On The Narrow Road

Father’s Day!

1 John 3:1a – “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

Growing up without a father sure wasn’t easy. When I was a toddler, I perhaps didn’t even know I needed a father, but not having a father to teach me to ride a cycle or drop me to school on my first day or teach me how to shave or to drive the car sure are things I would have probably wanted a father to be doing for me. Almost all my friends had fathers to give them life lessons, teach them problem solving skills, be their moral and emotional support when they got their first bruises or their first heartbreaks, be it cheering for them on the sports days or just lending a listening ear to their child. They all probably felt quite safe having a manly figure to protect them. Personally I felt I needed a role model or a father figure I could look up to too.

It was not until 7 to 8 years ago when I had begun to seek God intentionally, I learnt that, in God; I have a Father. I knew from a young age that Christians addressed God – Father, but getting to know God more deeply & understanding that He adopted & bestowed immeasurable love upon me was not just pivotal in me drawing close to God but it also gave me a sense of identity as a child of God. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:5 – “God predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, in accordance with His pleasure & will”. This verse gave me a lot of assurance that even though I didn’t have anyone to call as a father, I sure had the Creator and the Sustainer of the entire universe whom I could call my Father and the Holy Spirit gives me that assurance in Romans 8:16 & Psalms 68:5 says that God is a Father to the fatherless. At a young age, I made peace with the fact that I am going to live my life without a father & It’s not that I was jealous because my friends had a father & I did not. A part of me always longed to have a father which was evident with what characterized who I was as an individual growing up & it was only after getting to know God more closely as a Father I was able to change & grow into who I am today.

It’s not that I didn’t have a family member to drop me to school on my first day, but having a father to tie my shoe laces would have surely felt different. It’s not that I didn’t have anyone to cheer me on during the sports days, but having a father lift me in the air when I won those races would’ve been different. It’s not that I didn’t have a mother who would be proud of my various academic accomplishments but having a father who’d treat me with an ice cream would have made success taste sweeter. It’s not that I didn’t have a friend to share about my heartbreaks but having a compassionate father with a listening ear would have felt different.
And finally, it’s not that I don’t have anyone on earth that loves me but knowing that I have a Father in God who loves me as His own child sure changes me as a person daily. The same Hands that formed & shaped the earth & placed everything where it belongs are the same Hands that are shaping me, moulding me & placing me in the perfect places at the appropriate moments in the various walks of my life.

For years of being without a father, ideally it wouldn’t be easy calling someone else as Father all of a sudden and of course through marriage I have gained an amazing father-in-law who I can call Dad, but that was only possible because of the way God the Father changed me and shaped me in the last few years. Some day in the future in God’s good time, when & if I become a father, I know I can look up to God for learning how a father should be like – compassionate, abounding in love, mighty, a safe place, slow to anger, kind hearted, reliable, forgiving, gracious and the list goes on. So that one day I can hopefully say like John does in 3 John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

Judging others & our standard for it

Apology

I’m sorry if I have ever given the impression on social media that I’m very righteous or very holy or very religious. That has never been my intention. I have no righteousness of my own(Philippians 3:9). I have no good apart from God (Psalm 16:2) I am still a sinner just like everyone else(could be worse than many of you reading this). I still need God’s grace & mercy every moment. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8.

I’d honestly appreciate it if someone tells me I have made a mistake in anything I’ve written biblically incorrectly, that’s how I’d learn! As long as the other is willing to have a civil dialogue, be reasoning enough, I’m open to listen to their views!

If you ask me, do I like social media a lot or am I obsessed/ consumed by it? No!

Is it good medium to spread the Truth? Yes! Is it the only medium? No!

But we’re still stuck in a virtual world for the moment & this seems a good medium for now. It saddens me to know that we’re

discussing real life issues on social media but discuss petty & trivial things in person things that don’t impact eternity! I read a Mike Winger statement once – ‘Self correction always

comes before correcting others. Too often Matthew 7:1- “Judge

not, that you be not judged”, is used to say that we shouldn’t judge others, but as we go further down Jesus said in verse 5 – “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, & then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Many people take the first verse out of context & forget the fifth, we are called to judge without being hypocrites. Without judging, How else can you know right from wrong? Or truth from lies? Or

real from fake?

Know the difference in judging righteously & hypocritically!

Lastly, by what standard? What’s your standard by which you base your judgements on? If everything was subjective then nobody is right, nobody is wrong(It would be extreme to say but then if you hold onto a subjective world view even Hitler/Kim Jong-Un wouldn’t be wrong according to that, sorry for the extreme example, but I hope it drives the point).

Build your foundation on Christ the Rock, the Solid

Ground (Matthew 7:24-27).The Way, The Truth & The Life(John 14:6)- a basis for an absolute & an objective worldview. Don’t build it on a subjective worldview which is like sand, shaky & unstable!

God is eternal, the world is temporary.

God’s Truth -permanent & dependable, Our feelings – changing always & undependable

Prayer before Post

Something I wrote during the 2nd Covid-19 wave. Thought about saving it in my blog

“When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” – Proverbs 29:2 I get it! You might be frustrated at the situation right now. You feel helpless. We want the lockdowns to end, we want the cases to reduce, we expect capable governance so that we can enjoy freely once again. Some of us are even selfish (that’s how we humans generally are) because we love our freedom more than others safety which at the moment seems to be snatched against our will due to the lockdown. But what we ultimately need is freedom from sin which is found in Christ alone by grace provided by God through Faith & through the working of the Holy Spirit.

Christian, before posting that post/story, before making that comment on social media about a certain mismanagement by the government, did you take time to pray about it? Did you take it to God in prayer? Is God your first resort or is He kept for after you’ve ranted your feelings on social media? You may think you’ve been lied to on certain data by those in authority, reflect on the times you’ve lied (no matter how small or a white lie), wasn’t that also a sin against a Holy God who should be your ultimate authority? Isn’t God & not the government who is sovereign over everything? If you really believe that God reigns over everything and has everything in control (which He does), then don’t put your hopes in the governments, în vaccines, put it in the Lord, for He ordains the time for when these all will be set in place. “For there is no authority except from God & the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” – Romans 13:1

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” – Psalms 42:11 You might be feeling torn apart with the situation, I understand your soul is grieving even looking at the news, you might not even feel like waking up from bed & stepping out to buy essentials & hoping this is all a dream, but go first to God rather than social media, remember Psalms 34:18- “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart & saves such as have a contrite spirit.” In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus promises rest for your souls when you are weary and burdened.

Finally, God is Faithful & True to His promises, Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” When taken in context, this verse isn’t talking about this life, it’s not about the here and the now, so we should preach the Gospel & live it out!

Loki – TV series

Loki – TV series

I used to never understand how people liked reading books more than watching a movie of it until about 4 years back I started getting involved in Bible studies. I don’t like comparing tv series, movies, etc to anything biblical but here’s an observation.

So many people have been going crazy over this series & I’ve watched it too. No doubt the graphics & visuals are amazing but people have been mind blown over the STORYLINE. I didn’t find the storyline that fascinating because I’ve read something far more fascinating! The series has been made brilliantly, at par with any other Marvel movie & I’m not trying to degrade it in any sense but let me explain below..

I started watching the series around the same time that at our Church Bible study started the book of Romans & we’re still in the 1st Chapter since about 2 months (6 episodes of Loki about 6 weeks of Bible study). And wow, the book of Romans – more amazing & mind blowing to understand the depth and richness it has as compared to the Loki series.

If you’ve read the Doctrines of Grace(TULIP), which most reformed Christians might have been introduced to, you’d most likely not find the storyline of Loki that interesting because the Doctrines of Grace already talk about things like total depravity, unconditional election (Ephesians 1:4-5), God knowing the end before the beginning since He’s beyond time itself (Isaiah 46:10), God knowing our every thoughts (Psalm 139 and 94:11), God knowing us even before we were born(Jeremiah 1:5). And to be fair it’s not the doctrines of Grace that teach all this, it’s God’s Word itself if studied in detail.

Romans 1:20-22 “For since the creation of the world is invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

God help us to understand Him better & live for His glory! Soli Deo Gloria!

Music

World Music Day!

A question for the musicians out here, would you keep me in your band if I constantly told you for all songs, I “feel” I am playing right whereas everyone else is playing in another key?

Isn’t it harmonious when all the musicians in a group are singing/ playing instruments in the same key/scale? Imagine even if 1 said, I “feel” like I am right when they play/sing a song in a different key than the rest. That would create dissonance. Many people would say someone is off/playing wrong. Isn’t that chaotic in a musical sense?

Now apply the same logic to when people say I “feel” like something whereas biologically they are not. Or what if magically I say I “feel” I’m 60 years old. Will the govt. give me all my pension money? Or I say I “feel” I’m 7 foot when I’m only 4.5 feet tall & get me eligible for certain jobs that demand height as a factor like the army.

People can magically change their biology but others aren’t allowed to magically change their height, age, etc?

Do feelings really determine reality and the truth? A big flaw in those that hold on to subjective worldviews. Truth by definition has to be objective. I would have always scored 700 on 100 in maths if truth was subjective. People are forgetting the basic concepts of truth & reality.

A musician cannot continue making good music without it sounding dissonant when he/she is ignorant of the truth, we see the same chaos in the world around now when people have drifted away from God’s design! God help us all to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, moral from immoral.

Good Friday

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” Pascal(yeah, the science guy)

Most people ask, if God is real, why doesn’t He stop evil? May be cause if He did. He’d start with you! Truth is, there is none good, not one(Romans 3:10) and you know that deep down in your heart!

To most people the existence of God is not a logical or evidence based denial but a moral one. (There is plenty of evidence for, Christianity isn’t a blind faith, but that’s not what I want to talk about today). Most people hate God cause He doesn’t conform to their liking.

Could God have created a world without evil, of course He could, He’s GOD! To think about if that would be without logically possible without affecting your free will, you decide! How would you know the difference in good and bad if there wasn’t an Absolute standard of morality (God)? Moreover, you already know what’s good & bad and He is offering you the Best. Now you ask what is that? God Himself! To spend eternity in the presence of God Himself.

The human justice system works in a way which leads to criminals facing consequences for their crimes(this generation would understand better, cause there’s so many SJWs{Social Justice Warriors} online & in real life)

Yes God is Love, but God is also Just. How can a God who is Holy let go of sin without a punishment? Ever think about all the evil deeds done from the beginning of time to the end that have gone unpunished? God knows every small one of them & He’s being a Righteous and Just God had a way to punish all those acts of unrighteousness from even before time began!

That is why God sent His only begotten Son – Jesus, who led a sinless life, to pay the price for all our sins. Christ humbled Himself and became obedient unto death. He Loves you. Wouldn’t you consider someone giving up their life to save you as one of the greatest form of love? Now imagine God sending His Son to pay the price for your sins so that you may enjoy eternal life in the presence of God Himself!

The good news of the Gospel is that of eternal life in the presence of God Himself. The good news is that of ‘Grace’, it is a free gift, and you cannot earn your way to heaven(so that you do not boast as it is contrary to God’s nature. ‘God resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble’ – James 4:6), the redemptive work has already been done by Jesus Christ. It is unparalleled to any system that talks about working your way to God, rather God has already done the work for us, all we have to do is repent & believe! “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Such were some of you (1 Cor 6:11)

Reminder
Such were some of you – This one line needs to be a constant reminder to all believers of what they were saved from, how God saved them, how God’s Amazing Grace found them.

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11. Prior to this verse, Paul mentions a list of sins & what type of people will not inherit the Kingdom of God but more importantly we should notice that he mentions such were some of those people, they no longer identify with those sins now that they’ve been saved.

If the news or any story you hear about someone you know surprises/shocks you and makes you go – Whaaaaaaat!!! That’s when you need to praise and thank God for being gracious to you! It could have easily been you if God’s saving grace did not find you in the past!

Comparison
C.S. Lewis once said, “Comparison is the theif of joy.”
Too often we think – why cannot people be more patient towards others as we’re being to them? Or be more forgiving towards others as we’re to them? Why can’t they be more loving and practice biblical Christianity like we do? When someone openly tells a lie, we question, why can’t they speak the truth? Why can’t someone practice humility like we do? Why cannot they make time for Church, fellowship, Bible study like we do?
Of course this all can lead to a place of pride and boasting in our heart where we can think too high and righteously of ourselves but this is not what a Christian is called to be like. Praise be to God for being gracious to us if we haven’t been led to that state yet!

“Be careful not to measure your holiness with other people’s sins.”- Martin Luther.
And we also need to keep in mind what Jesus said in Matthew 7:5 about removing the log from our own eye and see clearly before we try to remove the speck from another’s eye.

Gifts and Fruits
Let’s talk about gifts here because they are important in this context in a sense that these are not something we should boast about as they were given to us by God.
Before knowing God I might have been knowledgeable, but I might not have been wise(Proverbs 9:10)
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” – Galatians 5:22.
We need to realise that all the goodness that is in us now has come from God, they’re all either gifts or fruit of the Spirit, which with our own effort we’d not be able to display. “Apart from Him we can do nothing.” – In John 15:5 which Jesus talks about Him being the Vine and we the branches, we bear fruit only because of Christ.
God is the fountain from all things flow as it says in Psalms 36:9 – “For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.”
If you are able to distinguish well the difference between a false teacher and a true preacher of the gospel, then you should be thankful to God for the gift of discernment.

Being very active on social media, I like to get into debates in the comments section of posts. Many times I’ve had to delete what I’ve typed, long or small responses because I know it would cause more harm than help and the gift of wisdom plays a major role here to understand when to respond, how to respond, whether to respond or not. I’m reminded of Romans 12:17-18, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” I understand that sometimes knowledge can make someone boastful(1 Cor 8:1) and though I could be more knowledge on a topic(which is a gift), if I don’t show grace and love to another person, it can lead to very prideful place in my heart.

In conclusion, we need to remember how God’s amazing, saving and redeeming grace saved wretched sinners like us. Just knowing that the sins of our past don’t hold us captive, that we’re no longer a slave to sin but made alive in Christ, that we’re a new creation all because of His redeeming grace & nothing of what we’ve done (Ephesians 2:8-9) should bring so much peace to our heart & life.
We wish to show the grace God has shown us to all around us, but we fail too often, more times than we can imagine & hoped, right? Let’s run to God in those times and strive to not just live in the Spirit but also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25,26) May we not be conceited cause it can lead to envy, ego, jealousy and pride.

And remember – “Such were some of you!”

Nice Guys Finish Last

The Race

They say nice guys finish last, but that’s only cause you think they’re running the race from your perspective. They’re not running the race most of the others are in, they’re not in the rat race of the world.

They are in fact in another meaningful race where they’re far ahead of others & they do not boast about this but with all love & humility they long for others to come to the knowledge of the truth & the path of life. In fact, it breaks their heart way too often when they see their close ones not being able to share in the fullness of joy & pleasures that are forevermore (Psalms 16:11)

Human side
It does hurt when you deny yourself & put others first no doubt, we’re humans after all. But don’t be discouraged for following what is commanded by God! Philippians 2 is an amazing encouragement with respect to this!

If you’ve ever felt that you are finishing last in a worldly sense(you’re not alone, many feel that too often), just remember to “press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” – Philippians 3:14 & “fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith.”- 2 Timothy 4:7 & most importantly depend on God through all the uncertainty of life & while running the race remember to do it all for God’s Glory! Soli deo Gloria!

How?
Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Get into God’s Word Daily and your mind will be renewed. Spend more time in prayer & fellowship with the Lord.

Just to be clear, there is none righteous, not one (Romans 3:10-12), I am talking about “nice” in terms of a general sense how we all understand nice/goodness & not in an objective God given sense of righteousness in this post.

Hardship – Relationship

Hardships make relationships stronger!

Growth :
“The sweetest songs of earth, have been sung in sorrow. The richest things in character, have been reached through pain.” – J.R. Miller.
I would not exchange even a single moment of hardship and trial of my past for a moment of happiness. Growing in holiness is more important than happiness. I am not neglecting the aspect that we need to be happy, just saying what’s more important.

In times of hardship, I was being sanctified & growing in Christ likeness. Yes, being a human, in those moments it did hurt, life seemed difficult, at times to a point of giving up life itself but in the hindsight those times helped me grow, and I’m sure it would feel the same for most of you. As Romans 5:3-5 puts it – tribulations produce perseverance, perseverance produces character & character produces hope & hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts.
“The real test that I believe that God is love is that tragedies don’t separate me from the conviction that God is love.” – Sinclair B. Ferguson

Relationship with God :
Few years back I would wonder how can people say they have a relationship with God. In my heart I thought that couldn’t be possible but God softened my heart(which He still renews each day) & through His Word(which is so alive and speaks right to our hearts) I realised how personal God is.

The intricacies & details in everything He has created, both visible & invisible, the depths of details of just a single cell of our body – Him knowing every hair on our head(Matthew 10:30) is evident of how much he knows us without forgetting He knows our every thought! He is so personal that while we were still sinners Christ died for us(Romans 5:8), God adopted us as His children through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5). He loved us so much that Jesus went through so much for us, not just physically but He bore the wrath of God on the Cross cause He loved us(and We love Him because He first loved us.
I John 4:19). When we humans create something, there is a sense of connection to that thing or when a child is born, the parents have a connection to the child, similarly God created us for His Glory(Isaiah 43:7). These are all evidence for Him being personal. Bryan Chapell puts it this way, “Relationship comes before obedience. We do not have a relationship with Him because we obey, we obey because He has made a relationship with us.”

In Christ :
Galatians 2:20 – our identity is In Christ. The phrase “in Christ” is about 75 times in the Bible. Knowing God is not enough, even the demons know God & tremble(James 2:19). Does Christ know you so that when our temporal journey on earth is complete He wouldn’t say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”? (Matthew 7:23) Is Christ the Good Shepherd of your life? Are you following and heeding His voice? (John 10:27) Or are you a goat that He’ll easily segregate? (Matthew 25:31-46)
Jesus is the true vine. He tells us to abide in Him as He abides in us in John 15 & also calls us a friend(a relation) in the same chapter. What an amazing privilege it is, in prayer, to approach God the Father through Christ. Jesus promised to send a Helper to guide us & through the work of the Holy Spirit even in hard times & through trails He is sanctifying us & enabling us to righteous & faithful lives by convicting us of our sins.
1 John 4:13-16 summarised is that we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And that God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Whenever a relationship goes through trials, putting in the hardwork brings you even closer to the other person. It was not until I hit Rock bottom in life that the Solid Rock(Christ) made me realise how weak I am by myself & I need Him more than anything. Till today, trials are what draw me more closer to God(that’s not the only way one draws closer to God) & my dependence on Him grows. Too often people say that God won’t give us more than we can handle(1 Corinthians 10:13 taken out of context), but that does happen & that’s when we run to God!
When you have a relationship with anyone, a family member or friend, you’re actions are always to please the other & not hurt them, you’re more self conscious/aware of the things you do & it’s the same with God. As God abides in us, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we’re more aware towards our sin because it displeases God. When a close one tells/teaches you something you don’t obey them just for that moment, you carry it with you, similarly God’s love for you isn’t temporary, so you carry His commands in your hearts even after you are done reading His Word, after you are done dwelling upon it and even after you are done with prayer!

Emotions :
Love, Joy, Happiness, Faithfulness, forgiveness, graciousness, Trust, Awe, a sense of Belonging, Assurance, Peace, Gratitude, Desires, Sadness, Grief, Pain, Anger and many more feelings are associated with each relation we share & since we’re made the image & likeness of God we feel & go through such emotions in our relation with God also. Even the best of marriages that are out there or best of friendships will not be able to satisfy as Christ does! As Blaise Pascal puts it, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”

Finally, when God is the Potter and we the clay(Isaiah 64:8, Romans 9:19), the Potter knows best as He is moulding us for His Glory and our sanctification. Just like Refiner’s Fire(Malachi 3:2-3), when we go through hardships, God is purifying us and removing all the impurities in us & making us more Christ like!
So, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation & continue steadfastly in prayer – Romans 12:12.