This Week With Jesus

When Jesus proclaimed "it is finished" from the cross, he meant His great work was done. He knew He would be resurrected and thus, offer us a new life. But for us it is not finished ; it is the beginning : it's only begun. what does His resurrection mean for us? Does it mean after Easter is done and dusted; we go back to who we were? What does Easter personally mean to each one of us?  The resurrection signifies a new creation and offers us the possibility of living a new life in Christ. Just as Jesus was raised to new life, we too are called to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). This empowers us to overcome sin, live righteously, and follow Jesus' example of love and service. It means we walk away from our old ways and change our ways to His way. If we truly believe in the resurrection of Christ, we will resurrect Him in our own lives, cleaning it out to make a home for Him. Becoming more like Christ is a lifelong journey of transformation that involves intentiona...

Tomorrow is Good Friday and like all Good Friday’s most churches will call upon their elders to talk about the seven words Jesus spoke from the Cross. But to us, those Seven words raise serious questions about the whole Christian experience and life. Today we will briefly, try and understand what those seven words mean to our lives in practical application, so that when we hear our elders speak tomorrow, we have a perspective relating to our own lives. 1. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) Message: Jesus begins His final moments with a prayer of forgiveness for those who crucified Him. Despite the physical agony and emotional betrayal, He intercedes for humanity, demonstrating His boundless mercy. This prayer reflects the heart of His mission—to bring reconciliation between God and mankind. Application : Forgiveness is not easy, especially when we are wronged. Yet, Jesus calls us to forgive, even when it feels undeserved. Are we wil...

                                                      Matthew 13:19 "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side". In the days of old, there was no Bible, no word of God written somewhere. So when God needed to communicate he did so through prophets. They had a calling, were receptive to God's communication through dreams and signs, were blessed with wisdom and knew human nature of those times. Today, we find all these qualities in Gods word, and hence, just as it was critical to listen to what the prophets said then, it is critical for us to read and understand Gods word now - to gain His wisdom, knowledge and His instruction for our lives. To do this we need to go beyond just reading the word. We nee...

A life-changing reality is a profound shift in one's understanding of themselves, the world, or both, leading to a significant alteration in their values, beliefs, and ultimately, their life path. It's not merely a new piece of information, but an experience, insight, or realization that fundamentally alters one's perspective. It is the tipping point, after which one experience triggers change in thought, action and priorities. John 9:25 states: “He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” This verse reflects the testimony of a man who was healed by Jesus, emphasizing the transformative power of faith and healing. The context of this verse highlights the man's acknowledgment of his previous blindness and newfound sight, symbolizing spiritual awakening and understanding. The blind man in this story went through such a change when he experienced a life changing reality: Jesus. And he could not de...

  Every time we deny ourselves in order to serve someone else, we grow in Christ." ~ David Jeremiah "Faith is not limited to affirming the existence of God. No, faith tells us that God loves us and demands a loving response. This response is given through love for human beings, and that is what we mean by a commitment to God and to our neighbor." ~ Gustavo Gutiérrez "Even the best of Christians are troubled by the question, "Why does an almighty God send, or at least allow, suffering?" When you are nagged by thoughts like this, say to yourself, "I am still in elementary school. When I graduate from the university of Christian life, I will understand His ways better and doubts will cease." ~ Richard Wurmbrand "It is my desire, in the office of a Christian minister, to do nothing which I cannot do with my whole heart. Having said this, I have said all." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson "As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement fo...

Acts 5:12 states: “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch)” This verse highlights the miraculous works performed by the Apostles. But what about us? What can we do?  Knowing your role in God's plan is a deeply personal and ongoing journey. There isn't a single, definitive answer that will be revealed in a moment, but rather a process of seeking, learning, and growing. Your role may not include performing signs and wonder like the Apostles did, but we will have a role all the same, albeit a silent one.  A KJV Bible study comments on Acts says that the early church was marked by these miraculous events to conform the message of the Gospel and draw people to faith in Christ.  Today we may not see the same kind of dramatic signs and wonders that the Apostles performed, however we can still experience the power of God working in our lives and in the lives of those around us. G...

  Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  This verse beautifully illustrates the daily renewal of God's grace and mercy, offering a fresh start each day to each of us.  Isaiah too gave similar counsel in chapter 43:18-19 (ESV): "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."   This encourages us to look forward to the new things God is doing and a daily spiritual renewal and revival for each one.  So, every day let us be happy for another day to live.  Today is a New Day so thank you for a chance for a new start. Yesterday's gone and with it are our failures, mistakes and regrets. Lets ask God to help us to start again. It's a good day to give thanks for this life. A new oppo...

"God has a time for everything, a perfect schedule. He is never too soon, never too late. The when of His will is as important as the what and the how." ~ Richard Halverson "A grateful heart is like a sponge that soaks up God's goodness." ~ Joel Osteen "God sees in you a masterpiece about to happen" ~ Max Lucado "God loves purity so well He had rather see a hole than a spot in His child's garments." ~ William Gurnall "Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping your enemy will die." ~ Joyce Meyer "The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays." ~ Soren Kierkegaard "I don't want to play with marbles, when God told me to move mountains!" ~ Reinhard Bonnke "Religion says earn your life. Secular society says create your life. Jesus says, 'My life for your life." ~ Timothy Keller "In reading our newspapers today, we can se...

Despite the actions of Adam and Eve, and Eve's role in those events, God recognized the immense value and strategic importance of a woman as a wife. If Eve possessed the ability to influence Adam toward rebellion, she also had the potential to guide him toward faithfulness and obedience to God. In this light, the modern-day woman embodies a vital role—serving as God’s influencer within the family. A wife has the capacity to inspire spiritual growth and foster faithfulness and godliness in her husband and children. Her influence, however, extends far beyond the boundaries of her immediate family, reaching into society, the church, the workplace, and the broader community. Thus, today's Eve holds a very important position : that of being Gods influencer in the family. The Bible features numerous women who wielded significant influence, demonstrating strength, faith, and leadership. Here are a few notable examples: Miriam: She was a prophetess and played a crucial role in the earl...

There is this story of a man who was asked what he gained by praying so much to God. The man replied nothing. But I lost a lot. How so, he was asked, what did you lose? "I lost anger, greed, ego, insecurity and fear of death to start with". On reading this, maybe fictitious, story, one thinks - what did I gain or lose by praying and spending time with God? For starters we may gain a relationship with the Father. By having that we can be assured that all things, no matter how dismal they may look today, work together for our good. So that builds up faith. We also realize we are under His protection. That builds up a sense of security. We also realize that He is very real, because we see Him at work in our life. Therefore, He exists in a realm which is our destination and therefore death is not final. And till then, we are at peace with ourselves and our fellow men, which adds to happiness Finally, our deep peace comes from not being at loggerheads with God over who's will ...

  Salvation is not a singular event, so we shouldn't treat it as such. It is an ongoing process that began at the cross and continues throughout our earthly lives, involving faith, repentance, and transformation. Lent plays an important role along the way. Phil Ashey, pastor of South Riding Church in Virginia, observed, "Our culture is so focused on an event rather than a process. Even as evangelicals, I think we've been trapped by the idea that salvation is a one-time event, like a sale that we've got to close. But often, it's a process in which people ask questions again and again and approach God repeatedly to consider faith. I see Lent as a door—an entryway—for people to connect or reconnect with Jesus." Engaging in this process means approaching God, understanding His will and power, and reflecting on our faith in Him. Lent offers a unique opportunity to dedicate time toward this reflection. Over these 40 days, we examine our lives, confront our baggage a...

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...

In our last post we talked about Jesus being the way and why we need to follow Him, if we want salvation. Following Jesus means commitment to living a life that mirrors his teachings, values, and example, prioritizing his will above all else, and striving for spiritual growth through faith, love, and service. In short it means "living Jesus" every day. Addressing challenges He faced - His way. Relating to people - His way. How we can do that is to ask ourselves in every situation - what would Jesus do? And then do what He would do. If we don't know- go to the Word. Ask. Rev Francis Taylor says this - "Everyone faces temptation every day. It may be something as unimportant as having an extra piece of candy, or skipping exercise, but it could be as serious as giving in to road rage, drinking too much, cheating, gambling, taking drugs, or – (insert your favorite vice here)! Jesus was tempted to let us know that this is something we all must overcome. When you face a te...

In an earlier post about following Jesus, we talked about making idols in our lives, contrary to the 1st commandment. We think we don't, but we do. Rev Francis says - "Every time we put our needs before God, we set ourselves up as gods. Every time we choose pleasure, money, sports before God, we have created idols for ourselves." Is it any wonder that Jesus said that we need to forsake what the world gives us to be able to follow Him? He never said that we should not enjoy the good things we have - but let not those things become "Gods" and give them priority over that one true God. It could be something as simple as time. We can't serve Jesus because our job takes up too much time. It could be our family or a party or TV or sports. This does not mean we should not have or do these things. It simply means we must develop a habit to consciously give priority to Jesus over everything else, which comes second. Today, let's review our life, and without a bia...

Did you know that the Early followers of Christ were called followers of "the way" ? The term "Christianity" came much later. Let us pause and think why were they called that? What was "the way"? The answer will open the door to another basic question: why should anyone follow Christ? Because Christ offered true followers a pathway to salvation. Jesus was and is the way to our salvation. Thus, our ultimate goal to follow a resurrected Jesus is because He is the way to salvation.  How may you ask? Jesus said to take up our cross and follow Him - essentially symbolizing the end of our earthly self and a new beginning. When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day, no one thought of it as a persistent annoyance or symbolic burden . It was literal! "To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by crucifixion. To carry a cross was to face the most painful and humiliating means of death human beings could develop. Two...

  The Bible features many amazing women who played significant roles in various narratives. On this International Women’s Day , we would like to highlight one such woman – Rahab, a Canaanite woman who helped Israelite spies and later became part of the lineage of Jesus. Rahab is a significant figure in the Bible, known for her bravery, faith, and role in the Israelite conquest of Jericho. Her story is primarily found in the Book of Joshua, chapter 2, a powerful example of faith, courage, and redemption. Her actions had a lasting impact on the Israelite history and the lineage of Jesus Christ To understand the importance of her role, we must first understand why Jericho was so important to the Israelites? In the biblical account, Jericho holds significant importance as the first city the Israelites encountered after crossing the Jordan River into Canaan around 1,400 BCE. The story highlights the miraculous destruction of the formidable Wall of Jericho, which fell after the I...

If you were told to empty a bathtub and the choice was to use a bucket, a glass or a spoon, which would you use?  The answer of course is none of the above. The smart way would be to simply pull the plug, because using any of those above-mentioned alternatives would never completely empty the tub. There would be a remnant of water remaining.  Similarly in our spiritual life, if you don't pull the plug there will always be remnants of our previous sins which will remain.  The problem is when called upon to pull the plug, our strength fails us. We are unable to empty that tub completely because of our attachments to our earthly desires and possessions. But Jesus can!  He sacrificed himself to pull the plug and drain out sin from the world, including for you and me.  Today, as we fill our own tubs, let us be careful that we fill it with what Jesus wants, not what we desire from this world.  Reply Forward Add reaction

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 ...