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...

There us a story in Africa which goes like this: "In Africa, when the sun comes up, the gazelle wakes up early, ready to run her fastest or she will be hunted, killed and be eaten. At the same time the lion also gets up, also ready to run the fastest, faster than the gazelle, because if he doesn't, he will go hungry. The point is this: it does not matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better be running". Our lives as Christians are exactly the same . Except that we are not hunters; we are being hunted. Unlike the gazelle who runs away from the lion, we need to run away from satanic forces and take refuge in and surrender to God. We are called to a Daily Surrender of the way we live our lives, to our creator and Lord, and to do His will. The rest He will do as He has promised in Psalm 91. In this context, Jesus said - And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. L...

Have you ever found yourself working hard towards a goal or trying to catch a break only to come up empty handed? Happens to the best of us. Maybe you have been hoping for a promotion at work, or praying for a healing of a relationship. Whatever it maybe, we can all relate to the feeling of disappointment and frustration when our efforts seem to go unnoticed. In Luke 5:5 we find Simon Peter and his companions in a similar situation. They had been fishing all night without any success. But when Jesus told them to let down their nets once more, despite their exhaustion and doubts they listened and caught so many fish that their nets began to break. The key to this miraculous catch wasn’t the timing or the location. Rather it was in their willingness to trust in Jesus’ word, even when it was illogical, defied their knowledge and their experience and counterintuitive. Simon could have easily dismissed Jesus' advice citing his own experience and knowledge as a professional fisherman. Ye...

 

As we hear / see the news about the Iran Isarael conflict and other conflicts around the world, there are so many stories of missile attacks and bombings. We hear and see people running to bunkers to keep safe. Cars get into tunnels to escape the bombs. Everyone runs for the cover of safety - a good man, rich man, poor man, rebel, criminal, murderer, they all try and get to safety in  the bunkers.  There is also a war which is going on around us, against us waged by satanic forces, luring us, tempting us, scaring us, threatening us with even death. But human bunkers cannot protect us from those attacks. Yet, There is another bunker which is available for all those who are afflicted, to run to. People who are suffering not only in physical war but from pain, sickness, pestilence, emotional trauma, loneliness and any kind of danger - even the war or attacks of Satan and his cohort of spirits. That is the bunker of God. The secret place where God keeps everyone who comes there , ...

  Pastor Rajiv's last Message on the 7 Churches in Revelations. 

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'...

Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” A once-great Christian nation—respected for its leadership, scientific excellence, and technological innovation—sought to reclaim its lost position in the world. They gathered under a powerful slogan, aiming to restore their past glory. Yet, in their pursuit of greatness, they overlooked the very foundation of true leadership: wisdom of honoring God.  Wisdom, as Scripture reminds us, begins with honoring God. They forgot His promise: "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." – Malachi 4:2 The act of honoring God was once the cornerstone of their greatness. It remains the cornerstone of a purposeful life for anyone. True leadership, whether within a nation or in our personal lives, flows from a heart that reveres and obeys Him. How to Honor God in Leaders...

As one gets older, most of us may wonder what will happen to us. What next? We look forward, and depending on faith, we hope we will live with God. But as we look back, we wonder what will happen to our families. Will we see them again? Or is this it? This short message from Ms. Francis Taylor answers that. But when you think deeper, Jesus' life itself is proof of what happens. He lived, died, was resurrected, and taken to heaven in His physical form. What more proof or assurance do we need? Let's read what Ms. Taylor says - Acts 1 9- 11 "Don't you sometimes wonder what was going through the minds of the apostles as they looked up to heaven watching Jesus disappear from their sight. Despite what Jesus had told them about the sending of an Advocate – the Holy Spirit – they must have felt abandoned. I know I would have. They had already suffered the loss of his presence once, and now they had no idea how long his absence would be. But it is interesting to think about the...

Why Revelations Still Matter - Pastor Rajiv  Read Revelations Chapter 2  Today as part of Pastor Rajiv's series of the letters to the 7 churches mentioned in Revelations, we expand on the 3rd letter because it is important for us. Why? Rev chapter 2 verses 6 and 15, talks about Jesus hating the works of a section called Nicolaitans. Hate is a strong word and coming from the Lord it assumes the form of a judgement. So, first let's understand who the Nicolaitans were and what did they do.  The Nicolaitans were a heretical sect in the early Christian church, specifically mentioned in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 2:6, 15). Jesus strongly condemned their "works" and "doctrine." While the Bible doesn't give a detailed theological treatise on their beliefs, the general consensus among scholars and early church fathers points to the following aspects of their doctrine: 1. Antinomianism and Moral Compromise: This is the most consistently identified charact...

T oday we continue with our series on the church that should be based on the seven letters dictated by our lord to john the revelator in the book of revelation. So far, we have looked at two churches the church at Ephesus whom Christ called the loveless church because they had lost their first love that fervent personal uninhibited and openly displayed devotion to Christ. In my last message we looked at the church at Smyrna whom Jesus called the persecuted church. This was one of the two churches with whom Jesus found no complaint the other one being the church of Philadelphia which we will be looking at in a later message.

                                                   What would you do if you received a letter from Jesus? Sounds far-fetched doesn't it? But is it? Today, Jesus still writes letters but now He writes them on our hearts and not on tablets or scrolls.  We become a living Testament to Jesus. When we do become a living Testament, we attract people because they get curious about what is it that makes us peaceful, joyous, trustworthy, honest and in short, when we exhibit those famous 9 traits called the fruits of the Spirit. And when they find out the source, they find Jesus and we become a light to the world and salt of the earth as Jesus wanted us to be. (2 Corinthians 3 verses 1-3) But what is the objective in being an epistle or salt or a light? Research has discovered that more people are drawn to a faith by the witness of the lives of people than by doct...

Read Genesis 12 Post floods the world moved on and we come to Abraham, originally named Abram by his father Terah. Joshua 24: 2 tells us that Terah worshipped other God's as did their community. So Abraham actually grew up in an idolatrous family and nation. While the Bible doesn't give a detailed "conversion" story in the modern sense, it clearly presents that Abraham's transformation into a follower of the one true God was a result of God's direct call and revelation to him. God chose Abraham. It is said of Abraham that the symbol of his life was a tent and the secret of his life was an altar. Rarely do we read of Abraham living in a city and the altar speaks of his fellowship with God. He built an altar on every milestone of His fellowship, four in all. Why did God choose Abraham? Well because it was His sovereign choice and because He knew Abraham's character, his faithfulness, obedience and trust. God always looks beyond the obvious. Thus God chose Ab...

Read Genesis 10 and 11 Many things changed after the great floods. The human race was restarted, we changed from being herbivores to carnivores, lifespans became shorter, and people dispersed all over. Along with all this, surfaced ambition, the inherent traits in all humans. Today, let us reflect together on the threads that weave through Genesis chapters 10, 11 and 12. These chapters, seemingly disparate, actually paint a powerful picture of human ambition, divine intervention, and the dawn of a new beginning. Let's delve into the Genesis of ambition as portrayed in the early chapters of the Bible. It's a fascinating and complex topic, revealing both the potential and the peril inherent in our desires. We see the very first stirrings of ambition not in humanity, but in the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The serpent's ambition is clear: to usurp God's authority and elevate humanity to divine status. He whispers the seductive lie, "For God knows that w...

Yesterday was a stormy day for me. Full of challenges and problems I just could not resolve. My economic condition was close to bankruptcy and my personal life was in shambles. This morning, I got up, lonely, tired and feeling hopeless, staring at certain disaster. So, I took a walk at the seashore near where I live, sat on a bench, my head in my hands and contemplated a ruined life and what it would look like. At first I didn't notice the old man who was also taking a walk though I did see him in the distance, till I felt him sit beside me with a sigh. He must have walked a long way, I guess. After a few minutes of silence, he asked - "enjoying nature, are you? Are you a nature person?" Not being in the mood to strike up a conversation I simply said "no". He says- "yeah, you are young and young people take life for granted and laughed". I said "don't assume things. There are so many young people who love nature and work towards its sustainabi...