This Week With Jesus

 

Psalm 23 There is an old story about Psalm 23 (though we can't say if it is true) and which teaches a beautiful lesson. It goes like this: Once there was a fund raiser in which a famous actor was the Chief Guest. He gave his speech, did a couple of performences of his famous dialogues and then invited questions. Someone in the audience asked him if he knew Psalm 23. To this he replied in the affirmative saying he had to memorise it as a child. Another person piped up and asked him to recite it. The actor then proceeded to recite Psalm 23, in his deep baritone voice complete with facial expressions and voice modulation. Slowly, deliberately serious and with actions. When he finished there was thunderous applause and a standing ovation. After the applause died down, someone spied an old priest sitting in the corner. He raised a call for the priest to recite Psalm 23 as well, a call which caught on till the the entire hall was echoing with that demand. The priest slowly got up, so slo...

  Play to Win or Play Not to Lose! 

As we read Revelations, trying to understand, one thing stands out: the significance of the 7 churches to our lives today, with 7 different types of Christians in the world. Let's take a look: The Loveless Christian : First, we have Ephesus, a prominent city with a church mentored by Paul and pastored by Timothy. They are doings things right and yet do have their faults, primary among them is that their devotion to Christ had declined. What can we learn from this church? Like the Ephesian church, we can easily fall prey to a cold, mechanical observance of religion. Like the Ephesians, many tend to focus solely on doctrinal purity and hard work, to the exclusion of true love for Christ. As this letter shows, no amount of zeal for the truth or moral rectitude can replace a heart full of love for Jesus. Persecuted Christians :  Then we have Smyrna. Persecuted Christians. Jesus encourages them to remain faithful, for more persecution is to come. Like the people at Smryna, many today fa...

Once upon a time, in a place called Heaven, a curious scene unfolded. The old king sat at the head of the round table, with His head bowed and deep in thought. Around Him sat His closest advisers, Sir Michael, Sir Gabriel and others and His Son stood next to Him. “You know why we are here,” said the king. The earth is in shambles, people are rebellious, and no one wants to live in peace with each other, let alone listen to me. In fact, some of them openly hate me “ “I made the earth and created humans to have a relationship with me. This relationship characterized by love, worship, and communion. I wanted Humans to live in harmony with me and each other.” “I wanted them to take care of the planet and all its inhabitants, love me and love each other. But most of all I wanted them to do all of this of their own accord – so I gave them free will. And what did they do with that great power of free will and choice?? They rebelled against me! I gave them laws but they broke them. I gave them...

"But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today" . - Deuteronomy 8:18 The Bard of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore, once said that we can attain anything if we create the capacity to receive it.  This profound thought challenges us to reflect on our own readiness to receive blessings from our God. Are we really ready? Our God has promised us endless blessings, but do we truly have the capacity to receive them? What does this entail? Pastor and Bible commentator David Guzik writes, "Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us why God has blessed us. His plan is that it would ultimately further His eternal purpose. Therefore, we have no right to use our material blessings for selfish purposes; instead, we should use our resources to advance His kingdom." Our process of preparation begins with God Himself readying us. Our trials make space for His consolation. When God ...

  Recently we have seen a spate in discussions around the subject of Christians actively trying to convince others to follow Christ. This is said to be as per His command in Matthew 16:15. Francis Taylor has a very relevant view on this and has this to say - "If we ever needed a reminder of how important it is to practice what we preach, this is it. Not only are we encouraged to help others, but we are also warned about giving bad example or leading others, particularly children, away from the Lord." "I have spoken to many people who say that they became a Christian because of the example of people in their family, friends or strangers whose joy is so great they want a part of it. I also know people who have turned away from the faith they once had because they consider those who proclaim themselves to be Christian are hypocrites. Most people don't start out wanting to be Christians because of doctrine. They are influenced one way or another by people. Are you someon...

First let's be clear that humans cannot earn worthiness of Christ on our own. essentially, our worthiness comes from Jesus' sacrifice, not our own merit. However, once we have accepted Him, we then need to try and live a life according to Him and worthy to Him. It begins with making Jesus first in our life. It is seen in our love for God and our love for others. Ask the Holy Spirit for spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. Choose to live according to God's word every day. Most of all practice the presence of Jesus in our life. How can we do that? To practice the presence of Jesus in our life, we can: start our day with intentional prayer and reflection on scripture, incorporate short moments of prayer throughout our day, actively seek to see Jesus in everyday situations, express gratitude for His presence, and live according to His teachings by showing love and compassion to others; essentially, consciously acknowledge Jesus in all aspects of our life and actively ...

Have you ever pondered who you would be or what your life would be like if Jesus had not come into the world? For starters, we would still be under the law, not under grace and forgiveness. God would be perceived as an entity to be feared and respected out of that fear. We would be terrified of the Almighty. But the game changed with the advent of Jesus. He did not abolish the law; rather, He simplified it and inscribed it on our hearts. The sacrifice needed for our forgiveness every time we sinned was made permanently by Himself. This changed everything. It transformed our relationship with God from one of fear to one of love. Respect and reverence became part of our love for God, and grace and forgiveness became part of His love for us. Jesus' message of hope, redemption, and transformation continues to change lives today. Countless individuals have experienced personal transformation and found purpose, meaning, and hope through faith in Jesus. His profound influence on humanity ...

During his 27 years coaching the 10-time national champion UCLA teams, 107-year-old Coach John Wooden often reminded his players, “It takes 10 hands to score a basket.” The underlying message was that teamwork is the key to success. As humans, we were never meant to be loners. Even from the beginning, God said, “It is not good for man (or woman) to be alone.” Yet, loneliness has become a significant issue in today's world, affecting people of all ages, whether young, middle-aged, or elderly. Loneliness can be as deadly as any physical ailment. According to a global survey, approximately 33% of adults worldwide have experienced feelings of loneliness. Brazil had the highest percentage, with 50% of respondents reporting that they often, always, or sometimes felt lonely. Solomon, in his wisdom, wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone wh...

Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage". There is a very strange phenomenon that occurs in a place called Jatinga in Assam, India, wherein migratory birds commit mass suicide.  During the specified months, when the air is foggy, misty, or cloudy, various species of birds see light through windows and in an effort to reach the light they ram into the windows and get killed. The question arises: why do these birds, like a ritual, arrive at the same time every year only to meet their demise? Can they not change their route? This reminds me of us humans. Even though our spirit has been made free in Christ, yet we tend to get entangled in the yoke and bondage of sin frequently. Like those birds we have a tendency to 'commit suicide' by frequently sliding back into sin, sometimes deliberately, sometimes without realizing it. but unlike them, we have a way out in Jesus Christ w...

Every time I read the Bible or a verse from, it creates an imagery which conjures up questions. For example, I have read the story of David and Goliath dozens of times. But when I did the last time, it suddenly struck me that how did David become an expert slings man? On researching it, turns out that most shepherds of that time were excellent with the sling shot, kept practicing all the time, basically to be able to drive wild animals to protect the herd. Most armies of the day had a contingent of slings men as well.  The sling shot was an ancient version of today's guns, and the stone or ball was as deadly as the modern-day bullet. In the hands of an expert (like a herdsman) the shot could pierce the Armour or helmet of the opponent. Flying close to about 200 kilometers per hour, making them comparable in power to a modern .44 Magnum handgun in the right hands. As a herdsman, David had plenty of time for target practice, to polish this survival skill. This fact made me realize th...

Is it possible for mere, fragile, and mortal men to limit the Almighty, Omnipotent, and Supreme God of the universe? Sounds like a foolish question, but the answer is YES!  We limit God by our lack of faith, disbelief, and by trying to confine his power and abilities to our own understanding and experiences, essentially putting boundaries on a limitless being: this can manifest through fear, pride, self-reliance, and not fully trusting in his promises or guidance. When we doubt God's ability to act or fulfill his promises, we effectively limit his power in our lives. This doubt may not be explicit, maybe unstated, but there all the same.  Let us Consider Psalm 78:  17 BUT THEY SINNED EVEN MORE AGAINST HIM By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. 18 And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy.... This is especially tragic if you read it after you read verses 12 to 16! Why is there doubt & unbelief? Firstly , because in our smal...

Did you ever feel that 2024 slipped away from you? Like you lost precious time to struggles, disappointments and mistakes? It can be disheartening to look back and see the time which has seemingly been wasted. But take heart for our God is a restorer of time. One of the most poignant examples of restoration is found in the book of Joel, where God promises to restore the years that the locusts have eaten: "I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you" (Joel 2:25). This promise of restoration is not merely material but also spiritual, as God calls His people to repentance and renewal. The locusts symbolize the trials and challenges that have plagued our lives devouring our joy, peace and blessings. But God in His infinite mercy declares that He will make up for the lost time. Throughout Scripture, God is consistently revealed as the Restorer of the Bro...

Well, it's that time of the year when we all decide to bring in some change in our lives, even though that resolution may fade in a week or two. So, we thought we should delve into the biblical perspective of change and how to respond to or react to it. To start with, let's understand change. Change is a transformation. Change can be internal or external. It can be good or bad. Our reaction to it can be acceptance, rejection, or (as it happens most of the time) silent condonation of it. How does the bible view change? The Bible is very clear we need internal change. That is because God and His principles never change (even though His methods may). If we need to be more like Him, we need to change. Our old self has to die and be replaced by our new self. This new self then needs to shine so that people around us see the Goodness of our God, encouraging external change in the environment. The Bible gives enough guidelines of what is to change in ourselves and how, before we can h...

Our choices decide our relationship with God. Whether we take Him seriously or not. How involved He is in our life and how much we depend on Him. David Bowman has this to say - Every day, we have the choice, every moment in fact, to decide who gets to decide—us or God. This should not be a hard choice. The conclusion should be apparent. Yet somehow, I have rationalized exceptions to the rule, alternate outcomes, even truly fantastical courses of action. The one thing all of my better ideas have in common is that none of them were better ideas. (David Bowman) As we start the new year, think about how we make choices: our choice or Gods choice. In truth, while sometimes we do decide to follow Gods will, most times it is our own human nature who gets to decid3. But, we can discipline our hearts and minds to desire to be in line with Gods choice. While it is extremely difficult, it will be worthwhile to align this year and the rest of the years we have, to God's will and His decisions.

"One day, a very rich father took his son on a trip to the country to show him what it was like to be poor. They stayed for a few days and nights on a farm where a very poor family lived. After they returned home, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. “It was great, Dad,” the son replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh yeah,” the son answered. “So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son thought for a moment and said, “I saw that we have one dog and they have four. We have a pool that goes halfway across our garden, and they have a creek that never ends. We have fancy lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio is big and reaches the front yard, but they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land, but they have fields that go as far as you can see. We have servants who work for us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow their own. We have walls around our property to keep u...

Dear readers, Today it's four years that the first post on this blog was published. Through this time, we hope that our posts, curated from across the world, have brought some joy, hope, peace or security to someone out there.  Our mission has been the revival of the fire of faith, which, naturally, can diminish over time, specially when we face hardship and tough times. In these four years, when we look back, we see Gods hand at work. He has performed countless miracles and granted numerous blessings on our readers. He has been present in all the good times and bad. He has seen us at our best and at our worst. He has always been faithful and his unconditional love brings each of us peace and happiness. Let us boast of His love and His unfailing presence in our lives. We are ever so thankful for Jesus, His son, sent into the world for each one of us. As we emerge from the joyous celebrations of Christmas, let us carry forward the true essence of this blessed season into the New Yea...

Well, Christmas is a day away. We will all be so busy with the busyness of Christmas, prepping for dinners and special cakes, cookies, gifts, travel and plans. In this great and busy time, let us not forget the birthday boy! Jesus was born into the world to bring peace and joy and love. He wants to be born in our hearts if we let Him. What does it mean for Jesus to be born into our hearts? For Him to shine through our lives as light for the world? Sometime back we talked about the three dimensions of spiritual relationships - within us, with God and with fellow men. Because of Jesus we need not hide our faces and ourselves from God, like Adam and Eve, but have a bold relationship with Him and with others. Which means that because Jesus was born to sacrifice Himself for our forgiveness, we are at peace. The Billy Graham Foundation describes this very well - "So many people strive for one thing more than any other - peace. The reason they seek it is because there’s no lasting com...

"Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands " Christmas is around the corner and a time of joy, love, and giving, and is often intertwined with the spirit of charity. It's a season when people are more inclined to think of others, especially those less fortunate. The story of Christmas, especially the birth of Jesus, is often associated with humility, compassion, and selfless giving. By helping others, we not only bring joy to their lives but also experience a sense of fulfillment ourselves. But here is the thing: when we help someone with money or some material things, it often jolts their own self worth. So while we may help them temporarily, we may hurt them permanently. So, taking a cue from Christmas, we try to understand what charity should mean. Jesus took birth to die. We all do. But He took birth to die for us. He knew from the very beginning that he was the scapegoat! He knew His f...