Soulzer: Be a Spiritual-Soldier to Undergird Your Own Soul

By P.I. Sabbathi

Is it your aim to grow in God? Let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire (2 Timothy 1:6, NCV). Is your soul prospering in the Lord? The apostle John wishes his readers: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2). Your spiritual growth is a choice. Soulzer fortifies every Christian who is truly fond of progressing in Christlike character by imitating Him even when no one is watching. To become a man after Gods own heart

Detach yourself from the evil desires of the world

After this self-denial - sanctify the Lord God in your hearts

As you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him

By Gods power we live and move and exist

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you

Realize the Lord by feeling His presence with you

Become a temple of God as the Spirit of God dwells in you

And let the people around you taste the fruit of the Spirit

Keep on growing into the whole measure of all the fullness

of Christ and

Continue your soul soldiering until Christ is formed in you.

Jesus said, I have conquered the world! (John 16:33, NRSV). A Christian is a lifelong fighter. Everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith (1 John 5:4, NET). Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37). Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). As the victory is from the Lord (Proverbs 21:31, NET) you need to fight against sin (Hebrews 12:4, BBE), and keep on conquering the D-evil. This is a conquerable combat. You can certainly accomplish a victory over sin for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Practice Christliness and become a Christ at heart!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490831145

P.I. Sabbathi

The author holds MA (Christian Studies). He has 39 years of experience in teaching/ preaching. He taught the Truth  of God to countless people and guided numerous souls to the Lord. He has been practicing to become Christlike in Character and helping the believers to mature in Christ.

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Copyright © 2014 P.I. Sabbathi.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-3113-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-3115-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-3114-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014905454

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/31/2015

Contents

Dedication

Preface

Overview

I. Empty or full?

Empty or full?

Hypocrites

Reasons for hypocrisy

Live without hypocrisy

What do you contain?

Fill up fully

Fill your mind with God’s Word

Spirit-filled exemplars

Live without sin

How does God give?

Don’t keep your heart empty

Do you lack anything?

II. Imago Dei

Imago Dei

Humans’ image

Christ’s image

Christian’s image

Is the Church an image?

Eventual image

How is your own image?

III.God with us

God with us

Definitions

The persons with whom God was!

Fugitives & God-evaders

Walking with God

Does incarnation continue?

The unseen

Is God with you?

Draw near to God

Are you devoted to God?

IV. Inner beauty

Inner beauty

Cultivate inner beauty!

Beatify your heart!

Dress up your heart!

Be presentable!

Is your dress your address?

Ten beauty tips for all!

V. Religare

Religare

What is Religion?

What does James 1:27 teach?

Allow God to act in your life!

Cultivate your relationship with God

Peruse the Bible

Lord, teach us to pray

How is your relationship with God?

What Christianity is!

Attain spiritual excellence!

VI. Be strong

Be strong

Are you strong?

The source of strength

Ways to become strong

Use powerful-helps properly!

The duty of the strong

Who is the strength of your soul?

How strong are you?

VII. Holy Guest

Holy guest

What is life?

What is the purpose of life?

Who am I?

Where will I go?

What am I doing here?

Here today, gone tomorrow!

Are you exhausted?

Don’t look for shortcuts to God!

No permanent address on earth!

Be a holy guest with the Holy G-host!

Life doesn’t run on autopilot!

Is life a bank account?

Sandcastles

How old are you?

Grow old gracefully!

Is it later than you think?

The procrastinating servant

Young at 80!

A dead-end life

Get right with God, right now!

Alpha and Omega

The paradox of time

Sixty and going Strong

All die

Welcome home!

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated,

taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc™, The NIV and New International Version

are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,

Copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House

Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Office by Biblica, Inc™. Used by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958,

1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®

ESV®, copyright© 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good

News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission (www.Lockman.org).

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the

United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright ©

2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations in this publication are from The Message.

Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,

2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Dedication

"LORD, You have been our home since the beginning"

— Psalm 90:1, NCV

To the Queen of my Home— Praneetha

We began our journey through life together from June 27, 1979. It has been a wonderful experience, one daughter and one son; our lives are prosperous by God’s grace. A man who has the blessing of a virtuous wife, and God revering children will find his work productive, his success sweeter, his difficulties shared, his life fruitful, and his prospect of heaven bettered. I say this because— it is what Praneetha has meant to me.

Thank you, Lord, for Your providence and Your reign of grace!

P.I. Sabbathi

April 15, 2014

"Because someone we love is in heaven,

there’s a little bit of heaven in our home"

— Lori OReilly.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many daughters have done well,

But you excel them all"

— Proverbs 31:28-29.

Blessed is the man—

"For whom a good woman lives.

To whom his work is a pleasure.

With whom all are comfortable.

By whom his friends are encouraged.

In whom a clear conscience abides and

Through whom his children see God"

— William Arthur Ward

Preface

A famous American poet, Maya Angelou, states, The desire to reach the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise. Wisdom, as we know, is important— but wisdom to what end? We can seek a self-serving wisdom, a wisdom that vaunts itself or that works to place us above others— or we can seek a wisdom in the way we walk with others, a wisdom that seeks to reach the hearts of others.

In Matthew 16:45-46, Jesus tells His followers, The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it (NKJV). In this case, wisdom is much like a pearl of great price that we should seek out eagerly. But in Proverbs 8:11, Solomon tells us that wisdom is better than pearls (or rubies, or jewels— depending on how one translates the Hebrew).

In Soulzer, P.I. Sabbathi, a long-time minister of the Word of God, strings together wisdom, like pearls. Just as Paul borrows from poets of the day in his speech to the crowd in Athens (Acts 17:28), so he weaves a tapestry of thought— proverbs, stories, quotations— employing threads from many Christian writers as well as from world thinkers, from a variety of cultures.

The greatest hue in the tapestry Sabbathi weaves is that of biblical thought. The book serves like a Nave’s Topical Bible, as he addresses a topic with an impressive array of verses from well-known and lesser-known sections of the Bible. The verses, often seasoned with thoughts from other writers, as mentioned above, sometimes appear like a collage, a pastiche, leaving one more with a deep sense of understanding of a topic than a linear explanation— an approach to understanding that works well with many cultures around the world as well as with much of the younger generations in America and other Western cultures.

While each section is more like a collage of thought, the book does tell the story of the Christian life: Soulzer starts by challenging the reader to consider her or his own possible emptiness or fullness. It moves through themes of our being and becoming in the image of God, of Jesus making his home with us, of finding inner beauty and strength and then acting that out in true religion— that is, our lives.

Finally, the book draws to a dramatic close as Sabbathi anticipates our casting aside of these temporary tents we call our bodies to join Christ in His heavenly home.

The coverage blends the academic— with very interesting word studies— with the everyday— popular quotes, words from hymns, stories funny or dramatic. The tone is at times didactic, encouraging us to deepen our relationship with God through Jesus, and is at times poignant, leading the reader to deep thought about spiritual realities.

Soulzer is born of many years of Sabbathi’s teaching, and preaching. Already the author of a few other books, numerous magazine publications, here, he assembles for the reader notes from lessons and sermons he has delivered.

The work is an excellent resource for Bible students studying in school or ministers or teachers looking for object lessons on different topics— this is his intended audience. As I read this, as a Bible teacher and spiritual mentor, I often found myself thinking, This section would be great for Brother Joe, or I could use this in a note of encouragement. I often found myself simply thinking about my own walk with God.

Maya Angelou compares wisdom for being ambitious to wisdom for reaching hearts. Soulzer— a book for the soldier of God— provides the second kind of wisdom— a wisdom both for sharing the love of God with other hearts, and the wisdom to reach into our own hearts, to adjust them, bringing them more in tune with the heart of God.

Dr John R. Baldwin

Professor of Communication and Culture

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois 61790

Overview

A Christian is called as— soldier (2 Timothy 2:3), fellow soldier (Philippians 2:25) and good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier (2 Timothy 2:4, NASB). This is the basic norm for all soldiers. There is no greater theme in the Bible than the subject of obedience, and this permeates every page of the Holy Writ. The Scripture describes an array of soldiers from every tribe of Israel that accompanied King David; and the fighters of Zebulun were experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty" (1 Chronicles 12:33). Like these soldiers, Christians must have complete loyalty to Christ, the King of kings.

Philip Schaff claimed Christ’s influence: "This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon; without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise, than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times." Practice to win hearts like Jesus!

"We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world (Ephesians 6:12, CEV). Satan is the real enemy. For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, HCSB). The Psalmist eulogized God, Praise be to the God of my strength, teaching my hands the use of the sword, and my fingers the art of fighting (Psalm 144:1, BBE). The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword … and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12, NASB). The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20). Christians are not to resort to any sort of physical weapons.

The inspired writer has robustly set the standards for soldier’s armaments and dress code: "Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17, NET). These weapons are mandatory to fight with the spiritual enemy, Satan. But, majority of the soldiers have no interest to work on fastening the belt of truth and wearing the breastplate of righteousness. Adolf Hitler said, To conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens." Satan does precisely this to conquer a Christian. Did you know that your heart is a battle field?

"Fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). Ashley Simon apprises, I am a soldier. I don’t wear combat boots; I don’t don a helmet, but I am a soldier. I am a soldier of Christ. I am in the army of God. I fight against the devil himself. What greater battle is there? What war is more glorious than the one in which I fight? There truly are none. My foe is powerful; my enemy is strong. He is an invisible force, an unseen usurper. He moves like a vapor, invading people’s minds and hearts implanting there evil thoughts, and obscene suggestions. My adversary is vastly more dangerous than any human foe ever encountered before, for he is the driving force behind all of them. Every lie, every murder, every threat is orchestrated by his skillful hand. Every day I must arm myself for the fight, gear up for the battle. But my weapon is not a gun; the enemy is too crafty for any such means to be effective. No, my weapon is The Sword, and not just any sword, but The Sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God. It is the most powerful weapon in the universe. With my shield of faith, I deflect the serpent’s flaming arrows and counter with an attack brought forth from the mouth of the Creator Himself. Yes, my foe is great, but my ally is greater still. I fight for the Lord, and thus the battle is already won. Still I must perform my duty, but I can look forward and know the bliss of my reward. God holds victory in store for the upright (Proverbs 2:7, NIV). Everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith (1 John 5:4, NET Bible). Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4, NRSV). Do your best, prepare for the worst, then trust GOD to bring victory" (Proverbs 21:31, The Message). God never sponsors a losing cause!

"The one who conquers will inherit these things (Revelation 21:7, NET Bible). A multitude of men and women soldier on for the Lord and try to live an unblemished life. They also attend all congregational services regularly, give their money generously, and they participate in every good work. But they have never enlisted. Jesus warned of the destiny they may expect: Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:22-23). The continual headway of truth in your life is expected by God despite the daily vicissitudes in your life. Paul believed, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Nobody can defeat you unless you defeat yourself. Never give up fighting with devil. You have to win this battle!

Some Christians call themselves soldiers of Christ but they do not arm with knowledge. The Bible is filled with numerous influential inscriptions. Yet the world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence (A.W. Tozer). For this reason, God grieves: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge … have rejected knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Jesus brought to mankind the true knowledge of God. Larry Houchen thought, Zealousness without knowledge, perhaps, will affect more people, but knowledge without zealousness is just as sinful. The opposite of zealousness is ‘apathy.’ The antonym of knowledge is ‘ignorance’ – the church needs neither. Try being a Christian without knowledge or zealousness and there will always be a vast void. Would that all God’s people were zealous and knowledgeable! We’re all ignorant, just in different fields (Will Rogers). There is nothing more frightful than active ignorance (Johann Goethe). Wisdom is priceless! Someone said, The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is knowledge of our own ignorance. But God isn’t pleased at being ignored (Romans 8:8, The Message). In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30, NIV). There are two causes of sin. Either we don’t know what we ought to do or we refuse to do what we know we should. The first cause is ignorance. The second is weakness (Augustine of Hippo). Neither is acceptable to God and ignorance of God’s word is no excuse for any reason. And knowing the word of God is not enough, you must exercise it. Willingness is not enough, you must act. Leo Buscaglia discerned, Change is the end result of all true learning.

Jesus said, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head (Luke 9:58). This is relevant even today. The world is full of church buildings, but the churches are either empty or filled with the world. The world has plenty to offer, but the hearts are empty. Houses are full of comforts but people lack bonding. Relationships are abundant, but they are all devoid of trust and love. Christians are numerous, but their minds are empty. There are plenty of Bibles and many versions but the reading is rare. Ignorance of the Scriptures among professed Christians is widespread. Though everyone is ignorant of some truth, many have no clue about the basic facts of their faith. David Biema of Time Magazine cites an expressive example of Biblical illiteracy: Only half of U.S. adults know the title of even one Gospel. Most can’t name the Bible’s first book." The young generation is stumped. I wonder how much better their parents or preachers might do!

The Christian home and the ekklesia (church) are the spiritual schools; and Scriptural education remains a chief function of the church: The equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12) and to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church (Ephesians 3:10). God’s wisdom is so paramount in life of Christians. In this sense, the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15) is an institute of continuous teaching the education in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16, BBE). Many Christians revere the Bible, but by and large they don’t read it. Reverence for the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey Him (Psalms 111:10, NLT). If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:4-5). Whatever you want to know about God— just look at Jesus. For example, how does God treat the sinner, feel about sin, or think about a certain situation? Look at Jesus’ attitude, His teaching or His example and you will have your answer. The best life of Christ is His living biography, written out in the words and action of His people (Charles Spurgeon). Phillips Brooks said, Preaching is truth through personality. And virtue is an ability to control one’s own behavior perpetually to perform good activity with alacrity. Charles Spurgeon said of John Bunyan— Why, this man is a living Bible! D.L. Moody stated, The Christian’s life is the world’s Bible! Benjamin Franklin has perfectly advocated, A good example is the best sermon!

You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body (C.S. Lewis). The prime concern of every Christian is— the allegiance of the heart and compliance of the life to Christ. In the words of Augustine: God is more intimate to me than I am to myself. You have the power to influence the people around you. So you can change them. Bernard of Clairvaux said, What we love we shall grow to resemble. Thus, the cathexis or aim of a Christian is to grow in Christlike character— who is devotedly trying to become a clone of Christ. Paul said, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you (Galatians 4:19, NIV). A Christian must have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Because the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy (James 3:17). We proclaim Him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ" (Colossians 1:28, NET Bible). Are you presentable to God?

When you don’t know the Bible, you may be easily led away from the battle with Satan. "My people have filled their houses with a lot of goods. They have become rich and powerful (Jeremiah 5:27); and the majority has no place for God or no time for His Word. Many are having the appearance of godliness (2 Timothy 3:1-5), but inside they are without God. The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it (John Ruskin). The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have (Norman Peale). The Lord Jesus made Himself nothing (Philippians 2:7, NLT). If you are full of yourself there is no room for God in your heart. D.L. Moody said, God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves."

"God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13, NLT). Grow in Christlikeness with full of faith and power (Acts 6:8). In whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22). Tony Mauck says, The growing Christian gains more victories over temptation, experiences greater fervency in worship and more constancy in prayer. A character that more resembles Christ is an ongoing passion and pursuit. Change is possible, if we will to do so and solicit God’s assistance. God’s involvement is indispensable. Growth cannot occur without Him. More like the Master— you can be!"

An appeal & salutation—

I would like to express my thankfulness at the goodness of God to me and I confess that I have received immeasurably more than all I asked and imagined. Thank you, Lord, for richly filling my heart with Your living word and loving care. Help me to please You always through worship and service. The book ‘Soulzer’ is to help every Christian in becoming a loyal Soldier for Christ. It is predominantly based on the sacred Scriptures. And most of the content (3,000 pericopes & quotes) has been picked from various versions of the Bible, several comments by theoscientists, many reflections by numerous Bible scholars, and eminent Christian writers. These princely individuals have richly blessed me throughout my spiritual journey and they also filled the pages of this book. Hence, I humbly consider myself as a redactor of this work.

It fulfils the purpose, even if a few souls are benefited by this. I respectfully thank all the authors who helped me directly or indirectly in completing this tome. Several contactable authors have permitted for using their quotes, poems, reflections, and articles; yet numerous citations are still without attribution. "You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us" (2 Corinthians 9:10-11, NRSV). I appreciate if you could kindly notify us regarding the unacknowledged sources in this book that are known to you for integrating and updating in the future editions.

Soulzer wrote me, more than I wrote the Soulzer — that it really shaped my heart. One who takes time to read carefully from the Word of God will find the transformative power it (Hebrews 4:12). You cannot truly love God, without deeply believing Him and completely obeying His written Word. William Henley, in his poem, Invictus, sums up the desire of the human soul: I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. Your soul is not some mysterious force, energy, or entity. Your soul is yourself, covered in flesh and blood, and infused with the breath of life. The question is— Who is the master of your soul?

Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making (John Milton). To know more about our life changing and soul winning ministry, you may please write to— [e-mail].

Heartfelt acknowledgments to—

The Authors & Publishers of the Bible Versions

ASV - American Standard Version

NKJV - New King James Version

AMP - Amplified Bible

VOICE - The Voice

MSG - The Message

EXB - Expanded Bible

KJV - King James Version

ERV - Easy to Read Version

NLT - New Living Translation

ESV - English Standard Version

NIV - New International Version

GWT – God’s Word Translation

GNT - Good News Translation

CEB - Common English Bible

CJB - Complete Jewish Bible

NCV - New Century Version

BBE - Bible in Basic English

YLT – Young’s Literal Translation

NET Bible - New English Translation

CEV - Contemporary English Version

NASB - New American Standard Bible

NRSV - New Revised Standard Version

HCSB - Holman Christian Standard Bible

NIRV - New International Reader’s Version

*All unattributed pericopes are from the NKJV.

Respectful salutation to—

Robert Barkley

Jack Williams

Whit Sasser

C.S. Lewis

Bill Hall

G.P. Raud

Jim Gunter

Ron McRay

Bob Myhan

Glen Young

Libby Grandy

C.H. Spurgeon

Clem Thurman

Shane Williams

Shmuel Silinsky

David Padfield

Henry Glancy

Gardner Hall

David Riggs

Gary Henry

Sam Stinson

Dan Buettner

Dee Bowman

Steven Cuffle

Teressa Vowell

Warren Berkley

Audrey Hepburn

John Ritenbaugh

Ethan Longhenry

W. Frank Walton

Tommy Thornhill

David McPherson

Randy Harshbarger

Is your life fruitful or futile?

Empty or full?

Re-create me, Lord!

Lord, You’re my desire and respire

Upkeep me to live a life totally pure

I have no one in heaven except You

And I want nothing here besides You

Open my mind to take Your statute

Let Your Spirit reside in my heart

Fill my soul fully with Your Word

So as to become a temple of God

I’m neither full nor an empty vessel

Help me to grow as saintly practical

I’m keen to be sacredly consistent

In order to become a mature saint

For Your use remake me in Your image

And make me eligible to see Your visage

I consign my heart to You to ever secure

Lord, protect my soul from the eternal fire

— P.I. Sabbathi

Is your life fruitful or futile?

Empty or full?

"You have been filled in Him" — Colossians 2:10, NET Bible

God planted the church in the world, but Satan always attempts to implant the world in the church— in the hearts of Christians. Consequently, "people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people (2 Timothy 3:1-5). The realistic way to pleasure is in pleasing the Lord. Charles Spurgeon observed, A man’s heart has only enough life in it to pursue one object fully." What are you pursuing?

As a Christian, have you drawn closer to God during the past few years, few months, or even few days? Or, have you gone closer to the world, thus falling away from most of the distinctive characteristics that once were so obvious in your life? "A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life (Proverbs 13:7, The Message). Charlie Shedd noticed, The problem is not that the churches are filled with empty pews, but that the pews are filled with empty people. Someone wrote, Few things have robbed the church as much as has indifference. The fruits of this widespread casualness include: lack of attendance; lack of Bible study; lack of personal evangelism; lack of individual growth." But the Biblical view of life is thoroughly absorbed with God. When you don’t know what to do, you do what you know. Right? Are you a practitioner of Christliness?

Jesus said, "You seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you (John 8:37). A Christian cannot be a blank. He is either a blessing or a blot. At the beginning of Luke’s gospel, Mary sings: He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty (Luke 1:51-53). Peter Kreeft perceives, Our culture has filled our heads but emptied our hearts, stuffed our wallets but starved our wonder. It has fed our thirst for facts but not for meaning or mystery. It produces ‘nice’ people, not heroes." Are you hollow or hallowed?

Susan Ertz says, Millions long for immortality who don’t know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The prophet Isaiah proclaims, "We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, like those who were not called by Your name (Isaiah 63:19, NASB). An observer of culture, Buff Scott, Jr., offers a diagnosis: Guns are not the problem. Knives are not the problem. Ball Bats are not the problem. Swords are not the problem. Bow and Arrows are not the problem. The underlying problem is that our once great Republic is experiencing a moral and spiritual decadence. And until the political loggerheads in Washington recognize this fact and side with moral and spiritual reform, the gutter will be our final destination. It is unlikely our enemies will ever defeat us. Unless reform is initiated, we will pull the trigger on ourselves."

Apostle Paul states, "We proclaim Him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28, NET Bible). Robert Raines comments, But we have not yet fully plumbed the depths of maturity in Christ. It includes more than personal qualities reflecting the Spirit of Christ in us. The author of Colossians continues his description of maturity in Christ. It takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity (Syrus). As Gary Henry states, In matters of godliness there aren’t any effective shortcuts. We betray an ignorance of the real thing that produces spiritual progress: practice. The trait that distinguishes the adept from the inept is that the adept have done certain things over and over, every day, for many years. Many of God’s children are having the appearance of godliness," but inside they are just empty, without God. If your aim is to find the way to heaven, the challenge is simple: you must become Christlike.

Mature minds are discerning minds. Skill in discernment is the hallmark of maturity, as R.S. Taylor asserts. The faculties of the soul, as R. Milligan observes, must discriminate between those things which differ in their moral qualities. Every Christian is constantly confronted with decisions relating to morals and ethics. According to Paul, a mature Christian keeps his body in subjection: I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27, NASB). Instead of vacillating from one stance to another, a mature Christian is steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58) as his foothold is on the foundation of truth and faith. Can you be a sermon?

Awake you who sleep. Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:14-17). Irvin Himmel writes, A Christian should keep a vigilant eye on himself. The practice of self-control requires submission to God and denial of self. The desires of the flesh are not allowed to override the higher spiritual interests. Soren Kierkegaard asked what would happen if there were no preachers. He concluded that the only thing remaining would be the lives of Christians. And so he wondered: What kind of sermon would you be preaching?

A poem by an unknown writer expresses a similar notion:

"You are preaching a gospel day by day;

By the things you do and the words you say.

These may be many, or may be just few;

But say, what is the gospel according to you?

What does the world see as they observe the children of God?"

Paul writes, When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain (empty) in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1:21). But God’s people rebel against Him often. Thus, God poses a serious question in Jeremiah 2:5 — "What injustice did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and walked after emptiness and became empty? Here, the scripture depicts the God as a deserted partner whose wife or offspring has left and broken the relationship with Him. God, in turn, is asking you: What did I do wrong? How have I offended you?" (NASB). Just imagine, this happening in any family— there will be awkward times when the parent pushes for an answer to this question from a child or a spouse.

In Jesus’s famous parable— after leaving his home and father, a younger son "longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no-one gave him anything (Luke 15:16, NIV). Likewise, they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error (2 Peter 2:18, NIV). God proclaims, For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess (Deuteronomy 32:47, ESV). In the same way, Isaiah announces, No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity (Isaiah 59:4). Hosea says of the Israelites: They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind" (Hosea 8:7). God’s people sow the winds of folly and vanity, but they soon reap the devastating whirlwind of destruction. They practiced things that were vain, empty, and useless. They seek to live without God’s counsel, and by so doing they arouse the anger of God (Hosea 8:5). Thus, they harvest the wrath of God. No nation can long survive when its citizens no longer recognize God as ruler and king, but, instead continually practice and glorify sin. The message is sure; when you sow the wind you will surely reap the whirlwind. God will not let sin go unpunished, whether it is committed by individual persons or by nations.

J.C. Ryle expressed, Without Christ crucified in her pulpits, a Church is little better than a dead carcass, a well without water, a barren fruit tree, a sleeping watchman, a silent trumpet, a dumb witness, an ambassador without terms of peace, a messenger without tidings, a lighthouse without fire, a stumbling block to weak believers, a comfort to unbelievers, a hot-bed for formalism, a joy to the devil, and an offence to God. People ought to learn from King Solomon. During his lifetime, he possessed everything the old world had to offer. But none of these things brought him the joy, satisfaction and contentment he sought. In his advanced years he wrote Ecclesiastes. Solomon began the Book of Ecclesiastes this way: Vanity of vanities! All is vanity! (Ecclesiastes 1:1). He recorded all his worldly accomplishments, he repeatedly observed that all is vanity, and a striving after wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Solomon reflected on his life and saw many examples of meaninglessness: Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2); NIV interprets it as: Meaningless! Meaningless!

The word ‘Vanity’ (Hebrew - hebel) means ‘breath or vapor’ and then by extension, ‘emptiness or meaninglessness.’ This assessment of life did not come from a ‘loser.’ The writer of Ecclesiastes mentioned various things he had chased in life— pleasure, princesses, paramours, palaces, parks, precincts, prized stones, precious metals and so on. He had tried it all at one time or another. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure … (but) There was no profit under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). The gist of Ecclesiastes is— everything is futile without God. The essence of heartache is Christians living without the Word of Lord in their hearts. Billy Graham said, Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil— it has no point!

Everyone learns in this fallen world that life is not fair. How many celebs struggle with drugs and alcohol? How many seek revolving illegitimate relationships to fill an inner emptiness? Of course, the Teacher in Ecclesiastes found that physical pursuits and pleasures kept him temporarily pleased (Ecclesiastes 2:10), but the inner emptiness of material vanity returned constantly. T.B. Larimore observed, Solomon, in writing Ecclesiastes, was in the hand of providence as a great actor upon a stage, with the universe for an audience, trying to teach all mankind that this world will never give the bliss for which we sigh; that it is not the whole of life to live, nor all of death to die" (Letters and Sermons, page 19). On earth, you work for physical success and then it evades your permanent grasp!

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2). Life without God’s word is ultimately empty, fruitless and purposeless. The universe has meaning because God has purposes and none of His plans can be thwarted. W. Frank Walton comments about Solomon, The smartest, wisest, wealthiest man of his time, the Playboy of the ancient Middle East, had it all, saw it all and did it all, yet it meant ultimately nothing. The ‘depressing’ parts of Ecclesiastes are for our benefit, to warn us to not be tempted to chase earthly things. This is a recipe for a misused life."

The pleasures of life (Luke 8:14), and the passing pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25), might be enjoyable for a season, but are temporary. I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy (C.S. Lewis). Albert Einstein opined, The man who regards life as meaningless is not merely unfortunate but almost disqualified for life. I have toiled in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with the LORD, and my reward with My God (Isaiah 49:4). Mark 8:36-37 poses some important questions: What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Tommy Thornhil says, Without the attitude that the best is yet to be, one will be content with mediocrity and just drift along with no goal in life. Life will be one of fear, insecurity and hopelessness. On the other hand the one that truly believes that the best is yet to be will live a life that is better and richer. It gives you something to believe in. It will give you a sense of direction and provide you with a reason to live and a hope for the future. This spirit of expectancy becomes your anchor for life.

Nowadays, social psychologists are advising everyone— Fake it until you make it! But I cannot apply this to my spiritual life or you cannot apply this to your spiritual life. Since hypocrisy is the underlying problem here. John Calvin stated, Whatever is devoid of love is of no account in the sight of God. Your life or your worship to God is to please Him, not yourself!

Ecclesiastes 2:25 poses you a question: For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? The Psalmist sings, "Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple (Psalm 65:4). This verse illustrates the trust and attitude of the Psalmist towards God. A saying of Oliver Holmes echoes this truth: What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters when compared to what lies within us."

As long as you keep your heart focused on God, He can work with you, as Paul notes: "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). Then Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing’ (1 Samuel 12:20-21). Peter declares, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:18,19, NIV). He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:13). Christians are redeemed by the precious life-blood of Christ" but not by empty things.

As we wait for the blessed Day we hope for, when the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ will appear. He gave Himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to Him alone and are eager to do good (Titus 2:13-14, GNT). As a Christian you need to allow the blood of Christ to cleanse your heart, the temple of God, to make the DNA of Christ available constantly by living on His word of life (1 John 1:7). He is purifying their hearts by faith (Acts 15:9). Then He adds, Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17). A clean heart is a free heart! (Mother Teresa). By practicing the Christian virtues, you would finally transform yourself into a clone of Christ!

Liminal Christians —

In the book, "Habits of the Heart (1985), Robert Bellah and his colleagues introduced the world to Sheila Larson. Sheila described her belief system this way: I believe in God. I’m not a religious fanatic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheilaism. Just my own little voice … It’s just trying to love yourself and be gentle with yourself. These writers called— Sheilaism a perfectly natural expression of current American religious life. What’s more, many of them have belonged to churches in the past, and may belong to one again. Robert Putnam & David Campbell call these people liminals— from the Latin word for threshold. Liminals, in their words seem to stand at the edge of some religious tradition, unsure whether to identify with that tradition or not" (Chuck Colson).

Experience supplies painful proof that traditions once called into being are first called useful, then they become necessary. At last they are too often made idols, and all must bow down to them or be punished (J.C. Ryle). Mark Galli wrote in an essay entitled, "Yawning at the Word — It is well and good for the preacher to base his sermon on the Bible, but he better get to something relevant pretty quickly, or we start mentally to check out. This startling sentence reflects one of the most tragic and lamentable characteristics of the modern Christianity, intolerance and displeasure with the Word of God. Sunday Christianity or mere observances of the scriptures is a parody of the true religion!"

In an article, Falling on Deaf Ears? — Why so many churches hear so little of the Bible, Dr Richard Mohler, Jr., explains: Christians need the ministry of the Word … The sermon is to consist of the exposition of the Word of God, powerfully and faithfully read, explained, and applied. It is not enough that the sermon take a biblical text as its starting point. How can so many of today’s churches demonstrate what can only be described as an impatience with the Word of God? The biblical formula is clear: the neglect of the Word can only lead to disaster, disobedience, and death. God rescues his church from error, preserves his church in truth, and propels his church in witness only by His Word— not by congregational self-study. In the end, an impatience with the Word of God can be explained only by an impatience with God. We all, both individually and congregationally, neglect God’s Word to our own ruin.

In a TV commercial Mark Mitchell says, I have a need, no, I have the right to be unlimited. It’s as if the idea of limits of any kind is an offense. The spirit of the age reflected in this commercial reminds us of the Serpent’s ancient lie in the Garden, that we can be ‘as gods,’ without limits. Flannery O’Connor wrote, Push back against the age as hard as it pushes against you. Jamie Smith argues, The battle for our imaginations requires proper habits of worship as well as intellectual clarity.

Nihilism —

Nihilism doesn’t directly say there’s no objective truth or human existence is meaningless. Instead, it implies that it is the case by making fun of everything, especially those things once considered sacred— like truth, family, morality, and sexuality. There was also a tendency to mock moral decisions, as if doing the right thing was ultimately impossible or futile (Thomas Hibbs). Dorothy Sayers describes this tendency: "In the world, it is called tolerance, but in hell it is