Vinod Bathini

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 Picture a group of high…

Reflection:     In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9   When I think about my best friend from high school, I remember late-night conversations about girls, about church, about our futures.  I remember lots of laughter and a…

You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me”. John 5:39 I can remember my grandfather saying about a friend of mine who’d getting into trouble, “he’s just too smart for his britches.”  The irony was that my friend had…

How would you feel if God came to you to raise His son?  What an amazing privilege and responsibility was given Mary.  To benefit from Mary’s example, we would take seriously the influence we have on children.  What an honor it is to help a child to know and love God.  May didn’t just train…

“For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, says YHWH, “so shall your descendants and your name remain”. Isaiah 66:22   I asked a friend last week what he thought life on the new earth would be like.  He thought a moment and answered that he had taken…

“All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory. “ 2 Corinthians 3:18. Today’s English Version One definition for cultivate is “to promote or improve the growth…

All I have to do for a smile is to remember photos I’ve seen that highlight the similarity between dogs and their owners.  You’ve seen them – I know you’re smiling now. On a more serious note, can people see the similarity between you and your Master?   Of the many encouraging promises in the…

Isaiah 10:20 “A time is coming when the survivors from Israel and Judah will completely depend on the holy LORD of Israel, instead of the nation that defeated them.“ Do you feel like a survivor?  A survivor is one who has made it. Can you feel the hope and confidence that accompanies being a survivor?  The…

I’ve listened to the news this week of the unrest that has show itself in our communities.  The cry for justice and respect and honor is heard in our land.  If viruses have left you uncertain, if protests have left you unsettled, then you are not alone.  I too have needed to look for anchor…

When I was growing up I was taught that Sabbath was holy time.  I was conscious of that time from sundown to sundown,.  I had friends who dreaded Sabbath because they had nothing to do and they were bored with Sabbath.  My parents made sure my Sabbath time was full. They did this by focusing…