Died as a poor man but left a rich church: Paul

Just in 13 verses in 2 Timothy 4:9-22, Paul mentions 17 brothers and sisters by name in addition to many others that were not named. Out of the 17, one abandoned Paul and another opposed him.

The wonderful thing about Paul is that even for those who abandoned or opposed him, his prayer was that it would not be held against them.

Rest in Peace, Dear 2019!

Dear year 2019,

You came into my life.  Now you are leaving.  You promised a lot.  You demanded a lot.  You took a lot too. So, as happy as I was to welcome you, I am not sad to bid you a goodbye.  In fact, I am glad you are leaving.  You are leaving never to return again. 

Hindu Brahmin Performing Christian Funeral Rites in Nagaland

The phrase “life is a journey” is often used as a metaphor to describe our transient stay on earth.  As for me, it is not just a metaphor but an inseparable fact of life.  This journey started from the day I was born.  Astrologers concluded that my birth meant the death of my father.  The only escape from this impending doom was for me to be out of his sight forever.  There was no way for father to leave the family as he already had three daughters to look after.  Thus, I was let loose from the family to wander the face of the earth to avoid my father’s sight.  Until the age of 16, I stumbled through this journey from place to place, often at the mercy of people; some good and some really evil.

Baptizing a young man after he was technically declared dead

1 Samuel 2:12 and 8:1-3 are some of the saddest verses in the Bible for parents who wish to see their children walk in the ways of the Lord.

Eli the priest and Samuel the priest, prophet, and judge saw what no godly parents would like to see. 

When children walk away from God, it’s the parents who bear the brunt of guilt and regrets. Egotistical pastors use them as examples of bad parenting. Self-righteous Christians gossip about them. Jealous neighbors and enemies gloat over their sadness and sorrow. 

Amazing Grace makes our life Amazing!

19 Videos explaining the book of Romans in Nepali

बिरामी पर्दाका विचारहरू

आज खराब स्वास्थ्यको कारण साप्ताहिक सेवामा जान सकिएन।  जीवनमा विरलै यसरी आराधना सेवामा अनुपस्थित भएको छु।  बिहानको १० बज्यो, बाहिर  टन्टलापुर घाम लागेकोछ।  श्रीमतीले नास्ता बनाएर टेबुलमा राखेर चर्च गएको पनि दुई घण्टा भैसक्यो तर खाने मन पटक्क छैन।  हामी बसेको टोलमा रहेको चर्चको आराधनामा गाएका भजनहरूको मधुरो आवाजले मन निकै खल्बलिरहेकोछ।  बिस्तरामा जता फर्के पनि चित्त नबुझ्दा छेउमै रहेको ल्यापटप तानी यो मनमा उठेका छालहरूलाई शान्त पार्ने प्रयास गर्दैछु।  तर कताबाट सुरू गर्ने थाहै छैन। 

माइन्ड योर ओन बिजनेस!

जीवन छोटो छ भनेर हामीलाई कसैले भनी रहनु नपर्ने हो।  आफैले दिन गन्न जान्नुपर्ने हो।  तर हामी मध्य धेरैले आफ्ना दिन गन्न जानेका हुँदैनौ या गन्न चहाँदैनौ पनि।  लाग्छ कि मृत्युको बारेमा सोचेन भने सायद त्यो हामीबाट टाढै रहनेछ।   बाइबल भन्छ कि आफ्ना दिन गन्न नजान्ने व्यक्ति मुर्ख वा निर्बुद्धी हो।

त्यो व्यक्तिले आफ्ना दिन गन्न जान्दैन जसको जीवनमा उद्देस्य हुँदैन।  उद्देस्यहीनताले समय गएको थाहा पाउँदैन।  आज भोलि भरे भन्दै कित ऊ बुढ्यौलीको दास बन्न पुग्छ कि अकालै मर्छ।

Are You Happy?

German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer said that things like happiness, peace, pleasure, and satisfaction in life are time-bound and temporary because once the desired objective is fulfilled, we long for something else to satisfy our longing.  Schopenhauer, a naturalist, saw the futility of seeking happiness in material things.

The repeated experience of dissatisfaction (or the emptiness that comes after achieving the desired objective) eventually leads to addiction of one kind or the other. Most alcoholic and drug addicts start picking up such habits when they are relatively young and ambitious about life in this world. When life happens, all they are left with is the temporary deception of the substance promising them a lasting happiness.

But if we are willing to pause for a while and think about life; all is not lost.  As believers in a God who created us in his own image, there is hope for a lasting satisfaction, joy and peace. God spoke to his people through prophet Isaiah promising them a lasting peace and fulfilment in life if only they would listen to his words.

He said; "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea" (Isaiah 48:17-18).

God knows what is best for us.

God knows which way is for us.

God wants to give a life full of peace; peace like a river.

God wants to give us a right kind of life; righteousness like the waves of the sea. Whatever we do turns out to be right and thus comes this never ending peace.

Unfortunately, we don't like God telling us what is best for us. We want to go on our own ways seeking peace and right things for us.

If we could honestly evaluate how we are living, we would simply trust God and receive the best from him. Even when we don't know which way to go, God would direct our path to the right direction and we would arrive at the best destination prepared for us in advance by this loving God who cares for us so much that he gave his only begotten son to die for our sins.

Paul said, "if God did not spare his son, how much more will he give us all things" (Rom. 8:32)!

So, beloved, stop trying to be happy in the world and listen to what God has said in his word. Follow his instructions and he will always fulfill his promises.

Your Decision Determines Your Destiny

Today I randomly chose a movie in Netflix with the title "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind." After the movie was over did I realize it was based upon the real life of William Kamkwamba.

William grew up in a rural farming community in Malawi. In the year 2000, when he was 13, famine hit Malawi and he saw the helplessness in his father's face as starvation began to take its toll. Then and there, William decided to be different from the rest of his community. He decided not to be a farmer like his father who depended in the mercy of the weather.