Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Samson – In life and death

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On March 24, 2010

In Character-(istics), Christian

The story of Samson as recorded in the book of Judges is the story of a man who was granted Herculean strength by God to combat his enemies and perform heroic feats unachievable by ordinary human. He wrestled a lion, slew an entire army with just a donkey’s jawbone, and destroyed a whole temple of a pagan god, Dagon. His disobedience to God and lust for women led to him being blinded, taken captive and eventually death.

There is a lot we can learn from Samson, from his life and his death. He judged twenty years, and it is recorded that he publicly prayed two times; one time was to live (Judges 15:18) and the second time it was to die (Judges 16:30). When he could see, He did not see God but when he was blind, he did. In death he did more to the glory of God than in his life (Judges 16:30).

Samson, I like to call – THE STRONGEST FOOL. Brother Zack Cherian once eloquently put it that Samson was able to kill a lion on the outside but could not control the lion of lust within. But before we pass judgment on Samson, let us take stock of our own lives and recognize that many times, our own lives are driven by the lust of our eyes.

Let us divert our focus from the beautiful things of the world (which is an enemy of God) and focus our attention on Jesus, looking unto Him, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Let our prayer be that we work diligently, seeking to see God and are filled by the Power of His Holy Spirit, bringing glory to God – in life and in death, not just in one, as was Samson.

Judges 16:30 (KJV)
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

The Bible is alive

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On March 23, 2010

In Become a Child, Christian, Reuben, Videos

When our beloved son, Reuben was about two years old, one of the first portions of the scripture that he had committed to memory, besides the Lord’s prayer and the Fruit of the Spirit was the Armor of God from Ephesians 6. But we taught him and he learned to end it always by saying … and the sword of the Spirit, is the word of God, “The Bible”. Little did I realize then that the addition of the words, ‘the Bible’ not only affirms that the Bible is the sword of the Spirit, but that it is the ‘Only’ word of God.

The Bible tells us that All scripture (The Bible) is God breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) and we see in the creation of man, God breathed into man’s nostrils, the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). We also read that within the ark  of Noah was the breath of life (Genesis 7:15). So if the Bible is God’s breath and the breath of God is the breath of life, the Bible is the breath of life. This establishes the fact that the Bible is alive (life). Jesus affirms this when He said that the words He spoke are life (John 6:63) and rightfully so Peter asks him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have THE WORDS of eternal life” (John 6:68).

Only in the Lord Jesus Christ, the ark of eternal life, is the breath of life (His words of eternal life). The question really is “does the words of Christ Jesus abide in us?” for without it, there is no life. Let our prayer be that we abide in Christ (the source of life), and let His words (life-giving) abide in us! (John 15:7)

John 6:63,68 (KJV)
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Hebrews 4:!2 (NKJV)
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Dr. Jesus

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On March 22, 2010

In Christian

All of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), record the various cases in which Jesus healed someone. Jesus is the kind of physician who would put the pharmacy out of business, because Dr. Jesus operated by the fullness of the power of God that dwelt in Him, being the fullness Himself.

What can we learn from those whom Jesus healed?
Is there an application to take away, in a day, where man’s trust is more in medicine than in the maker of men.

Jesus healed the

  • paralytic – to show that that invalid can be made valid.
  • leper – to show that the unclean can be made clean.
  • man with the shriveled hand – to show that the withered can be made whole and that the whole must be stretched to serve.
  • blind – to show the darkness is dispelled by light and that no one is deprived of seeing Jesus, the Light of the World.
  • deaf – to show that the good news can be heard since Faith only comes by hearing (the word of God).
  • mute – to show that even the dumb and dumber can proclaim the good news.
  • lame – to show that no one can any longer have a lame excuse to not walk in newness of life.
  • possessed – to show that those in bondage can be freed and that captivity is set free.
  • dead – to show that Only In him is life, life abundantly and all those who believe in Him, though they die yet shall they live.

The greatest healing that Dr. Jesus has demonstrated to many of us -Christians (i.e., his followers, who have believed in His Name) is that He has healed us from the leprosy of sin to show us blameless without spot or wrinkle.

Matthew 9:35 (KJV)
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Luke 9:11 (KJV)
11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

Acts 10:38 (KJV)
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

No more Babel

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On March 19, 2010

In Babel lessons, Christian

In Genesis 11 we see that God confounds the language of the people who seek to make a name for themselves as they attempt to build a tower whose top would reach unto heaven. The tower of Babel hence got its name (Genesis 11:9). The etymology of the word “babble” has to do with Babel. In fact even the word Babylon (a rebellious/sinful city of materialistic and sensual pleasures) has its roots in the confusion of speech. The beginning of the kingdom of Nimrod, a mighty hunter from the line of cursed Ham (one of Noah’s son) was Babel (Genesis 10:10). Nimrod in Hebrew means “we will rebel”. People rebelled and the Lord confused them.

But did you know that the Lord has also promised that there will no more Babel? This is in fact the Promise of Conversion wherein God says that He will turn to the people a pure language (No more Babel). Why? Not because they can make a name for themselves, but because they may all call the name of the LORD and to serve him with one consent/accord (Zephaniah 3:9). Eventually, Babylon will fall (Revelation 14:8, Revelation 18, Revelation 19:1-6) symbolically meaning that there will be no more rebellion against God because he will make his enemies His footstool (Psalm 110:1, Luke 20:43) and those who repent and have believed in Jesus Christ, the one true God (John 17:3), will have one language to call on His Name and serve Him. Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess (from every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation) that Jesus Christ is Lord (Revelation 5:9, Philippians 2:10-11). When people repent, the Lord converts them and removes all confusion and doubt.

Point(s) to ponder:

  • If we rebel, there is Babel (confusion).
  • If we repent, no more Babel.

And at the Lord’s appointed time, rebellion will be dealt with and fall – and there will be no more Babel.

Genesis 11:4,9 (KJV)
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Zephaniah 3:9 (KJV)
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

Revelation 14:8 (KJV)
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Treating people – a family issue

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On March 18, 2010

In Christian

One of the greatest commandments that sums the laws of the prophets is to love our neighbor as ourselves. To love a fellow man or woman is to treat them not just right but as the Bible instructs us to. So what does the Bible tell us about treating people, both old and young; men and women?

1 Timothy 5:1-2 tells us how we are to treat all people. The older men are to be exhorted as fathers; the older women as mothers; the younger men as brothers and younger women as sisters (with all purity).

Did you notice, irrespective of age (old or young) or gender (men or women), we are to treat all people as members of our immediate family (father, mother, brother, and sister). To love our neighbors as ourselves is to treat all as per the counsel of the Scripture and that means it is a family issue.

1 Timothy 5:1-2 (KJV)
1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

Guides of God

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On March 17, 2010

In Christian

On our visit to the Taj Mahal the November of 2009, we were approached by many at the entrance who kept asking us if we wanted to hire them as guides. The Taj Mahal is a testament of a man’s love for his bride. We did not feel the need to, but observed that there were others who had hired these guides. The guides functioned in explaining the history and details of the beautiful Taj Mahal and those who used these guides got a deeper and more personal understanding of the monument.

The Bible also talks about guides and in one particular instance has a person asking as to how he can understand the Scripture (what he read) unless some man guided him. This is recorded in the encounter of Philip with the Ethiopian Treasurer. As the Ethiopian man of authority was returning from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship, sat in his chariot, reading the Scripture prophesied by prophet Isaiah, Philip led by the Spirit of God ran toward him and on hearing the Ethiopian, asked him, as to whether the man understood what he was reading. The Ethiopian’s response was not only straightforward, but profound as well. He merely questioned “How can I, except some man should guide me?” (Acts 8:31). Philip subsequently preached to the man that led to his salvation as he believed in Jesus Christ, the Agnus Dei (lamb of God who took away the sins of the world) and was baptized.

We ought to be guides of God as well. We ought to be guides of God for his people. The world around is asking us, how can I understand what the Scripture says about God? Except you and I function as a guide how can they  understand?

Just as the guides at the Taj Mahal functioned to make the experience of those who hired them personal and testified on the extent of a man’s monumental love for his bride, we must function as guides of a God who so greatly loved His bride (the world that believes in Him) that His monumental Love stands today in the symbol of the Cross on which the very personification of God’s great Love, His Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, willingly demonstrated His love for us by being judged by God, in our stead.

Acts 8:26-35 (KJV)
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Famous Jesus

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On March 16, 2010

In Christian

Of all of the pursuits of pleasure, prosperity, power, position and popularity, the one that I am usually driven by is popularity. There are some who live by the principle, eat, drink and be merry pursuing pleasure, while others chase after a prosperous life amassing materialistic wealth and riches. There are then some who seek to be rulers with power while others seek position with short lived titles conferred by men. Another category of people are those who seek to be known and the pursuit of popularity drives their decision. I would categorize myself to be one of those. Most decisions I take in corporate life are those which could result in making a name for myself or my business. There is nothing wrong with this, except if the pursuit of making a name for ourselves compromises our relationship with God and man.

We often seek to make a name by pursuing our personal interests so that fame can follow but this is antithesis to the way Jesus lived on earth. He sought no fame and the Scripture in fact records that He made himself of no reputation (Philippians 2:7). He did not choose to pursue His own personal interests but solely did and finished the will and work of God the Father who had sent Him (John 4:34). Even in the events leading to His death, He chose to  let it be God’s will and not his own (Luke 22:42). Interestingly however, even though Jesus worked to make a name for God, He got noticed. His fame was noticed by kings and king Herod the tetrach heard the fame of Jesus because of the mighty works He did. Not only did men hear of Jesus, but even God gave him a Name that is above all names (Philippians 2:9). From this, we learn that by working toward making a name for God, instead of pursuing a name for ourselves, we will be noticed by men and even more by God, which is far more important than anything else.

Point(s) to ponder:
Seek a name for yourself, and you may have some fame that is ephemeral! Seek a name for God, and you will have fame that is eternal!

Matthew 14:1 (KJV)
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus

Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV)
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Every Christian’s Motto

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On March 15, 2010

In Christian

Apostle Paul is often quoted to have said many things, some of which are very well known, like “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me:” (Galatians 2:20) and “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) and more. There is however one saying of Paul that is powerful yet not very common. Packed in a single verse is volumes of how every Christian ought to live. This I believe should be every Christian’s motto as they live in this temporary world. This is recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:1 and reads “Be ye followers (imitators) of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

Now think about the intensity of such a statement. Apostle Paul to the saints in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus writes that we ought to be imitators of Christ (Ephesians 5:1) but here to the Church of God in Corinth makes a bold statement that they ought to be a follower (imitator) of Paul as he follows (imitates) Christ.

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. When the world around us witnesses our life, do they recognize who we are following? If this is the case, list out the reasons why and if not, list out the reasons as to why not and pray and act toward conforming into Christ’s image.
  2. Can you/I make such a claim as Apostle Paul did about being imitators of Christ?
  3. Is the motto of our life – Follow me as I follow Christ one that we can boldly state?

1 Corinthians 11:1 (KJV)
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

For a related article, see God’s mirror

Defeating the lion

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On March 12, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

Inspired by a true story, Wisegal is the story of a single mom who gets caught in the mob for the sake of her family and in the end says no to the mob for the sake of her family. The movie starts with the son narrating the following lines “My mother always says, people are not fools. Nobody chooses the devil. The devil always chooses you” and the movie ends with the lines “When the devil shows up with a truck load of promises, it is harder than you think to say No”

The Bible counsels that the adversary, the devil is a roaring lion, seeking (choosing) whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). And when he does show up, he shows up with promises. He even promised Jesus the kingdoms of the world and the glory of those (Matthew 4:8). And just as Jesus did, we are to say No and let let our No be No (Matthew 5:37). We are to resist the devil (James 4:7), armed with the armor of God wielding the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17) for It is written. We are to be wise guys and gals for God.  

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Never left alone …

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On March 11, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

In the movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the character Sirius Black (the prisoner) when explaining to Harry about his deceased parents, tells Harry the following “…But know this; the ones that love us never really leave us. And you can always find them in here“ as he puts his hand on Harry’s heart.

God’s omnipresence with us is assured in the Scriptures where God explicitly states that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Matthew 28:20). He really loves us and He will be with us always. He is only a prayer call away and you will find Him when you seek Him.

Matthew 28:20 (KJV)
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

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