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Yoked to Jesus

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“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” †  Mathew 11: 28-30  What is the labour and burden that Jesus is asking me to deal with? Perhaps I have to let go of the compulsive burden (or is it a sort of entitlement?) that my spouse and children should choose a spiritual path that I know to be right. Jesus accompanied Judas Iscariot to the very end but never deprived him of his freedom to choose his own destiny. Jesus on the other hand, uninterrupted by Judas's choice to reject him, continues to accomplish his mission. He does become a victim of Judas's betrayal but he seldom takes on the victim's identity. In divine wisdom, Jesus chooses to die in our place (and that of Judas) in a redeeming act of love. Rather than being compelled to fix those whom God has entrusted to my headship by m

Money doubling machine

Looking at the abundance in my life  (not in terms of financial surplus) people assume that I have lot of money. Some tend to misunderstand when I tell them that I don’t have money to spare, more so when they approach me for a share of the tithe or to borrow some in dire need. To those who listen, I tell them; God has been providing for me because I’m mindful, in little ways, of His Kingdom and His righteousness. House, car, office, and children’s schooling, all these came, noticeably in the absence of sufficient bank balance to look forward to. At the same time, I know I should be mindful of the kingdom not in order that I may have my material needs met. But because I seek something much above what material things can offer (true joy and self actualization in my Creator) these needs of mine become God's business to look after.  How wretched I’m if I give tithe in order to feel justified or to receive the double and triple portions God promised to those who give. Tithing would t

As mother jumps off the cliff

Mother Hen along with it's many chicks move on as the young ones crisscross and sometime mount on her.  A chick that stayed behind spotting something new on the ground catches up with the rest. An unfriendly noise! A warning call from the mother follows. She lifts her wings and the chicks go hiding under it. Frightened chicks keeps total mum. Mother crouches over the young ones. The chicks hear their mother's heart beat and feel the warmth of her body. While the chicks are lost in this extreme comfort and well being, the mother gets up and walks off.  The chicks fall over, afraid being unprotected, look up to see only the vast expanse of the empty sky. They then find their mother who is already at a distance ahead of them. They run to her   The chicks peck on all things mother scavenge for them and move on.  They now come to the edge of the plain beyond which is a big ditch. The mother Hen waits for no one, jumps off with its wings spread and lands few feet below and contin

Differently oriented

Every individual has inclinations unique to him. Possessing an inclination does not qualify him to do what he wants with them. Society has identified certain acts to be illegitimate as they are harmful to the harmony of human existence. Someone who is scheming to rob a man and another who is plotting to bomb a railway station are both considered anti social. The society has judicial laws addressing motives such as these.  Same is the case with an individual who has tendency to sexually utilize minors. Anyone, because he is differently oriented, actions, as a result of his disorientation, do not qualify to be legal.  God is madly in love with all of us despite our wrong orientations, motives and methods. A person who is differently oriented, who is sexually attracted to the same gender, is encouraged to identify the disorientation, experience God’s unconditional love which is loaded with tremendous transforming power and strive towards becoming rightly oriented. In a television int

I'm aware!

If God has saved our face in shameful situations, averted getting caught in the act of private sins; it is simply because God's love does not permit his children to be disgraced. Have not an iota of doubt that this protection is not God's approval of our sin. The innumerable blessings and providence in our life is no sign that we are any better and we have God’s approval on our side. God lets His sun shine on the wicked and good alike When we preach about our material blessings, we must be careful not to let our brothers think that we follow Jesus for blessings.  Merely attaining salvation or avoiding hell should not be our life’s goal but to be Christ like.

Cup of water

Jesus said "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". In another situation He said "a cup of water given to the other in my name will not go unrewarded". My doing and giving should be independent of what I intend receive from that act.  Every good deed done is duly acknowledged by God. But better is when I render a good deed to the other, purely because he or she belongs to Christ , just as I'm one. I may do a good deed for the kick it offers. A good yard stick to gauge my motive is to check on my response when a deed is misunderstood and reciprocated with total ingratitude. Irritation is easy to come by if my intention is not independent of the feel good it offers. The expression "give happily" assumes new meaning in this context. My happiness and consolation is not to be derived directly from what I have done but purely from the joy of having served Christ in my neighbor. This is probably why Mother Te

Human dimension of Wisdom

Wisdom is superior to knowledge. Wisdom is at the disposal of all despite our intellectual capabilities. Wisdom is free for all those who seek. Wisdom is a share in God’s knowledge. And since God is love, His knowledge has inter human relationships and human-divine relationship pivotal to it. Any intelligence, knowledge or expertise becomes environment, human and God friendly when it is founded on Wisdom. Wisdom is what we require to mend human lives and relationships. Intelligence and knowledge deal with human only as bio-mechanical system. But wisdom deals with human as a "son" created in the image and character of God. Wisdom is comes from a constant relationship with God. Wisdom is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit guides us to the depth of God’s eternal knowledge. Wisdom belongs to the one who submit his will completely to God and present himself as an empty jar, even as his intelligence and knowledge super abound. Relate to God consistently despite failu

The wisdom of seeking Wisdom

A genius has intelligence, expert has wealth of experience. But the wise has Wisdom. Intelligence is the capacity to process Knowledge. Knowledge is the processed data. But Wisdom is God’s counsel freely available to all mankind.  Wisdom is superior as it not only deals with issues of life here but also the life to come. It has a salvific dimension too. Experiential knowledge can be built on old wisdom but better is the wisdom of "now".  Every human related problem, even when the situations are identical, requires unique solutions. Wisdom offers t his unique and ever new solution and addresses the problem "wholly". Wisdom knows all parties involved in the problem and thus able to offer unique, holistic and integrated solution. These solutions not only work but also build the individual.  Wisdom is a share in God’s knowledge. Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you