Categories
ETERNITY

Cost and cause

Scriptural Readings:  

James 1:16-18

Is there anyone who can battle and overcome failure with ease and comfort? What follows disappointment? Try again until we succeed. Right? There needs to be something done between failure and success.

As we continue to fail, hope and resilience are always at the top of our list. They automatically come out as our response. But for how long? Frustrations are crippling moments. And quitting is the easiest solution.

King James Version

v.16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 

v.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

New Living Translation  

v.16 Don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 

v.17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God, our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

The result is not the end.

Diligent work and self-effort cannot guarantee success. There is no highway leading there. Instead, avenues are there to explore. No one is to blame except us if it fails. If someone disputes, we always insist on a carefully crafted plan, and everything will flow smoothly. What if it is an epic failure? The result is not the end.

Success comes from God. It is a framework for Christians. Our Father in heaven uses success as a springboard for more shots for His glory. Failures are part of success. Here, human initiative plays a role. It proves the error of our thinking and the incompetence of our efforts, leaving only God Almighty’s most excellent work unquestionable.

The cost

Everything has a price. Bills pile up with every move we make. The notion that everything has a cost is a common rule. It is ingrained in us. Several of these human-produced ideas are consistently at odds with God. We gladly welcome them once in a while.

The costs are too high! It seldom drops in price and will be whatever is required to complete our purchases. Afraid we will not make it in the future. Free stuff is increasingly scarce these days. It is a reality we have every day and is beyond our control. It is the current definition of cost.

How can we achieve savings? Even though prices are increasing, we can still survive. Right? Living in a technologically advanced world has fewer worries. We can find a solution either way. It is how we experience life in the physical realm. But living in the spiritual world is entirely different. Spiritual living requires total dependence on God. Our efforts are based on God’s instructions, not on our own. Our Father in heaven calls the shots, and it’s on His terms that we follow.

As Christians, we must realise and fully grasp and understand salvation. The salvation we receive is free! There are no costs. No burdens are necessary. It is a divine gift meant for everyone to receive. Thus, we give ourselves over to accepting and believing. We only need to do these things. Instead, God paid the price for our redemption. He purchased us back through the blood of His Son. A cost we cannot ever pay. A spiritual definition of cost.

King James Version

v.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

New Living Translation

v.18  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

The cause

Cause and effect. It is the basis of our past, present, and future. To make an educated decision, we must understand the rationale and the results. We live and die this way. The thing about today is that the effect is unmistakable, but the cause is obscure. Uncertainties become reliable if they make us comfortable. Are we living for the right reasons? Is the reason for our existence as Christians the absolute path?

Accepting our wrongdoings is the hardest thing to admit. At this moment, humility is at its lowest and is often lost. We are entirely blind to the true meaning of the cause of our salvation. We know, and it is true, that we live by grace and mercy. But do we know why God saved us? Love. God loves us. If our purpose is to please God, we must follow His will.

One reason we remain unsure about our spiritual lives is our feeble-mindedness. Unaware of this, we become vulnerable, allowing doubt to creep in and add to petty controversies. Uncertainty about our spiritual lives causes us to swing from one extreme to another.

We are the children of God. We are to live in a relationship with the Father. There is no other reason or cause why you and I and the rest of humanity would come to repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. We were made in God’s image and given the ability to live our lives in harmony with Him eternally.

This world we live in will end soon. Nobody can stop it. While people are still struggling with the truth, we must consider the cost and cause of our spiritual lives. We must share this priceless spiritual gift. Let us remember the primary source, the love of God for us, that we spread the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Categories
ETERNITY

The important picture

Scriptural Readings: John 14:17, John 9:39.

John 14:17

King James Version

[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

New Living Translation

He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him because it is not looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

A picture paints a thousand words, as the proverb says. Many of these old photos bring back nostalgic memories. We relive the past the more we see. As we turn back the hands of time, we see our mistakes, correct them, and learn from our experiences. Although useful they may be, these are human efforts, and they are deceptive.

Is there something hidden behind a photograph? The first few seconds of a video? Our wide variety of emotions will be stirred by what our eyes see, creating illusions and an unending list of thoughts running across our minds.

The fact remains that various things cloud our thoughts. Our minds readily agree with what our eyes tell us most often. It leaves our faith in God second in line, or the most shameful thing, left at the bottom, forgotten. We discover what is most meaningful in our spiritual lives when our faith endures trials. It will help us understand who God is. Time will always play its part in giving us the reality of this truth. God is faithful to His words so that we can know Him. And have a divine relationship with Him.

John 9:39

King James Version

And Jesus said, For judgment, I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

New Living Translation

Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

Now enters the actual picture: Jesus Christ, the son of the living God (John 3:16), came to live among us to bring us back to our heavenly Father. What did we do? Rejection! Having seen the image of God and fulfilled His promises, humankind is on solid ground to reject Him.

Experiences, whether positive or negative, are pictures of the road to repentance. One can believe that contrition is a revelation in its entireness, providing eternal and never-ending truth about our God. It is the unseen part of the picture that humanity refuses to acknowledge. We hold on to hope on the principle that seeing is believing. It is easier for us to be convinced if we see more. Our obsession with what we perceive entitles us to side with unbelievers practically without notice.

In contrast, we should expose ourselves radically to the light instead of concealing something in the dark. As we get closer to the light, the picture becomes unmistakable. We cannot hide from God under any circumstances. Contrariwise, God will show us divine things.

We live in a kaleidoscope world. There are a variety of multicoloured plans for destruction and evil schemes hidden in this realm. God is showing us a black-and-white picture. We are prisoners in a fallen world. And that we cannot have salvation apart from Him. As for the other part of the picture, He gave us His Son as our redeemer.

What picture are you seeing?

Our world today is a series of collections of old pictures of the future. Yes, the destiny of our future is nothing but seeing humanity living in misery without Jesus in our lives. Everything starts with repentance. It is imperative to acknowledge Jesus’ finished work on Mount Calvary. An obscene picture shows us the true nature of eternal life. Although God handles and runs each of our lives differently, He gives us a clear vision of hope, blessings, healing, and so forth. The picture of hell is crystal clear for those who do not accept Jesus Christ. It is an image of suffering and a never-ending moment of agony.

Categories
Faith

But how?

Is there an ideal place to live? A nation offering a haven of rest? An atmosphere free of anxiety. What if this place does not exist? In short, we need the best justifications to live in a sick and problem-infested world. Right?

Evil exists everywhere, and it was there even before humanity. Its wickedness works in our fallen world no matter what time. It is a reality unattainable to ignore. We cannot run away from this plight. There is no way to escape. A way out is not available. Its existence will plague us as long as we live. In summary, it will co-exist with us, and addressing this matter means a spiritual war. A battle we cannot be a triumph. We need someone to protect us and fight the battle for us. But how?

In defeating the enemy, we should stand firm in a stable and unshakable cornerstone. We must reckon in our minds that the foundation carries and bears the entire framework and organization of every one of us.

Philippians 2:5-9

King James Version

v.5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

v.6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

v.7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

v.8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

New Living Translation

v.5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

v.6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

v.7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born 

as a human, being When he appeared in human form,

v.8, he humbled himself in obedience to God

     and died a criminal’s death on the cross.

Conveying the likeness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is everything we ever longed for when we first accepted Him. Do you agree? Acquiring His image is not having a piece of cake. Right? Sometimes, we do not expect what we hoped, leaving us puzzled. How can we manage this unpredictable life?

And making it complex, how can we Christians be an example of spreading the gospel if we are incapable of doing it? Or even engage in a spiritual war we alone cannot ever win.

What do we see in Jesus Christ, being God did not consider Himself equal to God? We miss this essential part of God’s nature unfolding before our eyes. Humility. Being able to control or even communicate without being restrained by pride or superiority. In simple words, His humble nature or personality. The indispensable part once we accept Jesus, the Son of the living God. Having His likeness is completeness (Yes, in everything!). He will offer us solutions to complications we face. An escape from every harsh reality we are suffering. In addition, He will introduce a distinct truth of what we are heading in our lives, a precise direction to carry out His perfect will for us.

God has given us the perfect example. A standard we should not miss and not follow. And everything good starts first in ourselves after God transforms us. The same humility Jesus had given God honor, glory, and praise He deserves. The consequence is for everyone to bow and confess to Jesus as Lord. 

We must admit having humility is complex because it involves our free will. It takes our time, money, and effort to mention this. We dislike complicated life because it makes everything intricate and compromises many things.

Proverbs 22:4

King James Version

By humility and the fear of the Lord

    are riches, honor, and life.

New Living Translation

True humility and fear of the Lord

    lead to riches, honor, and long life.

Humility is a single word that makes us understand and appreciate spiritual messages from God. He is to show us the bigger picture we want to see until we arrive at our God-given destination. Riches, honor, and life are things our lives will lead to as we are to have humility in this twisted system we are getting along.

Categories
Faith

Peace and prosperity

An extensive master plan for the future is indispensable for every part of everything we work out in the modernized age as we struggle with endless tragedy. Food insufficiency, for instance, is an approaching problem that could take effect at any moment because of global warming, combining climate transformation that is affecting everyone. Pain has become a routine part of our ways of life, and will the next pandemic cause more loved ones to agonize on their deathbeds? 

Finding peace is a pursuit most people have, and this may include Christians. Other people consider it a mystery. Most likely, this thing we call tranquility or serenity does not last. Others swear they will never lose grip on it, but losing is more likely in the long run. We always expect harmony to leave when burdens arrive. It is an ingrained routine for humans. And as soon as it expires, our faith and trust in God follow. We return to living a life of confusion.

John 14:27

King James Version

Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

New Living Translation Version

 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So do not be troubled or afraid”.

Losing peace is impossible. It is always with us. Jesus gave and left it. Unbelief is the main reason we keep seeking the calm mind we thought we lost. Peter instructed, stepping out of the boat and walking in the water. And because he lost his faith for a while, he began sinking. Again, when Jesus asked Peter to catch fish. There were no fishes out there. They were fishing in the evening, and they got nothing. It was his response. It is a momentary lapse of faith. The minute he recognized losing it, conviction shook him, asking the master to leave because he was a sinner. A reminder is what we lack to tell ourselves that peace dwells within us. The truth is Jesus gave and left it. It is there beforehand we experience these anxieties.

John 16:33

King James Version

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

New Living Translation Version

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Within seconds of leaving our comfort zone, we find ourselves in a world of complaints; In actuality, we leave peace behind, unaware. As we look out from our current vantage point, we see the serenity outside of the empire of whines now going back to square one, asking ourselves why we cannot have that tranquility. 

What do we gain from having peace? Is it a mindset of having a trouble-free or carefree existence? We lost lives only to reach this. 

We refuse to allow peace to take control of us because of the weight of the load we carry and our exceeding unbelief that things will improve. We persevere to achieve peace, developing into prevailing practice. A reminder is what we lack to tell ourselves that peace dwells within us. It is a gift from God we accepted and never reached the completeness of its presence and essence in our lives. Being reminded that it came from God is valuable where prosperity starts.

II Kings 18:7

King James Version

And the LORD was with him; [and] he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served1 him not.

New Living Translation Version

So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute.

We relate the idea of prosperity to financial success. This word came from middle English prosperite, tracing it back, and borrowed from the Latin word Prosperous, meaning favorable. This word does not mean gathering wealth in its absolute meaning. It may mean securing favor as well.

How can we have prosperity during troublesome times? Is it possible to do well during challenging times? The financial crisis leaves us in the dark. There has to be a way out. A light that guides us outward from this darkness.

To prosper is not what most of us believe is more about determination. Certainly, perseverance is a part of being prosperous. We might miss an important factor in why we are persistent. Confidence is a more significant part.

Even we reach the point that emerges that we have done perfectly well. We are to face a blank wall. Our determination may appear to be strong, but our confidence dwindles. It is time that we realize it is not a stand-alone act. God is behind us. He pushes us, and with our determination, we achieve prosperity.

The bottom line is that these things require outside help. We always need God. Peace is a residence in our hearts. It stays there and never has left us. We do not look for it. The idea of losing it is the same as saying Jesus did not leave a good thing after all. As we decide to put our trust in God, peace will make its way into every part of our body, soul, and spirit.

Prosperity is an action word, a verb. It will be a futile attempt to accomplish anything without peace and the specific plans to reach our ultimate destiny without God. Searching for peace will only take our time finding it instead of working on what God planned for us. Prosperity will become an everyday experience because He will direct our way to it.

Categories
Faith

Foundation and Decision

Scriptural Readings: Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 1:3-9; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; John 15:1,5.

King James Version

Galatians 5:19-21

V.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

V.20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

V.21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

New Living Translation

Galatians 5:19-21

V.19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,

V.20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,

v.21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

A defeated Christian is what we are. It is a powerful message inching into our spiritual being the moment we suffer failures. Because of this lie, our defenses weaken, and divine qualities wear out, questioning our status in our Lord Jesus Christ. And this thought remains in Christianity. Why? And to make things more inadmissible, they subjected us to this false statement daily. As we spend more and more time with our Creator, He strengthens our characters, and as this happens, our enemy becomes more aggressive and lashes out at us.

In a real sense, to please God is impossible. We are humans; the nature of doing evil is where we settle. We live continuously as a failure. Why? What is wrong with ourselves? Every day, we decide. We have regrets when we land on the unacceptable side of the truth. Why? And now, we ask ourselves whether we want to be lifted from this reasoning or keep in this miserable condition.

King James Version

2 Peter 1:3-9

V.3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

V.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust.

V.5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

V.6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

V.7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

V.8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

V.9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

New Living Translation

V.3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

V.4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

V.5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,

V.6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,

V.7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

V.8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

V.9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

Becoming a genuine believer in our Lord (being born again) is the only road to complete maturity in our spirits and satisfy Him. The relationship we are having provides spiritual well-being. Jesus will give power to every follower through the Holy Spirit. Christians receive what they need to live a Christlike and sincere life.

King James Version

Romans 8:15

V.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

New Living Translation

V.15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

King James Version

Galatians 4:6

V.6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

New Living Translation

V.6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

We have to know who we are to our creator. The moment the enemy realizes who we are to our God, he is already a failure. It is a victory for us. He will do anything, all the lies he can design to keep us from knowing who our maker is to us. We face difficulties. Regardless of what they are, we have to meet them. Our emotions interact at once as soon as it enters our system. As we know, our way of thinking is unstable. Trusting ourselves is unwise. We have to install faith in God in our decision. Otherwise, we will never defeat our adversary.

King James Version

John 15:1

V.1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

New Living Translation

V.1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.

King James Version

John 15:5

V.5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

New Living Translation

V.5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Is our desire for a deeper relationship with Christ increasing? Is there a need to strengthen this passion? Are we serious about Christlike living? These are essential questions we have to address in our lives.

It is true to contend with our emotions and decisions, but as soon as God takes control of us, His will dictates, and all our concerns follow. The Holy Spirit continues reminding us that our foundation is in Christ Jesus. This reality has to be our mindset. Colossians 3:2 says we should set our minds on holy things, not on something here on earth. God, through His son Jesus, promised we be able to accomplish things in Him. We arrive in a helpless situation. What do we do? Acknowledge our helplessness as soon as we are there. And what does it mean? It is the winning time. The only thing to reverse this cycle of defeat is to go deeper into our relationship with our Lord Jesus. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Our enemy does not want us to realize this. Satan is no different. Through Jesus Christ, God adopted us, and neither he nor his team can do anything about it.