Ha ka jing ï aid lynti kum ki khristan ym baroh ki aiom kin long kiba dap da ka jingkmen bad ka jingsuk. U Dabid ruh u shem ï alajong ha kajuh ka apot haba u ong, “Tad lano ngan shu pyrkhat ha la ka mynsiem, ka jingsngewsih ka da don ha ka dohnud jong nga baroh shi sngi?” (Salm 13:2a). Kane ka Salm kaba 13 ka pyni kumno ba u Dabid u ï aid ï a ka lynti kaba dum kum u khun jong u Blei. Naduh ka dkhot kaba 1 haduh kaba 4, ngi ï ohi ba u Dabid u wad ï a ka jubab na u Blei namar ki jingeh kiba u ï akynduh ha sawdong ka jingim jong u. Hynrei, sngewtynnad pat ba u Dabid hapdeng ki jingeh u ong, “ngan rwai ha U Trai, namar u la leh kylluid ïa nga.” (Salm 13:6). U Dabid u kynmaw ï a ki jinglehbha u Blei mynshuwa bad u kyrmen ba kan jia long kumjuh mynta. Namarkata, ha ka jingim Khristan haba ki jingeh ki wan, ngim pynshong nongrim ï a ka jingim tang ha ka mynta, hynrei ngi pynshong nongrim ruh ha ki kambah kiba u Blei u leh mynshuwa; da kaba ngeit skhem ba un leh kumjuh mynta. Ha kano kano ka...

Regarding the resurrection, Paul exclaimed, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). On the road to Emmaus, Jesus met with Cleopas and the other disciple, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. It was only after Jesus expounded the Scriptures and in the breaking of the bread that their eyes were opened to see Jesus (Luke 24:13-35). Simply put, the power of the resurrection is that it opened the eyes that were shut from recognizing Jesus. Furthermore, when Adam and Eve ate the fruit, the Word was removed from them, and their eyes were opened to nakedness; however, in the resurrection, the Word takes center stage once again, and it opened our eyes to see Jesus as our Christ; it shifts our attention from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God (Acts 26:18). That is the underlying power of the resurrection. Photo Credit:  https://cmglobal.org/en/2019/04/20/the-empty-tomb-proclaims-a-powerful-message/

We all know that enduring the Cross is not a menial task. Still, Jesus endured it, even though he struggled at first when he said, “ Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me… ” (Luke 22:42). But what made him do it anyway? Hebrews 12:1 says that Jesus endured the shame of the Cross because of the “ Joy ” that was set before him. What Joy did Jesus see in the Cross? You see, when Jesus endured the Cross, he did not do it for himself. When he looks at the Cross, he understands the pain and the suffering that he must undergo. Still, he does it anyway because it brings Joy to him, knowing that the ones who believe in his death on the Cross will be saved. There was Joy because he saw you and me entrenched in sin and in need of healing, so freeing us from the shackles of sin and death gave him immense Joy. That Joy is his love for us. Therefore, let us be reminded on this Good Friday that Jesus endured the Cross with Joy because he saw us at the end of it all. Let his de...

“…hynrei, uta uba sngewsarong to un sngewsarong ha kane, ba u shemphang, bad ba u ithuh ïa nga...” Jeremiah 9:24 Haba ngi peit bniah ïa ka pyrthei mynta, ngi shem ba ka pynkiew skong ia kiba stad, kiba don ka spah ka phew, bad ïa kiba don ka bor. Hynrei, ha ka por ka jong u Jeremiah, u kren pyrshah ia kiba kum kita (9:23). Bad dei namarkata ka daw, ba ka hima Judah ka khyllem noh ha ki kti jong u Nebuchadnezzar. Ka daw bah kadei namarba ki nongialam jong ka ri, ki nongialam niam, bad ka ri hi baroh kawei, kam ithuh shuh ïa u Blei (2:8; 9:6). Haba pyndonkam ïa katei ka kyntien ‘ithuh,’ ha kaba iadei bad u Blei, bunsien hi, ka thew sha ka jingïadei kaba shimet ka jong u Blei bad ki briew jong u; ka thew sha ka jingïadei kaba jylliew. Shuh shuh, haba ong, “ithuh ia u Blei,” ka mut ruh ban sngewthuh, ba u Blei u long “U Trai uba leh ïa ka jingleh ieit, ïa ka jingbishar, bad ïa ka hok, ha ka khyndew,” [1] naba ha kine, u Blei u sngewbha eh (v. 24). Dei haba ngi leh ia kitei, hakhmat u ...

“Jar uba long uba lah ban shaniah ha iba khyndiat eh, u long uba lah ban shaniah ha kaba shibun ruh...” Lukas 16:10 Baroh ngi kwah ban poi sha kliar ki lum jong ka jingim, hynrei, phewse kiba bun na ngi ngim poi sha kata ka thong. Ngi hap ban kylli jingkylli, balei ka long kumta. Ka jingkylli ia ngi ka long, hato U Blei u lah ne em ban shaniah ia ngi ha ki kam kiba rit tam jong ka jingim? Lada ngi kwah tang ki kam kiba khraw ha ka pyrthei hynrei ia ki kam kiba rit ngi kyntiat, ngi long ki shakri ki bymhok. U Blei um khang ia kiba kwah ban long nongialam, ban don ka spah ka phew, ne kano kano ka bha ha ka jingim, hynrei kadei ban long da ka lynti kaba khuid kaba suba, kaba wanrah burom ia U Blei ha ka imlang ka sahlang. Namarkata, ha ka Bible hi, ka lynti shajrong ka long ban ngin hiar shuwa shapoh, lymda kumta, watla ngi poi sha kliar ki lum jong ka jingim, ngi long kiba suda, namar U Blei um don lem ban ngi hangta. PC: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-mountains-132...

Christmas season is a celebration of the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and a time to ponder and imagine more about how the scripture expresses the message of Christmas. The concept of the word ‘Immanuel’ is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew 1:23, when it says, “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Immanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”” This Immanuel, who is Jesus Christ, is prophesied first in Isaiah 7:14. In both the context of Matthew and Isaiah, it was written when the people of Israel were going through turmoil because of war and foreign domination. In both instances, it gives hope to the people of God because it assures them that God is with them through thick and thin. It is the greatest promise that has ever been fulfilled. Still, he is with us even today through our trials and hardships. However, along with the promise of Immanuel, there is also the promise of ‘Bemanuel,’ which means “God in us”. The promise of Bemanuel is...

When reading Noah’s flood story and the Exodus account, our simplemindedness will only look at these narratives merely as the manifestation of God’s anger on humanity in the story of the flood and God’s triumph over Pharoah and the Egyptians to free the Israelites. Rarely will one look at these narratives as accounts with overtones parallel to the creation account (Genesis 1, 2). Furthermore, very rarely will we see that they also have ecological concerns embedded in them. Therefore, this paper will investigate the flood narrative and the Exodus account as parallels to the first creation account in Genesis only in part because it will only emphasize parallels that explicitly relate more to the ecological concerns embedded in the narratives. It will also reiterate the reason for an ecological crisis in the creation accounts in relation to modern-day context. It will also try to bring some implications for today’s context. In doing so, it will proceed first with Israel’s understanding of...

Secular literary forms and theories have been applied widely to the Old Testament in the recent past because they have unearthed new interpretations and insights from the Bible. More importantly, they have made the Bible relevant to today’s context. Even though they have their pros and cons, nonetheless, they have opened new doors in the study of the Hebrew Bible. Therefore, this paper will present a brief overview of some prominent secular literary forms and theories applied in the Old Testament. It will also discuss the scholarly views on using such literary forms and theories. Ultimately, it will critically evaluate briefly the applications of such forms and theories on the scripture. Therefore, we begin with what secular literary forms are. For the rest of the paper, please visit the following link: https://www.academia.edu/124327261/Secular_Literary_Forms_and_Theories_in_the_Old_Testament

Tracing the history of the Israelite’s ancestors is challenging and complex because there is no direct or extra-biblical evidence to substantiate that they exist. However, though historical challenges are embedded in the ancestral narratives, which poses a problem, that does not mean that the ancestors are un-historical. Therefore, this paper will present the various challenges involved in reinterpreting the ancestral narratives and intends to show some historicity in them. In doing so, it will briefly look at the overview of the ancestral narratives, the second section deals with the sources that will be used to investigate the narratives, the third section deals with the historical issues that pose a challenge to the historicity of the ancestors and the fourth section deals with the Ancient West Asian1 parallels. Ultimately, it will give an evaluation of the narratives. For the rest of the paper please visit the following link:  https://www.academia.edu/124322087/Topic_Historical...

The issue of prophecy in the Dead Sea Scrolls has attracted scholarly attention for quite some time. The reasons for this are apparent. The scribes who wrote the Scrolls were deeply involved with the interpretation of Hebrew prophetic scriptures, even creating exegetical literature of a new kind, the pesharim. Until the turn of the twenty-first century, it seems less attention has been given to studying the prophetic tradition.1 However, scholars have been curious about Qumran’s prophetic tradition. Therefore, this paper tries to understand the prophetic tradition at Qumran by looking at the Prophetic Vocabulary in the Dead Sea Scrolls, how prophecy is understood in the scrolls regarding the past and the future and then emphasizing the ongoing prophetic activity. Ultimately, it will give relevance to the present context of prophetic activity. For the rest of the paper, please visit Academia.edu through the following link: https://www.academia.edu/124327390/Prophetic_Tradition_in_Qumran

The following report about the revival in the Khasi hills in 1905 was retrieved from the archive (through a reel) of the United Theological College Library . The reporter/contributor is not mentioned in the article. The article is quoted as it is in this blog. Thanks to Rev. Dr. B. L. Nongbri for referring me to this article. The Revival in the Khassia Hills (Christian Patriot, 29 th April 1905, p. 3) The Revival is spreading and deepening also in the Khassia and Jaintia Hills, and as the excitement passes away, the true work of the Spirit can be better judged. There is a deep feeling of devotion, a warmer love towards God and man manifested, a longing desire for a holier life and a striving after holiness, and above all an intense passion for souls and untiring efforts made to bring outsiders to the Saviour. In some parts , the Services are not so powerful as they were, but they are sweeter and perhaps more enjoyable—the joy of salvation is felt. Some wonderful incidents have taken p...

A Church is a place where everyone is welcome. There is neither rich nor poor, sinner nor righteous, big nor small; it is a haven for all. A place to share our love, joys, and sorrow. Ultimately, it is a place that unites the people of God. However, looking from an emic lens, it seems the Church has become a ground for the many wrong things that happen in society. One reason is the power struggle among the believers (especially leaders), which everyone can see. It can be inferred that believers seem to think that the Church is theirs to claim. Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 16:18 mentioned who is the supreme owner of the Church when he said, “And I tell you, you are Peter ( Petros in Greek), and on this rock ( Petra in Greek) I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” The verse is crystal clear about who the supreme leader of the Church is.             Let us exegete the critical part of the text a...

Ha ka jingim Khristan bunsien ngi kloi ban leit ha khmat U Blei ban pan map na ka bynta ki pop jong ngi, hynrei sngewsih pat ba ha ki khep ki khep ngi kloi ruh ban pyneh ia la ka jong ka dohnud haba ngi donkam ban map ia kiba lehsniew ia ngi. Kane ka pharshi ka iathuh ha ngi ba u don uwei u shakri uba shah ram ha u Syiem bad kata ka ram ka kot haduh ka shiphew hajar talent . Lada ngi khein ia kine ki talent ha ki por mynta, ki shong dor haduh ba lah ban siew tulop ia kiba bylla sngi kumba ar lak sanphew hajar tylli ki snem. Kaba sngewtynnad ka long ba uta Syiem u map lut noh ia kata ka ram hadien ba uta u shakri u lah kyrpad rit ha khmat jong u. Hynrei, kaba sngewsih pat ka long ba une ujuh hi u shakri uba lah shah map, um lah pat ban map ia la u para shakri uba shah ram ha u, wat tang shispah dinari ; kaba shong dor tang shispah tylli ki sngi ka bai bylla. Bad haba uta u Syiem u lap ia kata u la pynrem ia u. Lada ngi thew tarajur ia ka jingmap ka jong U Blei ia ki pop jong...

  Introduction This article will discuss the overarching understanding of Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.’s Old Testament [1] theology. In doing so, it discusses the standpoint which made Kaiser propose an alternative methodology different from his predecessors. It also investigates the overview of Kaiser’s methodology for OT theology and briefly examines Kaiser’s understanding of the “centre” in OT theology. Ultimately, it critiques and evaluates Kaiser’s methodology of various scholars. In doing so, we start by looking at who Kaiser is. 1. Biography Walter Christian Kaiser, Jr. is a prominent academic specializing in OT studies within the American evangelical tradition. Kaiser was born on April 11, 1933, in Folcroft, Pennsylvania. According to Kaiser’s assessment, his fascination with the OT was initially ignited during a biology class in high school, wherein the Genesis narrative was resolutely discredited. His scholarly pursuit of OT started at Wheaton College, and he pursued post...

  If you have ever travelled by aircraft, you will know that we cannot take our most oversized luggage to our seats, but we must drop our baggage at the flight counter before taking off. But doesn’t that ring a bell to you regarding our spiritual journey? In our Christian life, we have one baggage: anxiety. We carry it daily, and it is hard to let it go. However, God wants us to drop it and never claim it again. Being anxiety-free in the present world is challenging. Still, Jesus told us not to be anxious about our life because God is there to provide for our needs (Matthew 6:26). Why did he say that? Because he knows that sin is not the only factor that hinders our spiritual journey but anxiety too. Hebrews 12:1 confirms that by saying, “...let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely...”. You see, weight (anxiety) can also impact our relationship with God, and we cannot take off with it in our journey with the Lord. So how do we deal with it? Peter sa...

Yay! you’re here. Thank you for visiting! Welcome to my blog, where I share my thoughts through writing, be it the devotions, academic-related topics such as theology, ancient Hebrew, philosophy, biblical economics, and so much more. You might ask, Why start a blog in a world where people rarely read? The answer is simple: I want to share my thoughts and help anyone in the slightest way possible, be it one or two. I hope you enjoy reading it. Please do share it if you think and find it helpful. Any feedback from your side is welcome. Feel free to contact me through the mail at aibantei.tj@gmail.com   ADIEU FOR NOW! Photo by Pixabay.

Prayer is the lifeblood of a Christian; it gives us hope when hopeless and peace when the world around us is chaotic. In this passage, Jesus encourages a prayerful life, which entails. Asking, Seeking, and Knocking. The context of this passage is not a call to pray for whatever we want, but a call to pray for whatever we need. The three imperatives here are in continuous form, meaning that it is not a one-time act, but you keep asking, seeking and knocking.  Asking  is an invitation to be diligent in prayer, a call to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17).  Seeking  is an invitation to pursue God and His will. Because those who seek him find him (Proverbs 8:17).  Knocking  is a picture of entering into God’s presence and blessings, which David loves to do (Psalm 27:4). And Jesus promises that He will surely answer to those who sincerely need what they ask, seek, and knock.   Jesus says in Luke 11:13, ask for the Holy Spirit, and the heavenly ...

We live in a world where integrity is not a treasured virtue anymore. Sadly, duplicity is evident even among Christians. Therefore, let us look at the three anchors of integrity that David practiced in his life. 1. A Life of Consistency: Verse 1 says, “ Vindicate me, O Lord , for I have walked in my integrity; And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.” David here pleads before the LORD that he has kept his integrity. In Verse 2, David tries to make a case that he is not lying. He is consistent both then and now and even in the future (v.11). 2. A Life of Confession: A Confessions of God’s Love . Verse 3 says, “For Thy lovingkindness is before my eyes.” He confesses that God’s love for him is always before him. It is not behind him nor far away from him. A Confession about God . Verse 7 says, “That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and declare all your wonders.” Here is giving thanks to God with his voice and declaring God’s wonderous works to himself and othe...

Life has been uncertain since the pandemic, and most of us have questioned the presence of God in our life. However, David reminds us of the assurance of life’s journey in a broken world like this. David here paints a picture of God in the form of a shepherd who takes care of his sheep, which highlights the three assurances that God promises through this Psalm: Assurance of Supply(V2) :  ‘Green pastures and still waters’  represent the essential needs of everyday life. David reminds us that we should trust in God and not worry about our daily basic needs. Assurance of Salvation(V3a) :  ‘Restores my soul’  signifies a relationship that God has mended. David reminds us that our relationship with God is in a broken state. Still, God himself restores that back through His gift of salvation. Assurance of Guidance(v3b) : David says, “He leads me in right paths.” Sometimes, we cannot choose between right and wrong in life, but God w...

“But as for me, I will be on the watch for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation.  My God will hear me…” Micah 7:7-8.   David says in Psalm 51 that our sin is always before us, and we all agree. As Christians, we end up in a freeze mode whenever we fall into sin, and we rarely know what to do. However, Micah gave us hope in these verses and showed us what to do when we fall into sin.   A) The Boldness to Watch(7a):  Micah calls us to look unto the Lord for help, not to ourselves because he knows that we cannot cleanse our sins; only God can. We should rest assured as Christians that Christ’s atoning death on the cross is enough for us. The wrath that was supposed to be upon us, Christ, died for us. The only act we can do is to confess our sins before him.   B) The Boldness to Wait(7b):  Micah then exhorts to wait upon the Lord because he knows that salvation comes from God alone. Micah hopes that God will not only forgive his sin but t...