Carl Sagan on Atheism

An atheist has to know a lot more than I know.

- Carl Sagan (Agnostic)

Random Thought

To 'get' the gospel you should try rattling hard against the bars of  "but what about?"s, "how-come?"s and "but that's dangerous"s, that incarcerate you... and you will realize that they do not break. Then try bending your knee, and praying that the Holy Spirit would break them... and... He might just do it for you. He  might take you to the world where there is a sea Joy, where Christ is far exalted and you are far more thankful. That's when you are closer to 'getting it'.

Announcement

Today I became a believer in Fortune Cookies. My fortune read:

"Sell your ideas - They have exceptional merit"

World, take note that this blog will soon become a paid site.  

Random advice - Rebellion

Rebellion is an inadvertent by-product of trying to reach a legitimate goal...  a means, that too one that is last resorted to...  it is NEVER itself the goal. It should never be the goal

New Middle Road - Francis Chan

I love Francis Chan

Universal Fact #55 Playing House

It is true. Trust me! It is not something we made up to look more masculine. In fourth grade, or pretty much all of our younger years, we guys find playing 'home' gross even though we might end up doing the real thing with one of you girls when we grow up. 

Oh, and I think we get the concept. We just don't get why you girls find it fun. :)

Growing Up

When you're a little kid you're a bit of everything; Scientist, Philosopher, Artist. Sometimes it seems like growing up is giving these things up one at a time.

- The Narrator (the grown up Kevin Arnold) from The Wonder Years 

Short Story

I was on my knees, upper body stooping down, nose almost touching the ground. I was still hot with the argument... with pain. I could feel it in my head. My face was still wet with tears.

He was on his throne and was giving the orders that had devastated me. I was not looking at him. After they were given, I could hear the others leave briskly, so that I knew we were left alone. I felt him turn his face to me.  With his same stern commanding voice he said,

"As for you... "

"Yes, my Lord", I said. I had given up trying to argue... trying to present my case. He was too strong.

But there was a pause... I was waiting to hear my punishment.... or a disciplinary action.  Even a beating couldn't be worse than his orders. And he continued,

"My son..."

The tone of his voice had changed. I looked up... to him...  I did not expect to see tears streaming down his face. He felt my pain. I couldn't believe it.  I kept looking at him and in sometime there broke a smile on his face and he said,

"You will learn to enjoy me."

Random Thought

Money is too quantifiable not to be deceptive.

One object of pursuit

There is ONE object of pursuit in life and that is Jesus Christ, and none other. Not Holiness, nor purity, nor security, nor goodness, nor generosity, nor any fruit of the Spirit- they are fruits - not objects of pursuit, not happiness, (it is a mind set, it can't be pursued), nor missions, nor ministry. All these are enjoyed as by products. They are enjoyed because they are good, but they are good because they are right. They are right because God has designed them that way. The best thing for a man to do is to bow his head before the Lord of the universe, Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, the solution, the origin, of all things material and immaterial. All the universe falls in place in looking at him. 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

...There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

1 Cor 8:6

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Romans 11:36

The Cure or The Disease?

Cuz its my kinda humor:

Source: http://xkcd.com/56/

Random Thought

There are a few things I want to be known by. One of them is freedom. 

Random Thought

If it weren't for the doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, I would probably be an agnostic

Thoughts on Love - C. S. Lewis

There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.I believe that the most lawless and inordinate loves are less contrary to God’s will than a self-invited and self-protective lovelessness…We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armour. If our hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as a way in which they should break, so be it. What I know about love and believe about love and giving ones heart began in this

- C. S. Lewis

Questions

I know you would fight for your loved one,
But would you die for someone else's too?

There are people blinded by lies,
But would you love them before you give them the truth?

Cowards don't fight for justice,
But did you stand up for your friend when she needed you?

I understand your fight for uncertainty.
But then how were you certain that your abortion didn't kill a life or two?

Random Thought

What you believe is generally followed by what you feel. So if you feel incorrectly, perhaps you believe incorrectly.

Gianna Jessen

I can't believe I get the honor of calling her my sister....  :)

Can I say something? Being a part of this thing called 'Christianity' I have gotten to see the Christian God very closely. I have also gotten to see how he can transform people, very closely. There are few of them. There are never many... but there are. The God who works in them... woh kuch aur hai.... He is something else!

Random Thought

There should be a pointer that pops up, like a thought bubble in a comic would, pointing to you, saying "He's kidding!" everytime you make a statement that is a joke, but could be taken otherwise, so that you don't have to append the highly annoying but sometimes essential, '... just kidding' at the end. 




And then may be Microsoft could add some spice to life by make it pop up, when you aren't really joking.

My Heroes

Chris Williams taught me that God meant business when he decided to communicate to Human Beings through the Bible. That Christ was all consuming and not a Sunday morning game.  I may not be a very strong man, but a large part of the existing strength has been gained through his teaching. A lot of my theology comes from his teaching.  In a way, he attempted turning boys to men, we might not have, but thats our fault. I met my LORD through his teaching. I cannot stop loving him. 

Stephen Williams, taught me that a guy can be young, cool and in love with God. That Christianity trickled down to a daily living and was not a two faced thing. I learned to pray from him, to ask God for much better things... much richer things. 

Francis Chan taught me to be genuine. If I can believe God half as much as he does, I can't say I would be satisfied, but... I still want to be there. I love Francis Chan. 

C.S. Lewis: It is hard to do justice to what he has taught me because he has taught me a lot more than what I can tell you or put in words.  I have not read a lot of Lewis, but his direct and indirect influence is far beyond what I have read and heard about him. Some Men don't influence you in words but they involved in changing you. They make you like themselves so that the outflow of the result, whether direct or indirect is still an influence of them. That is what lewis does to me. Though there may be something I do, think or write tomorrow, that could qualify as original, there are good chances of it being an influence of Lewis. 

Some of the things that he taught me and come to mind are:

- People are souls not bodies or brains. 
- Sometimes, fiction is a better way of communicating truth. Infact sometimes truth is so overwhelming and out of this world, that the only thing that might do a decent job is fiction. 

Blaise Pascal: Unlike Lewis, what Pascal taught me could be summarized in his quote: 

"All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves." There might be very, very few things, outside the bible, that have changed me as much as this quote has. Pascal taught me to look at the world differently... more clearly. He channeled my love for Jesus. 

Matt Reagan: Matt tends to have a freeing effect on me. He fights, not only for me to think a certain way, but also to feel a certain way. To feel the truth. If I am a Christian Hedonist at all, it was Matt that made me one directly, and not Piper. 

John Piper: I am going to make a big statement here. What Piper calls 'Christian hedonism' is, in my opinion, the most mature way to live. John Piper is like my spiritual grandfather. He has been in dangerous areas of thought and brought out from the deep mysteries, cool and satisfying waters so that some of us can have them freely. Even before I was saved, he has thought and written things that amaze me today. 

Priyadarshan taught me that a man can be an athiest/agnostic and still genuinely love people, trees and nature, far more than me a believer, and be willing to give his life for them. I find that amazing. 

My Uncle taught me that it is possible to love your brother's children as much as yours. 

Dad showed me that it was possible to love your family more than yourself, and sacrifice all your life for it. 

While I say, 'they taught me', I can't completely say, 'I have learnt these things'. Some success I have had, but not even that would be possible if God were not pleased in working in those men and in me to produce the change. 

If you happen to read this, here is the intention: I love these men. Theoretically, if death was painless, I would rather God kill me now and distribute my remaining life to some of these. I am not much of a man, but understand that if it weren't for these men, I would be far worse. So don't forget to invest in the lives of people around you.