Reflections

Gift of Love 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. (1Cor 13:1)   Amazing Love - a Gift from above According to the dictionary, love is the strong affection, unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. Our Heavenly — Father possesses this quality in abundance. 1 John 4:8 even says: "God Is love". Was it a requirement on God's part that he epitomize love? No, God's love is a gift. The Bible explains what love is? One thing that the Bible mentions about love is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4 where it says: "Love is... kind". We owe our very existence to God's desire to display love towards others. Love caused God to create us and everything around us. Love moved God to give us not only everything we need to survive, but also things we simply enjoy like beautiful flowers and delicious food. Are these not acts of kindness? Exp...

Abide in the Word of God John 8:31-38 "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, if you abide in my word you are truly my disciples." (John 8:31)  In the New Testament, Jesus has pointed out the various criteria for His discipleship. Here He says one. "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples". In some other versions it is written as,"If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed." The word continue or abide means to live each day by its principles. So, we cannot be a disciple of Jesus without a regular intake of God's word. In other words, we have to live on the words. The story is told of a man who came to pick up his wife after the church, "Is the sermon over? he asked. A member answered, "No, it has just begun, now the rest is up to us." That is what James the Apostle in his Epistle said "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James: 1:22) The comm...

Hospitality a Divine Virtue Genesis 18:1-15 "Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground." (Genesis 18:2)   In the Bible, hospitality is a sure sign of Christian living. It is recorded as a quality of church leaders (1 Tim. 3:2) and is a requirement for every believer as an expression of love (Rom. 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9). But its meaning goes deeper than being a gracious host or opening our homes to guests. The Greek word for hospitality means love of strangers. When Paul speaks of being "given to hospitality" (Rom. 12:13), he is calling us to pursue relationships with people who are in need. This can be stated as something that is a lot easier said than done. Abraham entertained three men who came to tell him that he would soon have a son (Gen. 18:1-16). Two of the men were angels, and one was the Angel of the Lord. It is said that Abraham was regard...

HOLY TRINITY Luke 3:15-22 Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased. "(Luke 3:22) The given text speaks about Holy Spirit. This passage belongs to the section elucidating the ministry of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah who ministered in the wilderness. Wilderness always reminds us of the journey of the Israelites through the desert on their way to Canaan. Desert always sketches the rough and tough, pain and pathos of the life. The words of John the Baptist seems to be tough but speaks straightly about the realities of society. The focus of the message of John was "repentance and bear fruits." Listening to the words of John, all were questioning in their hearts the identity of John. Without muc...

THE HUMBLE CENTURION Matthew 8:5-13 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. (Matthew 8:8)   Compassion to others — the result of great faith: Today's reading of St. Mathew is a combination of two sections of Luke 7:1-10 and 13:28-29. This focuses on the sayings of both the centurion and Jesus. The healing story tells us that miracle happened immediately at a distance. The emphasis is not on the miracle as such but on the faith of gentiles. The centurion does not claim to have faith; it is Jesus who testifies to the man's faith. There is nothing told about this man's creed. We don't know whether he was a theist or monotheist. Yet Mathew speaks of him as a model of faith. It is based on the compassion that the centurion expressed for someone who is dependent on him. Emptying of self and pride is the foundation of great faith: The centurion's concern for the ser...

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 Seeking the wisdom of God Psalms 111 Vs 10 "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and all who follow his precepts have good understanding"   Bible portrays the wisdom of ...

Repent and Return Psalm 32 “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” This Psalm offers thanks for forgiveness of sins, and it is one of the seven penitential Psalms. It also has a number of features reminiscent of ‘the beatitudes’ in the first two verses, each of which begins with blessed or happy (Matt. 5: 3-10). What are the transgressions? We have references to three types of sins here, which are rebellion against God’s will, missing the correct path and iniquities or unjust way of life. These sins cause silence for it says, ‘When I kept silent’ (V.3). Anything that prevents having a conversation, prayer or thanksgiving  to  God is a sin. Sins make us hide from God, but we cannot just hide from Him; we are in His presence at all times.  How do we repent? We need an honest acknowledgement of al...

Peace in the midst of violence Matthew 5:38-48 Vs. 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. One of the reasons why during our Holy Communion service the priest says “Peace be with you all.” is because peace is one of the most sought after things in the world.  As individuals and as communities we have so much material wealth but we lack peace.  The salvation that Jesus Christ offers includes peace (John 14:27 – Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you, I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.)  This is the peace that enabled David to write in Psalms 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear n...

Believing in the Risen Christ 1 Peter 1:3-12 Vs.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  We have a rebirth in and through the risen Christ. God gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. The Holy Spirit always brings us to unite in Christ so that we enjoy the spiritual blessings and strength. We are called into a living hope of eternal life. Our hope is not only for the future but eternal life begins when we trust Christ and join God’s family. No matter what pain or trial we face in this life, we know that it is not our final experience.  1) Faith is kept safe by God’s power.  God will help us remain true to our faith through whatever difficult times we must face. We may have to endure trials, persec...

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 Church: An Interceding Community - The Power of Intercession Genesis 18:19-33 Vs. 32 Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are ...