Details

Written by: Sunil Mahajan

Published: 23 November 2021

Role of the Holy Spirit in a Believer's life

Who is Holy Spirit

Not a power but person

Fellowship of the Holy Spirit

It seemed good to us and to the Holy Spirit

Details

Written by: Sunil Mahajan

Published: 23 November 2021

Bible Verses: Luke 10: 25- 37

Context of the Parable 
A lawyer tested Jesus by asking a question, saying, " Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it? 27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Parable

30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among [i]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, [j]when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’

(Priest and Levite  avoided opportunity to help someone in need, they hardened their hearts, did not feel any mercy on that wounded man, left him, and had no concern)

I was thinking that Samaritan was so blessed that he could bless others: He had his own means of transportation, he carried wine and oil with him, he also had money to pay that person's medical bills. He prioritized the needy person's need over his own plans.

Jesus taught that lawyer a powerful life lesson by taking answers from him by telling a story and asking relevant questions?

36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

--------------------------------

Loving God= Loving our neighbor = showing mercy to anyone with whom we come across

v. 27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

It's not about just saying we love God but being practical to love and show mercy to people around us. They are our neighbors.

In this portion of scriptures we see that Jesus answered following questions:

• What must one do to inherit the eternal life?
• Who is our neighbour?
• What is important, your title/ position or your actions? What should be our priority.

Priest and Levite who professionally- religiously serve God missed out their important priority which was to show love and mercy.

Application:

Show mercy, care and concern to anyone who needs your help 

Related quotes:

 “On the parable of the Good Samaritan: "I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
― Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love

 

“[In the story of the Good Samaritan,] everybody knows the robber is bad--but doesn't Jesus also imply an indictment on the priest and Levite? . . . The priest and Levite are over here. They are 'righteous' in a superficial way. They don't rob anybody. They're not like that lousy criminal who is over here, on the bad end of the line. Do you see it? That's the line we modern Christians try to live on the right end of it . . . The Samaritan traveler lives on a higher level, altogether. The issue isn't who is wrong or righteous; that's obvious. The issue is who is truly good.”
― Brian D. McLaren, A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey

 

“To be truly good means more than not robbing people . . . To be truly good means more than being righteously religious . . . To be truly good means being a good neighbor. . . . And to be a good neighbor means recognizing that there are ultimately no strangers. . . . Everybody is my neighbor! . . . Everybody is my brother! . . . There are no isolated monads wounded on the other side of the street! . . . We're all connected.”
― Brian D. McLaren, A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey

 

“No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions; he had money as well.”
— Margaret Thatcher 

Details

Written by: Sunil Mahajan

Published: 23 November 2021

I'm Grateful

• Life
• Health
• Salvation
• Family
• Provisions
• Nature
• Relationships
• Skills
• Strength
• Time

Details

Written by: Sunil Mahajan

Published: 23 November 2021

1 Corinthians 13 (ESV)

Mark of true greatness is walking in the way of love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and kind;

love does not envy or boast;

it is not arrogant⁵ or rude.

It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful; 

⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 

⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends.

As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

Without true love you are a zero, even if you act and perform like a hero!"

Adopted from New Testament Bible

 

 

Details

Written by: Sunil Mahajan

Published: 23 November 2021

Matt 5:1-19 (KJV)

Blessings Confirmed by Jesus Christ
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.