Reflections

  RESURRECTED LORD, THE CO-TRAVELER  PSALM 23 Vs 4   For you are with me, Your rod and  your staff they comfort me               Psalm 23 is a favorite Psalm of many. In Psalm 23, King David speaks quite personally of God. He claims that the Lord is his shepherd. The Lord is his shepherd because he knows him. A good shepherd knows each and every sheep in the flock; regardless of how big the numbers could be (John 10:3-5). In psalm 23, when David uses the metaphor of the shepherd to describe God; talks not just about a designation or a name for the Lord, but the relationship between God and His covenant children. God knows each and everyone of us by our names and he is a co-traveler with us, wherever we go. Let me share some of my thoughts from psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd because He knows me. This statement is actually as my shepherd is not used during that time. In ancient Israel was to speak only about “our” God. The God...

  Resurrected Lord: the Co-traveler Luke 24:13-35   But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.”               The text today deals with the appearance of the Risen Christ to two men among the extended group of Jesus’ followers on their path to Emmaus. Post-Easter days are a time when Church walks together as these travelers, trying to discern the meaning of the events of resurrection alongside the monotony of our mundane experiences. We may ask ourselves: is there any persuasive reason to believe, that Jesus was really raised from the dead; or that God is present in the turbulences of our lives? Evening is a time of retreat - a time of the day when we are tired and are rushing back to rest. The disciples are probably getting away from the terrible things they had witnessed in Jerusalem, from their disappointments, from the death threat against the followers of Jesus. They a...

  Resurrected lord-the co-traveler. 2 Corinthians 1:3-10                        V8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ;                As we walk through the journey of life, we all face different challenges and struggles. Sometimes, the road can be difficult, and we may feel alone, lost, or discouraged. But there is hope, and His name is Jesus Christ, our resurrected Lord and Co-traveler. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-10, the Apostle Paul reminds us of the comfort and strength we receive from God in times of trouble. He writes, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,...

  Resurrected lord-the co-traveler. Scripture focus: Acts 27: 27 - 37                       Would we hear, listen, and believe if the Lord spoke to us today? Do we fully trust that He is present even in the silent moments of life?   Today's portion reminds us that God's guidance can come in quiet ways amid chaotic circumstances. That God is present in all situations, even when everything seems lost. That if we remain connected to Him, through the Holy Spirit, we will be given wisdom for every situation. On this journey through life, we are not solo travelers. Instead, we are accompanied by our Resurrected Lord on every path. The power of God can lead us toward safety and peace in all situations, no matter how strong the storm may appear. In our Scripture of focus, we see capable but anxious sailors wading through tumultuous waters on their way to Italy. Here, Paul, a prisoner being transported, continues to use his intimat...

  Resurrected lord-the co-traveler. Exodus 40:34 – 38 The Glory of the Lord                       34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.                                                                            ...

  Resurrected lord-the co-traveler. Passage: Daniel 3:7-28                      Verses of Focus: “ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” – Daniel  3:17-18                                                                                                                                          Amen      Have you ever been faced...

  Resurrected lord-the co-traveler. Proverbs 3 verses 23-35                       “All-powerful and the living God, when Abraham left his own land and departed from his own people, you kept him safe all through his life journey. Protect us, and walk by our side by being our companion, strength and refuge in every situation in our life. Make us ever mindful that heaven is our true home and help us to persevere to follow the path to heaven. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord”                                                                                                                                    ...

  Jesus Christ who transforms human situations Psalm 15 It’s a reflective psalm written by King David, starting with a question of what it looks to live worthy of the presence of God, that is who can dwell on Yahweh’s holy hill. And this question answers us to describing the characteristics required to dwell with the Lord right now; how to walk in faith and have fellowship with the living God. Such a thing is not possible by man alone, but with Jesus Christ who transforms human situations. The world, in which we live today, has so many problems, sickness, calamities, and in the midst of all these it’s best to live with the presence of the Lord. David through his Psalm, gives out clear instruction in very few verses, how to live with the blameless character to know the Lord and enter his Tabernacle. “Do you think people can change and live a blameless life?” “We can’t change ourselves. The Holy Spirit can transform our hearts and our lives. Jesus Christ transforms human situations. ...

  Christ who transforms human situations John 21:1-14                 “V5: He called out to them, “Friends haven’t you any fish?” What is transformation? Is it the absence of difficulties? Is it the presence of possibilities?  Let’s look at the portion we just read. What were the difficulties?  Simon, Nathanael, sons of Zebedee and 2 other disciples went back to the profession that they knew (vs 2-3). Let us bear in mind that they were called out of that same profession with a calling by Jesus. Now at this moment they were going back to the same profession forgetting the calling of Jesus and forgetting the presence of Jesus with them (vs 4). Sometimes we resort to our self learned ways forgetting the calling of God in our life and ignoring the presence and leading of Jesus in our life.  The difficulties that the disciples faced could happen to any of us. The uncertain future that laid ahead without the leading of their master, ...

  Jesus Christ who transforms human situations Hebrews: 13-1-8                       Let’s reflect three themes from the given portion. Significance of hospitality  “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:1-2). Even though all the Holy Scriptures demand the extension of hospitality to all especially to the poor, needy, stranger and the vulnerable its actual practice is far away from the standard expected by God. Most of the Asian and African cities, towns and villages are continued to be plagued by poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and severe discriminations. Hospitality is not merely receiving somebody with a smiling face or giving some charity to the needy around. Hospitality is the heart and practice of the gospel. Christian hospitality which proceeds from the magnanimous hospitality of God, concerns the ‘othe...

  Jesus Christ who transforms human situations Romans 12: 9-16 In this letter, Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Rome. This passage talks about the transformation which we go through when we believe in the truth of the Gospel. This transformation happens through faith and daily practice of reading God’s word and through prayer. Paul encourages the believers to submit our body and mind to Christ and make it a living sacrifice which is acceptable to the Lord. God has the ultimate power to renew our mind and the way we think. We ought to crucify our sinful nature and must learn to see the world through God's perspective. Furthermore, the scripture talks about the way Christians ought to live their life by genuinely loving all God’s creatures and hating evil. Closing eyes and ears to evil is taking part in the evil itself, so ask God to give you the courage to fight the battle against evil. And this battle is fought through prayer. Taking revenge is not advised, instead the Lord ...

  Jesus Christ who transforms human situations Genesis 18: 1-10                        Today's meditation portion is from Abraham's life.  We are always limited in time, place, and person. As we navigate through this hard life, it can bring so many ups and downs. Situations like pandemics, wars, and earthquakes can always challenge our existence. Our own struggles and sufferings in life can make life miserable. Abraham and Sarah's life has so many ups and downs. But at this point, they both were very advanced in age, vulnerable, and weak and perhaps many diseases like osteoarthritis, cataract, anxiety, etc might slowly hit them along with loneliness from having no children.  The passage mentions that Abraham invited and humbly insisted God stay with him. We are not sure who all are these three visitors, but Abraham calling them Lord, means he realized the visitors are not mere humans.  How many of us are wil...

  Christians are Sojourners on Earth: Faith Transforms our Lives. Genesis 47:1-12   “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, (Genesis 47:9, NIV) Our theme for today’s devotion is “Jesus who transforms human situations” based on the text from Genesis 47:1-12. The context is, Jacob took his whole family of seventy members to Egypt when his once lost son Joseph was the Governor of Egypt. In the text portion, we can see three divine transformations in the life of  individuals, a nation, and transformation of human perception.  (1).  Joseph from Prison to Governor.  Sold by his brothers as a slave to Egypt, Joseph became the Governor of Egypt by his resolute faith in God. Once in the pit and prison in Egypt, Joseph must have been desperate and wondered about his future. But his unwavering faith in God exalted him to be the savior of  his family which shall by providence become a nation. In Ch...

  Jesus Christ, who transforms human situations Romans  8:12-17   Vs: 13:- “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors; not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Do you ever wish you could be “better”?  That you could be more loving and kind?  More patient and forgiving?  More holy? Perhaps you find yourself in a difficult situation today. Maybe you are struggling with an addiction, battling a chronic illness, or experiencing financial hardship.   In the book of Romans  8:12-17 , we are reminded of the power of Christ to transform human situations. We are reminded that through Christ, we can overcome all challenges and obstacles that come our way. True transformation is a change in our hearts, attitudes, and thoughts.  Verse 12 begins by calling us to live according to the Spirit, and not according to the fles...

  Jesus Christ Who Restores Psalm 40    I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”   Psalm 40: 1  David wrote Psalm 40 to talk about waiting and being patient on God to help us is not easy but there are benefits to waiting on him to help us just like how it says in the first verse“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” For example, the first four verses show 4 things David received as a result of waiting on God. 1) God lifted him out of his despair, 2) God set his feet on a rock, 3) God gave him a firm place to stand, and 4) God put a new song of praise in his mouth. Now when we look at this we see how much God did for David because he waited on God to help him hence if we wait on God to help us he will do many things in our lives. Now when we look into verse 6 talks about sacrifice and how these acts are meaningless unless done for the right reason. Also when we look into verses 7, and 8 ta...

  Jesus Christ Who Restores John 20:24–29 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands.” (John  20:27a ) In 1992, the lawyers Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld founded the Innocence Project. Its goal was to overturn the convictions of people who were wrongfully convicted of crimes. But being released from jail after decades doesn’t mean the transition to normal life is easy. The process of restoration is long; there are many fears and other personal challenges that need to be overcome. There are often times in our life when we need to be restored also. The Bible is also full of stories of restoration and they give us insight into the God who restores. Apostle Thomas is often mischaracterized as “Doubting Thomas.” Yet, his suspicion is common to all people. Most of us would say the same to the risen Lord because the resurrection stands in opposition to the natural fate of humans. While Thomas was doubtful, Jesus Christ specifically came to him. Doubt separated Th...

   Jesus Christ Who Restores Colossians  1:15-23 Colossians  1:15-23  is a passage from the New Testament that speaks of the supremacy of Christ. The passage begins by stating that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. This means that Christ is the exact representation of God and holds the highest position over all of creation. The passage goes on to state that all things were created through Christ and for him, and that he holds everything together. Christ is not only the creator of all things but also the sustainer of all things. The passage then speaks of Christ's role in the reconciliation of all things to God. Through his death on the cross, Christ has made peace between God and humanity, reconciling all things to God. This includes those who were once far away from God, but have now been brought near through Christ. The passage ends with a reminder to the Colossian believers that they were once alienated from God, but h...

  Jesus Christ Who Restores Col 3:1-11  “…Set your hearts on things above…” When was the last time you looked at the stars?  We are all busy people – spending much more time looking down at our phones or across at our friends, family, or computer screens.  I imagine that most of us rarely take much time to go outside at night and really spend some time gazing at the stars.  What’s so amazing about stars?  Here are some fun facts.  Every star you can see is actually brighter than our sun which is our closest star.  Every one is actually MUCH brighter – they are just much further away and appear like that little twinkling dot in the sky.  Other stars are so far away from our planet, that it takes millions of years for a star’s light to reach our eyes. That means the stars you are seeing today are actually stars from long ago. Looking at the night sky is like looking back in time 100,000 years! Once I look out and ponder these things, I always g...

  Jesus Christ Who Restores Genesis 32:22-32 “The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.” Genesis 32:22 The story of Jacob meeting an angel is quite an interesting story in the Bible.  It begins with a man emptying himself of everything he owned and had before he meets his brother.  The very word for Jabbok in Hebrew means to be emptied.  The place describes what had happened to Jacob. Here was a man calculating from the very beginning of his life, practically grasping the heel of his brother in the womb and stealing birthrights and blessings.  The story of Jacob reads from Genesis 25 to Genesis 32 as one who deceives and is then deceived himself.  The world would read the story and define it as “Karma”, a sort of cause and effect.  But something happens in Genesis 32 that changes Jacob forever.  When he emptied himself or gave up struggling with his planning and sche...