I, the convert

In India the general mass has a misconceived idea that people who ‘convert’ to Christianity are those in lower sector of the society and they do it for monetary and other benefits. The Christian missionaries and organizations are accused of converting people to their religion by luring them using such measures as food, education and better life. But people often forget that it is not just the lower class of the society which embraces Christian faith. From what I have seen in past 4 years after coming to the Christian faith; I understand that it is easy to approach a poor or needy person with gospel because he is greatly dissatisfied with his present life and is longing for a divine intervention. A person enjoying the upper class life may be running after a lot of things finding less or no time for God. But God’s love is equally there for all of us.

I came across this article in the Outlook magazine last week. It contains the testimony of Anand Mahadevan the editor of Outlook Business and many other people who were ready to take the risk for their faith. It inspired me. Please check these two links.

I, the convert:
Yours, Faithfully:

I too came from a non Christian family and had to go through much trouble because of my faith. I will share these in my blog ‘christianroad’. I will publish this once I have put down enough things.

There's probably no God!

Please hold on... that is not my message :)
I saw the following in the news today. Please check.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7681914.stm
The slogan seems to be very interesting.
“There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”
Two questions which came to my mind.
Q1. What is the word “probably” doing there? Is this whole project based on some assumption?
Q2. Why should you worry to acknowledge a God who loves you?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Jn. 3:16,17

God is love and He loves us. So be cheerful and not worrying in acknowledging Him.

Outsourcing prayer- That worked!

I’ve been checking with my friend for last two days and came to know that he is praying and reading Bible. So that worked. Praise God!!
Now he has reached Mathew 5. He asked me a few question from what he read. I pray that God will touch him

Outsourcing Prayer

Saturday morning:
trrring.. trrring
Me: ‘Hello Good morning”
My Friend: “Good Morning. I was thinking of calling you”
Me: “hmm”
Friend: “Please pray for me. I am a little worried about my job”
Me: “I am praying. But are you praying?”
Friend: “I know it will work if you pray and that’s enough”.
Me: “I don’t think so. When did you pray last time.”
Friend: silence…..
….Looks like he doesn’t remember.
Me: “which chapter are you reading in Bible?”
Friend: “I have reached Matthew:1”
Me: “I guess you reached there two weeks back”
Friend: slience
Blah blah blah Blah blah blah
Blah blah blah

Monday morning
Me: Hie!!
Friend: “Did you pray for me?”
Me: “Of course :)”
Friend: “What did you pray.”
Me: “I prayed “lord You know my friend and You know the situation he is going through. So please answer his prayer.”
Me: “Did you pray yesterday?”
Friend: s—i—l—e—n—c—e……..

I think he will go home and pray today.

God Doesn't Have Grandchildren

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals, even if these three men — Noah, Daniel and Job — were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD. “Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no-one can pass through it because of the beasts, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.
Ezekiel 14: 12-16

When we think in terms of the relationships in this world it is naturally perceived that if you have a son or daughter the child of that son or daughter will be your grandchild. Your grandson will be relating directly to you through your son.

In Exodus 20:5, 6 God tells His people

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

God has assured that He will bless the generation of those who obeys Him. But is that enough for salvation? The passage from Ezekiel 14: 12-16 mentioned above speaks of the necessity of having a personal relationship with God. As I was sharing about my faith with a friend I asked him how he believes in Jesus. The answer was that since his parents were Christians he also goes to church and prays to Jesus. But is that enough? So I asked him “What would you have done if you were born in a non-Christian family…..the answer “Of course I would have gone to their worship center and worshipped their god.”

So the point is your faith has to grow above that. You should be able to relate to God as a child related to father. Our God wants a personal relationship with each and every one of us. For Him the son or daughter of a believer is not grandson but just another individual. You may be blessed materialistically but the eternity is at stake.

I pray that God will lead each and every one of us to have a personal relationship with Him like that between a child and father.

Love: Where does it start?

Let us examine the 10 Commandments.
Exodus 20:2-17

1. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol
3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
5. Honor your father and mother
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

The point here is that the first 4 commandments deals with your relationship with God; and the rest with fellow humans. When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment in the law He replied.

“`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40

Loving God is mentioned first and foremost; then comes loving your neighbor. The reason is that if you love God then it automatically follows that you love your neighbor – because God’s love is in you.

I pray that God’s love will fill us and flow through us to touch the lives around.