Pastor Rajiv's Mid-Week Mesage

 

The Shema Prayer

                            

The Shema (pronounced Shma) prayer is one of the most famous prayers in the Bible. It was a daily prayer for ancient Israelites and is still recited by Jewish people today. We first find this prayer in the book of Deuteronomy. The prayer goes as under, and the Jewish people will cover their eyes with their right hand while softly reciting it. While this is part of an ancient Jewish tradition, it is as applicable today as it was then, specially keeping in mind the different "Gods" we are tempted to make and follow - money, real estate, food, science and anything which takes our attention and focus away from God and His ways. 

We talk about the Shema today, because it concerns the basics of our faith. The basics on which everything else is built. Like the ancient Jewish people, we too need to be reminded of this, morning, noon and night, because it is so easy for us to forget who we are supposed to be. 

Did Jesus recite the Shema? yes, in all probability. Let us not forget Yeshua was Jewish. The Shema is quoted not just in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament by Jesus himself in two of the Gospels (Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:28-30), when Jesus gave two of the greatest commandments. 

Given the Polytheistic culture of those times, and as it is now as well, the Shema focuses on Yahweh. Moses believes that loyalty, obedience, and love for their one true God is the only way to life and that one of the greatest threats to Israel’s future, as ours, was dividing their allegiance between many man-made gods. So, the Shema was prayed daily to remind the people that Yahweh alone was their God, not money or material stuff or any man made God. So, while we believe and understand that there are many Gods in this world, we promise to follow that one God - Yahweh. And, we also promise to remember this, and teach our children and children's children as well.

The Shema Prayer

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our G‑d, the Lord is One. Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.

And it will be, if you will diligently obey My commandments which I enjoin upon you this day, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give rain for your land at the proper time, the early rain and the late rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be sated. Take care lest your heart be lured away, and you turn astray and worship alien gods and bow down to them. For then the L-rd's wrath will flare up against you, and He will close the heavens so that there will be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce, and you will swiftly perish from the good land which the L-rd gives you. Therefore, place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, to speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates - so that your days and the days of your children may be prolonged on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them for as long as the heavens are above the earth."

The first verse of the Shema is considered the most essential declaration of the Jewish faith — the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. The passage that follows details the particular ways in which that faith should be lived: Love God with all of your being, teach it to your children, recite it when you wake and lie down, bind it as a symbol on your body.

The second section specifies what will happen if God’s commands are heeded — and if they are not. To ensure that these commandments are remembered, the final section concerns the biblical commandment of tzitzit, the ritual fringes that serve as a reminder of God’s presence and which are worn by many Orthodox men at all times.

***This post is based on the writings of Mr. Bit Mackie, Dr. David Rudolph & the Old Testament Light - A commentary Based on the Aramaic by George Lamsa. 

Chastisement

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Hebrews 12:6-7 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 

Taking and accepting correction is part of learning. In management it is a key necessary trait that employers look for. The reason is that correction is the key to development and growth and ensures success. 

More so in Gods kingdom. Many times, what may seem to us to be an evil attack, or "bad luck" may actually be God chastising us. Chastisement is part of Gods discipline. It is correction and without correction our work and our lives can go very wrong indeed. 

Correction can sometimes be very harsh, so harsh it can be mind shattering and back breaking. Like the 40 years of Israelis in the desert. Accepting correction and acting upon it defines us as having a positive attitude. That attitude further defines our success at work as well as our relationship with God. 

A bad attitude, on the other hand, makes it hard for us to accept correction and indicates pride. If we are not able to take correction in a positive way from our parents, friends and colleagues, chances are we will not be able to take it from God either.

Therefore, to learn from God, wisdom demands we are open to His corrective measures and action, in complete humility and minus any ego. 

Your Day

A Study from the KJV Devotional 

For with God nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:37 (KJV)

As the year started, some of God’s children have achieved their goals and objectives whilst others are yet to achieve their long awaiting dreams. It is not too late to still trust the Holy Spirit for the fulfillment of your goals/dreams. It takes just a day/moment for God to bring to pass that which He has destined for you. 

Our dear father Abraham was very wealthy, but his very challenge was getting an heir to fulfill his dream and God’s promise. Finally, his one day came when his wife conceived and brought forth Isaac, the heir of the promise. Moses faced challenges in Egypt when he decided to choose God’s people over the Egyptians. He went into exile but his one day came to pass when he was appointed by God to lead His people out of Egypt into the promise land. The one day of David, Solomon, Sampson, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, Peter, etc came to pass as well. Therefore, keep pressing on with your faith and good works; your one is about to happen for nothing is impossible with God.

Dead Situations (Shared by a Reader)

Bringing to Life Your Dead Situation

"They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4Looking up, they *saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.”_  Mark 16:3-4

It may look like I’m still living in the Passion Week though it has passed us already. I couldn’t help but share as a devotional what came to me when reading the passage above.

It’s early Sunday morning and the first streaks of light from the rising sun are beginning to be seen. Three women who dearly loved the man who has died make their way to His tomb. It’s their custom to anoint the body of the dead person with aromatic balm and spices. Their hearts are still heavy that the one they so dearly loved is now gone from them at such a young age. Comparable to the weight of the sorrow on their hearts is also the, “And they had been asking one another, “Who can roll away the heavy stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Yet as they approached the problem, they saw it had already been moved, the stone was no longer at the mouth of the cave but had been rolled aside. The sight was shocking and dismaying, who could have done this. Yet they sum up their courage and step in to an even more shocking sight – a young man in white robes sitting there and no Jesus. The young man, an angel, gives them the good news; the one who was dead is no longer dead but alive.

That morning as I read this passage, the Lord spoke to me, how many dead situations in my life do I come to, wondering who would help move the impossible weight that holds it in place? I so often approach the problem with my eyes of faith closed, for I’m looking for human help in the situation that I am in. But looking to human help only increases the sense of hopelessness for there is really no one who can fix the situation. This passage came to me as a startling reminded that my risen Savior is one who can move every impossible dead weight for, He has conquered death itself, the most impossible of all dead weights. Coming to the Savior this morning, trusting that He's got my most impossible situation figured out, and while I am still figuring out a solution, He's already moved it.

So I asked for my eyes to be opened, the eyes of faith that sees far beyond what I can fathom, faith that can move mountains, faith that conquers my intellect and my own strengths, faith that will look only to its real author and finisher – Jesus Christ my Lord. He alone can bring to life my dead situation for He is the LIFE, He alone can move the weights impossible for me to move.

And there are days I have seen

Filled with heartache and loss

That have buried my heart beneath the weight

But every time His praise breaks out

Dead things rise up from the ground

I won't leave my song inside that empty grave

'Cause there is resurrection power

When we sing the name of Jesus

Resurrection power when we raise a mighty sound

So come on let the praise get loud

Make that empty grave resound

'Cause there is resurrection power in His name

Arun Thomas

Life Without Jesus: Saturday Meditation

                                        

Lamentations 3:40 -

"Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the LORD."

We have transgressed and have rebelled: yet thou hast pardoned.

During the Saturday before the first Easter, what would the disciples and other followers of Christ be thinking? Story Over? Game over? Dreams over? No more Kingdom? Go back to the old ways?

Well, now that today we know that neither the story, nor the game was far from over, what are we thinking? As we wait in eager hope for Easter Sunday, what are we busy with? Maybe preparing the grand Easter meal. Or shopping. Or trying to get Easter eggs. Or maybe, like the disciples, simply meditating on the outcome of Christ's crucifixion. Thinking about what life will be without Christ. As far as we, personally, are concerned, was it a wasted sacrifice? Did we reciprocate His great love? Do we intend to? If so when? When it is too late?

Let's think about how we have personally upheld and honoured Christ's death on the cross. What we have done and what we need to do. It's not the New Year which needs resolutions. It's Easter.

Did you notice anything different in the opening verse? No? Read it again. There is a difference, and that difference is Jesus Christ. 

Lamentation 3 paints the picture of a life without Christ. But we, have Him. Let's not lose Him. 

World Forgiveness Day: The Bounty of Forgiveness.

 

July 7 is recognized as "Global Forgiveness Day" on the US National Day Calendar to encourage forgiveness as part of an element of personal health.

While it is great to give "forgiveness" the importance it deserves, maybe Good Friday, should be actually World Forgiveness Day! 

Today Jesus forgave and recommended to the father to forgive His assassins, murderess, betrayers, deserters, mockers, thieves, gamblers, bribery takers, - everyone who were involved in nailing Him to the cross.

Good Friday is about forgiveness as well as a demonstration of God's love. When we forgive someone, we stop disliking them. We pray for them; we support them in times of need. It does not mean we start immediately liking them, that may take time. We may not like them. But we stop disliking them. We stop hating them. We stop gossiping about them, however juicy it may seem. 

Today, following His example, can we think of one person (or more) whom we have not been able to forgive, decide to do so and pray to our God and Holy Spirit to give us the strength to forgive. And... can we also forgive ourselves, including our regrets, failures and dislikes.

We are called on to share the bounty we have received from God and Forgiveness is part of that bounty, given to us on that Friday on the cross.

Fear to Reverence

Prov 9, 10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight".

(This post is drawn from the KJV Bible Study and Lloyd John Ogilvie)

Jesus Christ totally transformed the relationship that we have with God - from Fear to Reverence. 

In the times of the Old Testament, people feared God and they never thought of coming into His presence. Even the High Priests weren't safe enough to enter God's presence, the Holy of Holies, because of their sin.

But  the dynamics of our relationship with God changed, when Christ arrived on the scene. When He sacrificed Himself on the Cross and, was resurrected to be a living God, a series of events we will shortly celebrate. We no longer have to be far away from God. We don't have to cower away from him, wallowing in our imperfections. God wants us as close Him as possible so that He can love us, guide us, assure us, and strengthen us. God wants to see us grow. He wants to see us overcome the habits and strongholds that held us down for years.

God wanted us free and we were set free through His son. The freedom we received was free of charge. God granted us this freedom out of his deep love for us and nothing else. There weren't any ulterior motives. God didn't wait spring any unpleasant surprises on us - and that is how it will remain.

God takes delight in the fact that we are able to approach him boldly. He doesn't want us to be afraid of him. This may confuse a few people who many not know what the "fear of God means". To fear God does not mean to be afraid of Him. It means to hold him in high regard; to revere him.

According to Lloyd John Ogilvie, "wisdom is ... the vertical thrust of the mind of God into our minds, ... wisdom is the gift we need ... in order to do the will of God".

Basically, this verse teaches that the fear (or reverence) of God is foundational to true wisdom; all other types of learning are worthless unless built upon a knowledge of the Lord Himself.

Discipline & Discipleship

Matthew 28:19-20 New International Version 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age

Matthew 28, 19-20, quotes Jesus as instructing us to make disciples. Verse 20 goes onto say how and what they are expected to do. But before that, we, ourselves need to observe and follow verse 20 before we preach to others and expect them to follow Christ. Titus 2:11 tells us how.

Pastor David Jacobs opens up on this in a transparent manner. While we, and as churches, blindly believe and follow verse 19 we seldom understand that verse 20 is a qualifier and a responsibility and forms the discipline of discipleship for ourselves.

Here is what he says -

"This verse tells us how to conduct ourselves in a holy manner. Titus 2:11 says: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." God has given us salvation, and we must honor his salvation by doing what he asks. God's grace is involved in the teaching of us to turn away from godless actions. Living devoutly and avoiding sin are part of Paul and God's plans.

Paul writes this letter to Titus, often emphasizing the importance of living a disciplined life. Think about how important this would be: what kind of person do you think would attract more followers of Christ? Do you think it would be an ungodly one, one that pursues his every bodily desire, drinking and hurting others along the way? Of course not. Leading by example, Christ showed us how to live a disciplined and pious life. Christ has attracted followers based on his example for thousands of years, the vast majority of whom were not alive during his time. Disciples of Christ should see his life as the ultimate example of discipline and attempt to follow suit. This is Paul's aim in his letter to Titus.

Paul writes the letter knowing full well that the conduct of the early church members will go a long way in determining the impact of the church. Think about the churches in your own communities. Churches have fallen on hard times and been devastated by scandals, some never fully being able to recover. By resisting the temptations of the flesh and being delivered from evil, we protect our own immortal souls as well as show others how God hoped that we would live."

In short "We should exhibit self-control. We should live soberly, righteously, and godly. The rest we should leave to God."

Do We Still Need the Commandments?

We’re all familiar with the idea of laws. We know the Ten Commandments, and we understand all of the rules that have been built on top of them. They spell out what how we ought to live, but they really provide no recourse. That recourse came from Jesus, when He took on Himself the penalty of the sins of the entire world, then and in the future.
But now that we have received grace from Jesus, are we done with the law?
The growing feeling among people is that with the belief in, and grace of Jesus, that being in the grace of God means that they don't have to do some of the things.
that God has told us to do. In fact, while we may not admit how we lessen their priority in our day-to-day life, as adults, some may not even remember the 10 commandments!
Rather, we should see how the law has pointed to Jesus all along, revealing His character, and helping us see our need for His grace, by which he empowers us to live for Him, for without the law we would not even know how deeply in trouble we are, such is our affinity to rebel.
We should realize though that the Commandments provide a moral framework that guides believers in living out their faith in practical ways. They are not followed out of fear or obligation but as a response to God’s love, helping to shape a life that
reflects His grace. The fact is that we, each one of us, are so prone to straying even after receiving His Grace that we need a reference to return back to, if we truly
love and believe in Christ and our Father.
To be clear, "the Ten Commandments are not optional for believers in Jesus Christ, nor do they become irrelevant when we get saved. They are the pathway of knowing life to its fullest and living life to its limits" - says Pastor Jack Hayford who served as Chancellor of The King’s University (formerly The King’s College and Seminary) in Southlake, Texas.
He goes onto to say - "The same that was true of Egypt is true of our culture; only the idols have changed. No longer the sun god, Ra, now the idol is sex or the great god of science and many more". This could be as simple a thing as a car, our children or anything we may give more importance to.
"Every one of the ten directives God spoke are for our blessing, not to show His muscle, intimidate people, or badger them with His greatness. They represent God’s heart toward man’s deliverance and destiny and are given to make possible the prospering of our lives".
Lastly, the question is why do we believe in the need for Jesus or His grace? It's only because we know we have fallen way, way short, of the Law and the only recourse is Jesus.
How will we know that if we don't even know the Law and its importance?