This Week With Jesus

  When the Heavens Declare Gods Glory

  The two major villains of Christianity are Lucifer and Judas. We imagine their sin and shudder, never imagining we could act like them.  But, within each of us, a complex and often contradictory landscape of loyalties and betrayals does exist. This internal conflict is what we might call "the Judas in you." This isn't about committing a grand, historical betrayal, but rather about the subtle, everyday moments where we turn against our own values, our truest selves, or those we claim to love. It's the part of us that whispers for the easy way out, even if it means compromising our integrity. A part that indulges in hate, criticism, gossip, slander, lies, compromising integrity at work or at home, backbiting, and the list goes on. The Judas in us manifests in various ways. It's the voice that convinces us to stay silent when we should speak up for what is right, prioritizing our comfort over justice. It's the impulse to gossip about a friend to feel more inc...

 

 

A Life Woven with Love: The Story of Tabitha Today let us turn our hearts and minds today to a remarkable woman found in the book of Acts, chapter 9 and take inspiration from her. Her name was Tabitha, or Dorcas as she was also known – a name that means "gazelle," suggesting grace and beauty. But Tabitha's beauty wasn't just outward; it shone from within, radiating through her actions, as it should for us as well.  The scripture tells us in Acts 9:36, "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas). She was always doing good and helping the poor." This simple verse paints a profound picture of a life truly lived for others. Tabitha wasn't just an acquaintance of good deeds; she was "always doing good and helping the poor." This was her essence, her consistent character. Think about that for a moment. "Always doing good." In a world often preoccupied with self, with accumulation, with recognition, Tabit...

"The LORD will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace". Exodus 14:14 KJV God Sees Your Silent Battles. Not all of the time do we have the energy to speak up, push back, or defend ourselves, which is sometimes the right way to do it. We can be so overwhelmed in life, emotional or physical pain, that silence and shutting down are what the body craves, and that’s okay. After all, God sees the quiet battles no one else does—the ones in our hearts, behind closed doors, in the moments when silence feels safer than explaining. But.   Know that you are not alone in the fight of life.   You are not overlooked. You are not ignored. The truth is that you are fiercely defended by a God Who fights for you even when you whisper prayers through your tears. Keep your peace. He’s already moving on your behalf. Let us thank God for fighting for us even in ways we don’t perceive. Help us rest and be still in His presence when we are tempted to react.  May His victory speak louder ...

Read : Matthew 9:21 The faith of this woman, mentioned in the quoted verse really needs to be commended. She knew that a simple physical touch of His garment would heal her. Today while Jesus does not walk this earth in His physical form, He did leave behind the Holy Spirit for us, to touch, to be filled and to help us understand His word and connect. In Christianity, "touching" the Holy Spirit isn't a physical act in the way you might touch an object. Rather, it refers to experiencing the presence, guidance, and transformative power of the Holy Spirit in our life. This experience is often described through various spiritual and emotional sensations, as well as by observable changes in a person's character and actions and the various activities around us. Here's how we can be "touching" the Holy Spirit: 1. Receiving the Holy Spirit: Acceptance of Jesus Christ: The foundational step is often believed to be accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour and askin...

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...

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 ...

  “How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.” (George MacDonald) “When all is said and done, the life of faith is nothing if not an unending struggle of the spirit with every available weapon against the flesh.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) “Since God knows our future, our personalities, and our capacity to listen, He isn't ever going to say more to us than we can deal with at the moment.” (Charles Stanley) “If your friend is sick and dying, the most important thing he wants is not an explanation; he wants you to sit with him. He's terrified of being alone more than anything else. So, God has not left us alone.” (Lee Strobel) “There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God; those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it.” (Brother Lawrence) “A little lifting up of the heart suffices; a little remembrance of God, an interior act of adoration, even though made on the march and ...

                                             Just as Adam was made responsible for the care of the garden, God commits some special responsibilities to us as well. It could be the care of our children and bringing them to God, it could be caring for the sick, or caring for some elderly people, or maybe helping someone financially broken, or the elders in our circle and our parents. How we deal with what has been committed to us as responsibility is what will determine our success in Gods world. That will determine whether, at the end of it all, Christ will say - "well done my good and faithful servant..." . Let us therefore pray for discernment to see our responsibilities and strength and mind to fulfill them. This week we pray once again for the Pastor in India and his wife who is suffering from Stage 4 cancer. We pray for a miracle of Jesus to heal her. we pray for a seni...

                                                      Prayer is Where the Action is - John Wesley Does God see? Does God care? Scripture calls us to believe that God really does see, know, and hear. The question is do we call?  Today, we thank God for the recovery of your servant in Australia, in India and those who were sick and needed your intervention.  Today we request you, our readers, for prayers for all these people. We do not know them nor they us. Yet we believe, your prayers will help them and give them hope:  Brandi says - Can you please pray for God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, Mother Mary, The Angelic Hierarchy, The Saints, all those that help us, me (Brandi), my family and my friends. WE are going through a very challenging time right now and could really use your prayers. Thank you! Tanu Prays -  Heavenly Father I come befo...