Caesar's to Caesar, God's to God

Render then the things that are Caesar's to Caesar and the things that are God's to God. Matthew 22:21

Caesar's : This is to pay tribute to Caesar according to his governmental regulations God's: This is to pay the half-shekel to God according to Exo. 30:11-16, and to offer all the tithes to God according to the law of God.(http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=839)

To render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar is to pay tribute to the Government according to the Government regulation. This to be righteous before man. To render to God what belongs to God is to offer to God. In the old testament, it was the tithe, but today in the new testament, is as much as the Lord bless and according to our cheerful and willing heart of offering (2 Corintians 9:7 Each one as he has purposed in his heart, not out of sorrow or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver). This is to be righteous before God. 

The two givings are equally important. One cannot be neglected on the basis of the other. They are like two sides of a coin. One without the other is invalid. A proper Christian will be balanced and will fulfill his righteous duty before God and man. One cannot claim spirituality by focusing on the "God's" and neglecting the "Caesar's." A truly spiritual and proper God-man will righteously take care of both, acknowledging he is still human living under the human Government though he truly has the divine nature under the ruling of God.

Romans 13:

6 For because of this you also pay taxes; for they are God's officers, attending constantly to this very thing.

7 Render to all the things due: tax to whom tax is due, custom to whom custom is due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due.

This reminds me of my rightful duty to the Government of India as a citizen of India that I must faithfully and righteously file my IT return on time as any other citizen. I rejoice to do this, and I am glad God grace me and bless me enough to be able to do this. Any suggestive thought or advice or presumptuous negligence otherwise will be sinful. Its an indirect "gentlemanly" way of robbing the Government.

The Bible, the Word of God, is so clear and balanced about human affairs, and truly it is the living Word of God. Every word in the Bible is for the welfare not only of spiritual, but even of social and national. Even the Lord Jesus Christ was truly God, yet incarnated as a genuine man with flesh and blood, living an ordinary human life, a proper and perfect man, yet a complete God, the God-man. We, Christians are His brothers, and we are the same as He in life and nature, but not in the Godhead. Jesus had set a pattern for all of us to follow, not in a way of outward imitation but by the very divine life of Him who is in us. May the Lord grace every one to be a proper Christian, a proper God-man and righteously rendering Caesar's to Caesar and God's to God.

The Word of God

I made a covenant with my eye; Job 31:1a

Turn my eyes from beholding vanity, Psalms 119:37a

Fifteen years ago when I was saved the verses that kept me from the Tempter's snares are the likes of these verses above. The flesh, with all its sinful vitality always has a grip on the youth, equally as it does with all men of flesh. The path of the Lord seemed apparently absurd with thick cloudy environment of the sinful world. Yet the Lord's Word, the living Word paved a clear path of the believers to tread upon. This, for sure, beckons the hearing and obedient ear of the saved.

As days and years went by, there are progression in life, in truth and in vision. Often times, unconsciously the leading Word of the initial stage of salvation were neglected and compromises crept in, here a little, there a little until one finds himself in a dungeon of the dark, yet professing to have attained great heights and spiritual maturity. But the besetting and belittling sins? It's easily scrap away on the surface more often then dealing with it as it should be by the living Word of God, deep down from the core.

Similar cases occurred to me too. I am not exempted, as I am as ordinary as any human with flesh and blood. The only difference perhaps, could be the grace of the Lord. It is His grace that kept me all these years. Apart from His grace and mercy, I would be no better than the notorious terrorists, the drug addicts, the prostitutes and the criminals whose activities are often recorded to be the reading pleasure of the good man on the daily newspapers. Yes, it is truly His grace and His grace alone that preserved me all these years. "Lord, ever grace me in Your grace."

These verses, "I made a covenant with my eye; Job 31:1a; Turn my eyes from beholding vanity, Psalms 119:37a," calls for a free will exercise to cooperate with God's grace. "I have made" is a decision of the person involved. One cannot simple look to God for grace when he is so passively religious and taking no action. This is the wrong application and a wrong medical prescription to a sickly and sinful soul. It does more harm than good. The Lord reminded me of my need to actively apply the Word with the exercise of God given free will and the exercise of the spirit trusting in God's keeping grace. "Turn my eyes" is a beseeching of the Lord in prayer, in utter helplessness and dependence on God. This also involves the exercise of the God given free will. Yes, we cannot do anything without God. And similarly, God cannot do anything without our willing cooperation with His will either. Here lies the beauty of God and man in mutuality, a God living in man, and a man living by God, with God, for God. This is a God-man living.

The Lord reminded me of these two golden verses. Though the application is not like those days, these are appropriately applied in some specific areas of my Christian life. It's been a great help. The Word that touched me a decade and half years ago is still even more effective now. The Word truly is the living Word of God, a life seed that can be applied to any age of man. I am so much helped afresh. The Words I ate when I was much younger are still working in me today. May all children of God, young and old, eat the Word daily and be richly filled with the Word. This is a heritage, a rich spiritual eternal property. Praise the Lord for the Word of God!

Called and Chosen

For many are called but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14

14¹ To be called is to receive salvation (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 4:1), whereas to be chosen is to receive a reward. All believers have been called, but few will be chosen to receive a reward. (http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=829)

Many are called, many have experienced the salvation God wrought for any who believe. This aspect is rather general and simple, it requires a simple faith of believing into the Lord Jesus Christ and baptising into His Name. All genuine Christians have been experiencing this. But how about being "chosen"?

To be chosen is to receive a reward, to enjoy the kingdom of the heavens. This is a special portion among the many called, exclusively for the overcomers. To be a Christian is one thing and to be an overcomer is altogether another thing. A simple faith in Jesus Christ qualifies one to be a Christian, but to be an overcomer needs a daily exercise of living out the subjective righteousness of Christ.

This morning as I read the Word, I was reminded of my need to daily live out Christ, taking Him as my life and my living. It is not sufficient just to be a Christian, much more, I must exercise my spirit to live Christ, gain Christ, enjoy Christ and express Christ.

The Lord even convicted me of my lethargic nature towards matters, things and persons. I should be more aggressive in my pursuit of Christ and more severe in dealing with my self, my flesh and my soul life, even apply the strictest lifestyle, trusting in the grace of the Lord and yet having more grace in dealing with others. Specifically, the Lord reminded me to make a covenant by exercising my free will, , not to give Satan, sin and the world any opportunity whatsoever or whensoever. And I must do all that can be done as my human cooperation to not let the evil one have any say or any ground for anything in my life. This is indeed a fresh reconsecration of my tripartite being to wholly be sanctified for the Master's use.

Any by this covenant, He paved the way for me to be an overcomer. Called? Yes. Much more, Chosen. Not just being called in a generic way, but specifically chosen to be an overcomer. May the Lord grace me to be an overcomer with all the saints who have been called and chosen.

The Old Man

The old Adamic race of the dust often raises his ugly head. Since the fall of man, this old man endued with sin in the flesh is a real litmus test of a believer's soul, on whose side he stands with. Even after regeneration, this old man, though objectively crucified at the cross but subjectively toggles between dormancy and aggression based on where the mind of the person is set. The mind set on the flesh is dead, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

No believer is immune to the activity of the flesh. The flesh with sin is very much present as long as a person is alive. Therefore, the need to exercise the spirit all the time. No genuine spiritual man will easily deal with the flesh, for the more mature a person is, the more he recognizes how sinful he is. The teaching of sinless perfection is just an utopian dream.

No believer can boast ever that he has overcome the flesh all forever. If any claims such, he must be ignorant or blind or at the best a novice. The more one grows in the Lord, the more conscious he becomes of his old man, and thereby, the more he look to the Lord for His blood washing, cleansing and covering. The flesh is very alive but he can be limited, restricted and subdued by our willing cooperation with the Spirit to deny the flesh. This is the exercise needed of every believer. And this is to work out our daily salvation day by day.

The Lord even exposes me these days of how old I have been, and how sinful I have been. The flesh, given opportunity is just the incarnation of Satan manifesting his notoriety. No wonder, the Lord rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me Satan!", even after the glorious revelation of Christ and the Church. Often when not in the spirit, the soul coils down to the bosom of the flesh fully entwined with, in all his heinous deeds. However, if such happens there is a way out! Halleluijah!

The precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is so efficacious! Whenever I fall or sense a guilt within, I come boldly to the throne of grace, apply the blood, offer Christ as my trespass and sin offering and claim the victory of Christ. With this experience bit by bit, day by day, I am climbing the highway of Zion step by step. The enemy may do whatever he may, the Lord is and ever be my Shepherd leading me on and on. The old man will be alive until my last breath, but I must exercise my spirit and starve him to naught.

"Lord preserve me day by day and grant me the grace I need to be in You and one with You all the time. Save me from my self, my old man and my flesh. Lord, keep me in You, in my spirit all day long, all the days of my life."

On My Knees

On the Lord's day morning in my time with the Lord, the Spirit convicted me deeply of my natural being, what a wretched man indeed I have been. This brought me down on my knees to offer Christ as my trespass offering and sin offering. So deep was the conviction that the repentant prayer for forgiveness was so thorough. Prayer offered in such a way indeed was so sweet and satisfying at the end. The divine Spirit praying in my prayer.

Later, as I went to pick up two new ones for the Lord's day meeting, the Lord moved in them and they opened up to say that they needed to be baptized. When they came the previous week, the Lord spoke to them and now they decided to take a definite step in their faith, not just to believe passively but even be baptized with water baptism. These two, after the Lord's day meeting got baptized. Halleluijah!

Later, in the evening, the Lord created a situation by cancelling the small group meeting I used to attend. As I was considering to start another home meeting with a new one, the Lord reminded me to spend time in prayer instead and gave me a strong sense to consecrate some solid time of prayer, not just this time, but on a daily basis.

O the prayer that followed after this was so strong, so enjoyable! Burden after burden, the Lord released through my private time with Him. Prayer was so spontaneous, utterance came from His presence and anointing. Many doubts of the enemy's darts were all cleared up. Into the inner sanctuary of my spirit, the Lord shined and showed me what is what and what He will accomplish. Intercessory prayers for many saints were made, binding the enemy. A fresh consecration for new way of living, a revived lifestyle was made, trusting in the grace of the Lord to carry the same daily.

O what a blessed time indeed, in His sweet presence. Satan has deprived many children of God of this blessed secret portion of the saints. May all saints be awakened from the lullaby of the enemy, from a dirge of the spirit, from a numbing of the soul and from a captive of the body, to a quickening of the spirit, to a renewing of the mind, and to life supply to the mortal body for the testimony of Jesus. These are what the Lord initiated while on my knees.

The Joy of Cherishing

A month ago the Lord spoke to me from the life of Joseph in exercising his human care for his parent by allotting them the best of the land in Egypt and giving them the best hospitality within his capacity. Joseph did his best in cherishing his parents and siblings according to the blessings he received from God. So also is the need for me to do the same.

The day I left home almost nine years ago to serve the Lord, I remembered the word I spoke to my dad in faith. Not a verbatim, but a paraphrasing, "Thank you so much for all your care until today. But from now on, I will not burden you for anything anymore. If the Lord bless me I will share the blessing with you." After that solemn word of faith I left my father's house, my kindred and my country, to follow and serve the God of glory who appeared to me, all the days of my life.

Two years after, I finished the full time training in India, then another two years after, I got married and the Lord began to fulfill what I uttered in faith. The blessings God bestowed me and my wife with, I shared with my dad and my family, and through our cherishing care in humanity he was very comforted. From then on, whenever there was the opportunity I participated in my family's physical and financial needs, not just few, but many times. That's my portion out from the Lord's blessing.

Seven years later from the time I left home to serve the living God, my dad also believed into the Lord Jesus Christ and I personally baptized him. O what a blessing! God is faithful not only to his words, but more to the words we uttered in faith in oneness with Him. He moves through us.

Remembering the utterance of faith, when my dad called me of his need to visit me in Gurgaon and do some health check up in Delhi with my mother following suit to see us and the kids, the immediate response was a reminder of the uttered word, "if the Lord bless me I will share the blessing with you, I will not burdened you for anything..." Then I booked return flight ticket for both my mom and dad, they came, and did my best to give them the best I could remembering what the Lord spoke to me of Joseph how he gave the best for his family. This indeed is a blessing in disguise.

True to what was uttered in faith, I took nothing from my dad but rather took care of his needs. This is not because I had the capacity nor the ability. No. It is truly because of the Lord's blessing and His honoring of the word I uttered in faith nine years ago when He called me to serve Him. And when the Lord fulfills such promises, it is indeed joy unspeakable. The joy of cherishing in humanity. Glory be to God!

God's Glory in Satan's Instigation

And I will harden Pharoah's heart, and he will pursue after them; and I will glorify Myself through Pharoah and through all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah. And they did so. Exodus 14:4

Similar cases are recorded in verses 17 and 18. On the one hand it was God who hardened Pharoah's heart, yet this hardening was used by God to deal with the Egyptians, and thereby God Himself was glorified. God used Satan's instigation to carry out His salvation work of His children.

Oftentimes, we may wonder at certain negative situations and rationally reason why it were so. But the Lord in His sovereignty allow them all. In most cases, these negativity are -- to deal with Satan the instigator, to transform us the believers to believe into Him more and positively fear Him and for Him to gain the glory. In most cases, it is an acid litmus test for the people involved whether they are of the Lord or not; and if so, the confirmation of the Lord's hand upon them.

Verse 31 says, "And when Israel saw the great power which Jehovah exercised against the Egyptians, the people feared Jehovah; and they believed in Jehovah and in His servant Moses." If what happened had not had happened, it is very doubtful if the rebellious Israelite would ever recognized Moses as the God appointed deputy authority, and much less, truly believed in Jehovah. So much the more our cases are today.

May the Lord preserve us to be preserved and acknowledge His arrangement even among His children for Him carry out His heart's desire.