Hypocrites – THEY ROB YOUR PEACE.

Every day from the past few days the headlines hogging the media is of Anna Hazare, the Government and Corruption. Without debating the issue, why is the Government shying of transparency? We have seen the Government using force and a barrage of lies to discourage the supporters from joining in the protests. What did they achieve nothing but more resentment against the Government. By doing so the Government created an image of themselves as trying to weave a shield around the corrupt. Why are they trying to shield? The answer is age-old. Look at it this way – by bringing in the Lokpal Bill you bring in Accountability. By bringing in the Lokpal Bill you bypass the laws, statutes and ordinances created by the British during their rule in India and you loosen the grip over the citizens they want to rule. The very law, statutes and ordinances supposed to protect the citizens, becomes a tool of oppression. Every politician put up their hands saying YES, they are against corruption but talk about accountability they take a different stance. They beat round the bush. Hypocrites.

The situation sounds similar during the time of Jesus. Jesus saw that the Pharisees were making life difficult for the people. They bound the people up in laws, statutes and ordinances. They used the Law of Moses as a means of control and power. They became lords over the people. The law given to Moses was not to be a burden, but it was to guide the people in the right path and discern knowing right from wrong but yet they did not teach the law that way, they used it to gain advantage and influence over the people. It was burdening the people. When people approached them for relief, they promised assistance and showed false compassion just like our politicians do today. They preached but did not practice. Hypocrites.

What does our scripture say on Hypocrites? The whole chapter 23 of the Gospel according to St. Mathew cites the Lord’s resentment against the scribes and the Pharises , he says to them "..... woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites."

If there is anything more the Lord did not like, it was hypocrisy.  

One of the worst names a person can be called -- a Hyypocrite.

Hypocrites – THEY ROB YOUR PEACE.

The Dart Test

A young lady named Sally, related an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons. One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture. Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved. The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.  Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced. Dr. Smith said only these words...  "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40. No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students   focused only on the picture of Christ.   

Do we need a similar exercise to make us realize our character? How many times have we been in a similar situation where we have vented out our hatred and hurt feelings through sharp words, malicious gossips and even judging people without understanding the circumstances that led a person into a situation. Did we ever stop to think that we are judging Christ, we are hating Christ or we are hurting Christ by our words and deeds?. Is it Christian? The foundation of our Christian belief is forgiveness. But how many times do we have to forgive you may ask. This is Christ's answer in Luke 17:3-4 "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying I repent; thou shalt forgive him".

Forgiveness is that flower which sheds its fragrance on the heel that crushes it.

Paid in Full

One of the stories that I received through e-mail went like this: 

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take charge of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.

He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible.

It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL.

Can you imagine the plight of that son at that moment? Put yourself in his place.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

When you look at the cross, can you ever imagine that Jesus died for us or does it ever enter your thoughts? We can’t because we can never think that our salvation came in this package. Just hear Jesus’ last words to His Father in heaven “It is finished” (John 19:30) But we are so engulfed in our day to day living that we have not paid attention to what JESUS actually meant. Hear it again, from your heart. HE is actually telling the Father in Heaven “I HAVE PAID IN FULL THE PRICE FOR THE SINS OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS”   Do you believe this? - HE has opened the gates of Heaven to you and me.

Realize this - By His death  “YOU” have been saved from eternal damnation.

JESUS PAID THE PRICE IN FULL by dying on the cross for you and me.

Jesus gifted himself to us in a package we fail to understand.

Today,   

Commend yourself totally to the Lord – I mean totally - just as JESUS did on the cross before he died “FATHER INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT” (Luke 23:46),

We all know what happened – JESUS WAS RESURECTED. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit when you commend yourselves to the Lord.

Unconditionally believe in JESUS: “Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man can come to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6), Being baptized in Jesus is the first step.

Follow Jesus and his teachings “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.(Mathew 16:24). 

Are you saying this is not for me?

What better gift would you want than a place in heaven in with JESUS in the Majestic presence of the LORD with all His Angels, the Saints and the Prophets? That's the Blessed PEACE.

The Pig Or the Cow

The Pig OR the Cow

He that hath the substance of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him?  - The Holy Bible - 1JN 3:17

This sentence from the Holy Bible reminds me of a story of The Pig and the Cow which goes like this.

A rich man complained to his friend: "People don't like me. They say I'm selfish and stingy. And yet in my last will and testament I have donated all that I own to charitable cause." His friend said: "Well, maybe the story of the cow and the pig has a lesson for you.""The pig came to the cow and complained: 'People always talk about your friendliness. I know you are friendly, you do give them milk. But they get much, much more from me. They get ham and bacon and lard and they even cook my feet. And yet - no one likes me. To all of them I am just a pig, a hog. Why is that?'

The cow thought it over a bit and then said: 'Perhaps it's because I give while I am still alive!'" 

How true. How many of us can be like the Cow. All around you can see selfishness in reality. The corrupt selfish politician, Government officials and staff, they care a damn for the end result as long as their pockets are lined. In daily life, in the families you can see the corrupt minded brothers and sisters against their parents and siblings snatching away the properties and wealth of the family just to satisfy their needs. The list is big, the corrupt builders and land sharks, the over ambitious commercial companies who have ravaged the land and the sea for their commercial gains. The world is full of them. Selfishness breeds jealousy and jealousy breeds hatred. At the end when you’re time is up you will mandatory leave all that you amassed on this earth. What you will carry with you is your goodness that will lead people to pray for your soul. If you have led the life of selfishness then the sentence above doth apply – “how doth the charity of God abide in him?” 

Think. Without GOD and HIS grace you are nothing. It’s not too late yet today. 

Be a Cow rather than a Pig.

Being Happy

During an elegant welcoming reception for the new Director of Marketing of an company, his spouse was asked a question,

"Does your spouse make you happy?"

Her husband the new Director, who was at her side, felt secure knowing that his spouse would answer affirmatively.

Nevertheless, to his and the others' surprise, she simply replied:

“No, he doesn't make me happy...”

The room became uncomfortably silent, the husband was petrified.

He couldn't believe what his wife was saying, especially at such an important occasion.

To the amazement of her husband and of everyone, she simply placed enigmatically on her head an elegant black silk scarf and continued:

No, he doesn't make me happy (pause)   I AM HAPPY.

The fact that I am happy or not, do not depend on him, but on me.

I am the only person upon which my happiness depends.

I make the choice to be happy in each situation and in each moment of my life.

If my happiness were to depend on other people, on other things or circumstances on the face of this earth, I would be in serious trouble!

Everything that exists in this life changes continually: humans, wealth, my body, the climate, pleasures, etc. I could enumerate an infinite list

Over my life I have learned a couple of things:

It's not the responsibility of my spouse to make me happy...

He also has his experiences or circumstances.

I love him and he loves me, often in spite of his circumstances and of mine.

I decide to be happy and the rest is a matter of experiences or circumstances; like helping, and understanding, accepting, listening, consoling; and with my spouse, I have lived and practiced this many times.

He changes, I change, the environment changes, everything changes;

Having forgiveness and true love, and observing these changes that can be, big or little, but always happen, we must face them with the love that exists in each one of us. If the two of us love and forgive each other, the changes will only be experiences or circumstances that enrich us and give us strength. Otherwise we would only be living together.

For some, divorce is the only solution; (in reality it is the easiest)

To truly love is difficult. It is to forgive unconditionally, to live, to take the experiences or circumstances as they are, facing them together and being happy with conviction.

There are those who say: I cannot be happy because I am sick, because I have no money, because it's too cold, because they insulted me, because someone stopped loving me, because someone didn't appreciate me!

But what you don't know is that you can be happy even though you are sick, whether it is too hot, whether you have money or not, whether someone has insulted you or someone didn't love you, or hasn't valued you.

BEING HAPPY is an attitude about life and each one of us must decide !

BEING HAPPY, depends on you !

This was a good speech by the wife. But the happiness she was referring to was the state of mind. To some extent she is right when she says that you are the author of your happiness and it has to stem from within you, but true happiness can manifest only when you are at “Peace with yourself”. There are plenty of factors that can influence you but prayers and meditation is the foremost influencing factor for the elusive peace. True Peace can only come from a pure heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God". Mathew 5:8. For that, you ought to train yourselves to have pure thoughts, speak pure words and do works that can make you pure. It's not easy and never was, but good things were never meant to be so.

For believers in Jesus Christ, you have His first and great commandment for being at “Peace with yourself”: - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" His second commandment is "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Mathew 22: 37-39). It won’t be easy with all your earthly distractions? But make the effort and IT WILL NOT BE IN VAIN.