Accountability : Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflection

Romans 14:12

"So then each of us will give an account of himself to God".

In professional terms, Accountability eliminates the time and effort you spend on distracting activities and other unproductive behavior. When you make people accountable for their actions, you're effectively teaching them to value their work. When done right, accountability can increase your team members' skills and confidence. Accountability is extremely crucial for positive gain.

Similarly in Biblical terms accountability is equally and most important. It could mean life or death. Physically and spiritually. It is about the value we place on God's word and our purpose in life. 

Biblical accountability begins with taking responsibility for one’s own actions and making a conscious choice of allowing God and others to help in accomplishing what is right. Biblical accountability is three dimensional -

Accountability to God 

Making sure we walk the talk and take trouble to understand His purpose for us, through His wisdom. Making sure we use the Gifts He has given us, wisely and  for His glory, including His Holy spirit.

Accountability to self

We owe much to ourselves. We are not a mistake but part of  a plan of God. Our bodies are His temple and our world is His garden, which need to look after as well. His Holy Spirit resides in us, is with us. We need to make sure we maintain His temple in cleanliness. Make sure we maintain health. What we do here defines our life. It also defines our purpose. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit and not ignore it's presence in our lives.

Accountability to others.

As Gods people we have a responsibility, given to us by our Lord Jesus - to work towards the well being of our world as well as fellow men and women. In fact, it is a command, not an advice. 

John 15:12

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you"

So it becomes a triangle with God at the top, and us humans at the bottom and a horizontal accountability with each other.

Why should we take it seriously? The word account appears 68 times in the Bible. So it's not a mere occurrence or reference. It's a serious valuation of what we have done with the life and time God has given us.

"For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away".

That's how serious this matter is to God.

For reference read Matthew 25 verses 14-30.

Hotline to Heaven: Pastor Rajiv's Daily reflections.

Do we need Samuel ?

1 Samuel 7:3  "And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines".

This verse has a lot of meaning even today. The strange Gods Samuel refers to can be anything which distracts us from our relationship with God. It could be money or riches or another person and in fact anything. If we look at our lives most of us have compartmentalized our time, even time for God. We have a time for devotions (if at all) and seldom are we in continuous communication with God. We have fixed times for prayer, for Church for fellowship etc. 

Taking a cue from the quoted verse, isn't it time we prioritized God over anything else? Why does God have to take second priority? Why Can't we establish a direct and  constant communication with Him - at home, at work, in the train, in the plane and where ever we are? Sounds impractical? Let me tell you it's absolutely doable. How? You may ask. 

Well, the fact is every one of us does something called self talk, where we are constantly talking to ourselves in our minds. We simply need to be self aware of our self talk and include God in the conversation. When we start doing that, we will also start reviewing answers through the Holy Spirit, in the form of thoughts. Our self awareness will help us to listen and understand what God and the Holy Spirit are prompting us with. In fact we need not even say "Dear God" and end with Amen. 

So do we need a Samuel in our lives today? No definitely not. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit so that we don't need prophets to communicate on our behalf. Just two simple steps and we have a hotline to heaven. The first step is to become aware of your self talk and the second step is to include God in the conversation. Simple yet effective. 

Board now! Or be left behind.

Board that Ark !

Gen chapter 7 ver 1
"And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation."

God invites us into His dwelling. If we accept and enter, we are protected against the storms of life. No matter how perilous the waves, we ride on top and do not drown.

In this world today, the ark is as real as it was during Noah's time. Today, we live in a society that has turned away from God. We truly deserve another flood of God’s wrath, but because He loves “fallen man” He provided us with an “ark” into which we likewise could enter. If we think this is imagination, we need to think again. The recent pandemic, Tsunamis, world disasters are all indicators that we need to accept Gods invitation and enter that ark before it is too late. But where us it?
That ark is our Lord Jesus Himself. Jesus provides that ark to give us safety, peace  and security. He has sent personal invitations to all of us to board.

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

"The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price."

When we are travelling how anxiously we await the call to board our flight, train or bus. If we don't board we are left behind. The craft does not wait.
How much more do we want our God to wait?

Yirat Adonai: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Psalm 67:7 says "God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him."

There appears to be a contradiction here - Blessing and fear in one verse. Will God Bless us only if we "fear" Him?  John also talks about fear when he says - 

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18).

The contradiction deepens and confuses. So what is this "fear" we talk about when we say "God fearing", "Fear of God", etc. 

Often Christians interpret “the Fear of the LORD” as the fear of the punishment that God could give us for our deeds. Certainly, we will all stand before God’s judgment when we die. But if we know that Christ has paid for our sins, we should not have this kind of fear anymore. And yet the word fear occurs in the Bible 500 times.

What we should understand is that the English language is much limited as compared to Hebrew and hence may encourage apparent contradictions. Like many words in Hebrew, "Fear"   has a much broader range of meaning than we have in English. To us, “fear” means fright, dread and terror. But according to Lois Tverberg the Hebrew equivalent of fear , yirah (YEER-ah) encompasses a wide range of meanings from negative (dread, terror) to positive (worship, reverence) and from mild (respect) to strong (awe).

So should we cringe before God or stand in awe or dread Him? what does it mean to fear the Lord? 

This is what John preaches against when he says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18).

The Jewish rabbis often spoke of the “fear of the Lord” as  — Yirat Adonai — but they always thought of it in terms of the most positive sense of the word yirah. They defined it as awe and reverence for God that motivates us to do his will. They pointed out that fearing God’s punishment is actually an inferior understanding, because at its core it is self-centered. It doesn’t even focus on God. Rather it looks at God only through the lens of your own interests, by asking what will happen to you because of Gods knowledge of your deeds.

On the other hand - If you have Yirat Adonai, awe and reverence for God, it fills you with a better kind of fear. 

Imagine that you work at a mega-corporation and one day you’re promoted to work directly under the CEO. Wouldn’t you tremble as you report for your first assignment? When you have great respect for someone, you feel terrible knowing you’ve disappointed them. And when you love another person deeply, you earnestly want their approval. How much more should this be true with God!

Therefore, when we say reverence and respect and love which is so deep that it  teaches us how to live, and reassures us of God’s power and guidance

It is reverence of his will that keeps us from getting caught in sins that will destroy our relationships and lives. Which also means that there is a constant reminder that God is with us, every moment of the day. If we have Yirat Adonai,  a Sense of God’s Presence becomes a critical state for humans. In fact, In many synagogues, over the ornate cabinets that hold the Torah scrolls is the phrase:

Know Before Whom You Stand. 

This means to realize that an infinitely powerful God is close at hand. Wow!

**** Todays reflection is adapted from Lois Tverberg and a detailed reading is available here. 

Shattered Dreams : Looking Beyond Failure

The Book of Ruth is one of only two books of the Bible to be named after women (the other is Esther). It's a short book and often easily overlooked. Yet it has always inspired us to look beyond failure and loss.
The short Book of Ruth in the Hebrew scripture has three main characters, Ruth, Naomi and Boaz, from whom you can learn many lessons. The story of Ruth covers a period of loss and despair for Naomi, persistence and devotion of Ruth, a time of bestowing grace and favor for Boaz and an ending of joy and blessing for all three.
As a woman in ancient Israel, Ruth's loss of a husband and her sons was equivalent to losing her security and future. All of her dreams were shattered. It is a study on how to respond to shattered dreams as we follow Naomi's development from a bitter, depressed woman returning home with nothing but a foreign daughter-in-law, into a joyful woman with an adopted son at the end of the story, and with the all important mission of establishing the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ruth was the great grandmother of Jesus).
We all have faced situations of extreme disappointment, and the story of Ruth shows us how to respond to them. Failure isn't about failing it is about learning. It is about transformations.
In essence, when we face our shattered dreams, we need to show resilience and courage like Ruth, not run away from the situation. Ask God for His vision for us, change our focus or profession or outlook, and be willing to work hard (like Ruth) even if it means we go out of our comfort zone to survive.
With a change in focus, we get new opportunities and a new horizon. It's not easy. it's not quick.
Looking beyond our failures also means we don't look back. Though we may see many possibilities - we choose one in consultation with God - in line with His will. We pray for wisdom, for patience for trust and for faith. And we pray for protection.
We all fail at one time or another, whether we admit it or not. But beyond failure there is God.

Who do you bank with ? Pastor Rajiv's Daily Devotional

Banking is big business and depending on your needs different banks claim complete customer satisfaction. But there is one Bank which a lot of people don't bank with and that is the Bank of Heaven or BoH. 

While earthly banks will take care of your financial needs, even allowing you to buy more than you can afford, the BoH takes care of your future needs- so that you can have a peaceful and loving existence with our father and brother as well as many many more like us.

What is the currency which the BoH uses? Simply the absolute truth of our commitment. Everything else follows. David put's it beautifully when he says - 

Psalm 27:4
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Why not open your account today? It is so simple, no paper work at all. A simple  wireless message is all you need. 

Don't wait for Thanks Giving: pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Don't wait for thanksgiving. Thank God each day. each Hour. Each moment.

Think of all those little things people did for you. Call them and thank them. Bless God for sending them into your life. Like David, build up the crescendo to thank God. There is something to thank God for every day, we just have to look for it. Be aware that every good thing comes from God, our Father and our creator.  Psalm 34 puts it perfectly - let it be part of our prayer every day. 

1 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Forget Me Not: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Psalms 138:3  "In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul".

Humans have a tendency to forget over time. When God works in our lives we rejoice and praise at that moment but it slowly fades away.

Gods work in our lives also gives us a sense of confidence in ourselves. And sometimes it becomes over confidence. But like David, we must remember it is not our strength but the Lords.

A good way to remember maybe is to maintain a personal daily diary of what God has done for us that day. Doing that helps us to meditate on the day and identify everything God has done, small or big, so that it does not get swept away in the business of life with its  daily temptations, problems and wins and losses.

Meditating on Gods work in our daily life during our quiet times also helps us to listen to God when He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit and His word.

Just as the Psalms are a record of Gods work in David's life, try maintaining a record of daily encounters with God, because everyone does have them whether we are aware of it or not.

As God said in Jeremiah chapter  33:3
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” (NIV)

Note the word unsearchable. 

Walk on water : Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

In the world of computers, it is the input which determines the quality of the output. Similarly in humans, when Gods word is input into our lives, it produces tranquility, peace, faith, hope, love, honor, and so much more.

When we are faced with doubts and fears, it is Gods word which can give us positive hope, not man. When the ups and downs of life surround us, Gods word is the anchor who will keep us steady  in the midst of storms and Jesus is the one who will help us walk on the waters of troubles without drowning.. He is the one who is able to keep us steadfast and unmovable in spite of the tides of life. Hebrews 6:19 declares: “Hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…

Remember Peter in Matthew 14 verse 29 -
"And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus".

But then he lost faith and was overcome with fear. As he started drowning Jesus reached out and saved him. So is it with us. One day we are up and high and down and out the next. But Jesus is always there to reach out and catch us and His word is ever present to give us hope and solace.

Today or when ever we face a challenge, or a major change and uncertainty let us remember that our Lord is at the other end and asking us to come. Without fear and with complete faith that He will walk with us over the water, holding our hand. And for our faith He has given us His word, which we can draw upon daily to meet our needs. 

Agape: The face of Christianity: Our Daily Reflection

It is said that it is  always darkest under the lamp.

I have seen many Holy men. Many pastors, many speakers, many so called healers etc. I have also seen the original people of God who brought Jesus into my country. Truly, I have never forgotten them. They were gentle in speech, gentle in behavior and very gentle and true in their overall dealing within and outside of their sphere of influence. They were also very hard in their beliefs. So in my small mind, I saw them as a true reflection of Christ. And I guess that is what attracted the scores of people who joined their churches and became a following. 

Today, are we exhibiting attitudes and characteristics of Christ? Are we exhibiting the love Christ taught us ? Are we true followers of agape? 

I know we all will answer in the positive. But let's check ourselves against the checklist Paul gave us in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 verses 4-7 :

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

This love is to be practiced not only for people in general but for within families, societies and elsewhere. This love is what Jesus meant when He said - "love thy neighbor as thyself". 

When I measure myself on this as a checklist of the outcomes of love, I know I am not a 100 percent in any and probably not even 50 percent in most.

So the question is this: my actions, character and demeanor is what the light of my lamp is. If I don't burn bright, how will anyone looking at me respect Christ? Because they expect to see Christ through me and what they see in me is what they believe Christianity is.

Agape is what God's love for us is and our love for God. We need to get as close to this ideal as we can. Let us not let darkness prevail under the lamp but burn so brightly that we illuminate every nook and corner.