Ebenezer Family Church

The people want this bread from Heaven; Jesus drops the bombshell: "I am the Bread of Life". It is the Father's will that all He gives to the Son will be safe and secure until He raises them up on the last day. If you have the Bread of Life, you have been specifically chosen by the Father and given to the Son who will keep you until the end.

On Paul's last journey to Rome, he finds himself departing on ship after warning those in charge that bad weather was imminent. However, because Paul was commissioned by God to stand trial before Caesar, He purposed to save the lives of everyone on board, even though they ignored Paul's warnings. And even though the ship became a shipwreck, every was saved!

Following on from last time, James warns the church against pandering to the rich in hopes of securing some worldly gain. These are unbelieving people who blaspheme Christ's name. Rather, the Church should be attentive to those under her care, especially the poor.

Even though the crowds literally just want more food, Jesus tries to show them spiritual realities: just as we need physical bread for survival, we also need spiritual bread for survival. However, people who are blinded to their true spiritual condition will never for a moment think they need anything from the Bread of Life.

Although we should do our best to live peaceably with all men, not all men want to live peaceably with us. The people of Jerusalem became very upset with Paul for his teaching and especially for involving the Gentiles. When we stand for truth and righteousness, we are bound to upset those who stand for unrighteousness. Take heart! He has won the victory!

Natural man is going to make distinctions and discriminate against other people. That is because natural man is a respecter of persons: these differences in social rank, wealth, race, etc. matter to us. We must submit to and live for the glory of God so that these differences won't matter to us. Let's see ourselves and each other primarily as redeemed children of God!

Pastor Pragasen shares some lessons we can learn from a flower - the Father cares for us, equips us, and calls us to live our lives for Him!

When we go to church, give of our time and resources, and serve one another, we are contributing to God's eternal Kingdom. This kind of work also cannot be faked: God is not mocked. Let's not grow weary of doing this good work, because it's part of an everlasting work!

Isaiah finds himself in the midst of God's majesty and glory without escape. As a sinful man confronted with the holiness of God, he declares, "Woe is me; I am ruined!" If we are not devastated by God's holiness, we will never know our own nature. The good news is that we are not left devastated, for God showers us with His grace!

God knows what He's doing; our words should be few before Him. Likewise, if God is in Heaven and He is in charge, we should give Him the glory. Let's stop spending so much time talking about ourselves!

The city of Ephesus came to a stand still in protest, but nobody actually knew why they were protesting. It was all just a mindless frenzy. Today, we know that there is no more Ephesian church. Perhaps because they became too friendly with the state? Let's see what we can learn from this narrative!

Rehoboam chose to listen to the brash young men of his youth over the wise old men who had advised his father, Solomon. He lost most of the kingdom as a result. Let's learn to listen to accept the advice and wisdom of those who know better than we do!

The aggressive crowd still want to find Jesus to make Him work for them. When they go seeking for Him, they are surprised to find Him! We can never expect to "seek" Christ for our own reasons. We must seek Him for who He is!

In a city full of philosophers and wacky thoughts, Paul sets the record straight: there is one God, He can be known personally by man, and He commands us to repent. Let's have a look at this Gospel message preached in the middle of Athens!

A doer of the Word demonstrates his faith by charity and purity. Let's not delude ourselves into thinking we are doing well. We must look intently at the Word, at Jesus, and have Him radically change our lives!

Sometimes we forget that "miracle" literally means "sign" - it must point to something. In this instance, it points to Jesus's complete dominion over Creation as Almighty God. And yet, when He draws near to His disciples, He greets them as friends. Let's also learn to recognize His voice and lay hold of Him by faith!

This morning was a time of testimonies and sharing in Communion. Pastor Paul briefly shares some thoughts about the Lord's Table.

Being slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to anger means that I am focussed on myself and my passionate impulses. James says that this attitude cannot achieve the righteousness of God. Let's aim to be gentle with His Word and rid ourselves of the filthiness of our sinful nature!

Miraculous food is provided for everyone! But not only that, twelve full baskets of leftovers too. At the end of this account, what we see is something more than just a physical need being met. We see the Saviour who has come to provide completely and to satisfy totally. He gives abundant life.

We don't know too much about what happens inside prisons, but most of us might not imagine there to be a lot of hymn-singing going on! Well, that's what happened with Paul and Silas. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, they praised God. Let's learn some lessons about praise from these brave men!

Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, from God. We cannot do anything to earn it and we cannot do anything to make Him change His mind in giving it to us. He is consistently good and His goodness is consistent!

This is the only miracle (besides the Resurrection) that appears in all four gospels. In part 1, we cover the build-up right before Jesus's miraculous multiplication. It starts with a massive crowd in an isolated place, a testing question to Philip, and a quirky chirp from Andrew...

Today, we shall have a look at when believers were first called 'Christians'. Initially, this was a type of insult used against those who were followers of Christ. However, this insult did not stop those from living proper lives as befitting to their title!

We are all going to experience temptation because we all have a sinful nature. God allows us to be tempted, because He allows us to be alive! But we have the great assurance that if we persevere, we will receive the crown of life. The greater assurance is that it is He who helps us through and finds us approved!

King Herod has James killed and Peter imprisoned. Even though it was not an escape for James, it was an escape for Peter. However, the Church kept praying and trusting in God's will. Let's learn some lessons about prayer from this narrative!

When we depend on our material wealth during trials, we don't depend on the Lord. That's why the poor are exalted in Him and the rich are humbled in Him. There's nothing wrong with having things to help us get by, but these things cannot save us like Jesus can!

The fundamental problem with the religious elite was pride. They were quite happy to receive praise and glory from one another, but when their Messiah comes in the name of the Father, they do not receive Him. Their own law should have convicted them of their wickedness. However, they were satisfied in their own "righteousness"

We often use this fancy title "The Damascus Road Encounter" to describe what actually happens in the hearts of people when they first come to faith. Our encounters may not be as dramatic as Saul's was, but our hearts and lives become changed forever. Let's learn some lessons from this narrative!

Let believers ask their Master for wisdom. Let the Lord be your primary source of wisdom. It's not good keeping Him to one side as a mere advisor. But it is good to be submissive servants asking freely and receiving generously from Him!

The Father bears witness about the Son. The Jews did not actually have love for the Father or any desire to please Him. That's why they rejected Jesus, the Word of the Father in flesh. If they truly knew the Scriptures, they would have found Jesus for the Scriptures point to Him

The courage of Stephen to stand up for Christ's truth ultimately led him to become the first Christian martyr. The reality of persecution is all around us. However, the record of Stephen teaches us that we too can face persecution with boldness and confidence in our Lord!

Trials of faith produce wholesome perseverance. God is perfecting our faith: making it complete in every part. If we have an eternal mindset, we can have full confidence (and joy!) that every trial and temptation is an opportunity to grow and grow!

What we see here is somebody so dependent on the divine will that He can do nothing of Himself. Jesus is somebody so in tune with the truth, that He can confidently claim to be the subject of this witness. If only the religious elite managed to kill their pride, they would have responded to the truthful witness.

Being proud is being puffed up with a whole lot of nothing. Today we look at three examples of pride issues in the Bible, as well as a story from Winnie the Pooh!

God asks Job a really tough question: "Will you make me guilty to justify yourself?" We best not play "god" with God! He is good, holy, and in charge of all things. Let's revere Him that way!

Jesus says the hour is coming and is now when the dead will hear His life-giving voice. He is speaking of the spiritually dead: they are given new spiritual life from Him. Those who are made spiritually alive will also be physically resurrected to the fullness of salvation at the end of time.

What we see in the case of Ananias and Sapphira's dishonesty about their offering is the sin of hypocrisy: trying to act more spiritual than we really are. God's response is a swift and decisive action to completely remove this attitude from the Early Church.

In the time of Judges, everyone did what seemed right to them because there was no king. Was there really no king? Or were they simply looking for an earthly substitute for God Almighty? Let's remember that we have a king and He has told us what is right!

When Paul speaks about love in 1 Corinthians 13, he's referring to the very specific agape love. This kind of love flows only from the Father and is demonstrated perfectly through the Son. Why would we want to replace it with something else? Why would we not take it seriously?

Why do we live peaceably with others? Because God has shown us mercy. We no longer stand up for our selfish and sinful and worldly positions, because we have surrendered to a good and holy God. He will deal out justice as He sees fit!

If we want to know what Jesus would do in a situation, we must know who Jesus is. He is our perfect example for everything in life, but we must make the effort to truly know Him!

It is very easy to rally behind your cause or opinion and attack all those who stand against you. If there is no issue of biblical righteousness, Paul gives us this simple instruction: "as far as possible, live at peace with everyone". Let's choose peace as much as we can in our interactions with one another!

Stop giving your money to "healing" ministries. God, in His sovereign will, can and does choose to heal people. But He has no obligation to heal you and no amount of "seed" sown to any pastor or church will make it happen. Let's have a look at what this miraculous healing performed by Peter and John actually teaches us!

Why do we need to know about the Israelite's land inheritance? Maybe it doesn't apply to us, but it applies to God because it's in His inspired and inerrant Word! It shows that He kept His promises to the Israelites.

As we celebrate Fathers' Day today, let us have a look at the person of Joshua. There are important lessons fathers can learn from the life of this great Israelite leader!

At the end of John's third epistle, we see three simple and practical steps to living the Christian life: live peaceably, be hospitable, and follow good examples. Imagine what the Church could be if everyone managed to get these three little things right!

The day of Pentecost marked the beginning of the Church age. There are a few things that we can learn from this event and what it meant for the birth of the Church. What a blessed thing to know that the Holy Spirit has been active in the Church since that special day!

Diotrephes is a good example of a bad example. Too often we blame everything and everyone else for our sins, but at the end of the day it's a problem of pride and wanting to be first. Let's ask God again to humble us before Him!

Jesus says that He does nothing unless He sees the Father doing it. This is perfect submission and obedience. At the same time, He says the Father loves the Son and has given all authority to Him. We know the Father because we know the Son. Do you know God because you know Jesus?

Something that we often overlook is the ascension of Jesus into Heaven. It marked an end to His earthly ministry, but there is a lot more to it that we neglect to think more deeply about. Let's have a look at some things we can learn from this glorious event!

Jesus identified with the Father by identifying His work with that of the Father. What we see here is a perfect demonstration of humility and submission. May we too be faithful servants of God by doing His work!

The Bible teaches us to respect and obey our earthly authorities (where they do not contradict Scripture). This includes voting when we are called upon to vote. However, we also have a mandate to vote for capable and righteous people. Let's have a look at a few issues that should be important to believers when voting!

John gives a wonderful compliment to Gaius: he is faithful in whatever work he does. Whether we are pastors and leaders in the ministry, or we are part of the technical or cooking crew, let us support one another and be faithful fellow workers with the Truth!

The Jews now take issue with Jesus who apparently instructed the healed man to break the Sabbath by carrying his mat. They weren't interested that a man was healed; they were offended because their laws were broken. When we are not made spiritually well, we can make God's Word mean anything we want it to mean.

When all is said and done, Jesus strikes Peter at his heart with this question: "do you love me?" We are all faced with this question: do we really love Jesus? The command to Peter is simple: "follow me!" May we all examine our hearts in light of this question and be spurred to take action and follow Him!

Good health is a good thing, but it's not the most important thing. The most important thing is a healthy soul. What a wonderful joy we share together in knowing that we are walking in the truth!

If Jesus didn't choose that one particular man that day at the pool of Bethesda, he would have waited another thirty-eight years and longer. Without a touch from the Lord, our eyes are always firmly fixed on the things of this world. This was not only a physical healing, but in every way a spiritual one!

This Mother's Day, we examine the love of Jochebed, Moses's mother, in action. When Pharaoh ordered the slaughter of all new Israelite baby boys, Jochebed made a plan to preserve his life... and it paid off!

The lazy man might set out to accomplish something, but he doesn't follow through. Or, as we read in Proverbs, he puts his hand into the bowl, but doesn't take it out again. Let's not be lazy: take your hand out of the bowl and do what you set out to do!

A royal official asks Jesus to heal his son, to which Jesus replies that people will not believe unless they see signs and wonders. The man had not seen a sign or wonder, yet he still asks Jesus to come with him. Let's see why this was a win of faith!

In another encounter with His disciples post-Resurrection, Jesus again shows them the unlimited power of God, the efficacy of His Word, and the fellowship we have with Him. And all of this at breakfast time!

Many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony. Many MORE believed because they heard the Word for themselves. Each one of us must be able to say the same thing: "I have heard the Word, I believe the Word, and I will turn from my path to live in the Word".

Two important points in John's concluding remarks: do not platform false teachers or participate in their evil, and meeting face to face makes joy complete. What a meaningful passage for us in this post-COVID world! We must be careful about the religious content we consume. And we must make effort to fellowship in person.

Jesus finally appears to His disciples for the first time since the Resurrection. They are all gathered in one place, when He suddenly appears amongst them. Let's unpack this event and see what lessons we can learn!

John warns us against going too far with the teaching of Jesus Christ. If we start making small compromises and filling in the gaps with our own creation, we are going to land up with a false Jesus. If you don't understand, let His Word fill the gaps, not your own preferences!

Right after His interaction with the Samaritan woman, Jesus climbs straight back into the spiritual depths with His disciples. He needed them to see the urgency of the Gospel. What a blessing it is that we are a part of that harvest!

On the same day of the Resurrection, Jesus meets two unimportant men on the road to Emmaus. Neither of the men recognize Him. Jesus, however, walks with them on this journey and explains the Scriptures concerning Him to them. Let's see what we can learn from this dramatic account of revelation!

Walking is steady, consistent, and reliable. That's what we should aspire to be in our faith. If we walk in a steady, consistent, and reliable manner, we can have the full assurance that we are obeying God's commandments!

It is here, for the first time in John's Gospel, that Jesus declares His own messiahship. And it's not to the religious elite in Jerusalem; it's to a sinful Samaritan woman. Here too is His declaration that true worship will now happen in a place of spirit and truth.

**APOLOGIES: I was unable to remove the reverb effect**

Although we did discuss the Resurrection last week, this time we shall approach it from a different perspective. There are some significant evidences that we have for the Resurrection and why it indeed happened. Let's have a look at what they are!

Whenever people stray close to God's truth and love, they experience a stable society. Though they may not know His whole truth, simple things like the 10 Commandments at the centre of their moral fabric ensures a well-functioning society. How much greater is it for those who know His whole truth and love! Grace, mercy, and peace with each other and with ourselves

What does the Resurrection mean for us? It means just about everything! Let's learn some lessons about our new life in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Grace is undeserved favour; emphasis on 'undeserved'. Do we take God's grace for granted? How often do we start believing that grace is something that we deserve? He has bestowed grace upon us who are completely undeserving. Our attitude should be humble submission and gratitude!

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and His sheep listen to His voice. Sheep will not go unless they are led by their shepherd. Let's learn a little bit about what it means to call Jesus our Good Shepherd!

Idols are tricky things. They creep in all over. Sometimes, we start worshipping 'holy' weekends like Easter, gospel music, wooden crosses in our houses, etc. Sometimes, we even make gods out of our relationships, careers, future plans, etc. Let's stop with the idols and make sure we're only worshipping Almighty God!

At this stage, the Samaritan woman still doesn't understand that she needs a spiritual change for living water. Even after Jesus brings up her private sinful life, she diverts the conversation to secondary theological issues. What we see in this Samaritan woman is very much like what we perhaps see in our own lives and in the Church. How do you respond to Jesus's offer of living water?

One of the most difficult narratives to get through is the Crucifixion. The pure, innocent, spotless Lamb of God, God's own Son, bears the full extent of God's wrath and righteous punishment for humanity's sin. We could never hope to comprehend the full weight of what happened to Jesus that day, but we do know what Jesus did for us that day!

At the end of John's first letter, we see how beautifully simple his message is: if you have the true Jesus, you have the truth. Therefore, pray for one another to keep away from sin and remain in that eternal quality of life promised to those of us in God's Son!

Jesus offers the Samaritan woman living water. This might have sounded like he was offering an alternative water source for a well. What more could Jesus provide? Living water for the spirit! He satisfies our spiritual needs like nothing else can.

The world knows what it means to be a 'Judas'. Not many people are named Judas either! But what we see in the life of Judas is not unlike what happens in the lives of people who grow more and more apathetic to the Truth. There are many characteristics of Judas that exist in "Christians" that still betray Jesus today.

In the middle of the concluding remarks of 1 John, we have two wonderful confidences: eternal life & answered prayer. Eternal life is a better quality of life and prayer according to God's will is not only answered, but helps us to know Him more!

At the beginning of John 4, we see that Jesus HAD to go through Samaria: He had a divine appointment. In the first stages of this interaction with the Samaritan woman, we see He who gives living water asking for a drink. Christ's glory is in no way diminished by His humanity, but His humanity brings others to His glory.

Peter was so rooted in his self-confidence that he fell hard when it mattered. Like Peter, we too are sometimes so confident in ourselves that we do not realize how feeble we really are. Without humility before God, we are not far from denying Christ as well.

Is Jesus an intellectual concept to you? Is He an imaginary best friend? Is He a Santa Claus vending machine to grant your wishes? If we do not accept the testimony of Jesus, we call God a liar. Again, it's all about Jesus. The testimony is true!

Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate and before Herod Agrippa. Neither man found any wrong in Him. Yet, the chants of "crucify him!" by the Jews prevailed at the end of the day. Let's see what we can learn from the most important legal trial in history!

Loving others is not going to save you. Having intellectual knowledge of God is not going to save you. Being a good person is not going to save you. The only way to overcome the world is by the Son of God, Jesus!

John's disciples were concerned that Jesus was getting more attention than him. What did John say? Simply, Jesus's way is always better. Why argue over matters from an earthly perspective when He, who is above all, has brought a Heavenly message? Let Him increase while you decrease!

Only a few hours before His crucifixion, we see the struggle between Jesus as man and Jesus as God. Ultimately, Jesus wins the battle at Gethsemane. He pushed on to drink the cup of wrath that is no longer reserved for us who are saved by Him. What does that mean for us now?

God is love, but not what we understand to be love. His love is perfect, unique, and can only come from Him. The expression of our love is indicative of our relationship with Him. Do we have that oogly googly Valentine's love? Or do we have that perfectly perfect agape love from God?

It all hinges on what we do with the Son of God. Without Him, we are stuck in darkness and we hate the Light. With Him, He moves us in truth from darkness into the Light. There is no substitute for Jesus!

Most of us know this narrative as a lesson in giving. Even if you only have a few small coins, you give Jesus all that you have in faith. But, if we have a closer look at Jesus's response and the context of what was happening, we see that this is a comment about the money-grubbing culture of religious tradition in the Temple. Jesus would not tell you to give money if you are starving!

A path may seem right to a man, but nothing good can come from the flesh. Let's not chase after what SEEMS right for now when we KNOW what is right for eternity!

Nicodemus came with his own perspective - that's why he couldn't understand Jesus. We cannot bring our baggage to the Word. Rather, we must humbly look to the Son of Man who was lifted up for all to see. We cannot do anything for our own salvation!

This a question that confuses many people and can very quickly cause problems in our theology if we do not understand our faith. God is definitely loving, but God is equally definitely good and holy. Let's explore this question about Hell from a biblical and not emotional perspective!

We love because He loved us first. How could we possibly expect to love Him and others properly if our hearts are not proper? His love compels and inspires us to love properly!

Jesus goes on to explain regeneration, new life. Nicodemus doesn't understand why because he is a Jew who should already have this gift. But Jesus makes it clear: it can only come from God

Our Christian lives must be lived coram deo: in the presence of God. By implication, this also means under the authority of God and to the glory of God. Let's learn how we can do this from a few principles found in Ephesians 5!

John tells his listeners to test the spirits. We can know what is false because we have the truth in us. So then, do not be deceived! If you have willingly received, you will not willingly be deceived

Right at the beginning of Nicodemus's meeting with Jesus, we see a man clouded by his fleshy perspective. He's interested in the signs and wonders. Jesus, however, is interested in the Kingdom of God