Archives For rajesh

Pray for a Righteous Ruling in the Case Concerning Hobby Lobby and Other Christian Companies

June 18, 2014

God wants all those who are in authority to rule righteously in His fear (Ps. 2, Romans 13, etc.). Believers everywhere should pray for a righteous ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case involving the religious rights of Hobby Lobby and other Christian companies. How this case is decided will have major ramifications for religious freedom in our country as well as elsewhere because of the widespread influence that American political and religious developments have in the world.

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Prayer
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The Evangelistic Importance of Testimony about Jesus’ Exorcisms

June 14, 2014

In many ways, the NT highlights the evangelistic importance of testimony about Jesus’ exorcisms. This evidence calls for adjusting our evangelistic strategies so that they properly account for this importance.

The Synoptic Gospels Provide Much Testimony about Jesus’ Exorcisms

The Synoptic Gospels underscore the evangelistic importance of Jesus’ exorcisms by providing multiple accounts of his casting demons out of people. The following list provides in chronological order[1] the passages that record Jesus’ performing exorcisms (parallel passages among the Gospels are indicated by the use of “/” between references):

1. Mk. 1:21-28/ Luke 4:31b-37;

2. Matt. 8:16/ Mk 1:34;

3. Matt. 4:24/ Mk 1:39/ Luke 4:41;

4. Matt. 12:22-37/ Mk. 3:20-30;

5. Matt. 8:28-34/ Mk. 5:1-20/ Luke 8:26-39;

6. Matt. 9:27-34

7. Matt. 15:21-28/ Mk. 7:24-30;

8. Matt. 17:14-21/ Mk. 9:14-29/ Luke 9:37-43a.

9. Luke 11:14-36

The Synoptic Gospels also underscore the evangelistic importance of Jesus’ exorcisms by providing information about other exorcisms that Jesus performed for which the writers of the Synoptic Gospels chose not to give an actual account of His doing so (seven demons cast out from Mary Magdalene [Mk. 16:9]).

This data makes clear that the Holy Spirit viewed including testimony about Jesus’ exorcisms as vital in the writing of these Gospels. Because the Gospels were written to evangelize people, the inclusion of these accounts shows us the importance of evangelistic testimony to Jesus’ exorcisms.

The Synoptic Gospels Record Jesus’ Commands to Testify about His Exorcisms

The Synoptic Gospels further emphasize the evangelistic importance of testimony to Jesus’ exorcisms by recording on at least two occasions that Jesus commanded people to give testimony about His exorcisms:

 Luk 8:38 Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 

Because the Synoptic Gospels not only provide testimony about Jesus’ exorcisms but also make known that He commanded some people to testify about them, we learn that such testimony has great evangelistic importance.

Acts Records Apostolic Gospel Testimony about Jesus’ Exorcisms

Like the Synoptic Gospels, Acts also shows the evangelistic importance of testimony about Jesus’ exorcisms, but it does so in different ways than the Gospels do. Acts emphasizes such testimony by recording a seminal statement in Peter’s gospel message in Caesarea:

Act 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Luke highlighted testimony to Jesus’ exorcisms in a profound way with this statement because that testimony is the only explicitly recorded information that we have about how Peter testified on this occasion to the miraculous works of Jesus.

Through directing Luke to record this gospel testimony for us, the Holy Spirit also has provided us with a superb model of how we should evangelize people concerning their understanding of the term Christ (for more information about this point, see the brief discussion of Acts 10:38 here).

Acts Highlights the Evangelistic Importance of Testimony to Jesus’ Exorcisms through a Striking Account of Jewish Failure in Exorcism

Acts further emphasizes the evangelistic importance of testimony to Jesus’ exorcisms through a striking account that contrasts apostolic success in exorcising people possessed by demons versus Jewish failure to do so (Acts 19:11-17). While Paul was in Ephesus, God worked special miracles through him, including even the casting out of demons from people through their coming into contact with handkerchiefs or aprons from his body (Acts 19:11-12).

Some Jewish exorcists then attempted to perform an exorcism by invoking the name of Jesus whom Paul preached (Acts 19:13-14). Not only did these men fail to drive out the demon, but also the man who had the demon overpowered them and drove them out “naked and wounded” from the house where they were (Acts 19:15-16).

Through the spreading of news about their striking failure, the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly magnified among all who were in Ephesus (Acts 19:17). Hence, through testimony that dramatically contrasted the successful apostolic exorcisms with the unsuccessful attempt of these Jewish exorcists, many lost people received a powerful evangelistic witness of the power of Jesus’ name.

As the readers of Acts, we thus see that Acts accords with the Synoptic Gospels in emphasizing the evangelistic importance of testimony about Jesus’ exorcisms.

Discussion

Both the Synoptic Gospels and Acts instruct us in various ways about the evangelistic importance of testifying to Jesus’ exorcisms. This evidence is more than sufficient to teach us that we should include such testimony in our evangelism whenever possible.

Some may object to this conclusion by pointing out that explicit testimony to Jesus’ exorcisms is strikingly lacking in the Gospel of John, which has an explicit statement about its evangelistic purpose (John 20:31). Does this seemingly major difference between the Synoptics and the Gospel of John mean that testimony to Jesus’ exorcisms is not an important aspect of proper evangelism?

For several reasons, attaching such determinative significance to this lack of testimony in the Gospel of John is invalid. First, as noted above, the Synoptic Gospels and Acts provide abundant evidence that such testimony is important.

Second, because the Gospel of John was almost certainly written after all the other Gospels and Acts were written, any reader of the Fourth Gospel would need to interpret it in conjunction with all that God had revealed prior to giving this final Gospel.

Third, at the point that John was written, the apostles and other believers had already been evangelizing people for several decades and thus already knew well what was important to include in evangelistic testimony. For that reason, the lack of explicit testimony to Jesus’ exorcisms in John would not have played any important role in changing the thinking of believers about what they should say when they evangelize people.

Finally, although John lacks any explicit accounts of Jesus’ exorcisms, John has implicit teaching that fully accords with that vital aspect of Jesus’ ministry. John writes that Jesus interpreted a voice that thundered from heaven (John 12:28-29) by giving vital testimony concerning what His upcoming death would mean for the devil:

 Joh 12:30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

 31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out (Gk. ekballw).

 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. 

Jesus’ statement that the devil would be cast out (John 12:31) ties at least implicitly to many passages in the Synoptic Gospels about His casting out demons from people because the same verb ekballw is used both in John and in those passages in the Synoptic Gospels.[2] This strong link between John and the Synoptic Gospels further supports the conclusion that lack of explicit testimony in John to Jesus’ exorcisms does not negate the vast evidence in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts about the importance of such testimony.

Conclusion

Profuse testimony in the Synoptic Gospels about Jesus’ exorcisms makes clear that such testimony is of great importance in proper evangelism. Additional evidence in Acts further supports this conclusion.

We should include testimony about Jesus’ exorcisms in our witnessing whenever it is possible to do so. We can provide such testimony by sharing Acts 10:38 with everyone we witness to and explaining that statement to them thoroughly.

 

[1] This chronological listing is based in part on information provided in “An Outline For a Harmony of the Gospels” (Thomas and Gundry, A Harmony of the Gospels, 7-14).

[2] Matt. 8:16, 31; 9:33, 34; 12:24, 26, 27, 28; 17:19; Mk. 1:34, 39; 3:22, 23; 7:26; 16:9; Lk. 11:14, 15, 18, 19, 20; 13:32

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Evangelism, Exposition, Gospel, Interpretation
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Spanish Bible Reading Report 6.13.14

June 13, 2014

By day 164 of 2014, I have read 493 total chapters in the Reina Valera this year!

6.13.14 sbrr

  • Books completed – Genesis; Exodus; Psalms; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes; Isaiah; Matthew; John; Galatians; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; James; 1 & 2 & 3 John; Jude (426 total chapters)
  • Other reading – Leviticus 1-7; Job 1-25; Jeremiah 1-5; Mark 1-8; Acts 1-19; 1 Cor. 13-15 (67 total chapters)
  • Chapters read – OT – 386; NT – 107; Total – 493

I praise God for my continuing progress with this project!

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Bible reading, Spanish
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“Walking Through the Flames” is a powerful song that glorifies God through both its lyrics and music. After receiving permission from The Wilds Christian Association, Inc., my friend Dr. Yuriy Leonovich and I recently recorded this guitar-cello duet of the song.

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

Posted on June 11, 2014  In Guitar Music, Music
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Why Whether Jesus Was Ever Married Matters

June 9, 2014

Recently, some have claimed that they have found an ancient document that says that Jesus had a wife.[1] Does it make any difference whether Jesus was ever married?

Answering this question properly requires the careful consideration of at least five lines of reasoning based on Scripture. The following treatment of those lines of reasoning provides evidence that sufficiently shows what the right answer to this question is.

No Scriptural Mention of Jesus Being Married

Scripture abounds with statements that God’s providing a man with a godly wife is an exceedingly great divine blessing (Prov. 18:22; 19:14; 31:10-11; 30). Had God the Father provided Jesus with such a priceless blessing, He surely would have made it known to us in Scripture that He did so.

Scripture has no statements, however, that speak of Jesus ever marrying anyone. For those who believe fully in the authority of Scripture, this evidence alone should be enough to convince them that Jesus was never married.

Committing His Mother to John

Shortly before He died, Jesus committed His mother Mary to the care of the apostle John:

Joh 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

If Jesus had a wife, why would He have committed His mother to the care of John when His wife would have been living? In fact, Mary Magdalene, whom some have suggested was Jesus’ wife, was present when Jesus did this (John 19:25).

As Ruth cared for Naomi of old, so any woman who would have been married to Jesus certainly would have played a leading role in caring for her mother-in-law after His death. We have no evidence in Scripture, however, that Mary Magdalene or any other woman who was supposedly married to Jesus played a major role in caring for Mary after Jesus had died.

We should conclude that Jesus did not have a wife.

Failure to Provide for His Own

Before His death, Jesus made provision for the care of His mother (John 19:26-27). Scripturally, however, had He been married, His first obligation would have been to provide for His wife (cf. 1 Tim. 5:8).

Scripture provides no indication that Jesus took any steps that would be consistent with caring for a wife who would soon have been a widow. We can be confident, therefore, that He was not married to anyone when He died.

Expecting Greater Commitment from Some of His Disciples Than He Himself Had

Jesus taught that some of His disciples would not marry for the sake of the kingdom (Matt. 19:11). Yet, if He were married, He himself would have not have set Himself apart for the sake of the kingdom to the extent that He taught that these disciples have done.

It is unthinkable that any other human will ever have committed himself to divine service more than Jesus did. For Jesus ever to have been married would be utterly inconsistent with biblical teaching about His unsurpassed setting Himself apart to God.

An Earthly Bride and a Spiritual Bride

Had Jesus been married to anyone prior to His death and resurrection, He would have had an earthly bride. Scripture, however, does not say anything about Him ever being married to an earthly bride.

Furthermore, Scripture speaks explicitly of the Lamb having a spiritual bride (Eph. 5:22-28; Rev. 19:7-9); if He were also to have been married to an earthly bride, He would then have had at least two brides—one earthly and one spiritual. Because no passage in Scripture even remotely suggests that Jesus will have two brides, we can be confident that He was not ever married to Mary Magdalene or any other woman while He lived on the earth.

Conclusion

Based on the five lines of reasoning from Scripture treated above, we have ample biblical basis to reject alleged evidence from some purportedly legitimate extrabiblical source that says that Jesus had a wife. Jesus was never married while He lived on the earth prior to His crucifixion.

 

[1] See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Jesus’_Wife for information about this claim.

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Interpretation, Theology
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Deliverance through Prayerful Persistence!

June 7, 2014

A few months ago, I received an outrageous monthly bill from a company that I have been doing business with for many years. My bill was more than double what it was for the same time last year.

As soon as I discovered this problem, I contacted the company to tell them that there had to be some error with the bill. Based on what they told me, I assured them that they had made some major mistake because it was impossible that the bill was correct.

Despite several efforts to have the problem corrected, I was not able to get the company to acknowledge that they had made a serious error. I asked prayer from my church, at work, from friends, and we prayed often about it at home.

Through contact with a lawyer, I learned of a state agency that investigates complaints from people who have had such problems. After their initial investigation, I was disappointed that the regulator was siding with the company against me.

I continued to pray and pondered what to do next. Meanwhile, at my request, the investigator agreed to dig deeper into the possibility of either faulty equipment or a reading error or both being responsible for my outrageous bill.

I received word yesterday that further investigation showed that the company had in fact made a major error with my bill. What’s more, the investigator let me know that my actual bill for that period was even less than what it was for the same period last year.

Instead of having to pay the remainder of that outrageous bill, I have now received a credit for making a partial payment that was still for more than what we actually owed! I praise God for leading us to persist prayerfully in disputing this bill and for His finally delivering us from this problem through that prayerful persistence!

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Prayer, Testimony
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The Horrific Destructiveness of Unclean Spirits

June 5, 2014

Scripture records several accounts of the vicious activities of unclean spirits toward humans (Matt. 15:22; Mark 5:2-5; Luke 13:11, 16). The aftermath of Jesus’ dealings with a demon-possessed man in “the country of the Gadarenes” (Mark 5:1) reveals the horrific destructiveness of unclean spirits in a distinctive way that is easily overlooked.

The Deliverance of a Horribly Afflicted Man

Dwelling in tombs, a man possessed by an unclean spirit lived a terrible life of continual misery:

Mar 5:2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

Through an encounter with Jesus, this man was graciously delivered from his horrible plight (Mark 5:6-13; 15). After Jesus had forced the many demons who had possessed him to come out of him (Mark 5:9, 13), he was “sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind” (Mark. 5:15).

The Horrific Destruction of a Vast Number of Pigs

The many demons that had possessed this man requested permission of Jesus to enter into a large herd of swine that were feeding nearby (Mark. 5:11-12). Receiving that permission, they entered the swine “and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea . . . and were choked in the sea” (Mark 5:13).

These unclean spirits, therefore, caused the violent destruction of “about two thousand” pigs (Mark 5:13). Although these pigs had posed no threat whatever to these unclean spirits, the spirits still viciously attacked them and cruelly led them to a horrific death of being choked in the sea.

Three Accounts of Unwarranted Demonic Cruelty to Animals

Three Gospel writers record the account of these unclean spirits afflicting both this man and these seemingly innocent animals (Matt. 8:32; Mark 5:13; Luke 8:32). These multiple accounts of that event underscore that the malevolence of unclean spirits extends far beyond destructiveness toward humans—they also mercilessly attacked these animals.

Based on this biblical data, we should be mindful of the possibility that similar activity by unclean spirits may be responsible for the horrific destruction of many animals on other occasions in history.

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exposition, Theology
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Are These Prohibitions Still the Will of God for His People?

June 3, 2014

The Lord spoke to Moses and made known to him that he was to make a holy anointing oil (Exod. 30:22-33) and a “pure and holy” perfume (Exod. 30:34-38) for sacred use in the tabernacle. God sternly warned that His judgment would be upon any of His people who made either of these for any other use:

Exo 30:32 Upon man’s flesh shall it [the holy anointing oil] not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

 33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

Exo 30:37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.

 38 Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Both of these prohibitions were given to God’s people, Israel.

Are these prohibitions still the will of God for His people today (Christians; cf. Acts 15:14) or are Christians free to make one or the other or both of these mixtures that God said were holy for His people Israel and use them however they wish?

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Interpretation, Theology
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“A Child of the King”

May 31, 2014

Using only the refrain of the song, “A Child of the King,” I have made a new simple song for teaching children many profound truths from Scripture about who they are.

A Child of the King

I’m a child of the King, a child of the King!
 With Jesus, my Savior, I’m a child of the King.

I’m a sheep in God’s flock, a sheep in God’s flock!
 With Christ as my Shepherd, I’m a sheep in God’s flock.

I’m a priest of our God, a priest of our God!
 Through Jesus, God’s Servant, I’m a priest of our God.

I’m a saint of our Lord, a saint of our Lord!
 Through Christ, my Redeemer, I’m a saint of our Lord.

I’m a member of Christ, a member of Christ!
 Through faith in His rising, I’m a member of Christ.

I’m the temple of God, the temple of God!
 Through God’s Holy Spirit, I’m the temple of God.

Copyright © 2014 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

You may use this song in a ministry context provided you do not change any of the words and you provide copyright information to anyone whom you distribute it. Please contact me for any other use of the song.

This PDF provides the melody notes, guitar chords (key of D), and lyrics for the six stanzas of the song. Here’s how the melody sounds:

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Guitar Music, Music
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Are You Living For Jesus In Your Body?

May 29, 2014

Let us examine ourselves to see whether we are faithfully living for Jesus in the lives we are now to be living in our bodies by faith in Christ (Gal. 2:20):

1. When was the last time that I glorified God by praising Him for fearfully, wonderfully, and marvelously making my body?

Ps. 139:14 – “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Ps. 50:23 – “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.”

2. When did I last pray to the One whose “hands have made me and fashioned me” for understanding to learn His commandments concerning the members of my body, which He has commanded me to present to Him as “servants . . . of obedience unto righteousness”?

Ps. 119:73 – “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.”

Rom. 6:16, 19 – “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? . . .I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

3. How long has it been since I fervently wished for myself and for others physical well-being matching the prosperity of my/their soul(s)?

3 John 2 – “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

4. How faithfully have I ministered to Christ by ministering to sick brethren?

Matt. 25:36, 40 – “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. . . . And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” cf. Ps. 41:1-3; Acts 9:5; 1 Cor. 12:22-27; Gal. 4:13-15, 6:2; Col. 1:24; 1 Tim. 5:10; Heb 13:3; James 1:27

5. On how many days have I exhorted others so that they would not be hardened by the deceitfulness of some sin pertaining to bodily appetites?

Heb. 3:13 – “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Prov. 22:3 – “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”

1 Cor. 10:12 – “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Prov. 25:16 – “Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.”

6. When was the last time that I delighted in God’s word and meditated on it throughout the day concerning what He has commanded concerning glorifying Him in my body?

Ps. 1:2 – “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

1 Cor. 6:20 – “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

7. How submissive have I been to exhortation from God-appointed ministers concerning needed changes in my lifestyle for my health sake?

1 Tim. 5:23 – “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”

Prov. 3:7, 8 – “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”

Prov. 14:30 – “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.”

8. How diligent have I been to worthily take the Lord’s Supper by judging myself concerning failure to love others properly with respect to my eating and drinking?

1 Cor. 11:21, 28, 31 – “For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. . . . But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. . . . For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”

Prov. 15:17 – “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”

9. What Scripture have I recently treasured in my heart so that I would not sin against God concerning my body?

Ps. 119:11 – “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Prov. 30:7-9 – “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” cf. 1 Cor. 8:11-13

10. How careful have I been to not openly judge or despise brethren who are seeking to honor God in living their lives in the body in ways that I have a differing opinion of what is right to do?

Rom. 14:3 – “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.”

11. When did I last search diligently as I would for hidden treasure the Word of God concerning glorifying God in my eating and drinking and thereby come to understand His fear and find the knowledge of Him?

Prov. 2:4, 5 – “If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

1 Cor. 9:25 – “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

12. When have I recently been a Christ-like friend to another believer by sharing something special that I have heard from God in His word concerning glorifying Him in my body?

John 15:15 – “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Ps. 29:9 – “In his temple doth every one speak of his glory.”

1 Cor. 6:19, 20 – “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

 13. How willing am I to glorify God through faithful stewardship of the abundant physical strength that He would give me through Christ to sacrificially meet the health needs of others whom I providentially encounter?

1 Pet. 4:10, 11 – “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Luke 10:33-35 – “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

14. From the Scriptural records of people who failed concerning glorifying God in their bodies, have I learned not to fail to glorify God in my body like they did?

1 Cor. 10:6, 9 – “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. . . . Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.”

15. How faithful have I been to confront young people I interact with about remembering their Creator now and removing everything in their lives that is unjustifiably harming their physical bodies?

Eccl. 11:10, 12:1 – “Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;”

16. How mindful have I been of my need to be a good steward of my body for His glory while I expectantly await the imminent return of Christ?

Matt. 24:48, 49 – “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;”

Luke 12:45 – “But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin  . . . to eat and drink, and to be drunken;”

Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Health
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