House2HouseMD

Dear Saints "I was blind, now I see.” You cannot take that away from me and you cannot talk me out of it. At 17 years old, God apprehended me and opened my eyes to who He is. Some members of my family opposed this new “born again” phenomenon they thought was bad for me and did their best to bring me back to my old religious life that never worked. Of course, I dug into my heels and refused to budge even with threats of great consequences such as ending support for my higher education. I can relate to this man born blind that Jesus healed as we study John 9 (please read the entire chapter). Why would people be comfortable with you in your old life but resist your new life? I propose that it is not so much about you but opposition to the One who is now in you. Jesus has invaded darkness and cast light on the blind man and now lives in him. The religious leaders and his parents opposed this man but they were really opposing Jesus. Here is some of the conversation: “So a secon...

Dear Saints My father died when I was eleven years old. Though very young, I have good and fond memories of my father. He was our community leader and a very honorable man known for standing for the truth especially for the fatherless and the poor. My father with members of his council would often ensure that the powerful did not swindle land from the hands of the fatherless and poor and he shunned bribery. He was not perfect but he was a good man who loved us. I know that not everyone have fond memories of their father whether alive or deceased. Sorry if am stroking some wounds and unpleasant memories of your father. We thank God for all our earthly fathers. In today's study (please read again John 8), we are challenged to decide and define who our father is. We all have two fathers - our earthly father and a spirit father. Jesus tells the Jewish leaders and the Pharisees who their real spiritual father is: “44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your fa...

Dear Saints: Yes, throw the first stone if you have not sinned and have no sin. Go ahead and throw the first stone on the woman caught in adultery as if adultery is a solo practice (Please read John 8 for our study). Where is the man? We pick and choose types of sins and classes of people who are sinners and we quickly forget to include ourselves. It feels good to catch other people’s sins but not our own. We live in a day when filleting other peoples’ sins (presidents, politicians, leaders, ordinary people) sales and the TV and electronic media are highly rated and paid good for it. Dig up enough dirt about anyone to make the news and make yourself look better. We join them with our itching ears and gossiping mouths/writing fingers to analyze and spread the dirt. Someone has said that Jesus stooped down and started to write the names and addresses of the women whom the accusing men had also committed their own adultery or other sins with. The Jewish leaders forgot that they were...

Dear Saints: Imagine coming from heaven and born into a human family and your brothers and sister don’t even get it and believe in you. The people outside also don’t understand you and think you are demon possessed. Welcome to the world of Jesus’ earthly life. I know you are saying my parents/siblings or spouse don’t also believe in me. That is what we encounter in today’s study of John 7 (Please read the entire chapter). In the midst of the back and forth, Jesus reveals why He came and who He is and what anyone who believes and trust in Him will be like. Jesus, why did you come and why do people hate you? “7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.”… 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:7 and 23). Jesus came to...

Dear Saints: It is with sadness that I read the headlines, “Joshua Harris falling away from faith: ‘I am not a Christian.’” … Joshua Harris, the author of “I kissed Dating Goodbye”, announced in an Instagram post Friday that he is no longer a Christian.”(Christianpost.com, July 27, 2019). He used to be the pastor of a megachurch, Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It is sad to hear and coupled with his previous announcement to divorce his wife of 20 years and they have three children. How can you follow Christ for a period and now “fall away”? I do not know what has happened to Joshua Harris because now, he applauds same sex marriage which he previously preached against. In our today’s study (please read John 6 again), we also see some precedent even while Jesus was here: “53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood ...

Dear Saints: Is it just me? I feel like most of us are like the disciples in the midst of the strong waves in the sea, and here comes Jesus walking on water and now we are terrified. We are afraid of drowning in the oceans of our problems – the health issues, marriage problems, children acting up and even outright disobedience, sibling squabbles, in-laws and out-laws issues, deaths in the family, neighbors/co-workers envy and disdain, financial crisis, national crisis of racism/tribalism, mass shootings/suicides/drug overdose, political uncertainties, social media overloads and on and on. In the midst of all these, please hear Jesus. “It is I; do not be afraid.” John 6:20. Note that the disciples had two fears; one of the strong waves in the sea (please read John 6 again), and two and the greatest fear, seeing Jesus walking on water. They have never seen a man walk on water before. I will surely freak out like them. When you see God in His glory as Jesus appeared while walking o...

Dear Saints Good intentions without action amounts to nothing. We all have good intentions that we have been hoping to act on and especially simple acts of kindness. In today’s study, we discover one of Christ’s greatest miracles where He fed five thousand men in addition to women and children (please read John 6). How did it come about; and what should we know about Jesus and what should we learn to be and do? First, Jesus knows you very well including what you have and what you will say and do. So, just do it and stop pretending. Jesus, after seeing the large crowd and wanting to feed them approached Philip. Note that Jesus loves all people even when they are like sheep without shepherd. Please listen to the exchange: 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii ...