Reflections

  CARRIERS   OF THE GOSPEL  Roma 1: 8 – 16 V16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Paul has used some great words. He talks about Power, God, Salvation, Righteousness, Faith and Just. And then he talks of life. Seven powerful words! It is Jesus Christ the Son of God who gives meaning and value to these words. Power of God: Paul is not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul declares that he is eager to go to Rome the toughest place, to share the gospel. He knows that the darkness cannot expel the light, but the light will always expel the darkness. Paul’s own conversion is an example of one who was the hardest to reach with gospel. No one was further away from Jesus Christ than Saul of Tarsus. Paul understands that if he can be brought to faith in Christ, then anybody can because the gospel has the supernatural pow...

  Equipping to be Carriers of the Gospel” Genesis 12:1-9 V 2-3“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Today’s passage reminds me of the mental agony many of us had undergone in the early days of our lives when we left our native land for migrating to the US. Even though I was excited to get into the green pastures, it started aching my feeling when the days to depart my homeland was getting closer and closer.  We had to say goodbye to our loved ones and leave behind many legacies we had cherished in our lives since birth. Abraham (then known as Abram) encountered a similar situation. At 75, Abraham was living in Haran when God made himself known and called abraham to leave his father’s household to travel to a new land. God’s promise to Abraham that “I will make thee a gre...

  “Equipping to be Carriers of the Gospel” Psalms 42 V1and 11” As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God”. We don’t know who exactly wrote this song. It says ‘a psalm of the decedents of Korah” it may have been one of the Sons of Korah. They were a gifted family of Levites appointed to be musicians for the Lord during the reign of King David. Whoever it is, he was going through one of the hardest times in his life. And he shows us how to get God's help in the hard times. First: We must call on the Lord. The author started this Psalm with prayer. And thats the best place for us to start when we feel overwhelmed in life. The psalm starts with the verse “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. Think about being that thirsty, so thirsty and all you can think about is water. Are you thirsty? What is it that we thirst for? The drink that Jesus ...

  Holy Qurbana: The Sacrament of Thanksgiving 1 Peter 2: 1-12   Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Self-improvement is an important part of our lives. Getting in shape, taking more chances, evaluating relationships, and planning for change, are common items we choose. So we set out by waging wars on situations, people, circumstances, and of course, against sweets and cookies. While all of these improvements are necessary, the scripture is urging us to wage war on our souls. It’s important to note that this is not the same as battling our souls. There may be times where we fail and fall short of what God wants, but we cannot lose the war for our souls. We must do a self-inventory and remove jealousy, envy, deceitfulness, and other sinful desires....

  Holy Qurbana: The Sacrament of Thanksgiving Luke  22: 14-20   This week we are meditating on Holy Qurbana: The Sacrament of thanksgiving. The Holy Eucharist is one of the dominical sacraments, that we believe to have been instituted by Christ Jesus (Matt 28:19-20; 1 Cori. 11:23-30). The Holy Qurbana is a solemn reminder of God offering His son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for the salvation of the whole created order. It is the offering of oneself unto God for His divine purpose. It signifies the presence of God and our hope in the eternal Kingdom/reign of God. It is also a symbol of reconciliation in the church.  The word sacrament is usually defined as a means of Grace. The word sacrament is derived from the Latin word ‘sacramentum’ meaning to ‘make sacred’. A sacrament is a visible means of experiencing the invisible Grace of God. This chapter commences in the days just before the Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread and records the plot to kill Jesus Christ...

  Holy Qurbana: Sacrament of Thanksgiving 1 Corinthians  11: 23-30 “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.”  1 Corinthians 11: 28   Every year before going for an annual blood test I need to prepare myself by not eating and drinking  from midnight till morning . This gives a more accurate blood result. In the same way here, Paul tells us that we need to examine ourselves before taking Holy Communion. In Holy Qurbana we receive the Blood and Body of Christ which is Holy; therefore, we need to prepare ourselves to receive this sacrament by confessing our sins to God. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now let us settle the matter says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” So, confessing our sins to God at church with achen and in our personal prayer prepares us to come to receive Holy Communion. We also need to remember that we ar...

  Holy Qurbana:Sacraments of Thanks Giving Acts 2: 37-47 Acts 2: 45-47:- “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.”   They sold their properties to give for the needy. They met together, they broke bread together and ate together with sincere hearts. They prayed together and praised God with all the people! I would like you all to pause for a second and re-read Acts 2:45-47. What do these words speak to you? To me, this is an ideal Church or a community. When I say a Church, I don’t mean just inside the four walls of a building, but each and every one of us. Now the question is, are we being that ideal Church or how far are we from being that ideal Church? These new believers just did not get up one morning and started selling all their properties, having f...

  St. Mathew – The Apostle Day Mark 9: 9-13 “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.”   We live in a world where people are given labels by society. Labels can be given depending on your background, ethnicity, career, looks, etc. Some labels can have a positive or negative impact on a person. However, Jesus came to earth and didn’t look at anyone’s labels given to them by society. He wanted to save all of us. We see that in the Gospels when he interacted with the sick, the poor, and the sinners. As we see in the Bible verse above, He came to save all.  Mathew was one of the 12 apostles who was called by Jesus to follow him and his ministry. He was also a tax collector which was a group of individuals who were typically reviled by the Jews because of their work and were considered sinners. Jesus looked beyond his occupation and the social stigma that was placed on him by society and invited him to follow him. Are we as Christians able to do that?  In ...

  Sacrament of Thanksgiving Genesis 22.1-19 “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love…” - Genesis 22.2   Today’s meditation is taken from the chapter of Genesis where Abraham is asked to do the impossible, sacrifice an idol.   Have you ever ordered something and anxiously followed the tracking to see when the package would arrive?  Have you ever been quarantined from a loved one and waited to embrace them again?  Abraham had waited, and waited, and waited for a promised son.  His joy at Isaac’s arrival is beyond words.  However, his son had taken the place of his First Love, GOD. As per the BibleProject, here are the parallels between this story and the story of the True Isaac, JESUS: Both Isaac and Jesus are “beloved sons” who have been long-awaited and are born in miraculous circumstances (Genesis 22:1, Matthew 3:17) Both sons carry the wood that is to be the instrument of their deaths on their backs (Genesis 22:6, John 19:17) In both cases,...

  Gray hair: Crown of glory Psalm 71   The theme of the meditation “Grey Hair: Crown of Glory” appears in Psalm 71. “Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. Psalm 71 (v. 17,18) David is a man who has trusted God his whole life. His relationship with God began in his youth and has continued ever since. In Psalm 71 David prays for God's help in his old age when his enemies are all around him, but he continually prays with praises to God. Psalm 71 is a welcome comfort for believers enduring a lingering trial that drains their strength, whether physically, emotionally or mentally. God’s way to grow old is to develop a walk with Him. The reason that David could handle his problems so well as an old man was that he had developed a walk with God in the years leading up to this time. He had a...

  Gray hair: Crown of glory Luke 2:25-38 v. 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.”    This text presents an old man named Simeon and an old woman named Anna. After the days of purification, Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple. He was received there by an elderly prophet Simeon and then by an elderly prophetess Anna. The Bible reveals that they had awaited the coming of Christ and had lived righteous lives. They were both very God-centered elderly people.  They were eagerly waiting for years for God's Messiah and for the restoration of their country. They were waiting for God's answer. For their waiting God had not forgotten them. In the life of Simeon and Anna God had heard their prayer and made their waiting fruitful.. It had been revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah, the Lord's Christ. And so, when Jesus was brought to the temple at eight days of age, Simeon was mov...

  Gray hair: Crown of glory 2 Corinthians 4: 7-18 Vs 16: Therefore, we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day   Most people put treasure in precious and expensive containers.  However, God puts treasure in jars of clay. God wants to show plainly that the marvelous power of the gospel is from him, not from his servants. Why do we need to be reminded of this?  Sometimes when God works mightily his servants become confused as if they have done great work.  They think they are the treasure and  become proud and useless. God reminds us that we are like jars of clay. We are nothing but dust and we have no real value or beauty.   In this part, we can find another secret to living a victorious life. When we consider Paul’s sufferings, they were enough to crush anyone. Simply bearing these sufferings without giving up was a great victory. Yet Paul went beyond this. Verse 13 says, “It is writte...

  Gray hair: Crown of glory Proverbs16:20-33 Verse: Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life   Apostle Paul is teaching about how we have to be worthy of our calling given to us in Christ Jesus.  Here we are reminded that our God is interested in all that is happening in our relationships, and our lives behind the doors. Paul continues to give us directions for good relationships in the family between parents and children.  We need to lead a life pleasing to our Lord as parents and children.                        Children are to listen and obey parents in all their teachings and instructions, which is right in the sight of the Lord. This is a commandment from God with a promise given to all children and parents, which must be followed strictly in order to receive blessings while on this earthly life.  It is worth noting that parents went through the same regimen and received...

  Gray hair: Crown of glory Proverbs16:20-33 Verse: Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life   The book of Proverbs, especially this scripture portion demonstrates two different ways to live.  It contrasts with the way of wisdom, with the way of folly. The foolish make bad decisions and suffer bad consequences in life, while the wise make good decisions and enjoy good consequences and live ripe to old age.                   Old age is a crown of dignity when it is found in the ways of justice. Long life is a reward of righteousness, and grey hair is a crown of glory because it is gained in a life lived, pleasing to the Lord.  A righteous life represents wisdom and age and is viewed as a blessing of the Lord to anyone who lives by God's will.  It is considered as a reward for being right during a life lived in wisdom from above.               ...

  Gray hair: Crown of glory Genesis 48: 1-22 Verse:48 9b,10: Then Israel said, Bring them to me so I may bless them. Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him and his father kissed them and embraced them.   In Hebrews 11:21 also we read - by faith Jacob as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshipped, leaning on the top of the staff. The writer of the epistle thinks it is an important thing in the life of Jacob,  the conviction of the things that are not seen. In Genesis 48, we see Abraham's grandson  Jacob is handling his heritage in God to his son Joseph and two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob performed an adoption of his grandsons and elevated them as peers with  Israel's other eleven sons. However, Joseph is not listed as one of the tribes of Israel, because he got a double inheritance through his sons as Jacob adopted them. Here we need to ponder upo...

  Gray hair: Crown of glory 2 Timothy 4:8 Verse: "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing."   Paul’s life and ministry provides us a powerful example for modeling Christ today. Not only did he “fight the good fight,” but he also “finished the race” and “kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul knew that his death was near (verse 6) but had no regrets. After Jesus took control of his life (Acts  9:15-16 ), Paul had lived life to the fullest, fulfilling all that Jesus had charged and empowered him to do (Ephesians 3:6; 2 Timothy 4:17).  In Paul's letter to Timothy, his main concern was to encourage Timothy to stand firm in the faith, regardless of the circumstances of his life or the consequences of his decisions. Paul reminded Timothy of his own testimony. Paul had preached the gospel in all kinds of places and before all...

  Women as participants in the Divine Romans 16: 1-16 V. 2 “I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of His people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people including me.” As we have meditated on the theme of “Women participant in the Divine” this past week, we can understand the role of women in shaping the lives of people throughout their spiritual journey.  Here in this passage, we see Paul’s personal greetings, and many of them are women.  The first two verses talk about Phoebe, the deaconess.  She is known to be a wealthy woman who helped and supported Paul and his ministry.  She was a woman of high regard to the early Christian community.  Just through these two verses, we can see that women had significant roles in the early church. In v. 3 we can see a married couple in Priscilla and Aquila who became Paul’s close friends and a great encourager to Paul as they were Christians even befo...

  Women as participants in the Divine Mark 14:3-9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she had done will be told in remembrance of her.   Days before the Passover, while in Bethany, a woman does something that stirred up the disciples. She uses an expensive ointment to anoint Jesus’ head and some felt that this was a waste. The ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus subtly points out their hypocrisy – they had all the time in the world to do something for the poor but instead they are complaining about a good act being done right in front of them. John 12:1-8 gives us more details into possibly this same event and reveals that Judas Iscariot just wanted the money to go into the common purse so he could steal from it. It is significant that they would feel the need to criticize the woman when they honestly didn’t care about the poor themselves. There is a story of a parish in India situated in a metropolit...

  Women as participants in the Divine Proverbs 31:16-31 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30   Proverbs 31 depicts a strong woman who puts God’s wisdom into practice in her life. If we look closely at this part of scripture the first thing, I want us to take note of is that this isn’t just a chapter about a wife of noble character. It’s a chapter about a woman of valor. A courageous woman. A woman of strength and dignity. She is one who has strength and power that comes from godly character traits.  She draws her strength from her relationship with God and views her family as the first and foremost place where that strength is spent.  Throughout this section of Scripture, we read how she works to bless and build up her family.  The praise she receives in this passage comes primarily from her husband and her children.   It is widely believed that the book of Proverbs was written by King Solo...

  Women as participants in the Divine Acts  12: 11-16   In this passage, Peter has just escaped prison through the help of an angel of God. After his miraculous return, Peter goes to the house of Mary, the mother of John. When he knocks on the door, a servant woman named Rhoda immediately recognizes Peter's voice without even opening the door for him. Upon this realization, she is overjoyed and runs to tell everyone inside the house. At first people don’t believe her and they tell her that it must be an angel. Eventually, the people come to see for themselves and are astonished to see Peter. Peter goes on to tell them about how the Lord saved him within prison.     Although Rhoda has a small role in this passage, her impact is so evident. She is the first to encounter Peter after his return from prison and does not doubt that it is him. She recognizes Peter just by the sound of his voice. She could have thought he was an angel just as the people in the hous...