Do You Know the Shepherd?

Psalm 23

There is an old story about Psalm 23 (though we can't say if it is true) and which teaches a beautiful lesson.

It goes like this:

Once there was a fund raiser in which a famous actor was the Chief Guest. He gave his speech, did a couple of performences of his famous dialogues and then invited questions. Someone in the audience asked him if he knew Psalm 23. To this he replied in the affirmative saying he had to memorise it as a child. Another person piped up and asked him to recite it.

The actor then proceeded to recite Psalm 23, in his deep baritone voice complete with facial expressions and voice modulation. Slowly, deliberately serious and with actions.

When he finished there was thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

After the applause died down, someone spied an old priest sitting in the corner. He raised a call for the priest to recite Psalm 23 as well, a call which caught on till the the entire hall was echoing with that demand.

The priest slowly got up, so slowly one could probably have heard his bones. He walked upto the stage, took the mike and, in a weak, cracked voice which promised to fail any time and with a teary expression proceeded to recite the Psalm. When he finished he got the standard polite applause.

At dinner that evening someone asked the actor what he thought of the priests recital viz a viz his own.

"Oh that's easy" said the actor. "I knew the Psalm but he knew the shepherd".

Today, we can well ask ourselves - Do we know the shepherd or just the Psalm?

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What Would Jesus Do?

In our last post we talked about Jesus being the way and why we need to follow Him, if we want salvation. Following Jesus means commitment to living a life that mirrors his teachings, values, and example, prioritizing his will above all else, and striving for spiritual growth through faith, love, and service. In short it means "living Jesus" every day. Addressing challenges He faced - His way. Relating to people - His way.

How we can do that is to ask ourselves in every situation - what would Jesus do? And then do what He would do. If we don't know- go to the Word. Ask.

Rev Francis Taylor says this -

"Everyone faces temptation every day. It may be something as unimportant as having an extra piece of candy, or skipping exercise, but it could be as serious as giving in to road rage, drinking too much, cheating, gambling, taking drugs, or – (insert your favorite vice here)! Jesus was tempted to let us know that this is something we all must overcome. When you face a temptation, how do you respond? Jesus looked to scripture for the answer."

So, there you have it. Jesus lived by the "Book." Time we did do and do what He did.

Money, Power & Fame....

In an earlier post about following Jesus, we talked about making idols in our lives, contrary to the 1st commandment. We think we don't, but we do.

Rev Francis says - "Every time we put our needs before God, we set ourselves up as gods. Every time we choose pleasure, money, sports before God, we have created idols for ourselves."

Is it any wonder that Jesus said that we need to forsake what the world gives us to be able to follow Him? He never said that we should not enjoy the good things we have - but let not those things become "Gods" and give them priority over that one true God.

It could be something as simple as time. We can't serve Jesus because our job takes up too much time. It could be our family or a party or TV or sports. This does not mean we should not have or do these things. It simply means we must develop a habit to consciously give priority to Jesus over everything else, which comes second.

Today, let's review our life, and without a bias, identify those things, people or activities which we maybe idolizing, giving them a place on our lives above God and Let us make a step wise plan to de-brick all of them.

The Way : Beyond the Cross

Did you know that the Early followers of Christ were called followers of "the way"? The term "Christianity" came much later.

Let us pause and think why were they called that? What was "the way"? The answer will open the door to another basic question: why should anyone follow Christ?

Because Christ offered true followers a pathway to salvation. Jesus was and is the way to our salvation.

Thus, our ultimate goal to follow a resurrected Jesus is because He is the way to salvation. 

How may you ask? Jesus said to take up our cross and follow Him - essentially symbolizing the end of our earthly self and a new beginning. When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day, no one thought of it as a persistent annoyance or symbolic burden. It was literal! "To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by crucifixion. To carry a cross was to face the most painful and humiliating means of death human beings could develop. Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day the cross represented a torturous death. The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion (see John 19:17). Bearing a cross meant one was about to die, and that one would face ridicule and disgrace along the way".

Therefore, Jesus’ command to “take up your cross and follow Me” is a call to self-abasement and self-sacrifice, no matter how hard or painful it may be. One must be willing to die to self in an absolute surrender to God, crucify our "self" and resurrect finding hope, strength, and transformation through our challenges.

This Lenten season, can we reflect on what we need to do to follow His way, or "the Way"? 

One suggestion is to adopt the principle of "what would Jesus do" or WWJD. In our next post we will cover that principle.

Monday Quotes

 

"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come" - Rabindranath Tagore

"When I fall sick, I am taken to a hospital where I surrender to the nurses, attendants and doctors. They put me in a wheelchair and take me where I do not know, put me on machines I do not recognize and do tests which the doctors have ordered. I am completely in their hands. Then I wonder, when I can trust the doctors, nurses and attendants for my well being, and surrender myself, why do I have a problem surrendering to God? Why cant I let God push my wheelchair?" - Pastor Jolly Raj, Bethel Methodist Church, India.

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

"Pray; and as you pray, surrender; and as you surrender, believe". - Aiden Wilson Tozer

It is not our business to make the message acceptable, but to make it available. We are not to see that they like it, but that they get it. - Vance Havner

You will never be saved against your will; God drags nobody to heaven by the ears. - Charles Spurgeon

Too many Christians live their Christian lives inside their heads; it never gets out through hands and feet and lips. - Vance Havner

"Don't ever come to church without coming as though it were the first time, as though it could be the best time, and as though it could be the last time." ~ Vance Havner

"When the Lord's white sheep become dirty gray, all black sheep feel more comfortable." ~ Vance Havner

"Fundamentally, our Lord's message was Himself. He did not come merely to preach a Gospel; He himself is that Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread; He said, "I am the bread." He did not come merely to shed light; He said, "I am the light." He did not come merely to show the door; He said, "I am the door." He did not come merely to name a shepherd; He said, "I am the shepherd." He did not come merely to point the way; He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."" ~ J. Sidlow Baxter

"Real true faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength." ~ Dwight L. Moody

"There is more grace in God's heart than there is sin in your past." ~ Erwin W. Lutzer

"Love the sinner, hate the sin? How about: Love the sinner, hate your own sin! I don't have time to hate your sin. There are too many of you! Hating my sin is a full-time job. How about you hate your sin, I'll hate my sin and let's just love each other!" ~ Mark Lowry

"Because with every action, comment, conversation, we have the choice to invite Heaven or Hell to Earth." ~ Rob Bell

"Every day we live is a priceless gift of God, loaded with possibilities to learn something new, to gain fresh insights." ~ Dale Evans

"God doesn't break things so He can fix them; He fixes broken things so He can use them." ~ Bob Goff

A Woman of Substance

 

The Bible features many amazing women who played significant roles in various narratives. On this International Women’s Day, we would like to highlight one such woman – Rahab, a Canaanite woman who helped Israelite spies and later became part of the lineage of Jesus.

Rahab is a significant figure in the Bible, known for her bravery, faith, and role in the Israelite conquest of Jericho. Her story is primarily found in the Book of Joshua, chapter 2, a powerful example of faith, courage, and redemption. Her actions had a lasting impact on the Israelite history and the lineage of Jesus Christ

To understand the importance of her role, we must first understand why Jericho was so important to the Israelites?

In the biblical account, Jericho holds significant importance as the first city the Israelites encountered after crossing the Jordan River into Canaan around 1,400 BCE. The story highlights the miraculous destruction of the formidable Wall of Jericho, which fell after the Israelites marched around it for seven days, bearing the Ark of the Covenant. This event symbolizes not only a pivotal moment in the Israelites’ conquest of the Promised Land but also serves as a testament to their faith and obedience in following divine instructions.

Knowing the importance of capturing Jericho, the Israelis sent spies into the city to do what spies do: Ascertain strengths and weaknesses. If these spies had been captured or killed, the morale of the Israelis would have gone crashing to the ground. After all, if they could not capture the first city they encountered in the promised land, what would they do for the rest? They probably would not have attempted to war with Jericho, their faith in God would have been shaken and a defeat at Jericho could have delayed the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land. Jericho was a key entry point into Canaan, and losing the battle would have hindered their progress and possibly prolonged their efforts to take possession of the land. They knew that.

And that is where Rahab mattered. She made sure that the spies were NOT captured and the Israelis went ahead and did what God wanted them to thus fulfilling the promise of divine intervention and Gods plan. She had faith in God, His promises and His power even though she was not an Israelite. 

Rahab's story is a powerful example of faith, courage, and redemption. Her actions had a lasting impact on the Israelite history and the lineage of Jesus Christ. Rahab is commended for her faith in the New Testament. She is mentioned in the "Faith Hall of Fame" in Hebrews 11:31, and James 2:25 highlights her righteous deeds.

Do read about Rahab today. Her story is a powerful reminder that our past does not govern our future and faith, courage, and positive choices can lead to transformation and a meaningful legacy. Her example inspires us to believe in the possibility of change, take risks for what we believe in, and live out our faith in God in tangible ways. 

The Bath Tub

If you were told to empty a bathtub and the choice was to use a bucket, a glass or a spoon, which would you use? 

The answer of course is none of the above. The smart way would be to simply pull the plug, because using any of those above-mentioned alternatives would never completely empty the tub. There would be a remnant of water remaining. 

Similarly in our spiritual life, if you don't pull the plug there will always be remnants of our previous sins which will remain. 

The problem is when called upon to pull the plug, our strength fails us. We are unable to empty that tub completely because of our attachments to our earthly desires and possessions. But Jesus can! 

He sacrificed himself to pull the plug and drain out sin from the world, including for you and me. 

Today, as we fill our own tubs, let us be careful that we fill it with what Jesus wants, not what we desire from this world. 

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Two Ways to Play the Game: Pastor Rajiv's Mid-Week Message

 

Play to Win or Play Not to Lose! 

The 7 Christians

As we read Revelations, trying to understand, one thing stands out: the significance of the 7 churches to our lives today, with 7 different types of Christians in the world. Let's take a look:

The Loveless Christian:

First, we have Ephesus, a prominent city with a church mentored by Paul and pastored by Timothy. They are doings things right and yet do have their faults, primary among them is that their devotion to Christ had declined.

What can we learn from this church? Like the Ephesian church, we can easily fall prey to a cold, mechanical observance of religion. Like the Ephesians, many tend to focus solely on doctrinal purity and hard work, to the exclusion of true love for Christ. As this letter shows, no amount of zeal for the truth or moral rectitude can replace a heart full of love for Jesus.

Persecuted Christians: 

Then we have Smyrna. Persecuted Christians. Jesus encourages them to remain faithful, for more persecution is to come. Like the people at Smryna, many today face persecutions of different kinds. They may face satanic persecution like Job or Maybe at work, or in society or in some nations. However, They are blessed because they remain faithful to Jesus.

The Compromising Christian: 

At Pergamos the church is question on its "purity". While they were commended on the fact that believers lived in a difficult place, surrounded by pagan influences, yet they held fast to Christ’s name and did not deny Him during difficult times. Yet they were compromising with "those in the church who contradicted the ethical implications of the very gospel they followed" (Jeremiah Study Bible). Do we, as a church or as individuals, also compromise in such matters?

The Corrupt Christian

The Church at Thytira were an active, flourishing, busy, growing church yet Their problem was that they were tolerating sin. They had a false teacher who was corrupting some of them yet The church leadership failed to rebuke or remove this false teacher from their midst. This situation is seen as a symbol of the danger of allowing worldly influences to creep into the church, our families or ourselves, and compromise Christian values.

Do we do the same with people or the world around us?

The Hypocritical Christian: 

Church at Sardis. The Sardinian Believers had effectively built a winning brand for themselves in their community. By all appearances, the church in Sardis was a vibrant, effective powerhouse. But inside they were lifeless. Spiritually dead. When a church attempts to operate from any other power source than Christ, that church can officially be identified as dead. The problem with a deceased church is that it rarely recognizes the condition. A dead church will often continue to function in its own power, programs, and pomp and attribute the momentum to Christ—celebrating every temporal victory as if it had eternal merit.

This applies to us as well - when we are separated from God, we rarely recognize it and continue as before. Therefore We do not regenerate our relationship with Him because we don't know it's broken in the first place.

The faithful Christian: 

Philadelphia

Unlike other churches mentioned in Revelation, Jesus did not criticize or condemn the church at Philadelphia. Why? because they remained faithful to Jesus despite facing persecution and having little strength, holding fast to His word and not denying His name, even when under pressure; essentially, they demonstrated unwavering loyalty in difficult circumstances.

This is what we all should strive for.

The Lukewarm Christian

Finally the Chruch at Laodicia. A church who thought they needed nothing more. The Christians of this city had permitted wealth to dull them spiritually; they became prideful and independent. In fact, they behaved as though they did not need God. The land provided for them; they had enough water. They imagined they were safe because they believed Jesus was the Risen Lord, even though they did not act as though Christ’s life, death, and resurrection had impacted their hearts. They allowed God to exist but did not let Him live in them.

They lived as though they had one foot in the world and one foot in heaven, but they were foolish if they thought He would permit such wavering.

Does that sound familiar?

Those seven churches tell us what not to do and what to do, to be spiritually alive. Each individual can find their likeness within these seven churches. Finding yourself if the first step to bettering yourself and these 7 churches help us to know our own spiritual condition.

Let us wake up before it is too late, and ask God to open our eyes to see our own spiritual condition—repent of complacency, compromise, materialism and stubborn independence; respond to the leadership of Jesus Christ and do not lose your reward!

Sunday Quotes

                 

You will never be saved against your will; God drags nobody to heaven by the ears. Charles Spurgeon

This life is the only hell believers will ever know. But for those who die in their sins, this is their only heaven - Ray Comfort

Let me remind you that this is God's universe, and He is doing things His way. You may think you have a better way, but you don't have a universe to rule - J. Vernon McGee

When we share Christ, the Truth behind our transformation, we are offering people an opportunity to be transformed - David Jeremiah

Too many Christians live their Christian lives inside their heads; it never gets out through hands and feet and lips - Vance Havner

When the Lord's white sheep become dirty gray, all black sheep feel more comfortable - Vance Havner

If you see a Bible that is falling apart, it probably belongs to someone who isn't! Vance Havner

God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way. - Aiden Wilson Tozer

Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.  Alexander MacLaren

We should not pray for God to be on our side, but pray that we may be on God's side. Billy Graham