The Dream Team: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

In a relay race, there can be no individual winner. It's the team. We are taught about the importance of teamwork in every school, college, university and work. But do we know that the best example of team work is as old as God?

While many people do not give much thought to the doctrine of the Trinity, because of its seeming unimportance and irrelevance, it actually is absolutely essential for the Christian faith to be true. The biblical teaching of one God in three persons is at the heart of Christian belief.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit all work together to achieve one common objective: the Salvation of mankind. Of you and me.

They have their roles cut out: God created us; Jesus saved us; and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. 

Once we have committed our selves to Christ what is the difference between our old self and new self? It's the presence of the Holy Spirit in us who now gives us the fruits of the spirit 

Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

These fruits make us visible to the world as Christians and believers of Christ. The contrast is between the acts of the flesh versus our actions when the Holy Spirit resides in us. The this heavenly "dream team" works together towards creation, saving and sanctification - all three being equally important. Tomorrow we will talk about the fruits of the spirit in a little more detail. 

Walking with God: Pastor John Mohammad, Melbourne as Guest Speaker

Pastor John Mohammad is a regular guest speaker at the Hilton Street Church and those who follow their services online, or in person, would know him quite well. As ex policeman, Pastor John combines his experience and his faith to witness to God. 

Today Pastor John talks about what it means to walk with God. 

Walking Humbly: pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Micah 6:6-8

6 With what shall I come before(A) the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(B)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(C)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(D)
Shall I offer my firstborn(E) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(F)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(G) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a](H) with your God.(I)

Yesterday we talked about whether God can trust us. Today we will talk about what God expects from us.
In the quoted verse, it is quite clear that above our earthly gifts, the Lord requires us to act Justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. I think that is the start to building trust.
Of these three, todays lets talk about walking humbly with God.
This statement is in two parts -
1. Walking with God and
2. Walking humbly.

First, what does it mean to walk with God. For clarity and example, look at the life of Enoch, a prophet in Genesis.

(From this point onwards I will be quoting from other sources as well)

According to Rev Patrick Street , " The word “walk” is the biblical expression for “fellowship and obedience with God that results in divine favor.” It refers to the manner of life a person living in nearness to God.
Enoch walked with God … a walk of dedication and devotion. His walk lived up to His name … Enoch means “Dedicated.”
I will quote from Ms Kelly King, a women's ministry specialist here. She says
"First, walking with God begins with making a commitment to set aside a specific time and a specific place to meet with Him. Whether it’s in your kitchen, an office, or on a physical walk, consider your time with the Lord a sacred moment of your day"
Second, have a plan for your time with the Lord. I’m not a fan of just letting your Bible fall open to any chapter of the Bible. Instead, consider a Bible reading plan to give you a guide. Devotionals are great tools to help you focus on your time alone with the Lord, but do not let them replace Scripture. The words of others are encouraging, but the words of God are eternal.
Third, keep a journal or notepad handy. Write down ways the Lord is speaking to you through His Word. Circle or underline Scripture that you want to highlight. Write down verses you want to memorize. Look for ways the Holy Spirit may be convicting you to repent, to confess, and to change your behavior. Knowing God’s Word increases your head knowledge, but obeying God’s Word puts faith into action.
Fourth, spend time praying. This is your conversation with the Lord. Pray in different ways. Pray Scripture back to God. Keep a prayer list of those you are interceding for. Spend time in praise and thanksgiving. Pray out loud. Pray on your knees. Prayer shouldn’t be something you avoid, but something you desire."
For the full article you may read https://women.lifeway.com/2018/01/29/a-leader-who-walks-with-god/

Next we understand the second part: walking humbly with God. 

Well, what does it mean to be humble? Here I will quote Rev Francis Taylor

She says "True humility does not deny the gifts we have been given, in fact it means using our gifts to the best of our ability while all the time giving God the credit. To give yourself a quick humility check, think about how you react to a compliment. Do you just say "thank you" or do you play it down as if you don't deserve the compliment? The humble person says thank you and if another person also deserves credit as well, they mention it. But to put one's self down is to deny God's gift and is false humility".

So there we have it. We know what to do and how to do it. We also have an example. But. Will we do it? Let me convince you with this verse -

“You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.” – Deuteronomy 5:33

Can God Trust You? Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

We all talk about the need for us to trust God in all that we do or live. But have we ever considered - Can God Trust us? 

Today let us reference Samuel, the prophet and religious hero in the history of Israel, represented in the Old Testament in every role of leadership open to a Jewish man of his day—seer, priest, judge, prophet, and military leader. His greatest distinction was his role in the establishment of the monarchy in Israel.

Samuel has a personal relationship with God. His attitude and service won the heart of God. And His trust. Consider this verse- 

1 Samuel 3: 19 "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground".

Such was his commitment to God that Samuel became a king maker. Literally. He installed Saul, later removed him and installed David. So what was so great about Samuel that he could do all of this and have a personal relationship with God?

1. Samuel listened to God. He not only heard God but did what God wanted him to do - the most important criteria
2. He could take correction. When the people wanted a king, Samuel vociferously rejected that demand as he considered it an effrontery to God to have a human king. Later, when God told him to agree to a king, he ignored his objections and agreed.
3. He was clearly Gods rep; when the people or the kings did wrong, he had the courage to go and face them and correct their mistakes.
4. He drew power from God. Not men and kings. He was therefore fearless of men and kings and said what God told him to say, no sugar coating.
5. He was dependent ONLY on God.

God trusted Samuel. Why? I think Psalm 4 verses 2-3 have the key to this trust.

"2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers"

His delight was in the law of the Lord and he meditated on this day and night.

Such was Gods trust in Samuel that He was always with him and when Samuel ministered to the people God made sure his words were not empty. God trusted him with the most vital tasks - managing people and kings. Imagine that!

Drawing inspiration from Samuels life, and as much as you trust God, let your attitude and service be so pleasing to God that He can also put His trust in You.
- to do what you say you will do
- to keep all your vows
- to remain untainted both morally and physically.
- to do what God tells you to do.

Therefore, we need to ask ourselves this question daily- Can the Lord trust me today? What did I do to build that trust? What did I do to fail that Trust? Let us start to keep an inventory of our "comings and goings" to help us get to that ecstatic state of being trusted by our God. 

In God we Trust: Sunday Reflection

Today's title (which is  the official motto of the United States of America) is not a reflection on that country but on all of us. We profess one thing but practice another. We profess God but trust ourselves and our friends and  allies. This was 700 years before Christ as well, where God's people were in name only. Our opening verse from Isiaah talks about the infidelity of man towards God, true then and true now. 

Isiaah 30:15

"For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
But you refused...."

Isaiah was best known as the Hebrew prophet who predicted the coming of Jesus Christ and is known for having urged Israel to rely on Yahweh, their national god, instead of on the political power, and the gods of nations like Egypt or Assyria for protection and prosperity. He also promoted just and ethical practices in everyday life and politics.

Today the opening verse is as true as it was during Isiah's time: 

A. low or no trust in God; 

B. dependence on man and earthly things; 

C. no rest for the body or soul and 

yet the promise of our faithful God of redemption, which we studiously ignore or consider irrelevant. 

Today as then, we thrive on excitement and restlessness. Oscillating between different paths and ways, we try to find answers to life's challenges, not trusting in God in quiet faith, but in our own abilities, forgetting that those very abilities are God given.

A logical question then is : what did Isiaah want to convey?

1st - We need to understand and be clear that this is a directive straight from God.

2nd - It is an invitation to return to God and

3rd - It defines our strength from God and which comes through is faith and trust and which deliver which deliver peace and rest.

Faith and Trust in God replaces anxiety with hope; it stills the mind and the soul and engages a strength which surpasses all and which is God. Nothing is too small or big for our God. Then why should we be foolish and not pass on our problems to Him rather than try and solve it ourselves? 

Jesus has opened the door, all we need to do is trust Him and walk in.

Our Very own Goliath! - Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Today again I thought about David, before he was a king and his battle with Goliath. This story is not just a story, it's an inspiration for all of us because all of us have one or many Goliath's in our life we need to fight and defeat. So it's important for us to understand the lessons this story teaches.

Lesson no. 1
Mental preparation - before we take on our Goliath we need to be self convinced that we want to fight this battle a d win. With Goliath you cannot take a half hearted approach.

"And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

Lesson no 2
Draw on past experiences

Experiences prepare one for the future. Experiences help us to figure out what will work and what may not. Based on experience we select the strategy and the weapons needed. David did just that.

"And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
[35] And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
[36] Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
[37] David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee
] And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine."

Lesson No. 3

Dependence on God
If God be with us who can be against us? David took this literally. He did not depend on himself to win this battle but only and only on God. That was enough. No weapon is too powerful for God. No Goliath is too big for God.

"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."

Lesson No. 4

Choose the weakest spot to attack
Goliath was covered in armor. The only exposed part was his face. The weakest spot was where David focused and attacked. Like David we too need to analyze the adversary, identify the weakest area and choose that for our attack.

"And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth".

Today Goliath can be anything - bad habits, professional problems, addictions, and the biggest - temptations! So many are the adversaries which surround us and actively engage us all the time. And the fact is we seldom win unless we act as David did.
With God on your side we don't need a sword.

"So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David".

Put a smile on God's face: Daily Reflections

I have always been in awe of David - a man after Gods own heart. Chosen to be king even as a shepherd, had human weaknesses yet was committed to God. 

He put a smile on Gods face.

Imagine, every day God is deluged with prayers-  sad ones, happy ones, thanksgiving ones. Just as He carries our burdens and sorts our life out and puts a smile on our faces, we should do the same, don't you think?

So what did it take for David to make God smile? In the words of Pastor Chuck Swindoll David had " True spirituality. Genuine humility. Bone-deep integrity."

"What do these qualities look like? They mean you live in harmony with God and you make His priorities your priorities. You won’t hesitate to roll up your sleeves and do grunt work in the shadows without getting a mention of the glory. They mean the private-you and the public-you are one and the same. Being good matters more than looking good."

How do you do that ? Again quoting Pastor Swindoll - "anyone, empowered by Christ, can live with true spirituality, genuine humility, and bone-deep integrity....Jesus Christ gives you supernatural strength to live by so you can live for an eternal purpose. We don’t have to guess what God wants or what God is like because He has made it plain in His Word."

Today lets draw inspiration from King David and live our life to put a smile on God's face.

Why Plan B Fails : Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

In management we are told that a plan B is important to have as a backup. In my private life I totally disagree though others may not. 

You see, If we have a God led life, having a plan B is like trying to help God deliver on the plan He made for you. Gods does not have a plan B and when we make one we lose faith in His plan and thus become less resilient in it, in terms of work, faith and belief in God. The result can be disastrous.

Remember Sarah, Abraham's wife? She laughed at Gods promise. She also tried to help God! Her action of having Abraham wife Hagar was just that! A plan B for Gods promise to come true. A back up to God!

Needless to say her Plan B had some serious consequences, partly felt even today.

What we learn from Sarah's story is relevant to us today as well, a we often doubt Gods will for us when things are bad and look hopeless. For example if I had a dollar in my pocket I would not plan a feast for a wedding, would I? But if I was sure that the wedding was part of Gods plan I would go ahead and plan it in full faith that He would provide.

From Sarah we learn that

A. God can do what is seemingly impossible.

B. God always delivers on his promises

C. God is always in time. Not on time but in time. In His time. And His time is always perfect. We need to be patient. In the words of Jeremy Collier, "the fortitude of a Christian lies in patience..."

So you see, God has a plan for us with zero chance of failure. We need to have faith in that one plan and wait in faith. God does not make plan B, so why should we?

As He says in Isaiah 55:

"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"

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.