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...

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...

  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...

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...

Just like the quote says, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,”  sin also  keeps the great doctor (God) away from us. Reading the Genesis account, we all remember how Adam and Eve fell into the devil’s temptation. To recall the incident, God in Genesis 2:16 told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge. However, unfortunately, they were tempted by the devil in Genesis 3:1-5 and eventually ate the fruit from the tree that God forbade. The eating of that fruit kept them away from God, and the closeness of their relationship was broken. However, let us thank God and remind ourselves that God provided a way to mend the broken relationship with humanity by sending Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior. We are saved not because of our deeds but because of Christ’s work on the CROSS . There is nothing to boast about in ourselves but only in Christ alone. David says, “my sin is always before me” (Psalm 51:3), and we cannot deny that we often sin against our God. If we say...