Reflections

  Jesus Christ who heals Bible portion  Acts 14:8-15  Vs 15: We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God” In this passage, we see the mighty power of our God.  We read throughout Scripture so many wondrous miracles, yet many of us (myself included) can’t help but wonder, “but what about me?”. Many times when we beg the Lord to save us from whatever ails us, we may not get an answer for days, months, or even years. And thoughts go racing through our heads. “Maybe I’m just not praying hard enough” or “maybe God just doesn’t really care all that much about me.”  Why will God not heal me? Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Not just some things. ALL things, including suffering. So how are we as Christians to make sense of suffering? I think we often view suffering as an obstacle to our salvation, that if I d...

  JESUS CHRIST WHO HEALS Bible portion   : 2 Kings 20: 1-11 “….This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.” 2 Kings 20: 5 Devotional Text One of Micheal Jackson’s famous songs ‘We are the world’ which he wrote in 1985 with singer Lionel Ritche is telling the world to come together to help the sick and dying from poverty, and hunger in Africa. I was reminded of this song from a Christmas carol service last year. When 45 of America’s top singers sang to bring healing to the world it became an instant success. We only later knew how many of them including Micheal Jackson needed healing in their own lives also.  True healing can only come from the Lord. The sort of healing that comes from Him is for the body and our soul. Here in this passage, we see one such example of God’s healing to Hezekiah. It is not just any ordinary healing that he asked for. The prophet Issiah had just told the king th...

  God’s promise in the midst of disappointments Bible portion:Isaiah 42: 1-9 Verse 6-7: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Reflection: At this point in the book of Isaiah, we see the Israelites coming out of a long journey of following God and defeating the Egyptians.  Israel became a great nation that saw many victories and people were likely feeling very confident about their future.  They also fell into sin and were called to turn from their ways.  Then, the unthinkable happened.  The Babylonians defeated Israel, destroyed the temple they built, stole their treasures, and took them into bondage.  This victory was a complete devastation of the political, social, economic, and religious life God’s peopl...

  Participation in Nation Building : A Christian Responsibility Bible portion  romans 12 :9-21 The Greatest Act of Love Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep- Romans 12:14 Devotional Text About a few years ago I was watching CNN and saw a story that caught my attention. The story was about a man whose grandmother has been killed by a woman. It had been 30 years since the murder. The news article talked about how the woman had been released from the jail and the person to pick her up was the grandson of the murder victim.  The two had become pen pals for twenty years, writing to his grandmother’s killer in prison. The grandson says that knowing his grandmother, she would have been horrified by the hatred her grandson had towards her killer and what had happened over the last couple of years. This personally shocked me because I would not have been capable of the redemption that he applied to ...

  Participation in Nation building :A  Christian responsibility Bible portion: Matthew 13:31-34 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”- Matthew 13:32 Reflection: Jesus presents the Kingdom of Heaven as a mustard seed, a bit of yeast in dough, a hidden treasure, a pearl of great value, and a net catching fish in St.Matthew 13.  Jesus here slides easily from the agricultural to the culinary to the marketplace and to the fishing trade.   While Jesus is throwing out these various images at a fast and furious pace, he’s also teaching one of the most remarkable truths that emerges from the gospel: namely, the unexpected hiddenness of the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus always made clear that the Kingdom of Heaven was going to save and rescue this world precisely by virtue of its being so very different from the powerful, flashy, showy political kingdoms th...

   Participation in Nation Building: A Christian Responsibility Bible portion    1 Peter 2:1-12  Verses 11–12: "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” Devotional Text  The Great Commission of our Lord Jesus recorded in Matthew 28:19a, " So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Jesus was with the disciples for three and a half years, teaching them how to live as followers of Christ in a hostile world. During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to his followers, "You are the salt of the earth” and "You are the light of the world." What did Jesus mean by this statement? Christians are like salt: it is the silent witness of the believer. It is the influence that you have over other people’s lives to sea...

  Participation in Nation Building a Christian responsibility Bible portion (Neh.  2:11-18 ) I told them about the gracious hand of my God up on me and what the king had said to me. They replied “let us start building” so then began this Good work. Nehemiah 2:1 Devotional Text Nations are built by their Patriotic citizens, not by foreigners and not by wealth. The book of Nehemiah shows us a kind of significant impact one individual can have on a nation. Nehemiah served in secular offices, using his position to bring back to the Jews order, stability and proper focus on God. The walls were a protection, but they were also an important physical symbol of establishment of Jews as a people. Nehemiah expressed empathy, listened actively and built strong relationships with the people he led. Nehemiah’s communication skills were vital in uniting diverse individuals and keeping them focused on their shared mission. Sometimes communication is viewed as a s...

Three Day Lent- Redemption: Bible portion: Matt 12 : 38-50 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. “Matthew 12:41 The three days lent is a lent of attrition and repentance in remembrance of the repentance of the people of Nineveh at the preaching of Jonah. As a result of their repentance, they were redeemed from the wrath of God and their destruction. This lent commences a few weeks prior to the start of the Great Lent. It is a time of preparation and repentance. The book of Jonah with a man swallowed by a fish seems like a fictional kid’s tale, but Jesus acknowledged it as true. Nineveh was a city in Assyria, the superpower during the time of Prophet Jonah, son of Amittai. Jonah initially disobeyed God when he was told to go to Nineveh. He got on a ship to Tarshish and travelled in the opposite direction. God sent a storm and Jonah was thrown off...

  Three Day Lent  -Transformation portion: Matthew 24:36-46 .. no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. (Matthew 24 : 36) It is only appropriate to meditate on the second coming of Jesus immediately after the Advent season. We know that the second coming of Jesus is imminent but Jesus very clearly states that no one knows the day or hour. The Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour. We have to be ready! Tomorrow is an uncertain proposition. “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). The Bible makes this point on several occasions. Only today has been placed in your hands. Tomorrow, James is telling us, is the most deadly word in the Bible. Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is y...

  Three Day Lent - Repentance Bible portion  Mathew 7:1-5  To Judge or Not to Judge    Judge not ,that you be not judged - Mathew 7:1 Devotional Text Typical resolutions in January are to lose weight , exercise more, spend less time at work and more quality time with family and children , spend less time sticking to phones and other electronic devices, post less remarks in social media, maybe  refrain from judging others  etc..  Surprisingly,  we want to change things  in our lives that we are unhappy about,but most of the resolutions will have a short life span of weeks in January .  What better way to tell others to mind their own business than to quote Jesus His remarkable statement from the sermon on the mount “Judge not, that you be not judged “ (V 1) We also use this verse in our spiritual circles when we want to silence someone whose opinion we do not like. Our judgments are to begin with: “ First remove the plank from your o...

  Love – The Foundation of Unity Bible portion  Psalm 23 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4 Devotional Text The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. This is one of oft quoted verses from Scripture and with good reason. Written from the perspective of a shepherd himself, David, this Psalm gives believers a clear lens through which God can be more easily perceived and related to. In John 10, our Lord Jesus Christ lays claim to the title of “the good shepherd” (John 10:11). In order to gain a deeper understanding of the magnitude of Christ’s love for us, the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep needs to be studied. Those of us who were not raised in rural communities may have very little knowledge about sheep or livestock in general. Without a shepherd, sheep can find themselves in vulnerable positions. Under the guidance of a shepherd, however, sheep can move...

  Love: The Foundation of Unity Bible portion    John 15:8-16  “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10 Devotional Text John 15:9-16 portrays love as the foundational principle for unity among believers. John recorded the command for loving as a mandate from Jesus to his followers, urging them to understand that love is not merely a sentiment but is expressed through obedience, self-sacrifice, and a chosen commitment to bear lasting fruit in the service of God. The organic relationship between the vine and branches is applied as a metaphor to envision an inward unity and a common motivation among the disciples as an expression of their faith. Today’s believers are called to place themselves in the role of disciples to witness the love of God, not as a mere personal blessing, but rather as a common experience. When followers of Jesus live in love and engage in actions demons...

  Love – The Foundation of Unity Bible portion: Ephesians 4:1-17 There is one body and one Spirit, just you also were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:4-6 Devotional Text In the world we live in, we are constantly being bombarded by messages of division.  Those messages are all around us and come in many forms like race, politics, social movements, etc. Questions like who do you support in this war? Or do you support this movement or that movement, and if you claim allegiance to one side, it’s an assumption you are against the other.  The same power that divides in the world, is the same power that divided in the early church and in the church today.  It is said on Wikipedia if you search “Denominations”, there are over 35,000 Christian denominations around the world.  Different websites will have different numbers, which means nobody ...

  Love: The Foundation of Unity Bible portion1 Corinthians 3:1-9  “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” - 1 Corinthians 3:7 Devotional Text Paul’s letter of admonition to the church in Corinth serves as a reminder to all of us today as we go about our daily lives. We all have a role to play in the building up of God’s kingdom. At times, we can become our own worst enemies in the mission that was laid out before us. Paul’s words can seem to be scathing, but when we take a moment to realize the divisions that were taking place in the church, we can understand the scope of the message. Christ’s body was called to be united. A body, by nature, works in cohesion. A body that is at war with itself cannot survive. The church in Corinth acted as a splintered body. Some stood with Paul while others clung onto Apollos. The believers in Corinth failed to realize that Paul and Apollos stood for the same ideals. There was n...

  Love – The Foundation of Unity Bible portion: Numbers 11:23-30 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!” Numbers 11:29 In the beginning verses of Numbers 11:23-30, it is seen that Moses is a bit frightened by the fact that he has to lead a significant number of Israelites. He shares his burden with God, who replies “Is the Lord’s arm too short?”. He begins by questioning Moses’ faith because he ultimately knows what will happen. So Moses decides to go out and tell the people what the Lord said. He gathered seventy elders and had them stand around the tent. The Lord came among them and put His Spirit on all seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they started to prophesize. However, there were two men who decided to stay in the camp rather than going out to the tent. These men were named Eldad and Medad, and the surprising thing about them was that they also began to pro...

   Love: The Foundation of Unity Bible portion:Acts 15:1-11 ”No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” – Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭11 Devotional Text The Council of Jerusalem had a meeting to discuss the requirements for being a believer in Christ and for membership in the church. There was a controversy regarding following of the laws of Moses, especially about circumcision and diet for the Gentile Christians. Initially, the church comprised of converted Jews who were circumcised on the eighth day as per the old covenant. Circumcision was a requirement of the old covenant. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and old covenant. The new covenant provides salvation through faith in Christ. Later on, Gentiles converted to Christianity, and they were not circumcised. The Jewish believers wanted the Gentile believers to be circumcised. Jewish Christians saw Christianity as a movement within Judaism at that point. Peter, Paul, Barnabas and James...

Love: The foundation of unity Ezekiel 37:15-23 In Ezekiel 37:15-23, God tells Ezekiel to take two sticks, one for Judah and the other for Ephraim, and put them together into one stick. Each stick represents a different part of Israel. God is showing that He wants to bring the divided tribes back together. The sticks join miraculously, not by human hands but by God's power. This isn't just about politics; it's about God wanting to fix the separation and bring His people together spiritually. The vision is a powerful image of God's plan to heal the deep divisions among the Israelites, going beyond just making them a nation again. It highlights God's role in reuniting what was separated and emphasizes the importance of His intervention in overcoming serious differences. The message is clear: God is at work to restore unity among His people, showing His desire for them to be one under His guidance. Symbolic Reunification of Divided Kingdoms: This part of the Bible talks...

  Life: For the Glory of God Bible portion: 1st Cor.  3:16-19 .1 Cor.  3:16-19 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness” Reflection: The apostle Paul was used mightily to exhort the Corinthian church. In this passage, the Greek word for “you” is plural. When Paul says “you” he is referring to the body of Christ, the church! God’s presence can be found in the church, that is why Paul refers to us, the believers, as God’s temple! We are so precious to our Father. Paul exhorts the church in Corinth of this. He warns them of how...

  Life: For the Glory of God Matthew  5:13-16   In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (vr 16) ‘Sermon on the Mount’ is considered as foundational principles for Christian living. They describe characteristics that are valued in the Kingdom of God as mentioned by our Lord. In the text today, Jesus uses the metaphors of salt and light to convey important lessons about the role and influence of His followers in the world. Christians are called to be engaged in the world, interacting with society and culture, while maintaining a distinct and transformative influence based on our faith in Christ. The goal is to live in accordance with God's principles, bringing taste and light to the world. Withdrawing from the world is not an option for Christians. Salt serves a...