SAVING PLAN

2.Still today the indispensable condition of receiving the kingdom of God is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty. - JR STOTT
The fact that man is a sinner is not to condemn him and his condition as hopeless and beyond cure.Actually,this sinfuness of man and his helplessness is the very reason why God becomes essential and indispensable.The very reason why Christ came into this world was and still is in his own words ,"To call sinners to repentance".He came not for those who think they are good enough(though no one is good enough) but for those who have realised their spiritual helplessness or spiritualbankruptcy.
What does it mean to be spiritually bankrupt?It means not having enough spiritual resource within himself to live a perfectly righteous life.It is the inability to be truthful to yourself and to others,inability to forgive and love not just enemies but even friends ,parents,children especially when you think they don't deserve it or have violated you ,abused you ,used you or are not in conformity with your views and opinions .The fights within families for property and the border issues and fights between nations depict our spiritual bankruptcy and our need for a source who will freely supply us with the love and the ability o be truthful to avoid these conflicts.This spiritual bankruptcy is also called "poverty of the spirit" and people who have realised their poverty are called "poor in spirit".
Here comes the words of hope for the really hopeless humanity from the words of the hopegiver because he has opened the door to turn such a helpless ,cursed state into a blessed one .He is Jesus and he said ,"Blessed are the poor in spirit ,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"
If you realise you spiritual poverty and bankruptcy and accept his solution then you beome heir to the kingdom of heaven.'Heir' indicates children here as he adopts us as his children in making us his heirs so that we can access and inherit the spiritual riches which we lack. So that you don't just become recepients of God's love and forgiveness but also channels through which you can pass it on to others in your life.
So how can anyone actually become a child of God and heir to the kingdom of heaven?How can anyone become a channel of God's love ?
When we talk about becoming children of God we are talking about entering into a relationship with God revealed in Christ.
1.Acknowledge your spiritual bankruptcy /poverty /inability /imperfection which you see in yourself daily ,in relating to others and in relating to yourself.
Acknowledge your inability to save yourself from this state.
2.Accept that Christ paid for your past bankruptcy ,paid the debt you owe to God on acount of that spiritual poverty or in other words the punishment due was taken up by christ when he died on the cross.Accept and acknowledge that Christ died in your place and for your sins out of love for you ,is God INCARNATE and is the only means of reaching and relating to God and escaping God's wrath and judgement.
3.Repent or turn away from your old lifestyle/philosophy which was marked by your spiritual poverty to a new life where because of Christ's work on the cross you have become a 'CHILD OF GOD' and have access to the spiritual resources to live in accordance with christ's teachings.The Holyspirit is the spiritual resource God gives to live a Christlike life.Holyspirit is "God in you" for the rest of your life and eternity to enable you to live in accordance with the teachings of Christ and thus like christ.So ask God to fill you with His Holyspirit.Acknowledge that you don't deserve any of this and it's all accomplished by God's Grace and NOT by your merit.
This process is called conversion,newbirth into christlikeness which is your salvation .This process is your initiation into a relationship with God but it does not stop here.It proceeds as you relate to God through Biblestudy, prayer and fellowship with other christians which are 'means of grace' for your growth into further christlikeness and your ultimate entry into heaven for eternity with Christ.
Go ahead and start living in the power of the Holyspirit in according with the teachings of Christ as revealed in the new testament Gospels and the teachingsof the apostles which are Christs teachings found in the rest of the newtestament.See the difference God makes in you and through you as you live the Christ life for the Glory of God.
BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.-JESUS

COOL OR FOOL

1.You wanting to be cool ,
are acting like a fool!! -AVRIL LAVIGNE

This is from a famous secular song and speaks of a truth which is very prevalent and relevant today.'Cool' is synonymous with being trendy,goodlooking,stylish,individualistic, different within the accepability range of the group.What is 'COOL' is deterined by who you want to please and be accepted by.For example,if you are in a group in which people think smoking is' cool',then you may end up becoming a smoker just to enjoy the company and acceptance of the group than to become the subject of discussion because of your non-conformity to the group habit of smoking or whateverelse it may be
Most of the times people end up doing foolish things to be called 'cool'.
Many take to drugs, sex ,multiple girlfriends ,homosexual relationships because they think its 'cool' and it increases their acceptability in a group/gang etc.They don't look into the distant future or near future to see what it will lead to.Many drug addicts end up in the streets, as robbers ,smugglers and mercenary just to support their drug addiction.Many promiscuous lives end up with HIV/AIDS and other STDs.People with multiple linear reltionships end up with multiple heartbreaks and scared psyche which result because of the disappointments,insecurity and experiences of worthlessness which the other person may impart before a breakup.If the COOL lifestyle which you are pursuing is pushing you or has already pushed you without a way out into foolish habits and addictions ,then its time for you to think about your own life s to what it will lead you or is leading you or has already lead you into.Is it worth becoming a tobacco addict and
risk becoming a heart diease or cancer patient ?Why did you start that in the first place? Was it because it is 'cool' or/and because of peer pressure?
For a legitimate pleasure you pay only before it .But for a illegitimate and unhealthy pleasure you will surely pay even after it for a long time.
"Whatever failure i have known ,whatever errors i have committed ,whatever follies i have witnessed in private and public life have been the consequence of action without thought",said Bernard Baruch ,and i am sure you agree with him.
"THINK DEEP,LIVE SMART" ,don't live life thoughtlessly.
Jesus said,
Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Is you pursuit of being 'COOL' making you take life and the issues of life lightly and not seriously?Have you ever thought about your soul?
Well, to think on these things will be both profitable and wise!!

decision making and the mind

My argument now is that the great doctrines of creation ,revelation,redemption and judgement all imply that man has an inescapable duty to think and act upon what he thinks and knows.
- John stott

One of the ever confusing areas of life is How to make decisions according to God's will? This question is a right question and i believe it deserves an answer.But with so many books in the market advising a particular way of findind and doing God's will ,how are we to go about it.
With every book i read my way of finding God's will changes but God and his will never changes.
The reason for the difference in the way these books approach finding godz will is because of their theological base or understanding of God and his purposes and the ways He deals with people.
If someone is a five point calvinist his theology will absolutely reject anyway of specifically finding God's will like shall i go for this studies,shall i marry this girl or that,shalli take up a resp[onsibility in the comittee etc.According to him you can decide these things using the intellect God has given us and by using the scripture but you need not worry about being specific about things which come inside the spectrum of God's word.This view is almost OK except that we can still go a step further and humbly ask God to close those doors which he knows are not good for us though they are within the confines of God's word.The reason a Calvinist doesnt do that is because acoording to his interpretati0n of predestination and election such a request toclose doors is unnecessary.
If someone is a pentacostal or charismatic christian he is also very interested in finding and doing God's will but he thinks that God will communicate to him specially and directly particulars like which college course to take ,what to major in, which girl to marry by name, which post to take in the comittee etc Though can and does reveal these things to some extent he doesnt do it like speaking to his disciples when he was on earth or like appearing to moses in the burning bush or like tell who jesus was when as he Got baptized(a loud voice from heaven).But some go to the other end of the sound spectrum and suggest that God will whisper as he did to Elijah in the wind or as some people suggest when you are silent before him.
They even quote(misquote),"Be still and know that i am God".They also talk about thought impressions about specific things,gut level prompts about what to do not to.Though sometime God does communicate through this way of thought impression ,it is never with respect to specifics but rather reminders of what has already been revealed in the bible like sharing the gospel and forgiving an offender etc.Though any of the is possible they are exceptions and not the rule.

Charismatic theology being the most popular and televised theology today makes many people think this way.
Yet another way of God communicating to men about specifics is what is called rhema, the specific word for the specific situation and many times its a verse taken out of context.This again is a exceptional way not the normal way in which God communicates.Looking for the rhema is not commanded or encouraged in the bible.

So if there is anything thats going to influence your decision making its going to be your theology or interpretation of verses pertaining to guidance and communication with God.

So until you decide the most correct interpretation about guidance you will not be able to settle this issue of how to discover God's will.

For my part i advise you to prayerfully ask God to teach you that.I ve made so many mistakes here and i am sure you also would have but that how we many times learn what should not or need not be done and God in his wisdom does allow that.

Another important thing i learned is the difference between Liberty and license.Walking within the boundaries of scripture where there is freedom to choose.And since not everything depends on our choice within biblical boundaries it's best to ask God ,the all knowing,all wise God to close/open those doorsways in accordance with his foreknowledge.This will help us to remain humble and at the same time walk in freedom without fear of consequences.

Finally the most important thing i learned is that God will not communicate to you bypassing you mind i.e knowledge and understanding,thought and analysis .These things should proceed in biblical lines then you will know the boundaries of your liberty within God's WORD and you will also not go beyond what is written to please God like celibacy or meritorious work or special unnecessary unscriptual but certainly pious sounding rules.So God transforms the mind and helps us discrn his will in accordance with his word and with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Whatever failures i have known ,whatever errors i have committed ,whatever follies i have witnessed in private and public life have been the consequences of action without thought.
- bernard baruch

ARGUMENT FROM PICA

PICA is a condition seen in children and some pregnant women.Here the patients present with with symptoms of eating mud,paint ,wall scrappings etc.
Now if you see a child with mud around her/his mouth and mud in her hands you can be sure that she/he was eating mud.But ask the child and invariably she/he will deny it.Who taught the child to lie?Is there anyone who will teach them to lie at that age? Very rarely.But that child inspite of leaving hard evidence for having eaten the mud still dares to lie and get smackings.
So it the nature of that child ,sinful nature which makes him/her lie.
This is the argument from PICA for the sinfulness of human nature.

Grace from BASKETBALL PRACTICE

Few months ago i was playing basketball for fitness and workout.I was shooting the ball from from various places within and outside the rim.Initially nothing went in .After sometime the percentage increased.But i was never perfect and never will i be.
During those days i was watching NBA basketball.I found they too don't get the ball in all the time, though their percentage of points scored to attempts made was very much greater than mine.They were also missing easy two point free throws like me.As i was playing one day i realized how God forgives and gives us another chance everytime we miss the mark.Even if i score a point it's because he gave that NEXT chance even though i ve failed to live up to his perfect standard earlier of "Scoring every time i shoot".
So paul is right when he says in EPHESIANS 2
You are saved by grace;not by works that anyman can boast.

GRACE IS UNMERITED FAVOUR .We dont deserve a next chance every time we fail to hit the mark.But he gives us that chance which we don't deserve and helps us and teaches us to do it right.
AMAZING GRACE INDEED!!!

CRITIC OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S DESCRIPTION OF HUMANITY AND HUMAN CONDITION

Swami Vivekananda ,one of the famous mystiques of Hindu monism and propononent of advaitha or pantheism held the view that human beings are not sinful but divine.He says in many of his works that ,"It is sin to call man a sinner".He says that those who call man a sinner are not looking at the good aspects of human beings.
Well nothing can be father from the truth.Take for example sewagewater and drinking water.Drinking water is clean so let us keepit sinless and sewage as sin.So now lets add a little bit of sewage to clean drinking water.Now it contains a mixture of drinking water and sewage .If i ask you to drink that water claiming that you have to consider the percentage of cleanwater and not consider the sewage in it ,will you drink it.No ,you will not because you know it is unfit for drinking and needs treatment to filter and purify it.
Denying the fact that man is a sinner is not the solution to the problem of present and prevalent evil and sinfulness.Only if you accept your sinfulness can u give yourself to God and Lord JESUS so that he can purify you and make you fit and set for living life to the fullest.

Jesus said in John 10:10
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

That is one of Jesus' Mission ,stating why he came .WHY? That you may have life and have it abundantly,FULLY .The Life he talks about here is the divine life ,the holyspirit who will take residence in you when you accept him and the outworking of that divine life manifesting as love for God and fellowhumans which is holy and acceptable to God.

Swami Vivekananda is like one of those many thieves who have plundered india with their wrong teaching of monism and fatalism.Many people read his books and accept it as such without even thinking a little bit.This wrong teaching about Man's Inherent condition is just one of the many lies from the thief who has shown many a way to hell.

Jesus said,"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep".
That's exactly what he did.

KURIOUSANDDOULOS

Kurious is a word i recently discovered as i was studying Barclay's New Testament commentary.It does not mean CURIOUS.It means LORD or Master.It denotes JESUS CHRIST in Romans 1:4 and everywhere in the new testament .In the Old testament it denotes YHWH.
In rom 1:1 paul is introducing himself to the church in Rome,a church which he did not establish and a church which he has not visited.He thus introduces himself ,"Paul, a bond-servant[ subject to the will and wholly at the disposal of/expressing such absolute subjection and devotion to the Lord Jesus as they would never have yielded to a mere creature.]of Christ Jesus....".Here doulos is the greek word which is represented as bond servant.S0 , i also want to live as bond servant of the lord JESUS Christ,separted unto the Gospel of Christ.
This master-servant/slave relationship is central to to christian daily living and salvation.

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. ROM 10:9,10.

So there salvation is turn from self to Christ.From defining Life your own way to Jesus' definition of life ,sin ,good ,bad ,love etc.This process of turning away from self to Christ is called REPENTANCE.Then as you turn to him ,you confess with your mouth that ,'JESUS IS LORD' and believe in your heart that he died in your place ,a substitutionary and representative death and was resurrected on the third day from the grave conquering death and sin then you will be saved.

Why should you be saved? From what do you need to be saved ?
Salvation is the restoration of the broken relationship with God.Your/our/my problem was/ is
SIN.We are not sinners because we sin ;we sin because we are sinners.You are born a sinner.Your natural inclination is to do evil, bad,fraud,cheating,lying,slandering ,cursing,stealing,coveting ,jealousy,rebellious,without self-control;doing things which hurt others and so should not be done.Though you may intention of doing good sometime{mostly when you feel like} you may not/are not able to pullout the corresponding good deed .Thats the reason why the world is the way it is.

Now God Who created you knows what you are,what you have done to yourself and to others and knows what all you are capable of doing.Though He hates what you do He still loves you.
His Love is what is Called in GREEK as AGAPE ,Unconditional in the sense that He wishes and is willing to Good ,show his goodness even to those who don't deserve it.You should be clear that none of us are good enough to merit HIS love .In all our sinful indulgences both in private and public, our selfishness and hatred directed towards even parents, brothers and friends we don't deserve his love.But hating what we do,He still loves us.
God is not just Loving but also JUST .If he punishes us for all our sins then you will not be surprised to find out that you will have capital punishment and even more.But he had a plan to get rid of your sin and consequences of sin and at the same time make sure that ustice is done without you getting the penalty.He planned the cross for that very sake,so that he can send his only Son JESUS to die as a substittute for me and pay my dues.So God entered History and accomplished it for us on the cross ,paying for our sinfulness ,restoring our relationship to God ,imputing his righteousness to us ,adopting us as His children.
"And He died for all " says Paul BUT you have to appropriate it , you have to personally accept your sinfulness, your need for his death and accept his death as your death for your sins and his resurrection as your future hope of perfection and life with God after death and becoming like Jesus.You have to accept his holyspirit and life in accordance with Jesus' teaching .The Holyspirit will teach you and remind you how to do that and gives you strewngth when you choose to live act it out.
This is Salvtion ,being saved from your inability to be good and right with others and God.It is about pursuing a right relationship with humans and God.It is downright practical and it will affect every aspect,area,dimension of your life.

Kurious JESUS said
LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART,WITH ALL YOUR MIND, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.
That was his First commandment.
The second is
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF

If you are not a person whoi has a restored relationship with God don't ry these commands because you need the holy spirit's strength and reminders.It is a way of life lived by the children of God.IT is the outworking of their RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

So what describes your relationship with GOD today?
Is it broken,not restored ,then you need to first restore that relationship ask him to forgive you and then ask him to take complete control of your life.Receive His holyspirit and live for his GLORY in accordance with his two commands as his child and doulos with respect to obedience under Jesus as LORD.

"FOR WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS ,CHRIST DIED FOR US"
ROM 5:6

what is your response?
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

The response that the scriptures demand is that YOU NO LONGER LIVE FOR YOURSELF BUT FOR HIM WHO DIED FOR YOU AND ROSE AGAIN ON YOUR BEHALF.



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