Sayings of Samuel Godfrey George - February 2017

One will not be tired of doing good if one enjoys doing good. But one will be tired of doing good if one is intimidated into doing good. One will also be tired of doing good if one expects a reward for doing good. The last two types of doing good are what many Christians tend to do. When we do good, we make the best use of the time God has given us. The joy we bring to others and to ourselves when we do good is the reward for our actions. If we expect a further reward we may be disappointed. Sadly this is the kind of good that Christians from the very beginning of faith have done.

 

The greatest story in the Bible is the story of the lost son. This is the best illustration of the relationship between God and Man. No further revelation of God's love is required, for the story captures the heart of God. Love and forgiveness are the most powerful characteristics of God. Jesus Christ came into the world to show us the loving, forgiving God. But the human authors of the Bible could not present this great message of love and forgiveness without torturing readers with more than a smattering of threats. Maybe, threatening a person into good action is the way of all human flesh. Maybe all human goodness has resulted from threats like these. But this is an unsatisfactory motivation for goodness. We should do good not because we are scared of what God might do to us if we fail to do so, but because we love God, who loves doing good. Doing good is the best action anyone can do. And those who do good should do so joyfully without fear. This is the kind of message that the Bible fails to convey satisfactorily.

 

The Bible speaks both judgemental words and uplifting words. Where the Bible works least is when it speaks judgementally. Where it works most is when it speaks upliftingly. There is a holier-than-thou tone applied by every writer in the Bible, and this is the least attractive feature about the content that we encounter in the Bible. Where the Bible does best is in the candid admission of sin and helplessness, which we sometimes find in the Psalms and in St. Paul's letters. But for every such admission, there are many passages rendered in a self-righteous tone. So, the Bible should be read carefully in the knowledge that everyone has sinned and come short of the glory of God, especially the human authors of this divinely inspired book.

 

Judgemental words are least attractive. Uplifting words are most attractive. To attract people to God, you should speak uplifting words.

 

The people who leave are not something to be factored at all. They were never meant to be here.

 

For the people of the world to come together, an immediate requirement is a polite, constructive and sensitive dialogue. And this cannot happen without people realizing their own limitations in understanding and knowledge. People who offer their opinions, should always do so humbly, always bearing in mind that they could be wrong, for no one knows everything, and has considered every possibility regarding the subject he is speaking about.

 

When you express a disagreement with someone, be polite and sensitive. Do not say anything that would hurt the person, and inflict an injury that will have a lasting impact on that person. Try to express your point of view, bearing in mind your own limitations in understanding, and point out the truth as you see it, without disparaging the opinions and beliefs of others.

 

It is good to express your mind. But it is not good to hurt others, and their beliefs and ideas.

 

God is still working with me. I am far from complete. But I'm still something to behold.

 

What today we know in part, one day we shall know in full. Until then let us be content with incomplete knowledge.

 

Let me not rejoice in being noticed by humans. Let me rejoice in being noticed by God.

 

Be who you are without fear. It is the greatest act of love you can show yourself. And you must love yourself before you can love others.

 

Let us seek God not just for the money we need. Let us seek him because there is nothing better to seek. Let us love him so much that we cannot be without him. Let us draw near him, for without him there is no life worth living. God is everything and gives everything to the one who is in love with him. Seek money, and you will never know him, as he really is.

 

I often read, "Get ready for a financial blessing. If you need a financial breakthrough say 'Amen'" I say, "What kind of a God keeps you waiting for a financial blessing? He who knows how to bless you with life every day, how is it that he needs to be reminded of the financial blessing that you desperately seek? Is God only the giver of money? Do you seek him only for the currency that he provides? God is more than a money giver. God is the giver of all good things. He is the giver of life. He is our Father. He knows our needs even before we ask him. And he will give us what we need even without our asking."

 

God's blessings are here and now. Your very breath testifies to his blessing. You don't have to wait for a financial gift to know that you are blessed. Everyone needs money. But above all, everyone needs life. And God gives life every day even without our asking for it. He keeps the heart ticking and the brain working. He keeps all our natural processes happening in a wonderfully organised way. Let us acknowledge the blessing of life as long as we continue to breathe.

 

We are freed from sin not by our obedience to God's law, but by our belief in Jesus Christ.

 

The curse that Jesus Christ took from us is physical and spiritual death and slavery to sin. The blessing that we received in exchange is everlasting life with God.

 

Jesus Christ took our curse from us on Calvary two thousand years ago. And we took his blessing from him. Let's hold on to that blessing. Let us not lose it in trying to make spiritual progress by our own efforts.

 

None of us is obedient to God's law. And even if we try to obey it, we will fail. So, it is best to believe in God, and be saved by his grace through our faith.

 

Don't try to keep God's law. It is not possible for any human to do that. If a human should try to obey the law, he will come under its curse. For cursed is the one who cannot follow the rules in God's law. Instead, believe in God and his Son, and your faith will be counted by God as righteousness.

 

Abraham was considered righteous not because of his obedience, but because of his faith in God. It is faith that God is moved by.

 

Faith has a blessing attached to it. Abraham was considered righteous when he believed in God. And so you too will be considered righteous when you believe in God.

 

To have the Bible speak to you, you may have to wait for a call from God. In my life it took thirty years or more for the Bible to make sense. God himself was not real in my life for a very long time. I only saw a distorted image of God. My own preconceived notions of what was right and wrong blinded me to God. It was only when I saw myself through the Bible that I also saw God. The Bible showed me who I was, and when I discovered myself, I also discovered God in a way that I had never thought of him before.

 

When I read the Bible, some parts of it seemed to be about me. The struggle that St. Paul went through, as recorded in Romans 7, seemed to be my struggle. When I read about the disbelieving people of Israel wandering in the desert, I could see a connection between them and me. The book appeared very relevant to me and the life that I observed all around me. However, the Bible did not always make this impact on me. In the first thirty years of my life, the Bible made no impact on me at all.

 

Don't despise what God called you to do. The task may offer few rewards and may not compensate your time and energy. But there is a reward waiting for you, which no human or demonic agent can undermine or destroy. God will not fail to reward your seemingly unprofitable efforts to speak for him. And he shall start doing so in this life itself. So keep on keeping on.

 

If anyone is in trouble he or she should pray. That's what the Bible says. If you have allowed your feelings to dictate the way you live, you should accept the consequences of the actions that your heart dictated. But there is hope for you if you would turn to God. If you are willing to turn away from heeding the impulses of your heart, God can still act in you and transform you from within.

 

To be free from bad politicians, people should think carefully before casting their vote. They should honestly assess the candidate, and carefully consider his or her policies and views. They should also consider the candidate's personal life and check whether there is stability in it. People should investigate into the track record of this person as a public servant, and find out if he or she has ever been found to be dishonest or corrupt. Only when they are satisfied by the appropriateness of the candidate should they cast their ballot for this person.

 

People are greedy and power hungry by nature. Political life offers plenty of opportunities to exercise these unhealthy urges. Many politicians fall into temptation, and pursue unlawful gain, at the risk of destroying themselves and the people whom they govern. Some corrupt politicians sully not only their reputation, but also tarnish the image of their party. People who voted for them feel cheated and are not willing to trust politicians again. This contributes to the overall degradation of society.

 

The love of money is the root of all evil. To gain money people are willing to risk quite a lot in their lives. Some people even resort to illegal actions to obtain money. When they succeed in hoarding money, they attempt to control others with money. This kind of control happens a lot in political life. Votes are bought with money. People are bought with money. Power itself is bought with money.

 

A corrupt leader does not arrive on the scene automatically. The emergence of a corrupt leader is dependent on people who allow themselves to be taken advantage of. An electorate, not adequately concerned about matters relating to probity in political life, and susceptible to outward charm and charisma of an insidious political figure, will often elect a person, who is most likely to deceive people, and to engage in corrupt practices. Thus, the responsibility for the existence of corrupt leaders is with the people who elect them. When the privileges of democracy are not appropriately used by the people who are at the heart of it, the result will be poor governance and overall failure.  

 

What determines the election of a responsible government is a responsible electorate, which is able to perceive the difference between positive change-makers and divisive reformers who aim at bringing about change at the risk of fragmenting people, The questions that the electorate should ask are: how far are people willing to go to make change? Is the cost of change affordable? Is change that is targeted at benefiting a specific group defensible, even though the group may be a majority?

 

Today if you are in a desert expect to see streams of water in it.

 

Faith in God is to be sure of God and certain of what you expect from him.

 

When there is no one but God, you are ready to meet God.

 

The greatest moment in faith is when you are left all alone with God.

 

A confident attitude will not always guarantee desired results. Reality has its own mechanism, and it does not always correlate with human confidence.

 

Repentance is from God. So don't try to produce it. Long for it. Ask for it. Wait for it.

 

Why would a God who gave once fail to give now? Keep hoping, for God is faithful, even if you are faithless.

 

The road to wisdom is nearly disastrous. I almost ruined myself in my search for clarity. I had to detach myself from nearly everything that could have distracted me. I had to lose nearly everything to keep me going in this seemingly self-destructive path. But this is the irony. It is when you pay a supreme prize that you gain a supreme gift. Wisdom is more precious than silver or gold. To buy it you need to lose everything. At least, you should be ready to do so.

 

If you want to be right always, you will find yourself wrong many times. But if you are willing to learn from mistakes, which you will certainly make, you will more often be right.

 

Find out what life is all about. Don't restrict yourself to what you want life to be all about. Life is more than you can understand or conceive. To understand life, you should learn to accept what you do not know without judging or dismissing difference or discordance.  

The writers of the Bible were not mere manuscript copiers who wrote down word for word what the Holy Spirit spoke to their spirit, but they were essentially reflectors of divine wisdom passed through their experience and understanding. So, the theology that finally emerged in their writing was mingled with their own thought patterns and socio-cultural, political and economic situations. Thus, the Old Testament is a Jewish book conveying a Jewish conception of a national God. And the New Testament is partly Jewish and partly Gentile, for it does take the God of the Jews out of his country, and share him with the world around them. The national God was made an international one.

 

I was reading the last chapter of Saint Paul's second letter to Timothy. I noticed the deeply personal tone of the letter. In the letter was a reminder to Timothy to fetch a coat that Paul had left with Carpus at Troas. It is likely that Paul may not have considered the possibility that his letter to Timothy would enter the corpus of sacred literature, at the time he penned it. When we read the Bible today, we should take care to realize that some of these words may not have been entirely the work of the Holy Spirit, for the example that I cited is more personal than anything else.

 

If we won't trust God, whom will we trust? Is there another person, human or divine that we can place our trust in? I don't think so. God is the only safe risk that we can take.

 

We should wait on God even if the waiting is intolerable. God is good even if he appears insensitive to our pleas.

 

Jesus Christ showed us what matters most. The lost people of the world matter to him more than the ones who think that they are already saved. He searched for the most morally bankrupt people. He spent time with them and showed them by example what God's love was. He did not lecture about morality, but he let his love transform them through its incomparable power. Only love conquers all. Every other form of discipling the body will fail. Nothing lasts permanently as the result of love's working in the human soul. And we, who were found by Jesus Christ, should seek the lost and transform them with the love of God in our hearts

 

When Jesus came to the world, religion was a matter of strict rule following with little love in it. People were more concerned about cleansing their bodies than their consciences. People were exercising their minds more than their hearts. Jesus showed us by example that the heart matters more than the mind. His disciple Paul showed us that love is greater than even faith and hope. His disciple John showed us that God is essentially love . When people see God as righteous judgement rather than gracious love, they get a lesser God, a human dilution of God. If we in the age of the Holy Spirit, still reduce religion to rules and regulations, we will have a smaller God to worship, We need to see God beyond rules and restrictions, and embrace the presence of God everywhere. God is where we would not even want to go. God is in unlikely places. God is among unlikely people. If we see God like that, we will go beyond our comfort zone, and search for him in uncomfortable places. And that's where we will know who he really is.

 

A great country does not put itself first before other countries. A great country sees others countries in the same way as it sees itself.

 

A great country requires a great leader, who is large-hearted and willing to embrace those who are different.

 

In selflessness is greatness. In selfishness is littleness.

 

A great country does not only protect its own interests. It reaches out to other countries and tries to solve their problems.

 

A good leader unifies his people. A bad leader tears them apart..

 

In unity is greatness. In division is littleness.

 

An aggressive country laying down conditions inflexibly may be perceived as a bully, but never as great.

 

When fear operates, greatness cannot emerge.

 

Tolerance is the mark of greatness. Intolerance is the mark of littleness.

 

A leader who often causes division can never unite a people.

 

No country can ever be great if it aims at benefiting only itself.

 

For a country to be great, it should be perceived as a leader by other countries.

 

When people differ, they should express their differences sensitively, without hurting one another.

 

Harmony in the way people think is desirable. But allowance should be made for disharmony too.

 

Though people may think alike many times, they may also often think differently.

 

People are different, and they see things differently. But there are certain points of harmony in collective perception.

 

We cannot all see God in the same way, just as we cannot see anything else in the same way.

 

Don't put a human being in the place where God alone can be. God alone is an ever-present help in times of trouble.

 

Humans too are good friends. But they cannot be counted on at all times. God alone helps always.

 

God alone is the constant friend who responds to our need. God's help is the only one that be counted on at all times.

 

When I am in need of encouragement, I encourage others. This is the work of God in me.

 

You are a beautiful child of God. For nothing that God dwells in can be called anything but beautiful. Celebrate God. Celebrate yourself, for you are a work of God.

 

You are God's child no matter what you do. You belong to him. And he lives in you, transforming you from within into the image of his Son. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. And he will do it, even if you slip and fall. He will lift you up when you fall. He understands your weaknesses better than you think. His great love for you bears with all your faults. Don't be hard on yourself today. God knows everything about you, and is not angry with you. In fact, he is pleased with you, for you want to be like him. That is why you are sad when you fail.

 

The blessings of God are not always attached to obedience. God blesses all his children, just like a good human father blesses his children, regardless of how they behave. God is better than a human father. He loves his human children, though they are intrinsically flawed. He showers his richest blessings on them, even if they do not worship him. Some great blessings are given freely to all. Sunlight, air and rain are free to all. Some natural blessings are packaged and sold by human beings. But God first gave everything freely to us without any rule attached. The rules came later when God realised the depth of human sin. However, even those rules could not be obeyed, and Jesus Christ had to intervene and lay down his own life as a sacrifice for all human sins. After that, no payment for sins is required by God anymore. Even today, God is waiting to shower his blessings on you. You cannot merit them through good conduct. Some will come to you naturally no matter how you behave and what you believe. Others will come only when you accept the Son of God, Jesus Christ. As you stand in Christ, his righteousness will become yours, and his rewards will come to you.

 

Have your broken a promise to God? Are you terribly distressed by it? There are many who have broken their promises to God. Some of us break our promises to God not because we want to break them. We just cannot live up to our word, for our flesh is weak. But don't worry if you have broken your promise to God. He knows that you made the promise to please him, and he understands how you are struggling with your wayward desires. He will strengthen you and make you beautiful in his time. Until then don't lose heart. Keep trusting in God to complete his work in you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Sayings of Samuel Godfrey George - January 2017

The God who saved you many times will save you again. Be still. Just believe.

If you are feeling lost today, know that God is looking for you. Searching for the lost is his highest priority. 

God will help you now, though you think you don't deserve his help. No one can ever deserve God's help.

It is best to be weak and in need of God. Strength can mislead and distract a person away from God.

 

Holiness can be a road to arrogance. Weakness can be a road to humility. And humility is what pleases God.

 

If you worry today, you will have no time to praise God. You need to praise God even when it hurts. This is God's will for you.

 

Be grateful for a little. And you will have more.

 

Obedience is from God. Don't try to produce it on your own. God understands your weakness, and will strengthen you in time.

 

Don't try to manipulate God into blessing you. Don't try to act good. Act normal. And trust in God. He will bless you.

 

Wait on God. Don't try to solve your problem. Remember that God's solution is way better.

 

As you are waiting for God's answer, remember every good thing God has done in your life. He will be there for you again.

 

Are you feeling helpless? Remember that God is the help of helpless. Just ask him to help you. And he will not let you down.

 

You don't know what to do? Just praise God. Remember his kindness. Keep on doing this, and he will come to your rescue again.

 

To be confident in God is admirable and desirable. But even holy confidence can be misleading, and also unappealing to the neutral observer.

 

A man's confidence no matter how well-founded is only human. And all things human are fallible.

 

None of us know who we really are. We can only make guesses. And some guesses are close to the truth.

 

No matter how hard and unfair life is, believe that there is a God who cares for you. And he wants to do his best for you. Just believe this and reach out to him and wait patiently.

 

Dying is not a solution, if you are struggling in life. If God has given you another day to live, then live. Don't think of dying as long as you are living. When death comes naturally, I hope you would have lived life fully, enjoying the enjoyable parts, and enduring the difficult ones. Don't give up before that. Don't say, "I can't take this." We all have to take this with the strength of God.

 

To make the unremarkable remarkable, to make the unreal real, to focus on the fragment and not on the whole -- this is the devil's work, and it is usually irresistible.

 

There is an endless struggle between right and wrong in the soul. Often wrong triumphs over right. At least this is the case until the good matures in you. And the good comes from God, and it will grow only when God becomes bigger in you. And God becomes bigger only when you let him speak to you and transform you with his words burning within you.

 

Let's not engage in divisive dialogue, but let's speak of those things that unite us. Let's endeavour to see one another as God sees us. And in God's eyes, we are all his children. Some of us know that because we have returned to him, and have received his love and forgiveness. Others do not know this, and those who know should tell them about our Heavenly Father, without being divisively and exclusivistically arrogant.

 

If you are looking for a God-fearing Christian, you might have to look for a long time. There are not many who know God. And those who know him may not fear him. And there are fewer who follow Jesus Christ. Christ made godliness more difficult than ever before.

 

Expecting a reward in heaven is not as satisfying as relishing a reward on earth. Let us savour life right here. Let us do good enjoying the fruits of it even as we labour. For there is nothing better for a human being to do.

 

We should do good more for our sake than for God's sake. There is nothing better to do.

 

There are more valuable things in life than the size of your triceps. It is not your muscles that must enlarge. It is your heart.

 

I've had my share of human praise. And it does get addictive. But these days I am happy to be in a quiet place, where very few notice me. It is best to work without being aware of others noticing you. It is best to work quietly even without reward. For that alone is evidently the work inspired by God. When God powers you, you go on, even if no man welcomes you.

 

Seek the presence of God. Be where God is. Don't aspire to live in the limelight, basking in human praise. Get up and walk where no one notices you. Plod and serve like the lowest servant. Work without reward. And after you finish your work, just lie down in peace, knowing that God wants nothing more from you.

 

We are children of God, adopted into his family. We are co-heirs with Christ. But Christ is God's servant before he is God's Son. He came to earth to serve humanity. And he showed human beings how to serve. So let your desire today be to serve. Serve like Christ. Serve everyone. Be the lowly servant of all. Have a low opinion of yourself. Don't use any lofty labels before your name. Be content to be known as a servant, a mere servant of God.

 

Don't try to get someone to do the work, when you can do it. Even if a servant is around, don't fail to serve. Serve along with the servants. Think of yourself as a lowly servant, and serve God, who is always above all. You will never be anything more than a servant in his eyes, though he may call you a friend, out of the sheer generosity of his heart.

 

Don't be eager to receive from the world. The world and its joys are temporary. Much of what passes for joy in this world is sheer misery. Be content to lag behind the achievement-oriented. Live every day gratefully, even if you have to sit somewhere and do nothing worthwhile.  

Know that you are strong. And declare it even when you feel weak. God is your strength. And he is in you. And he will not leave you ever.

 

If you have submitted your addiction to God, don't lose heart if it still has power over you. Let God handle your addiction in his own way and in his own time. Be aware of your need of God, and depend on him whenever you are weak. Remember that it is when you are weak and painfully aware of your weakness that God strengthens you most. Some habits don't disappear overnight. Some addictions die very slowly. But if God is working in you, and if you let him grow in strength, you will find your heart and mind being recast gradually by the working of his Spirit. All your worldly addictions will one day bow down to the mastery of God in you. Let God be your king, and your addictions will finally bend their knees when his power gradually overwhelms them. It may not happen quickly. But it will happen eventually. You cannot lose sight of that ever.

 

Observe the world with an admiring eye and an eager ear. Listen to its best speakers. Read its best writers. Surround yourself with good language. And you will come out of this highly influenced by all that surrounded you.

 

Wild sexual desires are best managed by God. If an oversexed person lets God into his life, in time, his sexual attractions will be tamed by God, if he would only let God do that. We should let God do what he wants when he wants to do it. But if we hold on to our desires, and long to experience them, God will just let us do it until we get tired of them.

 

God is not in the same league as the devil, when it comes to attractiveness. The attractions of God are imperceptible to many. On the contrary, the attractions of the devil are clearly perceptible and desirable to many. This is why one is more likely to be attracted to evil than good in a world like this. Mere words won't do. Action is required. The required action is to reveal God's attractiveness. And God is best revealed by his people. Let the people of God show what an attractive life they lead because of God, and then maybe the porn addicts will pay attention.

 

If Christ is in you, let him live through you. With Christ, all things are possible. With him you can love what you hate.

 

See the bad guys as children of God. And love them as such. Then they too will see God in you.

Time flies. So let's make it count before it slips away. Let's do some good. Let's make someone smile today.

 

God is good to us all, though sometimes we cannot understand or even accept his goodness. A few times he seems anything but good. But we need to go on. Blessed are the ones who don't have an earthly father, for God himself will be their father, and guide them in the homeward way.

 

Jeremiah was a mere boy when God called him. Samuel was also a child when God first spoke to him. Age is no barrier to being a servant of God.

 

Remember this. Your doubts about you are less important than God's confidence in you. And God says you can.

 

You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. If God gives you an opportunity to glorify him, just do it believing that he will be there right behind you.

 

Be led by God. And he will help you lead others. Don't be hampered by what you think you are. But be encouraged by what God knows you are.

 

It is traditional and maybe even superficial thinking to conclude that all who refuse to bow to God will eventually be destroyed. Does God work like that? Does he have a heart that desires destruction? Does not the Bible say that God does not want anyone to perish? Yet the same book enjoins us to believe in the love of God, which saves us graciously from the destruction that our self-imposed rebellion brings upon us. In all this formulaic drama that the Bible presents, there is a possibility of great surprise. Those who bowed down to God in this lifetime may find themselves the enemies of God in another lifetime. There is the possibility of Jesus saying, "Go away. I don't know you" to many who claim to know him now. Conversely, those who consider themselves unknown to Jesus now, may find themselves in his embrace in a later time. It is best not to reduce divine happenings to simple, child-like formulae.

 

You are free in Jesus Christ. The freedom that Christ offers you is an internal one. And it exists despite external noise.

 

Reaching the goals that I have set for myself are less important than reaching the goals that God has set for me. In order to reach godly goals, I need to stir from my sleep today, and make myself available to God's workings in me.

 

When we are children we believe that there is a right answer to every question. But as we grow older, we realize that there is no right answer to any question. We realize our inadequacy of knowledge, and even consider the possibility of many right answers to a question. This leads us to tolerate differing opinions and ideologies. And the more we tolerate the better we are able to live with one another.

 

Don't run away from your desire. Face it and know the emptiness of it. Then you will walk away without turning back.

 

"He who has seen me has seen the Father" is the most conclusive statement of Jesus regarding his divinity. Isaiah called him the Everlasting Father and the Mighty God centuries before he appeared. St. Paul said that the fullness of God resides in Jesus. For those who need biblical support for the deification of Jesus Christ, these citations should serve the purpose. For me, I know that Jesus is God, simply by the statement of Thomas, the most prominent doubter among the characters of the Bible, who required visual confirmation, which was granted by Jesus himself. When Thomas uttered, "My Lord and my God" he ended the debate about who Jesus Christ really is. Those who wish to enquire into the matter further, must travel another route, which may not lead them anywhere. It is better to believe in Christ, than to disbelieve in him, and search for another Christ. In the middle of life, I have decided to cling to my old rugged cross, for nothing else in this world truly keeps me secure.

 

God's love is not based on your performance. He loves you no matter you do. He will love you today, even if you sin. Know his love, receive it, and be transformed by it. His love will bring you to a perfect harmony with him.

 

Let us go where the star leads us. The star led three men to Bethlehem, to the house where Jesus Christ was. They honoured him as the King of Israel. Today, let the star lead us to Jesus, the King of our hearts and minds. And he is even more than that. He is the King of the whole universe. He is God.

 

We Christians know that Jesus Christ is more than the son of Joseph and Mary. He is the Son of God. He is the King of the entire universe. Did those three wise men know that? They may not have known how great a King he was. But they certainly knew that he was a king. And they respected and honoured him as they would respect and honour a king. Those three wise men honoured Jesus Christ as the King of Israel. But we know better. Let us honour him as the King of the universe. Let us also honour him as our King, the King of our hearts and minds. Shall we do that today? Shall we bear our gifts to the Lord Jesus Christ today? 

 

Jesus surely was the King. But was he just the King of the Israelites? Was he not the King of the universe? This is something that became clear only later. Only after Jesus Christ laid down his life for the whole world, only after he rose from the dead, only after he ascended into heaven was it clear that Jesus Christ was not just the King of Israel, but was really God, the King of the entire universe. Let us remember this moment when three extraordinary men were guided by a wonderful star to the place of the birth of Jesus Christ. And these men knew that Jesus was not an ordinary baby. He was not merely the son of a carpenter. They realized that he was much more than that. 

 

Three men were guided by a star many years ago. And they were guided to a place called Bethlehem. They were on a search for a remarkable person. They believed that the star signalled to them that a very important person was going to be born. Were they right? They went to Bethlehem and found a little baby. Was this little baby the King that they thought he was? Was he the King of Israel? Then, how could the King of Israel be born to a carpenter? Was the King a poor man’s son? They certainly thought so. They gave him very precious gifts. They honoured him. This is a special moment in the life of Jesus Christ. Three men from the east — three men who were not Jews came to pay him honour. Three non-Israelites honoured him. Three outsiders knew who he was. Many insiders didn’t know, though some insiders were told about Jesus Christ. But I think these wise men knew a little bit more. They knew that Jesus was a very special King.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sayings of Samuel Godfrey George - December 2016

A New Year is not new until something changes within us, as we move into it. Otherwise it is just a change in number. Our lives continue to go on without any change. To those who are aiming at internal change in the coming year, know this. There is no desirable change without God initiating it. He alone can change us in that way. But he will not change us, until we are ready. Are we ready to be moulded in his heavenly hands? That is the question that stares each of us in the face. May God be with you all, and initiate the new in you. Otherwise, we will be walking down old roads under a new name. Have a God-initiated New Year.

If someone makes a woman pregnant, and then prefers to be with God while she is giving birth, he is not being responsible as a husband and a father. A man who has impregnated his wife, should be next to her, during the entire stage of her pregnancy, and particularly during the final hours before the birth takes place. He should be at her side, while she gives birth, and give her the strength that his very presence brings. If he were to involve himself in a special prayer service instead, because he is a man of God, it does not speak well of his status as a husband and a father. The best service he can render to God in that time would be to stay with his wife and minister to her needs. Perhaps the difficulty of doing both jobs is why many people who are dedicated to God do not marry. Let the married man be first married to his wife, and then to God. Otherwise, his marital life will probably fail.

Trust less in medicine and more in God. There is no illness that God cannot cure. Put yourself in God's hands, and expect him to do his best for you. There are some illnesses that medicine cannot cure. There are times when medicine makes your condition worse. In such a situation, it is better to avoid medication, and trust in God. This is not advise for all, but only for those who are willing to risk it with God.

We should celebrate Christmas because we need to celebrate Jesus Christ. And we need to celebrate Jesus Christ because he is the love of God in concrete form.

God is good to us all, though sometimes we cannot understand or even accept his goodness. A few times he seems anything but good. But we need to go on. Blessed are the ones who don't have an earthly father, for God himself will be their father, and guide them in the homeward way. 

This may not be the last day of the world. But this may be your last day. So make it count.

Time flies when there are few worries. So let's make every moment count before it slips away.

Don't blame the devil for your own wickedness. Admit your failings and know that only God can pull you through the quagmire of your evil ways. And then smile in joy, as he comes to live within you, and helps you walk out of your own darkness.

Let not a religious book be your excuse for not accepting someone unconditionally today. For love is unconditional acceptance of the other person, without making any demands on him for a change.

 

There is something to be valued in ancient thought. But there is also something to be valued in new insights that only the passage of time can bring about. To hold on to ancient thinking even when it appears unreasonable, and reject new ideas emerging from new study, because they might endanger our affiliation to old patterns of thought can be perilous to our growth as an intelligent species.

 

What turned Solomon's heart from God may not be his pagan wives, as is often thought. But what turned his heart could be his falling out of love with a God who demanded so much beyond what any man could give.

 

The most unloving thing you can do any day is to denounce a person as wicked, when you yourself are wicked, or at least, have been wicked once, before God saved you and invaded your own wicked heart with his righteousness.

 

Can you tell when you are equally yoked? Everyone is unequally yoked to someone else, particularly in a marriage. There will always be differences between people. No two people can be perfectly alike, not even two Christians in a marriage. You and I can both be Christians without worshipping the same idea of God. Each of us has a unique idea of God, even if your God has the same name as mine, and has been written about in the same religious book.

 

Love trumps everything, even religion.

 

You have no right to demand a good performance from others when your own performance is far from satisfactory.

 

The person you marry should be in love with you above everything else. Let me repeat this. Everything else should come next. Religious faith, political beliefs, every affiliation to an ideology should come next.  

I met a young man today, who said that he wants to marry a woman who believes in God, even secretly, if open belief is not possible. I told him that this should not be the most important requirement. For belief in God is a slippery thing. The one who claims to believe in God may not really be a believer. And those who call themselves the followers of Jesus Christ are often the most un-Christlike people you can ever find. I told him that it is better to search for a person who values his character, and honours his mother, who is at the centre of his life. If he should find such a person, I suggested that he marry her, even if she is a non-believer in Jesus Christ. Ultimately, we believe in Jesus Christ, only when we find him in others. Maybe his unbelieving future wife will see Jesus in him someday, and come to believe in him. A marriage like this will be a greater way of glorifying God.

 

Search for one thing only if your are looking for a husband or a wife. Search for what unites you. And if your hearts are united, you can surmount any other difference that lies between you. Don't drag religious faith into your union. Leave your gods out of your bedroom, and love each other and celebrate everything that binds you together, and tolerate everything that you find different or conflicting. That is the only way you can stay married in joy and peace.

 

Don't blame the location of your house for the bad things that happen in your life. Don't blame witches for casting spells on you, causing stressful situations in your life. Examine your heart if you can, and see what lies in there. King David prayed for a clean heart, underscoring the need for an inner cleanness, which is seldom within the reach of human beings. Every human being desperately needs God, for he alone can create a clean heart. So, the first thing you should do today is to acknowledge that your bad fruits have come from your bad roots. And your roots are in your corrupt, selfish, loveless heart.

 

When I hear that God loves people, I can't help wondering, how could God love people? Sure, some people are loveable. But many are difficult to love. Some people are so horrible to even be around, that one cannot even think about loving them without compromising on one's sanity. So, God's love, if it is true, is indeed the most difficult thing to comprehend or accept. That he could love the most horrible and godless human being as much as he loves the one who desperately seeks him goes beyond human rationality and fairness.  

 

There is a narrow definition of what it means to have God in us. The Christian concept of the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in the believer is the narrow idea of God living in us. And there is a broad definition of having God in us. All humans are made in the image of God, and as such, they bear a likeness to God, and have a godly element in their make-up. Otherwise, humans are identical to animals.To see the image of God in others is the first step towards treating them well.

 

Joy comes from the depth of sorrow. Such joy cannot be vanquished.

 

Aim to cry first and smile later, and not the other way round.

 

If you cry patiently and secretly, you may smile eventually.

 

When you see a smile, it may only be a final projection, and not a faithful reflection of all that went on inside. Yes, there are many blessings in life, which make one smile. But for every blessing there is a downside. And our smiles are the final products of many tears shed silently and secretly.

 

I'm not prepared for Christmas this time. I'm letting it happen to me. I'm letting God take over, and I'll watch him as he is being born in me once again.

 

Whatever God is doing in your life, as you submit to his will, praise God for it, even if you are not initially happy about it. And slowly you will understand what God is doing and then you will feel happy about it.

 

I'm not prepared for Christmas this time. I'm letting it happen to me. I'm letting God take over, and I'll watch him as he is being born in me once again.

 

If Christmas makes us think of Jesus Christ, then let every day be Christmas. If Christmas inspires us to give to others, then let every day be Christmas. Let Jesus Christ be Lord, and let his love be our law. And then every day will be Christmas.

 

I submit to the will of God, and it will take care of me, and all that I am concerned with. Thus I will rest.

 

The Bible does not tell us that Jesus Christ was born on the 25th of December. But this should not prevent us from celebrating the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day and every other day. We should not be so rooted to the Bible that we cannot use our common sense.

 

Don't do what you don't want to do, even if the compulsion to do it comes from someone who is near and dear to you.

 

Let Christmas be what it is supposed to be. Let us not just celebrate the moment when Jesus Christ entered the world. Let our celebration go beyond outward festivities and move into inward seeking of God's love, which transforms us into the image of Christ gradually. And that is what our observance of Christmas should achieve in us. It should not just be a remembrance of the birth of Christ in the world. It should be a celebration of the birth of Christ in us. And our celebration should lead us to open our hearts further to the Christ who will lead us to God, and secure for us the eternal joy that God promises all who are in his precious Son.

 

"I am a servant of God, and God will not let me perish" I said today to someone, who retorted, "All of us are servants of God. You are not superior to us." I claimed no superiority, as I was only stating a fact, as I saw it. Yet the man I was speaking to saw a difference, and he was trying to iron it out. I believe that there are grades in servitude. There are lesser servants and greater servants. "The last shall be the first. And the first shall be the last" said Jesus Christ, clearly implying that the denizens of his kingdom will be graded. He also said that the greatest among the heavenly ones will be the servant of all. Not all can serve like that. Servanthood is a gift from God. And gifts of servitude do not come uniformly. And those who are able to serve everyone, and not just their own family members, and those who care for the weak and the downtrodden and can love even those who hate and despise one another are the greater servants of God.

 

I have lived ten years for God, learning about him and then sharing my knowledge of him with the world. Today, someone asked me in a dismissive way, "What did you achieve in all these years?" And this is my answer to him. "I lived for God. That by itself is an achievement. And I learned from God. And the outpourings of that learning blessed me and all those who heard me. Those who heard my voice also heard him who spoke through me. I made no money. I built no house. I achieved nothing tangible. I lost so much. I lost nearly every valuable thing. I sold everything and got into serious debt. But I held on to God, even as he clutched me in a grip that would not let me go. This achievement cannot be seen by all, but only by those who dare to give up their lives for God with supernatural passion that is the most supreme madness.

 

Along with your muscles, you should build your mind. You should care about what is inside of you as much as you care about what is outside of you. In fact, you should care more about the inside than the outside.  

 

Place the ailing one in God's hands. There is no better place. That's where faith and miracle meet.

 

If you are sick and are in need of God's healing, I pray that God places his healing hands on you, and delivers you from this sickness. Be encouraged. God is your healer. Love him and seek him with all your might. Where God is, there is only health.

 

An addiction is on its way out, only when the pain of it becomes unbearable.

 

Forgive others because you yourself need forgiveness.

 

Know that life is not just disappointing, but also pleasantly surprising. So life is definitely worth going through.

 

Don't be just disappointed. But understand that disappointment is a part of living.

 

This is the sum of all my learning. Anger is the most worthless feeling. Tolerance is much better.

 

If you want to climb a hill, you must be prepared to slide and fall many times.

 

The best way to protect yourself from disappointment is to experience it and then to learn to live with it.

 

Expect the good and the bad. And you can live with the bad, while enjoying the good.

 

"Don't expect so that you won't be disappointed" is a negative and even disastrous thought process. Hope for much, but factor in the disappointment. You maybe disappointed often, but you may also be pleasantly surprised.

 

Disappointment may be inherent in life. But with God even a disappointment can bring joy.

 

You can expect the best when you are with God. Just don't expect the best to be what you think it is.

 

When the exact facts cannot be known, there is no such thing as faithfulness to reality. We need to make the most of the facts that we have, and celebrate the occasion as best as we can.

 

It’s not the intention of those who celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day to override anyone’s objections. People celebrate Christmas because they want to celebrate it. There is a need to celebrate it. There is a need in every Christ believer to remember the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. And since no one is sure when exactly Jesus was born, Christmas Day is as good as any other day to remember the undeniable event of Jesus’ entry into this world.

 

Doing good is doing something, knowing that it is good, without expecting any benefit from it.

 

Why God likes someone, and why he persists with that person may never be clear to others.

 

When God teaches, and his truth becomes clear, a man is automatically humbled.

 

When God likes someone, he teaches him, no matter how stubborn and proud he may be.

 

God teaches those he likes, whether they humble themselves or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sayings of Samuel Godfrey George - November 2016

We all need a financial breakthrough. We all need money. We all wish we had more money. And some of us go to God for the sake of gaining the money we need. And that is not wrong. Yet there is a better way. It is to seek God first, and desire his righteousness above everything else. When we do that, God promised that everything we need will be given to us. So let those who seek money seek God first.

Don't advise, if your advice is unwelcome. Love from a distance in silence, and say a prayer. And if the people you are concerned about will allow God to move in them, they will be delivered from the trouble you so dread.

"God is our Creator. So he can be angry with us and even destroy us if he wants." This is theoretically sound. However, it hardly speaks well of God, and does not make him worthy of worship. I worship God because he is unbelievably kind and merciful and loving and willing to give offenders a zillion chances for repentance. I also detect a basic flaw in me and in other humans, which cannot be easily remedied. It takes a dying to the old self to produce the new self. And a new self is what God desires for us. He alone can take us through this process of dying and being born again, when we submit to him in loving faith. All in all, love is the finest aspect of God, and this is what tugs at our heartstrings. He needs our love above everything else. And where love is, obedience will follow.

We can read the Bible and sit in churches all our lives. But we may never do what we are ultimately expected to do. We should care about others as we would care about ourselves. We must be willing to forgive at all times without giving in to bitterness and rage. We must learn to be silent in the face of all opposition, and put our trust in God, who alone can fight our unending battles. These things one may not learn from the Bible or the church. One may learn this only from real life experiences that one lives through in communion with God.

The key to our living a life that is pleasing to God does not lie in our understanding the Bible or our acceptance of its doctrines. It lies in our recognition of God's heart which loves and forgives. It lies in our knowing and receiving this love and forgiveness. It lies in our reflecting this love and forgiveness in our own conduct toward others. No reading of the Bible or attending a church can ensure this happening. It comes from a personal determination to be like God when we see God as he really is.

Loving everyone is impossible for the human being. But it is possible with God. And if we are with God, and in God, we can do what God does.

We do know God physically or mentally in the complete sense. All that we have are fragments of knowledge derived from many men, and put together by others who hardly knew them, and these understandings are by no means in agreement in every respect. The God of love does not emerge properly in the Old Testament. What we see more often is a vengeful, jealous lover, who is hardly a model of love. God as a lover emerges in the New Testament, and even there his entire prowess as a lover is merely hinted at. The overtones of divine threat are still heard, as the message of love is spoken. God can be known only imperfectly by reading the Bible. We can know him only in part. And that kind of knowledge cannot inspire confidence in someone who is searching for a many-layered God.

The status of love without God is less serious than the status of God without love. In the latter case, humanity is surely close to doom.

Statistics by themselves don't mean much to me. It is the value of connection and the depth of influence that keep me moving.

Thankfulness is the essence of good living. Thankfulness is also the heart of worship. We cannot live well without feeling gratitude for what we have. We cannot give thanks to anyone but God for all that we have received in this life. And we have received much from God. Let us count our blessings, even those that do not seem like blessings today. And let us not fail to thank God for each and every one of these today and every day.

Today, I am thankful for being an instrument in God's hands. I am grateful for being a voice for God, conveying his merciful love to those who feel alone, confused and miserable in this world. I am happy that I am alive, and able to acknowledge the greatness of God in my life. I am thankful for the people in my life, who support and encourage what I do for God. And I am glad that God has allowed me a place in the hearts of so many of his people. I celebrate these precious blessings today.

Don't be frustrated when you make mistakes. If you have God on your side, your mistakes will lead you to the path that he intends you to take. He will guide you every step of the way, and when you fall, you will be able to rise again in his strength. So walk on, without fear, and without losing your hope. For God will not let you fail eventually.

I have failed hundreds of times. I still go on. It is not failure that stops you. It is an absence of a mad desire to succeed that stops you.

Everything that God made is beautiful. This is the realization that leads to joy. When you don't believe that everything that God made is beautiful, you are on the road to misery.

Keep asking, even if you are not getting what you are asking for. Or simply wait, and expect God to do his best for you. Either way, don't lose hope in God. For with him alone, you will find the best in you.

Sabbath is Saturday (actually begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening). That is how

Jesus knew it. Sunday is the day of worship in the Christian tradition. Some may view it as the Sabbath, as they associate it with a day of rest. But there is no such requirement, as far as Sunday is concerned.

I am no stranger to struggle. But it is good to remember that no matter how hard we try, and how patient we may be, it is not by might nor by power but by his spirit. So my prescription for all strugglers is this: try less, believe more. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.

Don't try out Jesus Christ, as someone tries out a dish. He is not just a god for your crisis. Don't turn to Jesus when you are in trouble, and then turn away from to another god him when you get out of trouble. God is not to be trifled with. Jesus Christ may tolerate this kind of fickleness for a while, but eventually he will not tolerate it.

Some wonder what my religion is. I have not made a secret of my servitude to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am his servant, his voice speaking to his people. He is love. And so I am love as well.

We are told by Jesus to forgive. He taught us to forgive, even as his killers mocked at him, while he was on the cross. Jesus Christ expects us to forgive, even if the one we forgive is without repentance. We need to forgive the offender, even if the offender fails to appreciate our forgiveness.

We can learn from mistakes, as long as we recognize them as mistakes. But even if we learn from them, our knowledge may not translate into desirable action. We can still repeat the same mistake, as long as we are slaves to a certain unhelpful instinct.

We are all dependant on one another. This is the only way we can survive. True independence is impossible. The more we depend on one another the better we will live. Still political independence is another thing. It is important that people live with a national identity, without being subjugated by another nation. Such independence should be priced highly and utilised well.

There is no replacement for you. God has made you like none other. So find out what it is and use it to shine your light in this world. You were made to shine. So find out what will spark your fire.

Health is to seek light, when darkness is more desirable.

To know the distinction between the worthy and the worthless, and to choose to do what is worthy is living well.

When you truly trust God, even a horror is liveable.

To know you have lost is not as important as to know what you have gained while you lost.

Some fights are worth losing. So choose to fight even what you will lose.

Innocence is ignorance. Knowledge is corruption. Wisdom is corruption on medication.

You fix your eyes on tomorrow and gulp the bitterness of today. This is faith.

Can you love a god who is continually awful to you? This is a stern test of faith.

Being at peace with who you are is the beginning of happiness.

To go on when everything is going for you is a task for beginners. To go on when nothing is going for you is a task for masters.

Working with a lot, that's a task for amateurs. Working with little, that's a task for masters.

To love God, you should love people, particularly the worst of them.

If you want to love and not let yourself be bothered by people who don't love you, you have experienced God.

Can you love the one who has thrust a dagger into your heart? If you can, you have the love of God.

Can you accept trouble joyfully? If you can, you have walked with God.

Even a good thing is limited. Know your limits, and the good will remain good.

We talk about the exploitation of workers. We should also talk about how some employees take advantage of their employers. Some employees shirk their responsibilities and deliberately underperform, and collect their salaries in full. This can be best seen in workplaces that assure job security and pension. When an employee is more or less sure that he cannot be dismissed from his job, he is tempted to underperform, for there is no punishment for poor performance. When an employee behaves like this, he is not responding desirably to the generosity of the employer, and when employees generally behave like this in a workplace, that organisation cannot develop and make progress.  

Finally, don't justify your poor performance, by saying, "What can I do?" You can do a lot, if you put your mind to it. Resolve firmly that you will work according to your employer's expectations. Love yourself well to see yourself as a responsible, competent worker, who will always give your best to the job. The way you see yourself determines how you perform in life. Be a giver, and give more than what is expected. Delight your employer by doing more than what is required. Then, he too will be happy to have you in his employment. He will gladly give you your salary, and may even increase it, to reward your sincerity. There will be many more rewards. But the greatest reward will be a clear conscience. You will rest, and enjoy life, knowing that you have done your best.

Be a good worker, with the desire to serve your employer well. Always endeavour to perform to the satisfaction of your employer. Don't bend the rules and try to work on your own terms. Don't justify your wrongs, by saying that you have done your job, when you have not fulfilled your obligations. Don't go late to work, and leave early. You will only rush through your work, and will not be able to do justice to it. You may work like this for a while, making excuses for your reduced performance. But if you let it become the norm, then you will be rebelling against your employer, by violating the agreement that you have with him. If you do that, you will not be fair to him. Your conduct will be more in line with an enemy than with a friend.

Unfairness does not last. You cannot live your entire life, shirking your responsibilities, and being unfair to your employer, who treats you well. When you treat such a person in that offhand manner, there will be consequences. There is a law of fairness in this world. The fair are eventually rewarded, though they may go through many difficulties in life. The unfair finally meet with disgrace, though they may have progressed in life much through underhand practices. Beware of this, and act responsibly. Don't think that no one is watching, and that you are free to do whatever you want. Don't think you can take advantage of a generous employer forever. There is an end to deception and unfairness. Life has a way of making the crooked straight. And life will straighten you out, if you will not change on your own.

Don't take advantage of your employer's kindness. He may be a generous man, willing to overlook your faults. This should not encourage you to take liberties with him, but it should spur you on to a more responsible approach to work. Don't return his kindness with your unkindness. Don't make excuses for your poor working style. You should respect yourself enough to be a person worthy of your employer's kindness. Otherwise, you will be placing yourself in a very unfavourable situation.

Treat the job you have with respect. Not everyone has a job. There are some people who would like to have your job. Perform your duties well, not taking anything lightly. You have agreed to work for a payment. Don't forget that. Do your part, and the employer will do his part. But if you were to work poorly, and your employer still paid you in full, you would have done him a disservice. You would have not been fair to him.

This is how you make history. There is a God who put you here on earth for a little while, so that you may serve a certain purpose. While you enjoy your time on earth, discover your purpose, and work it out to the best of your ability. Your ability will come from God, for he will never call you without enabling you to do what he has called you to do. So, remain connected with God. Learn to hear his voice, and follow it. It won't be easy, and it may take long. But God will be with you, and enable you to succeed. So make your history when the light of God still is shining on you.  

Don't be sad that you did not make history in this world, as you wanted to. There is a greater history to be made in a greater world. There is a greater reward awaiting you from a greater person. Aim for what is greater. And what you've done here, no matter how flawed and failed it may appear to be to mortal eyes, its silent glory is beheld by immortal eyes. 

Don't yearn to be a history maker. But be willing to be made by God to do what he wants you to do. Go where he leads you and do what he tells you to do. Leave the results with him. Serve people humbly and gratefully, for service to humanity is service to God. Don't be sad when there is no response from people. Don't be proud when people respond appreciatively. Powered by God, keep going on, showing gratitude for every moment of time you spend in this world.  

What appears bad may actually be good. What appears dangerous may actually be safe. The villainous face may go along with a heroic heart. The belligerent speaker may have a kind heart. The rude person may actually do thoughtful acts. The arrogant face may belong to a generous heart. So let us watch out, and not be misled by the exterior.

Always take what the experts say with a pinch of salt. They could be wrong, as they were today, as they were yesterday, as they will be always.

I don't think God has anything to do with the election of leaders. Some of the leaders the world has elected clearly demonstrate this truth. Because God has given us the freewill to choose either good or bad, he lets us choose our leaders, and these may be either good or bad. And we always pay for the choices we make.

Be patient with offenders. Bear with their insensitive behaviour for a while. Show them by example what good behaviour is. But if they fail to learn, don't hesitate to show them the door, and when you shut that door, don’t open it again for them.  

Observe well. But respond little. People might think you are not taking notice. The offender might think you don't care. But when the time comes, when enough is enough, act decisively. Separate yourself from the repeat offender, who is undeserving of your patience. There is no need to walk on with a disturber of peace.

Never respond to fools. And there are many in the world. You have a job to do. So do it without paying attention to what fools have to say about you. There are wise people in the world also. Pay attention to them, even if they say something that you don't like. But the wise are usually sensitive in the way they present their observations. Criticism from a fool is usually with little or no tact. Such criticism may be considered for the kernel of truth they might present, but the fool who spoke it may be safely disregarded.

People may wrong you and fall short of expectations. You may be terribly hurt by the pain they have inflicted on you. But you should love yourself enough to move away from that place of pain. When someone has wronged you, the first thing you should do is to forgive this person, and then you should move on with your life. Your life has many layers and is very complex. One incident should not determine your mental health either temporarily or permanently. People will regularly fall short of expectations. So it is wise not to pin your hopes on them. People may also be pleasantly surprising at times. When such surprises come, accept them with gratitude. But when disappointments come, accept them with forgiveness.

Moderation is best. Extreme positions are best avoided. In reality, extreme ideas are more attractive than moderate ones. But do not be fooled by what attracts you. Safety lies in the middle, no matter how boring it might be.

Trust in the love of God. Believe that his love is Jesus Christ. Believe that Jesus saved you from eternal separation from God, which is also called hell. Believe that you will spend eternity with God. And believe also this. You don't have to do anything to earn your place in heaven. All that needed to be done by you was already done for you by Jesus Christ. Now you should only believe in this. Believe that you are a child of God who is under his protection. No one can pluck you out of his hand. Even the sin that you fear the most cannot separate you from God. Just drink deep from his cup of love, and your most scarlet sins will be made white, in his time. 

Those who don't trust in the love of God may trust in the hatred of God. Those who haven't tasted the love of God may remember the wrath of God. As children, we grow up, fearing our parents, at least to a certain degree. But when we grow up, we discard that fear, and relate to our parents as friends in whom we could confide, without the fear of condemnation. This is how it is with God. When we mature in faith, we truly become God's friends. And when we become his friends, we will stop fearing his wrath. No one will fear being destroyed by his friend, no matter how powerful he might be. And God is more faithful than any human friend. The last thing that God will do is to destroy his friend, who trusts in him. 

If we won't trust in the power of God's love, then we will trust more in God’s hatred. God is justice, but his justice was satisfied completely by the death of his Son, Jesus Christ. There is nothing more that God requires from Jesus or from us. So, let us stop thinking that there is something that we must do to satisfy God. It is true that we should please God with our conduct. For that is what all God’s children should attempt to do. And we are all God’s children. But our act of pleasing God is our natural response to his love. Our desirable conduct is a work of his love. Children won't be inspired to please their parents, if their parents don't show them love. We too won't be inspired to please God, if God doesn't show us love. But this is the truth: God loves us, and he clearly demonstrated his love for us through his Son Jesus Christ. And he spoke clearly through his servant, Saint Paul, when he responded to the jailer's question about salvation, that belief in Jesus Christ is all that is required for salvation. Certain branches of Christianity have distorted this message of God, and have made salvation a target that human beings need to strive for through desirable behaviour. This has driven fear into the human heart, and has made it impossible for many to see the love of God, as it really is. 

Ultimately, we all have to trust in God's love, which conquers everything sinful in us. God's love is not like human love, which is often inconstant and based on performance. God loves because his very nature is love. And his love conquers everything. No human sin is greater than his love. God wants all of us to know and receive his love. And when we taste his love, it will transform us and renew us into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. So, what we need to do is to believe in God's love. And we should desire to taste it. And God will surely grant our desire.

Many times I have thrown out the garbage in my life. Many times I have physically flung the undesirable out of my life. And many times they came back to me, and settled comfortably once more in my heart. So, this is my conclusion. There are some things that simply cannot be flung out. God alone decides when it is time to uproot something. Much as I want to be super-spiritual today, God alone determines the rate of my growth. He alone knows why I have to deal with something, which I do not want to deal with. He alone knows what this terrible struggle will bring out in me. I need to trust in his superior wisdom and his flawless fatherhood. Above all, I need to trust in his love, which never fails. 

Only love transforms. Only love, which is not based on performance, and expects nothing in return, transforms the heart. This love comes only from God, and not all human beings know it. Very often God is portrayed like a human being, expressing love only if he is pleased and showing hatred, when he is displeased. But if God is like a human in this respect, this world would not have survived so long. God's love is so great and so paternal, that he is unwilling to let us go. He wants all of us, and he takes no pleasure in losing any of his children. And we are all his children, no matter what we think, do or say, or even believe. This is the kind of love that transforms even the belligerently rebellious heart. 

God's love is not based on your performance. He loves you no matter what you do. He will love you today, even if you sin. Know his love, receive it, and be transformed by it. His love will bring you to the point of perfect harmony with him. 

Women should stand up for themselves. Men should also stand up for women. As long as women ignore their own right to being respected, and allow men to disparage and belittle them, they cannot put an end to misogynistic tendencies displayed publicly by men. And if women allow such men to take on administrative roles, they will only make their problem worse. Women should stick together and fight together this ugliness, which appears to be attractive to some. As long as the repulsive is seen as attractive, there is little hope for its eradication.

From the overflow of the heart a person speaks. No man who disparages women openly should be able to convince others that he has great respect for women. If he succeeds in doing that, it reveals an unfortunate truth: a man's words in one context are deemed less credible than his words in another context. If some people in the world are willing to believe that a man does respect women when it has been revealed that he has belittled them often, then they are either exercising tremendous faith in that man's reformed character, or are completely overlooking his tendency to abuse women. If the latter is the case, then a proper defence of a woman’s right to be treated with dignity cannot take place, as long as perpetrators of abuse against women are not only ignored but also encouraged to hold positions of power in this world. 

Let the men of this world honour women. Women are the mothers of this world. Every woman is a potential mother, a care-giver like none other. A man who fails to respect a woman is no man at all. Such a man should not be considered to be able to do anything significant in this world. Such a man should not be allowed to occupy a position of power in this world. 

God has already touched your life, if you feel the need for God in your life. Blessed are they who need God. And when God places a need for him in you, he will also show you how to fulfil that need. You need to trust God and wait for him to guide you to that place of unity with him. You may need to share in his sufferings to know him better. To be truly united with him, you should ultimately nail your old self to the cross. It is in extreme pain and total abandonment that you will be closest to God.

      

  

  

Sayings of Samuel Godfrey George - October 2016

"Thank you Jesus" is not a magic utterance you make continually to maximise your blessings. You cannot manipulate God by thanking him excessively. Thanking God is a sincere act. And God likes to be worshipped in truth. So don't thank God just for the sake of getting something from him. Don't think God is moved by your insincere thanksgiving. God may be moved by your sincere criticism of him more than by your insincere gratitude. God honours his honest critics more than his phony flatterers. He revealed this tendency most memorably to his servant Job, who was probably his most vehement critic. Ultimately, he found him right, while he dismissed Job's sanctimonious friends as wrong.

Don't be afraid to be weak with God. But be afraid to be strong without God. Don't ever fall into the trap of thinking that you can handle the difficulties in life on your own. You need God every moment. I need God every moment, perhaps even more than the other person, for I'm more in need of God's strength than many. And this is a blessed position to be in. May all the weak people be reassured today. They shall go ahead of the ones who are strong. They will meet God first.

Some thorns will never be plucked out of the flesh. Some ailments will never be remedied. Some bondages will never find release. There are problems that need to be lived with. And there are people who have learned to live with their problems, Some have found God in this process. Some have discovered his strength, and been replenished by his grace. This is the way things are. Not all problems are solved in a miraculous way. To live without a miracle is the greatest feat in strength.

We should be grateful to God, despite how things are. This is what we should bear in mind: the situation could be a lot worse. So let us be grateful that it is not worse than what it is today. God is faithful. And he has proved his faithfulness in many ways. However, complete deliverance is still elusive. But we will wait. Let those who trust in God be prepared to wait.

Only God can judge me, someone said. I say to you, "Will you let God judge you today? Would you rather not have him forgive you and not judge you for your sins?" Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is described as the judge, did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. His judgements are tempered with mercy and forgiveness. God knows the human heart and is willing to forgive even its worst excesses. When God, who is perfect, can be so forgiving, why is the imperfect human so reluctant to forgive? Let us consider this question, before we fling our judgemental words on someone today.

It is tough to be alone with God. But there is no better place. Abandon yourself to God, and expect him to help somehow. And encourage others like you, even as you fight the urge to get discouraged.

You are a child of God made by God for God. Can anything be more inspiring than that? Be inspired by who you are, and not by who you think you are.

God works in mysterious ways, says one. God doesn't work at all, says another. God doesn't care, says yet another. And there are others who are convinced that God is dead, or simply deaf to human pleading. God answers prayers, someone says. But he doesn't answer mine, another retorts. God gave me a miracle, announces one. But he gave me none, protests another. Why does God work so inconsistently, if he does work at all? Why does God care in one case, and not in the other? Why does God answer one prayer, and reject another? How can anyone believe in such a capricious person, who is simply not worth the risk of believing in? Or is this really the case? Why do people continue to believe in God? Why do they keep hoping in such an unpredictable helper? This is what keeps my scepticism at bay, most of the time.  

Some would look at the predicament of the struggling believer in God, and say, "Why do you have to struggle with this? There is no God at all. Belief in him is a sheer waste of time. If only you would stop believing in him, you will save yourself a lot of unnecessary mental agony." Their argument is persuasive. God does seem unconcerned and absent on some occasions, especially at times when we would appreciate his divine intervention. He sometimes appears to abandon the one who has put his trust in him. Even Jesus Christ felt this abandonment on the cross, and echoed the words of David in Psalm 22. Mother Teresa, who was recently canonized, also felt the absence of God very keenly in her life. She struggled all through her life, trying to believe in a God who didn't care enough to be present at all times. This is the agony of all those who have gone very far into a life of faith. I have felt this absence of God very keenly in my own life. I have felt the non-working of God more than the working of him. I have also felt the devil gaining an ascendancy over me, when I expected God to take over me, and transform me utterly, in the blink of a godly second. But that miracle has not come so far. And it also seems dreadfully delayed, and the delay seems shamefully indefensible.

The problem in faith lies in failed hope. Some hopes, some expectations, some prayers seem rejected forever. And when God does not work in the way people want him to work, and in fact, works contrarily, and worse, appears not to work at all, it sometimes kills the hope nourished in the mind in a way in which no argument against God can achieve. When a man suffers again and again with weakness, which God can so easily remedy, and when another finds himself powerless in the grip of demonic oppression, which God can utterly release him from, it raises a most troublesome doubt in the mind. Does God not care? Or worse, does God want him to suffer? Does God take pleasure in his suffering? Can God be so cruel? When these thoughts are entertained long enough, that man begins to hate the God he once worshipped, and eventually turns away from him. The God I worship does behave like this sometimes. Still, appearances of apathy are not enough to convince me of God's cruelty or inability. There are enough moments in my life that speak eloquently of a caring, loving God, who seems to dwell in the details. And these moments are strongly reinforced in my memory, whenever I am tempted to walk away from God. 

So, I still nourish hope in God, that he will yet stir, and show himself strong on my behalf. For years I have struggled with an addiction, crying out to him for relief and release. But he has done very little to alleviate the problem. At least, this is how it seems to me. Maybe God spoke to me what he once uttered to Paul the Apostle. "My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness." Perhaps, along with Paul, I should say, with more assurance, "When I am weak, then I am strong." But such faith is neither easy nor desirable. It makes more sense to give up, and do something practicable. But God, as I know him, does not call us to do what is easy or practicable. Sometimes he calls us to do what is downright impossible. He calls us to meet the end of our strength, so that we may find the beginning of his. So that is why I go on, addicted though I am to the pleasures of this world, my voice still stirs in response to God's inner whisperings. And my mind and my heart combine with my words to produce the salve that many long for. Yes, even I, a fault-ridden creature, can work in the domain of God, and work effectively despite my inner waywardness. This I believe is God being what I did not expect him to be. And may I give him due credit for that.

What is addiction? Does an addiction have a benefit for the addict? If an addiction is formed by a powerful attraction to something, it may have a temporary benefit for the one who experiences it. Those who are addicted to pleasures of the basic kind, experience temporary satisfaction in the exercise of their addictive behaviours. However, addicts of this kind need to ask a searching question. Is it really worthwhile to devote their time and energy to the gratification of impulses that can never be fully satisfied? Does such an exercise guarantee mental and physical health to the addict? And will he under such an influence be able to benefit others in the world? What kind of life would addictive behaviour produce?

Ultimately, time is of the essence. All of us has a certain time allotted for living. We may live only as long as our appointed time, and no longer than that. Our lives may even be cut short by unforeseeable and catastrophic events. When our lives are so frail and limited, we need to make the best possible use of time. How can we achieve this? Can we achieve this by pursuing our personal desires and cravings, which will bring us little more than temporary satisfaction? Or can we achieve this by doing something less appealing, but more beneficial to us and to others in the long run? To answer this one way or the other, we need to find answers to the following questions. Why are we here? What is the purpose of our lives? Should we live only for ourselves or should we also live for others? What is our responsibility to the world and the people who live in it? How could we use the time we have been given to produce maximum benefit for ourselves and others? If we decide to pursue the less appealing, but more beneficial goal, how can we do this consistently? How can we rein in our basic impulses that cry out for instant gratification? An approach like this is how we begin to take care of ourselves in this perilous business called life. 

There are many wonderful things in life. But are you drawn to even some of them? Will you pursue a few of them? Will you devote your time to them so that you may learn from them? Or is your heart drawn to something more compelling, but less useful and constructive to your life in the long run? Judge for yourself what compels your heart. Is it something self-serving aimed at satisfying an urgent craving, without lasting benefit for yourself and for others? Are you spending your time and energy on satisfying basic instincts, which can only be momentarily appeased, or are you denying these impulses in seeking something less stimulating, but more beneficial to you and to others in the long run? Are you aware of the crucial difference between seeking immediate gratification and and working towards a long-lasting benefit? Are you able to deny an overwhelming desire, which will only bring you temporary benefit, in order to pursue a less compelling goal, which will yield lasting benefit for you and others in the long run? This is how you begin to rein in an obsessive impulse, which seeks to dominate your entire being. 

What does your heart respond to? What do you find yourself drawn to? What is foremost in your mind? What is it that you want to do above everything else? There is something that demands all your attention. You need to know what this is. And then you should ask yourself these questions. Should I do this? Is there any lasting benefit in this? Can I help others even as I help myself, when I do this? When you are able to answer these questions satisfactorily, you should then decide, whether you should go ahead and fulfil what you believe is your most urgent desire, or stay away from it, and pursue something less urgent, but more useful, less self-rewarding, but more beneficial to others, less thrilling but more in tune with what you should do, to preserve your physical and mental health and to make the best possible use of the time allotted for your life.

Lord, let us not try to run away from suffering today. Let us face it in your strength, and let us learn from it. Suffering was sent for a purpose, and let that purpose be achieved in us. To share in the glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, we should also share in his sufferings. He warned us while he was a man here on earth that there will be many troubles in our lives, but we should be encouraged by the fact that he conquered the world for all of us. As long as we are in him, we are already more than conquerors. We too have conquered sin and death, as we remain in Christ. Let us not forget this today as we go through what seems like an unbearable pain. Even as we cry out for mercy and deliverance from pain and suffering, let us joyfully participate in what God has called us to experience. Let us briefly suffer to experience an endless joy. Just as Christ endured his terrible cross briefly for an eternal glory, let us also patiently endure our light, momentary troubles. 

The work of God will go on in me, as long as I breathe. For my breath testifies to his living presence within me. For ten years I have spoken with his breath in my voice. What was voiceless became voiced. What was wordless became worded. What was heartless became laden with love. Will a tenth year be any different from these ten years? Not in the essentials I guess. But I have prayed that this tenth year will arrive at a clarity, at least within myself, about the different experiences in the spiritual quest. May it be a year of peaceful resolution. May it be a year when God puts another finishing touch on what is already something to behold.

It is possible to be a believer in God, and to lose that belief, when troubles enter one's life. Especially when personal tragedies occur, it is very difficult to believe in a caring God. In such cases, God nearly always gets the blame, and his seeming indifference puts many people off. That is why some people cannot believe in him anymore.

Some habits are hard to give up, even after you confess them to God. Repentance is a process, and not an instantaneous achievement. The more you know God, the more you renounce what you essentially are. The more you seek God, the more you discard everything not of God. Don't be worried about your lack of performance. Your best performance will not come from you. It will come from the one within you. And when he is ready to perform, you will know.

Let us celebrate beauty unselfishly, giving due acknowledgement to the Creator. Let us not try to acquire it without permission, to derive unauthorised satisfaction from it, just to satisfy our coarse, untamed, self-seeking appetites. This is how we glorify God in whose image we were made. But that image was subsequently disfigured by our willingness to disobey God, in choosing to follow our perverse desires and inclinations, when the greatest rebel tempted us. We chose to listen to him, for our hearts were in tune with him. Our base impulses were akin to his own disfigured self. But we are not doomed to follow in his footsteps forever. We belong to God and he did all that he could to secure us. Let us then not continue to walk away from God towards our ultimate destruction, for that is where our selfishness will lead us eventually.

Someone asked me whether I have a back up plan in my life. My response is this. My plans A, B, C and any other are God, God , God and God. I have no other plan besides putting all my trust in God to deliver me from my many afflictions.

Don't ever try to play with God. Don't ever dream of cheating him. If you are a rogue, be an honest rogue before God. A dishonest saint is worse than an honest rogue.

To appreciate the brightness of the sunlight, you need to experience the darkness of the night. To know the pureness of white, you should have seen the darkness of black.

Anyone who wants to know God should also be ready to know the devil. For you cannot know God without knowing the devil.

You cannot live for yourself properly without living for others. When you help others, you are ultimately helping yourself.

Today I recognize the student in me, after teaching what I have learned painfully over the years. All teachers should recognize the student in them. And the more they exercise the student in them, the more they become effective teachers.

Let fear not rule our hearts today. Let the thought of "I can't" have no place in my heart and in my mother's heart today. Let us believe that we can. In Christ we can do all things. We are more than conquerors in him, and we will overcome this terrible tribulation. We will both come out strong, even stronger than we were before. Our endurance will be our living testimony to the faith, the Spirit of God has worked in us. May our suffering produce this fruit today and always.

I'll remind you of this once more. If you say you love someone, but do not spend time with that person, you are deceiving yourself. You do not love people like that. You love people by letting them become a part of your life. You love people by becoming a part of their lives. You love them without conditions, and without moral judgement. You love people by not imposing a way of life on them.

You love people by showing them how God transformed you through his love. When you love people like this, you will reveal God to them.

Dare to be around those whom you would naturally avoid. Dare to accept them just as they are. Spend time with them. Love them as God enables you to love them. And let your love transform them. This is the way you reveal Jesus Christ to others.

The best teacher of love is Jesus Christ. If you can love like him, if you can love the marginalised people of the world, if you can keep company with social rejects, and accept them without condescension, then you are a lover like Christ. Anything less is not a Christ-like love.

For Christians to love Christians alone is an impoverished kind of love. To love only those who also believe in Jesus Christ, is a love with limitations.

If you believe that you can love people without being around them, in order to avoid being adversely influenced by them, then that kind of love cannot be love at all. Such love is a delusion.

To love is to give. And the one who loves well gives well. And to give well is to give what is precious. And the greatest love is the one that is willing to give all.

If you can love people without being bothered by their race, culture, religion, socio-economic and educational status, or anything else, which marks them as different from you, then your love is surely the kind that God himself shows.

We will have to do the best with what we have, without counting the cost and without being adversely affected by the response we get. This is the essence of good living.

You are a child of God. And therefore you are in the highest place along with him. Stand tall and feel good. But don't feel proud. We are all children of God. Some of us know it and have accepted it. Others do not know it. There are a few who know it, but have not accepted it yet.

Don't wait to be encouraged by others. Encourage yourself to be who you are. And you are a child of God made in his image, to be like him. To be like God, you should fix your eyes on God, and observe him well. Study him as well as you can. And learn from him how to approach life. Imitate God as a child imitates his father. Take joy in his presence, and look forward to spending time with him. He will be overjoyed to be with you, and he will teach you all that you need to know. With him you cannot be anything but happy and contented. When you have him, you need nothing else.

Let your celebration of a festival not be a suffering for others. The best way to celebrate anything is to take joy in something without causing discomfort to others. Only in that way will the other person be motivated to join in your celebration.

Lord, grant us the faith to believe that whatever we ask for in prayer in Jesus' name will be granted to us. Give us the grace to believe that we have already received what we asked for. Enable us to give you thanks in advance for the request that will be surely granted to us. God, give us the kind of faith, which will not take "no" for an answer. Give us that faith, which will wrestle with you all night, and even risk a life-long injury to receive the blessing, which is meant especially for us. Let us not just be people who pray well, but let us also actively facilitate the result that we expect, in the ways that we have learned from the fathers of our faith.

Lord, grant peaceful sleep to those who are in pain today. Grant them relief from unbearable pain. Grant the gift of sleep to my mother, who is still not able to sleep, for her terrible pain keeps her awake. Sleep is the great cure for many troubles. May those who are suffering today be mercifully given the gift of sleep. I count on your merciful nature. Lord God, healer of mankind, grant the gift of curative sleep to those who are crying out in pain. Some are so distracted by their suffering, that they are not even able to cry out to you. Others are able to cry out to you, but they have not been granted their request. Please Lord, do not delay any further. You are able, and you are good. Let there be no further day. Please hasten to help your people today. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen

What God can do, no man can do. Let no man try to do what God alone can do. Let the wheat and the tares grow together, until the time is ripe for harvest. And even then, God will send his specialists to separate the good from the bad. Let no attempt be made now to separate what God has allowed to grow together.