Reflections

  Marriage call and commission God's Blueprint for Marriage Gen 2:18-25 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Gen  2:24 ) In the beginning when God created the Heavens and the earth, it was  without form and void. But in all divine splendor He created the sun, moon, stars, and seas. As well as the birds, fish, and other animals. Finally, on the sixth day, he created man. Out of the ground, he created Adam. In Genesis 1:26, we read that God created m man after his own likeness and to have dominion over all the earth. In Chapter 2, we also read that all of the animals were brought to Adam to see what he would call them, and that whatever he called the living creatures, that was its name.   However, a suitable partner was not found for Adam. God could have created a companion for Adam from the dust, but instead He chose to make his companion, the woman, from Adam’s own flesh and bone. In doing so, God sets the

  Marriage call and commission Isaiah : 62 Vs 4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the Lord delights in you, And your land shall be married. Marriage is a social institution implemented by God in the beginning of creation intended to establish a companionship for man. Later this symbol of union between a man and a woman becomes the utmost reflection of love. In turn, the love bond between the universal church and Jesus . In the above passage, God speaks about the restoration of Israel by calling them Hephzibah and Beulah, a state of blessedness.  God wants to remind us marriage is a calling from God to enter into a mission. The mission is restoring generations to God the father.  Through marriage God wants us to be blessed and to be a blessing to others. Marriage is a garden , which requires effort  if we want to enjoy the fruits and the bloom.Just like the wise man who bu

  Marriage - Call and Commission  Ecc 4 : 9-10 Theme verse:  ”If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬  Devotion:  The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”“Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬. God instituted marriage with a purpose to help one another, respect one another as both are created in His image. Above all, Christian couples are to honor God with their lifestyle, being a blessing to others. God was the celebrant of the first wedding, of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Man is a social being and need companionship for his potential to bloom. Through Christian marriage, we must have fellowship with a believer, who will help us and correct us, when we go astray. We assist one another, as we have a common purpose in life, to glorify God. We love one another as Christ loved the church. Everything is done in love and under the banner of love, t

  The Resurrected Christ who Encourages the Dispirited (Marks of a True Christian)   Romans 12: 9-21   As we continue in the Lenten season, we are called to reflect on what it means to follow Christ.  The world teaches us to be self-seeking and focus on what we want. However, in Romans  Chapter 12, Paul describes the marks of a true Christians. He teaches us to love each other and  honor others (vs 10), to be generous to others (vs 13), and to live in peace with others (vs 16).  Paul specifically instructs us to not be vengeful, that we are to place our angry desire for payback  in God's hands. This is the key to overcoming evil and breaking out of the cycle of evil for evil –  giving the agenda of justice or payback over to God. He can fight for us and judge our enemies  according to His will.   It is easy for us to become bitter and upset when someone wrongs us, whether it's when someone  cuts us off when we are driving or when we are treated unfairly at work. But Jesus shows

  The Resurrected Christ Who Encourages the Dispirited  St. Luke 24:13-35 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them. (St. Luke 24:15)   Devotion:   The selected passage begins with two of Jesus’ disciples leaving Jerusalem and walking back to their home in  Emmaus. They are both saddened and confused as they travel along. They are filled with sorrow having witnessed  the cruel and unjust death of their beloved leader, and they are puzzled that there are now reports that Jesus’ tomb  was found empty. We can only imagine the intensity of their conversation as they journeyed back to their home. And  while they were discussing all these things, Jesus Himself joined them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing  Him.   The first thing that Jesus did when He joined them on their journey was to listen to them. He asked them a simple,  open-ended question and then listened to their answer. Cleopas and his friend openly shared what was on their  hearts

  The Resurrected Christ who Encourages the Dispirited  2 Corinthians 4:7-15  Theme verse:  “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9  Devotion:  As we age at a certain point, we begin to see gradual greater decay in the external world. Our forefathers mostly used jars of clay, affordable but brittle. The Jars of clay indicate our perishing mortal bodies. The image of Jesus Christ we represent is eternal. The treasure inside helps us deal with the journey outside. Pressure on an empty jar of clay will shatter. But if a jar is filled with a powerful treasure, it cannot break. We may feel perplexed, persecuted, struck down by the world. Have faith in him and his timing. God will never ever forsake us in any circumstances as long as we surrender ourselves completely to the Lord Almighty. To apprehend tension being lived out, have a look at Jesus’ glorious ministry