How to Read the Bible Effectively ? - Three-Step Guide to Read and Understand His Word

Category: Spiritual/AgapeCitizen

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"Hey Dear. Would you like to be a part of Bible Reading in 132 days community"?, the WhatsApp message popped right-in from my beloved sister, in Christ. "Sure Akka" (Akka meaning sister in Tamil) I responded, though I was uncertain if it was the best way to read the bible.

I was instantly added to the WhatsApp group, a community of over 100 members, set-up to notify all aspirants with portions of the bible they had to complete for the day. 4 Chapters of the old testament - 2 psalms - 2-3 Chapters New Testament, that was the daily schedule. Though it sounded like a more workable plan, it sure is not the right way to read the bible, I thought. Yes, one can successfully complete reading the bible by the time. But the question is:

Will they be able to read the essence that comes along every word they read?

As I always say: The Bible can be a boring jaded book of empty words or a life-changing elixir of living waters that transforms your mind, soul, and body. 

It truly depends on how YOU read it.

So, What is the best way to read the bible?

Rule 1: Do not rush to complete the chapters

In my perspective, many Christians who are in a spree to complete the bible in 6 months or 1 year do read in vain. There is no point is racing to complete the 1,189 chapters of the Bible.

One could have read the entire Bible 100 times and yet not know what it means!

King James Version has 783,137 words and if you read it right, 'every word' will have the power to change your life.

“For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and their marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”—Hebrews 4:12,

Remember, the Word of God is a double-edged sword that has the potential to pierce through your soul. It has the power to refine your spirit.  It is God speaking to you through those words. So, take it slow. Don't be in a rush to complete the chapters without making sense of the words you read.

Rule 2: Follow the Three-Step Bible Journaling Guide

The best way to read the bible is to follow the three-step bible journaling guide that I've recommended here.

Pre-Step: Say a short Prayer. A quick prayer asking God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to reveal what His words hold for you.

Step 1: Select a Chapter of your Choice, Just One, and give it a quick read. 

If the Chapter is long, break the reading portions into smaller digestible chunks. 

Giving a first quick read will familiarize you with the textual contents of the chapter. 

Step 2: Give a Second Slow Read to understand the Biblical Context and Relevance.

Now, slowly read the chapter again. Understand the background on which the chapter has been emulated and the context with which the words have been documented. 

Note:

1. Who is talking to whom? 
2. Why was it spoken?
3. How else could they have handled the situation? (especially in case of disobedience and flouting)
4. What was the blessing or curse the biblical characters received through the context of the chapter's content?
5. What was God trying to do or tell PEOPLE through the chapter?

But, why so many questions for the same chapter?

That's because each question can bring a uniquely different dimension of what the Word of God holds for you. You get to read from multiple angles and the chapters become a real-life incident that you can visualize.

To answer this many multi-variate questions it is important that you slowly read the chapter. If not one slow read, then two. If not two then three. 

Read as many times until the above basic questions are answered. 

Step 3: Relate the Bible Words to YOUR LIFE

The thrid-step is when you take the Word of God that you just read and probe them further to see how it makes sense to your life. 

Note:

1. Which Bible Verse of the Chapter hit you hard or made you pause and think?
2.  How does it relate to your life situation, right now? 
3. What is God trying to TELL YOU?
4. How are you going to change your life's way to reflect the essence of the words that you just read?

Step 2 and Step 3 takes you in-depth into the essence of the chapter you read. So, journal them. Take a notepad or a bible journal and WRITE down the answers to each of these questions. A mental note can easily be forgotten. So always WRITE and document the words that made sense to you. 

This three-step guide is a sure way to read the Bible effectively. 

I remember my mom being stuck in just a single verse for over one-hour. 

Not an Exaggeration!

Especially when she read Songs of Solomon, tears would flow through her eyes.

As to how much God loves her and how much unworthy she was of that love!

There is no point is jumping verses or chapters and proudly proclaiming to have accomplished reading them all! Try to slow down and understand the power of the WORD OF GOD.

Most of all, try to make Bible reading a part of your daily schedule. Do not read it casually or once in a week or month. Today, there are many Christians who read the Bible Once in a Year. Few others happily stay away from it and blame God for all the problems the creeps into their life.

How can God rescue you if you don't listen to Him,
How can you listen to Him, if you don't read the Bible?

So set a few minutes in a day to READ GOD'S WORD. I would recommend 30 minutes. But, if you have very little time try to do the bible reading in the little free times you get over the entire day. But, do not rush verses or chapters until the Step-2 and Step-3 questions have been answered.

This is the best way to read the Bible. Try it and you will thank me :-)

Woman: Mother Earth giving firm foundation to family or a receiver of foots that thrusts back?

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I’m a student, trying to find a balance between home, family, kids, and aspirations to academics....

Can I have It all? Well, I sure do want to? But, will I?

It does seem to be exhausting!

I seem to be Mother Earth giving a firm foundation to my family, but what I receive back is indeed afoot that thrusts back.

Well, it sure does seem to be true, that a house without a virtuous woman does seem to be empty, nomadic and uncultured (Both by emotions and physical space).

Without me, my home is a place that even I don’t wish to even visit.  But, in the process of making my home warm, safe and secure and giving my very best to my dearest souls, am I letting go of my own self?  A thing to ponder… So I kept pondering.

Should I give it all to keep my dearest souls keep going or should walk out to shape up my full-time corporate career? Where does the road lead to? What will I gain ultimately? My objectivity is the best sanctuary, to get answers to the question I seek. So, here they are. Two choices and its end roads:

 Corporate Career-Oriented:

1.  Better Financial Incentives. Opportunity to see the world and be a part of the Elite Corporate Society
2.  Ability to buy gifts and support Kids, Education & Parents. Treat oneself with a better wardrobe, food, and luxury salons.
3.   Years of Experience may conglomerate into a Leadership role in later years.
4. Will retire, with an established home, well-funded education of kids and planned retirement.
5.    Ability to buy whatever you eye see and heart wishes.
6.  No Time for God, Health, Nutrition or Fitness
7.   Possibility of the love of self more than others. Progressively lower tolerance for people that might lead to isolation.
8.    @Deathbed  life lived only for self, money and serving as an employee for an organization which snaps ties with you the day you leave.
9.  Self-lived soul. Prime age, prime time (10 hrs each day) focused on just work, career, and money.

Homemaker with secondary career

1. Nullable to a minimum financial incentive. Social Isolation. Only faces are those of family and occasionally relatives & Friends.
2. Self-esteem by not earning one’s own money will seem to demoralize. Not being able to give back to Parents comes back to haunt never-ending
3. Years of Sacrifice may potentially lead to problems in logical thinking and objectivity. Potentially may not sound relevant to the very ones you have sacrificed it all.
4. Will never retire from the duties of creating a love established home. Would have home-tutored kids to do well academically, hence the possibility for kids to get desired education on merit, remains…...
5. A secondary career that can help you get the little you need, but never all the things you wanted.
6. Time for God, Health, Nutrition and Fitness, both for you and your family.
7. Love rules. To Serve takes prime focus. Hence, Love for self takes the least seat. No time for isolation.
8. @Deathbed life lived only for family. Loved souls which have depended for years on you, will now feel void without you. Memories of you will bring tears and smile to their face.
9. Inclusive soul. Scarified yet fully lived and positively impacted those around.

Life gives just two choices, Never Both.

In the end, I need to make one. Having it all and yet no time for self or family is definitely the continuum I don't want to be polarized to.

Each day the three to four hours I invest in learning and work, keeps me engaged to deliver optimized, efficient results. More so, the path of an Inclusive Soul, that has something to get to the Lord’s Table after death. After all, my happiness remains to be around with those who love me. So, here I’m deliberately letting go corporate full-time rat race, to serve the responsibilities of family and the kid, God has entrusted me with.

Lucky are those who have necessary family support to keep them flying. And for those who don’t, have your own spine. Never let go of your family, specially Kids for your career. A

 Child left in a “unloving business oriented” day care is nothing but an urban Orphan! Penning it down, just in case it helps my own dear stay-at-home mom’s.

And working Mothers, balancing work, home and self, as always, my Admiration & Respect to you!

Dealing with loneliness

Category: Spiritual/AgapeCitizen

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“When you walk in the dark, even your shadow does not follow you”

So said Adolf Hitler, a cold-blooded Nazi, who rose to heights to satiate his obsessive hunger for power.

There are many leaders, politicians, and people in influential places, who snooze through the deserts of loneliness each day. For any of their sociable gestures are but within the line of the unspoken periphery, inside which there are no sentiments or favoritism or human bounds of any kind (so to avoid others from taking leverage over one’s plain courteousness).

In this era headed toward globalization, most individuals are more than triumphant to lucratively bank for their physical needs of food, clothes, and shelter. Indeed most of the white-collared professionals are well-resourced to splurge their surplus on superfluous merchandise. 

But, these very people, who have all the money in the world to make them happy, are seldom satisfied with this journey called life. Sometimes it makes me wonder if it is this life’s very emptiness that alters them to a selfish state to obsessively chase for Money, Power, and Luxury. 

So do we find Happiness in them? 

We all know the end of Sir. Adolf Hitler….It sure was futile.

So the question is, 

'What to do if I feel lonely' or 

 'What to do about loneliness'? 

Here is a time-tested, proven perspective that has not just helped me, but many lonely souls who have grunted about not finding true love or trust-worthy friend.

Reminded of a dialogue of the widowed mother to her recently widowed daughter, in the movie P.S: I Love you:

“I know you are lonely, I’m too, but at least we all are together in this loneliness”. 

Ironical as it may sound, but yes we all may seem happy from outside, but deep down within, the core of every heart, their foams, the lava of discontent, a sense of untold loss, poignant thoughts of those broken dreams……

Words can’t capture the colossal avatars of Loneliness. Your tears could have been crystallized through years; blood oozed from your hurt soul could have now clogged with no fellow soul to notice; your desire to simply “be understood/wanted” may now be just a hallucination, far from reality; you may have become Zombie, walking dead, with personal little desires buried and living through the routine scheduled responsibilities. Rich or poor, Political Leader or civilian, Influential or layman, you or me, married or single :-) 

*(1), we all as social animals are connected with the same cord. Are you on the same plane! Are together in our loneliness! Collectively wanting for something from outside to make us happy within…..

A bit of my story. Born from a mediocre family that’s been struggling through financial hurdles, I was no exception. Since my childhood days, I’ve felt rejected. Parents who could provide the best of life’s best for me, somehow could not shore up to my wants for their special exclusive love. A formative decade at school was cocooned within walls of isolation, a defense shield from those bullying and teasing fellow mates. Friends who dawned up later swiftly moved on at the same tempo they walk in. But, yet there on this boulevard of loneliness, I was not alone, as I thought it might be. There was someone who’s been all along. He kept me going. His name is Jesus Christ!!! It may be tough for a neo-generational, techno-professional, semi-computerized personality, to count on someone unseen to quench one’s thirst for loneliness. But, I’ve always felt His real-time comfort during those downhill gloomy interludes of life. Hours muted through solitude has always ended in His enlightening companionship. I just don’t assume He’s there, but have felt and known His presence carrying me through. I’m happy, Joyful and contented – Just because of Him.

Happiness is from outside is momentary and is very much relative to its environment. 

Happiness quotient fluctuates with how our-others treat us. It’s always possible to be excessively happy on the outside, be rich and of High power and yet intrinsically feel lonely and miserable. 

But Joy, that Jesus Christ gives is everlasting and from within. 

Joy is not relative to its environment and no matter how shoddier your loved ones treat you, you will experience brimming peace inside your heart’s core. It’s would be feasible to reside in worst of life’s miseries and yet be joyful. He is as Real as your wants are... He is the one who can make you feel Joyful from within.....He is the lone gratification for all that lava of bitter discontent…. He is the only recipe for your loneliness.

Being lost, means nothing more to lose. So, why not try Jesus Christ, before you sink further deep in your ocean of problems and head nowhere. 

Make a Simple Prayer*(2) … Probe Him, if He’s for Real?, Ask Him to show up just once, in your life… it will just be astounding to comprehend God’s way... You will never ever feel lonely again…..

*(1) Married people are lonelier than singles
*(2) Am not being conventional repeating what preachers before my times have sermonized. This is my experience for ‘REAL’. A REALITY that God wishes to help each lament soul with.

Marriage Life or Forever Single? Which is good for a Woman?

Category: Spiritual/AgapeCitizen

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Talk about single women, screenshots of the attractive brighter side like that of “sex and the city” characters pass through my mind.

Women who have an era to celebrate their life on and yet cherish their own personal time. Independent, individualistic, courageous, self-motivated may be a few sugar-coated traits that would define those single princesses.

But as illusory as it may seem in retrospect, within every strong-hearted single princess is a weakling waiting desperately to be rescued by her knight (borrowed from SATC, again).

So, to marry or not to marry?

Uncommitted life comes with its own anxieties of single-handedly managing all life chores.

From handling her own finances to defending herself for her cause in this male chauvinistic society, she constantly fights to makes her survival secure. In pretending to be positive, I see her stacking up diminutive doses of stress and depression to her biological system.

Topping it all up, the lack the intimate emotional support that marriage could offer (and which no friend can ever offer) makes her physiological health proportional to the number of self-motivation shots injected into her mind.

In all this, I recognize these vulnerable loners playing the role of that of a MAN, combating to prove her existence to herself. Science has indeed proved to us that stress level increases the level of testosterone hormones in our immune system.

In being single she breaks out of the gender laws laid by nature only to be disappointed.

My Bible says "It is not good for man to be alone" but to me “It is highly dangerous for women to be single”.

For her feminine beauty is only revealed through the congenial lovable presence of her Man.

My take? Biblically, It is good for a woman to choose Marriage Life over single-hood.

Life’s greatest happiness and satisfaction lie in God made communion called Marriage/ Family.

* Conditions Apply :)

Why did Jesus Die? - Need for Sacrifice

Category: Spiritual/AgapeCitizen

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Leviticus. God's book for Levi Tribe, a rule book rather of how Israelites should perform sacrifices for atonement.

 The book really puzzles me, for the ceremonial killings of animals or birds for human sins, is something that really cannot comprehend well, and something that even hurts me, I should say!

However, in respect of the Lord who commanded these rules, I choose to humbly read it, knowing He is just and that He has a reason for all that he gave as laws to Israel.

Today, however, I did get a new enlightment. It was as if the Verses from various parts of the bible co-related together to help me understand one of the reasons behind Spiritual Sacrifices. sacrifice meaning.

1. Leviticus 14: 2-8: “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing.  He shall be brought to the priest, 3 and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, 4 the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live1clean birds and  cedarwood and vscarlet yarn and hyssop. 5 And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh2water. 6 He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.7 And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. 8 And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean."

2. Mark 5: 14-15: And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind.

3. This is why Jesus came and why He died, to become the ultimate and final sacrifice, the perfect (without blemish) sacrifice for our sins (Colossians 1:22;1 Peter 1:19). Through Him, the promise of life eternal with God becomes effective through faith to those who believe in Jesus. “So that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe” (Galatians 3:22)

Here is how these Verses Co-relate.

First, the Levite Priest was instructed to make a sacrifice for Sin, Atonement or cleansing. Verse 14 relates to the cleansing of a leprous person. Two Turtle Doves, one to be killed in an earthen vessel over freshwater (Death of unclean Leprosy) another to be let free in the open air (Deliverance).

Relate this to the man who was possessed with Legion. Legion means a greek word which means an army of 3000 – 6000 men. This was the plight of the man possessed with the legion. He has over 3000 devil spirits inside of him and for him to be cleansed and be of right mind, the legion begged Jesus to let them loose into the Swine. Here we see that Evil, Sin, Curse or uncleanliness needs the transfer of bodies, for the victim to be clean. The demon entered the swine and at that moment the victim was healed! So the Levite priest symbolically performed the ritual of cleansing, transferring the Human uncleanliness (Sin or disease or Curse) to the Animal or Bird, being instructed. This would mean bloodshed for the atonement of human sins and diseases.

Finally, in this generation, we are no longer to follow the Levite Ceremonial cleansing for healing of our souls. Now, we have Jesus the Christ, who has paid the atonement for our sins and by His blood, we are made clean.

Remember the bible says, “eli eli lama sabachthani”, where Jesus Christ was so filled with darkness of our sin that Father could not see himon the cross???

He bore OUR sins and OUR Iniquities. Tough it may sound as a historical crucifixion, for those who have been cleansed of sins, sickness and diseases, known the Jesus’s bloodshed for an individual’s sin is uniquely for that individual to this day.  Yet through the Power of God, Jesus Resurrected the Third day and rest goes on…….

Somehow I was so excited to get this revelation from God. For me to be wholly cleansed I need to have a spiritual sacrifice.

My Sins, Diseases, Iniquities, Cruses and bondages are real spiritual baggages, that pulls down my physical life and it’s happenings.

Many a days, we are alive but soulfully dead. Zombie’s they say, To repeat happenings for a lifetime and yet have no life within. To have life within is more important than to stay alive. And for me to have life within, means my soul needs to be resorted back to where God’s has Started.

Psalmist says “He resotoreth my Soul for His namesake,…” To restore a soul would be to be delivered from these very spiritual baggage that pull us down. That would need a Spiritual Sacrifice, which for us is Jesus Christ. “Who the Son sets free is free indeed” (John 8. 36).

So here for us to claim our spiritual sacrifice (Truly and sincerely with all that is within us): Atonement through Blood of Jesus Christ and Deliverance through his resurrection!

Gender Roles & Women being saved through Childbearing!

Category: Spiritual/AgapeCitizen


1 Timothy 2:15 “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety”

I’m not a feminist! Nor am I someone who speaks in favor or rises up flags for womanhood!!! But through Childbearing and raising my son, I’ve come to experience the untold parallels between the two worlds. A physical world of Women Childbearing/Childcare is no different from the spiritual world of salvation!

First let’s look, what exactly is salvation. A large part of it is being born again is Christ the Lord!

But what follows to sustain this born again experience in the spiritual world, is renouncing the flesh and living for Jesus Christ.

1. Luke 9:3 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”.  
2. John 12: 24 goes on to say “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit.” 
3. More so, the immerse water baptism symbolizes a person being dead to himself to raise up again to live for God Jesus Christ.

Now, those mothers out there, do these three pointed verses above ring a bell. Unconsciously across the world, religions, dialect or race, a woman through childbearing experiences the same.

1. A mother denies herself of her own likes, identity and dreams to take up the HUGE, I say literally HUGE responsibility of Childbearing/childcare. Labour pain is literally a re-birth for every mother!! And Childcare that follows, is all about living and doing every bit for the Child. There is no self or self-interest in being a mother. Even sleep to our eyes is a gift granted from the family responsibilities and child’s comfort sleep. 
2. Like a corn of wheat that falls to die, we from being a princess, fall down into the ground to serve, serve and serve our loved ones. Cleaning the potty with bare fingers that we once disgusted to see, being relieved from hearing the unpleasant burp which we once felt embarrassed to hear, churning meal after meal which my lazy hands once denied cooking. In all this, we aim only to bring forth fruit. The fruit called Family Support and Child Growth. 
3. We literally and quite literally die to ourselves and raise up to live for our family post childbearing. All this said, Our sacrifices bring back to us the best of Fruits! Called “Unadulterated Love” back from our child. It may be true that my son will eventually leave someday! But what I experience from him and my husband today, makes all my sacrifices worthy. I’m so filled with love, that both look up to me and just me for love, comfort or care. I can imagine how Christ would feel when I reciprocate back to His Sacrificial Love on the Cross, like that.

Though, I believe Men share equal responsibility and provide greater support for Women during Child Care, what a woman goes through as a sacrificial transformation is on harmonized parallels with the experience of Salvation in Christ!

Christ died for us!
A Woman dies for herself to live for her child and then family.

Many Cases of Depression or Anxiety or Guilt (which I must admit that I go through in synapses as well, Thankfully I’m blessed with a husband who loves and supports me through and out of it patiently), for New-Mom’s, happens literally because of denial of the above perspective. Switching back and forth between Depression: Self (Interests, dreams, and Comfort) that is lost and Anxiety: rising up to live to the sudden responsibilities of Family (Food, Household Chores, Child Care,……) can only make Denial worse. Still remote are the multi-faceted roles of working mothers! God alone gives them the strength to meet the demands of job and home.

So, much sacrificial a Woman becomes, that 1 Timothy 2:15 goes on to say “she shall be saved in childbearing”!!!

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How to be Happy in Life?

Category: Spiritual/AgapeCitizen

“He Restores My Soul, for His Namesake”– Psalm 23: 2

I’m but a breath of God! What’s in me is not a Built-in identity called “ME”, but a mere air that was blown out from the Spirit of God.

If I’m but an Immortal spiritual air caught up in a mortal body and a mere passenger who’s boarded this flight called life, where then did I pick up this baggage called Desire of Self?

How could I afford to carry packets of Ego, Prejudice, Judgements, Unforgiveness, hate and Need for Security...

Need for Security in itself contains an Ocean of Human Aspirations. “Studying” to secure a safe career, “Working” to secure a luxurious Living, “Lusting for power” to secure a strong Self-Identity, “Loving” to secure that unconscious need for companionship, “Marrying” to secure loneliness of old age ( through support stems of the family)....

Series of “ing, ing and ing” to secure a fantasy need and never BE Secure....

Civilizations and Culture have quite successfully enriched the thought of “man as a Social Animal” in exchange to the truth “Man is Man – a Living being created to live and die, just like any other animal”. Focussed to fully maximize the magical potential of Sixth Sense, the socially conditioned Man has lost sight to wholly experience and fully appreciate the power of the other five basics senses inherent to all created beings.

The Sole purpose of Man’s life whirls around LIFE – with every moment of it being experienced!!! But, how often do we fail to “just live” and be on a roller coaster life of “Wanting to live”?

In Parallel, How often we fail to “Be Happy” in the process of “Wanting to BE Happy”. How many times have we drove past that same road, not recognizing those seas of underprivileged who can be helped much within our capacity? How many times have we limited our eyes to view just that flat-screen notepad or TV Monitor and not feast our eyes in the world of beauty created for us – Mankind to enjoy? How many times do we live with our family under the same roof and yet not sincerely listen or wholly acknowledge their presence? How many times do you fail to just BE YOURSELF by not listening to the mind’s constant Voice Chatters (more specific -judgemental noises)??

Yesterday was no different from today and tomorrow will neither be, unless the perception of reality is changed from the imaginary social morals absorbed within that rusted brain. Life is right in your hands; waiting for you to make that choice....No one else can make that choice for you! You have to!

There are a whole universe and Heavens waiting for you to “BE”. Just “BE”

Exercise:

“Human Being and not Human doing,” they say. Here is the Slice of Being. Listen to your mind now! Take a deep introspection!!! Is it a Voice that’s chirping endlessly or you being consciously aware of what you’re Reading?

Result 1 - If hear that Voice, judgemental or evaluative in its tone, you’re probably someone who has failed in life miserably....either your loved ones do not love you, or you have all the money in the world and yet not an ounce of Contentment around, or you have no money at all and the debts are taking a toll over mind, health and family....-99.99% of humans will fall within this Circle *I was no different!

Result 2 – if you were able to distinguish the difference between that Voice and your quite calm self hiding beneath, this should feel exhilarating! All along we try to mask that smile or fake that talk, trying to be the action of the Minds Voice. The mind doesn’t talk. Mind Thinks! If you have, even for a second identified the calm, quiet self within you, this is Being!

Pearls of Wisdom:

1. Man through his own efforts can never “BE”. Jesus Christ the living bread is the only source of Life. No man can receive Eternal Life but through Him. Science and Technology of 21st century have rejected Ancient Words/Days/Theology and have brought the world to the place where it is – War, hate, Poverty, depression, Homicide, and Suicide. “State of Being” can reverse all this Worlds Disaster and this state should be directly received from the Source of Creation.

Promising triumphant Present/Future:

“State of Being” creates an opportunity for the mind to experience the world around it. It’s not Stagnant Nothingness around you but a wholesome Awareness that creates ripples of success in every aspect of life. Need for love is substituted to being loved, need for companionship substituted by partnering in love lifetime fully committed, need for money/power substituted to Zeal for making a positive impact in every seen opportunity/occasion, Need for security substituted by conscious assuring life. Success through Being and Contentment are two sides of the same coin of Being.

Final Notes:

Life is but a pattern of your Thoughts Churned into Actions!! Change your perspective of Thoughts. If something has not or isn’t working, it will not work in the Future either....It is right in your hands to go to the Source of all Beings to get yourself liberated from past baggage, lost identity, failed life and be quenched with living waters of Life.

“BEING” is Secret to Happy/Contented Life

"He who has ears, let him Hear"


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Parable of Sower - Three kind of faith challenges

Category: Spiritual/AgapeCitizen

Mathew 13 parable of a sower, talks about the seeds which grow in different kinds of Soil. Wide interpretations of this passage urging its readers to be that good soil which brings forth fruit are out there.  But let us look at the passage in a new light.

When you hear the word of God and are born-again in Christ, the scales of sin falls off. You truly feel blessed by being just you in the Maker. Human words can seldom explain the awesome wholeness by being you in Christ. But down the lane, in about a few months or years, the spark shrinks. We are met with challenges that question the very validity of our born-again experience.  The passage of sower exactly categorizes these Challenges.

1. Birds which eat the seed

This can be termed the peer-pressure challenge.

Your friends, family, work colleagues or maybe just the society in which you are placed who think your spiritualism as unpopular.  In wanting to be accepted by your own or community, a believer of Christ chooses to let go. Sex, Drug-addiction, Partying Fun, Alcoholism, Cult Theologies, workplace division or simply love for a man more than love for God, are few to name. Many with very low self-esteem, choose peer acceptance over their own self. If you don’t care what others think, then Kudos – your Challenge 1 is won. For, those who face this pressure, do know that life is a journey and on this entire journey that the only person who is going to accept and be with you till the end is ONLY YOU. So, choose for yourself wisely. Choose based on your own experience and realization.  Even if you are a Christian who has NOT REALIZED CHRIST in your life, its HIGH TIME you think.  Do not go by other’s talk or popular views. Choose for your own self.

2. Rocky Places with no root

This can be termed as Narcissist and Socio-economic Challenge.

Finances or identity troubles, where a believer is fine being on the spiritual track as long as winds are in their favor. But once, odds kick-in, they go oblivious to Christ. Minorities in non-Christian countries who silence their Christian Identity so as not to offend governments or those who feel God is truly not blessing them financially enough or those who realize that it does not pay-off materialistically to be in Christ can be categorized in this challenge. Narcissist lovers of self, have a strong root for their own self-gain than to be selfless servants of Christ are also of this kind. Many Born-again, Church going believers fall apart in this level. In spite of having tasted the lord, they give up. They are the ones who choose God for Heaven and not God for God! If Heavenly benefits are not there, they would rather not walk along the path Christ has set for them. For those who realize are facing this challenge, do know that Heaven is not the Reward! Christ IS! Get your roots strong. Do not look for worldly benefits alone in Christ.  God is able to bless you abundantly. But, Seek the Lord first. That’s the only way when financial or identity trouble comes, you are going to stand put the Heavenly Test.

3. Thorns that Choke Plants.

This final challenge is about Medical Ailments or Diseases.
Remember, Thorns Hurt! It bleeds to be pricked by a Thorn! Mostly a believer who crosses that stages of peer-pressure, financial hurdles or Identity crisis are most often struck down hard by this type. God truly understands how it feels for His child to suffer bodily. In fact, realize Christ has gone through it on the Cross! Every part of the body was broken apart and till the last drop, all His Blood was oozed out. Remember, Christ prayed that the cup this suffering be removed, but let God’s will supersede, so that entire mankind can be saved?  When Christ bore our sickness on the Cross of Calvary, it was a Test of Faith for Him. Take it as a Challenge and PRAY. God is a healer. Your Diseases WILL BE Healed. Do know diseases can be a test of faith and do not let go of God if your healing is not coming through! It’s ok to suffer the Cross and resurrect in Christ than to curse God on here on Earth and die in Hell each day. Think about it!

God’s test is simple and plain. These three challenges can accommodate almost all the sins of the world.  Remember, to him the overcomes awaits the Crown of Christ.  Like the gold which is purified by the blast furnace, you will come out all worthy of the eternal Heaven. The prince of Earth – the Devil will thrust you to face these challenges in different forms and faces. But, do know this.

If you Pray and Read the Word of God each day, you have indeed the armor of God to avoid sliding into these temptations or strength to overcome these challenges.

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Madras Christian College Alumni (Short Story about the college roads)

There are many places in this world. But, my college campus continues to take the 'favorite' status of all the places I've been to.

 From the outside, the entrance is just an old rugged wall.  Light brown shades of wall fail to hide the unsettling gush of road dust that tries to rest on it. To the right of the gate, a black granite square block engraved at the center of the wall reads 'Madras Christian College, Tambaram.' The light grey color text engraved on the granite is a legacy that many alumni take pride in. While, in college, entering the gate would mean another 10 mins walk to the classroom.

The road from the gateway to the main campus block was at least 100 meters long. That would mean another 100 meters of walk to reach class on time. This was tiring, for as a student who had just walked about 300meters from the local sub-train station to the gate, another walk for 100 meters used to be more like last racing leap to make it to class on time. But, little did I know that 3 years of these little racing leaps that were almost taken in a rush every day would form everlasting memories for life. The roads were about 50 meters by width. Either side of the road were soil gutters, and beyond the gutters were vegetation of all shapes and sizes. Walking through the road would mean being shadowed by the warmth of the trees that surrounded the left, right, and to a large extent even above the road. I do not remember seeing the sky! For it was more like walking through a jungle, into the woods. Into a place that represents everything other than the negative, mad rush that the urban society outside the gate represented.

During the rains, the trees, and the soil from beneath the cluttered biomes released a fresh fragrance that not just filled my senses but also my mind. The water that fell through the green cover from above on the roads naturally slid on either side into the gutters. When the rains were heavy, the gutters were more like a mini stream, channeling all the waters, exactly into the nearby human-made catchment.  The roads did not just connect students between blocks of campus. It transcended people back to nature, back to vintage kind of British culture, and ultimately back in time.

Every alumnus meets that I sign up to go now, I step my foot on this long road, not in a rush, but as slow, conscious strides. I look around, the fresh leaves, the brown woods, the broken tar road, and the soiled gutter. It seems like the only that has changed is time and people. For, their warmth, embrace, and gentle kiss by the wind - it all remains. 

Back to Blogging

Category: Personal

21st August 2016.

That's the date of the most recent post on this blog.  Really? Has it been close four years since i posted anything here? 

Seems Unreal!

Especially when all I do is write; write and write. At college where I do my research, my regional website about Chennai, a spiritual Facebook initiative for my Savior, and most recently even a book for one of the contacts.

Time to pick up from where I left. In this blog, I'm going to posts updates each day. There are whole a lot of different things I do, so each post will be categorized into appropriate tags. 

Categories will include:

1. Content Writing

2. Digital Content Creation 

3. GIS and Technology

4. Spiritual - Christianity and Life

4. Personal Updates: Parenting, Cooking,.....

| Remember, THIS IS A PERSONAL BLOG. 

So don't expect it to be professional, formal and anything close to enterprising. There is not going to be any niche either. One day it could be about the Android Bug, the next day about the Italian pasta recipe and another day about Writing Tips. 

| Different Topics on one platform.

This would mean I'm going to delete my gisgurukul.blogspot and agapecitizen.wordpress thematic blogs and post all my content through this blogger.

I choose to agglomerate all my topics on this one platform because one platform is much easy to work, than to go update the different blogs during different times. Secondly, the blogger has been very close to my heart. After all, this space is where all my humble digital writing beginnings started and I rather stay loyal to it.

So, lets' get started. 

Read and be empowered.