Marbaniang, Domenic

The Spirit is a world. We are called to step into the world of the Spirit, in tune with Him. The Flesh is a world. We are born into the world of flesh. The flesh spins its own world around itself. The world is its reference of meaning. Guilt is the experience of battle between the Spirit-world and Flesh-world. Guiltless-sinning is the experience of being subdued by the flesh. This person can’t easily participate in the religious feelings of other worshippers. He/She has been sucked into the Flesh-world, totally alienated from the Spirit. The Spirit strives with our spirit to produce conviction when the flesh is a vexation. The key to walking in the Spirit is inclination. One who inclines his/her heart to the Spirit is drawn by the Spirit into His bosom of grace. The Spirit reveals Himself to those who seek Him. He assists us in prayer for we know not how to pray. He breaks through the shell of our minds, illuminating us with divine insights, delivering us from the delusi

The two simple ways are given by the Lord in Matthew 26:41 where He exhorts His disciples saying, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." WATCHING To watch means to be discerningly attentive. Whenever you feel drawn to something that is alluring and tempting, you need to ask WHY it is alluring and tempting. It can never be alluring and tempting until it is able to distract you from the Lord. Temptation is a subtle process. So speak to yourself these truths and take immediate actions to banish the tempting thought. 1. This temptation is trying to make me forget the Reality that is centered in Christ. It is trying to suck me into a virtual reality framed by sin where sin is acceptable. 2. The world where sin looks beautiful, reasonable, and true is unreal; the Reality is Christ and His love for me. 3. This suffering (if temptation to deny faith) is temporary, no matter how hard it is. The world that the temptation to deny faith sucks me into is a web spun by

Ten Principles of Increase 1.  Openness to change (Prov.1:5). Most people have stopped hearing. They don’t listen to anyone because they think they have arrived. Prov.9:9. Prov 22:17 (The importance of inclining ) 2.  Obedience is the channel of blessing (Deut.7:13). Promotion comes from the lord. 1Cor.3:6 (God gives the increase) 3.  Growth is systemic (Col.2:19). Are you connected to the Lord? Are you connected to God’s people? How deep are your roots? How strong are your bonds? Do you suffer when another suffers? Is Christ your Head? Are you available for the Body? Self-centered leaders lose all their sheep. 4.  The laborer deserves his wages . The laborer must labor like a laborer (Prov.13:11). How crusty are your hands? 5.  The seed you sow is the seed that will grow (2 Cor.9:10) – Psalm 62:11 (When riches increase do not set your heart on them) – Learn to give, generously. What do you have in your hand? 6.  Looking at dirt as a positive sign of growth (Prov.14:4). Are your st

If not for Your grace O Lord, This heart would remain as cold as ice. But, You've drawn me with Your infinite mercies. I feel heaven dropped into my life. All of my striving brought me no gain, Until Your gentle rap fell onto my ears. I've got goosebumps all over my body, I've got exhilarations from heart to my eyes. Lord, I incline my heart to You! Good Morning Lord Jesus!

How old do we sooner become Forgetting things that were yesterday new; Looking behind, we're surprised again That our thoughts today aren't that new. Memories of profundity fade into obscurity; Memories of goodness are ever new; Still, memories of transgressions prick the heart; While memories of mercies remain true. How older have we become? How farther from childhood grew? Still the child-like dependence hasn't disappeared, The childish frettings aren't that few. We are children of You, O Father, Our eyes look longingly only to You. For only You can discern our desires. And our hearts always come back only to You! Don't wanna miss Your voice in the morning, As our eyes cast the spell of sleep away. And, when we get back to bed in the night, We desire Your presence with us to stay. If we go wrong, O Jesus, Let Your cane correct us, though we bitterly cry. For, we know that sooner the cries'll be over, And You'll sweep us back into Your bosom of love. How ol

RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM AND SOCIAL ORDER A Philosophical Perspective Domenic Marbaniang, Ph.D. Paper presented at the National Seminar on Religious Fundamentalism and Social Order,  Andhra University , February 26-27, 2010. Forty four years after the publication of Harvey Cox ’s The Secular City that celebrated “the progressive secularization of the world as the logical outcome of Biblical religion” ( Newsweek ) [1] , we almost feel the bones of religious fundamentalism cracking under the pressure of secularization. At the same time, however, the Hegelian dialectic holds ground as both refuse to be crushed by either; and any compromising stance only begets another rival; to the effect, that it can be said that fundamentalism is never a phenomenon that may be extinguished. The term “fundamentalist” was first used by a Baptist journalist in 1920 as a badge of honor for those Christians who championed the cause of the Fundamentals , or set of beliefs such as the inerrancy of Scripture