(Contd.) Why did Paul address this question with such urgency and you can hear that urgency in his words. It was because some false teachers in Corinth were preaching that there was no resurrection of the dead. They were of the view that once you die that was the end. The reason for this line of thinking is that some people treat god’s word arbitrarily. They take parts that they like and reject others that they don’t. And mind you some preachers do that even today. But if God’s word is the authority then all of it must believed even if there are some parts which may be difficult to understand.  Paul’s message to the Corinthians and to us is that to deny our own resurrection is to deny Christ’s rising from the dead.   And denying the resurrection of Christ destroys the very essence of the Christian faith which is eternal life through the risen and ever-living Jesus Christ. In verses 14 to 18 Paul makes 4 very crucial points. A. Denial of the ...

Bible Reading 1 Corinthians 15 verses 12 to 22 If you like to listen to politicians and world leader interviews the journalist interviewing the leader will sometimes ask the leader a question around what he or she would do if faced with a certain situation. The political leader in most cases dismisses the question with this response ‘that is a hypothetical question and I do not want to answer it’. That is because the politician does not want to be led into making a public statement that could hold him or her accountable in the future. But today we are going to consider and seek answers to a hypothetical question a question that is extremely critical to our Christian faith. Last Sunday we celebrated Easter which is also resurrection Sunday. We celebrate the rising of our Lord from the dead never ever to die again. The question is:  what if there was no Easter? What if there were no resurrection?   Most people would refuse to consider that possibility and like the poli...

The word hypocrite comes from a Greek word that means “play actor.” A hypocrite is someone pretending to be something that he or she is not in order to receive recognition or gain. Matthew 21 18 and 19 18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. This passage is a shocker! To anyone who reads the Bible, Jesus, son of God comes across as a meek, non-aggressive, unselfish person who would not be harsh to anyone, especially if they showed harshness to them. After all he said blessed are the meek. That same person who, when beaten, humiliated and crucified did not react and in fact prayed for the forgiveness of His torturers and murderers. Now how is it that such a person curses a tree, simply because He was hungry and the tree had not produced fruit, though it had a ...

One often wonders why God took the Israelites to the "land of milk and honey" or the Promised Land, through such a circuitous route for 40 years when a shorter route was available? In our modern minds it is difficult to grasp this as it is difficult for us to accept the wait for deliverance when we are struck by our own problems, or our own red sea. But God had His reasons then as He does now. An analyses of the red sea experience throws the light on this and we quote from the Messianic Bible.com for a wonderful and thought provoking article, helping each one of us to go through our own waiting period and our own Red Sea.  We urge our readers to do read this HERE OR click to read below.  https://free.messianicbible.com/holiday/crossing-red-sea-god-brings-us-long-way/

Easter Monday may not be the first thing you think of when you remember the Easter calendar, but it highlights an important part of the Easter story: what happened after Jesus got out of the tomb? (Today we will refer to Jenna Brooke Carlsons article in Christianity.com) While Easter Monday is really not a mandated celebration, it's importance and practice started somewhere in the 15th century. Christ had risen, Easter was celebrated, and now what? If easter was the resurrection of Christ and a new life for us, then Easter Monday is the first day of our new life. Easter eggs signify that new life.  Christ was active pretty active during the 40 days but more than that, Easter Monday is a continuum of Easter itself. What happened on Easter does not remain in Easter but to be continued in our lives. Easter Monday has different names, including Bright Monday, Renewal Monday, Wet Monday, and Dyngus Day, but why Easter Monday at all? Jesus died on the cross for our sins. H...

Easter weekend acrivities mostly dont include Saturdays. Friday and Sunday get the press. The crucifixion and resurrection command our thoughts. But don’t ignore Saturday. You have them, too. Much happened on Friday. Man rejected God. A d God He made himself heard on Friday. He tore the curtains of the temple, opened the graves of the dead, rocked the earth, blocked the sun of the sky, and sacrificed the Son of Heaven. Earth heard much of God on Friday. But what about the silent Saturday "the day between the struggle and the solution? God knows Jesus is in the tomb, why doesn’t He do something? Think about this: if God had resurrected Jesus in 15 minutes after His death, would you have believed in resurrection? Or would you doubt He ever died? Saturday underscores the full conviction of death and underscores the resurrection. Or, in your case God knows your career is in the tank, your finances are in the pit, your marriage is in a mess. Why doesn’t He act? What are you sup...

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, believed to be the day when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with His disciples. Most notably, that Passover meal was when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples in an extraordinary display of humility. He then commanded them to do the same for each other. Christ's "mandate" is commemorated on Maundy Thursday---"maundy" being a shortened form of mandatum (Latin), which means "command." It was on the Thursday of Christ's final week before being crucified and resurrected that He said this last commandment to His disciples. Jesus and his disciples had just shared what was known as the Last Supper and he was washing their feet when he stated: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34). Many people and churches observe Maundy Thursday with a Communion service and a foot-washing ceremony. These traditions...

Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Lent is nearly over, and different people have practiced different forms of sacrifice through this time. Fasting, giving up some things, making a change for the better are some. Bringing in change, overcome negative or bad habits, reviving faith and sacrificing self for renewal in God are some outcomes which we try and achieve during this time. For some, it ends at the end of the period, for a few it continues to the next lent when we further renew ourselves. It seems, every lent is Gods battle to renew us. For us, it is a battle between self-seeking motivation, self-will and folly on the one hand and God's expectation on the other. The human mentality which tells us to enjoy the day with physical pleasures as against our aspiration to enjoy the day with Gods peace. This has been depicted so well in the painting by Peter Bregel th...

R ead John 1 19-28  Here If someone asked you today, who are you, what would your reply be? Most of us would give our name, profession and maybe address. John the Baptist was asked the same question, repeatedly, and his answer can become a standard for us. Most of us, when questioned, focus on the creation rather than the creator. We would say our name, our occupation, or position and so on. But John introduced himself by his mission. He was clear on what it was and what he was committed to do. In our case our mission defines our focus. Is our mission to become a CEO or a political leader etc. Or is our mission to become an instrument of Gods work. And if so what exactly can I do in His kingdom? What is our role? The answer to that question will tell us whether we are "creation focused" or "creator focused". Whether we have made idols in our lives or not. Today, as an exercise can we craft an answer like John's which we can answer people with when asked "wh...

Every time I think about life and all the numerous small and big miracles I have experienced, I recall Romans 5:5 where it says - "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us". it follows then that if we want God's wonderous participation in our lives, through the Holy Spirit we need to relinquish control. But we confine the Holy Spirit, muzzle Him, constrain Him, all to remain in control. One thing is for sure: That Miracles are not the "normal" of today. They are acts of God - The Force Majeure. Even the law recognizes that. Miracles are always within the grand design of God the Creator and fall within the category of prophetic symbolism intended to draw attention to something beyond themselves that confirms the word of God. They are not isolated gestures on the part of God but play an important part in the execution of the grand design of the Creator for the redemption of His c...