Reflections

  Growing in Grace and Wisdom Proverbs 3:13-26 II Peter 3:18  "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." When I was a kid, I yearned impatiently to grow up fast: to grow up so I could drive legally, to grow up to watch rated R movies, and so on. Now that I'm of age, I look back and chuckle at my impatience, but also appreciate that desire that I had to be more mature. In the same way, we all should have that desire to grow in the wisdom of the Lord - the same wisdom that helped "[lay] the Earth's foundations" (Proverbs 3:19). Throughout the Bible, especially in the first four chapters of Proverbs, we see the great value and importance of God's wisdom. It is important to realize that wisdom is not just knowledge, but the wielding of knowledge with perspective and experience to understand the world around us and make sound judgments. What better source is there of perspectiv...

  SOLDIERS OF CHRIST - MEMORIAL DAY Joshua: 4: 1-9 Vs. 7b:  So these stones shall be to the people of  Israel a memorial forever. The last Monday in May is officially observed as Memorial Day in the United States. It was inspired by the way people in the southern states honored their dead soldiers. A common explanation is that the civil war was fought on the moral issue of slavery. The economical and political control of the  system of that particular period was central to the conflict and resultant war. Likewise we may remember the World war II memorial in Washington D.C., recollecting the war veterans who went through the worst of the times and the best of the times thereafter.                            We can read a similar event that happened, when we study the book of Joshua chapter 4. The Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, were also  memorializing a  significant period in t...

We believe in the Holy Trinity John 1:1–18 John 1:1–2; NRSV  And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. In Kerala where rubber plantations are common, the three-lobed fruit of the rubber tree is used to illustrate the Holy Trinity. Many of us who are Sunday School teachers have used the three stages of water. When our minds cannot comprehend a concept, we resort to images of things we know. The Holy Trinity is the Christian concept of God. Understanding who God is a difficult task, since God is wholly other and unique to all that we know. Knowing who God is through the revelation given through the Prophets, Apostles and Jesus Christ should be the desire of every Christian. God has often revealed who He is throughout history. He revealed Himself to Abraham and Moses. At the appointed time, He revealed Himself through the Son, Jesus Christ. But Jesus was not a mere human miracle-worker or rab...

  We believe in Holy Trinity 2 Corinthians  13:11-14 Vs.14  “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. The subset of Christianity that accepts the doctrine Trinity is collectively known as Trinitarianism. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the central Christian affirmations about God.  We believe in one living and true God who is the Creator of heaven and earth, who is eternal, almighty, unchangeable, infinitely powerful, wise, just and holy. We believe that the one God eternally exists in three Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, and worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. (Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14.) It is rooted in the fact that God came to meet Christians in a three...

  We believe in Holy Trinity Galatians: 4: 1-7 Vs. 4:  When the fullness of time had come, God sent his son, born of woman, born under the law, so that  we might receive adoption as sons. In this scripture portion, Paul is trying to teach the Galatian readers some important lessons. First of all, Paul is explaining what it means to be a son of Abraham , and a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Some members of the Galatian church misunderstood the law of Moses for justification. He corrected the people by explaining that law only played a big role of a tutor to lead them to Christ.  Before the promise came, law was given because of their transgressions, in order to be right with God. After the arrival of Christ, justification came only by faith in Christ, and it made all believers to become God's adopted children.                      Paul continues to teach that, those who are in Christ, are freed f...

  We believe in Holy Trinity Exodus 19:17-25 Vs. 21-22:  And the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.” In the third month after leaving Egypt, the people of Israel came to the Desert of Sinai (Exod.19:1, NIV).  God then commanded Moses to assemble the people at the foot of mount Sinai where Lord God gave them the law or commandments.  This in a way formed the basis for the covenant relationship between God and His people (Jeremiah 11:4).  With trembling and fear people witnessed Shechinah glory descend upon the mountain (Exod  20:18 ).    When God commissioned Moses to go back to Egypt to deliver the people from slavery he promised: “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people...

  We believe in Holy Trinity 1 John 2:18-25 Vs. 22:  “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son."  Apostle John is admonishing the believers to be beware or watchful of heretics and their false teachings. Not all false teachers are from without; some of them were formerly within the church. However, they did not continue in the fellowship and teachings of the apostles. It is quite evident from their false teachings that they did not belong' in the first place. How do we recognize these false teachers? John says that those who deny the deity of Jesus are false teachers. They deny that Jesus is the Messiah (Hebrew) or the Christ (Greek) foretold in the Old testament by the prophets. John calls these teachers liars and antichrists. In the fullness of time God sent his Son into the world to save the world. "Whosoever that believes in the Son shall not perish, but has eternal lif...

  WE BELIEVE IN HOLY TRINITY Isaiah 44:1-8 Vs.6  “Thus  says the Lord,  the King of Israel and his redeemer “I am the first and the last; besides me there is no God” The exile of  Israelites  in Babylon persisted for decades, they could not believe that God would ever redeem them. They saw the destruction of Jerusalem, some of them were even born in Babylon.  God in His time, asked King Cyrus to release them back to their homeland.  Prophet Isaiah reminded the people of their disobedience,  for which they were sent in exile. Israelites always remembered that, Lord God is the one who redeemed them and they knew who they were, and to whom, they belong. Lord God reiterates that He was the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, because He was present at the creation, even before the creation. It was the Lord who created all that was made. He is  the one who  reigned forever, who was with the Son and the Holy spirit, and was in exi...

  DSMC Sunday Our God worthy of praise and worship Luke 10:21-24 Vs.24  “For I tell you that many prophets and Kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. Mar Thoma Church is celebrating May 23rd as DSMC Sunday. The department of sacred music and communications is the official music department of the Church. We are thankfully remembering the services of DSMC, to promote Christian values through music. The Church appreciates their role in facilitating church choirs in leading worship and helping the congregation to sing together and experience the presence of God. Hymns and prayers are absolutely essential for the worship service, and praise and worship are important and desired by God. Christian hymns reflect the true faith. Let us praise the Lord who is worthy of praise, with joyful music.  Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I give you praise father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidde...

  The Feast Of Pentecost:  The Holy Spirit who Renews Everything John 16:1-15 Vs.7  “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” The Feast of Pentecost, which the Church celebrates on the 50th day after Easter, signifies the arrival of the gift of the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus Christ, and the birth of the Church. The event, which was a unique manifestation of the outpouring of the Spirit, was aimed at communicating to the Jews that the Jesus they had crucified, and whom God had raised from the dead, was indeed the promised Messiah. We often associate the coming of the Holy Spirit exclusively with its manifestation on the day of Pentecost and fail to recognize its presence from the time of creation: “The spirit of God moved over the waters” - Genesis 1:2. Jesus was led by the Spirit in his preaching, healing, compassion for the margi...

  The Holy Spirit Who Renews Everything Romans  8:12-17 Vs.15  The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The passage for this devotional is under the title “Life in the Spirit” in the Bible (ESV). The theme verse [Romans 8:15] above contains the essence of the renewal the Holy Spirit makes. It starts at a personal level. This renewal is through the restoration of our relationship with God, with the help of the Holy Spirit indwelling in us. When the Spirit comes and indwells in a person, he/she is renewed to become a child of God instead of being a slave to sin. This relationship grows to become so intimate that we can call God, “Daddy.”  Why is this renewal needed? In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 we see that God created man and woman in His image and placed them in the Garden of Eden. God allowed them to eat the fruit from any...