The Truth …..will set you free!

Would you know someone in your circle of friends or family who are really…..I mean seriously really, at peace with themselves?  As the clouds and storms gather…..these individuals are totally unshaken, because in the canvas of life that they see before them, there is hope and light at the end of it all. It may be that they lost their jobs, or money or property……..or maybe they have fallen sick or some other misfortune has befallen them. They always seem to be calm and collected …….and are patiently waiting for these storms to pass, because they somehow have the assurance of the sun showing up soon!

The above is a simple world view expressed sometimes as “positive thinking”. Have a postive attitude they say….or see the bright side of every situation…..or even ” Don’t worry, be happy…..etc” as the song goes. But even these individuals, are they really beyond the attack of the curve balls and swings that come their way in their daily life? Are they truly at peace with themselves? Is the outward appearance of  a happy and positive self a deception or a mask that they wear? Does this mask come off when no one is looking?  Hopefully the answer is no…..and hopefully these individuals are genuinely cheered up and they can spread that cheer around to others as well.

Now let us look at the christian perspective. Being baptised, and a regular church going individual…..does this guarantee happiness and peace? Unfortunately the answer is no. This so called Christian, would be testifying and maybe even to some extent be living out a christian life, as long as the going is good ……and the day to day life is progressing smoothly. But if life takes a turn for the worse, God is sure to be blamed. The goodness and kindness will fly out of the window and be replaced by anger and bitterness.

So who are these people who are geniuinely happy……at peace with themselves, with the rest of the world and with God? Do they really exist? Can we be like them? What is their secret?

Below ….and in the next few postings of this blog, we’ll try to dive deeper and see what makes this geniune peace and happiness possible.

The usual suspects:

Let’s see what the world carries as myths around the subject of happiness and peace.

Money: Can money buy happiness and peace and love? Many might answer yes, sure for a time there might be the illusion of great happiness and peace…….but soon this picture begins to fade and reality sets in. There are stories of individuals who had great windfalls come their way……through wining lotteries or through inheritances bestowed on them……yet after a brief time of euphoria, their life story still has “misery” as the central theme all over it in one form or the other. Genuine Peace and happiness still eludes them.

Drugs & Alcohol: Maybe we all know at least one person in our circle of friends and family…..who took refuge in drugs or alcohol as their way to happiness. Unfortunately this story may not have a happy ending or perhaps, the story does end with the individual coming to the realization with the help of family and friends, or maybe professional counselling etc……that they are on a path of self-destruction, and turns away from this addiction to get back on track to find the true meaning and purpose in their life.

Power and Position:  How difficult it is to forgo the power to control & influence? Take and look at the recent world events around us and this is easily evident. Politicians, dictators and authorities…..who are so entrenched deeply into their postions of power, that it is almost beyond their ability to let go. Again, we have CEO’s and other celebrities who are fighting corporate takeovers and powerplays to hang on and defend their postionsof influence and power……and yet agin there maybe many of us who are racing to reach the top of the corporate ladder, all because we see frills and trimmings around this power ,and hope we would have “arrived” once we reach the top of the ladder. How many of these CEO’s, Politicians and Celebrities have a peaceful night’s sleep? The answer might not be very encouraging!

Sexual addictions & Relationships: Another avenue many of us might explore to find “love” or to “ feel loved”. Unfortunately this deception, that we have found the “true love” or ”the soul mate” through these fatal attraction type of encounters, soon fades off and the pain and suffering follows. Many lives, including those of innocent children who get caught in between these fantasies, are ruined in the bargain.

So what is the answer? Where do we look for true love, peace and happiness……..lets explore these thoughts through the posts that follow…

God Bless You!

If someone asks me ” Are you a christian?” ….pat comes the answer,” Sure I am,….. always have been ….always will be!”

Really?  What do I mean? Because I was born and raised a christian? Because I go to church on all Sundays? Am I qualified to be a Christian?

I want to share the message from church this Sunday…..hopefully this story will shine some light on this question.

The answer to the question comes through the story of a young man and his 3 friends, so long before Jesus Christ was born. Daniel and 3 other men…their story, an Old Testament story,  has been told and heard many times, but here’s some more insight from that story.

The story begins when the people of Israel were under the rule of the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar. After he assumed power over the Israelites, he ordered that the young men who were intelligent and the cream of  that society, be picked up and trained for 3 years to then enter into the King’s service. They were assigned a daily amount of special food and wine from the King’s table. But Daniel and the 3 other young men, did not want to defile themselves with this food from the King’s table. So Daniel goes to the Chief official and requests permission to have a diet of vegetables and water for ten days ….during which time if their health was found to deteriorate, they would switch to the food from the palace. After the 10 days, when these young men were examined, they were found to be better nourished and healthier than any of the young men who were consuming the royal food.

The above, is the first record in the Book of Daniel, where Daniel takes a stand for God, and God responds by blessing and prospering these young men. It is written” To these four young men, God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.” At the end of their period of training, the King questioned them and found these men to be more wise and knowledgable than all of the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom. And therefore, the King appointed them into postions of power and authority.

The Book of Daniel also records another occasion where the King builds this huge statue of gold andthen  issues a decree that “at the sound of horns, lyre, pipes and all kinds of music, the people must all fall down and worship this statue……failing which they would be thrown into the blazing fire. In our world today, in our every day living, in our homes, at our work places……maybe there is no statue of gold…..but when we have those situations of  opportunities, prosperity or trials ( the horns and the trumpets and the music that is played….) and in those situations, who do we bow down to……money, our bosses, our politicians, celebreties, doctors, scientists? Or will we turn to the true God for our wisdom?

The story goes on to say the the other astrologers and magicians of the King’s court, who were jealous of Daniel and the 3 other men, goes to the King and denounce them saying ” They pay no attention to the decree that you issued…..they neither serve your gods nor the worship the image you have set up.” The King was furious with rage and demands to know why they have not followed his orders.

They respond like this ” O King, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue as from your hand. But even if he doesn’t, we want you to know , O King, that we will not serve your gods or worhip the image of gold you have set up”. What courage ……what conviction…..are we at a point to take a stand for this Almighty God like these young men, even in the face of persecution and injustice, where they have done no wrong ?

The King furious at their response ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more and commanded that the strongest soldiers tie up these men and throw them into the blazing fire…..and the furnace was so hot that it killed the soldiers who took the young men to the fire. And as the King looked into the fire, he is amazed at the sight of these 3 young men and “a fourth man , who looks like a son of the gods”, walking around the fire unbound and unharmed.

God responds again to the individuals who took a stand for Him. He uses these situations not only to bless and protect the people who take a stand for Him, but also to open the eyes of those around them. The story ends by the King saying ” Praise be to the God of these young men, who sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”

A story about faith that comes from a deep conviction in the power and presence of an Almighty and Living God….the courage and determination that gushes forth out of that deep conviction and faith, even in the most trying and terrifying situation ……and a God who in turn responds faithfully and in ways beyond understanding.

How deep is our faith? Deep enough to take a stand? Take a stand even when every advise and reasoning points you elsewhere?

God bless you!

We all have happy times and then there are those times of distress, as we carry on with our life on earth. During those tough and troubled times, who do we look to for help? If you are like me, you’d be looking into all the available resources at your disposal, starting with self. Once it’s clear, that it is beyond the strengths of the self, we would probably turn to our family and friends. Let’s just say that it’s beyond their means too…maybe like an advanced stage of cancer….now where would the help come from? Probably through accessing the best medical doctors available. But remember there is only so much they can do……..so perhaps now, we are looking for “The Deliverer”?

Why could the best doctors not be the ones to deliver us out of our plight? Why would the best of friends and family fail here too? Where will our help come from?

The truth lies in the Word of God, the Bible. This is best illustrated through the pages of the Bible describing the life and times of the people of Israel  from the point where Joseph was made second in command to Pharoah in Egypt.

The house of Israel now moved to live in Egypt, with Joseph, where Joseph was influential and powerful. They prospered and they mutiplied in Egypt,  under the rule of Pharoah. Almost in the same way, as we progress through our life here on earth, our earthly success, our possessions and material things that we enjoy, makes us look for more of it. As the generations pass, the Israelites have now become so familiar with the customs,cultures and beliefs of the Egyptians, that they now are slaves to that culture, living like the Egyptians ……just as us living in the flesh, a life of material cravings, so attached to the material things and the pleasures of this life ( like people of Israel forgetting their culture and their God, in the story) under satan’s rule (like Pharoh’s rule in the story, whereas in our situation Satan rules our world since the time Adam and Eve was cast out of Eden). And as this story goes, as the new Pharoahs rule over Egypt, they see how the Israelites are outnumbering them and prospering….and so they now want to ensure that Israelites will not take over the control and power…..and they therefore make the Israelities their slaves. ( Again looking at our situation, Satan wants us chained to all the pleasures and things that will keep us far away from God, our Creator……he does his best to keep our focus on everything else like money, power, property, addictions …. he definitely does not want us to get free from all this and stop being his slaves). And then they remember God, and they cry out in their pain and suffering. Can God raise someone from their own to free them, to deliver them from their misery? Can a slave help the other slaves to free themselves……the answer is no. So God now needs a Deliverer who is not bound by the shackles as the Israelites. Someone who is an outsider, who is not influenced and under the power of all that is happenning in Egypt.

As the Bible tells us, Moses had already fled from Egypt and was leading a new life…………..free from all the influence and culture of Egypt. Now God uses Moses as the Deliverer, someone who is not bound and attached to the same shackles as the people of Israel to deliver them and take them out of their sufferring under the Pharoh in Egypt.

 Likewise, the human race, during our existence on earth, living in the flesh and familiar with sins and the ways of the world are now unable to free ourselves from the yoke of misery and doom here……was in need of a Deliverer untouched and unblemished by the ways of the world…..no royal prince, not any scientist or a brilliant mind, not the rich or the famous and powerful……but a little baby born of a Virgin, God with us, JESUS CHRIST. He was sent to us as The Deliverer.

We are fortunate…..we have a choice, we don’t have to be living as slaves to Satan. We have “The  Deliverer” who has already paid the price to buy our freedom.  Can we open our eyes and see this truth? Can we accept and believe? Can we recieve and walk in faith to the invitation, ” Come to me all that who are weary and broken hearted, and I will give you rest”.

His work is done…..now it’s up to you…..

God bless you!

Hello & Welcome!

Thank you for dropping by……if you are seeking answers about the twists, turns and curve balls that life has dealt you with, struggling to understand how to deal with some of these issues, fighting back with all resources available at your disposal, yet unable to break free…….maybe this blog might offer some pointers. Some thoughts for you to chew on, some illustrations that you may not have come across on your journey so far…..

The content of this blog is inspired by Pastor Surekha of the Sion Fellowship church in Mississauga, Canada. The revelations and teachings that have been the messages and sermons through several Sundays, form the core content of this blog. These teachings and messages are so profound that I can’t help but share it with as many people as I can….and hence this blog as a means to get these revelations out to as many people as this blog can reach……

However, the change and the transformation follows after the decision to act…. therefore, to the peace, the joy and the purpose of the new life that you are seeking…………..perhaps you will hold the key after you go through this blog ……but its upto you to open and enter!

God Bless You!