Reflections

  Church: The Body of Christ Ezekiel 37:15-28 v23b    But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they  have sinned, and  will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Let's ask ourselves a question: Have people ever been united in history, except for categorizing and hating people of a different religion, race or class? We looked down upon others who are different from us. Even Adam and Eve were two people in a perfect environment, walking with God. But when they did sinned, they turned against each other and there have been problems between men and women ever since. God brought  Israel  out of slavery from Egypt to the promised land. But they sinned. After King Solomon's reign, the nation divided into two. Prophet Ezekiel wrote this prophetic book in around 580 B.C while nation was still in exile. In short, they were separated from God and from each other. It is our problem too. We are separated from God and each other,  because we pursu

  Church – The Body of Christ Matthew  16: 13-19 v17-18 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Who is Jesus to you and me?  is a very important question we need to answer. Right from our child hood, we learned and believed that the supreme God of the universe took on human flesh, lived among us, and then, in His immense love, died on the cross that we might be forgiven. We need to personally understand and experience who Jesus is to you and me especially in the context of Covid -19. All of us are called to grow in our faith. There is always more to know of Christ. Just because attending a Christian church, a person cannot be a Christian. A person becomes a Christian when we respond to the will of Christ obediently. If we claim Jesus as our Lord and submit ourselves to Him,

  Worthy Life 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 V24…Run in such a way that you may win it.   Christian leaders are called to be an example not only in their public preaching, but also in their personal lives. A striking feature of Paul’s ministry was his transparency and honesty in the preaching of the gospel and the conduct of his personal affairs. Paul often invited people to look into his own life example (Acts  20:18 , 33-34). He also exhorted the elders of the church to ensure that their own personal life became a reflection of the sincerity of their Christian faith. Further, he instructed the elders of the church to watch over the flock entrusted to them by Christ, so that the lives of the believers lived up to the holiness that Christ had called them to.   In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses many daily life issues that existed among the believers in Corinth which were unbecoming for Christians. After instructing them on rules they have to follow to ensure peace, reconciliation and

  Worthy Life 1 Corinthians  3:16-19 v16-17“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred and you together are that temple”   These days we see many church buildings are being shut down and many are being converted into pubs, and other forms of buildings. The church buildings which were once used to call upon the name of the living God end up being misused. It is responsibility of all of us to maintain the life of the church where our God and his Spirit dwells. In today’s passage, Paul addresses the damage done to the church by the disunity among its people. Because of this disunity, people focus on their own egos instead of focusing on Christ- the head of the Church. that would affect the vitality and witness of the church in the future. So, Paul confronts the people by telling them that divisions in the name of leaders are futile. Here it says in

Worthy Life –Temperance Sunday Gen 9:18-27   V21 “When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk”.   This week we are meditating on living a worthy life. God created us in His image and wants us to live according to His will. At the same time, God gave us free will to choose between right and wrong. Only if we are led by the Holy Spirit can we make every decision according to God’s will.    Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. In the Bible it says, “Noah was  a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time,”  and he is described as one who “ walked faithfully with God”  (Gen.6:9)   In today’s portion we read about a time where Noah fell short of God’s standard through getting drunk. When drinking, people lose sight of the Spirit and act wayward from God’s will. Noah’s drunkenness caused him to act in a way that is contrary to God’s standards for a worthy life. This clearly shows how Noah was vulnerable to temptation despite God’s favor on him. We as Christians need to mak

  WORTHY LIFE- TEMPERANCE   Galatians 5:16-24 v16 “Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" .   Jesus came to the earth with a definite mission. God has a mission and purpose for our life too. We are wired by God to lead a life that makes a difference in the world. God has provided us talents, abilities and also freedom to choose the right and wrong. Ultimately God wants our life to be worthy of His creation. Just as Jesus glorified God by fulfilling His mission in the world, we are told to emulate His example. Our actions and beliefs determine our convictions, our convictions determine our conduct and our conduct determine our character. What is our gold standard that we elect to live in this world? Are we going by world’s standard or we, the redeemed by the blood shed on the calvary take Jesus’s standard to follow and lead our life? Let us have the commonsense to select the right and wrong and go by God’s rules to make a successful living. Now the ques

  "Worthy Life"-Temperance Sunday Romans  6: 12-23 V23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are living in a world, where “worthy life " has become a relative term based on what one feels is good and right. But for a child of God "worthy life "means to live a life that pleases our Creator God. So also "temperance "in the modern day is defined as "moderation "but for a child of God it is complete abstinence from anything that displeases our Creator God. Satan begins the temptation by a simple enticement which seems harmless at first but soon we find ourselves sliding down the slippery slope of sin. In Galatians 5: 24 we read that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh, the sinful nature, with its passions and desires. They will walk by the Spirit and will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Again in 1 Corinthians 3: 16 we read that we are God's temple and that

  Worthy Life:Temperance Proverbs 23:19-35 V21 – “…for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty.”   A merican country music singer and song writer Brad Paisley has written a song called "Alcohol" that describes some foolish things that alcohol makes people do. Listen to some of the lyrics: I can make anybody pretty I can make you believe any lie I can make you pick a fight - with somebody twice your size I been known to cause a few break ups I been known to cause a few births I can make you new friends - or get you fired from work   In other words, alcohol can make you a fool. The number of precious lives that addictive substances have destroyed are too many to count. We see that being drunk is expressly forbidden in Scripture as it relinquishes control of our faculties to alcohol rather than to the Holy Spirit (Eph.  5:18 ). This week we try to understand the need for Temperance in our daily life. Temperance means voluntary self-restraint. A life which is given to u

  Worthy life: Temperance Sunday Luke 15:11-24 V21 – “Father I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Every year, the second Sunday in January is observed as Temperance Sunday. It is observed to conscientize ourselves to the harmful effects of addictive substances. Now there is greater awareness that along with drugs, tobacco and alcohol, gadgets can also be addictive. America is now also struggling against the opioid crisis. All these substances make humans dependent on them and reduce the quality of our life. It can ultimately result in the destruction of human life, unless some measures are taken against it. Awareness, prevention and rehabilitation are the means employed to seek relief from the problem of addiction to harmful substances.   Today’s passage is a part of Jesus’s three famous parables in Luke 15. All of these parables show the joy of finding the lost. Metaphorically, these parables depict the joy of God when a lost sinne

  Hope Hebrews 10:19-25 v23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Although I try not to be shocked by the things I see these days, I was caught off-guard by the message on a young teenager’s T-shirt as she walked past me in the grocery store. The bold letters declared: “Hope Is For Suckers.” Certainly, being naive can be foolish and at times dangerous. Disappointment, struggle and pain in life can leave us disheartened. But not allowing oneself to have hope is a sad cynical way to view life.  This passage speaks of the great privilege that belongs to those who have placed their faith in the cross of Jesus Christ. For all of us poor sinners who have trusted Him, it is our immense privilege to draw near to God. Biblical ‘Hope’ is unique as it refers to the future hope of our salvation. It's a confident trust in God and what He is doing in the world and in our lives. That’s something everyone needs! The writer to the Hebrews cle

  Denha- Baptism of Our Lord-Epiphany 2 Kings  2:13-22 v13 "Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.”                    The symbolism behind baptism is the rebirth and purification of the spirit. In today’s passage we read about the passing of Elijah and the start of Elisha’s journey. Elisha was chosen as Elijah’s successor and through their journey Elisha was able to witness the power of God. Throughout their ministry Elisha was renewed and purified through the teachings of Elijah. When it was time for Elijah to ascend to heaven, Elisha was now in the position to take up the responsibility. In the passage we read that Elisha took up the mantle of Elijah, not only physically but spiritually as well. What we should understand that it is not the mantle that gives Elisha power but God himself. Elisha knows that it is the God Elijah who made the ministry possible and if he himself must continue the mission God mu

  Denha- Baptism of Our Lord-Epiphany Mark 1: 1-11 v8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Hoy Spirit. In the beginning of this chapter, John the Baptist openly proclaims that he is meaningless when compared to the coming Christ saying that he is not even worthy to stoop down and untie his sandals. He even says that his baptism is nothing compared to the baptism that Jesus will bring. In spite of all this Jesus still comes to John, a man clearly under his station, and asks him for the same baptism given to all other people. It's a moment of humility and oneness with humanity. It’s an open expression of the fact that God truly is with us. It’s also quite significant that the first step that Jesus took before he started his ministry on this earth was ask God for his strength. The results were spectacular. Heaven split open and the spirit descended on Jesus. God himself spoke and called Jesus his own and proclaimed his love for Jesus. What would it look lik

  Faith in the Middle of a Storm Acts 27: 18-26    v25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.”              In Acts 27, Luke talks about Paul’s journey to Italy. Paul was held captive along with some other prisoners and they were handed over to a centurion named Julius. Their voyage on sea was not pleasant, the wind was picking up and it was difficult to keep the ship on course. The ship eventually gets caught in the storm and decisions were made to save the ship. They lightened the ship by throwing the cargo and tackle overboard. These actions were not enough, the storm continued to rage and those onboard lost hope of being saved. But one night, an angel of the Lord appears to Paul and tells him not to be afraid and that the lives of everyone will be spared.             There are times when we encounter a crisis and we are often quick to question God. Sometimes we may be so blinded by the situation that we forget that God is right

  Church: A Community called to proclaim the Gospel Isaiah 61:1-11   This passage is titled “ The Year of the Lord's Favor” and is written by the prophet Isaiah.  In the first section, Isaiah acknowledges his own anointing as a prophet and proclaims what Jesus would come on Earth to do. He describes the comfort and joy Jesus will provide for those who are hurting and also speaks of the deliverance of the Jews from captivity.    All in all, this passage serves as a reminder of both the hope and justice that the Gospel represents.  It states that those who mourn will be comforted, ruined places will be restored, churches will grow, and ultimately justice will be served. As the church, we are called to proclaim the Good News and hold fast onto the hope that Jesus offers us. Although there may be difficulty, pain, and suffering, there is also comfort and favor as we remain steadfast in our faith. This provides us with a sense of peace, knowing that the Lord is always fighting for us an

  Church: A Community called to proclaim the Gospel Acts 17:22-31 v22-23 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.   In this chapter of Acts, Paul is going through Athens, talking with both Jews and Gentiles, when he meets a group of Epicureans and Stoic philosophers with whom he debates. They hear him speaking about Jesus and the resurrection, and therefore decide to bring him to the Areopagus. The Areopagus likely means “hill of Ares”, named after the Greek god of war. However, the group that met there did not necessarily worship just Ares, but instead are described as a curious bunch, always interested to hear about new foreign gods. They even had an altar with the ins

  Church: A Community called to proclaim the Gospel Mathew 9:35-38 v36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.   This passage in the Bible is a glimpse into what qualities one should have to be a Good Shepherd and spiritual leader. Jesus modeled the principle of good spiritual leader. Many a times we feel that the role of being a shepherd belongs only to those in ministry. While it may apply to all those in spiritual leadership roles, the qualities being discussed are not exclusive to spiritual leaders but to all of us. Jesus modeled the principle, of a good leader in a profound way. Fundamental to that was love and compassion. The human side of Christ suffered both emotionally and physically as He identified with the multitudes of hurting people. Isaiah prophesized in Isaiah 8:17 that “He himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases”.  God looks to men and women who will follow His examples and

  God Our Helper and Redeemer 1 Peter 5:6-11 v7 - “Cast all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you”. A new year brings lots of questions: will our health hold? Will our children get admission in the right school for the right course? Will the economy improve? Will I live to see the end of the year? Will this Covid19 get under control? Will the life be getting on back to normal or need to continue with this new normal? Our God, the creator of the universe says us, “don’t be afraid, and don’t be discouraged”. What happens in this coming year is not left to chance, but with knowledge and control of the good Lord. Lord our God will be with us all, where ever we go. That is the reason we can wish each other a “Happy New Year”. We have entered in to a new year, the year of 2021. Let us begin this year by trusting the promise of God that His presence will be with us from the beginning till the end of the year. So we can cast all our worries and anxieties unto Him, He will strengthen