life

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

Jesus – the silver star that always shines

4 Comments / Special days /

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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Person Holding Yellow Black-eyed Susan Flowers in Bloom

Seek the source of blessings and Not the Blessings

1 Comment / Ideal Living /

The Holy Bible is a collection of testimonies about blessings, which presents God as the source of blessings. God, the embodiment of blessings, has brought us into this world to bless. That is why he blessed a people who had been in slavery for 430 years, with all kinds of riches by giving them his promised land of Canaan. When we refer to a person and say that he or she is blessed, we mean that God has blessed the person. True blessing is from God. In the Bible, the word “blessing” refers to the reward that God gives to a person who stands with God. It may be asked whether the devil and his brooding plagues also do reward. The answer to that is that wealth can be bought also from the devil. But it is not called “blessing”. What God gives is eternal. It will last as long as the blessed person stays with God. But that of the devil is different. He who possesses it will not have peace. As time goes by, he will also destroy everything. Someday, at least the next generation will have to give back what they got from the devil. The word ‘bruk’ in Hebrew means to bless or bless. This word is used when any person, society or thing is filled with goodness and prosperity. Just as God is love, God is also blessing. When God loves a person, God’s vitality the source of that love, is poured into him. One becomes blessed by God only when God’s life force is poured into him. That is why some individuals can bless others. Individuals indwelling the divine life force can impart that life force to others. Thus the persons who become God’s representatives and mediators can bless others. It is another blessing from God; is a gift God wants man, his most beloved creature, to be a part of his blessed life. God is trying to do that. There are no other shortcuts to attain God’s grace. The important thing is to connect with God, the source of life and blessing. God’s blessings are easily obtained by the person who keeps in touch with God through constant prayer, organizes his life according to God. God created Adam to be the storehouse of His blessings. God filled him with blessings. Look at how God blessed him after the creation: Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:26-30). According to the Bible, man was created last in God’s creation. If you look at the verses given above, God has given a series of blessings to men. God created man in His image and likeness. This means that man was created with God-like individuality, rationality, and moral consciousness. They were given the gift to multiply. God has given man the blessing to rule the whole earth. God gave him glory and honour. And he put all things under his feet. God created Adam to be blessed with His blessings. But Adam failed to live a life under God’s control, full of divine blessings. How did he fail? Blessings are not free from God. Man is filled with divine goodness when he stands and builds his life with obedient to his covenant. In the garden of Eden, God made a covenant with the first man. Along with the blessing, it also included the rules for obtaining those blessings. Those promises and conditions are as follows: God only commanded not to eat the fruit of the tree of good and evil. God did not say why. God demands obedience without questioning. The reward for that has also been said – What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 In this situation, the devil took the form of a snake and went to their residence. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3 : 1-6) This is what caused the primitive man to distance himself from God, the giver of blessings. With this, the blessings from God also became limited.

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God Is Love

God’s Love

3 Comments / Love /

The basic needs of human beings are food, clothing and shelter. In this current era, emotional needs also play a pivotal role in the development of a person. Although not formally listed down, social acceptance, respect and love can be considered as vital needs in the upbringing of each individual. Love is important for mental and psychological well-being, which also has an impact on physical health. Love is the language which has no boundaries and is understood across the globe irrespective of race, colour, gender and religion. So, there is no wonder why God chose everlasting love as his language to talk to his children. The ancient Greeks defined three basic forms of love : The love exhibited by God is Agape. God created us and we are his children. He loves us unconditionally. The love of God is not based on what we do or how good we are. HE loves us because of who HE is and not for what we are. There is nothing that we can do to neither gain his love, nor to lose his love. The only question is whether this love is accepted. It is due to this love that Jesus came down to this earth and sacrificed himself on the cross for our sins. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 God does not want us to perish, but death entered the world through sin. Sin entered the world when the desire to be like God was injected into man – the consequence of taking advice from the wrong person. Ever since, anyone born into this world has a sinful nature. It is this nature that makes a person commit sin. In ancient times, animals were sacrificed when someone did anything wrong. But the blood of animals could not atone for the sinful nature of man. The merciful God had compassion and he sent his son to be the sacrifice for our sins. As per the holy scriptures, this was a perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:14). He died on the cross not only for the sins that we committed, but also for the ones that we will commit when we live in this sinful world. How was it possible for him to be a perfect sacrifice? It’s because he did not commit any sin, since he was not born from a man. Hence, he didn’t have a sinful nature. But, Jesus became sin or rather he was made sin for us. It was this sin that was taken to the cross. There is no sin that can outweigh God’s love. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 It was not only the sins of human beings, but also the sinful nature that was crucified. In other words, accepting that he died on the cross for our sins is a rejection of the sinful nature. This means that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, accepting him as Lord and saviour will be able to have everlasting life through him. Accepting him into your life is a step forward after becoming a good friend of God. It is still not too late to accept his love. In this selfish world, we love only people who are useful for us or do good to us. The affection or care that is demonstrated to someone is based on their behaviour towards us. This is not true love. Jesus said “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28). This is Godly love, and Jesus demonstrated it during his mortal life. He was hated for his good deeds, he was mistreated, spitted upon, betrayed by his disciples, abandoned by his loved ones. Still he was not resented by their behaviour, but interceded for them even on the cross. He wanted the wrong deeds of the people who hurt him to be forgiven. This is the love that was demonstrated by Jesus. He died for us when we were sinners and hated him. He has left a perfect example for us to follow. We should love one another as he showed us. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 Let us take some time and ponder on the wonderful blessings that God has given in our lives. Let us thank him for all the love that he has shown us. Although he loves us, he never forces himself upon us. We have the free will to either choose his love or to be in darkness. This is the reason why in the garden of Eden, there were both the trees of life and death. It was left to Adam and Eve to choose between those. Some doubt why God created the tree of death; if it did not exist in the first place, Adam & Eve would not have eaten it. It is because God does not force us to obey him, but obedience is what he wants for his children. The absence of light causes darkness, hence darkness does not need to be explicitly invited anywhere. In the same way, evil is always present where God is not present. God loves you, nobody has to be embarrassed to present oneself into his presence. HE is our loving father, good friend, our caretaker, a strong tower during hurricanes and HE is above all our needs. HE is waiting to fellowship with us, and if we open the doors of our heart he will dwell within us. It is our choice to accept or reject his love. God is waiting. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the

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Become a good friend of God

Become a good friend of God

Leave a Comment / Ideal Living /

I love God, I worship HIM – this is what those who claim to know about God say. If so, what is the relationship with God, that they claim to have found? Have you known God personally? Most people approach God like walking into a store or supermarket with a shopping list. They submit their needs to God. There would be necessary and unnecessary things in it. That is their prayer. God knows us best. Even our thoughts are clear to God. But to know about God who is our good benefactor, we neither have desire nor time. Many people have the image of a God who gets mesmerized and is obsessed with flowers, garlands, bundles of notes and gold coins, and does anything for them. God, who is the owner of all the wealth of this world, does not look at the things or the hands of the devotee who approaches Him. They are only a measure of what one gives back from what HE gives. God cares only whether the doors of the heart of the devotee, who approaches Him, are open for Him. He will see if a seat has been prepared for him, in a heart prepared for him. He needs a devotee, who comes with gifts, not gifts. God cares more about the giver, than the gift. God wants him whole. Let us surrender ourselves to God. That is the greatest gift to God. The Holy Bible, in the New Testament, tells about the great gift of love, that God gave to the world. It is said that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. God showed His love by handing Jesus over to the cross and giving that sacrificial blood to mankind. Jesus is the person who taught us how to live in this world and how to love God and man. Jesus continues to this day as a guiding light that has never been extinguished for two thousand years. Jesus is always our role model. Who was this Jesus who split time in two, divided history into AD and BC? The 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 system of life based on divine laws. Jesus taught about life in God’s kingdom according to God’s system of governing, how to experience God’s closeness, how to receive God’s blessings, how to live beyond financial bondage, how to get healing from God, how to break the bonds of demonic bondage. Jesus gave hope to the underprivileged 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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” Luke 4:18, 19 Jesus, who was born as a Jew, revealed to the world how to be saved by putting aside religions. The birth of Jesus reminds us of God, the great star that still gives light to the world today. Prophet, guru, sage, philosopher, financial advisor, miracle worker – although Jesus embodies these personas, Jesus is more than that. There were ups and downs in the life of Jesus too, like people call good times and bad times. Jesus is one of the most persecuted people in history without committing any crime. But neither time nor this world could weaken the mind of Jesus. That life was always full of hope. God and the time gifted Jesus with resurrection. It is this resurrection that draws many to Jesus. If God is with us, no time, no man, no devil can weaken or destroy us. For that, we must become completely under divine protection. Throughout our lives, God is trying to bring us to Himself. Often we just don’t know it. It is because our desires and God’s desires do not match, that we face difficulties. God deals with each person in a different way. It might not be others’ experience that we have. If you look for the circumstances and experiences of getting closer to God, they will all be different. God has always been the embodiment of the most transcendental personality. Be it a beggar, a millionaire, a child, a woman, a man, God can handle them in their own circumstances. Jesus chose 12 people as his main disciples. They all lived together, slept together and died together. But they were all different characters. It may seem difficult for a common man to understand that Judas was one of them. Judas carried the money box of Jesus and his companions. It was the eye on that money box that brought Judas down and led him to suicide. Peter was fickle and angry. At first, Peter was also a coward who denied Jesus, even in front of a woman. Thomas looked for reasons behind every incident. John, on the other hand, was loving and a gentle person. We may all be different personalities. But God the Father can guide us in any situation if we surrender ourselves. So we should not try to imitate others. Let us surrender ourselves to God. Then God himself will take control of us. None of us are perfect. We are the owners of imperfect personality. God is fully convinced about this better than us. God will work in our weakness. If we rely on God, we will see that He stands as a crutch in our weakness. Loyalty and love are important to approach God. Who are we? What do we love? So why don’t we love God the most who paved the way for our beloved relationships and is always with us in all things? Faithfulness is also needed with love. Faithfulness is necessary for a warm husband-wife

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