The Journey 240: Bible is NOT a CAKE for special occassions but a BREAD for daily use
Read: 2 Kings 22, 23
With the entry of digital television, the viewers are often confused as to what to watch on television. Because of the vast array of programmes that are aired, people do not even know what are some of the programmes that is being offered. Normally teens and youths end up watching some movies while the older adults end up watching some game shows and serials. Last Thursday, the GSN channel started broadcasting the much awaited series “ The American Bible Challenge”. The series has began with a bang. According to the GSN sources, the bible challenge series had about 1.7 million viewers when it was premiered on August 23rd. They claim that it has surpassed the record for the show “Family Feud” hosted by Steve Harvey. It is the comedian Jeff Foxworthy who is hosting the American Bible Challenge which is a one hour game where the participants compete against each other in the area of Bible Knowledge. One of the notable features of this show is that the participants who play in this game show is playing for the cause of a particular charity organization that they feel close to their heart. But there is lot of skepticism against the show. In a land where the knowledge of the Bible is very low and mediocre, basically because of the learning methods adopted in school. In an educational environment, where memorizing is not given any importance, the kids and the adults find it hard to study the bible verse and also the different aspects of the Bible. People especially woman study the Bible only when there is bible competition organized by the Sevika Sanghom. Other than that I feel, we all don't take seriously the study of the Word of God. What is important for our times is not only involving ourselves in the Bible Quiz programmes but also deliberately seeing that we devote seriously in studying the Word of God. In a time when moral and ethical values are declining, I think it we all need to return back to a serious and intensive study of the Word of God. As we meditate on the theme “ Transformed Living” we will be meditating on how the Word of God becomes the most powerful tool in the transformation of a nation. The Bible portion that we shall use for our meditation is from 2 Kings 22, 23. In this portion Josiah does the restoration work of the temple which had fallen into a state of neglect. The neglect of the temple also showed how the people also had been neglecting their spiritual affairs and were leading life that was not pleasing to the Lord. It is while the restoration of the temple was going on, that Hilkiah the priest finds the Book of the Law. When the book of the Law is found, the king rents his clothes because he realized that the anger of the Lord had kindled against the people since they were not following the laws of the Lord. It is then, we find Josiah doing his reforms whereby he cleanses his whole kingdom which had descended into idolatry [ worshipping Baal] and also idolatrous living. Thus the Word of God becomes a tool to bring revival in the life of a nation and also its people. We the members of the Marthoma Church claim that we believe in the open Bible, which means our life and the ministry and mission of the church is guided by the principles of the Word of God. But it is high time that we evaluate our lives and see that all that the church suffers or the pain that a family suffers or the crisis that an individual or society is going through is because we have deliberately deviated from focusing the truths of the Word of God and also not taking any serious effort to study the Word of God. Just as Josiah could bring about reforms, I think we also need to get back to the study of the Word of God so that our church, family and individuals experience change and transformation in our life which only God can bring.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
With the entry of digital television, the viewers are often confused as to what to watch on television. Because of the vast array of programmes that are aired, people do not even know what are some of the programmes that is being offered. Normally teens and youths end up watching some movies while the older adults end up watching some game shows and serials. Last Thursday, the GSN channel started broadcasting the much awaited series “ The American Bible Challenge”. The series has began with a bang. According to the GSN sources, the bible challenge series had about 1.7 million viewers when it was premiered on August 23rd. They claim that it has surpassed the record for the show “Family Feud” hosted by Steve Harvey. It is the comedian Jeff Foxworthy who is hosting the American Bible Challenge which is a one hour game where the participants compete against each other in the area of Bible Knowledge. One of the notable features of this show is that the participants who play in this game show is playing for the cause of a particular charity organization that they feel close to their heart. But there is lot of skepticism against the show. In a land where the knowledge of the Bible is very low and mediocre, basically because of the learning methods adopted in school. In an educational environment, where memorizing is not given any importance, the kids and the adults find it hard to study the bible verse and also the different aspects of the Bible. People especially woman study the Bible only when there is bible competition organized by the Sevika Sanghom. Other than that I feel, we all don't take seriously the study of the Word of God. What is important for our times is not only involving ourselves in the Bible Quiz programmes but also deliberately seeing that we devote seriously in studying the Word of God. In a time when moral and ethical values are declining, I think it we all need to return back to a serious and intensive study of the Word of God. As we meditate on the theme “ Transformed Living” we will be meditating on how the Word of God becomes the most powerful tool in the transformation of a nation. The Bible portion that we shall use for our meditation is from 2 Kings 22, 23. In this portion Josiah does the restoration work of the temple which had fallen into a state of neglect. The neglect of the temple also showed how the people also had been neglecting their spiritual affairs and were leading life that was not pleasing to the Lord. It is while the restoration of the temple was going on, that Hilkiah the priest finds the Book of the Law. When the book of the Law is found, the king rents his clothes because he realized that the anger of the Lord had kindled against the people since they were not following the laws of the Lord. It is then, we find Josiah doing his reforms whereby he cleanses his whole kingdom which had descended into idolatry [ worshipping Baal] and also idolatrous living. Thus the Word of God becomes a tool to bring revival in the life of a nation and also its people. We the members of the Marthoma Church claim that we believe in the open Bible, which means our life and the ministry and mission of the church is guided by the principles of the Word of God. But it is high time that we evaluate our lives and see that all that the church suffers or the pain that a family suffers or the crisis that an individual or society is going through is because we have deliberately deviated from focusing the truths of the Word of God and also not taking any serious effort to study the Word of God. Just as Josiah could bring about reforms, I think we also need to get back to the study of the Word of God so that our church, family and individuals experience change and transformation in our life which only God can bring.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla