Anand B Krishnan

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION   Matthew 1:21 INTRODUCTION   One of the most widely celebrated festivals in the world is Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ . Out of the world’s population of 7.8 billion, about 2 billion people celebrate Christmas. The history of Christ’s birth is recorded in three of the Gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author of the Gospel of Matthew describes the birth of Jesus Christ in a slightly different way, based on the Old Testament. For example, in Matthew 1:22 and 2:18, he compares events to prophecies from the Old Testament. The Gospel of Matthew was written for the Jews to help them understand the life of Christ . Therefore, the author of Matthew includes a detailed genealogy. For the Jewish people, genealogy was very important. That is why, in the Old Testament scriptures, they often refer to God as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” emphasizing their ancestral lineage. There are many characters ...

GOD CALLS US TO STAND FIRM IN OUR FAITH IN CHRIST  Luke 18:1-8 INTRODUCTION  In the year 1521, a council was taking place in the city of Worms. It was a moment when the world and the Church were waiting for a great change. The power of the entire empire and the anger of the religious leaders were pressing heavily on one man. To many people, he looked like someone who would surely fail. But in God’s eyes, that moment became a place and a time to reform the faith people had in Christ and in the Church. Standing before those powerful political and religious leaders was not a soldier, nor a high official with wealth or authority. It was Martin Luther, a simple monk. Even though he was surrounded by danger, darkness, and the threat of death, he boldly said, “Here I stand.” No one could move him. His faith in Jesus Christ kept him strong. That is the secret and the power of true faith. About a thousand years earlier, Jesus Christ told a parable to teach this same truth t...