Category Archives: The Bible Speaks Today – Scripture Reflection

Scripture Reflection

Covid-19 – Where is God?

By Ian D’Souza

The entire globe is stricken with the current Covid-19 pandemic which has overturned our regular way of life. It has shut down the economy of every nation, and plunged the entire globe into a devastating health crisis.  At the time of this writing around 3.15 million people globally have died from this pandemic (29th April, 2021). We have survived the first wave by God’s grace only to find that a second wave (more aggressive than the first) is upon us.  There is even mention of a third-wave-possibility due to mutations of this virus.

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The Bible Speaks Today – Light and Darkness!

Light and Darkness

(1 John 1:5-10)

light-dark5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Born to Die

borntodie“…though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8).

Christmas is that time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. All of us have celebrated our birthdays at some time. It is an occasion to remember the day when we entered this world and to thank God for giving us another year to live. At this time, we always think of our birthday and never about our death-day.  However, in Jesus’ case, He was born in the shadow of the Cross. He was born to die!  Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – The Poor & The Prosperous!

o-RICH-MONEY-POUND-facebookAnd they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken, and chastened every morning….until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. (Psalm 73:11-14, 17).

Like Asaph cried in the above Psalm, many a Christian has also often lamented; God why am I always facing trials after trials, continuous hardship, difficulties around every corner, whereas the “man of the world” seems to be having a gala time, success in the office/ business, plenty of friends & parties and life seems rosy for him most of the time. It appears that many people in this world are rich and famous and seem to be enjoying life to the brim whereas the Christian appears to be grappling with constant troubles, and is put down ever so often instead of enjoying these “blessings”.  Why do the wicked prosper, while God’s chosen people barely scrape by? Many of the heroes of the Bible were wealthy: Abraham, Joseph, David, Solomon, Job, Esther and others. Yet now, God does not seem to be using a large bank account as a form of blessing. Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today- Putting God First!

God firstAnd Elijah said to her, “Fear not; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make for yourself and your son” (1 Kings 17:13).

Background:  Israel is in a drought and famine condition.  There had been no rain & no food during these years when Elijah (a type of Christ) appears on the scene and demands food and drink from a poor widow (a type of the Church – you & me). Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Torchbearers for Christ

let-your-light-shine“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16)

In the year 2012 we recently witnessed a global sports event that takes place every four years – The Olympic Games! The Olympic flame is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. As per the custom, the Olympic torch is lit in Greece and then relayed by “Torchbearers” to the various designated sites of the games. These torchbearers are usually famous people or celebrities whom the country is proud to show off. In this 2012 olympics, Amitabh Bachchan was the first Indian film celebrity to be one of the Olympic Torchbearers. Torchbearers are people that others would want to emulate, they are role models. It is a great honour to be chosen to carry the Olympic Torch. Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Fix Your Gaze Above

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:1-2).

Many years ago, while flying over India, Handley Page, a famous British aviator, was alarmed by the sound of some animal, presumably a rat, active somewhere near him, but out of his sight and reach, having evidently come aboard his plane sometime before takeoff. There was no convenient place to land to rid himself of the unwelcome passenger. There were wires, hoses and cables which a rat could soon damage, and their damage could mean loss of control or power. It could mean disaster! What could he do? Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – No Longer Slaves To Sin

If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation

If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17)

We need to realize that we have two natures within. First is the Old Man (also referred to as sin nature or flesh nature or old self) which has its source in the fallen first Adam and causes us to do the very thing we do not want to do – Sin! (Rom 7:15).  All temptations to sin make their appeal to this corrupted flesh nature called the old man.  Unfortunately, for a long time we have believed the lie that it was Satan who was the cause of our sin.  While he may be an instrument, he is not the source.  Thus we have been overly occupied with him, rather than the true source of the problem, our sin / flesh nature.  Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Strong Men Needed

christian-husband-click-submit-submission-marriage“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ” (1 Cor 11:3 NASB).

Headship does not imply superiority and Submission does not demand inferiority. “There is one unmistakable lesson in American history: a community that allows a large number of young men to grow up in broken families, dominated by women, never acquiring any stable relationship to male authority, never acquiring any set of rational expectations about the future – that community asks for and gets chaos. Crime, violence, unrest, disorder – most particularly the furious, unrestrained lashing out at the whole social structure – that is not only to be expected: it is very near to inevitable.” (Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan in Family and Nation, 1965, Wikiquote). Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Bending Low

baby-mountain-goat-kid-with-parent“And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow….”(Philippians 2:8-10)

Even servants of God can be stubborn at times. The story is told of two servants of God mightily used of God who were at odds with each other at one time.  One of them sought God in prayer on the mountain side praying and asking God how he was to tackle his friend who stood in opposition to him.  Continue reading →