Reflections

  Education Based on Divine Grace Proverbs 2:1-15 He holds success in store for the upright He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless (v.7) Proverbs is a book written by Solomon which contains wisdom that is useful for both children and adults.  Proverbs, chapter 2 talks about the wisdom that’s given to us by God through his Divine Grace. What is divine grace? It is a  divine gift that is given by God through his son Jesus Christ wisdom is a god-given gift that helps us to succeed in our day-to-day lives. In the bible, it says the path to wisdom is strenuous. When we are on that path of true wisdom God will guide and reward us for our sincere search. True wisdom helps resist temptation. If we are faithful to God and clear in mind he will keep us from pride and greed. To grow in divine wisdom, trust and honor God. Bible verses reveal the wisdom of God to us. We must avoid moral pitfalls and make the right decision in our lives. When we commit sin or wrong doings we m...

Education Based on Divine Grace Proverbs 4:1-13 Proverbs is a book of the Bible that teaches us understanding and discernment. Proverbs 4: 1-13, teaches us like God is teaching his children. This verse teaches about how a son was taught how to be wise by his father. It says “When I was my father’s son, Tender and the only one in sight of my mother, He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” It is teaching us that it is important to learn more and encourages us to learn more about God’s ways. Verses 10-13 is telling us that we should keep the commandment and lessons we learned from God, and use them in our day-to-day lives. We must never forget what we have learned and always remember, even in our difficult times.   Proverbs 4 is a lesson from Solomon, the son of King David. Solomon is writing these scriptures to his kids, and reminding them of...

  Education Based on Divine Grace James 1:5-8  “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you,” In all circumstances in life we should understand that God will help. All we have to do to receive help is to keep the connection with God and most importantly ask for help. Throughout James 1: 5-8, we can identify that God is offering his wisdom and help. The first point of this passage is that we should ask God for help. Wisdom comes from God and we should be able to ask him in order to receive the help we need. We also cannot conduct situational prayer, which is prayer when we need help. We need to continuously have prayer and a connection with God in order for him to help us. Secondly we should ask with faith. When we ask in faith we should not doubt God or his ability to help us. We should fully trust in God's plan and know that he has a way forward for us. In verse 7 it also identifies that we sho...

  Holy Communion: Healing of  Body and Soul Genesis 22: 1-19 Vs.14: And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide Genesis, Chapter 22, verses 1 - 19 is an account of the tests of Abraham's faithfulness and submission to God. God asks Abraham to offer his only son as a burnt offering. The Bible portion for meditation is reflecting on two main thoughts. 1) Our CHOICE: It is said that life is a journey from 'B' to 'D' with a 'C' in between. Life begins with birth and ends with death but what defines how we live our life are the daily and the tiny choices we make. What guides the choices we make in our day-to-day life and even when we have to make important decisions such as choosing a life-partner or choosing a job? Can our choices be based on what God wants us to do? Do we pause and reflect for a moment what decision would God want us to take? 2) Our RESPONSE: Not every choice we make might turn out to be right. Some of our choices might lead...

  Holy Communion: Healing of  Body and Soul John 6:26-35 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Even though Holy Communion is a very popular term, in our church, we commonly use “Holy Qurbana” to denote the divine sacrament. The word Qurbana finds its root in the Hebrew term Qorban and Arabic term Qurban which means offering or sacrifice. Holy Qurbana reminds us of the occasion of Jesus coming down from heaven and sacrificing himself to save humankind. Holy Qurbana is the remembrance of the great redeeming act of the Son of God. Each time the bread is broken, and wine is served, it should lead us into repentance and rejuvenation. Taking part in Holy Qurbana is not just a physical activity but it is more of a spiritual experience where our body and soul are in...

  Holy Communion: Healing of  Body and Soul Acts  2:13-16   In this context Peter answered the accusations that they were all drunk ( 2:13 ) by answering that it was too early in the day to drink ( 2:15 ) Pentecost was called the Feast of weeks held 50 days after the Passover. It was one of three major annual feasts. It’s a festival of thanksgiving. On Pentecost day the working of the spirit had 2 effects. One was the immediate effect (37-41) and the other a long-term one (42-47). The immediate result included; Conscience, repentance, baptism, receiving of the Holy Spirit, and 3000 people added to the group of disciples. The long-term result of Pentecost was the formation of a community. This community was a loving, sharing, caring, and witnessing one. The presence of the holy spirit gave a new understanding of the relationship between God and community members. Holy Communion also praises God and thanks God for dying for us. This changes our lives. Peter who was an ...

  Holy Communion: Healing of  Body and Soul  1 Cor  10: 14-22 Verse of Focus:  " The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:16‭-‬17 In today's society we have seen the incredible benefit of diversity. Our country a known "melting pot" so to speak, owes it's biggest innovations and knowledge of the world to the diverse people who came here. However, with that same diversity comes challenges learning to live with one another and remember what is truly important. Our focus and priorities can very immensely person to person. In the same way the church compromised of unique people has different priorities, weakness, and gifts. As we read in the passage today, the apostle Paul stresses the power of Jesus' sacrifice and the communion we parta...

  Holy Communion: Healing of  Body and Soul 1 Corinthians 11: 23-30    Corinthians Chapter 11 is an account of the Last Supper, in which Jesus Christ shares his final meal with his disciples. As we all know, it is at the Last Supper that Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion. The Last Supper took place during the week of Passover, a holiday observed to remember the escape of the Israelites from Egypt. During this supper, Jesus uses elements from the Passover meal to symbolize his death. Jesus predicted that one of his disciples would betray him. Each of his followers inquired, “Is it I master?” Jesus replied that the disciple who had dipped his hand into the bowl would betray him. It becomes known that Judas Iscariot would betray Jesus. After this, Jesus took the bread, broke it into pieces and blessed it, and gave it to his apostles saying, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Then Jesus took the wine and shared it with h...

  Holy Communion: Healing of  Body and Soul Exodus: 12:1-12    Christians often overlook the significance of the Old Testament. The New Testament cannot be understood without the Old Testament and many themes carry from the Old to the New Testament. In Exodus 12, we see the origin of Passover. Lambs were slain based on the directions given to Moses and Aaron by God. The blood was spread on the doorframes of each of the Israelite’s homes. The Lord says “ No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt” (v.13) This is a festival celebrated as a remembrance of the deliverance out of Egypt. However, in Christianity there is more symbolism to it.     The Last Supper took place during the Passover Festival. The Last Supper is what we celebrate as Holy Communion. Holy Communion reminds us of how God’s love saved us from the bondage of sin through Christ. As we partake in the Body and Blood of Christ, we are renewed through Christ and are set apart. W...

  Holy Communion: Healing of  Body and Soul Exodus:  16:11-18     In the book of  Exodus, we read that under Moses' leadership Israelites got out of Egypt. He faced many hardships as he was leading the people through the desert. The Israelites started grumbling, complaining, murmuring, and quarreling because they feared that they would die of thirst and starvation. The root cause of the fear was unbelief as they did not believe in God or trust in His deliverance.            In the reading portion, we see that God promised to meet their need for food in the desert with Manna. God wanted to test their obedience and see if they would obey His instruction. Manna appeared on the ground each day as thin flakes like frosts. People gathered it, ground it like grain, and made it into honey-tasting pancakes. For Israelites, Manna was a gift that came every day and was just what they needed. It satisfied their temporary physical need. Thr...

  Reformation Sunday, The Church that has to be Reformed 1 Thessalonians  2:13-16 Vs.14 “For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus …….” Reformation is a change or improvement of a policy or process.  Reformation is a continuous, united, and living process. Reformation emphasized the importance of the Bible in personal life, purity, and simplicity of apostolic faith. Any reformation that happens in the Church should be biblically grounded, historically informed, socially engaged and mission oriented. In our passage today Paul is thanking God for the Church, the people of God. He is highlighting three great qualities these people of God possessed that made them different.  1. Receiving the word not as the word of man but as word from God. Vs.13: God communicates to us through His Word. When Paul went preaching the Gospel in Thessalonica and teaching from the scriptures, the people didn’t just hear the word as its coming from the mouth o...

  Reformation Sunday, The Church that has to be Reformed Matt  5:17-20   "Except your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. " (Matthew 5:20)  Dietrich Bonhoeffer makes a profound analysis of the Sermon on the Mount: "But there is a 'better righteousness' which is expected of Christians.  Without it no one can enter the kingdom of heaven, for it is the indispensable condition of discipleship." [Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, (New York: SCM Press, 1963), 137]. In Matthew’s Gospel the 'greater righteousness' is set in contrast to the ethical deficiencies of the established Jewish religion. The Scribes and the Pharisees interpreted the prophets and the law, but failed miserably in practicing the latter’s prescriptions. John the Baptist calls for deeds befitting repentance (3:8) and Jesus' teaching stresses the primacy of orthopraxis (right deeds) over orthodoxy (right ...

  Reformation Sunday, The Church that has to be Reformed. Titus 3: 1-11  ....Be ready to do whatever is good. Titus 3:1b Reformation in Churches is imperative when we diverge or deviate from true faith in theology and doctrine, for correction and betterment of the entire humanity. Reformation emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the authority of the Bible. A reformed Church believes that salvation is not earned but is an unmerited gift (grace) from God and good deeds are the result or response to that gift. In the Western world, theologians Martin Luther and John Calvin are remembered as two great leaders of the reformation.   Abraham Malpan, Palakunnathu, also known as Martin Luther of Kerala, was the leading reformer of the Mar Thoma Church.  Our Mar Thoma church is a reformed and reforming church, catering to the needs of humanity, showing God's love, irrespective of caste, creed, gender, and nationality. Fruits of this reformation are the many mission activities...

  A Sabbath – Rest for the people of God Hebrews 4:1-13 “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” vs 7 Just like that, we are facing the reality that we don’t have that much time left to complete our new year’s resolutions. Despite all the things we have done this year, it seems as if the year was… a blur. We are jammed with school, work, family, and church and may feel like we have no time to just rest. Rest? What’s that? How can I rest with everything I have to do? We question ourselves and create false assurances to justify our pursuit of happiness rather than asking, “Am I pursuing what God wants me to do?” God enjoys when we use the talents to work hard and bring Him glory, but He also understands how important rest is. Even in the story of creation, we can see that God set apart the 7th day as Holy, because He rested. God set forth the example of how holy rest is and how if we are to be like Him, we must enter His rest. We are called to enter this rest – it re...

  A Sabbath – Rest for the people of God Hebrews 4:1-13 “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” vs 7 Just like that, we are facing the reality that we don’t have that much time left to complete our new year’s resolutions. Despite all the things we have done this year, it seems as if the year was… a blur. We are jammed with school, work, family, and church and may feel like we have no time to just rest. Rest? What’s that? How can I rest with everything I have to do? We question ourselves and create false assurances to justify our pursuit of happiness rather than asking, “Am I pursuing what God wants me to do?” God enjoys when we use the talents to work hard and bring Him glory, but He also understands how important rest is. Even in the story of creation, we can see that God set apart the 7th day as Holy, because He rested. God set forth the example of how holy rest is and how if we are to be like Him, we must enter His rest. We are called to enter this rest – it re...

  Reformation Sunday:  “The Church that has to be Reformed” 2 Kings 23: 1-7  v.3: "The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant." Here we can see Josiah renews the covenant.  When we see King Josiah’s life, some things we can understand from him is that God constantly responds to those with repentant and humble hearts and it's very important to check within ourselves in our spiritual journey and see how we can rely entirely on God being the focus of our lives and our worship. When the book of the law was read to Josiah, he was shocked, frightened, and humbled. Josiah wanted everything he did to please the Lord and bring the people closer to God. In the temple worship, he made sure ungodly practices were removed...

  Reformation Sunday:  “The Church that has to be Reformed” Joel  2:12-17  “If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). The passage for our meditation is “a call to repentance” to the people of Israel through Prophet Joel by the Almighty God.  In the Old Testament, we see that when Israel sinned and had gone astray from God’s ways, God sent prophets to warn the people of the coming judgment.  Chapter 1 of Joel describes the land suffering massive devastation caused by a locust plague and drought. The prophet calls for national repentance and reformation. If we look at the world today, it is plagued with so much violence with no regard for human life, moral degradation, pandemics, wars, climatic changes etc.  The world is facing unprecedented danger.  The Nuclear Dooms-day ...