Given you chances after chances

Ezekiel 18

Father for his deeds. Son for his deeds. And grandson for his.

Each is answerable for his own way of living. God will not ask a father why his son chose to live like the way he did. Neither a son will have to answer God why his father chose to live like that. Good or bad.

Each will have to answer just one question. Is your name in the book?

Living a righteous life according to the old Testament prophet is your choice. Whether your ancestry is good or bad doesn't matter. Whether your father or son was good or bad doesn't matter. All that matters is this. Whether YOU are reinstated and restored by God.

The beauty is that God is a God of chances. If there is repentance and returning to God's ways. God forgives. And God includes you into His fold. He doesn't label you and doom you for eternity. No, He looks at the heart and the moment He sees a desire to return. A desire to repent He opens up the flood gates of heaven saying, this son of mine was dead but now he is alive.

Why does He give second chances? If He is a holy and righteous God? The answer is in the last verse of the chapter.

I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live.

As rebellious as we were. As we were terribly sinning and disappointing Him. Still His love longs to bring us back to Him because that's were we are truly complete. That's our true destiny. That's were we are supposed to be.

Please, I don't want you to die. Please come back.

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For you

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Not my will, but yours - a poem

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Coming back

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Plain and true

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Silence

I am often amazed by Jesus' silence on the cross. For all the accusations and false testimonies, how could he keep quiet. There was no " I never said that" or " "for whom am I doing this, why should I go through this for them" or "why don't you understand". Why can't I keep quiet when falsely accused or pointed fingers at? Why should I justify? Will that bring about a change in the situation? Will they stop accusing? Why do you want to defend? More or less because of the pride. To protect our own self. By defending ourself we think our tarnished image would be protected. Learning from Jesus' example is a difficult thing to do. Let the accusers say whatever. As long as you are a child of God. As long as you are loved by Him. As long as you are His beloved. Be secure in His love. Image credit: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/image/pictures-of-jesus-nails-feet-6723253?lang=eng

The Parable of the ten Bridesmaids

Matt:25:1-13 The foolish ones were not ready with the oil. The wise ones also slept off, but they had the oil. What has been told about Him, beforehand has been proved right. The same book says He is coming back. And when He comes back, will He see you waiting and ready with the oil of Holy Spirit; the oil of faith. Shouldn't the wise ones have shared their oil with the others? Isn't that what Christianity teaches to selflessly share. It doesn't work that way at the last hour when He comes. You have to have your own oil. The wise ones job is to tell the others about the need of the oil when the bridegroom will some day come, in an unexpected time, the need for faith in Jesus before it is too late. The choice is yours. Whether to be on the wise side or the foolish side. Would you keep oil for yourselves before He comes. If not, you would be called foolish, you would be labelled not ready, the door will be closed to you. Do not be foolish. Do not be on the unread...

Joseph of Arimethea

Joseph of Arimethea had chosen Jesus but was secretly following Him. We never come across him elsewhere in the gospels apart from the time of burial of Jesus. But at that point, he decided to go public. This is the time I should stand up for Jesus to give Him a decent burial- and that is how the prophecies came true. Being a silent follower of Jesus is good. Yes it is between you and God. But openly proclaiming that you belong to Jesus is a different level. It is a higher way of obedience. In your workplace do people know that they cannot mess around you? In your college / school, do people approach you to pray for them? Do people fool around you? Do they hush their conversation when you enter the room? Would your presence make no difference? Do people want to gossip about others to you? The basic question is - Do others know you are a Christian? Do others know you are a child of God? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinf...

The halfbaked Bard

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