Saturday Vespers: No word like hopeless

Life can sometimes make you feel hopeless: death, disease, misfortune dog our footsteps. No matter what happens in our life, there is hope. God is there. When we come to God in prayer, we do not come with our own righteousness but with a humble heart, seeking His great mercies. Sometimes, in the midst of our struggles, it may feel like God is not listening or paying attention to our cries, but, if we do as Hannah did, pouring out our soul for the Lord, God will hear our prayers.

We come before you in awe Lord, acknowledging your greatness and magnificence. We humbly approach you with our prayers, knowing that you are the one who hears and answers. As we navigate through the challenges of this world, as well as our own personal challenges, we ask for your guidance and wisdom. In times of uncertainty may we find solace in knowing you are with us and your purpose for our lives will prevail.

Almighty father, we praise you and thank you for your deliverance and protection of some of the people we have prayed for - the Pastor in Australia who is back in service; for your for your servant in India who went through a time of testing in terms of health and who has come through with an all clear.

We pray for a Pastors wife in India who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and who desperately needs your prayer support for her recovery according to Gods will and miracles and strength for her and her family to go through this painful and tough times. We pray for Rockys daughter, a nurse who was beaten by a patient. Grant her healing and strength to carry on her mission.

We pray for Melody to get patience to take care of her husband who has dementia. 

Father God, please calm the storm and restore the souls of those suffering from extreme weather on the eastern seaboard of America and beyond.

Finally, we pray for all those who need jobs, healing, and other needs we are not aware of. For those who need to forgive, as well as for those who need to be forgiven. 

We pray for your grace and mercy to overflow in our lives. May your love shine through us, drawing your people closer to you. May your message reach where it needs to reach everyday.

Amen.

Are You and Asset or a Liability?

Reference: 2 Timothy 2 14-26

Our world revolves around two things - assets and liabilities. We define and classify people around us with these two scales. That is of course in the material world.

In the Christian world, a similar question arises: are we an asset to Christ?

Firstly, let us understand that we are NOT a liability. We, each one of us are valuable to God. Not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of what we have cost.

Second, just because we are not a liability does not mean we are an asset. An asset is something or someone who is useful to the world, people around us and to society at large. As assets we become agents of change for the better.

Last, and following from the above, as assets we become agents of change for God. His word tells us what we need to do, how we must behave and act. How we need to build a relationship with Him as well as the people around us.

That we, become a lighthouse for Him, guiding others to Him. If our light starts to dim, we help each other to brighten it again. That we life a life of praise and thanksgiving, so others want to emulate and experience the peace and joy we are experiencing.

How can we live as an asset? The quoted verses from Paul can be used as guideline. His Word helps us develop ourselves first and the very nature of our spiritual character will show the world around us the truth which we know and have experienced.

The Pilate Syndrome

Pontius Pilate: To Jesus
And what is 'truth'? Is truth unchanging law? We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?
What is truth? Pilate’s answer to his own question could be a question asked in despair. How do we know right and wrong, good and evil, what is the right thing to do in any situation? How can anyone believe in a universal truth that transcends this world of suffering and despair?
Whatever his motive, he didn't get an answer because the truth was right there, standing in front of him.
Today we, like Pilate, do not recognize the truth. The truth was standing in front of Pilate, to be judged to die or to live.
Bob Kaylor says "For Pilate, anything that got him advanced in status in the eyes of the emperor was truth. Truth is whatever you decide it is, whatever is most pragmatic, kind of like throwing darts at the wall and drawing targets around them. Actually, Pilate would have been right at home in the 21st century, where truth is always relative."
Yes, we are mostly in what we can call the Pilate Syndrome:
The Pilate syndrome is a term used to describe the tension between the voice of truth and the world powers. It can also refer to the idea that people are desensitized to scandals and wash their hands of their civic responsibility.
We practice relative truths, making the truth very convenient. We justify our deeds, our wars, our destruction of nature, of human relationships and most of all destruction of our relationship with our God - our creator - all in the name of "truth".
We have the truth in our Bibles, yet we ask - What is truth? The Bible is right in front of us, yet we search for the truth. Instead, we should put our trust in God, in Jesus and His word and see (not seek) the truth work in our lives.
Billy Graham spoke truly when he said - "Truth is not found in the majority vote. Truth is found in the Word of God."

Meaningful Quotes

                          

If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day. - Edward McKendree Bounds

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most.

- George Bernard Shaw

The sounds of church stay with you through your life. A hymn, a chorus, a melody, a message, will surface years later when you most need it. That, friends, is God gently saying , "I am still around". - Anon

“Prayer is an opportunity to have a conversation with God to try to get in tune with what his will is.” – Dr. Francis Collins

“Prayer is where the action is.” – John Wesley

“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” – Corrie ten Boom

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’ - Edmund Burke

Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves but thinking about ourselves less.

God will send the rain when we ask. But the well has to be dug by us.- Anon

They also serve who stand and wait - John Milton

I don't forgive people because I'm weak, I forgive them because I am strong enough to know people make mistakes - Marilyn Monroe

Prayer is Where the Action is : Saturday Vespers

                                                    

Prayer is Where the Action is - John Wesley

Does God see? Does God care? Scripture calls us to believe that God really does see, know, and hear. The question is do we call? 

Today, we thank God for the recovery of your servant in Australia, in India and those who were sick and needed your intervention. 

Today we request you, our readers, for prayers for all these people. We do not know them nor they us. Yet we believe, your prayers will help them and give them hope: 

Brandi says -

Can you please pray for God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, Mother Mary, The Angelic Hierarchy, The Saints, all those that help us, me (Brandi), my family and my friends. WE are going through a very challenging time right now and could really use your prayers. Thank you!

Tanu Prays - 

Heavenly Father I come before you praying for resources and money to build our family home, I pray for your blessings and favor, remember me and my family in a special and mighty way, for it’s in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ that I do pray believing and trusting Amen.

We pray for the wellness of the senior citizens in India -One with a severe back problem to give her strength and patience as well as relief from the pain; we also pray for a lady suffering from Parkinsons for relief as well as strength and patience to her caregiver daughter,

We pray for retired Pastor Benjamin in India for support as he and his daughter go through a very challenging time with his home breaking down and no finance to repair. We pray that efforts to organize financial support for them bears fruit.

We Pray for a Pastor's wife - diagnosed with stage IV cancer, she is in great pain and the family is heartbroken. We pray for relief from her pain, strength for the family and the greatest healer to visit her. 

Anna Prays - 

Divine peace for Renzo and Robin. The attack is from the pits of hell and I bind it in the Name of Jesus. Divine intervention and peace and love . Amen and Amen

Dr. Moreland requests prayer for Mike who is facing cancer surgery. 

We pray for Aaliyah who says- 

I just started university three weeks ago. I've been struggling mentally being away from home and feeling overwhelmed with the people I'm around. I've been disconnected from god for a while now and want to change that. I've had depression before, and I feel it coming back. I just want my semester to be filled with happy moments and not let my depression win.

Jason asks "Please pray for my Daughter who either has the Stomach virus or food poisoning".

Someone asks - Please storm heaven's gates for complete healing for my husband, father, and mother! Please pray for protection and Godly friends for my children. I pray all petitions on this board are heard and answered by God. I also pray especially for those struggling with mental illness and their families. May they have peace.

Please pray for all these and other needs you may know of. 

 

Street Food and Hunger: A Short Story

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26

God works. And He does not do things with a wave of a magic wand, but through people like you and me. We all can be used for good, in some way, big or small.

Let me relate a short story of a simple act of kindness and love, which I happened to have witnessed.

"Every place in the world has two common things: street food and hunger.

One day, a person, call him X (since I do not know his name), saw some enticing street food being cooked. It was a rainy day and the smell of the food, hot on the stove, was more than he could resist. He walked over to get some packed for himself. As he was waiting with the rest of the customers, he noticed a small girl, maybe 6 or 8 years old, dirty, filthy and obviously hungry. She went from person to person begging for some food. Most people ignored her; the shop worker scolded her half heartedly; he had seen enough hungry folks to know she was ravenous.

One customer broke off a morsel of her food and offered it to the girl who politely refused.

The little girl waited for a while, maybe in hope, but then finally gave up, resigned to her fate. She went to the water stand and drank lots of water filling her stomach. Water was free. 

Seeing all this, this gentleman X who had had his food packed, was moved enough to pay for a plate of food and told the shop worker to give it to her. The worker, himself poor, showed his happiness. He did not wait to be thanked. He simply walked away.

When we witness such acts of unselfishness, caring and love, regardless of how someone is -  dressed or filthy, we realize that that God in Heaven is looking down at each one of the 8 Billion people in this world, to care and to provide. Such acts of humility and empathy prove that God has still not given up on man. God has not given up on me.

“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” — Mahatma Gandhi.

Quotable Quotes

We have often said a single quote can teach us more than a sermon. Today's quotes are on the theme of faith -

"It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters." - Mother Teresa

"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light." - Helen Keller

"It is this belief in a power larger than myself and other than myself which allows me to venture into the unknown and even the unknowable." - Maya Angelou

"What is to give light must endure the burning."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

"In God's eyes our words have only the value of our actions." - St. Ignatius Loyola

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Martin Luther King Jr.

"What does the Lord require?

Only to act justly

and to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8

"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark." - Rabindranath Tagore

"Each activity of daily life in which we stretch ourselves on behalf of others is a prayer in action." - Richard J. Foster

God has not called me to be successful; God has called me to be faithful." - Mother Teresa

"Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God." - St. Teresa of Avila

Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe." - Voltaire

Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation." - D. Elton Trueblood

As you practice counting your blessings, you will find that your faith is being suddenly revitalized." - Robert Schuller

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” - Corrie ten Boom

"Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right." - Max Lucado

A Piece of Bread

RC Sproul once related a possibly not so well known story:

"After the Korean War ended, South Korea was left with a large number of children who had been orphaned by the war. We’ve seen the same thing in the Vietnam conflict, in Bosnia, and in other places. In the case of Korea, relief agencies came in to deal with all the problems that arose in connection with having so many orphan children. One of the people involved in this relief effort told me about a problem they encountered with the children who were in the orphanages. Even though the children had three meals a day provided for them, they were restless and anxious at night and had difficulty sleeping. As they talked to the children, they soon discovered that the children had great anxiety about whether they would have food the next day. To help resolve this problem, the relief workers in one particular orphanage decided that each night when the children were put to bed, the nurses there would place a single piece of bread in each child’s hand. The bread wasn’t intended to be eaten; it was simply intended to be held by the children as they went to sleep. It was a “security blanket” for them, reminding them that there would be provision for their daily needs. Sure enough, the bread calmed the children’s anxieties and helped them sleep".

Like many of us, the children, felt secure when they had a provision for their need, albeit small, in their hands. 

Man has two needs - physical needs and spiritual needs and, Complete dependence on God - for spiritual as well as physical needs is the essence of the Christian practice. The absence of either - means death.

While we are quite aware of our physical needs, the Bread we need for spiritual sustenance is Jesus. We need to ask for His presence, His guidance and His protection, every day, to be provided through His Holy Spirit.

As we depend on God, pray to God for our daily physical needs, we need to depend on and ask God for meeting our daily spiritual needs. We need a daily portion of both.

That piece of bread in the children's hands at night gave them an assurance of provision the next day. Likewise, our prayers to our father give us an assurance of provision, protection and presence of God in our lives at all times and prayer is that piece of bread in our hands assuring us of God today and every day.

You can read RC Sprouls post here.

The Shepherd's Song

In a small, quiet village nestled among rolling hills, lived a young shepherd named Elias. His days were filled with the gentle rhythm of tending his flock, the warmth of the sun on his face, and the comforting sound of sheep bells. Yet, beneath his simple life, Elias carried a deep longing for something more.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the fields, Elias sat on a hilltop, his gaze fixed on the vast expanse of the sky. A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of wildflowers, and as he listened to the distant bleating of his sheep, a sense of peace washed over him.

In that moment, Elias heard a voice, soft and clear, like the whisper of a summer rain. "I am the Good Shepherd," the voice said. "I know my own and my own know me."

Startled, Elias looked around, but there was no one there. Yet, the voice continued, filling him with a sense of warmth and belonging. "I lay down my life for my sheep."

As Elias listened, he felt a profound connection to the voice. It was as if he had been searching for this moment all his life. The words echoed in his heart, filling him with a sense of purpose and meaning.

From that day forward, Elias's life took on a new dimension. He continued to tend his sheep, but now he did so with a deeper understanding of his role. He saw himself as a shepherd, not just for his flock, but for all those who were lost and in need.

As the years passed, Elias's story spread throughout the village and beyond. People came from far and wide to hear him speak of the Good Shepherd and the love that had transformed his life. And though he remained a simple shepherd at heart, his words carried a powerful message that touched the lives of many. (**Story by Gemini)

Milton wrote so truly - "They also serve who only stand and wait". 

We all have a role in Christs world. Not everyone is a CEO, or a President. We all serve Christ in our own way, with our own abilities, even if they seem small.

New Beginnings: Pastor Rajiv's Mid-Week Message