Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

The Question to ask Jesus after Salvation

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On October 6, 2010

In Christian, On Damascus Road

When Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he first asked, Who are you, Lord? Then upon hearing the response from that Lord and recognizing that it was Jesus whom he had encountered, He asks the Lord another question stating “Lord, what will you have me to do?” Note, how the first time, Saul, asks a question and then addresses the one questioned as Lord. But the second time, Saul, starts his question by addressing the one questioned first as Lord.

The Salvation, from eternal damnation, experience is comprised of not just identifying who Jesus is, but identifying with Jesus (believing in Him) and accepting His Lordship over our lives. But then, what must one do? We must ask the same question that Saul asked Jesus after He addressed Him as Lord. We must ask “Lord, what will you have me to do?” The doing (works) follows the believing (faith) for we are saved by Grace (alone) by faith, called unto (to do) [Godly and] good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Faith without work is dead! (James 2:17).

This is THE Question to ask after we believe in Jesus. It is also important to recognize that the converted Saul asked for what the will of God was (What wilt thou have me to do?). In other words, he was seeking to do the works that were in the will of God. Many a times, I find myself telling God what I think I should be doing, instead of asking Him as to what His will is and accepting it (without question) to do it as commissioned. Let us not forget to ask God for His will, which should be our work. Have you/I asked THE Question after our Salvation experience, to the Lord?

Acts 9:4-6 (KJV)
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

James 2:17 (KJV)
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Persecuting Jesus

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On October 5, 2010

In Christian, On Damascus Road

The question that Apostle Paul (then Saul), hears from heaven, when he encounters Jesus on the road to Damascus was “Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute me?”. One of the definitions for the word “Persecute” according to the Merriam-Websters dictionary is “to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief”. Though this may seem like a question that is solely directed to Saul, closer introspection of the text surfaces that it is applicable to each one of us, who are believers in Christ as well.

The same question can be turned and asked of each one of us, “Saint, Saint, Why do you trample the Son of God?“. When sinners believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they are removed from the power and penalty of sin, and turned to saints, but when a saint backslides willingly, the Scriptures likens such willful disobedience to be the same as trampling the Son of God under foot, grieving Him and His Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:26-29).

Many a times, I have been found guilty of willingly disobeying God and now with this insight that I can persecute (grieve) Jesus with my willful disobedience, I pray for his forgiveness and seek to submit totally to His Lordship. I don’t want to have Jesus ask me “Mano, Mano, Why do you trample me, the Son of God? Why do you persecute me?” How about you? If you encounter Christ Jesus today, what is the question that He has for you?

Hebrews 10:26-29 (KJV)
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Ephesians 4:30 (KJV)
30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Take time to be blind

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On October 4, 2010

In Christian

Many of us are familiar with or have heard of the conversion of Saul to Apostle Paul on his road to Damascus, but closer introspection of the Scripture reveals, certain hidden treasures that can be cursorily overlooked. Saul (before his conversion to Paul) in his encounter with Jesus Christ, on the road to Damascus, was surrounded by a light from heaven. He fell down and he heard a voice, asking him “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”. Saul questions, “Who are you, Lord?” to which the Lord replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting”. In response with trembling and astonishment, Saul asks another question, “Lord, what will thou have me to do?”. Saul is informed to go into the city and wait until further instructions are sent to him. Interestingly, the Scripture then records, that when Saul rose up, he opened his eyes and he saw no man (was blind). It also records that those who were with him were speechless, for they heard the voice, but did not see any man.

Note how the Scripture says, Saul opened his eyes and was blind. This would imply that prior to his opening of his eyes, his eyes were closed. But then when his eyes were closed, how is it that he questions, who are you, Lord? One may think that he asked that question in response to that voice that he heard from heaven. But the Scripture also tells us that the others who were with him, heard the voice, but did not see any man. Wonder, why Saul is excluded from this list of others? Logically, this would mean that Saul was the only one who saw someone and the one who was seen by Saul, identified Himself to be Jesus, the one from heaven (John 6:32,38), The Light of the world (John 8:12). But herein lies the issues that may seem contradictory. First we established that Saul’s eyes were closed and now we see that Saul saw Jesus.

The Bible states that the light shined around Saul. It makes no mention of the light shining around those who were with Saul and we learn that they did not see any man but merely heard the voice. There are many in the world with open eyes, who can hear the voice of God, but they don’t see him. Those on whom the Light of the World (Jesus Christ) from heaven shines are those who can see Jesus, when their eyes are shut from seeing anything or anyone else.

Point(s) to ponder:
1. What are some of the things in our life, in this world, that is keeping our eyes (focus) away from Christ Jesus? Is it our families/homes, jobs/work, pleasures/hobbies, sins, etc.?
2. We must take time to be blind (close our eyes) so that the attractions and pleasures of this world does not distract us; and that we see no one else but Jesus and be enlightened by Him.

Look ye blind, that ye may see (Isaiah 42:18)

Acts 9: 1-8 (KJV)
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

John 9:39-41 (KJV)
39 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.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

The trinity of blessing

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On October 1, 2010

In Christian

Numbers 6:24-26 is commonly referred to as the trifold blessings that Aaron, the Priest was asked to convey to God’s people. It reads “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

The LORD bless thee and keep thee talks about MERCY, for the LORD thy God [is] a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them (Deuteronomy 4:31). In other words, He will keep thee as He has promised because He is merciful and does not give us what we deserve.
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee talks about His GRACE. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance (face) doth behold the upright (those made blameless) (Psalm 11:7).
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace talk about His PEACE, the Peace that passeth all understanding and which keeps our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Closer introspection of this trifold blessing reveal that the three elements of blessings that is Mercy, Grace and Peace are ALL fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The LORD is MERCIFUL to them that confess and because of His Mercy, they are blessed and kept by Him. They are not blown away like chaff and nothing can snatch them from His sovereign and secure hands. The LORD is GRACIOUS and gives Eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. To behold the Holy face of the Lord when we are sinful is sure death for His Holiness is consuming, but those who believe in Jesus are imputed righteousness and made upright (blameless). And the blameless God does turn His face to and beholds and grants them that which they don’t deserve, in other words Grace. The LORD is PEACE to them that believe in Him, which is the result of Grace and Mercy at work and He keeps us in perfect Peace, when we trust Him and fix our minds on Him (Isaiah 26:3).

The trinity of blessings – Mercy, Grace and Peace are made possible by Jesus Christ, the God of Mercy, Grace and Peace.

From sorrow to Joy

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On September 30, 2010

In Christian, Salvation Story (and since)

September 30, 1986: A lanky and frail in flesh but superbly strong in Spirit man was taken into an operating room in the Christian Medical College, Vellore, for a triple bypass open heart surgery. Even on his way to the operating room, he was recorded to have been cheerful as he was always. He was joking with the doctors telling them that they should not stitch him after the surgery but just sew a zip on him so that they could easily open him should there be a need to in the future, as he was taken to the surgery which nearly took six hours to complete. Following the surgery, the heart that was in his frail body failed. It was a heart that was dedicated to take the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Bondo tribe in Malkangiri, Orissa, as no one else had. It was the heart of the missionary, Dr. R.A.C. Paul. It was a heart that was a heart after God’s own heart. It was the heart of my earthly father, my ‘Appa’.

A few days later, when my brother Ragland Remo Paul and I came to learn of my father’s departure from this present world into the glorious one that is to come, I wailed and cried with deep sorrow in my heart, accepting little to no consolation from my mother, Dr. Iris. G.R. Paul or Dr. Jeyapaul Sitther and his family, the missionary friends who accompanied her. I missed my dad and I was sorrowful.

September 30, 1990: I, an young child was on my knees in the cold floor of the service hall in Public School in Sunabeda, Orissa as the lanky preacher, Dr. R. Stanley who founded Blessing Youth Mission (BYM) was giving a fiery message in which I remember, he was calling out a  checklist of sins. I also remember that I seemed to have a check mark, pretty much against every sin that was on that list. It weighed heavy in me and as I knelt down, tears were streaming from my eyes when I recognized that while I was still a sinner and an enemy of God, God sent His Only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself and died for me to pay the wages of my sins.  Preacher Stanley then proceeded to give the call to Salvation stating that all who put their trust in Jesus will not be ashamed and all who believe in Him [Jesus] will have  their mourning turned in joy for He shall turn their sorrows into joy. In response, I committed my life to the Lordship of Jesus accepting his Grace and Salvation, Trusting and Believing in Him. After trusting and placing my faith in Jesus by praying the prayer of repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14), I remember vividly that I felt elated and joyous when I learned that a byproduct of my confession in faith, snatched me from the clutches of eternal death, where I was heading otherwise. I had been adopted into the family of God, and the Creator God, who had made me had now remade me as a new creature who could address Him as ‘Abba’ father.

Not until late that evening while traveling back home to Malkangiri from Sunabeda, did it dawn on me that four years earlier, exactly to that day, I had lost my earthly father.

September 30, 1986 was a day of sorrow, robbing me of the joy of being a son to a father, as I had lost my wonderful earthly father, Dr. R.A.C. Paul.
September 30, 1990 was a day of joy, a joy that no man can take away from me, as I had gained the Wonderful heavenly Father, the Great I AM.

Today, many years later since that life changing day, I can confidently state that My God is indeed the Father to the fatherless.
He [Jesus] had turned my day of sorrows into a day of joy (literally).

Jeremiah 31:13 (KJV)
13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

John 16:20,22 (KJV)
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Pillars of God

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On September 29, 2010

In Christian

Two of the four definitions of the word ‘Pillar’ in the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary are
1. a firm upright support for a superstructure and
2. a supporting, integral, or upstanding member or part

The Bible informs us that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:14). You and I who believe in Jesus Christ, are the church which is a pillar. We must be firm and upright as God has made us (Ecclesiastes 7:29) so that we can support and be an integral upstanding member that holds up Jesus Christ.

Points(s) to ponder:
How are you and I as pillars of God? Are we firm and not falling to our own inventions/schemes? Those who stand firm till the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13). Are we upright and supportive as an integral part of the body of Jesus Christ?

Jesus is not only freeware but shareware

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On September 28, 2010

In Christian

Those in the technology industry are familiar with software that is labeled as freeware, which means that it costs the recipient nothing. In many cases, freeware is usually also shareware, which means that it is to be shared. But often, the recipient does not bother to share what they have freely received. In our Christian life, many of us Christians act in such manner as well. We hoard Jesus whom we have freely received instead of sharing Jesus with others, who don’t know or have Him.

One of the songs I learned when I was a child was the one by Carol Owens, “Freely, freely (God forgave my sin)”.
The lyrics of this song are as follows:
God forgave my sin, in Jesus’ Name. I’ve been born again in Jesus’ Name
and in Jesus’ Name, I come to you, to share His Love as He told me to.
He said: ‘Freely, freely, you have received; freely, freely give‘
Go in my Name and because you believe, others will know that I live’
All power is given in Jesus’ name, In earth and heaven in Jesus’ name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you; To share His power as He told me to.

I never paid much attention to the words of this song till recently, when I was reminiscing on what we, who believe in Jesus Christ, have received. We have received Jesus Christ, the most precious treasure of All, the very essence of God, and the possessor of ALL possessions. In other words, we have received everything one wants and needs when we believe in Jesus Christ. Freely, we have received, but this free gift did not come cheap, it came at a cost, which was equitable to the wages of death, a ransom that cost God, God. We have received it ALL from God at no cost to us but at all cost to the Blessed Triune Godhead. Jesus made himself of no reputation (in other words nothing) so that it wont cost us anything to be restored into a familial relationship with God.

When one receives a gift, it is not the gift that is important but the giver and God the giver of all things, gave us His Son freely. Why? So that we may give Him freely to those who know Him not, so that they can receive it ALL from God as well. Jesus said, ‘Freely, freely, ye have received, freely give’, and He meant every word of that command (Matthew 10:8b).

Matthew 10:7-8 (KJV)
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

The Pre-requisite for Holiness

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On September 27, 2010

In Christian

The first requirement of man is to be Holy as God is Holy (Leviticus 19:1-2).  From Christian upbringing, I was given to understand that to be Holy is to be sanctified or set apart; to be blameless and righteous and pure. But while researching on what the word “Holy” exactly meant, I came across many words that are synonymous to the word Holy, some of which are adored, among the angels, consecrated, divine, enthroned, glorified, inviolable, redeemed, resurrected, revered, rewarded, sacred, sacrosanct, saved and unprofane.

The one word that caught my attention is the word “resurrected“. This means that to be Holy is to be resurrected. Every one needs to be spiritually resurrected in order to fulfill the very first requirement of God. The good news is that everyone who is in Christ Jesus is a new creature, resurrected to walk in newness of life, relinquishing the ways of death. The prophet Obadiah writes that upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness (Obadiah 1:17). Only those who are washed pure by the pure blood of Jesus, are those who are delivered from the power of the devil and the fear of death, and are resurrected (Holy) to eternal life. Without deliverance (from the bondage of sin), there can be no holiness. The pre-requisite for Holiness is Deliverance, i.e., belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for him whom the Son (of God) delivers (sets free from the bondage of death) is resurrected (Holy) indeed (John 8:36).

Obadiah 1:17 (KJV)
17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Lessons from the 3 Hebrew men :: No other God

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On September 24, 2010

In 3 Hebrew Men, Christian

From the account recorded in Daniel 3, we learn that the 3 Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down and worship anyone other than their one true God, Yahweh. For them, there was no other God, who was to be worshiped or served. Interestingly, the very king who had ordered them to be thrown into the burning furnace acknowledges that there is No Other God who could deliver as was evident.

When we stand firm without compromise, expressing that we shall have no other gods before us, then we can trust that God will show up and deliver us, making those around us, including those who are against us, to recognize that there is indeed NO OTHER GOD who can deliver us from impending doom, except Jesus Christ (Daniel 3:29).

Lessons from the 3 Hebrew men :: In Fire

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On September 23, 2010

In 3 Hebrew Men, Christian

When the 3 Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, chose to follow God’s command of not worshipping any other god or idol and refused to follow the king’s command that required them to worship the image of the king, they were thrown into a blazing furnace. However, miraculously God shows up in the fire and delivers them from their bondage.

The Holy Spirit of God is often likened to Fire. In the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit symbolically appeared as tongues of fire (Act 2:3). When God was pleased with a sacrifice, Fire descended from heaven as a means to demonstrate God’s acceptance of man’s sacrifice (1 Chronicles 21:26). Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego offered their bodies as a living sacrifice and God was pleased with their offering and accepted their willingness to sacrifice themselves, by showing up in the fire.

Point(s) to ponder:
Have you and I offered our lives as a living sacrifice to God? When we believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is poured into us and God shows up in our life. And when one is filled with the Fire of God (Holy Spirit), then the external fiery trials of life can’t consume us. Are you and I filled with the Fire of God? In other words, have you and I accepted Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Master?

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