This Week With Jesus

Today Pastor Vikram Masih of India shared a very valid devotion from the KJV devotional. It truly makes one think. It is about celebrations. When we are joyous and happy, on birthdays, anniversaries, promotion etc., we like to celebrate the occasion with a party - replete with friends, rich foods, drinks, music and possibly dance. We invite all our good friends to the party - all except one. Jesus. Like the above scenario, there was a feast in Martha and Mary's home to welcome Jesus. This devotional is about that and we reproduce it here for you: " Presence Over Presents "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her". Luke 10:41-42 KJV A child will always prefer a parent who is present rather than just the presents. No matter how hard we work to bring home gifts, in the end, children will long to spend more ti...

If we think we have troubles, remember, the man after God’s own heart was not exempt from trouble, nay, his life was full of it. As maybe ours. We all face desperate moments in our lives, so it maybe interesting to look for "desperate moments" in the Bible and draw inspiration. While the Bible doesn't explicitly label moments as "desperate," we can certainly identify situations where individuals or groups faced extreme peril, emotional distress, or seemingly insurmountable challenges, leading to feelings of desperation. Let us think deeply about these moments, put ourselves in the place of the protagonist and think: What would we have done?  1. Hagar in the Wilderness (Genesis 21:14-19): After being sent away by Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael are in the wilderness of Beersheba, and their water runs out. Hagar lays her son under a bush, walks a distance away, and weeps, saying, "Let me not look on the death of the child." This is a desperate cry from a mot...

What causes the death of a church? For example, the Church at Sardis? In this 5th letter, today we will explore the history and outcome of the Church at Sardis and the parallels we see today. I want to share with you a quote from William Ramsay, a renowned historian, and biblical scholar. He explored the decline and death of churches particularly in his work on the "letters to the seven churches of Asia". This is what he wrote - ‘A church is in danger of death when it begins to worship its own past….when it is more concerned with forms than with life….when it loves systems more than it loves Jesus Christ….when it is more concerned with material than spiritual things’. This sounds so familiar when we look at the churches around us. Today we will study the 5th Letter to the Church at Sardis and what we can learn from them, to NOT do. 

Genesis Chapter 14 is a rich narrative that offers several important lessons. Here are some key takeaways: A. Courageous and Decisive Leadership : Abram (later Abraham) demonstrates remarkable courage and decisive leadership when he learns that his nephew Lot has been captured. Despite being significantly outnumbered, he gathers his trained men and allies and pursues the victorious kings to rescue Lot. This highlights the importance of acting swiftly and boldly, especially when those we care about are in danger. A. Loyalty and Family Ties : Abram's immediate response to Lot's capture underscores the strong bond of loyalty and family ties, as an extension of his leadership style. Even though Lot had previously chosen to separate from Abram and settle in a potentially dangerous area (Sodom), Abram risked everything to rescue him. This emphasizes the value of family and the responsibility we have to one another.  C. The Importance of Preparedness : Leaders are always prepared. Abr...

We humans are great visionaries and planners. At least that's what we think. When we envision something, maybe a job, or great wealth, social standing, maybe a visit abroad, we set about planning for it and working on schemes to achieve it.  As we continue our study of Genesis, we once again, focus on Abram, learning about human nature of planning, scheming and strategizing. An ancient reflection of what we do till today, leading to the saying - " Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit " or man proposes but God disposes. Abraham had immense wealth - and as all wealthy people, he needed an heir. So he set about planning for it. First, he plans for his wealth to go to Eliezer of Damacus as he is called, a trusted steward and member of his household. Then he tries to get a son through Hagar, Sara's maid. Though Eliezer is a role model of an ideal elder son, a manager or a caretaker, and Ishmael (Abram's first born and Hagars son) does become a nation, neither were God'...