Isn't Age a number? Reflections by Pastor Rajiv

"Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come".

Do you remember this Psalm? This for all old people of my age... 

Age is just a number as they say. As we grow old and older, our years, spent in experiencing God, are like the chapters of a book for younger people to get motivated and inspired. It is very important to remember Gods work in our lives not just to thank Him and be grateful, but for others to see Him at work in our lives, believers and non believers alike.

Every Storm that comes, every great wave that nearly drowns us, every mountain we have climbed, every weakness we have experienced is a story of Gods strength.

Shall we then say we have lived by a daily abundance of Gods grace?

If we have to be able to say that, we must search and find Gods hand in each day, in each challenge we have faced and in each outcome of those challenges. In each happy time whose memory brings a smile to our face, as also in each sad or hard time when we lay awake and pray for it to pass, no matter the tears. 

And as we search and find, we have to construct that moment in time when we lived and experienced Gods hand in our life, not only for us to remember and be grateful, but for others to see God's work. 

Yes, our life will be in vain if we have not thus reflected. Kind David and others wrote the Psalms as their personal experience of God after a lifetime that  included being a fugitive, living in caves, being exposed to the elements, and fighting hard-fought battles, King David knew every moment when God was at work with him. And he passed on that experience and wisdom for us to follow.

The natural instinct of man is to crib and cry as we age and feel our strength ebbing away, but it is actually a golden time to recall, reflect and reveal God and His work in our life.

How does an old and decrepit man like me show power? Simply by living God's Powers in our life, and showing younger folks how Gods works, not in theory but in practice.

 

God Bless all elders (and me) so that they can show the way forward using their life as an example. 

Your Bill is paid in full! Message by Pastor John Muhammad

Fantastic Message from Pastor John, originally from the Fiji Islands and now a guest speaker / Pastor at the Hilton Street Church in Melbourne. 

If you were a Preacher....

If you were a preacher, you would probably be putting in hours to get one message out which may have a reading or listening  time of 2 mins or a preaching time of 20-40 minutes. 

Yet, when preached, he finds blank faces in the pews, no rejoicing and in fact even when he wishes them a good morning or evening, he gets a very low key, low volume, subtle response. When he publishes,  there maybe a couple of views, no shares and zero feedback or comments.

How do you think that makes him feel? 

The  cause or evangelism as the world likes to call it, will never grow to help people when we have this attitude.  The point here is we do not want social media attention, nor we looking for adulation. 

Or are we? Do our preachers look to solve problems in anyone's life, or do we just preach  on some new theory in life (which we love to do)? . 

Perhaps we forgotten, one mistake in interpreting Gods word leads to death? 

We at "This  week with Jesus"  are for the well being of people, using Christian precepts and Christs teachings. 

Yet,  we do want you to reach out to people, to societies to families who may need some message which may possibly come through you, or me or us, depending on God's grace, because He can talk through anyone or anything. 

God Bless each one. 

It takes 10 hands to score a Basket!

During the 27 years of coaching his 10 times national champions UCLA teams, Coach Coach John Wooden reminded them " it takes 10 hands to score a basket". The basic idea was that team work wins. We, humans, were not meant to be "loners" now or in the beginning, when God said, "It is not good for the man (or the woman) to be alone..."

Yet, loneliness is a major problem today. Be it among the youth, middle aged or old aged people. Loneliness can be a killer. According to a global survey, about 33 percent of adults experienced feelings of loneliness worldwide. Brazil had the highest percentage of people experiencing this, with 50 percent of respondents declaring that they felt lonely either often, always, or sometimes.

Solomon in his wisdom observed in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Throughout the ages the Bibles has advised a policy of "we" and not "me".  According to Vision Christian Media, to win in life we need to commit to :

A. Resisting the go-it-alone spirit that often characterizes our culture.
B. Cultivate meaningful relationships and learn to treasure friends
C. Reaching out to the lonely and fallen
D. Going out of our way to demonstrate real friendship.

In light of this, you and I can do a lot to address this "killer" phenomenon by simply picking up the phone and talking to someone we haven't for a long time. Or visiting the elder singles/couples, or reaching out to someone we know is down and out for whatever reason. Each1-Reach1. 

Reach today and make someone's day! 

Hacking Fear: Each1-Reach1 Led by Pastor Rajiv.

How often have you woken up in the middle of the night with a big fear or worry about something that’s happening or not happening in your life?

I know I have though my time is 3.00 am. So what do you do?

Worry, anxiety, panic, fear are all killers. So how do we avoid it or address it so that we are not slaves to worry ? Well the good news is that there is a way!

1. Lean on God. We all love that Hymn what a friend we have in Jesus, don’t we? And when we are under worry and pressure do we not go to our friends and ask their advice or help? So why not go to your bestie, Jesus, and talk to Him?

Psalm 94:19 says, When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your consolations delight my soul. Lean on Him and be consoled with His help.

2. Change the perspective and let go of idols. Our natural inclination is to look at stuff from a worldly or a cultural perspective. That is our reference point. Try changing that reference point from a cultural perspective to a Biblical perspective. We will have challenges, but God will also provide a way out. For example, one maybe short on finance to meet some obligation. It can happen to anyone. So what can be done? Lean on God for starters, and through prayer ask for the answer, with an open mind, not a predetermined mind based on a world perspective. From my own experience I can assure you the answer will come. Maybe not in terms of suddenly giving us a bounty, but a relief from our immediate pressure.

Psalm 139:23-24 says, Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. 

Hurtful way refers to things or people we have placed above God – or idols. Let go. Change the perspective.

3. Remember your past. Think of all the times you have faced a challenge or danger. Did it not square out finally? Were all your fears not in vain? “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us, ” and He will help us to the end [1.Samuel 7:12]. Let us look to the monumental pillars, in our life. They are reminders of what the Lord has done to comfort us and to save us from trouble.

4. Thank God. Psalm 105:1,2 says - O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. 

How often we forget once the excitement of relief has died down. How often we tend to minimize God’s role when we overcome. How often when we are blessed we put it down to our own singular abilities? Don’t you think that hurts God? An India Saint, Kabir Das wrote –

"Dukh me Simran sab karay, Dukh mein karey na koi, 

Joh Sukh mein Simran karey, toh dukh kahan se hoey"

(Every one remembers God when they are in trouble, and no one does when they are joyous. If everyone remembered God when they are joyous, then why would trouble come upon us?)

Note: Today's post draws on the post -  21 Life Lessons by Carlo Cruz. 

Investing in Jesus: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Important Notice : Announcing our new initiative - 

Each1-Reach1

One of the serious and long term as well as dangerous effects of COVID Lockdowns and other associated problems, worldwide, has been the growth of mental health issues, depression, job losses, life losses, and so much more. We, each of us, would know at least one person who maybe suffering from such issues and may need support. 

Therefore from tomorrow we are starting an initiative we call EACH1-REACH1 where each of our readers can get involved and invest a little bit of time. 

We will ask you to think of one person, with whom you think our post of the day, or our mid week messages, may resonate and bring some peace. Share that post with them and reach out to people who need you. God will Bless you for your thoughts and prayers.

Now, to Today's Post ......

1 Timothy 6:19

"...storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed."

Our human minds are conditioned to draw mental pictures of certain words and phrases. And I am sure that the word "invest" conjures up visions of money and wealth, whether in terms of a currency or other assets.

But do you know what is the most valuable asset we have? It is our mind, our heart and our time. So the subject line does not refer to money but to our god given gifts and their use. How do we invest in Jesus?

We need to deposit our life in Christ. This involves knowledge and trust. We need to invest into growing our knowledge of Christ, His word and His life. As we grow that knowledge, we will see God's hand in our own life and which will build our trust in Him. When we have trust, we will depend on Him more and more, love him more and more and because we love Him, we will follow His commands and His guidance.

This also means we increase our own understanding of God, of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit, so that we can see and understand their work in our lives, which also enables us to share that experience so that others can benefit as well. It helps us to build a four dimensional relationship - With God our creator, with Jesus Christ our savior, with the Holy Spirit - our sanctifier and with our fellow men.

people may ask why should we do this? what's in it for me? Well there is plenty in it for each one of us. To know what it is, please read yesterday's post.

Meanwhile, start investing!

Watch Your Step! - A Saturday Reflection

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)

Watch your step! This statement is so familiar isn't it? . Parents say that to children, people use that as a warning to others and so on. This is a life warning.

But read further, it is also 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, a life after our physical death. 

Just to be clear, our first death, or our physical death, is the separation of  our body from our spirit. The second death, is the separation of our spirit from God and God's plan. 

Generally, people don't think much 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?

The question is can we save ourselves from this second death? The answer is YES! If we invest our life here in believing in,  and following, Jesus Christ, truly and earnestly, we can save ourselves. 

Why should we believe this? Because it is a promise from Christ - 

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Revelation 2:11.

That Serious Offence: Our Daily Reflection

If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. — Exodus 20:25

(Note: Todays reflection is adapted from the KJV Devotional, with some thoughts of our own). 

In an earlier  post, we had talked about "helping God". In our reflection today, we see how much a serious offence it can be !

Consider the quoted verse. Short. But with so much meaning and learning. God’s altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labor might be seen upon it. What that tells us is this: Let not man add to God's Glory with his/her own understanding (tools) and human interpretation (wisdom). 

Our KJV study says - "  Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all" 

Essentially what it means is that we bend the law of God to suit ourselves or the world. Suit our beliefs, or our thoughts or our situations. Just as David may have done and all of us do. 

But: Isn't that fantastic to realize? All alterations and amendments of the Lord’s own Word are defilements and pollutions. And...attract a huge penalty!

Do our so called preachers really know this or understand this? Some advertise the Holy Spirit. Some Advertise the Word. Worst, some advertise the meaning. 

So many people are tring to make a business model 

The Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of man’s chisel or hammer will be endured. 

I may say today, I am a man/woman of God. I don't know if that is right. I may say today, I carry the Holy Spirit, that I know is correct,: but so do all of us. I may think, being a man/woman of God, in our understanding, we are different. Wrong again. If we think "I have converted/ baptized so many (husbands/wives/friends/others) therefore I am Holy - wrong again. God converts the Heart, we only follow a ritual). 

If some one has achieved sanctification, it is not our doing.  What Jesus declared to be finished is indeed finished. We cannot add or subtract. We cannot restart the process. Yet we do, don't we?  We add our own interpretations, our own understanding (in spite of being warned by the Lord - Lean not on your own understanding) and our own "Holiness" or spirituality.  

Do we know that there is an inherent blasphemy in seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect satisfaction. 

Friends, lets put away our tools, our minds, our own interpretations and stick to what God has said. Yes, delve into His word, find original meaning through the original text or language, but for His and yours , do not "help" Him by spreading our own interpretation of His word. It has a deep and horrible consequence.  

KJV says this - 

"Many professors may take warning from this morning’s text as to the doctrines which they believe. There is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for the Lord." 

Majestic words. And a majestic direction. 

God's word can ONLY have ONE interpretation and ONE meaning. Let's pray for wisdom to understand His meaning and direction,  rather than apply our own understanding while we spread His Word. 

The Greatest Commandment: Pastor Rajiv's Mid Week Message

Since Biblical times, there has been discussion and great interest by scholars on the question : What is the greatest commandment. Pastor Rajiv's talks about this in his message today. 

Finding the Good in Evil : Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

 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.