Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Tag: Love God

Deception brings with it death

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On May 20, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

While Esau was deprived of his blessing from his father Isaac, for his younger brother Jacob had deceived him and taken the blessing, he starts to hate his brother, with so much hate that he sought to kill (slay) his brother after his father’s death. The deception of Jacob brought with it hate from his brother which in turn brought the threat of death. As you can see hate in the heart turns brother against brother.

Points to ponder:
Deception brings with it death. The deception to disobey God, by the ancient deceiver, the devil (Revelation 12:9), brings with it the threat of death, for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but the gift of God is eternal life to all who chose to obey God and keep his commandments to love God above all and love mankind as themselves (Matthew 22:36-40).

When love trumps hate, deception and death have no place. If a man says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (1 John 4:20).

Even when it is hard to love someone, we are asked to do so, just as God did, and not hate in our hearts. It comes down to loving God, loving man, lest we be deceived. Be ye not deceived.

Genesis 27:41 (KJV)
41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

God Has Fixed This …

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On December 8, 2015

In Christian

GodIsntFixingThisGodHasFixedThisThe December 3rd edition of the Daily News in its front page, headlined, “GOD ISN’T FIXING THIS” in response to what they felt was a cowardly and platitude response to the San Bernardino massacre of 14 innocent lives by terrorists, calling to attention the tweets of “thoughts and prayers” of several politicians. The motif of the article was that it was not “God control” but “Gun control” that was needed.

First and foremost, I must admit that I cannot even imagine the hurt and grief that the loved ones of the victims left behind are going through and that any condolences, that me or my family offers, would be insufficient as a solace, to the grieving families. Having said that, we wish to say to the surviving victims of this hate and violence that you can be assured of our prayers. Second, I do agree that some action needs to be taken but I am not certain that “gun control” alone would fix this and I say that because, even before there were guns, violence has always been a problem, since the fall of man. Violence, especially violence that results in the death of others, is the byproduct of sin. We see that in the life of Cain, the first human murderer, who slew his brother Abel, being subdued by sin (Genesis 4:7) and Satan – the first murderer – from the beginning – (John 8:44). In fact, man choosing to follow the evil desires of his own heart, instead of following God led to his corruption and the corruption of the world, so much so, that the world was filled with violence, grieving the very heart of God, the Creator, who in his wrath brought justice by destroying the whole world, save Noah and his family, by a flood (Genesis 6:11-13). From this, we can see that the very fallen nature of man is what needs to be fixed for him or her to be a creature of peace and not of violence.

Points to ponder:
Some have argued that “God isn’t fixing this” while others have rebutted that it is not God’s to fix – but the fact of the matter is “God has fixed this”, when Jesus Christ was born, 2000+ years ago, for when he was born, the heavens opened and the angelic choir sang “Peace (the antidote to violence) on earth and good will to ALL men.” The question is whether you choose to believe in it or not. The very nature of man is what needs to be fixed and fixing (transformation of man within) is only possible when we totally surrender our will and our selfish desires to Jesus Christ, trusting and believing in him, and choosing to Love God totally and Love man as we love ourselves. God has fixed us – Are you fixed? Am I fixed?

Patriot Day and the Christian Patriot

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On September 12, 2013

In Christian, Reuben

Reuben, our beloved 7 year old son, came home from school with some papers that described and spoke about Patriot Day. In the United States of America, Patriot Day, falls annually on September 11, in memory of the nearly 3000 people killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. But who is a Patriot? The dictionary defines the word ‘Patriot’ as ‘a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.‘

A Patriot is therefore someone who loves, supports and defends (fights) for his or her country and its interests, not lackadaisically but with fervor and devotion.

It is certainly Biblical and commendable that the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, pray for the authority that God has instituted over us (1 Timothy 2:1-3) and the love we have for our country is expressed in its defense against any threat, domestic or foreign.

In like manner, it is also essential to be a Christian Patriot. A Christian Patriot is one who loves God and loves his neighbor (Matthew 22:37,39), supports those who are weak (Acts 20:35; 1 Thessalonians 5:14), and defends his citizenship which is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and its interests, with devotion by earnestly contending (fighting) for the faith that was given to the saints upon salvation (Jude 1:3).

Points to ponder:
When we need to give an account to the Lord God, could it be said of us that we loved God totally and we loved our neighbor as ourselves; we supported those who could not support themselves and fought earnestly to keep the faith? Could it be said of us, that we were Christian Patriots? Are you/Am I a Christian Patriot?

Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV)
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Acts 20:35 (KJV)
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Philippians 3:20 (NLT)
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

Jude 1:3 (KJV)
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

My beloved

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On March 6, 2013

In Christian

Sangeetha Johnson

My beloved

An obedient daughter, a wonderful mother, and a loving wife
would be an understatement to describe my beloved, my love, my life
A woman of faith expressed in action,
is how I choose to describe my beloved to whom I am married to in union.

A decade plus one year ago, to be made one flesh, we vowed,
leaving earthly ties and cleaving to a heavenly relationship, we bowed,
before God our maker, the first braid in our threefold cord
who strengthens us, to tide over trying times, our staff and our rod.

Like the denying Peter, not once, not twice, but thrice, have I broken her heart,
only to find out, that each time, she forgave me and accepted me, in full, not in part,
just as The Savior did, from whose Love, nothing can bid us depart,
and emulating that Sacrificial Love, unmerited favor and mercy to me, does she perpetually impart.

Two wonderful children has God loaned us to cherish.
My beloved teaches them to grow in his knowledge, lest they perish.
Her tutelage, “Always be focused, humble and caring, loving God and loving your neighbor”,
expressing her words in action, does she arduously labor.

As she celebrates her arrival on earth
bringing to all around her, joy, happiness and mirth
My prayer for her is that God grants her, her heart’s desire
and makes her shine even brighter, refining her in his fire

A woman of faith expressed in action,
is how I choose to describe my beloved to whom I am married to in union.
I promise to love her, as I have been loved
For in my beloved, I see the fingerprints of God’s Beloved.

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

Ephesians 5:21-33 (KJV)
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

What does the Lord require of us?

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On August 19, 2010

In Christian

We have all heard and sometimes we ourselves have expressed one or more of the following, “I am seeking God’s will in my life”, “I am not sure what the purpose of my life is”, “I wish I knew what the perfect and pleasing will of God is for me”, “I am not sure what God wants me to do”, etc. So what does God want us to do? In other words, what does the Lord our God require of us?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 gives us the answer as to what the Lord our God requires of us. It is

  1. To fear him
  2. To walk in all his ways
  3. To love him
  4. To serve him with all our heart and with all our soul
  5. To keep his commandments and his statutes

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. Which of the above requirement(s) do you/I not meet?
  2. Are we selective followers of Jesus or do we totally submit to his Lordship, walking in ALL his ways and serving him with ALL our heart and with ALL our soul. In other words, are we All-in-All His?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (KJV)
12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

A related post – To be good or not to be

Beloved’s desire and delight

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On October 29, 2009

In Christian

Song of Solomon 7:10 reads “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.”  Throughout this book, allegorically Israel is painted as the beloved’s (God’s) betrothed bride (Hosea 2:19-20) and the Church as the bride of Christ.

From the verse, there are three things that we can learn:

  1. We belong to God (I am my beloved’s)
  2. God is beloved, which means He is to BE LOVED. The sum of the law and the prophets is in loving the Lord, our God with all our heart, soul and mind and loving our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:40). In other words, it is all about first God being Loved.
  3. God’s desire is toward you and me. Psalm 8 poses the question, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:4) and Proverbs 8 answers that question by stating “and my delights were with the sons of men.” (Proverbs 8:31). In other words, we are the delight of God.

Points to ponder:

  1. Do we belong to God?
  2. Can you and I say that God is my BELOVED i.e., God is being loved by you and me?
  3. What a wonderful thing it is to realize that we are not only the desire of God, but we are his delight as well. His desire for us is constant and never changing, but are we living our lives in such a way that when he finds us, he will be delighted to see us.

Hosea 2:19-20 (KJV)
19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

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