The halfbaked Bard

2Thess:1:7 And give relief to you who are troubled. As you go through trouble, as you struggle; this is one assurance that you can always have as a child of God. He is your Father and He is compassionate. He will give you relief. Not just emotional support as you go through it. Not just the ability to endure; but he will literally help you overcome.  He the All Powerful, All Knowing God is on your side. He has promised the Holy Spirit , the parakletos, the helper. He will help you, because He knows; or rather He is the solution.  Not just emotional support. But literal help. He is a pro- poor God. A God who is compassionate on the one who realises, he is helpless and seeks help. But if I think I have got this and seek no help; that is my pride. And God resists the proud, gives grace to the humble. Grace to overcome Ps:18:29. With my God I can scale a wall. Lord help me.

1Thess:5:24 The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it. He is faithful and He will do it. Are you confused? Are you unsure? Are you in dilemma? Just be assured that God is faithful and He will do it. The Lord will open doors for you and He will guide. The Lord will close doors which are not yours. He is a faithful, loving and true Father. He has promised. That is enough. He will guide and He will equip. If He has promised, then He will do it.  Image credit: https://angiestolba.com/2015/12/09/streams-in-the-desert/amp/

Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1Thess:4:18 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive who are left till the coming of the Lord will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the arch angel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Self explanatory. I don't have anything more to comment. Just look forward to the hope we have with Jesus coming back to take us home. No more tears. No more fears. No more sadness. Only joy meeting Him in person. Look forward for that joy. It is this hope with which you are asked to endure. The hope of the beloved is mine and I am His. He is coming in person to rescue me and I will be in His bosom f...

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. 1Thess:4:11 Being ambitious is to do something great in life. To do magnificent things. To achieve great goals. Paul's brotherly advise is to lead a quiet life and be ambitious to lead a quiet life. Doing great things will actually bring up the pride scale. If God brings it to your way, well and good. But desirous of being someone great in the world is a little bit dangerous. Be careful. Small is good. Little is good. Better a little with the fear of the Lord Thanq great wealth with turmoil. Pro:15:16. Image credit: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/nature-window?page=95

It is God's will that you should be sanctified. 1Thess:4:3 For God did not call us to be impure but to live a holy life. 1Thess:4:7 The opposite of holy life is not unholiness. It is a routine, mundane living, because of the fallenness and corruption. Just live - that will be the opposite of holy living.  But you have been called to live a holy life. To take proactive steps to not look at those tempting billboards. To take proactive steps not to be angry today. To take proactive steps to feed yourself with the Word and nothing else. If not proactive, you will be swept away. If not proactive, you will be under the heavy weight to dance according to what the world says. That is unholy. God's plan is to sanctify you. To make you holy. Image courtesy: https://wallpapersafari.com/plain-white-wallpapers/

1 Thess:1:3 We continually remember before our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. A work produced by faith - All your works are like filthy rags. Then what is the need of all these good works that we are supposed to do. Bible also says, faith without works is dead. Though all our good deeds are like filthy rags and unpleasing to God, not enough to gain us salvation, works that come out of our faith reflect that we are indeed saved. Your labour prompted by love - let love motivate you to do the things you want to do. Love to that person and love to God. God so loved you that He gave His only Son for you. God loved you proactively. Your endurance inspired by hope - patience. Your decision not to react adversely which is inspired by the hope you have in God's ultimate redemption. That God is on your side. He is your protector and your provider. This is the foundation of Chr...

Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Col:4:2 This is how prayers should be - watchful and thankful. Watchful for all the needs. Praying not just for you and your immediate needs. Praying for all. Then time won't be enough. Look at Epaphras (v:12-13). He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodecia and Hierapolis. How thin is your prayer list? Not just physically. Content wise. Even when you pray for others. what is it that you pray for them? Their physical needs are important. But their spiritual growth do you pray? Be thankful - God has been gracious to you - first of all, in plucking you from the very gates of hell. Secondly, every moment, there are only reasons to thank Him. How He has led you, how He has guided you, how He has protected you.  It is worthwhile to take a break from your frantic running. Take y...

Husbands love your wives. Col:3:19 Is it that difficult. You are asked to just love. In fact it is much simpler than submitting and obeying. You don't create love. You feel love. You have loved her before. Passionately, selflessly. You found time for her. You cared for her. Where is your first love? You don't love her when all is well alone. When life is difficult. that is when you love. Whe she is indecisive, that is when you love. When she is confused, that is when you love. Do not be harsh with them (v:19). Be considerate (1Pet:3:7). Treat them with respect (1Pet:3:7). They are the weaker partner. You are strong - mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. You are the one to support. You are the one who cares. You are the one who provides. But heirs with you of the gracious gift - equal with you but weaker. So that nothing will hinder your prayers (1Pet:3:7b) Love her - emotionally, spiritually, mentally, in every aspect. Lord, fill me with your endless love...

What is the key to bear, love and forgive? In the midst of unbearable circumstances, how do you make yourself a loving and forgiving person? Especially when you are not able to.  Col 3:16 Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  This is as simple as that. Feed yourself with the right things and your character will change. If you force yourself into changing yourself- if only the outward things are changed, then things won't look long lasting. It would be superficial and futile. But   an inward change will happen when, you feed yourself with things of the God and you will imbibe God's nature.  Feed yourself with the things of this world and you will become as the world behaves - a carnal man. Driven by earthly passions. Motivated by world's goals. Running in the rut. You feed on rude comments in the social media, ...

Bear with each other. Col:3:13 Bear with each other means, adjust with each other. There might be unbearable circumstances created by incorrigible people. People who keep doing the same irritating inveterate things again and again. Keep bearing. Keep forgiving. Forgiving whatever grievances you may have against one another (v:13b) And over all these virtues, put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity (v:14) But what if you are not able to bear? If you are not able to forgive? If you are unable to love? Ask God to help you bear them; help you forgive them; help you love them There is no point in remembering their flaws and maintaining a strained relation  Forgive. Choose to forgive. Tell yourself it is okay and deal with them lovingly. Pray for them Image credit: https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=hugging+teddy+bears

Put to death therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature. Col:3:5 Setting your hearts on things above; put to death your earthly nature. Not passive. But proactive drastic measures. Put to death. You must rid yourselves (v:8). Those earthly nature things have been equated to idolatory. Which the Lord abhors. The old self. The old way of talking. The old desires and language. The old nature and passions. The old way of reacting, has all been nailed to the cross. You need not and should not bring it back.  You used to walk in these ways of your loving.  But now you must get rid of them all. Because you are a new creation now. You need not respond in the way you used to react to - in greed, in malice, in foul language, in anger, in evil desires. These are already nailed to the cross. Now it's upto you to get rid of it fully.

Col:3:1 Set your hearts on things above. Since you have been raised with Christ Since you have been called out of the system of the world  Set your eyes on things not of this world But above. In the heavenly realms. Not the foolish frenetic running. Not running in the rut. But on things above. Fix your eyes on Jesus. His beauty you behold. His magnificent persona you pursue. His hands you hold. His footsteps you follow For your life is now hidden in Christ In Him alone is your purpose.

Col:2:19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews grows as God causes it to grow. Have you lost connection with the Head? The most pertinent question that you need to ask yourself. A connection which started on love. A connection maintained by discipline. A connection most needed for you to grow well. Because the head directs. The head knows. When the liver decides to grow on its own, it is cancerous. When the liver decides to grow a cartilage in it, comparing itself with its fellow, it is called a hamartoma. When the liver stops it's function, it fails to detoxify and it is harmful for the entire body. The head will direct. The head knows. The liver submits to the head. The liver is answerable to the head. The liver is connected to the head and this connection is quintessential for the designed purpose of the liver. Are you carcinomatous / hamartomatous/ toxic organ which is disconnected to ...

See to it that no one takes you captive... (in) the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Col:2:8 Originally designed - fallen. And because you were fallen; you were designed to live in accordance with the basic principles of the world. But now Christ has died for you. Your eyes are now opened. You are His property now. You need not follow these basic principles of this world. You have been set free indeed. Now you are in Christ and you follow the principles of the heavenly kingdom. Earlier you were not able to. But now you are free to. Earlier you were unable to put off the sinful nature. But now you can. Because the Son is in you. Having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God. Col:2:12. You were dead and not inclined to the things of God. But now you are alive. To explain further, you are now dead to the worldly system. You are not forced to follow that fallen system anymore. You need not. The written cod...

Delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. Col:2:5 How delightful it would be for your mentor to see you firm in faith. How satisfying it would be for him to see all his works and prayers all not gone in vain. That you are rooted in God. How painful it would be for your mentor to see you squandered the knowledge; to see you lose your first love. To see you frightened and worried and tossed in life's great waves. Not trusting in the Saviour who died for you. How joyous your Saviour would be to see you grow in faith; to desire for Him no matter what. To yearn for Him and to find time for Him. For He has already said, that is eternal life. How painful it would be for Him to see you wander away. To see you tossed in life's waves. Where He has asked to just trust in Him. But you are frantic. How peaceful is the faith filled life. A life tuned to God. A promised, abundant life. A life that is planned for you by the Creator God. How tumultuous...

Christ in you; the hope of glory. Col:1:27 The hope of glory that we have, we will have The hope of glory of God that is about to be revealed The hope of no tears; no pain; no sickening sea The hope of the returning of the redeemer; my lover Is Christ Jesus in us. Jesus said - If you have the Son, you have life If you do not have the Son, you do not have the life Christ in you, is the hope of all glory that awaits If you have Christ in you; He is coming back to take you home For He has gone to make a home for you In His Father's house And as He promised He is coming back Just the way He has been taken up So He will come; to take His bride home The more the Christ in you; the more the hope you have The more you trust Him, the more the hope Mythical stories vs a reality The distinction is this - Christ in you or not. There is no in between stance. Whether you are for Him, or against Him. Image courtesy: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/hope

Free from accusation. Phil:1:22 As the devil stands to accuse me, He has his menacing smile on his lips, His heart sniggers to have me his claim, He claims he has already won. I stand with head bowed down And dejected, I stay there helpless I know his accusations are all true, None of them are fabricated. I am guilty. And as he opens his mouth in victory Another voice like the rushing waters proclaims, It is finished.  And the enemy's mouth was shut permanently. I saw my loving husband; still wounded  Wounds instilled by my own claws He says with an everloving smile Comey love, it is all over. Now there is no condemnation I am free from all accusation Now a year drop fell from my eye Now I know I have already won. Image courtesy: https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=broken+chain

Col:1:21-22 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now He has reconciled you. Both because of the sin in us and because of our sinful nature, we had been alienated from the Holy God. By no means He could accommodate us, because He is not a compromising God, that He is not someone who could compromise sin. He couldn't brush it off, just like that. When He took the punishment upon Himself, so that an enemy like me could be reconciled with Him, it was love written all over it. Love to a wretch rebel like me. He did not want to lose me. Nor could He pass my sin off. And therefore the cross is quintessential. This is the base of the bard's faith. Yes He is my Father, my Friend, my Brother, my everpresent help in trouble. But primarily He is my Redeemer. He is my Saviour. He is the Holy God who loved me and saved me. From His own punishment He saved me by taking it upon Himself. What love is this? I cannot fatho...

Col:1:13-14 For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves; in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins. We couldn't rescue ourselves. We were bound to be in darkness. Both in this world and for eternity. From there Christ has rescued us into the kingdom of the Son. Redeemed. Forgiven. Entirely His doing. He willed and He acted. v:12.  He has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints, in the kingdom of light There were people greater than us, smarter than us, saintlier than us. Not that they have not been chosen. But I have been chosen. Undeserving as I am. And why did He do this? Love is the sole reason. Not to establish a kingdom. Not to recruit faithful and efficient people. Simply because of His love to me. Simply because He had compassion upon my plight and did not want to lose me for eternity.  Thank you Jesus. Image credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/concept-of-salvatio...

Live a life worthy of the Lord. Col:1:10 How to live this life worthy of the Lord? A life pleasing Him in everyway. - bearing fruit in every good work. - growing in the knowledge of God. - being strengthened in all power. - great endurance and patience.  - joyfully giving thanks to the Father. All of these things which are self explanatory, involve our efforts as well as God's grace. God's grace has been freely given but it is upto us to practicalise it, desire for it. Let this prayer, Paul had for the Colossian church be the prayer for yourselves and the ones you love. Image courtesy: https://techbullion.com/a-mans-guide-to-embracing-life-and-living-to-the-fullest/

I have learnt how to be content with whatever I have Phil:4:11 The rat race is dirty The rut looks disgusting. To win at any cost. To grab more than what you require. To need more, to want more, to desire. Your heart is a bottomless pit. The bag that fits in anything. The belly that accomodates everything. And therefore your heart is looking messy. It is filled with all sorts of junk. A dirty mixture of the world and the word. Disgusting and abhoring it looks. To be content with what I have To be satisfied with what God has given To be grateful for what is in my plate. Clears the whole chaos. To accept only what is needed To say no to things which you don't need. No to hoarding. No to accumulating. Especially things which are of no use. Contentment is satisfaction. Contentment is thankfulness It is the antonym of greed. The antithesis of chaos and confusion. Contentment brings a smile Contentment brings joy. It brings a sigh of gratification. And then there is peace. To...

Phil:4:6 Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Are you worried; are you disappointed; are you concerned; are you confused; The key is praying. In praying there is letting go of the reins. Praying develops trust. Pray about absolutely everything. Then time wouldn't suffice for you to pray - in contrast to, there is no time to pray. V:6b. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Being thankful for what He has done in the past is part of your prayer. Praying thus develops gratefulness. V:7. Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand. The key to peace that passeth all understanding is to be thankful for what He has done. To remember what He has done helps you to be at peace in tumultuous situations, because you remember that the God who has led you in the past, will lead you now as well. This is the key to living in Christ Jesus (v:7b). There is no point in worrying or trying to do things your...

And therefore my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. Phil:4:1 Each man should live His life, true to someone, true to an ideology or a person. True to oneself. Dwindling may lead to choas. Where as consistency in following something or someone, there is peace. We are called to follow Jesus. Stay true to Him. That is the key to peace that passeth all understanding. That's the key to abounding joy. Do not dwell in the world Dwell in Him. What do you think often? What do you dwell on, more often? What rules your mind often? Look at your scroll list. Look at your browsing history. Look at what you think and talk. Look at how you spend your free time. And I will tell you who you are. Eph:4:8. And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honourable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Image credit: https://wearethecure.org/theres-nothing-like-a-good-d...

Phil:3:20 And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Saviour. Hope is something which pulls you through Hope gives you energy to cling on Hope gives you the motive to press on When hope is based on a person Who promised and has fulfilled every single one . I will be with you till the end of days. I will not leave you nor forsake you You will do greater things than these To name a few personal ones. Look at nations being formed. Look at nations destroyed. Look at Jesus Himself when He first came. Now all the more reasons to hope for the mother of them all. I am coming back to take you home. Oh! In every tragic; it brings a smile In being unloved; it brings the feeling of being loved In devastation and desperation; it brings hope. Amidst uncertainties, it is certain. My Lover is coming back for me. My Father is coming back for His son. My Friend is coming back for me. My very own Jesus is coming back for me. To take me home. Image credit: https://harrisonhouse.com/bl...

Phil:3:13-14 Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead. I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. What is past is past. You can't change it. But you can course correct. Brooding over your past mistakes; regretting over your past sins will never take you anywhere. When the Holy Spirit convinces you, correct your track and look forward and run in the right direction. Press on towards the goal. The goal is not to win the prize. But to finish the race well. Your job is to set your eyes on the finishing line and finish the race. It is God's job to give the prize. Why do athletes still run, even after they know somebody else has already won the prize. The goal is to finish the race, even if they have pulled a muscle or tore a ligament, their country has sent them to finish the race. They cannot say, if Bolt is there, there is no point in me contesting, and so I quit. Do not look at others as yo...

Phil:3:8 Yes everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else counting it all garbage, so that I could gain Christ. How do you value knowing the unending Christ? When you were saved, your eyes were opened. Praise the Lord for the revelation. That was life changing and precious. But after that? How have you grown in the knowledge of Him? What excites you most in this life? Everything else is garbage in comparison to knowing God? Is it really? And how do you know God unless you spend time with Him? What is your sole desire? V:10. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. What is your ambition? What is your utmost desire? Then what do you do about it? Yes it is grace. Even to desire Him.  Lord my efforts would lead me nowhere, I admit. Show mercy upon me. That I would desire for you. That I may know you in a deeper way Image courtesy: ...

Finally my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. Phil:3:1. As a final statement. A final reminder. Rejoice. Rejoice is a word that resonates in this epistle again and again. Circumstances should not define you. Fears shouldn't tell you how you are. Uncertainties shouldn't proclaim your destiny. But joy. The joy of the Lord should be your strength. The abounding joy that the Lord promises. The peace that passeth all understanding. The joy that we belong to our Father. The joy that I am His very own possession and He holds me close to His bosom. That I am safe in the arms of Jesus. Nothing will separate me from the love of Christ. I am His. If this rules my heart always, I will greet every sickness, every disappointment with a smile. I will face uncertainties boldly for I know my Father is in control of my life. And I am in the center of His palm. Yes He will not leave me. Nor will He forsake me. Image credit: https://www.magnific.com/premium-ai-image/jesus-little-girl-are-s...

Phil:2:15-16 You shine like the stars in the universe as you hold the word of life . In this crooked and depraved generation  Stand blameless and pure  As children of God without fault Stand out shining The key is to hold out the word of life Because that is the difference Because that brings the difference The Word of God Jesus Christ in you In comparison to the prince of the earth Ruling and controlling This crooked generation  Retorting back will not work Not will behaving the same way sort out. Only the Word of life. Image credit : https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-to-find-the-ten-brightest-stars-in-the-night-sky-180985148/

For it is God who works in you, to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose. Phil:2:13 God's idea is to fulfil His purpose in you, which is His good purpose. In order to fulfil that, He will work in you. To will and to act. He will create in you a desire and equip you to act accordingly. To create in you a desire to know Him and equip you to read the word and understand it - He will act. To live in faith, despite evidence to the contrary - He will give grace. God will do it. We just have to trust Him. Image courtesy: https://www.monergism.com/reformation-theology/blog/it-god-who-works-you-both-will-and-work