Reflections

Read: Luke 10:38-42     As Christmas time approaches, homes are bombarded with catalogs of Christmas artifacts, gifts, books and toys. One of the toy retailers are creating ruffles not at the kind of toys that are being marketed but by the claims and ads that they are promoting about gender neutral toys. Gender neutral toys? What does that mean?. Remember those first toys that parents or relatives presented?. The boys would normally be presented something like a building blocks, or an electronic car  while the girls would normally be gifted with baby dolls or teddy bears. We all know that a particular socialization process takes place in the life of every child. This socialization process is dependent on the society, the culture and the family background in which the child grows. There are different socialization agencies like family, school, the society that teaches the child how to behave, and to show age appropriate behaviors both as a girl or as a boy. Thus it is common for parent

KNOWING YOUR FATHER’S GOD 1 Chronicle 28: 1-9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicle 28:9 When King David had grown old and knew he was dying, he called together his officials, military commanders, and “mighty men” in his kingdom to hear his last words.   Among the men assembled that day was his son Solomon, whom God had designated to succeed David as king.   The advice David gave that day was of great significance, not only for Solomon, but also for all of us.   Let us see what David had to say to his son, Solomon: (1)    Son, acknowledge your father’s God and you should know Him as the God who forgives sins.   We must acknowledge and accept our fathers’ God as our own God.   We must maintain t

Read: Acts 9: 1-19         Certain landmarks of the world are always etched in the minds of people. Landmarks like Eifel tower in Paris, The Statue of Liberty in New York, Taj  Mahal in India are  so brilliantly etched in the minds of people all over the world in such a way that moment one sees the pictures of these landmarks, one can recognize it. There is another unique landmark in the world which was celebrated in a very historic manner because of its historic relevance and its unique place in world history. One of most iconic pieces of art is the painting done by Michelangelo’s fresco on the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Yesterday the Vatican celebrated its 500th anniversary with Pope Benedict XVI, gracing the occasion with the celebration of vespers. People all over the world come to Sistine chapel to view this iconic painting and it is said that everyone who views this painting is struck not only by its beauty but also by the magnitude of the fresco. There are nine centered panels in

CHRISTIAN WORK ETHICS  2 Thess. 3:6-12 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” …And as for you, brothers and sisters never tire of doing what is good.                 (2Thess. 3:10,13) It is remarkable that right after requesting prayer, Paul harshly rebuked the Thessalonian faith community for being slothful. Jules Renard, a French writer once said, "Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired." Social and spiritual issues of freeloaders have never been without controversy. While the early church in the book of Acts, gives us a sense of negation of free enterprise and capitalism, sharing is condemned here. It is not to confuse us, but to give us a clearer understanding of God’s purpose. It is not to marginalize the poor and the destitute, neither is it to reject God’s command of earning a living. Daily Bread comes through labor: Work is spiritual and is God’s will. G

Read: Luke 19:1-10     The digital TV  runs on popular shows. In India it is the serials that is a popular features in Indian Television. Here in US you have number of popular shows like Big Bang Theory, Dancing with the Stars, Person of Interest and so on. But there is one show “Two and a Half Men” that has come into the news and has erupted into  a controversy yesterday. Two and Half Men is a CBS show running since 2003 and is a Sitcom, a shortened word for situation comedy where characters in the show, share a common environment. One of the lead actors in the show, Angus T John, who has been in the show for the last 10 years has decried the show and termed the show as total filth. Angus is a teenage actor who was only 9 when he was inducted into the world of showbiz through Two and Half Men, and by the time he was in high school though his earning was in millions, his life was in total mess, having dabbled with drugs. An actor who is featured in a show for the last 10 years, critic

A LIFE WELL PLEASING TO GOD 1 Thessalonians 4: 1-12 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. (1Thess4:7,8) In this passage, Paul addresses many moral issues believers face and  highlights our need for new morality through perpetual sanctification. The goal is not lowering moral standards corresponding to our behavior, rather complying with God’s standards continuously in holiness. We should always realize that Jesus came not just to redeem and receive us into heaven, but to enable us to live a life pleasing to God as well. Three dilemmas dealt here are: Moral Purity; Brotherly Love; and Ambition. Moral Purity: Sexual duplicity and debauchery were socially accepted norms in Greece. So, what is the difference between then and now? Whatever difference we may find, the voice for conformity to fleshly desires is n

REPENTANCE LEADS TO FORGIVENESS Jonah 3:1-10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10) The Book of Jonah tells the   story of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah who   is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh. But he tries to scape the divine mission. God sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them of the   impending judgment because of their evil ways. Jonah obeyed the Lord the second time and proclaimed the message to the people. Call for Repentance and forgiveness of God Jonah’s proclamation resulted in a real repentance and this repentance began from the bottom up. Though the Ninevites were Gentiles, they believed in the Hebrew God and heeded the warning. By the time the word reached the king, the city’s repentance was already well under way, but because the king also believed Jonah’s warning, he made every effort to assure total compliance. The Ki

Read: Daniel 9: 1-19        People always expect their leaders to be models, models of exemplary behavior, leading a lifestyle that is cognizant to the position that one holds. A few weeks back the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni showed a rare and exemplary courage and did something that is very rare in this world today. Uganda celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence in October. At the celebration of its golden jubilee of independence a national jubilee prayers event was held and it is in this event that the President made a mark for himself and a model for others. What he did that was exemplary was that, he publicly acknowledged his sins and the sins committed by the nation and sought forgiveness from God. This is what he said “I stand here today to close the evil past, and especially in the last 50 years of our national leadership history and at the threshold of a new dispensation in the life of this nation. I stand here on my own behalf and on behalf of my predecessors

Read: Mathew 3: 1-12 The last three days witnessed crazy scenes where people were in a shopping spree. A shopping spree that almost went to mad frenzy, the madness even to buy cheap cell phones worth 45$ which otherwise is also available in other stores as on any other day too. Stores like Walmart, Best Buy, Target and so on saw mad rush of shoppers who had no issues in trampling others and rushing in to the stores for the items that they wanted to pick up. Today the rush is on online shopping, as retailers celebrate cyber monday. As people vie to beat each other in this crazy and neurotic shopping spree, with people shouting at the top of the voice with regards to the deal that they had, there is a feeble but strong voice going out to people, who are ready to listen about the ill effects of this shopping spree and how this consumerism is going to kill the nation. The prophetic voice is that of Rev. Billy Talen. Billy Talen is the clergy of “Church of Stop Shopping”. The CNN news ag