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Annihilation, A False Teaching Deep Disciples of Jesus Shaping Article

Loving What You Should Be Shoving? Loving What You Should Be Loathing?

Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj

In 2014, a movie released in India titled, PK, Amitabh Varma’s Hindi Lyrics featured in a particular song from that movie went this way (translated into English loosely):

(Boy to girl)

Looking at you, continuously

I keep on listening to your jibber-jabber

Forgetting all my work

I keep on just following you

This is a waste of time

Love is a waste of time

Still I have thought to myself

That once in my lifetime

I can go for ‘this waste of time’

Love is a waste of time…

Young people fall in love, at times, very well knowing that falling in love is a waste of time.

But it is also true that we love ‘wasteful’ things.

The greatest command in the Bible is of course this command: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Matt. 22:37-38).

The tragedy of our time is this: we love many-a-thing, but we don’t love God! We love what we should shove! That’s sad!

The Bible talks about people loving the wrong thing on various occasions. Let us journey through the pages of Scripture to figure this out, so that we would be wary of these ‘waste of time’ loves.

The Love of Silver

Michael Douglas, in the 1987 movie, Wall-Street, said this: “Greed, for the lack of a better word is good. Greed is right. Greed works.”

Yes, we live in a world where the love of silver, the love of money in other words, is considered good. But the Bible is categorical when it says, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (I Tim.6:10).

How do we exhibit love for money as a believer? We skip our quiet time with God to work extra-time in our workplace so that we could make some more money! That is love of money in action! How do we show-forth love of money as preachers? We preach things that tickle the ears of our listeners so that they would give us big offerings instead of preaching the unadulterated Word of God!

Do you love gold instead of God? Don’t. Do you love silver instead of the Savior? Don’t. Don’t love what you should shove! Don’t love what you should loathe!

The love of STONES

Prophet Jeremiah explains this strange love of the people of Judah. They say, “I love foreign gods and I must go after them” (Jer. 2:25, NIV). Which foreign God did they love? They loved Baal, the Prophet Jeremiah had clarified just two verses above (Jer. 2:23). Instead of worshipping the living God who called the Rock (I Sam. 2:2), the people of Judah not just worshipped stones, but loved these lifeless objects as well.

Anything that takes the place of God in our life is an idol – we know that. Do we love such stones in our lives? These stones could be the gadgets we own, the gardens we have planted, the ministry we do! Let us not love what we shove! Let us not love what we should loathe!

The love of SENSUALITY

The naughty boy was told this by this flirty aunty: “Come let’s drink deep of love till morning; Let’s enjoy ourselves with love!” (Prov. 7:18). This woman’s husband had gone for a long trip and would not return in a hurry (Prov. 7:19,20). So, she filled her loneliness with a sinful love for sensuality. But the problem is this: you will never find in sin, what you entered sin to find (as someone said)! After the experience of sensuality is done and dusted, a gaping vacuum soon envelops the heart – does it not? Do you love to obey whatever you body says you must do because you are lover so sensuality? For example, when your body says, “Watch porn when you are alone”, do you obey your Body even after knowing that what you do will displease the Lord because you have read 2 Samuel 11:27?

The first thing that David did in 2 Samuel 11 was watching ‘live porn’ – the bath of a woman not his wife. And that displeased the Lord!

Let’s not love what we shove! Let’s not love what we should loathe!

The love of your UNSAVED SWEETHEART

Let’s talk to King Solomon. Let’s interview him. “Solomon, whom did you love in your first phase of life as a king?” He would reply this: “The Lord! Have you not read I Kings 3:3?” That verse goes this way: “Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according the statutes of his father David”. One note-worthy statute for the kings of Israel was this: they must not take many wives lest their hearts be led astray (Duet. 17:17).

But as the second phase of his life dawned, the Bible has this to say about King Solomon:  ‘King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love..’ (I Kings 11:1-2).

Do you stubbornly love your unsaved sweetheart with a plan to marry her/him soon hoping that she/he will become a believer though your influence? Stop! I Corinthians 7:39 is clear: a person who is already a believer, marries a believer!

Are you in love with an unbeliever?

Let’s not love what we shove! Let’s not love what we should loathe!

The love of SLEEP

We loathe what we should love, and love what you should loathe! What a sad route we have taken in life! There are those who love Sleep as the Proverbs Pen Man records, “Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; Stay awake and you’ll have food to spare” (Prov. 20:13). Late-rising, Sleep-Loving King David eventually fell into sexual sin (I Sam. 11:2). Matthew Henry, the ace Bible commentator wrote, “The bed of sloth is very often the bed of lust,” so wrote the Great Bible Commentator,  Matthew Henry. Let’s not love what we shove! Let’s not love what we should loathe! If I had not sacrificed sleep, many of my Bible-teaching articles would have never been written (including this one)!

The love of STRIFE

One of the writers of the Psalms, writes about another kind of love, the kind that God hates, this way: ‘The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked; his very being hates anyone who loves violence” (Psa. 11:5). Are we not like the people of Ephraim? In Judges 8:1 they pick up a fight. In Judges 12:1 they pick up yet another fight. They use these uncouth words in their angry rant here: “We will burn your house over you with fire!” This tribe seems to be always fighting! They love strife it looks like! Let us not love what we should be shoving like them! Let’s not love what we should loathe, like the folks of Ephraim! Instead, let us strive to be peace-makers! Instead, let us get involved in the ministry of reconciliation! Instead let us proclaim the Gospel of Peace (Eph. 6:15).

The love of STORIES

Prophet Jeremiah talks about the people of Judah who were “story-lovers”, that is, lie-lovers! He writes, ‘The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?’ (Jer. 5:31). What lies did the prophets of Jeremiah’s time, utter? They lied about the length of the exile. These ‘story-tellers’ said that the exile would last the length of just two years (Jer. 28:11,15,16) when God had clearly said it would be for 70 long years (Jer. 25:9-13).

There are false teachers in our time who also tell us stories. Stories, such as these: “hell punishment is not forever!; Lies such as these: “You can cross-over from hell to heaven!” Deceiving words such as these: “Grace is there, so keep sinning!”  What is worse is this: some people love such stories. What is appalling is this: some believers love such lies.

Let me refute just one lie from the above-mentioned list of lies: the lie concerning the length of hell punishment. Read Romans 16:26 and Matthew 25:46. Both the verses have the word ‘eternal’. In Romans that word is prefixed before the word ‘God’ and in Matthew the same word is prefixed before the word, ‘punishment’. If you say that punishment of hell won’t be eternal then you also have to say, “God is not eternal!” But that is not possible! So, God is eternal! And Hell torment is eternal!  

We should not love the ‘story’ (lies) of false teaching, even if seasoned men of God teach it!

And it is a folly to love what you shove! And it is stupidity to love what you should loathe!

The love of SLIPPING STUBBORNLY

Jeremiah’s painfully true words express the final ‘S’ in this list of things we unfortunately perhaps love, instead of loathing: This is what the Lord says about this people: “They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet.So the Lord does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins” (Jer. 14:10). The people of Judah to whom Jeremiah ministered, loved to wander away from Yahweh! In the time of Judges, the people of Israel demonstrated their sickening love for slipping away by repeating the seemingly endless cycle of sin, bondage, deliverance following repentance, and peace!

This attitude of loving backsliding is dangerous. Why? There is no surety that we will ever come back to God if we choose to go away from him. Both Judas and Peter went away from Jesus. Only Peter chose to come back. Judas did not come back, mind you. He chose stubbornness along with his sin. And that proved to be catastrophic for him! Let’s not love what we should loathe! Let’s not love what we should shove!

It is my prayer that you freeze your love for the wrong thing this Valentine Day season! Instead your love will be the love that Prophet Isaiah had for the Living God. Prophet Isaiah called God his Well-beloved (KJV)/my Greatly Beloved Lord(AMP)/the One I Love(CSB)/My Darling(WFC) in Isaiah 5:1! Let’s copy him! Let’s love the Lord! Apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!” (I Cor. 16:22). Not loving the Lord truly is so serious – it can land us in hell!

(The article by Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj appeared in the February 2023 edition of Aim magazine of Evangelical Fellowship of India. Duke is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. This is a listener-supported ministry. You can support this ministry should you choose to using this link: https://razorpay.me/@g4mission)

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Special Days & Scripture

For Me, The Inspiration To Love India, Comes From The Bible!

Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj

I love India. The inspiration to do so comes from the Bible.

Love that moves me to INTERCESSION!

Apostle Paul, loved the country he belonged to. He expressed that love by writing these words: ‘I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites’ (Rom. 9:1-4). He was ready to go hell – be accursed – if that could bring the people of his nation who largely had rejected Christ, to Christ! This extreme love for his countrymen which Apostle Paul showcased was not much different from the crazy love which Moses showed for the idol worship loving, idol worship returning people of Israel: Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” (Ex. 32:31-32).

Do we love our Country enough to pray this: Lord, I did not choose the country of my birth! But you chose that I be born an Indian! Save Indians Lord! Let the Gospel be proclaimed to every Indian. Use me also in this task! Move me out of my comfort zone for the accomplishment of this task!

Through the ministry I run, the Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission, we run an event called Fountain of Tears of Against of Mountain of Fears Fasting Prayer over Zoom. We pray for India in this once-a-month event after gleaning prayer points from national news magazines such as The Week, India Today, Open, Outlook, etc. This is my way of showing love for my nation! Yes, through INTERCESSION!

Love that moves me to make a ‘DONATION’!

Also when the Lord started blessing my finances I started paying Income Tax! Some suggested that I pay only a nominal tax as my Income Tax – a miniscule amount. But I did not want to do that. I wanted to pay the right amount to the government! And I have been doing this! I was inspired by Jesus to do this! He paid taxes. He paid two kinds of taxes. He paid his religious tax to the temple authorise. In Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus arranged the payment of this tax. A coin was found inside a fish’s mouth. This coin was paid as Temple Tax. Though Jesus asserted that he did not have to pay this tax, he nevertheless paid it, because was be wanted to be above reproach!

That’s not all. In Matthew 22:15-22 Jesus used a coin as an illustration to assert that we must pay taxes to respective governments that rule our Land. In Jesus’ case,  a Roman Government ruled the nation he was born into – Palestine! And Jesus was quite clear one had to pay taxes even to the political government ruling the land of your birth!

Do you love India that much that you also pay Income Tax to the Indian Government if you need to do that?

Apostle Paul also called believers to pay tax and thereby in-effect express their love for the land they belong to. He wrote: ‘For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due’ (Rom. 13:6-7). Yes, we must express our love for India via the DONATION called TAX!

Love that was fuelled by a Visa REJECTION!

On August 12, 2010, I appeared before the US Consulate in Hyderabad for a US Visa interview. An organisation was ready not only to buy me a ticket to the USA and back but also sponsor the fees to apply for the US Visa. I was to go there and make a presentation in a Christian Conference. But the visa application got rejected. Though I was disappointed I felt God orchestrated these events to help me focus on a pan-India ministry down the years. 

‘Till date, it has been my privilege to preach God’s Word with passion and unction in over 20 Indian states, with the organisers paying for my ticket. God wove together events to bring me a point of a genuine love for my nation, as difficult as it was, at one point in time! I can honestly say that I have no regrets at all that the best years of my youth have been spent in serving Jesus in India, the nation the Lord chose as the nation of my birth, a really needy nation! Through this US visa REJECTION God increased my love for my own country!

Are you listening to God’s voice to you inspiring you to love your nation? You must!

(This article originally appears in Aim Magazine of Evangelical Fellowship of India in its January 2023 edition; The writer, Duke Jeyaraj, is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission. This is a reader-supported Indian ministry. Reach us via WhatsApp at +91-8886040605)

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G4 Mission Event Reports & Testimonies

YOUR MESSAGES PUT A SMILE ON OUR FACES! THANK YOU!

Testimonies we have received of late (October 2022 to January 15, 2023) – Duke Jeyaraj & Evangelin Duke

“Recently I watched your Kahoot Quiz on Christmas Chapters. I learnt many things. Present Christian community is in dire need of such expositions. I have heard you answer questions of people. Your answers were very practical.” – a brother from Vijayawada, India via WhatsApp.

“I came to be corrected by God’s Word as I interpreted for you…. God’s Word was first to me in the line of receiving and next to the audience. I was translating outside but inside I was being convicted…” – one of Duke’s interpreters via WhatsApp writing from an Indian city.

“Keep plowing ahead Duke! You are a rare utensil God utilizes on this earth!” – a CEO and Christian Book Author living in the USA via LinkedIn.

“Thank you for sending me the book, Daniel In Dell. I cannot adequately explain the wisdom, the corrections, and convictions I received when reading that book. It is a must-read book for every believer who is starting out in the work-place!” – a church volunteer saved from another faith writing from Hyderabad via WhatsApp.

“God is so good and amazing and awesome. He gave me a privilege to translate the messages of my next generation son, Duke. Enjoyed his message even as I translated his message. God bless you Duke for your open talk. It will be useful for generations!” – Duke’s uncle, Pastor Gnanasekaran, after he interpreted for Duke in a youth meeting in October 2022, as Duke shared a message on sexual purity.

“Someone asked you about how you progressed as a preacher. I wanted to say two things with regard to this: one, you give spontaneous references because you know the Bible so well; another is that you keep up with current affairs and try to weave them into your preaching!” – someone who joined the Question Thirst Quenched Truthfully event where Duke answers live questions of audiences over Zoom, writing via email from the USA.

“I heard you preach in a camp for working professionals in Joe Beach, East Coast Road, Chennai. I also heard you make a presentation on hyper-grace false teaching in the Grace and Truth conference in New Life AG Church, Chennai in 2014. I really admired your passionate and energetic preaching. Thank you anna for being a great blessing to many. Your testimony about quitting your HSBC job in 2008 inspired us, as I also moved from a corporate job to fulltime ministry. I used to work for TCS and I am in the fulltime ministry since August 2020.” – a young man in fulltime ministry via Whatsapp.

“Though I am in the ministry, I have been struggling with porn addiction. It has been a tough time for me. However, I watched your sermon, Bro. Duke, on overcoming stubborn addictions and it was helpful for me!” – a young man via LinkedIn.

“Evangelin Duke’s article, When Failing To Plan Actually Works, published in Issue 40 of your magazine, The Days of Your Youth, really encouraged me and enabled to think how miraculously God works in my life. I was working in a MNC and quit my job and now I serve as a pastor in a town in Tamil Nadu.” – a young man writing from Tamil Nadu via WhatsApp.

“Dear Uncle Duke, after I heard you preach on sexual sin in Bethel IPA Coimbatore on 2 October 2022, I repented from worldly things…” – a young man via Instagram Messenger.

“I was looking for preaching about wrong teaching of Immortality on Earth. That’s when I came across one of your sermons on this topic. I am blessed by it!” – a young man from Coimbatore, via Instagram Messenger.

“I was in a relationship with an unbeliever. It was then I listened to your message on YouTube about this. I chose to end that relationship. God bless you, Duke anna.” – a young medical professional writing from Bangalore via WhatsApp.

“Claps! Thank You! (1) Excellent Brother Duke! (2) Excellent Interpretation! (3) Very good and informative article! (4)” – Four pastors after reading Duke’s article on the dangers on Hyper Supernaturalism in a WhatsApp group of Pastors doing ministry among English speakers in India and beyond.

“Thank you Duke anna for sharing the Word of God amidst us! Most of the youth had a good time listening to you!  Some 12 of them committed their life!” – one of the program organisers after a program Duke preached in, writing from an Indian City via WhatsApp.

“There are many preachers! Not everyone focusses on the kind of topics you focus on! That is what is needed for the youth!” – a young medical professional writing from United Kingdom, via WhatsApp.

“Hello Brother Duke! We heard Evan for the first time. She spoke so well. Was blessed!” – a church-volunteer couple writing from Vizag after Evan ministered in the Vizag Christian Assembly via WhatsApp.

“Thank you for the book, Straight Talk, sir. It is much needed for our generation! It was an eye-opener for me!” – a young man who is working in Chennai and doing a fully online Bible course via WhatsApp and a public Instagram comment.

“Dear Duke anna, You are a wonderful man of God, carrying the Word of God and the ministry on your shoulders preaching with boldness and courage. God uses your messages to deliver us from Satan’s snares and to guide us.” – a young woman who works for Infosys writing via WhatsApp.

“Bro. Duke, God has blessed you with very good communication skills and may God bless your ministry of calling youths for holiness!” – an IEM Missionary via WhatsApp.

“I listened to your message which you shared with medicos in CMC Shiloh 2022 on overcoming Tech Temptations. I saw the response to your altar call. Giving an altar call is important, but it is missing these days. I forwarded your message to many preachers on my WhatsApp!” – a senior citizen writing from Hyderabad via WhatsApp.

“Bro. Duke, You preached a missionary challenge message from Amos quoting Ida Scudder Story in the year 2002 in the New Life AG Youth Camp in Hyderabad. My daughter was truly challenged. She came forward during the altar call. She went on to became a doctor, a gynaecologist. She now serves God in a mission hospital.” – a senior citizen via Facebook messenger.

“Dear Duke sir, Your message on finding where to serve God and among who from Acts 16 deepened my understanding!” – a medical doctor writing from Andhra Pradesh via WhatsApp.

“Today was the my first time in your Kahoot Quiz, Duke sir. It was really a good experience. Your questions are so tricky and new. Thank you so much. I had an amazing time!” – a medical doctor writing from Andhra Pradesh via WhatsApp.

“I took part in your Romans Kahoot Quiz, brother Duke. Blessed to hear your clear explanation of Romans!” – a young professional writing from the United Kingdom via WhatsApp.

“Thank you uncle Duke, for the Romans Kahoot Quiz you conducted over Zoom today. It was the first time I was talking part. Was able to have a lot of key takeaways while at the same time enjoyed the one and half hours. Looking forward to the next.” – a young man writing from Mumbai via WhatsApp.

“Your talk in Shiloh 2022 on overcoming Tech Temptations really helped me a lot, Duke sir.” – a young woman writing via WhatsApp.

“The Bubbly tract, is one of your classics for sure, dear Duke!” – a senior ministry leader writing via WhatsApp.

“Just now read your tract Duke anna. The tract, Bubbly Outside, Yet Empty Inside. It’s really fabulous! You take secular examples to grab the attention of the reader and then share the Gospel through it. It is really nice anna. I too found a way to share the Gospel with my peers, thanks to this tract!” – a young medical doctor writing from Andhra Pradesh via WhatsApp.

“I read your gospel tract, Bubbly Outside,  Yet Empty Inside?, in my Bible College library. You have written it so well with contemporary examples. I am inspired by your zeal and passion to share about Jesus!” – a young woman writing from Bangalore via email.

In response:

For His Glory! By His Grace! Many more miles to go before we sleep! – Duke & Evan

(If you have a testimony you want to share with us with regard to the impact of our ministry please feel free to Whatsapp them to 91+8886040605 or email them at emailduke@gmail.com; We will publish them from time to time, making edits for clarity and withholding your name on most occasions).

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Deep Disciples of Jesus Shaping Article

Sandwich System Of Sustained Scripture Study (S5)

Duke Jeyaraj

Since the Bible has 1189 chapters in total (approx 1200 chapters) you will have to read approximately 6 chapters a day to complete all of it in just about 200 days (nearly Seven months).

STARTING on the first of the year (OR ANY GIVEN DAY), we can through all of the Bible, a little differently. We will read from different sections of the Bible, each day – Sandwich System of Sustained Scripture Study, as I call it – the 5S method.

We have 6 different sections in the Bible.

They are:

The Law Books Section – Genesis to Deuteronomy – 5 books – 187 chapters in total

The Old Testament History Books Section – Joshua to Esther – 12 books – 249 chapters in all.

The Poetry Books Section – Job to Song of Songs – 5 books in all – 243 chapters in all.

The Prophetic Books Section – Isaiah to Malachi – 17 books in all – 250 chapters in all.

The New Testament History Books Section – Mathew to Acts – 5 books in all – 117 chapters in all.

The Letters Section – Romans to Revelation – 22 books – 143 chapters in all.

That makes it a grand total of 1189 chapters, that includes 929 from the OT and 260 from the NT.

Let us read 1 chapter each from one different section of the Bible, every day! For example: On a January 1, we will read, Genesis 1, Joshua 1, Job 1, Isaiah 1, Mathew 1 and Romans 1 (6 chapters from six different Bible sections)! Once we exhaust one section, we will go back to the start of that section.

The OT Poetry section has 243 chapters. So we will need 243 days to finish it. The OT Prophetic section has 250 chapters in all. This will take a maximum of 250 days to read as per this system of Scripture study.

When one section gets over, start again!

The Bible will taste as a tasty six-layered sandwich when you use this method of studying it! Also, you acknowledge that ALL Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16) by attempting to read ALL of the Scripture, not just the parts of the Bible you like! False Teachers, wolves in sbeep clothing, cannot continue to fool you by quoting only convenient-to-their-hell-populating-theology Bible verses, that too taken out of context from cherry-picked parts of the Bible, anymore, as you now will be become familiar with all the sections of the Bible on a DAILY basis!

Buy a highlighter pen (green in color or pink in color or whatever color). Highlight atleast one verse from each chapter you read that speaks personally to you. You may share that verse or a thought from that verse on social media – Facebook or WhatsApp or Twitter or Instagram. Or simply put it in a good quality notebook. Or even on the side margins of your Bible. This way you will not lose track of what you read.

If you download a Bible App such as ESV Bible App, you have the option of listening the chapters to be read for that particular day to you. As plan B you can do the relevant search on YouTube and hear audios of the chapters for any given day.

So, let us enjoy reading from every section of the Bible, every day! Reading God’s Word, the Bible, which is compared to honey, repeatedly, would be a tasty experience – as tasty as eating a six layered sandwich! Sandwich and Scripture are connected. Like Patriach Job let us consider the Bible as our ‘necessary food’ (Job 23:12). Did not the Lord Jesus say, “Man shall not live by bread alone?” (Matt. 4:4)!

(The author of this piece, Dr. Duke Jeyaraj, is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission, a Indian ministry to presentday people. This is a reader-supported ministry. Reach us via WhatsApp +918886040605 or email, emailduke@gmail.com for more details).

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annual ministry reports

Grabbing the Google Gen through 2022 from going to Gehenna, From Nepal to Saudi Arabia

Thank you for standing with us through 2022 as we tried to grab the Google Gen from going to Gehenna (hell). Here is a glimpse of our work in 2022:

After a session that Duke preached in, in Nepal during April 2022

The altar call time in Shiloh 2022 in CMC, Vellore, during Sept-Oct, 2022

Our regular monthly Zoom programs drew audiences from India over and beyond. They participated in 1) Fountain of Tears Against Mountain of Fears Fasting prayer 2) Kahoot Bible Quizzes – one winner from Saudi Arabia 3) Question Thirst Quenched Truthfully 4) Month-end Midnight prayer

During one of many Zoom Meetings this year!

Our monthly, or even more frequent, Tracts outreach using the Bubbly/Dhoni gospel tract in Chennai and Vellore reach many seekers standing in Bus Stands, Airports, Malls, Colleges, etc. Evan Duke gave these to even CSWs and shared the Gospel with them.

We took up invitations to travel and preach from organisations [like CMC Vellore (1500 medicos blessed)} as well as from churches (Bethel IPA, Jesus With Us, and others) in their National-Level programs as well as from fellowships operating inside top educational insititions (like IIT Madras).

We travelled to Nepal, Haryana, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and ofcourse within Tamil Nadu to preach God’s Word with the organisers paying for our ticket and inviting us warmly. Revival scenes at the altar, we witnessed these! Never preached to warm the inviter for a second invite! These messages are on Youtube.com/@dukej (over 2000 videos now). We also recorded messages in the ongoing Bible Study series, Chosen Chapter Chew Covering Contemporary Issue (C5I), and uploaded onto our YouTube.

We counselled those who reached out to us, via WhatsApp Audio voice recorded messages and live calls. Always told these folk what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.

Now all three books of Duke – 1) Straight Talk, 2) Daniel in Dell, 3) Goodnews for the Google Generation – back in print. Issue 41 of our mag, The Days of Your Youth, published. ‘Dhoni’ tract reprinted. Articles for other mags written (AIM/Christian Trends). Literally 1000s of Bubbly/Dhoni tracts were ordered for Christmas Season outreaches.

We got back to print two books we had earlier published but were out of print!

Thro’ our own wesbites (this one and http://www.purposenmeaning.com) and social media we engaged the online Google Gen world-over and defended Sound Doctrine. YouVersion hosts Duke’s plans. All glory to God!

We defended sound doctrine through Social Media uploads!

WA +91-8886040605 if you are not already on our WhatsApp Distribution List. If you want to specifically hear about our present ministry needs, you may WhatsApp the above number or email. Thank you!

Or email us via emailduke@gmail.com if you prefer emails.

Duke Jeyaraj and Evangelin Duke

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Football Magic Moments Wrapped Bible Devos

ARGENTINE GOALIE & CHRISTMAS!

Duke Jeyaraj

Emiliano Martinez, the 6’4” tall, Argentine Goalie, faced 14 penalty kicks in the Penalty Shootout stages of the 2022 World Cup. He made six saves. One kick went wide. This kind of success rate in saving penalties is simply phenomenal! Swaroop Swaminathan explains what makes Martinez successful: “He is probably the world’s best because of his confrontational style. You can argue it makes for ugly scenes but research has held that putting extra pressure on the spot-kickers does have the desired benefit. Extra pressure here includes everything from engaging in some trash talk to making the players wait…Against both sets of players (France and Netherlands) at the World Cup, his usual shenanigans were visible. Either speaking with them or trying to shake hands or celebrating wildly. Before Aurelian Tchoumeni’s kick, he actually threw the ball away, forcing the youngster to wait longer.”

Martinez’ tactics reminds us of a key Christmas truth. We too must have an confrontational, combative attitude when it comes to fighting Satan who tried to kill the Christmas baby Jesus through Herod (Rev. 12:4). This Revelation 12 Christmas chapter climaxes with this verse where there is a clarion call for Christ-followers to keep battling the Devil: ‘Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring – those who keep God’s commands and host fast their testimony about Jesus’ (Rev. 12:17). This battle between believers and the dragon will go on till the day of judgement which is talked about using the earth swallowing imagery (Rev. 12:16).

The believer has multiple enemies during his wilderness journey: the world, the flesh, the Devil, false teaching. And the believer must show the kind of aggressiveness that Martinez showed against Netherlands and Argentina during the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, against these enemies! Peter’s call to wage war against the flesh is memorable: “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11). We have to wage war not only against the enemy of the flesh, but also the enemy of Satan, the World and False Teaching! Christmas is not just about a celebration! It is also about a collision against the Devil, the World, the Flesh and False Teaching!

(The author’s ministry is reader-suppported. WhatsApp him at +91-8886040605 for more details

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CHRISTMAS ARTICLES WITH A DIFFERENCE Deep Disciples of Jesus Shaping Article

The Full Glory of the Christmas Story Via Christmas Passages You Probably Missed While In A Hurry!

WOWED BY A WIDE-LENS VIEW OF CHRISTMAS BY A STUDY OF THE REFERENCES TO CHRISTMAS/INCARNATION OF CHRIST BY OTHER NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS APART FROM MATTHEW AND LUKE

Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj

Different writers of the Bible used various styles and imagery to describe the Christmas story. Using Holy Spirit-inspired colors they painted the Christmas Story in a wide range of colors! Yes, Matthew and Luke narrated the historic Christmas story. But other New Testament writers – notably Paul, John and the Hebrews-author – go back to the same Christmas event and explain its theological meanings and implications. Let us look at Christmas using a wide-lens, taking into account the writings of as many different New Testament writers as possible!

Not just Luke and Matthew. Paul, John, and the Hebrews-writer talk about Christmas! We have a mention of Christmas even in the book of Revelation! This article focusses on the non-Matthew, non-Luke stories of Christmas!

Paul described Christmas this way: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman..” (Gal. 4:4). For Paul, Christmas was all about the impeccable TIMING. Jesus came to the planet at the time designed by the Trinity. If God came to the earth as a sinless, perfect human at the right time, he knows the right time to remove that sickness you are presently enduring and give you the promotion you are eagerly expecting! We must learn to salute the Sovereignty of God who is always “on time” when it comes to working miracles on our behalf even though, at times, he may be “four days late” (John 11:39) (as one song-writer memorably put it).

The miracle that God has planned for you, will come at the ‘right time’ – God’s time!

John portrayed Christmas this way: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling (tabernacle) among us…” (John 1:14). For John, Christmas was about the TABERNACLE. This world is not our home and we just tabernacling – passing – through this world! As Jonathan Edwards put it, we go about our earthly tenure with ‘eternity stamped on our eyeballs’.

The Hebrews-writer envisioned Christmas this way: “Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil…” (Heb. 2:14). For the Hebrews-writer, Christmas was all about TERROR-REMOVAL. Jesus was born so that he would die and rise again and thereby open the door to remove the commonest fear among humans – the fear of death. And to die, he needed flesh and blood like us, humans. And during the first Christmas, he chose to cloth himself with flesh and blood! So no fear needs to grip us – the fear of an examination, the fear of a job-loss, the fear of another crippling pandemic, the fear of not being up-to-the-mark in the responsibilities given to us, the fear of …. !

Christmas happened that our fear of death will be gone! Hebrews-writer’s point!

John wrote again about Christmas choosing another thing to focus upon in 2 John. He wrote there: ‘For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist’ (2 John 7). For him, here, Christmas was all about TRUTH-GAURDING. By being born in the flesh – born as a baby into our planet – Jesus was showcasing the importance of the human body. The one who filled the universe would now live inside the body of a woman – her womb! And once he came out of her womb, he would exist in a human body coping with all its restrictions of having to be in one place at one time (something that was strange for the God who was everywhere present)! The human body cannot become a playground for sexual immorality. If you did not believe in Christmas –  God’s coming in the flesh – then it would not be a big deal for you to indulge the flesh! So, if you really believed in Christmas, you will motivation to live a sexually pure life! That was John’s point in 2 John.

2 John has a verse about Christmas/Incarnation that encourages us to overcome sexual sin!

John was not tired of writing about Christmas time and again! He kept coming back to Christmas to expound the theological implications of Christ as the Spirit of God prodded him to. He gives us a peek of Christmas in Revelation 12, I believe: the Sun-clothed woman’s baby was about to be devoured by Satan the moment he was born (Rev. 12:4). Remember how Herod tried to finish off the new born baby Jesus? This Revelation 12 male child, obviously Jesus, was “destined to rule the nations” (Rev. 12:5). Satan also was keen on waging an ongoing battle with the “rest of the children” of the sun-clothed woman (Rev. 12:17). The rest of the children of the sun-clothed – symbolic of believers and Christ-followers – were to hang in there for 1260 days in the wilderness (Rev. 12:14). 1260 days! Does the number ring a bell? It certainly rang a bell among the original readers of John’s letter! They knew that was a code word used by the apostles often to remind believers of those days to become more and more like the One who ministered on this earth for 1260 days, i.e. three and half years – even Jesus! So, the call of Christmas, from John, from Revelation 12 is that of a TRANSFORMATION – a call to be transformed in character like Jesus’ character, more and more in our “wilderness” journey!

The Sun-clothed woman story narrated in Revelation 12 is a Christmas Story, according to me, calling us to become more and more like Jesus!

Using the “flood” from his mouth Satan (see Rev. 12:15) will try to drown believers. That reminds me of the “flood” of false teaching Satan has unleashed using the mouths of false-teachers who have surrendered their mouths to him. Using those Satan-inspired mouths the teach hell-populating teaching like hyper-grace, immortality on earth, hyper-supernaturalism, etc. to drown believers. John writes, ‘But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that had poured from the dragon’s mouth’ (Rev. 12:16). This is simply another way of saying that one day the earth will open up and swallow Satan-inspired false-teachers the way it opened up and swallowed Korah and his rebellion gang in the Old Testament. It is an imagery of judgment: earth opening up and swallowing. It points to the hell-destination of false teachers and those who buy their theology, I believe. So understanding this seemingly-complex-yet-simple imagery of Revelation 12 brings us back to the message of TRUTH-GAURDING. Obeying the commands of God – holding onto the written Word of God and making it our basis for all matters of belief and behaviour – and holding onto our testimony – testimony via life and lips –  is what enrages Satan, John writes he wraps his ‘Christmas’ commentary in the book of Revelation (Rev. 12:17). Let’s celebrate a Christmas where the focus is not on being ENTERTAINED by SANTA CLAUS but on ENRAGING SATAN!

Revelation 12’s thrust about Christmas brings us to this: Christmas is not about being ENTERTAINED by Santa Claus but about ENRAGING SATAN by safe-gaurding ourselves from false teachings he brings via false teachers/pastors/brothers!!!

This wide-lens view of Christmas is wow, isn’t it? This Christmas take time to read, meditate, chew, non-typical Christmas chapters such as Revelation 12, 2 John, Galatians 4, John 1, etc.!

(Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj, a Agri. Engineer turned M. Div. Gold Medallist and Doctor Of Ministry Graduation Speaker,  is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. This is a para-church ministry to present-day people functioning from Chennai. God has graciously opened doors for him to preach in over 20 Indian states and in a few other nations right from the first time Duke preached, as a school boy of 16, in the year 1991. He has authored three books: Straight Talk (Sex, Love, Marriage, Porn, Phone Addiction, married-sex, etc., – what the Bible says), Daniel in Dell (practical study of the book of Daniel for modern working professionals), Goodnews for the Google Generation (the Gospel presented the way Jesus did in Luke 13 and the way Paul did in Acts 17). Reach him via emailduke@gmail.com or WhatsApp, +91-8886040605, in case you want to buy these or have a question. Duke is married to Evangelin, a Odisha Missionary’s daughter, and this couple are blessed with two children – Dale, 19, who is a student of St. Stephens College, Delhi,  and Datasha, 15, who studies Class X. This article was published in the December 2022 edition of Aim magazine of Evangelical Fellowship of India. Duke’s ministry, the G4 Mission is a reader-supported ministry).

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G4 Mission Event Reports & Testimonies

The Celebration of a Book Named “Lamentations” Via A Kahoot Quiz!

Duke Jeyaraj

Once in five weeks the Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, G4 Mission, conducts a Kahoot Bible Quiz. This time the book we had the quiz on was the Bible book of Lamentations! At the end of over 100 minutes of quizzing, we figured out that this Bible book, like every other Bible book, is full of life-changing Bible truths worth celebrating!

People from various walks of life joined this quiz! The registration for this quiz came from places as far out and diverse as these: from Sonipat in North India to Salem in South India; from Bahrain to Bangalore; from Brussels to Bhubaneshwar; from Pollachi in South India to Pune in West India; from Kollam in Kerala to Khammam in Andhra Pradesh to Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu; from Amaravathi to Delhi; from Vellore to Vijayawada; from London to Local Chennai! The folks who registered are from various church denominations: Mennonite to Methodist; from Assemblies of God to Andrews Kirk Chennai to Ashraya Bangalore; from Bretheren to Baptist; from CSI to Calvary Point; from IPC to IPA; House of Prayer to Hebron to Heartshakers; from CSI to Carmel Community; those who have signed up for this kahoot quiz are different walks of life: from Medicos to those who work in MRF; from class Seven kids to Post Grad students; from home-makers to full-timers; from IT Pros to those retired; from those who work in the Govt sector to those who work in the private sector!

The Kahoot Quiz report pointed out that 49 players played this quiz at some point. The questions were answered by atleast 35 to 40 people.

As the quiz got going, Duke Jeyaraj asked questions that covered various aspects of one’s Christian life covering all the five chapters of Lamentations. Here are some actual questions asked:

The question with regard to the context of this book….

The question with regard to false prophets who minimize future judgment…. / We always have used this quiz to bat for Sound Doctrine in the Body of Christ, as the Lord has enabled us to.

A question about the true nature of sin….

A question to sift the very serious students of Scripture from serious students of Scripture!

A Question to prepare the audience for the Second Coming of Jesus and the Day of Judgment!

A question to motivate the audience to pray for the lost with tears!

There were questions that connected truth from the book of Lamentations with some contemporary events including the Delhi Fridge Murder, a footballer from Egypt (Mo Salah), Idi Amin Dada, the Ugandan Dictator, etc.

If your curiousity is triggered, here is the link to the full Zoom video of the quiz where you can read all the 21 questions asked:

The goal was to be a catalyst to encourage the Google Generation to Dive Deep Into the Word of God, fish out truth that would be applied to one’s own life and truths that would get shared with those who need to hear it in the world of God.

Here were the top five at critical stages of the quiz:

Gaby, first off the blocks!

Bindu, a former champion, wins the lead after question three!

Naveen, one of our video volunteers, is the leader after question 4!

Bro. Sunil George from Kolar who regularly participates along with daughter takes the lead after question 6! He kept this lead for some time!

Hanniel, just 13 and playing from Dubai, took the lead after question 10!

Pratiksha Barik, a multiple-time quiz winner and home-maker from Hyderabad, takes the lead after question 11!

Vivian, a Chennai family man, takes the lead after question 13! Duke and Evan first met Vivian in a Camp they preached in, in Singapore, years ago – in 2011! Meanwhile, Apphia, a Mumbai college student moves into the Top 5!

Kevin Suvarna, a Mumbai Engineering Student, just playing his Second Kahoot with us, takes the lead after question 14 to become the eighth different leader of this nerve-wracking quiz! Kevin, keeps his lead for some time!

After question 19, Jaaziel Charles, a postgrad student of Marine Biology, the defending champion (he won the previous Kahoot contest on 12 Oct 2022), takes the lead with just two questions to go in the Quiz! I was reminded of Virat Kohli’s twin sixes when India needed 28 runs off 8 balls in their Group game versus Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 before 90,000 onlookers in Melbourne! Also note the rise of Anitha into the top 5!

Just two more questions remained in the quiz. Jaaziel maintained his lead and won the quiz!

Kevin and Vivian took the second and third place.

Anitha and Apphia took the fourth and firth prizes. It was a nail-biter of a quiz!

After the quiz was done, the winners spoke. Hanniel, who finished 6th overall, was the Child Prize winner. Lawrence, one of the participants noted that this time out the closing questions of the quiz were a tad toughter than in previous quiz editions! I responded this way: if tough questions will inspire the participants to dig deeper into the Word of God, it is an entirely worthly exercise!

The winners of this quiz (the top five plus the child category winner) will get all get prizes and e-certificates. Prizes include Premium Study Bibles, Super Giant Print Bibles, Stylish Bibles, Small Cute Bibles, etc. Here is one same e-certificate we issued for the winner of the last Kahoot:

Apart from this event which takes place on Zoom using the Kahoot website, we at G4 Mission have other regular events. Even these take place over Zoom. Once a month, on a chosen Saturday Morning (usually 2nd Saturday), from 10 am to 12 noon IST we have an event called Fountain of Tears Against Mountain of Fears Fasting Prayer. We pray for the nations, the nation, the Google Generation and finally your tension and mine (personal needs of those who join the Zoom). Duke finishes off with a brief Bible Meditation. Last month, he finished off with a message on Bible Lessons from each of the semifinalists of the T20 World Cup. Listen to that meesage here:

Apart from that we have another event, called Question Thirst Quenched Truthfully (QTQT) on a chosen Wednesday night from 9 PM to 10:15 PM each month. Duke answers live questions over Zoom in this event. People can join even anonymous and type questions via chat and receive, brief, to the point, answers. Or they can ask questions via audio. The last month’s QTQT recording is here:

Once in two months or on a select Sunday morning, Duke relays the Chosen Chapter Chew Covering Contemporary Issue Bible Study as well via Youtube. This month, the chapter chosen for expository study was 2 Timothy 2 and the contemporary issue studied was living in relationships. You can listen to that message here:

We have a tracts outreach using our Bubbly and Dhoni tract once-a-month as well. Details are provided via WhatsApp.

Every Sunday morning, at about 7 AM we have fresh Youtube release of a recently preached message of Duke Jeyaraj. This release is called: Sunday Seven AM Solid Scripture Study. We would glad if you choose to subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.YouTube.com/VisitDuke

If you desire to support this ministry financially over and above what you do for your local church and other ministries you support you are most welcome to do that. We want to let you know that we are not sponsored by any church or organisation. In fact, we are a not a church, but a small organisation that helps existing churches and other organisations in the ministry of the Word of God by invitation. We run via freewill offerings of individuals. WhatsApp Duke at 918886040605 if you are lead to support this ministry financially. Or you may use this secure RazorPay link to donate: https://rzp.io/l/G4Mission

We have three books by Duke Jeyaraj in print as of now: (1) Straight Talk on Sex, Love, Marriage, Porn, Phone Addiction and Much More (50 taboo topics covered) – Rs. 300/- including courier for in-India addresses (2) Goodnews for the Google Generation – Rs. 250/- including courier chargers for in-India addresses (3) Daniel in Dell – a chapter by chapter practical study on the boojk of Daniel with a focus on starting and sustaining small group fellowships – Re. 200/- price includes courier price for in-India locations; You may reach us via 918886040605 for more details or use the payment link above. God bless. Thank you. See you all soon in another Zoom event!

(Dr. Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission (G4 Mission). He and his wife, Evangelin work fulltime with G4 Mission. This ministry has a lot of volunteers who help in various tasks – video work, poster creation, etc. They are based in Chennai. They have two children – Dale, 19 and Datasha, 15.)

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Deep Disciples of Jesus Shaping Article

Thankfulness and Defeating the Devil Are Connected

Dr. Duke Jeyaraj

Thankfulness & Triumphing Over Satan Are Connected

Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj

That we be thankful is God’s Will for us. Apostle Paul wrote, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’ (1 Thess. 5:18). He also warned that in the ‘last days’ the gang of the ‘ungrateful’ will grow big and we must not join that gang (2 Tim. 3:1-5).  The writer to the Hebrews writes that must be thankful (Heb. 12:28). This thankful attitude will result in our worship of God with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:28-29). 

The command to be thankful is repeated in various ways in the Old Testament. I counted that it is repeated a total of 47 times! In the book of Psalms alone we are told to give thanks to God, 37 times! In Chronicles 16 alone we are told to give thanks four times! When we cross over to the New Testament this command is repeated through various ways another 16 times at least! I am trying to think hard  which other biblical command is given so much of emphasis! 

When we give thanks we copy Jesus gave thanks to the Father regularly during his earthly ministry. I counted that he did that at least three times during his earthly ministry (Matt. 15:36; 26:27; Jn. 6:11,23). And to become more and more like Jesus is the ultimate goal of our life (2 Cor. 3:18). 

It is easy to give thanks when everything is fine in our life. But Job in the Old Testament (Job 1:20-21) and Anna in the New Testament (Luke 2:36-38) gave thanks, praised God and worshipped Him even during difficult times such as the loss of a loved one. 

The sin of not acknowledging God or thanking Him can put us in a place where we are in the danger of being judged by God! Romans 1 warns us about this! Romans 1:21 talks about the sin of not giving thanks to God with the consequence being mentioned in Romans 1:24 and Romans 1:28 – a consequence of the work of the Spirit being effectively withdrawn from the lives of thankless people eventually so that they would further slide into unprintable sin and finally into the place of unimaginable torment, hell! 

We must specifically thank God  for the people he has placed in our life – our spouses, our children, our pastors, our ministry team members, etc. Paul did that (Rom. 16:4; 1 Thess. 1:2). 

In the above paragraphs I have combed through what the Bible mentions about thankfulness. But I am not done yet. The most important thing about thankfulness, I believe, comes in Revelation 12:11 though the word is not specifically mentioned. There, it is written that through the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony a group of people overcame the Devil. Through the blood of the Lamb we are forgiven of sin. So when Satan reminds us of our sin we defeat him and his plans for us by saying, ‘I am already forgiven – thanks to the Blood!’ But there is another way to overcome Satan this passage speaks about. This way is call the ‘Word of their testimony’! What is that? We can overcome Satan when we testify about God’s goodness upon our life. We can defeat Satan when we start to thank God daily, say for the blessings we receive from him. Mention the five or ten or fifteen or how many ever blessings God has graciously blessed you with to God and thank Him profusely! Not just that – acknowledge to the people around me the blessings he has given you! This way the Devil will be defeated!

I know this way of beating the Devil works! Every month, a small group of people from different parts of India and beyond join my wife and I on Zoom at 11:45 pm on the last day of the month. And we take time to praise God for the blessings he gave us that month before everyone. The Devil is put to shame that way. And we enter the new month with praise in our  lips. While the new month is never problem-free we experience unusual victories over Satan! Yes we have to deal with Satan till the return of Christ or till our death! But this praise method of putting Satan on the back foot really works, I can tell you that! 

The month-end midnight prayer we had on 31 October from 11:45 pm to 12:15 am (half-hour) over Zoom! People gave thanks to God for the blessings they received! That way, the Devil was defeated and put to shame!

On the other hand, grumbling or complaining is like inviting the Devil to keep working in our life even more! And what is more, grumbling angers God. He sent death before the Promise Land entry for people of Israel who were stubbornly into the sin of grumbling (Num. 14:26-30). Paul reminds New Testament believers of this incident so that it serves as a stern warning, even during the post-Cross era (1 Cor. 10:10).

(This article was published in Evangelical Fellowship of India’s magazine, Aim, in the November 2022 issue; Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. This ministry is reader-supported. Duke lives in Chennai with his family).

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Cricket-Wrapped-Bible-Devotions Goodnews Wrapped Around Cricket Magic Moments

WHOLE OF INDIA AIRBOURNE, THANKS TO KOHLI IN MELBOURNE!

Duke Jeyaraj

NOT CARRYING OVER THE BULK OF THE TASK TO THE LAST OVER
 
50 needed off 19, at one point. That’s what India needed in their opening game versus Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on 23 October 2022. Yuvraj Singh scored 50 off 12 balls in a World T20 game, I assured myself. But then, he did that when he hit six sixes in an over, I recalled. So, would one of the remaining three overs be the over when either Virat Kohli or Hardik Pandya, the batsmen at the crease, hit six sixes in an over? These questions boggled my mind. It was 48 runs needed off 18 balls (3 overs), required, shortly later. At one point, it was 28 off 8 balls needed, with Haris Rauf, Pakistan’s best bowler on that day bowling. He was also the most experienced bowler to bowl in the MCG Stadium that day among both the teams. When he removed the dangerous-looking Surya Kumar Yadav with peach of a delivery, one could sense that straight away. That’s when Virat Kohli hit the last two balls of that nineteenth over by Rauf for two of the most astonishing sixes that came in succession in World Cricket in any format! One six, the six off the fifth ball, Rajdeep Sardesai called the “Shot of the Century” comparable with Shane Warne’s “ball of the century”. The equation had became now – 16  off 6. India eventually won, thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin’s calmness, coolness, and composure, off the last ball. The crowd of 90,000+ collectively roared. The whole of India were airbourne, thanks to Kohli in Melbourne, that day! Kohli did not leave the bulk of the scoring for the very last over – a very smart move indeed. It could have been the case of India needing 25+ runs off the last over but for those six twins hit by Kohli in the balls, 18.5 and 18.6.
 
Do you leave things for the very last minute? That homework. That office assignment. Do we leave things for the last minute when it comes to Salvation? The Bible teaches ‘now’ is the time of Salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). Don’t postpone your coming to Jesus, the one who died for you on the Cross. Come now. After death, which ofcourse can come at anytime, it will be too late (see Heb. 9:27). After Jesus returns like a thief in the night it will be too late, because he is Savior today and Judge tomorrow (2 Thess. 5:2). If the Spirit of God stops speaking to the stubborn human heart – hope it is not your heart heart mate – again it will be a case of too late again (Gen. 6:3).
 
So, come to the Jesus, the Savior, the only God-in-flesh, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Come now. The next minute may be too late to do this.
 
BEING CARRIED BY THE CAPTAIN
 
Captain Rohit Sharma carried Virat Kohli to the delirious joy of onlookers – including Virat’s wife, Anushka – after the game. The Holy Spirit is able to carry us to carry out the laws of God, Prophet Ezekiel wrote (Ezekiel 37:27). Have you given place for the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? It is not how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but how much of us, the Holy Spirit has! That was Billy Graham’s point.

CARRY ON WITH HOPE WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

India had lost four wickets at the half-way mark of their innings (at the 10th over’s end) with their score still in the 40s having to score 160 for a win. They had to score 2 runs per ball, literally every ball of the latter half of their innings. This challenge was huge. But Kohli and Hardik Pandya (who started delivering the first counter punches post the mid-innings break) carried on with hope. Their partnership meant the latter half of India’s innings was more glorious than the first half. “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” This we read in Haggai 2:9. Yes, when we carry on God’s Work with hope when the going gets tough, the latter half will be more glorious than the first half, as the Lord wills and enables us! Don’t quit at half-time! Don’t quit during the hard times! Kohli and Hardik did not.
 

(Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj, the author of this piece is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. This is a reader-supported Indian ministry. Write to us at +91-8886040605 or via emailduke@gmail.com, to know more)