This Week With Jesus

One of the central themes of the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the core message, is Christ's expectation that His followers be characterized by peace—not violence or war. In the famous opening to this great sermon known as the Beatitudes, Jesus taught,  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Today, pastor John talks about Peace of Jesus Christ and what we can do about it. 

Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." No matter how much we have experienced Gods hand in our lives, man's character is to primarily depend on himself/ herself for counsel and any work. Few are the people who are​​ 100% truly dependent on God, right from the start. And then there are folks who decide their path and then pray to God to help them travel that road. They don't realize it may not be the same road that God has planned for them. Yet it is their way, their will, they choose until forced to turn back, causing much hurt, sadness and disappointment. What we don't realize is that man's foreseeable future is limited to a moment. But God sees a lifetime and beyond. So why is Gods way better? the Lord’s ways are the result of wise deliberation; they are proactive whereas Human action ...

Read Malachi Chapter 1 This passage summarizes the basic spiritual problem facing Israel: apathy. God has shown His love for them, but they don’t recognize it anymore. To show how He has loved them, Malachi points to the destruction of Edom. Israel has suffered, but God has kept them through those struggles. Edom, on the other hand, has been obliterated. (Like us) God's chosen people have sinned, but they haven't been destroyed, which is an act of God's love and mercy towards them. Today we are pretty much the same. Just as He did in Moses' time, He leads us out of destruction to creation, both figuratively and literally. Think back and remember all those times we were on the brink but got pulled back. Above all God gave His only son for our sake, a gift of His love, we are about to celebrate. He was born as a sacrifice, to be sacrificed for us. But, inspite of all this, does He take priority? Do we walk with Him and talk with Him, just as it was intended? Do we bring t...

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Mark Chapter 10 42- 44 Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. 43 But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. 44 Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all.... Money is the mechanism with which we satisfy needs and wants. One can have just enough or can have it over the top. One can also have so much you don't know what to do with it. Money is so important to us that most people are in a race to earn money, whether as individuals or organisations. If you don't earn in your prime, you are considered a failure. It is tempting to get caught in the race to become wealthy and successful – and when w...

It is part of a human mind to desire and make plans to fulfil that desire. We build for ourselves  a dream. But not every dream becomes a reality as we all know. I am sure A pregnant Mary never expected to birth Jesus in a Manger. At the same time, we would not expect a king, and that too a heavenly king to be born in a stable. Just as the disciples expected Christ to be a king on earth and build His kingdom where they all would be His "team". I am sure disappointment ran deep in their minds. The problem is sometimes we create our own heartbreaks through expectations. just as the disciples did.  Disappointments dot our lives — failed business ventures, broken relationships, lost loved ones, rejected job applications, unanswered prayers. When things do not go as we expect, we usually face dejection or worse, depression.  But this is and can be also an opportunity.  Firstly, we can choose to learn how to manage an expectation. It's simple. Pray it as a request to God a...