Reflections

Dwelling with God Psalm 84 Vs.10 "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness". What is happiness. How can it be achieved. Psalm 84 gives us some insights into this. 1. "Happy are those who live in your house" How do you feel about attending church? Is it something we look forward to? For some, church is a place to socialize with their friends, and they would look forward to seeing them every week. However, church is a place where great things can happen. It gives us a glimpse of what Heaven would look like.  It is a place where God is p

Protection of God’s Beautiful Creation Matthew 6: 25-34   Vs.26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”                This passage is a part of the ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ which marks the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Christ is engaged in teaching the disciples and the crowds about practical living and proper Christian conduct, especially for those who are wavering in their faith. In this portion, Christ’s alludes to nature, by speaking about the characteristics of various animals. God Provides for all Creation               Verses 25-34 highlight the importance of God’s providence for creation. As God is the creator of all life, he provides for and sustains the created order. At the end

View this email in your browser CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FORUM Word for the Day " Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". Psalm 119:105

Annunciation of Mary Luke 1:26-38 Vs. 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. We live in a world where we feel happy making our little contributions to church and society by our participation in the various activities associated with them. We at times boast about what we offer as our financial contributions to maintain the church and sustain its mission works in the world. We are excited by the fact that we are involved. But is just being involved all that is expected from us even as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our savior? Annunciation is the good news that comes to Mary through the angel Gabriel. The Good news is that she has found favor in the eyes of God. Mary finds favor in the eyes of God to go through the most unfavorable situations of life, to conceive even wh

Living a Life of Thanksgiving 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus”. Edward Spencer was a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, and also a member of a life-saving squad during his school years. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue seventeen passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever bothered to thank him. G.K. Chesterton called gratitude ''the mother of all virtues''. One of the most significant changes that Jesus Christ wants to make in our hearts and lives is to transform us into people who are continually g

Be merciful as God is Deuteronomy 24:14-21 “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there.”                 God has given us guidelines for our dealings with the marginalized people. It is because of His grace that we are alive and are able to conduct our activities of daily living. He wants us to extend the grace and mercy we have received from Him to others, especially the poor and destitute.  Whatever we do to the least of them we do unto Him. We should not take advantage or exploit those working under our supervision.  They should be treated with dignity as our fellow human beings and should not be abused.  If we hire people, they deserve fair wages in due time.  It is ruthless to defraud them of their earnings, which they are dependent on to meet their needs.                The Israelites showed generosity to the poor by leaving part of their harvest for them.  As they followed this tradition, Ruth was able to take care of herself

The Commission of God 1 Peter 5: 1-11 Vs.8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  In this passage Peter writes to the elders and the young men. He assigns responsibility of spiritual leadership to people who are elderly and young. He refers the elderly as the shepherd. Peter says those who have come into this field of serving the people should do it without any grudge. They should be care-takers. This is not out of any compulsion. But it is only because one has chosen to do so. In verse 3, Peter says when you take care of your flocks; you do so by being good examples. Lord Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd (v 4). Just as Jesus was a good shepherd to his flocks, the elders should to take care of their people. For this the e

  The Mystery of Forgiveness Numbers 12: 1-16 “So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, please heal her!”   Moses was a person who derived the utmost love and confidence from God.  It is an irony that such a godly person is detested by his own brother and sister, namely Aaron and Miriam.  The world hates those who are loved by God.  Aaron and Miriam failed to grasp God’s plan for Moses in the deliverance of Israel.   Their dislike for Moses’ wife made them blind.  Their wrath had reached the peak when they questioned Moses’ authority and leadership.  They angrily ask, hasn’t the Lord spoken through them too! Aaron and Miriam did not want God to get involved in this dispute.  Their intention was to defeat Moses to gain leadership of the Israelites.  We too, as human beings, never want God to interfere i

Seeking the wisdom of God Psalms 111 Vs 10 "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and all who follow his precepts have good understanding"   Bible portrays the wisdom of God. He is clothed with splendor and majesty. The Psalmist says, by wisdom God created the earth and by understanding he laid its foundations. When we look at the marvels of creation, the precision and perfection of the cosmos and heavenly bodies, we stand in awe of the mind of the grand designer. The psalmist acknowledges that the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of his hands. God provides water and food to all the cattle, birds of the air, the lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God (Ps 104:21)." How many are your works O Lord, in wisdom you made them all" (Ps 104:24). Paul writes in his letter to Romans that God’s invisible qualities –his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen from the creation of the world. Although