Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

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Month: February 2010

The definition of a martyr … a matter of choice!

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On February 12, 2010

In Christian

The word ‘Martyr’ in Greek really means witness. I was reading from the book Extreme Devotion published by the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) and I felt that in one of the first pages of the book, in fact one of the very first pages which reads “This books is dedicated to …” the definition of a martyr is well said.

those who chose death over denial …
who chose faith over fear …
and chose to be a witness rather than walk away.
For all those of whom the world was not worthy (Hebrews 11:38).

Summarizing, a martyr is one whose choice far exceeds anything the world can afford to give.
To be a martyr (witness) for Jesus Christ is a matter of choice!

Choose you this day, whom ye will serve but as for ME and MY HOUSE, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15)

Hebrews 11:35 (KJV)
35 …  and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, …

The art of fighting without fighting

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On February 11, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions

Growing up learning martial arts, it was not hard to be appealed by karate or kung fu movies and one of my favorite action movies is Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon. In that movie, there is a quote by Bruce Lee that got etched in my mind. Bruce Lee is asked for his style (of martial arts) by a bully and he responds by saying that his style is the “art of fighting without fighting” and as the scene progresses you see that he teaches the bully a lesson without fighting with brawl but with his brains.

When questioned by Pontius Pilate, Jesus responded that His Kingdom was not of this world. He then adds on to say that if His Kingdom was of this world, then His servants would fight from Him; that He would not be delivered to the Jews; that His Kingdom is not from here (this world) (John 18:36). Note how Jesus expressed that His servants would NOT fight for Him because His Kingdom was not of this world. In other words, Jesus was saying that His style of engaging in spiritual battle was the art of fighting (Spiritually) without fighting (physically).

Although we are engaged in Spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:11-12) we are not expected to engage in physical warfare. Many who were persecuted for the sake of Jesus Christ, chose not to retaliate in any form, because they recognized, learned and applied the art of fighting without fighting in their lives, many unto death.Their Master had taught them well. We are to be the same. We are easily angered when Christians are persecuted and I am guilty of such emotion. The Kandhamal riots against Christians or the burning of Graham Staines and his two sons in Orissa, India, makes me angry and a part of me wants not just justice, but revenge. The Scripture  now teaches me to understand that Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world and His style is the art of fighting without fighting. This means that instead of trying to restore justice through physical means, we must be fighting on our knees (in prayer), enamored with the Armor of God, standing firm with the belt of TRUTH, the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS, the feet fitted with readiness for that which comes from the gospel of PEACE (not war), the shield of FAITH, the helmet of SALVATION and the sword of the SPIRIT which is the word of God.

The litmus test would be, when I am persecuted for the sake of Jesus Christ, will I be a true follower of my Master? Will I know the art of fighting without fighting? My prayer is that I will and do. Will you?

John 18:36 (KJV)
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Loneliness an impossibility

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On February 10, 2010

In Christian

The word “loneliness” is defined by Merriam-Webster’s as one being without company, producing a feeling of bleakness and desolation. William Shakespeare is attributed to have introduced the word “lonely” to the English language in Act IV Scene 1 of his tragic play Coriolanus, that is based on the life of the Roman leader, Gaius Marcius Coriolanus. As recent as Nov 20th, 2009, the NY Daily News headlines read “South Korean supermodel Daul Kim blogged about loneliness, depression before suicide” and this is not something new. The September 5th, 1977 issue of Time magazine reported that health studies showed a direct relationship between death from heart disease and singleness, up to five times more among widows and divorced women than those who were married. Author of The Broken Heart: The Medical Consequences of Loneliness, James J. Lynch asserts that physical ailments (cancer, tuberculosis, heart diseases), mental disorders and suicide are all significantly influenced by human companionship (or its lack thereof).

Loneliness can be deemed a plague in today’s society and in its most chronic form is a killer. Loneliness robs the life of those who don’t know THE ONE who personifies LIFE itself. Jesus claimed, I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. (John 11:25) God gave his Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that all who believe in Him shall have ETERNAL LIFE (John 3:16). In Loneliness is death, In Jesus Christ is Life and the greatest loneliness is in those who don’t know Jesus Christ as their companion. What is more is that for those who believe in Jesus, they can never be lonely. Loneliness is an impossibility for those in Christ Jesus, because He promised to never leave them nor forsake them (Hebrews 13:5).You can be guaranteed to hear him saying “bekol iom“, which is Hebrew for “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20), which literally means “every day the whole day”. Think about it, every day the whole day, Jesus will be with you, meaning loneliness has no place anymore.

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. Do you feel lonely? If you do, you can trust in the promise of Jesus Christ, who says I AM with you, bekol iom.
  2. Do you know someone who is lonely? If so, extend to them the truth that in Jesus Christ, they can find a companion, they can find life itself and loneliness is an impossibility in Jesus Christ.
  3. Think about someone you know whom you know/feel is lonely and pray for that person now, call them, and share with them your companionship, modeling your life after Christ.

Is God Dead?

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On February 9, 2010

In Christian

The April 8, 1966 Time Magazine cover story was entitled “Is God Dead?” and the article began with this statement – Is God dead? It is a question that tantalizes both believers, who perhaps secretly fear that he is, and atheists, who possibly suspect that the answer is no. The very last statement in that same article sadly read – Perhaps today, the Christian can do no better than echo the prayer of the worried father who pleaded with Christ to heal his spirit-possessed son: “I believe; help my unbelief.”

Dr. Steven Smith, Dean of the College at Southwestern of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary made an interesting case when he said “If God is dead, then no one really needs to prove that he is”. Dr. Smith, certainly does make a point. The virtue of the fact that there is so much on trying to prove that God is dead is evidence in and of itself that He is not.  Is there something in the Holy Scripture (the Bible) that answers the question – Is God dead?. We don’t have to look too far.

When Jesus was entombed, note what the Bible states about the tomb. It was covered with a great stone which was sealed and a watch (guard) was set (posted). Think about it, have you seen any tombs (or graves) with a guard outside it when you know that the resident of that sepulcher is dead? If Jesus was dead, there was no need for the tomb to be guarded. Of course the reason that was given to post a guard was that the disciples of Jesus could steal His body and claim that He was alive. But this only further proves the fact that Jesus is alive today, because with the presence of a guard, the disciples of Jesus could now not steal His body, accentuating that the empty tomb meant one thing and only one thing – God is not dead.

Res ipsa loquitur is a legal term from Latin meaning, “the thing itself speaks” but is more often translated “the thing speaks for itself.” It signifies that further details are unnecessary; the facts of the case is self-evident. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and THE LIFE (John 11:25) and the facts, a guard guarding the tomb of Jesus, the empty tomb is res ipsa loquitur that answer the question on the cover of Time Magazine.

Matthew 27:65-66 (KJV)
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

One and Only Great God

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On February 8, 2010

In Christian, Movie Motions, Super Bowl Christianity

After the Super Bowl XLIV game (February 07, 2010) was over, one of the final statements in Super Bowl XLIV, made by the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Quarterback Drew Brees of the winning New Orleans Saints team, was amidst all the celebration a one-liner, wherein he said, “God is Great”. In the movie, “Slumdog millionaire”, the brother of the main character, as he is shot in the end, takes his last dying breath by expressing “God is Great”.

One of the definitions for the word “great” according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is “chief or preeminent over others”. God is chief. God is preeminent over all others. What’s more is that the God of the Bible, God in three Persons as Yahweh, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is the One and Only Great God, who does wondrous things. The Psalmist avers this is Psalm 86:10.

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. Do you/I know this One and Only Great God?
  2. Is He the chief of all things in your life and mine?
  3. Is He preeminent over all things in your/my life?

Psalm 86:10 (KJV)
10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

Never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity

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On February 5, 2010

In Christian

(Late) Abba Eban, Diplomat, U.N. representative, Foreign minister, Ambassador, Master of 10 languages, whom Israeli Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu described as the “founding father of Israeli diplomacy” and who is one of Israel’s most quotable politician is attributed to have said one of the most famous quotes that the Palestinians “never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity“.

Apostle Peter counsels us to have the same mindset in 1 Peter 3:15, where he states that we must be always ready. What a powerful force we would be, if each of us who are followers of Christ Jesus had that same mindset. Always ready. Never missing and opportunity. Never missing an opportunity to snatch people from the gates of hell; Never missing an opportunity to give the answer to everyone who asks about the Hope we have in Jesus; Never missing an opportunity to be a faithful servant of God.

We must never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity for Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Jesus’ Evangelistic Style

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On February 4, 2010

In Christian

The testimony that was said of him by Cleopas and his friend on the road to Emmaus was not that He (Jesus) was a prophet of God, who was mighty in not just His preaching (word), but in His actions (deed) as well. Interestingly, His actions (deeds) went hand in hand with his preaching (word), and He was not mediocre in either, but mighty in both.

We often get excited about preaching the word of God. We ought not to be merely enthusiastic about preaching the word of God but our lives (actions) must reflect the same. Interestingly, in the response that was given to Jesus, it was reference to His deeds that was mentioned first. His deeds came before His words. Someone once said, that your life may be the only Bible that someone reads.

The second part of that testimony was that Jesus was mighty in deed and word before both God and man. It was not just before man that Jesus was mighty in his actions and preaching. It was before God as well. Author of Life’s Little Instruction Book, H.  Jackson Brown, Jr. once said “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking“. We often seek man’s approval and try to be mighty before them, (sometimes putting on a show), but before God, our sinful lives are exposed and shameful. We must strive to be first mighty in deed and word before God and only then before men.

Point(s) to ponder:
As imitators of Jesus Christ, we must strive to be like He was, mighty in deed first and then word, before God first and then all his people! Think about ways that this can come true in our life.  What an accolade it would be when we meet Jesus face to face and He tells of us, “Well done, my good and faithful servant, you were mighty in deed and word, before me and all my people“.

Luke 24:19 (KJV)
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

Follow or Get out of the way

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On February 3, 2010

In Christian

One of the games we used to play when growing up was called “Follow the leader” or the “Copycat” game. You are probably familiar with this game. One of the group members (designated as the guesser) is asked to leave the room while the rest in the group select a person (as their leader) whose actions they will mimic. When the guesser returns, the guesser will have to figure out who the leader is. The game would usually turn out hilarious when the selected leader chooses to do something wacky or funny.

Today’s corporate world glorifies leadership and often discounts service and servanthood to be weak. Corporate culture today can be summarized into the maxim, “Lead, Follow or Get out of the way”, which sadly is not entirely the model to emulate according to the Bible for the followers of Christ. The Christian model really is “Follow or get out of the way”. There is no “lead” in Christian life. The leader is One and that is Jesus Christ. All in His family should be imitators a.k.a. mimickers/followers of God (Ephesians 5:1). Unfortunately, many in the family of God (including Churches) today, think of themselves to be the leader, without an ounce of humility or an attitude of servanthood. They expect to be mimicked instead of following Christ and encouraging others to do the same. Jesus said, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 9:9). Apostle Paul, God’s chosen servant, did not say “Follow me” but instead said, “Follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).  It is Christ (the ONE and Only Leader) whom we should be following. Additionally, there are many among us, who seek preeminence amongst their peers and God’s people. They focus on their individual goals and aspirations and stand in the way of God, who is working in His people to accomplish His will in their lives. The self seeking spirit of Diotrephes (3 John 1:9) is in them instead of the Spirit of Demetrius (3 John 1:12). They pursue after man’s accolades (a running after the wind) instead of God’s approval (a solid foundation). For such, the counsel is “get out of the way” before God removes you (as he did Saul).

At this juncture, I must also assure that I am not anti-leadership or anti-Christian leadership. I am the first to admit that Christians need to be leaders in the secular world (as well as in God’s Church), so that they can be influential in reaching many who do not have access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But when Christians are given a position of power or authority (in their homes, work or in the Church), they must treat that privilege (which can be taken away anytime) with a heart of humility and an attitude of servanthood. Otherwise, the world will end up guessing as to who truly the leader is and if it is anyone other than Christ Jesus that they guess, then these leaders have missed the mark. Furthermore, if they end up living wacky lives, then those observing these leaders will find it funny, and this is no laughing matter.

Point(s) to ponder:
If the world sees you and me and our life (thoughts, words, and deeds), will they guess that our Leader is Jesus Christ, whom we ought to be imitators (mimickers/followers) of?

Jesus “REALLY” wept

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On February 2, 2010

In Christian

When we hear the word, Jesus wept, we usually think about it,  in the context of Him, expressing a human emotion at the death of his friend, Lazarus (as recorded in John 11:35). Additionally, this verse’s claim to fame is that it is the shortest verse in the King James Version of the English Bible.

But there was another time that Jesus wept, which is recorded in the Bible. This is recorded in Luke 19:41-44. In this instance, Jesus wept over the city (Jerusalem) as He triumphantly entered it.  Why? Because the people of the city did not know of the time of God’s visitation. God had visited them through the voice of the prophets, and now was visiting them in the person of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ and yet the people did not want to accept Him as God and King (Luke 19:14,38).

Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus who was only in a state of ephemeral physical death. But I believe, Jesus “really” wept over the people of the city, who were in a state of eternal spiritual death. There were some in the city, whom Jesus anguished over as they were caught up in their own self-righteousness, as if they needed no repentance (Luke 3:8), rejecting him as the King over them (Luke 19:38).

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. Are we weeping for and over those in our city, who are in a state of Spiritual death? If not, we should be and should start taking action by telling them about God visiting them through Jesus, His only begotten and beloved Son. To be in a state of physical death is better than to be in a state of Spiritual death in God’s kingdom.
  2. Are people coming to know the time of God’s visitation through our voices and lives?

Luke 19:41-44 (KJV)

41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Time to have an EGO

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On February 1, 2010

In Christian

Visiting Pastor Samuel Chacko from North India challenged the members attending the Austin Christian Fellowship of India Church to fix their eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). One particular statement that germinated a thought in me was , “IF YOU LOVE PEOPLE, IF YOU REALLY LOVE PEOPLE, THEN YOU WILL NOT ALLOW SATAN TO TAKE THEM TO HELL”. What a statement  – “love people”, “really love people”, “not allow satan”. I must admit that this triggered a response in me to want to be a witness for Jesus, to love people and not let satan have anyone, no not one. But for this to happen, I realized that I must first look unto Jesus and second be obedient to His commission, which is to be His witness (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28).

To fix my eyes on Jesus is to learn of Him for His word (The Bible) and have a renewal of my mind to conform to His image (Philippians 2) and to be obedient to His commission is to have an EGO mission. Now is the time to have an EGO, i.e., a mission in which EACH GETS ONE. Acts 6:7 states that the number of disciples multiplied. To multiple means that 1 becomes 2, 2 becomes 4, 4 becomes 8 and so on… With Each Getting One (EGO), the 12 disciples multiplied to 24 disciples, who in turn got 24 more and the word of God increases, snatching people from under the bondages and clutches of satan so they can be free.

Jesus said, you will be my witnesses (Acts 1:8). The word used for witness in Greek is interestingly ‘Martyr’; we must be martyred to self, and to sin and be willing to be martyred for Jesus Christ. Our mission should be EGO, reflecting obedience to the faith and a means by which we can say that we love people, we really love people.

Acts 6:7 (KJV)
And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

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