The Prostitute and I

One dark and cloudy night, around 11 pm or so, I had to go out with Augustine and direct him to another friend’s house.  He followed me on his bike. As usual I was riding the bike pretty fast and Augustine was finding it difficult to keep up with me.I kept going without realizing that Augustine was stuck way behind me. After while I realized that he was nowhere in the vicinity, so I stopped to call him. As I took my mobile out, I saw a group of young girls standing on the side of the road. They all were dressed smartly and were walking up and down the street, as If searching for someone.

I then noticed a young girl approach me from the crowd.  As she came closer I become restless, began dialing my friend’s number. Before the call could connect though, she was already beside my bike. She smiled at me and said my price is X. I thought she was asking me for an address, and I blinked for awhile.

It then dawned on me that she was a prostitute and was telling me her price for the act of prostitution.  I could not believe that she was a prostitute, because she looked like any other girl from a decent family. I was stunned and speechless for some time and could not digest the reality. I was thinking to myself how could someone do something so Evil.

All of a sudden, there was flash of a scene from the bible, John 8: 3-11, where an adulteress was brought before Jesus. All that I remembered was the final words of Jesus “Is there no one to condemn you, neither do I condemn you, go and Sin no more”.  Then I could feel peace flowing through my mind and body. I looked right into the eyes of the girl and told her “Jesus loves you “. After hearing this, it was her turn to look stunned and speechless.

As I Kept looking into her eyes, I saw tears building up, ready to flow down. I think it was the first time the she had heard the word “LOVE” in her life. She covered her eyes with her hands and ran away from the place. I felt the cool breeze flowing as I remembered my days of sinfulness and when for the first time someone told the same words to me -“Jesus Loves you “.

Oh what a feeling it is to know that we are forgiven and that Jesus loves us still.

There are so many people in this world who are slaves to the Evil Schemes of the Devil. We try to justify it under Culture, Love, Professionalism, Modernization, Globalization and so on. I have realized that there is no point in arguing and trying to convince people of these evils.  All we have to do is to tell them that “Jesus loves them “.  It is more powerful that all the Logic, theology and philosophy that we possible comprehend.

If you closely observe, every time the first encounter of Jesus with a sinner will always be an encounter of love. Not Interrogation or condemnation. Once the Love deals with the hard heartedness, stubbornness, Evilness, brokenness, loneliness, then He slowly helps them change their ways and live a righteous life. Only Love can prepare the heart and mind to accept with humility. So if you want someone to change their ways, encounter them with Love.

Let pray for all the innocent people who have enslaved themselves to the act of prostitution. Let the light of Red one day shine with the Light of Jesus Instead

Touch of Difference

Read Luke Chapter 8: 40- 48

As Jesus started his ministry, he worked many miracles among the people. He healed the sick, delivered the possessed, cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the blind, forgave the sinners and so on. After seeing the many wonders of Jesus, a man named Jairus ( leader of the Synagogue ) begged him to come and heal his only daughter who was dying. Jesus immediately heeded to his plea. As he went, the crowds were pressing on him and he could hardly walk.

In the crowd there was this woman who was suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years.
She had spent a fortune on the physicians, but no one could heal her. She saw Jesus walking in the midst of the crowd and she so wanted to ask him to heal her. Knowing that it was impossible  to go near him, she struggled her way through to just touched the hem of his Garment. She was healed right at that moment.

 Jesus Immediately asks his disciples " who touched me?". Peter replies to Jesus saying " the crowd is pressing on you " (What he meant was "Master , literally everyone is touching you")

 

Then Jesus Says" Someone touched me, for I noticed that power had gone out of me".
After  sometime , the women unable to hide herself in the crowd, falls down before everyone and confesses why she touched Jesus and how she was healed instantly. Then Jesus tells her" Daughter . your faith has made you well, go in Peace"

Now I have the following questions,

• Everyone around Jesus were touching him and how come only when  this women touched Jesus, power was released from Him ? what was the difference ?
• Jesus was on his way to the House of Jairus to heal his daughter ? So Jesus was not planning to heal anyone on the way ? Then why was the women Healed?

 As I contemplated more on the bible verses, I realized that the touch of the women was with a difference. We see Jesus telling her that " Daughter , your faith has made you well". Even though everyone was touching Jesus, this woman touched Jesus with Faith and it released the power from Him. Yes,  A Touch of Faith can release the power from Jesus. So many of us touch Jesus as one among the crowd, but to release the power we need faith.

 In my personal experience this great truth was revealed to me while i started learning the Keyboard at the age of 17. Everyone around me said, it was too late and you will never make it. Well i was not going to give up. I struggled my way through the crowd and i touched Jesus with Faith. Well what happened then was indeed a great testimony.

I encourage you friends to have faith in the miracle working Power of Jesus.
Once you have faith, does not matter even if you touch the hem of his garment. Power will flow like a gushing stream.

Lets us Touch Jesus with Faith ---- The Touch of difference


JD

 

TAKEN

 

After a hectic day at work, I came back home to rest for a while and then go on with my schedule.

I asked my mother to prepare something for me so that I could have a bite and leave. She got up leaving the TV remote on the Couch.

While I was flipping through the channels, I noticed a movie being shown, named 'Taken'.

The title kind off struck a chord within me and I wanted to know what the movie was all about.

Well the movie was about Kim and her friend who leave for Paris for vacations. It so happens that, as they are exit the Paris airport, they meet a stranger who tries to help them with carrying their luggage and taking some snaps. The stranger happens to be part of this gang who kidnap young girls to be sold for prostitution. Eventually the stranger informs his gang and they kidnap these young girls. What follows then is how Kim's father goes in search of his daughter.

 Kim's father fights his way through and at last finds Kim, just moments before she could be forced into prostitution. Since it was the last scene I got up to have a snack. But just before I could turn my eyes away from the TV, I heard the daughter saying, "Dad, you came for me", and then she hugs him. Right at that moment, my heart melted and my eyes watered. 

 

 

It came to my realization that few years back, I said the same words to my Jesus, "You came for me"—even though I had sinned in every possible way and was astray. Even though my own parents, my relatives and friends had given up on me... Yet Jesus never gave up, He came for me. “I was once lost but now I am found."

In Luke Chap 15, in the Parable of the Lost Sheep, God explains how the shepherd leaves his 99 sheep and goes in search for that one LOST sheep.

Today, you might think you've gone too far and have done horrible things. You might be in the deepest of the darkest pit, under the clutches of the Evil One. But don't worry, Jesus is on His way. "He will come for you", He will find you and restore you. He will forgive all your sins and give you a new life.

The fact is that, Jesus always comes for us but how many times have we turned our back on Him. Most of the time there are certain things that prevent us from accepting Jesus.

Intellectual pride, Peer pressure, love for the world, lack of consciousness, perception that it’s boring, Love of Sin and so on … The list is endlessly filled with the many deceptions of the devil. Every time we turn our back on Jesus, irrespective of the reason, we are just yielding to the one of the deceptions of the Devil. Well, how long are we going to stubborn and foolish ??? does not the love of Jesus melt our Heart.

So next time when Jesus Comes to you , will you say “Jesus you came for me “and Hug him …

Just give it a Try … I bet you will not regret it!!! (SIRACH 2:10)

 

Dating Leads to Mating

Read 1 Corinthians 1:18 before you read the Blog

My intention of writing this blog is not to condemn dating and the people who date but to create awareness about how dating eventually lead to sexual immoralities.

The three main realties that the Devil uses to deceive us through Dating are

Ø  Worldly Standards of Morality

Ø  Natural Sexual Attraction

Ø  Occasion of Sin

I would like to explain the above points one by one

Worldly Standards of Morality:

What is the Worldy Standard of Morality ?

You can do anything IF

Ø  Both of you are in love

Ø  Both of you agree to do it mutually

Today we all are well aware of what the world teaches about Morality. From the Movies we see, the magazines we read, the conversations we have with friends everything teaches one thing -Everybody does it. So it is ok.

The Sense of morality has been compromised because it’s a road way to Pleasure. I still remember the level of corruption that was in my mind during my teenage days. The Greatest deception that is prevailing in the world today is that Physical intimacy is the most genuine justification of love.

I know lot of my friends who in the name of Dating, have done nasty things with each other and then regret in pain and guilt. In fact, one of them told me that he would not have done it, if he had known that it was wrong before marriage. He even went to the extent of blaming me for not warning for him.

Every one of us are always ready to listen and instantly believe what the world has to say about different things. But how many times have we taken the effort to understand what God has to say about these things.

Well regarding Physical Intimacy before Marriage, this is what God has to say

(Acts 15:20; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5;1Thessalonians 4:3;Jude 7)

Sexual Attraction

Sex is a God given gift to each and every one of us. As it is the work of the devil to use everything that has been created for our good to deceive us, so does he do with Sex?

How does he do that?  - By corrupting our minds with worldly standards then deceiving us by leading into the occasion of Sin. When a boy and girl go on a date with this level corruption in their mind and natural attraction in their Flesh and they are alone, do you think that they can resist from doing immoral things.

Now you can ask me, that is not Dating. Well Dating is different.

The definition of dating various from Country to Country, Culture to Culture, Community to Community. How many of us who Date, find out the real definition of dating and then go on a date. This confusion is the weapon of deception that the devil uses to lead us into the occasion of Sin.

Going on date is like walking inside a lion’s cage when the Lion is sleeping. The Lion is not going to be asleep for long.  When it’s hungry it will wake up and be rest assured that you will become its prey. The lion’s Nature is to kill. After everything don’t blame the Lion.

Study shows that 95 % of People who are involved in dating recourse to Sexual intimacy in the first week of their relationship.

Occasion of Sin

“Occasion of Sin is the Paradise of the Devil”

An occasion of sin is an external set of circumstances—whether of things or persons—which either because of their special nature or because of the frailty common to humanity or peculiar to some individual, incite or entice one to sin.

Now we all know that we have a strong sexual desire, which has to be unleashed only after marriage. While dating the danger is being lead to these external set of Circumstances with the person. Once we have willing approached such an occasion of Sin, God will not interfere. He will respect our free will

But the consequence according to the Catechism of the Catholic tells us that if a soul volunteers to an occasion of sin, God withdraws himself from such a soul untill contrite repentance.Dating is one of the deceptions through which the devil deceives our soul to sexual immorality.

Dating --- Life Partner

The biggest justification that people give for Dating is that it is a tool to find out our probable Life partner.

If you are really interested in finding your life partner in a Godly way,

Ø  Asking your parents to look out – Safest way

Ø  You looking out in your social circles … ( Don’t mistake this for Dating)

If you like someone, submit that person in Prayer without engaging with that person. Don’t show any kind special affection or concern till you get clearance from God. After you have the peace, see the emotional compatibility. Once you know in your heart that you can live with this person for the rest of your life, propose to her and wait for an answer without engaging. Once she says yes, inform your parents and ask her to inform hers.

Once you have the approval of the parents, you can spend time with her. (Again without engaging physically) Once in marriage you take the vow before God and commit yourself to her, both of you become one.

Now I know a lot people will say, I have dated, but I have not done anything wrong. Well let’s not be too proud about that, given the occasion we would have fallen. May be it was God’s grace that protected us.

I know, this blog will erupt a lot of Controversy. Do forward the message to your Catholic friends.

You can contact me @ 9840793558

God Bless

JD

INSIDE OUT

In the recent past, I have been trying to introspect and identify the areas in my life which needs the touch of God s hand. In the process of doing so I identified certain areas where I was not acting in a Godly Way. My close circle of friends, relatives were constantly pointing out those areas because they were victimized by my abnormal behavior.

   



One day it so happened that I was sitting in front of my system in office and suddenly some kind of disturbance took over me. I felt a deep sense of sorrow, because I was unable to understand my behavior towards certain things which were sensitive to me. Now I knew that my behavior was wrong but I could not comprehend why.

The disturbance grew stronger and I started becoming restless and found difficult even to breathe. So I called one of my spiritual elder and I explained the things that I was go through. He asked me deep and sensitive questions to understand the root cause of the problem. All of a sudden he started probing into my childhood. As we were talking, I realized that the root cause was the event which happened when I was a young child.

 Then my spiritual counselor told me that “the present disturbance is not because of the present happening but a consequential feeling of what happened in your past and even so because  you have sustained and suppressed the guilt and anger till today “

I was confused because people in the spiritual circles have told me that you become a new creation the day when you accept Jesus as your personal savior.  I thought to myself “then how come a thing that has happened in my childhood can affect me so much”. As I was pondering, a question flashed across my mind.

It’s a great thing that you accepted Jesus as your personal savior but have you allowed Jesus to touch and change you????? Or this accepting Jesus was just a one day affair or was it just on the periphery.

Then I realized that the day when I accepted Jesus, he just started the good work in me. But have I allowed Jesus to all the aspects of my life - is it deep enough or is it on the periphery – have I allowed him to the sensitive areas or just the comfortable ones.

I could not believe the fact that I still have so many inner wounds that needs healing. These inner wounds are not only creating unnecessary and harmful emotions but it is depriving me from living a life of fullness.

Finally after all this commotion in my mind, I felt a touch of a gentle breeze and a voice that whispered “I am the lord of your Past, Present and Future”

 Without any delay I made a choice to LET JESUS INSIDE ….. I know my Jesus is capable of healing me and changing me INSIDE OUT. From today onwards I will kneel before the Blessed Sacrament to receive my healing. Once I am touched Inside, I will change outside

 So I urge you friends, Roll down the red Carpet and welcome Jesus to heal you and change you  

JD

SIXER - I CAN

As it is a custom for me to go to Loyola College every Sunday morning , i did so this week also.
I went there to have a walk and say my prayers. After the walk i sat near the cricket nets where young boys were practicing. So i sat there for sometime and i was lost in thoughts.

After a while there was suddenly lot of commotion and noise near the nets. Out of curiosity , i walked near to realize that a father ( Mike ) was scolding  at his son ( Tommy ) for not batting properly. The interesting fact was that Mike himself was bowling to his Son Tommy.

Mike was supposedly one of  the finest cricketers of his time and he wanted Tommy to be just like him. So Mike was steaming in and was bowling as fast as he could just to the agony of his son getting Bowled every time. After sometime , Mike's eyes was filled with tears because every time his son got bowled , everyone around the nets were laughing and mocking at his son.

As i was watching this , it struck me that Mike's intention was not to bowl out his son but to prepare his son to face such deliveries in real match situation.Every Ball he bowled , he wanted Tommy to hit a SIX.  In the same way , many times in lives , God Bowls Balls of Difficulties, Sufferings, Challenges, humiliations  just to prepare us for real match situation. Because in real life everyone one of us have to go through these things. so the question is
Are we going stand up boldly and say , i will face the situation and learn things through it , so that next time i face it , i will hit a SIX OR i will succumb to humiliations and Give up ?

Little Tommy , slowly mustered up his courage and faced his father's bowling boldly.
He Started of by defending the ball then stroked the ball along ground, then he played the pull shot without fear and at the blink of an eye the ball was out of the Ground. Tommy Hit a SIX.
 Mike came near his son with great joy and said" My son , You are Ready for the Match"

Let us not run away from difficult situations and challenges. God wants to stay in it, not give up and hit a SIX. God also has assured us by promising that his Grace is Sufficient for us.

You Can Hit a SIX !!!!!

CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS !

 I was 21 years old when i first fell in love.  I made a choice to fall in love with a girl  but the time was not right. It took 2 years for me to overcome the obsession and depression. After going through tremendous trauma i gave up. The day when i gave up, i also made a pact with God. The deal was that " God will choose my life partner".

Even since then,  no matter who came my way i told myself that God  will choose for me. I am 26 years old now. The time is right , but still no sign from God.  Still waiting  for God to make the Choice. One Day out of frustration i prayed to God and asked him." Have you made the choice for me?"

God Answered, " If i make all your choices then you become my slave. You are my son and not a slave . You have your free will to choose whomsoever you want. But before you make your choice, do let me know.  I will counsel you,  i will help you , i will guide you, i will inspire you,But Remember that the CHOICE is Always YOURS. Your Choices determine you LOVE for me."

Realizing the magnitude of the Choice that i have to make, I started saying the rosary and asked Mother Mary for Help. I told her all that Jesus has told me about choosing my life partner by myself.Then Mother Mary Told me " Do as He tells you  " :)

The Common mistake that we do is that we choose then we ask Gods Help. But the secret in bringing  God to the picture  before we make our choice, because our God is a God of Big  Picture.

Even though the Choice is ours, Jesus will do all that he can to help us make the right choices in our life

Because God loves too much to leave us the way we want  !