Sreedhar's Journey

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