Special days

Fireworks

New Year – New Beginning

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We have entered into a new year. The previous year was filled with many memories – good and bad. For some people, last year was a beautiful one with a lot of takeaways while for others, it might be a year that they would like to forget. It is normal for everyone to wish that the good things continue and the bad things are bid a farewell along with the previous year. But, does it always go as we wish? One of the old sayings goes like this: “Man proposes, God disposes” . This means that whatever we wish, it is God’s will that prevails. This does not mean that we should not have any expectations for a happy life and everything happens based on a prescript called “fate”. This is a reminder that our desires do not outweigh the plans of the creator, who has better plans for us. Let us try to understand what God has in store for us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 The plan of God is for us to have a prosperous future. HE is our loving father, who loves us more than any earthly father. HIS love for us is beyond measure. HE gives us hope for a blessed future. It is usual to wonder that if God wants me to have a prosperous future, why did I face the hardships in life? This question disheartens many people to a point where they become without hope. The good news is that, there is still hope, even if the last year gave you bad memories. The past of the person does not define the future. But the same actions yield same results. If someone continues the life in the same way without making any effort to change his life, then it is normal to end up in the same situation as earlier. If someone makes an effort to change his life, God has promised that the past does not have a hold on your future. This is HIS promise, and HE does not make hollow promises. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Isaiah 43:18 We should obey God and accept his guidance to see HIS plan fulfilled in our lives. In this festive season when we celebrated Christmas, did we really live with a Christmas experience? Do we understand the sacrifice made by Jesus, to come down to earth as a man? Our former life might be tempting as this is the comfort zone where everything is familiar. But, as it is often said a comfort zone is a beautiful place where nothing grows. When things do not go as we want, the usual practise is to blame God for whatever that has happened. On the contrary, if things are going on well none thank God for the wonderful things that is being done by HIM. Bible says that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17). So, every time we receive something good from God, HE should be thanked for showing his love towards us. The life of Job is a perfect example for us to follow. He was blessed with children and abundant wealth (Job 1: 1-3). In the first 2 chapters, it is seen that Job loses all his wealth and also his beloved children. His health also took a toll as he lost everything, then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” Little did he know that his troubles were not from God, but from Satan. Job endured the tribulation and emerged victorious at the end. He was able to withstand and be grounded during the bad times, which enabled him to receive the blessings later. He did not question God during his hard times, instead thanked him for the blessing that he once enjoyed. The tribulations and the testing that occurs in one’s life is brought by the enemy. God does not tempt anyone into committing sin. But, HIS absence can cause hardships. This can be easily understood by using the example of light. Darkness is prevalent everywhere. But, when the Sun rises or light is turned on in a dark room, there is light so that we can see. Once we do not have a source of light, darkness takes over. Darkness need not be invited, it is always present. Similarly, where there is no presence of God, evil dominates. In simple words, evil is the absence of God. The evil one does not bring anything good. Jesus said “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). It is an individual’s decision whether HE has to be invited into their life. Although God will never force his way into anyone’s life, HE will always fill HIS presence whenever HE is given the space. This is an individual decision and someone else cannot decide it for you. If we wish to have peace and goodness in our life, we should get out of our comfort zone and invite Jesus into our lives. He declared: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). This light will drive away evil from our life and will let us enjoy the good things that God has planned for us. HIS plans are for a prosperous future with hope. Let us make the New Year into more than just the flip of a calendar to a different number, but to submit ourselves and accept the

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A breathtaking view of the Milky Way galaxy illuminating the night sky over mountains.

Jesus – the silver star that always shines

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Christmas is being celebrated all over the world. The nights are filled with an impression as though the constellations in the Milky Way seem to be falling down onto the earth. Not only in India, but all over the world, there is a custom of exchanging sweets or other gifts on special days. But two thousand years ago, God gave humanity a priceless gift. He laid his beloved son Jesus in a manger and gave him to the people of the world. The holy Bible says that For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 When that child grew up and became a young man, he said – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). Even today, whoever finds Christ, whoever accepts Christ walks in the light. The mind and body are enveloped in the silver light of God’s glory. It may seem ironic that the first announcement of Jesus’ birth was made by ordinary, illiterate shepherds. The priests or Jews, who proudly boasted of knowing everything about God, did not receive that announcement. It was through shepherds, who knew nothing about God and were tending to their sheep, that God announced that gift of hope to the world. Even today, it is not those who boast of being enlightened by intelligence and knowledge who seek Jesus. Those who live in perpetual poverty, those whose lives are broken, those who are tormented by diseases, and those who see death in front of them – these are the ones who seek Jesus; those that set out to seek the owner of that wonderful name. When they believe in Jesus, by obeying Jesus’ word, they enter into a wonderful light that they have never seen before. Then, through a continuous process, they move to heights in life like the stars in the sky. The greatest gift God gave to the world was the miraculous baby Jesus, wrapped in a swaddling cloth and given to humanity. That bright light has always illuminated the world. Jesus was born in a small village called Bethlehem, located almost in the centre of the world. He lived for about 33 years in Galilee, a commercial city in Israel. Jesus, who did nothing wrong and preached only good, was given death on a wooden cross by the greatest priestly power of that time, Judaism, and the greatest military power, Rome. Having survived death, Jesus continues his victorious journey to this day; he continues to shed light on the world.  Having divided the world history into two as  A.D. and B.C., he have become a historical hero. However, he did not choose palaces or large houses as his residence while living on earth. He lived a humble life as an ordinary person among ordinary people. From that small part of the world, he conquered the world by sending his 12 chosen disciples. He did not have to take up arms for it. Civilizations like Rome and Greece collapsed before them. Socrates taught his people for 60 years in Greece. Plato, Socrates’ disciple, taught them for 40 years. Aristotle, Plato’s disciple, also devoted his life to teaching the world for 40 years. Alexander, Aristotle’s disciple, moved forward by destroying empires with the intention of conquering the world in front of Greece. But at the age of thirty-two, he had to say goodbye to this world ,without fulfilling his desire to live, ending everything. But Jesus, who lived until the age of 33, is still alive today;  As a starlight for the world, shining brightly! If God chose shepherds who were tending sheep to announce the news of Jesus’ birth, Jesus invited those who made a living by fishing to follow him. Religious leaders could have been called, priests could have been called; those who claimed to be intellectuals could have been called. Jesus chose those who knew where to cast their nets and where to catch fish. They were ready to follow him without even knowing where he was going. They were ready to wait patiently and sacrifice sleep, while others were sleeping comfortably. Jesus needed those who were ready to leave everything and follow him.Jesus still looks for those who are willing to leave their jobs, their wages, and their security to follow him.

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three kings

They followed the star; you?

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Two thousand years ago, winter nights in Israel. Following a new guiding star in the sky, three foreign kings – wise men – moved there. Matthew, one of the biographers of Jesus Christ, who has always remained unfading among the biographers the world has seen, wrote: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for out of you will come a ruler    who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:1-12 It is clear from the above verses that the wise men were moving by looking at the star in the east. Who were these people? There are those who think they were Babylonians, Persians, or Indians. There is a reason for that. The word magoi (Magi) is used in Greek to refer to the wise men. The word magician is derived from the word magoi. Persians and Babylonians used to consider these people as astrologers and physicians. Their opinions and advice had been taken into consideration by the kings. The famous historian Herodotus recorded that they were of Medes. In Medya, which was a part of Persia, the Magis were the teachers of the kings. They could not absorb the sacrifices without the presence of the Magi. Moreover, they were well versed in philosophy and natural sciences. It is no exaggeration to follow a bright new star in the sky. Another group claims that these kings came from the Parthian region of Babylon. They believed that the birth stars have a strong influence on the future of people. They considered the discovery of a new star as the birth of a new king. However, the Bible records that a group of eminent men who lived in the shadow of the stars, who were known in the fields of mantra tantra, karma, and astrology, saw a new star and followed it to find Jesus. That is why some people think these kings are Indians. This fiery star still guides all those who seek goodness in their hearts. When they found Jesus, they went back another way. Do you also want to find a different path in life? That birth in Bethlehem is a miraculous event in history. That miraculous life that began with the birth through a virgin did not end with the miracle of the resurrection. Even today it leads us from miracle to miracle. Who else in history became adorable as soon as they were born? From illiterate shepherds to kings, they sought out the miraculous child and knelt at his feet. The wise men who followed the star bowed down to the baby. ‘Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’ (Matthew 2:11). Such gifts had been presented when a king used to visit another king. One of the three precious things they saw was gold. Gold, which was considered the king of metals, was given to those in Kingly position. The second offering is frankincense. This sight, which was dedicated to the priests, was an acknowledgment of Jesus’ priesthood. The third offering was Myrrh. Myrrh was used as a precious spice to anoint the bodies of the dead. As soon as they were born, God blessed them with a vision of Jesus’ future life! What is the greatest event in world history? Which is the most remembered and noted birth in history? There is only one answer, the birth of Jesus. Who was this Jesus who split time in two, divided history into AD and BC? The Holy Bible says that when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son into the world (Galatians 4:4). When Jesus grew up, he showed the world a lifestyle different from what the world had seen. Jesus taught the world about a new way of life based on divine laws. Jesus taught about life in God’s kingdom according to God’s government, how to experience God’s closeness, how to receive God’s blessing, how to survive financial bondage, how to get healing from God, how to break the bonds of demonic bondage… etc. Jesus gave hope to the weak and oppressed. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18, 19). Jesus, who was born in Judaism, revealed to the world how to be saved by putting aside religions. Religious leaders teach how to find God. But Jesus announced that those who follow him, those who obey him, have found

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