Reflections

Touching the Untouchable Mark 5:24-34 Vs. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” In this Bible portion, we read about a bleeding woman, who "had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse". According to Mosaic Law, women who were ceremonially unclean weren't allowed to touch anyone. But when this woman heard about a man who healed many who had various diseases, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. All those who came into contact with Jesus, experienced the healing in every part of their lives, both physically and spiritually. Where the need is great, then Jesus is there to touch. From our part, what is needed is the faith of this woman, the leper, the blind and the many others...

Healing and Wholeness James 5:13-18 Vs. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. In today’s society, almost everyone we talk to are suffering from one form of aliment or another.  Families having marital problems, youths worrying about their future, parents worried about their children, and elders worried about being lonely.  We may be suffering physically, emotionally, or even spiritually.  The one thing that anyone who has ever suffered can attest to is that beyond the pain which is often unbearable there is something even worse, the feeling that we are alone in our suffering.  In our culture we have the tendency to keep secrets from relatives and friends mainly because of stigma attached to suffering. It is seen as a weakness. Th...

Good News to All Genesis 1:24-31 Vs. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God’s first words to man are true. They are not a curse; they have no innuendo of condescension or condemnation. They show that we are his ultimate creation and that he is leaving us in charge; they empower and give authority.  And they are words of blessing. In these words we get a glimpse of God’s heart for man. God gives man a “hope and a future.” He is for man and not against him. He wants to give us more than we are able to receive. His attitude toward us is that of abundant blessing.  He created us in his image. Before we were blessed, while he created us, he made us in his image. We are made with His understanding and His love. Why do you think he created us that way? -So that we could be blesse...

Mission in Christ Spirit James 5:1-6 Vs. 1.Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. A warning to Rich oppressors and those who depend on their wealth. This epistle was written by the brother of Jesus who became an Apostle once he saw the Resurrected Jesus. The theme is a practical Christianity. The epistle of James was probably the first New Testament book and he tries to correct the wrong practices and behaviors of the Christians. Once we become a Christian we are a new creation and it will produce a new character in us. James is a book about the application of our faith and the importance to learn and grow in Christ. That way, we can grow in faith and maturity so that we can apply our Christian character and conduct in how we behave with others. James clearly states that once we...

The Sacrament of Holy Qurbana 1 Corinthians 10:15-17  Vs. 17 "we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. "  A four-year-old was in church when the wine and communion wafers were passed out. He was very interested in this, and started to get up. His mother leaned over and told him that he was not old enough to partake in the Communion.  Later, when the collection plate came by, he ignored it. His mother again leaned over and tried to coax the nickel out of him. He steadfastly refused, stating, “If I can’t eat, I’m not paying.”  Often times, we take part in the Holy Qurbana without truly understanding the depth of its meaning.  It is a divine experience where God blesses and reminds us of His sacrificial death, our salvation and the calling upon the faithful.  Holy Qurbana, Commission to sacrifice: The word “Qurb...

Healing and Wholeness Isaiah 42:1-9 Vs. 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. “How can God use someone like me? “ – I have asked that question, may be you have as well. D. L. Moody’s total schooling was equivalent to a 5th grade education today. At age 18, when he attempted to join a Congregational Church, he failed a simple test of Bible knowledge administered by the deacons. His sermons were full of grammatical mistakes. But these handicaps did not prevent God from using him to shake two continents. In today’s Bible portion the people of Israel are being told what the Messiah would be like – He would be gentle, not arrogant and aggressive. Israelites were waiting for a military leader to save them. No one asked for a gentle suffering servant, so when Jesus came they couldn...

Being Fit Workers for God's Harvest Matthew 9:35-38  Vs.38 "therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  Matthew 9 describes the healing miracles that Jesus performed during his travels. He heals a paralytic, a woman afflicted with bleeding, the blind, a demon-possessed mute, and even raises a girl from the dead. More important, though, is the statement that this chapter makes about our Lord: He is not only powerful, but He is also unbiased in His mercy and compassion. Jesus did not selectively heal; rather, He extended mercy and grace to all, whatever their backgrounds.  Matthew 9:37 states that “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Harvest is used to represent the lost sheep, the souls that need to be taught God’s Word and brought back to Him. In a world this vast, there will always be someone who needs help; in His own journey, Christ came across countless people who required His help. As Christians, it is our d...

Healing and Wholeness Mark 5: 25- 34 Vs. 34 He (Jesus) said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”  In this Bible portion, we read about a bleeding woman, who "had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse". According to Mosaic Law, women who were ceremonially unclean weren't allowed to touch anyone. But when this woman heard about a man who healed many who had various diseases, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. All those who came into contact with Jesus, experienced the healing in every part of their lives, both physically and spiritually.  Where the need is great, then Jesus is there to touch. From our part, what is needed is the faith of this woman, the leper, the blind and the many others who were humble enough to admit that they were in need. All of them believed and recognized that Jesus was t...

Touching the Untouchable 2 Kings 5:1-10 Vs. 1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.  In the story of Naaman, we meet a man known as great man, a commander, a leader, a man highly regarded in the eyes of the king of Aram, a victorious man in battle, a valiant soldier... and a leper.  Like Naaman, we too are recognized for our great strengths or great weaknesses.  Here, we see it was truly God who worked through Naaman to give victory. Although the victory was from the Lord, the power of God was not made known in Naaman’s strengths. Rather, it was through Naaman's weakness that God's victory and power was shown. Naaman was a leper, what would make a man of his time a social pariah. All ...

JESUS : The Great Guru   Luke 4:31-44 Vs. 32. “ They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority.” Luke chapter 4 gives a vivid picture of Jesus’ authority, authority over the evil powers, authority as the son of God and authority as the light to the world In Jesus’ time, people were familiar with many Rabbis who were teachers and interpreters of the law. In fact, they were blind guides. They gave burdens and bondage rather than freedom and light. But in Jesus, people saw a teacher, healer and deliverer who transcends all the popular understanding of a Rabbi. He taught with authority, he had authority to change the desperate human conditions of bondage to sin and sickness. His presence itself was one of giving hope. Thus he can be called a ‘guru’ though Jesus was much higher than a ‘guru’ ...

Be a Team Player Romans 6:1-4 VS 1-4 What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?  By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of lif e. When someone joins a team, he inherits the history of that team.  Whether it be professional, college, or amateur sports, the members of that team inherit the team’s tradition and history, even if they weren’t there at the time.  Tony Romo can say he belongs to a team that won 5 Super Bowls, the Dallas Cowboys.  It doesn’t mean he won them, or that he had anything to do with them....