Abundant Life!

The book of Isaiah addresses three different historical periods. Chapters 1-39 address Israel when they were confronting Assyrian invasions during the second half of the 8th century. Chapters 40-55 speak to the discouraged exiles in Babylon. Chapters 56-66 speak to the postexilic community.  These chapters deal with the history of the tragic fall despite the clear warnings given by the Lord through the prophets.  The Lord had told them clearly how they ought to live if they wanted to enjoy His favor.  The Lord had given them laws, decrees, and ordinances and had said what would result if they violated His laws. So what happened to them was the result of their own doing.  The invitation to abundant life found in...

The Stumbling Block!

Recently I read an article by Lama Chuck Stanford and Arvind Khetia on Mahatma Gandhi and Christians.  While Gandhi was a practicing Hindu, Christianity intrigued him. In his reading of the Gospels, Gandhi was impressed by Jesus, whom Christians worshipped and followed.  Gandhi wanted to know more about the claims of this Christ whom the Christians called, ‘the Messiah.' So one Sunday morning, Gandhi decided that he would visit one of the churches in Calcutta. Upon seeking entrance to the Church sanctuary, he was stopped at the door by the ushers. He was told that he was neither welcome, nor would he be permitted to attend that particular Church as it was only for high-caste Indians and whites. Because of the rejection, th...

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord!

A man once had a dream.  In that dream, he saw people carrying a Cross and walking.  Everyone seemed to be struggling under its weight, but they kept on walking.  A Cross was given to this man was also.  He thought that it was too heavy and looked around to see if he can exchange it, but since no one noticed him, he was left carrying his Cross!  As he struggled along, he spotted a chisel and a hammer.  He was overjoyed and decided to cut his Cross a little so that he can carry it easily.  He then picked up his Cross and joined the group. Very soon, they all came to a gorge with a river winding below.  As he watched, everyone laid their Crosses across, walked over to the ot...

Seated on the Throne!

Uzziah ruled as king of Judah for fifty-two years (2 Chronicles 26).  His reign marked the height of Judah's power. The army of King Uzziah was well organized and well equipped.  Special machinery that launched arrows and hurled large stone defended the walls of Jerusalem. Uzziah fought successfully against other nations and expanded the kingdom.  He constructed strong fortifications and dug many wells. Being a man given to farming, Uzziah possessed herds of cattle and even reclaimed the desert areas by water conservation. Isaiah was born and raised during the reign of King Uzziah, and at Uzziah's death, Isaiah experienced a deep sense of loss and fear for his nation's future.  When Isaiah began to fear for...

Under the Sun!

When we see the things that are happening around us, it is very distressing. Those who are supposed to protect the people commit cold-blooded murders. Those who are supposed to uphold justice themselves pervert justice and favor the criminals. Those who have to protect the children violate them sexually and murder them. Even animals do not assault their young ones in this manner! It is not the first time such things are happening. They happen all the time! I think such people think that in this world, they have it all figured out and that they have nothing to fear! They believe their money can buy their freedom. They believe their great connections will help them. They believe their political power will save them. That is why they think they can do wh...

The Message

The Bible is a message of grace, mercy, hope, and eternal life offered to Mankind because of the love God had toward His children.  The right response of Man to such self-giving love is to love the LORD our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. (Matthew 22:37) and obey His commandments. God longs for our love and obedience, prompted by that love.  Whenever I think of the Message of the Bible, I can only think of two things – love God and obey God!  Love for God shows our faith and obedience to His Word shows that faith in action!  In my mind, all other commandments are contained within this.

As I was reading the book of Ecclesiastes...

The Devil’s Foothold!

The lock-down has been a time of refreshing for the soul! God has given us time to look within and come to terms with even what you may call 'small' sins.  We think of some sins as 'small' and brush them under the carpet!  But in the eyes of God, sin is sin. It is missing the mark as detailed in the Word of God.  There is nothing ‘small’ about it.  Sin in our life gives a foothold for the devil!  Someone explained foothold with an example.  Imagine a thief is chasing us. We run-up to our room and try to close the door, but the person sticks his shoe at the bottom end of the door, and so we are unable to close it. That part of his foot that prevents us from closing the door is called a 'footho...

I will guide you with my eye!

My mother-in-law raised five wonderful children.  My husband tells me that when they were very young, if they misbehaved while visiting someone or when friends visited their home, one look from their mother would make them stop whatever they were doing.  If they had been a little noisy, that look would silence them. The children perfectly understood the message in their mother's eyes and knew exactly what will happen next if they did not obey immediately! An outsider might not understand what exactly transpired, but the children will understand the instruction.  I am sure this has happened in many homes!  

I recently heard Rev. Isaac Johnson of St. Andrew's Kirk, Chennai explain it like this. The Lo...

Out of the Comfort zone!

If someone had a comfortable life in exile, it was Nehemiah.  Nehemiah occupied a prominent position in the emperor's court. He was the trusted cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I, and he lived in Shushan the citadel. One day, Hanani, one of the brothers, brought news from Judah and Jerusalem. By then, the Temple at Jerusalem had been rebuilt,  but the Jewish community was dispirited and defenseless against its non-Jewish neighbors. When Nehemiah heard the news of the desolate condition of Jerusalem, he was deeply disturbed. The Bible says in Neh. 1:4 that he sat down and wept and mourned for many days.  He also fasted and prayed. We all know the story of how Nehemiah obtained permission from Artaxerxes to journey to Palestine...

Prayers of Ezra and Nehemiah

Ezra and Nehemiah took up the long journey to Jerusalem from Babylon during the time of King Artaxerxes.  Ezra took up his journey in the King's 7th year and Nehemiah in the King's 20th year.  Both of them fasted and prayed for the remnant and the task that lay ahead and initiated extensive moral reforms.  But what caught my attention was the fact that both Ezra and Nehemiah did not distance themselves from the actions of the people. Nehemiah prayed saying, "both my father's house and I have sinned" (Neh 1:6). Ezra prayed saying, "O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the he...