Tag: Jesus Christ

Yearning For His Courts

Featured ~ Sowmya Gali

Psalm 84: 1-2, 4, 10

How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts!

My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You.

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

When my family first started attending our church, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the congregants’ response to “How are you?” Most of them would reply, “I am blessed.” Usually, we hear, “I am doing well or all good or fine.” Not that there is anything wrong with those answers but ‘I am blessed’ definitely took us by surprise. After a few weeks, as we were getting to know our fellow believers, I was amazed to hear how some of them are eager to enter God’s presence. They talked about Heaven as though going from one town to another. Many of them were enthusiastically waiting for the Lord’s call.

The Psalmist of Psalm 84 sounded just like my fellow believers. He longed and yearned to be in the courts of the Lord. Even a single day in the Heavenly courts was much better than a thousand elsewhere. He’d rather be standing at the threshold of God’s house than anywhere else. He wasn’t worried about the cares of this world. The reason he longed to be there was to praise Him forever. He probably envied those who were already in the Lord’s presence when he exclaimed, “How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You.”

Not only his soul but his heart and his flesh longed to be in His presence and sing for joy. One day soon, when we receive our glorified bodies, we will be in His presence forever praising Him. Many of us are concerned about the things of the world. To some extent they are important but they shouldn’t be consuming our lives. The political situation in our country, the terror that is exploding in unexpected places, the mental and spiritual state of humanity, epidemics, world’s hunger and poverty, the economic condition of individual as well as state, etc., are all very important concerns. We should be involved in all these matters, and be aware of what is going on around the world. However, these matters should neither overwhelm us nor consume us.

We all live in a fallen world. As believers, it is our responsibility, first and foremost, to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world around us as He is the only hope for mankind. The entire world is falling apart and we are not equipped to fix it. We can do our part to make it a tad bit better. Nevertheless, our business must be about restoring lost souls to the Kingdom of Heaven. When our hearts long for His presence, we so desire that others around us also shouldn’t miss out on Heaven. When people see the joy of the expectation of Heaven on our faces, they also will long to have such a desire. It is a good contagion, if you ask me. That is how I too got the contagion from my fellow believers. Now my soul longs to be in His presence as well.

Recently, my aunt went home to be with the Lord after a long battle with illness. She was a strong woman in the Lord. Despite her illness, she continued to pray for scores of people that they would come to the saving grace and knowledge of God. The doctors had given up on her and sent her home. As she teetered between heaven and her bedroom, the family that gathered around her could see her smile, hear her hum and in between pray. When she was strong enough to muster some words, she assured her daughters that she is asking God to strengthen them and that she prayed for future generations as well. Her only request was that they should continue to grow in faith and do their part for the Kingdom of Heaven. Her life and testimony had been to show case Jesus through her life and music. However, her soul yearned for Heaven. Now she is in His presence singing His praises evermore.

Dear Saints of God, no matter how deep the valleys or how high the mountains are in this world or how chaotic the world around us is, when our eyes are fixed on Jesus, who awaits us in Heaven, then we too will sing like the Psalmist, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, Lord. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42: 1-2

Let us make this our prayer:

Psalm 27: 4

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.

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Reason for Epiphany

~ Sowmya Gali

Isaiah 9: 6-7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Matthew 2: 11

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Epiphany (Epiphainein in Greek) means to reveal, illuminate, discovery resulting in joy, wonder and awe. It is observed on the 12th night after Christmas which happens to fall on January 6th. Orthodox, Anglican, Catholic and other liturgical churches observe this holiday. However, Epiphany celebration is not just associated with Christ’s birth but other events in His life. Most churches associate the Magi’s visit as a celebration of Epiphany as this is the first time that Christ is revealed as Lord and King to the Gentiles. The three wise men were the first Gentiles who recognized Christ’s divinity. Other churches also celebrate Epiphany in observance of Christ’s baptism by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. He was revealed as the Son of God. Some others commemorate Epiphany in remembrance of Christ’s first miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. He was revealed to the Israelites as a miracle working God.

Church today celebrates Epiphany to remind themselves of their responsibility to reveal Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior, atonement for the sins of mankind. This is a time of fellowship and prayer with the church body. This blessed season in the church calendar ends when Lent begins. The Sunday before Ash Wednesday is observed as Transfiguration Sunday.

Whatever be the reason for Epiphany, we have every reason to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ. He has called us to a holy life. The grace given to us through Jesus Christ conceived before the beginning of time, has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Redeemer, Restorer, King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ. He who has conquered death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel has commissioned us to spread the Word so many may enter in. Let us do our part in this celebration of Epiphany by revealing the Savior of the world to the lost world. May God be with you as you spread the truth.