Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Day 45: Profound Mysteries


As we are approaching the final days of lent, and as Good Friday is quickly approaching, let us dig in and try to gain a deeper understanding of the radical love that the Father has for us. Often times we read the Passion story and it has no effect on us; we become numb to what happened almost 2000 years ago.  The story of the death and resurrection of Jesus has no impact on our lives. I pray that as we enter into this final stretch of lent, that God renew our hearts and minds and allow us to feel the love that was displayed on that cross. If you are reading this, please take a moment to pray that God never lets the story of His love become a trivial fact in our lives, but rather embolden us to action and to remain in awe of His crazy love.

As we read John 16-18, things seem to get a bit confusing, especially John 17 for me. But there are three profound mysteries that are contained within these chapters that will help us understand the love of Jesus even further.

1) The first mystery can be found in John 16:33, as Jesus states, 
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Did you catch that? What looks like a beautiful statement seems to have a contradiction. How can Jesus say that in Him we have peace, but then RIGHT after that state that we will have tribulation? Jesus seems to indicate that in the midst of tribulation we have a peace, as Paul states in Philippians 4:7 that “surpasses all understanding” and “will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus." The only caveat for this verse is that, in order for us to have this peace, our Father had to send down His only Son, to be tortured and brutally executed and lose His peace on the cross. The Son of Man had to be broken into pieces in order for us to obtain true peace in this world. This is the same Son who had all the riches and glories in Heaven. The same Son who was being worshipped in heaven by the angels and lacked nothing. As all of John 17 states, Jesus and the Father were one, and He gave up the comfort of all his glory to come down in order to give us eternal life.

2) What exactly is this eternal life?
As John 17:3 states, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”.

The second mystery is revealed in this! Often we believe that eternal life begins when our lives on this earth ends. But Jesus seems to indicate something particular here, that eternal life begins when we enter into a relationship with Him. How could this be? Until we accept Jesus into our lives, we are spiritually dead. We are basically, as a retreat speaker Brad Cauley put it, walking zombies on this earth. But just as God spoke words and gave the world life, it is the Word (who became flesh) that gives us life. Even though God knows all of our sins of our past and all the sins that we will engage in the future, He offers us a chance to actually experience life for the first time.

3) Though Jesus knows our sins, He still loves us unconditionally. This leads us to the third and final mystery that is contained in John 18.
I always wondered one thing, how could Jesus love Judas, especially when He knew that Judas was going to betray Him? One of the 12 disciples, one of His best friends is going to betray Him, yet Jesus allowed Him Judas to be so close to Him, even though He knew that Judas was going to lead Him to death. I often think about if I had a close friend, and if I knew that they were going to shoot me. How would I react? I know that I would avoid them because I knew my life would be in danger. But Jesus knew that in order for the Scriptures to be fulfilled, He had to endure that pain; the pain of His own disciple betraying Him. Often times, I also ask how Judas could betray Jesus for just a couple of silver coins. How could anyone betray the Son of Man so quickly? Then one day I heard something that really convicted me. The radio said something along the lines of, “I am sorry Lord. Judas chose 30 pieces of silver over you, while traded you in for far less.” I was instantly convicted of all the times I chose to indulge in my sin rather than choosing Jesus. How could God love me if I am much worse than Judas? And it is in that moment, I stood in awe of the love of our God.


My brothers and sisters, the journey of our faith is not an easy one. But when I look on the cross and see what the Son of God had to endure, it makes our burden so much lighter. Let us continue to press forward and remain in awe of the One who is awesome.

- Jijo Jacob

Monday, March 30, 2015

Day 44: You Were There

Read John 13-15


 
Hi everyone.  It's surprising how we're already at the end of March... time sure does fly by.  Today's bible passage is taken from the Gospel according to John ch. 13-15.  I highly recommend you read each of these chapters and really soak them in.  Here's just a rundown over what each chapter is about:
  • Chapter 13 talks about how Jesus is washing His disciples' feet, how Jesus predicts His betrayal, and also how Jesus predicts Peter's denial (awkward!).  
  • Chapter 14 is something I want to dive in with y'all, so... we'll get into it towards the end of the video.  
  • Chapter 15 talks about how Christ is the vine and we are His branches, how the world hates the disciples, and also the work of the Holy Spirit.  
Like I said, please take the time to read each of these chapters thoroughly because they will only strengthen you, increase your awareness of the Gospel, and it proclaims who Christ is if you have any doubts.  Anyways, let's dive into chapter 14.

The three short topics I will be covering: 
  1. How Jesus comforts His disciples
  2. Jesus is the way to the Father, and 
  3. How Jesus promises the Holy Spirit
1. The first topic is how Christ gives an assurance to His disciples.  
Jesus tells them that the Father's house, which is the Kingdom of Heaven, has space for anyone and everyone.  He also tells them wherever He goes, He will have a spot saved for them.  He reminds them not to lose heart, and not to let their hearts be troubled, and basically have a strong faith in Him.  Its a reminder for us to not lose faith.  Christ is telling us this world is temporary, and when we get to the Kingdom of Heaven there will be a spot for each and every one of us - all we have to do is have faith.

2. The next topic I want to focus in on is how Christ is the only way to the Father.  
Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the father except through me."  -John 14:6
  • I am the way.  I am, and none besides me, the way.  Chris is telling us that he and he alone is the only way to approach the Father.  Paul says,
For there is only one God and one Mediator, also between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 
To reach internal happiness, Christ is the key to opening the floodgates of Heaven. We must have a strong faith that Christ will lead us to the Father one day.  
  • The truth and the life.  Jesus is the truth... not some of the truth, the entire truth.  He's God's definitive and perfect Word expressing who God is, what He's like, who we are, and what we need to do to be saved from misery and futility.  
  • Jesus is the life.  We are blessed with a book to follow in every way, from learning how to lead a family to how many times we have to forgive others.  Not only did God give us the bible, but also the power to live them out and become new people by setting an example.  
3. The last topic is Christ promising the Holy Spirit.  
If you love me, obey my commandments, and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth. -John 14:15-16
Christ was about to leave His disciples physically, but He was to remain with the spiritually, or "Holy Spiritually".  Continuing on in this chapter, in v. 23 He basically says if we have complete faith in Him he will end with eternal happiness.  That's just the solid truth!  All He has been saying is not his own, but the will of God.  Christ left us with a gift, which is the Holy Spirit.  Nothing can compare to what the Holy Spirit is.  I just want to read this portion to you:
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I said: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. -John 14:27-29
Christ is coming back - get ready everybody, it's only a matter of time.  Increase your faith, spread your good news to the world, and love others.  

I wrote a song that I would like to share with you all.  It is about how there are times your world falls apart in front of you, and it gets to the point where you get tired and worn out about what's going on, and actually to the point where you start losing faith.  Because that's what happened to me personally.  But Christ reminds us that He is the only way, He is the only truth, and He is the life.  Have faith everyone, He is always there.

I want to thank my good friend Tiara Thomas and my brother Asish Mathew for helping me out with this song.  God bless everyone!

You Were There
Faith is such a strong word
But at times we forget how much it's worth
So we feel like were lost and forgotten, and we forget

You were there, through the thick and thin

You were there, where it all be begin
You were there when I was broken and bruised
I was lost, but now am found
I was weak, but You carried it all
I was in the need of Your faithfulness
You were there

One by one it falls apart

To the point we become so tired and worn out
But I know there's a light at the end of this dark tunnel, because

You were there, through the thick and thin

You were there, where it all be begin
You were there when I was broken and bruised
I was lost, but now am found
I was weak, but You carried it all
I was in the need of Your faithfulness
You were there

I am, the way, the truth, and life
I am, the way, the truth, and life
Father You are, the way, the truth, and life

You were there, through the thick and thin

You were there, where it all be begin
You were there when I was broken and bruised
I was lost, but now am found
I was weak, but You carried it all
I was in the need of Your faithfulness

You were there, through the thick and thin

You were there, where it all be begin
You were there when I was broken and bruised
I was lost, but now am found
I was weak, but You carried it all
I was in the need of Your faithfulness
You were...
You were...
You were there
-Christo Kurien

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Day 43: Light to the Darkness

Read John 11-12

Quick Recap: In chapter 11 there a lot of things that happen. We see the death of Lazarus and Jesus’ miraculous healing, and then the Pharisees and priests plot to kill Jesus. In chapter 12, Jesus is anointed at Bethany and later predicts His death.

The main verse I want to focus on today is John 12:24.
“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” -John 12:24
Jesus said this when he predicted his death. He is telling us that we must die in order to live. We must be willing to surrender our life for Christ. Dying in Christ means letting go of our old, sinful ways and replacing that with the love of Christ. In order to produce many seeds, we must first make time and space for Christ and glorify his name! This Lenten season is the perfect time for this. We give up food, music, social media, TV, etc. but what do we do in place of that? That time you spend “giving up” those worldly pleasures must be spent furthering your relationship with Christ.

How can we do this?

The theme of light resonates between these two chapters. Whenever Jesus was about to go back to heal Lazarus, the disciples questioned and reminded Him, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?” (John 11:8). Jesus responded, “…A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.” (John 11:9).

Jesus shows no fear because He fully relies on God. When we “walk by day” we will not “stumble.” This means that by remembering God and walking a life pleasing to the Lord, we will not stray away. ‘Stumble’ means falling back or getting lost in our relationship with God. If we “walk by night” then we will stumble for we lack the light. Walking by night means to walk in a way that is selfishly motivated and unpleasing to the Lord. So how do we find this light? Right before Jesus left, he says to His disciples, “…Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you…Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus clarifies that He is the light. We need to put our trust in Him and use Him when we walk so that we do not stumble.

By trusting in Jesus and using him as our light, we are able to walk by faith and ultimately better our relationship with Him. This faith and trust will guide us on the path to produce many seeds.

"Great Are You Lord"

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
To You only

All the earth will shout
Your praise
Our hearts will cry
These bones will sing
Great are You, Lord

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
To You only


- Lydia Philip

Friday, March 27, 2015

Day 41: Seeing is Believing

Read John 9-10

John Chapter 9 is not an extremely long chapter but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for with its impact.
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” -John 9:1-2
The disciples were curious as to why this man was punished with blindness. They considered him as a puzzle that needed to be solved. As humans we often try to find a reason for everything. We believe that there must be a reason as to why something happens that goes beyond coincidence.
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. -John 9:3-4
Jesus simply states that the man was born blind so “God’s might” can been shown off. This is the part of the chapter I believe each one of us can actually learn from.

Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why did I fail this test?
Why did you take this person away from me?

These are all questions that we attempt to find an answer for. The question we should be asking on the other hand is: How can your power be displayed through this suffering?

This chapter really impacted me because it helped answer one of the questions that I had no answer to. As many of you know in 2010 I had a stroke. By looking at me you would never be able to tell. I have not had set backs or physical disabilities since I had my stroke. I sometimes wonder why it happened. After reading this chapter I realized that it does not matter why I had a stoke, yet what is more important is that that God’s might can be displayed in me.

- Stan Philip

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Day 40: I AM

Read John 7-8
"But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. -John 8:55-59
Do you know God? Do you know his character, his virtues? Do you know his joys and his grief? His will and his might? The entire human existence is an endeavor to know God. Whether it is in silent idols, irreverent nature, unlasting others, or condemning self, we seek satisfaction, security, and validation in something. Do you know God?

How can we know God? How do we come to know anyone? We can study their behavior or research their history, but the most certain way you can know someone is by their WORD. What they proclaim themselves to be! We communicate ourselves through our words: our loves and hates, our joys and sorrows, our fears and strengths. The Israelites knew God because they knew his word. God declared who he was though his word, and the Israelites were the keepers of those words (Romans 3:1-2). They studied them, they worshipped with them. They knew, memorized, prayed and sang them. The Israelites knew God. But somewhere along the way God’s word -and in effect his character- was twisted and perverted into a false image of God, that ended up looking like them.

This is where most of us find ourselves today. We have been raised within the walls of the church and know OF him, like we know of celebrities or historical figures. But we have neglected to know him more intimately, settling for our distance. Isn’t that devastatingly foolish? That we have neglected the God of the universe? We consciously deprive ourselves of the thing we need most- yes, the very thing we were made for: God! "Wretched man that I am! Who will save me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24)

Enter: Jesus the Christ, the God-man, the perfect, spotless lamb of God. In verse 55 Jesus makes a radical claim and says that he “knows God and keeps his word.” How was this possible? Earlier in this gospel John delivers a beautiful introduction into his book by saying “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He goes on to reveal that Jesus is the living word of God! This is the gospel! Why is this such Good News? Because no longer is God’s character limited to laws carved upon stone tablets, or words written on parchment, but He is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. If God reveals himself through his word, and Jesus Christ is the word of God, then Jesus Christ is the perfect reflection -in flesh- of God and his fullness. Since the beginning of creation Satan has been trying to pervert the word of God (Genesis 3:1). Indeed the first question he asks Eve is, “Did God really say…?” But where Satan perverts, Jesus restores. His life could not be perverted or twisted. He was perfect and righteous. How do you know God? Come to know Jesus.

Do you know Jesus? The disciples knew him and they followed him. The Jews knew him and they crucified him. One day all of creation will know him and they will worship him. This is why they picked up stones to throw at Jesus: Because he claimed to be YAWEH (I AM), the rightful name of God. But while the Jews took offense to it, we take refuge in it. Jesus is calling to you right now. What’s remarkable is that when we are without pursuit, Jesus is relentless. He is always chasing you - GOD is chasing you. He is jealous for you, and he wants you to know him and be fully known by him.

Jesus is Lord, and he has made the Father known, Amen.


- Arun Abraham

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Day 39: The Bread of Life

Read John 6

John Chapter 6 is divided into four sections. First there's a feeding of the 5000 by Jesus, second is the miracle where Jesus walks on water, third is the acclamation when Jesus says he is the bread of life, and four is when the disciples and Jesus have a discussion.

(v.1-15)
The feeding of the 5000 is one of the most important miracles in the Bible because it is such an incredible miracle. Through supernatural powers Jesus changed five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish into where it fed 5000 and had 12 baskets left over. A symbol is placed in this chapter that starts from the beginning and goes into the end of the chapter, and that symbol is bread; we will see this quite often in this chapter. The chapter mentions that a great multitude of people follow Jesus because of the miracles that he has done, so it is clear that Jesus is in his prime of his ministry. One thing that we must know about this crowd is that they are filled with all kinds of people; there are the poor people, the rich people, and the middle-class. At one point Jesus just looks among the crowd, then looks to Philip and says, "Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?"  Philip, being a statistical man, says it would take more than half a year's wage just to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite.  Let's talk about Philip - he was a practical guy, always thinking about the bottom line. In the Bible we see that all disciples have a job, and Phillip's job was to be in charge of supplies - he was a trustee. One similarity that we see with Philip is he is doubtful like Thomas. Jesus knows the answer for the food; he did not need to ask Philip the question, "Where we will we get food?" He does this to test Philip, and Philip fails the test. Philip gets a second chance:
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" -John 14:8-9

And yet again Philip fails. As humans we are always seeking for facts.  We must step outside the box and ask the spiritual questions.  The most important part about this first section is that after Jesus does the miracle, the people among the crowd said, "Surely this is the prophet who is coming to the world."  That part is so important because that is the recognition and acknowledgment that God is King. Through the supernatural powers, people of the crowd finally realize that Jesus is Messiah. Unfortunately, we are not able to see Jesus do his amazing works but every day is a miracle because we are living and we sin but yet we are forgiven. We don't need to see the miracles of Jesus - him giving his life for us was enough. 

(v.16-24)
The 2nd part of John 6 is  "Jesus Walks on the Water". The version that is inscribed in the gospel of John is not as detailed as we see in the other gospels. Also notice the omission of Peter walking on water. Later in the section we see Jesus disappears. This is an important factor for the next section!

(v.25-59)
The 3rd section is very critical. It answers many questions that were asked during Jesus's ministry. We start off with the people finding Jesus on the other side of the lake. They ask a question, "When did you get here, Rabbi?" Jesus answers this very elaborately. First he says that the crowd seeks him for another meal. He says meal because it is a temporary item that will be digested. He instead offers the crowd something else - "the Bread of Life" which will cease hunger (spiritual) for everlasting life. He also does an important thing when he says, 
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal. -John 6:27
He says this to establish his ethos or his credibility.  He says, "I will give you this bread, because I am Jesus, the Son of God, your Savior."  This is a new concept for the crowd because they are used to seeing miracles but now they are forced to believe in a imaginary bread of life. With the current confusion they ask, "How can we receive this bread?" And Jesus answers, "Believe in the One that was sent." In his ministry it was common to see Jesus answer questions indirectly. But now He answers them as direct as possible. He continues on in this section on how to receive forgiveness, atonement, and more.

(v.60-71)
The 4th part is also a continuation of before. The disciples are baffled by what Jesus has previously preached. They confront Jesus and basically tell him how ridiculous his teachings are and who could accept it. This is where Jesus, again, tells his disciples his identity. And afterwards some disciples depart. The gospel doesn't say why they leave. But one could figure that it might be out of anger and frustration. Then Jesus ends this discussion with a strong statement:
Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil!" -John 6:70
He foreshadows his death and that one of his disciples will betray him.

- Sam Saji

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Day 38: Why Jesus?

Read John 4-5

Found at the end of John 5 is a profoundly unique portion of the bible that deeply clarifies God's relationship with Jesus. Have you asked yourself these questions - why do we believe in Jesus? Is he really the Son of God? How were those back in the day able to trust that He was their Messiah? As Christians we should all eventually get to the point where we ask the tough questions - it helps us solidify the rock upon which our faith is based.

By breaking it down into a few verses at a time, we can see how Jesus' words plainly show us who He is and why we can trust in him.
  1. Jesus submits to the Father
  2. I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. -John 5:30
    These few verses clarify that Jesus is completely dependent on God. Every step of the way, Jesus prayed and consulted God so God's will and Jesus' actions would be aligned. And despite being human, Jesus was set apart from all other humans in that (among other things) he had the unique ability to judge the hearts of others. But this characteristic of Jesus was imparted to him ONLY because His will and God's will are one and the same. This gives us faith in Him because we know He is not trying to assert his authority apart from God; it COMES from God.

    That has implications for our judgement as well - your ability to judge the hearts of others is also intimately related to how close your will is with God's. Contrary to what many may believe, as Christians we ARE occasionally called to judge others (a brilliant article with scripture that goes deeper into this) - otherwise we may be led astray. But the way we judge ought to be out of the same love God has for His people, and the accuracy of our judgement is only as good as our understanding of His will.

  3. Others bear witness of Jesus
  4. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. -John 5:31-35
    Here Jesus brings up a good point that we should all be thinking - how can Jesus claim himself to be the Messiah? How could we possibly know that He is the true One, and not just another one of the many fakes reported to be popping up around that time? Jesus points to the words of John who came before him. Although he was just a man, the gospels talk about how his message was popular among the Jews at the time, and he had many followers. By "rejoicing" in his light, they embraced his ministry for the short time that he was preaching. "So that you might be saved," Jesus uses John's (admittedly limited) testimony about Him to help convince others that He is their Savior.

  5. His works bear witness
  6. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. -John 5:36
    Jesus brings in another aspect of his ministry that was largely unique - his wondrous works. The gospels are chalk-full of stories of His healings, visions, resurrections, and scientifically impossible miracles - not to mention is own resurrection! - to substantiate the claim that Jesus has a divine power. However, Jesus again reiterates that these works come from His Father - in fact, they could ONLY come from Him! This is just further proof He was sent by God.

  7. Scriptures bear witness
  8. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. -John 5:39-40
    Jesus uses the fact that the scriptures clearly state how Jesus was foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. No one would have known this better than the Jewish leaders (to whom Jesus was addressing), and He does not use any unclear language when telling them that they missed it. While the leaders spent their lives searching for the eternal life that was spoken of in these texts, they failed to realize the way to that very life was staring them in the face.

    (Note: Just one resource if you're interested in learning a few examples of how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy).

  9. God bears witness
  10. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent... I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. -John 5:37,41-43
    Jesus alludes to the Father himself as one who bears witness of Jesus. In fact God came in the form of a dove to disclose that Jesus is with whom God is "well pleased." (Mark 1:10)  However, God's voice was not heard among the people, so instead Jesus uses this relationship to say that a rejection of Jesus equates a rejection of the Father who sent Him. And because they didn't truly love God, they would be led astray by others who would come afterwards.
The field of apologetics is the discipline that deals with the "defense and establishment of the Christian faith." From this section we see that Jesus doesn't ask us to take just his works, the words of others, or the scriptures alone for face value to put our full hope and trust in Him.  But when all combined together, its clear that He comes out on top.  One aspect that we can't forget, however, is the love of God within us is what actually solidifies our stance in Him and keeps our foundation in Christianity strong.  Jesus was the perfect embodiment of that love - if they people had God's love within them, they would have picked out Jesus among the imposters readily.

Application:
  1. In regard to judgement, let us take seriously the reprimand of another Christian of authority who fully walks with God. At the same time, always give judgement with humility - no one fully understands His whole picture.
  2. Lets take some time to think about why we believe in Jesus.  Is it the testimony of others before him?  His works?  The scriptures he fulfills?  A solid stance on why we believe really helps us stick through troubling times.
  3. Does the love of God reside within us?  Until it does, we run the risk of being led astray.  Pray a short prayer for God to impart that love within you.
- Ben Abraham

Monday, March 23, 2015

Day 37: The Shining Light

Read John 1-3

Three main points spoke to me personally as I read John 1 repeatedly: the Word was God; the light shines upon us, and the humility of John

One. The Word was God.
In our personal lives we fail to communicate with The One who cares most about us. We strive for approval of maybe our parents, our spouses, our siblings, or our friends. We forget to realize that we can't gain everybody's approval. Everybody cannot feed the answers we desire to hear. For me I think I want the approval of my family. I want to make them proud of whom I am.  But the fact of the matter is our lives are short, and we don't know what will happen tomorrow. In our doubts and worries, we should go to GOD. He speaks through us through the bible. We always search for answers and advice; the greatest tool of advice sits on our bookshelves—waiting to be opened. 

Think about:
Whose approval are you searching for? Why?
Who/What do you go to in your times of need?
How can you actively go to God in your times of need?

Two. the light shines upon us. 
Worry and anxiety are two prevalent things I see in in the Indian community and in fact in today’s general society.  Whether it's to live up to someone’s expectations, to make good grades, to pay bills, or to worry about our futures or current circumstance, sometimes we let fear “motivate” us instead of Love. The deeper we envelope ourselves into fear and worry the more we rely on ourselves and less on God. If you notice in the text mostly all the verbs are in past tense, except “light shines in the darkness” (v.5). This verse shows us that Jesus is with us always. He is our Father. We are His beautiful creation made in His own image. We know how light differs from darkness. We can see light: bright and illuminating. When we visualize light, we instantly think of the sun and the stars. In the midst of darkness we can see light no matter how small.  Light overshadows darkness. Jesus was the light that came to save this world from darkness, and still shines today. Jesus sees through us, the parts of us we don't want others to see. Instead of dwelling on or worries and problems, lift it up to the Light. He will guide us to where we must go.

Think about:
How do you see Jesus as a light shining currently in your life?

Three. The humility of John.
John is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. He was independent. He only needed a few simple things to survive. His gave his whole life to serve Jesus, preparing a way for the Lord.
John exemplifies how Jesus doesn't need us, but truly wants us to show the love of God in this world. 
So many times I realize my mind set on such small, transient things, when I fail to realize that God sees the big picture. He is omniscient. He is omnipresent. He is omnipotent.
We many times limit ourselves to this world.
However, we should try to step out and see the beautiful landscape that Jesus has painted, paints, and will continue painting in and for the rest of our lives.  There is a greater world waiting for us. Don't set your mind and your heart on things that are fleeting, don't chase after the wind. Chase the One who loved us enough to sacrifice His Son for us. Whether you are going through struggles or you just need somebody to trust, know that there is One that outshines all. Let's reflect His Light that resides in us to others who need the Light in their lives.

Application:
How can you be more of a light in your community? Church? peer group? In your family?
Think of one thing that you can do today that will resemble the light of Jesus amidst this group.
Now don't just think of it write it down.
Make it your goal to accomplish that feat in the next 24 hours. 

- Saumia Thomas

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Day 36: Not Alone

Read Luke 24
As Christians, we say that God is always with us; but how many of us actually believe it? As incredulous as it may seem, there are many of our own brothers and sisters struggling by themselves because they feel that they are alone in this world. Why is this?
In the passage today, we see that Jesus has resurrected and is no longer captive in the tomb. Instead, the women who went to embalm him were greeted by heavenly hosts who reassured them of the words of their Lord Jesus! These women were in utter distress because they could not find the Lord; they believed that He had left them. However, as it says in verse 8, “Then they remembered His words.” When the women remembered Jesus and His teachings about His resurrection, they were reassured in His awesome power.
The women then rush to tell the Eleven about what they had seen and remembered. It seems obvious that the disciples would believe them, right? After all, they were Jesus’s very own, the closest to Him, many would say. But the Scripture tells us in verse 11, “…they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” This incident reminds me of times when my best friends give me good advice but I disregard it and do my own thing. Often times, we are all like this in our spirituality. We can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit advising us in times of trouble, but we disregard His comforting voice for the voice of the world instead. The Bible tells us that even Peter wondered what had happened to Jesus’s body, proving the fact that that even the ones who may seem the most devout fall into the world’s trap.
As the passage progresses, we see 2 men traveling to a village named Emmaus and discussing the divine events prior to that day. Jesus walks with them, probing about their conversation, amazed at their indifference to his resurrection. He chastises them, “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” in verse 26 and explains the Scriptures to them. Later, when the men realize who Jesus is, He departs. They ask in verse 32, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” This brings me to the main point of this chapter: are we also too caught up in worldly things to notice God’s work? He has given us everything that we need to truly seek Him, but it is by our own decision to pursue Him.
The last portion shows us Jesus’s encounter with the disciples. Their initial reaction was fear and alarm, thinking that there was a ghost among them. They realize that it is Him after he shows them his hands and feet. They feed Him and He reminds them of the Scriptures, as seen in verses 46-49, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” It is here that the disciples are seeing Jesus for the final time. One would think that they would be in distress about the departure of their Savior and friend, but the Bible tells us they are the opposite! It says that “…they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” The last time Jesus left them, there was an entirely different attitude of sorrow and despair. But as we read to the end, we see that the disciples are at peace and full of gladness. This time when Jesus leaves them, they know that His return will be triumphant.
In the same way, when we feel alone, we must take heart in His glorious return. God will NEVER leave or forsake us. Though He is not with us physically, we must find rest in his presence spiritually. As this Lenten season is a stressful time filled with temptation and sorrows, we must find the strength that is only salvaged through Jesus’s redemption. Realize that suffering must precede glory. Many of us flee from the threat suffering brings; we see it as the ultimate evil. We cannot control suffering. We can only control our response to it. Let us rejoice in the peace that only our Savior can provide. It is through suffering that God makes us complete.
While I was writing this, a song that came to mind was “I Am Not Alone”, written by Kari Jobe. As I sing it below, I encourage you to look up the lyrics, which are beautifully written. I pray that you receive solace in His comforting presence.
When I walk through deep waters
I know that You will be with me
When I'm standing in the fireI will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadowI will not fear


I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me
In the midst of deep sorrow

I see Your light is breaking through
The dark of night will not overtake me
I am pressing into You
Lord, You fight my every battle
And I will not fear


You amaze me
Redeem me
You call me as Your own


-Miriam Easo

Friday, March 20, 2015

Day 34: Denied


Have you ever thanked God that you weren’t around when the Bible was being written, so that your failures were not recorded for all people of all time to read about? Poor Peter was there and everyone knows about his colossal failure. Like Peter, we all have failed the Lord, even if our failures are not as widely known. When you fail the Lord, whether it is a colossal fall like Peter’s or even if it’s a lesser failure, you feel guilty, embarrassed, and depressed. If it’s a bad fall, you often wonder if God will ever use you again in His service.

Thank God that the Bible offers hope for those who have failed God. It does not leave us without a way out. Also, thank God that the Bible paints its heroes warts and all. It does not airbrush their blemishes from the record. It lets us see them as men and women like us, who struggled against the same weaknesses and temptations, but who recovered from their sins and failures by God’s abundant grace.

I don’t know how to rank failures, but Peter’s has to be one of the worst. To be the leader among the apostles, to boast that he would go to prison and death with Christ, and then to deny that he even knew Christ, was not just an average, everyday sort of failure! The fact that the Lord would restore Peter and use him on the Day of Pentecost and thereafter shows us His amazing grace.

In chapter 22 we see the popular story of Peter denying Christ, which in itself is betrayal. But later on we see repentance and restoration. Christ reaches out to him and Peter repents. As Christians we get in the habit of confession and prayer but often we come back to the same sin and habits that we "repented". Repentance is about whole heartedly surrendering the problem to Christ.

As Christians we know that we may fail or fall into sin but Christ celebrates the fact that we depend on him to get up and keep going, so don't give up your fight against temptation and trials but allow Christ to be the rock that you stand on.

- Justin Mathew

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Day 33: Hypocrisy

Read Luke 20-21

In this chapter Jesus signifies the difference between Him and any other teacher. Jesus shows that He is the Word in the flesh. As religious scholars, chief priests, and elders challenge His authority, Jesus combats their claims and accusations with brilliant replies leaving them “confounded by His reply and couldn’t say anything in response” (Luke 20:26). As He overcomes the questions, Jesus turns to His disciples and proclaims:

Beware of the religious scholars. They like to parade around in long robes. They love being greeted in the marketplaces. They love taking the best seats in the synagogues. They adore being seated around the head table at banquets. But in their greed they rob widows of their houses and cover up their greed with long pretentious prayers. Their condemnation will be the worse because of their hypocrisy. (Luke 20:46-47)
Sound familiar?

Too often in this world we sanctify our worldly possessions, showboat our success, and thrive on the praise from others. Our Monday-Saturday lives reflect the greed of the religious scholars aforementioned, while our Sundays consist of the “pretentious prayers”- our masks, our disguises. Jesus warns us of this façade of “godliness” that we hold so near to our hearts. Christ warns that our hypocrisy will be our demise. There are times where we will be humble and modest, but isn’t it interesting how those times end up happening most when there are others around us: particularly people from our church around us? We as Christians are not perfect, but as we have all heard time after time, we are lukewarm Christians. Can we admit that everything we preach to others can be seen in our lives? If not, then Jesus is telling us now that it is time to change! In chapter 21 He warns of the end. Jesus tells us to be careful. It is not too late for us, but we have to be ready. We cannot escape. No one will know when the end will be, but when it happens, we shall know it is the work of God; “when the leaves break out of their buds, nobody has to tell you that summer is approaching; it’s obvious to you. It’s the same in the larger scheme of things” (Luke 21: 30-31). We are warned of false claims of the end, and these are claims that we have seen in our own lives. The year 2012 was believed to be the end of the world as thousands of people squandered in fear. For what? There were no signs of the end. Where were the signs that are clearly mentioned in the gospel? The earth will shake, robust flooding, cosmic destabilization, and amongst the chaos “they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and blazing glory” However, amidst this destruction Jesus tells us that we should not be afraid. But rather we should hold our heads high knowing that “liberation is fast approaching” (Luke 21: 26-28).

So I’ll leave you with this - we will not know when the end of time will be, and we cannot hope it will occur on our “good days”; avoid hypocrisy and show others that you are Christian through your actions AT ALL TIMES.


** I used a “The Voice” Bible so the scripture text may vary.

- Jonathan Cherian