Author: Percy Parakh

Afflictions, US Blog

Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous

Apr 12, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Psalm 34:1-8 King James Version

34 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

2 Kings 6:16-17 King James Version

16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Psalm 68:17 King James Version

17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

Homeless, US Blog

Homeless for Jesus!

Apr 12, 2021 by Percy Parakh

TO MEET SUCH A MAN
I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square.. The food and the company were both especially good that day. As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street.

There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, ‘I will work for food.’ My heart sank. I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him..

Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief. We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways.. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them.

I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: ‘Don’t go back to the office until you’ve at least driven once more around the square.’ Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square’s third corner, I saw him.

He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack. I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town’s newest visitor.

‘Looking for the pastor?’ I asked. ‘Not really,’ he replied, ‘just resting ‘Have you eaten today?’ ‘Oh, I ate something early this morning.’ ‘Would you like to have lunch with me?’ ‘Do you have some work I could do for you?’ ‘No work,’ I replied. ‘I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.

Sure,’ he replied with a smile. As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?’ ‘ St. Louis ‘Where you from?’ ‘Oh, all over; mostly Florida ‘ ‘How long you been walking?’ ‘Fourteen years,’ came the reply. I knew I had met someone unusual.

We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, ‘Jesus is The Never Ending Story.’

Then Daniel’s story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He’d made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona.

He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought. He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly.

He gave his life over to God ‘Nothing’s been the same since,’ he said, ‘I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.’ ‘Ever think of stopping?’ I asked. ‘Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling.

I give out Bibles.. That’s what’s in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.’ I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: ‘What’s it like?’

‘What? ‘ ‘To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?’ ‘Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn’t make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people’s concepts of other folks like me.’ My concept was changing, too.

We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, ‘Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I’ve prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food , when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.’ I felt as if we were on holy ground.

‘Could you use another Bible?’ I asked. He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. ‘I’ve read through it 14 times,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure we’ve got one of those, but let’s stop by our church and see’.

I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful. ‘Where are you headed from here?’ I asked.. ‘Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.’ ‘Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?’ ‘No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that’s where I’m going next.’

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we’d met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things. ‘Would you sign my autograph book?’ he asked. ‘I like to keep messages from folks I meet.’ I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, ‘I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.’

‘Thanks, man,’ he said. ‘I know we just met and we’re really just strangers, but I love you.’ ‘I know,’ I said, ‘I love you, too.’ ‘The Lord is good!’ ‘Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?’ I asked. ‘A long time,’ he replied And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, ‘See you in the New Jerusalem .’ ‘I’ll be there!’ was my reply. He began his journey again.

He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, ‘When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’ ‘You bet,’ I shouted back, ‘God bless.’ ‘God bless.’ And that was the last I saw of him. Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong.

The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them… a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.

Then I remembered his words: ‘If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’ Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. ‘See you in the New Jerusalem,’ he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will…

If this story touched you, forward it to a friend! ‘I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.’ My instructions were to send this to four people that I wanted God to bless and I picked you. Please pass this to four people you want to be blessed.

This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached. Please do not break this pattern.. Prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let’s continue to pray for one another. God bless and have a nice day! ‘Father, I ask you to bless my friends, relatives and e-mail buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of your love and power.

Holy Spirit, I ask you to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through your grace, In Jesus’ precious Name Amen.’ I sent this to more than four, but this story is so touching I felt each of you would enjoy it greatly. GOD BLESS YOU MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

Restoration, US Blog

Prophets Of Restoration -Finding Hope In The Midst Of Oppression

Apr 7, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Isaiah 53:4-11 King James Version

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Isaiah 53:4-11 New International Version

4 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.

Albert Einstein, US Blog

Something To Say – Albert Einstein

Apr 7, 2021 by Percy Parakh

💫 ❤️ *Something To Say* ❤️
🌝 I read that Albert Einstein was the featured speaker at a dinner given at Swarthmore College. When it came time for him to speak, he astonished everyone by standing up and announcing, “I have nothing to say.”

Then he sat down. A few moments later he stood up and added, “In case I have something to say, I will come back and say it.” Six months later he sent a message to the president of the college: “Now I have something to say.” Another dinner was held and he gave his speech.

🙇‍♀️ Perhaps you have had opportunities “to speak a word in season” to those who are weary, but you didn’t feel as if you had anything to say. If so, follow the example of the Servant of the Lord, the promised Messiah, whom we read about in Isaiah 50:4-10. Because He listened and obeyed what He heard, He had a message to give to others.

🙇‍♂️ *Open God’s Word with an eagerness to learn and do what He tells you to do*. Think of the Lord as present and speaking to you, disclosing His mind and emotions and will.

*Meditate on His words till you know what He is saying*. Then, as the Servant discovered, in time God will give you “the tongue of the learned”. *If you listen to the Lord, you’ll have something worth saying*.
— D. De Haan

Instill within my heart, dear Lord,_A deep desire to know Your Word,_I want to learn to hear Your voice_And always make Your will my choice_
*Open your ears to God before you open your mouth to others*
🎊 *Stay Blessed My Friend* 😊 🌹

No Condemnation, US Blog

There is now no Condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Apr 6, 2021 by Percy Parakh
💫

No Condemnation
During a recent hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, a news report highlighted a rescue device used on the oil rigs.

In case of fire or (in this case) hurricane, rig workers scramble into the bullet-shaped “bus” and strap themselves into their seats. When the entry port is shut, the vehicle is released down a chute and projected away from the rig.

The seat belts protect the occupants from the impact with the water. The capsule then bobs in the sea until rescuers come to pick it up.

The device parallels the theological truth of Romans 8:1—”Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Justification does not mean our world always stops falling apart. The rig still may topple in the hurricane. But those in the right place, whether a rescue module or spiritually in the storm.

The storm will take its course. The welfare of the workers depends on whether they are IN the rescue device. – David Asp

Favor, US Blog

Morning Manna – In His Favor Is Life (Psalms 30)

Apr 3, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Psalm 30 King James Version

30 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. 6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

7 Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.8 I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.

9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? 10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Psalms 30 By Charles Haddon Spurgeon

I will exalt thee, Lord of hosts,
For thou’st exalted me;
Since thou hast silenced Satan’s boasts,
I will therefore boast in thee.
My sins had brought me near the grave,
The grave of black despair;
I looked, but there was none to save,
Till I looked up in prayer.
In answer to my piteous cries,
From hell’s dark brink I am brought:
My Jesus saw me from the skies,
And swift salvation wrought.
All through the night I wept full sore,
But morning brought relief;
That hand, which broke my bones before,
Then broke my bonds of grief.
My mourning he to dancing turns,
For sackcloth joy he gives,
A moment, Lord, thine anger burns,
But long thy favour lives.
Sing with me then, ye favoured men,
Who long have known his grace;
With thanks recall the seasons when
Ye also sought his face.

Drought, US Blog

Surviving Drought

Apr 2, 2021 by Percy Parakh

💫 ❤️ *Surviving Drought* ❤️
🌝 In April 2019, a suburban neighborhood in Victorville, California, became buried in tumbleweeds. High winds pushed the rolling thistles into the development from the adjacent Mojave Desert where the plant grows.

At maturity, the pesky weed can grow to up to six feet in height — a formidable size when it releases itself from its roots to “tumble” with the wind to scatter its seeds.

🙇‍♀️ Tumbleweeds are what I picture when I read Jeremiah’s description of a person “whose heart turns away from the Lord”. He says that those who draw their strength from “mere flesh” will be like “a bush in the wastelands” and be unable to “see prosperity when it comes”.

In sharp contrast are those who put their trust in God instead of people. Like trees, their strong, deep roots draw strength from Him, enabling them to remain full of life, even in the midst of drought-like circumstances._

🙇‍♂️ Tumbleweeds and trees both have roots. Tumbleweeds, however, don’t stay connected to their life-source, causing them to dry out and die. Trees, on the other hand, remain connected to their roots, enabling them to flourish and thrive, anchored to that which will sustain them in times of difficulty.

When we hold fast to God, drawing strength and encouragement from the wisdom found in the scriptures and talking to Him in fellowship, we too can experience the life-giving, life-sustaining nourishment He provides. ~

Kirsten Holmberg
*Even strong trials cannot blow down a person who is rooted in God*
🎊 *Stay Blessed My Friend* 😊 🌹

India Blog, Scandal

How Do We Respond To The Ravi Zacharias Scandal?

Apr 2, 2021 by Percy Parakh

In the aftermath of the shocking and tragic news about Ravi Zacharias’s private life, one of our ministry school grads, herself a longtime missionary with her husband, wrote to me, asking, “Would you consider writing something in regards to the Ravi scandal? I know this is sending believers into a whirlwind of confusion.”

She continued, “I guess what people are saying is how could a man who sounds so spiritual, lead so many to Jesus, be so deeply involved in willful sinning? When things like this happen to someone with such influence, it sends people into a whirlwind of doubt.”

How, then, should we respond after it was discovered that the late Zacharias was guilty of multiple instances of sexual misconduct and abuse? Over the weekend, it was revealed that HarperCollins, his long-time publisher, will no longer offer his resources following the results of RZIM’s investigation.

Many others are asking the same questions as the missionary who wrote me.

1. Anyone can lead a double life. For many years, I have told ministry leaders and ministry school students that it is all too easy to learn to lead a double life. And, on a certain level, all of us learn how to compartmentalize.

Let’s say that you’re an elementary school teacher dealing with a difficult financial situation that has you on the verge of bankruptcy. This has your attention during every waking moment of your life, except when you’re teaching the children. Then, you put on your smiling face, teach your lessons and act as if you didn’t have a care in the world.

Even parents learn to do it in the home, not wanting their children to see fear or anger or some other, negative emotion. We all learn to play-act on some level or another.

Sadly, it’s the exact same thing with ministers of the gospel. We learn to play-act too, even in ways that are noble at first.

You’re pastoring a church, and right before your Sunday sermon, you get terrible news about an old friend who committed suicide. But the cameras are on, and you’re about to start your live feed. Your people need some encouragement, so you ask God for help, and you preach with passion. Then, afterward, you break down and cry.

Or you’re flying overseas for a major series of meetings, and your flights are delayed, meaning that you get off the plane and have to go straight to the first service. You are jet lagged; your body has no idea what time it is, and your brain is fogged. Yet you ask God for grace, and to your amazement, the message hits home.

There was no time to pray, no time to prepare your thoughts, no time even to rest and recover. Yet the Spirit worked through you. Soon enough, this becomes a habit. No prayer. No preparation. Just ministry. You have become a professional—and I mean that in the worst sense of the word. It can happen to anyone.

It’s the same with entertaining secret sin in our lives. It may take years, even decades, before that sin catches up to us in a public, outward way. But all the while it is destroying us on the inside. All the while, we are becoming performers, having compartmentalized our lives. There is the public, ministry self and there is the private, hidden self.

The longer this goes on, the harder our hearts become. We become more hypocritical, more polished, more deviant. We not only compartmentalize our sin, but we rationalize it. We might even justify it. “I’m a man of God who sacrifices much for the ministry. Surely, I’m allowed some perks along the way!”

In New Testament times, Jesus had severe rebukes for many of the Pharisees. But from what we understand from other, contemporary sources, these men were highly respected religious leaders. Yet to some of them Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and greed. You blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may also be clean.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness” (Matt. 23:25-27).

To repeat: this can happen to any of us. That’s why all of us should stop for a moment and ask ourselves, “Am I leading a double life?”

The problem is that, for a Christian leader in particular, it is very hard to come clean and ask for help. Even if you are a loving husband who is a blue-collar worker and not a pastor or preacher, would you find it easy to tell your wife you were struggling with porn? Or you were getting pulled into an emotional relationship with a female co-worker?

How much harder is it for a Christian leader to come clean and ask for help? Yet that is what each of us need to do should we find ourselves struggling. Accountability, as painful as it is in the short term, is a God-send in the long term. (We’ll return to the subject of accountability later in this article.)

The tragedy is that if we do not stop and get help, we can lead two very distinct lives, to the point of completely deceiving ourselves. This alone should jar us into reality in the here and now.

2. God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable. When Paul wrote these words in Romans 11:29, he was speaking specifically of the nation of Israel. But we can see elsewhere in Scripture that the same principle can apply to individuals.

Sometimes, while reading Judges 16, I have been shaken to the core. There we are told that Samson, whom God gifted with supernatural strength and who had been raised up to deliver Israel from her enemies, slept with a Philistine prostitute. This was an especially heinous act, not only because it was a sexual sin but because it was a sexual sin with Israel’s arch enemy.

The text states that when the Philistines came to attack Samson in the middle of the night, “he got up. He grabbed the doors of the city gate and the two gateposts and pulled them out along with the bar. He put them on his shoulder and brought them to the top of the mountain near Hebron” (Judg. 16:3b).

Can you imagine that? He just had sex with a Philistine prostitute. He is guilty, and he is unclean. Yet he still has his supernatural strength. The gift still operates. How sobering, and how terrifying.

Just because someone is anointed doesn’t mean they are right with God. Just because someone is gifted by the Spirit doesn’t mean they are living holy lives.

Prophet, US Blog

Faithful Prophets – The Bearer of Bad News

Mar 31, 2021 by Percy Parakh

1 Kings 18:5-18 King James Version

5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?

8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?

10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.

11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.

13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord’s prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.

15 And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.

Agape, US Blog

What is Christian Love?

Mar 31, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Jesus is the reason we even know what love is. In laying down His life for us, He taught us everything we need to know about true love. Love is self-sacrificing, generous, unending, not a temporary feeling or attraction. Because of God’s love for the world, we know love is also undeserving and often unreciprocated. Kristi Walker Author

Greek Definitions of Love

The ancient Greeks had anywhere between four and eight different words for love (depending on the source):

– Storge: affection

– Philia or Phileo: friendship 

– Eros: sexual, erotic

– Agape: unconditional, divine, selfless

– Ludus: flirtatious, playful, casual, uncommitted

– Pragma: committed, long-standing

– Philautia: self-love

– Mania: obsessive, possessive, addictive, dependent

Love is and always has been a complex concept. Is it an emotion, a state of being, a choice, an ability, a gift, a force, or all of the above?

English Definition of Love

The English word “love” has been used in reference to a “strong affection for another” since before the 12th century, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary. It has been said that the English language has only one word for love, but English also has other words implying love such as affection, friendship, attraction, etc. The word “love” though is a constantly evolving concept with ever-broadening definitions. Human love, therefore, cannot be simply defined, as it is being redefined all the time.

What Is Self-Love?

Love, today, instead of being merely a strong affection for another, issynonymous with acceptance, tolerance, celebration of diversity, open-mindedness, desire, and pleasure.

Another type of love we hear a lot about currently is “self-love” (philautia). This Psychology Today article defines self-love as “a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth.” Self-love can be a natural and healthy appreciation of self, but also has the potential to easily become excessive, narcissistic, and selfish!

What Does the Bible Say about Loving Yourself?

Scripture talks about loving yourself in two different ways:

1. As an Assumption

  • “Love your neighbor as yourself”(Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31).  
  • “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners…” (Leviticus 19:34).

We naturally love and care for ourselves. Notice that the Bible never directly tells us to love ourselves, because it’s unnecessary. (It tells us to love God and others.) We take care of our own needs. We do so to the extent of putting ourselves and our welfare, needs, desires, and ambitions first, before God and before others. It is for this reason that God’s Word says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). The problem is not that we do not love ourselves, but that we love ourselves too much and others too little. Self-love can too easily morph from a natural state to a corruption of what is natural. The goal instead should be for natural love to be transformed into spiritual, or Christ-like love.

Most sins stem from love of self and a lack of love for God and others. Think about it: hate, greed, envy, murder, strife, gossip, slander, arrogance and pride all result from a love of self. When we love ourselves without regard for God or others, the result is sin. If God’s law is summed up by love for God and love for others (Matthew 22:37-40), then sin, defined in Scripture as “lawlessness,” is any thought, word, or deed void of (spiritual) love.

2. As a Corruption

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Do you hear the problem? There will come a day (and that day is already here) when people will be lovers of themselves without love for others, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Self-love is natural, but it is not Christ-like or spiritual love.

What Does the Bible Say about Love? How Does God Love?

The Greek word for spiritual love is agape, which according to Dictionary.com, means:

  • The love of God or Christ for humankind.
  • The love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.
  • Unselfish love of one person for another without sexual implications; brotherly love.

1. Spiritual love is not self-love, but rather self-sacrificing love.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).

According to this passage, Jesus is the reason we even know what spiritual love is! In laying down His life for us, He taught us everything we need to know about true love.

2. Spiritual love is generous, not selfish or greedy.

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

3. Spiritual love is unending, not a temporary feeling, emotion, or attraction. 

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Nothing can separate us from God’s love! “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love”(1 John 4:8). God does not just love us or teach us how to love, He is love!

We, on the other hand, love who we want, when we want, how we want, if we want, and to the extent that we want, and then claim we love like God. Far from it.

4. Spiritual love is undeserving and often unreciprocated.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).

Herein lies the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ: For God so loved His enemies (us), that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. Three days after He died, Jesus rose again, conquering death. Through his death, we are reconciled to God (no longer enemies, but friends!). Because of Him, we can be saved. Whoever believes in Jesus through faith will have everlasting life!

“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10).

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel” (Colossians 1:21-23).

5. Spiritual love is lavish.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1).

Once we were enemies of God, but because of God’s great love for us, demonstrated in the death and life of Jesus, we can be called His children! (Notice it is because of God’s great love for us, not our great love for Him.) A song by Sovereign Grace Music put it this way: “Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table, Jesus, thank You.”    

God’s love is self-sacrificing, generous, extravagant, lavish, costly, limitless, boundless, measureless and unconditional. Why don’t we love like that?

What Is Love? God Is Love.

Humanity has always struggled to define love, and is constantly redefining it, but God’s definition is clear and will never change:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

“God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Kristi Walker has been a missionary in Berlin, Germany for over 15 years working with an international church as the Director of Student Ministries. She is the author of two books, Disappointment: A Subtle Path Away from Christ  and Convinced. Applying Biblical Principles to Life’s Choices.

India Blog, Re-incarnation

Satan’s Lies About Reincarnation

Mar 25, 2021 by Percy Parakh

In the Garden of Eden, Satan seemed to win an impressive victory. Little did he know that it was foreseen by God, and God would use it to serve His purposes.

However, in the temptation and fall of humanity, Satan laid five lies upon Eve either directly or indirectly that form the foundation for false religion. Not only did Satan not want humans to worship God, he wanted humans to in some form worship him. Let’s track the five lies and their resulting religious impulses.

Reincarnation

God told Adam that if he ate from the tree, he would “surely die.” Genesis 2: 17, Satan promised Eve, “You surely shall not die.” Satan blatantly contradicted God with this lie. He continues this lie in modern religion with a lie called “reincarnation.”

This false teaching is that souls play a game of musical chairs with various bodies in this world. In this life you are one being, but after death you return as another. The hope is that one moves upward in this cycle and becomes better and better with each new habitation.

Reincarnation is based on the teaching of “Karma,” that everyone gets what he or she deserves. Evil is punished in the next life; and good is rewarded.

Hinduism is the most extreme of this reincarnation/karma system. Everyone is believed to be in one of five levels. There are four castes followed by the outcasts, which are those who were so evil in the previous life that they don’t merit any status in one of the four hierarchical castes.

Don’t be fooled, Christians. Reincarnation and karma are cruel hoaxes of the devil. Imagine saying to the poor or the abused, “You are getting what you deserved from your past life.” Imagine the wealthy and powerful saying, “Our position is deserved because of our past lives’ goodness. The lowly are here to serve us. They must do what we want.” 

Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The Bible teaches tenderness toward the poor and outcast. It also teaches the responsibility of those blessed with resources and/or poor to share and care.

Reincarnation is the devil’s lie made believable. We don’t want to die. Satan says, “You won’t die.” You are reincarnated according to karma.

Esotericism

In the temptation, Satan encourages Eve to set aside God’s word for a substitute word from Satan. He promises that “her eyes will be opened.” Genesis 3: 5, He promises her an enlightened experience. According to Satan, he came to rescue her. Satan claims that God had been holding out.

Satan is promising a counterfeit religious experience. He wants humans to encounter him and think they are in touch with him as the real god. This is a belief in a transformation of consciousness that initiates us into “true spirituality.”

In Greek and Roman culture it showed up as a theory of “secret knowledge.” This secret knowledge teaching turns up in the Bible in I Timothy 6:20-21. “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.”

In our era, “secret knowledge” is a New Age specialty and is often referred to as “enlightenment.” This knowledge is gained by searching one’s soul. What it really is is an encounter with a spiritual being sent by Satan. One has this encounter either through transcendental meditation or hallucinogenic drugs.

CS Lewis wrote of these encounters in Screwtape Letters where fictional demon, Uncle Screwtape gives instructions to nephew, apprentice demon Wormwood, “I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologize their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy (God).”

Satan offers religious experience that is counter to an experience with Jesus Christ through God’s word and the Holy Spirit. Spiritual experiences are not necessarily good things. They may be of Satan.

Pantheism

The third of Satan’s lies is “you will be like God.” What a thought! And there is some truth here. We are created in God’s image, so there is resemblance. However, most humans easily recognize that we are not God. So how can Satan adjust this lie for human consumption?

He extends the idea of divinity to everything that exists. “Humans are god. Nature is god. Why, everything is god.” This is the heart of pantheism, that “all is god,” and “god is all.” For a pantheist, final reality is spiritual, and matter is illusion. Pantheists deny the existence of the material world to escape.

In II Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul writes that the antichrist will “exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 

Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of The Last Temptation of Christ, wrote, “It is not God who will save us—it is we who will save God, by battling, by creating, and transmuting matter into spirit.” Christianity teaches that humanity fell into sin and needs rescue.

Pantheism teaches the opposite, god fell and needs rescue. Matter and mind were at one time united in an entity called god. But matter and mind separated. This breach must now be healed by humans putting it back together again.

The Bible also teaches that God created the heavens and the earth. He declared it “good.” Matter is good. It’s a creation of God. Pantheism contends that matter is illusion, all is spiritual, and everything is god. According to this false belief system, we need to focus our souls on the wonderful connectedness of all things, and escape the material realm.

Relativism

“You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan trolled. (Genesis 3:5) Satan promised an experiential knowledge of good and evil. Humanity would now be able to choose between what is good and evil instead of a god imposing a code of right and wrong. The serpent was right that eating the fruit did give an experiential knowledge of good and evil, but what horrible knowledge it was.

In our age, this lie takes the form of relativism, “what is true for me might not be true for you.” Philosopher John Dewy believed morality like language is relative to a culture, and therefore no one has superior morality. Eastern religions too believe in relativism. If it’s true that God is everything, it follows that God is also evil. So Hinduism teaches that good and evil are only illusions.

Yen-Men, an Eastern teacher, writes, “If you wish the plain truth, be not concerned about right and wrong. The conflict between right and wrong is the sickness of the mind.” If evil doesn’t exist, then man’s real problem is ignorance. The solution is enlightenment.

With no objective standard for right and wrong, hideous crimes can be justified. When the objective standards of God are thrown out, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” shouts repeatedly the horrifying refrain of the book of Judges.

Hedonism

Genesis 3: 6, “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” This is the subtle result of Satan’s lies. Eve is tempted and is attempting to sort out the temptation within herself without referring to God’s word.

When we ignore God’s word in moral choices, our human inclination is to think and to feel, not obey. God’s word was specific. “Do not eat.” But Eve liked the looks of the fruit and Adam caved to her desire. The words of God were not as important as the right sensation and Eve’s own logic.

We hear this philosophy today in the words of Woody Allen, “The heart wants what it wants.” Satan deceives with pleasure as the highest good and human thought as reasonable, while targeting God’s word as limiting, unreasonable, and/or false.

Some have sought to adjust hedonism by suggesting that we should maximize not individual happiness, but happiness for the greatest number. This too is dangerous. The problem is that 90 million Germans believed 6 million Jews limited their happiness. The Nazis then gassed the Jews.

Summary

Satan is a liar. The religions of this world, to this very day, turn on the lies he began in the garden. 

India Blog, Sin

Never Again Go On The Path Of Sin

Mar 25, 2021 by Percy Parakh

“गुनाह की राह”Rev. Tahira Ali Massey [YESHU Tere Sang]

गुनाह की राह पर फिर से कभी जाया न करो ;
अंधेरो पर कभी भी तुम यक़ीन लाया न करो ।=>

कि गम – मुसीबतो में ज़िंदगी चलेगी सदा ?मसीह के नाम से हर पल यहाँ मुसकाया करो ।…
अंधेरो पर कभी भी तुम यक़ीन लाया न करो ।=>

कदम तुम्हारे उठतें गुनाह की राहो में ;
बचोगे आज नज़र सूली पर उठाया करो ।…

अंधेरो पर कभी भी तुम यक़ीन लाया न करो ।=>
किसे कहोगे यहाँ यार सब फरेबी है ;मसीह है सच्चा उसे यार तुम बनाया करो ।…
अंधेरो पर कभी भी तुम यक़ीन लाया न करो ।

′′ The path of sin ′′ Rev. Tahira Ali Massey [YESHU with you]
Never go on the path of sin again and again
Don’t ever believe in darkness.=>
That sorrow – life will go on forever in difficulties?
Smile here every moment in the name of Christ….
Never believe in darkness.=>
When you take steps in the path toward sin;
You will be saved today, if you raise your eyes to the cross….
Never believe in darkness.=>
Whom will you trust here, all are frauds;
Christ is true make him friend….
Never believe in darkness.

Finish Line, US Blog

Let’s Push One Another To The Finish Line

Mar 25, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Kenyan runner Abel Mutai was only a few meters from the finish line, but got confused with the signs and stopped, thinking he had finished the race.

Spanish runner, Ivan Fernandez, was right behind him, and when realizing what was going on, he started shouting to the Kenyan to keep running.

Mutai did not know Spanish and did not understand. Realizing what was going on, Fernandez pushed Mutai to victory.

A reporter asked Ivan, “Why did you do this?” Ivan replied, “My dream is that one day we can have some sort of community life where we push ourselves and also others to win.”

The reporter insisted “But why did you let the Kenyan win?” Ivan replied, “I didn’t let him win, he was going to win. The race was his.” The reporter insisted and asked again, “But you could have won!”

Ivan looked at him and replied: “But what would be the merit of my victory? What would be the honor of this medal? What would my Mother think of it?”

What values are we teachers our children, and how much do we inspire others towards these values? Many of us take advantage of people’s weaknesses instead of helping to strengthen them.
LET’S PUSH ONE ANOTHER TO THE FINISH LINE. WE ALL DESERVE VICTORY


Hindi Worship, India Blog

Jai Jai Naam Yeshu Naam, Gayoon Mein SubhOShyam

Mar 23, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Jai Jai Naam Yeshu Naam
Gaoon mein subhoshaam – 6

Balheen ka sahaara,
paapiyon ka dost hai Tu
Yeshu Tu hai kitna pyaara
Shabd na kaise bataoon? – 2

Jai Jai Naam Yeshu Naam
Gaoon mein subhoshaam – 4

Tujh mein bana rahoon to,
amrut phal laoon main
Gaoon teri jai sadaa to,
Tujh sa ban jaoon main – 2

Jai Jai Naam Yeshu Naam
Gaoon mein subhoshaam – 4

Tu hi hai jo mujhko bulaata
Deta hai jeevan jal
Teri shakti paaoon sadaa aur
Yojanaaye safal ho jaaye – 2

Jai Jai Naam Yeshu Naam
Gaoon mein subhoshaam – 12

US Blog, Wisdom

Faithful Prophets Seeking Wisdom For The Future

Mar 22, 2021 by Percy Parakh

2 Kings 22:14-20 New International Version

14 Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

15 She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. 

17 Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ 18 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 

19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse[b] and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 

20 Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’ So they took her answer back to the king.

Life, US Blog

Life Begins at Fertilization!

Mar 22, 2021 by Percy Parakh

It is the central question in the abortion debate: when does life begin?

Science teaches without reservation that life begins at fertilization (conception). It is a scientific fact that an organism exists after fertilization that did not exist before. This new organism has its own DNA distinct from the mother and father, meaning that it is a unique person. As the embryo grows, it develops a heartbeat (22 days after fertilization), its own circulatory system, and its own organs. From fertilization, it is a new organism that is alive and will continue to grow and develop as long as nutrition is provided and its life is not ended through violence or illness.

DNA

Artistic metal representation of DNA double-helix structure.

It is indisputably human, as it has human DNA.

The offspring of two members of a species is always the same type of creature as the parents. No two dogs will ever conceive and give birth to a cat; no fish egg will ever produce a snake. According to all the laws of nature, the preborn baby is human.

Scientific textbooks proclaim this fact. Keith L. Moore’s The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology (7th edition, Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2003) states the following:

A zygote [fertilized egg] is the beginning of a new human being. Human development begins at fertilization, the process during which a male gamete … unites with a female gamete or oocyte … to form a single cell called a zygote. This highly specialized, totipotent cell marks the beginning of each of us as a unique individual.

Hi, kids!

“Zygote” is a scientific term for the new life that is created when the sperm and the egg combine. “Oocyte” is another term for the egg cell, the cell released by woman’s ovary, which travels down the Fallopian tube and is fertilized by the male sperm.

The author of this scientific textbook, Keith L. Moore, is a world-renowned embryologist. He has written a number of definitive books on embryology, and his scientific knowledge and experience are vast and beyond reproach. Few medical students can complete their careers without studying from his textbooks.

Moore puts it even more plainly in Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology (7th edition, Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2008, p. 2):

[The zygote], formed by the union of an oocyte and a sperm, is the beginning of a new human being.

Here is an example from another scientific work.

From Human Embryology & Teratology (Ronan R. O’Rahilly, Fabiola Muller [New York: Wiley-Liss, 1996], 5-55):

Fertilization is an important landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed[.]

This third embryology textbook is as clear as the first two – fertilization is the beginning of new life and the start of a new, distinct human organism.

From T.W. Sadler, Langman’s Medical Embryology (10th edition, Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006, p. 11):

Development begins with fertilization, the process by which the male gamete, the sperm, and the femal gamete, the oocyte, unite to give rise to a zygote.

And in another source (Ronan O’Rahilly and Fabiola Miller, Human Embryology and Teratology [3rd edition, New York: Wiley-Liss, 2001, p. 8]):

Although life is a continuous process, fertilization … is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new genetically distinct human organism is formed when the chromosomes of the male and female pronuclei blend in the oocyte.

In yet another textbook (William J. Larsen, Essentials of Human Embryology [New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1998, pp. 1, 14]), we read the following:

Human embryos begin development following the fusion of definitive male and female gametes during fertilization[.] … This moment of zygote formation may be taken as the beginning or zero time point of embryonic development.

As we can see, embryology textbooks are clear: life begins at fertilization. And the life that begins is not simply a continuation of the life of the sperm or egg cell. Rather, it is the life of a distinct, unique, new individual who has never existed before in history and will never exist again. Nothing will be added to the new organism except nutrition, and it will continue to grow and develop until death occurs due to injury or illness.

A human baby at 8 weeks

A human baby at 8 weeks

Lennart Nilsson was a photographer who took the first pictures of preborn embryos and fetuses and made them available in his famous book A Child Is Born. In the introduction to this book, which contains beautiful full-color pictures of preborn babies in different stages of development, he says:

… but the whole story does not begin with delivery. The baby has existed for months before – at first signaling its presence only with small outer signs, later on as a somewhat foreign little being which has been growing and gradually affecting the lives of those close by[.]

This incredible book shows gorgeous photographs of the preborn baby from conception (fertilization) to birth. We see the shape of the six-week-old embryo begin to resemble the profile of the baby who will be born. We see the tiny, fully formed fingers of an eight-week-old preborn baby. It is a remarkable book that many expectant mothers have seen, and its photographs have been reproduced many times.

The word “embryo” is defined as such (Considine, Douglas [ed.], Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia, 5th edition, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1976, p. 943):

Embryo: The developing individual between the union of the germ cells and the completion of the organs which characterize its body when it becomes a separate organism. … At the moment the sperm cell of the human male meets the ovum of the female and the union results in a fertilized ovum (zygote), a new life has begun[.]

And yet another textbook (Carlson, Bruce M. Patten’s Foundations of Embryology, 6th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996, p. 3) states:

Almost all higher animals start their lives from a single cell, the fertilized ovum (zygote)[.] … The time of fertilization represents the starting point in the life history, or ontogeny, of the individual.

This is a mere handful of excerpts from medical textbooks.

National Geographic put together a television program (“In the Womb,” 2005) documenting the development of the baby throughout pregnancy. In the introduction of their program, they sum up the scientific knowledge of the beginning of life in the following way:

The two cells gradually and gracefully become one. This is the moment of conception [fertilization], when an individual’s unique set of DNA is created, a human signature that never existed before and will never be repeated.

A human baby, 6-7 weeks from fertilization

In 1981 (April 23-24), a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee held hearings on the question of when human life begins. Appearing to speak on behalf of the scientific community was a group of internationally known geneticists and biologists who had the same story to tell – namely, that human life begins at conception (fertilization) – and they told their story with a complete absence of opposing testimony (Subcommittee on Separation of Powers to Senate Judiciary Committee S-158, Report, 97th Congress, 1st Session, 1981).

*** Dr. Micheline M. Mathews-Roth, Harvard Medical School, gave confirming testimony, supported by references from over 20 embryology and other medical textbooks that human life began at fertilization.

It is incorrect to say that biological data cannot be decisive…It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception.

*** “Father of Modern Genetics” Dr. Jerome Lejeune told the lawmakers:

To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion … it is plain experimental evidence. Each individual has a very neat beginning, at conception.

*** Dr. McCarthy de Mere, medical doctor and law professor, University of Tennessee, testified:

The exact moment of the beginning of personhood and of the human body is at the moment of conception.

*** Dr. Alfred Bongiovanni, professor of pediatrics and obstetrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, concluded:

I am no more prepared to say that these early stages represent an incomplete human being than I would be to say that the child prior to the dramatic effects of puberty … is not a human being. … I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the time of conception.

***Dr. Richard V. Jaynes:

To say that the beginning of human life cannot be determined scientifically is utterly ridiculous.

***Dr. Landrum Shettles, sometimes called the “Father of In Vitro Fertilization,” notes:

Conception confers life and makes that life one of a kind.

And on the Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade,

To deny a truth [about when life begins] should not be made a basis for legalizing abortion.

*** Professor Eugene Diamond stated:

… either the justices were fed a backwoods biology or they were pretending ignorance about a scientific certainty.

***Gordon, Hymie, M.D., FRCP, chairman of medical genetics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester:

By all criteria of modern molecular biology,life is present from the moment of conception. … Science has a very simple conception of man; as soon as he has been conceived, a man is a man.

*** C. Christopher Hook, M.D. Oncologist, Mayo Clinic, Director of Ethics Education, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine:

When fertilization is complete, a unique genetic human entity exists.

The official Senate report reached this conclusion:

Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being – a being that is alive and is a member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological, and scientific writings.

A human baby at 7-8 weeks old

Preborn babies are among the most vulnerable and helpless members of our society. The value of human beings is not dependent on where they are, how tall they are, what race they are, what they look like, or how old they are. Each person has inherent worth because of who and what he or she is: a member of the human species.

Thanks to Abort73.com for providing some of these quotes.FacebookTwitterMore628

Martin Luther, Tempt Gpd, US Blog

Martin Luther – God Fearing Faith that is neither Brash, nor Tempt God

Mar 22, 2021 by Percy Parakh

When Martin Luther was dealing with a plague in his day, he wrote these wise words that can help inform the way we approach things happening in our world right now:

“I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.

If God should wish to take me He will surely find me and I have done what He has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others.

If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person I shall go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is “neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.”

Luther’s Works; Vol. 43, pg. 132Hat tip: Janelle Joy

6Bonita Johnson, Theresa Espey Isom and 4 others3 CommentsLikeCommentShare

Grace, Holiness, US Blog

He Chose Us In Him – Morning Manna

Mar 22, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Ephesians 1:3-4 New International Version

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love

1 Peter 1:15-16 King James Version

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Hebrews 4:13 New International Version

13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 King James Version

13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Titus 2:11-14 King James Version

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Jude 24 King James Version

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Penance, Repentance, US Blog

What is Repentance? What is the difference between Penance and Repentance?

Mar 22, 2021 by Percy Parakh

Sometimes folks confuse Repentance with Penance

PENANCE and REPENTANCE Question: What is the difference between penance and repentance?

Answer: The Lord Jesus summarized the Christian message in the following words: Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46,47).

The Gospel is the glad tidings of salvation to all people everywhere. Forgiveness and peace with God are offered to “all nations”. To show His readiness to forgive the vilest sinners, the apostles were commanded to begin their mission in Jerusalem, the dwelling place of His murderers!

Sin can only be forgiven “in His name.” There is no other fount where sinners can go to for cleansing. As prophesied in Scripture, it was necessary for Christ to suffer and die on the cross as a sacrifice for sin.

The resurrection is the Father’s seal of approval on His Son’s redemptive work. Christians are forgiven in His name and they have no other message to a lost world but the promise of forgiveness for Christ’s sake.

REPENTANCE Repentance and remission go together. As long as the sinner remains obstinate and without remorse, God will not forgive. Only when the sinner confesses his sin and turns to God, is he pardoned and reconciled.

Repentance is an inner change; the word actually means a change of mind. Yet this inner conversion shows itself outwardly. Genuine sorrow for offending God is often expressed in prayer and fasting. Life is transformed.

The selfish becomes generous and kind; the dishonest becomes just and true in his dealings with others. These are the “fruits of repentance” that John the Baptist spoke about (Luke 3:7-14) – the result and proof of true conversion.

The good works that result from repentance are not reckoned as a punishment or a payment of the legal debt owned to God’s justice. God forgives gratuitously, freely; God forgives on account of Christ’s sacrifice. Remission is in the name of Christ and not on account of anything we do.

Our tears do not appease God’s wrath but only the blood of Jesus. The repentant does not live a good life to merit forgiveness; he lives a clean and godly life because he is forever grateful to God’s forgiving grace!

PENANCE Sadly Catholic tradition distorts the biblical concept of repentance. Repentance is substituted by “doing penance” – a punishment inflicted on oneself to atone (make satisfaction) for sin.

To be fair, Catholicism also speaks of penance as an inner attitude – “that disposition of the heart in which we detest and bewail our sins because they were offensive to God.” We readily concur that genuine repentance is expressed by sorrow, and such acts as prayer and fasting, and that repentance results in “fruit” – good works that grow out of a changed mind.

The big problem with the Catholic doctrine is the intended purpose of such acts: penance is performed to make satisfaction for sin, as can be verified from the following citations from official Catholic sources: “Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must ‘make satisfaction’ for or ‘expiate’ his sins. This satisfaction is called ‘penance.'” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1459).

Penance “is meant not merely as a safeguard for the new life and as a remedy to weakness, but also as a vindicatory punishment for former sins” (Council of Trent, 14:8).”Satisfaction or penance is that prayer or other good work which the confessor enjoins on the penitent in expiation of his sins” (Catechism of Pius X, Sacrament of Penance).

Accordingly, even though a person is genuinely contrite and having confessed his sins, he is still required to atone for sin by performing various works of penance in this world and by suffering in purgatory after death. He is not fit to enter heaven until he has made complete satisfaction.

PRACTICAL EFFECTS The practical effects of the doctrine of penance are most disturbing and hurtful to the Christian religion: Faith – the Christian’s absolute confidence in the goodness of God and the sufficiency of Christ’s blood to cleanse from sin – is substituted by personal efforts and suffering.

Love – the Christian’s obedience to the commandments in response to the love of God, such as helping the poor – is mutated into a punishment! (Almsgiving is a principal form of penance).

Hope – the Christian’s joyful expectation to be in the presence of his Saviour – is changed into fear and dread in anticipation of the torments of purgatory.

Back to the Bible! May every one of us truly repent – detesting sin and turning to God, fully confident in his mercy and kindness. Let us trust completely in Christ whose blood cleanses from all sin. Let us love and do good works for no other purpose but to show our gratitude to God’s goodness. Let us hope to the end for the grace – God’s unmerited favour, our salvation – that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Reap, Uncategorized, US Blog

What Goes Around Comes Around

Mar 22, 2021 by Percy Parakh

This is a true story that had happened in 1892 at Stanford University. It’s moral is still relevant today. A young, 18 year old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea.

A friend and he decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education. They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2,000 for the piano recital.

A deal was struck. And the boys began to work to make the concert a success. The big day arrived. Paderewski performed at Stanford. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1,600.

Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1,600, plus a cheque for the balance of $400. They promised to honour the cheque soonest possible.

“No” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1,600 and told the boys “Here’s the $1,600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees.

And just give me whatever is left” The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely. It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being. Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think “If I help them, what would happen to me?”

The truly great people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?” They don’t do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were over 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them.

Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help. The head was a man called Herbert Hoover – who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to fee the starving Polish people.

A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me, Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college in the US. I was one of them.

“The world is a wonderful place. What goes around, usually comes around….. Multiplied.