Christian thought Series - Jan - Feb 2014

The PIOUS PRETENSE that evil does not exist only makes it VAGUE, ENORMOUS AND MENACING

- Aleister Crowley

TEND or PRETEND

Christian Thought Series

Volume 11 | Issue 03 | Jan - Feb 2014

Orissa - Pastors’ Seminar and Hostel Care

Retreat - Chennai, Jan 2014

Christian Thought Series | Volume 11 | Issue 03 01

Editorial

One of the fore most genetic characteristics we have inherited from our forefathers is our natural trait or the ability to pretend. One could trace its origin without much difficulty. The birth place of all pretension was none other than the beautiful paradise of God - Eden itself! The cause of all pretension was fear, guilt and shame! Pretension makes you hide behind a veil.

The first man discovered a fig-leaf coat to cover his shame and pretense. He pleaded innocence of his act of disobedience He pretended and blamed it on Eve. Eve blamed it on the serpent. From henceforth, we all have gained the skills of our parents – the nature to pretend. Whether, we like it or not, we all pretend. Some, to an extent- while others to a great extent. For pretension has become a way of life – a survival technique to most of us.

This again is one of the challenges that the church faces in the 21st century. The other word for pretension is hypocrisy. This means that I am not being truthful to my own self, to others and to God. Pretension of all forms is clearly evident in the modern day church. It knows no continental boundaries. Pretension has become a way of life both within and without the Church of Jesus Christ. A believer is under constant pressure to conform to standards set by the world and by our own Churches.

I have been criticized by some of my mentors for being hard, rude and harsh on my readers. They insist that I better concentrate and write on themes such as the love, grace and forgiveness of God. If the Bible were to be full of this, then we may have to scrap out most of our prophetic books. The Bible talks both on the love and wrath of God (John 3:16,36). There is the pressure to conform even by well-meaning Christians to teach something contrary to what the Word of God teaches. Therefore, emerges all kinds of popular teachings of health, wealth and prosperity out of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do not offend anyone. Become popular, acceptable and anointed – as people would describe.

Well, until a certain period of time in my life, I pretended because I failed to recognize my worth in Christ. I longed for acceptance, provision and protection. When I understood the Lord is my provider and He well lead me all the way, I began working and living to be much without pretension (I still have to watch out areas where I continue pretending!). But alas, not-to-be pretending brought its share of woes! To-not-to pretend is even considered unspiritual. For example, denominationally speaking, you shout Alleluia a couple of times during your message and win the applause of the congregation of being “Spirit-filled.”

There is the pressure to conform even by well-meaning Christians to teach something contrary to what the Word of God teaches

Christian Thought Series | Volume 11 | Issue 03

The same thing you do it in a certain church and people might not hesitate to term you as “demon –possessed!” Therefore, even as preachers, we pretend. Pull the strings to suit our purpose? Pretension! Jesus said: “Woe to you, if people speak well of you. You have had your reward already!”

We have lost the art of “plain speaking” long ago. Plain speaking is not appreciated anymore. The problem with all of us is that we want all the time to be someone else, rather than being our own. We take all efforts to impress on other people. Be it the dress code, mannerism, cultural refinement and so on. All these things are strictly followed in order to receive attention and acceptance of others.

Please read on to find out what Peter says: Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. ( 1 Pet. 2:1). We will be able to quickly understand that behind all of these lies pretension. Pretension is the root of all other form of subtle sins. While some sins are more obvious, attitudinal sins are hard to identify.

A Pharisee questioned Jesus and asked Him who his neighbor was. He posed this question to Jesus just to show that he was righteous. In other words, he was justifying himself to be righteous (Luke 10:29). This is the way most of us pretend. We know what truth is all about. We further wait for clarification or interpretation. Jesus says to some of us: “Go and do likewise.” He might add: “Do not pretend.”

James in his epistle says: “ Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17).

Have you come across your friend or someone being in a group that is faced with a common need? What was your reaction when everyone pooled in money or material help when that someone pretended either to be without money or slipped out of the scene as if he or she was unconscious of all the deliberations that were going on!

The more a person becomes pretentious and hypocritical the genuine love of Christ soon misses out of him or her. We might easily observe such a person’s language. He or she tries to be artificial. This is the reason why people are becoming more and more unnatural. In the long run the unnatural conduct will lead to unnatural behavior. The extreme form will result in perverse conduct. Haven’t you come across Christians who are insensitive and insensible? They are the kind of people who will not sleep without their branded gadgets. Their treasure trove is their on-line store. They pretend all the time to be in-step with modern trends.

How wonderful a fellowship of believers would be if most of them shed behind their pretensions! To be able to put away all forms of pretension, one needs to think rightly and the source of all right thinking will be found no where except from the Word of God. Why? The Word of God is the Spirit of truth.

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The more a person becomes pretentious and hypocritical the genuine love of Christ soon misses out of him or her


The best picture one might get of all simplicity – without hypocrisy and pretension is our Lord Jesus Christ himself. The Pharisees were embarrassed at this. He spoke with simplicity but with authority. The Pharisees were holding the Word of God legalistically. It did not work well. How much of our preaching, writing or speaking go waste because it is lacking depth and fail to reach the hearts and minds of those who receive it! On the other hand, there are unsung heroes all over the world who have accomplished great things for the Kingdom of God – but have disappeared from the crowd unnoticed. But a lot many of us talk more than we have actually achieved!

Even the corporate world helps people to pretend. They endorse people to be somebody rather than being themselves. Simplicity is shunned. This is our culture. To be extravagant and well exposed is a bliss. To clothe oneself with a nasty attire is an acceptable fashion. But a quiet spirit with contentment is not welcome in a world of pretension.

Are we being overtly conscious about others? Who control our thoughts? Is it not the fear of people that haunt us all time? Why did Jesus say: “Fear Not?” You and I know of some people who strive for acceptance of other people and they would not hesitate to do anything to find that acceptance. If a colleague or a friend makes a casual comment on one’s hair-style or on the manner a dress code is followed, the person who received the comment will not rest until that comment is turned to a commendation! Young Christian believers are caught up into this struggle for survival – of acceptance or admiration. Therefore, they opt for the latest cars, gadgets or gizmos. Advertising and Sales industries work on simple logic and psychology. By doing so, they earn in billions.

People pretend because of an anxiety disorder rooted in their psyche. There is a constant fear of being lost or forgotten that lurks deep within the unregenerate heart. If Christ has taken over our lives, then there could be no fear such as this. Why do people update themselves on the Face Book every now and then? Like the Pharisee, they justify providing with too many reasons. The question is: Would they go on with their lives without these? Aren’t they in some way addicted to it? What would happen if they do not look at the Face Book for a week? Would they be lost forever? Some think that it is the only tool available in the whole world to share the gospel or other spiritual matters. I say this because that there are many who call themselves as believers or Christian workers who are hooked to this. How much of quality time would they have with their Lord each day is the question in order. They have to pretend all the time through their Face Book. A spiritually mature person – in keeping with their age will do away with such tools. Paul said: “When I was a child, I spoke like a child and thought like a child. When I became a man, I had put away childish things.”

What do old people achieve by being FB savvy? To save them from the criticism of being geeky! Face Book may not be totally bad – provided it is used discreetly.

People pretend because of an anxiety disorder rooted in their psyche. There is a constant fear of being lost or forgotten that lurks deep within the unregenerate heart

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Paul again admonishes believers: “Everything is permissible for me – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me – But I will not be mastered by anything.”

Who or what is your master?

Why pretend with such things that do not bring blessings that last?

The devil will continue to provide gadgets, tools and electronic instruments to make us fools all the more. By providing all this he simply distracts us from looking up at the face of our Master. We might be considered smart and intelligent by the world’s standards. How much of gadgets would a person require? How many smart phones would one possess? Have they brought joy and satisfaction? Vanity and pretense is the order of the day.

As regards one’s culture, there is definitely a place for maintaining etiquette as a cultural standard, follow all acceptable mannerisms and being polite and courteous in a society. But the truth is that they do not make the kind of man or woman you truly are! Behind all of these, lie the ugly nature of pretense. Following certain acceptable cultural norms do not form the “core values” for someone’s life. In a sense, they pose a threat to one’s natural development.

Christians tend to mix up culture with religion. Gospel is static while culture is dynamic. All cultures must be screened in the light of scriptural frame-work. All cultures are not evil in themselves. But when a culture displaces the truth of the gospel, it must be shunned.

The atheists criticized theists saying that “Religion is the opium of the masses.” I wonder whatever is said by the communists by doubt or default holds true today! Somehow, it appears that one’s faith and conduct seems to have lost all sensitivity and balance. In fact, a lot many things that are truly bad have evolved out of our religious beliefs. Almost everything is available in its crude and corrupt form today – worship, prayer, healing or miracle- working, preaching are all soaked with media hype and mass- mesmeric effect. Christ of the Bible is not preached. Pretentious preachers, psychological manipulators, prosperity proponents, gospel Utopian promise makers abound everywhere! Jesus never prayed and pushed down people on to the ground so they could roll around. Where do we find this in the Bible? Where and when did this kind of practice evolve? Isn’t this kind of Christian religion that opiates people? Are we not called by God to lead sober lives with clear minds? We are not called to indulge in emotional black-mailing, but preach the Word of God which would bring conviction in the hearts of people. Let us check our motives: Are we consciously indulging in godless pretense motivated by worldly mindedness? Tend godly virtues. Shun away all forms of pretense.

- Joshua Dhanabalan.

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History never proves itself wrong. Each decade saw a dominant wave that swept across communities across the world in terms of what we might call as the of culture of vanity. In the long run, none of the cultures stood the test of times. Nevertheless, when the sand of time tried to erase it from human memory sooner or later, it returned back a decade or so later with a new attire. This is essentially the dynamics of any culture. Whether one likes it or not, every man is unconsciously made a victim of culture at any given time.

For example, in the 60’s the Hippie Movement became a globe-trotter. Beginning with the Afro-American mix up in the USA, it spread to Australia, New Zealand and to the rest of the world. Those of us who grew up to be youngsters during that time were pulled in by the spell of its attractions. For a man, it is the bell-bottomed trousers, sporting long side burns, a hair-styling called the step cutting that allowed the hair to grow long on both the ears making them concealed. The hair grew long at the back, sometimes falling- rather flowing behind one’s shoulders!

• How Does A Culture Establish Itself? For a while, the hippies created their own communities. They began to use

Drugs and experimented or explored on altered state of consciousness. Music was one strong force that drew communities together. They listened to psychedelic rock music and embraced a free and restrain free sexual revolution. The hippies operated on counter-culture values. This attracted large followers. Back in India, the guru movements emerged on similar style but with varied cultural and religious garb that was supposedly Indian. The hippie movement influenced Television, film, literature and arts. This was the way there were assimilated to the mainstream of the society. Now the important factor was that there was widespread acceptance for this kind of religious and cultural diversity. Along this movement came the Eastern Mysticism. Their idea of mystic spiritual concepts gained acceptance.

Now almost 50 years later, we see the renaissance of this culture, but in a varied form. This includes food, music festivals and cyberspace revolution.

The hippies called themselves “Nature Boys.” They retreated to rural areas disillusioned with the urban life-style. There they grew organic food and practiced yoga. There also came along the rejection of traditional and family values. More seriously, they rejected theistic concept of God – motivated by the German Philosopher Frederick Nietzsche who declared that God was dead in the 20th century. Another philosopher- Swineburn who sang his Te Deum which was interpreted as “Glory to Man in the highest!” All cultural movements are anthropo-centric than Theo-centric. This means, that man is the focal point not God. God was thus systematically eliminated from society.

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PRETENTIOUS CULTURE


Since then, the New Age Movement had emerged as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. These movements created norms for better life that replaced established ethos. The movement proved itself very powerful that it criticized middle class values. Their music was a powerful tool – so the Beatles sang: “All you need is love.”

Religiously speaking they identified themselves as “seekers”. They were even seeking gods through their drug-taking experience. Scholars like Timothy Miller described the hippies as a “New Religious Movement.”

Back in the 70’s, I met a man called Tal Brooke who spoke to a gathering explaining about his own pursuit of finding God and eventually ending up with the Sai Baba cult in India. He was miraculously saved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His book: “Lord of the Air” has more information of this kind of cultural revolution. (Readers might find this abridged version online).

Now, readers might wonder as to why all this information is required in this column. The answer is that we are called to be vigilant, sober and clear minded – lest the devil might masquerade as the angel of light (2 Cor.11-14).

• Is The Church Free Of Fleeting Culture? Though very sadly, no! We naturally have a tendency to bring in the culture

to the church and christening it as the gospel. We must clearly understand that Gospel and culture are two different entities. We do have a prerogative to understand, respect and identify with any culture that is in keeping with acceptable norms of any community. Nevertheless, when any culture that does not fall within the purview of biblical framework needed to be discarded. Are all cultures Satan originated? No. But Satan tries to corrupt all good cultures too.

Paul speaking to Corinthians in the idolatrous cultural context encouraged the believers not to be bothered when the meat they bought in the market was already offered to the idols. Look at the way Paul handles a socio-cultural and religious issue with maturity of mind:

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”

If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? (1 Cor.10:25,30).

Last year, I have had to rake my head with a young couple – of whom the young man was mentored by us for more than a couple of years. God enabled us find a girl who was the only believer in a Hindu home very similar to her husband’s background. It was an ordeal getting both their families for a Christian wedding. The young man and woman were just growing in the Lord. The issues of culture and faith brought much conflict in their minds. The time came for us to travel to Pune from Chennai where the girl’s parents resided. The girl spoke Hindi and English while the boy spoke only English and Tamil. English was not common platform for both the parents.

Are all cultures Satan originated? No. But Satan tries to corrupt all good cultures too.


I instructed the boy’s mother to buy jasmine flowers in abundance and offer to all the ladies present in the girl’s house. By this act, I was trying to help them involve in a non-verbal communication! But the flower issue infuriated the girl. She considered all flower business to be of Hindu tradition and custom. Her countenance further changed when her parents took the delicacies like sweet meats and fruits to be kept in their pooja room where the idols were kept.

A few months later, the marriage took place in Chennai. The girl kept insisting her fiancée that no flowers or garlands must be used. To please his wife to be, the man yelled at me at times not to bring in flower garlands. I tried to explain how we need to understand the gospel apart from culture. I told him all cultural practices are not bad. I further helped him by explaining that we must not be intimidated by normal cultural practices and that they do not necessarily have any Hindu religious connotation. The young man would not budge. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” did not make any sense with two years of Bible study and disciple-making! He said, both he and his fiance had searched all through the google/Wikipedia and found that reference to all floral decorations denoted the worship of Krishna – the Hindu deity. Therefore, he frowned at me and insisted that no garland is required for the wedding. On the other hand, to my dismay I found the bride preparing herself three days before her wedding in a beauty parlour paying them thousands of rupees. Lotions and creams were lavishly used on her to bring out the desired colour and shine on the face. The hands were all painted with a herbal dye. And the bride looked splendid with her bridal make-up with a veil on her head walking down the aisle. Isn’t it a picture of a culture – a western culture? But why frown upon wearing a garland or flower bunch and call it a Hindu practice? The flower after all symbolizes God’s creation, exhibits beauty and fragrance. It has some good cultural symbolism than wearing on western paints or pastes on your face! I began to wonder if both the bride and bride-groom were truly converted –whether through gospel or culture! It was a case of straining the gnat and swallowing the camel (Matt.23:24).

The Bible says: In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some one to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Heb.5:12-14).

It is essential that young believers do not live in utter ignorance –neither do they pretend to know everything the moment they are converted. Often, they misunderstand Gospel with Culture. Gospel is above culture, whereas culture is dynamic and bound to change.

• What Is Gospel Transformation?It is a stage when an individual recognizes his own worthlessness before God.

Such a person sheds behind all pretence. He humbles himself before God. The Bible teaches that man had lost the glory of God. He cannot find salvation through good work. But God had made a way for man’s redemption through Jesus Christ – the man-God. Such a person makes a confession that Jesus Christ is both Saviour and Lord. He understands that Christ alone is the way to the Father – and through His atoning sacrifice alone is he able to receive pardon and remission of sin.


This is the essence of the gospel – that God in Christ loves the sinner doomed to be punished. But through His abundant mercy and grace, each of us is saved by faith in response to what Christ has offered by his sacrificial death on the cross.

East or West, this gospel is universal. A person who experiences the transforming power of the gospel is called a regenerated person – who experiences newness of life. His attitude changes to all that he sees in the world. Suddenly, he has become aware of the world of sin. What he once enjoyed as pleasures of life no longer seem to attract him. He once used to drink a peg of beer as part of a cultural practice in his work place. Now that he had become a Christian, he refused to be associated with his colleagues who gather to drink in the name of culture. Earlier, he was a nominal Christian, but pretended to be culturally and socially acceptable to all. But after genuine conversion, his interests change quickly. He develops a thirst and hunger for God’s Word. He communicates to the Heavenly Father often. He develops compassion on people who are needy – of body, mind and spirit. He begins to use his time, talent or money for the furtherance of this gospel that transformed him to be a real person. No more pretensions!

This is the real gospel – as some one said: “The Gospel is God’s way of making us real people!”

• Culture’s Conflict With Gospel: In such countries where the British colonization existed, the church is highly

westernized. India and Africa are classic examples. In places like India, where the majority (85%) are Hindus, it poses great problems to Christians and the church. Hindus blame it on all the cultural practices of Christians and call the church is too westernized. They argue that Indians cannot follow a foreign religion and that they would become aliens in their own land for following a culture and religion that is not Indian. It is true that the Hindu religion is old enough and existed in Indian soil long before. The Indus Valley Civilization dates back to thousands of years before the birth of Christ that shows excavations of highly civilized culture through buried cities of Mahanjodaro and Harrappa. Historians find details of Dravidian culture which was pushed down by the more powerful Aryan culture that dominated religion and culture later on. This influential, strong and powerful culture is still at work in India in the name of Brahminical Hinduism. They are the antagonists of missionary work. There are strongly believed evidences to long standing church traditions that Apostle Thomas – one of the disciples of Jesus Christ came to India and worked in Southern India in A.D.52.. He established churches in Kerala and in some parts of Tamil Nadu. He was martyred by the Brahmins in a place called Chinna Malai (means : Little Mount) in Chennai-Tamil Nadu).

But after genuine conversion, his interests change quickly. He develops a thirst and hunger for God’s Word. He communicates to the Heavenly Father often. He develops compassion on people who are needy – of body, mind and spirit. He begins to use his time, talent or money for the furtherance of this gospel that transformed him to be a real person. No

more pretensions!

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One could easily explain why the percentage of Christians in India remain less than 10%. There is resistance to the gospel everywhere. India is filled with idols and temples. A godly scholar told me that it could be one reason why there is no sweep of revival in this nation. There had been sparks of revival here and there. But the fact is that great cultures of time still clash with the gospel. Now the church is mostly oblivious to the sociological and cultural problems that stand as a road-block to the furtherance of the gospel. Most pastors in rural areas are not well-educated. Today’s forms of worship pattern is posing a threat to the very freedom of worship that Indians enjoy already. India being a democratic nation had provided in its constitution the freedom to propagate, practice and profess any religion.

Christians need to be sensitive to the local cultures. There are obvious cultural connotations that refer to either a Hindu deity or a religious practice. Christians who are well-oriented with Biblical understanding, despite opposition do not conform to any such practices. New believers in the villages of India have suffered persecution for not yielding to the pressure of the majority who are non-Christians. Believing Christians do not associate themselves with temple festivals or participate in any of the known practices that are not biblical. All superstitious practices and belief-systems that are alien to the gospel are shunned and discarded by believers. Those Christians who have not experienced genuine conversion experience swing between Christian and heathen practices still. They study stars (astrology) and engage in palmistry. They go by dates and times as per panchang – a calendar devised by the Hindus denoting times that are of supposedly good and bad omen. Some Christians fix their children’s wedding based on these practices.

Truly speaking, people try to attach to some group, community or culture. Often, they know that they do not belong to such people or places. Yet, for the sake of identity and acceptance, they join groups. These may represent certain socio-political and religious groups. Most cultures in the world, operate on this basis. There is a sense of lostness and insecurity in the heart of man. There fore they mobilize communities on the basis socio-economic or socio-religious manifestation.

Paul Hiebert, a mission anthropologist of good repute tells that each of us has a tendency to think of our own culture as superior to others. One cannot be ’ethno-centric’ –he says. This means that we think of our own culture is superior than the rest. Every Christian must be ‘Christo-centric’. Christ alone must have pre-eminence in a believer’s life. He must weigh what it is to know the will of God, that is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom.12:2).

Every Christian must have Christ as the reference point before choosing any culture. If one’s culture is evidently too heathen, unchristian or unbiblical, it is better to discard them. Again, it is wrong to term every culture to be

Believing Christians do not associate themselves with temple festivals or participate in any of the known practices that are not biblical. All superstitious practices and belief-systems that are alien to the gospel are

shunned and discarded by believers

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‘demonic.’ Christians have made a mistake of rejecting cultures that are neutral. We must constantly be led of the Spirit in a climate of changing cultures and learn to make value judgment on the basis of Scriptural frame-work.

For a believer, there is a culture which does not change in keeping with times. A Christian culture is universal – and forms part of the Body of Christ. There we go to worship the living God who transcends all cultures!

For in Christ, there is neither Jew , slave or free, male or female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28).

While all other cultures are fleeting away, there’s only one culture founded on the solid rock whose adherents are from every nation, tribe, people and language transcending every culture of the earth. What is more? This culture does not encourage pretense, false-piety and hypocrisy!

How wonderful if you and I belong to such a Christian culture devoid of all pretense!

- J. D

There are many leadership books available today in the market. They cover every conceivable aspect of the topic and the ordinary reader longs for something simple yet effective. Written in the context of the 21st century church, this book has the Bible as the only basis for its teaching. Biblical Principles of Leadership is both a text book for students on Christian leadership and a handbook of pastoral ministry for pastors.

Alexander Kurian firmly believes that Leadership is ‘The exercise of one’s spiritual gifts under the call of God to serve a certain group of people in achieving the goals God has given them toward the end of glorifying Christ.’ This belief is clearly

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reflected in the topics covered by Dr. Kurian. He has returned back to the Bible and drawn out its teaching on matters relating to the principles of church leadership.

The author is straight forward in his writing and calls the church out on its failures over time. However, he does so with a view to correct rather than criticize. This goes a long way to set the book apart from all the other titles on the book shelf.

You will find this book as a clear guide to understand God’s design for spiritual leaders. We are sure you will appreciate its excellent content. The book’s overall biblical orientation and practical relevance make it a top choice for exploring the basics of spiritual leadership. Be sure to buy it, read it and recommend it to others. It will be a welcome addition in your library. Yes, you will find it helpful.

We all know of the motive of the Pharisee who came to Jesus and asked him: “Who is my neighbor?” He was courageous enough to show himself off to the Son of Man! Little did he realize that Jesus was the very Son of God. Jesus knew too well that the Pharisee was publicly displaying his religiosity. When religion loses its simplicity, pretense and hypocrisy appear on the surface. God wants us to be straight, honest and down-to-earth people!

- J.D.

Some of us might think we are part of a “A- Category” congregation noted for its spiritual standards and sound doctrines. God may still be looking for “real change” within us. Who knows? We are yet to part with our pride or possession. As for the doctrines are concerned, we might say as the young rich ruler said: “All these, I have followed since my childhood!”A doctrine that had not brought about change in our deeds, a creed which had failed to result in good conduct and a belief that had not brought forth the right behavior would make us as modern day Pharisees.

- J.D.

Until fully surrendered, there is a dark domain in the life of every believer that appears to be dormant. That shady, dreadful patch remains there for too long unchecked or unchallenged. But if one observes, deep within, the molten lava keeps churning – ready to burst forth heaps of fire and ash when eruption occurs. None can ever predict or rule-out the sudden eruption even in a regenerate soul. This made the great apostle to cry out: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

It’s just a reminder that a believer cannot go easy with his life.- J.D

Gospel Literature Service


Struggling to be someone!

Let each of you put off falsehood Eph.4:25

Motivational speakers tell us to emulate someone greater than us – an athlete, a great painter, a scientist, an artist and so on. A lady involved in Christian ministry told me once that she wanted her daughter to be like a certain lady – a popular American Television Evangelist who she admired greatly.

To little children, we taught simple choruses – and one of them was: “If I were a butterfly, I thank you Lord for making me, me…!”

What are those things that we dislike in us most? Is that our very appearance? Our bulging eyes? We are either too short or too tall. Is that the protruding teeth or the nose that is blunt? Are we frustrated with our complexion? A young lady who I knew was upset because she could not find a match – a man of her height! Well, we are not addressing here about those who are beauty conscious. We are part of a generation and culture that venerates beauty. The more preferred are the ones that possess “Beauty with Brains”.

But the fact is that people are seeking more than just skin-deep beauty. For example a young and beautiful woman is just willing to marry a man who may appear unimpressive but possesses a lot of wealth. Her security remains in that man’s wealth.

Even among believers there is constant struggle for financial security. It is presented differently at every phase of one’s life. Beginning very early in life, there is great tussle for young people at the academic level. Once employed, the jostling is all the more to climb up the ladder of success and upward mobility in terms of remuneration and reward.

When a person decides to get married, he/she makes relative comparisions. Am I better off than my neighbor? As spouses, they might plan to bring in the most sophisticated equipments or gadgets that puts them at par excellence to those who are ‘have-nots’.

And I saw that all labour and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor (Eccl. 4:4).

When there is a genuine need to buying a car, a house or an equipment that may be very necessary, we tend to decide mostly by how people would value, approve or appreciate our choice than going by our own discretion and satisfaction. Women return their clothes and get them exchanged. Even though they liked them, their


friends had shown their disapproval! Isn’t the way our lives are ordered mostly? We go by others’ dictum. Most people tend to value others’ opinion much.The inner struggle of man never seems to end. There is a deep urge within most of us to be someone. Paul came to a point in his life when he could say: “I am what I am by the grace of God“ (1 Cor. 15:10).

• Striving For False Identity : The Apostle Paul built up a reputation of being a religious fanatic. That earned him an identity – the persecutor of churches – and of Christ! We recognize it too late that there is a sense of satisfaction in doing the most foolish things in life! Some of us are too proud of messing up our lives. We tend to offer too many justifications as to why we did certain things. Religious enthusiasts sincerely believe that their activities earn them the favour of God. As Christians, we might serve Christ for the wrong reason. The common reason is that I might find my identity. Who am I? This question remains unresolved for many of us. The garments and clothes we wear do not make us great or small. The diamond jewelry might bring the attention of a group of ladies who gaze at the bride and whisper in amazement. One thing that the modern man often worries about is his security. Man finds himself insecure at all levels. When someone feels insecure, he or she immediately looks out for some identity to hide beneath or behind it. Today, in the Corporate Culture they wear their ID tags- for both security and identity. In those days, only dogs had their tags – worn around their collar for identification by the owner!.

Our security and identity issue boils down to our food and clothing level as well. The next on the list is the roof over our heads. But Jesus had to admonish those who sought after those things. Our Lord calls them fools. And those who sought after them were termed as heathens. To achieve one’s own end, there is much pretense and hypocrisy. The writer of Ecclesiastes terms it as: “A chasing after the wind.”

Jesus said in Luke 12:15: “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions…”

We toil and strive just to see our ends are met. With all our systematic planning for a life of ease, untold misery and suffering befalls us unexpectedly.

• Seek After God - Approved Security : Until we die to self, we shall constantly be looking for some kind of false security. This is beautifully described by the apostle Paul in his letter to Colossians. Read them on:

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:1-3).

Religious enthusiasts sincerely believe that their activities earn them the favour of God. As Christians, we might serve Christ for the wrong reason. The common reason is that I might find my identity. Who am I? This question remains unresolved for

many of us.


A secured life is one that is hidden and protected by Christ. The word “hidden” in verse 3 means “secure.” If a believer truly dies to the world and is risen with Christ, his values will be transformed. His priorities are of the Kingdom of God. His attitude is not geared to look into the worldly things, but he seeks after higher things of God. He possesses a transformed outlook and an upward look. Such a person will not be controlled by pretense or opinion of what other people think of him.

It is indeed sad that even believers are side-tracked by intense pressures of the world. They are greatly being intimidated by their friends and colleagues. Surprisingly, such an intimidation to conform to worldly standards comes also from other believers.

• Stop Living On People’s Opinion Alone : In those days, our parents and elders considered others’ opinion before making decisions. They took the counsel and guidance of their friends, relatives and experienced people. Such peoples’ advise was not proved wrong. In most cases, they were mature words of guidance. As people, we are prone to failure or fault. By our careless words or counsel, we could mislead people. Christian parents and children seem to err mostly in the area of marriage. Godly counsel is spurned. The opinion of majority is taken seriously. God’s children are called to make wise choices based on God’s Word and through consistent prayer. No doubt, we need those who will stand by and advise us in times of need or crisis. But we need to cross-check if what we received from our trusted friends as counsel holds true when analysis is made on the basis of God’s Word. Today, a friend simply influences another. He or she may be a Christian. But a person who naturally has the strong ability to captivate another by his or her power of words may do great harm by making a friend follow what might appear to be a wise decision. In the end, such a decision will prove to be disastrous. Many Christian young people who were raised in godly homes with scriptural teaching were led astray into wrongful living by their peers, colleagues and friends.

• Make Objective Decisions : The Corporate world today seeks for employees who possess a higher degree of emotional quotient. A time has come emotional quotient is preferred than intelligent quotient. Many intelligent people make foolish decisions as regard to their own lives. Most IT professionals today are hyper-sensitive and cannot take pressures of life positively. Many of them are considered very efficient in their work place. The company employs them for their skill and pays them a hefty pay package. But when it comes to their own life, they become suicidal. Too soon they make decisions to jump down from an elevator or a fly-over bridge. Psychologists and sociologist are too concerned about this disturbing trend of ending their lives over issues which can be resolved boldly. For over 10 hours, they are seen sitting before their computers. They work on software programs. The work pressure on them is very high. Their sleep pattern is erratic. They do not have a healthy eating habit. Money keeps pouring in. The hard earned money, in many cases is not well-planned. The money goes into a pocket with holes. They spend – all too unsystematically on unwanted things. Some indulge in shopping spree while others hooked on to the sin of gluttony.

• Do Away With Falsehood : Many modern churches think that mere talents and skills are seen as parameters that determine to qualify anyone to come on to the stage and to keep large audiences under their sway through their powerful mesmerizing techniques. This idea should be checked constantly by the leaders of the church.


Such techniques must never be interpreted as spiritual gifts. A close scrutiny of such facts would prove that many of the upcoming generation who talk about being spiritual are pretentious, dishonest men and women who hide behind a garb of false spirituality. Not many of them are serious seekers of God through His Word. It might be true that most of them may have had a beginning in Christian life – a certain spiritual conversion experience and so on. But then, it soon died out. There was no daily growth or of nurturing through God’s Word. Such men and women seldom find time to pray. They want to perform – not conform to Christ!

Many of their minds are polluted as they visit sites on the internet. Their lives are exposed to all the evil things that are going on. They are well informed within the comfort of their home or office -both good and bad is seen on the screen. Their smart phones are their constant companions. They carry their lap-tops all over the places. In fact, it is to them like a road-map. They cannot live without their computers and smart phones. Inspite of the fact they are under pressure to gain time, they somehow find enough time to chat with friends and end up paying huge bills for their mobile phones. Their communication ends up mostly in vain talk. A girl was upset that her friend did not put up a “like” on the Face Book for something she had posted. No sooner the girl was unable to cope with the insult meted out by her friend that she ended her life!

I have seen many such youngsters as Worship Leaders, (a recent coining of words to denote such brilliant young men and women who appear as spiritual motivators in worship through means of their song, testimony or exhortation). They are gifted in the sense they keep their audience under their spell. They can make an entire congregation dance to their tunes! They are good at parroting scriptural words- exhort huge crowds and lead them in to an act of worship. But in them, they are naked, blind and poor in every spiritual sense.

Church leaders and pastors are misled by merely looking at their performance on the outside. They too lack the needed discernment to spiritually penetrate through their inside.

The upcoming churches grown over night are warm – readily welcoming strangers with their open arms. Unconditional love is showered on the new comers. Their music is exhilarating. The sound system brings out the best quality. You worship with much ease. Do not have to carry your Bibles. Just look up for everything. It is found on the screen. The verses of the Songs appear there too.

You do not have to be silent too!. For it is a place to be full of joyful noise. There is no need for penitence and confession. Why bother – when Christ has already forgiven you? Oh well, do not talk about sin. Such churches are still reeling under the old covenant – and legalistic. The modern ones, that we are – enjoying true freedom in Christ. Just do away with the old hymns. The youngsters do not like it! There are songs very light to the heart –“ Jesus, I feel you in my heart!” Christian faith is not “feel good factor” alone. It is much more than that.

Now, do we see this point? When all kinds of pretensions emerge in Christian life or in the life of the Church, some things will soon be replaced. Good conduct that arises out of obeying the Word will no longer have the center stage. Instead of prayer,


we will have testimony time – and people saying all kinds of things that fail to edify people. True discipleship is replaced by devotees who enjoy religious activities. Not many are willing to bear the cross.

This is the kind of pretentious Christian world we are living in. We simply want to identify with someone whose beliefs we do not know. We constantly struggle to find acceptance and recognition. Seldom do we understand the true identity we find in Christ, provided we submit to His Lordship.

No matter what the world thinks about us. We are God’s children – and the Spirit of God bears witness to it (Rom.8:16).

More than any thing important, we must get this right!

- J.D.

We constantly struggle to find acceptance and recognition. Seldom do we understand the true identity we find in Christ,

provided we submit to His Lordship

Have you experienced the brook in your life that seemed to be drying up? When that happens, God will tell His man to “arise and go” at the right time. Until then, one has to tarry and wait for God’s direction. Any man or woman who drinks to its brim, with a self-indulgent life is saturated with self-sufficiency. Such a person hardly hears God directing him. Have you heard Him

speak to you lately? If so, when was it? - J.D.

“To be strong, to steer straight onward, to dare to praise God, to sit alone and keep silence because He has laid it upon us, to put our mouths in the dust, if so be there may be hope -- here is fortitude

indeed.”- F.B. Meyer


Satan has deceived the world for very long and that he had been hiding beneath his veil of deception. We need to uncover the veil in order to discover his deeds of darkness.

Pretending himself to be the Spirit of Truth, Satan has been able to deceive people absolutely owing to their ignorance of the genuine gospel. Therefore, we must have a clear understanding of the Gospel and believe it with all our hearts.

Satan has used Christian rituals, doctrines and works of the Law to delude people – mislead people and led them to destruction. Even now Satan is deceiving people using these methods and hindering them from experiencing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

People have failed to understand God’s righteousness and had mistaken faith for over a thousand years. Since the Middle Ages, Christians have mistaken the work of the devil to be the work of the Holy Spirit. Many of them do not have an idea that they are working as bondservants of Satan.

What is the work of the Holy Spirit? He convicts – declares guilty the world of Sin. He convicts all sinners and the sins of those who do not believe in the gospel.

The Holy Spirit bears witness to God’s righteousness and Jesus’ accomplishment in saving sinners. God declares such sinners as righteous by their faith in Him and through His grace. The devil reduces Christianity to an ordinary religion when he twists this truth. Many people fall victims to his deception.

The gifts of the Spirit means the abilities God provides to the saints in professing and proclaiming the gospel. (1 Cor. 12:7).

What the Bible tells us about speaking in tongues:“I would rather speak five words with my understanding that I may teach

others also, than ten thousand words in tongue.” (1 Cor.14:19).A saint should know that it is much more important to understand God’s Word

of Truth than to speak in tongues that he himself is unable to understand.Interpreting Other Tongues: This gift was given to the disciples to allow

them to preach the gospel in the time of the early Church. Nowadays, the Holy Spirit enables the believers to be involved in the ministry of translation and interpretation of messages into various languages. However, when we are faced with language barriers, God always allows the interpreters to fulfill His working. God does not work in disorder or in a state of ecstasy.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Pet. 2:9).

- Gabby Pinto, Fort Cochin.

READERS WRITE….

Know the Spirit of PretensionAnd no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor.11:14)


Ways to Resolve P R E T E N S I O N

For those who are being saved, the gospel is the power of God (1 Cor.1:18)

Christians are not so much ashamed to call themselves believers. If all of us have been converted to Christ through the gospel, the very effectiveness of the Gospel must bring about a radical transformation to the core of our hearts. If the gospel had not brought about the desired effect and change in a believers’ life – as to the values, priorities or preferences, then it must be construed that the gospel we have believed has become a simplistic one. The matter of the gospel (its essence), is the matter of the heart! A heart with a transformation and a mind with a renewed thinking is the net result of a person believing in the gospel

As believers, we keep striving and struggling – asking ourselves the same questions: Am I the real person Christ wants me to be? Or Am I pretending to be transformed by the gospel?

There is a vast difference between those who have established their true identity in Christ and others who continue their struggle for identity. The question: Who am I? is still unsettled for most of them. If there is no attitudinal change in a believer’s life, truth will always be absent. Jesus said: “The Truth will set you free.” Anyone who has not permitted the truth to penetrate to the darkest abyss of one’s heart continues to struggle over the attitude of hypocrisy and pretension. How long or how far can one pretend ? The very sin of pretension will find it out!

Many people who may appear quite simple in the sight of the world could well be strong with deeper convictions and clear-cut focus on life. We constantly learn from various experiences. Life teaches us profound lessons. People who value life and its experiences learn well out of them. It is possible to learn out of our failure too. Thomas Edison tried two thousand different materials in search of a filament for the light bulb. When none worked satisfactorily, his assistant complained, “All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing.” Edison replied very confidently, “Oh, we have come a long way and we have learned a lot. We know that there are two thousand elements which we cannot use to make a good light bulb.”

It’s never easy to admit you’ve made a mistake, but it’s a crucial step in learning, growing, and improving yourself.

You can only learn from a mistake after you admit you’ve committed it. As soon as you start blaming other people, you distance yourself from any possible lesson. But if you courageously stand up and honestly say “This is my mistake and I am responsible”

Many people who may appear quite simple in the sight of the world could well be strong with deeper convictions and clear-cut focus on

life


the possibilities for learning will move towards you. Admission of a mistake, even if only privately to yourself, makes learning possible by moving the focus away from blame assignment and towards understanding. Wise people admit their mistakes easily. They know progress accelerates when they do.

For a Christian there is always a way out of failure or pretension of being successful. God’s Word always provides hope and confidence to the repentant sinner. Going to God time and again for reflection helps us to know who we are and where we stand.

• Developing Godly Conviction : God’s Word is unchanging in a changing world. A person who is being constantly trained by the Word knows well to exercise judgment, discernment and the ability to divide truth from error. Our problem today is that we tend to consider all things as being good and leave out the good things for the bad ones! We are too quick to rely on a friend’s word or someone’s casual opinion expressed without much thought. We must not be totally governed by such people or things as politicians, philosophers, , fiction writers, novelists, media opinion and so on. One might ask: “If one doubts all of the above, what on earth should one rely on?

The Bible teaches that a Christian is in the world and not of the world. We are called to live and work with people who might differ from us in their convictions. Yet, we need to live and interact with them in this world. But we must be wise enough to make value judgments not on what they say, but on what God says to us through His Spirit. Most of the time, our friends and colleagues exert great influence upon our lives. We strive to do things in order to please them. The society through the media puts indirect pressure on all of us as to what we must eat, how we must dress and so on. We are too quick to follow the system of the world. But when God says that our lives must be fashioned according to His will, we tend to ignore Him.

Jesus said: “I am the Way!” Many men and women – very eminent in their own fields of expertise have miserably failed in their own lives.

There is no other way except to begin as a humble student of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit will be our teacher when we begin with a spirit of learning. This is how we lay the foundation for godly convictions.

• Go To God Through Prayer : We are a generation that has lost the discipline of prayer. Through prayer, we submit ourselves to the will of God. Jesus’ prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane should be our best example. Praying does not involve petitioning always. It is a spiritual discipline where we give in all of our anxious thoughts over to God. There we learn to relax. Those who fail in their prayer lives opt for secondary substitutes like Yoga which may be detrimental to ones’ Christian growth. Many people are unaware that there are hidden dangers and some of the levels in Yogic exercise positions are gate-ways to the devil. It is always better than we “breath-in” and” breath-out” through prayer. Breath-in the freshness of the Holy Spirit’s renewal. Breath-out all the dirt and moral-filth through confessional prayer.

Let us watch that there is no pretense in our prayer. Our Lord forewarned us in his teachings that we must never be like the hypocrites in our prayer..


• Deal With Sin Squarely : Sin is a stronghold. Sin is at the root of all pretension. Here is how Paul deals with it:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5).

Until we are clearly convinced about what and why we do some things in the name of Christ, all of our efforts will end in futility.

Our conviction must be with reference to the Word of God. There is a vast difference between what I think to be my opinion and how I rest my belief system on the basis of God’s Word.

Most of us tend to go by majority views and popular opinion. Gay and Lesbianism is alright – it is made legal in certain countries. Therefore, we hesitate to call them either good or bad – let alone sinful. We deliberately commit sin and shade it with our own interpretation of the Scripture –trying to explain it away.

One of our partners in our ministry made a deliberate mistake some time ago. The mistake was obvious and was displeasing to God. The mistake was definable with clear evidences. Yet the man was defiant and said that others must have the freedom to look at the problem from a different perspective of looking at things and from his view point what he did was right!

We live in a time when all kinds of denials, self-defense and utter defiance to truth are veiled by pretense. Do we recognize the essence of grace in our lives? The answer is: “The pure in heart will see God.” Truth and Grace always go together. The absolute character of Christ’s fullness of divinity was the reflection of Father’s glory – which was full of grace and truth(John 1:14). When a believer removes truth from his life, grace disappears. In the absence of

truth, one tends to become arrogant and proud. God resists such a person. It is those who are humble in Spirit God’s grace is available.

• Try And Be Transparent : Christians must not be blamed by others for leading shady lives. If much of what we do is not known to people, they become suspicious about us.

Living a life of transparency first begins by acknowledging that God knows every aspect of our lives. The writer of Hebrews declares, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (4:13).

We discover that God’s grace eliminates boasting in our own accomplishments

We live in a time when all kinds of denials, self-defense and utter defiance to truth are veiled by pretense. Do we recognize the essence of grace in our lives? The answer is: “The pure in heart will see God.” Truth and Grace always

go together


and merits. It helps us strip away the barriers of pride and superficiality and exposes the folly of trying to impress God by our good works. The more we acknowledge God’s unmerited grace toward us, the less we need to prove ourselves before Him and others. I’m liberated to live an honest, transparent lifestyle.

The book of James elaborates on the transparent lifestyle and shows us how to practically live it. James says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). James is writing to believers in this passage. He affirms that a certain healing takes place when believers share sin and weaknesses and then pray for one another. Mutual concern for one another is the way to combat discouragement and downfall.

While doing this, much discernment is needed. There is a time and a place for everything, and we don’t need to share every detail of our life with everyone we meet. We also need to know that what we share will be kept confidential. What is shared in the group goes no further than the group.

• Break Away Protective Shell : There is a time to come out of it! A Christian life cannot be hidden in a cocoon of pretension. One cannot live there for ever. The larvae is a wingless, wormlike form of a butterfly before metamorphosis. Once grown, the larvae pushes itself out through the small opening in the cocoon. It soon emerges into a beautiful butterfly. The Bible compares a Christian life to growth and maturity in Christ through many ways. “We shall be like Him” The apostle John and Paul describe this fullness of maturity and perfection. In order to grow, we need to move out of our comfort zones. Some are into the shell of pretension for too long. People believe us for whatever we say pretentiously. If we are honest, we will not be ashamed to be exposed for the right reason.

There is a time for us to hide within. Our situations may be too complex. Any attempts to explain our predicament will only bring chaos and confusion to people. That is when we are called to hide. If God had placed us near some “Cherith,” like Elijah, let us accept it. That is a time to be silent. It is a time of hibernation.

There are yet other times when we need to show up – to people like king Ahab. Let’s not be afraid, if people call us trouble-makers.! There is a time to be silent and speak up. Let us not mix up these two.

• Make The Right Kind Of Friends : No Christian is an island. There is a hymn which reads:” Make friends of God’s children…” It calls for discernment on the part of the believer to tie up with the local church that is Bible believing and the believers therein who have shed their pretension. Enrichment of life begins in such an environment – through all the activities that are productive and fruitful.

We discover that God’s grace eliminates boasting in our own accomplishments and merits. It helps us strip away the barriers of pride and superficiality and exposes the

folly of trying to impress God by our good works


• Be A Disciple: To be a disciple calls for determination on the part of one who is willing to carry the cross. We find more number of devotees in the modern day churches. They have safely eliminated the cross and its effect on the believer. One cannot love and serve Christ without first going to the cross. Cross deals with our pride and ego. The surrendering of ‘self’ takes place at the cross (Luke.9:23, Gal.2:20).

Check how often you hear a sermon on the Cross of Christ?If not, we are being pretentious.

Paul says: May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. 6:14).

Christ makes as real men and women at the cross where the pretentious veil is torn apart. We make a honest confession: Amazing Grace…that had saved me. I was once blind, but now I see…!

- J.D.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appear-ance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevita-ble. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with

you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”- Charles R. Swindoll


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Christian thought Series - Jan - Feb 2014

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