Shalom and Greetings from PaTual T.Tualzathang.
As you read the message of JESUS CHRIST, the Holy Spirit of ALMIGHTY GOD will strengthen you to complete the reading and you will be blessed. Praise the LORD. Hallelujah. Amen.
JESU KHRIST a Unau deihtah te aw. Ei loi, Amah nungjuui kichiten MANGPA JESU KHRIST min i zangkhial/ mangkhial leng uhi. We, who are professed Christians often misused the Name of JESUS CHRIST. Since the life, death and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, the Son of GOD, a great deception (zuautatna) has resulted in the placing of JESUS CHRIST’s name on every type of pagan, heathen, perverted (thangtat) philosophy of man that has come along.
ALMIGHTY GOD inspired the Apostle John to describe the Devil as “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” (Revelation 12:9). Again, in Revelation 20:1-3, GOD describes how Satan will soon be restrained “that he should not deceive the nations no more.”
These inspired scriptures certainly show that most people and nations have been misled and deceived by Satan the Devil! This, very frankly, is the “key” which explains why there are so many obvious contradictions in our supposedly “Christian” society. It shows why our Christian world is so mixed up and confused about what the word “Christian” really and truly means.
For example, in our society and community, a man who is a leader or a cadre of an unlawful underground organization is a Christian.This is fact and accepted by our society and community including the church.
Frankly and biblically speaking, a true Christian cannot be a leader or a cadre of an unlawful underground organization prohibited by law of the land and the government. How can a church tolerate an unlawful underground organization leader or its cadres as its member, when the church can expelled a boy and a girl married through elopement, forget accepting the tithes, offerings and donations?
Yes, we should love them and pray for them so that they can overcome Satan’s confusing influence and temptation. How can a church tolerate tithes from money minted by cultivation of poppy plants or by selling of drugs and narcotics substances? It clearly shows that our civilisation has not been following CHRIST, but has been deceived into going many different ways under Satan’s confusing influence!
Strangely, yet at least Honestly, some of this world’s noted religious leaders and scholars have acknowledged that our professing “Christianity” has not even seriously tried to follow the literal teachings and commandments and example of JESUS CHRIST.
Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic and religious author Soren Aabye Kierkegaard, who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher, in his book “Attack Upon Christendom”, wrote: “The Christianity of the New Testament simply does not exist. Millions of people through the centuries have little by little cheated GOD out of Christianity, and have succeeded in making Christianity exactly the opposite of what it is in the New Testament” (page 32-33).
Highly respected American writer, historian, and philosopher William James Durant plainly acknowledges that church leaders did not take JESUS’ life and HIS teachings as the standard for their so-called “Christian” churches! Let us ask ourselves, honestly: What other true standard could there possibly be? Several years ago, famous Evangelist Billy Graham was quoted as saying that, while many Americans believe there is GOD, most “have not accepted true Christianity or Judaism or Islam. They believe the Bible, but they don’t read it or obey it.” (U.S. News & World Report, 4th April-1994.
Today, the same thing happened here in our land Churachandpur and Pherzawl district. We do not really study or understand the Bible. Yes, we read the Bible, but for show off to other fellow human beings or church members. We read the Bible to draw the attention of other people that we may be appreciated and glorified. We read the Bible to enlarge our ego and pride. We neither understand what we read or nor follow what we understand. That is why our Christian society and community including the church is engulfed with corruptions and corrupt practices, bribe giving and bribe taking. Is not it?
Yet the Bible provides the fundamental knowledge upon which true Christianity is built. For unless one proves- to his or her own satisfaction- that the Bible is GOD’s inspired revelation to mankind, then one is “lost in the fog.” But today most of us follow the dictates of our own conscience without Biblical understanding in religious matters. We make up our own religious ideas and concepts as we go along.
As a result, we were faced with myriads of unsolvable problems like drug addiction, cultivation of poppy plants, drugs and narcotics substances business to get rich quickly, corruptions and corrupt practices, bribe giving and bribe taking, the most rampant, the tentacles of which reached every homes in our state of Manipur. We are all now landed in utter confusion not knowing where is the take off of point.
“Here is the way I feel,” you will say, or others will say, “Here is the way I look at it.” How you and I, or others “look at it ” may make very interesting coffee-cup chatter, but what truly matters is: How does GOD look at it? How does HIS only Son JESUS CHRIST look at it? And how does HIS Holy Spirit look at it?” Amen.
