into her own hands and devised her own plan.What were the consequences of the plan: She cheated her own husband.    Gen 27:9-10 - Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.  Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”  I n Rebekah's mind, what s

Planning for a short holiday? Come join us to visit our boys at Shadrach Home, near Parasala, Kaniyakumari Dist. South India. 14-17 Aug.  You can also visit our training center at the same location. Watch the sunrise from a vintage point where the three seas meet. An experience not to be missed. Call me if you are interested.

Praise God, 14 people were baptized in Orissa last week. We thank God for all our church planters who are working very hard in the remote areas of the state, particularly in Kandamal and Rayagada Districts.  Continue to uphold them in your prayers and also for committed people to support the work financially. All Glory to God.

In my last devotion I mentioned that God's work must be done in God's way and in God's time.  Many good Christians think they are doing God's will but sadly are under a delusion. Just because you "feel its God's way" is no guarantee that its the way God works. God's ways always conform to His word. Anything else is a misnomer.  God will never ask you to steal or lie or contradict His word to accomplish His purposes. In Genesis 27 , we read another example of doing God's work in man's ways and the severe consequences of such an act. No matter how urgent the crisis maybe or how desperate your urge to take revenge, the ends do not justify the means. The motives many be inspirational but if the method is wrong, the whole endevour collapses. Its just like trying to rob a bank to feed the poor. A wrong is still a wrong no matter even if it produces saints in the end. I would like to look at the character of Rebekah first before we look at the them

Genesis 21 -  Sent off Ishmael Abraham's life was speckled with many painful moments. Many of those moments were his own doing. Like the times he lied to Pharaoh and Abimelek about Sarah. In Genesis 21, we read about another distressful situation created by Abraham and his wife. After the glorious and miraculous birth of Issac, Ishmael is now seen as a threat to Sarah and Issac. Ishmael in the first place was conceived as a result of the folly devised by Sarah and executed by Abraham. Initially Ishmael was seen as the substitute. Now Ishmael is seen as a thorn. The competition becomes so tense that Sarah now "instructs" Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. What is Abraham now to do? His heart is torn between three loves, Sarah, Ishmael and Issac. He very well knew that Issac is the son of promise and its through him the promise "that all the nations of the earth will be blessed." will be fulfilled.  Yet he is also responsible for Ishmael. If not for

Jeya and I were in Klang, Malaysia from 14-15 Jul. We stayed with our dear friend and brother, Stephen Mohan. Stephen and his wife Flora were great hosts. On Sunday morning we ministered at Bethany Chapel, where Bro Stephen Chandra Mohan, an HI Alumni, is an elder. This is our third visit to the church. Praise God for the wonderful work He is doing in that place. We were certainty impressed to see how the church has progressed and moving on to fulfill the Great Commission. About 150 people gathered for the morning service and I shared on the theme, "Who I am in Christ". The test was taken from 2 Tim1:7 - For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. It was a joy to be a blessing and to be blessed.

The fourth batch commenced their training at this center in Rampachoavaram, . East Godavari, AP, beginning Jul 12. Our AP Coordinator, Bishop Nehemiah was there to inaugurate the event. Another 10 more students will be equipped with the skills of church planting. It cost USD 500 a month to run this program. If you are led to support  this ministry, please get in touch with me. Your investment will reach the unreached for Jesus.

2 Tim 3:3-4 - Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.     Firstly we saw that a good solider endures suffering .  Secondly Paul says that a good solder does not get entangled with the affairs of the world. And hence his principles and priorities are different. Thirdly, his priority is to please his Commander-in-Chief. Paul says in 2 Cor 5:9-10 -  But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions (Message Bible). Having served in the military for more than 26 years, I know exactly what Paul is trying to say. A soldier does all that he can to just to win the favor of his boss.  The soldier who does not get along with his Commander, either gets a different posting or is forced to leave the service. Paul encourages Tim

By God's grace the first batch of ten students finished their training in Jun and have gone out to their various fields to do the work of church planting. The second batch of twelve students commenced their training  beginning Jul. They will undergo six months of training in the various aspects of church planting in the villages. continue to uphold this work in prayer. We praise God for Pst Anjan's perseverance and courage as he oversees the running of the center.. We are facing many challenges in these days. Do pray with is for God's intervention.