Satan & his demons are better organized.

We should have been the one taking credit for this.
1.
When Jesus asked , what is your name in Mark 5:9 KJV
And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

Results of Secret Sin.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, loved practical jokes.
Once he sent a telegram to each of 12 friends.

All were men of great virtue and respected in society.
The telegram said, "Flee at once, your secret is discovered!"

Within 24 hours, the story goes, all twelve had left  the country!
There may be some playful exaggeration here, but the
point is usually true that many people, including
Christians, are not what they seem to be.

James 1:15 "Then after our desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death."

SIN GROWS.
Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go.
Sin Cost you more than you want to pay,
Sin keep you longer than you want to stay.

In a conservative southern church (name withheld) , the pastor's wife found pornography on her husband's computer. After confronting him with the evidence, he admitted downloading d images off d internet, even using d computer in his study which was located in d church itself. .

In another bible-believing church not far from my home, a Christian businessman sought investment capital from other Christian individuals & businesses. He promised to invest d money in new Christian enterprises & promised a high rate of return on their money.  Alas, however,

Anytime God is involved..

Of a truth, everytime d Almighty God steps in, d outcome is predictable. Here I am studying once again, d book of Exo 14....it must have been a time of fear & trepidation for d israelites. they were indeed stuck
b/w d red sea & Pharaoh's merciless army

There was obviously no way of escape. The predictable end of that situation was either death for the Israelites or a journey back into slavery. Unknown to anyone at that time, God was setting the stage up to display His awesomeness & power again. Pharaoh must have felt real good

Having the advantage, but, he could only see as "far" as his eyes could see.
He thought to himself, "I have closed them in...
Exo 14:3 "Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are lost; they're confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.'
And here was God laughing there in heaven

Seeing how a mere man was acting like the aloha & omega.
The pressure was now in Moses to do something...only God knows what was going thru Moses' mind at that time, & while he was waiting in God, he heard God speaking again in

"don't wait in Me anymore, Move.. the deed is done."
Exodus 14:13 Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again.
What reassuring words

***Conflict Of The Chosen***
There is always a conflict when God singles you out

#the conflict in Mary's life

The challenge of being chosen is a calling to a life of conflicts.

when you are chosen, you are chosen to do His will.

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(Luke 1:29 & 30) “But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying (conflict begins!), and considered what manner of greeting this was.”30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

•to be chosen creates conflicts.

3.
“Conflict” means a clash of two or more things. ,in this context, clash of two natures.

Mary was not the only virgin of her day.

God could have called any of the virgins of her days, but God chose Mary.

She did not ask to be chosen.

She had to face shame,

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misunderstanding, and confrontation with Joseph.

Before this: She was happily engaged.

She was looking forward to her marriage. She was anticipating a normal life.

But now she faced the challenge of conflict because she was chosen – she was troubled!

5.
God brought the conflict by chosing her.
Mary could not keep her old lifestyle and her former friendships.
-Her former friends won’t understand.
-No matter what she says ,it will make no sense

How would she face Joseph?

She must have cried, “Lord, you cant do this to me”

1.
What is right about going to your boyfriend's house to cook his meals.

When I hear guys invite women to their houses to help them cook, I get irked. Without gainsaying, I get pissed because I feel like it's a play down on my maturity as an adult that I can't cook d food I eat

2.
While I was a bachelor & staying alone, I never had any girl come to my apartment to cook for me, and even when some offered to give their culinary services, I rejected it.

Though, that's personal.

3.
But my aim of writing this RANT is to remind a lot of men reading this post that, it is not your girlfriend's job to cook for you!

A lady said to me sometime ago, that her boyfriend slapped her because she was a bit behind schedule to come cook for him.

4.
Imagine the guts!

To slap a lady because she wasn't at your place on time to cook for you?

I keep wondering how women put up with all these rubbish in relationships. Honestly, if I were a woman, many men will avoid me. I will take nothing less than a sensible man.

5.
I've always said that any man who cannot cook as a bachelor is probably or likely to fit into this category. Any man who cannot do home chores is not ready for marriage.

Many men marry because of their inability to cook, wash and do home chores.

There is something SINISTER about this picture...

I have often found this pix very intriguing.

Trust me, I am 150% in agreement, but, somehow, I have some reservations with d 1st statement... "It doesn't matter what she did"

I feel this isn't balanced in the real sense of it.

2.
I have witnessed a woman slap her husband while trying to mediate in a domestic issue, yet, the man kept his cool and honoured those of us there by not matching the slap with a corresponding slap or blow...not all men are this patient...

I have witnessed a woman break the

3.
windscreen of her husbands car because he came home late from work the previous night.

I once mediated in domestic violence where the wife hit her mother inlaw because, she (wife) could not stand the attention her hubby was giving his mum...

I have also seen several extreme

4.
cases too. While some kept their cool, others matched it "fire for fire"

#I believe women too should be patient and encouraged to have self control just like we all expect the same from men.

Take it or leave it, it takes grace & a full dose of selfcontrol to b patient

5.
with a violent spouse

Men and women both need to be reminded of the importance of patience, longsuffering, self-control and most importantly, how to bridle the tongue which is the major culprit in most domestic violence..

How balanced it would have been if that 1st statement

Muslim thought in India can be thought of as having two lineages

1. Islamic puritanism

Lineage : Sirhindi -> Shāh Walīullāh ->Syed Ahmad Barelvi, Deobandi movement, Maulana Azad -> Jamaat e Islami

2. Muslim nationalism

Syed Ahmed Khan ->Jinnah, Iqbal - > Ayub Khan/Musharraf

The former originated largely as a religious movement.

It has its origins in Sirhindi, who voiced the view in 16th cen, that Akbar's policy was "Indianizing" Islam too much

Too much of Din-e-ilahi crap.

Let's keep Islam pure

That lineage continues in the thinking of 18th cen theologian Shah Waliullah , the Delhi based Islamic scholar who lived b/w 1703 and 1762

Waliullah like Sirhindi emphasized segregation/purity
and loyalty to the Ummah (the global Islamic whole)

Not to South Asian muslims per se

Waliullah once said

"Muslims, no matter where they live, they should be completely separated from the natives of that country in their culture, traditions and mannerisms. And wherever they are, they must be immersed in their Arabic splendor and Arabic trends”

This line of thinking continues in two 19th cen movements-

That of Syed Barelvi - who fought valiantly against Sikh rule in Punjab at Balakot

And that of the Deobandis in late 19th cen

“Don’t leave the church because of the people who hurt you. Nobody is perfect, only God”

I’ll explain why this comment is not only not helpful at all, but also very harmful.

1/

The comment assumes we can’t tell the difference between people and toxic theology, it assumes our issues are with a few people who are outliers and misrepresented God, and we just seem to think that’s the totality of divinity. Which makes us appear unintelligent and petty.

2/

But, that’s not the case at all. I didn’t leave because a few people hurt me in the name of God, in fact I stayed long enough to get hurt again, and again, and again, and again. Because it’s not a few bad apples hurting people in the name of God what we are dealing with.

3/

Instead we are talking about systemic abuse due to toxic theology that is taught as righteousness.

Go to any white evangelical church today and conduct all the tests you must to ensure only those who are “good Christians,” remain. I guarantee you people will be harmed there.
4/

Not because people just hurt people, not because Christians have good intentions but sometimes make mistakes; instead because the harm is caused due to indoctrination into toxic theology and a belief that their social and theological framework is not only good,

5/

Dua is the core (or bone marrow) of worship because unlike other acts of worship, people’s hearts are always present when they want something. Wanting things, along with the process of receiving it, is one of the best ways for iman, character, and love for Allah to grow.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Love Allah for the blessings He showers upon you.”

I believe that if you sincerely want something, you’ll wait for it. The waiting and bearing through rejection after rejection has a ton of wisdoms. It’s is a way to purify intention and gain control over your emotions.

You see-saw between wanting/seeking and sufficing without. When you fail once, you can’t always try again right away. There’s a recovery period in which you lick your wounds and regroup.

If you give up during that recovery period, then you didn’t really want it enough. It was mere whim. Delay separates whim from truth. Whim clouds the intellect. You need to get rid of it in order to think clearly.