Latest Teachings
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The church of Pergamum
Has the new covenant church replaced the nation of Israel? There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. – Galatians 3:28-29 No, rather this is a theology of ‘replacement’ or ‘supersessionism’ that has been floated around by Bible heretics of the past and now picking up friction among Jewish hating Christian communities. The promises of God to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3 still test true and… Read More..
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The church of Smyrna
What constitutes a church or ekklesia? The contemporary understanding of the word church has largely missed the mark of its usage throughout the Biblical texts. The church is not simply a building with a cross on it. The church is not merely a group of people indulging in good works in the name of the Lord. Christians are not the church only on Sunday’s when we gather together in a public setting (Acts 8:3). It is my belief that it is more prudent for us to identify under the designation of church over Christians. For, the term church was… Read More..
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The church of Ephesus
Why does the book of Revelation begin with the judgement or blessing of the churches? The answer lies in 1 Peter 4:17: For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? This message to the church of Ephesus, is the same church that Paul’s epistle Ephesians is addressed to. The message from the apostle John to Ephesus, follows 35 or so years after Paul’s epistle . Ephesians is one of the four prison… Read More..
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The seven churches of Revelation – a prelude
As John begins his witness to the Word and testimony of Jesus Christ and of all that he saw (Revelation 1:2, 19:10) to the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:4, 11). This book of unveiling or disclosure of things to come, begins with seven unique messages to the churches in Revelation 2 & 3. Each deeply profound spiritual message is being addressed to literal, physical churches of John’s time (~95 A.D.) present in Asia-minor (modern-day Turkey). The island of Patmos, where John received and recorded his divine revelation (Revelation 1:9), was only about 100 kms (62 miles) from the… Read More..
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Practicing stillness in our prayers
We realize we have become slaves to contemporary culture when staying still is duly considered as a waste of our “precious” time. Our minds have become wired to perpetually be stimulated by the duality of our work and entertainment. Which in principle would signify productivity and relaxation. The latter becomes the self-stipulated remedy or fairly earned reward from the former. A means of amusing ourselves. Without these external stimulants force-fed into our minds, we find ourselves in a strange place. A place that is often confined to merely be a temporary state-of-mind, that is to be broken free from.… Read More..
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The son and the orphan
There was a good father once, who perfectly loved his only son. Their relationship with one another was impeccable in all facets. Perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect surrender, perfect honor, perfect fellowship was found between them. Nothing and no one could come in between their unbreakable bond. Everyday when his son narrated on how his day at school was, invariably the talk about the foster child at the school came up. And this boy was the exact opposite of the son; in academics, in sports, in behavior, in character and in the class. It was quite evident to the… Read More..
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Hell’s board meeting
Satan: My subjects, as we draw nearer to the turn of the 21st century. I feel it in my bones the Lord will return soon to earth and thereafter begin our eternal torment in the place prepared for us all. Subject 1: I shudder to think of our end that is so near. Satan: Though fear and trembling grips each of us, let us try to forget it as best as possible. I beseech each of you that your hate for the Lord make you even more vigorous in our efforts to populate our place of torment. By this… Read More..
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What will your eulogy be?
As the Biblical stories from the beginning of creation to the time preceding the entry of the Israelites into the promised land, spanning more than 25 centuries, culminates in Deuteronomy 34. The Pentateuch closes with what some may call as the “anti-climactic death of Moses” atop Mount Nebo, about 100 kms on the wrong side of Jordan and the promised land. This 120-year old mediator and intercessor of the old covenant between Israel and God, would fall short because of his own disobedience. In an incident traced back to the waters of Meribah in Numbers 20. Yet, the closing… Read More..
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God’s patience in our persistent sins
As we are reading the book of Joshua these days, it struck me how the Israelites still did not learn. They still did not ask the Lord concerning the Gibeonites, as they did not ask Him concerning Ai, which happened not long before. How could they not learn at all? Looking at my own life, I know I am no different. It’s easy to judge how stiff-necked they were, but am I not doing the same thing? Thinking that I am blessed and favored, that the Spirit of the Lord is in me, and I can just go and… Read More..
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Only one Way to go
“For this is what the Lord says—he who created the heavens, he is God;he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it;he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—he says:“I am the Lord, and there is no other.“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked:Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.’”All who have raged… Read More..