Reflections

God: Our Helper and Redeemer Luke 12: 22-34 Vs. 29 - 31 And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. We are at the end of another year. Let us thank God for His care and protection throughout this year. It is a land the Lord your God cares for : the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end(Deut. 11:12).  God is our Savior and redeemer. Do not forget how kind he is.          Luke 12: 29-31 tells about faith in God or trust in God. Jesus tells us not to be anxious about anything. Avoid worries in our day to day life. Life is mu...

View this email in your browser CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FORUM Word for the Day " Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". Psalm 119:105 God's continuing act of Grace. Romans 5:1-11 Vs. 3,4,5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame.  Grace, as we all know, is unmerited or unearned favor. Gr...

Consecrated Life Zechariah 14:16-21 Vs. 21 and every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be sacred to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and use them to boil the flesh of the sacrifice. And there shall no longer be traders in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day. In this passage, we read that even the most common of objects, such as pots, will be holy to the Lord.  The theme of this devotion is a consecrated life, a concept that seems easy to understand but not as easy to truly live.  As I studied this passage, I began to look at myself and ask - do I actually live a consecrated life?  Is my life truly an example of worship and devotion?  This passage made me think about three primary points as I tried to answer my own questions: •    Every action, even in the most common actions, should be so that we ...

Birth of Our Lord St Luke 2:1-14 St. Luke the great historian and physician gives a comprehensive history of the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus the Lord, Saviour and Messiah. Birth narrative or infancy narratives are the special gift of the writer to the New Testament Church.  Luke Chapter 1 tells the narrative of the annunciation assuring the birth of a Saviour named Jesus to a Virgin named Mary, living in Nazareth in the town of Bethlehem. Chapter 2 tells us the fulfilment of the annunciation of the birth of the Lord. Emperor Augustus Caesar, the ruler ordered for a census of the world; for all the nations of the civilized world were subject to Rome.   “No Room for birth” but “Room for Salvation” Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem with ...

Birth of the Savior  2 Corinthians 7:1-16 Vs.1 “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God".               One of the questions which we are bound to ask ourselves when we take part in the Holy Communion is: What exactly are we doing?  Well the answer is that we are aiming to make progress in the things of God. We are aiming at advancement in grace and in personal sanctification. We are aiming at perfection, striving to renew the image of God within us. This is what happens, little by little, week by week, and year by year, to those who exercise their souls, by faith, in these means of grace – through the Word, the sacraments, and prayer and fellowship.            It is to this that the apostle Paul is referring to in today’s passage.  Paul draws attention to three things in verse 1:...

Immanuel John 14:1-7 Vs. 2,3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.”  Once as Christmas was nearing, a Judge questioned the man who had been brought into his courtroom.  "Now then, please tell me, what is the charge against you?".  " I was caught doing my Christmas shopping very early." replied the man in the dock.  "That doesn't seem like an offense to me. What do you mean by 'very early?  "Well, your Honor." said the defendant, "It was before the shop was open."  ...

Preparing the Way for Christ Hebrews 4:1-13 Vs. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. We are living in a fast paced world where people aim to become doctors, engineers, businessmen and so on…But chapter 4 from the book of Hebrews tells us that our aim in life must be to enter God's rest and joyfully spend eternity in his restful fellowship. To enter this great and joyful rest we must trust God. The focus of our trust must be built on Word of God, the good news, and the promises of God. This is how faith begins to grow. Finally, we must be diligent, attentive, considerate, and caring to believe the promises of God. On the other hand, unbelief is failure to trust God’s promises.  Israel set the bad example by not entering into the Promised Land because of "disobedi...

Preparing the Way for Christ Isaiah 42:6-9 Vs. 6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations Isaiah speaks of the promise from the Lord to His chosen Servant, Jesus Christ. God knew of the hardships Christ was to suffer in His earthly ministry, and this passage provides a sense of reassurance and comfort amongst such trials and tribulations that Jesus Christ would face during His time here on earth.  These promises also belong to us, as Jesus said, “As You have sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18).  What can we learn from God’s promise to Jesus Christ? God’s calling is Holy:   We see here that God calls His servant in righteousness.  In this we can trust that His purpose in His calling will be fulfilled. Where God calls, He will guide:   God promises to take hold of His servant’s hand.  This rea...

Witness of the People of God Isaiah 6:8-13 Vs. 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”  God delights in using people from different backgrounds, talents, professions, and ages to accomplish His work.  The men and women in the Bible came from varied backgrounds but God was able to use them due to a common denominator--their willingness to make themselves available to Him for His service.   You may wonder what the purpose of your life is and wonder if you are living a life “worthy of the call”.  As you attend work or school every day and enter the daily grind of your life, you may feel that the days slip by without purpose or meaning. However, God has gifted you very specifically and uniquely.  Your life, your circumstances, your personality, talents, ...

Annunciation to Joseph Philippians 4:4-9 VS. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Paul writes to the people in Philippi from prison where he was in chains and urges them to not worry about anything and never to be anxious. Whatever be the situations in life one is undergoing, Paul is instructing us to handle it with prayer and complete submission to His will. The antidote to worry is praying incessantly. We shall have the absolute faith in our Lord that He will guide us through all our life situations. He will not lead us into misery and trouble but instead will ultimately lead us to eternal happiness and joy. Paul was confident that no matter what happened to him, it was only happening with the knowledge of the Savior.  We can easily get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or wrong turn of events in our lives. Let us be assured that the ultimate joy, guidance and...