Pastor Rajiv's Mid-Week Message

 

No Place Like Home!

 

Dorothy Gale from the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz said, "There's no place like home":

In the movie's final scene, Dorothy wakes up in her bed and says this line after being transported to Oz by a tornado. 

The phrase is often used to express the feeling of comfort and familiarity that comes from being at home.

We all may have repeated this line quite a few times in the past. But today, let us think about this: where do we think is our home?

  Is it this? The earth. 

                                    Or this? Paradise. 

If it is paradise where we want to live, we have to work towards it.

First, we have to find the way and the way is clearly mentioned in John 14:6, where Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. There is no way we can get there on our own. We need Jesus.

Second, we must prepare ourselves by changing, ourselves, people and life around us. We cannot have a dual personality - one for the earth and one for paradise. Unfortunately the cares of this world and its pressures create an "anti-paradisical" personality in every one of us. But Once we know our home, we need to change. We must behave here as our home in paradise expects us to. This is done by emulating Jesus on earth so that we live with Him at home.

Remember what Philips Brooks said -

"Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life a life like yours, this earth would (still) be God's Paradise".

As we prepare to live in our home, we stop dreading death and instead view it as the gateway to heaven.

Finally, we must remember that each one of us, individually, has to pave our own path to paradise. No one can be responsible for us. The responsibility and onus are ours. 

Sunday Quotes

                            

"We can look at Job, we can look at Lamentations, we can look at the Psalms, we can look at so many heroes of the faith who at different times had questions, who faced unbelief, yet God kept them, and they continued, in their doubts, to lean towards God, to lean and doubt in a way that continued to keep them attached to the vine and seeking Jesus in all of it." — Laura Wifler

"Every single thing He has ever or will ever say is true. The simplicity of faith is this: taking God’s Word for it." — Jackie Hill Perry

"No matter what has happened to you in the past or what is going on in your life right now, it has no power to keep you from having an amazingly good future if you will walk by faith in God. God loves you! He wants you to live with victory over sin so you can possess His promises for your life today!" — Joyce Meyer

"Hearing how God is moving in other places encourages and inspires our faith for what God wants to do in our own corner of the world." — Matt Brown

"The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness." — Henry David Thoreau

"A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being." — James E. Faust

"Faith and prayer are the vitamins of the soul; man cannot live in health without them." — Mahalia Jackson

"The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith." — Billy Graham

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." – Martin Luther King Jr.

"She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails." – Elizabeth Edwards

"Every single thing He has ever or will ever say is true. The simplicity of faith is this: taking God’s Word for it." — Jackie Hill Perry

"We can let go of burdens like condemnation and worry, perfectionism and insecurity. And we can cling desperately—even through tears—to the assurance that God knows, he cares, and he loves us with an infinite love. We can lay our burdens at the feet of Christ and receive what he offers instead." — Sarah J. Hauser

"Faith, in the sense in which I am here using the word, is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.” — C.S. Lewis

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." — Saint Augustine

"In faith, there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t." — Blaise Pascal

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

Saturday Vespers

Heavenly Father, we come before You today with hearts full of gratitude and concern. We thank You for Your love, mercy, and guidance. We pray for peace to reign throughout the world, that nations may live in harmony and understanding.
Guide the leaders of our nations. Fill them with wisdom, compassion, and a true desire to serve their people. May they seek Your will in all they do and govern with justice and equity.
Inspire us to be agents of peace in our communities. Grant us the courage to stand up for what is right and the compassion to help those in need. May we be beacons of hope, spreading love and kindness wherever we go.
Lord, we pray for an end to suffering and injustice. May Your healing touch bring comfort to the afflicted, and may Your justice prevail.
We Pray for a senior in India to get your comfort and healing from her hip and back pain. Anon says -
Please pray for my husband because he is struggling with mental illness. Pray for a hedge of protection around him and my children. Pray that his is healed and seeks help. Pray that God sends the right people into our lives and that he binds any evil spirits that may be causing this illness. I pray that we see God's mighty hand working quickly.
We pray for a Pastor in India who's wife is suffering from stage 4 cancer. We pray for a miracle for her healing and relief from the pain, as per your will.

We Thank you Lord for showing us the way and providing us with resources to travel your path. 

As Far as I Can See

Someone recently shared this - 

"I recently had the opportunity to visit a friend, one evening, who lives on the 28th floor of an apartment building. Standing on the balcony I could see the city with a completely new perspective. I was amazed at the expanse of the city, the beauty of the lights and the business of life as cars drive around. I never realized the vast network of roads my city had, nor the greenery nor the number of buildings and looking at the city lights, i wondered at the amount of electricity we consumed in keeping the city alive. Looking at the skyline changed my perspective of the government who provided us all these facilities, the ingenuity of people and of the city itself". 

"And then I thought how limited my vision and understanding were when I was on the ground level. 

It struck me then why it is better to trust in God. He can see much further than I ever can, has a perfect understanding of the world because He created it and can give perfect directions because He can see and understand everything. Like the city God never sleeps. Unlike the city, He sees everything". 

"Standing on that balcony that evening I realized the truth of Proverbs 3 verse 5- 

(Proverbs 3:5) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Because our understanding of things, on the ground floor of this universe, is limited by our vision. Because of this, we not only need to surrender desires but also relinquish control of our decision making to the one who can see all. 

As far as we can see is only the next home. The rest is our imagination, we erroneously call "vision". 

Peace and Justice for All

A wise judge once said, "it is not only necessary for justice to be done, but as importantly, it needs to be seen to be done."

Drawing from these wise words, as Christians, it is not only important to follow Christ in letter and spirit, but also to be seen as followers of Christ, in our behavior and our attitudes to fellow men. We ourselves are the biggest witnesses to Christ and we are also our own enemy. We may preach the best of sermons, be most devout in our day-to-day devotions or know the Bible verbatim, but if our language, behavior and attitude does not reflect Christ, it is all in vain.

Christ Himself spoke at length about the way we are to behave toward others; friends and enemies. More than that, however, the life He lived, accentuated by His love and compassion for the lost, provides the consummate example of what Christian behavior should look like, enabled by the Holy Spirit.

The best barometer is how one reacts or behaves when facing extreme pressure of a threat or a loss. Do we remain calm trusting in God or do we react with screaming, shouting, threatening and possibly worse?

If the Holy Spirit is living within us, the natural outpouring of behaviors will be “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). This will spread love, respect, peace and a spirit of justice towards all, bring glory to Gods name and most importantly give the world a glimpse of Gods character, building a bridge for others to know God as well.

Preach to Yourself!

In management, there is a concept of self-talk. There is nothing crazy about talking to oneself. Self-talk is the internal dialogue that people have with themselves, and it can have a big impact on how a person feels and acts. Positive self-talk can help people feel better about themselves, and can have many benefits, including goal attainment and building an overall positive attitude.

Drawing a cue from this concept, when we do our daily devotions and or read the Bible, instead of a mechanical tick in the box, if we relate what is being read to our own lives, each phase or period, we will be able to spot where we went wrong and what we did right. This knowledge will help to correct ourselves for future, aligning our life to Christ and Gods ways and will.

That is exactly how computers also work. They analyze the past to predict the future.

What does it mean to "preach to ourselves"?

"Preaching to ourselves is essentially the biblical call to "meditate" on Scripture - hearing and reflecting on both the Word and how God is speaking through it. It is personally applying the Word of God to our hearts and lives with the aim of glorifying and enjoying God" - Pastor Joe Thorn

This self-preaching, if done regularly, will turn itself into a meaningful meditation, the outcome of which is transformation of the person.

Paul Tripp says that no one is more influential in your life than you are, and that you should preach the gospel to yourself daily.

King David too, learned to preach to himself when he was threatened by fear. Psalm 56 includes some of David's preaching, such as "When you get afraid, don't be afraid!" and "I am trusting in God. I'm not going to live in fear".

Saturday Vespers

                                                                                         

Prayer plays a vital role in our relationship with God. When we engage in heartfelt prayer, we open the doors for divine intervention in our lives, our families and our land. Prayer is not merely reciting words but a posture of seeking and communicating with the Almighty. Through prayers we express our deepest desires, concerns and gratitude to God.

As believers we have the incredible opportunity to bring about transformation through our prayers. Today we all bring our concerns and thanks to God as we pray. 

Eddzzz says - Please pray my loved one’s medication comes in to today. Please pray he will focus on rebuilding his health.

A Pastors family in India requests prayer for his wife who needs healing and relief from stage 4 cancer

A family in India expresses gratitude and praise to God for miracles and blessings they have received in the last two weeks for their children living in a different country

Emily says - I would like to request prayer for my friend, her family and their Christian family bakery business. Thank you

Kevin says a prayer of thanks for relief from stress

Paladin says -

Please pray for me 1. I need a financial miracle in the worst kind of way...2. That the government won't take my bank account away from me (I am in the nursing home)...3. That God would straighten out all of the mess that is in my life right now...4. For good results from a DNA test...5. That God would provide me with money to eat with each and every month...6. That God would give me some encouragement-I feel defeated all of the time, and I feel as if something bad is going to happen to me...7. That God would calm me down and settle my nerves over all of this...8. Something has got to give with all of this.

We ask for prayer and pray for healing and relief for a senior citizen in India who is suffers from hip pain and is currently going for physio. 

Beth Lauren says - Lord thank you for our blessings. I pray for guidance. You know our struggles and fears. Please lead us forward to a less stressful situation and surroundings. Save our Son. I pray for our health. Forgive our many sins and mistakes. Please bless our Son, my husband, and myself. Amen

Make Me a Blessing

                                           

Out in the highways and byways of life,
Many are weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.

Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing.
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.
Make me a blessing to someone today.

Have you ever heard this hymn? It was introduced in Sunday schools in 1924 and music added a decade later. These simple words are often used to challenge believers to make their lives useful to God.

Today, let's try and understand this simple yet powerful hymn and how we can implement it in our lives.

blessing can be defined as conferring prosperity, approval, or happiness. But what does it mean for a person to be a blessing? Perhaps this means that through our actions we help bring happiness and peace to those around us.

It's not about money. Even someone who is marginalised or poor or needy can become a blessing to someone else. When we take care of them, we also recieve emotional and physical blessings.

In some traditions, the blessings of those who are marginalized, or suffering are seen as particularly potent.

The simple thought is to share a part of our lives with someone who may need it. Someone who may be lonely, or sad or broken hearted. 

A touch, a smile, a sharing of ideas and thoughts can mean a lot to someone today. Be a Blessing!

Making a Friend of a Foe

Read 2 Kings 6 verses 11- 23. 

The quoted story can be a lesson in strategy or a lesson in Jesus' life. 

Pastor David Jacobs expands on these verses with this explanation:   

"When I was in middle school, there was a boy that was much bigger than everyone else, and wow, he was a bully! He would really pick on other students and even hurt them, but he was so big nobody dared to stand up to him. He was equally as terrible to teachers, but I remember after school one day I noticed him red in the face, wiping tears from his eyes. Although he was so big, when he broke down he was like anyone else. That student was awful in my teacher's class, but my teacher put his arm around him, comforted him, and took him into his office so that other people could not see. After that, the student behaved quite well in that class, although I wish I could say the same about other classes!"

"My teacher's compassion to a person that had constantly troubled him humbled the terrible student. The student was used to being met by scorn, at school and most likely at home, and that was why he acted the way that he did. In these verses, Elisha shows compassion to the soldiers that have been sent to find him and most likely to kill him and the king of Israel. His compassion turns a foe into a friend, an enemy into an ally. 

Just like the student and the teacher, a show of compassion and love can turn hate into love. Christ teaches us to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39), and that is what Elisha does in these verses. How often do we actually do it?