The halfbaked Bard

Rom:2:29 But He is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter and his praise is not from men, but from God. God looks inwardly. He looks at the attitude of the heart precisely. Outward traditions, piety, customs, meaningless long prayers, empty words weigh less as compared to a genuine desire to cling close to God. The tax collector went back justified in comparison to the teacher of the law. Your good deeds, your activities or ministry will not take you anywhere. All your righteous deeds are like filthy rags before God. He looks into the heart for genuinety. Jesus commended the acknowledgement, 'help my unbelief'. As he admitted he has little faith, Jesus appreciated and acted on his behalf. Genuinety and openness of your plight to Him, He values more than any great deed you do. Lord, I am helpless. Lord I have very little faith. Lord I am broken. Help me. I need you. Image courtesy: https://reformedpe...

It is not what goes into your body that defiles you. You are defined by what comes from your heart. Mk:7:15 What comes from your heart defiles you. What you say, by what motives you do. What thoughts linger around your mind especially when you are idle. What entertains you. It all shows the evileness and self centredness and vile and fallenness of your heart. If you are passionate about God, you would want to do things which God would want. You would be excited to do or think of things which would excite Him. You would be a man or woman after God's own heart. That which goes into your body doesn't defile you. But that which goes into your heart would decide whether you would be nurtured or defiled. What do you feed on? What is your search history?  What goes in comes out. Image credit: https://stock.adobe.com/search/images?k=heart+head

Pro:4:23 Guard your heart above all else.  Guarding your heart is the most important thing according to Solomon.  In Jeremiah we read, the heart is deceitful above all things.  In Matthew we read, where your treasure is there your heart will be also.  The Bible doesnt talk about heart as the four chambered organ that pumps blood. But thoughts, emotions, the core of life. Your being. Your personality.  Guard your heart from negative thoughts. Guard your hearts from exhilarating lustful fantasies. Guard your heart from the attractions the world can offer. Guard your hearts from the love to mammon. Guard your hearts from being angry and sinning.  Why?  For it determines the course of your life (v:23)  If only you would direct your thoughts in the right direction, will the course of your life also be on the right path.  V:24 Avoid perverse talk.  V:25 Keep looking forward with hope V:27 Don't get sidetracked into what the world c...

Immediately after being anointed by Samuel, as Saul turns to leave, God gave him a new heart. 1Sam:10:9 Heart transplant is one of the complex surgeries in medical fraternity, a lot of expertise required, lot of risk involved, transferring the function of heart to an artificial machine in the mean time and having a long post op period with a prolonged time of recovery and adjusting to the new life. But not for God. When He wills, He changes our heart over a split second. Eze:36:26 I will give you a new heart and I will give you a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony stubborn heart and give you a tender responsive heart. It is the Lord's initiative. The rebellious stony hard heart towards God has not been repaired and replenished, but replaced by a heart that has been inclined to respond to God. It's not our good deeds, either in the past or present or the future that has motivated God to do this wondrous act in our life. But out of his mere grace. Once and ...

Moses' plan and desire was to lead the Israelites to the promised land. That was what was commanded by God. Later out of anger, when Moses and Aaron failed to demonstrate God's power and glory in Meribah waters, God's choice was that they too would die and not go into the promised land. Such a shocking ordeal it would have been for Moses. But look at the way he responded Num:27:15 O Lord, You are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new leader. 1️⃣ He gladly accepted the answer "No". No complaints. No reasoning. No arguements. How could he do that? Something which he was so passionate about is being denied. The key was, he knew that God has something better for him (Heb:11). He knew being with the holy God for eternity is much more worthwhile than roaming in the promised land as aliens or strangers. It's better up there. 2️⃣ Eventhough he was in a time of thrashed hopes, he was thinking of a new leader for Israel. He was so m...

"I have not done anything on my own" Moses wants Israel to remember that he has done everything based on God's commands. No selfish interests. Not to gain fame for his own name. Not to bless his family or descendants.                                             Num:14:12-13                                             Num:20:12                                             Num:12:7-8 The admonition we too as New Testament Christians have is to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. Phil:2:3-4 Then it continues to sa...

Num:12 Aaron and Miriam rebels against Moses and they learned it the hard way that God is supreme and sovereign. Num:14 Aaron is seen alongside Moses to fall down to intercede for the whole community of Israel(v:5) Again when the Lord wants to punish the whole community, when the Lord communicates, Aaron is there shoulder to shoulder to Moses (v:26) Num:16 When Korah conspires, his complaints are against both Moses and Aaron (v:3)  And it's both Moses and Aaron together interceding for the whole nation, falling face down on the ground (v:22) A man who was instrumental in instituting idol worship in the community has known the living true God. A man who complained against his own brother on being the leader, has no ego now stands along with his brother to intercede for the country. When he had a genuine encounter with God, he understood the essence of his calling and becomes serious about it, serious about God. A man who feared men and paid heed to their desires, falls p...

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. What is your heart's deepest desire, will show where your priority is.? Is career in the deepest pocket of your heart. Is it money? Is it fame? Is it your friends circle? Dear one can it be God that you deeply desire? To know Him. To have an in-depth relation with Him. To commune with Him as Friend. Is He in any of the pockets? Do you restrict him to just one room in ur heart. Which you open when you pray and close it immediately. Like your pet? Is He like your wishmaker, to present your desires to him to get it done. Or is the room always open along with other rooms so that he has the key and he is there in all rooms? Has he become the shoulder to lean on. In sadness. To laugh with when you are merry. The counsellor. The caretaker. The fortress. Father. The refuge. The joy of our salvation. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And if even one room is kept closed to Him, we realize, that room is our treasure. More v...

Num:11:1 Soon people began to complain Why? One was about their hardship and the other was because they don't have the good things they had in Egypt. #1 When you complain of your hardship, you miss the big picture.  Boy, you are going to the promised land flowing with milk and honey. Rom:8:18 says I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. When we fix our eyes on the destiny, these hardships become silly. Be it pain, be it rejection, be it injustice, be it debt, be it sickness, be it anything that disturbs you right now. Do not let it make you complain. He giveth more grace. The malayalam translation of the Fany Crosby song 'Draw me nearer' has a stanza which is translated as ' I thank you for the angel of sickness that you have sent me to bring me closer to you' Dear one, these hardships are just mere means to look unto God. Rom:5:3-4 We also glory in sufferings, because we know that sufferin...

The high priest is never allowed to tear his garments( Lev:21:10) because it is the priestly garment that he wears and has to be dealt with due respect and holiness. With reference to Jesus' trial before the Council, Caiaphas is seen to tear his clothing in horror saying  "blasphemy" Was he that passionate for the things of God? That he considered blasphemy as something extremely guilty but not having reverence to God's commands? Well I feel he was blaspheming God infact and not Jesus - to be precise! If he was so pious and religious as he was showing off, being the high priest, he would have known that a high priest is not supposed to tear his priestly garments. He thought he was close to God in the Most Holy Place, but forgetting the very Holy God standing in front of him in person. He thought he could protect God by judging guilty any blasphemy against God, but forgetting his responsibility as the high priest. He thought his heart was close to God, but ...

It is quiet interesting to note - be it a sin offering or a guilt offering or a grain offering or a peace offering, a portion of it belongs to the priests. Unlike the other children of Israel, the Levites were solely dedicated to serving the Lord and this was their only source  Josh:13:14. When the promised land was allotted to the different tribes, the tribe of Levi was not allocated any land. The children of Levi were the only ones who obeyed Moses in taking up the sword and slaying 3000 disobedient people who worshipped the golden calf. There is complete surrender and dedication of their lives. There is complete obedience. What a privilege it would be to be part of God's table? Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul. He was crippled in both feet. When David became king he called Ziba the servant of Saul and said he wanted to show God's kindness to Saul's family. And Mephibosheth is brought to the king's palace and the king promises to Mephibosheth ...

  Life requires you to frantically run around. Be it to fulfill your responsibilities, or being true to your promises, or being there where you are supposed to be at least to reach out through a call or message or mail, to finish off liabilities. Yes life requires you to be on the go. Have you been to a park. There are two types of kids. One genre runs around and the other sits quietly in a swing or a see-saw or a merry-go-round. Both enjoys to the full. If you ask both of them whether they would like to go back to the park, both wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. Life can be countered in two different ways. 1. Like King Saul to run wildly chasing own dreams. 2. Like David to be still in God’s presence. Ps:37 highlights a contrast between these two - the wicked and the still. The wicked runs berserk. But the faithful remains still. The faithful, 1. Trusts in the Lord v:3 2. Delights himself in the Lord v:4 3. Commits all his ways to the Lord v:5 4. Be still v:7 That is the key. To live ...

“At once they left their nets and followed him.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬ http://bible.us/111/mat.4.20.niv What is my attitude in following him?  At once without hesitation..... Left their whole livelihood...... Left their father....... I’m not pointing to leave all my responsibilities and relational tags and follow Him. He would not want you to do that. God only will hold you responsible if you don’t love your wives, bring children in Christ likeness and take care of your old parents. It is he who gave me those shoes to fit in. But the real question is what is my heart’s attitude in following Christ. Are there still tugs to pull me back from following him at once or wholeheartedly.  It might be my phase of life—- where I say I will follow him once I settle in life once I retire. Once my kids are all established..??? It might be the money you earn. Let me earn some more and settle...??? Let me take care of my dependants...??? These responsibilities are important. But hold on t...

It is said Bezalel personally build the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, the ark cover, the lampstand, the utensils- everything meticulously and patiently he made. When the Lord entrusts you to do something, do you meticulously, tirelessly and consistently do it? Are you excited to see what the Lord is about to do in you and through you? Or do you do it with a complaining heart, dissatisfied heart? As you study! As you do that extra work! As you do your daily routine job! As you do your daily chores at home! Do you feel bored? Do you often have pent up work? There are two ways of handling your responsibilities. 1. With a satisfied and thankful heart. 2. With a discontented and ever complaining heart. Israelites always had a complaining heart, no matter what the Lord did for them.  But Bezalel is an example for us to emulate, to do things with a thankful contented and patient heart.