"Is it okay to get tattoos if they are of a Christian nature?"

Answer: Do the same principles apply to tattoos that are of a Christian nature, such as a cross, a Christian slogan, or even a Bible verse? Some Christians have found that having tattoos gives them more credibility, and thereby more possibilities of evangelism, with some groups of people. So what about Christian tattoos?

Obviously, a tattoo of a cross is “better” than a tattoo of a flaming skull, naked woman, or demon. Having a tattoo saying “Jesus saves” could indeed be a conversation starter with some people who would never approach a preacher wearing a suit and tie. Some refer to Revelation 19:16 as an example of Jesus possibly having a tattoo on His thigh, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The question is not necessarily “is getting a tattoo a sin?” The question is more “is getting a tattoo a good and necessary thing to do?” First Corinthians10:23 declares, “Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible – but not everything is constructive.” Christian tattoos may be “permissible,” but are they beneficial and constructive?

In 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, Paul exclaims, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel.” Becoming all things to save some is perhaps the only good possible reason for getting a Christian tattoo. If having a tattoo genuinely opens doors for evangelism that would otherwise be closed, getting Christian tattoos would likely “qualify” under Paul’s “becoming all things” qualification. At the same time, it is frankly difficult to envision a scenario in which having a tattoo would enable a greater possibility of evangelism. If a person will not listen to you due to a lack of a tattoo, it is highly unlikely that such a person would genuinely listen due to the presence of a tattoo.

With that said, the biblically based conclusion would seem to be that Christian tattoos are permissible, but it is highly questionable whether they can be considered beneficial and constructive. A Christian considering getting a tattoo should pray for wisdom (James 1:5) and ask the Lord to provide pure motives and discernment.

By Rev. Anand Debbarma

Same-sex marriage is not Biblical

Same-sex marriage against the Law of God

Today disciples of Jesus Christ and believers in the holy Word of God have before them both a unique challenge and a singular opportunity.

June 26, 2015, will go down in history as a day when even the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court questioned the Court’s scope of authority. On that day, five Supreme Court justices—a bare majority—issued an opinion that imposed the legality of same-sex marriage on all 50 states.

The ruling caused great controversy in altering the millennia-old biblical model of marriage. The secular ruling holds spiritual implications, as the Supreme Court appeared to attempt to define the state of marriage in the United States to include something fully opposite of what only what God can define for His special creation of men and women (Genesis 1:26-27).

The Bible unequivocally teaches that there is but one spiritual standard for marriage acceptable before God. That is, of course, the life-long physical and spiritual union of a man and woman, as affirmed by Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:4-6). There is no other example of marriage. Indeed, there cannot be. The challenge for Christians is simply this: “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29).

The further challenge is the recognition that the United States is shifting away from the standards of biblical teachings that once deeply influenced the nation. As the Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties rightly points out, “American perceptions of civil liberties and human rights are rooted not only in the Enlightenment [an intellectual movement in the 1700s] but . . . [also] in the Bible.” There are many examples of this, including the American national motto, “In God We Trust.” Increasingly that is not the case.

The time-tested standard of marriage between man and woman reflects the purpose of God Himself. The Bible declares that a purpose of the Almighty is focused on “bringing many children to glory,” as is stated in Hebrews2:10 (New Living Translation). Notice that we are here spoken of as God’s “children.” The apostle Paul made this even plainer during his speech in Athens. There he stated to the Athenians that “we are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:28). If we are the offspring of God—who is revealed in the Bible as our divine Father—then we Christians are part of an expanding spiritual family of God, with Jesus Christ revealed as our elder brother.

That understanding represents the unique opportunity before us. Jesus Christ, the Savior for all of humanity, declared that we are to be an example to the world. Marriage between man and woman represents part of that example. A marriage based on biblical principles naturally produces offspring (Genesis 1:27). Biblical marriage offers an opportunity for flawed human beings to learn more about God and His relationship with us. As illustrated in Ephesians 5:22-33, marriage was designed by God to have a profound purpose. It illustrates the mystery of the relationship between Jesus and the Church (biblically referred to as His Bride).

While America may have changed its secular laws, the disciples of Jesus Christ hold a dual citizenship that yields to a higher calling: “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), which also transcends our earthly citizenship. The Bible is clear that in this age, many will not hold to the same understanding that Christians are blessed to hold in America or elsewhere.

Therefore in the days to come we embrace the instruction of the apostle Peter, who tells us to “be prepared to give an answer to everyone...but do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15, New International Version). The Bible also tells us to “Cry aloud, spare not...tell My people their transgression” (Isaiah 58:1). The United Church of God continues to proclaim God’s truth through our many media efforts, through our ministers, and, yes, through the example of our members and those who fellowship with us.

What of this world? Jesus Christ summed it up: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mark 2:17). God loves this world despite its shortcomings (John 3:16) and amazingly, He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). That includes those, who through lack of spiritual understanding miss the biblical mark.

As Christians let us seize this opportunity before us to demonstrate the love of God in our lives. Let us yield to God and humbly follow the biblical example of marriage between man and woman alone.



By. Rev. Anand Debbarma

Focus on the Development of Life

Focus on the Development of Life
A message from Galatians 5:22-23
Did you know there is a different between God's focus on life and our focus on life?
The eyes of the entire world is at developing their own self. When we think about developing our lives what do we really want to develop in our lives? Answer is very simple. We all are thinking of developing our lives. That's all about materials or physical things. Whole world is thinking about the same. People take lots of initiative to develop their village, town, school, colleges, earnings etc. These are all materials related things. Every nation and every tribe is thinking on development in the light of materials related things. That's what the world understand the life is. If these things are developed we think our life and the world is being developed. Many things have been developed in the world. As a result our lives becomes so easy to survive on this earth. But my question is, Is that enough for our life? Is the Living God who sees everything satisfied with that development? This is what we know the life is all about, so we think to develop only what we know.
The different between God's focus on developing our life and our focus on developing life is :
Our focus is on materials or physical related things but God's is on spiritual and character related things. See the different. Our focus is on temporary things but God's focus is on eternal things. All the materials and physical things will disappear but our character and spiritual things will remain forever. The Primary focus of God on our lives is to develop our character and spiritual. Materials and physicals are a secondary things. But to us God's secondary things becomes  our primary focus on life. That's the problem with us. So what we should do now, is let God's primary focus on our life be our primary focus and His secondary focus on life be secondary focus to us.
If God's primary focus on developing our life is on character and spiritual then we all need to focus on developing our character and spiritual life. The things which we can see are not the real but the things which we did not see are the real. All the physical components are not going to be here forever but our spiritual life and our character that we developed are going to be there forever. Unreal life will disappear soon but real life will remain for eternity with Jesus.
In order to develop our character what one must obtain in his life? That's the fruit. The fruit of the Spirit. Which we found in Galatians 5:22-23. This passage talks about the fruit of the Spirit. What are these fruit all about? These are the characteristics of Jesus Christ. When we bear these fruit  we bear Jesus. And Jesus is seen in us. So now you tell me, how many of us thinking about developing their character and spiritual life? Every new year people make lots of plan and strategy to achieve something very special in their lives. In fact you too have the plan to do something. But can you tell me when is the last time you mention in your plan diary about developing your character or spiritual life. Have you ever mention in your planning diary saying that last year I could only love five people this year I will love twenty five people? Or last year I forgive only ten persons this year I will forgive fifty people? Have you plan like that any time? Never. No one has done this. We all are thinking about developing materials things not the spiritual things. But remember God's primary focus is on our character development. So we also should think on developing our character rather than developing materials related things. This is where the fruits of the spirit is required.
As you read this articles may God touch your heart and help you to focusing on developing your character rather than materials related things.

By Rev. Anand Debbarma

Fruit of the Holy Spirit

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is a biblical term that sums up nine attributes of a Christian life according to St. Paul in his Letter to the Galatians "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)

Catholic tradition follows the Vulgate in listing 12 fruits: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity. The Douay-Rheims edition replaces four with synonyms — kindness: benignity, for gentleness:mildness, for generosity:longanimity, for self-control:continency.

Love (Greek: agape, Latin: caritas)

Main article: Agape

Agape denotes a really undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill, that always seeks the highest of the other, no matter what s/he does. It is the self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and does not consider the worth of its object. Agape is more a love by choice than philos, which is love by chance; and it refers to the will rather than the emotion. Agape describes the unconditional love God has for the world. Paul describes love in 1 Corinthians 13:

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Evelyn Underhill considered love to the "budding point" from which all the other fruits come, referencing 1 John 4:16, "God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him."

Joy (Greek: chara, Latin: gaudium)

The joy referred to here is deeper than mere happiness, is rooted in God and comes from him. Since it comes from God, it is more serene and stable than worldly joy, which is merely emotional and lasts only for a time. The fruit of joy is the awareness that God is one's strength and protector.

St. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!"

Joy proceeds from the theological virtue of charity. George Campbell Morgan wrote that "Joy is love's consciousness." In Augustine's Discourse on the Psalms he says, "We an are Easter people and our song is 'Alleluia'" Noted preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon in his sermon, The Fruit of the Holy Spirit: Joy cited Psalm 144:15, "[H]appy the people whose God is the Lord."

This does not mean that a person may not experience sadness on occasion through the death of a loved one, not financial trouble, the actions of others, or depression; but underlying the sadness is the sure knowledge that one is still loved by God.

Peace (Greek: eirene, Latin: pax)

Peace is the result of resting in a relationship with God. Peace is more than an absence of conflict. It is the tranquil state of a soul fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of what so ever sort that is. It is a kind of equilibrium that comes from trusting that everything is in the hands of God.

The word "peace" comes from the Greek word eirene, the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word shalom, which expresses the idea of wholeness, completeness, or tranquility in the soul that is unaffected by the outward circumstances or pressures. The wordeirene strongly suggests the rule of order in place of chaos. When a person is dominated by peace, he has a calm, inner stability that results in the ability to conduct himself peacefully, even in the midst of circumstances that would normally be very nerve-wracking, traumatic, or upsetting...Rather than allowing the difficulties and pressures of life to break him, a person who is possessed by peace is whole, complete, orderly, stable, and poised for blessing.

Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace, who brings peace to the hearts of those who desire it. He says in John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid".

When having peace with God through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are then able to make peace between men, and also between men and God, also called "evangelism". It is understood that those who have peace with God, and are therefore sons of God, will act like their Father in heaven and become those who are able to make peace, or be peace makers, as Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God"^[13] and "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me".^[14] So by saying this, Jesus is stating that only those who have received peace with God through Himself, the "sons of God", are able to make peace, no one else. These sons of God are specified by John when he says, "None of those who are children of God continue to sin, for God’s very nature is in them; and because God is their Father, they cannot continue to sin". Paul also says, "Never pay back evil for evil. Take thought for what is right in the sight of all men". Peace, in the Bible, is much more than just a lack of yelling or lack of war, it is the presence of YHWH allowed into a place and a person. Only with the Jewish God is there peace, as Isaiah writes, "'There is no peace,' says the Lord, 'for the wicked.'" Jesus is the Jewish God, and He is alive.

Patience (Greek: makrothumia, Latin: longanimitas)

Generally the Greek world applied this word to a man who could avenge himself but did not. This word is often used in the Greek Scriptures in reference to God and his attitude to man.^[10] Exodus 34:6 describes the Lord as "slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity."

Patience includes the concepts of forbearance, long-suffering, and the willingness to bear wrongs patiently.

Patience, which in some translations is "longsuffering" or "endurance", is defined in Strong's by two Greek words, makrothumia and hupomone.

The first, pronounced (mak-roth-oo-mee-ah) comes from makros, "long", and thumos, "temper". The word denotes lenience, forbearance, fortitude, patient endurance, longsuffering. Also included in makrothumia is the ability to endure persecution and ill-treatment. It describes a person who has the power to exercise revenge but instead exercises restraint. (Strong's #3115)

The latter, hupomone, (hoop-om-on-ay) is translated "endurance": Constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, steadfastness, holding out, patient endurance. The word combines hupo, "under", and mone, "to remain". It describes the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful fortitude that actively resists weariness and defeat, (Strong's #5281) with hupomone (Greek ὑπομονή) being further understood as that which would be "as opposed to cowardice or despondency"

"With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love".

Kindness (Greek: chrestotes, Latin: benignitas)

In Greek, old wine was called "chrestos" which meant that it was mellow or smooth.Christ used this word in Matthew 11:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

In contrast, kindness is acting for the good of people regardless of what they do, properly, "useable, i.e. well-fit for use (for what is really needed); kindness that is also serviceable".^[24]

Strong's #5544: Kindness is goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability. The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience. The Holy Spirit removes abrasive qualities from the character of one under His control. (emphasis added)

The word kindness comes from the Greek word chrestotes (khray-stot-ace), which meant to show kindness or to be friendly to others and often depicted rulers, governors, or people who were kind, mild, and benevolent to their subjects. Anyone who demonstrated this quality of chrestotes was considered to be compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, humane, kind, or gentle. The apostle Paul uses this word to depict God's incomprehensible kindness for people who are unsaved (see Romans 11:22; Ephesians 2:7; Titus 3:4.

One scholar has noted that when the word chrestotes is applied to interpersonal relationships, it conveys the idea of being adaptable to others. Rather than harshly require everyone else to adapt to his own needs and desires, when chrestotes is working in a believer, he seeks to become adaptable to the needs of those who are around him. (Sparkling Gems from the Greek, Rick Renner)

Kindness is doing something and not expecting anything in return. Kindness is respect and helping others without waiting for someone to help one back. It implies kindness no matter what. We should live "in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left".

Goodness (Greek: agathosune, Latin: bonitas)

1. The state or quality of being good
2. Moral excellence; virtue;
3. Kindly feeling, kindness, generosity,joy in being good
4. The best part of anything; Essence; Strength;
5. General character recognized in quality or conduct.

Popular English Bibles (e.g. NIV, NASB, NLT) translate the single Greek word chrestotes into two English words: kindness and goodness. "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power". "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth", with agathosune being "found only in Biblical and ecclesiastical writings, uprightness of heart and life"

Faithfulness (Greek: pistis, Latin: fides)

Faithfulness is committing oneself to something or someone, for instance, to one's spouse, to a cause, or to a religion. Being faithful requires personal resolve not to wander away from commitments or promises. It's not always easy to be faithful. Christian faith requires trust in God. "O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth". "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith".^{[Eph 3:16-17]}

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews describes it this way: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God".

The root of pistis ("faith") is peithô that is to persuade or be persuaded which supplies the core-meaning of faith as being "divine persuasion", received from God, and never generated by man.

Gentleness (Greek: prautes, Latin: modestia)

Gentleness, in the Greek, prautes, commonly known as meekness, which is "a divinely-balanced virtue that can only operate through faith (cf.^{[1 Tim 6:11]}; ^{[2 Tim 2:22-25]}).

. The New Spirit Filled Life Bible defines gentleness as

"a disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control. The word is best translated 'meekness,' not as an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control. The person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well".

"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted".^{[Gal 6:1]}

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love".^{[Eph 4:2]}

Self-control (Greek: egkrateia, Latin: continentia)

The Greek word used in Galatians 5:23 is "egkrateia", meaning "strong, having mastery, able to control one's thoughts and actions."

"...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love".^{[2 Pet 1:5-7]}

By Rev. Anand Debbarma