Calculated times!

 

Humans are skilled to calculate how our destiny should turn out to be. We toil, plan, position and move strategically to find ourselves established yet most of the time speculating and striving to make it through our assumptions. We want to believe that each one of us is responsible for making our own destiny. Life is difficult and our options to survive change with time. When the Bible refers to man’s life, it talks about God’s sovereignty and His overall plan for our existence. Here is what it states:

1. Your life period in history: (The time of existence, e.g., which era or period) The period and era we are supposed to exist is determined by God. This means we are privileged to live now in this time frame when millions ceased to exist (Acts 17:26 Bible).
2. Your boundary of existence: The place and area of existence, whether you are from Asia, Europe, Africa even narrowing down to your country, region and the area you live right now. This means our place of birth and our boundaries are determined too according to the Bible (Acts 17:26 Bible).
3. Your life span: In your overall existence, how long you are going to exist on this earth is determined too (Job 14:5 Bible).

The Bible states the fact “since a person’s days are determined and the number of his months depends on you (God) and since you have set limits, he (man) cannot pass.”. This brings me to emphasize the fact that our days are numbered, and no amount of lifestyle change will guarantee eternal life here on earth. Our total existence is a mere portion of time on this earth. Bible does not support rebirth based on our good or bad deeds. Some religion blames the human condition to Karma and rebirth. Who knows what form someone would take on their next birth. If this is true then we would all be under the mercy of the uncertain fate and by this standard even God becomes meaningless. But this is not the case, the Bible gives us clarity that we all will be resurrected for either eternal life with God or for eternal damnation.  Life after death is so certain because only  Jesus in human history rose people from death and He himself after crucification rose again from the grave. And he promised that all who believe in Him and accept him as a savior will be  resurrected but only the destination will be changed based on our commitment.  

The book of Job in the Bible describes God’s sovereign love as, “you put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths, setting a limit for the soles of my feet” (Job 13:27 Bible). Man’s sin brought  death but through Christ’s resurrection we are given a hope to live again. Jesus did not give just a proposition or a passing statement for human life. He was definite in what He stated and declared. Because of his resurrection the Bible becomes authoritative and stands validated.

We can change our destiny without assuming by getting to know Jesus. The sin and guilt of this fallen world need not overwhelm us. Apostle Paul, one of the authors in the Bible who previously persecuted followers of Christ, states, “He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).

You are destined for an abundant life inclusive of your life after death, i.e. eternity, which Jesus Himself demonstrated by rising from death. The only condition is that we all must pass through the judgement before His throne. The Bible states,“because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him (Jesus) from the dead.” And further it also states “Before God and Jesus Christ, I give you a command. Christ Jesus is the one who will judge all people—those who are living and those who have died.”.

He is coming again to establish His kingdom as said in the Bible. Christ Jesus is going to judge the living and the dead. Beloved this means the dead are also going to come to life to face judgement and be part of the eternal kingdom of Christ, as Jesus promised. Do not limit your hope to this life alone or on the fate of uncertain rebirth. Learn to know Christ the resurrected Savior. You will find life enriching and promising. 

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Choosing Between the Two Saviors!

 

“Who is Jesus?” by Greg Gilbert, writes a general point of view in his short book and helps the common man to understand who Jesus was? “Here was a man who claimed to be a prophet, a savior, a king, even God himself—a man whose listeners would have been perfectly justified in chalking him up as a lunatic or a charlatan if only he hadn’t kept on doing things to back those claims up! Then there was the way he treated people in such unexpected ways—compassion to outcasts, wrath to the powerful, and love toward the unlovable. On top of it all, despite his claims, Jesus didn’t act like a king or a god. When he was offered a crown, he refused it, told his followers to keep quiet about who he really was, and talked instead about how the authorities would soon crucify him like a common criminal. But then again, he spoke as if all that were somehow part of his plan all along. Little by little, as they watched him and heard him, Jesus’s followers came to believe that he was more than just an extraordinary man. He was more than a teacher, more than a prophet, more than a revolutionary, even more than a king. As one of them put it to him one night, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” The Most Important Question You’ll Ever Consider So, who is Jesus?”

Now diving into His biography that is found in different books in the Bible we come to know that He was not just God incarnation, but God Himself. He could heal people from any kind of incurable disease, including people who were born blind, born paralytic, born deaf and mute, raising people from dead and healing the most dangerous disease of the time which was leprosy. Hundreds and thousands of people were blessed by Him and followed Him. Bible records that people from Galilee, Judea and from all surrounding towns and villages thronged to see Him, listen to Him and be healed from all the sickness. Jesus never asked His followers to do a set of religious rituals, perform various rites or build a temple for Him, though we have Churches today where Christ followers gather to worship Him. He was demanding people to repent from all their sinful behavior, receive forgiveness from their sins and promised eternal life (life after death) through Him. 

The interesting information you would find in the Bible which also records that many stopped following Jesus. It says, that ‘many withdrew and no longer followed Him’, not because He was controversial, misused power, found leading an immoral life, embezzled money but because He demanded people to repent of their sins, to live a holy life and have a relationship with a holy God. Bible is the honest record of 40 authors who dared not to mince words and falsify facts. You would rarely find such logical flow of information in any other religious scriptures.

It was difficult for people to comprehend how could Christ be so holy and blameless. Jesus even challenged His enemies by asking them, ‘who can convict me of any sin?’ It was a daring challenge. People were so immersed in their sins that this high calling of holiness was nearly impossible. At that time the Roman empire was ruling the nations. It was a period when Palestine, the area where Jesus lived, was a territory under Roman control. Jesus was born during the reign of Emperor Augustus and crucified under Emperor Tiberius. The Roman Empire was a vast territory stretching from the Atlantic to the Red Sea and from the Danube to the Nile, and it maintained order through its military and administrative power.

Finally, out of envy Jesus was handed over to be crucified. We find that people were given a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, because it was a customary to release one prisoner each year. At that time, it is documented that Barabbas was a notorious prisoner in jail for insurrection. Now let me point out the fact that Barabbas's full name was most likely Jesus Barabbas, according to some ancient manuscripts of the Gospels. The name "Barabbas" itself is an Aramaic term meaning "son of the father". Therefore, the crowd was presented with a choice between releasing Jesus, also known as the Messiah, or Jesus, who was the "son of the father".  Dr James L Johnson presents his finding by stating this, “Barabbas was technically a surname. They had to choose which Jesus they wanted: the one who brought a kingdom in love or the one who did so with violence. We get to choose which Jesus we want.”. As Gilbert pointed out great facts, why don’t you give Jesus a chance. It may be that the more you learn about Him, you’ll realize that there are some very good reasons for believing what He said about Himself, about God and about you.

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