Indian Christian Fellowship Gathering in Connecticut, as TTCA – Trinity Telugu Christian Fellowship, was established by inspiration of God The Father, Jesus Christ Our Savior and Holy Spirit Our comforter to reach Indians across the United States and India to share the Love of Jesus Christ both spiritually and also meet their social needs. As Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:14: …And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. CT Bible study started as part of our mission. Please check our web site for more details and our programs. Join us to be part of this grate mission and share the Love of Lord Jesus Christ.
Calling
2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall.”
There is a general calling for everyone to share the gospel to others who doesn’t know it. And there is a specific calling into various ministries as described in 1 Cor 12:1-11 and Ephesians 4:11.
We need to be sure of what our calling is? If we fail to do so, we get into a wrong slot and we neither fit into it nor will be able to get out from it.
We need to be aware of the ministry that God has for us in His Body (1 Cor 12: 12-30) and function as per the ministry God has given us.
Passion, Prayer and Commitment
Matthew 9:37-38, “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Our passion should be for the lost souls who are destined for eternal damnation, to share the gospel and pray that the Lord would speak to them and bring them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. “But do this in gentle and respect” 1 Peter 3:15.
Luke 9:62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Inspite of all the difficulties and obstacles that we face in serving Him, let us be committed to the calling that the Lord has called us and not look back and continue forward in serving Him.
Dependency
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Our dependency is not in our wisdom and strength, but in Him who called us to fulfill His purposes in and through our lives.
Unity
John 17:11 “…Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-the name you gave me- so that they may be one as we are one”
The Lord wants us to be united and have oneness as we work in His vineyard. There is life in oneness. As described in Ezekiel 37, it’s only when all the bones came together (37:7), the life entered into the bodies (37:10) and became a vast army. Without oneness and unity we are dead.
As we serve the Lord and accomplish His purposes in our lives, we need to work united. United in our family, Church and the society at large. God can and will do mighty things when we are united.
Love
Matthew 22:37-38 – Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. …and… Love your neighbor as yourself”
The question here was for a greatest commandment, but Lord gave two commandments, to love the Lord and love our neighbor. We need to obey the first commandment and only when we obey the second commandment, it shows that we are obeying the second commandment, because 1 John 4:20 says “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
John 13: 35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples (Christians), if you have love for one another.”
The true sign of a disciple (Christian) is to love one another. Remember that inspite of our utter depravity, Jesus loved us and brought into His kingdom. As we work in His vineyard, we need the Love towards one another and tolerance towards others weaknesses and work with them.
Let us be humble as Christ humbled himself (Phil 2:5-11) and in love “…let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil 2:3)
Forgive your brother who sins against you (Luke 17:3-4) and rebuke him if he continues in Sin (Mat 18:15-17). “… Yet do not regard him as an enemy…” (2 Thes 3:15), we have only one enemy that is the devil.
Be Holy
Leviticus 19:2 “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy”
We need to maintain our personal Testimony and our Character, so that we may reflect the Christ nature through our lives. When we loose the testimony, we not only loose our credibility before others, but we give a leeway for Satan to work in others to loose their faith in Jesus.
Glorifying God
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”
Church/Ministry is NOT a platform to glorify self or demonstrate who we are, but to glorify Jesus and Him alone, and to demonstrate who Jesus is. Devil continues to work in this area among leaders to destroy them, because he himself was destroyed from the same state (Isaiah 14:12-15)
We are just unworthy and weak vessels whom God has chosen to glorify Him (1 Cor 1:26-31). We are what we are, by the grace of God. (1 Cor 15:10)
Fear the Lord
Deuteronomy 6:13 “Fear the LORD your God…”
Proverbs 3:7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”
We say that “Jesus Christ is the head of this house, the silent listener of every conversation, the unseen host of every meal”, but how often are we conscious about His presence in our discussions and fear Him. How often do we fear the Lord in what we do and what we say?
Hebrews 10:31, 12:29 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For our God is a consuming fire.”
Let us be aware of His omniscience and omnipresence and fear Him in all that we do for Him and let us not be subjects of His wrath by doing things that displeases Him.
Beware of the Enemy
1 Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Finally, remember that while we serve the Lord, the enemy always tries to destroy the work, but thanks be to God, “…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4)
Let us “Put on the full Armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…” (Ephesians 6:10-18) and “…resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).