Renewed to Honor

 Things I learned about just our normal weeds Weeds grow back even when we cut it Weeds have to be uprooted Weeds grow faster than other plants They reproduce and they germinate fast Weeds grow anywhere Weeds grow where we fail to see Weeds are persistent unlike plants Weeds grow under bricks and even in crevices Weeds that are unchecked have really deep or mesh like roots Weeds work on the root before it reaches on the surface Look for similar weeds nearby - it too must be removed as they tend to regrow They must be dealt harshly - they must be removed even if they are small They must be constantly monitored Weeds are not what we planned to have They look harmless They cannot be killed easily as it will damage the real plant What does weeds do: They take away nutrients They take away space They take away water They take away sunlight They hide your plants They slow the plants from producing fruit They make the plants look different The choke or entangle the plant They even stop fr...

Sometime ago I was flying from London to Mumbai. At 39000 feet above the seas and the land mass that I have been for a short while calling 'home', the clouds came together , hiding it from my view. I knew for well that in less than the 20 days I should be  back again in my cosy room in the tiny town of Essex. I was quite teary eyed - not for long -  just few tears drop fell off my cheeks. I was not sad but there is always a longing for the people and the love of home that I find wanting me to let go of my hold on it , doing this was emotional. As the flight embarked the upward journey, the clouds that seemed like nomads showed a very life like perspective to them. There, like jellyfish, the blob of white and radiant clouds broke off at edges like tentacles and tried it's best to hold onto the pieces that were falling apart.  I must confess that all this seemed too dramatic and exciting for my normal day life and I was pleasantly amused . I was drawn to Psalms 19 ...

I recently had a good dinner and this was my view. One of the thing that my Church's small group has been involved in is the Supper Clubs  and mostly all of us in some way have hosted a supper club or been a part of one, served in this culture building venture in some manner - including the Big Supper Club as in the link above.  I recently have been pondering on the thoughts of hosting a supper club, but I am not so sure nor do feel well equipped to host a meal. It is not that I am a bad host or a bad cook, I can cook to live and BBQ, and I thing that would do me good in the long run - but the idea of setting table and getting things arranged often puts me in a 'hard place'. I would love to one day set the table, but I am sure that it would have to take a lot of persuasion. But, the idea of talking to absolute strangers and learning life from a different perspective still appeals me. One of the ideas I am thinking of getting to do a 'different' type of sup...

one day i may die. so as you. some may live till a ripe old age, other be killed at an young age, some may be caught in the rapture, others will be persecuted in the tribulations. But being a Christian, one thing is certain, that there is one day when our mortal body will be transformed to an immortal one. From that day on new things will happen. You will feel alive and be awake. You will not grow tired nor hunger or thirst. One such day, you may go for war against the accuser - the Satan. On that day you will see the death paying its debt. You may partake in the victory celebrations in the galaxy that day and the days to come. Then may be one day, days and night may cease to exist and time would be timeless. From then on you will live in the presence of the almighty. As you live there, you will see the Father, God of all. You will worship Him because he is there. You will see and know the Holy Spirit and realise that the Father is not the spirit, and the Spirit not the Father. ...

For many of us God sounds like a monstrous being, some one waiting to smite you if you do wrong. Well, yes God has been strict at many occasions but lets never forget that he is a loving father as well. God is love and care that the image of Zeus we have with thunder bolts in his arms to hurl at you. Jesus said, I call you a friend. I have your name on my arms. As I am trying to understand the grace of God, I learn more about his Holiness. As I understand his majestic nature I realise that God is not a king we know of but rather a loving father. We are then prince and princess in his kingdom. During my exam which is nearly over as I have one more to go on this Friday, I wanted to rest and feel and be filled in God presence. So I listened to a "nearer my God to thee" which is one of my favourite hymns. Normally, if you know Christian slow Hymns, aspecially Nearer my God to thee, you would expect a slow and calming effect like in the last scene of the 1997 Movie Titanic. i was...

celebrating pentecost 2012 to many of us who think of Pentecost as a denomination or a church, this message is for you, for many of us who think there is no reason to be concerned about the church, this is again a message for you. this message is for christians or people who call themselves christians. if you are not a christian, let me warn you, that some things may slip your mind so be free to ask me in the comments or on twitter or personal email at smathew2237@gmail.com . [The following explains trinity : please read if you are interested : else skip below by clicking => SKIP <=] in christianity we believe in a monotheist belief like Judaism and Islam, but worship the God of Judaism not Islam. the turn down for many people is the added effect of deity issues that come with christians saying they believe in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and blow away the concept of monotheism. so what does the christian believe ? well, we believe God,...

We are not a static computer, we breathe , live , and see and interact with in this world. We were known by God before time began , then called to him, we heard his voice, and because of him, we heard him.

Seriously, who can separate us from the Love of Lord. Who can separate us from his love ? Nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable-absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love. Romans 8:37-39 . If we look back to the book of Isaiah 59 we see that the God tells us that he was kind and forgiving but we were covered in sin that much that we were alienated. But this is where the entire history of human beings were altered, one day as a young Jewish woman heard this voice, she accepted the call, and Jesus was born in to the world, not that he could not being God himself have put his foot down hard on the Earth, or he could have appeared grown, but chose to in the helpless form of man, more , in the helpless form of a baby, later after 30 plus years, took the responsibility of his creation, the sin of man, upon himself and to death it self, that the glory that you feel forgiven be not yours of a thing that you hope that...

The chapter Isaiah 59 is a very meaningful chapter. The chapter begins with the prophet telling us that God has not run away from us or nor is he hiding that our tears cannot be seen or our cries cannot be heard. But when we went away from God, we were also neglected justice by others and God saw that his children were oppressed and were denied justice and as it is said in in Isaiah 59:15(b) . This is our God. Although we are sinners he says and that there were no one who could stand for you as mediators , God would bring you the salvation. The Lord is at my right hand, he is there to protect me, but let me tell you that God is also there to guard you from sinning. The verse Isaiah 59:19 , is the most important verse that we should remember when we are tempted. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight*. Isaiah 59:19 What does this verse mean to you? This is what I have understood and I follow. You ...

During October last year I posted some pictures of flowers that blossomed during winter seasons. One of them was the Chinese lantern or the Physalis alkekengi . Here is a picture of it. You can see the rest of the pictures on the post "When Winter Comes ". Its spring in UK now and the Chinese Lantern has gone dry. It looks more beautiful than before. Here are some more pictures. You could get the rest on My PICASA "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over" - John 12:24 And this is what Good Friday and Easter is about. The death of Jesus, the new life from him. Have a blessed passion season. God Bless you. Jesus died on the Cross, Buried in the ground, and his glory is for ever more. Subin Your browser does not support the canvas element.Get Google Chrome or...

I was talking with my grandmother who is almost 4 times older than me, about agriculture and the paddy fields, when she asked me to visit the fields my grandfather and his ancestors once worked on. I of course objected it saying that there were more important things to do like watching TV and eating, but her persuasion finally won me over. The travel was short but it was worth it. I have never stood in muck so deep in my life and it was far exciting than i had orginally conceived in my head. Its by her faith that I learned more about Lord. It reminds me of Timothy I am calling up memories of your sincere  and  unqualified faith (the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), [a faith] that first lived permanently in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am [fully] persuaded, [dwells] in you also. 2Timothy 1: 5 Written By Your browser does not...

This post is not specific to any Church or community or organisation and so there opinion are my own based on independent study conducted. I was recently studying on Jewish Customs and marriages although i have no intention to marry a Jew at present or have any idea of conversion to Judaism. There is a lot of  similar ideas in Jesus return to Jewish marriages and this is going to be in the next post. So what is this post about? As i told earlier its slightly controversial. In Jewish marriages and community customs there are some regulations that should be followed by a non Jew in entering into Judaism.  One was the most obvious - circumcision. But there were other things of which one was this  ritual washing. This is mentioned a million times or so in the book of Leviticus. Now those who have read through the book you guys are really brave and I don't know how many coffees took you to get there. modern mikveh – schematic illustration : Wikipedia The...

http://bible.us/Jer29.11.NLT For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. वंपायर  Hope for Future

looking4poetry When Jacob was leaving from his uncle Laban, and yet to meet his brother Easu Bible , he grew worried. He was a very rich man, and most of it was Laban's but he did work hard and earn it, but all this he knew was not possible, if not for the blessing of God. Now, for those who know the story, Jacob took Easu's blessing and now as he was there on the verge of meeting his brother after long and tiresome 21 years or more, he feared the meeting. gaspi *yg This is how most of us sometimes view our tomorrows, not the next day,( only and only if you suddenly knew there was an important test that you did not study), but days when we face uncertainty and say things that are like, "its my fate" or "so be it" or if you were more Christian, you might say "God, i did not study the history lesson, but i know you have my best interest, so let your will be done" .... and yes, you can be sure that God is rolling on the floor of heaven ...

Recently it occurred to me that hope is not an universal thing. Really?? Well, let me put it in this manner .... Tom wants a chocolate fudge cake for his birthday, his birthday is around 10 months away. Now if he did hope that he gets it, he is positive that he would be alive the next day, and the next and the next. So, then hope is a by-product of what he believes. This is the basis of  Christianity. Welcome to another session of ... The hope that Christians have is based on teaching that has been passed down from people who lived over 2000 years . But the best part is that there are still evidences and historical documents that support this. Well, does Christianity stop with that?? No, its more. Love is something we call "strange" and "odd". We all could understand the love a mother has to her kids, a lover to his lover , but the odd thing is the Christian's love. I agree that this is rare, but that is the thing that bound the early Church. They w...

... continuing on the series called Basic Lessons ... Basic Lessons is an understanding of the early Church or the Church of the first century AD. There were some key things they did and they followed it gladly ... I was talking to my mentor today and telling him about the things i heard in the church about basic and real Christianity. He pointed out that Christ was really very simple to follow and his teachings were easy to keep up as long as we did not put our ideas to make Christianity a religion. We all love that, don't we? We just love to complicate things just so that we look smart or "cool" but the reality that Christians have to face today is the Churches they go to and the rituals or systems they follow is actually adulterated. 1 %  Christ to 99% Strict teaching that some people at the church felt cool about. Be it any Church, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Marthomite or anything for the matter. My uncle is a retired Food Inspector of the Southern Railw...

.... as in the intro of the series this thing called "basic lessons" is a culmination of the learning that I had over the last few years as a practical class and recently a theoretical class too .... There were many things that the apostles did, but they had some basic stuff that they did every where and any where and this was though not a written law, it was like a "modus operandi" (way they work) ... cause they felt it was the best and they did it. Unlike many modus operandi we know of this was not so complicated.  They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. (The Message) I am starting this from the other end of the spectrum. When the people met they ate. They broke bread (means they had communion) and share food. Just imagine this (said a pastor in Para Church, Thiruvalla)  one day this uncle here comes to your house and tells "hey, lets break bread and thank God for the life he has given...

Paul Oakley's "Jesus Friend Of Sinners" was the first thing that came to my mind when I was about to start this blog. Back in Sunday-school (its like Church for Kids) we had sung this song with some modifications. The chorus of this song goes " Jesus, Jesus, Friend of Sinners; Jesus, Jesus, Friend of mine;" and we had "Talk About It" echoing in the chorus, and when I look back I feel sad that I had lost the boldness to declare that I am a Christian as much as I did when I was a child. I recently had spend some time with my young cousins who were very bold to say "Jesus" because that was all that they cared about. Many a time we are also caught in this net of social and peer pressure that we do not say about the things we love or people we care about.  Recently in India there was a huge gathering of people in the capital and smaller in the cities and even smaller in the villages who were asking the government to bring out the "Anti-Corru...