The Loving Lizard

                          

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." - John 15:13

In a small village in Japan, there was an old house that had been abandoned for many years. One day, a man decided to renovate the house. As he started to remove the wooden wall panels, he noticed something unusual. A small lizard was nailed to the wall by one of its feet.

The man felt sad for the lizard, which must have been trapped there for a long time. However, as he examined the lizard more closely, he noticed something even more surprising. Another lizard was bringing food to the trapped lizard, ensuring that it didn't starve.

Despite the hardship of being nailed to the wall, the trapped lizard had been sustained by the unwavering care of its companion. The free lizard had dedicated itself to feeding the trapped one, showing an incredible level of devotion and compassion.

This story serves as a beautiful reminder of the power of love and the lengths to which creatures, great and small, will go to support and care for one another. It illustrates the deep bonds that can exist between animals and the remarkable ways they can demonstrate kindness and loyalty.

The question is this: That story was about lizards. Would we as human beings do the same or be lesser than a humble house lizard? 

When called upon, would we care for another even when it is not convenient or maybe needs a sacrifice? Would we, like Jesus, give up our lives for someone? 

Of course we would not. Or would we? Only we can answer that question for ourselves. 

Sunday Quotes

Inspiring Christian quotes serve as beacons of hope, faith, and encouragement in our daily lives. They remind us of God's unwavering love, the strength found in Christ, and the beauty of living with purpose and compassion. These quotes, often drawn from Scripture or the wisdom of Christian thinkers, provide guidance during challenges and celebrate the joy of faith. Whether uplifting the spirit or deepening one's connection with God, they resonate with timeless truths that inspire believers to walk in love, grace, and perseverance.

“Satan is so much more in earnest than we are—he buys up the opportunity while we are wondering how much it will cost.” (Amy Carmichael)

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” (John Wesley)

“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.”

“Every temptation, directly or indirectly, is the temptation to doubt and distrust God.” John Macarthur 

 “The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in.” RC Sproul 

 “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” - C S Lewis 

 “Today Jesus Christ is being dispatched as the Figurehead of a Religion, a mere example. He is that, but he is infinitely more; He is salvation itself, He is the Gospel of God.” - Oswald Chambers 

“I will not glory, even in my orthodoxy, for even that can be a snare if I make a god of it... Let us rejoice in Him in all His fullness and in Him alone.”- Martin Lloyd-Jones

“Here lies the tremendous mystery: that God should be all-powerful, yet refuse to coerce. He summons us to cooperation. We are honored in being given the opportunity to participate in his good deeds. Remember how He asked for help in performing his miracles: Fill the water pots, stretch out your hand, distribute the loaves.” - Elisabeth Elliot

“The terrible, tragic fallacy of the last hundred years has been to think that all man's troubles are due to his environment, and that to change the man you have nothing to do but change his environment. That is a tragic fallacy. It overlooks the fact that it was in Paradise that man fell.”

“Be still, and know that I am God. We must not interpret that ‘Be still’ in a sentimental manner. Some regard it as a kind of exhortation to us to be silent; but it is nothing of the sort. It means, ‘Give up (or ‘Give in’ and admit I am God’. God is addressing people who are opposed to Him.”

Martyn Lloyd -Jones 

“We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.”

Oswald Chambers 

“I have heard of some good old woman in a cottage, who had nothing but a piece of bread and a little water, and lifting up her hands, she said, as a blessing, “What! all this, and Christ too?” - Charles Spurgeon

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.” - Corrie Ten-Boom

“Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength.” - Billy Graham

“Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.”

St. Augustine

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!