Pick up the cross

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" Matthew 16:24

‘If anyone’… a choice is given. If at all a man chooses to follow Christ, he should take the call seriously. God moulds a person only if we are willing to follow Him like a sheep follows the shepherd. Denying ourselves is one’s disconnection with the world and affirmation to God alone. We are recognized by the world through His cross. ‘I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me’ attitude. Taking up cross and following Him is to show the world our identity.

Go after, deny self and pick up the cross! When I was in Odisha a girl told me that they had to stay in forest for 5 days without water or food. Her tribal mother was beaten up for refusing to deny Jesus. Yes! she denied herself by confessing Jesus and took up the cross to show the world her recognition. I lose my life to gain Him who is bigger than anything I know. Our mission starts from us!

Heart Speaks!

 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good... Matthew 12:35

A classic example. I remember that I was told once not to drink coconut water from few particular trees because of its salty flavor. A tree is known by its fruit.

Our words are reflection of our thoughts. By my words I will be justified or be condemned on the day of judgment. Plain speech! We don’t need to be a scholar to understand this simple sentence.

When I read this passage the first time, I thought to myself… ‘Ok, from now on I need to be careful with my words’. Immediately it struck to me, its not words I need to be careful with but my thoughts!

I need to watch myself… not just the way I look, or the words I speak but the thoughts I have in my heart. I need to dissect myself everyday to check if my thoughts are perfect in the will of God.

Lord, Search me and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Have a Happy Heart! Treasure it up with good!

Let it be done...as you have believed

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed…Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” Matthew 8:8,13

I am truly intrigued by this Centurion who was not a Jew but was the recipient of the greatest honor of being appreciated by Jesus Christ for his faith. The words and the actions of the Centurion were so action packed with ‘faith’ stamped all over. As Jesus enters Capernaum, the Centurion comes forward appealing to him. Centurion though had some authority of his own had the will to come forward calling for Jesus. He was in need and he exactly knew whom to call for. In difficult situations we try everything in our authority to solve the situation rather call on Jesus. But Centurion knew whom to call at the hour of his need.  

For any Roman solider, Caesar was his supreme authority. In the above passages, Centurion uses the word Lord to address Jesus Christ, which implies that he accepted His supremacy. And that shows that he accepted his unworthiness. Acknowledging our unworthiness and accepting His supremacy make us submissive to his will.  

“…only say the word, and my servant will be healed” Well, the Centurion did all this for his servant to be healed. He was a master who cared and was compassionate to even his servants. Because of his compassion, he was rewarded with appreciation and healing of his servant. We too will be rewarded according to how we treat others in life. So, let’s follow the example of Centurion and be appreciated for our faith in Jesus Christ.

The freedom of choice

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Matthew 19: 21,22

I have never met my dad's father. But I always thought that if I had met him, what would be the question I would have asked him? And that would be, why did you choose to follow Christ? I always imagine the huge courage and will of my grand father that made him to forsake everything and follow Christ at his times when Christians were isolated from the society. But what made him to do it, I wondered. Then I realized that the answer for the question was in my own conversion, why did I choose to follow Christ?

Though I was born in a Christian family, I realized that I had many chances to stray away from my faith. I remember the days my friends spoke about their religious rituals and invited me to participate, I remember the days my teacher in the school made us to believe Darwinism and big bang theory are true, I remember the days one my friend bragged about Quran and gave me pamphlets, I remember the days I read in my school lessons about Mahabaratham and Ramayana more than the Bible stories, I remember the days I had every chance to stray away from my faith. Yet, I grew up stronger in my conviction of whom I am going to follow for the rest of my life. And it is Jesus Christ.

I am called to quit of whatever I was doing, not to worry about to bury the dead, not to worry about the worldly possessions but take up the cross and walk from darkness to the light of life. Every one of us has a chance to choose to follow Jesus Christ, it’s not under compulsion or attraction, it is the decision from the depth of your heart. His sheep will listen to their Shepard’s voice and know them and will follow Him. Make a choice today, Follow Jesus!

Count it all joy... James 1:2

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-3

I met one of my friends in November 2014, he was happy and excited as he had a steady job and a good income. He was very optimistic about even opening his own business in the new year. The same friend called me last week, his voice was shaky and was barely covering the sob that was about to break out. He told me that he lost his job and all his money. A friend who anticipated glorious things to happen this new year, was staring at a bleak future. Life was punishing him for reasons unknown.

Well, this happens to everyone of us. The intensity of our trials may vary but there will be trials in everyones life and we all react to it. We exhibit anger, sadness, fear, disgust, etc., Human emotions are complex. But God makes complexity simple. He tells us to count it all joy ('How can I do it?' was my first reaction, 'crazy' was my second). But God made me to realize something beautiful through the words, 'let him' which is mentioned in the following verses of James 1st chapter. Yes, I can do it and after all, it is not crazy at all... I draw all my experience, all my knowledge, all my understanding and cast it all aside and let me absolutely surrender to God and acknowledge i am weak and He is strong. When I realize God reigns, I know that this is a testing of my faith and God who is in control will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear (I Cor 10:13). So, Count is all joy!