Do you have a Vision: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflection

Proverbs 29:18

"Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the Law"

Every life is unique. Every person is different. Every profession needs a unique skill set and a unique personality.

As we prepare celebrate Christmas, maybe it's time to think about who we are and our personal vision for our life. As a person, who would I like to be? Where do I see myself? What does God want to accomplish through me? What tools or talents has He equipped me with?

Let's understand this. God has a vision for Every follower of Christ.

So, What does it mean to run with the vision God has given you? First of all, it means to see the picture that God sees for your life. Know the plan He has for you, and then go after it with full force, giving it everything you’ve got. It means to be committed to God’s call with your whole heart, not halfheartedly.

This also means we will need to o be able to overcome our personal vision and accept Gods vision. The question is how do we get to know Gods vision for ourselves?

There are three questions we can use to shape a God given vision -

A. What has been my past? Am I proud of it (legacy, including talents etc.) and what would I have done differently (regret) . What is a dream I dream of (ideal)

B. What have been the various influences or influencers who have helped me shape that dream (role models)

C. Is that dream, minus the regrets plus the legacy, in line with the life of Christ? Does it reflect Biblical principles?

Once we have answers to these questions, answers which have been well reflected on and reflect the truth about us, we can start building a vision. Do note that this vision will evolving over time. Becoming better and better, reducing the gap as we continue to reflect, maybe daily, on our progress towards it.

Example of a personal vision statement could be

“My vision is that people whose lives are limited by poverty, lack of education, or deficient training will experience the love of Jesus through me as I give them employment, encourage their education, and offer them training so they feel successful and are able to support a family.”

See, right there is a vision - where one is reflecting the light of Christ to make someone's life better, showing the world what a Christian life is all about.

This Christmas shall we reflect and create a Personal Vision for ourselves? 

For more examples and details, please do visit https://www.faithward.org/how-to-discover-gods-vision-for-your-life/

Between Christmas & Easter: Our Daily reflection

1 Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
1 John 2:3-6 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ...

In one week it will be Christmas Eve and then another Christmas day. Christ was born, Christ lived, and Christ died. Three important milestones. The world celebrates His birth and mourns His death, but do we celebrate the life of Christ?

Jesus life on earth is a picture of how God wants mankind to live. He was and is an example before us. World over we celebrate His birth and death, but true followers celebrate Him by following His life throughout the year.

BBreon Wells, in Life for Leaders, says - "The best way to commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is to live how he lived every day. Jesus’ life was not comfortable, and sacrifice was the theme of his existence. Every action he did was on behalf of others. He was not building for himself, not trying to achieve success (after all, he was already successful), nor was he lording his status over anyone. At all points he was a servant, driven by his mission to reconcile humanity back to the Father. Those of us who are Christ followers must commemorate Christ’s life by living our lives totally for God, and not for ourselves. As disciples, let’s celebrate Christ correctly."

And that is the tough part. The truth is that following Him leads to difficult choices. Sometimes turning back may seem very appealing, or "practical" in our heads. Not only big things, small as well. As small as overlooking spending time with God because we have more important stuff to attend to. Or not paying attention to work that we may have been called upon to do so in our respective jobs. Making excuses, and so many more. 

We need to ensure that we are true followers in small and big things - integrity at our place of work, making tough decisions even at the cost of being unpopular or maligned, not gossiping, politicking and so much more. When we follow Jesus, we need to showcase Him in our lives and the way we live. 

The first step to ensuring the above is to sync up our plans with Gods plan for us and we shall cover this tomorrow.  

Peace: Pastor John Muhhamad

One of the central themes of the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the core message, is Christ's expectation that His followers be characterized by peace—not violence or war. In the famous opening to this great sermon known as the Beatitudes, Jesus taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

Today, pastor John talks about Peace of Jesus Christ and what we can do about it. 

My Way or the Highway: Our Daily Reflection

Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” says 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."

No matter how much we have experienced Gods hand in our lives, man's character is to primarily depend on himself/ herself for counsel and any work. Few are the people who are​​ 100% truly dependent on God, right from the start.

And then there are folks who decide their path and then pray to God to help them travel that road. They don't realize it may not be the same road that God has planned for them. Yet it is their way, their will, they choose until forced to turn back, causing much hurt, sadness and disappointment.

What we don't realize is that man's foreseeable future is limited to a moment. But God sees a lifetime and beyond.

So why is Gods way better? the Lord’s ways are the result of wise deliberation; they are proactive whereas Human action is frequently the hasty result of passion, or fear, is reactive and is followed by regret and alteration; but nothing can take the Almighty by surprise or happen otherwise than he has foreseen. Beings act according to their nature: when those natures change, their conduct varies also; but Gods nature does not change. He is the creator: no external forces can change His way. Whereas anything we do according to our own will has a force majeure clause attached.

Man’s ways are variable, but God’s ways are everlasting.

We need to stop demonstrating to God that it's my life and my decisions and my way. Faith and trust are an outcome of this simple, yet difficult truth.

God is second: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflection

Read Malachi Chapter 1

This passage summarizes the basic spiritual problem facing Israel: apathy. God has shown His love for them, but they don’t recognize it anymore. To show how He has loved them, Malachi points to the destruction of Edom. Israel has suffered, but God has kept them through those struggles. Edom, on the other hand, has been obliterated. (Like us) God's chosen people have sinned, but they haven't been destroyed, which is an act of God's love and mercy towards them.

Today we are pretty much the same. Just as He did in Moses' time, He leads us out of destruction to creation, both figuratively and literally. Think back and remember all those times we were on the brink but got pulled back. Above all God gave His only son for our sake, a gift of His love, we are about to celebrate. He was born as a sacrifice, to be sacrificed for us.

But, inspite of all this, does He take priority? Do we walk with Him and talk with Him, just as it was intended?

Do we bring the best as a sacrifice to God? Or do we hold back. Do we offer chicken roast to a hungry stranger or offer stale vegetables. Do we offer our tithe prior to expenses or offer it post expenses, giving it the second place. Who lives in the altar of our hearts? Jesus or we ourselves?

As we celebrate Christmas with Christmas dinners and celebrations, lets be sure to invite the birthday child to the party, and not relegate him to second place. He stands at the door and knocks. Let Him in this Christmas. 

After all, it's His birthday.

The name "Malachi" literally means "My Messenger," so this might not be the name of a specific person. The choice of this name is interesting, for several reasons. First, the priests were meant to be the messengers of God to the people. As this chapter explains, they are failing in that regard. So, for the message to come from God's self-titled "messenger" highlights the difference between those who do and do not follow God's will.

Second, this will be the last prophetic lesson given to Israel for four centuries. After that will come John the Baptist, the "messenger" predicted in Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. This long period of quiet is bracketed on both ends by people specifically referred to as God's messengers.

This verse also begins with an interesting word, mas'sa, translated as an "oracle" or "burden." The Hebrew word implies the idea of "raising" something, as one would raise an alarm. Or, of "carrying" something. This is a word often used in Old Testament prophecies (Habakkuk 1:1; Nahum 1:1; Isaiah 13:1). Typically, this word is used to set up a message that is threatening or dangerous (Zechariah 9:1; Isaiah 14:28).

Chapter Summary

​How do you spend your money?

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Mark Chapter 10 42- 44

Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. 43 But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. 44 Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all....

Money is the mechanism with which we satisfy needs and wants. One can have just enough or can have it over the top. One can also have so much you don't know what to do with it.

Money is so important to us that most people are in a race to earn money, whether as individuals or organisations. If you don't earn in your prime, you are considered a failure.

It is tempting to get caught in the race to become wealthy and successful – and when we do, somewhere pride comes in as well, maybe through our lifestyle or possessions. That pride is almost always based on a belief that we have achieved what we have, through our hard work, intelligence and knowledge. These days specially, with social media replacing physical interaction and extending reach, it is very easy to show off a holiday, or a possession or an achievement. Some people even show where they are- "on a flight to xyz" or "at so and so hotel" etc. Etc.

Think about who gave us that intelligence or knowledge to achieve? Who made us able bodied? Who gave us opportunities? As believers, do we know and realize that if we gain riches, it is only because God has given us the ability to gain riches.

If we believe and understand this, that belief will influence how we spend that money as well. Will we spend it on earthly possessions, holidays, clothes etc., which show the world how well I am doing, or do we spend it only on our needs and look to use the rest to make a difference in someone's life? Maybe support someone's education, or feed someone who is hungry or enable someone to earn a livelihood.

When we understand everything, we've made comes from God, including our life itself, it makes a difference how we spend our money and our time and how we live our lives. This does not mean we don't enjoy the blessing God has provided, but we don't indulge. 

We remain humble and grounded to be connected to people who need you.

Between Desire and Reality: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflection

It is part of a human mind to desire and make plans to fulfil that desire. We build for ourselves a dream. But not every dream becomes a reality as we all know.

I am sure A pregnant Mary never expected to birth Jesus in a Manger. At the same time, we would not expect a king, and that too a heavenly king to be born in a stable.

Just as the disciples expected Christ to be a king on earth and build His kingdom where they all would be His "team". I am sure disappointment ran deep in their minds.

The problem is sometimes we create our own heartbreaks through expectations. just as the disciples did. 

Disappointments dot our lives — failed business ventures, broken relationships, lost loved ones, rejected job applications, unanswered prayers. When things do not go as we expect, we usually face dejection or worse, depression. 

But this is and can be also an opportunity. 

Firstly, we can choose to learn how to manage an expectation. It's simple. Pray it as a request to God and leave the rest to Him. If it is for our good, it will happen. When we do this, it shifts the burden of the responsibility of achievement, to blessings according to Gods will for us.

Second, we can choose to learn to trust the eternal King who was born in a stable. God is always with us. Remember, a lowly stable sheltered a king. Nothing is beyond God, including our dreams and provisions. Trusting God does not only mean He will deliver on our "dream" request. It also means that when we don't receive, which also means that our "trust" relationship does not end but deepens because we trust Him to provide a solution best for us.

"You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God" . James 4:2

it is that simple!

Know Joy. Show Joy: Pastor Rajiv's Midweek Message

Christmas is not about stress but about joy. But are we really joyful or are stressed with the shopping, Christmas eve dinner planning, gifting decisions etc. Christmas is not only supposed to be all about spending time with family and friends, eating good food, and sharing gifts, there are many things one can do to create joy in us as well as around us.

The Mind of God: By Pastor Francis Taylor

Who knows the mind of God.

By Francis Taylor.

As published in   KJV Daily Devotional

If we had any understanding of the mind of God, we wouldn't be so surprised when things happen that we can't comprehend. 

I have a feeling that the question we ask God the most is, "Why?" Why this disaster, why do people kill, why did the tornado take my house and none of the others on the street? Why me? Why didn't you stop/prevent that from happening? Even when we know that it was not God who caused whatever it is we're questioning, we question! 

If you're anything like me, you have a list of things you want answers to when you meet God face to face. 

I have sometimes heard it said that life is like a tapestry. We only see the bottom of the tapestry, the side with all the crisscrosses of threads and the hanging pieces. God sees the top side, the finished product. We don't know why things happen the way they do, and we never will. What is most important is that we trust in God, that we trust God, that we have faith. This is what gets us through the difficult times that we don't understand. 

Faith is also what keeps us from taking credit for the good things that happen or thinking that we are just lucky. God's hand is in everything. He can't prevent the bad things that people do as he has given us free will and sometimes, we use it in the wrong direction. Then, God gets us through it. 

In many ways the problems with weather are human's fault as well, as we have not taken good care of the planet we were entrusted with. When we trust God, we can have peace of mind even in the bad times and know that one day we will see what God sees and our questions will be answered.

The 4th Wise Man: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Long ago in the late 1800s a man named Eric Van Dyke wrote a short story about a "fourth" wise man (accepting the tradition that the Magi numbered three), a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia.

Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King has been born among the Jews. Like them, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child - a sapphire, a ruby, and a "pearl of great price".

However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men. Because he missed the caravan, and he can't cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell one of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip. He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt. He saves the life of another child at the price of another one of his treasures.

He then travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for many years and performing acts of charity along the way. After 33 years, Artaban is still a pilgrim, and a seeker after light. Artaban arrives in Jerusalem just in time for the crucifixion of Jesus. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from being sold into slavery. He is then struck in the head by a falling roof tile and is about to die, having failed in his quest to find Jesus, but having done much good through charitable works. A voice tells him "Verily I say unto thee, Inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)[4] He dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. His treasures were accepted, and the Other Wise Man found his King.

This is a story but isn't the fourth wise man like us? We want to worship Jesus in spirit and in truth but miss the bus so many times. However, as the wise man did, we can still use our time to be of service to our Lord, using the gifts we have, to lay at His feet, in His service.