Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

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Month: March 2012 Page 2 of 3

Mission 3:16

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On March 16, 2012

In Christian

It is the 16th day of the third month March (3/16) and as I pondered on what to write, I realized that one of the most common and quoted verses in the Bible is John 3:16 which avers the greatest love story of all; For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I was also reminded of a song, I used to listen growing up, which was entitled “Mission 3:16” by Carman and as I searched the Bible, the Holy Spirit of God taught me that besides the famous John 3:16 verse, we ought to look at verse 16 of the 3rd chapter of the first book (Genesis) and the last book (Revelation) of the Bible, as well.

Genesis 3:16 is the first curse being proclaimed on sinful man for their willful disobedience.
John 3:16  is the only cure for the curse, which we find in Jesus Christ.
But once we are cured/saved from death, by our belief in Jesus Christ,
Revelation 3:16 is the counsel by which we must live;  i.e., we must not be lukewarm in our lives toward God; we must do or die.

Carman aptly put the Revelation 3:16 mission in his song, ‘Mission 3:16’ as he sings:
We’re on, we’re on, we’re on a mission and we’ll go, where the brave dare to fly
We’re on, we’re on a mission, and we know, it’s a race, Do or die
To know Him and make Him known is our creed
Letting the fire be freed, Mission 3:16
We don’t know what we will find
Deep behind enemy lines
We are the called, We are the few
Ready to serve Him and willing to do

Genesis 3:16 is the result of man’s mission to be like God.
John 3:16 is God’s mission to save mankind.
Revelation 3:16 is man’s mission on earth after salvation; to not be lukewarm.

Points to ponder:
On this day (3/16), let us reflect on whether you/I are still under the curse of mankind, or have you/I believed in Jesus and are saved and if so are you/I lukewarm or not in our service to God.

Genesis 3:16 (KJV)
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

John 3:16 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Revelation 3:16 (KJV)
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Preaching without preaching

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On March 15, 2012

In Christian

In the western world, mainly in North America, there is no dearth of opportunities to hear a Christian message today. From the pulpits on a Sunday morning to Bible studies in small groups and televangelism in several media channels and the Radio, we are bombarded with Christian preaching, day in and day out. But interestingly, for the most part, preachers employ “words” as the primary tool to communicate the love, mercy, sacrifice and glory of Jesus Christ and I am guilty of the same. Seldom are these words backed up by a lifestyle that not only communicates but also showcases the love, mercy, sacrifice and glory of Jesus Christ. We preach, but in reality are not really preaching.

Mother Teresa is attributed to have said, “Let us preach you, Dear Jesus, without preaching….not by words but by our example.” How very true? We must be preaching without preaching; preaching with our lives and not our lips. Closer scrutiny of Mother Teresa’s statement reflects that she was merely paraphrasing what Jesus himself had said, i.e., Let your light so shine before men, that they may SEE (not hear) your good works and glorify God our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Points to ponder:
Ask yourself: Am I preaching without preaching? In other words, am I preaching with my life and not just my lips? Any other kind of preaching is in essence abominable, disobedient, reprobate and a denial of God according to Titus 1:16 which states “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him.“

Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
6 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Titus 1:16 (KJV)
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Titles with God

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On March 14, 2012

In Christian, With God

We are sinners (enemies of God) by our personality (Romans 5:19), sons (children) of God by Jesus’ purchase of our lives with his own blood (Galatians 4:4,5; Acts 20:28), and servants by the provisions (gifts) that God has given unto each one of us (Romans 12:6).

Point to ponder:
What title best describes you and me today? A sinner, a son/daughter or a servant?
If you are an unrepented sinner, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today. If you have believed i.e., you are a son/daughter, then live life like your life does not belong to you because it has been purchased by God (Jesus Christ) for God and this means that we live as servants according to the proportion of our faith.

Romans 5:19 (KJV)
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Galatians 4:4,5 (KJV)
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Acts 20:28 (KJV)
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 

Romans 12:6 (KJV)
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 

Timeline with God

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On March 13, 2012

In Christian, With God

Before I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior, what I was then (past) by nature is a child of wrath, fulfilling the desires and lust of my flesh (Ephesians 2:3).
After I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior, what I am now (present), is a child of God (Romans 8:14-16)
And if I am a child now, then later (future), I shall be an heir; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus (Romans 8:17)

Behold what manner of love the father (God) has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God (1 John 3:1)

Points to ponder:
Where are you in your timeline with God?
Are you still in the past as a child of wrath or in the present as a child of God looking forward to the future with him?

Ephesians 2:3 (KJV)
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Romans 8:14-16 (KJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Romans 8:17 (KJV)
17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Choice, Control and Communion

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On March 12, 2012

In Christian

Our choices have consequences. A bad choice leads to undesirable results while a good choice leads to a pleasurable outcome. When it is a matter of choice, you are given an option to choose one way or the other, and your decision matters.

Right from the time, man was fashioned in the image of God and placed in the garden of Eden, man had a choice; a free will to choose, for God did not intend to be a dictator. The Bible says that there are multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision (Joel 3:14) and of all the choices, one makes, the most significant and impactful of all is the choice of Control and Communion. The first man, Adam chose to be in control (desiring to be godlike), a fatal disobedience that led to his losing of the communion he had with God. The last Adam (Jesus Christ) chose to give up his control (though being God, he considered it robbery to be equal with God) and he is now in communion with God the Father, seated at the right hand of God the Father. In other words, those who choose to be in control lose their communion with God while those who let God be in control of their lives gain their communion with God.

Points to ponder:
So the choice today is yours! Do you want to be in control of your life or do you want to let go and let God be in control of your life? Your communion with God depends on the choice you make. Let go and let God.

Joel 3:14 (KJV)
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Luke 17:33 (KJV)
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Proverbs 3:5-7 (KJV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

The Nobel Peace prize rightfully belongs to Jesus Christ

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On March 9, 2012

In Christian

Since 1901 till date, some 101 individuals and 20 organizations have been selected to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Some of these Nobel laureates include Theodore Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Desmond Mpilo Tutu, The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), Aung San Suu Kyi, and Nelson Mandela.

Sadly however, amongst these Nobel Peace Prize laureates, you would not find the name of Jesus Christ as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, although he rightfully deserves it year after year.
Why should Jesus be the winner of the Noble Peace Prize? The short answer is “Because, He is the Greatest Peacemaker of all”.

How can we be so sure?
In the Past, before Jesus’ Birth – In Prophesy, Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
At Jesus’ Birth – Peace was announced by an angelic choir to be on earth (Luke 2:14)
In Jesus’ Death – He made Peace through the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20)
After Jesus’ Resurrection –  His very first words, when he meets with his disciples are “Peace be unto you” (John 20:19)
In the Present, Today – He is our Peace (Ephesians 2:14)
In the Future, His covenant of peace shall not be removed (Isaiah 54:10)

I rest my case. Jesus Christ should be the Nobel Peace Prize winner year after year and He keeps those whose minds are stayed (focussed) on him in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3)

Points to ponder:
Do you have the PERFECT peace of God flood your life?  Is your mind stayed (focussed) on Jesus Christ?

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Luke 2:14 (KJV)
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

Colossians 1:20 (KJV)
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

John 20:19 (KJV)
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Ephesians 2:13-15 (KJV)
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Isaiah 54:10 (KJV)
10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. 

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 

Jesus Christ appearing

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On March 8, 2012

In Christian

Jesus Christ first appeared as the Sacrifice that was acceptable and pleasing to God.
Jesus Christ now appears as the Savior of all who believe in him, being their advocate to God.
Jesus Christ shall appear as the Sovereign of sovereigns; as the King of kings and the Lord of lords accompanying the Glory of God.

Points to ponder:
Have you seen Christ Jesus appear in your life? He who was sinless was made sin so that his appearance as the Sacrifice would be acceptable to God and because of that selfless act of Jesus Christ, we need to ask him to first appear to us as our Savior and then allow him to be the  Sovereign ruler to reign over our life.

Hebrews 9:24-28 (KJV)
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The M.O of ‘How to get Saved and then what?’

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On March 7, 2012

In Christian

The King James Version rendition of Psalm 40:1-3 reads as follows: 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Though on the surface, this verse may seem as a testament of God’s deliverance in the natural, closer scrutiny reveals that the undercurrent in the spiritual dimension is far stronger. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord’ is indicative of the Sinner’s Pause. Instead of trying to go through life and self-save, the sinner must first take a moment to pause and patiently wait on the LORD. But the waiting must not be a passive downtime experience, it must be active which we see from the second part of the verse, ‘and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry’. To cry out to the Lord is indicative of the Sinner’s Prayer. ‘He brought me up’  gives us insight, that it is not our power, but it is the Lord’s doing. This is indicative of the Savior’s Power. ‘Out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay’ is indicative of the Sinner’s Place before he is saved, but once the LORD inclines his ear to the sinner’s prayer of repentance, the Saint’s Place is no longer the horrible pit and miry clay, but it is on a solid Rock which we get from ‘and set my feet upon a rock’. From ‘and established my goings.’, we learn about the Savior’s Provision for the sinner-turned-saint; to all those who have trusted in the Lord. But once we are saved and our pause turns to praise, because of our prayer and God power, then what? From ‘And he hath put a new song in my mouth,’  we gain insight into the Saint’s Proclamation of the goodness of God and ‘even praise unto our God:’ tells us of the Saint’s Praise which is the output from having been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Our proclamation and praise is to be seen by many, who shall fear, and shall trust in the LORD. In other words, those who are saved must proclaim the good news and praise the Lord, for that will be observed by others in our life and they will themselves turn from sinners to saints, by fearing and trusting in the Lord. This is the modus operandi (M.O) of Salvation and that cycle continues.

Points to ponder:
If you have not believed in Jesus Christ yet, pause and pray for by God’s power, he will save and pick you up out of the horrible pit and miry pit and place you on a rock and become your provider.
If you have already believed in Jesus Christ, then proclaim and praise for by that others can see and turn to God from their sinful ways, trusting in him.

Psalm 40:1-3 (KJV)
1 I waited patiently [Sinner’s Pause] for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry [Sinner’s Prayer].
2 He brought me up [Savior’s Power] also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay [Sinner’s Place], and set my feet upon a rock [Saint’s Place], and established my goings [Savior’s Provision]. 
3 And he hath put a new song [Saint’s Proclamation] in my mouth, even praise unto our God [Saint’s Praise]: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD [Sinner-to-Saint Process].

The best gift that I can give my love

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On March 6, 2012

In Christian, Poetic Prompts

As my wife’s birthday approached
anxiety, my heart, encroached
for I wondered, as to the gift that would aptly my love, display
to make her birthday, a very special day.

To be the ideal husband, I desired
and many a search engines, I inquired.
Their suggestions, I felt, fell short
for jewelry and gadgets are ephemeral, not heart!

And then I realized that, I ought not to be husband ‘ideal’
but a ‘loving’ one, for that is what is real.
Rather than buy something to fulfill a duty,
I ought to give her something that truly adores her beauty.

You can give without loving
but you cannot love without giving;
So what can I give that shows my love
and reflect the love of my God above?

God demonstrated his love by giving us his Son
who loved us so greatly that he gave us his life
And in like manner, to give my time, my all and my life
is the best gift that I can give my dear wife.

To give myself sacrificially even when it hurts
is what I earnestly pray, lest I revert
to the selfish and self-centered man, I tend to be
and forget that as one in Christ, it is not just me, but He, she and me.

And now each time as my wife celebrates her birthday
I know that to give my time, my all, my life is the best way
and the best gift to aptly my love, display
and make her feel loved, on that very special day.

John 3:16 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Proverbs 5:18 (KJV)
18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

Sinking Sand Christianity

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On March 5, 2012

In Christian

When watching an episode of Man vs. Wild, Bear Grylls, an ex-Special Air Service agent and one of the youngest ever to climb, Mount Everest, was demonstrating survival techniques when you are get trapped in sinking sand. To get out of sinking sand, one needs to stay calm and hold on to something that is fixed and trust their weight completely on the object that they are holding on to. The more you struggle the deeper you will sink. From that episode, it was implicitly evident that it is a pitiful state to be caught in the mire and not have a foothold.

When it comes to the sinking sand of sin, it is no different. To get out of the mire of sin, we need to stay calm and get a hold on to Christ Jesus, the one who is the same yesterday, today and forever (fixed in his love and mercy for the world). We must not rely on our own strength but rely and trust Christ Jesus completely, because every attempt to work our way out of sin to salvation is futile and it would merely sink us deeper. The Psalmist says, in Psalm 40:2, that it is the LORD who brings us out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay and it is he who sets our feet upon a rock, establishing our goings.

Points to ponder:
When you don’t have your life set on the stronghold Rock of Salvation (Jesus Christ) and you continue to be in the pit of sin is a pitiful state. Have you believed and trusted completely on Jesus Christ to pull you out of the miry pit of sin or are you still trapped in sin, struggling to work your way to salvation, which is futile. It is by no man’s work, but solely by Grace through faith in Christ Jesus that we can be saved and thanks be to God for that.

Psalm 40:2 (KJV)
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 

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