What is Faith?

John 3:12
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
All Jesus wants from us is to keep unequivocal faith in Him. In the Bible many times he says things in parables so that we could understand the context of his preaching. He talks about having faith and even compares it with the size of a mustard seed.

Matthew 17:20
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place: and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
With this verse what Jesus is trying to convey us is; we should trust him and have faith in him even if it is as small as a mustard seed but with all our heart. Generally, we say that yes we believe in him and trust him but in our prayers, we always attach “If” or “If you can” and in our hearts we keep if not big then slightest of doubts that if it doesn’t happen then what will we do.
But we should understand one thing that he can do anything.
Faith is all about keeping our complete trust and not questioning. Faith is about knowing that he can do anything to everything. Faith is about not having doubt as small as a mustard seed. Faith is about surrendering our soul. That is the kind of Faith Jesus expects from us to keep.
When the times are tough it’s imperative to keep the faith and not surrender in the hands of Satan however it is all the more important to keep faith intact when times are good because that is the time when we can actually become prey to Satan. Our vanity is at its peak when success is touching us, however, one should not forget that the success is because of Jesus and all the glory must be given to him rather than taking the credit ourselves. Extirpate the vanity inside us. Satan’s biggest snare is vanity. Faith is an antidote for vanity. With faith in Jesus, we can win the world and have a peaceful mind.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
With vanity comes jealousy and with jealousy comes hatred and with hatred, in our hearts, we defy Jesus commandment.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Faith in Jesus is like breaking free of the snare that Satan has for us. It is like a daily medicine which our mind, body, and soul require to function correctly. Consider this - vanity is like dreadful diabetes that’s ruining our body from inside on daily basis. It’s like a slow poison that deteriorates our body parts. But faith acts like a healer; whatever deterioration vanity does faith in Jesus fixes it. Faith in Lord has miraculous powers to turn our lives from worse to good and from good to best and from best to amazing.

Isaiah 46:4
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Our Lord will carry us till the end because he is the one who has created us (Genesis 1:27). Our faithful prayers have powers which would accomplish things seemingly impossible to a non- believer.

Doubt see the obstacle,
Faith sees the way!
Doubt sees the darkest night,
Faith sees the day!
Doubt dreads to take a step
Faith soars on high;
Doubt questions, “who believes?”
Faith answers “I”

- Author unknown

Doubt only creates a void between us and God. Faith is like a bridge between us and God. The bridge helps us to cross the obstacle named satan. Faith is not only hoping for the best but believing that best would happen. A man in faith should act as if he has already been granted what he has asked from Jesus.
Faith always needs to sharpen and we should strive to improvise on our faith in Lord. For the same; the most simple and effective way is by hearing, reading and understanding the word of God. More time you give in decoding the Bible; more zealous you would become in your faith towards Jesus. And the more zealous you are in Jesus, simpler your life would become. A docile man having faith in Jesus is what your aim in earthly life should be. The Bible is like a road map for humans by the Lord. We should suffice our souls with the scriptures day in and out through studying, understanding and meditating on them.
However, one should also know that whosoever walks in faith; his faith will be tested. He should make sure not to become a prey in the pitfall set up by Satan for us.

Faith Oh Faith;
Let me taste you
And once I taste you I will never forgo you;
Doubt Oh Doubt;
Stay out of my house (heart),
And if you try to enter,
Faith will shout.
- (Your's Truly)

Faith is like a lighthouse in midst of sea. Sea is like atrocities, pain, vanity, doubts and covets surrounding us and faith in all these problems keep on reminding us that Jesus is with us “come what may”; so like a lighthouse guides a ship, so does faith. It will guide us through the tribulations we face.

True Discipleship

                                   

Who were Jesus disciples? Were they 12 in number or were they all who believed in him. Can we be termed as disciples of Jesus or us merely followers of Jesus? Do we have in us the determination and the zeal and the passion for taking up our cross and saying to God that we are your disciples? Are we ready to face the challenges from Satan, yet be focused on Jesus? One thing is certain when we become followers and disciples of Jesus; we would be tempted and we will get numerous escape routes to fall back and turn our back on Jesus.
A true disciple is like a true patriotic soldier who fights his enemy till the end but doesn’t succumb to the adverse conditions surrounding him simply because he keeps his “Country” first. A true disciple would keep Jesus first even though his battle with Satan continues in the day to day life.
What is the use of being a phlegmatic follower, who doesn’t have the passion and zeal to follow Jesus? It’s a waste of time and energy, simply because until the time your passion for Christ doesn’t outshine lethargy to know him you won’t be able to follow his commandments. The Bible talks about keeping God as our priority and not the second option.

Luke 9 :57-62
And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

On carefully reading and analyzing what Jesus meant through these verses; we can conclude few things -

Through the first person, Jesus was trying to tell us that he had no permanent place to live. He was more like a nomad, traveling from one place to another for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. Since he was living like that he expected his true disciples to follow the same path. That doesn’t mean that the disciples shouldn’t have homes or they should live like nomads, but what Jesus meant was that we should be too attached to our houses or a particular place. If our mission is to spread his Word then we must be willing to stay at any place. We shouldn’t expect a luxurious place or a house full of modern amenities while we have undertaken the task of spreading the good news.


Through second person Jesus is telling us that following him should be the priority of humans. Whatever work is to be done, it can be done later but our main goal should be to give our maximum time to our Lord. Jesus should be pre-eminence in our life. In this example, Jesus clearly asks the son to come and follow him (What a privilege that son got), but instead of just leaving everything and following Jesus he replied that he would rather bury the dead body of his father then he would join him. To a worldly person that may seem perfectly justifiable reply however it’s not when we are serving Jesus. God wants our 100% commitment and dedication for this work then only we could call ourselves disciples of Jesus in a true sense. Jesus also addressed people who didn’t believe in him as “dead”. When he said “Let the dead bury their dead”; he pointed out towards people who still didn’t believe in him and would not have an eternal life which can only be achieved through Jesus.
Through the third person, Jesus is trying to convey that there is no need to take drums and beat them telling to everyone that you are a disciple of Jesus. Sounds, a bit strange right! Because elsewhere in the Bible it’s written to go and spread the good news.

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creation.
Well, it is our duty and responsibility to spread the Gospel, however, we needn’t take permission for following Jesus and we needn’t go haywire telling everyone that we have started following Jesus. Let people know that we are followers of Jesus through our actions and behavior. Accepting Jesus as our savior is one of the most diligent decisions in life as the real test of a person starts after accepting him. That’s why Jesus addressed in the verse that people who are not determined enough to follow Him they have no place in his Kingdom.
Being his follower is not something which should be seen as fashion or something of showbiz but it’s the passion and zeal inside you which should drive you towards the truth that Jesus is our savior and he died because we sinned. His death was a redemption for us from our sins.
Our passion for Jesus must be so spellbound that we shouldn’t be thinking of anything else apart from doing things which are pleasing to God. Once we decide to pick up our cross and follow Jesus then nothing should come in between our journey till heaven. Yes, our goal should be in heaven with Jesus and that can happen only through him.
One should always remember that our Lord and anything relating to Jesus is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly in any way. Following him and his commandments is a privilege and should be treated in the same way. When it comes to walking in and walking with Jesus we just need to be like small kids; who hold their parent's hand and walk along with them keeping their complete trust on them. Jesus wants us to keep complete trust and faith on him and rest he says that whatever we ask in his name to our heavenly Father; he would grant us.

John 16: 23
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Have you ever thought as to why Jesus told us to pray in his name to our Heavenly Father? The answer to this question lies in the Bible itself -

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
When God loves us this much that he gave his only Son as an atonement for our sins then why wouldn’t he grant our wishes in Jesus mighty and loving name? An important point to remember is praying in accordance to the Bible and God’s desire. So, as a true disciple, our first and foremost duty is to follow Jesus with zeal and without any excuses and to pray in Jesus name. That’s how we will slowly become a true disciple of Jesus.

The Soul of Life

 

Book of John starts with the most important answer for scientifically inclined human beings. Humans who are more magnetized towards scientific approach tend to live in a delusion that they have a pragmatic view towards life. Whereas, the fact of the matter is; they simply complex their unproven and “waste of time” theories by trying to get too deep into life and how life deals with humans. 

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth, not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (KJV)
To put this in simple words, until the time a person isn’t filled with the Holy Spirit he won’t be able to understand things created by the God.


John 1:3
All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. (KJV)

The Bible clearly tells us how the universe and the earth and the planets and everything from mountains to river to humans were being created. Then why to waste our precious time and energy in trying to find out how life began. Instead, put that time and brain in understanding the Word which God has instructed us to follow, i.e. The Bible.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (KJV)
The word of the God is from the very beginning. That’s why because of devil’s plan sometimes if we don’t give proper time and attention and we get estranged from the Word of God, i.e. The Bible, however, to suffice our spiritual life and soul we need guidance and instructions which can only be acquired through the regular and thorough reading of the Bible. A crestfallen person can spend a fortune on medicines and for consulting doctor but if he gives ample amount of time in reading the Bible and understanding the Word his negative emotions and feeling would be far off from him.

Our nefarious attitude, which is being influenced by Satan provokes us to flout against the God. But with uncompromising love for Jesus, we can easily extirpate the sinful nature. We have heard “our God is a loving, kind-hearted and merciful God” so many times, but the fundamental question remains the same - Have we ever experienced his loving, kind and merciful nature? The answer to this question rests on one simple thing - OUR OUTLOOK.

If we keep our focus on what we have attained in life and what we have inherited and blessed we would never question God or his existence. However, if our focus is on the things which weren’t meant for us then there is every possibility that we may end up having a confused Faith or simply irresolute Faith.

John 1:5
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (KJV)
With dawn, the birds start chirping and become happy. Why they become happy and joyful? The answer to this question is because they feel positivity inside them with the light shining and overshadowing darkness. Similarly, when we start believing in Jesus and trusting his will for us, our internal self-becomes happy and joyous. Our spirit experiences the power of the Holy Spirit and the Love of Jesus. In a sense, we come out of darkness, i.e. the negativity which engulfs us, and we start looking at our life enthusiastically.
Depression is a disease which is being deemed more dangerous than Cancer or AIDS. With the latter, a person dies in a stipulated period of time but with the former, a person dies hourly, daily and weekly. Such has been the impact of depression that many families broke, many people committed suicide, hatred is on the constant rise yet hitherto there has been no complete medical solution for this disease. The one and only solution to this life-destroying disease is the spiritual enhancement of a person through Faith in Jesus. Apart from this, there is no complete solution to this, albeit doctors try to fix the disease by some medicines which would give relief for a short period of time but nothing in medical science for a complete solution.
This brings us to an important question - What causes Depression? If you try to find this on the internet you will probably get so many reasons that eventually you will lose track of all the reasons. To understand this tortuous sickness, we need to know the genesis of this sickness. Depression happens because of only two reasons - 1. Hatred and 2. The agony of failure or losing someone and not achieving or succeeding in something.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
This is the best possible medicine for curing a deadly disease like depression. How did Jesus love us - His love was uncompromising and unbiased, his love was equal for all, his love had no expectations, his love was like no one else’s, his love was limitless and his love had compassion for others. And that is what Jesus wants from us too, Love one another as he loves us.
The Bible gives us the example of faith which can be as small as a mustard seed. However, when that faith starts growing up it becomes as big as a mustard tree in the garden.

Matthew 13:31-32
31. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (KJV)
We all go through ups and downs in our life. But the one who keeps his faith intact is a winner in the true sense because not only he finds the courage to fight the lows but he finds a place in heaven with Jesus. Many say that in adversities our Faith is tested but in reality, faith is never tested, it’s always our outlook towards God that is being tested. Remember, God, listens to us every time, however his wish and will prevails which we should acknowledge and accept. In the book of John, it’s written that the world did not recognize Jesus.

John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (KJV)
With Jesus everything is possible. This disease “Depression” can’t stand in front of Jesus even for a second however it’s us who allow Depression to not only take over us but govern us. We merely become puppet at devil’s hand. That is why to defeat Satan, keeping Faith in Jesus and nurturing it is of utmost importance. As a human being, we would often be tested, tempted and compelled to conceive that God doesn’t exist or God doesn’t listen to us. We have to be docile while we decode the abundance of knowledge stored in the Bible. That brings us to a question as to how could we be humble, patient and receptive towards God’s Word and His Wisdom and His plans? Answer to this questions is stated in the Bible -

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Ask God for his knowledge, wisdom, and plans liberally in Prayers. He will suffice our spiritual soul with everything in abundance. Prayers should be done with paramount Faith in Jesus and with an inclination for following his commandments and desires. As mentioned earlier that one of the problems for getting depression is the frustration that creeps in because our wish doesn’t prevail. However, when we get educated enough through the Bible we would understand that it is in our best interest that God’s desire prevails and fulfilled through us.

Proverbs 19:21
There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
Once we understand and embrace the fact that when His desires prevail over our wishes our overall life ameliorates. That’s why the Bible is such an important tool not only for salvation but for our day to day life. It keeps us motivated enough to understand that God’s plans and desires are the best plans and desires for our life, it makes us understand the importance of keeping our faith steadfast and it suffices our spiritual soul with daily food.

Jesus came to save us; Who were LOST....

Luke 19:10

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Jesus came on this earth to help mankind, which was lost in sin. We still need him as much as humans needed him 2000 years back. Satan has enticed us with his gimmicks from the very beginning. Since God entrusted us with our wish, Adam and Eve got deceived. But, our heavenly father loves us to an extent that he gave his son (John 3:16) for our sins. He came to save us; we who were lost, who were deceived by satan.

Can we do anything without our mighty Jesus? The answer to this question is NO. Because he is the Light (John 8:12) and through him only we can attain salvation (John 14:6). Why does this verse say “save that which was lost”? The answer to this is very simple; WE are all lost people, We live in darkness, therefore Jesus came as a light to enlightened us as to what our purpose in life should be, he was crucified so that our sins could be washed and we could be in front of our Heavenly Father as he wants us to be (He wants us to be like Adam and Eve before they got deceived).

Beware of False Preachers

1 John 3:7

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Your righteousness defines whether you are a righteous person or an evil person. There are a lot of false prophets and preachers around the world who would try to deceive you with their words but don’t fall into their snare. Satan is always looking to intrigue between God and us through false preachers, but to overpower him (satan), we should read the Bible and understand what is written in it and then come to a conclusion. Whoever supports what is written in the Bible and adheres to it should be heard but whosoever tries to manipulate with his words in the Bible should be cornered. We should always be circumspect about what we are listening and only nod with a “yes” once we have confirmed it through the Bible.

Whom to serve....

Judges 10:13

Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.

Here don’t get confused with other gods as only “idols”, but understand the seriousness of the verse wherein it says “served other gods”. Other gods may wary from money to materialistic possession to loving a person so much that you keep him above our True God. Jesus knows our heart inside out (John 2:25). What matters is what is inside our heart and not what we speak from our mouth; that’s why we always say “our actions speak louder than words”. Whatever is in our heart ultimately our deeds will be according to that only and not what we speak. When we give our life to Jesus; confession through the mouth isn’t enough. One should adhere to his commandments and act upon those to ultimately attain salvation. What is the use of accepting him verbally and still keeping the money as the priority in your heart? For Jesus to work in you; you should first of all surrender to him fully.

Promise till Eternity

Romans 6:8

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

This verse is especially for those who still have slightest of doubt as to whether we would attain heaven or hell after our physical death. Remember, when you die with Jesus; i.e. living your life for him, you would definitely live with him not only on earth but also will get to live with him in heaven. That is the grace of our Lord Jesus. Once you accept him fully; he would never ever leave you. Now, that testifies his immense love and compassion for us. All you have to do is accept him without any skepticism and he will be with you forever and ever. Remember that your doubts would only cast shadows on his unending love towards you. Rejoice in his faithfulness and his eternal friendship. Things of this world including people would betray you or leave you, but our mighty Lord Jesus would never forsake us.