Sreedhar's Journey

My family and I are blessed to be given the opportunity to live and work with people of many cultures. The learnings have been tremendous. One thing is for sure. The English language can be spoken differently, and different slang can be used (reflecting the original language and culture of the person).  However, being human, we have similar interests, challenges, and aspirations. When you realize this, you cannot be alone. A man named Cornelius was the same. His story is an important turning point for the movement. Acts 10:24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. Something marvelous was going to happen. A bunch of unclean and uncircumcised foreign people from a different strata of society were about to become followers of Jesus in this important coastal town, after the miracle in Joppa (modern day Jaffa). Cornelius was told by an angel to go get Peter. Peter was told through a vision t

Ever been to a funeral? Of course you have. Many grieve. Others, come giving respect and honor to the deceased. Still others may have no connection with the person who died but came to support the living. I lost my father in January of 2016. It was a painful experience. Not because I lost a father, but because he had died without me knowing if he had committed his life to Jesus. The gospel has been shared with him numerous times. Later in life he became more serious with his Hindu faith. I just pray that as he breathe his last, he cried out to Jesus. There was another person Tabitha who lived in the ancient costal city of Joppa, now Jaffa. She followed Jesus and her funeral turned out quite differently. Acts 9:40-41 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her

Beam me up Scotty! We have all (maybe most) heard this phrase from the famous TV sci-fi show, that later became a series of movies, called Star Trek. It was amazing to see how at the nick of time people would be transported to and from planets or places without the need for physical transport. Do you know that the Bible has a record of this happening as well? Philip was a great beneficiary of this mode of transport. Acts 8:39-40 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. From the city of Samaria where he was sharing the good news of Jesus, healing the sick and delivering out demons, he was "transported" to Gaza to speak to this Ethiopian government treasurer, and then to Azotus going to Caesarea. Amazing! But I think what is more amazing is the way the gospel

I loved history when I was in school. It was taught from when I was 10 till 15 years of age. In those 6 years we studied the history of almost the whole world. This was amazing. For this reason I have been blessed with an appreciation of what happened in each country around the globe. As a young student learning history, we unfortunately spent most of our time just remembering or memorizing what happened. We did not "learn from history". Another group that did not learn from history were the Jewish leaders of Jesus' days. Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Stephen, one of the appointed leaders to serve at the tables of this new movement, was brought to the council and he took the opportunity to share history of the Jewish people from the time of Abraham. He very quickly pointed out the many times in history how the people rejected God and His prophets and suffered in the proc

You have heard the saying, "Better a devil you know than an angel you don't". In most employment situations you really struggle to find the best people. When in urgent need of a warm body to fill an important position, you could be hiring the next person that steps through the door. But this may lead to hell on earth. Yes, that "angel" that came through the door, that you thought will make all the difference in the world, was actually a "demon". At least if you hired someone that you know, you know all their strengths and weaknesses, and know how to manage things. However, can you be a real angel? In Acts Chapter 6, the disciples had an administrative challenge of managing food distribution so that the widows will have their share. Stephen was among 7 appointed to serve, and he shared openly about the faith to a sect of Jewish people called the Synagogue of the Freedman. He was full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.  It

Am I too quick with my mouth? I have many times regretted being in a "quick draw" (cowboy term for shooting match) situation. I need to be mindful of what I say lest I say the wrong thing and yield negative consequences. But as I shared in my last post, I need to SPEAK in some circumstances without fear, even under threat of negative consequences. This is what the apostles did. Acts 5:19-21 NKJV But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. Many miraculous things were happening during the early days of the movement. People who lied to the Holy Spirit collapsed and died. Many who were physically unwell were h

"To speak or not to speak?" is the question. I grew up in a strict Asian family where with your father, the old statement, "children should be seen and not heard" is held true. I grew up a quiet boy and spoke little. But somehow I grew up with the strong urge to make things happen and this caused me to speak up in many situations in school, church and later in the workplace. I still can be very quiet and have few words, but when you get me started on my experience with God and His plan of salvation for mankind, I cannot stop. Such was the case with Peter and John, the famous pair of this young movement. Acts 4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Peter and John were told to be quiet and stop speaking about Jesus. But there was little the Jewish leaders could do because the evidence of God's power in the healing of a lame man was there, and the movement was gaining in numbers. The prayer of the followers of Jesus was to become bol

Peter and John are very common names in the Western world because of their strong Christian heritage. Even in Europe, where you have French, Spanish, German and other European languages, the same names exist in their respective language variations. But do you know why they are common? Why they have a Christian heritage? After Jesus had ascended and the Holy Spirit had baptized the 120 disciples, and saw 3,000 follow Jesus on that day, many things started to happen. Peter and John were the two that became quite famous, or in some eyes, infamous. Acts 3:12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? Peter and John just prayed for a lame man at the entrance to the Jewish temple and he was healed. He was lame from birth but God through these apostles made him well. They went on to encourage those watching to follow Jesus.  They were correcting

There was a time that I used to lead teams into the Philippines to share the gospel message. In the first two trips Lee Yen was with me in the team. First as a friend and second trip as my wife. We had a wonderful time in the mountains of Northern Luzon besides ministry in the Greater Manila area. One of the experiences I will never forget is being in the mountains and feeling like the home we were in was going to get blown off with the high winds. We slept through that by God's grace. Jesus' disciples experienced a strong wind and fire at the same time in this chapter. The result was amazing. Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. From villain to hero. Jesus was being celebrated and many came to the Lord. They reflected on His life and ministry, and now knew better how God's salvation was to come. The movement was started with wind and fire. A worldwide movement was started in Jerusalem

I still have vivid memories of when I was 17 leaving for school in Toronto from Malaysia. As the British Airways jet left the runway for the flight to London via Bombay (called Mumbai now), the question, or perhaps, the thought that came to mind was, "now I have to figure out where to buy my next tube of toothpaste". From Heathrow I caught another flight to Toronto via Montreal and arrived in the night to a wonderful night snack of " char siew pau ". It was a new phase of my life where I was able to grow in God at rapid speed. The disciples of Jesus were going to go through a similar thing. Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. I don't think the disciples could figure out what would happen. The 120 went about some administrative matter of appointing an apostle to replace Judas. They were probably still in this mindset

I have had the privilege of traveling to New Zealand a number of times, and our adult children live there. It is a beautiful country. Everything you have heard about New Zealand is true. I have been hearing reports that Americans are buying large tracts of land and homes in New Zealand. Why they are doing this I am not sure. It is a place where you can hike, climb, fish, walk a glacier, see the fiords, and many other things all within short distances. It is also well-known for sheep. There are seven sheep to one person, or about 30 million sheep in New Zealand. Our neighbors raise sheep too. Israel also had many sheep and Jesus uses this to tell a fisherman what he needs to do. Jesus asked Peter three times do you love you, and after Peter said yes, He said feed my lambs, tend my sheep and feed my sheep. John 21:17-18 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lo

Have you heard of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Kerala, India. It has an illustrious history and is probably one of the oldest churches in India. Many speak of Kerala being the first state of India blessed by the Message of the Gospel. Based on history annals of the church, it was started with the coming of the Apostle Thomas to India from Jerusalem in the year AD 52. Irrespective of this church record, the bible records Thomas as one of Jesus' disciples and is commonly referred to as doubting Thomas because he doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead. He did not see Jesus the first time the other disciples met Jesus. But he believed when he saw Jesus during the second visit. John 20:26-29 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. D

Bad politics is one of the manifestation of man's fallen nature. He rules and influences many times for the benefit of Himself. I have dealt with many politicians in my lifetime and found this to be true with many politicians from both the ruling party and the opposition. Don't get me wrong. Not all politicians are bad, but many are. The Jewish leaders in Jesus' days were no different. They had authority and they wanted to maintain it at all cost. John 19:4-5 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.” Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” Pilate became very nervous as is recorded here. Pilate asked Jesus where He was from.  Pilate knew he was dealing with someone more than he could himself handle. John 19:7-11 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himsel

Ever been to a circus? There are many acts to entertain us in the circus. They range from animals doing tricks in line with the instructions given by their trainers, acrobats who do acts on a trapeze high in the air, to clown acts that are inserted throughout the show to add some humor to the total program. If you were to read John Chapter 18 at face value, with all due respect, you would think that you are dealing with a bunch of clowns. Jesus was being apprehended in a secluded spot that only His disciples knew about. Judas was paid good money to point it out to the officials from the Jewish temple. They could have easily done this on temple grounds and saved some money. They asked Jesus questions that amounted to nothing. They took Him to the governor Pilate who must have thought how silly the Jews were. Jesus responded to Pilate's questions coherently with some "out of this world" responses about Him operating under the rules of engagement of a different kingdom.  B

Everyone has a favorite number. Some use their favorite numbers to plan their special events. Some use it to buy the lottery or some jackpot game (a game of chance). Others use it perhaps to remember favorite bible chapters or verses. My favorite number is 17 because it is part of my birthdate. The chapter I just read today is chapter 17, and it contains a powerful final prayer by Jesus before His death on the cross for His disciples and the believers that come after, like many of us. John 17:20-21 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. Jesus prayed for those that would believe in Him. As I read the prayer it showed me how much God wants us to have that restored intimacy with Him. Jesus said in many different ways how we will be with Him and with the Father. We will never be alone. Yes, ha

What would you do in the last night if you knew that tomorrow you will be killed? Write your will. Seek forgiveness from those you have wronged in the past. Eat your favorite meal. Hug and say goodbye to your loved ones. Finish any unfinished work that you still have time for. The list goes on. But what if you knew this from before time , and you knew what was going to happen to you after you were killed? This was the scenario with Jesus! John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. For Jesus, though unannounced, He knew exactly when and how He would be killed. He knew the end from before the beginning . For this reason I have peace in spite of everything that is going on around us.  This includes the possibility of being ostracized for my faith.  Being the odd one out in a conversation.  Losing privileges and being ridiculed.  Jesus said it plainly here that we wil

A well known Christian apologist, had a good illustration of how Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it ( Matthew 5: 17 ). This was in response to a question from a Muslim gentlemen at one of his talks. The gentleman commented that the Jews had their laws and so did the Muslims. And he asked, and I am paraphrasing, "How can the Christians change the world if the code of life left by Jesus does not have sufficient detail?". See video here.  The apologist responded by saying that God's laws did not go away. It just became a mirror to help us see everything that is wrong with us. We are helpless in correcting it by ourselves. And so we need Jesus. John 15:4-5 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Jesus clearly says we need to abide in H

Are you rushing somewhere? Perhaps you are leaving town and settling many things before you go. The most important thing is to ensure your household matters and things in the office are taken care of while you are away. You make all the arrangements with family, friends and colleagues and trust them to follow through. You give them the keys to your house, money for payments and authority to make decisions. You edit the automatic response on your email account(s) as well.  Jesus did the same (within His context) on His last night before His death on the cross. But he delegated more power than He had demonstrated. John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. We have read all the great things Jesus had done and He is saying greater works than these we will do. Are we ready to process this from the one who says in the same evening, "I am the way, the truth, and

As mentioned in my life journey post, my parents grew up in a rubber estate in Malaysia. My paternal grandfather retired and stayed in the rubber estate till he passed away. Until then I remember going to visit my grandparents each school holiday and being involved in estate life. One of the practices we had was to wash our feet when we came home from playing in the dirt. When we were younger my grandmother would be the one washing our feet, if not my mother. I have fond memories of those days. There was another person of great standing who washed other people's feet. Jesus! John 13:3-5 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. My grandmother and mother loved me very much and demonstrated th

There is a phrase that we commonly use. "We have come to a place of no return". Sometimes we come to the end of ourselves and we feel there is no where to turn. Desperate situations cause us to do desperate acts. This was what was happening in this chapter of John with the Jewish leaders that did not know how to control the great movement that was starting to form and today has overtaken many around the world. John 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!” They were not only trying to kill Jesus, but also Lazarus who was raised from the dead. Jesus came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey as prophesied by Isaiah about 700 years before this celebrated event.  The people were proclaiming Him king. Here Jesus starts to announce that His hour of death is coming, and that those who believed in Him and followed Him will be children of light. Yes, after all that you know of Jesus, you cannot no

I lost an uncle a some years ago. And he passed away without knowing Jesus. Each time I go through this I keep asking can I do more to share the gospel to them so that they will not be lost. I am reminded that all we can do is share the gospel as permitted and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. We cannot force the matter but we can certainly share the best thing that ever happened to us. Did I do enough to share the gospel? Don't know. But I will certainly share it at every opportunity like I am doing now. Jesus found every opportunity to preach the about the kingdom and share the salvation promised, and many believed. John 11:27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” This is Martha saying it before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Would you believe? Jesus did not raise everybody from the dead. He did it here to show the glory of God and to allow this to be a testimony of who He is. There will come a time wh

Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. That is the predicament for the people of any country when it comes to admission of non citizens with limited screening. How do you tell whether someone is of sound mind and will not create trouble when they enter your country. Leaders who take extreme measures to protect their country must be ready to have part of the population upset with them and their political future could be condemned for it. Are you in the same situation with regards to something in your personal life? No matter which way you turn you will face challenges. Well, time to take the pain now and yield good fruit in the long run. Jesus had a choice. He chose to die for our sins. John 10:18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” He will be condemned if He chooses to save us by dying on the cross. If He does not, we are condemned for eternity. Jesus

Blindness is both a curse and a blessing. It is a curse for the obvious reasons. A blessing because it opens up for greater sensitivity of the other 4 senses. But we are still handicapped. We generally take for granted our 5 senses until we lose one. It is like losing a toe or a finger. Are you blind? All of us are born spiritually blind and that blindness needs to be healed before we can see Jesus. The episode in this chapter is to demonstrate our spiritual blindness. John 9:12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.” This is a powerful question and a powerful answer. The Jewish leaders who can see from the beginning cannot see, and the blind man, who is healed, also cannot see where Jesus is. It tells me that physical sight is not good enough until your spiritual eyes are opened. John 9:35-38 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may

Every court of law seeks the truth so that the right judgement can be made. I once met a public defender and he explained to me what he does. Basically, he defends those who cannot afford a lawyer. He does not do anything other than get the facts as presented by the defendant, including witnesses, and presents a defense against the charges made against his client. He also advises the client if his or her defense is poor and the consequences of losing the case. The chapter today almost sounds like a trial as everyone around Jesus seek the truth. John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Jesus was obviously speaking way above the ability of the Jewish leaders to understand. The only way they can accept Him is to make shifts in their preconceived minds and view Jesus as being from God. The discourse between Jesus and the Jewish leaders is very intere

As a family we grow up together, and we have fond memories of our experiences. I have 2 sisters, and I had 17 great years at home before I left home for Canada, and then came home after 7 years to a busy career that took me to places, and after 5 years became a married man. Some of the things I did or experienced even my own family are not aware of. I did not really mention them because they were confidential or did not think they would be of interest to them. But looking back I may have done it differently. Jesus had an earthly family but He was "conceived of God" and His calling was to the world. This chapter gives some perspective on the condition of His family. Even His own family did not understand Him or His plans. This was also evident with the people around Him during a major religious function in Jerusalem. John 7:40-44, Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “W

Do you have doubts about anything? Doubts cause uncertainties. Uncertainties cause stress. Stress causes illness. I believe we therefore have a natural tendency to jump to conclusions to remove those doubts. This removes all tensions and we have peace again. But frankly when we are doing the all important shifting of paradigms, this is when doubts come in the greatest. So, do we reject the shift? It is not easy. Jesus said some "out of this world" things in this chapter that challenges the paradigms of His disciples, and perhaps yours as well. John 6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” Doubts rose and many left, leaving behind just the disciples. Earlier, many got into boats chasing Him from Tiberias, where He fed the 5,000, to Capernaum. But after crossing over, they went away disappointed. He said they needed to "eat and drink of Him". Of course this was said in the spiritual sense and on

Shifting our personal paradigms is very difficult when you have lived it for many years. Your worldview and comfort zone is structured around it. This allows you to go about your daily activities in auto mode and not figure out what is coming next. But sometimes we fail to realize that there is something better when you do this. That was what happened to me when I discovered a whole new world when I started wearing glasses at the age of 10.  I will never forget seeing how different and beautiful everything was.  Jesus was pointing out that there is something better right under the noses of the Jewish people. John 5:7-9 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The lame man at the pool of Bethesda thought he could only receiv

Many seek to live long lives and go to extreme measures to achieve this. Everyone is seeking their fountain of youth or life. They are pursuing treatments, foods and lifestyles that can extend their lives. When you ask them why they want to live a long live, they say it is to enjoy life longer. But is that all you are doing it for? Will you not enjoy a better life in heaven?  Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well and had an interesting discourse about how to live forever. John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” There you have it, the fountain of life. Jesus can give it to you. Everlasting life is promised. You do not need to toil to stay alive; to have everlasting life. This everlasting life is experienced with God in heaven through Jesus Christ. J

When we were growing up we used to play a lot of "hide and seek". We would hide in places where people would hardly look and in many cases could be a dark place where you may not be able to see your own hand. And perhaps, never found. Well, as adults we continue this game by doing things that you do not want others to know in secret. Away from the crowd in a secluded place. And even if it is in a crowd, with a crowd that do not know you. In all of these cases we made a personal choice to do things in secret. Jesus is speaking to that.  We are very familiar with the expression of God's love when Jesus Christ was conversing with Nicodemus, a Pharisee (a Jewish leader) in John 3:16 . What does the next verse say? John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. When we choose to do something in secret and something that may not be right, we are choosing to move into darkness, spiritual darkness. Jesus

What defines your authority in a situation or an organization? I will never forget my "leap over tall buildings" when I made the transition from 4 years of Computer Science to doing an MBA at the age of 21. I had to make the big transition from reading many lines of programming code and studying logic to reading many books and writing many essays. One of the early things I learned was about leadership and how you had both formal and informal leadership in an organization. Formal is given by the formal rules and procedures in the organization, and informal leadership is given by the strength of your know-how and relationships. Jesus exercised His authority with informal leadership from a human standpoint. But, He had formal leadership from a Godly perspective. John 2:15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. Quite a ruckus here and He was asked under what

We have the benefit today of many ways of studying and documenting literature from years ago, even if they were just parchments or scrolls. These are ancient writings that cannot be ignored because they are the earliest form of documentation of human experience and history. But there is one document that stands out above all of these, and that is the Old Testament and, following that, the New Testament. These have been studied meticulously and critiqued with great effort. Nothing can take away the fact that Jesus, John the Baptist, and the disciples of Jesus were heroes from the days of the Romans occupying Israel. This is the context of the introduction of the book of John the Apostle.  Here is the last verse of the first chapter of the book of John. John 1:51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” A dream? Certainly not. It gets better when you realize how it connect

Many times we plan for our lives with great detail, have them written down and share these plans with friends and relatives. Usually they are great and positive plans for the future. However, these plans may come to a halt due to something we could not control. Business failure, a broken relationship, a health issue and even death. Such was the case with the disciples when Jesus died. Luke 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. These are Jesus' disciples lamenting about the turn of events and unable to understand what is going on. Their hopes and plans were dashed. They knew about the women saying Jesus' body is not in the tomb and Peter confirming this. But they were still unsure what happened to Jesus. God had a different plan. Luke 24:6-7 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be deliver

Trouble in the streets? Wild demonstrations with irresponsible actions? People becoming vulgar and saying things they would not in a respectful and God honoring home. A crowd that seems to have come together at great cost in an organized manner. This seems to be happening in increasing frequency, even in mature democracies and perceived civil societies like the United States. A similar thing happened in Jerusalem about 2,000 years ago.  The mob was even prepared to release a murderer.  The Roman leadership of the time was initially not prepared to submit to the mob's demand to crucify Jesus. Luke 23:18-19 And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder. This crowd did not like Jesus. Pilate was not ready to do the illogical thing of executing Jesus. Pilate found a way out and gained a friend by sending Him to Herod, who also found no fault in Jesus. Lu

In 2016 the most expressive and divided United States inaugurated their 45th President. He was both hated and loved, while this President sought to be the President of all, and for his people to unite and make America great again. It would be interesting to see how a postmodern US will continue to support conservative Presidents. This will be a test of the people's openness for diverse thought, even conservative ones. There is so much liberalism in the US that people are doing what is right in their own eyes as spoken in the bible. And this would be the end of the United States. Jesus had the same reception in Jerusalem. Some wanted Him crowned as King of the Jews, and others wanted Him crucified. Please do not think that I am equating Jesus with Trump. I am only drawing parallels from the behavior of the peoples.  In fact later in this post I parallel Trump with a different person because of the similarities in demeanor. Luke 22:6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray H

Do you still read a physical newspaper? Even if you don't, do you read any news? Or, are we caught up with the social community that we are involved in without a care for things around us that have long term ramifications. One of the things I have noticed is that the age of those interested in current affairs is growing older. Those below that age have little or no interest. If they are, it is around an issue that provides them a sense of belonging or identity because much of the world no longer gives recognition to the value of life and its meaning. But there is much unreported good news. Luke 21:12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. As you read Luke Chapter 21, you will know that, as Christians, we will be persecuted to the point of death for our faith.  However, we will continue in the faith because of what Jesus had done

Are you a smart cookie? Maybe you have not heard that term? It is commonly defined as someone who is clever and good at dealing with difficult situations. Some use this phrase in a bad sense, but I would like to look at the positive side of being a smart cookie.  So are you a smart cookie? Jesus was a smart cookie that outsmarted the wisest of them all among the lawyers and the learned people of Israel. No one could outwit Him.  One of His classic answers was this about whether to pay taxes to the Roman Empire.  Luke 20:25 And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” He frequently responded to a question with a question. He responded to the question about under whose authority was He teaching with this. Luke 20:3-4 But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?” When they responded by saying that they did not know (a poli

Have you met a short and crooked man? Meet Zacchaeus the tax collector. Yes, the rich man who got rich at the expense of his fellow Jews. This is someone who capitalized on his political relationship to get further in life in the easiest way possible. He became interested in Jesus Christ and was noticed by Jesus. Jesus said He is going to stay with him. Oops. How can Holy God mix with such people? Luke 19:5-7 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Are you one of those who gets offended when a fellow Christian brother or sister sits with sinful people? They all need Jesus. Are we prepared to reach out to them to show them the kingdom of God? Or, do we operate with a self righteous attitude and be like the Jewis

I have been publicly journaling online my journey through the bible chapter by chapter since 2016.  Prior to this I have been writing in physical journals for more than 7 years reflecting on different portions of the bible. The two big benefits of this has been the deepening of my understanding of the Holy Scriptures, and time to allow God to speak to me each day. Are you feeling lonely? Do you have peace in your heart? Do you know God's love? I have had many opportunities to share my testimony and witness to a friend, relative or a person I just met. Yes, these persons are lost without Christ. My prayer is that they would not be lost but have a relationship with their Heavenly Father. Jesus is presented in this chapter sharing 2 parables and advising a rich man how he can be saved.  But the chapter starts with this important verse. Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Earlier in this book (written by Luke a medical doctor),

We are truly entering into a time of certainty in this world. It is interesting to note that some think Middle East peace will yield worldwide peace. No, it will not. The perpetrators of violence today have so many agendas. They are bringing violence into other parts of the world, including parts of the world where they pride on civility and respect for authority.  The goal of many is worldwide dominance. Until they reject this notion, violence will prevail. The dangerous narrative that is being played around the world is that if you are not happy, go out and demonstrate with little or no regard for the laws of the land while destroying public and private property, and in some cases harm human life.  This obviously leads to mob rule.  Please do not get me wrong.  I do advocate peaceful marches and demonstrations, but most today start peaceful but do not end that way.  The only solution is Jesus Christ. Luke 17:11-14 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the mid

Are you rich? It is all relative. It begs the question. How much is enough? For most of us, you can never come to a point where enough is enough. For some, the pursuit of wealth is viewed as a game and people take pleasure in gaining great wealth while throwing away the ethics of how they accumulate it. They can become ruthless and arrogant. I have personally encountered such people in my journey of life.  This human condition was also prevalent in Jesus time on earth. This chapter gives us a glimpse of this. Luke 16:14-15 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Jesus bluntly speaks of the parable of a rich nameless man who dies and goes to hell. I don't think his richness alone took him to hell. The man knew his wrong and made two pleadings, including a

Ever misplaced anything? I have! What do you do? You get into a frantic "search and find" activity that could go multi day. It raises tensions in the home and your spouse gets flustered. Your children get blamed and soon there is no peace. If you are like me, that is naturally not orderly, these events tend to repeat. Praise God for an orderly wife. She keeps me on the straight and narrow. But there is another kind of "search and find" and Jesus explains this to the Jewish leaders. Using sheep, coins and sons. Luke 15:4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep , if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? Luke 15:8 Or what woman, having ten silver coins , if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? Luke 15:11-13 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father,

Are you prepared to have a change of plans or priorities, forsake some personal need and agree to do something that is new and may have long term benefit? There are many things that get in the way of personal improvements like weight management, a good sleep, healthy habits and getting a university qualification. It takes intentional and pre-emptive steps. You know exactly what and when you need to do things, but you get distracted by poor choices of fulfilling personal needs. Or, maybe I should call them "wants". I am guilty of that too. Jesus, questioned the Jewish leaders about this as well. Luke 14:16-18 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ The Pharisees t

All artists visualize what the final product is going to be before they start. They have their perspectives, the strokes, the colors and the condition of the piece. They start with a blank canvas and the painting comes to be. They continue to detail the work until it gets close to the visualization that they originally had. The greatest artists in the world have a view that is so unique that their final piece is worth a great prize. It is rare and shows something of the heart and mind of the artist. God is like that and He has had a view of the kingdom before creation. Luke 13:18-21 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” Jesu

What is important and urgent? Do it first! That is the rallying cry in most organizations, and in many homes. But we always slide back to other things. We procrastinate. One of the things that keeps me corrected on things to be done is these daily times with God when I read the Word, journal and pray for the day, especially for the people in the frontlines, ministries and churches around the world. Why? It sets my mind on things of God and this guides me in my daily pursuits. Jesus seeks for us to get our priorities right. Luke chapter 12 covers many practical aspects of life. Luke 12:29-31 And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Fear God not man. And if you are facing someone in authority, God will give you the words to speak. Do not covet riches. Y

Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.  This is one of her famous quotes as a deaf and blind person, "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision".  I found this very profound when I first read about her.  She also had a wonderful spiritual journey and in one of her reflections she says, "To one who is deaf and blind the spiritual world offers no difficulty. Nearly everything in the natural world is as vague, as remote from my senses, as spiritual things seem to the minds of most people. But the inner or mystic sense, if you like, gives me vision of the unseen. . . . ".   Luke 11:34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Jesus teaches about prayer in this chapter. He explains the deliverance of a p

As part of a strategy meeting that I once attended I had to read a book entitled, "Four disciplines for execution". The four disciplines basically gives great focus on execution of steps to implement strategies excellently and effectively. First you need to determine your wildly important goals. Then what are the lead measures needed to monitor weekly that would contribute towards the wildly important goals being met. Thirdly, create a clear scorecard that gets updated weekly for all to see. And finally, create a cadence of accountability that runs at least once a week. Everything revolves what is most important. And so, what is most wildly important in the kingdom? Luke 10:20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. What is more important is that you have a relationship with God. Mark 16 gives a different flavor of the great commission where he also talks about demonstrat

As we journey through the space we call "life", we generally walk through a world system that creates some semblance of order to avoid the chaos of everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. The constitution of the United States, intentionally or consequentially (because of the strong God views held by the early fathers), created a country system that was not only trying to emulate God's ways (please note that it is still man made and not perfect) but that would see heaven on earth for the early migrants. They learned this from the kingdom that Jesus and His disciples preached. Luke 9:2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:10-11 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God,

Media has a way of distorting the news to their general bias depending on the incorporated agenda of the media entity. You can report half truths and create questions about a person's thoughts, words and actions. If the media in question has a big following, much of what is said is accepted as "gospel truth". You see this all over the world without exception. Why they do this is hard to understand from a good conscience perspective. Information and reports on Jesus' life on earth, especially during His life of ministry, is also like that. Luke 8:11-15 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those