The halfbaked Bard

Rom:3:9. All under sin. Under sin. Yoke of sin. Slaves to sin. We were under sin. Not able to come out of it. Being forced to do only sin. Our only option was to sin. Helpless, grappling in the darkness. Rom:3:23. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Unless we realise this helpless state of ours, we will not recognise, from where we have been saved. Unless we realise this helpless estate, we will not completely depend on Him, for a life designed for us. Only then will we recognize that Christ our Redeemer is our only hope. His pure and blameless blood is our only hope.  We cannot gain salvation by obeying the Law. For we cannot obey it fully. God looks at our heart's motive. And the Bible says the heart is the most deceitful of them all. The Bible also says, if you have faultered in one of the Law, it is equivalent to breaking them all. We have to understand it in God's perspective. The only hope is in Jesus, the Son of God who came to earth to die ...

They began to spit ------ Beat him with their fists ----- Some slapped him, jeering Matt:26:67-68 It would be humiliating to be spat upon the face. His face would have been fully red out of bruise. A racoon eye probably. It is menial to be made fun off - more menial when people make fun of you disbelieving what you claim or what you really are. Matt:27:26 Jesus was flogged with a lead tipped whip  Skin might have shredded to pieces, pieces of muscles torn away, splurting blood everywhere. Pain unable to be described in words. Psalm:129:3 The plowers plowed upon my back. Hematomas everywhere. Anaemic because of the blood loss. Internal organs lacerated. Excruciating pain from the tip of the hair to the toe. Dehydrated. Stinking. Stripped naked and made to walk through the streets in front of the ones you loved, the ones who loved you. Thorns on His brow. Nails driven through the median nerve. Struggling to breath hanging on the cross. He has to pull Himself up to expand ...

Isa:51:6 But my salvation lasts forever.  There is a desire for eternity in man's heart. That is why all fairy tales end with the clause 'happily ever after'.  Man's desire for eternity came especially true, when it was deprived of Him (at least the physical part of it) But the concept of eternity in itself got contorted. Man thought of physicality. But God's intend was the real man inside.  Man thought He could get away with His fallen body. God tells about a glorified body yet not forsaking His identity.  The promise is too good to be true, especially when it comes back to man's fallen nature and God's holiness.  Salvation lasts forever. And no one can take it away from us.  That cannot happen with these sinful bodies we have inherited. For that He imparted His righteousness, which too will last forever (v:8)  No tags. No 'if you - then I' Is this a dream? A fairy tale come true?  No. A reality too good. That is my God who is called ...

God's ways have been violated. The Creator and the Master of the universe and His laws have been twisted.  Therefore a curse is mandatory. Punishment is inevitable. A price has to be paid for sin.  The sin is rebellion which is ruled by pride. And the price that is to be paid is your life. The punishment is eternal damnation.  So small a sin. And so great a punishment?  Who says it is small?  Size of the sin depends on the size of the offender's holiness. Is there a difference between the consequences of assaulting a common man and assaulting the Prime Minister or President of the country?  Size is small when you look at it. But God and His standards are different. He looks at the root cause which is rebellion and pride. The revolt is against the Almighty.  And death is the outcome. Eternal hell. Eternally separated from the presence of God - for which you were initially created. All of us were eternally doomed.  Yet. Oh! How loving is...

Isa:12:1 I will praise you Lord Although you were angry with me Your anger has turned away And you have comforted me.  I was subject to God's wrath, because of my sin and rebellion. My future was eternal separation from God in the dark and fiery dungeons of hell. God was thoroughly angry with me because of my sin. His justice rightly would punish me. Because He being holy expected me to be holy. But out of my inherant nature and because of my choice I decided to walk away from Him. And He is right in doing that.  But God so loved me, that He sent His only Son for me, that if I believe in Him, I shall not perish, but have eternal life.  Though He was angry, He was so filled with love. Though He is a righteous judge, He is a loving Father as well. And therefore He bore it all on Himself. He suffered the punishment all on Himself in order to offer me the salvation. In order to save me.  He is my salvation.  He has become my salvation (v:2)  And the...

I was in deep darkness. I have dwelt in this darkness like for eternity. I have enjoyed in this deep sullen darkness from the time I remember.  Light was uncomfortable to begin with. Because it exposes many things. It showed my ugliness. It showed my filthiness. But slowly light becomes something I liked. It showed more clarity. There was freedom in the light. There was deliverance. I realized I have been destined to live in the light and not in darkness. That I have more cones than rods.  But I was blinded by the darkness, that I thought I was made for darkness. Though I loathed it, it was eating me up. I was made a slave. But the moment light shone, there was a release, there was loosening up of all the chains. I could see the stumbling rocks that I frequently tripped at; that I can now be careful. I can now avoid.  But light cannot help; if I deliberately stumble, if I love to trip and fall. I have to trust the light. I have to realize that light is for my ...

Isa:4:4 The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion And cleanse Jerusalem of it's blood stains.  Though filthy you are beautiful Created by God; for God; for His purpose Stained and marred now because of sin Because of your choice.  Because you were left with no choice Battered and bruised you are Filthy and stinky you are Creating disgust in the beholder's eye.  Outwardly you might seem delightful Though not as beautiful as intended to be Fallen low; repulsive and revulsive But I will wash you clean is the promise I will cleanse you of all filth and mirk That entangles you. That ensnares you I will take the initiative Not you - because you are helpless.  No matter how dark and deep the stains be You will be washed white as snow Presentable to the groom; holy and blameless Pure and blemishless: Not a blot to be seen.  Crystal clean; I will make you Like a canopy of cloud; I will be to you Like a shade over Mount Zion.  I am your tsidkenu I ...

Job:14:4 Who can bring purity out of an impure person?  No one.  Job comes to the reality of man's sinfulness. That because of the fall, mankind has become totally impure, fully marred that no good thing can come out of him. Everything is smeared with a tinge of his fallenness.  Isa:64:6 All our good deeds are like filthy rags.  Not out of human efforts. It had to be a divine intervention. To save man from the wretched plight - he is only able to sin. God Himself had to do something.  Job:14:17 My sins would be sealed in a pouch And you would cover my guilt.  Man out of his helplessness needs to look at the finished work of salvation that Christ Jesus has offerred. Not just as a one time act. But in our daily living - that is the process of salvation. 

Saviour - The Lord is my Saviour 2Sam:22:2 & PS:18:2 The Lord is my Saviour, Saviour - A term commonly and often inadvertently used. Tip of tongue of every believer - The Lord is my Saviour But do they really mean - Not so sure! Saviour from eternal punishment, yes from eternal hell Unquenchable fire, undying worms, fiery lake of burning sulphur Torment day and night forever and ever From second death, from eternal seperation from unending love From condemnation, from final judgement, from sin itself For those who put their trust in the One, Jesus Who though being equal to the Father, humbled Himself To obedience, to death on the cross, though He knew it beforehand Why? To pay the penalty of my sin: of yours too It was instead of you and me, He chose to receive the punishment He died so that we could live, you could live If only you would believe, His death becomes true for you Whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life And because He was sinless,...

As a process of purification of a person, he brings lambs for a guilt offering and olive oil for purification. The priest will apply the blood of the lamb on the lobe of right ear, thumb of right hand and big toe of of the right foot. He also applied some of the olive oil in the same areas. When Jesus is washing the feet of the disciples, Peter could never agree to his teacher washing his feet. Jesus says a powerful statement in that conversation. A person who is bathed all over does not need to wash - to be entirely clean. The Israelites had to bath first and then go through this process of being ceremonially clean. But not according to Jesus. What the blood of Jesus does for us? Acts:20:28 - bought Col:1:20 - made peace Eph:1:7 - forgiveness of sins Heb:9:14 - cleanse our conscience 1 John:1:7 - purifies us from all sin Heb:10:19 - confidence to enter the Most Holy place Heb:13:12 - make us holy Rev:1:5 - freed us from our sins. Rev:7:14 - washed Rom:5:9 - justified 1Pet:...