Saturday, December 19, 2009

Adam, Eve, You and the Blood of Jesus

"…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

Most of the time, we tend to think only about our own sins being washed away in the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross 2,000 years ago. But his blood washed away Adam and Eve's sin too.

In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned, they hid themselves, being ashamed of their nakedness. Remember, just a few verses before that, the Bible says that "they were both naked…and were not ashamed." (Gen. 2:25)

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Christ Must in Christmas

In this age of "all religions are equal", festivals tend to be celebrated more for things than for people. In Christmas, for instance, people talk more about Christmas trees, stockings, carols and plum cakes than about the Hero of Christmas. And the Hero is not Santa Claus - it's Jesus Christ.

You can decorate as many trees and eat as many cakes as you wish, but that's not going to alter your eternal destiny. Indeed, Santa can only give you gifts that will be consumed in time - the fun will one day end. But the joy that will be yours when you become a believer and follower of Jesus, will last forever into eternity!

Learn more about this Eternal and Free Gift of Salvation that Jesus promises to give you. Read:
- Is Salvation a Free Gift?
- Claim Your Free Gift of Salvation NOW!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Claim Your Free Gift of Salvation NOW!

Salvation is indeed a free gift for you and me if we receive Jesus Christ in our lives. But this free offer will not last forever!

Imagine salvation as a birthday gift. Whether or not you invited Jesus at your birthday party, he has come and is knocking at your door. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20) He will not force his way in. That's the devil's style. Jesus will simply keep knocking until you open the door.

The gift cannot be yours until you receive it. You cannot ask anyone to accept it on your behalf - you must accept it. Remember: Jesus bought it for you with his own precious Blood. You really owe it to him to accept this offer. Jesus will keep standing until the party is on. Once the party's over and the time is up - your life comes to an end - he will return. Then you cannot claim the gift that was meant for you.
No 2ND chance!

So if you do not know where you will go after you die, read the Good News here, because this free...

"Offer is Valid Until Life Lasts."

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Is Salvation a Free Gift?

The words FREE GIFT attract the attention of most of us. Marketers especially like to use these words in upper case to draw people's attention to what they are pitching. But is a gift really FREE?

A gift is free for the person who receives it but not for the person who gives it.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Substitutionary Death: Jesus for Jesus

In the post "What is Death?", we saw the difference between physical death and spiritual death. If we are to avoid spiritual death, someone must die on our behalf - to pay the price for our sins; so that we are released from the bondage to sin. That 'someone' was Jesus - he died in our place!

Jesus' dying on the Cross in our place is termed "substitutionary death." One man dying for another man's folly. And all this out of grace and mercy - just so that we could walk away free! "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Jesus for Jesus - Man for man

When Jesus was brought before Pilate, the multitude demanded that Jesus Christ be crucified and a prisoner - also having the name 'Jesus' (and called 'Barabbas' - meaning 'son of the father') - be released. As per the custom in those days, one prisoner would be released at the Passover feast. So Pilate ordered that Jesus the "notorious prisoner" be released.

The Jesus who was a sinner was let off while the innocent Jesus (Christ) was sacrificed at Passover. In a sense, we too are in Barabbas' position - we have offended God. But God, in His mercy and grace, anointed His Son Jesus to die not only in place of Jesus the prisoner, but also in place of you and me. Jesus for Jesus - Man for man!

Let us, then, offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God by praising Him and thanking Him for the way of salvation He has worked out for us in Christ Jesus:

"Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever." (2 Chr. 20:21; Ps. 106:1; Ps. 136)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

What is Death?

What is the meaning of 'death'? In one of our Sunday services, the guest speaker Bro. Rajkumar Ramchandran explained the meaning of death:

Death is separation.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Covenant vs. Contract vs. Agreement – Part 2

In Part 1 of this two-post series, we saw the meaning of an agreement, a contract and a covenant. Now let us look at a few similarities and differences between them.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Covenant vs. Contract vs. Agreement - Part 1

How is a covenant different from an agreement and a contract? Do they have anything in common? Let us look at what each of these 3 terms means:

  1. Agreement: When two or more parties agree upon something, it is called an agreement. It can be oral or written.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

God's 3-Step Plan For Your Life

On one of the Christian TV shows, I heard someone say that God has a 3-step plan for our lives. Here are those steps, with my inputs added...

God wants to:
  1. Get us out of the 'world': When you give your life over to Jesus, one of the first things he does is is, he takes you away from the world and its petty things.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

3 Examples of Evangelism by Jesus

Jesus Christ - Evangelist # 1, was evangelizing most of the time he spent in ministry. Either it was in the form of sermons and parables; or through healing, deliverance and miracles, followed by the learning from these. Here are 3 examples from Jesus' life as an evangelist:

  1. Samaritan Woman: Jesus walked 25 miles (40 km) to win the Samaritan woman's soul.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Jesus Christ - Evangelist # 1

Jesus Christ is the greatest evangelist the world has ever seen! That's because he spread the Good News before the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost.

What's this "Good News?" Read this post to find out.

So how could Jesus evangelize even before the Great Commission was given to the apostles? He could, because for one, he is God the Son. But more importantly, Jesus was, at all times, filled with the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit). And it's the Holy Ghost who teaches us how to evangelize. And as a human being, he led us by example, praying and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Being God the Son, he could evangelize anyway; but by being filled with the Spirit, he set this beautiful example for us to follow. Mortal man (not Jesus), in his own capacity, cannot glorify God unless he is led by the Spirit of God to do so. ["no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3)] This verse has taught me that the first step to become a successful evangelist is to pray and be Spirit-filled.

In the next post, we will look at a few examples demonstrated by the Evangelist # 1 - Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Jesus Teaches a Lesson in Sacrifice

In the last post, we saw how Jesus, though himself in indescribable pain, cared about the well-being of others, including those who were not even related to him. His attitude teaches us a lesson or two for our personal and professional lives. In this post, we will just look at one example each for both aspects of our lives.

Personal Life

Parents are the best examples of how to live for others the way Jesus did. I did not realise this until: a) I became Papa; and b) I recognised my Heavenly Father's love for me expressed through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Jesus on the Cross: First 3 Statements

Can you imagine yourself on your deathbed, writhing in pain from wounds all over? Now imagine having to teach a few lessons from that place! Yet Jesus Christ did just that, from his deathbed - the Cross.

Jesus did not live one moment for himself. He lived every moment for his Father in Heaven - to do His will; and he lived for you and me - to show us the way of salvation - himself. Let's look at his first 3 statements on the cross:

  1. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Prayer Power and You

"Prayer is the force that moves the Hand that rules the world."
I heard this statement for the first time from the mouth of one of my Christian friends Bro. Ronnie Dsouza, a pastor. It has taken deep roots in me.

In one of our Sunday services, our pastor made a very important point. Allow me to present it in the form of a super-short dialogue...

"I can't do anything else for you but I can at least pray for you."
"No! That is the greatest thing you can do for me."

In a later post, I may go deep into this, based on my learning of what prayer is and what prayerlessness is. Our best teacher, of course, is the Word of God itself - the Bible. Visit Christianbook.com to buy a copy

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

New Life Blues? Cheer Up!

Are you the only born-again Christian in your family/community? If so, it's quite likely you meet with opposition. Take heart, though. Here are some thoughts that will encourage you in your faith...

  • American-Indian saying: "Does the moon stop shining because little dogs keep barking at it?" I'm not saying that your family members are "little dogs!" But you are the light in your family/community, through whom the Light of Christ shines for the world to see!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

How to Walk on Water

Q: How do I walk on water?
A: Seek God's face.

I recall Don Moen's song "Be Magnified." It goes like this:

"Be Magnified O LORD! You Are Highly Exalted;
And There Is Nothing You Can't Do.
O LORD, My Eyes Are On You..."

In the last post, we saw what Jesus' walking on water meant. Now we'll see how you can walk on water, keeping your eyes fixed on God at all times.

Jesus Walks on Water

Do you have a life without problems? Yes? Then you have a problem! Because problems come as an in-built feature in life's travel package.

Think about it. If you did not have problems, you would not:

* learn how to solve them
* look for a power higher than yourself who could help you solve them

Friday, September 18, 2009

Mouthshut.com: My Bible Review

Check out my review of the Bible on Mouthshut.com at http://bit.ly/YZ0ov.
CAUTION: They may carry an advertisement of an anti-Bible book. Just ignore it. It's not worth trading your soul for the sake of some exciting novel based on lies!

Read the review and leave comments. Come back here and tell me what you think.
Happy reading!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Trust God and Overcome the Giant

God is greater than your problems!

In the post David and Goliath, we read about how David knocked down the Philistine giant Goliath with just one weapon. No, that weapon was not the stone. It was faith in Jesus Christ.

When you have read the Bible carefully, you know that God, throughout history, has promised people of His blessings if they follow Him and obey Him. You also read how He has fulfilled these promises when people obeyed Him.

David and Goliath

Have you faced a major challenge in your life and wondered, "How am I going to overcome this?" I think most of us have. Rejoice, for there's some good news for you and me! Read this true story to learn more...

David was a shepherd who was faced with a giant of a challenge when he was just a teenager. King Saul of Israel and his army were confronted at war by the Philistines. The enemy camp had a giant of a man in their ranks, called Goliath. You have probably heard the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Goliath was over 9 feet tall, solidly built and wore a complete armour. None of the Israelites thought they could take him on. He kept mocking them. He came out against them every morning and evening for 40 days and terrified the Israelite army.


In the name of the LORD!

Then David was sent to the battlefront by his father Jesse. He had a good look at Goliath and saw no reason why he could not overcome this hurdle to victory. So when Goliath cursed him, he answered him back:“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the
battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47) You can purchase a Bible from Christianbook.com

David took out a stone and took aim. At the first throw itself, the stone hit Goliath's forehead and knocked him to the ground. David took Goliath's sword and killed him and cut off his head, as he said he would. The Philistines fled. King Saul and his army chased them and killed them and won.

You can win too, if faced with a giant in your life.
Read the forthcoming post Trust God and Overcome the Giant to find out how.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

10 Amazing Bible Facts You Must Know

Bible Trivia is truly amazing! Tidbits about the Word of God are also a priceless weapon in every Christian's armoury. Like it or not, people are more likely to agree with you when your argument is substantiated by facts and figures, even when it comes to God and His Word! For instance, did you know that:

  1. The Bible is a collection of 66 books - 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
  2. It was written over a period of 1000 years by at least 40 different authors from Asia, Africa and Europe. They wrote under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Friday, August 28, 2009

God Has a Plan for You

"God has a plan for your life." You've heard this over and over again, I'm sure. And the story that follows will convince you that it's true.

3 trees were selected for being chopped and made into something.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Bible-believing Christians - a Blessing for Humanity

Christians are like jungle trees, said our pastor one evening at a mid-week service. You might think that's crazy, but it's not. He went on to show why:

When a fisherman wants to build a boat or a barge, he looks for wood. He chooses a jungle tree and not a tree from his backyard. The jungle tree has weathered many a storm and passed through several tests. It is tough and can survive attacks. But a backyard tree cannot.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Praise and Worship Music - its Benefits

Praise and Worship through music is often underestimated when it comes to prayer and fellowship. If you think (as I used to, once upon a time) that praise and worship music is not for you and the pastor's message is enough, you will likely change your thinking after reading this post.

Benefits of Worship Music:

  • Releases God's Blessings: Glorifying God is the very purpose of our existence. When you sing His praises, you are actually aligning yourself with God's plan for your life. This releases His blessings over and into your life.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Jehovah-jireh - He is our Provider

Do problems come to an end when you believe in Jesus Christ and repent of your sins? "Yes" and "No." Let me explain this...

YES:
When I believed in Jesus and repented of my sins in May 2001, God delivered me from a mental block where I did not want to do a salaried job. I took up a job and then it led to another and then another. Despite 6 years in the field of music, I did not earn as much as I began earning every month, after I turned to Jesus.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

God Wants to Live in Your Heart!

The Universe has 100,000,000,000 = 100 billion = 10000,00,00,000 = 10,000 crore galaxies (see Wikipedia: "Galaxy"). Our galaxy is among the smaller ones. And it contains at least 200 billion stars (and possibly up to 400 billion stars - see Wikipedia: "Milky Way"), other than the Sun! Do you wish to calculate how many stars there must be in all the galaxies combined? I don't, at least! The Bible says, that “the host of heaven cannot be numbered.” (Jeremiah 33:22)

Now...these galaxies, we know, were created. They didn't just appear out of nowhere. They were created by (obviously) an intelligent Creator who we call God. And if I create a clay model, it belongs to me. If you create a software program, it belongs to you unless and until someone pays a price to buy it from you. God created the universe and everything - every living and non-living being - in it. So naturally, the universe and everything in it - living and non-living - belongs to Him. He can choose to live anywhere. Yet He prefers to live in your heart. Is your heart big enough for Him to gain access? If not, what's stopping you from trusting such a great Creator and letting Him guide you every moment of your life?

Do you know what a lovely life He has in store for you! Read this post to learn how Gracious and Merciful God is. Get yourself a Bible today from Christianbook.com, start reading from the Gospel of John or Mark and see your life change - for the Best!

All the Best!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Mercy vs Grace

Mercy and Grace are 2 sides of the same coin. Mercy is when God does not give us what we deserve, i.e. punishment for our sins against Him and others. Instead He forgives us for our sins. Grace is when He gives us what we don't deserve, i.e. the assurance of everlasting life in heaven with Him and the strength and wisdom and the heart to pray to Him, to wait upon Him and cooperate with Him so that His plan for our life bears fruit. So actually, it's not Mercy vs Grace, but Mercy and Grace.

The unique thing about the coin of Mercy and Grace is that it falls with both sides up, making you a winner 2 times over!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Forgiveness, God's Way

Forgiveness of sins is difficult. Forgetting them is even more so. This small but interesting story conveys a significant point:

Two monks were walking down a path when they came to a river. A lady stood there, beautifully dressed. She requested them to carry her on their back so she would not get wet. Immediately, one of the monks lifted her up and began carrying her on his back.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Psalm 12:6 - Trust His Word

"The words of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times." - Psalm 12:6

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Bible Studies from Greater Grace Church

Studying the Bible is as important as praying. In the early days of my Christian faith, I was taught that we speak to God through prayer, while God speaks to us through His Word - the Bible.

Greater Grace World Outreach has a wonderful Bible education system.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Isaac Newton on the Bible

“I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.” - Sir Isaac Newton

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

"Mark of the Beast" - What is it?

In one of our services, Pastor Karl taught about this mark (the number 666 as stated in Revelation 13:18) that will be necessary if people are to buy or sell anything. The Bible says that those who do not bear this mark, will not be able to buy or sell anything (Revelation 13:17).

So what is this "mark?"

Monday, June 8, 2009

Church Service: My First Day

The first Church service I attended was about four months after I gave my heart to Christ.

I was a struggling singer in May 2002. I did not want to do a job, but only wanted to be a singer. After I confessed my sins to Jesus and prayed the
Salvation Prayer, God began to change me from within. I took my parents' advice and took up a job as a management trainee.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Sunday Service: Diary of My Learning

Sunday services are like battery recharges in mobile phones. In order to effectively communicate with God, the world, as well as with ourselves through the week ahead, we need to replenish our spiritual strength by going to church every Sunday.

My pastor has always stressed on the importance of carrying a Bible, a notebook and a pen or pencil to service. Public memory is short, and I too am a member of the public! A pen will serve me (and you) in good stead. It has, so far. And I am pleased to compile my learning into easily digestible capsules in the form of blog posts here. I will organise my posts in a way that packs in just enough to sustain your interest yet does not leave you feeling hungry. But don't you not feel hungry for more - of the Word of God! Keep the fire in your belly burning for the Lord. That is the fire that has - at least in my case - kept the kitchen fire burning. Jehovah Jireh is the Provider. Praise Him!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Greater Grace Church: Celebrating 25 Years

The India chapter of Greater Grace Church (http://www.ggwo.org/) is celebrating 25 years of existence by holding a conference in Mumbai India from 23rd April to 26 April 2009.

I have not been able to attend as I work with Taxsmile.com, an online tax filing portal. This is a busy time for us. I have found time to write this post after so many days! God-willing, I will make time next year and profit from the teachings. Amen.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Good News Friday

Yesterday was Good Friday. My local church Pastor Karl Silva began aptly when he said the day was as much a Good News Friday as it was Good Friday. This day, 2000 years ago, God the Father "gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Imagine eating out at a restaurant and running up a huge bill you cannot foot. A man walks by and sees your plight. He has compassion for you. Out of grace, he approaches the manager and volunteers to pay your bill, so that you can walk away free!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Christian Apologetics

I signed up for a course in Christian Apologetics offered by the Greater Grace Fellowship, Mumbai, India. The church is the India chapter of Greater Grace World Outreach, Baltimore, USA.

As I go through the material, I become more and more convinced on why the Bible is the infallible Word of God. There is so much scientific evidence to support what the Bible claims. In fact, scholars have proved how the Theory of Evolution is self-negating and absolutely unscientific. In fact, it has been discovered that the propagator of the Theory of Evolution, Charles Darwin, too became a Christian in the last six months of his life. He regretted having made public his thoughts on evolution as an inexperienced youngster. His thoughts suited the needs of a lot of people at the time, who lapped it up. This has not been publicised as probably it does not suit the agenda of many influential people. Thank God we have God on our side!

Actually, what the Bible says about Creation is full of logic and has the power to minister to the even most stubborn skeptics. The art of defending one's faith in the Bible and Jesus is, in fine, what Christian Apologetics is all about.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Words of Wisdom

“Words are always under your control until you speak them, but you come under their control once you have spoken them.”

That’s why I became a writer – so that I need not be in control of words because I write them and don’t speak them!!

Happy Friday!!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Happiness vs Joy

“Enjoy the journey, enjoy every moment, and quit worrying about winning and losing.”

- Matt Biondi, former Olympic swimming champion

Someone said "there is no way to happiness; happiness is the way!"

More important than happiness is Joy. Happiness is more of a feeling. Joy is from deeper down – it’s an experience. There are cases of people who were extremely sad (not at all happy). They got visions of God and their lives changed after the encounter. They didn’t become happy overnight, but they experienced immediate and everlasting joy that cannot be put into words. May we all experience such joy – with or without getting visions!

And yes…have a nice day!!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.” - Author Unknown

Last Friday we were between Christmas and New Year. Now we’re back to work. A new chance – or a new chance to create a new opportunity – look at it the way you want!

Edith Lovejoy Pierce said:

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”

Wish you a Happy 365-chapter book!

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