Did it Hurt? : A message based on Pastor Rajiv's Message on Sacrifice.

It is widely believed that the those who are poor are often more generous than the rich. Jesus recognized this in the temple when he saw a woman put in all she had into the offering bag. This may be due to the fact that the poor rely on God for their daily bread and  they recognize that fact that whatever they have came from God.

This is not a universal law. There are so many well to do people who share their wealth in many ways. Yet, some Acts from the Bible take the prize as in the verse below. 

Acts 2:45

"and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need".

One of the points raised by Pastor Rajiv in his message earlier was that sacrificial giving goes beyond the specific giving. The word sacrifice comes from the Latin word sacra which means sacred and à ficeo à meaning ‘to make. SO SACRIFICE MEANS TO MAKE SACRED OR TO MAKE HOLY! In other words  to devote to God. 

As we near the middle of Lent, some of us sacrifice something or the other, like food, alcohol, some luxuries, money etc. While that is good for us, it may not fall in line with the typical understanding of the word. For example, if we have sacrificed some food, what did we do with the money we saved? Did we give it to the church, the poor? A long time back, the Church used to distribute money boxes which you were supposed to fill every day and at the end of lent it was given back to the church. 

Today we would like our readers to consider an aspect of sacrifice they may not have already. That 

A. Sacrificial giving has to benefit another needy person. 

B. Sacrificial giving hurts. 

C. It is not the same as sharing. 

Then only can we really term it as Pastor Rajiv's definition. 

The real question is whether my sacrifice came from my own expense or from my surplus? Did it benefit someone else or me alone? 

When Jesus sacrificed Himself, He did it for us; it hurt Him till death; He didn't share His life. He gave it for us. 

This story recounted in 1Kings 17 verses 10-15 says it all 

"So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.”

As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.”

Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.

For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’”

So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days".

Dear Readers, it is good to give up certain things during lent, but when we sacrifice something, does it really help someone else? Did that sacrifice hurt? Was it from our little or was it from our much. 

Abandoned By God

Psalm 22 verses 1 and 2 
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.

Yesterday we talked about unanswered prayers. Today we go a step further: when we think our prayer has not been answered, in some extreme situations like the death of a loved one, or a serious illness which won't go away, we can feel abandoned by God. But is it really so?

Feeling abandoned is not the same thing as being abandoned.

So, having made that distinction, do we feel abandoned or are we really abandoned? Or is there some wisdom or logic, beyond oir comprehension?

Recently, while researching on the topic of unanswered prayers, we came across a real-life account of a person who felt abandoned. We will not try to reproduce the story, but let you read it yourself. So here it is.

https://thecatholicwoman.co/letterstowomen/reckoning-with-grief-and-unanswered-prayers

Unanswered Prayers

"Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers

Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs

That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care

Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers"

Unanswered Prayers. Songwriters : Garth Brooks / Pat Alger / Larry Bastian

I believe that there is no such thing as unanswered prayers. It is more a lack of discernment when we think our prayers have not been answered.

We have all, at some point, prayed very hard for something, planned for something we deeply desire. But it does not happen. At that time, we feel let down because things did not turn out the way we had hoped. But, and I have said this before, our disappointment with God is because our will was not done. 

So, the very basic principle of the Christian faith, embodied in the Lords prayer, is some thing we don't really believe in. That Gods will is paramount, in line with His plan for us is not acceptable. Deep down in our hearts, our will becomes paramount and we mouth uselessly " thy will be done".

It is in retrospect, when we look back, that we truly understand that His will was perfect.

So: is there any such thing as unanswered prayers? We think not. when we pray for something which mayn't be in line with His will, rest assured that it will not be done. That does not mean He has not listened and replied. God does not work according to our will.

If we think we know what's good for us, God knows what is better for us. 

So, in essence, relying on this principle, one can assume that every prayer is answered because, something better is part of Gods plan and which becomes our destiny. This is not rationalization. The proof is within each one of us, hidden away in our memories.

Our past shows us that we are dear to God and being that we can be sure that He will ascertain the best for our future. That best may not be in line with what we want, but it will be what we need, to live a life as God would like us to. He answers every prayer. 

And now here is the song by Garth Brooks

Unanswered Prayers.

Beyond The Miracle

Yesterday we talked about our prayers and supplications for help to overcome various life challenges, we often call it a miracle.

What is a miracle? A miracle is an act not fully explained by natural forces but attributed to supernatural forces, mainly God. There are many definitions of miracles.

But, biblically speaking miracles involve God doing something uncommon and usually awe-inspiring in order to reveal himself to mankind (The shepherd church).

When we experience a miracle, small or big, it is divine intervention. We agree to that. But let's think beyond that: that God, whom we know from afar, has actually touched us!

What a wonderous fact. If we have experienced a miracle we have actually experienced and felt God!

Yet, we need to remember one thing: That  God is as part of our everyday lives as He is for any miracles. 

Miracles are always within the grand design of God the Creator and fall within the category of prophetic symbolism intended to draw attention to something beyond themselves that confirms the word of God. They are not isolated gestures on the part of God but play an important part in the execution of the grand design of the Creator for the redemption of His creatures.

Divine Intervention

Image ; Poweroflifenow.com

2 Kings 19:19 "Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only".

How many times in life are we in a situation from which we see no hope? When all possible doors are closed. And yet we have survived and recovered. It could be a health crisis, financial doom, some natural event (like covid) or some professional problem. When everyone lets us down our final stop is before our God. At the time we pray and hope and beseech God and beg for a rescue. And when that happens, which may not be as we had expected, we seldom look back more than a couple of times.

My family and I were saved from being touched by the Covid in such an unexpected way that it was nothing short of a miracle. Yet it had a very negative impact financially. Should I be praising God vociferously for being saved or let that great feeling of a miracle and gratitude be pulled down by the weight of the financial losses? I am sure nearly all of us face such dilemmas in our lives.

Psalms 30:8 says - "I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication."

Yes, we pray and hope, but it is also our duty to shout with joy to the world of His saving and His grace.

The last line of the quoted verse is clearly laying out an instruction (and this is repeated many times) - ..."that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only".

Why should God and His divine intervention save me? Because He loves me and so that "To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever". Psalms 30:12

When it doesn't make sense

Proverbs 3 ver 5 and 6 - "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

How often our human, earthly wisdom conflicts with Gods heavenly wisdom. We simply do not understand the ways of God and the truth is we do not have that kind of wisdom. Hence, we can only obtain wisdom from above, not here below. His vision is our entire life and beyond. Our vision is may a year, a day or a sec. Therefore, things don't make sense to us when our plans fail or we suffer some set back.

In these situations, what can man do but put our trust in the one who created us? Instead of asking and praying for a temporal blessing, should we not be asking for His wisdom as well?

The key to success is the meeting point of our plan with Gods plan. Let us then ask for wisdom to understand Gods plan, and make our own in line with His, so that we are assured of success.

In retrospect everything makes sense. We need Gods heavenly wisdom for things to make sense in our foresight, not only in our hindsight.

The Curved Ball

In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate.

In life, a curved ball, as an idiom, is to surprise someone with something that is difficult or unpleasant to deal with.

In both of the above, one can do, and expect a couple of curved balls and can deal with them. But what happens when you get a constant stream of curved balls? 

They can knock you out!

In life, many of us face such situations, sometimes continuously, as did Job. What do we do? We have but one door we can knock on, trusting in faith. But donwebreally? Or do we depend on our own skill and resources to pull us through.

Jesus called Peter "little faith". That name still applies to us in varying degrees. Again and again we forget the promise

“Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; as thy days, so shall thy strength be:” (Deuteronomy 33:25)

Spurgeon asks - If you cannot trust God for temporals, how dare you trust Him for spirituals? Can you trust Him for your soul's redemption, and not rely upon Him for a few lesser mercies?

Of this the opposite is also true. If we cannot trust God for temporals, we definitely cannot not trust Him for spirituals. Faith is not born. It is built.

It is well said - in little things do we show our character. This lent let us evaluate this - have we truly trusted God with little things?

ReplyForward

The Opportunity in Affliction

Following the terrorist attacks of September 1, 2001, Billy Graham spoke to the people of USA. He said:

“I’ve been asked hundreds of times in my life why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction. I have to accept by faith that God is sovereign, and that He is a God of love and mercy and compassion in the midst of suffering”.

This following verse probably answers that question which baffles most of us. Why me? A question asked through the ages from Job till now. Why me? Why this?

Isaiah 48:10 (KJV) "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction".

What is quite clear is that no man, good or bad, rich or poor, man or woman, will not go through the tribulations and afflictions of the world. Remember Covid? Remember the fear? Remember who all we lost? Anyone and everyone were at risk. 

We all have to go through that furnace. The difference is we can go it alone or have Gods healing strength and provision with us. And the more we walk with God, the closer we get as a friend. And the more we acquire His wisdom to wait on Him.

Let us not then expect Him to remove the affliction we face but help us get through it with His strength. Adversity and afflictions then can be turned into an opportunity - to build a deeper, wider relationship with God and truly become His friend as was Moses. 

A Peculiar People -II : Pastor Rajiv's Message

BIBLE PASSAGE – 1 PETER 2:9

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light".

As we saw yesterday, the key phrases are –

A. A chosen people

B. A Holy Nation

C. Gods special possession.

All gearing us towards our purpose which we are called for.

All these four descriptive phrases are similar to the titles used for Israel in Exodus 19:5 & 6 5 “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

These verses talk about a moment of sacred bonding for the people of Israel, Peter uses the same words as being inclusive of the Church, of you and me. Both these verses talk about our responsibility as “priests” – that of our servant hood and a bridge builder between God and man. Charged with such a huge responsibility, how could Israel do this? How can we do this? By “being a Holy nation” in Israel’s case and being “Holy” in our case. And why? So that we let our light, which is a reflection of the light of Jesus Christ, so shine before this dark world that the world will see that light, and recognise where it came from through our praises, and see the way. We have been set apart. And being that, we definitely are a peculiar people, but, only if we recognize our responsibility and purpose, according to scripture and act on it.

Are we actively pursuing that responsibility and purpose is a question we all need to ask ourselves.

Note By the Editor:

On a concluding note, we would just like to quote Olin Williams on this Bible passage –

“The modern church is slowly beginning to lose this. Instead of maintaining God’s holiness and values, the church is becoming to be another social place. Believers are losing their distinctiveness as God’s chosen and not continue in His marvelous light but are regressing into the darkness of the world”.

A Peculiar People: Pastor Rajiv’s Message for the Week

Based on 1 Peter, Chapter2, Verse 9

What if someone came up to you and told you, “You are a peculiar person”, how would you react? surprise? anger? irritation? stunned silence? Well different people would react differently with different emotions.

The truth is that if someone did say that to you it would be taken as a negative comment a derogatory statement and maybe you would not want to associate with that person in the future.

This week we will focus on the fact that we, as followers of Christ ARE a “peculiar people”, as stated in the first half of 1 peter 2:9 in the KJV which says 

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;”

So why does the Bible, again and again, set God’s followers apart to the extent of calling them peculiar? Because we have been charged to exhibit properties which are strange and peculiar to the commonly accepted traits of man.

In 1 Peter 2:9, He says “ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

This shows a very special relationship with God our creator as we were chosen by Him, to proclaim Him through our acts and behaviour. This relationship is a sacred bonding.

This kind of a relationship and bonding is not a new thing Peter wrote about. Back in the days of Exodus, it was written:

EXODUS 19: 5 & 6 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Therefore when God chooses us and we choose to follow Him, we become His treasure, different from all others, becoming a bridge between God and man and keeping ourselves Holy so that we can become His showcase on Earth.

A.W. Tozer sums this up wonderfully when he writes 

“A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible and knows that which passeth knowledge.”

Now that we have established our peculiarity, tomorrow on wards we shall delve into each part of the how to the who.