Sunday, May 18, 2025

Before you freak out!

 

Questions to ask your “Freaking” Self

Does worry provide you with limitless options?

Does the future hold you ransom by not letting you do the right thing now?

Can a disaster be an opportunity to seize than to resist?

It’s good to ponder on the questions above.

Anger makes you feel you are in the right, but regret does the opposite. They generally amplify your feelings of right and wrong. Therefore, taking decisions when you are overcome by these emotions is a big NO. Always use facts to verify. Anger and frustration are an offshoot of disappointment. The emotions by themselves are not bad and we can use them for a greater purpose.

Problems are integral to our existence, how we address them is the game changer. Problems can appear daunting and impossible to overcome. Emotions rule in these moments. But we can mentally “step outside and above it.”. Yes, there are problems to be solved. Yes, you need to act. But the chaos is happening externally, and you are still in the driver’s seat, internally.  You are in the control of the moment; the moment is not in control of you.

Worse case scenarios flash in our minds but with hard work and perseverance we could overcome most of our problems, if not all. However, we can do this only with the help of our Maker and Creator – God. Each of us were created uniquely but do we ever look up to Him or talk to Him? In the pantheistic worldview everything poses as God, try various options, give up and blame the universe for what we are going through. 

We hear people say, “Thanks to the universe” or “The universe has given me…”. If you thank and praise the universe, what you are really doing is pretending that the universe is God. No God is God, the creator of the universe and all in it.  It’s no different from thanking a morning coffee for getting us through the day. It is more than the universe. God sent His son. Jesus died for you and me. The Bible states “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 Bible). The hope is in this living God who has rose from the dead. He chose to live in our heart provided we are willing to throw away the trash in our hearts and accept Him as the savior and Lord of our life. Jesus is our hope, a God who rose people from dead and Himself rose from the dead, is willing to hear us and come to our aid provided we don’t use Him as option.

 

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Sunday, May 11, 2025

Learning to trust is a choice we make!

 

We live in a world filled with anxiety, regret and brokenness. In such a case trust usually makes no sense, direction becomes clueless, and purpose shattered. Most of the people are victim of grief, despair and conclude life is unfair. The challenge of poverty further adds to the despair, shattering all dreams of hope and life. 

Poverty is a law of entropy. What do I mean by this statement? The Law of entropy also known as the second law of thermodynamics states that in an isolated system, the total entropy ( a measure of disorder or randomness) will either increase or remain constant, but it will never decrease over time. This means that a system will spontaneously tend towards a state of greater disorder unless external energy is applied. The intensity of every broken situation seems to increase. It is when man questions life and the purpose of life. 

The purpose of life is to restore things from its original intention. God made man a social creature. God gave man work, God had a fellowship with man, God gave man dominion over the earth. What is the significance of these things? God intended for each of these to add to our fulfilment in life, but all of these (especially man’s fellowship with God) were adversely affected by man’s fall into sin and the resulting curse upon the earth as Bible records in its first book of the Bible called Genesis, chapter 3. All brokenness, poverty, regrets, pain, and suffering are the result of sin directly or indirectly.  People mix up God with life. Just because life is not fair doesn’t mean God is not fair, God is not life, but life without God is unfair. 

In our humanistic culture, people pursue many things, thinking that in them they will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include business success, wealth, good relationships, sex, entertainment, and doing good to others. People have testified that while they achieved their goals of wealth, relationships and pleasure, there was still a deep void inside, a feeling of emptiness that nothing seemed to fill. Trusting God is the last resort for people. Even if they do trust, it’s only on people, time, things or promises made by someone. 

Trusting God doesn’t come naturally. It is a choice we make. You can trust Jesus because of His credibility of who He is. He invited all those who are heavy laden. He said,  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”. The “rest” Christ provided is not comfort or instant happiness but helping us in our point of need. He understands your struggle and expects you to draw to Him. He never cast away anyone who comes to Him, but then we must make a choice to trust Him. The Bible says, “Submit to God, and you will have peace, then things will go well for you.”. I pray that all will go well with you. 

 

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Sunday, May 4, 2025

Trusting God when uncertainty hits the roof!

 

I am remembered of the days when living every single moment in uncertainty was a never-ending saga of anticipation and apprehension. Anxiety swirled like a whirlwind with unanswered questions like what was I supposed to do next? And how would everything work out? Though during such times there was food on my table and roof over my head, yet the fear of tomorrow was daunting. It was in these trying circumstances, feeling completely out of control, that I finally surrendered.

Dear friends, if this seems like your life story be encouraged that you don’t go unnoticed by God who created you, more specifically who created you in His image. The core of Christianity is a God who lived, died and rose again, which affirms the fact that He is a God who is alive. This is the boast of Christian faith. He stared at death and had victory over it. He totally understands what you are going through. Crisis is a time that not only helps you find new meaning to life and decode the philosophy of it but also finding God. I don’t refer to the religious rituals as they become decoys and blame it on karma.

Times of crisis makes us hold on to those which we really need to let go off in life. Our urge to control the outcome trumps the fact that we need to surrender to God. So, we end up questioning Him and believe He has forgotten us. The mistake we make is equating God to religion. Religion is a set of creeds filled with systems, rituals, do’s and don’ts where people try to observe everything. We get so absorbed by them that we fail to establish a relationship with God and drift away. Our uncertainties seem to linger on. Your uncertainty is part of God’s plan to save you from your wretchedness and help you find the truth of life and eternity.

The greatest purpose of man is to know God and have fellowship with Him. Personalized God never works. Gods cannot be personalized. Either one God or no God. When referring to Jesus Bible states this, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” Referring to Jesus who was God incarnated came in human form but never was like one of us. He was different, holy and immaculate. All that He said and predicted including His own death and resurrection came to pass. But sadly, people have categorized Jesus as a Christian god and rejected salvation altogether.

You can try to know Him more from where you are. Enough of trying your personalized religion. I am introducing you to Jesus who rose from dead and who lives. He promised to live in your heart, where the real temple is. You are not alone in your journey. Times will not change your situation but surrendering your life to know Him more, have fellowship with Him and follow Him will alter your capacity to deal with your problems differently. He is there to transform your condition and walk with you. Set aside your religious bias and try to know who Jesus is, you will find His story fascinating and your life enriching.


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Sunday, April 27, 2025

The reality of Real and Reel life!

The honeymoon period is when he or she is carried away with things, seem to be unbothered and living life to the fullest? The excitement of life and the matter of life keeps oscillating between reality and illusion. Many people live in an imaginary life, and I would like to call it “Reel” life. The art world especially movies are not always the true depiction of reality which we all are aware of, yet we love reel life, because it is enchanting, charming and transcends us into another world. 

In simple terms, real life is the world we live in every day, with its problems. One of the best real life examples is actors’ and actresses’ lives outside of their films and online shows. Reel Life is a deceptive portrayal of one’s life online, in movies, or on T.V. shows and is widely different from real life. While T.V. and movies were the primary sources of onscreen entertainment, social media redefined reel life for not just celebrities but also ordinary people. We often associate reel life with a perfect life — perfect situations, ideal relationships, wealth, health, travel, appearance, flawless beauty, you name it. It is natural for people to imitate what they see on screen.

Today, inappropriate words have inundated TV dramas and movies normalizing it. It has become a fashion to use expletives. The culture, ethics, ideologies have shifted enormously, and reel life has promoted it widely. The philosophy of existentialism, ‘live for today’ has seeped in people’s mind much through media and art industry. Addressing the truth and facts of life has become an illusion. The Bible states, “for the fashion of this world passeth away.”.  The passing fashion and pleasure derived passes so quickly like shifting shadows. Jesus claimed, ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’ And that means there is an expiry even in the earth for human life. The Bible narrated a perfect and logical argument of the creation story. Jesus who incarnated in flesh and blood lived human, died human but resurrected as God. He claimed that He is preparing eternity for all who acknowledge the Savior and experiences forgiveness of sins by inviting Him into his/her life. 

Our message therefore as Dr John Frame stated, ‘our message to the world must emphasize that God is real, and that He will not be trifled with. He is the almighty, majestic Lord of heaven and earth, and demands our most passionate love and obedience.’.  Jesus is real. He has proved and claimed so much that none who lived in human history could imagine. If His resurrection is historical, His return, as Bible claims, is also true and going to be historical. Today, you can know Him and experience the true love of Christ to find meaning and purpose in your life. Do you want to make a decision? 

 

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Friday, April 18, 2025

When Power is measured by Love!

Narratives of power, conquest, victory, accomplishmens, achievements, ownerships are celebrated. The unmatching event of Good Friday is widely observed and commemorated all over the world different from these narratives. Religion rarely points to god, because it limits to rituals and customized religious practices. The atonement of sin in religious settings underscores certain practices like holy dip in a river, giving to charity, visiting shrines etc. 

Here the story of Christ Jesus is stunning yet exudes humility and extravagant demonstration of love. Jesus showed immense power by the act of love. He was compassionate enough to touch and heal the lepers, reached out to social outcast, healed the sick, lame, blind and every kind of stubborn illnesses. All of this is measured by His act of Love. Even today, prayers are changing lives and bringing extraordinary miracles. Atonement for sin is made easy because of his sacrifice on the cross of calvary. Anyone who believes in Him and confesses His sin, receives forgiveness, freedom from all guilt and a hope to live with freedom.

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, typically observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. In 2025, it falls on April 18. The day is marked by solemn rituals, fasting, and prayer in churches worldwide, reflecting on Jesus’ sacrifice, which Christians believe atoned for humanity’s sins.

The term “Good” might seem paradoxical given the event’s gravity, but it has historical and theological roots. One explanation traces it to an older English usage of “good” meaning holy or pious, as in “Good Tide” for Christmas. Thus, Good Friday signifies a holy day. Theologically, many Christians view it as “good” because Jesus’ death is believed to have fulfilled a divine plan for salvation, paving the way for resurrection and eternal life—celebrated on Easter. For example, John 3:16 in the Bible, underscores this sacrifice as an act of divine love. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Not all traditions use the term “Good.” In German, it’s Karfreitag (Sorrowful Friday), and in some Eastern Orthodox churches, it’s called Great and Holy Friday, emphasizing mourning over triumph. Regardless, the day’s significance lies in its role within the Easter narrative, balancing sorrow with the anticipation of redemption. 

The truth is that Jesus is not only documented in the eye-witness testimony compiled in the New Testament, but He is mentioned as a historical person by several non-Christian sources within 150 years of His life. From those sources, we can learn 10 things about Jesus without even opening a Bible out of which few I brought it for your reference. I am referring this from an article written by Alisa Childers on “The Historical Facts About Jesus From Non-Christian Sources”:

He was known to be wise and virtuous. 

This fact was reported by Jewish Historian Josephus, who was born around AD 37. In his Antiquities of the Jews, he reports: “At this time there was a wise man named Jesus. His conduct was good, and [he] was known to be virtuous.”

He was known to perform miracles. 

Celsus was a  2nd-century Greek philosopher and a fierce opponent of Christianity. In what is known to be the first comprehensive intellectual attack on Christianity, he tried to resolve why Jesus was able to perform miracles. The story is wild—but the main point is that by trying to explain away the miracles of Jesus, he is inadvertently affirming that they happened:

“Jesus, on account of his poverty, was hired out to go to Egypt. While there he acquired certain powers which Egyptians pride themselves on possessing. He returned home highly elated at possessing these powers, and on the strength of them gave himself out to be a god.”

He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. 

This fact comes to us from one of the most trusted historians of the ancient world. Cornelius Tacitus was born in AD56 and served as a respected senator and proconsul of Asia under Emperor Vespasian. He wrote a history of the first century Roman Empire, which many historians consider to be the “pinnacle of Roman historical writing.” He notes:

“Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.”

Josephus confirmed: Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die.

He had many Jewish and Gentile disciples.

Josephus wrote: “And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon discipleship.”

He lived during the time of Tiberius Caesar. Julius Africanus also reported that another ancient historian, Phlegon, confirmed the darkness at the time of Jesus’s death and that Jesus was alive “in the time of” Tiberius Caesar:

“Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth.”

His disciples believed that He rose from the dead.

In his commentary regarding the disciples’ reaction to Jesus’ death, Josephus recorded: “[Jesus’ disciples] reported that He had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion; and that he was alive….”. Bible records He appeared to more than 500 people in different occasion.

His disciples believed He was God, and they met regularly to worship Him.

Pliny the Younger lived from AD 61-113 and was an influential lawyer and magistrate of ancient Rome. In a letter to Emperor Trajan he wrote: “They [Christians] were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up.”

His disciples were willing to suffer and die for their beliefs. 

The persecution and suffering of early Christians was recorded by Suetonius, the official secretary of the Roman Emperor Hadrian around AD 121. He documented that they were expelled from Rome in AD 49 by Claudius: “Because the Jews at Rome caused constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (Christ), he expelled them from Rome.”

Today, you have the greatest opportunity to find the truth and life and most importantly the remission of sins. All that it needs is an open mind to read the Bible and find the truth and compare with history this greatest event that has the power to transform your life and usher in a life of hope and confidence. 


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Sunday, April 13, 2025

Don’t Play It Safe!

 

‘Play it safe’ ideology is used to assess the risk and protect oneself from danger or undesired circumstances. However, the decisions based on this ideology can point more towards self-centered decisions. We often forget we are interdependent and exist in a community which is divided by ethnicity, race, religion, status, power, color, etc. Those factors that concerns us becomes our priority and the ‘us’ usually includes, self, family, relatives and to some extent friends. Unfortunately, today, even the “us” has been affected because of selfishness and greed for money.

There is an incident in the Bible where a lawyer meets Jesus with a question about eternal life and its qualifier. We  notice in the conversation that Jesus summarizes all the laws into two greatest commandments which said, to love God with all heart, soul, strength and mind and then to love his neighbor as himself. Immediately the lawyer shoots another question asking, “who is my neighbor”? In response to this lawyerly attempt at self-justification. Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan, I want you to follow the parable: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite ( A Levite is a person who is a descendant of the Tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel in the Bible, meaning they are considered to have a special religious role within Judaism, primarily serving as assistants to the priests in the Temple), when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan (the Samaritans are a religious group of people who practice Samaritanism, a faith similar to Judaism. They are primarily based in Israel), as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’”

After Jesus narrated the parable to the Lawyer Jesus asked, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” to which the lawyer said, “He who showed mercy on him.”. Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.’. When it comes to the matter of compassion, kindness and showing mercy, playing it safe is detestable to God. This Samaritan went out of the way to help someone who is battling for life. He spent his money, time and energy to take care of someone suffering. He did not play safe.  In the book of Proverbs written by king Solomon found in the Bible he points out a moral and ethical standard about an important issue. He says, ‘Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? Well, I am not referring to always look to do something serious. There are many who are suffering and battling with issues of life that are leading to frustration and despondency. In many cases though we know it, we want to walk like strangers forgetting God is noticing our heart and the intent of it.  The. Bible says, ‘He weighs our heart’. We may play it safe, but it is displeasing to the Lord God. The love and kindness is a matter of heart that needs the Savior to transform our heart and make someone who is not just a good person but one who is not playing it safe.

 

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Sunday, April 6, 2025

Missing a Strange Connection!

Missing someone is usually associated with having some kind of connection with that person. The connection can be close or distant, living or dead. The emotion associated with missing someone comes from a longing for their presence in your life, not necessarily from the familiarity of a voice or touch. From a spiritual perspective, missing someone you’ve never met can be seen as an expression of the soul’s longing for connection and love. This longing is not limited to physical connection or interaction, but is rooted in a deeper, spiritual dimension of our being.

The heart longs always, including for non-living things. Emotions are powerful and yearns to establish a connection. But most of the time the human connections are limited and wears off soon. However, people continue to miss whom their heart chooses to reciprocate love. Children for example, after reading the fairy tales or watching a cartoon movie wish to meet their favorite character, in person. But then, while they grow, they realize the absurdity of imagining fictional characters as a true person. What we miss can truly matter if whom we miss happens to be a truly important and integral part of human life. 

When it comes to religion, we often don’t miss gods, because we have carved idols or an image in our homes to worship. People like to use religious stories and character to celebrate festivals. Rituals and religious practices are in abundance. Most of the god characters are pompous, which people flaunt about. When it comes to power, we like to celebrate but when it comes to love we long to surrender.

Augustine writes in his Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”  This is perhaps one of Augustine's most often quoted phrase which captures something that resonates deep within the human person. Restlessness is that desire to be filled and fulfilled. For this to happen we need a true, living God with whom we can have a relationship. Allow me to introduce Jesus to you.

An incident from the Bible refers to the disciples of Jesus who were witnessing His amazing miracles, healing people from chronic illness and raising people from dead. Philip, one of Jesus' disciples, asked, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus responded by saying, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father".  The disciples were longing to see God and to establish a relationship with God the father. Probably because Jesus claimed “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”. Only after Jesus died and resurrected exactly the way He said, people truly believed taking the good news around the world. They were martyred for their faith. Whether you know Jesus or yet to know Him, this longing and desire to know something which is transcendental will leave you restless until you know the God who is full of love and compassion assuring hope for your life here and for eternity. You cannot replace the longing with anything else. You will continue to miss Him because Jesus is the Lord of your heart and life. 


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