Will God Show Up to Help Me?

Isaiah 46: 1-4Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. 2 They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity. 3 "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. 4 Even to your old age and gray hairs am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

1. The burden giving gods/idols 46:1-2

BelBel

Bel, supreme god of the Babylonians . In fact he was the city-god of Babylon and head of the Babylonian pantheon. It is the symbol of power and pride.

1. The burden giving gods/idols 46:1-2

NeboNebo

Nebo was Bel’s son and he was the city-god of Borsippa near Babylon and the god of writing and wisdom. He was the god of wisdom and intellectual pursuits.

1. The burden giving gods/idols 46:1-2

• These gods as “The burdening gods.”

• V1 talks about the fall of burdening idols;

• v2 talks about –gods as unhelping and helpless.

1. The burden giving gods/idols 46:1-2

These idols are burdensome to the people. Usually these idols are carried during religious processions.

The modern & post modern idolsThe Christian believers as well as some of the other religious crowd may not worship idols of stone and wood but they worship impotent idols such as money, rationality, power, wisdom, man mad philosophies and liberalism. In fact, “All religions, including liberal Christianity, are idolatry.” All cults and philosophical theories which reject the sovereignty of God and uniqueness of Christ fall into this category of idols. Most of the times religious Law becomes an idol which suppress the weak and marginalized.

2. The Burden-bearing God (46:3-4)

In verse one the gods were “loaded up” on the people, who groaned under their weight;

In verse one the gods were “loaded up” on the people, who groaned under their weight;

V 3-4; here the people are loaded on their God, who accepts the burden. “Have carried is ‘have been carried.’”

V 3-4; here the people are loaded on their God, who accepts the burden. “Have carried is ‘have been carried.’”

God reminds the past

3 "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth.

Carried= literally taking you in to His hands…

God in his fore knowledge knew our struggles which is why He rescued us from every danger from the time of our conception.

David says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb” (Ps 139:13).

From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God (Ps 22:10).

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart (Jer 1:5).

Potana Lakshminarayana Rao

Srisailam Bhramarambha Mallikharjuna Swami Devasthanam

Srisailam Bhramarambha Mallikharjuna Swami Devasthanam

My grandfather, father's father, was Shaivite..as a young boy...I heard him saying, "During his pilgrimage to 'Srisailam Bhramarambha Mallikharjuna Swami Devasthanam' in early 1950 he had a darshan from a divine in the forest while they were walking...since then he stopped regular food...became a Sadhu...migrated to Bhadrachalam forest for meditation and solitude..he bought 25 acres of land near to Bhadrachalam ....had his ashram style of life...and died in 1995...His move to forest dwelling brought so much pain, economic downfall and agony to the family members especially to my father who had to leave his mechanical engineering in Hyderabad to accompany him... .I never had such zeal and passion in search of God...but God was in search of me and he gave me the free gift of salvation/Moksha. I travel around the world to testify this free gift of God for humanity.

My grandfather, father's father, was Shaivite..as a young boy...I heard him saying, "During his pilgrimage to 'Srisailam Bhramarambha Mallikharjuna Swami Devasthanam' in early 1950 he had a darshan from a divine in the forest while they were walking...since then he stopped regular food...became a Sadhu...migrated to Bhadrachalam forest for meditation and solitude..he bought 25 acres of land near to Bhadrachalam ....had his ashram style of life...and died in 1995...His move to forest dwelling brought so much pain, economic downfall and agony to the family members especially to my father who had to leave his mechanical engineering in Hyderabad to accompany him... .I never had such zeal and passion in search of God...but God was in search of me and he gave me the free gift of salvation/Moksha. I travel around the world to testify this free gift of God for humanity.

Shaivism is the second largest religious community in cotemporary India. It has several distinct and important branches, and is commonly associated with asceticism. Lord Shiva himself is often depicted as a Yogi sitting in meditation in the Himalayas.

The bhakti saints largely rejected the hereditary caste system and its emphasis on prescribed ritual, stressing instead the need for morality, purity of heart and an attitude of selfless service. They expressed their sentiments through song, poetry and music…

August 7, 1993

Displaced Bhakta was and is in Divine Hands; therefore I enjoy my life

University Students as Mission Field

90%of Evangelism among

Non Hindus & Muslims

Kshatriya 5%

15%SC

8%ST

5%Brahmin

5% Vaishya

45 % BC

15 %Other religions

2 -4% Christians

Indian Caste System

1 out of 6 people in the world is an Indian

19931993

Tatha Rao Mukiri

Tirupathi Rao

Paloncha

Engineering CollegeEngineering CollegePrakasham Vajinapelli

2001-20032001-2003

Karimnagar…Peddapalli…Ramagundam….

2001-20032001-2003

Koteshwa Rao

Madhava Rao

Jermaiah Narasimha Rao Narasimha Rao

Prakash

Lansdowne pg collegeLansdowne pg college

20th May 201120th May 2011

Challenges & struggles are our companions

Uncertainty of the presentInsecurity of the future

Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery…

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me Isaiah 49:15-16

Displaced Bhakta was and is in Divine Hands; therefore I rest in Him

God gives assurance of future with new hope

V4. “I” is emphatic…  I will sustain you: to provide enough of what some body needs in order to live or exist.

I will carry you: …to take some body from one place to another.

He carries us in His shoulders….the good shepherd carries the lamb when it is faint. If we recollect God’s goodness in our life, how many times he carried us on his shoulders. He is a gentle master who takes us into his shoulders.

I will rescue you = to save some body from a dangerous or harmful situation…danger within the church and outside the church. Rescuing is not a separate effort or act but part of the service automatically rendered by the burden-bearing God.

God’s assurance to our old age

V4 Even to your old age and gray hairs

Let me recollect God’s faithfulness during this year

Dubai12-15 Feb 2014

"See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.

Exodus 23:20

"See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.

Exodus 23:20

Will God Show Up to Help Me?

Will God Show Up to Help Me?