Reflections

An Innocent Lie? Exodus 1:15-21
v19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.” 
When is it okay to tell a lie? When is it okay to stretch the truth just a little bit? I find that when needed, we can convince ourselves that any lie, had a purpose and was necessary in the given moment. We know that we should not lie – that lies are not rewarded. But what if a lie is absolutely necessary? What if it’s a matter of life and death?

The days of Joseph and his favor with Pharaoh were long gone, however his descendants, the descendants of Jacob and Isaac and Abraham continued to grow. While God’s promise to Abraham was being fulfilled, the new Pharaoh saw only a threat. He made various attempts at oppressing the Israelites in the hope of deterring them and discouraging them, and yet they continued to grow and thrive. Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to murder any male babies that were born to Hebrew wo…

“Women: Changemakers'’Luke 1:46-50 - Mary’s Song
v46,47 - And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lordand my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
In this bible passage, Mary is conversing with Elizabeth who asks how it could be that the mother of the promised Messiah is visiting her. We see Mary imbibe a spirit of praise and rejoice in the happiness of being recognized by God for being His faithful servant. These verses, collectively known as Mary’s Song, give us an insight into her temperament.
Society wouldn’t perceive Mary as anything special, being a young woman not from a wealthy family or of noble stature. She knew that she was a sinner and yet God chose her because of her devotion and humility. She praises Him and exudes gratitude for revealing her strength and capabilities as a woman that otherwise did not know her worth. Mary was aware of the perceptions of the community she was in and how she could potentially be ostracized for having a child out of wedlock. However, she did not…

Women: Change MakersEsther 7:1-10
v3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.At first glance it might seem like Haman is the main character in this story. He seems to be the one to do the most and say the most. However, Queen Esther truly is the unlikely heroine in this story. Queen Esther was a Jewish woman that lived in a patriarchal society. However, her boldness and trust in God lead her to save a whole nation of people.

But first a quick backstory. King Xerxes gave Haman a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. So, he’s an important guy in the kingdom. Mordecai is Esther’s Jewish uncle and Haman’s sworn enemy. Haman hated Mordecai so much that he had sent out a decree saying that all the Jews in the land would be killed. When Mordecai heard about this he asked Queen Esther to speak to the king. In the chapter five we can see the que…

Women: Change Makers (Sevika Sangham week)
Romans 16:1-6The greeting in Paul’s letter to the Romans (16:1-6) is an outpouring of his love towards all the saints; most notable among them were women. Paul identifies the lasting contributions that these women made on his personal life and the church. Some of these women were called “helpers”, some served as leaders, some extended hospitality and some others even risked their lives for the mission of spreading the gospel. These women were faithful to the call that God had placed in their life even if society (at the time) did not consider their place or role as significant as men. Their faithfulness was instrumental in laying the foundation of the church.
As children and daughters of the Most High, we need to remember that God has created each of us for a purpose. God has carefully placed gifts, talents, and “callings” inside of us and He wants us to utilize these for His glory. We should share our light with others and never be stopped by …

Women: ChangemakersNumbers 27: 1-11


V7“What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.In this passage the daughters of Zelophehad reached out to Moses asking why they should be treated differently and be denied their inheritance because they are not ‘sons’ but ‘daughters’ of their father. They were standing up against the discriminatory norms of that time. They were standing for what they believed was right. They were standing up against the social injustice that prevailed in that culture.
The Lord tells Moses that Zelophehad’s daughters  were right in making their request.. The Lord clearly showed that He did not discriminate based on gender and gave them their rightful inheritance.
Many at times, we live in this world  with our own biases and discriminatory attitude. But it is very clear from this passage that the Lord does not show favoritism based on ge…

  “The role of Women as change makers”
 Acts 16:11-15
v15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.Everyone loves a transformation story. The power of Woman, The right man for the job is a woman, are couple of the bumper stickers we see around at this time of the year.
In Acts chapter 16:11-15 we read about a business woman named Lydia, who invited Paul and his companions to her home.

In the previous paragraph (Acts 16:6-10), we saw the work of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Paul. Paul had considered Asia the next choice for the expansion of the Gospel, but God had His heart set on Europe. Luke describes their experience as “forbidden by the Holy Spirit” when trying to enter Asia and writes that the “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.” Paul and his companions submitted to the sovereign direction of God. Paul recognized his vision in…