Reflections

  GIFTS OF HOLY SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT Jesus Christ Who Restores Bible portion: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Devotion   At a local parish, there was once an older gentleman who although modest in nature, was gifted in his own way. He was not a singer, nor did he have strengths in administration duties. Yet every Sunday without fail, he would welcome his fellow congregants with a warm smile and a handshake. He would also go out of his way to converse with the youth boys saying, “It’s nice to see you today” and go out of his way to dress up as Santa Clause for every Carol Service. Although his gift was never recognized among his peers, it was apparent that he was presented with the gift of speaking and serving in his own unique way. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 talks of two general types of spiritual gifts: speaking (verbal gifts) and serving (nonverbal gifts). Both are freely given to ALL believers in Christ in a vast variety.  In this passage, Paul emphasizes the diversity and unity of spi

  GIFTS OF HOLY SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT     Bible portion: II Chronicles   15: 15-18 Verse   15 – And Judah  rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought Him with their whole desire; and he was fond of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about. Devotion      2nd Book of Chronicles focuses on the history of Jerusalem – specifically about the temple and the Kings.  The temple needed restoration. But people became concerned about their own properties than the temple. Full tithe was not brought in, priests began to leave Jerusalem. Leaders and prophets  encouraged  people to rebuild and restore the temple, still the congregation failed to come together as one.   Now we read the spirit of the Lord came on Azariah  a prophet  who  was asked to meet King Asa who reigned Jerusalem 41 years from 910-869 B.C.  Unlike his predecessors, as soon as he began to reign, he listened to God's warning that if Judah and Benjamin  tribes seek the Lord, He will

  Co-workers in Building Up the Kingdom of God   Bible portion: 2 John 1: 7-11 Devotion   Merriam Webster Dictionary : Foundation   – an underlying base or support.  Without a stable foundation, a building will not be stable nor last a long time. For our faith to be stable and last a long time we must have a strong foundation rooted in the truth and love of God.  In the 2nd epistle John 1: 1-6, John identifies himself as the Elder and the addressee as the elect lady and her children. We are not sure if he is addressing a family or members of a church but John counsels them by saying that the truth is what abides in all Christians. He goes on to say that Grace, peace and mercy comes from God himself in truth and love. John reinforces to the church the need to walk in truth and love and be obedient to the teachings of Christ and always be rooted in the doctrine that was presented to them from the very beginning. Why does John emphasize to stick to the doctrine that they heard from the be

  Co-workers in building up the kingdom of God   Bible portion: St. Luke 10:25-28 Devotion Greetings, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Today, we reflect on our calling as co-workers in building up the Kingdom of God. Our guiding scripture is from St. Luke 10:25-28: “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’ He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’”  Loving God Wholeheartedly In this passage, Jesus emphasizes the greatest commandment: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. This wholehearted love for God is the foundation of our faith and the cornerstone of building His Kingdom. What does it mean to love God

  Co-workers in building up the kingdom of God   Bible portion Romans   14: 13-19 Devotion We know Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but what does this look like? Does this mean we can’t disagree with our neighbors, even the Christian ones? Certainly not, but Paul gives us some guidelines. In his letter to the Romans, he teaches us how to address and treat fellow Christians. In the days of the early church, some of the converted gentiles and incumbent Christians didn’t see eye to eye on various practices, and in some serious cases, pertinent doctrine. Paul recognized some Christians wanted to keep certain ceremonial laws, like certain festivals and staying away from meat, even though Jesus declared all foods as clean. Disagreements are common in any workplace, and the church is no stranger to this. But Paul instructs us not to disagree to the effect we create a “stumbling block” unto our neighbors.  What exactly is this? As you can imagine, a stumbling block

  Co-workers in building up the kingdom of God   Bible portion: Ephesians 3:1-7 Devotion Building the kingdom of God involves breaking, building, and relying on God's grace. Charles Spurgeon wisely said, "Where God works, He works with men that work." Ephesians 3:1-7 reveals this divine collaboration, highlighting three key pillars: individual dedication, collective revelation, and inclusive unity. The Apostle Paul exemplifies these principles, showing that through breaking down our old selves and receiving God's grace, we become instruments in His grand design. In Ephesians 3:1-7, Paul identifies himself as a servant of Christ, dedicated to spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. His unwavering commitment, even in the face of imprisonment, illustrates the first pillar: individual dedication. Paul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a devoted apostle highlights the breaking process necessary for building the kingdom. Personal surrender and acceptance