Reflections

  Live Honorably in a dark world Bible Reading:  Romans 13:8-14 Key verse: Vs    12 The night is nearly over, day is almost here. Let us stop doing the things that belong to the dark, and let us take up weapons for fighting in the light. 13 Let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day DEVOTION In a world that often feels overshadowed by darkness – by self-interest, injustice, and a relentless pursuit of fleeting pleasures – how are we, as followers of Christ, called to live? Todays' scripture offers us a profound and practical guide, urging us to live honorably, shining as lights in the encroaching gloom. Paul begins with a powerful and concise command: "Owe no one anything except to love one another." This isn't just about financial debt, but a spiritual one. Our fundamental obligation is love, for love fulfills the law. When we genuinely love our neighbor, we naturally refrain from harming them; instead, we seek their good. Imagine a wo...

  Christian Participation in Nation building Bible Reading: Luke 20:19-26 Key verse:25“Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” DEVOTION Luke is unique among scripture writers as the only non-Jewish (gentile) contributor to the Bible, according to the leading Bible scholar and teacher, John MacArthur (1939-2025), and others. Luke is distinct in providing a two-volume sweeping history of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ (Gospel of Luke) and the Early Church (Book of Acts). Luke was also a close associate of Apostle Paul as: beloved physician (Colossians 4:14), traveling companion (Acts  16:10-17 , 20: 5-21:18 , 27:1-28:16), fellow worker (Philemon 1:24), and loyal friend during final imprisonment in Rome before martyrdom (2 Timothy 4:11). The devotional text (Luke 20:19-26) and the parallel passages (Matthew  22:15-16 , Mark  12:13-17 ) on paying taxes to Caesar are believed to be from the Tuesday of the...

  Pray for the Leaders and peace Bible Reading:   1 Timothy 2: 1- 4 Key verse: 1 Timothy 2: 1-2 I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intersessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.   DEVOTION The First Epistle to Timothy was written during the last years of our beloved Apostle Paul’s life.  This is a Pastoral Epistle.  St. Paul gives Timothy, a local church leader, and one who had close association with the Apostle, instructions and guidance on how to deal with issues of faith and discipline within the faith community.  Paul wants Timothy to mentally equip himself for a prayerful mindset.  After making the mind suitable for prayer, he should pray for the well being of all persons, especially for kings and those in leadership and authority.  We should do supplications for them.  We sh...

  A Sight and Sound Show at the Mountain-top Theater: Enroute to Calvary Bible Reading: St. Matthew 17:1-18  Key verse:   While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (St. Matthew 17: 5) DEVOTION Have you ever experienced a 'mountaintop moment' with God? How did that sacred height prepare your heart to walk through the quiet valleys of daily life? Perhaps this happened at a retreat while fellowshipping with other believers, singing during the praise and worship time, or in an undistracted private time in God’s Word. Maybe it was when you were on a mission trip, away from the daily demands and routines of life and you could fully harness your time, efforts, and energy on gospel work as you served others and, most importantly, God. The feeling of exhilaration or spiritual high and being with Jesus is hard to put into words. These moments define us, su...

  RISE AND BUILD WITH GOD'S VISION Bible Reading:   :Nehemiah  2:13-20 Key verse: Verse:20   I answered them by saying,” The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, ….................or historic right to it. DEVOTION    Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem was a mission inspired by God's vision for  His people and city. After a night of prayerful inspection of the broken walls, Nehemiah shared his vision  with the demoralized society.  What can we learn from Nehemiah's life, to rise and build  with God's vision? 1.SEEING THE REALITY WITH GOD'S EYES:      Nehemiah's  first step was to survey the damage, understanding the reality of Jerusalem's ruin and disgrace. This was not done to be in despair, but to understand the problem and the need for action. The broken walls in one's life  and communities must be honestly assessed. This could be a lack of spiritual appetite, a lack of ...

  PREPARE TO BEHOLD HIS GLORY Bible Reading:   Deuteronomy 4:1-12 Key verse: Verse 9: Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not  forget the things...........as long as you live. DEVOTION   In Deuteronomy 4, Moses speaks to the Israelites as  they stand on the brink of entering the promised land. He urges them to listen closely to the commands of God and to observe His statutes, emphasizing the importance of  of preparation to receive God's blessings and witness His glory.     Moses begins by reminding the people of their unique relationship with God. They are not just any nation; but are chosen and set apart. As believers today,  we share the same privilege. We are also called to prepare our hearts and minds to behold His glory, but what does that truly mean? LISTENING AND OBEYING:    The  first step in preparation is to listen to God's word. Moses emphasizes the need for obedience to His comman...

  Grace shapes the missionary life  Bible Reading:  1 Corinthians 15: 1-10 Key verse: But by the grace of God I am what I am… DEVOTION Paul in his letter to the Corinthians talks about his journey from a persecutor of Christians to one who became the forefront leader for Christ. In this passage, Paul recalls how Christ died for our sins, was buried and then rose on the third day. Paul holds this as the ultimate truth and those who do not believe in this truth are not part of the salvation as promised by Christ. Many of the people to whom Christ appeared after He rose are ones who had shared earthly space with the Lord and thus when Christ appeared to them, they believed in Him effortlessly. However, Paul is different. Paul was a zealous Pharisee who had made it his life mission to hunt down Christians for their belief in Christ. However, our Lord did not act with vengeance or retaliate against Paul. Our Lord acted with mercy and showed Paul how helpless he is without Chri...

  Unashamed to Share Christ’s Gospel Bible Reading:  Romans 1:8-17 Key verse:  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile”. DEVOTION Paul’s letter to the Romans may be the greatest work on theology ever written. It was written by one of the greatest men who ever lived. It is divinely inspired. It is true in every respect. It should be studied, believed and allowed to permeate our thoughts; and it should be put into practice. The one thing the church must always get right before it can get anything else right is the gospel. The letter to the Romans presents an amazingly beautiful and simple message: the gospel is for everyone. It tells the simple story of God’s salvation plan for the world.; it is all about the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. The gospel is the absolute fundamental, the absolute foundation. If we do not get the gospel right, we cannot...

  Christian Mission: Be Christ-like Bible Reading:   Mathew:  10:16-23 Key verse: “Listen! I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves”(Vs.16 ) DEVOTION    Once St. Francis of Assisi was taking an orientation session to a group of young evangelists. Towards the end of the session he said, “Always try to live the Gospel. If necessary, use words.” Christian mission is understood in a variety of ways: as charity, as development, as Christian presence and so on. Very often there is an understanding that mission is something that we do out there, as if it’s one of the activities of the church. The title of this note suggests that Mission is both our being and doing. Let us ponder on two thoughts from the text:  One: The mission mandate. The analogy of “sheep among the wolves “can be misunderstood. Very often there is a tendency to consider the people of other faiths as “wolves” and those within the church as the “sheep.” What is to be underscor...

  REFLECT CHRIST IN HEART AND ACTIONS Bible Reading:  MATTHEW 5:21-32 Key verse: VERSE 23: “Therefore if you are offering gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift thee in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them, then come and offer your gift.” DEVOTION    Jesus focuses on the inner disposition of heart that leads to outer acts of sin or righteousness. 1 John 3:15 says,” anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in Him.” Jesus emphasizes that anger, hateful words and insulting is equivalent to murder in God’s eyes. Rather than outward actions, our inner thoughts are important in the eyes of God. If we have any grudge with our fellow-being, we should reconcile with them. Reconciliation means restoration of friendly relations. Listening and talking friendly with a heartfelt smile is a way of reconciliation. Apologize for bein...