Think Christ, Live Christian

By Ignatius Fernandez

In every portion of Think Christ, Live Christian, readers will find stories of people whose lives have been transformed through faith in Jesus, and repentance. Ignatius Fernandez takes a prolific and scholarly plunge into the Bible and many other resources from around the world. to come up with a thorough evaluation of Christianity and how to live it. The book is the precise essence of Biblical Christianity, and explains how Jesus makes the difference, in and through us. It is an encounter with the Living Christ. Are you a new Christian? Here is guidance for every aspect of your new life. Can you claim many years in the faith? This book may show you gaps in your knowledge and practice you can easily fill while growing in faithfulness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Four Craftsmen Publishing
• Release date: May 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9780963964496

Ignatius Fernandez

Ignatius Fernandez is a post graduate in Chemistry and Business Management. Senior Management Professional. Professor of Management Studies. Corporate Trainer for top management. Speaker. Counselor. Blogger. Author of seven books and over sixty articles.

Book preview

Chapter seven: How do we relate to Jesus who loves us?

Summary of Part One

PART TWO: An introduction

Chapter eight: Children of quality.

Chapter nine: The art of giving is the art of living.

Chapter ten: Vessels of clay holding divine power and fragrance.

Chapter eleven: What can praise do?

Chapter twelve: Do pain and evil make sense?

Chapter thirteen: On being inordinately attached.

Chapter fourteen: Scripture characters who teach us some lessons.

Chapter fifteen:

Building bridges – Part one

Building bridges – Part two

Building bridges – Part three

Building bridges – Part four

Chapter sixteen: The wisdom that age brings with it.

Chapter seventeen: Death teaches us to live.

Chapter eighteen: From being apart to drawing near.

Summary of Part Two.

Prayer.

Author Page.

I dedicate this book to my beloved parents, Leo and Mary Fernandez. They anchored me in Christian values and virtues and gave me the grammar to construct my language of love. And, to my wife, dearest Mabel, who staunchly supported me through her Christian beliefs.

Acknowledgements

Think Christ, Live Christian is the result of five years of research, reflection and guidance by the Holy Spirit — to who I am in perpetual debt. On my own I could not have written this book. To the Holy Spirit adoration, praise, thanksgiving and glory!

Extensive reading helped me, as did purposeful discussions and powerful homilies. While I am not able to list the hundreds of books and articles I have read over many years, in joy I acknowledge the rich contribution of The Holy Bible [The New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition for India] in helping me make a case for Christian living. All Biblical quotations in this book are from The New Revised Standard Version. The commentary and insights in the Life Application Study Bible (New International Version) were invaluable. With such Biblical inputs, the overarching purpose of the book was to magnify the Lord. To glorify him, I raise questions that lead to more questions that will create our debates, not in any particular group, but among all Christians.

Edward Valenzuela has done a remarkable job in capturing the essence of the book in his Preface. At short notice he read the text and culled out points that would attract the attention of the reader. I thank him for his well-constructed Preface. The reviewers of the book have done an exceedingly good job of expressing their thoughts on the book in clear, concise logic. They have been effusive in praise and encouragement. I thank them warmly and sincerely for the time and effort they put into the project. Their first names appear in alphabetical order below extracts from their reviews, just after the front cover.

I thank my family for strongly supporting me in my attempts to author this book. My sons studied the text and made helpful suggestions which have enriched the book. I thank the publishers for faith in the book, and the cooperation they have given to me.

God bless you.

Ignatius Fernandez.

https://www.ignatiusfernandez.com

Preface

Think Christ, Live Christian is a wake up call to all who profess to follow Christ, yet who do not understand what it means to be Christian. By way of an answer to the question—What does it mean to be a Christian?—Ignatius Fernandez has written an absorbing and thought provoking book on Christ’s message to us on becoming better Christians, his true followers. This book is not for any particular church or sect but offers an all—encompassing view of Christ’s teaching and why we are blinded sometimes by our beliefs and habits, into missing essential truths.

The book is not a discussion on the life of Christ; instead it unravels the teachings of Christ in respect to daily living. The author does this after years of research, not as a theologian, but as a Christ—loving person. Sharing the wisdom of other Christians, authors, and great thinkers, Fernandez has woven for us a tapestry that should adorn our lives. Much as Christ rarely preached to his disciples and followers, Fernandez also does not preach, but through an accumulated body of wisdom, provides us examples and stories to make his point. He has the gift of storytelling. Through many anecdotes and short stories, he makes a strong case for change. The book subtly and effectively reminds us of becoming true Christians, not just Christians in name. As true Christians, we cannot think only of our perfection and salvation, but embrace others who are on the same pilgrimage. It urges us to accept our failings and beg Christ’s forgiveness, even as we strive to improve.

As a Christian, I find parts of the book painful to read the more I discover how my isolation blinds and prevents me from being a better Christian—one who reaches out to others. That is why Fernandez’s call to unity makes sense. Let us raise the banner of Christian unity, not the red flags of dissension and strife, he pleads.

The foundation of our growth in Christ begins with the Bible. However, we are not limited by it in trying to understand God’s love for us. Even other sources and cultures point to God’s love and the universality of his love, besides highlighting his saving power. His saving power powerfully came across to me in the words of a scholar, as reported by a Baptist minister: I am a sinner and Jesus Christ is the great Savior. Those words resonate in me, filling me with a burning desire to love my neighbor, not just the ones who attend my church or read the Bible I read. That God works through us, imperfect people, is a thought that energizes my faith. I would like to become a saint, though I have a long way to go before I have a halo over my head. Trusting in the mercy of Jesus, I shall strive to become a better Christian, even as I use this book as a source of inspiration.

There is more to what I have gained: A very engrossing overview of Christianity. Also, an insight into the real demons we battle to become better Christians. These are the false gods of Wealth, Power, Fame and Pleasure. Our devil in the materialistic world is the satisfaction we find in the latest hit song, or in the flavor of a new diet, or a new product that technology offers us, or in the latest sex model. Not that each is bad in itself; but an obsession with them puts distance between Jesus and us. To fight such demons, we cannot just clothe ourselves in Christ’s teachings, but also live them and be like him. Not that we can easily climb such daunting heights but try through sincere and consistent effort to climb a few rungs on the ladder to heaven. Spotlighting insincerity, Fernandez writes: For many of us, our relationship with God is religiosity (spurious and ritualistic sentiment). We perform acts of devotion, without being devout. We recite prayers without praying, often repeating them by heart, and not in our hearts. Through our insincerity we lie to him. What I have assuredly gained is a resolve not to be just an admirer of Christ, but his follower—making the fundamental message of the book my own. A no small benefit for me has been the author’s references, which will be on my reading list for some time.

I strongly encourage Christians to read and enjoy this book. It will stimulate, enlighten and challenge you! Read the book for the wisdom it will bring you. Read the book for deep insights on how to be Christ-centered. Most of all, read it to understand the love of Jesus and what it means to follow him.

Even for non-Christians it will be a great stimulus for those who look for an enriching reading experience.

Edward Valenzuela

Former Managing Director, Accenture LLC, Colorado

Think Christ by knowing and loving Jesus

PART ONE An Introduction

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; that word is love" ~ Sophocles

A farmer had only three shirts: the first was new, the second was in use, and the third was old. A poor man in the village died; his family had no shirt to clothe him for his cremation. So, his son, with no shirt on, came to the farmer for help. The farmer told his daughter, a school-going girl, to give one of his shirts to the boy who was waiting. Did the farmer follow John the Baptist: Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none?~Luke 3:11. The daughter, not knowing which of the three to pick, asked her father for a decision. He asked her what she would do if he died. She said that she would use the best, the new shirt. Please do that, he coaxed. Today, his one—time school—going daughter is a nun, Sister Marian. Her eyes fill as she tells me the story, calling her father a man of God. He knew Jesus, she affirms. He had love that freed him, as Sophocles vouched.

To know Jesus is to establish a dynamic relationship with him, not static, which could peak in loving him, as the farmer showed us how. Jesus made his love known to us through sacrifice and suffering. How do we make our love known to him? Doing it in any way would be a labor of love, spread across a lifetime, for growing in love is a passion that is on the edge of perfection, and perfection takes time.

No wonder, in Matthew 5:48, Jesus exhorted his disciples to be perfect: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. In Leviticus 19:2, through Moses, God urged the Jews to be holy for a reason that defied any argument: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. In 1 Corinthians 3:23 Saint Paul conclusively stated: You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. Through attempts to be holy and perfect, we are pleasing in the eyes of Jesus—since we belong to him, and he to God.

Holiness is not an event. It is a process that happens in stages and grows little by little. And striving for perfection is a praiseworthy goal, seldom attained. We must attempt to be both, holy and perfect, no matter how difficult, because the journey is everything. Jesus set us the example of stage—wise growth. He did not descend from heaven as a wise, full-grown man, but was born as an innocent, helpless infant. From that stage he progressed to childhood, to adolescence and much later, to wise adulthood as Luke writes: And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years Luke 2:52. Learning from him, let us prepare for the long haul, of phased growth—of growing in age, wisdom, love for him and others.

Although Jesus spoke wise words and performed kind deeds, Israel ignored him when he came. The Old Testament is one long Advent—waiting for the Messiah. But their Advent did not have a Christmas, since they failed to recognize the Messiah when he came. In our eagerness to find him, let us not lose sight of the many manifestations of his presence in all that is around us. Let the pursuit of holiness and perfection not be confined to reading the Bible, quoting verses from it and praying for ourselves—but to embracing Jesus and others, and making deposits into impoverished lives.

Let us not ignore him but understand what Christian living is, which is responding to his call. When the king calls does his subject tarry? When the lover beckons, does not his beloved swoon in love into his open arms? Jesus, the King of kings is calling; let us answer him without delay. Jesus, the lover of our souls is waiting for us with bated breath; let us not keep him waiting!

Not to keep him waiting, let us begin with John the Baptist. Without appearing pompous, I submit that this book has the mission of John the Baptist—to herald Christ into our lives. John’s task was to make straight the path for the Savior. But in humility he added that he must decrease as Christ increased. With him the overture was complete; now the opera would begin, he intoned. I have the same purpose. I hope and pray that we enthrone Jesus in our hearts; that this book fades in our hearts and minds; and that Jesus imprints his face on them, even as he did on the Veronica (the towel offered by Nike—her name was not Veronica—to the suffering Jesus as he staggered to Calvary).

Atop Corcovado Mountain, overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, stands the statue of the Christ the Redeemer. It is 30 meters tall, 28 meters wide, and weighs 635 tons. It can be seen, day and night, from anywhere in the city. During the 2016 Rio Olympics the statue appeared many times on TV, as the sports events were telecast worldwide. Were some of the athletes at the Olympics inspired by the statue? We do not know. What we do know is that some of them had the face of Jesus imprinted in them and proclaimed his love.

Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia) established a new world record in the 10,000 meters race at the Rio Olympics in 2016. When they accused her of doping, she silenced her accusers with: My doping is Jesus. David Boudia and Steele Johnson (USA) won the silver medal in the men’s synchronized platform. Boudia declared: Our identity is in Christ. Simone Manuel (USA), who won two gold and two silver medals in swimming, said: All I can say is all glory to God. Katie Ledecky (USA), who won four gold medals, said that she prayed before each event. And, Michael Phelps (USA), the swimming star, once depressed, gave himself to Christ, and experienced a transformation that was evident in his performance at Rio (Source: The New Leader Magazine, 2017). Let us join these celebrities in celebrating CHRIST—our unchanging friend—in and through our lives! When we do that—face the sun—shadows will fall behind us, not before us, even as we mirror the light of the sun to overpower darkness in others.

To know Jesus, we could start by knowing his word in the Bible that begins with the majestic story of God creating the universe and ends with his creating a new heaven and a new earth. Between the covers it is painstakingly accurate, with gripping events to rouse our faith. And through the Gospels—a significant part of the Bible—Jesus authors volumes, without writing a word. Study it, assuming we live forever; live it, assuming we die tomorrow, letting thoughts from it burrow into our minds to become an invisible part of our lives.

A grandson, who did not understand why his grandfather read the Bible daily, was put to a test. The old man asked him to fetch water from the river in a basket used to collect coal. The boy tried many times, but failed, since water seeped through the basket. Frustrated, he returned to his grandfather and complained. The old man was pensive for a time and then asked the little fellow to look at the coal-stained basket. It was clean, the boy agreed. Reading the Bible is like that, the old man explained. We are cleansed by reading of God’s love for us; we are cleansed on the inside. Would we agree?

Look at the price a woman paid to agree. A woman, a leper, in one-time Belgian Congo, crawled eight miles to reach a mission, to be instructed in the faith. Asked why she took such pains, she replied: Of what matter the pain and weariness of the journey. Jesus loved me enough to die in my place. I love him and long to be taught his word. Will her example inspire us to study his word and live it, finding the real meaning in his teachings and leaving a little luster wherever we go? To dwell where holiness and perfection reside!

Leo Tolstoy captured the essence of Jesus’ teachings: "He who understands Christ’s teachings feels like a bird that did not know it has wings, and now suddenly it realizes it can fly, can be free." Free. Recall what Jesus said: The truth will set us free. What is truth? Who is truth? Jesus answered both questions when he said: I am the way, and the truth and the life~John 14:6. Put differently, Jesus sets us free, in being The Way and by giving us Life. To be free we need to read, savor and live his word—which is his way to eternal life. What does his word ask of us? He asks only for the gold of prayer, the frankincense of charity and the myrrh of sacrifice. And we are crass in refusing him! Jesus died for us in shame in public; let us not live for him behind a mask, only in private!

Franz Kafka defined the purpose of a book: A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. I shall adopt the axe approach—An examination of conscience. Experience has taught me that significant attitudinal and behavioral changes (overturning our established perceptions) come only through reflection and prayer. D. H. Lawrence explains what the trauma of change means: Are you willing to be sponged out, erased, cancelled, and made nothing? If not, you will never change. And, Alvin Toffler makes change inevitable to life: Change is not merely necessary to life; it is life. Those of us who have initiated and sustained a program of serious change, like the Apostle Paul, will agree with them. Such change will call for some explaining, as Paul had to. When he changed from persecutor to crusader he lost many old friends but gained a few new ones; when we change, it will be the same for us.

To initiate the new thinking process, I have mixed anecdotes with content in this book, imitating Jesus, who wove parables into the fabric of his teachings to lend it enchanting colors. As the best communicator the world has known and the greatest teacher that walked the earth, he used stories to reach his listeners. Why not I, in a small way, take after him? And like him—whose message was for all—this book is for all Christians, no group in particular.

Reflection begins with introspection; and real prayer springs from our total dependence on Jesus. So, in this book there will be a series of questions to aid reflection; and inspirational quotations from Scripture and great thinkers, and some uncommon ideas, to animate the right disposition for prayer. We will notice the same pattern right through the book. The questions may irk us like an ill-fitting harness; but let us not cut loose and bolt, because we have compensations at the end of the ride. The stimulus to act—to enter the holy place—comes from Mahatma Gandhi: You may never know what results come to your actions; but if you do nothing, there will be no results.

To love the Master, and follow his example, the Christian needs to know him and his teachings a little better than he does now—taking after Paul who wrote: I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord~Philippians 3:8. To make that possible, the book is divided into two parts: Think Christ, by Knowing and Loving Jesus, is the first part, which is mainly about his love for us. The symbol of his love is not just his cross, but also his broken heart that does not stop loving us. Live Christian, by Knowing and Loving Others, is the second part. To forge strong bonds with others, cementing them with caring ways, we need to reflect on Jesus’ teachings of loving and serving others. The two parts proceed from his two commandments: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself~Matthew 22:37-40. Those commandments prompted Saint Augustine to sanction: Love and do what you will.

What can motivate us to find the path of love? David Livingstone, explorer, missionary and anti-slave crusader, answers the question. He spent many years in Africa where living conditions were difficult and demanding, yet his mission of love was not compromised. Once, speaking to the students of Glasgow University, he quoted from the gospel of Matthew to disclose his secret on what kept him motivated despite travails: Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age~Matthew 28:20. Comforted and reassured by the words of the first Christian, we shall begin our journey of love, through the pages of this book, where I have used more of we and less of you—because I prefer not to talk down to my readers.

Why is Jesus the first Christian? Jesus is the first Christian because he lived his two commandments—in thought, word and deed. Founder and follower in one. I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me~John 5:30—those words confirmed his love and obedience to God. By calling God Abba, he gave us the right to sonship. By coming down to earth for us, he established a link with heaven that no one could disconnect. He carried humankind on his shoulders to Calvary, the tomb, and rose from the dead, with humanity still in his DNA. Christians are saved because of the first Christian. The four Gospels explain how he lived the second part of loving his neighbor. As the first Christian Jesus set us an example to emulate.

I pray that we are enlightened, enabled and enriched as we turn pages of this book to return to our roots of living, like the early Christians—trusting, praying, loving, sharing and forgiving. Like Beethoven, I shall plead: From the heart, may it (the book) return to the heart.

How some responded to Jesus

CHAPTER ONE

"To be a Christian is to be like him"~ Charles Edward Jefferson

Bishop Fulton Sheen was recovering from a major heart surgery when a reporter asked him: Were you at any time gripped by the fear of dying? The bishop replied in childlike innocence: If I should leave the world, I will be in heaven with Christ, and if I remain, Christ will be here with me. For him being a Christian was having Christ with him always, echoing the words of Saint Paul: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.~Romans 8:38-39.

For some time now, I