Interview with Shylaja Teacher by Fr Joy Chencheril MCBS for Karunikan Magazine

If someone asks of the hope that lies within you, tell them about Jesus, how He saved you from the penalty of your sins. Preach Christ to all, so that you may attain your full reward, which is in heaven.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(Matthew 28:19-20)

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus died so that we might live. No other event in history is as important as Christ giving up His life in order that God might save us. No longer do we have a penalty hanging over our heads for the wrongs we have committed.

O how great is our God to…

When Job questioned God about his suffering, stating how calamity is for the unrighteous, he was really saying that he was righteous and did not deserve what God had allowed upon his life. God had a plan, though. He was there with Job through the trials he endured. For through those trials God was showing his glory.

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

(Job 38:4-7)

There are moments in our lives when we believe God may have abandoned us. They are only moments; for in everything we suffer, God is showing His glory. Our true test as Christians is…

Every moment, every day, we ought to look to God for hope. We have a huge cloud of witnesses who have attested Jesus died, was buried and rose from the grave to sit at the right hand of the Father. The darkness does not surround us, for we know we have salvation through Christ.

“We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard.”

(Hebrews 2:1,3)

God could simply deploy legions of angels to defeat those who persecute us on Christ’s account. Yet, He tries our faith with a refining fire so that we would treasure our hope in Him. The work of His hands is us. We are His children molded to…

Our lives are like the wind; in a moment, we will disappear. But with God in our lives, we have meaning. He looks after us. He cares for us. He ensures that we will not fail. For His destiny for us is greater than anything we could ever imagine for ourselves.

“And to which of the angels has he ever said, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

(Hebrews 1:13-14)

Our salvation rests in Christ. No one can take away our reward. God is our king and one day He will crown us with glory and honor, as He had done with His son Jesus. The devil cannot take away what rightfully belongs to us.

May God pour love into…

God so loved us that He gave His only Son Jesus as a sacrifice so that we might have salvation from the penalty of our sins. In the same manner, we ought to show kindness toward each other, giving of ourselves to the service of God’s will, which is love.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

(Colossians 3:12-14)

The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians while in prison, awaiting his fate at the hands of the Romans. He looked to God and wrote that Christians, despite circumstances, ought to bear with one another, in humility and…

We look to a time when God will lift us from this world to be with Him in heaven, when we will no longer be anxious for the day, or sorrowful in the night. Our tears will be as a vapor, and He will hold us in His bosom, comforting us forever, never letting us go.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

(Revelation 21:4)

Jesus is our Savior. Through Him, we have hope for a future without mourning, crying or pain. He will give us relief from death, for death shall be no more. Whatever we are suffering now, Christ will remove that suffering and replace it with utter joy, brimful and running over.

The devil will place stumbling blocks in our…

There are no other gods other than God Himself. He is the beginning, He is the end, and He sustains all things through His Son Jesus. For with purpose, we have life. In Jesus, we have hope for life everlasting. No greater purpose is there for us than to believe in Jesus.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

(John 14:1)

In sorrow and in pain, Jesus reveals Himself to the humble. When all seems lost, He is the one who pulls us from our troubles and pours into us joy, brimful and running over. He knows what we need. He gives of His abundance. He loves us without restraint.

Our purpose is to glorify God in all that we do. With Jesus living in us, we can do all things. Nothing is impossible with Him. He makes the impossible possible…

Is anything too hard for the Lord our God? If we can give of ourselves fully to our neighbor, how much more has God given of Himself fully to us by sacrificing His Son Jesus for the remission of our sins?

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

(Galatians 5:14)

Jesus said that no greater love could someone have for another than to lay down one’s life for a friend. As God had done with Christ, so ought we to do for our neighbor. For there is no injury when we love; God makes all things work together for good.

How should we show our love toward our neighbor? We show them love by being patient and kind. We do not envy or boast. We are not arrogant or rude. We do not insist on our own way. We…