16/08/11

Being a Christian

Luke 1: 77-78
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.


Luke 1: 77-78 (Interlinear translation)
To give knowledge of salvation to the people of Him by forgiveness of sins of them, because of (the) bowels of mercy of God of us, whereby will visit us east (sunrise) from high, to appear to the (ones) in darkness and in a shadow of death sitting, to guide the feet of us into a way of peace.


When Zacharias the father of John the Baptist prophesied about John it was not a prophecy for him alone. In the New Testament the first Christian was John the Baptist and this prophecy is an instruction for each and every Christian.

Preaching, evangelizing and witnessing Christ is not the job of a select few who stand on stages but is the primary job of each and every Christian. Can I be living in (born, bought up and resident) Bangladesh and say I am British? To be citizen of a country I need to be residing / residence of that country.

In Spirit world we become a citizen of the place we dwell in and there is no non-residence citizenship there. The moment we are far from a place for long we can lose citizenship of that place.

Today's message tells us that salvation is not for all but only His people. Although all have sinned and are dwelling in the east, the Lord because of His merciful nature has sent us His Son to give Light (reveal Himself) to all (His people only) who do not know Him.

Spirit world is not like our world and everything there is relative to God. A place far from God means the inhabitants of that place do not know Him or His ways and are called people of darkness or dweller of the east. East is left and west is right, right is not to do with direction but to do with righteousness. A person who walks in righteousness is one who dwells in spiritual west or on the right hand of the Lord.

Heaven is up does not mean really up for the earth is round and there is no North Pole star there. God is the Polar star, the Sun and the center of everything and He is not a body but spirit, so not a physical reference but reference only by His Nature. The primary reference of Him is His Holiness, His Righteousness and Light (Truth). No one else can be given these references for every other being even in Heaven lack these before Him.

When man sinned man willingly chose to be far from God and therefore God cut Himself from man and therefore man does not know Him at all. To know God first man needed to be forgiven of his sins and then by knowing Jesus Christ man comes to know God and come to dwell in His Kingdom.

People who love darkness are not God's people, people who do not love life are not God's people, people who do not love peace are not God's people, people who love sin are not God's people and to such people the message of peace through Jesus Christ does not make any sense. Even those who hear the message and believe in Jesus Christ are not truly His people even though they may be of His flock. For receiving the forgiveness of sins is only half the part of being Christian the second half calls us to know God, receive His Light and walk in His ways.

Most Christians do the first half and think they will reach Heaven. They are fooled by Satan and their own stupidity. Sitting in a car does reach you to any place but only when the car is started, driven and guided to its destination would we reach the place we want.

Open your spiritual eyes as see; you will find thousands and thousands of Christians sitting in parked cars thinking they will reach their destination. If you too are in such a state, wake up today before laziness and stiffness of limbs engulf you totally.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord Jesus, You are the manifestation of the mercy of God and by You alone man receives forgiveness of sins and comes into the process to know God and have eternal life. Although your message was for all but You came only for your people, for your sheep. In your flock are sheep and goats. On Judgment Day You will separate the goats from the sheep and the goats will be put in the lake of fire while only the sheep will enter the House your Father. Lord, we prayer your message of forgiveness reach to all your people by those who have heard it and we also prayer more and more do not stop there but continue the journey to know You and walk your ways...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

John 17:9-10
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

Matthew 25:31-33
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

John 10:25-29
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.



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