Are we greater than God? Sunday Reflections

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths".

Do we think we are greater than God? I am very sure most, if not all of us, will say NO!

AND I am very sure a lot many of us, in practice do exactly the opposite: Try to play God.

Man by nature strives to reach God's stature even to the extent of trying to create another human or humanoid. This is an extreme example, but we try and play God, every day in every way.

When we pray, don't we say, Lord I have this challenge and I need to do X to solve it. Or Lord can you please help me achieve Y so I can do this or that?

Why are we trying to tell God how to solve a problem, instead of just putting out the problem and letting Him solve it the way He deems fit? Who are we to tell God what to do? Do we trust ourselves more than we trust God?

As an exercise, just think of your prayers in the last 3 days. How many times we have "suggested" an action plan to God?

I know, as a professional I was faced with challenges which I needed to overcome to be able to keep my job. And when I prayed I would often tell God "look God, I am about to lose my job so I am taking this action, pls bless what I am doing so I can find success" ?

In short we tell God How to answer our prayer. We tell Him how to do his work. What we forget is to pray for His will to be done.

The opening verse is a direct reminder, actually an instruction, not to tell God what to do. With me it's a habit which I consciously need to stop and get rid of.

I think we all need to remember this verse always -

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts".

The 3 Sieves of Socrates: Daily Reflections

John 12 .."And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people".

There is a poison each one of us are prone to: Gossip. 

Gossip is a sad and destructive fact of life. It damages reputations, ruins relationships, divides families and creates too much bad blood. Gossip is as old as history itself. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ absence from Jerusalem during Tabernacles evokes gossip among “the crowds” that is interestingly ambivalent about Jesus’ character: “And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, ‘He is a good man,’ others were saying, ‘No, he is deceiving the crowd’” (John 7:12). Jesus’ assessment by some as “good” and by others as “deceiving” underscores the social process through which gossip can create tension—in this case, over Jesus’ very identity.

Throughout the Bible we have been warned not to gossip, not listen to gossip. Ephesians - 29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen".

But how do we know what is gossip or information? Well Socrates faced the same things and has given us a way to discern. Its called the three sieves  and this is how it goes :

When some one is trying to tell us something we need to put the 3 sieve test and ask these questions : 

First Sieve : The first is the sieve of Truth. We need to ask, are you sure that what you are going to tell me is true or is it hearsay? 

Second Sieve: The second one is the  sieve of Goodness. The question to ask is - Are you going to tell me  something good or positive?

Third Sieve : Is it necessary to tell me ?

If what is being told  is neither true or is hearsay, good or necessary, just forget it and stay away. 

The story about the three sieves is something we can apply to our lives. Before you tell a story or pass on a rumor, ask yourself whether it is true, kind or necessary. 

Often we pass on gossip we’ve heard to keep the conversation going or talk negatively about somebody we know. Why not focus on “uptalking” others, concentrating on their strengths?

What is your JD? Pastor Rajiv's Daily Devotional

What is your Job Responsibility? 

Responsibility is defined as the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.

Starting with Adam and Eve, we all have responsibilities. They were supposed to be caretakers of creation by virtue of having control or dominion. Peter was also given specific responsibilities ("take care of my sheep"). Paul also points out in his letter to the Corinthians that whatever we do, should be for the glory of God. 

Drawing on these I like to think that our JD primarily consists of these -

1. Taking care of God's creation : We have been given dominion or charge over the entire creation, or nature as we call it. With this charge comes a responsibility to maintain it, for ourselves and the generations to come. We are stewards and must fulfil that responsibilities of a steward. 

2. Take care of people: In line with Christ's commandments, loving our fellow citizens passively is not enough. We need to actively practice that love by caring for people, specially those maybe down in life. Sharing provisions, time, blessings which we have received are some ways we can. It means we need to be sensitive to people, societies, norms, governments, etc. Remember, Paul said - " Give no Offense, either to Jews, or to Greeks or to the Church of God, just as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many so that they maybe saved". 

3. Reflect the Glory of God in our life - By far the most important. Like Jesus summed up 613 commandments into 2, this one wraps up all  our JD  into one. To reflect God's glory one must first then know God's Glory and it's characteristics. If we have received a miracle, don't keep it a secret. If we have received a blessing share it. Acknowledge God in all things good and acknowledge His strength and grace given to us to survive the bad. Encourage one another in faith and it's practice. But above all, practice that faith. Dr. Irv Busenitz has captured this very well in his article "The Christian's Job Description"  - 

"Our job is to glorify God. This must be our purpose in life, whatever we do, do all to the glory of God. How are we to accomplish this? By placing the benefit of others ahead of ourselves, by foregoing our liberties so that the lost might be saved, and by pursuing the likeness of Christ".

Watch your step: Pastor Rajiv's Mid Week Message

 Ephesians 5: 15- 17

"So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants". (5:15–17 MSG)

The highlighted first statement is so familiar. Parents say that to children, people use that as a warning to others and so on. This is a general warning. But read further, it is a guideline for every Christian.

As we travel a path carefully chosen according to His will, word and purpose, God presents us with so many opportunities. Opportunities to flourish and prosper, and also opportunities to say NO. Opportunities to lead an exemplary life. Opportunities to use our gifts for others.

We cannot pass our time mindlessly, but realize every second we live is an investment we make into life.

And why? Because at the end of it all, we have the promise of His return and our saving from a second death. People don't think about their second death too seriously, specially young people. We are all pre- occupied with our physical death and how to prolong our physical life. But think this - if physical death is so fearsome to us, how much more horrible and painful the second death will be.

But we have a promise - to be saved that horrible fate. In this mid Week Message Pastor Rajiv talks about the second coming of Christ and what it means for our future and why we should invest in that future.

The Chicken or the Egg? : Daily Reflections

There is an interesting question nearly everyone knows and has asked at some point in their lives: Which came first- the chicken or the egg.

Like everyone else I have been trying to answer this question for 40 years now and I must confess I am at a loss to come to an unchallengeable and irrefutable answer.

However, I do have the answer to another similar question many Christians face: Do I have to become a citizen of the Kingdom of God first, or do I get blessings first. 

For the answer I will reference Matthew 6 Verses 32 and 33....

32 For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. 

First things first. What is the Kingdom of God and what do I seek in there? Now, we are all familiar with the virtual world where the internet reigns supreme. Think of the Kingdom of God as a virtual kingdom where God reigns supreme, where Jesus is the King. And because He is the King and it's His Kingdom we need to live by the rules of that kingdom. In this kingdom, God’s authority is recognized, and his will is obeyed. God's word and His will have been clearly laid down in His word - The Bible.

What is very clear is that we need to become citizens of the kingdom of God before blessings can fill our lives. And how do we do that? As a kingdom citizen, we align with God's lordship by aligning our life with what God has said in his word.

To become a citizen here, one obviously needs to follow the laws of the Kingdom. Consider His word, i.e., the Bible, as the constitution of the Kingdom of God, which contains all the laws and advisories for citizenship. But what benefits do we get from this citizenship?

1. As a Citizen WE Are under God’s Lordship

2. As a Citizen WE Are under God’s Protection

3. As a Citizen WE Are under God’s Provision

4. As a Citizen WE Surrender to God’s Purpose

You can study the above points  HERE 

So in effect it means that I need to first become a citizen before I can expect anything. How do I do that? I think there are four steps involved:

1. I need to give up citizenship of the Earth. I need to stop following the ways of the world - stop lying, cheating, fornication, adultery, murder (we may not murder anyone physically but character assassination is a very popular sport with us humans) and the list goes on and on.

2. I need to ask the King (Jesus Christ) for forgiveness. Keep going back to step 1 and repeat 1 and 2 till I have cleaned out my life. The Old Testament will be a guideline during this phase. Refer to Exodus 20 for each Law.

3. Replace each habit with a rule from the New Testament and teachings of the King.

4. Follow God’s agenda for us. I call this the POP principle - Preaching, Obeying and Praying. (To clarify, Preaching and Teaching can be done through example. One need not become a Pastor or a Preacher to do this.). 

As we pray we MUST also repeat the Pledge of Allegiance to the kingdom. This pledge can be found HERE 

So to conclude, becoming a responsible citizen in the Kingdom of God is the first and critical step. Everything else follows. 

APPLY NOW! 

All Things Bright and Beautiful : Pastor Rajiv's Daily Devotional

Genesis 2:15

"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it".
The original mandate to humans was to look after and maintain this beautiful world God gave us. A utopian world which would be bereft of climate change, carbon emissions, pandemics, human tragedies. I could go on and on.
We have failed miserably. Our failure necessitated the coming of Jesus Christ as well. Necessitated His death.
We can't go back in time and correct what we failed in, but we sure can correct ourselves in the present time, on a personal basis, as a personal responsibility, given to us by none other than God and His son.
For starters, we can reduce our personal carbon footprint. You can calculate your personal footprint here and see how to reduce it and help the environment and our world that God gave us.
Second, we should see helping our fellow brothers and sisters as helping God because they are His children. God has commissioned us to be blessings to all His children – both the lost and the found. When we choose to withhold our help, we are turning our backs on God. Make sure that your heart is set on helping those in need at all times. It is always rewarding.
We have been chosen to be disciples and this means that we are the face and hands and feet of Jesus on earth. Jesus depends on us to bring the Good News to others, and most of the time that is by giving example of how Jesus acted during his time on earth.
It is not for us to judge and with hold. It is for us to do what we have been commissioned to do, which is to take care of our world and the people in it.


** From the Poem All Things Bright and Beautiful" by Cecil Frances Alexander. You can read this beautiful poem, now a hymn, HERE.

The Applied Christ: Daily Reflections

Read Matthew 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"

The world population in 1 AD is estimated at about 150 Million people. Published estimates for the 1st century ("AD 1") suggest uncertainty of the order of 50% (estimates range between 150 and 330 million). Who would have believed then that a movement that started with 12 people, would include 1/3rd of world population in 2021 or 2.38 Billion people?

This kind of growth is not possible to sustain unless we, as followers, become that light on the hill that Christ talked about. We need to be  active points of dissemination of God's word through our attitudes, behaviors and lifestyle, and lastly His witnesses. We need to become living witnesses to the word. So how do we do that? I think a four dimensional change and practice is needed in each of us. 

1. Change our attitude towards fellow men. It matters not that our theology maybe perfect yet our attitude is negative to others, within and outside the immediate circle or family. We need to show compassion to fellow men, as our Lord did. Compassion is not only what you may think but it literally means “to suffer together, in thought word and deed. Its not what you do behind the curtains for someone, like praying for them, but also how we treat people around us. Its a great temptation to put people down around us - so that we stand tall and we all do it, some more and some less. . But it is not what Christ did. Contrary to what we do, He humbled Himself to His followers among whom He was anyway standing tall.

2. Practice what we preach, otherwise we are liars - and untrustworthy and no one looks up to an untrustworthy person. . The way one can do this is strengthen the mind and the day with the scripture. Take it as God's word for the day. The Old Testament teaches us what not to do while Christ taught us what to do. We can cover ourselves with the Word. On top of that, pray for the day, for challenges, for fellow men and women, for careers, for family etc. Pray for strength to do what God tells us to do. Remember, It took Jesus great courage and sweat of blood to do what He was asked by God the Father to do. Religiously practice the two commandments Christ gave us - "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Now lets ask ourselves - would I do that to me?

3. Maintain a stable mind. What causes instability of mind leading to sinfulness? Simply our thoughts and actions, brought on by perceptions and fear. Both of these are FUDs (we have talked about this earlier). But Prayer is what can provide the even keel. "If your right eye has caused you to sin, gouge it out". Kill thoughts of temptations, sins, anger, revenge. How? By prayer. Prayer is the key. Fear is another source of instability - and can only be fought through scripture and prayer.

4. Hope. Our life on this earth is to create hope. Hope and faith go hand in hand. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope Our Christian life is based on these two. Do we spread hope? Do we spread faith in that hope? Of are we consistent pessimists, discouraged and discouraging. 

These are the four basic needs of anyone to look up and follow us. For us to become that light on the Hill. If we can demonstrate these four attributes, which Christ Jesus did and taught us as well, we will be that lamp which is kept high on the stand to illuminate others. I know one can say I practice the first and the second, but am weak in the three. Well, we need to be strong in all four to be effective. 

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place".

40 Days After Easter - Peter

Matthew 16:18

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

Peter had to be reinstated

Jesus had called Peter the "Rock". Yet when the odds were against them, Peter ran away and denied Jesus. In his own eyes he had fallen, knowing he had betrayed as well. Twice he had shown his biggest weakness - fear. Once when he tried to walk on the water and again when Jesus had been taken away. 

But if Peter had to become the rock of Christianity, Jesus needed to reinstate his position among the disciples as well build Peters self confidence. This was critical if this group of 12 or G-12 was to be successful. Note the following verses: 

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

This is what Christ had to do. Reinstate Peter's leadership, Peters commitment and Peters assignment, after the debacle. 

These three commands may sound similar but they are actually different. 

**The three commands, although often translated the same way, are subtly different. The first time Jesus says it, the Greek means literally “pasture (tend) the lambs” (v. 15). The Greek word for “pasture” is in the present tense, denoting a continual action of tending, feeding and caring for animals. 

The second time, the literal meaning is “tend My sheep” (v. 16). In this exchange, Jesus was emphasizing tending the sheep in a supervisory capacity, not only feeding but ruling over them. This expresses the full scope of pastoral oversight, both in Peter’s future and in all those who would follow him in pastoral ministry.

The third time, the literal translation is “pasture (tend) the sheep” (v. 17). Here Jesus combines the different Greek words to make clear the job of the shepherd of the flock of God. They are to tend, care for, and provide spiritual food for God’s people, from the youngest lambs to the full-grown sheep** 

(** sourced from Got Questions Ministries). 

Very clear instructions to Peter as well as other disciples, and maybe to us today. 

Like Peter,  we often forget that God is in control, and we overstep our limited authority. God works through us in spite of our human frailties. No offense is too great to be forgiven by God. We can accomplish great things when we put our faith in God instead of ourselves and follow His purpose for our lives. 

the 40 days after Easter - Living by Faith. : Pastor Rajiv's Daily Devotional

Earlier we talked about why Jesus stayed on after His resurrection. In 2000 years, 12 followers became 2.38 Billion! So those 12 had to be well equipped in faith, in strength and vision. They had to have a shared vision with Jesus. They had to have faith, which needed to be built.

Live By Faith, not by sight.

He had one unfinished task and that was to replace Himself with His disciples and friends. Yes he was risen, but he knew He had to go. Look at the question they asked Him "will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel ''? They still had not grasped the fact that Jesus's kingdom was a different ball game! They still had a lot to learn and a lot to be taught, which He did at different times and places, throughout those 40 days. So what did He have to do?

For one, He had to teach them to live by and be led by faith, something they did not know as He was hitherto been with them physically. Till now the disciples were used to seeing Jesus, interacting with Him and following a leader. Now He had to teach them to live by faith and not by sight, as they had been doing. He had to tell them "I’m going to heaven, and you will have the Comforter in My place. You need to start walking by faith, Mary, not by sight".

Two very interesting incidents depict this. One where May tries to touch Him and is stopped and the other when Thomas is invited to touch Him. Both Mary and Thomas needed more faith. Mary needed faith enough to let Jesus go. Thomas needed faith enough to believe without empirical proof. Mary needed to loosen her grip; Thomas needed to strengthen his. The resurrected Christ gave both of them the faith they needed. He came in different guises to meet them and they did not recognize Him from His physical appearance, but did so from His ways and actions.

Tomorrow we will talk about Hope and why He had to give His disciples that Hope which drove them forward. 

Pastor Rajiv's Mid week Message

One week after He was crucified,  Pastor Rajiv talks about the Resurrection on Easter day. Is it valid today in 2022?