Judgement on Immorality

On the Judgment day ,
men who have exploited, abused and taken advantage of women will be brought to judgment and
women who have intentionally enticed, seduced and led men into committing lustful actions and thoughts will be brought to judgment
...

With immorality and perversion becoming excessively widespread and accepted as the norm, let each of us repent and seek holiness by surrendering our life to Christ and walking close to him.

Seek Holiness to Become God's Child

God calls everyone to be his children. He shows no partiality.

However, we reject the calling when we don’t choose holiness.

We cannot say we choose God when we don’t give due importance to righteousness.

We cannot become the children of God, when we don’t seek purity.

God calls us but are we responding to the call by choosing to do what is right?

Even if we don’t have the strength to be perfect, do we at least have the desire to be pure?

God knows that no one is perfect; but, he helps those who are willing to make an attempt.

 

Holiness cannot be achieved by our own strength.

It requires an aggressive surrender to God in every walk of life – in thought, word and deed.

Are we willing to surrender ourselves to God so that he can make us holy?

Are we willing to try to desire holiness so that we can become God’s children?

God is waiting for us. Our life is a test that is made of moral choices.

We may not be able to be perfect; but are we willing to try with God’s help.

Jesus is willing to shape us to perfection if we let him to.

Deny Self and Find Life in God

I cannot live for myself and God at the same time.

The desires of the self are never in harmony with the desires of God.

If I want to choose God, I need to reject/deny myself.

The desires of the self are pride, greed, pleasure and so on.

The desires of God are compassion, grace, sacrifice and so on.

Both desires cannot co-exist in a person.

One cannot deny oneself without the help of God.

It takes a lot of effort, sincerity and prayer time to understand the truth and joy of self-denial.

Just like Christ died for us to give us life, we need to die to ourselves (our carnal self) to receive the life that God is waiting to offer us.

Let us earnestly seek God’s grace in our effort to die to ourselves – so that we may find life everlasting in God.

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to follow Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. - Matthew 16:24

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. -  Galatians 2:20

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:24

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. – John 12:24

Why do Good People Suffer - 1

Suffering gets us close to God – like nothing else.

It puts us in a position to have a real relationship with him.

For a man to have a relationship with God, he has to be humble.

A relationship with God is not a relationship between equals – it is a relationship between the creator and the creation –an absolutely profound relationship that is only possible when man takes his rightful place of a creation in front of the creator. It is a position of absolute humility.

God cannot have a relationship with a proud person – it is just against the truth and God is Truth.

Suffering puts us in a position of humility and neediness. A position that makes our hearts open itself to God.

Suffering gives us what it is required to establish an eternal spiritual connection with God.

God created us to be his children, to take comfort from him, to flourish on his love – which is the living water that quenches the thirst of our soul.

God designed us to thrive on his love. This purpose can be achieved only when man comes like a child to God.

Suffering pushes us to develop a childlike trust and neediness towards God - a personality that makes it possible for God to interact with.

God does not create suffering but sometimes he does not stop suffering in the lives of the people he loves in order to get their attention.

In the end, our present suffering is temporary; but God wants to use it to mold us and make us worthy of eternal bliss. 

Christ's People

Some people have heard of Christ but don’t know him.
Some people have never heard of Christ but have a relationship with him.

Who are Chirst’s people?

All those who are moved with compassion for the suffering belong to Christ.
All those who feel convicted of their sins and are seeking repentance belong to Christ.
The sick, the struggling, the weak, the outcasts, the destitute, the hungry and lonely are Christ’s people. These people will find Christ through their suffering and their inability to cope with life.
All those who seek God and his holiness belong to Christ.
All those who seek justice for the oppressed belong to Christ.

Let us not be fooled into thinking that those who belong to Christ are a bunch of elite theologians.


Christ can reveal himself to people in ways we will never understand.

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. - 1 John 4:7

“Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'” – Mathew 25: 35-37

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." – Galatians 5:14

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” – 1 Corinthians 1:27

The Worst Sin

Competition is the worst sin that goes unnoticed.

It is rooted in pride and leads to jealousy.

It stems from man's original sin to 'be like God'

Competitions spreads disharmony, spoils relationships and leads to loneliness.

It is the Devil's favorite tool to keep man distanced from his neighbor; after all how can we love anyone when we are constantly competing?

This sin can be masked under the positive notions of performance and progress.

The most attractive of sins, even good, upright and seemingly righteous men can fall a prey to it.

Competition can be found everywhere in this world - schools, families, societies; in fact, can anyone tell me where there is no competition?

Competition is even encouraged by parents and leading institutions.

Let us pray that God helps us to overcome the spirit of competition and find the spirit of love and gentleness.

Let is build our self-worth on God's love and not based competing with each other.

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

"The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:4,5

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves" - Philippians 2:3

Perfect Love and Perfect Justice - Possible With God

God is totally just and totally loving.
His sense of justice requires that we are punished for every sin.
Yet, his totally loving nature stops him from punishing us.

How can he be totally loving and just? -  and be GOD!!
The only solution was to take the punishment on himself.

When Christ died on the cross, he took the sins of the whole world.
Christ's death on the cross fulfils God's requirement for justice and allows us to be united back with him in love.

The only criteria for accessing the love of God, is honesty and repentance.
This gift of grace is available only to those who are honest with God about their sins and are willing to work with him to become better.

Let not guilt stop us from going back to God.
However big our sins our, he is inviting us with open hands and is willing to hug us - he loves us so much.

GOD DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SINNERS - HE ONLY HAS A PROBLEM WITH HYPOCITES.

The greatest tragedy is not physical death - it is spiritual death.
All of us will die one day or the other - but we need to take care of our spirit because it lives forever.