This Week With Jesus

Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, popularly known as FUD, is a common sales strategy that really top sales professionals excel at. It involves deliberately disseminating negative or alarming information about a situation, in order to make a someone feel uncomfortable or insecure about their current choices or future prospects. In order to counter or check FUDs, one has to look at the present and past evidence to be able to reach a rational decision. FUD is also a strategy used by the Master of Deception , Mr. Satan. He excels at it - creating situations where people can start doubting themselves and even God. He uses the dangers and storms that come our way, to plant fears in our heads. We start thinking, will God bring me through this storm? Will I make it? Do I need to look for alternatives? And that is exactly what Satan wants. He wants us to look for alternatives. But God hates that. Our God is a jealous God. And thus shuts the gates of blessings till we come back to God. It is natural...

(References of sermons by Pastor Jolly Raj of Bethel Church Noida, India and Pastor Rajiv) Christians all over the world are a mixed lot. Some are fiery, some lukewarm, some extremely committed and some very regular church goers. But we all love our Hymns for sure. We all sing our Hymns and pray every Sunday and wonder and discuss what's it's like up there. Once such Hymn is "Stand Up for Jesus". How do you do that? How do you stand up for Jesus? Or are they just empty words? To understand this question, we need to delve into what is "not standing up for Jesus." Pastor Jolly Raj, in his sermon of the 22nd of June, 2025, talked about how the environment we live in, can slowly and innocuously creep into us and slide us into a situation where we compromise basic principles of Christianity. Such a compromise can end up even in us breaking core commandments and tenets of our faith and justifying it to ourselves in the name of humanity or integration or, as the mo...

Psalms 91:14 " Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name". Psalms 3:5 " I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me" . Today Francis Taylor asks a question we should always by asking ourselves - "Where and how has God made Himself abundantly present in your life? It's an interesting question! First, you need to realize that God IS present in your life. Then you need to look for him. As I was thinking about this, I remembered the movie White Christmas and the wonderful song "Count Your Blessings." What were your blessings today? Do you have your health? Did you have a nice meal? Did you find that perfect gift, or make all the lights? Do you have people in your life who love you? What are your blessings? I count my friends, my family, my home, my job. I could go on, but you get the idea. There are also significant moments – the birth of a child, recover...

Read Hebrews 11 Faith is as important to a Christian as is water to a fish. In times like these, when world events challenge our faith every day, we need to draw inspiration from Biblical heroes and heroines, including Noah. While it is good to read about Noah's faith, it is important to understand the role of faith in our walk with God, because faith is not just intellectual assent but a confident trust that leads to action and obedience. We tend to look at faith from afar, but up close it may have very different connotations. Hebrews chapter 11 is often called the "Hall of Faith" because it beautifully recounts the stories of numerous individuals throughout the Old Testament who demonstrated remarkable faith in God. Their stories teach us what faith is all about. Think of it as a powerful testament to what it means to live by belief rather than by sight. Why is faith so important to us that a whole chapter was devoted to it by Apostle Paul? The role of faith is absolute...

Genesis 6  Would you ride in a car that had no engine, no steering wheel and no brake?  When we read about the great flood and Noah and his ark, we mostly read Genesis 6 without much thought. Yes, he built a boat and saved countless animals etc. etc. But verses 15 onwards tell us that it was no ordinary boat. It was made according to God's specifications. That was one special boat. Why did God give the exact measurements? There may have been multiple reasons but before that remember the objective this boat had to fulfil. 1. It had to accommodate a huge number of passengers 2. It had to float. Unlike the Titanic It was not mean to travel or go from point A to point B. It had to be built for the successor world to not drown but float and survive. While the Bible doesn't explicitly state why those exact measurements were chosen, the most likely reasons relate to the Ark's functional requirements for stability, capacity, and survival, all that was necessary to keep a three-stor...

Read Genesis chapter 5 & 6 What Adam and Eve started, God ended with the great flood. A complete destruction of the World. The state of the world before and during Noah's time, according to the Biblical account in Genesis, was one of extreme wickedness and violence. Several key aspects characterized this period: * Widespread Corruption : The text states, "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). This suggests a pervasive moral decay affecting all aspects of human life. * Prevalence of Violence: The earth is described as being "filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11). This indicates a breakdown of social order and rampant aggression among people. * Ungodliness: People lived their lives with no regard for God or his ways. They were consumed by their own desires and pleasures, seemingly oblivious to any impending judgment. * Normalcy on the Surfac...

Psalm 23 is quite strange. After all, after having walked through the "valley of the shadow of death" God prepares a feast for David in the presence of his enemies! Can we/ you ever feast or banquet during adverse times? The KJV devotional has this to say - "David faced so many challenges but remained confident in the power and provision of God. He knew how God could prepare a feast; not just in a secure place but even in the presence of enemies. This illustration shows us the richness of God’s care for His people and the confidence we can have in Him. We see here that God prepares the table and does not bother to remove the presence of enemies (or adversity). This means that there are times when God allows hardships to linger, but He still provides care, sustenance, provision, and strength while we are going through these adversities. We cannot always expect God to get rid of all of our obstacles for us, but we can be confident that even when surrounded by threats or ha...

How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts! - Benjamin Franklin This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practise ourselves the kind of behaviour we expect from other people. - C.S. Lewis I believe there are too many practitioners in the church who are not believers .- C.S. Lewis Every man should keep a fair-sized cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends. - Henry Ward Beecher Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us. - Charles Spurgeon Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite. - Charles Spurgeon Experience tells us that each man most keenly and unerringly detects in others the vice with which he is most familiar himself .- Frederick W. Robertson Steal the hog, and give the feet for alms. - George Herbert The Pharisees broke Moses' tables into pieces, and, gathering up the fragments, took to themselves what part of duty they pleas...

We have often said a single quote can teach us more than a sermon. Today's quotes are on the theme of faith - "It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters."  - Mother Teresa "Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light."  - Helen Keller "It is this belief in a power larger than myself and other than myself which allows me to venture into the unknown and even the unknowable."  - Maya Angelou "What is to give light must endure the burning." - Eleanor Roosevelt "In God's eyes our words have only the value of our actions."  - St. Ignatius Loyola "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."  - Martin Luther King Jr. "What does the Lord require? Only to act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."  - Micah 6:8 "Faith is the bird that feels the lig...

In a small, quiet village nestled among rolling hills, lived a young shepherd named Elias. His days were filled with the gentle rhythm of tending his flock, the warmth of the sun on his face, and the comforting sound of sheep bells. Yet, beneath his simple life, Elias carried a deep longing for something more. One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the fields, Elias sat on a hilltop, his gaze fixed on the vast expanse of the sky. A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of wildflowers, and as he listened to the distant bleating of his sheep, a sense of peace washed over him. In that moment, Elias heard a voice, soft and clear, like the whisper of a summer rain. "I am the Good Shepherd," the voice said. "I know my own and my own know me." Startled, Elias looked around, but there was no one there. Yet, the voice continued, filling him with a sense of warmth and belonging. "I lay down my life for my sheep." As Elias liste...

There is a Hymn called Standing on the promises of God. Nice hymn though it leaves some questions which is how do you do that? What does it mean?  We are so used to broken, partially broken or seldom kept human promises that we are conditioned to take promises with a pinch of salt. Yet we are told to stand on Gods promises. What does it mean? Standing on the promises of God means having faith in God's promises and living in a way that is faithful to God. It also means being aware of God's promises and applying them to one's life There are more than 8000 promises made by God in the Bible . Which ones do you claim? Which ones has God made good on, to you? Here is an E Book listing them out and you can download it here . Read it and see what the Lord has done for you and can do for you. After all.... "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?...

Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark. 1. Don't miss the boat. 2. Remember that we are all in the same boat. 3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. 4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. 5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. 6. Build your future on high ground. 7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs. 8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. 9. When you're stressed, float awhile. 10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic by professionals. 11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. - Author Unknown

  Ref:  John 10:3  There are some verses which we don't really think about and/or take for granted. The example of the shepherd and the sheep is one. Today let's see what it's about? A query on an artificial intelligence engine tells us "Sheep are herd animals that are led by voice and naturally follow their shepherd. Shepherds use their voice to guide their sheep, with specific calls to stop, turn, or move forward. Sheep will eventually learn to recognize the shepherd's voice and trust him, and will not listen to commands from others ". "Sheep learn their shepherd's voice by following other sheep, who instinctively move towards new pasture lands". What this AI engine knows and tells us today, the Biblical authors knew and told us 2000 plus years ago. Three things stand out: 1. The shepherd's voice  2. Following other sheep. 3. The gatekeeper. As God's people, we often become confused with the voices, sounds and sights and get mixed up in...

Have you ever felt trapped? like there was no way out of a difficult situation. Jonah was no stranger to that feeling. After running away from God's call, he found himself in the belly of a great fish. Can you imagine the darkness, the stench and the despair he must have felt? Yet, in the midst of his darkest hour God was still with him.  Sometimes we find ourselves in our own 'Belly of the Fish" moments. It maybe a broken relationship, a health crisis or a seemingly impossible situation. Its in those moments we need to remember that God is with us even in those depths. He is our refuge and our strength.  Just like Jonah, God can use our difficult circumstances to shape us and teach us important lessons. It was in the belly of the fish that Jonah repented and cried out to the Lord. Sometimes it takes being in the belly of the fish for us to truly surrender to God and seek His guidance.  So if you find yourself in a seemingly impossible situation, remember Jonah. Your bell...

"God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile" - Max Lucado "God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies." - Hudson Taylor "Remember who you are. Don’t compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth." - Lysa Terkeurst "Let God’s promises shine on your problems.” - Corrie Ten Boom "Christ literally walked in our shoes." - Tim Keller "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength." - Corrie Ten Boom "The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us." - Billy Graham "Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them." - Elisabeth Elliot "God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go." - Tony Evans "The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, b...

  “When worry is present, trust cannot crowd its way in.” Billy Graham