A fruit

Saw this by the way side. Looks like bitter guard.

Our Favourite Beef Shop in Bangalore

Last 5 years we regular purchased meat from Bismillah Beef Staff (near Hennur Cross, Bangalore). Good meat and good service they provide.

Taking the Responsibility; Not Blaming Others

Recently, a friend shared the stories of his childhood and education. His brother was good in one school subject and he was good in another. They helped each other in their respective areas of “expertise”. But things started to go wrong when his brother befriended another boy who never studied well. As a result he failed that year. Few years later, he too became friends with another person who was not interested in studies. He failed too because...

After hearing this, I thought this is exactly what Adam and Eve did – blaming others. The narrative from Genesis 3:11-13 goes:

“How did you know you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?"

"It was the woman you put here with me," the man said. "She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it."

The LORD God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."

It’s not me… someone else is responsible. Easy to say but “straight/honest” thinker will not take that no matter how sophisticated that excuse is.

Occasionally I hear comments like:

·         The project went bad because that person did not work well.

·         My brother became a drunkard after a quarrel with his friend.

·         My spiritual life deteriorated because of my pastor who does not live according to God’s Word.

·          And many more…

The following verses from the Bible warn us loudly:

·         And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak (Matthew 12:36, NLT).

·         Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God (Roman 14:12, NLT).

Only two words the Scripture recommends: YES or NO. Nothing else! Let us humbly accept our fault and shortcomings. “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil (Matthew 5:37).”

 

Removing phone number on Facebook

Recently I notice that I am getting Facebook updates on my mobile phone. I was surprised because I haven’t shared it on FB.

 

So I read this morning to solve this issue. And it seems that some time ago I installed Facebook apps on my smartphone and that seem to have exported all my contacts and my number got in.

 

This evening I would to explore how to undo that. The link seems to be good one: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/how-facebook-got-your-phone-number-and-how-to-take-it-back/2497

Christian Magazines

Christian Manager (Management magazine)

Christian Trends (http://www.ctrendsmag.com)

Communicator ( www.nlcca-asia.org)

Confident Living

Ethne (mission’s magazine,  ethne.com )

Forerunner (ads, information sharing)

Light of Light (http://www.lightoflife-india.com)

More about Christian magazines published in India. http://www.magazinetraining.com/MagazineDirectory/Asia/India/

 

 

Bookstores

Major Distributors:

ELS: http://www.christianbooksindia.com/

OM Books: http://www.christianstore.in

New Life Literature

Satyam Publications (need to find website)

 

 

Bibles

Bible League: http://store.wbtc.org/

IBL: http://www.iblministries.in/bibles.html

BSI: http://www.bsind.org/print.html (Bibles and tracks)

Gideons: Free

 

Management books

CMI: http://www.cimindia.in/management_publication.htm

 

Marriages:
http://urbanindia.org

Young and Old

Last Sunday, my wife and I sat on one side of the aisle in our church. And our daughter (1.2 years) was with friends on the other side on the same row.

Whenever she looked at our direction, we tried to motion her. She did not notice. After several rounds and with persistent pointing towards us by our friends, she managed to see her mother. But she didn’t see me. Only when she was close to my wife, she actually saw me.

Then I reflect this: Children begin seeing life from a close distance. New born can see only with 8 to 10 inches from their face. Perhaps, no one born with long-sightedness like most adult suffer. I often see older people reading books from an arm length!

In life too, we see young people concerned for immediate things. They are reckless. Not willing to wait. They would rather do things as they come. They don’t do insurance! The opposite is true for older people. They wait and see long term perspectives. They are worried for anything that might go wrong. “What if” question dwell on their mind.

In a Bible college, a professor used to say, “I don’t like to teach the first year student because they behave and talk as if they know everything”. The fresh year students are emphatic and say so much with loud voice and with much conviction. The final year student learned much and they try to balance many perspectives. And sometime they talk as if they don’t have perspectives, bringing only what other people say.

In organizations, the new staff begins slow. They learn the culture and work along with older staff. They don’t do policy making in the first place. Sometimes older staff …

I like the Scriptures in terms of our Christian walk both children and adult images are used to encourage in our growth. Three verses came to my attention:

·         Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation – I Peter 2:2.

·         Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature – I Cor 14:20.

·         When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways – I Cor 13:11.

Sometimes it is good to be like kids, seeing things immediate to us and yearning to be fed and led. But other times we need to be matured, being firm/decisive, knowledgeable and maintain long distance.

 

 

Four verses on spread of God's Word

• So the word of God spread (Acts 6:7a). 
• But the word of God continued to increase and spread (Acts 12:24).
• The word of the Lord spread through the whole region (Acts 13:49).
• In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power (Acts 19:20).

Position for a cause

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, NIV)

Amazing words from Mordecai to Queen Esther when the order to kill the Jews was passed. He urges her its time for her to stand for her people. There is a time to remain silent and a time to be assertive and raise voice.

Good reminder for us to reflect why we are placed in the position we are in. Perhaps for a reason.

Esther in this story took up. She risked her life as the following text showed.

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:15, 15, NIV).

We all know the ending. Because of this act of Esther, the whole tribe of Jews were spared.

Two Hymns in Lisu