Re-wiring Minds for Eternity

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:1—2). Christian faith is not just a set of beliefs but involves experiencing the Lord daily. Growing in faith means experiencing more and more of our Saviour and Lord and becoming increasingly like him.

The Christian life begins when we recognise the need for a saviour and continues as we identify with him in his death and resurrection in Christian baptism. We are seated with him through the spiritual resurrection, though we are still physically on earth. Paul sums up this experience: “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus….” (Eph 2:5—7). People who have accepted the salvation God offers through Jesus Christ should also know that they are destined for life in another world. They must have a different orientation of mind than the unsaved. People who have experienced God’s salvation and belong to the world where Christ is should re-orient their minds from things of this world to things of that world. Just as a person who plans to immigrate to another country gets rid of things that are of no use in the new country, learns the language, culture, and manners of the host country, and lives each day waiting for the day of entry in the new country, so must we too; feet on this earth, eyes on the world above with eager anticipation. Jesus had promised that one day, he would take us to be with him: “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). This re-orientation of thinking, hopes, and aspirations determines the quality of Christian life we live. Paul reminded Philippians, who were Romans by citizenship, that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20). This realisation of where we belong gives the momentum for the Christian life. Instead of being stagnant, in Paul’s words, we must forget “what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [and] press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13—14).

A Chat With God

A Chat With God : Prayer can sometimes be a tough thing for people. This video takes a look at some of the struggles and thoughts a person might have with prayer, through the lens of a 'chat' conversation with God.

Pandita Ramabai versus Swami Vivekananda: Two Visions of India

This is more than a story about two remarkable nineteenth-century Indians. It is a story about two competing ways of seeing India itself. Pandita Ramabai and Swami Vivekananda were contemporaries, reformers, and influential voices who introduced India to the Western world. Swami Vivekananda (b. 1863—d. 1902 and Pandita Ramabai (b. 1858—d.1922) were contemporaries for about 39 years. Pandita Ramabai was five years older than the Swami and lived 20 more years than he did. Both individuals had connections to Brahmo Samaj. Swami Vivekananda was an official member, whereas Pandita Ramabai closely aligned with its principles and members but did not formally join. When Ramabai arrived in Kolkata in 1878, she received a warm welcome from Brahmo Samaj leaders such as Keshab Chandra Sen, who was notably impressed by her Sanskrit skills and encouraged her to study the Vedas, which were traditionally restricted to men. Although she adopted many of the movement's social reform ideas—such as opp...

While Waiting for Home

“For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Heb 13:14—15). Living as a foreigner is a strange experience. Nothing belongs to them in the country where they live. If the foreigner is a newcomer, he needs help to make sense of things happening around him. Homesickness is high in the first few weeks, though it may wear out as time goes on. Christ-followers are sojourners on earth. Saint Peter calls them "sojourners and exiles" (1 Pet 2:11). The writer of Hebrews depicts them as people waiting in a foreign country for their permanent residence or a city that is to come. Paul reminded the church in Philippi, though they are Roman citizens that their real citizenship is in heaven, where Jesus is. "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…" (Phil 3:20). Christ...

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