Reflections

  Children: To be partakers in the concerns of Christ   Prov 3: 1-8 V5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”  As children, students, and striving young men and women, we all are in the race to be wise, to be knowledgeable. The societal systems we have created around us – be it at school, extracurricular activities, talent clubs, at work, and even our communal gatherings and homes, are all geared to push us to be smart, and informed. We feel ‘good’ (to put it lightly than ‘proud’!) to know more than the other. We have an opinion on everything that happens around us, fighting for ‘airtime’, debating fiercely, even viciously, in our conversations – face to face or on social media.  Well, the quest for the so-called ‘wisdom’ began in the Garden of Eden – the first human community – where man lived in perfect communion with God. Satan entered the scene and whispered to Eve alluringly that if she eats from the tree, she “will be like God, knowing goo

  Children: To be partakers in the concerns of Christ   Prov 3: 1-8 V5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”  As children, students, and striving young men and women, we all are in the race to be wise, to be knowledgeable. The societal systems we have created around us – be it at school, extracurricular activities, talent clubs, at work, and even our communal gatherings and homes, are all geared to push us to be smart, and informed. We feel ‘good’ (to put it lightly than ‘proud’!) to know more than the other. We have an opinion on everything that happens around us, fighting for ‘airtime’, debating fiercely, even viciously, in our conversations – face to face or on social media.  Well, the quest for the so-called ‘wisdom’ began in the Garden of Eden – the first human community – where man lived in perfect communion with God. Satan entered the scene and whispered to Eve alluringly that if she eats from the tree, she “will be like God, knowing goo

  Children: To be partakers in the concerns of Christ    1 Sam 3: 1-12 V 10 “The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening”. In this passage, we find ourselves in the first encounter that Samuel has with the Lord. It is a life changing moment that we get to witness through the Word.  The passage begins with highlighting the uniqueness of the passage, and it is a very intentional start to the rest of the story. The passage specifically calls out how special it was to hear from the Lord during that season. When we try to set the context, we see that the setting before this passage is when there is sin that is widespread and the laws of the Lord have been disregarded. Therefore, the rarity of the situation makes sense and is explicitly mentioned. Additionally, this call was not made to the obvious choice - which was Eli, who had years of experience and wisdom and had known the Lord for a very long tim

    Confession: Sacrament of Reconciliation With God and Human     Psalm 51 “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” (Psalms 51:17)   Psalm 51 combines the awe of divine mercy with the painful reality and depth of sin. Psalm 51 is a lament; it is a psalm of confession and repentance. King David, who is recognized as a man after God's own heart, authored it. David plotted to assassinate Uriah after claiming his wife for himself. He continued as if nothing had happened for a year until the arrival of the prophet Nathan, and this Psalm is the result of the Lord’s dealing with David’s sin.    Confession is appealing to the love and mercy of God David does not appeal to God’s justice. He doesn’t appeal to his own goodness. Nor to his sincerity. He does not even appeal to a zealous promise to do better or pay God back. He appeals to the love and mercy of God. First, he appeals to the steadfast love of the Lord. It is the faithful,

  Confession: Sacrament of Reconciliation With God and Human     Matthew 22:34-40   Matthew 22:34-40 records a conversation between Jesus and Pharisees about the greatest commandment. They reach at a synthesis that; Love encompasses all commandments. Loving the God and neighbor is portrayed as the ultimate response that the God expect from human being. However, maintaining such relationship is often challenged by human vulnerability to commit ‘sin’. The Church observes confession as a means to reestablish the broken relationships and maintain the bond of love with God and human.     Love as the Core of Confession: Today’s reading emphasizes the importance of love in our relationship with God and human. As an integral part of the Christian faith, confession emphasizes acceptance of one's own role in committing sins and seeking forgiveness. Therefore, confession is an act of love for God, as it reflects a desire to maintain a right relationship with God by admitting our faults and se

  Confession: Sacrament of Reconciliation With God and Human     2 Corinthians  5:16-21 V.17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"   In 2 Corinthians  5:16-21 , the Apostle Paul reflects on the changing impact of faith in Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that through this faith, believers undergo a great change in their perspective and relationship with God. The central theme of this passage is reconciliation. Paul explains that God, through Jesus Christ, has reconciled humanity to Himself, despite our imperfections and sins. He highlights the divine act of forgiving and restoring the relationship between God and humanity. In this process of reconciliation, believers are called to be messengers and ambassadors of Christ, being given the task of sharing the message of reconciliation with others. They are to invite people to make peace with God through faith in Jesus. Paul highlights the idea that through Christ's sac

    Confession: Sacrament of Reconciliation With God and Human     1 Corinthians 6:1-11 V.11:  “ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”   Ultimately Paul wants us to be the people of peace which is what the Church should be represented as. Paul ends off by listing various sins, and how those people wouldn’t inherit the kingdom of God. The biggest consequence of doing those sins (drinkers, adulterers, idolaters) is that they will be separated from God. Although it may seem as though one sin may be worse than the other, it’s important to understand that at the end of the day we are all sinners, unworthy of God’s mercy. However as sinners, God has given us the opportunity to repent our sins and turn to Christ. Confession is a very important aspect of Christian churches, and our own spiritual lives. We must be willing to come before the Lord and repent for our wrong

  Confession: Sacrament of Reconciliation With God and Human     Genesis 45:1-15 “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Genesis 45:5   If there were anyone in scripture who would have a legitimate reason to be bitter, Joseph would certainly be at the top of that list. Joseph had a legitimate gripe against most of his brothers. After all, he was beaten, stripped of the jacket his father gave him, and sold into slavery. However, when the time came to act, Joseph did not act out of spiteful revenge.   In our lives, we will undoubtedly be transgressed against. The Lord’s Prayer lays out a guideline for how we should act towards those who wrong us. As we reflect upon the theme of reconciliation, we have to take into consideration that all transgressions in this life ultimately go against God. Christ teaches us that God’s people are to act differently when dealing with confrontation. If there is an avenue

  Confession: Sacrament of Reconciliation With God and Human     Ephesians  2:11-22   In the midst of trial in our lives, moments of separation and division often flow through our life, creating a chasm between us and God, and between fellow community members and humans. The world teaches us to label, categorize, and differentiate ourselves from others who aren’t the same. In Ephesians  2:11-22 , Paul illuminates a profound truth: in Christ, these divisions are shattered, and through His sacrifice, we are reconciled both with God and with each other. As we think about the theme for this week of sacrament of reconciliation. It’s not just a ritual; it’s a spiritual meaning deeply rooted in these specific verses. Just as we seek forgiveness and reconciliation with God, we are called to extend that reconciliation to our fellow human beings.  As we reflect on these verses, let us remember that we are all reconciled. In a world that often emphasizes differences, be a beacon of unity. In a wo

  Confession: Sacrament of Reconciliation With God and Human     Psalm 32 V. 1    “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”  Psalm 32 is one of the seven penitential psalms. This is a prayer of confession expressing contrition, repentance and turning towards God, seeking his mercy and forgiveness. The Apostle Paul makes reference to David writing this psalm in Romans 4:6-8. He wrote this psalm from his experience as a forgiven sinner.   David initially attempted to cover his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. He tried to resolve the issue by the treacherous murder of her husband Uriah to cover his sins, in the frontlines of a battlefield. He experienced the intense convicting hand of God in his silence and unrepentant state. When the prophet Nathan confronted David with his sins, he admitted his sins, confessed it and sought the forgiveness of God. He acknowledged his sins and repented.   David wrote this psalm to encourage his readers to confess thei

FAMILY AN EXPRESSION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD     1 JOHN 2 :7-17 Key verse: Vs 17 .   And the world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever. Devotional text. Our meditation today is based on the apostle John’s epistle where he focuses on the family relationship and structure and compares it the Kingdom of God.  Mainly he concentrates on three themes in this passage   and let us meditate on these three themes in  this morning . 1.The Commandment of Love. Verses 7-11 focuses on the great teaching of our Lord and one of His great Commandments that is Love one another. A complete faith and love of God is the essence of the kingdom of God and as followers of Christ we are called to love another and help each other. The principles of love, care and support apply to the kingdom of God and if want to be the shareholders of this kingdom we have to abide by these rules. Love binds us together as a family and it overcomes all barriers of race, gender, natio

  Family: An expression of the Kingdom of God St. Luke 12:41-48 the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:41-42 Today's Bible passage is difficult to understand, but very relevant for us today.  The question is not about working or not working, but about who's will we are trying to accomplish.  Are we trying to accomplish "Our will" or "God's will?"    Martha welcomes Jesus into her house, cooks for him, and calls him Lord.  However, when we read the text carefully, we discover that she was distracted (v. 40).  This may be part of the reason why she tells Jesus what to do.  Her "request" to Jesus is very self-centered.  She begins by asking if Jesus does not care that Mary is letting Martha do all the work.  She ends her statement by telling Jesus that he should tell Mary to help her.  

  Family:An expression of the Kingdom of God Ephesians 5: 21-33 vs 28–30: “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body.” With the start of Ephesians 5, we find ourselves entering a section referred to as the household codes. In this section, Paul gives the proper ordering of relationships in the household between husbands and wives, children and parents, slaves and masters. Authority is God’s gift for the proper ordering of our relationships, and it is a gift to be received gladly and stewarded faithfully before God. As we study this household code, we must remember how it fits within the context of the book of Ephesians. That word “submission” is interesting; we don’t usually use it today—it’s somewhat archaic. We have to remember that, in Paul’s day, the Greeks and Romans ha

   FAMILY – AN EXPRESSION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD   Bible portion:  Acts:10 1-8 Verse:2  He  and all his family were devout and God fearing,he gave generously  to those in need and prayed to God regularly.  It is interesting to note that Cornelius  was Roman,  a gentile and a centurion in the italian regiment.  Caesarea was located 30 miles north of Joppa , which was named after Augustus Caesar.  A centurion  commanded at least 100 men. Roman centurions provided stability to the entire Roman system. His legacy was in how  he and his all his family loved the Lord,  generous, and a prayer warrior  on a regular basis.         He worshipped Lord with a sincere heart.     His motives were good. What one needs to know is that nothing escapes  God's notice whether it is good or bad.    Cornelius received  a comfort and conviction  that his prayers and generosity  reached heavenly realms.  Cornelius was not a Jew but he believed in one God and respected  the moral and ethical teachings of th

    FAMILY – AN EXPRESSION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD  Bible portion: Joshua 24:14-22 Verse:14  “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfullness”.  The setting of this text is Joshua's farewell address to the people of Israel.  It took place at Shechem. The little kings we serve in our lives will determine what we become later in life. It is easy to serve the kings  around us instead of  serving the King of Kings Lord Jesus. It should be made very clear ,whether we have decided to serve the living God. If so  submit our lives to his Lordship . That is the beginning of Christian life.            Joshua reminded the Israelites of the long history of all that God had done  for them, the promises to their ancestors, the deliverence from Egypt, and God's provision through wilderness. He continued,” in the light of all what God had done, “Fear the Lord”.   If so serve him in sincerity and truth, and you will have a special relationship with God. He also gave  a specific choice ,as

   FAMILY:  AN EXPRESSION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD Bible portion: Genesis 2: 18-25 V:22 Then the Lord made a woman from thee rib he had taken out of man, and he brought her to the man.   Amidst of all good creation we see in the book of Genesis, God evaluated and deemed that it is not good for the man to be alone.  Without a female companion, procreation and full realization of humanity is not complete.  So God evaluated and pronounced a remedy.                God then created beasts of the fields, and the birds of the  air and asked the man to name them and he did.   Next we see the God the surgeon and anesthesiologist   put the man into a deep sleep – he removed one f adam's rib and closed the wound with flesh.    God then made the woman out of the rib from man.  And she was brought before the man,but she was not named yet. Next we see the God instituted the first matrimony of the first couple. The two are made to become one flesh,  not fruitful yet, but allowed intimate companionsh

  FAMILY -  AN EXPRESSION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD 1 Peter 3:7-14  Vs 14:But even if you  should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.       Apostle Peter in chapter 3  of  this passage, authoritatively addressing the readers of God's instruction concerning husband -wife relationships. Like every believer is expected to be submissive to the power, wives  are expected to be submisssive to their husbands, which is necessary for the orderly operation of the home.  The greek word used to describe  submission to the authority of government  is used here, in explaining  wife-husband relationship.  Submisssion is not  to be interpreted as inferiority  of the weaker sex.  In continuing the subject in verse 7, it is reminded that women experience the saving grace of God on equal terms with men, and for that matter, spiritual  fellowship with God and one another may be hindered by disregarding the God's instruction in maintaining proper husband-wife relationships.             It is imp

  Youth With Christ Psalm 111 v.10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” Imagine a garden. Before that garden came into existence, someone had to prepare the seeds. They germinate and then you plant them in a starter. Even before the seedling grows, the network of roots starts to grow. When you transfer the seedling to the ground or a pot, you are very careful not to damage the roots. The root of the plant is where the plant get’s all its nourishment. If the roots are damaged, the plant will die. If the roots are placed in bad soil, the plant will die. But if the roots are placed in good soil and they are not damaged, they will continue to grow and the plant will flourish. Likewise, Christ is the most nutritious soil there is out there. If we place our roots in Him, we will gain our nourishment through Him and continue to grow in faith.  So what happens when we are rooted in Christ? What a