I now have less than 400 chapters to go in the Reina Valera to finish reading through the Bible in Spanish this year!
¡Gloria a Dios!
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Archives For Discipleship
“Aura Lee” is a beautiful song that is easy to play. This PDF provides the melody and chords for this song in the key of C. Because the song has only 5 chords (C, Dm, G7, E, Am), it is a good song to use to master basic chord changes between these basic chords.
You can practice playing the melody and the chords along with the audio of the song:
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Second Samuel 15 records some key tactics used by a popular man who obtained a top position of national leadership through corrupt practices. This revelation provides helpful biblical instruction about some common tactics of corrupt politicians.
Absalom as a Popular Figure in Israel
In addition to his being a son of the king, Absalom was an exceedingly handsome man who was highly praised for his remarkably unblemished physical appearance (2 Sam. 14:25). He also exerted considerable influence over his father king David (cf. 2 Sam. 13:27).
How Absalom Usurped His Father’s Throne
Absalom usurped his father’s throne through a “political” campaign of convincing aggrieved people (2 Sam. 15:2b) that his father did not really care enough about them to give them the justice that they deserved (2 Sam. 15:3). Using an extensive PR campaign of rising early to meet these people (2 Sam. 15:2) and patronizing them (Absalom “put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him” [2 Sam. 15:5]), Absalom was able to steal away their hearts from their allegiance to David as their king (2 Sam. 15:6).
Absalom then lied to his father about his desire to serve God and did so in order to accomplish his evil purposes (2 Sam. 15:7-9). Through his influence over a vast number of co-conspirators, he was able to usurp the throne of David (2 Sam. 15:10-12).
The Deceitfulness of Absalom
Scripture provides no evidence that Absalom was truly concerned with providing unjustly treated people in Israel with the justice for which they sought. His goal was rather to attain supreme national authority (2 Sam. 15:10) by pretending that he really cared for their welfare.
To obtain his ends, Absalom asserted that King David had failed to depute someone to hear and settle their cases justly (2 Sam. 15:3). Scripture, however, does not mention anything about such a failure on David’s part.
Furthermore, Absalom asserted that he was qualified and eager to serve the people in such a capacity (2 Sam. 15:4). Again, we have no biblical basis for thinking that he had the character and training to exercise such authority over the people.
Instead, he used his “charismatic” appeal (cf. 2 Sam. 14:25; 15:5) to sway them into believing that he was qualified to do what he claimed he would do for them and that he would do so if they supported him in overthrowing their government. Through his great deceitfulness, Absalom even succeeded in manipulating many other people into unknowingly support him in usurping the throne of Israel (2 Sam. 15:11).
Some Common Tactics of Corrupt Politicians
The Scriptural account of Absalom’s corrupt rise to power reveals that he employed some common tactics to deceive people into wanting him to be in a leading position of authority over them:
1. He used his highly attractive appearance and his skill in patronizing people to ingratiate himself with them. Pretending to take a genuine personal interest in them, he was able to win their hearts.
2. He used his skill at deceitfully manipulating people so that they thought he was qualified to rule over them in a capacity in which he had no intent in doing so.
3. He deceived people who wanted justice from their existing governmental leaders into thinking that their government did not really care for them and that he really cared for their concerns and would see to it that their concerns would be addressed properly. He thus manipulated these people so that they would support him in overthrowing the supposedly unjust leader who was then ruling over them.
4. He lied to the existing governmental authority to achieve his evil purpose.
5. He pretended to be a religious man when it suited his evil designs.
6. He skillfully used his abilities to manipulate people to form a strong conspiracy against legitimate governmental authority. In fact, he was so cunning that he was able deceitfully to garner the support of a sizeable number of people who did not know anything about his evil intentions.
Through this passage that exposes these common tactics of corrupt politicians, let us beware of the use of such tactics by deceitful, popular people who are highly skilled in manipulating people into supporting them in their political activities. Furthermore, let us scrutinize carefully the claims of all those who assert that putting them into power would help us to get the justice that we deserve but supposedly have not received from existing governmental leaders who are legitimately in power over us.
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
These six pointers provide much food for thought for believers who have a burden to pray for missionaries.
HOW TO PRAY FOR MISSIONARIES TODAY
by Allan & Robin Cuthbert, Sao Paulo, Brazil
1. CHRIST-GLORYING ESSENTIALS It is not so essential that you ask God to give us good health. The important thing is that He give us only the measure of health that will best glorify Him. Who knows but what it may be to His glory that we should be sick, and thereby demonstrate to the nationals about us that we have a God who can keep us in a perfect peace and joy, even in the midst of pain.
2. SUFFICIENT GRACE We do not want you to pray that God will give us an easy path on the mission field, but rather that He might give us grace sufficient to be overcomers for Him.
3. TIME TAKEN TO PRAY Do not pray so much that God will answer our prayers, as that God will keep us from being too busy to pray. Haven’t you thought of the fact that it is just as easy for us missionaries to be too busy to pray, as it is for you in the homeland to be too busy to take time with God?
4. STEWARDSHIP OF TIME It is not so important that you pray that God should bless our activities, as that God should censor our activities, for how easy it is for a missionary’s time and energy to be spent on second best things.
5. RESISTANCE TO TEMPTATIONS Please do not pray for us as though we were saints, living up on a high level, because we are missionaries. We who go as missionaries are subjected to temptation. Satan will determine in one way or another to hinder our testimony, to rob our lives of power or make our witness futile. We need your prayer that God will give grace and strength to resist temptation.
6. COMPASSION FOR LOST SOULS Won’t you remember please, that missionaries can become lonely; we can become discouraged, irritable, sharp, impatient with other missionaries. Above all, we want to tell you that we can do a great deal of missionary work without being on fire for the Lord. So we covet, above all, your prayers for us that we may ever live with our hearts aflame with passion for the lost and aflame with the glory and love of Christ.
–This article is from a prayer resource produced by my church.
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Although I was born in India, God in His providence ordained that I would grow up in the United States. Having grown up here and especially because I came to experience the true forgiveness of my sins here in the US through hearing and believing the gospel of God concerning His Son, I am profoundly grateful for the goodness of God in raising up this great nation.
The United States of America as a nation is near and dear to my heart in spite of the increasing spiritual darkness that is blighting it now. Although many believers today seem to me to be promoting downplaying the importance of loving one’s country, I believe that those who have been blessed of God to have experienced so much of the goodness of God in this land should continually display an open gratitude to God for the United States of America.
Not just around the Fourth of July, but also throughout the year, Christian gratefulness should abound for the goodness of God in blessing the world so greatly through the United States of America. In keeping with the truth expressed long ago by God, “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee” (Deut. 8:10), let us who have eaten and become so full both physically and spiritually in this good land continually praise and bless God for the USA.
In fact, I believe that we would do well to praise and thank God regularly for the USA after we have been fed richly, both physically and spiritually. Praying to God both before and after meals would be a great way for us all to cultivate greater appreciation for all that He has blessed us with in this good land.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for so blessing the world and me through this great nation. Most of all, may You truly bless the USA by “turning away every one of [us who live here in the US] from [our] iniquities” (Acts 3:26)!
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
After long, tiring days of many hours of standing and working under considerable pressure, I often find myself wanting and needing to take a nap right after I get off work. Recently, I have been surprised at discovering another way that has been working very well for me to lessen work-induced fatigue when I cannot take a nap soon after getting off work.
With my current schedule, I am often not able to take a nap after work on two days of the week. Because of teaching and other commitments that I have relatively soon after work on those days, I also need on these days to clean up shortly after a long day of strenuous physical work.
Because of a problem that we have been having with the showerhead in our bathroom, I was forced to take a rather cold shower one day about three weeks ago so that I would not be smelly when I went to teach. Although the process was initially quite unpleasant, I discovered that I experienced an almost immediate and dramatic lessening of my fatigue after taking that cold shower.
I was very surprised that I was able to teach effectively and function quite well that evening without taking much time at all to rest or nap after work. In fact, the cold shower reenergized me in a way that taking a nap usually does not.
Every time that I have tried this approach so far after a hard day of heavy physical work, I have experienced the same dramatic relief afterwards. Although this way may not work for other people and may not work for me as well in the future, I have found it so far to be a great help to me in handling the much heavier workload that I now have!
If only there were a less unpleasant way . . .
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Hechos 15:13-14 dice, “ Y cuando ellos callaron, Jacobo respondió diciendo: Varones hermanos, oídme. Simón ha contado cómo Dios visitó por primera vez a los gentiles, para tomar de ellos pueblo para su nombre.” Estos versículos nos muestra que en el Concilio de Jerusalén, Jacobo compartió cómo Pedro había declarado “cómo Dios visitó por primera vez a los gentiles, para tomar de ellos pueblo para su nombre” (Hechos 15:14). Lo que Dios comenzó en ese entonces en Cesarea, Él continúa con su labor en todo el mundo.
Como gentil a quien ha llevado a estar entre su pueblo, deseo de perpetuar la glorificación de Dios mismo por medio de sacar a muchas más personas por causa del Nombre. Por esta razón, he escogido un pueblo para su Nombre como título para mi ministerio.
Dios me salvó en 1990 y me puso en la Iglesia Bautista Calvario en Cookeville, Tennessee. Con los años, he servido allí en muchas capacidades, incluyendo la enseñanza para la Escuela Bíblica de vacaciones y la escuela dominical en numerosas ocasiones, así como predicar muchas veces. También he estado muy involucrado en el ministerio de la juventud en el Calvario de varias maneras desde que asistí allí.
Dios me trajo a la Iglesia Bautista Monte Calvario en Greenville, Carolina del Sur, en 1991. He estado muy involucrado en las visitas de puerta a puerta en mis años en el Monte Calvario. También he dado muchos desafíos antes de las visitas de puerta a puerta, también he enseñado adultos de la escuela dominical en numerosas ocasiones, y ministrado muchas veces en música especial en varias capacidades en la iglesia.
Como parte del ministerio de estudiantes universitarios en el Monte Calvario, así como por mi cuenta con un número de amigos, he ministrado muchas veces en otras iglesias en Carolina del Sur, Carolina del Norte, Georgia y Tennessee. Hemos llevado a cabo actividades para la juventud, ministramos en predicación, la enseñanza, y la música, y participamos en los alcances de visita. También ayudamos a una iglesia extensamente con el trabajo de jardinería y otros trabajos manuales alrededor de la iglesia.
También he ministrado durante dos veranos en el extranjero. Enseñé a los hombres que estaban en el ministerio o en la formación para el ministerio, prediqué en las iglesias, y evangelizé muchas personas perdidas.
De Abril a Octubre de 2010, el Señor me dio 20 oportunidades para predicar y enseñar en nueve iglesias en Carolina del Sur, Carolina del Norte, Georgia y Tennessee. Entonces ministré 43 veces en 42 días, incluyendo la predicación 39 veces. Además de predicar en las iglesias, mi ministerio incluyó la predicación en servicios de capilla en cuatro colegios, enseñando tres temas durante una semana en un colegio, hablé en un campamento familiar, en un orfanato, y acompañé a un coro de una universidad con mi guitarra clásica en dos servicios.
El 8 de febrero de 2011, Dios respondió a mis oraciones al permitirme publicar por primera vez en mi sitio web! Desde entonces, he tenido el privilegio de publicar 685 veces en mi sitio (como de 29 de agosto de 2014).
En el 2011, también tuve el privilegio de continuar un ministerio de predicación itinerante y enseñanza que promueve especialmente el evangelismo que está totalmente de acuerdo con todo lo que la Biblia revela acerca de lo que Él quiere proclamado en todo el mundo. El Señor abrió algunas oportunidades para ministrar en ese tema, y espero que para muchos más en los próximos años.
El Señor también me permitió terminar en el 2011 un proyecto de lectura muy especial de la Biblia leyendola en griego en el 2011! Leyendo tanto la Septuaginta y el griego del Nuevo Testamento a través de ese año fue inmensamente valioso.
En el 2012, el Señor me dirijó a participar en el ministerio en español a través de la enseñanza de clases de guitarra en las iglesias españolas y ministrando en el ministerio en español de mi iglesia local. También me llevó a comenzar a servir en un ministerio de alcance en mi iglesia a los niños de una escuela primaria local.
El Señor también me ha dirigido en los últimos años a estudiar intensamente todo lo que la Escritura enseña acerca de la música. En el 2012, Él me llevó a leer a través del libro de los Salmos 25 veces para que mi mente se saturara y se renovara a fondo por su verdad.
En los últimos tres años, también he tenido el privilegio de ayudar a editar dos libros, La Biografía del Dr. Frank Garlock, y un libro por Shelly Hamilton, “¿Por qué yo no escucho la música cristiana contemporánea.”
Ahora tengo una carga para instruir al pueblo de Dios acerca de la música que es aceptable para Él. Para ello, he escrito numerosos artículos relacionados con el tema de la CCM, y espero tener oportunidades en las iglesias para ayudar al pueblo de Dios manejar este grave problema correctamente.
Este año, el Señor me ha dirigido para escribir las letras para muchos de los nuevos himnos, entre ellos algunos en español. También me he centrado en gran medida en el ministerio musical en mi iglesia y en prepararme más para el ministerio en español.
El 17 de agosto de este año, el Señor me dio el privilegio de enseñar en la escuela dominical y la predicación del mensaje de la mañana en una iglesia en español que es local. El Señor gentilmente permitió que ambos servicios fuera mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. ¡Alabado sea Dios!
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Among professing believers today, views concerning the depths of human depravity differ. Three passages in Jeremiah reveal that human depravity has reached unimaginable depths that point to a widespread deficiency in the views of many believers concerning human depravity. In fact, these passages show that many humans throughout history have become so depraved as to plunge to a depth of wickedness that Scripture speaks of in a stunningly remarkable way.
Wickedness That Never Came into God’s Heart or Mind
Jeremiah writes three times of the unspeakably wicked practice of child sacrifice that God’s people at that time had engaged in:
Jer 7:31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
Jer 19:5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
Jer 32:35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
These texts make known that the practice of burning children in fire in worship of idols was something that never came into God’s heart or mind as something that His people would ever do! Amazingly, these texts reveal that in their depravity, they had sunk to a depth that was unthinkable to God!
Many other passages also document God’s profound condemnation of this abomination:
Lev 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
2Ki 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
Psa 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
2Ch 28:3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
Eze 16:20 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,
21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?
Eze 20:26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.
Of these additional passages, 2 Chronicles 28:3 is particularly noteworthy because it reveals that the Israelites engaged in this corrupt practice “after [in imitation of] the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.” This passage especially points to the profound dangers of God’s people exposing themselves to the wicked practices of the world.
God-fearing Christians should guard themselves from the corrupting influences of all people who are not like God (Ps. 1:1), including those professing Christians who live worldly lives permeated by the sensuality of the world. As 2 Kings 17:17 and other texts of Scripture warn us, we must especially shun all contact with objects and practices used in connection with encountering evil supernatural beings or stemming from contact with them, including musical styles that are associated with people influenced by them.
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
This Sunday, I taught Sunday school and preached in Spanish for the morning service at a local Spanish church. It was my first time to minister entirely in Spanish without any help from a translator.
My teaching and especially my preaching went far better than I was expecting, and the Lord gave me remarkable fluidity and clarity in speaking Spanish such as I have never had before in my life! Many people expressed their gratefulness for the clarity of my speaking and how easy it was for them to understand what I ministered.
Although I did have some trouble pronouncing a number of words and had to resay quite a few, my doing so does not seem to have hindered people from readily receiving the truths that were ministered. Even though I had manuscripted virtually everything that I said and was just reading what I had written, the people were attentive in such an encouraging way that I know that their doing so was a direct answer to many prayers.
I’d like to thank everyone who prayed over the past few weeks for my Spanish ministry this past weekend. Most of all, I thank and praise God for His graciously and abundantly empowering and enabling me to minister effectively in a language that I am by no means fluent in at this point!
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
After 228 days in 2014, I have finished reading 689 chapters in the Reina Valera this year (58%)!
- Books completed – Genesis; Exodus; Leviticus; 1 Samuel; Ruth; Nehemiah; Job; Psalms; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes; Isaiah; Matthew; Mark; John; Acts; Galatians; Philippians; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 & 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon; James; 1 & 2 & 3 John; Jude (606 total chapters)
- Other reading – Numbers 1-30; 2 Samuel 1-6; Jeremiah 1-35; Luke 1-9; 1 Cor. 13-15; (83 total chapters)
- Chapters read – OT – 537; NT – 152; Total – 689
500 chapters to go; praise God!
Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
