Vision Alive

Does God really exist? This is a foundational spiritual question that all of us would have asked ourselves at some point in time. The Bible provides us with the answer. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1 The first verse in the Bible is the foundation of the rest of the Bible and is fundamental to our understanding of who God is. As a child, and perhaps even as an adult, we have all gone crazy at least one point in time, as we think about how this whole existence of life began. If scientists say, everything has evolved over billions of years, the question remains - when and how did the first particle come? How did the sun, moon and stars find their place in the universe? Even as you grapple with those questions, the Bible opens with an answer. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. As simple as it may sound, this is so profound and may take a lifetime to analyse. It answers three important questions: when, who, what? The q...

We have a God who satisfies all our needs And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Exodus 16:18 God led the people out of Egypt. In Egypt, Pharaoh asked Joseph to choose the best land for his household and he chose the land of Goshen. Goshen was one of the best lands in Egypt, a fertile land, a land for crops and livestock. In years, a new Pharaoh came to power who did not know about Joseph or what he did to save the people of Israel. The people of Israel came into bondage, but still, they had enough food to eat because their land produced enough for them. When they were led into the wilderness, we see a sharp contrast. They were in bondage earlier, but now they are free. However, they had enough to eat, now they are starving. So they were grumbling against Moses and Aaron and in doing so they were grumbling against God. ...

We live in a world where we have more ‘speak-ers’ than ‘listen-ers’. Everyone wants to be heard. Give opinions. Suggest an idea. Give counsel. Make recommendations. But no one wants to listen. How many times you’ve desperately wanted to blurt your heart out to someone, but there was no willing listener? Or people around you are hurting too and would rather have you listen to them. And if at all someone came forward to listen, they are quick to accuse, judge and condemn, when all you wanted was love and comfort. Here’s some good news. Our God is a good listener. And He is constantly attentive as He listens to you. "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…” (1 Peter 3:12) He is not watching a mobile as He listens to you. He is not talking to someone else. He is not thinking about solving another problem. He is not preparing himself for what’s next on His agenda. He is attentive to you. John 9:31 says, “if anyone is a worship...

  Psalm 62:8 - Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. When my little daughter comes and pulls the end of my garment, I know she wants something. She doesn’t stand there thinking about how she’s going to phrase her request to me. Should I start with “I want ..” or maybe I’ll first appreciate mom for what she has done and then I’ll ask! Nope. She spills out her thoughts spontaneously, straight from her heart. Her sentences are not edited, not rehearsed, not thought-through. Her request is sincere and true. She conveys her desires and longings to her mother whom she loves and trusts. Isn’t God a loving Father to us? You can pour out your heart to Him in all sincerity because He is never too busy to listen to you - your petitions, your worries, your burdens, your questions, your tears, your grumblings. And He doesn’t just listen to you, but gives you an answer! So, don’t edit your prayers. Express yourself honestly to the One w...

The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom . Shalom is used as salutation by Jewish people at meeting or parting, meaning ‘peace’. Shalom means  peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquillity.  Shalom doesn’t mean ‘absence of problems’ or ‘absence of trouble’. Rather, the word refers to a sense of calmness both internally and externally, no matter what the circumstance is. Christmas is always associated with peace as much as it is associated with love and joy. In Isaiah 9:6, the prophet Isaiah prophesied that Messiah would be the Prince of Peace. And when Jesus was born, angels sang of peace. Luke 2:14 - Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Christmas, or coming of Jesus into the world, brought us peace in three ways. 1.        By coming into this world, Jesus brought us peace with God. Romans 5:1 says ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God...

  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Galatians 4:4 What does fullness of time mean? It is like eagerly waiting for something and suddenly the time comes very appropriately. Like a ripe apple ready to be picked. In this context Paul describes a moment in history when everything was in place and the stage was all set for Christ to be born. The birth of Christ did not happen all of the sudden. From the beginning of creation, this plan of God of sending His Son into the world was revealed. It started in the Garden of Eden when God promised that one day the seed of woman would crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15). Centuries later, in Genesis 12:1-3, God told Abraham that in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Years later, God said that the sceptre would arise in Judah (Gen 49:10) which meant that Christ would be born in the tribe of Judah. The promise narrows down from Adam to Abraham to the...