A Committed Wait!

 

Waiting has its agenda of its own.  Some waiting can be known as a good waiting because the one who is waiting knows for certain the expected results. For example, someone who is waiting for the marriage to happen, the joining date in a new job, a new business deal, a new car to arrive, taking a possession of a new house, immigrating to a new country, waiting for your loved ones to return after a long period of time, etc. At the same time, some waiting can be painful due to adverse outcomes, like break-ups or a divorce, business losses or when things go out of the hand after a certain period, etc. However, there is a type of waiting that can be absolutely challenging, especially when you are unsure of the outcome. Lives are changed because of its positive outcome or a negative outcome. How do we deal with them in any case? 

What means do people use to mitigate the waiting? Generally, some are more hopeful while some are skeptical living with no hope. But if I must ask, on what, and on whom do you place your hope on? The answers can differ from person to person. For some it can be their efforts, some on the situation, some on the power of influence, for some its someone who was very promising and assuring, and some put their hope on God for the expected outcome. Many would say, ‘fingers crossed’ fearing worse outcomes, or they are prepared to take it as it comes. 

You would commonly hear these assuring words from people irrespective of any religion they belong too while they are waiting, “God will fulfil the desires of the heart”. Very assuring, right? However, by principle this cannot be generalized, because there are also people who scheme wicked things, plot evil to harm others, waiting for a selfish gain, destroy people’s lives, rob others. There are also people who kill and subdue people in the name of religion and assume they are favored by God and their desires have been fulfilled by God. Solomon in his writing recorded in the Bible states this, “Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before him. However, it will not go well with the wicked and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, for they are not reverent before God.”. As the Bible says, what we sow we must reap. You just don’t make it somehow; we all need God to help us.

There is always this demarcation between the God-fearing, righteous person and the wicked who uses any means to get his/her desired outcome. Bible states this, “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”.  Your efforts, connection and situations don’t get you what you want unless God shows His mercy. The Bible states, “The good man finds favor from the Lord.”. We need Jesus Christ the God of our hearts to abide in us and transform us and our situation.

How are you spending your waiting period? Are you like someone waiting piously for your expected result for a period of time  and then with loose commitments and live your way, or you are person who has made some serious commitment and willing to abide by it? Think about it! When your heart becomes the temple of the living God, all things then work good for you, irrespective of the outcome. Find out the true purpose of your existence. God has made the provision already through his son Jesus Christ to experience true salvation from our sins and failures and enjoy the abundant life He is willing to offer us. The Bible states, “You are God’s masterpiece.”. Learn to know more about Him and build a meaningful relationship with Christ the Savior. A simple expression of words in prayer and a commitment to follow Him genuinely will change the course of your life. 

  

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THE FOUR

The Pride of a fool!

 

When Moral values are relative anything and everything finds its place in the society and in the hearts of the individual. We live in a time of exploration where any fantasies can be explored, tried and soon legalized.  Shane Pruitt states “There isn't a community of people more celebrated by culture than those who identify as LGBTQIA+, and yet suicide rates, depression rates, & hopelessness continues to rise. It's not a lack of celebration & affirmation that is dangerous to people, but rather, the ideology itself.”

The world celebrates confusion in the form of Pride Month. Our depravity has touched rock bottom as we fail to accept that which is obvious and we want to be masters of our own existence, which includes deciding one’s gender. The pride world wants to justify its sexual deviancy and perversions. To normalize one’s sexual fantasies, names have been given and an umbrella has been formed in the form of “Pride”.

The very word “Pride” emulates the state we are in. Our pride has risen to insane levels that we start questioning our own gender to the point of questioning our creator. The Bible says, “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall”. Well, LGBTQIA+ brothers and sisters are hurtling towards a fall as their confusion will eat them alive. W.F Kumuyi puts it beautifully, “The world is fast slipping into moral blindness and insensitivity. People are becoming so adjusted to evil and error that they have lost the ability to perceive and understand the truth. We are seeing a vast reversal of norms. Things that were once condemned as wrong and abominable are now being celebrated as the ideal while once cherished values and practices are now condemned and jeered at. It has even reached the point where the attempt to point out these deviations and set things right is strongly resisted and termed as being discriminatory and hateful. The world is hitting the bottom of morality.”. 

There is a reason God created us male and female. They were created to complement each other and designed to have specific roles. They were created for a balance in physicality, emotions and procreation. Well with confusion of the LGBTQIA+  the whole balance is thrown haywire and destabilizes the very existence of humans. This is a direct rebellion against not only God but also man. People who detest such practices are called as homophobic and even dragged to court for not recognizing them as normal and providing services.

Anything that starts with confusion is where sin is rampant. People have deceived themselves and have proceeded to deceive the whole world. The Bible is right when it says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jesus stated this “A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of their mouth, that’s what defiles them”. Jesus is saying that it is deception rooted in the human heart that defiles. 

God created humanity to love and worship Him. We have defiled the very purpose with our confusion. People of LGBTQIA+ if they read this blog will call us fools because they have no concept of God. It is always about Pride – My life, My decision, My opinion, My right, therefore I will rather act as a fool. The Bible says, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; They do vile deeds. There is no one who does good.”. How appropriate. 

We all are in the danger of being forced to accept foolishness. We are being brainwashed repeatedly through media that it is normal. Let me reiterate friends, that this is not normal and it’s an abomination in the sight of our creator. You, me and every human being on this earth was created in the image of God and as male and female. Protect your children from the lies and be the parent that ensures your legacy thrives through generations by upholding the truth. Be wise and bring up your children in wisdom, which comes by living a life worshiping the living God Jesus Christ. You don’t be proud, make God proud. Let your identity be in Him.

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Knowing the Savior 

The Eagle's Eye!

Have you noticed that regardless of cohesiveness or truth people still support a particular ideology, theory or a religious propaganda? Religious packaging of any form sells well in a country like India. The election saga was a painful and stressful process for the common man having to hear abuses being hurled at the opposition parties to the point that one leader claimed to be the savior and avatar of God. In such a situation there is a danger of breakdown of law and system. Mortal being can never take the position of God. History has never been merciful to those who claimed themselves as savior.

With too many noises around and false claims, truth becomes hidden and to keep truth hidden more lies is perpetuated to keep it that way. As the saying goes the absence of light is darkness. Similarly, the absence of truth is lies which generally can be very compelling. R.D. Laing states, “The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice; and because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there’s little that we can do to change, until we notice how failing to notice changes our thoughts and deeds.”. Therefore, it is important for us to focus on searching for the truth.

Jesus the greatest of all leaders and God Himself ascertained, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”. Not only that, but He also claimed to be the truth. “I am the way the Truth and the life,” not like any other so-called gurus who give a discourse, mantras to finding truth, certainty and happiness in life. In studying Jesus and the most comprehensive writing of the scriptures, the Bible, you will find truth which is life transforming. Most of the failures come because of not being willing to know the alternative worldview. We are all stuck with what we think is true and believe we have all the answers. 

We all go for a second opinion if it is us or when our loved ones are sick, and it is life-threatening. But when it is something to do with life, finding forgiveness of sins and life after death, we fail the need to check if something else is true other than what I am believing and following. 

Jesus is answer to all your problem and the only answer to life after death. A risen Lord is the answer to all your life problems. Jesus therefore claimed boldly, “I am the resurrection and the life.”. What you need is an eagle’s eye to find the truth that will change the course of your life and assurance of eternity with Him. 

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Reference

News-IndianExpress

Fear to Freedom!

Life can still be out of our control, regardless of our planning, good decisions and right steps. As humans we expect to be in control of every area of our life, or worse, in at least some areas of our life. Losing control builds fear and anxiety in us, hence we constantly plan how to act to keep things in control.

Fear of losing control involves thinking of how our actions can cause harm to oneself and others or lacking diligence in keeping things under control can have a negative impact in the world around us. It is this fear that causes obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). People with these core fears are often hyperaware of their responsibility for the people and events around them, and may have an inflated sense of responsibility, believing that they can and must maintain perfect control of their actions to avoid negative consequences. As a result, they frequently worry over worst-case scenarios to control, anticipate, and avoid them totally. Few realities of life are hard and difficult to escape. But then others are pure delusions where we overthink the worst-case scenario. This results in fear causing anxiety and apprehensiveness.

It is time to remind ourselves that we are not God. We need to acknowledge the fact that there is a God who is sovereign, and we can call Him for help. Kristen Wetherell in one of her article stated, “Because Christ is on his throne, ruling all things with perfect wisdom and power, we are freed from the crushing pressure and fearfulness of trying to rule ourselves, other people, and the circumstances that expose how out of control we are: our health and safety, the welfare of family and friends, the salvation of loved ones, the future, money and possessions, political powers, and nature.”. All it takes is to trust on Him. 

Trusting means to walk in faith as the Bible states, “we walk by faith and not by sight”. This is not having faith on an unknown deity or a god of imagination but a call to believe in Jesus Christ and to have absolute faith in Him. He has control over every area of our life. In one instance in the Bible even the storms and the wind died down immediately, obeying to His authority. That’s how powerful He is. He healed every sick person who approached Him, raised people from the dead and in the end, He rose from the read. These instances are all beyond human control, but Jesus is a God who can do things which are impossible. There is nothing too hard for Him. In this life we have a savior who has made a provision for us already. 

If we really desire to be free from fear, we need to analyze whether we are doing anything wrong. Jesus understands our frailty to sin. When we confess our failures, we experience forgiveness from all our sin, and we will be able to build confidence in Him. We receive freedom from fear of losing position and control.  We learn to trust God who is in perfect control.

 

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When luxury is handling a fool!

 

Do you long for a luxurious life? A life where you go beyond your basic needs being met. However, are you aware that there are many who struggle for even one square meal a day. Research shows that approximately 18,000 people die each day of hunger. Poor nutrition and hunger are responsible for the death of 3.1 million children a year. That’s nearly half of all deaths in children under the age of 5. Globally, 822 million people suffer from undernourishment. There are people who have everything they want and beyond, yet remain unsatisfied and wanting more. 

Luxury is defined as a blessing. Anyone who is rich will state that they are blessed by God or have worked hard for it or its just pure luck. But these responses raise serious doubts on the goodness of God. If all those who are luxurious are blessed by God then on the other hand it can mean all those who are barely making ends meet are being forsaken by God. God’s justice is brought under scrutiny. In the pantheistic religious worldview luxury is connected with money and is god in its own sense.

Jesus warned the followers when it comes to money and possession. His words as recorded in the Bible states, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”. God and money are opposites of the spectrum. If this is true, then luxury by itself is not blessing or luck. It’s wise to stop judging someone based on their possessions.

The wisest and richest king Solomon states, “Luxury is not fitting for a fool…”. Everyone cannot handle luxury appropriately. And most often, luxury rules people. They think they are gods because they could get anything with their purchasing power. The Bible says, “For the love of money is the root of all of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”.  You are God’s masterpiece, luxury doesn’t define you. Whom you belong to makes all difference. When you learn to trust Christ Jesus who claimed to never leave you nor forsake you, then you find the true direction to a meaningful life with or without luxury. 

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Reference:

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/hunger-and-obesity/how-many-people-die-from-hunger-each-year