My life My way versus My life His way

My life My way versus My life His way

There are two ways of thinking. One is self-centred while the other, Christ and others centred.

For one, heaven will start here itself while for the other; hell begins from here and goes on to eternity. 

A brief chart.

My Life, It is God’s gift to me, through of my parents, family, and my society.	My life is mine. Only I have the authority over it. I am independent of others and I don’t have to bother and answer for anyone about it
My ways are not according to my wish, it’s always according to the wish of my God, parents, and my family. (I believe the Bible; Prov. 14: 12 and 16: 25, etc)	I alone have the authority to decide about my ways. Its benefits and the loss are purely my responsibility. I am not answerable to anyone. I believe the bible but interpret it only as per my desire.
My money, wealth, and health are given to me by God. I am just its steward. I am accountable to God for everything He gives me. I should use it for the benefit of my God, Family, and my dear ones. (1. Cor. 4: 2). So I always lead a surrendered life in the Lord. I am dependant of God and others.	I earned my money, wealth, and health. It’s in my power to save or spend. No one can question my authority over it. I WILL NEVER SURRENDER TO ANYONE. I AM A FREE BIRD. I AM TOTALLY INDEPENDENT FROM OTHERS.
My delight is in making God, my parents and family happy.	My delight is in attaining my own happiness. It only is supreme in my life. No one has the authority to interfere with it or can question it.
My pleasure is in making my God, parents, and my dear ones happy.	My pleasure is always to please me and fulfil my desires.

Sabu Varghese. Kochi.

October 30, 2019

Scriptural marriage

We are living in a world of confusion. If you search answer for anything, you will surely get a thousand conflicting answers. Perhaps no one knows exactly what is right. Confusion is the problem of the modern world which has taken the marriages also at stake.

Suppose you ask what marriage is, you can get a plethora of answers, some are listed below:

¾    Marriage is the union of two personalities,

¾    Marriage is the union of a male and female,

¾    Marriage is God uniting a male and female to have godly offspring

¾    …….and so on.

The answer invariably depends on the understanding of the respondent.

Though Bible teachings are explicit about marriage. We can find various ways to get a partner in Christendom, while the western world promotes dating and love marriages, eastern culture strongly stands for arranged marriages of the patriarchal pattern. If you thoroughly search for the truth about biblical marriage, then you understand that the Bible neither teaches the eastern culture nor western.

Bible in the Old Testament and New Testament equally, conducted marriages with the involvement and blessing of parents in full consent of the bride and the groom. There are also instances when either the parents were wrong or sons, leading to mishaps and judgment from God. Hence it is more than essential to glean across the Bible to find the truth.

1.      Adam.

God made Adam and placed him in a perfect environment. Even in Eden, Adam felt desolate. So it was God who took the initiative and made a wife for him. Gen. 2: 18. Adam did not seek one, but his father God provided. The Bible calls Adam as the Son of God. Luke 3: 38. Before they met each other, they met their God and God brought them together.

2.      Lamech

It's always parents to seek a wife for their son. But Bible specified that “He took two wives”. Then we can hear his boasting to his wives about his heinous deed. Gen. 4:19-23.

3.      Sons of God and the Daughters of men.

Though the stated phrase has various interpretations, a majority of the theologians opine that sons of God were Seth’s children and daughters of men to be Cain’s. The Bible says, “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. Gen. 6: 1 - 6. The selection was based on the choice of the bridegroom for beauty rather than the father’s opinion. Through this act of marriage, giants were born grieving God.

4.      Abraham.

Though we do not have a clear picture of the marriage of Abraham and Sarah, we definitely have to assume that their father Terah has a role in the marriage. The reason for this argument is, when they parted from Ur to go to Haran, it was Terah who was leading the family. The Bible says, “And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.” Gen. 11: 31.

Later Abraham takes the initiative, to send Eleazar for a wife to his son, Isaac. 

5.               Isaac

Isaac and Rebekah did not seek a wife for their sons even at 40 making Esau takes self-initiative of two wives and it became a grief to his parents. Gen. 26: 34- 35. Later in his struggle to please his parents Esau married again, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son from Hagar. Gen. 28: 7-9 “And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram; And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.” 

6.      Jacob.

Though his parents did not seek a wife for him in time and sent him to seek one for himself. He obeyed with full diligence but got the wrong one, Rachel without recognizing his actual wife Leah. Scriptures reveal that Leah was his actual wife though remained unloved.

The reason for that is Rachel gave birth to Joseph leading to Manasseh and Ephraim. Gen. 41:51- 52. Later God rebuked the sons of Ephraim through Prophet Hosea.

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.  Hosea. 4: 7

Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Hoses 7: 8

Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints. Hosea. 11:12 

The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid. Hosea. 13:12 

Even today many believe that the antichrist will be from the tribe of Dan or Ephraim. Dan is from Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel and Ephraim is from Rachel herself. Gen. 30: 6.

7.                  Samson.

The book of Judges cites “And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.”Jud. 14: 1 & 2. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. Jud. 16: 21.

8.      David

David, a man of God’s own heart, also wasted his life by women. We read about Abigail in 1 Sam. 25: 42. Immediately in the next verse 43, “David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives”. Later we know about Bathsheba’s episode also.

9.      Solomon.

Though he began with God, we find his wives turned his heart after their gods. “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.” 1 Kings 11: 1-2

There are much more instances when men turned away from biblical doctrines for women to bear adverse consequences.

10.  Marriage of the Lamb.

The perfect marriage in the Scriptures is that of the Lamb of God. We know it is a perfect arranged marriage. The Bible says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Rom. 8: 29, 30

It is the Father who takes the whole initiative. “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day”. John. 6: 44

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood”. Gal. 1: 15, 16.

Western culture made us lose what the Bible preaches about marriage. Bible is an eastern civilization book advocating an ideal marriage under the mentorship of the father. Matter taken out of context have always proven worse.

Bible clearly teaches, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Eph. 6: 1 – 3

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Col. 3: 20

Obeying parents in all things include marriage as well.

Sabu Varghese. 
Kochi

The Glory of God and the institution of marriage.

And the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him”. Gen 2:18 
In the dispensation of innocence, God made man and kept him in the Garden of Eden. It was a place of divine companionship as well as of abundance. Even at that time we read, Adam was lonely. So, God had to provide him with a suitable helpmate like him to overcome his loneliness. Therefore God has instituted the act of marriage in the humanity between a man and his wife to remain faithful till death separates them.

The design of marriage is according to the plan and will of God alone. No man or angel has a part in intuiting it. It is God alone who has said, “It is not good that man should be alone”. To avoid loneliness, marriage is the only way God provided to mankind. The Psalmist says, “God setteth the solitary in families.” Psalms 68: 6. Till one finds the other half, who is our equal in love and commitment, his or her heart remains solitary. Any amount of devotion to God or anything else can never deliver from this horrible and pitiable state. Remember, even after finding the right person, still we are not perfect. Though we remain imperfect until death, by correcting and caring one each other in mercy, love, and grace we will continue to show God’s glory through our families.   

It is God who selects and unites two individual Personalities - a man and a woman – to live together, in the unity of personalities, till He separates them. The purpose of this union is to show forth the fellowship and joy within the divine Trinity, by their mutual commitment and faithfulness, in this world, so that the world will see the work of the Triune God and glorify Him. It is the main purpose of God intuiting the act of Marriage.

This is the main reason why Satan always wants to destroy this divine institution. When disagreement and divorce happen because of personality conflicts, we ourselves are playing into the hands of the devil, thus mocking God.

As mentioned afore, the purpose of marriage is to glorify God, through our love and unity. This is possible only when the husband and the wife unite as one personality. To attain this oneness of personality we must know in fact what personality is. Remember, it is our personality that helps us to act. All our actions are because of our knowledge, feeling, and desire. Before marriage both man and woman are two different individuals with two different kinds of knowledge, feeling, and desire. Hence they are two different personalities. They are brought up in different homes, culture, society, and environment. They are totally different in their thoughts, words, and deeds because of their cultural differences.

Any amount of manual effort for joining a man and a woman into one can never yield any fruit. Neither any non-living thing like the thali, mala (chain), mangalsuthra, ring or anything in the world can unite two living souls or spirits. Only the Living God can unite them and transform them as one personality, though they remain two different individual persons till the end.

As said before, our knowledge feelings and desire are different. This is the cause of personality conflicts, resulting in various problems, fights, or even divorce in society. To have a perfectly peaceful life we must attain unity of personality. The basic peace in humanity has to begin with the family. When families are at peace, the society attains peace, the nation attains peace, and the world will get the peace what it is seeking after.

We can find the perfect love, peace and unity only in the Trinity. We know the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are in perfect peace and harmony and love. This is because of the oneness in their knowledge, feeling and desire.

The only way to attain this unity of personality is by proper communication. In the present world, the devil has used various ways to corrupt human communication. He gave us more misinformation than information. This is the real cause of personality conflicts. Today we have the internet, television channels, mobile phones, and various other means of mass communication and personal communication. But the truth is no one understands the other, as the old Babel tragedy. 

Husbands and wife might sleep on one bed, they may even have physical relationship, but their personalities remain continents apart. They are not able to understand one another. This is the miserable condition of the present world.

The devil has destroyed many families, by spreading misinformation, which caused doubts and the end result thereof. Because of it, the world, the families, and the society are suffering and ultimately the children are the final losers. We cannot let this go on forever. We need to change.

The religions, philosophies, and culture are in one way or the other injecting misinformation to our minds. The biggest war we face today is the war for the minds of man. The saying is, “He who controls the minds, controls the man”. To have control over us, the devil will lead us around the truth but never to the Truth.

Religions or politics cannot help. It is actually here the importance of God comes. But to which God should we turn?

We must seek the God who is our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, Judge, and the Giver of the Moral Law. Remember, God is not a power. He alone has perfect knowledge, feeling, and desire, Yes, God is a Person. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three Persons, yet only One God.Three Persons yet in perfect love and unity and oneness of Personality. Displaying all His attributes yet as One True God. It is the majesty of His unity in Triunity. He alone can join a man and a woman into the oneness of personality.

He alone can save our families. He alone can unite us.

Unto Him be the Glory forever and ever.

Amen 

The star that led the Wise men to their Lord

One more Christmas is at hand, a time to celebrate and rejoice the birth of our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. For many of the so-called Christians, this is the time to wish “Happy Holidays”, while for some true faithful Christians this is a time to remember the birth of the Lord, The Creator of the Universe who humbled Himself and Lo! He is begotten in a Virgin’s womb and born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger. There was no room for the Creator of the Universe to lay His head!

This event is so unique that it divided the history of the world into two, Anno Domini and Before Christ. He was born as per the fulfilment of the Scriptures. The Place, the method and the very life He was to live were all declared before His birth. He is the born King of Jews! Presently we have changed the AD and BC as Before Common Era (BCE) and Common Era (CE)

At His birth – the historian Mathew records – a star appeared which the Wise men said as “His Star”.  A very strange description of a star! We find it recorded in the book of Mathew 2:1&2, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  Saying, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.” Again he records in verse 9 &10, “When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the Young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. In Verse 11 he records that, “they were come into the house, they saw the Young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, andworshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 

It is assumed that by the time the wise men came the Baby has grown into a Young Child of about two years. That is the reason we find King Herod ordering the death of boys from two years and under. (Mathew 2: 16). This is a fulfilment of the Scriptures. Jer. 31: 15. 

As we focus on His star, we find there are a lot of explanations about its origin and nature. Some are experts suggest that it was the Halley’s Comet which passed overhead in 11 B.C. But that’s not true. Historians believe that the birth of Jesus' must be around 4 BC, It is because of the fact that Augustus Caesar died in 4 B.C., and he was alive when Jesus was born. So, the birth of Jesus has to be before 4th B C. In the Middle Ages the Christian monk, Archbishop James Ussher tried to set out and fix the date of birth of Christ. Later studies revealed that he lost almost four years in his calculation.

      There are various theories behind the star which showed the wise men the location of the Great King. Some say that it was some sort of a meteor or a shooting star must have hung around for some time. But this cannot be true, because meteors or shooting stars last only for a few moments in our sky, whereas, this star was visible for about two years.  Others believe that it might have been a supernova (a supernova is a dying star). It is highly luminous and causes a burst of radiation which is seen in the entire galaxy before fading away. The presence of this supernova could have been interpreted by the wise men as the birth of King of the Jews. However, a supernova is stationary. So, this cannot be true. 

There are others who believe that Saturn, Jupiter and mars lined up together. This happens every 800 years. The wise men interpreted it as the Birth of the Great King. This cannot be true, as His star moved and it came and stood over Him in two years. To move along for two years and then come to stand at a particular place is not possible for the aforementioned planets. So, now one has to wonder what that special star was!

A brief explanation about stars.

There are various types of stars available for us today in the market, especially for Christmas. Normally we get stars with five points. The basic explanation of it is about an upward Trinity. They say The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit is glorified and in this upward positional star.

There are many other explanations as well. Some say the five-pointed star is based on the “Great Five elements” or the Pancha Maha-Bhoota according to the Hindu philosophy. Here they relate to the elements Prithvi (earth), Apas (water), Agni (fire), Vayu (air) and Akash (aether). While there are others who claim that the origin of stars is from Egypt. According to them, the stars might have originated from the way the Egyptians represented the star in their hieroglyphics. There are representations of the Spirit, and the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and water. There are also stars with 4, 6, 7, 8 and many more points. All these have various mythological meanings. All these stars are upward stars, which had three points upward and two points downward.

In today’s world, the stars have changed a lot. We find different variety of stars. But the most interesting of all is the inverted star.

By 1950 when Wicca (Witches International Coven Counsel Association is, a religion derived from Pre-Christian times, which practiced a benevolent reverence for nature and recognize two deities - variously viewed as mother and father, goddess and god)  began to spread in Europe, the influence of the inverted star began in the western countries. It is said to represent the Satanism or the inverted trinity, The Lucifer, The antichrist, and the false prophet. Also the two upward points represent the horns of the horns of the satanic goat. These days we can even find this goat in the image. We are not sure whether this is an evil symbol or not, but one thing is sure the Satanists have adopted it and is using it as their symbol.

The star of Christ which the wise men saw in the east was leading them to the west up to Bethlehem to the place where the Young Child was. They lost their way in between when they sought the child according to their own wisdom and understanding. They sought for the Young Child in Herod’s Palace instead of the house where the Young Child was. When they sought His star diligently it led them and came and stood over the house where the Child was. So, what was His star? Allegorically speaking, “The star of Christ is that Person who leads the wise men to Christ”. The Bible says, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. Dan 12:3 

Are you His Star? His star will never lead men away from the Lord but leads everyone to the Lord and stay close to the Lord always, never leaving or forsaking Him. .In the Present Christmas the hero of Christmas is not the Young Child nor His star nor the wise men, but another man, Santa Claus. He is a creation of the western civilization. He has nothing to do with Christ or His Church.

The wise men who followed the star of Christ came and offered their presents to the Young Child and worshipped Him, but fools who follow Santa Claus and the inverted star keep seeking the Lord, never to find Him.

Who are you following, His Star, or the manmade satanic inverted star and the hero Santa Claus?

Remember the wise men led by His star can only worship, and they will worship only the Young Child.

Sabu Varghese. Kochi