Why I trust in Jesus

Having been a Christian for over four years, this feels like an overdue post! I have something that is too good not to share, so here goes my attempt in trying to convince or remind you of how awesome Jesus is!

Jesus is Unique

There are 12 major religions, and many minor religions - with so many to choose from, why Christ?

The answer to all of that is the fact that God is everything He ought to be and says He is. The God we worship is the God who created us and the moral and physical laws that govern us. So it makes sense that His nature radiates these laws. What I have found with many of the world's revered is that they are not always moral - when they give in to their lust, greed and anger, how can they expect us not to? God however is the epitome of purity, love, justice and righteousness - so it is fair that He demands us to reflect that. The reasons are numerous but I'll end with the one that caught my attention - you see, no one else speaks of a god who chose to come down to earth in order to die and set us free from the bondage of sin.

God is perfect. Habakkuk 1:13 reminds us of the fact that God is 'too pure' to 'approve evil' or tolerate wickedness. Hence heaven ought to be a place free of sin; 'nothing impure will ever enter [New Jerusalem]' (Revelation 21:27). We're all law breakers, it doesn't make sense for God to weigh up the good and bad...even if He does, the bad isn't going to vanish. Saying God will forgive us is theologically half baked - God is a righteous judge, your sin cannot be overlooked. That is why He came, in the body of Jesus, He lived a perfect life, died an unjust death and rose again beating death. He paid our ransom, so that on His account we can go free - so the saying goes, 'Religion says do, Jesus says done!'

Moreover, our faith and hope rest on one truth: Jesus rising from the dead. It is a truth that has never been, and can never be, disproven. It is the only thing (apart from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit of course) that validates all that we believe.
1 Corinthians 15:14 & 17 - And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith...and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
As Jesus rose from the dead, we know that everything else that He said must also be true.

Jesus Defies Logic

Read the following verses carefully...

Isaiah 29:14 - I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.
 
1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:7 - ...God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

1 Corinthians 2:14 - The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Apart from exposing my love for Paul's letter to the Corinthians, these verses highlight something very important. The Gospel is inclusive yet exclusive - it is open to all, but it is elucidated by the Holy Spirit! That's the reason why the good news about Jesus being our Lord and Saviour doesn't make sense to everyone.

Friend, if it doesn't make sense to you, I urge you to sincerely ask the Holy Spirit (even if you do not believe in the 'unseen') to reveal this mystery to you as it concerns your eternal destiny.
I know it sounds like folklore, but how can our incompetent brains fathom the God who stretches far above and beyond the science and logic we treasure, (after all, science and logic are also part of His creation) until He intervenes?

I have deliberately failed to address scientific perspectives as this post will end up being too long for anyone's liking...I shall tackle that at a different time! Nevertheless, let me just say that science does not and cannot disprove God or anything pertaining to Him or His nature; God is not bound by the laws He has established.

Jesus is the Only Way

People believe in what they do, whether it be someone of a particular faith, no faith or multiple faiths, because they feel that they are right in believing it and rejecting all other possibilities.

Going back to the above points...no one has ever claimed to be 'THE way, THE truth and THE life' except Jesus. What an outrageous claim! If Jesus did rise from the dead validating all that He has said, then this too is a statement we cannot shy away from. If there was any other way through which we could be saved, Christ's sacrifice becomes unnecessary and meaningless! There cannot be many truths, when one of these 'truths' claims to be the ONLY TRUTH!

Albert Einstein (who is not a Christian) had this to say about Jesus, 'As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.' Although Einstein recognised the difference in this 'myth', I am not aware of whether he chose to do something about how he felt. Like Pilate during Jesus' trial, and Mr Einstein, many acknowledge Jesus' splendour and are filled with awe, but very few choose to unravel this captivating Jesus. 'You will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart' (Jeremiah 29:13)

Let me conclude with C.S. Lewis' beautiful expansion on this point from his book, Mere Christianity: 'I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.'

So friend, if you haven't already, why not check Jesus out for yourself?

Sharing Grandpa's Gems of Wisdom

I recently came across Brandon Heath's new single, it's a tribute to his grandpa, Paul Brown Petty. As I listened, it was clear that Brandon wanted to be like his grandpa; he was not only proud of him but missed the values that he held. Paul Brown Petty was a lot like my grandpa - they didn't just have their military past in common, but their 'can-do' attitudes and love for God. With Father's day around the corner, this seems like an appropriate time to ponder on and share what I love about my grandpa, and some of the values I hope we don't lose with his generation.

Patriotism

My grandpa served in the Indian Army with his four brothers, from 1955 to 1971 (some served in the Indian Air Force) - my great-grandfather was awarded a national award for sending all his sons to National Service. Hence, it's safe to say that patriotism runs in my blood. Patriotism applies to where you are from, but it also applies to where you reside - it is national loyalty not national superiority, and it is something my generation lacks greatly.
I am not proposing we worship our countries, flags or leaders - all I propose is that we respect them. A nation can only ever move forward if it is united; unity means feeling one and we can only feel one with those around when we embrace patriotism - forget race, forget size, forget ability, we are diverse but the country we share unites us. This patriotism awakens during the Olympics, Football World Cups and during national events like the Queen's Jubilee or the Royal Wedding - it seriously moves me to tears and I long to see more of it.

What are the perks?
Patriotism promotes a sense of belonging. When one feels a sense of belonging, they begin to respect authority, laws, and public property. The public would use their votes or ensure they cease complaining and start acting. I'm not sure if I am over-reacting but it bothers me to see flags being worn as slippers or underwear; in my opinion, it just reveals a lack of respect. Vandalism of public property can also be reduced greatly. It truly baffles and appals me to see bins set on fire or bus stops cracked...for fun!

How?
In India, every child knows the National Anthem, I've been away for many years but I still remember it, likewise in many other countries around the world. We were taught it in school and were expected to sing it every morning during assemblies. I love Downton Abbey; it paints a contrasting picture of the Britain we see today. Patriotism and many good values (take the good forward, leave the bad behind) of the past seem to have dried up after the wars; they have 'changed everything'. How many teens can name the National Anthem, let alone sing it? Schools and the government must do more to promote this national loyalty we lack - this generation is the future of Britain - patriotism induces a sense of responsibility when it comes to national affairs. It's not the government's problem, it is our problem - I can't help using a cliché here, but we're all in this together! That is legit and we need to acknowledge it.

Don' replace it, fix it!

I'm sure you've seen this image on social media, but have you taken some time to ponder on the truth behind it?
My grandparents have been married for 50 years. Obviously every marriage has its ups and downs, but I've seen my grandparents live their marriage out in a way that is so special. I am no expert on this hence I'll give you grandpa's two tips for a successful marriage:

1. 'You need two hands to clap' - meaning, you need two people to cause an argument, so as soon as you see the dawn of one, zip it!
2. Prayer - 'a family that prays together, stays together'. 

This fixing rule applies to all areas of life, not just relationships. I was recently watching some talks given by relatives during my grandpa's 80th - many referred to his 'can-do' attitude and how he walks into a house and immediately fixes everything that's broken. I have to say that I do fear this ability of his at times, as he ends up fixing something I was hoping to replace with something more trendy!

Keep Learning

My grandpa is 80, but he would never let that stop him from being up-to-date with the latest developments in science and technology. Be it listening to an impatient grandchild or meticulously analysing the instruction manual, he is prepared to do anything to acquire the knowledge he wishes to. From practical knowledge on hunting or making fires to more contemporary insight on using social media .etc. his prowess is learning.
We live in a world that is rich in culture, history and technology, there is seriously no excuse to stop learning!

There is a lot more that I believe we're losing from his generation...like respecting elders or even having a sense of community...but this post is lengthy as it is!
My grandfather is special, and so is yours. Spending time with him has allowed me to share these little gems of truth with you, and I urge you to do the same. They have some exciting tales to tell, make sure you treasure them and pass it on! There's much to learn from these brave men who were momentous in creating the world we now cherish.
To every father, grandfather and great-grandfather out there - Happy Father's Day!

Random Chance? Think again!

'It happened by random chance!', these are the five words every science student can testify to hearing a zillion times! While these words initially evoked outrage within me, reading about Jacob's struggle with Laban extinguished the flames.

From Genesis 29 to chapter 31 we see Jacob's struggle with his father-in-law in order to obtain his rightful wages. Laban, who had already deceived Jacob numerous times, tries to do so again, suggesting Jacob take the speckled, streaked and spotted animals of the flock as his wages. Remarkably however, we see that immediately many of the 'normal' animals began mating with the already streaked, spotted or speckled, producing a far greater proportion that would belong to Jacob!

Mating happens by random chance and so it did in this case; but later on God reveals to Jacob that He was indeed behind it. God working through what we perceive to be random chance! What a baffling thought!

It doesn't stop with Jacob.
Jonah ran away from his God-given duty by hiding in the lower deck of the ship to Tarshish. Nature, by 'chance' was very unkind to the men as they faced a violent, raging storm. In order to identify the culprit who was behind such misfortune, the men cast lots and by 'random chance' it fell on Jonah! Really, 'random chance'? No, we see God's hand at work again.

Proverbs 16:33 confirms this by saying, 'A thing may be put to the decision of chance, but it comes about through the LORD.' In addition, the Bible is filled with ample evidence pointing to a God who mysteriously executes His purposes with probabilities.

Random chance isn't that random after all!

I've learnt to consider not 'whether life arose by random chance' but that I serve a God so mighty and incomprehensible that He is in control of randomness and chance. It does make sense! Who are we to confine God to our boundaries of time and space anyway...remember He was behind those too! 

Ethics and Morality

I've always regarded 'ethics' as a 'Christian' field and have always associated it with 'morality'. However, I came across a few instances in which ethics have driven people to justify acts which were obviously contrary to the will of God i.e. morally wrong. This led me to seek a few answers which I have summarized below...

Ethics is defined as 'that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions'.
Morality is defined as 'conformity to the rules of right conduct.'

Don't you see the difference? Morality refers to an unchanging set of rules as to what IS right and what IS wrong, regardless of the society, culture, situation or era. However ethics is based on perception. Ethics weigh the pros and the cons of an issue or action from a human point of view - this balance may sometimes lead to a 'morally wrong' decision.

As Christians, we're not to focus on the 'ethics' of an issue, but its 'morality'. We ought not to weigh up its advantages and disadvantages i.e approach it with 'worldly wisdom' but focus on the truth explicitly stated in the word of God. The truth is unchanging, inerrant and infallible as it is from God - God makes the rules - however, we determine ethics, and if you haven't already noticed, we make mistakes!

World Peace?

Recently, as part of a course I'm doing with Herbert W. Armstrong College, I have been exploring the 'end times' - a fascinating, mind-blowing, enigmatic topic which leaves one obsessively pondering over the 'signs' and their 'interpretations'.

During the 'end times', we see that world leaders or authorities will promise 'global peace'. Sadly, we read on in prophesies that this is a 'superficial peace'.
'World Peace' is a concept that humanity has yearned for, for decades and centuries; unfortunately it is a dream that some have given up on. Nonetheless, leaders a many, past and present, have sought it, following what they've thought to be right.
However, has anyone successfully achieved it? No! Will they ever successfully achieve it? Sadly, No! ...but Why Not?...

War and war related turmoil, is what cuts short the path to attaining 'World Peace' - history has taught us well that those who have actively sought 'World Peace' have only found themselves creating wars.



James 4:1-2
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.


The root of war, is 'human nature' - the various fleeting desires contrary to God's will and commands, battling within us, conceiving corruption that in turn gives birth to war. We, as humans, are 'stiff-necked' - refusing to submit to authority, God's authority - instead we let our pride, vanity, jealousy, lust and selfishness rule over us.
An increase in knowledge, as the Bible says, directly increases pride if it isn't built on the love of and for God. As those who possess knowledge or authority count themselves 'great' in some form or another, they trust their own judgement and become 'self-reliant'. This is true for those who turn against God and place their love for pleasure (of any kind) before Him.

Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that appears right, but in the end it leads to death.


Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?


What we perceive as 'right' surely leads to death if we aren't rooted in the Lord and His word. The heart - 'the center of human thoughts and emotions' - is highly deceitful as it is swayed effortlessly by our flesh's fleeting desires. We also read that it is complicated, hence, incomprehensible. It is probable that one, especially a leader or ruler, is swayed by it, blinded by the thirst for power, popularity and recognition. Thus, their deeds and intentions, are bound to be tainted by their own flawed nature (One of they key reasons, why I strongly believe in good, fervent, praying Christians ruling and leading the country (point will be made clearer)).

Romans 3:16-17
Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.


Isaiah 59:8
They way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.


Isaiah 33:7-8
Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected.


In an attempt to bring about such 'peace' the UN was formed, and world leaders constantly intervene in the affairs of other countries; they've achieved a lot but haven't resulted in much with regards to 'World Peace' - corrupt leaders have always arisen and never cease to arise! It is elucidated that the carnal mind does not know what peace or justice truly means, it just 'thinks' it does. All their ways are tainted by the desires of the flesh - primarily, because it lacks the 'fear of God'.
Human plans for 'peace' always end abruptly causing a lot of pain - they do not provide a lasting solution. However, during the worst point of this pain God promises to intervene, commencing the 'end of the age'. War is always the result of lust and covetousness - a part of our human nature - man cannot 'change' this nature, he cannot transform every heart, let alone his own. World authorities and leaders propose negotiations of various sorts, but they cannot address the problem, thus can NEVER bring about lasting peace.

Isaiah 33:9-10
The land dries up and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves. "Now will I arise," says the LORD. "Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up."


Ezekiel 36:26(a)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you...

Only God can change the human heart and nature, he can renew us and give us a 'new' one when we become 'born again'. A ruler or government that focuses on truly fearing, trusting and obeying God will be able to possess a clear, deception free heart led by God, however in our secular society this seems highly improbable; in fact, such a government has never been established and will not be able to thrive, in our present world. Do not be heavy-laden, God certainly promises to intervene. He is the only remedy for wars and turmoil, He is the only solution, the only one who can bring about 'World Peace'. Until He sees it the right time to bring about His kingdom where this phenomenon is possible and can prevail, our efforts are in vain.

Therefore, let us not be fooled by the worthless, empty promises made or assurances given with regards to 'peace'; it is a heavenly nature which we know NOTHING of! Instead, let us continue to evangelize and stand up for the sake of the Gospel in all aspects of life and law, and importantly, let us lift our leaders, authorities, governments and countries in prayer - seeking God's kingdom, His will and for lives to be transformed continually by the Gospel, until He returns. He has promised, He has the power, thus He will fulfill - Fear, Trust and Obey!

'We're made of stardust'

My views have slightly changed since I wrote this post - I will expand on my present views at the end of this post. I have decided to leave my previous musings, as I believe it depicts how our view of the world changes as we mature in the Lord and better understand His Word.

On a recent trip to the Royal Observatory, I was shocked to hear a presentation about stars that said 'Stars are closer to us than we think, we're all made of stardust!' As I looked around the room, I could see proud smiles, I did not understand! To be honest, I found it insulting to hear that I was made up of atoms and molecules that were the remains of a star, that magically combined in some gene pool and through an accident, evolution made me!

Those who were listening to this presentation, seemed so proud to hear that they were made up of star dust, accidentally! What logic does that make? Why is it harder for them to accept the fact that they were made in the image of God, by God? Our society projects theories as facts to those around, thus adulterating the minds of many. What many forget in the course of their lives is that the 'Big Bang Theory' is just a 'theory' and the 'Evolution Theory' is just a 'theory' - no one has enough proof to claim that these theories are 'facts'. There are immense fossil records that disprove the evolution theory - if you are interested, research the 'Cambrian Explosion' - this is where the fossils of many different complex creatures were found with NO connection to any other organism! Moreover, the Big Bang itself is an incomplete theory! Those who choose to believe these don't do it for the facts (if they did, they would know that these theories are just non-provable myths for grown-ups), they do it because they do not want to accept the fact that God exists. The existence of these theories, explains very little but raises many questions, that is not the same with Creation...
Creation explains everything, logically, and no evidence has ever been found to oppose it - this fact, is ignored blindly by our society. It is easier and a lot more logical, to believe that 'in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'!

Ecclesiastes 1:10 'Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.' - God created us and every other organism on earth. Things don't magically evolve into new organisms, everything we see now already existed. There will obviously be visual links between organisms, that does not mean they evolved from one another, it merely exhibits the fact that God is a splendid Creator, He wanted all organisms to fit in somehow and thus have a basic similarity e.g. 2 eyes, 1 nose .etc.

If you're still not convinced, may I take this opportunity to encourage you to read the Bible, read Genesis and see how much logic that makes and compare it to these incomplete theories. Remember, the DNA of a crocodile is closer to that of a chicken than ANY OTHER organism on earth - Lets see how the 'theory' of evolution explains this fact!

I am not going to attempt debating evolution, creation and intelligent design in this post. Although I was once staunchly anti-evolution, I have come to see how the Genesis account beautifully complements the theory of evolution by natural selection, and the evidence in fossil record. Of course God created the world, but how He chose to do so and bring each creature into existence is something we will only find out when we meet Him. Who are we to say He could not have used evolution to bring about such order!

London Riots - What can we learn?

A topic that has always interested me is the Omniscience of God. I used to wonder that, if God knew what would happen in the future, and if what would happen was really bad, why didn't He stop it? I feel that many would have these questions, and especially with all these London Riots and the damage they have caused to many lives, it is important we address it.

Psalm 139:16 says, Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. This verse clearly depicts the omniscient nature of God; He knows what has happened and He knows what the future holds. He knew that these London Riots would take place even before anyone had planned it. Then why did He let it happen?

God treats us as individuals, He has given us 'free-will' - He is our Father, we are His children, not robots, and we are responsible for every action we choose to take. We can choose what to do and how we want to act - we can choose to act in a mature way or in a very rowdy and violent manner. God wants to be a part of our lives everyday, He wants to be part of our decisions and each and every one of our actions, however, He is a gentleman - He does not force Himself or intrude. Revelation 3:20 says, Here I am! I stand at the door at knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. This is where constant prayer comes in, we need to let God be the center of our lives and evaluate every action before we do it, to see if its pleasing in God's eyes. Our world and our human race is 'fallen', therefore, sinful nature is in our blood, to overcome this strong force, we need God.

The Bible says that 'the fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom'. What 'wisdom' is this referring to? Righteous Discernment. If our society and all these youngsters feared God, they would submit to His will being done, they would think before they act, they would care not only for public property but for all the lives they've been damaging. God allows certain things to happen for societies and people to learn a lesson, to bring about a greater purpose for His glory. We can't question Him, we've got to trust Him.

As history has time and again shown, violence is not the answer to anything. God hates violence; He is a God of love. He is also a God of justice. Like the Psalmist says, 'I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.'. 'Free-will' means that there are consequences for every action we take, God is not just going to watch His children suffer, those who trust in Him and cry out to Him will be heard.

David Cameron said, "When we see children as young as 13 looting and laughing, when we see the disgusting sight of an injured young man with people pretending to help him while they are robbing him, it is clear that there are things that are badly wrong in our society" - Yes, I agree, there are things that are wrong but what can we learn and now do about them?

- Develop the 'Fear of God' in our society
- Encourage patriotism in schools, homes and society itself
- Discipline children from an early age in homes and schools; remember 'Spare the rod and spoil the child'
- Give police more support, freedom and power, so that they are respected
- Re-think some laws that really exist to spoil the society and will lead to further detriment
- Get involved with near-by communities to help clean up - London Riot Clean Up
- Share the message of hope and love by sharing God's love and support to those afflicted
- Share the message of God's saving grace to those involved

There are plenty more ways we can get involved with, whatever we do, let us not be aloof! As Christians we have a duty towards our communities, and as our church secretary, Chola Mukanga, preached this Sunday from Obadiah on violence - 'God wants us to look at our responsibility not the size of the problem'

Let Him control the rudder...

I hate the feeling that I get when I know I haven't done enough to help someone out or just feel guilty for something I'd done wrong or a wrong choice in general. The problem is, I never know what to do after that...
I am the kind of person who likes to be made to do instead of think and ask for help straight away(this is not a very good quality)...the worst thing is, I want to help or do something, but have absolutely NO IDEA HOW to do so, I'm afraid that I'll make the wrong choice.; even if I do help, I feel guilty as I always feel that I haven't done enough!
However, I forget that there is someone, waiting to offer the correct help that I need, someone waiting to tell me exactly what to do so that I don't make the wrong choice...GOD!
Like James 1:5 says If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him - At times like these, we need the discernment to choose our actions wisely, thus we need to ask God. Although this might seem like a simple thing to do, believe me, it can be easily forgotten.
 We, as humans, are mostly possessive of our lives and sometimes think that we are at the wheel and in-charge. However, the reality is, if we take control of the rudder with our horizontal vision, we will certainly CRASH at one point; if we let God take control, with His bird's eye view vision of our entire life and the consequences of all the possible choices we make, we are certain to end up on the shore safe and sound.
If, like me, you've done something similar and you're the kind of person who feels guilty really easily, remember: God prepared to give a sincere heart another chance in life to set things right by learning from past failures; we ought to pursue that opportunity with wide, open arms but with His help; like my friend Deborah Marquardt once said, "Come on, give Him a try" - You'll know the difference His choice makes straight away!
God is just waiting to interfere in the endeavors in our life to help us make those baffling decisions; He knows the ultimate outcome of it all and wants to help us steer our lives in the correct direction through every action - All we've got to do is ASK and TAKE His opinion by letting Him take control of the rudder of our lives.