Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Aam Aadmi

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On March 10, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

A Hindi movie that my wife and I enjoyed watching is ‘A Wednesday’. The main character (played by Nasseruddin Shah) is a common man i.e. “aam aadmi” who remains anonymous as he plays the role of a vigilante restoring justice. While the movie covers the plight of a common man, it is really about the power of the common man.

The disciples and apostles of Jesus were common, ordinary poeple, just like you and me, yet because of the power of the Holy Spirit, in them, they could perform uncommon, extraordinary miracles and feats. As followers of Christ, we may all be “aam aadmi” as well, but because of an extra-ordinary God in us, we can also perform extra-ordinary and uncommon feats. Instead of focusing on our plight as a common man, we must be keenly focussed on the power that has been granted unto us through Christ. We can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).

Acts 1:8 (KJV)
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:

Acts 19:6, 11 (KJV)
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them;
11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

Irreplaceable

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On March 9, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

One of the movies, our 4 year old, Reuben likes to watch is Toy Story. In the movie, the anxiety the toys have, on each birthday of their owner, is that they (especially the old and broken ones) will be replaced by new ones.

The natural tendency in humans is to replace the old and broken things they have with new and unbroken ones.

The Bible on the other hands tells us that

  • The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart (Psalm 34:18)
  • A broken and contrite heart, God will not despise (Psalm 51:17)
  • God (Jesus) is with us always (Matthew 28:20)
  • Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39)

What these verses tell us is that, unlike broken toys, our broken lives is not something that God despises and nothing can replace us from the love of God. In the story of our lives, we need not be anxious about anything, especially about being replaced. We are irreplaceable and nothing can pluck us out of God’s hands (John 10:28-29).

Credibility currency

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On March 8, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

In the movie, Enemy of the State, a lawyer, Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) becomes the target of Reynolds, a corrupt politician (Jon Voight) and his National Security Agency goons, when he accidentally receives key evidence to a serious politically motivated crime.  In one scene, Reynolds tells Robert whose credibility he has smudged by infiltrating every facet of Dean’s existence using surveillance, bugs and other sophisticated snooping devices, that “Credibility is the only currency that works in this playing field.”

In a world where every one wants to get to the top of their career (or corporate) ladder, sometimes at the cost of their peers and at other times, even worse, at the cost of their integrity, the Bible counsels us an anti-thesis to the hook or by crook attitude to life. It affirms that “A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1). This is not only applicable to secular life but to the Spiritual (Christian) as well.  Many Christians who loved the Lord dearly have been known to replace their first love (Jesus) with sex (lust of the flesh) or silver (lust for money). And when their lives are brought out of the closet, the witness they had for Christ becomes a mockery used by those who do not believe in Christ.

The Enemy (adversary) of our Faith (Ha Shaitan a.k.a. the Devil) works tirelessly to tarnish the credibility of those who are faithful servants of God. Let us not give the devil  any place (Ephesians 4:26). Overcoming the temptations of sex and silver, let us repent and return to our first love because a GOOD name is the only currency that works in our race. Let us run in such a manner that we win the price and the accolade from God “Well done, my GOOD and faithful servant”.

Proverbs 22:1 (KJV)
1 A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

La vita è bella

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On March 5, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

There are some movies that leave an indelible impression in one’s life and I must admit that La vita è bella (translated Life is Beautiful) more than foots the bill in mine. An unforgettable fable that proves love, family and imagination conquer all is the story of la vita è bella. Guido, a Jewish man who loves his wife dearly, gifted with an incredible sense of humor has to use that same quality to protect his son, Giosué Orefice in a Nazi death camp. Words can’t express the extent of the love the father had for his son and the very thought of this movie wrenches my heart and makes my eyes well up with tears. It reminds me as to what life is all about and that life indeed is beautiful. If you have not watched this movie, I reckon you do, but be forewarned that if you are any bit emotional, by the end of the movie, your emotions would have gone through a roller coaster, with etching effects, as did mine.

The movie begins with the son Giosué Orefice narrating as an adult the following –
This is a simple story… but not an easy one to tell.
This is my story. This is the sacrifice my father made. This was his gift to me.

As I wondered on what I can learn from this movie to apply in our Christian walk, it soon dawned on me that we too have a story to tell. Each of us can indeed say “This is a simple story… but not an easy one to tell. This is my story. This is the sacrifice my father made. This was his gift to me.”

This is a simple story….
A Holy God created man. Man disobeys God and gets separated from God. God demands a sacrifice without blemish. Man cannot provide that offering. God comes to be with man in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Man rejects Jesus. Jesus the one without sin is sacrificed by crucifixion on a Cross on Calvary. The Cross becomes the bridge for man to reach God. God raises Jesus from the dead. Sin and death are vanquished with the resurrection of Jesus. Those who believe in Jesus will be restored into relationship with God and until Jesus returns to reign as King, God has poured out His Spirit, the Spirit of His Son, into the hearts of men and women so that they are separated not from him, but for Him from the world and its disobedience against God. The Bible says that there is simplicity in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

but not an easy one to tell
The aforementioned story of a good Shepherd seeking the lost sheep; a Father eagerly awaiting the return of the prodigal child; a Savior seeking sinners (you and me) and transforming them into saint, the story of the Cross is not an easy one, because it convicts the hearer of sin, commands the hearer to surrender and challenges the hearer to sacrifice and we who like to be in control of our lives and everything around us find it always a challenge to say, nevertheless not my will, Lord, but yours be done (Luke 22:42).

This is my story.
A sinner who met the Savior Jesus, who with His amazing grace adopted me to be His son. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)

This is the sacrifice my father made.
God the Father sacrificed His own Son, forsaking Him so that we shall not be forsaken. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God (1 John 3:1). For God (the Father) so loved that world that He gave His Only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

This was his gift to me.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

La vita è bella. Life is beautiful.

With great power comes great responsibility and …

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On March 4, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy, shy, and awkward high school student, Peter Parker gains spider-like abilities that he eventually must use to fight evil as a superhero after tragedy befalls his family. Well if you haven’t already guessed it, the movie whose synopsis is given above is ‘Spiderman’. The tagline in the movie is ‘With great power comes great responsibility’, which is what Ben, Peter’s uncle upon being shot, tells Peter as his last words.

Apropos this well recognized tagline, the Bible has something to say as well. Acts 4:33 reads “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all”. With great power does come the great responsibility of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), which is to be the apostles (messengers sent forth) of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, but unlike the Spiderman tagline, it doesn’t end there. According to the Bible, with great power comes great responsibility AND great grace. A grace that is sufficient for each one of us (2 Corinthians 12:9) as we take on our responsibility with the power of the Spirit of Jesus (Galatians 4:6) a.k.a the Holy Spirit of God sent in the Name of Jesus (Acts 1:8; John 14:26), with whom we can do anything, as He gives us the strength to. (Philippians 4:13).

With great power comes great responsibility and great grace.

Acts 4:33 (KJV)
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

99 is not enough

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On March 3, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

On our flight over to India in November 2009, I watched this Hindi movie called ’99’, which is a story of two men in two cities that seem like they are always stuck at ’99’ never making it to a ‘century’. It was a good movie with a mix of comic and seriousness blended well, and toward the end of the movie, the main character played by Kunal Khemu, reflects that it is only those who make it to the end the ones who deserve praise.

Drawing a metaphor from India’s favorite game, Cricket,  he expresses the following  –
(The English meaning is provided for readers who don’t know Hindi)

Bus woh yek run key bahd hee standing ovation hohtha hey!
(The standing ovation is only after the one run that makes the century!)
Pichele 99 ko koyi yaad nahi rakta
(no one remembers the previous 99 runs)

As I pondered on those words, it hit me that in our Christian walk, we ought to have the same attitude. The Bible warns that in the latter times, many will depart (fall away) from the faith an in the end times, many will be deceived and their love (for God, His people and His work) will wax cold and only those who endure (stand firm) till the end will be saved (Matthew 24:12-13).

Point(s) to ponder:

Let us not be among the 99 who fall short of God’s expectation and are not remembered (Psalm 34:16) but let us endure (stand firm) unto the end (of our appointed time on earth), for only then comes the standing ovation. Interesting, isn’t it that at the endurance of Stephen, the first martyr for Jesus Christ, he received a standing ovation from God Himself (Acts 7:56).

Matthew 24:12-13 (KJV)
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

What life? I’m in the dark here. You understand? I’m in the dark.

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On March 2, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

A movie, that I can watch over and over again is Scent of a Woman. To say that the performance by Al Pacino (who plays the character of a blind Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade) and Chris O’Donnell (who plays the character of Charlie Simms, a prep school student who takes up a weekend job of being the Colonel caretaker) to be anything short of fantastic would certainly be an understatement. In one of the scenes, the Lt. Col. has decided to end his life by shooting himself, but is stopped and scolded by Charlie. The conversation that occurs is something as follows.

Charlie Simms: So you messed up all right? So what? So everybody does it. Get on with your life would ya?
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: [screaming] What Life? I got no life! I’m in the dark here. You understand? I’m in the dark!

It dawned on me from just those two lines, that there is so much we can learn to apply in our Christian walk.

  1. First, everybody messes up – We are all sinners. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
  2. Second, We need to get on with our life. The failures in our life don’t define us and there is hope for all. Jesus Christ is the only hope for all. (1 Timothy 1:1)
  3. Third, there are many who question as to what Life is all about. They are screaming – What Life? and feel that there is no life!
  4. Fourth, accordingly to Lt. Col. Frank Slade, his blindness meant that he was in the dark and to be in the dark means that there is no life. In other words, those who can see, can see light and in light is Life. The parallel from this is the most important. There are many who are blinded in their minds (spiritual eyes). The god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of many who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. And when they are still blind, they are in the dark. Jesus came so that the blind can see (Luke 4:18). He proclaimed that He is the light of the world and they that believe in Him and follow Him (interesting isn’t it that it is the blind that usually follow) shall not walk in darkness anymore, but have in them the light of Life (John 8:12), life eternal (John 3:16).

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. Are you one those who was blind, but now can see? It is better to be the blind who can see than to be the seeing who is blind!
  2. When people around us are screaming, “What Life?”, “I’m in the dark”, “Do you Understand?”, do we really understand their state?
  3. Are we willing to show them the Light of the world that can redeem them from darkness and death into light and life (or) Are we hiding this glorious light by putting it under the bushels of our sinful and selfish lives?

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (KJV)
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

John 8:12 (KJV)
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Hope is a good thing

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On March 1, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

One of my all time favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption is a heart-warming fantastic story of Andy Dufrense (played by Tim Robbins) who is imprisoned for murder. Although Andy is imprisoned behind physical bars, he does not let anyone imprison something that is in deeply rooted in him, this something that we learn only at the end of the movie, when his friend Red River (played by Morgan Freeman) reads a letter from him. After 19 years of imprisonment, Andy Dufrense escapes from prison. As the closing titles are ready to scroll, the movie ends with the words – Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. In fact, the tag line for this movie, The Shawshank Redemption reads, “Fear can hold you prisoner, Hope can set you free.”

Kevin Gallemore, Pastor of Worship & Arts at Cy-Fair Christian Church and a brother in Christ, who was visiting our Church from Houston shared a few words from his mission trip to India in October 2009. As he tried to summarize his India experience in a word, he said the word that came to his mind was ‘HOPE‘. He proceeded on to express a quote that  rang a deep note in me – “Hope where there shouldn’t be any Hope.” He further added, “Hope changes us!”

The heavy undercurrent deluging the minds of many who choose “suicide” as an end to their suffering is bondage to the lie that it is the only answer, and that there is no hope. We have Jesus Christ, who is the only living Hope that matters. But where is Jesus? Where is this Hope? The Scripture reveals to us that this Hope is in each one of us who have accepted Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Master. Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Only those who know Christ and who have believed in His name, have hope, and even death (state of sleep) can do nothing about it (1 Thessalonians 4:13). There are many out there who are still seeking an answer to the questions of life (and you may be one of them). They (you) are looking for hope (in situations) where there shouldn’t be any hope. The question they (you) ask is “Where can I find this Hope?“. The answer – in every fathful follower of Jesus Christ. Christ in us is the only Hope that we can point them to. Has this Christ (Hope) changed us so that we can boldly proclaim that there is no other hope, save in the name of Jesus Christ, for man to have eternal life as the output of a relationship with God.

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. Is there a fear that is holding you to be a prisoner? If so, what is it? If you have not yet met Jesus as Savior, you have every reason to anticipate His imminent return as Judge and King with morbid trepidation, but if you have. what are you afraid of? What is holding you from being the chalice of hope to those around us, who are seeking answers.
  2. Are you/I, the faithful servants and messengers of God who are taking Hope (Christ in us) to the world where hope is not found?
  3. Has Christ, our hope changed us, so that we are living according to His will and not our own?

Fear can hold you prisoner, Only Hope (Only Jesus) can make you free and the one whom the Son makes free, is free indeed (John 8:36). Remember, Hope (Jesus) is a good God and those who have their hope in the only true Hope (Jesus) cannot die.  Fear can hold you prisoner, Hope can set you free. Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

Colossians 1:27-29 (KJV)
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Biblical Oxymoron :: Enemy Friend

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On February 26, 2010

In Biblical Oxymorons, Christian

The well known Arabian proverb  “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” is used to conceptualize that when two parties have a common enemy, then one can use the other to advance their goals. We see that this was essentially the case during the time of Jesus. The Pharisees and the Herodians who hated each other united to try to entangle the very Son of God, Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:15-16). We also see that a Roman (Pilate) and a Jew (Herod) who were usually at loggerheads became friends, when trying Jesus for no crime that He had committed (Luke 23:12). Sadly in both of the referenced cases, weak men of the world banded together against a powerful God. Now think of the situation as to how powerful we would be in advancing the apostleship granted to each one of us, if Jesus and us had a common enemy. We do. It is called the world.

Jesus himself said, that the world was his enemy, that it hated him when He exclaimed, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” (John 7:7). He also said that we will be hated of all men for His name’s sake (Luke 21:17) and when He prays for His disciples, He tells God, the Father that the world hates us (John 17:14). All of these verses affirm that the world hated/hates Jesus and the world hates/will hate us, Jesus’ true followers. This means that the world is at enmity with God and at enmity with us. In fact, we are to marvel not (or be surprised) that the world hates us (1 John 3:13). We can be assured of God’s promise that if the world hates us, they are not really in enmity with us, but in enmity with God and God will be the enemy of those who are our enemies and the adversary of those who are our adversaries (Exodus 23:22).

An identical proverb to the Arabian proverb, but of Chinese origin is “it is good to strike the serpent’s head with your enemy’s hand.” We are to strike the Satan’s (serpent’s) head with the hand of the world (our enemy), i.e., not fall prey to evil in the world. Satan uses the world and its lusts to lure us away from God. When we devalue the world and its offerings, we give him no power, symbolically striking a blow to his head. If our allegiance is with the world over that of with the Word of God that became flesh and tabernacled among and in us, then we cannot be in spiritual battle with Satan (which means adversary) or his forces in heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:10-18).

To oxymoronic aspect here is this:
To be a friend of this world is to an enemy with God;
To be an enemy of the world is to be the Friend of God

With the world (and its evil) as our common enemy, we can work hand in hand with God and advance the goals of apostleship that He has entrusted to us, being assured that He will be the enemy of our enemy (the world), meaning that He will be our friend. What a friend we have in Jesus!

John 17:14 (KJV)
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

James 4:4 (KJV)
 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Biblical Oxymoron – Dead Life

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On February 25, 2010

In Biblical Oxymorons, Christian

When God created man, man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7), meaning that man’s Spirit (soul) was alive and until they sinned they were not conscious of the nakedness of their bodies (Genesis 3:7), which makes me wonder if the body, until then, was merely a dead jar of clay that contained the Spirit of the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:7) in man. And by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin (Romans 5:12) and from then on, each time a child was conceived, that child was conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5) and with the wages of sin being death (Romans 6:23), in essence, each time a child is born, that child is born dead (in the Spirit) and alive in the body (flesh). Jesus reinforces this in his conversation with Nicodemus, whom He counseled saying that in order for anyone to see and enter the kingdom of God, they must be born again (John 3:7), by expressing that, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6). Jesus then goes on to say that in believing in Him is Life, Life Eternal (John 3:16) and though one were dead (in the Spirit), yet shall he live (John 11:25).

Being born is being alive in sin and dead in the Spirit, but when one believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God as their Messiah, he/she becomes a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). That person is born again. Ever wondered as to what it means to be born again? The revelation of this hidden treasure is startling. To be born again is to die first; die to being slaves to sin (Genesis 4:7, Romans 6:17-23), and die with Christ (Romans 6:2-4). Being born again is being dead to the flesh and its lusts (Romans 8:13), and rising to walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:2,4).  And in dying to sin, in dying with Christ, we are made alive (Romans 6:2-4)

The oxymoronic aspect here is this:
In being born (natural birth), we are born dead in the Spirit, alive in the flesh. This is the first birth, the natural man.
In dying (to sin; with Christ), we are born alive in the spirit, dead in the flesh. This is the second birth, the spiritual man.

We can live to die or we can die to live! What is your choice?

Romans 8:5-13 (KJV)
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

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