For several months now, my blogging has been on hold for quite a good reason. This is my fourth year working on a doctoral program with the University of South Africa. The time has come to finish my Dissertation. I am only 1/3 of the way on my writing. All the foundational work has been done, and it is just a matter of separating the time to write.

For those who might be interested, I’m working on the D.Th. degree in Old Testament. My focus is on the Pentateuch, specifically, I’m researching the five times that Jacob the patriarch has set up altars and worshiped. The title of my dissertation will be Canaanite Influence on Israelite Worship. I hope to finish by the end of February. Maybe afterwards, I’ll resume my regular blogging.

After my mother passed away, we all experienced a season of changes. Of course, that is expected, but this is my first experience of such drastic changes. We had planned before my mother’s death to move to the town where my wife and I work, but a few weeks after my mother’s death, my father changed his plans and decided to stay alone, and not come with us. This move has become ever more challenging because of his decision, but we had no choice. We were really wanting to take care of him till his passing also, as we did for my mother, but that may no longer be the case.

Our plans and expectations never work out as we desire, but God’s ultimate plan begins to unfold as we take each step. Thanks to all my 360 friends for all your prayers.

After two years of fighting cancer, my mother passed away on 26 March 2007.

She died peacefully in the hospital room while we were praying. The funeral will be

held in our home in Pathanapuram on Wednesday at 9am.

Mummy had a heart for God, and always shared that with others. While in New York, she

began a prayer group for ladies from numerous churches, and that prayer group still

continues. After coming to India, she was always involved in prayers. She was

constantly reading the Bible and other literature, regularly taking notes on everything

she read. Her father (my grandfather) had an impact on me and gave me a love for the

Scriptures, and she impacted us with her prayer life. She was always supportive of us

in the ministry.

She has gone to a better place, to be with Jesus. Thank you for your prayers.

Blessings,
Alexi, Annie, Nathan, Sharon

The story was told by Ernest Hemingway about a Spanish father and his teenage son. The relationship between the father and son was never smooth. In fact, the father considered the son as a rebellious one. After some time, his son, Paco (a common name for Spanish people), ran away form home. His father began searching earnestly to find his son. All his efforts seemed to be of no benefit. Finally, as a last hope, he sent an advertisement to the city newspaper, hoping that his son would respond to his father’s plea.

This was the content of the advertisement:

Dear Paco,
Please meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon. All is forgiven.
Love,
Father

Hemingway tells that on the next day at noon, there were 800 Pacos waiting in front of the newspaper office. They were all wanting to get forgiveness from their fathers. What a tragic image of the nature of people. We all face difficulties and burdens in our lives. For many, the solution of choice is to run. Often we run from people, circumstances, and responsibilities. Many are running, and they don’t realize it. They think that if they keep running, things will be resolved.

Just as the Spanish father put the advertisement in the paper, the heavenly Father spoke through the “Law and the Prophets” (Old Testament-Bible). Yet, when the people would still not listen, he sent his only Son to personally bring us the message. On Christmas day, two thousand years ago, Jesus came into the world to not only bring us the message of forgiveness, but also to provide the way for us. What an awesome thought to know that we have a Father in Heaven who is willing to give up everything, for us to know that he loves us and that he wants us to be in union with him.

This Christmas season, the message is clear – the heavenly Father says “please meet me at the cross. All is forgiven. Take it! That forgiveness is yours.
-The story compiled from the site www.gospelcom.net

When our children were small, we decided to make a change in the way our children prayed their evening prayers. Previously, their prayers were full of requests. They would pray “help Daddy, help Mummy, help Grandpa, help Grandma,” etc. We decided that this was too vague, and wanted to instill thankfulness in their hearts. By introducing thankfulness, we would then be able to easily lead them to praise at a later time. Then, their prayers changed to “thank you for Mummy,” etc. One day, as my son continued his prayer, he said: Thank you Jesus for toys, for our Pastor, for socks,” etc. This time, he just happened to put our pastor at the same level with his socks and toys.

At that moment, I laughed at his simple treatment of the things in life. It is good for us to thank God for every detail of our lives. He takes care of the details of our lives because of his love and care for us. Yet, we can look beyond the simple things in life and look to something great and awesome he has given us: The Kingdom of God. The Bible says that the Kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The world is constantly looking for righteousness, peace, and joy in every place but the Kingdom of God. When these things are a part of our lives because of the Kingdom, they will remain with us. The joy, peace, and righteousness that the world gives us will vacillate depending on the circumstances, but the Kingdom of God will always continue. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is consuming fire’” (Hebrews 12: 28, 29). The context explains that the things that can be shaken are the created things-the temporal things. But, the unshakable thing is the Kingdom-that we can be really thankful for. Since the Kingdom of God will last, our righteousness, peace, and joy will last.

Yes, let us be thankful for the little things in life-remembering that they are temporal. Look beyond those simple things to the unshakable Kingdom that we are receiving. There, we have righteousness, peace, joy, and the power of God which cannot be shaken. Thank you Jesus.

I look forward to your comments!

An adoption agency is trying to find parents for frozen embryos. A report in ReligionToday.com said that an estimated 150,000 frozen embryos are being stored in laboratories and clinics in the United States. During in-vitro fertility treatments, as many as 30 eggs are fertilized, and usually 20 or more remain unused after the treatments are over. Sometimes, the same couple may use some that are left over at another time. Most of them are left inactive in the frozen state. Ron Stoddart, the director of Christtian Adoption and Family Services is currently on a quest for couples who would be willing to adopt these frozen embryos. He said, “embryos are ‘pre-born babies’ that should be protected and treated with the same dignity as a child being carried by a mother.”

As I read this report, my mind flooded with thoughts of the many thousands who are not given the opportunity to be born and experience life like the rest of us. Actually, they are not less human than I. When I was born, there was nothing especially inherent in me to guarantee birth, and the opportunities that follow. Unfortunately, this is the plight of these 150, 000 and more. They have no chance, no opportunity, and most of all, they have no one to call them their own. No one is there to stand up for their rights. In some ways, they are “unborn orphans.” We must recognize that they, like everyone else, are created in the image of God.

If those thousands could hear, I would read to them Ephesians 1:4,5. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Because of His love for us, He chose us before we were conceived, to be holy and blameless in His sight. These thousands who do not have an opportunity to live, were also chosen by Him. Also because of His love, he predestined us to be adopted as His children through Jesus. Those who have no one to claim them as their own can be assured that Jesus values them enough to be adopted by Him. All these have been done by Jesus in accordance with his pleasure and will. It is not by compulsion or force that He has chosen us. This verse says that Jesus is pleased to call us his child.

There are many who are “orphaned” in various ways. Some are aborted or discarded as waste. Others are orphaned by the death of their parents, and some by rejection – which is probably the most common. The message for all is “Jesus is pleased to call you His child.”

“Hey, kid, help me with this, will you?” The voice came from the man who was repairing his car on the street. Although I grew up in that neighborhood, I did not know many of the people who lived there. This man was one of those I never met. In fact, not many people knew him, nor wanted to know him. He was a peculiar fellow, not always clean and not always friendly. Yet when he asked me to help him, I felt compelled to do so. As I walked up to the car that he was working on, I knew that this is not the type of person that my parents would want me to associate with. I felt a certain boldness and walked up to him anyway.

As I helped him with the task, we began to talk about many things. Although I was much younger than he, I noticed a willingness in him to open up and talk about things that you wouldn’t share with a stranger. He told me about the struggles that he faced at work, and with his family. We discussed about the neighborhood and the problems we faced with crime at night. As we continued to work and talk, I noticed a relationship being built with him.

After that incident, we greeted each other whenever we met. We were no longer strangers or just mere acquaintances. We were now “friends” to a certain level of the word. In his book, The Cell Church: Preparing Your Church for the Coming Harvest, Larry Stockstill speaks of a “partnership” that develops with those you serve. He mentions Jesus’ statement to Peter “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8). Stockstill says that Jesus was essentially saying “If I don’t serve you, we are not partners.”

Too often, people refrain from relating with the community. Our purpose is not to survive in their midst as a “peculiar people.” Rather we are to lend a hand, work with them, and be a part of the community. We must be willing to give of our time, energy and money to those who are in need. We can look at others with the same humility that Jesus exemplified when he bent down to wash the feet of his disciples. Let’s open our eyes and look at those around us. What is their pain, what are their needs? How can you offer yourself to serve those around you? When we are able to do this, we are certainly on the road to developing a compassion like that of Jesus.

A friend of mine who is a senior pastor shared with me his concern

about some of the young people in his church. He visited some of
their web sites and blogs and was shocked to read what they were
writing. Their ideas, perception of the world, parents, school,
friends, etc. are of a nature that one would not expect.

Really they are good kids, but you would never imagine that they would
ever express themselves in such a shocking manner!

What is the problem? Is the internet the villan that destroys our
young people? They certainly have many temptations from friends,
magazines, movies, and numerous other sources. But the internet seems
the most far – reaching and vast of all available media. It gives so
many opportunities for good and evil. James writes: “but each one is
tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when
it is full grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14,15). It is clear
from this verse that the ultimate responsibility for our actions lies
with us.

Teaching on the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership, John Maxwel quotes
a statement from Bill Perkins’ book, Awaken The Leader Within You:
“When Jesus taught us to ask God not to lead us into temptation, he
was not suggesting that God would ever lead us into sin. Nor did he
mean that temptation can be avoided altogether. Instead, I interpret
his words to mean that we should ask God to prevent us from having the
inclination and opportunity to sin at the same time” What a great
concept. Everyone has the inclination because of the human nature
within us. Although we may not have direct control over it, we can
build up the “inner man” through prayer and meditation on the Word of
God. As we do that, we can first minimize the opportunities for
temptations, and then overcome the effects of the ones that remain.

So who is the real villan?