What do you wish to leave behind?

 

The greatest purpose of a man’s life is to find happiness. We all want to ensure the exciting experiences, thrilling adventures and prosperous endeavours forever remain with us especially through the new year. We also desire to leave behind the painful moments and hope to start the new year with surplus to make our dreams come true. This usually is our highest priority. Even though we have zero control over our lives we still anticipate that the new year will be a good one. Do you think you are in control over your future? Not true! This inclination comes because we make a good living and have considerable surplus as savings, hoping that this will help us control our crisis and challenging situations in our life.

But what about our selfish intentions, the covetousness and the many other evils that breeds in our heart? Do you desire to leave those behind which are the main source of regrets and confusion. As our goal is to be happy, we selfishly end up defining the means. 

We engage in unfruitful activities leaving us desperate and to live with regrets. The Bible points out a valid reason for so many confusions. "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.". Human selfishness is the source of many regrets and yet we want to live that way because it is all about us at the end of the day.

If we delve into the human heart, you will find nothing more than the selfishness. We understand we are mere mortals yet behave like we are going to will live to see many generations. The engine is the main and central part of a vehicle without which however fancy the body looks it is of no use. Similarly, the heart is the core of an individual. Jesus calls human heart as springs of life. Many springs are polluted for long and are decaying. You can get that repaired, formatted, and may be even replaced with a new soft heart if you are willing to leave behind your selfish desires which the Bible calls as sin. Sin is a serious issue that escapes diagnosis. You can confess to Jesus all your wrong doings and deliberate willful actions. He is the only one who claimed to forgive trespasses of any kind and make us a brand-new being. New year cannot change us, but Christ can. The fact He is God who has resurrected from dead and promised hope in this life to prepare us for eternity with Him. Would you like to make a simple prayer and receive Him in your heart?

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A Fabulous story of all time in history!

 

One story that rules History even today is the birth of Jesus celebrated around the world on 25^th December. However, only few are aware of the facts that surround it. Let’s see some of  the crucial ones:

1.Prophetic Birth:

Jesus’ birth was the fulfilment of the prophecy foretold 700 to 1000 years ago. He is the only human who found His identity even before His birth in Matthew 1:23 in the Bible, “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and you will call him Immanuel.” (Immanuel is a descriptive name for Jesus. It means “God with us.”).

2. Virgin Birth:

In the same passage mentioned above, it is recorded that this God of the universe will be born through the virgin. This miraculous virgin birth event is only related to Jesus in human history.

3. The Three Wise Men:

Otherwise known as the Magi followed a star from the East to Bethlehem in search of a newborn king. They offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. By the Middle Ages, most believed that three Magi visited the Christ child and that they were kings who symbolized the three ages of man. Later commentators proposed that they represented the three known continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa.

4. The angels appearing to Shepherds:

The book of Luke chapter 2 in the Bible tells us that an angel appeared to some shepherds after Jesus' birth and told them that the saviour had arrived. This unique incident brought together all categories of people and that God is for all regardless of caste, class, race, and economic status.

How is it that Jesus, a Jewish rabbi who lived over 2,000 years ago, continues to captivate people worldwide and is still the most fascinating figure of all time? Jim Warner Wallace, a former cold-case detective uses his investigative skills to explore the historical and scientific evidence for the existence and divinity of Jesus. He gives some brilliant evidence as follows:

1. The Credibility of the Canonical Gospels.

The four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) provide primary sources for understanding Jesus ‘life and teachings. The texts were written by eyewitnesses or people who had access to eyewitness accounts, offering detailed depictions of Jesus ‘life, including His crucifixion and resurrection. Centuries of scrutiny by scholars support the historical accuracy of the gospels, making them a valuable historical foundation for the Christian faith and providing compelling evidence of Jesus ‘existence.

2. Extra-Biblical Sources.

Numerous extra-biblical sources from various ancient historians provide additional validation for Jesus ‘existence. Tacitus, a Roman historian writing in the early part of the second century A.D., mentions Christ in his work “Annals,” affirming His crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. Furthermore, Jewish historian Flavius Josephus refers to Jesus in his writings “Antiquities” and “The Jewish War,” confirming His impact on society and the rise of Christianity.

3. Non-Judeo-Christian Sources

The Roman historian Suetonius mentions disturbances within Rome due to Chrestus (Christ), highlighting early Christian presence during Emperor Claudius’s reign.

4. Archaeological Discoveries

Archaeologists have discovered artifacts corresponding to events described in the gospels, lending credibility to their historical accuracy. Notable findings, such as the Pontius Pilate inscription at Caesarea Maritima and the Caiaphas Ossuary, offer physical evidence of significant figures present during Jesus ‘crucifixion.

The joy of Christmas is no ordinary joy, but the “mega joy” of redemptive history. In an act of immeasurable grace, as a gift to His people, a culmination of all the Old Testament promises, God sends forth His Son. That is why our eyes should open wide in awe when opening the New Testament in the Bible to wise men from the east rejoicing “with great joy” at a star and angels announcing “good news of great joy” to shepherds. You too can experience this joy by receiving this saviour in your heart. No need for rites, rituals, or pilgrimage travel. Just say a prayer believing and accepting Him, and you are in your new journey not to a foreign religion but to abundant life and hopeful eternity.

 

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Reference:

“Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible,” Mr. Jim Wallace

2023 Exit Summary!

 

Some of the major challenges that existed in the year 2023 and continues to loom with ever threatening consequences are as few mentioned below:

Battling with pandemic

Global recession.

Unemployment

Global warming

Ongoing war: close to 32 ongoing conflicts in the world right now, ranging from drug wars, terrorist insurgencies, ethnic conflicts, and civil wars.

And then the crime rate which is at the rise. The crimes have various forms including corruption, drug trafficking, fraud, embezzlement, robbery, kidnapping, crimes against women and children, and assassinations. In almost all the cases, we humans seem to be the cause.

I was contemplating, if 2023 should give its exit summary what it would be? People have so much to complain about the year or even brand it as a bad year because many things did not work for them in the way they desired. Numbers, days, dates, and years plays a major role in religion. Some dates and days are counted auspicious than others due to which humans’ wilful errors and failures escape conviction. They are responsible for the severity of the consequences because of their actions, yet they refuse to accept it. People are unapologetic. We hope to scrap through to the new year and continue in our selfish pleasures in newer forms.

Just to give you an example; it is said that the global Adult Entertainment Market is set for remarkable expansion in the upcoming years, with increasing demand for various types (2D, 3D, VR, Books, Magazines and Periodicals, Live Performances, Others) and applications (Female, Male). The global Adult Entertainment market size was valued at USD 51,827.1 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.69% during the forecast period, reaching USD 76,443.41 million by 2028. As a result, people engage in all types of activities which includes human trafficking to flesh trade.  Porn industry is over a $100 billion dollar business today. So, who is responsible here? Is it the year or human heart which is constantly generating wickedness? The Bible narrates the condition of the human heart in this way, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"  Stop asking one another to "listen to their hearts" because the heart can mislead if it is not set right. And that requires a divine intervention, not the so-called spiritual activities. We all can agree that most of the crimes are done in the name of gods. People think they appease gods anger by inflicting pain and afflicting one another including sexual crimes.

The year has given us enough reasons to blame each other. We are responsible for those deplorable acts. However, we can change the reality if we are willing to do something about the state of our heart. We try to cover up our guilt with good acts here and there and live in false peace. This could take you only so far and then you will find yourself hurtling down the hill guilt with pain and regrets. Your only hope can be found in Christ who is celebrated for the pure incarnation, the virgin birth, holy life, and miraculous resurrection. He has the power to forgive our sins, save us from all our unrighteous deeds and from living a wretched life. Commit to Him by saying a small prayer and ask Christ to be seated on the throne of your life. I guarantee there would be perfect harmony in living out God's purpose in your life.

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“Truth” Matters!

 

Things are not the same as it was few decades ago. There is no safety for life and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to trust people. We are living in the edge of national and global catastrophe, mostly manmade than natural. There are the big and powerful people on earth who have an agenda to wipe out generations. Everyone seems to have their own version of truth. People are influenced by religious fanaticism contradicting human sanity. Yet, people strive to establish their agenda in the name of god and deny the absolute truth.

There are people who exterminate lives in the name of religion because they are promised virgins as a reward in heaven. Rationalism and truth are no more matters of importance in religion, which is leading men to behave worse than animals. Is the truth lost, or man is just trying to believe in his/her version of truth? People want to be less accountable and more in control. When the belief system is contaminated, the behaviour is seriously affected. Research done by George Barna and Josh McDowell reports how one’s beliefs affect one’s behaviour. Barna and McDowell discovered that if a person doesn’t believe in absolute truth, he or she will be:

200% more likely to steal,

200% more likely to watch a pornographic film,

300% more likely to use illegal drugs,

600% more likely to attempt suicide,

When people deny absolute truth, the foundations of their personal convictions give away and alters their behaviour drastically. It’s critical that we know truth by trusting Jesus and building a strong foundation. Unfortunately, most people in our culture do not believe in the importance of being grounded with a strong foundation of knowledge. Some people just want to have “blind faith” in Christ that only involves the heart and feelings while excluding the mind and reason. This is contrary to what Jesus Himself commanded. He wants us to offer Him our heart and our mind. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God, with all of your heart and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind”.

Repentance from sin is the core in Jesus’ message. He promised to dwell in human hearts resulting in life transformation. You lead a balanced life by believing a true God. By this I mean that neither you lead a morally depraved life or become a godman to gain popularity. Rather you become like Jesus who was the epitome of holiness and truth. Have you ever felt wretched, defeated, and helpless irrespective of all your faithful rituals? It is time to find the truth and I guarantee the truth recorded in the Bible just doesn’t satisfy your psychic mind but gives you a purpose and direction to an abundant life as promised by Jesus Christ.

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Thanklessness to Thankfulness!

 

Finally, here we are in the last month of the year 2023. What are those nostalgic moments you want to celebrate or carry forward? Is your heart filled with gratitude or regrets? Are you bereaving the loss of your loved one? Each of us are fighting a unique battle to survive yet have found grace to survive and exist.

Have you found a reason to be thankful and grateful? If not for anything, we need to be thankful for the gift of life. The Bible says, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!". Your existence is the greatest miracle and a gift from God. We are all usually excited over our material possessions. We live in a time where people are less thankful and feel more entitled for rights and privileges. Harvard business review found that higher-power people express less gratitude because they feel more entitled for favours and benefits from others based on their elevated standing in the hierarchy. Lower-power people, however, express more gratitude to cultivate stronger relationships with powerful people. Even here we find categorisation based on the above study. It looks like the poor and the needy are expected to be more grateful.

Being thankful and expressing your gratitude displays the state of your heart. It is crucial that we express our gratitude to one another we live with and most importantly to God. Your life is a gift from God, what you do with it changes your destiny. There are many benefits to being grateful. Gratitude is good for your psychological well-being, your relationships, possibly even your physical health and most importantly your spiritual well-being. However, the truth is that some people have more grateful dispositions than others. For some of us, gratitude just doesn’t come that easy.

Usually, we can easily find more reason to complain and grumble, but it takes careful thoughtfulness to appreciate and express our gratitude. In the Bible it is recorded of Jesus' parable about the prayer of a tax collector and a Pharisee. The Pharisee expressed his thankfulness by doing this Prayer, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people — greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’. The tax collectors in Jesus’ period are counted as corrupt and morally degraded people. This tax collector beat his chest and asked, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’. This parable tells us that we are all sinners struggling with regrets, guilts and consequences. Some are spiritually arrogant like the Pharisee, but few willingly seek to be transformed. There is hope in Christ because we can find forgiveness from our sins when we confess our wrongdoings and receive Him in our hearts. The first thing that fills our heart is love and gratitude and we live our lives intentionally thanking God and one another.

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Thy Kingdom Come!

The fight for power, building an empire or kingdom, a political party, establishing a city on one’s name are top priorities of today. The global unrest due to war, infiltrating spaces, are killing people in numbers. Even worse scenarios are fights for cities for gods adding people’s misery and creating disharmony in a country. It’s either motivated through power or convinced in the name of gods and religion.

Political leaders encourage exclusivity in the name of religion and use it as a weapon to sway the votes of people who end up worshiping them as gods. However, these leaders fail to understand that whatever kingdom they are relentlessly building is temporary and they will cease to be part of it at some point in their life. Only the kingdom is left standing. Sadly, people live for the present and are influenced by irrational beliefs.

I keep repeating in my blogs that Jesus in entire human history emphasized right from the beginning on a kingdom that is not part of the earth. He started his discourse by inviting people to repent from all wrongdoings and sins stating that the kingdom of God is near. Receiving forgiveness of sins through believing in Jesus makes one worthy and qualifies the person to live eternally with Him. The Bible states, “He who has the Son (Jesus) has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.". You have life in Him.

While Jesus was standing before Pilate for trial, He had to clarify what Pilate asked, “Your own nation and the chief priest handed you over to me. What have you done?” To this Jesus responded, “My kingdom is not of this world,” “If my kingdoms were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” So true, He never wanted His followers; the disciples to fight and protect religion at all costs. It is all about relationship with the Savior. We are looking for the kingdom to come. Jesus promised He is going to prepare a mansion for us not with depraved moral standing as some claim that they would get women and wine, but to live with Him with all purity.

What are we trying to establish here on this earth is ultimately not prepared to have us being part of its kingdom permanently. There is nothing permanent in this life on this earth. Why aren’t we trying to find out the true saviour who has conquered over death and has the power to keep us alive after our death? You have a hope! You are not destined for eternal perdition, however your decision of knowing the truth will determine whether you will spend eternity in heaven or hell. Are we prepared to know the Savior?

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Life – An Empty Pursuit or Meaningful Fulfilment

Purposeful life is to restore things to its original intention. Many goals end up empty after many years of pursuit.  People pursue business, success, wealth, good relationships, sex, entertainment, and good works assuming they will find meaning. However, those who have pursued these have testified the deep void and emptiness they feel once having achieved them. They feel cheated of fulfilment.

Solomon in his book Ecclesiastes found in the Bible states, "He (God) has set eternity in the hearts of men...". Deep down we are aware there is no 'here-and-now'. The Bible narrates that God made man a social creature, gave him work, the power to rule the earth and have constant fellowship with the creator. God intended for each of these to add fulfilment in life. Instead, all of these were adversely affected by man's fall into sin, especially man's fellowship with God. The result was curse upon the earth as narrated in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. The Bible does not say that every difficulty is the result of sin, but it does teach that the result of sin is difficulty.

Jesus while narrating an incident cautions the people this way, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.”. We cannot treat our bodies indifferently and expect to have good health. We cannot treat people indifferently and expect to maintain their friendship. We cannot all put selfish interests ahead of the common good and have a well-functioning society. If we violate the design and purpose of things created by God - if we sin against our bodies, our relationships, or society - they blow back on our face in the form of consequences. If we violate the laws of God, we are violating our design, since God built us to know, serve, and love Him.

Real meaning in life, both now and in eternity is found in our restoration of relationship with God that we lost when Adam and Eve fell into sin. That relationship is only possible through His son Jesus Christ. The Bible states this strongly, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”. To receive Him as Savior we require faith, as the Bible states, " But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." He is the only one who claimed “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Real meaning in life is not found only in accepting Jesus as Savior, as wonderful as that is. Rather, real meaning in life is when one begins to follow Christ as His disciple, learning of Him in prayer, in walking with Him and living in obedience to His commands.

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Chasing hastiness dwelling on superficialities!

  

Hastiness and superficiality are both related with human Character. Hastiness is the result of the high expectation and work pressure that has spilled on to the daily life of humans. Man is constantly on the run trying to achieve goals whose posts are ever moving further. Hastiness is pal to busyness. And it is usually connoted that busyness is the state of a disordered heart. Are you able to see the connection? All these are so much connected to each other and identifies with the state of human heart. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn pointed this out way back stating, “Hastiness and superficiality are the psychic diseases of the twentieth century.”. You can imagine how true it is and how much it has intensified in the 21^st century.

We have merely stopped waiting anymore. We are used to getting things so quick that hastiness has become our lifestyle. Dietrich Bonhoeffer states a truth, “Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten.”. What is your heart longing for and what are the pressures that keeps you in constant hastiness? We are forced to be hasty connecting so many odd dots for our existence.

The next psychic disease is the superficiality of the age. People are not who they present themselves to the wider world. We are constantly pretending to be someone who we are not, to create a reputable impression. We lie to ourselves and to others, brazenly. In the end we are always wearing a mask based on what we want and are hiding behind it. People have learned to cheat and be cheated to co-exist. The survival of the fittest theory uses any means irrespective of good and bad, to make its living. If this reflects your current status in life, then you need your heart to be formatted. 

The hardware problem is physiological that needs a medical diagnosis. But the software problem is a spiritual problem that needs a God who is bigger than your heart and who can cleanse your heart and make it new. Jesus is in the business of transforming hearts because He indwells human heart. Hastiness and superficiality are going to cost you more than you can expect. You will be in a constant restlessness state that will make your life miserable. We pay a huge price if our lives are hasty and superficial. The Bible talks about the Saviour, “if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” You can make a choice today.

  

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Higher up!

 

If we have a keen desire to make our laws more stringent to reduce atrocities and crime rate, we are on the right track. Unfortunately, we humans are smart enough to use the loopholes in the law to our advantage and escape the consequences of our actions. Moral laws are becoming more subjective which finds their own way to operate. We on one hand want a stricter framework for a better life and on the other we hide behind religious philosophies and commit extremely vile acts without accountability.

To explain the case in point, we see terrorists proudly chanting slogans of religious texts and their god, after brutal murders of innocent people including babies. It is an audacious act in the part of man to believe that he has the authority to eliminate god's masterpiece the creation of humans, and by doing so he assumes he is doing god a favour. Most of such tyrannists and bigots assume they are protecting their gods from being forgotten. Religious sects forcefully impose their personal view of god to create a majority. In the process man has become foolish, insane and brutal. Religious scripture has impacted us with the ideology of love and hatred. They openly promote killing, atrocities over women and children, violation towards the dignity of women, influencing division on the basis of caste and races. We are shameless enough to practice these in reality, in the pretext of religious ideology.   

John Joclebs Bassey stated this, “A majority of people follow the herd because they find it difficult to veer into the lane that would require their mind to get to work.”. The unfortunate truth is people reject the truth without knowing it in the first place. Jesus is the only one in history whose teaching contradicted every other teaching of the world.  Some later used His teaching partly, to find recognition and to be known as the kind person who has concern for the people.  Let me quote few responses when people wanted answer a tough question. One of His disciples asked, "Lord how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times? But Jesus answered not seven time but seventy times seven.”. This shows there is no end to stop forgiving someone who has hurt you. A Pharisee who is the expert of law tested Jesus by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce his wife on any grounds? And Jesus replied, Haven’t you read, that he who created^] them in the beginning made them male and female, and he also said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”. 

Once we know the true God who is all loving and merciful, we move to a higher ground of knowledge. He does not instruct to kill to expand His name and boundary. If we have to do the unthinkable inhumane acts to protect the rights of our god then we will have to question the fundamental need for the existence of such a god. Its worth making an effort to know Jesus Christ to find salvation and live with a transformed ideology of love.

 

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Listen with your heart!

 

People in general have the longing to be heard. They want people to listen to what they have to say. Some of us have great friends who do so, unfortunately, they are a rare breed. In a conversation some interrupt it by speaking loudly and silence the person with hypocritical understanding. But the core of the matter is that these unruly interruptions are a display of their power and control over the other person. The other reasons could be preoccupations, contemplating a suitable response or a serious case of attention deficit disorder.

There are those who avoid talking just to avoid listening. Kate Murphy in her book “You Are Not Listening” states, “while people often say "I can't talk right now" what they really mean is "I can't listen right now." For many, it seems they never get around to it, despite what we all want most in life—to understand & be understood—only happens when we slow down & take the time to listen.”. Therefore, the underlying motive is whether the person wants to listen with intentionality or not is apparently the state of one’s heart.

Everything begins and ends with the heart. The proverbs of Solomon in the Bible states, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”. The heart can stay protected and exist with sanity when it becomes the temple of the living God.  Jesus was inviting the people who are thirsty and longing to come to Him and drink the living water. And then He made this remarkable claim, “the one who believes in me, as the scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”.   Once your heart has invited this Saviour it maintains sanity, tranquility, and humility. You tend to care, to listen and love people.

Ryan Holiday in his book “Ego Is The Enemy” states, “Humility engenders learning because it beats back the arrogance that puts blinders on. It leaves you open for truths to reveal themselves... Do you know how you can tell when someone is truly humble? There's one simple test, they consistently observe and listen.”. The humble heart does not deviate from the subject to avoid the matter. The humble ones are caring. To understand this concept better let’s analyse some hypothetical examples below which display two different responses. The first one is called “shift response” and the second one is called a "support response.".

John: My dog got out last week, and it took three days to find him.

Mary: Our dog is always digging under the fence, so we can't let him out unless he's on a leash. (shift response)

John: My dog got out last week, and it took three days to find him.

Mary: Oh no. Where did you finally find him? (support response)

Sue: I watched this really good documentary about turtles last night.

Bob: I'm not big on documentaries. I'm more of an action-film kind of guy. (shift response)

Sue: I watched this really good documentary about turtles last night.

Bob: Turtles? How did you happen to see that? Are you into turtles? (support response)

Good listeners are all about the support response. Support responses are more often other-directed questions. But they have to be truly curious questions meant to elicit more information and not subtly impose your own opinion. Shift responses are symptomatic of conversational narcissism, which quashes any chance of connection. They are usually self-referential statements. Do you recognize the category you fall into?

Referring to Christ Jesus in the Bible it talks about His listening character, “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will." And elsewhere it is written, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer...". In all the rejection and power play in this world you can still find a Saviour willing to listen when you call upon Him. May you submit your life and believe in Him to be transformed forever.

 

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Who are you in reality?

 

Are the following questions familiar to you? Why is my son/daughter’s behaviour weird at times? Why is it they don’t understand my difficulties? Do they need reminder of my care for them in difficult times? Why is my spouse’s behaviour so unpredictable? At times it is difficult to approach my spouse when in his/her bad mood. Why is the one with whom I relate with is so religious yet so unloving and arrogant? Why does one maintain a dual personality? Many Christian parents complain that their children’s behaviour is at its best to the outside world but uncaring and rude at home. This is somewhat similar with leaders of social/charitable/religious organizations where their selfless efforts are praised by the public, but they are ruthless and oppressive to their workers. It raises so many questions about the “good”.

The above are some among the many concerns that people pose to me when they need counselling. They are surprised at the same time confused that the person’s devotion and religiosity have no implication to one’s behaviour. These are people who are in our inner circle of influence who turn out to be sociopaths or psychopaths as described in psychiatric terms.

Solomon the wisest king wrote this book Proverbs which is the book in the Bible, where he poses this question, “Many a men will proclaim everyone his own goodness: But a faithful man who can find?”. Medically we do not have medicines to cure personality disorders. It can be done only through counselling, also, only if the individual accepts they are wrong and they need help to change their behaviour. To understand the two personality disorders - sociopaths and psychopaths – let’s do some analysis to understand them better. They are as follows:

Sociopaths have a limited, although weak, ability to feel empathy and remorse. They're also more likely to fly off the handle and react violently when confronted by the consequences of their actions.            

· Make it clear they do not care how others feels.

·Behave in hot-headed and impulsive ways.

· Prone to fits of anger and rage.

· Recognize what they are doing but rationalize their behaviour.

·Cannot maintain a regular work and family life.

·Can form emotional attachments, but it is difficult.

Psychopaths are classified as people with little or no conscience but are able to follow social conventions when it suits their needs. 

· Pretend to care.

· Display cold-hearted behaviour.

·Fail to recognize other people's distress.

· Have relationships that are shallow and fake.

· Maintain a normal life as a cover for criminal activity.

·Fail to form genuine emotional attachments.

· May love people in their own way.

If you identify with either of these traits, you are in the danger zone. Before it is too late it’s time to seek help rather than losing your soul in the process. Everything points out to the state of the human heart. It is extremely wicked, and it needs a Saviour. People can be religious and yet unrepentant.

The Bible talks about how we can be evil despite of being religious. The Bible states, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” Have you noticed the last line which says, ‘having a form of godliness’? Sadly, people misuse everything including religion for their survival. People change their masks based on the need to be recognised. But living with true sanity depends upon your willingness to accept the Saviour who is willing to forgive you from all your failures, shortcomings and evil nature and transform you completely.

 

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What God defined, man redefines!

 

We humans are in the process of constantly redefining things. We redefine those that are directly or indirectly connected to the moral laws which is channelized by the moral giver, God.  Even the acts of the constitution and judiciary have a deep connection with the moral framework addressing justice, punitive measures, sense of right and wrong, good and bad, virtue and vices which are impacted by ethos, pathos and by religion to a larger extent.

Countries and nations are also in the process of redefining areas that impact the mundane and the significant areas of human life. Today, things like human sanity, solidarity, brotherhood are conditional on the areas of interest promoted by leaders, religious institutions, law makers and government.  Whenever we witness moral laws being tampered with, fanatics and heretics use religion to their personal benefit and gratify their selfish motives. The result is war, disharmony, slavery, human trafficking, abduction, and loss of lives,

But why is it that someone finds it right to cause harm and obliterate one group of people or take innocent lives? If you get to the root of the issue, it is usually connected with their view of God and belief system that their personal god /gods are appeased with such heinous acts. Enforced religious views are connected with religious buildings and places. Terrorists and fanatics are constantly in war killing people, innocent children and women because they assume they are saving the rights of their personal god. The ideology and peoples understanding of god is so awkward and skewed that we get to see one group of people or country celebrating the agony faced by the country they attacked. The recent Israel attack is one example. Innocent lives on both sides are paying the price for which they are not responsible. 

If one has to find out what has god defined that man is trying to redefine it, then in that case, a true understanding of God matters. And there starts the confusion because every religion defines God differently.  Even the moral laws in some of the religious scriptures are vengeful and demands humiliation of its enemies.

The understanding of gods has become a private matter today. People can have the choice of having a god for themselves. Stories of gods displaying bravery, dramas, characters of tension, act of valor, religious rules and laws, a figure different than human beings are all part of human attraction. People want to buy in to the concept of god who is bigger than themselves, it can be of any form, even a mythological creature. Logical inconsistency, lack of empirical evidence and contradictions in the writings still find its approval and are accommodated.

If one has an openness to read the scripture of different religion and then get to read the Bible, he/she would find, it is not just a matter of love and showing the other cheeks to the one who struck him but it’s an extraordinary lifestyle of Jesus recorded in the four prominent gospels writer in different time periods. It is absolutely cohesive with nil contradictions. His life defined a way, the purpose to life and the hope to life after death. Jesus demonstrated His love by healing people from all sickness, raising the dead and He rose again after death. He promised to prepare a place for us called heaven. This hope is true because He is not dead, nor His name effaced but He is a victorious savior. He defined the evil of the human heart, made provision for the sin problem asked people to repent from their sins, receive His forgiveness and put their faith in Him to experience abundant life. Where is religion here? It is all about relationship and loving God and loving one another as himself. The life of this extraordinary person has defined it already. Instead of redefining, it is worth attempting to know Him and accepting Him as a personal savior which will ultimately transform the course of one’s life. Your life will be redefined4good forever.

 

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Belief and Reality Gap!

  

The song “I Believe I Can Fly” was written, produced, and performed by American singer R. Kelly. It was originally released on November 26, 1996. The song was part of the soundtrack for the 1996 film Space Jam and was later included on Kelly’s 1998 album. In early 1997, it reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained at the number-one spot of the Billboard R&B Singles Chart for six non-consecutive weeks. He has released twelve studio albums and won three Grammy Awards. However, in 2022 he was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison for using his celebrity status to sexually abuse children and women. The lyrics of his famous song:

I used to think that I could not go on

And life was nothing but an awful song

But now I know the meaning of true love

I'm leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it, then I can do it

If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

 

I believe I can fly

I believe I can touch the sky

I think about it every night and day

Spread my wings and fly away

I believe I can soar

I see me running through that open door

I believe I can fly

I believe I can fly

I believe I can fly

The expression found in the words of the song tell us that he was ambitious and wanted to quickly climb the ladder of success. Also, he declares in the song that he found the true meaning of love. But his aspiration and belief contradicted reality. I am sure anyone who looks up to someone who is famous, rich, and popular with a large fan following are seen as successful and powerful in the today’s world. If you notice, the lyric of the song, it expresses a life philosophy. Unfortunately, it couldn't hold him up for long. It did not have the power to restrain him from violating and abusing the powerless and vulnerable women to gratify his own selfish desires. There was a gap in what he believed and what happened.

What you believe depends on whom you believe. And that depends upon having an in-depth understanding of a true God who has created you and given you the opportunity to exist in this life. Being successful is not always a compass to find your purpose in life. True meaning of life is knowing the purpose of your existence, understanding the roadmap of your journey, and finding where you are going to be after your death? If these questions are overlooked then what you are left with is finding your own answer and philosophy to life, achieving success in your terms and using the freedom to do what you want to and gratify your desires.

True meaning and purpose are found in Christ Jesus alone. He has promised to give us abundant life which is fulfilling and promising for eternal life. This has the power to keep us from violating the freedom we receive. All other desires are sensual and intends to fulfil the desires of our carnal flesh. The Bible states, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking ... This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.  For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." Jesus transforms one’s life and there is hope in Him. You have the power to live a holy, godly, and meaningful life who will be seen as blessing by people around you. 

Reference: HERE

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What is your source of comfort?

 

People cling to someone or something in times of sorrow and joy. I am sure this sentence, can trigger you to remember your source of comfort. This source is embedded in the mind right from childhood. For a child a doll, teddy bear, or car and any play items for that matter can be comforting and relaxing. The source of comfort changes as the child grows to an adult. It may be a thing or person (living or even dead), or it may be some belief system which could be an imagination yet becomes promising and comforting for the individual. I remember some of my friends in school days having peacock feathers in their notebook and it was a source of comfort for them, some having pictures of deity and small idol trinkets. During exams they try to look at it and kiss it at least once for good luck. Christians kissed the cross they wore as a pendant, to face the exams.

Human heart sometimes can be misleading, diverting our attention from the real to the counterfeit. I happened to talk to people living close to the railway tracks in the crowded city of Mumbai in India. They tell me that they cannot sleep in a place of silence. The sound of the passing train becomes the source of comfort. For some the light can be comforting and soothing while sleeping, though for many, it can be annoying. So, our mind tricks us to believe that what we hold on to or cling to irrespective of whether it can make sense or not happens to be the comforter. Well, you may critic saying what is wrong as long as the person stays comfortable hoping on something for comfort and companionship.

Companionship can be a thing, virtual, or even an imagery. But the problem in all of these is that it can fade so quickly leaving a person to wander and wanting for something better than what he /she had. It can be even ridiculous in some cases, yet people can make it as their personal god. "When a man stops believing in God," said GK Chesterton, "he doesn't then believe in nothing, he believes anything."

The problem of human heart and mind is that it is tuned to believe and have faith on something which may not be real. Anything dramatic or different than a human being tends to take the place of god. Who cares if it is a fantasy or mythology. Let us not forget, that true peace and security can only emerge from a clean conscience because of knowing the true God and encountering a life changing experience. The problem of sin makes the human heart more complicated and misleading to believe in everything. Instead of addressing the sin problem we substitute with materials, images, and rituals hoping to give us peace and comfort.

Faith in Jesus is transforming, conforming, and enlightening to human heart and soul. He is not the god of money, material, wealth and prosperity as we generally wish from god. As I always say most of the things we can always manage without god. What we cannot manage is true forgiveness and a clean conscience. For that we need to ask forgiveness for our sins and decide to live a holy life. And then even in loneliness the heart maintains the rhythm of peace, tranquility, and trust. I give here a comforting and promising claim from Jesus, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”.

 

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