Paulson Post

'For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy' (Psalms 72:12-13)  There are times when realize how frail we are; these are times when ll the self-confidence that we have gathered over the years vanish. Coming to the limits of our strength is a scary experience. In such times, faith in God strengthens us. God strengthens those who are weak and needy. He is willing and able to help them. The only thing we need is to realize our helplessness and reach out to God in faith trusting in his mercy and power.

"Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!" Psalm 66:20 (ESV). What does answered prayers demand from us? Most of us seek God when we are out of our depths in adversities. We feel the need of God when we reach the end of the ropes. However, God is a kind God; he answers us when we cry out to him from the depths of our adversities. Every answered prayer requires from us to learn something more about the character of God. The psalmist shares with us what he has learned from God when he cried unto God, and he graciously answered his prayer. He learned that God still loves him. Answered prayers reminds us that God hasn't 'removed his steadfast love' from us. This is the response of a grateful heart; to believe that we are objects of God's ardent love.

"For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." Psalms 100:5 When I write this cyclone Nisarga is about to hit our coastlines. The weather department has issued a red-alert. It is likely to cause immense casualties. The  Coronavirus is lurking everywhere we go. Swarming locusts have reached deep south in Tamil Nadu in their flight from the North western deserts. They have already stomached most of our food supplies for the year. Surrounded by all these, we need a lot of faith to say that God's love still triumphs. It is an act of faith. These are times when our faith in a good and loving God is tested. We need the grace to say, in the midst of all these bad things, that God is good.

Many Christ-followers think that what they believe matters more than how they appear to others: colleagues, friends, and others with whom they have to rub shoulders on a daily basis. However, Paul corrects that mistake in the eighth chapter of 1 Corinthians while discussing the issue of food offered to idols in the pagan temples in the city of Corinth. Pagan temples where animal sacrifices were offered had also meat stalls attached to them. There the meat offered to idols was on sale. When sacrifices were offered not all the meat is burnt on the altar. Only choices pieces were offered; the priests got a share of the meat before it was burnt on the altar. The worshipers were also given a portion to be shared among the family. All this meat showed up in the meat markets attached to the pagan temples. Probably it was much cheaper than the butcher shops in the regular markets. What is wrong with eating meat sold in the temple-precincts? For believers in Christ, it doesn't matter. T...

"How clearly the sky reveals God's glory! How plainly it shows what he has done!" Psalm 19:1 (GNT) Is the locked-down due to COVID 19 dampening your spirit? To be frank, that is what I am going through at times. Work from home (WFH) is a good idea: travel time saved is great; more time for Netflix or Amazon Prime, to read and enjoy music. But I do miss friends, even the walk to the coffee machine and sipping hot coffee while planning the next things to do. As the sun sets and the night falls, I call it a day. Put away the work I had been drowning in. But still, that cold spirit lingers on. I am tempted to have another dose of caffeine to rev up my spirit. COVID has also ordered the vehicles off the road. They are no more spitting Carbon Monoxide to the skies. The cheerful sky displays its wonders once hidden behind the thick layers of pollutant gases. As I gaze into the wonders that the sky now puts on display, my dampened spirit warms up to the creator of these wo...

The Coronavirus has shut down the world. It has caused the death of thousands in China, hundreds in Italy and Iran. It continues to threaten life all over the world. However, there is a lot of wisdom church-goers can gather from the epidemic. Scientists say that Coronavirus spreads by physical contact only. It is not airborne. So, the best way to stay safe is to avoid physical contact. Shaking hands is an import from the West. Before colonialists and missionaries came to our shores (Indian subcontinent) we used to greet each other with folded hands--the Namaste! It is a grand, gracious posture! Why can't we go back to it? Stop passing the kiss of peace which some Christian traditions practice or the holy embrace in other traditions. None of this has any biblical foundations. Yes, Paul wrote to Corinthians 'Greet one another with a holy kiss' (2 Corinthians 13:12), but if he addressed the letter to Bangaloreans, he would have said, 'Greet one another with a holy Na...

Coronavirus is dreaded. The dread has affected all aspects of our lives. Hundreds have died, thousands are infected, the economy is on a downturn, international tourism has taken a hit, the list goes on. Why is this virus so dreaded to make the world look for cover? There are many other virus infections known to humans and show their heads again and again. But none of them frightens people so much as this one! There are two main reasons why Coronavirus frightens modern man than any other disease. First, this infection is sure to cause death. Secondly, scientists haven't come up with a cure or vaccine for this virus yet. The fear of this deadly virus is genuine. It comes out of the realization that modern man with all technological advances is still helpless before this puny little virus--puny in size only. However, sin is even more serious. It also causes death. Death not in the sense of the end of life, but even more seriously being cut off from God, the source of life. God...