Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflection: K.I.S.S.

K.I.S.S? Keeping it simple and straightforward. 

Lets' be honest. A lot of u are reading this because of the anagram? Wondering what it stands for, attaching different meanings etc., and in short making it a complex puzzle. That's natural. We love complexity and I call it the complexity syndrome.

So many business organizations also go through this complexity phenomenon as well, with the result they lose focus on what they started out to do.

And that is what happens in Christian life too. We can complicate it so much with dos and don'ts that we lose focus on the end. The means become the end.

For example, we are taught to follow the commandments, which most of us think are 10. Did you know there are 613 commandments in the Bible? Can I follow all 613? Probably not. But Christ made is simple and straightforward when He said in Mark 12: 29- 31: 


The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”


These two commandments sum up the all. If we love our God only, we place him above all else - money, time, people, family, etc, not letting anything or anyone take a priority over God.

 
If we love our neighbor as ourselves, we will never ever hurt him or her or even think about it. Adultery, murder, covetousness - all are removed.

 
You get the picture. Let's not fall into the complexity syndrome and end up with nothing. Let not the means God has given us to live by, become the end.

Mid Week Message : The Two Principles of Forgiveness, Mrs. S. David, Guest Speaker

Our mid week message by Mrs. S. David inspires forgiveness as she talks about the two principles of forgiveness. 

Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflection : The Other side of Failure

There are times when the heavens seem shut and drought and barrenness and failure surround us in whatever we do. It must happen to everyone and we have nothing to do but wonder what went wrong? At such times friends, relatives etc offer no consolation. They can't because they themselves may not know the pain or outcome.

But there is one who knows. One Who had gone through worse and yet survived. Job. Job's story in the Bible, is the perfect example of holding God high, irrespective of His circumstances. Looking beyond the obvious as we say. Today his story can help us beyond and to the other side of failure and fear.

Of special mention are verses Job 5:17-26 

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

These verses give strength when they say that while we may go through the worst - the worst cannot kill us. 

We may not be spared the situation, but the situation cannot destroy us.
Today if you are going through such a phase in life, it maybe a good idea to read through the book of Job.

Are we prejudiced or racist? Pastor Rajiv's Message for the week:

It is shocking that in Christendom, slavery  and racism was rampant in America and Europe and other parts of the world, in some form or the other,   till abolished in the mid to end of the 1800s. But, in spite of several commandments, scriptures, parables etc in the Bible, against it's practice, in some cases even equating it with sin, the concept of race supremacy prevailed, leading to world wars and bilateral wars. Even now, name calling some one on their color or race or looks is prevalent. 

God is not black or white or yellow or brown. God is a spirit. He has not made anyone superior. 

Today, Pastor Rajiv talks about prejudices, from a biblical perspective and how we as Christians need to respond. 

Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflection: How to turn a blessing into a curse

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.”— Romans 1:25

Most of us have experienced highs and lows in life. We have experienced Gods blessings as well as downturns when the heavens seem to be shut. While that is a topic for another time, today I was prompted to share how we tend to misuse a blessing. I assure you it's very easy.

How many times, when we are blessed, say we got a promotion at work, do we imagine it is a reward for our work. We thank God for being recognized, but do we recognize God as being the cause, and we the effect and not the cause. Imagined strengths sometimes lead us to misplaced thanksgiving, and misplaced praise.

Self proclamation is another dangerous trap we sometimes fall into. The servant is not greater than the master and we are not greater than our Lord, no matter how great our sermon is, or how much we give to charity. All that was given by God. We were just a channel. Yet, while in word we acknowledge this, in deed we sometimes do not.

Our blessings are to be shared so that they become a blessing for someone else. Pass it on. Yet, do we pass it one? Apart from tithes do we actively look to pass it on?

Our God is a jealous God and He does not like it when praises and thanks giving which were rightfully His, to be diverted to someone else, including ourselves. It is to our detriment that we may give glory to the wrong person. In fact, when we 

God does not need praise. There is no lack in him. There is no “need” that God has which must be satisfied. He is to be praised because we must be grateful to the our creator and the author of our story. 

"Also, praising God is good for the one who praises him. There is something spiritually beneficial when we humble ourselves and praise him. There’s a spiritual benefit to worshiping him, to speak of him in terms of adoration. Somehow, someway God is there with us in our praises to him" - Matt Slick , Carm.org. 

Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections : Root Cause Analyses

Root cause Analyses is a very popular management tool to find out the actual cause of a problem or a fault so that by rectifying it, the resultant problem gets solved.

But did you know that the first Root cause analyses was done by Jesus Christ when he said in Mathew 5 29and 30 -
"If your right eye causes you to stumble,(B) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble,(C) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell".

Many of us take these commands so literally, we end up ignoring them. After all, if I have stolen something, am I to cut off my hands? Not at all. What these verses mean is to identify and remove the root cause of what has made me steal.

Removing the root cause could be very simple or extremely complicated. If I am an alcoholic and my friends circle is influencing me to remain there and not get better, I need to change my friends. On the other hand if I am a habitual liar, it will be way more difficult and not as simple as changing my environment.

The key here is honest identification of the root cause, no excuses, and honest removal of it. This sounds easy but is extremely difficult and it maybe a good idea to ask God to show us the mirror, to help us to identify it and thereafter remove it. It can be days, months, years before the root is finally killed. But what is critical is 2 steps in the process.

1. Decide to do away with that root cause and stick to that decision, no matter how strong the desire. There maybe backsliding but don't give up. Get up and start again.

2. Don't leave any empty holes. As soon as the root or even a part of it is removed, fill that void with Gods word and Jesus's presence. If you don't, that void will soon become a bed of weeds and killer roots.

Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflection: The World is a Lonely Place

“Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8.

Do you remember the story of David and Goliath? This small fellow, unknown for any war like skills, took on and defeated Goliath, the champion fighter. Alone, unsupported but only cheered on by Saul's army.(Kind of reminds me of our current day situation between Ukraine and Russia).

Who in this world could be lonelier than King David? Hunted by his king, death of his best friend, his children turning on him, his favorite wife being his out of sin, her baby dying, constantly at war....

But there was one who never left his side and that was God. David is known as the man after Gods own heart, because while he may have been lonely, he sought God day and night and God was always there. . He tried to obey, he took punishment where due and all in all had a constant and daily relationship with God.

In Psalm 25:16, he prays - Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

David had a relationship with God. And in that relationship he had someone he could always turn to. He may have been lonely at times but he was never alone. Now that may sound funny, having a relationship with someone not seen. But in this world where we are isolated and depend on social media and internet based social networking that is not strange. We are constantly trying to build a relation with someone we have never met in person nor are we sure he or she actually exist.

We too can build a relationship with God. Talk to Him and feel His presence all around us as we live in His creation. A very good resource to help us understand how David related to God, can be found https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/how-can-we-apply-and-pray-davids-prayer-in-our-own-lives.html

Maybe we can make him our role model. Meanwhile to start with I can recommend David's prayer of thanks giving in 2 Samuel 7:18-29. 

We all can have a great friend in Jesus. Let's send him a friend request today.

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Daily Devotional : Baptism is a Verb

Galatians 2:20 -
I have been crucified with Christ(A) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.(B) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God.

And 

Mark 5:  14-16 - 
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven

A verb is a doing word. Not static but active. Being active in Baptism is not only about going around preaching to the world but first about change in ourselves and then about showing the world.

Christianity is a way of life, not a religion of do's and don'ts only. When we choose to practice it, our psyche and our behavior, change. It effects the choices we make, the people we meet and the language we speak. It effects how we work, our profession, our relationships with people, and with the world.. In short it brings about change within us. This change is then visible to the world which acts as an example for others. But how do we do it? 

As practicing Christians, We need to ask ourselves, is there a change in me? Create a measure. It may be a good idea to honestly list out things which are in us and not in the Word of God. Am I fond of gossip? Have I stopped. Am I gluttonous? Has my gluttony reduced. Am I prone to abusing, cursing or swearing? Has my language changed. Do I condone immorality? Have my views changed. Has my empathy factor increased?

These are just examples. Each one of us have our unique set of traits that are un Christ like. These changes are not done overnight. Time needs to be set aside daily to imbibe Gods word. Please not I use the word imbibe which means to absorb, not just read. This is a change in itself. For example, take the 7th commandment. Thou shall not commit adultery. I may not be in the literally sense but I maybe doing exactly that in the figurative sense by adulterating Gods word or letting other things get priority over God.

These are some of the changes we must bring about, before, like Paul, we can say not I but Christ lives in me.

Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections: When Christ had a request

When Christ had a request

Mathew 26: 39
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Christ had a request. He requested God to spare Him the fate that awaited Him. Though God did not grant this request, Christ set the perfect example of   how to pray.

Let us take example from His prayer - when He requested God to spare Him the agony of what was to come.

"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed". — Matthew 26:39

There are several instructive features in our Savior's prayer in his hour of trial.

Solitude

It was lonely prayer. He withdrew even from his three favored disciples. Like Him we must also be much in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial. Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the Church, will not replace the solitude of prayer when we are in complete communion with God. Remember, like Christ, David too withdrew into solitary prayer.

Humility

It was humble prayer. Luke says he knelt, but another evangelist says he “fell on his face.” Where, then, must be our place? Humility gives us  a good foot-hold in prayer. There is no hope of prevalence with God unless we abase ourselves that he may exalt us in due time.

Relationship 

It was filial prayer. “Abba, Father.” We will find it a stronghold in the day of trial to plead our adoption. WE have no rights as a subject, WE have forfeited them by our treason; but nothing can forfeit a child’s right to a father’s protection. Be not afraid to say, “My Father, hear my cry.”

Perseverance

Observe that it was persevering prayer. He prayed three times. We should also cease not until we prevail. Be as the importunate widow, whose continual coming earned what her first supplication could not win. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.

Resignation

“Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Yield, and God yields. Let it be as God wills, and God will determine for the best. Many times our prayers are not answered. Remember what we pray for is part of our plan. What we want. It may not be part of Gods will. Since our view is short term, it may not be the best for us in the long term. It does not mean God has not listened. It does not mean He isn't aware of our need. It simply means, in His wisdom, He has a better, more enduring plan.

Christ's prayer was not answered. He requested for something that was not part of Gods plan. Remember, had God granted that prayer, had Jesus Christ been spared and not died and resurrected, had He not experienced the depths of Hel on our behalf, I would not be writing this and you would not be reading it.

* Todays reflection is based on the Based on the KJV Bible Study. 

Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections : Finding Good in Evil

Todays Reflection: Forgiving evil. 

Genesis 37: 26-28

Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. 28So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

Forgiveness is not blind. It's does not happen at the spur of the moment. It's a process.
I take example and inspiration from Joseph. Why and how did he forgive his brothers?
His brothers had sinned against Joseph and God. But God had a different plan. He wanted to use Joseph for ensuring continuity of his family.

Joseph forgave his brothers, after their true repentance. The Agape Bible study explains this so well and the following points are taken from here https://www.agapebiblestudy.com/Genesis/Lesson_18.htm

Joseph put his brothers through three tests -
"The first test was the brothers' three day imprisonment which was intended to cause them to come to terms with their sin against him.
The second was a test of their willingness to rescue their brother Simeon by bringing their brother Benjamin to Egypt and retuning the money Joseph put in the sacks of their pack animals.
The third was a test of their willingness to sacrifice their freedom for the life of their youngest brother, Benjamin".

Only after these were successfully completed, did real forgiveness set in because Joseph was sure that true repentance had set in. 

Forgiveness, while being at the core of the Christian faith, is not to be given away like bread. It is to be nurtured so that all ill feeling is got rid of completely, from both sides. True forgiveness happens after true repentance. 

Evil will happen. But if we look , and ask for Gods help, we can find good in evil. And when we do that we can either continue to hate the perpetuator of that evil or choose to find the good, praise God and forgive, after we are sure that there is true repentance and sorrow. If we don't find repentance,  it is still possible not to hate since we derived good from their evil act.