Category Archives: The Bible Speaks Today – Scripture Reflection

Scripture Reflection

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 →

The Bible Speaks Today – Strength in Weakness

“When I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Strength in weaknessThe above exclamation was made by Paul when he was feeling beaten and hindered due to a thorn in the flesh which was given him by God to keep him humble. Though some Bible scholars believe that this thorn was a physical disability of some kind, we are wisely not told what exactly that thorn was, as it would be different for different people. To compound the problem, Paul had no external help; he was poor, despised, homeless, persecuted. He was conscious of inner frailties and personal weaknesses that distressed him. But all this turned out to be a blessing, for it was this very infirmity and poverty that drove him to count earthly treasures and support systems as nothing and to lean all the more heavily upon the Lord alone. Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Resurrection Life

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:24)

wheat grain germinateIn the initial stage, the Christian enjoys that honeymoon time with the Lord, basking in the sunshine of God’s love, high up on that stalk, like a kernel of wheat, enjoying the myriad of conferences and prayer meetings.  But after a while he begins to realize that all is not well as his old-self keeps getting in the way pulling him down many a time and ruining his testimony.  Try as he might to live a self-less and holy life, he is beset with failure after failure.  Soon he begins to long for the Christ Life within, to be able to walk more in the Spirit and less in the flesh. Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Itching Ears

preach-the-word“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching (doctrine), but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Has this time come? Does the Word that is preached these days divide between soul and spirit? Does it upset our comfort zones? No one likes to be uncomfortable in their own homes.  Nor do people like to be uncomfortable in the prayer meeting or the Church.  Many today resist teaching that is direct and convicting because many do not want to hear that there is something wrong with the lifestyle they live, or perhaps even the doctrine they hold. Should the church adjust so as not to offend? Recently I had to point out to a young Christian about watching movies that glorified witchcraft and the occult. It turned out to be a tussle as he did not see why such a fuss was being made when everyone his age was watching the same. Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Possessed Possessions

And He said to them, “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

SMARTPHONES SmartphonesAll of us tend to get caught in the snare of owning things. The world assesses a person’s net-worth based on the quantum of assets he owns. And so there is that rat-race mentality to acquire more and more. It has been said, “he who dies with the most toys wins.” Even Christians often fall prey to this scourge that sweeps through all humanity. All over we find people striving hard to add to their possessions, to gain more, believing that more will bring happiness, security, peace and joy. We live in an age of consumerism. We consume food, drink, entertainment, knowledge, gadgets, etc. We network and live in a generation that is connected through technology, and we abound in information, possessions and connections. Is this what life is all about? Jesus once said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36). Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Inspired Scriptures

“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).

As a younger Christian, I would often wonder how the above claim that “all scripture is inspired by God” could be true when at the same time it was clear that many human authors actually penned the various books in the Bible. Continue reading →

The Bible Speaks Today – Recognizing His Voice

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” (John 10:27)

There are many voices in our world today calling for our attention.  There is the voice of the thief, the voice of the wolf, the voice of worldly philosophers, the voice of politicians, the voice of peers, the voice of new-age techniques, and the voice of God as well.  There are voices telling us the problems as well as the solutions.  There are many voices clamoring for our attention and calling us to follow and none of them are without significance.  But the voice of the Sacred Scriptures is the voice of Christ (John 1:1).  That voice spoke in the beginning, spoke right through history, through prophecy and still continues to speak even in heaven.  The voice of Christ still speaks today offering salvation, security and eternal life to all who have ears to hear. Continue reading →