This Week With Jesus

Hard Fact : One-third or 33 percent of the food in the world is wasted. When food is lost or wasted, all the resources that were used to produce this food - including water, land, energy, labor  and capital - go to waste. In addition, the disposal of food loss and waste in landfills, leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. What a tragedy that while 10% of world goes hungry, the world wastes 33% of food. This essentially means that 90% of the world has 123% of what they need, to be nourished. This to my mind is one of the most inhuman and most unchristian like behavior, fueled by greed and covetousness. and contradicting the 10th commandment. Everyone knows the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Yet I will urge you to read it again. Matthew Verse 20 says - "They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over". What was left over was not wasted. What we learn is that God provides b

What is divine strength? we believe it is a God given power to overcome personal and professional challenges. Gen 49:24 says " But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)" Every character, from Adam to the apostles received divine strength. As did then, even now, challenges are a part of everyday life we all face, no matter who we are. How do we get divine strength to overcome our challenges. Reading the quoted passage closely, you will see that award of divine strength is a very personal act. It is Gods power passing to man through a personal touch.  Being that it is such a personal touch, it follows that we need a personal relationship, one that is strong and open enough to enable us to "ask". Ask and it shall be given is a familiar passage, but to be able to ask one needs to know Him personally, and to do that we need to overcome pride and re

There are so many points of conflict in the world today. Between people, nations, continents, races, gender, age and so on. You name it and it is there.  Is it conflict what God created us for?  We have to learn that people of other faiths, color, gender etc., are not only created by, but also sustained by, God the Creator. The Biblical understanding of God as creator should lead to understand that all people, their cultures and spiritualities are within the sphere of God's love. Respect for people includes respecting who they are and acting out that respect. It is part of the commandment to love your neighbor. Why Is Respect so Important in the Christian Community? In the Bible we learn that it is firstly God who respects man:  "Since you are precious and honored (respected) in my sight, and because I love you" (Isiaah 43:4)  If man thus opens to God, he always receives his reverence, because respect is the permanent state of God. In return, Reverence for God. Honor fo

I cannot forget a Book by Robin Sharma called "Who will cry when you die". The title inspired me to think,  and often I ask myself the same question: who will cry when I die? Maybe not literally, but who will genuinely grieve?  Apart from my family and a couple of friends, I really can't count any. We are so involved with self and careers and God knows what else, we forget to carve out a legacy which we can leave behind. And why should we ?  Because "Life" is not a career; life is not about just us. There is nothing wrong about doing things for us but that is not the ends. Life is the means to the end. Life is living in harmony with the world around us. Taking care of the world and people around us. Using our talents wisely for the benefit of others.  Everything we have comes from above. Do we even stop to give thanks? here is how Hen Smith defined it nearly 50 years ago and presented by Rosemary Seimens in a musical format https://youtu.be/qCm8isaSoiI But serio

Excel in Giving 1Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4imploring us with much urgency [a]that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. 6So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. 7But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. 2 Corinthians 8 Verses 1 to 7 Continuing our study from yesterday, PAUL’S PASSAGE TEACHES US FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SACRIFICIAL GIVING. THESE ARE – 1. SACRIFICIAL GIVING

* Photo Credit: The Kindness Blog  ___________________________ Stewardship can be viewed from the biblical sense as the use of God-given gifts and resources for the accomplishment of God-given goals and objectives. As stewards on this earth, it is our responsibility to use what He has given abundantly, for His purpose. Sharing and giving are all part of it, specially sacrificial giving. The text book definition of sacrificial giving is “Giving beyond your means (Giving money that you really should be putting somewhere else, not giving money that you don't have) Giving that hurts. Going without something that we want/need in order to supply for the needs of another”.  The most glaring example of Sacrificial is in Mark Chapter 12:44 - " For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” Are there justifiable opportunities to do this? Sure! Look at Turkey and Syria where the death toll has crossed 40,000 and more than 9 M

Ephesians 5 15- 17  -  So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. (5:15–17 MSG) Watch your step!  This statement is so familiar isn't it? . Parents say that to children, people use that as a warning to others and so on. This is a life warning. But read further, it is also guideline for every Christian. As we travel a path carefully chosen according to His will, word and purpose, God presents us with so many opportunities. Opportunities to flourish and prosper, and also  opportunities to say NO . Opportunities to lead an exemplary life. Opportunities to use our gifts for others. We cannot pass our time mindlessly, but realize every second we live is an investment we make into life,  a life after our physical death.   Just to be clear, our first death, or our physical death, is the separation of  our body from our spirit. The second death,