Reflections

Christ who restores Mark 10:46-52 Vs 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. During Jesus’s ministry of teaching, preaching and healing we often see Him making people whole. Through his three-fold ministry he emphasizes on restoring people and relationships that become damaged beyond repair, defaced beyond recognition and lost beyond scope of return.
The above passage has to be seen in the context of Jesus’s prediction and preparation for his suffering and death. In Mark 10:32, He is seen walking resolutely towards Jerusalem, with purpose, whereas the disciples are bewildered. It is in such a situation that they encounter Bartimaeus. I would like to bring out two thoughts that show Christ as the one who restores people to wholeness.
Being restored in sightThe disciples who were following Jesus along the way would not have entirely realized the significance of Jesus’s prediction of his death. Yet they could rea…

The Redeeming Christ Acts 16:25-34 Vs 31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts of the Apostles is one of most important books of the bible for any Christian because it shows such a beautiful example of what it means to live as witnesses to the Gospel. Often times we find ourselves lost in a sea of doubt and confusion regarding what the church should look like and what Christian life truly embodies. The apostles set such a bold example of what it means to be slaves to the gospel and this passage shows just that.

Paul and Silas were in the darkest moment of their lives: shackled in a prison cell, awaiting torture and death. But in spite of the fear and hopelessness of their situation, they stayed faithful. They knew that the God they served was stronger than the chains that bound them and the bars that kept them imprisoned. Even in the moment that they were freed, Paul and Silas prioritized sharing the gospel to the jailer over making their escape.

O…

The Redeeming Christ - Justice and Compassion Psalms 82:1-8 Vs 3.4 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. “St. Lawrence was a deacon in the Christian church, in the third century and was responsible for the material goods of the Church. He was quite generous, especially to the poor. During a time of persecution by Emperor Valerian, Lawrence expected to be arrested, so he sought out the poor, widows, and orphans and gave them all the money he had on hand, selling even the sacred vessels to increase the sum. Later he was ordered to bring back “the treasures of the Church”, so that the emperor could maintain his forces. What Lawrance brought back were a great number of blind, lame, crippled, leprous, orphaned, and widowed persons and he said of them, “These are the treasures of the Church”. For this response, he was roasted to death on a gridiron”. From Pg. 28 Chapter 3 “Wha…

The Redeeming Christ Isaiah 12:1-6 Vs 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; He has become my salvation. This verse is truly significant during the COVID-19 crisis we currently face.  We are living in anxiety and fear, not knowing what tomorrow may bring.  In an instant our way of life has changed.  We were once so busy, hardly having time for each other and now our priorities have changed.  We have learned to spend more time with our families, more time praying on our knees and relying on God completely.   We are reminded of our purpose in life.  To worship Him, to seek Him and love Him completely.  We need to turn back to God, to trust Him and seek His Mercy.  Throughout the bible and in history we have seen instances when God allowed mankind to be destroyed due to sin.  However, even in those instances many were saved when they turned back to God.  As it says is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithf…

The Redeeming Christ Galatians 5:1-12 Vs 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” What messages quickly spread throughout our society today? It’s usually news around school shootings, a famous person’s death, a celebrity scandal, a terrorist activity, or a political surprise.  Slower to catch on and go viral are news around good deeds, sermons, positive quotes, a biblical verse, etc.  Even in these days of COVID-19, we hear more about the number of people testing positive and or dying and less about those who are recovering or those working hard to fight the pandemic. Paul used this image of Yeast to clearly state that negativity can easily be spread in the church if the Holy Spirit is not guiding the way.  The misunderstanding of doctrines, legalities as per Jewish law, false teachings, corruption are all enticing because of our sinful nature.  Paul brings this to light and reminds us that both good and bad influences exits.  It’s our responsibility as Children of God t…

The Redeeming Christ Romans 8:31-39 Vs 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?   Nothing can separate us from the love of God. He even sent His begotten son, our redeeming Christ, to save all of us (seen in verse 32)- that is how evident God's love is. With this forever promise to always be loved and be protected by God, why do we go against God in times of calamity and uncertainty?

A friend once told me a scenario to help explain the greatness of our God's love, which is so great it can't be fully understood. Imagine a courtroom. In this courtroom, someone is throwing cases against you, throwing every wrong doing at you and you have no one physically there to defend you. You don't even have the ability to defend yourself. Who's the judge in this courtroom? It's God. The person speaking against you has already lost the trial- why? It's because God has already called you to be perfectly righteous through Christ. 

Paul&#…