True Lies

“A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.” – William Blake.

Genesis 2:16-17: And the Lord God commanded the man “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” This is the commandment that the Lord God gave Adam regarding the tree of good and evil. God cannot lie! Hebrews 6:18 says that it is impossible for God to lie. Yes, we serve a God who is Holy and true and there is no unrighteousness in Him – Psalms 92:15. Here we see God commanding Adam not to eat of its fruit or else he will surely die.

Later in chapter 3:4, the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die”. John 8:44 says that ‘there is no truth in the devil. He is a liar and the father of all lies’. Satan is a liar…he lies to swallow you into his den of liars. He had to instigate a plan to pull man away from God in the Garden of Eden. His only weapon in hand was the great lie which he executed and unfortunately won the victory. Man fell for the devil’s fleece.

The last two paragraphs talk about two distinct statements made by invariably the most contradictory characters; the Most Holy and the most evil! One declaring death for disobedience and the other denying it. What happened in the end is something that we need to delve into. Man transgressed. But whose declaration came true? God told man that he would die and satan told he wouldn’t. Did man die when he disobeyed? The most shocking and something that you least wanted to hear is yet to come! Unlike God told and like satan told, man didn’t die.

Did God lie? In this case, yes! Did satan tell the truth? In this case, yes again! Please don’t get mad at me…if that is what you thought, read on. Satan is a deceiver. He wants bad things to happen to us. We are God’s creation, the work of His own hands. Satan would want us to turn against God because we are God’s most precious possessions. On the other hand God wants good to happen to us. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son”. We could see how God displays a sacrificial love on man. If we look into the benefits of satan’s truth in this context, man believed satan’s truth and what did he ultimately attain? Separation from God and His blessings. It’s better to believe God and live with him than to obey satan and separate ourselves from God.

To summarize, what God meant was not physical death. God warned Adam about “spiritual death” i.e. separation from God or friendship with the devil. That’s why when man sinned he actually didn’t die but suffered pain more than death because of his separation from God. On the other hand, what satan meant was physical death which he ruled out, hiding the real truth behind which is spiritual death. Man fell for his malice and rejected God. To reemphasize, God cannot lie! Even what appears to be a lie from God is actually the truth. It’s up to us to obey or disobey his commandments. The same applies for satan…what may appear to be the truth from the devil is always a lie. It could never benefit us and would only take us away from God.

Satan biggest tool today is camouflaging the real truth. Whenever I counsel the youth, they tend to justify their sinful life and I wonder how well satan has hidden what is supposed to be truth. Dear all, watch out…satan’s on prowl. The world and its charm are so compromising that we would never know until we fall deep down. Better to believe God and suffer for a while than to believe the devil and suffer forever.

Dear Jesus, help me to cling to you whatever may happen. May my ears be attentive to you and not to the lies of the devil. Amen.

Do What You’re Supposed To Do…

2 Samuel 11 begins by saying “At the time when kings usually go for war…” In ancient times it was during spring season that kings generally plan their battles. It is too hot in summer and too cold in winter. But during spring the weather is always pleasant and with abundant supply of water. The soldiers wouldn’t want to carry extra clothing or water to manage the battle. So even if there was a need for a battle during summer or winter, wise kings schedule it during spring time.

David is considered to be one of the greatest kings in the Bible as well as history. His accomplishments out numbered those that of the other famous kings ever known. He always consulted God for his proceedings and God had a personal relationship with this great king and guided him all through. His initial life wasn’t that great though. He started as a shepherd running after his sheep risking his own life, wrestling with wild animals. He was the youngest in the family and was always bullied and ridiculed. He was considered immature and childish. A break-through happened when he went forward and killed Goliath and saved the Israelites from the Philistines. But right then he earned Saul’s jealousy and ran around to save his own life hiding in caves and forests. To summarize, it took him a while to settle as King. But once he firmly established his kingdom, it was time for David to recline after all the hardships he endured.

It was during such a time that he decided to take a break and hang around. So even though it was the usual time for war he still remained at the palace sending his subordinates for the battle. Verse 2 says, “In the evening time David arose off from his bed and walked on the roof”. Surprising isn’t? David was supposed to be fighting a battle but lingered. And now after sleeping all day long got up from his bed, not knowing what to do, started to stroll on the roof top. There is a proverb that says “An idle man’s mind is devil’s workshop”. When you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, you will end up seeing a bathing Bathsheba! That’s the rule.

It was no different for David. His lethargy resulted in eying at another man’s wife. It’s surprising to know how a great king like David who had a great relationship with God, could willfully sin at first sight. He decided to get her on bed and further reading would reveal how a small thought in his mind blew up to two great sins, adultery and murder. The next chapter begins by saying “And the Lord sent Nathan unto David”. Remember God usually dealt with David personally and did not require a prophet to talk with David. When David drifted away and isolated himself from God, He had to use a third person to reach David. All because of his decision “Not to do what he was supposed to do as a King”

Today, you may be a student, a software professional, a minister of God, a responsible parent etc. Always remember, do what you are supposed to do in your state. If you miss the mark you would surely end up with a bathing Bathsheba and ultimately isolating yourself from God. If you are student, do your best to study well. If you are software professional, do your best to meet your deadlines and go that extra-mile in your performance. If you are a minister of God, keep going forward in your ministry and so on … Take a decision to understand your responsibilities, to keep working towards those and not to waver. God always honors genuine desires and would certainly second your initiatives. It’s really a joy to hold God’s hand and keep doing His will. Try it and you’ll never know how awesome it feels!

Lord Jesus, help me to do what I am supposed to do and not to waver from your path. Help me to know my responsibilities and concentrate on them so that I do not end up in sin. Amen

Son for Sacrifice

Among all great relationships in the world, a father-son relationship is very special. Every father loves his child more than himself and would dare to sacrifice anything for his benefit. I’ve seen how my dad always used to and still keep the best for me even though I don’t care to do that to him. The children are very secure when their father is around because he is a source of strength and encouragement. A little boy once said, “I was so embarrassed on stage during my first piano recital. But among the serious staring crowd I saw my dad smiling and waving at me. I got all the courage and my fears flew away that instance”

There’s another incident when the father dropped his kid at school and promised that he would be back to pick him up. The kid took those words to his heart. Later that day there was an earthquake and the kid was stuck deep down. But he kept pondering on his father’s promise to come and pick him up for sure. He waited patiently. His dad arrived and somehow spotted his son’s class room among the debris and started to dig through. All the fire-fighters gave up and requested him to give up as there was no more hope that anyone could be alive any longer. But the dad kept digging. Two days later when he moved a wooden plank he saw his kid sitting inside confidently waiting for his dad to rescue him. When the kid saw him he didn’t seem to show much of a surprise as he was sure his father’s going to come and pick him up at any cost.

The Bible talks about so many father-son tales and one story caught my attention, Abraham and Isaac. Isaac was born to Abraham when he was 100 years old. Imagine what kind of a special kid he would’ve been in the family. His father couldn’t take his eyes of his kid. He admired, loved, cared and gave the best for his special son. Isaac felt secure with his father and considered him his best friend. But things went the other way when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It should’ve been the most painful request to fulfill. But Abraham quietly decided to do it for the Lord. In Genesis 22, Abraham and Isaac took off for the sacrifice. In this whole incident Abraham kept his cool and proceeded. The key is v8, when Abraham replied Isaac “God himself will provide a lamb for a burnt offering”. Somehow from the beginning he kept trusting God that He will not forsake him. He was sure that he will climb down the mountain with his son Isaac. God honored his faith and at the moment when he was about to sacrifice his own son, the angel of the Lord shouted “Stop”, the word Abraham was dying to hear. Isaac on the other hand did not even speak a word even when his father was tying him to the altar because he knew his father would never let him down. Both were honored that day and left the hill happily praising God for his wondrous acts.

Several millenniums later a similar incident took place. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…” If you watch closely it is similar to the Abraham-Isaac tale. But unlike for Abraham, God the Father didn’t have anyone to run for solace. Like Isaac, Jesus quietly obeyed His father and somewhere deep down had faith that God will not forsake him and so prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane (Mathew 26:36). His sorrow was so much to the point of death that he knelt down and cried, “Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me”. I am not able to control my tears as I write this when the Father on seeing His son cry to Him for help, turned His face away and let Him suffer, something that no other father would dare to do. Jesus humbly accepted that denial from His father and went ahead to suffer and die on the cross for us.

That's the key! “For Us”. God, the creator and the very form of grace couldn’t use that grace to save His son. He had to see His son suffer right before His eyes. It’s because “He loved the world i.e. You and Me” more than His son and was willing to sacrifice Him. Abraham had a father to trust on but God didn’t. Isaac’s trusted his father and so did Jesus. But Isaac was spared but Jesus wasn’t. That is the power of sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.

During this season of Good Friday and Easter, could we ponder on God’s sacrifice and how precious it is because He denied His only son for us? Such is the sacrifice. I was deeply touched by this song by Stuart Townend “How deep the father’s love for us”. Please take time to listen to every word so that you understand how great His love is for us. Amen.

Remember Thy Creator in the Days of Thy Youth

The book of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, the son of King David. If you unfurl the history behind, Solomon was born to David when he had firmly established his kingdom. Imagine being a prince spending life in a palace and that too with God fearing parents! Yes, here’s a prince with all the riches & being bought up with the fear of God. When Solomon grew he succeeded David as the King and the Bible says there was peace on all sides and people rejoiced during Solomon’s reign. 1 Kings 4:20-28 describes Solomon’s splendor and his daily provisions and how the kingdom cherished under his rule.

Moreover, when the Lord appeared to him, instead of asking for wealth and security from enemies Solomon sought wisdom. God was pleased and granted him wisdom, great wealth and security from enemies. Thus Solomon lived a complete life; Wise, rich & God fearing. He wrote 3000 proverbs and wise men from all over the world came to meet him and marveled at his wisdom. But somewhere down the line Solomon’s perspective towards life changed and his writings started to reflect how meaningless everything under the sun is! Do you want to know why? In the prime of his youth, it says in 1 Kings 11:1, Solomon loved many foreign women. He slowly drifted from his way and ended up in sin. But it was too late for him to realize and revert back. So he wrote Ecclesiastes as a warning to the other young people.

I exactly don’t remember where I read about a woman in the prime of her youth got addicted to immoral activities. When she found that she could earn more money by being immoral she dove in and very soon was considered the queen of adultery. Men took advantage of her beauty and earned a fortune. But as days went she started to lose her beauty (Proverbs 31:30) and was ignored by the same men who once admired her. It was too late for her to realize her mistake. Rejected by her family and friends for her conduct, she decided to get a baby for herself and run to some corner of the globe and live a peaceful life. She somehow got pregnant and left to new town. When you forget God in your youth, you are actually stacking up curses. And in her case, curses on her baby. She gave birth to a sweet baby but without limbs. In medical terms the baby was considered to be a ‘vegetable’ meaning it cannot do anything. The baby could breathe and that is all it can do as long as it lives. So the doctors decided to mercy kill the baby and with tears the mother fed the last spoon of milk to her own baby. Wounded and heart-broken she spent times lonely thinking how she had spoilt her youth. Later she was paralyzed and spent her life on an electric wheel chair spending time with physically challenged children.

I guess you are able to get the gist of what I am going to say. Most of the techies who read this blog are below the age of 35 and that means they are in the prime of their youth. The world is so alluring and the charm of youthfulness yearns to join the fun and celebrate along. Take my word, beauty and charm is not going to last long. Every time you take a step to do something, think ahead! What will you be doing 40 years from now…regretting what you are doing or cherishing your youth? The choice is yours. Wealth and fame will not last long either. It’s the respect and conduct that you earn today that is going to be with you when you are old.

A few who are reading this passage may already be deep down in sin and guilt. But do not worry…Christ died on the Cross of Calvary to wash our guilt and make us pure as snow. It’s never too late with our dear Jesus. So it’s high time to consider our ways and make sure we live a memorable life on this earth. The rule is simple -

“Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth”

Lord Jesus, thank you so much for reminding me of my responsibility to watch my ways in this wicked world. Help me follow your foot steps that I don’t regret when I am old rather cherish your goodness. Amen

The Rubber Band Theory

In today’s world, relationships are extremely fragile. The concept of ‘breaking-up’ has crept into people’s heart. Every relationship is built with the option of breaking-up if things don’t go pretty well. Right from marriages to acquaintances it’s very common to see relationships break-up and surprisingly, it isn’t a great flub any longer. I’ve seen software professionals breaking commitments with their companies because the coffee vending machine doesn’t work or the air conditioning is too cold!

By the way, what is the Rubber band theory? The rubber band would break only if both sides are pulled the opposite way until it could no longer stand. But even if one side “gives-in”, the rubber band never “breaks-up”. Interesting isn’t? In today’s article, let’s see how to enrich this divine quality called “giving-in” and how the Bible teaches us on this theme

“Giving-in” is a term whose real meaning is “being at the sacrificial end”. When I searched the Bible for testimonies, I couldn’t get my eyes off Jesus who went to the pinnacle of sacrifice, by laying down His Kingship and stepping down from the throne and appearing on the earth as a poor little child and endured pain up to the cross of Calvary where He was sacrificed as an offering for us. What a divine sacrifice! John 15:13 says “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. Jesus stands out as the best example of “giving-in”. He never considered himself equal with God but took the nature of a servant and humbled himself to the point of death – Philippians 2:5-11. Jesus’ life is the perfect example of how we should develop the quality of sacrifice.

The biggest enemy of sacrifice is the “Why Should I” attitude. The WSI phenomenon is very much prevalent in our generation. Even Christians who boast about their spirituality often tend to display WSI when it comes to giving-in. I commute to office through the KR Puram underpass everyday and there is havoc almost every single minute because of traffic congestion. The 4 lane wide road suddenly converges to a single lane at one point and everyone at that point thinks “Why should I” wait for the other one to pass. Imagine each vehicle taking 2-3 minutes to pass that point when 200 vehicles are stacked on either side. If only we could develop an attitude of giving-in in every little thing we do, the world would be a better place to live in.

Today, the ball is in our court. We cannot be waiting for the others to change when we ourselves need to change. It’s high time you sit and think how many relationships you could’ve saved if only you had sacrificed your ego, status etc. Huge software projects require team members to work cohesively, but how many times have you refused to give-in which resulted in delays or failure. How many times have you fought with your spouse which could’ve died down if only you gave-in. Are there instances in your life when you refused a ministry call because you weren’t ready to sacrifice?

Sacrifice is often painful but the joy reaped is overwhelming. The fruits may not be evident right away but you are sure going to receive the reward for giving in. Always try to place yourself at the sacrificial end so that how ever strong the other side may pull, you can still keep the rubber band from “breaking up”!

Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice and I ask you to grow in me the attitude of giving in. Let me make a world of difference by changing myself. Amen.