Happiness & Joy: Pastor Rajiv

 

Happiness is an emotion that comes and goes whereas joy is an attitude that comes and grows.

It is piped into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
The world does not give us joy nor can the world take it away.
So why and how is joy different from happiness? Learn about this and more from Pastor Rajiv in this message. 

Satan's Convention: A Short Story

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, but steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do," said the devil: "Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted. "Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas. Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death. Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences. Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!"

It was quite a plan! 

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there, having little time for their God or their families and friends. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. (Author unknown)

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge!

Monday Reset: Tuning into the Still Small Voice

"And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice". 

1 Kings 19:12

The world started moving fast the moment your alarm went off this morning. By now, the "noise" of the week—emails, deadlines, and the mental checklist of responsibilities—is likely already competing for your attention.

In the rush, we often pray for God to move in spectacular ways. We look for the "earthquake" of a sudden breakthrough or the "fire" of an undeniable sign to tell us which way to turn. We imagine that God’s presence is reserved for the dramatic.

But Scripture tells a different story.

When the prophet Elijah stood on the mountain, he witnessed the spectacular: a wind that shattered rocks, an earthquake that shook the ground, and a fire that lit the sky. But the Bible tells us the Lord was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire.

Instead, Elijah found God in a “still small voice.”

God has the power to thunder, yet He often chooses to whisper. Why? Because a whisper requires proximity. You have to be close to someone to hear them whisper. You have to be quiet, humble, and deeply attentive.

When our lives become cluttered with the "noise" of distractions and the "wind" of our own anxieties, we lose our sensitivity to the Spirit. We miss the gentle promptings because our hearts are too loud.

This Monday, don't just ask God for a sign; ask Him for a listening heart.

Pause: Take five minutes before the workday truly begins to sit in silence.

Reflect: Open the Word not just to read, but to listen.

Attend: Be sensitive to the quiet nudges of the Holy Spirit in your interactions today.

The Lord still speaks to those who seek Him. Draw near to Him today, and as you quiet the world around you, you will find that His voice is clearer than you ever imagined.

#MondayMorningReset #StillSmallVoice #FaithAtWork #ThisWeekWithJesus #WeeklyRenewal

Sabbath Prayers

                                             

If you call the Sabbath a delight… then you will find your joy in the Lord."

Gracious Father, we pause in Your presence this Sabbath, grateful for the gift of rest and renewal. We lift up those among us who are weary, burdened, or facing illness — may Your healing hand bring comfort and strength. We intercede for families, communities, and nations, asking for Your peace to reign where there is conflict, and Your wisdom to guide leaders in truth and justice. Lord, renew our hearts with hope, deepen our faith, and let Your Spirit empower us to be light-bearers in a world that longs for Your love. 

We lift Jen before You today—Your daughter, Your beloved, the one You hold in the palm of Your hand. You see every cell in her body, every moment of pain, every quiet fear, every brave step she takes. Surround her with Your healing presence. Let Your strength rise where her strength feels small. Let Your peace settle where anxiety tries to speak. Let Your love be the atmosphere she breathes. We ask for your grace on her PET Scans. 

And Lord, we widen this prayer to every person fighting cancer right now. 

We pray for Samira for her continued healing. For Lisa's daughter, for Alison's daughter, Lindsey's mother, Laurik and Haleen. We thank you for the healing you have brought to Samira and Joan and the fantastic progress in Jen and Lisa's daughter. 

For those in various treatment, those awaiting results, those exhausted from the journey— be their refuge. Be their comfort. Be their healer.

We pray for Owen, who has been diagnosed with serious heart failure and lung conditions which require him to be on a continuous oxygen tube.

We pray for Pastor Ben and his family in India. 

May this Sabbath bring:

Rest that restores. Peace that settles the soul. Joy that rises from gratitude. Faith that grows deeper. Light that guides every step.

Amen

Please join us every week in our Sabbath Prayer for the week. We request your support in adopting prayer points for people mentioned, in your own prayers this week and become vessels of His healing. 

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Jen Tan: Finding Job’s God in the Cancer Journey

 

Please read an important footnote at the end 

Who does not know of Job? Mostly everyone. Who understands the Book of Job? Very few.

The Book of Job is a profound exploration of undeserved suffering and the limitations of human logic in the face of divine sovereignty. It follows Job, a righteous man who loses his wealth, possessions, home and health, and subsequently engages in a grueling dialogue with his friends, who mistakenly argue that his agony must be a direct punishment for sin. The most important aspect of the narrative is its rejection of a simple "transactional" morality; it concludes with shifting the focus from "Why is this happening to me?". We understand that his suffering does not come from God. Nor from his behaviour. He is an innocent victim of the War of Satan. Ultimately, Job’s restoration underscores that while human suffering is often inexplicable, trust and integrity can exist independent of a "blessing-for-behavior" contract.

As many of us, Jen too had questions. Specially the "why me" question. She took the trouble to read the Book of Job and we quote her conclusion here.

"Reading the book of Job, I see reflections of my own journey. Job lost everything, and even his friends assumed his suffering was due to sin. Yet he could not understand why he was suffering so much as he kept claiming he has done nothing to deserve such punishment.

Before my cancer diagnosis, I was living a comfortable and fulfilling life. I had many plans for the future and looked forward to the joy of achieving them. But everything came to a halt after my diagnosis, and I found myself unable to plan ahead as I once did.

There are times when, like Job I find myself questioning God - have I sinned so much that I deserve all these suffering? Yet deep within, I believe God does not place sickness upon His children.

Throughout my cancer journey, he has been by my side, giving me strength and helping me to keep going every time I feel like giving up.

Through this illness, however, I have drawn closer to God. In losing so much, I came to realise that God is ultimately all we truly have. We are called to place our full trust in Him. While God gives us Himself, He does not reveal every detail of His plans to us. This reminds me that this life, with all its pain and uncertainty, is not our final destination".

To find "Job’s God" while navigating the terrain of a cancer journey is to surrender the agonizing pursuit of "Why?" for the restorative presence of "Who." The enduring lesson from Job is not a simple promise of restoration, but a fundamental shift in perspective. The conclusion of this devotional is not one of easy answers, but of resilient faith.

Ultimately, we meet Job's God not in the rational explanations of friends, but in the dark, intimate, and often frightening moments of our deepest pain. This is the comfort that transcends logic: 

The God who managed the chaotic chaos of creation is the very same God who sits with us in the clinic.

Editors Note: 

Today we want to very specially ask you for your prayers for Jen. She has undergone a PET Scan today and we need to pray, and pray hard, that it shows good results. God Bless you all. If you want to send a message for Jen, please add it in the comments section.  

The Jesus Advisory

“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” 

(Micah 6:8,NIV)

Does God ask too much of us? 

At times it may seem impossible to live the way He wants us to. But the fact is that while the price of our sins has been paid we still have work to do. But the good news is Jesus gave us guidelines and advice on how to live. Jesus’ teachings generally shifted between radical ethical shifts, practical wisdom for daily living, and spiritual mandates.

Below is a curated compilation of his core advice, categorized by theme with their primary New Testament references.

1. On Human Relationships & Conflict

Jesus’ advice on social interaction was revolutionary for its time, focusing on proactive peace rather than reactive justice.

a. The Golden Rule: Treat others exactly how you want to be treated. (Matthew 7:12)

b. The Radical Pivot: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

c. Conflict Resolution: If someone has wronged you, go to them privately first to resolve it. (Matthew 18:15)

d. The Limitless Pardon: Forgive others not just seven times, but seventy-seven times (essentially, without limit). (Matthew 18:22)

e. Judging Others: Remove the "log" from your own eye before trying to take the "speck" out of someone else's. (Matthew 7:3–5)

2. On Anxiety & Mental Well-being

His advisory on worry is remarkably modern, focusing on mindfulness and the futility of over-planning for "tomorrow."

a. The Futility of Worry: Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or wear; worry cannot add a single hour to your life.(Matthew 6:25–27)

b. Daily Focus: Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

c. Finding Rest: If you are weary and burdened, come to him to find rest for your soul. (Matthew 11:28–30)

3. On Wealth & Ambition

Jesus viewed material wealth as a potential competitor for a person's heart and offered strict advice on priorities.

a. Priority of Heart: Do not store up treasures on earth where they decay; store them in heaven. Where your treasure is, your heart will be also. *(Matthew 6:19–21)*

b. The Dual Master Rule: You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24)

c. The Cost of Success: What good is it to gain the whole world but forfeit your soul? (Mark 8:36)

d. The Definition of Greatness: If you want to be "first" or great, you must be the servant of everyone else. (Mark 9:35)

4. On Personal Integrity & Faith

This section of the "Advisory" focuses on the internal world—motives rather than just outward actions.

a. Authentic Prayer: When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray in private rather than making a show of it. (Matthew 6:6)

b. Simple Honesty: Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37)

c. The Foundation: Don't just hear these words; put them into practice. It is the difference between building a house on sand versus building on a rock. (Matthew 7:24–27)

d. Persistence: Ask, and it will be given; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. (Luke 11:9)

Today’s Practical Steps: 

a. Identify one person who frustrates you or with whom you have a minor "cold war." Spend 60 seconds privately wishing them well or praying for their success today. Notice if it changes your internal tension the next time you see their name on your phone.

b.  Whenever you catch yourself spiraling into a "What if?" scenario about next week or next month, physically stop and name three things you are responsible for only in the next three hours. Focus your energy exclusively on those immediate tasks.

c.  Look for a "low-status" task today—something that needs to be done but offers no praise or recognition (like tidying a shared space or helping a junior colleague with a tedious task). Do it quietly and move on.

d. Avoid the urge to "over-explain" or give a polite excuse for a boundary today. If you cannot do something, give a kind but firm "No" without the fluff. If you commit to something, ensure it is done exactly when you said it would be.

Active Trust

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." 

— Psalm 27:14

We often view waiting as a "gap" in our lives—a period of unproductive silence where we are stuck between a prayer and its answer. In a world that prizes immediate results and quick fixes, the act of waiting can feel like failure.

However, Scripture teaches us that waiting is not passive resignation; it is active trust. David repeats the command in Psalm 27 to emphasize its difficulty and its necessity. It takes immense courage to remain steady when the horizon remains empty. Yet, it is in this resistance that our spiritual "muscles" are built. Just as physical strength requires tension to grow, faith requires patient dependence to mature.

Do not mistake silence for absence. God often performs His most profound work in the quiet. While you are waiting for a change in your circumstances, He is working on a change in your character. He is building the endurance, trust, and refinement that you will need for the very blessing you are seeking. If you remain steadfast, He promises to strengthen your heart from the inside out.

Recall the Israelites at the Red Sea. With an ocean in front and an army behind, they were completely out of options, except wait for God to deliver them. There was no strategy to deploy and no strength left to fight. It was in that moment of absolute helplessness that Moses declared: “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”

Their deliverance didn't come through their own effort, but through surrendered obedience. They stood still, and God moved. The sea parted not because they fought, but because they trusted.

There are battles in your life today that striving cannot win. Worry will not solve them, and sheer determination will not overturn them. When you have prayed and done what is right, there comes a moment for holy stillness.

Choosing calm over panic is your greatest testimony of faith. When you stop scrambling and start resting in His sovereignty, you invite Him to move in ways you could never orchestrate yourself. Trust His timing, for He still knows how to make a way where there is no way.

Pray for the courage to stand still and watch Him move on your behalf. 

Peace in the Storm

                                  Peace in the Storm.

“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” — Mark 4:39

Unlike stormy weather, life’s storms rarely send warnings. Financial strain, fractured relationships, sudden loss, or inner turmoil can rise like waves against your peace. In those moments, fear can feel louder than faith. Yet the same Jesus who stilled the sea then still reigns now. His authority has not diminished with time.

Sometimes the storm outside remains for a season, yet His presence calms the storm within. Let His Word speak louder than your anxiety. Refuse to let panic dictate your response. Invite Him into the center of your distress. Trust that the One who commands wind and waves also governs the details of your life. Go to His word and let His Spirit calm you and strengthen you.

Remember -

His peace is not the absence of storms, but the presence of His authority within them.

Action Step:

Pause today when anxiety stirs. Whisper, ‘Peace, be still.’ Let His presence steady your spirit before circumstances shift.

Monday Reset: Mercy in Motion

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.” — 

Psalm 136:1

This psalm was sung in the aftermath of exile, as the people of Israel reflected on the Lord’s covenant faithfulness. Each verse resounds with the refrain, “for His mercy endureth for ever,” recounting creation, deliverance, provision, and victory. The repetition was intentional—it anchored memory to mercy.

Having returned from captivity, the nation realized their survival was not due to strength or strategy, but steadfast love. Every line became a testimony that God’s goodness outlasts rebellion, exile, and hardship. Gratitude was not shallow sentiment; it was a declaration of theology and trust.

Gratitude reshapes the way you interpret your life. When you intentionally recount God’s faithfulness, your perspective begins to shift. Even when challenges persist, thankfulness redirects your attention from what feels lacking to the goodness that still surrounds you. Gratitude steadies anxious thoughts and softens restless striving. It trains your heart to recognize grace in ordinary moments.

Anchor Thought for the week: Gratitude is the lens that reveals mercy in motion.

As we begin this week, let us actively and intentionally remember His mercy. Let thanksgiving rise before worry, and praise precede every plan. Let us "Anchor" our hearts in gratitude so that peace may guide our steps.

Start this week by naming three mercies from last week—big or small. Speak them aloud. Let gratitude set the tone for the days ahead and may gratitude overflow from our lips and bring glory to His name. 

Sabbath Vespers: The Power of Prayer

                  

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16 (KJV)

James wrote to believers scattered under pressure, reminding them that prayer was not a final option when everything else failed—it was their first and greatest resource. In the Epistle of James, he emphasized that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” To illustrate this truth, he pointed to Elijah, a prophet who prayed and saw drought come upon the land and later prayed again and witnessed rain fall. Elijah was not presented as superhuman but as a man subject to like passions as we are. His example demonstrated that heaven responds to earnest, faith-filled petitions. 

Let us not measure the effectiveness of our prayers by immediate visible change. Some answers unfold gradually, shaped by divine timing. Continue to pray with faith, not frustration. Lay our needs before Him consistently and trust that He hears every syllable. Our lives matter and our petitions matter. Our tears are seen. 

Almighty Father, ignite our prayer life with fresh faith. Teach us to pray with persistence and confidence in Your promises. Let our prayers align with Your will as we pray continue to pray for Jen before You today again. Be with her, strengthen her body and mind to respond to her treatment. We pray for Samira - grant her physical and mental resilience as she recovers from Immunotherapy. For Lisa, as she supports her daughter Arielle during her treatment. We ask for your wisdom in here family life. For the miracle of complete healing for Arielle. For strength to Lisa in re-building her life and her court case. We pray for Victoria and Alison, for Joan and Lindsey. And Lord, we widen this prayer to every person fighting cancer right now, including Swenson's husband. We pray for the seniors, specially the senior gentleman in India who has been your humble servant. We pray for his healing and strength as he undergoes dialysis and for his daughter and caretaker. We ask for prayer for Tem's nephew, as he goes into surgery, for an aneurism. We pray that God guides the surgeon's hands and that he makes a full recovery. We pray today very specially for John, for your miracle to undo any abnormality in his body. For Venus and her heart condition and for Pastor Ben and his family in India. We also pray for your servant who has dedicated his life for you - and is now facing hardships in job and health.

May this Sabbath bring:

Rest that restores. Peace that settles the soul. Joy that rises from gratitude. Faith that grows deeper. Light that guides every step.

May the peace of this day linger in our hearts long after the sun sets, fueling our purpose for the week to come.

Amen.

Please join us every week in our Sabbath Prayer for the week. We request your support in adopting prayer points for people mentioned, in your own prayers this week and become vessels of His healing.

To download our mobile app Click here