Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

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Month: March 2014

For man’s sake

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On March 10, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Jesus Christ - The Ark, Noah's Ark (and Jesus), Through the Bible

Genesis 8:21 states that when God accepted the sacrificial offering of Noah, the LORD said in his heart that he would no longer curse the ground for man’s sake. The ground from which man was fashioned (Genesis 2:7) was cursed when Adam, the man sinned (Genesis 3:17). Now with the offering of a man, Noah, a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5), being accepted, the LORD promised not to curse the ground again anymore, for man’s sake, even though God testified that every inclination of man’s heart was evil from his youth. This speaks of the magnanimity of God’s mercy to man and grace to his creation.

Points to ponder:
Despite the evilness in our hearts, God’s mercy is magnanimous, stretching not only to man, but to all of his creation – even the very ground from which man was fashioned. For man’s sake, God shall no longer curse the ground because he is a just, merciful and loving God. For your sake and mine, God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the man (1 Timothy 2:5), who preached righteousness (1 Peter 3:18-20), being righteousness himself (Jeremiah 23:5) and because of Jesus, he shall curse no more. Jesus had to become the curse for you and me, for it is written that cursed is every one who hangs on a tree (Cross) (Deuteronomy 23:21; Galatians 3:13). Jesus had to become the curse for you and me, for man’s sake.

Genesis 8:21 (KJV)
21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

1 Peter 3:18-20 (KJV)
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

An archetypal handmaid of the LORD

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On March 6, 2014

In Christian

SangeethaMy beloved wife, Sangeetha Johnson Paul, celebrates her birthday on the 6th of March, each year, and this year, as I pondered on what to write, here are a few words that came to mind, that I penned …

Nine days before the ides of March,
did my wife arrive on earth as a torch,
to warm and light the lives of many,
emulating the love of Christ to all and any.

“Whoso finds a wife obtains favor of the LORD” states the Holy Book
which I can verily, verily, aver as true in my life, when retrospectively, I look.
A daughter, sister, mother and wife, are ways that I can have her entitled,
but most of all, a handmaid of the Lord, is what she is – an archetypal.

In all decisions, she makes, she questions “What Would Jesus Do?”
and follows God’s leading hand, guiding me in our life’s pas de deux,
in matters of life that matter, that is, in giving, forgiving and love
expressing always her faith in action, guided from above.

Nine days before the ides of March,
did my wife arrive on earth as a torch,
not put under a bushel, but standing tall,
emulating the love of Jesus Christ, to me, our children and to all.

Luke 1:38 (KJV)
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Proverbs 18:22 (KJV)
22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

Matthew 5:15 (KJV)
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

From stench to a sweet savour (in God’s nostrils)

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On March 5, 2014

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 8:21 starts out by saying that when Noah sacrificed a burnt offering as his worship to God, God smelled a sweet savour, which first and foremost establishes the fact that God is not some inanimate source of uncontainable power, devoid of human emotions and feelings … but instead he can smell i.e., he can feel. Infact, I believe that we have the senses (one of which is the sense of smell) because we are made in the image of the Creator and have his attributes (Genesis 1:27). Second, the sacrifice of Noah was a sweet smelling aroma to God. This made me wonder and ask “What was the smell in the land, at that time, before God smelled the burnt offerings from Noah?” If you allow me to indulge myself a little, I suspect that with the destruction and death, caused by the universal deluge (flood), rotting bodies of land creatures and mankind would have been sprawled around the world, and from their decay should have aroused the stench of death. So before God smelled the sweet savour in his nostrils, that came from the sacrifice, the stench of death would have prevailed, in the land.

Points to ponder:
Just like the offerings of Noah, Jesus who gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God, which is once and for all, was a sweetsmelling savour unto God (Hebrews 10:1-10; Ephesians 5:2). Until Jesus’ offering and willful sacrifice, sin and its wages, which is death (Romans 6:23), along with its stench, prevailed. Now all who believe in Jesus Christ, who have confessed their sins and the Lordship of Jesus the Savior, that is in them that are saved, are indeed a sweet smelling savour of Christ himself to God (2 Corinthians 2:15). No longer is the stench of death on them that have believed for the gift of God is eternal life in and through and by Christ (Romans 6:23; John 3:16). The question is, on you will God smell the stench of death or a sweet savour?

Genesis 8:21 (KJV)
21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Ephesians 5:2 (KJV)
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

2 Corinthians 2:15 (KJV)
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

I was born … and heaven rejoiced

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On March 3, 2014

In Christian

Let me start off by saying that the very title of this article may seem weird to some and to others, even impossible – but kindly bear with me for a little bit longer and you would see how relevant and important it is.

On the 3rd of March, each year, my family celebrates this day, as the day I was born and this year it is no different. And on this day, as I pondered the message, that God has in store for me and his people, I realized that when someone is born, it is a time of celebration … but even greater celebration is for those who are born again i.e., those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior – for to be born once, means we die twice (physically and spiritually), but to be born twice (physically and spiritually) is to die once (physically) and that is reason, even for the angels in heaven to rejoice (Luke 15:10) for the one who was lost is now found.

Points to ponder:
– When we are born, the people who love us (angels on earth) rejoice.
– When we are born again, the angels in heaven rejoice.
Can you say, that you have made the angels in heaven rejoice? In other words, can you say, “I was born (again), and the angels in heaven rejoiced?”

Luke 15:10 (KJV)
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

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