The Battle of the Tenses

Reference Passage:

Philipians 3:7-21 (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Read the whole passage here

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For an average Indian, cricket is more than a game. It's status in India gives the impression that, together with haemoglobin, cricket is an essential component of Indian blood. Even children dream of stepping into the boots of Sachin Tendulkar, and flaying the bowling attack all across the outfield. Team India, led by  skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captured the World Cup this year and quenched the thirst of a nation running high for years since the last triumph in 1983. Yet, a recent tour of England brought our Galacticos crashing to planet Earth, playing a string of matches that have been labelled 'forgettable'. The reason is obvious: failure is a bitter pill. Nobody wishes to dwell too long on the memories of past losses.

The question before us is : is God asking us to ignore the past, so that we can feel comfortable enough to pursue the promises of tomorrow? The issue is a significant one, because it influences the presentation of the Gospel, and the knowledge of God's will for fallen man. The believer is being assailed on all sides with ideas that are potentially liberating by appearance. These days, it is commonplace to coax newbies into thinking that God would eagerly wink at our past, and welcome us into His house with open arms. After all, isn't He the one with the ultimate 'I-don't-care' attitude? Wrong.

History is bound to be repeated by those who neglect it. Every imperfect human being has a past record of failures and losses, that must be examined responsibly if any lasting difference is to be made. We must acknowledge that sin is not the mere result of someone's biological blood flowing through our veins, as many have come to believe. Nor does believing in Christ do anything to our vertebrate heart made of cardiac muscle. It is the absence of God's life-giving Spirit from our lives and the world system to which we belong, that keeps us detached from spiritual reality and drains us of every likeliness to God's image with which we were created. There's a throne in our lives that ought to have been rightfully yielded to the King of kings. Our reluctance to do this has repeatedly allowed history to block our progress.

On the other hand, what we really need to shake off is the complacent cobwebs of past success. Growing experience of success pulls the brakes on our momentum because we are so busy celebrating our yesteryears and foreseeing the next anniversary. We fail to humbly see the challenges of the future. Don't we act like we have 'seen-it-all' and there are going to be no more surprises in our spiritual experience?  Knowledge is quite different from understanding, although they sound like synonyms. Reading the Bible cover-to-cover or learning at a theological seminary may help absorb vast amounts of factual information. Nevertheless, realizing the purpose of God's call upon our lives and tuning ourselves to fit that role, is something else. When learning is supported by conviction, the student has entered the realm of understanding.

For example, heaven, at best, sounds like a distant dream to us but we're hardly bothered. Salvation has been reduced to a set of procedures, and no one is surprised. Our weekly church services are more akin to club meetings, featuring the local talents live. What a far cry from being the Body of Christ where members complement each other, feel each other's pain, and serve a single objective! It sounds great to talk about the revival of the 50s and the passionate 70s. In fact, we use this to question the status quo and long for the 'good old days' to return. Yet, there remain doubts surrounding the 'freshness' of the questioner's own experience. Do we have something new from the Lord today, when we point our fingers at someone else? You see, there is no point advertising a product that's unavailable in stock.
All this, and much more, tells us that the Christian Church, leaders and followers alike, are cushioned in the chambers of knowledge while conviction and understanding is largely lacking.

There's also something else to look out for. At times, the conflicts of the present compel us to stop. If our faith has led to today's troubles, we think to ourselves, why should we struggle endlessly? Suddenly, we give up all the grand plans, and our enthusiasm fades away. The disciples in the rough sea had already given up hope, which is why even Jesus in the distance, looked like a ghost to them. It becomes a mammoth struggle to row against the wind, and every pull of the oar is heavier than the previous one. Nevertheless, our Lord doesn't fail to show up, if necessary, even in the fourth watch of the night, His calm voice and authoritative presence bringing swift deliverance. Which is how we managed to suvive the last time! Surely, He won't fail us this time either.

The Christian's upward call is a continuing process of learning and practising the nature of Christ. There remain lots of unexplored territory in our quest, and we must not allow our past or present, whether failure or victory, to drag us down. To forget where we belong, and to divert our focus onto earthly things will be the biggest shame of all. The glory of our future lies in the undying love of the Saviour who called us to Himself, and His power will bear us all the way to the finish line and beyond. 

The Treasury of Solomon : Questions to a life of self-service

Reference Passage:

Proverbs 13:19 (NASB)
Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.

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Our sweetest memories are often made when we have our deepest desires satisfied, on our own or with help from others. In fact, most popular movements use this philosophical backbone to attract followers. Anyone who tells the way to pleasure, whatever the hearer's taste, will easily soar high in the approval ratings – the shorter the way, the better. Moreover, the world today offers options for every imaginable preference, humans being a race of diverse likes. Every idea brings a unique sense of gratification – the very thing that makes it difficult to separate a practise and the practitioner. Although our personalities embody immense capabilities, its interesting to note that our desires drive us to use them or simply waste them away.

However, its always impossible to ligitimise every desire. We've happily introduced such words as 'amoral' to convince ourselves that our actions carry no consequence. Whenever a question is raised, almost everyone says, as do I, that they're trying not to 'harm' anybody else. We excuse ourselves liberty even when we cross known boundaries, as long as we're not stepping on someone's toes. Of course, that assumes we can see those toes in the first place and everyone sounds genuinely concerned about the common good. Really?

Whatever our definition of 'evil', evil apparently comprises some portion of everyone's experience. Moreover the global manifestations of evil only increase, never decrease. The point is that, this 'common good' that we imply, is gradually becoming irreversibly invisible. The media may have played a part in the skewed portrayal of facts, but undeniable statistics remain. If we all were authentically trying to make decisions thinking of others, then why is this so?

There is a vital premise to the discussion that sets the subject in a different light. Are we a created lot or a self-made kind? They that have brought about their own existence, or developed their own progress, have the right to chase their own fancies. It is the rest of us that bear the responsibility of pleasing someone else, parents for instance. Coming to think of it, if we are the creation of a creative God, it is implied that our desires are created too. Furthermore, it indicates that the Creator has His own unique desires over creation that seek satisfaction, as is true of us. In that case, should it not be our highest destiny and ultimate desire, to please God fully with our lives?

Its the mark of a good designer to take pleasure in the yield of his invention, which correlates to its own intended state of well-being. I can't help but think of the popular Windows computer operating system. When a click is a click, Microsoft has reason to smile. On the other hand, if a click turns the system feverish, we know something's wrong with Windows. In other words, our pursuit of the Creator's good pleasure would be the ideal ground for the benefit of our race, and self-seeking the cause of our ruin.

God's realistic view of the big picture is another reason for us to seek the common good through Him, rather than on our own. Communism was once touted as the model of a just society, keeping God out of the picture. By and large, communist governments have been atheist in outlook, some even attempting to stamp out religion. But the world is yet to see a single successful Communist country that could attain its theoretical goals without mass murder and curbing of rights to expression. The story of Liu Xiabo, the Chinese Nobel Laureate who was prevented from receiving the prestigious prize, reveals the current state of affairs in China. Communism was no cure for man's natural tendency to serve himself at others' costs, and self-seeking individuals have repeatedly undermined its cause.

Returning to our earlier question of increasing evil, here's food for thought : How could we source everything in life from the One who formed us, and yet claim to derive pleasure on our own, exclusive of Him? Above all, if our ingratitude and negligence had turned our River of Joy into the undrinkable Spring of Sorrow, how could we expect our world to become a happier place with every passing day? The truth is that whenever we willfully relish the forbidden fruit, we court the risk of spending life outside the Garden, banished to till the accursed ground as we please. With the passage of time, the sons of Adam may delight in the sweaty painful labours of the earth and advertise a glittering planet, while actually multiplying their sorrows. Yet, Adam alone knows what he gambled away. Fittingly, our end is a return to the ground we cultivated by life's choices, and not to the delights of God's Garden!

Though His critics ridicule Him as a suicidal hero, the person of Jesus Christ continually exposes our vain self-serving worldviews. Having known His life's real purpose, He prayed agonisingly in Gethsemane, en route to the horrors of crucifixion, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." (Mathew 26:39)

Sinners discover at the Cross that Christ's submission to that higher will, helped release forever God's goodwill toward us – a uniting joy that far surpasses the divisive peaks of lust.

As suggests the wise man, our hope is to forsake our foolish ways – but would we?

Mr. Bright counts the stars

Reference Passage:

Genesis 15:5-6 (NIV)

He took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.

Read the whole passage here

 

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The name is Abram, and not Abraham – your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. Abram became Abraham much later, which symbolically testifies that life is a progressive process of God-induced change. Its difficult to understand this Biblical legend without some background investigation. It must be kept in mind that three of the world's most significant religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – draw different views of his life, and are also nicknamed Abrahamic faiths.

Abram first heard God's call while part of a family with no reputed spiritual heritage. For all those who believe that circumstance defines character, Abram doesn't fit the theory at all. How starkly in contrast Abram stands, as compared to us who can't discern God's voice even while surrounded by religiosity on all sides! The Bible leaves out the specific details of how Abram first picked up the Heavenly signals, or recognized them for their true worth, but that's part of the mystery of true spirituality. I wonder how many readers would linger on this blog if Abram's precise technique was known. We'd all be busy trying to ape and market Abram's recipe for instant faith, just as we're already attempting in other spheres of our professional lives. Its heartening to know that the Almighty draws us to Himself in so many different and unpredictable ways, and the only common thread for our success is the undying trust we place on Him, come what may.

At that time, Abram had just emerged from a thumping victory in battle against other powerful kings in the area. All the same, God knew that Abram was uneasy within. Abram had left much behind to follow the Voice he heard years ago, but it felt like he was still on square one. The original Divine promise had been centered on the fruitfulness of Abram's family life, and to date, there was no sign of this.

As Abram expressed his anxiety concerning the heir to his estate, God reaffirmed His promise and pointed Abram to the twinkles dotting the night sky. To win over the troubled warrior, God suggested a game of childish innocence and simplicity – counting the stars! Feeling nostalgic already? We fancied that we'd seen it all and that our elementary school mathematics teacher had equipped us well for the venture. And so we began. Yet, in the end, we all gave up the game for the sheer limitlessness of the number. "So shall your descendants be", God vowed.
The celestial lights were not new to Abram, yet this moment of revelation transformed his view deeply. In effect, God was telling the saint that he'd still not seen all that God could do.

Nature surrounds us in all its created splendor. Man is unique in his capability to appreciate the beauty of the universe. Nobody has created science, we're merely observing that which already exists. Interestingly, human science is generally limited to the five senses. Even the greatest scientist can only retrieve information through these, and cannot say whether other higher senses exist or not. This is equivalent to saying that a tape recorder that "hears" and "speaks" can know nothing about smell – being limited to the two senses by design. We do well if we employ our God-given talents to explore and study our surroundings.

However, nature's ultimate objective is not simply this. It holds in its heart priceless nuggets that point us to the mind of our Creator. Nevertheless, as was Abram's case, and ours, this "higher" information is not readily edible for our five senses. It takes a Divine act of revelation to digest such greater sense. Abram saw the sufficiency of his sovereign God in the midst of his depressing problem, and gathered courage to continue the journey. This responsive faith scored high in God's marking scheme for righteousness.

In the absence of revelation, humans stumble upon the same childish assumption of knowing everything on their own. Which turned out to be Mr. Bright's fatal error.

Mr. Bright decided to take up the challenge and count the stars. He felt that the naked eye was not sufficient, and so began to develop complicated instruments to sharpen his gaze into the heavens. Next, was an ambitious project of discovering, naming and classifying new stars. The burgeoning greatness of his knowledge somehow convinced him that God and spirituality were alien to science, and therefore Mr. Bright brilliantly suggested that a drive to cleanse academic circles of this 'alien' culture was necessary. While Abram was busy learning faith and moving towards the Heavenly places, Mr. Bright was lecturing to packed auditoriums about the greatness of man and the delusion of religion. His report card in Heaven had a lot of zeroes, but how would he know that?

Mr. Bright lived a good life, by the way. Comfort in the bank and a loving family at home – what more could he ask for? Yet, it irked him to think that all of his knowledge could not formulate a comfortable solution to the universal problem of death, or even predict a glimpse of the reality on the other side of that yawning doorway. He guessed that only dust and bones would remain.

The day of death arrived – and in moments, Mr. Bright's eyes opened to discover the literal meaning of a 'grave mistake'.

The Prostitute's Scarlet Cord

Reference Passage:

Joshua 2:21 (NIV)

“Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”

   So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 

Read the whole passage here

 

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Rahab had visitors. Not the usual kind, though. Their demeanour showed signs of serious business. Hardly the shady type that showed up usually at her doorstep. They were looking for accommodation, and on Rahab's part, there was no reason to refuse. 

Reasons came knocking soon enough though. 

The king had reliable intelligence that the dreaded Israelites had sent spies to scout the land, having already displayed considerable intent to conquer Jericho. Legend had it that years ago, the descendants of Jacob had spectacularly thrown off the Egyptian yoke of slavery, aided by some unknown God. Proceeding in the direction of Canaan, their first major obstacle was the Red Sea, which miraculously parted ways, allowing the multitude to cross over on dry ground. Judging by their pace, it had only been surprising that they took so long to arrive. Through the years, fresh tidings of their military strength kept coming as if to keep the state of alert alive, until the land was filled with the fear of impending doom. Now that they were just moments away from entering Canaan, Jericho's king had made up his mind to do everything possible to block their way.
Strangely, not everybody thought likewise. Its remarkable that different people react to the same situation in different ways. Rahab, for one, was hoping to find out who this God was. She was surely no stranger to the pantheon of her time. As always, religion brings with it a kind of passionate fervour whenever its adherents spend much to prop it up on ceremonial crutches. There may be little intellectual or moral nutrition in the package, but devotees find a queer sense of  fulfilment and pride in religious business. But, this enigmatic God seemed to transcend empty tradition and human folk tales, He sounded real and Israel's success appeared to have basis for trust. Could she expect a personal encounter someday?

The king's message was ruthless : turn over the 'visitors'. Now, Rahab was in a fix. Life had placed two choices before her, and there was no running away this time. Fear of man or fear of God? Which would she choose? After all, this was her king speaking with all the authority of Jericho. For the rest of us, the second option does not even figure in our calculations, being so 'unworthy' of consideration. Nevertheless, in a momentous decision that speaks volumes of her courage and faith, Rahab decided to hide the spies, and cook up a false story for the king's men.

While the soldiers were busy chasing wild geese, Rahab wasted little time in pleading for mercy from her two guests, humbly admitting that her life was not in her own hands. But wait a minute! Wasn't Rahab overdoing things? In the first place, the agents' lives were in her hands, and she could do as she pleased.
The real difference was that, fortunately for her, her eyes were firmly on what was coming, and everything made different sense in the light of this bigger picture. She could already hear the footsteps of the Israelites and the trumpet blow, and it was only a matter of time before the city fell. Indeed, the measly defences of men would not hold out against a God who parted the Red Sea, and slew the mighty kings of the Amorites. Though the pick was extremely limited, what was actually placed before her was the door of salvation and by faith, she saw the immense opportunity that she otherwise could never aspire to attain.

Would surprises never end? The Israelite operatives had an unusual offer to make. There was no easy 'Yes-or-No' solution. The deal was to leave a scarlet cord tied to the window as a signal to the invaders. Whoever came and remained in Rahab's house, would be saved with her when the attack was on. The spies were not to blame if the cord went missing. There would be no multiplicity of threads. It was obvious that everybody would have to rally to a single point, it being practically impossible for the spies to scour the city for scarlet signals at zero hour. Besides, no one was going to escape by simple gestures or overtures, as is typical of Christmas and Good Friday each year. None of these were too big a sacrifice to make, considering whose priority it was to be saved.    

In effect, that was the end of Rahab's business as the 'businesswoman' was now busy inviting people to a new and living hope. I wonder how often she struggled with the seductive fragrances of her sensual past, while the scarlet cord of hope compelled her in a different direction. Gladly one day, the moment of truth came, and they all were whisked away to safety while the city burned to ruins.

Rahab's story sketches for us the outline of God's redemptive plan for mankind. Grace sends spies to invite repentant sinners into the kingdom. There aren't many who have seen the trouble brewing, or realized that their lives are not in their own hands. While we're all busy dancing to the 'eat-work-play-sleep' pattern, formal religion seems to offer little seriousness and no hope. Both god and believer shy away from commitments of any sort, and self gratification remains the ultimate objective of all. Santa Claus and the Easter bunny have usurped Christ and His Cross. Yet, we've seen our walls crumble before the harsh realities of life, because we chose to take cover in the shadow of the moment. We still have no real answer for fear.
Yet, God placed a scarlet cord at the Cross of Calvary – a salvation deal that expects us to surrender our lives to the will of God's love. This love is sacrificial by nature, and far excels the vain imaginations of a self-seeking human mind. This is where hope overcomes fear, because mercy triumphed over judgement.

Until then? Life hangs by a thread.

The God Rush

 Reference Passage:

Hebrews 12:1 (New Living Translation)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

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The Heavenly call upon human existence is to live life like a race, overcoming every obstacle along the way and focusing on the only goal worth aiming for – the intimate presence of the Almighty Creator. Our first step in answering this call is to leave the gallery and commentary box, where we may have been perched for years, despite counting ourselves as members of a rapture-ready Church. It is easy for an onlooker to comment on every aspect of the game, and even sound like an expert, without ever feeling the heat in the arena.

Recall our current condition – wildly and worldly ambitious, bored with God, ignorant of Scripture, uncomfortable with the Gospel, indifferent to the pain of our fellow human beings. Each of these traits, and many others like them, is weighing us down and making our spirituality a clumsy on-off love affair.  We have little idea where all this emotional baggage came from. Now that its time to fly home, here we are, still unwilling to lighten up and run. The truth is that many of the gems we hold dearer than God for the moment, end up on some shelf in the shadows before long, never to see the light again. Sadly yet rightly, the time that is wasted on these vainglorious pursuits can never be regained.

While the Christian runner has to shed such a lot of weight to get in shape, he still faces the daunting task of outsmarting the traps that lie along the way. In appearance, they are harmless and in some cases, carry the promise of helping you reach your target faster. However, they pack quite a punch and can easily knock out our winning dreams for life. Sin often comes with the promise of security, which makes it more convincing. Lust sometimes wears love as a wrapper, as does indolence with ingenuity.  Selfishness and ego can masquerade as freewheeling independence, but may the discerning believer see the tentacles beneath the robe of light.

The world of spirituality is continually witness to the phenomenal rise of individuals and enterprises, in the name of religion, all over the globe. However, it doesn't take long for the brouhaha to die down and fade away into oblivion. Many of our own grand ideas had us brimming with confidence that our vision would easily be fulfilled, but we're huffing and puffing already. Nothing that we try, seems to work, and what we initially thought was Formula 1, now looks like a turtle race.
The Christian life, as clearly portrayed in the Bible, needs endurance in plenty to reach the finish line. We must continue what God has called us to do, when the initial enthusiasm and 'big talk' begin to dry up. At times, it'll be stiff opposition from insiders, that we have to endure. Surely, this race is a tough one! It's wiser to stop trying to burn ourselves out in a short time. Why fret over all those missed opportunities that we thought would take us to the pinnacle of glory? Would it not be better to learn with humility, beneath God's mighty hand, until the 'right' time to be exalted, is come?
 
Think about this : if everyone were guaranteed a prize, no one would run. There are conditions laid down, which is why this is a race 'set before us'. Sometimes, little children attempt to bargain with their parents whenever pushed to do something new or uncomfortable, like swallowing a spoonful of gooey syrup. “Will you give me anything?”, they ask wide-eyed. (The experienced father duly responds with lip service. Obviously, the old fox is relying on the fact that his child will soon forget the extravagant promise.)
In like fashion, we seem to have forgotten what our race is all about, and settled for bargaining along the way. We find the trail blazed already by our Lord, an uncomfortable one to take. However, over the centuries, every necessary tool has been made available to fulfill our vocation. The Bible itself is a remarkable monument to God's grace manifesting itself in the unlikeliest conditions. Yet, strangely, we have made little progress in proportion to all that God has done. So, we chart our own plans, and propose alternate routes, that we think will lead us to the same finish line. An ever-increasing dependence on technology (with little spiritual fruit in return) is just one example of this. Believe it or not, only one route takes you to God's prize, while every other course leads elsewhere. One thing that 'liberty in Christ' does not mean, is the freedom to design our own track.     

It all comes down to asking what time means to us. Is it merely the aimless aggregate of instances measured in seconds, minutes and hours? Time is a defining element of the race, as it decides between competitors on the basis of how well it is used. In other words, running life like a race is determined by the way our time is employed. The constraints of time urge us to press onward and push our limits, gradually shaping our character into a spiritually fit persona – the kind that would find itself at home with God in Eternity.

Health Care Reforms at the Sinners' Party

 

 Reference Passage:

Luke 5:31-32 (The Message)

"Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out."

Read the narrative here

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A big party has just been announced and cheer is in the air. Levi – coming from the despised band of tax-collectors – has just become a disciple of Jesus Christ, and his transformation is cause for celebration. We follow the excited chatter and delicious aroma, right into Levi's house where many of the invitees belong to the same notorious background, as did Levi formerly. No goodies for guessing who The Chief Guest is. If numbers are any indication to go by, the gathering boasts 'great numbers' in the words of the historian. On the sidelines, as always, a group of detractors look on and keep up a running commentary on the downsides of mixing with this 'sinner crowd', which eventually prompts the Master to re-assert the principles of spiritual health care, for which the Pharisees and their scribes customarily claim bragging rights.

The Gospel accounts of the life of Christ, bear numerous testimonies of amazing miracles – starting from the changing of water to wine, all the way to the ressurection of Lazarus from the dead, and many more. Its not uncommon to find Christians, wondering as to why such genuine Divine power plays are hard to find today. We may have settled comfortably for a variety of theological opinions, and yet missed one significant view of the question. The basic tenet of Christ's policy reads thus: Its the sick that need a physician, and not those who are well. Its time we sincerely asked ourselves if our prayer requests apply to advancing God's interests to guide lives in turmoil, safely into His harbour of hope.

More often than not, we expect our Father to act like a magician, doing by magic that which is within our reach, yet requires the bending of our will. When God has already placed in our hands the resources to create someone's miracle, why do we sit around and seek the shortcut to our umteenth promotion?

There is a term in clinical medicine – placebo – that in Latin, means 'I shall please'. In reality, placebos are inactive substances administered by physicians, purely for their psychological effect. This is found to be effective in the case of hypochondriacs – a dubious class of patients who have imaginary ailments and symptoms, ever convincing themselves that they are ill.

For the Christian, faith in God is meant to be that precious quality which stills the storms of doubt, and the balm that heals fear. What placebo, shall we offer then, to the many who are still insecure about their tomorrow, and uncertain about their Eternity with God? Our health cover in Christ is the only comprehensive solution that provides for our temporary needs on earth, as well as renders healing to help us reach our Eternal Home. However, I find no alternative placebo for inadequacy of trust.

Moreover, consider this deeper thought: if our pestering attitude arises from the belief that God could be reduced to a prima-facie set of evidence that eliminates the need for faith, think again. Long ago, wise men saw that both the 'God' camp, as well as the 'No-God' one, ultimately need the element of trust to navigate through life with sanity. Which is why, one Bible writer, among many others, concluded thus: "It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)

As for the Pharisees, the problems of the Church do not end there. There is also the bigger difficulty of turning healthy people sick by administering too much medicine, or drugs that are wrongly prescribed. Ever wondered why sermons stimulate little more than yawns from the audience? Both preacher and hearers are more concerned about filling the gaps, and completing the formalities for each Church meeting while failing to see that the very same word of encouragement and comfort, would have been gladly received by the needy soul – provided we would leave our comfort zones and go in search of lost sheep.

Formality today, indifference tomorrow, ignorance the day after. It does not take long, for ignorance to breed irreverence, and then, the pastor's crucifixion for failing to be effective, will not be very far.

Even the good physician can administer the right medicine the right way, only if the sick is willing to accept the reality of the problem. Counting oneself well even when the symptoms tell otherwise, is a risky idea. Believing that there's no medicine for the problem, or that the doctor is helpless to save, does little good. Worse yet, thinking that the doctor doesn't even exist and convincing others of the same, leads to disastrous consequences. Sin is a worldwide epidemic, that no amount of self-service a.k.a. self-management, will help alleviate.

Lets turn the question around, a little bit.

Have we correctly diagnosed our inner sickness, that needs His healing touch? An honest self-diagnosis would reveal that our definitions of morality remain hinged on the collusion of circumstance, and have little standing of its own. In other words, it doesn't take long for our 'good behaviour' to evaporate, if our surroundings are unfavourable. What good is 'good' if it quickly surrenders to evil in meekness? At best, we claim the moral standard of hurting no one, yet give little thought to the possibility that we frustrate our Creator's higher interests in making us what we are. Rightly does the Bible declare : "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." (Jeremiah 17:9)

The success of Levi's feast was not simply for the fact that he subscribed to Christ's policy. In fact, it was a far cry from some of our conferences and conventions, in terms of logistics. However, instead of inviting the President and booking the Hilton for the evening, he led the sick to the Great Physician in the warm environs of his home, and thus manifested the cardinal advantage of New Testamental spiritual healing: he had now become a channel of healing for others. The drinker at the Fountain, now had the spring within himself, gushing out to fill thirsty souls all around.

The Lord once said: "Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 

(John 4:14)

There's just one Physician who promised to treat the malady at the root – deep within the hearts of needy men – with a revitalising shot of forgiveness and Spirit. His health care plan has lifetime coverage, and He's promised to be there for anyone who would call.

Best of all, He, unlike so many others, is available at the sinners' party.

Digging deep for Eternity

Reference Passage:

Luke 6:49 (NKJV)

"He who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. 

And the ruin of that house was great." 

Read the whole parable here

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"I am the power that lifts the world's head proudly skywards, surpassing limits and expectations. I am Burj Khalifa." 

So runs a proclamation on the walls of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai. Towering over Dubai's landscape at a height of 828m, built at a cost of USD 1.5 billion and shattering several world records in one go, we would be compelled to think likewise. However, the Burj's completion co-occured with the financial crisis, that took the wind out of the sails of Dubai's sky-high dreams. As lavishly ornate office and residence spaces remain unoccupied, I wonder which - an inward look or a skyward one -  would be more appropriate. My thoughts turn to the construction of an edifice that the Lord Christ envisioned in the parable of the two builders.

The wise man's wisdom may not have been obvious when he commenced his task. His engineering design focussed on reaching deep into the earth for a solid foundation. The cons of such an approach aren't too difficult to spot. If time is money, going deep would cost a fortune. This is why the pursuit of spirituality fails to appear in our time-tables. Why should one waste time reading God's Word, when the mall's winter sale ends tomorrow? Although preparing for the exams hardly bothered us when the schedule was announced, there's always the eleventh hour, even if this means missing Church meetings to study.

At times, our protagonist finds himself lonely because digging deep into matters of faith is now culturally unpopular. Others fail to understand why he's so hyped up about following an unseen Nobody, whose role seems to have been successfully substituted by the twenty first century technologist. His questions on life after death, are comically plastered on advertisements for life insurance – "What would they do if you died tonight?" All of this, still can't shake his core belief that God has much more to do with the foundations of the human civilisation, than any other manmade substitute.

Nature has its unique quality control mechanisms to test how well we build ourselves. The floods came crashing and screaming, its hands pushing the house with great strength. Those were dark days for the wise man, as pain and doubt attempted to crush his labour of faith in a moment. However, with every passing minute, the strength of his Rock foundation was shining ever brighter. Ultimately, the torrent gave up; in the dawn of peace, the house was still standing for the Rock of Ages had once again proved He was simply unbeatable.

Another man began his own construction project, although in different taste and spirit. Not that he didn't want to build, but he had a peculiar habit of hearing God's advise, yet doing nothing about it. In this context, most of us aren't very different in our approach to God's Word. It barely takes moments for the latest sermon to vanish from memory, more so because we feel there's no accountability involved – pastors dont conduct surprise tests anyway. The consequence is a shallow spiritual experience that appears like a better structure, at a lower price. Its a shame that we delude ourselves in the sunshine, that those days of darkness would never visit our soul, in spite of the certainity that our Teacher has pointed out.

The unforgiving floods came knocking one day, and the knees of the foolish man followed suit. His design was clearly unready for such difficulty levels. This house could not match the assault, and soon began to crumble under the crushing blows of the tempest. The hidden weaknesses of the structure gradually emerged. Worse still, the storm was taking away even the little that remained, and leaving behind a desolate ruin – completely exposed and vulnerable. The material loss was only a part of the toll; the ensuing shame and dishonour was a far greater casualty. Take an example - over and over again, Christian grandstanding on love has been rich in expression, while practical meaning in the fundamentals of human relationships go unheeded. The strain is already showing in our family lives and Church associations. Does it ever bother us that our sacrifices in the name of religion, might actually come to nothing if our 'house' fails to stand up to the tests of life?

Both builders had something in common – the desire to live progressively. Both of them had major losses at different stages in life, the distinctive difference being the nature of loss – one lost the temporary to gain the Eternal, while the other grabbed the temporary, and missed the Eternal. Furthermore, their fiery trials revealed vastly different results – the unapparent strength of the wise, and the hidden weakness of the foolish.

Each day, our faults prompt us to dig even deeper into the Rock for potency to conquer all. When the silence of loneliness bothers us in the depths, may the thoughts of the Cross soothe our soul – for there, lay the rejected Saviour who saved many, yet the One whom none would save. Indeed, He is the Rock of Ages, cleft to hide sinners from the violent storm of Divine judgement and the sure foundation of His Church, their eternal hope of glory in a world tottering on the brink of self-destruction.