Sermon: Chaitanya
Sermon reflection: Samuel David
The power of preventive fasting and repentant prayer.
Sermon: Chaitanya
Sermon reflection: Samuel David
The Constituent Assembly set up a Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to prepare a Draft Constitution for India. This undoubtedly is the best Constitution.
The Preamble of Indian Constitution: “WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity, and to promote among them all, FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation…”
Sovereign: Control over the affairs of the State.
Socialist: Equal social status and respect for people.
Secular: There is no priority to be given to any religion and individuals can practice any religion of their choice.
Democratic: People choose the leader based on majority voting.
Republic: A ‘Republic’ is a State in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives
Supreme Court protects and secures the constitution of India to its utmost authority.
Kingdom of Darkness and Kingdom of Light
As we got independence to sovereignty from the British rule and governance. We Christians have had rescued from darkness to Light.
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. – Col 1:13-14
Characteristics of Dark kingdom:
- Satan is ruler
- Slaves to Satan and his fallen angels
- We were without hype and future
Characteristics of Light kingdom:
- Christ is the king.
- Sons and Daughters of the Heavenly Father.
- Hope and Future of an eternal life
These two Kingdom is in conflict.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8.
Solution: We must “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41.
Example from the Bible:
“When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.” – Job 1:5 Often, we are unable to take time to pray: We must push ourselves to pray. An Example of Preventive prayer is found in the book of Ezra:
“21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:21-23 “31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.” – Ezra 31-32 Old Testament is often a shadow of the things in the spiritual realm.
Ezra 9:5-13 “5 Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God 6 and prayed:
“I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.
8 “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place[a] in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands 11 you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’
13 “What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. 14 Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 15 Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”” Prior prayer of repentance. Intercessory prayer. Associating with sinners and asking for forgiveness and His mercy delivers us. Ezra 10:1-5 “1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. 2 Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3 Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4 Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” 5 So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath.”
“16 So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month, they sat down to investigate the cases, 17 and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.” – Ezra 10: 16-17
No repentance, No protection, No deliverance. Group prayer.
What do we need protection and deliverance from?
• Demonic bondages drawing us towards cyclical sins.
• Mental bondages such as indecisiveness, loss of mental acumen, distracted mind while listening to the word of God.
• Fruitlessness in Christian walk.
• Life without joy and hope.
• Broken family not able to function to the fullest.
• Children going in the wrong direction.
Jesus practices preventive prayer in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1:
JESUS PRAYS IN A SOLITARY PLACE
“35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.Mark 1:28-39 If Jesus being the God incarnate how much more must we.” We must repent genuinely and submit to God and let the devil flee away. Warfare prayer: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. In an excerpt from the movie War Room. We see an offensive prayer against the devil. A declaration that the source of Joy is from Jesus alone. She reminds that Jesus had defeated the devil on the cross. And that there is no room for lies, schemes and accusations in her home. Preventive prayers closes the door and stops the infiltration of lies, schemes, and accusations.
