GUEST ARTICLE - 7 (FAILING TO REPENT)

We are presently going through the lent season. Lent is a special season provides time for believers to get closer with God and to reconcile with Him by focusing on repentance. During this season, we used to fast, pray and meditate the word of God and love of God portrait on the cross. The ultimate goal of all these is to lead us to have “True repentance”. 

What does “true repentance” means? The biblical definition for true repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action (Luke 3:8-14; Acts 3:19; Acts 26:20 declares, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds”) on contrary, the absence of either change of mind or change of action leads to False Repentance. 

Isn’t it must to know why true repentance is crucial in one’s life? What happen if we don’t truly repent?  Come let us examine the significant risk of false repentance from the light of God’s word. The spot light of our meditation is focused on 3D’s of false repentance which is dangerous and brings disaster in our life. Should we not be aware of those 3D’s repentance which destroys our own lives?  Yes, we must know those 3D’s.

They are

·        Delay Repentance

·        Deny Repentance

·        Devoid Repentance

These 3D’s phases of repentance make us unable to receive true forgiveness of God in our lives. Why? Proverbs 28:13 says people who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. This verse vivid that we cannot receive God’s mercy if we delay, deny and devoid confessing our sins to God and its equivalent to conceal our sins. Now let us explore these 3D’s seen in the lives of two personalities given in the scripture as an instance.

Delay Repentance of Achan

When Israelites had their great journey towards Canaan, they met a terrible and unexpected defeat at Ai. Though the people of Ai were very few in number than Israelites they defeated them. When Joshua enquired God about their defeat, He states the reason in verse Joshua 7:11,12 God says “Israel has sinned and broken my covenant, they have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat”. God also said to Joshua that He will not remain with them any longer unless they destroy the things among them that were set apart for destruction.

In verse Joshua 7:14-15 Sovereign God commands Joshua “In the morning, present yourself tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord chooses shall come forward family by family; and the family the Lord chooses shall come forward man by man. Whoever is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!” 

Now, you may wonder why God has to follow this tedious strategy to find out the guilty man. God is omniscient and omnipotent. God not only knows the reason but also the person who is responsible for the defeat. Then why God has to abstain himself not to reveal the culprit directly to Joshua by name. He did it because God never takes any pleasure in the death of the wicked. Rather, He is pleased when they turn from their ways and lives (Ezekiel 18:23). For that reason, God gave period of time as last chance for Achan to realize his sin and repent for it. But what Achan did? He delayed his repentance. Until Joshua begged him to accept the truth Achan kept num. only after he realized that he cannot cover the sin anymore in verse 7:20 he confessed that he had sinned against the lord God of Israel and he said what he done with devoted things. Since Achan missed out God’s grace period for his repentance he had to face God’s judgment and his end was pathetic death. Delaying repentance is actually known to cause your flesh to decay. 

Deny Repentance of King Saul

After Saul was anointed to be King, God instructed Saul through Samuel with condition in I Samuel 10:8 that Samuel will surely come down to Saul to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but Saul must wait seven days until He come to Saul and tell Saul what Saul are to do. When we read I Samuel 13:8-13 due to Saul impatience he offered unlawful sacrifice to God which should be done by priest not by king. Saul partially disobeyed God’s word and act foolishly that he waited for 7 days but he didn’t wait till Samuel return to him and instruct him what to do next. Even when Samuel pin point Saul’s mistake, he deny repenting and deny accepting unlawful sacrifice he made to God. So Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has terminated Saul’s kingdom, because Saul have not kept what the Lord commanded him. As long as we were justifying or covering up things in our past we will never be all that we can be for God’s glory. They will always stand in your way from being used by God in the ultimate way that God has in mind for you. So, never deny repentance in your life if so then you will lose God’s plans and purpose in your life.

Devoid of Repentance

Again Saul disobeyed God’s word. I Samuel 15:2,3 says, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” But what Saul did? I Samuel 15:9 says, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” 

When Samuel disclosed God’s heart to Saul, Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.  Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” Though Saul repents why didn’t God show mercy to him because Saul doesn’t repent truly? Yes Saul Repentance was devoid i.e. empty he repent only by words not by heart. So God doesn’t show mercy to him because God weights heart(Proverb 21:2), works(Proverb 3:2)  and the spirit (Proverb 16:2). End of Saul’s life was also terrible that he was killed by the person whom he spared. 

My dear friends, sometimes we use to take things carelessly and think that we can repent later or partially repent and even deny repenting. Today, decide to avoid covering sin for quite long time and don’t justify your sin and never be reluctant to repent rather come to Jesus today. He has already paid the price for you on the Calvary. He forgives you and cleanses you with His precious blood and makes you receive God’s mercy in your life. Our true repentance surely draws us near to God and makes us to live and have eternal life. So why do you wait? Utilize this lent season and repent truly.

(Note: My dear young friends, this article was written by Ms. Ayshwarya. She is working as a guest lecturer in a college. GHG team thank Ms. Ayshwarya for the article. May God bless her abundantly. If you wish to send your article, mail it to goldenhandsofgrace@gmail.com)

LIKED THIS A LOT - TAKEN FROM THE WEB

GOD WILL BE WITH YOU DURING TROUBLESOME MOMENTS AND HE WILL NEVER FORSAKE YOU - TESTIMONY BY MS. GENTLIN

PRAISE THE LORD.

I am Gentlin doing my 2^nd year PG degree in Applied Electronics. I was born in a Christian family. My parents used to pray well and they ask me to do the same, but I was not interested because initially I felt I was forced to do it. 

Starting from my childhood I was weak in studies and used to fail in maths. During my 8^th standard my father resigned his job and came for full time ministry, because God asked him to do through a vision. After which my life was upside down, we didn’t had proper basic needs like money, food, shelter and proper clothes. Due to this my friends started rejecting me during lunch breaks and in birthday celebrations. Even my neighbours and relatives started to tell that I am useless, fit for nothing and so on. 

I went for many maths tuitions where those people told my parents like, “Kindly stop your daughter studies in schooling stage itself”. Those harsh words, rejection, depression, and loneliness made me a very angry person. I hated everyone around me and especially my parents because I felt they didn’t love me. Days went on and when my board exam for secondary class was approaching, I was very frustrated because whatever we receive for us my parents used to give it to poor. So many times I yelled at them and worried a lot.

One day an aunt came to my house and gave me counsel and prayed. From that day on I felt some transformation inside me. I started to pray, study hard and to love others even when they hated me. Many changes were found in me because Christ has brought change within me. Then the results came and I scored 79%. It was purely by the grace of God and also God enabled me to score 190 marks out of 200 in my higher secondary board exam. 

After this my dad asked me to study in an Engineering university, as directed by God through a vision to him. Even though I didn’t like it when they told me, I felt if it’s God’s plan it would be the best than my own plan. So I obeyed God and went there. After that my life was totally changed and I was no more the old person. I have started to love my parents and also all around me. I started to sit in the presence of the Lord and cry at His feet for long time and these all made me to get closer to Him. 

Everything was fine and good, but a tragedy happened at the end my 1^st year engineering course. All in a sudden I lost my mom because of a terrible accident. I was totally shattered. Just 2 years before that only I understood the true love of my parents and also showed my love to them. I was broken and everything changed within a moment. 

But I never went back or hated my Lord. I got good friends and wonderful staffs in the university which I studied. I thank God for them. I started to tell everyone that, “Jesus Christ is my mother.” Truly till now He is the one who is taking good care of me more than what my earthly mother could have done. I feel blessed to have God as my mother. 

Even then I walked through fires, waters, harsh winds during my 2^nd 3^rd and 4^th year. I used to cry a lot for various reasons and so many people started to reject me. Then I understood that crying to others will bring nothing and so I decided to pour out my heart only to my Heavenly Father. God saw my tears and He wiped away my tears. He gave the real joy and happiness. 

Whatever I need even if it’s a small thing I started asking my Heavenly Father before asking my earthly dad. There were times I couldn’t pay my fees till the due date and I used to pray to Lord asking him to provide me my needs since he is a rich God and my father. He heard my prayers and He is so faithful to pay my fees till now. I praise God. 

With regard to my academics God has blessed me with good grades and also He has blessed me with a placement in a multi-national company before my course duration ended. When I got placed I was so happy jumping and felt like I am in seventh cloud and I praised God for that job. 

But God’s plan was different and He asked me to do PG course which I really hated to study. When I decided to obey His direction, everyone around me started telling that I was wasting a wonderful opportunity. Hearing those words I was very upset, but Lord promised me saying, “ I have been leading you till now and I am faithful to lead you in the days to come”.  

I obeyed and came back to the same Christian university to do my master degree. I hated my 1^st year but God started to lift me higher and showed me the purpose He brought me back. I was a very shy person and also scared to face crowd and bad in communication, but God gave me opportunities to conduct prayers and give messages in English. I praise God for those wonderful days. During the last year of my PG course, projects were horrible to me because I worked hard for it day and night but at last minute I got no result. But my Lord who promised me, “You will not be forgotten by me” was so faithful that He helped me out at the last second. Jesus Christ had never put me to shame.

Recently He helped me share my testimony in front of nearly two thousand young people which I never really imagined in my life. 

I would like to encourage you all dear friends, whatever might be the pain you go through always trust and lean only on the Lord and do not trust anyone and not yourself too. His plans are the betterment of your life and He will give you what is best to you. Definitely you will not be forgotten by Him. 

(NOTE: GHG Team thank Ms. Gentlin for sharing her testimony. She is currently doing her end semester of her PG degree. May God bless her and her family members.)

DO YOU FEEL DESPISED AND UNLOVED? - JESUS CHRIST LOVES YOU AND HE WILL BLESS YOU.

“And when the Lord saw that Leah was despised, He made her able to bear children...” – Genesis 29:31 (Amplified Bible)

Jacob ran away from his home and came to the house of his mother’s brother. His mother’s brother Laban had two daughters. Bible says that Jacob loved Laban’s younger daughter Rachel. Laban’s elder daughter Leah was dull looking and so no one loved her.

Jacob worked for seven years to marry Rachel. But instead of giving Rachel, Laban gave Leah to Jacob. In the morning Jacob found that he was cheated by his uncle Laban. 

So he went to him and asked, “...What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?” (Genesis 29:25)

What would be the feeling of Leah when Jacob had said those words? She must have got dejected because her husband felt that he was deceived by marrying Leah. 

But then a hope arose in her heart. She might have told to herself, “It’s ok that my husband doesn’t spoke good words but now my father will come and he will surely speak good words about me and make my husband to understand my value.”

Her father came and instead of speaking good words about her, he said, “...It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.” (Genesis 29:26)

Laban never spoke any good word about Leah but he spoke about the custom of that country. Hearing his words, Leah’s heart might have got broken because her own father spoke nothing good about her.

Finally Laban convinced Jacob to work for another seven years for Rachel and gave him Rachel as his wife.

Bible says in Genesis 29:30, “... He (Jacob) also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.”

Even when Jacob married Rachel according to his desire he never loved Leah as he loved Rachel. Leah’s husband never loved her and her father also despised her. Leah might have felt like all her relations were stripped away from her life. She might have felt that there is no one to love her. She was despised by everyone. 

But the incident never ended in that way. There was someone who loved Leah more than her own husband and father. There was someone who saw Leah was despised by everyone and so He came for her support.

He is none other than God, the Father. Bible says in Genesis 29:31 that the Lord saw Leah was despised and unloved. 

Leah’s husband could not understand her pain. Leah’s father could not understand her sorrow. But God saw that Leah was despised and unloved.

God not only saw that but He also decided to bless her and raise her above everyone. So He blessed Leah with children after children while Rachel was barren. 

Through Leah came Judah and in the generation of Judah came Jesus Christ. What a blessing that Leah received from the hands of the God!

Are you feeling despised and unloved today? Do your loved ones don’t bother about your feeling, pain and sorrow? Do not feel depressed. Jesus Christ is seeing your life today. 

He sees that you are despised and unloved. You have a family. You have people around you but yet you feel all alone in your life. You feel like there is no one to understand you. You are the one to whom God is speaking to you today.

Jesus Christ says to you, “My dear child, you are not alone. I am with you and I love you so much more than anyone. You might be despised and unloved. I am on your side. I will raise you in front of those who despised you. I will wipe away your tears. I will be your father, mother and lover. I will be your comfort. My hands will raise you.”

My dear young friends, do not get discouraged. Jesus Christ is watching your life. He knows the path that you are going through. People might have thrown you away from their life. People might have hurt you by their words and deeds. Do not worry. This is not the end.

Jesus Christ will lift you up through His mighty hands. His golden hands of grace will carry you. Jesus Christ will bless you richly and through your life God’s glory will be revealed. God bless you.

SERVANT OF GOD CLASSIC MESSAGES - 4 (BURDEN OF WORRIES BY BRO. DGS DHINAKARAN)