WHY WAS I BORN? THE ANSWER FROM “ENGLISH VINGLISH”, THE ANSWER FROM ENGLISH BIBLE!

- Duke Jeyaraj

In the 2012 movie, English Vinglish,  the lead is played by Sri Devi.  The Ripple Effects WordPress account has some superb details about this movie which I present to you: Sri Devi is a lively, capable woman, a  cook who runs her own catering business, her specialty the ladoos, sweet golden balls of dainty delights’. “She’s born to make ladoos,” her husband’s intended praise of her cooking skills only reflects the confining social reality in which she finds herself.

If Sri Devi’s husband in the movie English Vinglish thought that she was born to make ladoos, what do you think you were born for? I recall a popular song in which the boy tells the girl he loves that he was born before her so that he could be present to receive her and cuddle her from the moment  she (the girl he loved) came out of her mother’s womb! Well, well, well! What are we born into the planet called earth? What is the purpose of our existence? The Bible teaches that each one of us was born to have a relationship with the living God, Yahweh.  God would walk in the garden of Eden where he created and placed man and woman in the cool of the day (Gen 3:8). That Scripture text gives a clear indication of God’s desire to have living relationship with every member of the human race. David Pawson says, “God had one son. He enjoyed that son – God in flesh, Jesus - whom he had rich fellowship very much. He wanted to have more sons and daughters to the same rich fellowship with. That’s why he created the human race.” Pawson comes to this conclusion after having read Hebrews 2:10 in his Bible which goes this way: “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” Paul agrees with this truth presented by the writer to the Hebrews in Romans 8:29

Sin comes between us and God and spoils sport in our relationship with him (see Isa. 59:2 in the Bible). The transgressions we commit drives a wedge between us and our Maker. But through faith on the finished work of the  Jesus done for us upon the cross of Calvary, we can once again fulfill the purposes for which God originally created us. These God-given purposes include living a holy life empowered by the Holy Spirit with the example of Jesus before us (1 Thes  4:3). These God-given purposes for humans also include a call for involvement  in the task of winning souls for it is God’s will that none should perish (2 Pet 3:9). So, God’s purpose for our lives is not about ladoo-making but about lust-defying (being holy!) and living in close fellowship with him. So, God’s purpose for our lives is not all about sweet-making but about soul-winning whereby we bring other, just-like-we-once-were, lost people back to a warm fellowship with him!

In summary, God created us to be his “workmanship…prepared beforehand …predestined”  to do good works like Christ did so that we will be ultimately conformed to the image of Christ, our perfect elder brother, the Bible records (Eph 2:10; Rom 8:29).

Historic National-level Youth Conference Coming Up In Hyderabad - Join In & Don't Miss!

- Duke Jeyaraj

One of the reasons Evan and I chose to live in Hyderabad and go about doing the itinerant ministry to youth from this particular city is the wonderful way God brought the ministry of Youth Alive into our lives. I was invited to speak in a Youth Alive Camp way back in 2002 for the first time by Rev. Younus Samuel and there was no turning back in what was a superb, God-ushered relationship between Youth Alive and G4 Mission, the ministry to modern youth I founded in 2006, from then on. For those of you who do not know, Youth Alive, is the youth ministry of the New Life AG Church, Hyderabad. Under the able leadership of the Senior Associate Pastor of the New Life AG Church who is also the National Youth Coordinator of the Assemblies of God of India's National Youth Ministry, Rev. Valson Varghese, a National Conference for Youth is being organised this October. I am happy to let you know that I have been invited to be part of the team of speakers for this event, which I believe will be history-making. I urge you strongly to join this conference if you are a young person or send youth you know for this conference if you are leader to youth or a pastor or a parachurch organisation leader. They will be blessed. They will set on fire for the things of God in a remarkable way! When they return from this conference they will be a blessing to your fellowship/local church, I am sure.

Few Details for this Conference:

Dates: 23-25 October, 2012

We're inviting youth between 15 - 30 years old - Unmarried Single Youth ONLY to participate.

Married people are not permitted unless they are serving as Youth Leaders / Directors or Chaperones.

These leaders will oversee the Youth from their local Churches.

The Registration fee is Rs. 500 (for 3 days) This includes food & lodging for outstation participants. (Actual cost is Rs 1100 per person) Travel needs to be borne by the participant or sponsored by the local Churches. 

ONLINE REGISTERATION: GO ONLINE AT www.nymindia.com and register online. Or contact - 040-66385451 immediately. 

  

3000 young people from all over India are expected for this conference.

Young people from over 17 Indian states have already decided to come!

Don't miss out. Make immediate plans to come for this rocking, rare, event which will refresh and revive you!

What Sammy Said At The Presentation After West Indies Won the 2012 T20 World Cup….

- Duke Jeyaraj’s poem on the West Indies-Sri Lanka T20 World Cup Final

West Indies were limping at 32-2 after 10 overs, and 48-2 after 12 – the wily young Lankan spinners – Mendis and Dhananjaya  -  would not let them break free!

With their eyes of faith, the Sri Lanka fans watching this game on their home ground, their country holding the T20 World Cup, could definitely see!

That’s when Marlon Samuel’s played an innings that has been aptly called the ‘281 of T20’ and went on a sensational, murderous six-hitting spree!

By smashing 26 off 15 balls Captain Darren Sammy said, “The responsibility of ensuring that the West Indies finish the innings well after Samuels got out would be squarely on me!”

Sri Lanka were going about the chase okay, when they were 47-1 at the end of the 9^th over with both their legends Jayawardene and Sanga still in the middle,

That’s when some super bowling by Badree, Narain and Samuels, exposed the Sri Lankan middle order that proved ever so brittle,

When fighting-back Kulasekara started to smash Ravi Rampaul, ice cool senior pro Chris Gayle who just scored 3 off 16 balls earlier in the day, was there to calm him in a speech given in a huddle,

In their entire innings Sri Lanka collapsed to score less runs than the runs West Indies did in their last 10 overs (105) and their fans were ready to eject on them, in disgust, their spittle!

While West Indies danced to celebrate after having won a World Cup after 33 long years, for Sri Lanka  in four straight World Finals, it was the case of regret and tears,

And in the presentation ceremony, Captain Sammy talked about Jesus Christ who died on the Cross as the one, who amidst all the criticism he had faced, who calms all his fears!

The thrill and satisfaction that one get when watching a good T20 game fades away quickly when life’s problems pricks as briers!

That’s why you need to come in repentance and faith to the Jesus that Captain Sammy talked about – to experience even amidst long life calamities, lasting cheers!

The Ultimate Combination Champion is Jesus, not Barack Obama, Bill Clinton!

- Duke Jeyaraj

Former US President, Bill Clinton, was oozing with eloquence when he spoke thus of President Barack Obama in the Democratic National Convention, in Charlotte, NC, on 5 Sept 2012: “I Nominate A Man Who’s Cool On The Outside… But Burns For America On The Inside"... He was praising Barack Obama for possessing a rare combination of contrasting qualities. I want to say that no one had a greater measure of contrasting qualities than the Lord Jesus himself. I call Jesus, 'the combination champion'. Not only was Jesus amazingly powerful (he had miracle-working power) but he was absolutely pure (there was no muck in him). Not only was Jesus 100% God (Titus 2:13), he was also 100% human (Acts 17:31). While Jesus was loving (a bruised reed, he would not break), he could lash out at people with words of judgement as well (he called the unrepentant Jewish religious leaders "a brood of snakes", "white-washed tombs" who were headed for hell, and Herod as "that fox"). Jesus' contrasting qualities far out-beats anyone you can care to name (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).

DO YOU DOFF YOUR HAT TO YOUR OPPONENT LIKE DJOKOVIC DID?

- Duke Jeyaraj

After Andy Murray became the first Britisher to win a Grand Slam in 76 years by beating him in the 2012 US Open Final, Serbia's Novak Djokovic showered praise on his opponent: 

"I had a great opponent today. He deserved to win this grand slam more than anybody, I'm sure, because over the years he's been a top player. He's been so close, lost four finals. Now he has won it, so I would like to congratulate him.

"Happy that he won it." (from Yahoo News).

Djokovic's verbal act of doffing his hat to his opponent was refreshing to read for we live in the world were envy is everywhere and feelings of jealously are not uncommon! The tricky thing about envy is that no one can tell if you are envious, for sure. Only God who knows everything and from whom nothing can be hidden would know. And you, the person who harbors envy, would know.

Apostle Paul was like the Novak Djokovic we just read about. He could have chosen to be envious of young evangelist Apollos, who apparently was more eloquent than him (see Acts 18:24 and I Cor. 2:3). But he did not. Instead, Paul chose to "strongly" recommend the ministry of Apollos to the church in Corinth in his letter to them (I Cor 16:12). Wow! By doing this, Paul was just practicing what he wrote to the church at Philippi: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3 ESV). Paul was simply following Jesus who appreciated the folk who loved to hate him, the Jewish leaders. Jesus appreciated the Jewish leaders for their discipline of searching of Scripture for long hours and for their discipline of giving to God one-tenth of items found even in their kitchens (see John 5:39; Math 23:23).

What about you? Do you appreciate the bloke in your team who is better than you in the tasks you both have to execute in the company you work for? He collects more dollars than you, perhaps. She gets more customer appreciation, maybe. Do you go green with envy when you spot some more accomplished than you in a certain discipline - be it taking photographs, be it dressing up well, be it preaching a Bible message, be it speaking the English language, be it in cooking, be it in scoring exam grades, etc? Don't! Learn from Djokovic. Learn from Paul. Appreciate the person who does things better than you!

The only person who can truly transform your life from the cancer of envy is the one who died because of the envy of others - even the Lord Jesus Christ (Math 27:18 - Pilate understood that it was out of envy that the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to die). Jesus died not just because of the envy of the Jews. He died as a punishment for our sins, the Bible declares (2 Cor. 5:21).  Come to him who shed his blood for you on the Cross. His blood will flush you of all sin - including the sin of envy, which he clearly named as sin in one of  his sin lists (see Mark 7:22). Jesus will give you the power to genuinely appreciate your opponents/teammates who are perhaps better than in you in certain matters!

Don't forget - being envious is injurious to your health! "Envy makes the bones rot!", the Bible declares (Prov 14:30)! Before our bones rot, let us blot the sin of envy in our heart by asking Jesus to cleanse us from it!

TALKING ABOUT THE 100 METERS DASH AND ANOTHER CLASH

Duke Jeyaraj's poem on the eve of the men's 100 meters dash in London 2012 Olympics

In every Olympics, the most watched race is the 100 meters dash,
The tag of 'fastest man on the earth' belongs to the winner of this clash!
In this Olympics, will the winner be World Record Holder Usain Bolt?
Or will it be his country-mate Yohan Blake, the young colt?
Some Americans would like to think, it's going to be Tyson Gay!
W

 hile the Sun still shines, former Olympic champ Justin Gatlin, would seek to make hay!
Don't forget, you also have, among the contenders, Jamaica's Asafa Powell,
The 100 metre dash will be truly absorbing contest, well, well, well!

Did you know, history's greatest EVER clash was between Jesus and the Devil
When Jesus died and rose again, He won this clash and solved the problem of sin and evil
When you repent and turn to Jesus, your life with true joy and real peace, He will fill!

THE EPIC RACE & GOD'S GRACE!

Duke Jeyaraj's Good News Presenting Poem on the London Olympics Men's 100 Meters Dash Final which Usain Bolt won on 5 August 2012.

It was on the London Olympics 2012 100 meters men's final dash the world's eyes did lock,

To watch this one heart-stopping event, live, people from all over the world, to the Olympic stadium did flock,

To catch this breathtaking sprint live on TV, folks like me in India, woke up with the kids, as early as two o' clock,

The cynosure of all eyes was 'Lighting Bolt' Usain Bolt - no athlete in recent times, like him the universe, did rock,

After his pre-race theatrics for the crowds (that included Prince Harry and William) and the cameras, Bolt crouched on the starting block,

At one point in the race, he was third last, and the question did arise if someone his Olympic title, from him would possibly knock,

But he blazed forward as the finish neared - it was as if he alone ran while others' legs were arrested in some sort of a padlock,

A talented field of athletes including the current World Champion Blake, former world record holder Powell, 2007 World Champion Gay and the former Olympic Champion Gatlin, he effortlessly did sock,

History's three fastest 100 meter dash times were now his, as he crossed the finish line in a Olympic record of 9.64 seconds, his nagging critics to mock,

His World Record of 9.58 seconds could have possibly been broken had he not, while he was about to cross the finish line, wasted precious nano seconds, trying to look at the stop-clock,

Bolt's phenomenal power sprint pulled all seven out of the eight finalists under the 10 second barrier, expect Asafa Powell, who slowed down in utter shock,

In this epic race, Justin Gatlin, though he ran 0.06 seconds faster than his 2004 Gold Medal performance could only add a bronze to his Olympic medal-stock,

After the race, Bolt struck trademark 'To The World' pose pointing both fingers in the air, after bowing prostrate to the ground, to perhaps do God-talk.

Talking about God-talk, I am reminded of the race that Jesus, God in flesh, undertook to reach atop Golgotha hillock,

To wash away your sin and mine, he would shed his sinless blood there after having received from cruel Roman soldiers, knock after knock,

He did this all to give you a real happiness which you are still searching for after that secret fling with that pretty girl in that pink frock,

Turn from sin and trust in Jesus, your life will be meaningful and purposeful and you won't have to, like Socrates, drink poisonous hemlock!

---

Post Script - Poor Tyson Gay! He finished fourth despite clocking a sensational time of 9.80 seconds in the 100 meters final. In every Olympic 100 meters men final before Beijing 2008, this effort would have won him the Gold Medal. But this time - thanks to Gold Medal winner Usain Bolt's power sprinting that pulled the seven out of the eight finalists into the sub 10 seconds mark - this guy called Gay did not even win a bronze medal despite a fabulous effort this Olympics and was reduced to tears.  This is a imperfect picture of how all of us, sinful us, have fallen short of the glory of a holy, holy, holy God despite our best efforts and how we can be saved only through placing our total trust in Christ!

Hate Story Movie's Paoli Dam & The Damnation of the Soul

- Duke Jeyaraj

"Love killed her soul; her body seeks revenge" - so goes the movie poster punchline for VIKRAM BHATT'S, Hate Story, as I discovered from newspaper ads. The 'her' referred to in this movie poster punchline is actress Paoli Dam. Starting  from Paoli Dam, we can learn a lesson from the Bible about the damnation of the soul! Shocked? Let me elaborate. Even the makers of movies of the cadre a Christ-follower would consciously avoid, like the HATE STORY, surprisingly, concede that humans have a soul - not just a body. We have a soul, because we are made in the image of God who too has a soul. "My soul is well-pleased!" so said the God of the Bible about the sinless life of only incarnate Son, Jesus - the Bible records (Math 12:18). Yes, all of us have a soul! This soul, the Bible declares, will go on living forever (Eccl 3:11). We can gain the whole world, and yet forfeit the soul, Jesus, God-in-flesh warned (Mk 8:36). Nothing can be given in exchange for the soul, ever, Jesus taught (Math 16:26). Not the diamonds of South Africa. Not the cars of Germany. Not the cheap thrills that come in viewing movies like HATE STORY. Just nothing. Without a living, daily, deep relationship with Jesus, our soul and body will be consigned to eternal hell - this is the declaration of Jesus who always spoke the truth (Math 10:28). Jesus' question to all who are reading this is this: if your soul is required of you tonight, where will it spend eternity (Lk 12:20)? If you not sure of the answer, repent and come to the one whose 'soul was troubled' because of our sinful deeds (John 12:27). Come to the one who went to Gethsemane garden being 'sorrowful in his soul' and eventually to the Cross of Calvary for our sakes, and for our sins (Math 26:38). Come to the one whose 'soul was not abandoned to death' but rose again from the death - the only one to do so (Acts 2:27). Come to Jesus. Come now. After you have come to Him, start to love Him 'with all your soul' - which is his greatest command (Math 22:37). And, by his power overcome temptations that will come your way, live holy. Start reading his word, the Bible and start talking to him in prayer. Join a Bible-believing fellowship. Witness for him, through your life and lips. Then, when Jesus comes back the second time to this planet as judge, you will be "kept blameless in your body, soul and spirit" (I Thess 5:23).

“CAN WE GLEAN THEOLOGY FROM KOLAVERI DI, DA?”

-Duke Jeyaraj

Most Watched Youtube song in India

The song, “Why This Kolaveri Di…” is the most watched Indian song ever uploaded on Youtube.com. This song has become the heart anthem of the Google Generation. Paul quoted from a secular poet to drive home a Biblical truth in his Gospel presentation in Athens (Acts 17:28). If that can be done, it won’t be a bad idea to glean theology from the hugely popular, “Kolaveri Di” song.

Holy Vs Holey!

This song is about the extreme anger that a girl showed her boyfriend (‘kolaveri’ in Tamil means murderous rage). Only God has the right to exhibit a rage that could kill anybody – no one else has this right. This is because, only God is holy. And the rest of us are “holey” – full of holes, full of sin (Rom 3:23). Paul talks about this extreme anger of God in Romans 1 - “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Rom 1:18). In the Bible we read about how God righteously expressed this anger on certain individuals to kill them instantly. The sons of Eli, the priest, who slept with young women who served in the temple were struck down by God through circumstances (I Sam 2:22-25). I will say this even though it will not be a popular thing to say - God can show ‘kolaveri’ on each one of us. But he does not do so. Instead, he gives us opportunities to repent and return to him. If the Lord would kept record of our sins, none of us could stand before him alive (Psa 130:3). This great grace encourages us to return to God without delay. And God would be absolutely justified in striking any of us still stubbornly playing around with sin, dead in his holy ‘kolaveri’.

Only a white girl’s heart is dark?

Dhanush goes on to sing these lines in this ‘hit’ song: “White skin-u girl-u girl-u/ Girl-u heart-u black-u/ Eyes-u eyes-u meet-u meet-u/ My future dark.” These lines reveal the hurt of the boy who has been ditched in love by a “white girl” with a “black heart.” Did you know that the Bible teaches each one of us have “black heart” (and not just girls with white skin)? Prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). In other words what Jeremiah was recording here was this: everyone heart is blackened by sin! And the good news is this: though our sins like scarlet (or shall we saw black as soot!), they can become as white as snow (Isa 1:18). This can happen when those confessed sins come under the cleansing blood of Jesus, the Bible teaches (I John 1:7-9).

Alcohol consumption, the solution?

Dhanush, in yet another paragraph of this song, seems to suggest that he thinks that drowning himself in alcohol would enable him to handle his hard-to-handle love-break-up with this pretty white girl. It is in this context that he talks about a ‘Scotch’ whisky bottle in his hand and ‘tears’ in the eyes, in this song! ‘When you are depressed, get drunk’ – this is what the World teaches. But what does the Word teach? This: Almighty’s presence – not alcohol intake – is the solution for depression. Bible prophet Elijah who wanted an early end to his life when he was depressed, discovered this. His first destination was God’s mountain – the very presence of God – after his bout of depression (I Kings 19:8). When things go wrong in our lives, we must run to God’s presence through the discipline of intense, intimate prayer. God’s presence is an antidote for depression for no one can love us and accept us like God. If God had a purse, your picture will be on it! If God drove a car, your name will be on that car’s bumper! If God had a fridge, your photo would be stuck onto it! You are inscribed in the palm of his hands! You are the apple of his eye! (Thanks to Max Lucado for planting those last few sentences in my heart!).

The Bible makes it clear that alcohol consumption is never the solution for anything. The Bible teaches, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted” (Pro 31:4-5). The word “lemuel” in the Hebrew, the language the most of the Old Testament was written in, meant “devoted to God.” So here is the message of that just-quoted Bible passage: those devoted to God will not consume alcohol and those who do so will be poor leaders and deplorable examples of Christian living.

Your future cannot be dark, when…

Dhanush, in the “Kolaveri” song confesses, “My future dark-u…” He thinks this way because his relationship with the girl he really was in love, head over heels with, was now abruptly broken, with her walking out of his life, all of a sudden. But for a believer in Christ, the future will never be dark for he has the Word of God which the lamp unto his feet (Psa 119:105). A person who spends unhurried time with the Bible with an open mind and a teachable spirit will never grope in the dark. The Bible says, “the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day” (Prov 4:18). Through a living relationship with Christ we inherit the free gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17). When our relationship with Christ gets deeper and more intimate, darkness (which is symbolic of sin) will be nowhere in sight and a day will come when we will be in the very presence of God who dwells in approachable light, forever and forever (I Tim 6:16)!

“Sex, with the girl of my dreams will…”

“Empty life-u/ Girl-u come-u/ Life-u reverse gear-u” – those are lines from the mouth of Dhanush in the song, “Kolaveri.” What he says here is this: he thought his empty life would be filled by the beautiful girl he had fallen in love with; but what happened was just the ‘reverse’ – he became even more empty after this beautiful girl came into his life! Dhanush’s honest confession here sort of agrees with a truth that the Bible talks about through an real life story – the real life story of Amnon. Amnon thought sex with the girl of his dreams would fill the emptiness in his life. He just had that. He raped Tamar, his half-sister. And what happened after that was this: he felt so empty that he asked the girl he had sex with to get out of his sight! Sex with the girl of his dreams left him feeling emptier than he was, when he first met her! (Read 2 Samuel 13). But the goodnews is that a relationship with Jesus (who said, “I have come that you may have life – life to the full!” – Jn 10:10) is the only way to plug empty feeling or the vacuum in the heart. Jesus alone qualifies to plug that emptiness because he never ever sinned. Jesus knew no sin, the Bible records (2 Cor 5:21). Even his worst enemies, the Pharisees, were mum, when he asked them, “Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin?” (John 8:46). So as a person without a scent of sin in his life, the only person to be like that, Jesus was never empty. What is the connection between being empty and sin? Emptiness first came into our lives because of sin, the Bible explains. “Emptiness will be their (the wicked’s) only reward” – the Bible records (Job 15:31, NLT). Having understood this, when we come in repentance to have trust in Jesus who died for us on the Cross, we can be indeed be redeemed from “the empty way of living” (I Pet 1:18, NIV; John 1:12).

Mrs. Lot did not have lots of time!

Dhunush in the last para of “Kolaveri” sings, “Cow-u cow-u, holy cow-u/ I want u hear now-u!” I have tried hard to figure out what he is saying here. But I have not been able to. In fact, even Dhanush in various interviews has stated that this particular song has no meaning in some places! But what I do understand is this: he was to wanting to hear something then and there! May be he wanted to hear the words “I love you again! I will get back to you again!” from the girl who left him ‘high and dry’ – without any delay! In the same way, Jesus wants each one of us to come back to him without delay. Jesus preached once, “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32). I have wondered why Jesus wanted us to remember Lot’s wife. It was because he wanted to remind us of the grave peril in when we postpone our coming back to him. Mrs. Lot thought she had lots of time to repent. “I still have time for one last look at sin!” – she thought. We too may think that way. “I still have time to have one last look at that pornographic site!” – we may tell ourselves. “I still have time to carry that grudge with that brother or sister for one more day!” – we may fool ourselves. But, lets not forget that Mrs. Lot did not have lots of time to flirt around with sin. She turned into a pillar of a salt, instantly. She died suddenly while she was still in sin to go into an eternity without God! What happened to Mrs. Lot could happen to us who may think ‘we have lots of time to repent’! So, let’s come to Christ when there is still time which is now! A newly married groom can perhaps postpone his first night with his wife but he should not postpone getting right with God which is the preparation for the day of the Judgment which can arrive at any second – this is the message of Prophet Joel (2:12,16).

Becoming really alive!

“Godu I m dying now-u; She is happy how-u” – those lines are the last few lines that Dhanush’s “Kolaveri.” He is talking about death here. He is talking about a different kind of death – a death after which he will be still alive! A death in his spirit, if you can call that. Jesus too talked about such a kind of death in one of his parables. While talking about a young man who returned to his father’s home after years in rebellion and in sin, Jesus makes this interesting statement: “He was dead, but now he is alive!” (Luke 15:32). This young man was physically alive. But the sins he indulged in, made him spiritually dead. But his act of repentance, his decision to take a U-turn and return back to father’s home, gave him the opportunity to be spiritually resurrected. You too are spiritually dead. We were dead in trespasses and sins, the Bible declares (Eph 2:1). But a relationship with Jesus after we have repented from sin, after we have taken U-turn in our life and returned to him, will make us alive – really alive!