Defending ourselves!

 

We are all very good in managing our self-image. Even when we are wrong and know the other person already have a clue about it, yet still we try to defend and manage the self-image to our best effort. Maintaining self-image is more important for people than trying to work on improving their failures and mistakes. People believe they can hide their true self and never be spotted. Probably to a larger extent they may be successful but cannot go on for long with that deception. Mostly people assume they are right and in the power of defending themselves, they find a way out.

The Bible says in the book of Proverbs that "every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.". Our motives and intention of our heart is weighed. It is never hidden from our God the creator. I am talking about a holy God who is holy and pure who is only concerned about the state of your heart and not your religious obligations. The Bible when talks about Jesus states, “You must be holy because I am holy.”. Holiness is business of the heart not ritualistic religious practices. The problem of sin is so overpowering that it is constantly influencing our lives and affecting others too. You may defend yourself and stand not guilty, but you stay guilty before God. As we are all aware, the guilty and hardcore criminals who have big money have attorneys to defend them. And we have stories of many such criminals who are never convicted and are roaming free. The affected victims feel betrayed and helpless in such situations.

The quote given by Author MR. John Lyly. which says, 'Everything is fair in love, war and business often practice by those people who believe that achieve your goals and objectives by any means. They do everything for love, success in war, and profit in business even if it hurts others.'. Either such people use the power to get away or defend through camouflaging with religious identity. Today there are so many cases we hear about deplorable acts committed by people and use religion to defend them. In another context, the book of Proverbs in the Bible states, "rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, "But we didn't know about this," won't he who weighs hearts consider it?' The only thing that matters for the God of the Bible is the pure heart. Bible is not the book of ceremonial and dietary rituals but the matter of our heart. Because the heart is temple of the living God which needs to be cleansed to stay guiltless before God and man. Jesus the risen Savior has made a provision for the forgiveness of man's sin. Accepting His forgiveness liberates people of all sin and guilt that one need not sin again and again and try defending oneself. Would you like to experience His true love?

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The Original intended Version!

 

We have all heard the phrase, “be who you are, and the right crowd will find you.”. But the question is which ‘who’, are we talking about? You will eventually find the people who are like you and are willing to be part of your circle. As a matter of fact, we attract who we are, not what we want. The people who identify their personal real image in others, join and flock together for identity, benefit, and survival.

The real version of you, is not the one identified by people based on your status, position, and name. Although in this world we gain our worth by the number of followers we have, the amount of power we exercise and most importantly how much money we make that keep us high on the social ladder. Who you are can make you big, rich, and famous, yet all these are temporal. The fact is identity, and position changes based on the status that changes us over time.

People are continually yearning to be recognised and identified by people. In the process, they have transformed themselves as gurus and godmen, gained great followers, made big money with established entity, only to be found later that it was just another big scam and racket duping many people. They either abscond or are imprisoned. Finding the real version of you can only come true when you allow God to transform you to the person, He intends you to be.

The original version of who we are is found in the Bible which states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Today, everything is addressed in this world except the sin problem. Religion takes advantage of it and provides intermediary solutions. Religion has made people merchandise and has allured them to perform rituals in the so-called holy place. Sin issue is never addressed and is the real cancer that distorts the truth, destroys our conscience and morals. We slowly live devoid of sane conscience and live an adapted version of who we want to be.  

The Bible states of Christ's sacrifice in this way, "He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.".  Therefore, we find forgiveness and are transformed to a completely new image.  The documentary of Big George Foreman who was once the world’s heavyweight boxing champion portrays the true transformation after God’s encounter. The new image activated his conscience to ask forgiveness from his opponent because of the grudge and anger he held against the person.  The true version changes you with eternity as focus and makes your heart overflow with love and peace.

 

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Consumer Culture!

 

In a consumer culture nothing is of intrinsic value. Instead, the value of a product, a person, or a religion is based on usefulness. Is your car/spouse/god failing to meet your desires? Trade it in for a new model, or at the very least give it a makeover. Such transactional ethics are acceptable because in our culture the self and its desires stand as the final authority and are the uncontested centre of the universe. This explains why so many religious institutions market God as a miracle product that will transform your life. In such places, worship isn’t primarily an act of thanksgiving or devotion, but an act of consumption. People gather to be entertained by festivals, events, crowds, music and so many other factors that excites the emotion and gratifies their self.

In this consumeristic approach to religion our desires are never questioned or challenged. A desire is never judged as right or wrong; it is only seen as met or unmet need. Similarly in consumer religion you do not exist to serve God. Instead, He exists to serve you because the customer is always king. We expect God to help us fulfil our dreams and desires. He is merely a tool; a device we use to achieve some greater goal. We desperately want to matter. Skye Jethani in his book What’s wrong with Religion? States, “We want to use God in the same way we use a personal trainer or a vending machine. In other words, we have come to view religion the way we view everything else—as consumers.”

In order to ensure all our desires are met we try to do things for god even go to the extent of destroying or crushing people in the name of god and religion. If you notice, in nearly every ancient creation myth, humans were formed to serve the gods. People supplied the gods with food through their sacrifices, built temples to be the gods’ homes, and fought battles for their king who was seen as a god on earth. Humans were gods’ servants.

This pagan vision of humanity was turned upside down by the creation story and the God of the Bible. He did not need to be fed, housed, and pampered like the gods of Babylon or Greece. It is thus recorded in the Bible, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,” He said, “for the world and its fullness are mine” And He made it clear that He does not live in a temple built by people. Instead, the whole cosmos is His home. Jesus was pointing to the human heart as His dwelling place. And therefore, we become the temple for the spirit of the living God for Him to live in us. Transformation of life happens when our heart makes room for the Saviour of the world to live in us. We merely live for creating a significance and become useful for others not just trying to gratify our selfish desires through the consumer culture. You can find everything in this consumer culture yet be dissatisfied and lost. We can only find truth and eternal destiny through Christ Jesus who is the resurrected Saviour. Confess your commitment to know Him from the Holy scripture and live a life with filled with hope.

 

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The Pendulum Effect!

 

As we grow through the various phases in life, we absorb a set of socially acceptable behaviours and adapt to a lifestyle that protects our image in our families, societies, workplace, and marketplace. We are good and dignified if the situations are favourable and turn hostile when things are not as we expected. If we observe, we are not who we are in our religious places. Our modesty and gentleness in these places are far from who we truly are, at least for a little time we are there. People are constantly swinging like a pendulum between their old self and the best new image. I hear people saying I was once very bad and wicked to the core, but now I am different. If you must ask them what brought about the change they talk about their religious duties and obligations, visit to the religious places, regular fasting, special dietary measures, following their favourite religious gurus, and meditating. Their outward form changes for the best, however, honestly speaking the outward form has a little impact on the issue of our heart and who we really are as a person.

Jesus when leading people towards a true repentance stated, "out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander. These are are the things that defile a person..." The old self is attached to the state of our heart, and it cannot be changed by what we wear and what we eat, regardless of how elegant we look to the outside world. Transformation of the heart is a serious business that needs a Saviour to cleanse us from our unrighteous deeds.  Unfortunately, righteous deeds, gentleness and goodness has become like the best costumes that we chose to wear for special occasions. Once we are back home, we swing back to our ugly old self. Bible assertively states that, 'therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come". True transformation takes place when one is in Christ. This is not about the religion. It does not say ‘if you are a Christian’ (the name given by people who were the disciple of Christ), it says, 'if you are in Christ' which indicates a relationship. Any religion implicates duties and obligation. Talking about Christianity Wintery Knight states, "Christianity is a religion where the founder prioritized self-sacrificial obedience above pleasure and fulfilment.". Jesus was humble to the core and yet a victorious, resurrected Saviour.

We read of horrendous incidents in Manipur, India which are heart wrenching. Hundreds (the minimum number to quote) churches were burnt, hundreds and more killed, and more than 6,000 Christian houses were attacked. Girls were publicly paraded and raped. Religious bigots, Political division, Tribal reservations all had their share.  Most think they are protecting their religion. People who might have lived with a nice image are now operating from their old self. Political games continue as poor people are ravaged to shame and death. A very hard truth indeed. 

If your religion makes you harder, colder, more resentful, more vengeful, more prideful, more condemning, it is leading you towards death, not life. It is turning you to stone. It is bringing you into a more insidious form of bondage making you a captive. Unable to love one another is not a political problem. Caste, racial issues, and the vilest incidents are identified with gods and goddess in scriptures. And it influences the followers to be impacted by it. If your heart is transformed, you don't have to be swinging between your old self and new You, like a pendulum. You stay steady as a rock. Making a decision to follow Christ, transforms you as a person and allows you to live in harmony, love one another and maintain perfect peace. You don't have to try it, you become the embodiment of the true love.

 

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Diamonds Are Not Forever!

 

Recently I read an interesting article (from which I stole the title of this blog) in which once-upon-a- time diamantaire (Diamond Merchant) who owned the whole world is now so poor he can’t even afford a movie ticket of $3. I have seen this diamond merchant’s designs advertised in exclusive magazines and wondered would I even get the chance to touch them, leave alone buy them. He catered only to the rich and the famous. Later, we realized his business flourished on loans got in fraudulent ways. He remained a fugitive for a some time until he was caught. He is now serving his time in a crowded prison in London.

Money is the magic word in the world today. Children in droves prepare for entrance exams into prestigious engineering and medical degrees losing their youth in the process. Some get disillusioned halfway through the journey that they call it quits and take their life. Every other news article shows which youth bagged the highest paying job and all are in millions or crores as we call it in India. Those who can’t make money after a good education end up taking the short cut and become wealthy through fraudulent means. The Bible gives us some wisdom in this matter. It says, “He who makes a fortune unjustly is like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay. In the middle of his life his riches will abandon him, so in the end he will be a fool.”. The means your wickedness will allow you to make money for sometime and will abandon you exactly at the very phase in life you worked for all along.

Somehow we have replaced God with money. Money blinds us to the fact that we need God in our life. We try to fill the vacuum in our heart where we need to have the Living God take His rightful place. We replace Him with the idols we desire that money can buy. Timothy Keller, an author and theologian says, “Money itself isn’t usually an idol. What you put your money towards does show where your idols are usually.”. We have lost the character of godliness and contentment. This world hails those who take the wrong way and the boundaries of evil are being pushed further and further. It has come to a point of nothing is wrong anymore and everything is relative.

What stops us from trusting in Jesus who is a living God, who came to save us from these very sins and wanted to assure us that He is enough. The Bible says, “Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.”. What could give us more surety than the very God who provides that very money. We live in times where the love and fear of God are foolish talk but sadly God is where our very existence depends upon. Billy Graham a great evangelist said, “There is nothing wrong with (people)possessing riches. The wrong comes from riches possessing (people).”.

Today examine your life on your pursuit of wealth, “for wealth is not forever; not even a crown lasts for all time.”. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”(The Bible). Wisely choose your life path and the legacy you want to leave for your generation. Do you want to leave them character and fear of God or huge possessions that corrupts your heart and soul? Your choice is going to ensure whether you spend eternity with God or end up in the flames of hell, after you die. There is Jesus Christ who is more valuable than a diamond who can give you the peace and joy that your riches can never give. All you need to do is whisper a prayer inviting Him into your heart. He doesn’t demand costly rituals or your wealth to transform your life. He just wants your heart.

Source:

Diamonds Are Not Forever: A Rich Indian Diamantaire Who Became Fugitive Is Now So Poor That His Company Can't Even Buy One 'Gadar 2' Ticket | Companies News | Zee News 

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Still Trying?

 

If you have browsed to find what people have to say about ‘trying’ you would find ample of suggestions and quotes available that says the key thing to success is trying, one which is very commonly used is “try and try at last you will succeed” and that from Carl Burnett which says “when things are disappointed, try not to be discouraged”  and the famous Alexander the great said “There is nothing impossible to him who will try”. It definitely looks very motivating but is not the answer by itself. I hear someone honestly saying “I have tried innumerable times but it is just not happening and I don’t know how to take it further” still someone in their pain are saying that they have tried desperately to change the status for better but nothing seems to move, not even an inch forward. How do we respond to such? Would you still echo that the mantra for success, achieving your desired goal, and changing your life status depends upon trying? It is time to take a shift seriously.

Let us not ignore the limitation of human being and fail to acknowledge our finitude. You definitely need to look for someone who is bigger than you and who can help you when you are in an impasse situation. Unless you understand the God dimension and His sovereignty you will be continuously trying with your aptitude, attitude, ability, using your competence, influences just to find it has not worked in most of the cases, especially when it comes to life problems. The Bible teaches us that God not only offers us encouragement when we are in a difficult pit, but He actually enters into the pit with us to see us through. We really will be okay, because God is with us.

He doesn’t want you wandering for ‘years in the desert looking but not finding a good place to live, half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion’. He wants the very best for your life. He has a wonderful road for your life. God is not only a good builder, He’s the ultimate architect, restoration specialist, and general contractor. Before you know what, you need, He has what you need. When the world needed a Savior, He sent the chief cornerstone. Therefore, we can say “I am confident,” not self-confident, but God Confident.

Stop constantly thinking you are not good enough to be blessed and keep on trying harder and doing more. You may have been struggling to get back on your feet, or to lift yourself out of the problem that has sorely weighed you down. You have attempted to do whatever you could, hoping that it would amount to something, but you have been frustrated time and again. My friend, God wants you to cease from all your struggling and accept the offer He extends to turn your situation around. God’s Word says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”. 

The day you cease from your own laboring and striving, and rest in the finished work of Christ, is the day you receive your miracle. The Bible says, "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world". Stop trying harder, just trust in God. I want to leave you with the famous quote by D L Moody, “Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in money, and you may have it taken from you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity.”.

 

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The Complete circle!

 

A baby’s birth showers us with joy and happiness. We celebrate it by sharing the good news with our friends and relatives. The joy of new life surpasses every other happiness one can experience. On the other hand, when death happens, it separates us from our loved ones, and plunges us into a world of grief. It is an irreparable loss, leaving behind an ugly scar. Frank Ostaseski puts this so beautifully, “Death is not waiting for us at the end of the long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart, and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death.”

One of my close family friends who was in the medical profession was found dead last week. She was young lady with a pleasing personality. Her smile lit up the room. Her credibility in the hospital was commendable. Until the previous night of her death, she spoke to her parents and her sisters. Her sudden death left everyone in shock and dismay. I assume it was an unexpected end for the dead person too.

Death is inevitable. The Bible states, “It is appointed for people to die once and after this, judgement.”. If we conclude that life is defective because it comes with assurance of death, we have misunderstood. The reason of such misunderstanding is that we have no knowledge of what death’s meaning in our life and its benefits. It is mostly an uncomfortable topic tucked away in our sub conscious state that we are not ready and when it does occur, we are caught by surprise and leave a trail of mess.  

The Bible has an answer to the problem of death. This is the only highest circulating book in the world that strongly clarifies the purpose for the existence of mankind. Why do I say the only book, because it is not a mythology and stories of fantasies which are contradictory. The Bible was written over 1500 years by 40 authors in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) and from 3 continents (Asia, Europe and Africa), yet it’s coherent absolutely. The name place and events are verifiable not fabricated by mythological characters. You will find answers to life’s serious questions which are, why we are born? Do we have a purpose in life and is there life after death? The Bible has promising and convincing answers to these difficult questions. Today, such life questions are manipulated and misinterpreted, that one uses the freedom to live the way one wants.

Death was not the original plan when God when He created man. Unfortunately, the disobedience of man, made death inevitable. The Bible states, ‘the wages of sins is death’. But then, death is not permanent because there is life after death. When Jesus could raise people from death and the greatest undeniable event why Christianity exists because Jesus Himself rose from death. And this is what He declared and claimed, “Because I live, you will live too.”. The greatest fact of His resurrection guarantees that we shall live with Him. Do you need to follow a ritual? No. Your faith on the greatest sacrifice He made on the cross of Calvary for our salvation and allowing Him to reign your heart will drastically change the course of your life. You will find hope to live with Him for eternity. Work on your inner self for experiencing this divine transformation. “Life is vapor. Death most often awaits around unsuspecting corners. Make sure you are right with God today.” Grant Castelberry

 

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