THE PERFECT BIRTHDAY GIFT!

This perfect birthday gift is one you give to yourself!

A birthday anniversary is a very suitable landmark to give oneself the gift of becoming a HAPPY PERSON at last! But how?

We can achieve peace and happiness by keeping our thoughts pure! Keeping our thoughts pure will naturally lead to true, simple and edifying words. It leads eventually to noble deeds. All these will in turn purify us and our environment visible and invisible so much so that the Love of God will be able reach us undimmed with abundant blessings. By keeping our thoughts pure and exercising the power of silence, we free ourselves from all darkness which is the root cause of all the pressure and burden we feel in body and mind!

Just as we ought to use every Sabbath (our day of rest) to reflect on the past week and draw lessons for the future, each of the birthday anniversaries we are permitted on earth are great opportunities to reflect on the past year and decide that going forward we will only do that which is good. Such an honest decision reinforced by a truly heartfelt prayer is capable of redeeming even our past misdeeds. We would have found our way at last, earnestly shedding off undesirable habits. We become light and we feel bliss. We become healthy in body and soul, freed from the burden caused by our unwholesome attitude of the past.

Is this resolution to be pure at heart not a great gift we can give ourselves? Yes, it is!

May each birthday be for us a milestone on our journey to being born anew!

Take care of your body

Our body is a gift given to us through the Grace of the Almighty. It is to be a tool for expressing in earthly visible form, the abilities and wishes of the otherwise invisible human spirit, our inner core. The purpose of living on earth is to learn the Laws of God and thereby gain maturity. However, to be active here on earth, we require the physical body as a tool. It is therefore our duty to take good care of this tool. We must nourish it with health promoting food, drinks and adequate exercise in order to keep our bodies healthy for as long as we are permitted to be here.

 

Over-indulgence in food and drink need to be avoided. Let us eat only when we are hungry and drink enough water which cleanses the body system.  If we must drink other liquids apart from water, then these must be taken in moderation, and we need not drink any liquid to the point of intoxication. Let us work and make time for rest. Inordinate ambition for earthly goals should not ruin the balance we need for healthy living.

 

Now we come to an especially important aspect. Many think that by depriving their bodies of required nourishment they can become pleasing to God or can influence the Lord to grant their wishes. Some people impose all sorts of torture on their own bodies just so that they can boast later about this in self-satisfaction and in order be considered great in the eyes of men. We should not be under any delusion that we can serve the Almighty by imposing hardships on our body.

 

Although not compulsory, some may find it useful to abstain from food occasionally for some of its health benefits or with the aim of creating for themselves an atmosphere of sobriety and a fertile soil for spiritual reflection and prayers. While fasting may be useful to man, it is neither a service to our Creator nor a negotiating tool which can be employed when approaching Him.  

THE BIGGEST QUESTION FACING BELIEVERS TODAY

There is a question that is directed to all those who believe in the Message of Jesus and who profess to be His followers. A poser that has been overlooked, neglected and probably even forgotten over the centuries. It is serious and will separate the wheat from the chaff! It goes to the root of what you claim you believe. It challenges one and all to really examine what is held today as faith. Is your faith really genuine? Are you really a believer of the Message of Christ or a believer in the doctrines and tenets of your church? Is the Message of Christ which should be the basis of faith still being proclaimed today in the sense in which Christ gave it?

These are not my own questions. Yes. The real question was asked long ago and is to be found in the book of Luke, chapter 18, verse 8 which says: ”Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Let each solemnly conduct his own self-examination in this regard.