Reflections

      CARE ORIENTED EDUCATION  Scripture: Acts 8 :26-38  V.31: and he said, How could I “unless someone guides me”? And he  entreated Philip to come up and sit with him.    This narrative talks about the encounter between the  Greek speaking Jewish Christian evangelist Philip and an Ethiopian  eunuch who was returning from worship at Jerusalem. Philip was one of  the six chosen for the table ministry including Stephen. They looked after the equitable distribution of serving food for all the early church  believers including widows. But God has chosen Philip further up into an  important task of evangelizing an Ethiopian man who was rich, educated  and affluent, in charge of the treasury of Queen Candace. He is not to  be mistaken for Apostle Philip. In our particular text, divine  intervention is quite evident. Both the angel of the Lord and the spirit of  the Lord spoke to Philip asking him t...

  Care Oriented Education Jesus Christ Who Restores   Scripture: Proverbs 4:1-9 Proverbs 4:1-9 at first glance depicts a father giving instructions to his children When placed in context, this is not just any father talking, but rather this is King Solomon giving royal instruction to all his kin (v. 1-2). We also notice how three generations are involved in the passing of instruction: God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7), David’s instructions to Solomon (1 Kings 2:1-9) and Solomon’s instructions to his children (current passage). Just like David’s royal lineage, we also are a part of God’s royal family and therefore as part of God’s kinship, we are set apart to follow the same instructions that are being passed down.       So what instructions are we to follow? Verse 5 says, “get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.” The wisdom and understanding mentioned in Proverbs should never be interchanged with secula...

  CARE ORIENTED EDUCATION   Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-12   V7.The fear of the Lord is the beginning of  knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.   Solomon in the book of proverbs, gave us   the perspective of a brilliant teacher, who offers his insights on a wide range of subjects from relationships to wealth  to spirituality.  Proverbs  also shows us that God's wisdom can guide us through our life's journey – and  that  anyone  who can access   wisdom and  knowledge can enjoy the gifts that it freely offers.   The theme of the chapter one of the book of proverbs is imparting wisdom in the life of a believer. The first nine chapters of the book are short essays of instruction and  exhortations directed toward the young in particular to listen to fatherly wisdom.               A wise man is one  who understands well,  that the of  fear of the Lor...

  CARE ORIENTED EDUCATION Scripture: Acts:22:1-15  Vs 14.Then He said:, The God of our fathers has chose you to know his will and o see the righteous one and to hear words from his mouth.   The portion deals with a dramatic conversion and testimony of an ardent Jew who persecuted early Christians, because he was a  zealous Jew holding on to the laws of Sanhedrin.  Paul had citizenship of Tarsus as well as being a Roman citizen. Tarsus was a town close to Tarsus river and close to Cicilian gates. He must have come to Jerusalem at an early age to be trained by the most honored Rabbi of the first century ,Gamaliel. Paul received the best education according to the Jewish norms, but God's plan was different. He was equipped and separated for a calling which was unique that made him an apostle of Lord Jesus.         While Saul was reaching near to Damascus, he was called by the resurrected Jesus – through a bright light shone from heaven that...

  Called to be the Light Psalm 67 V. 1: "“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us”    In just a few short verses, the author of Psalm 67 captures quite a lot of information with regard to the purpose of Israel, the nature of God, and what a healthy relationship between God and man looks like.   Purpose of Israel   The nation of Israel was originally meant to be a mirror that reflected God’s image and light. The entire Old Testament narrative details the struggle Israel faced with its assigned task. In the purpose of Israel, we find practical guidance that can be applied to modern day Christendom. Just as God situated Israel to be a light unto the nations, we are placed strategically to shine the light of God to all the ends of the earth.   Righteous Judge and Ruler   The fact of the matter is that we live in a world where sin has fully run its course. Justice seems to be either absent or a distant memory. As we head down a ...

  Called to be the Light St. Matthew  5:13-16 V. 16: "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. This passage follows the Beatitudes, where the common phrase Christ emphasizes is “blessed are the…”.  It is understood that blessed are those who love God and purpose to carry out that love to the world in which they are placed.  This is a calling for us to understand that we are blessed to bless.  That is where we can see the purpose of our life is to be the salt and light.   We are the salt of the world.  The two main function salt reminds us is it is a seasoning agent as well as a preservative.  When we see the seasoning aspect of salt, Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him”.  In a world that has a shortcoming or imperfection of taste in food, we are easy to judge and...

  Called to be the Light 1 Peter 2:1-10 V. 10: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Mercy is showing compassion or forgiveness to someone that you have the power to punish.  I am reminded of the reckless love of God. The love of God broke all the rules men or angels could concieve. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. This is something that is beyond comprehension. God showed us who he is by showering his love on us. There is nothing that can separate us from his love. His love is a gift, an eternal present to us. Think about receiving something in your time of need during a challenging time in your life.   No matter how hard we try or even if we forget. The Lord remembered us when we didn't deserve to be called his people. Remember the Lord, then you will be at rest and acknowledge hi...

  Called to be the Light Acts 10:9-16 V. 15: "The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” As we continue our meditation on this week’s theme, “Called to be the Light,” today’s portion focuses on Peter’s vision.  The passage begins with Peter taking a break on his journey to spreading the gospel when he falls into a trance and sees heaven opened with a large sheet let down to earth by its four corners.  The sheet contained clean and unclean animals, and a voice told Peter to “Kill and eat.”  Initially, Peter replied that he would not, as he had never eaten anything impure or unclean.  But the voice spoke to him again and said, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”               We know that the greater meaning behind this passage is that the “unclean” and “impure” animals actually symbolize Gentiles.  Peter learned that Gentiles ...

  Called to be the Light Isaiah 60:1-10 V. 1: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” In a world often overshadowed by sin and despair, we strive to fill the voids within us, seeking meaning and purpose. Amidst this pursuit, the brilliance of our inner light and the hope that guides us can sometimes be obscured. Once shrouded in darkness and oppression, the people of Israel emerged as a beacon of light and honor among nations through divine transformation.   As Israel was called to radiate God's glory amidst the darkness, we are entrusted with kindling hope in this world. Our task is to illuminate lives with the radiance of God's love, dispelling the shadows of hopelessness. Our response echoes Isaiah's words in a society yearning for direction: "Arise and shine” (Isaiah 60:1).    In our routines, we often miss the influence we possess. A genuine conversation, a comforting smile, or a moment of empathy can profoundly i...

  Called to be the Light 2 Kings 5:1-14 V. 14: “So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. ” In this passage, we encounter a story that illuminates the calling to be a light in the lives of others. Naaman, a powerful commander, was afflicted with leprosy – a condition that isolated him from society. His distress led him to seek healing from Elisha, a prophet of God. Elisha, recognizing the opportunity to demonstrate God's power, instructed Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River.    Naaman's pride and skepticism initially hindered him from following Elisha's simple instructions. Like Naaman, we often struggle to accept God's plans when they don't align with our expectations. Yet, the moment Naaman chose humility over pride and obedience over skepticism, he experienced transformation.   This story parallels our own journey as Christians....

  Called to be the Light Philippians 3:7-16 V7 “ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” When I was looking around the house, I came across my degrees and plaques that were symbols of my accomplishments.  My name was etched on them, showcasing my achievements for all to see.  But this passage reminds me how foolish I had been.  My earthly pursuits held no value in the eyes of God. Even within the church, we strive for titles and positions.   Through Sunday  School competitions, Diocesan exams, or church positions, we attempt to prove ourselves to others.  However, Christ in His humility shows us a different way. Instead of amassing possessions, how many of us surrender ourselves to God?  We applaud those who excel in public speaking, but do we lift up the humble amongst us?  Do we seek out those who are suffering in our midst?  We often fail to exemplify this...

  Reformation Sunday   Scripture Galatians 1:1-6 “FGalatians 1:4 - “Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” Paul ‘s primary purpose in writing the letter to the Galatians was to clarify and defend the truth of the gospel in the face of a false gospel. That false gospel that was permeating and gaining traction through the area at the time was the concept of a works-based gospel. A works-based gospel suggests that we have some element of control in our salvation based on our deeds (a.k.a works). For many of us that have grown up in church, this may not actually seem too far off from what we have been taught, but the reality is, this is a misinterpretation of the gospel that must be corrected.  But where does this idea stem from and how did it become a false gospel that permeated the early church? Since many of the early Christians were former Jews, this way of thinking stems from the Mosaic Law, whic...

  Reformation Sunday   Scripture Galatians 1:1-6 “FGalatians 1:4 - “Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” Paul ‘s primary purpose in writing the letter to the Galatians was to clarify and defend the truth of the gospel in the face of a false gospel. That false gospel that was permeating and gaining traction through the area at the time was the concept of a works-based gospel. A works-based gospel suggests that we have some element of control in our salvation based on our deeds (a.k.a works). For many of us that have grown up in church, this may not actually seem too far off from what we have been taught, but the reality is, this is a misinterpretation of the gospel that must be corrected.  But where does this idea stem from and how did it become a false gospel that permeated the early church? Since many of the early Christians were former Jews, this way of thinking stems from the Mosaic Law, whic...

  Life: To Be Reformed Through the Word of God   Scripture:St. Luke 8:9–15  But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. St. Luke 8:15 In His ministry, Jesus used a number of methods of communication to convey spiritual truths, and one such method was the use of parables. Parables are illustrative stories, where a familiar idea is cast beside an unfamiliar idea in such a way that the comparison helps people to better understand the unfamiliar idea.   In Luke 8:1-8, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower, which is also found in Matt. 13:1-23 and Mark 4:1-20. Jesus uses this parable to illustrate the various ways in which human hearts respond to God’s Word. The parable is simple: the sower generously scatters seeds that end up on four different types of terrain. Some seeds land on the path, some on rocks, others in thorny soil, and some in good soil. The first three groups of...

  Life :To be reformed through the word of God.   Scripture: Hebrew  4:12-13 For the word of God is alive and active, Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. In the heart of every believer, there exists a yearning for change, a desire for reformation. We look at our lives, our struggles, and our imperfections, and we long to be reformed—to be made new, to grow closer to the image of Christ. The passage from Hebrews  4:12-13 unveils a powerful truth that holds the key to this transformation: the living and active Word of God. The Word of God is not simply a static collection of words from God. It is living, life-changing and dynamic and has the power to pierce through the layers of our being with the incisiveness of a surgeon’s knife. Just as a surgeon's scalpel divides bone from marrow, the Word of God penetrates our innermost being, exposing the de...

  Life to be reformed through the Word of God   Scripture:1 John 2:14 – 17 1 John 2: 17  The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Word vs World. A dilemma that every Christian is called to live through faithfully. From our infancy, we have been taught a lot of things. If you have been to Sunday school, you would know the good values that our teachers try to imbibe in their students through the parables and other stories from the word of God. But as we grow older, we tend to unlearn or dismiss these values as just ‘good stories’ for young kids in our race to live as ‘smart’ adults in this world. We have so many reasons and justifications for the way we act and for the things we do. We do things out of naivety, ignorance, misunderstanding or sadly willfully. Sin being so prevalent in our lives from the time we were born (Psalms 51:5). We are used to things that are wrong because they have become so normal in our lives and culture....

  Life to be reformed through the word of God.    Scripture:  2 kings 23 1-6 He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. 2king 23:2 At work, our mission and our purpose are to have our patient's results available in the most accurate and efficient manner. Employees are asked to familiarize themselves with the company's Standards operating procedure manual when they are first hired and comply with it for the duration of their job.  An SOP provides employees with a framework for following a company's step-by-step procedures that comply with the regulations.  I believe as a Christian our SOP is the Word of God. The Word provides a strong foundation for our faith and helps us build a better understanding of our Father....

  77th Independence Day of India (2023)   Scripture: Luke 6 :20-26 Luke 6:  20-26: V 20: Then he looked up at his disciples and  spoke “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God…” In today's world, whether it is a nation or a person, true Independence means freedom. There are various aspects of freedom, but financial independence is prime. In the above passage, Jesus uses a common life situation and their many dimensions to teach disciples to see things differently. I would like to ponder upon the word “The Poor” Jesus used. Without using the word rich or richness, Jesus encourages or challenges disciples to attain the spiritual richness. The rich, have enough money, opportunities, a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, economic security, and stability. The poor lack such advantages in life. One can attain wealth through birth, education, and hard work. Majority of us or our parents left our homeland and settled in America to improve our...