Journey With Us
JourneyWithUs.ca offers assistance to the local church in areas of preaching, teaching, pastoral.....
On this Emancipation Day, I am reminded of the words of the prophet Isaiah, as quoted by Jesus in the temple:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives, and to open the eyes of the blind. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of God’s favor has come, and the day of His wrath against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, He will give: beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, and praise instead of heaviness. For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory.” (Luke 4:17ff and Isaiah 61:1-3, NLT)
One of the truths that I live by is, “all of us are significant, but no one is indispensable.”
I was fortunate to learn this early in life. I believe that we all are made in the image and likeness of our Creator. This is the foundation of our worth and significance. The great King Solomon knew this truth, when he wrote, “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors Him.” Everyone of us is worthy of respect and honor, whatever our station in life, because we are the image bearers of our Creator.
“… but no one is indispensable,” is the other side of the same coin because God, not us, sustains and runs this universe. I have been guilty of thinking without me, the world would come to a standstill. Then I usually take myself on a mental tour of the closest cemetery to see all the people, six feet under the ground, who might have thought that the world would come to an end without them. Even without them, the work continues, families survive, and the world goes on. So, the question that comes to my mind is, what then is my place in the grant scheme of things?
It is found in acknowledging that my worth does not lie in being indispensable, but as the image bearer of my Creator, I have been granted the freedom and privilege to work alongside my Creator to better our world, in the time that I am given. I have found this truth energizing me to be a better person, father, husband, and worker. It also tells me, that I can rest from my labours and have this moment to breathe and enjoy all that I have being given.
Friend, you are significant, but not indispensable, may this truth sober us. At the same time, let us be good stewards of the things that we have been entrusted with. Hopefully our lives when done will inspire another generation to build on what we leave behind.
Wishing each of you a wonderful and restful 2024!!!
क्रिसमस एक नए दिन; एक नई शुरुआत; मानव जाति के इतिहास में एक नई सुबह की शुरुआत करता है। जिस तरह से लूका ने यीशु के बारे में जकर्याह के शब्दों को हमारे लिए रिकॉर्ड किया, वह मुझे बहुत पसंद है, "हमारे परमेश्वर की कोमल दया के माध्यम से; जिससे ऊपर से दिन का वसंत हमारे पास आ गया है ..." यह एक नए युग की बात करता है, एक संकटग्रस्त दुनिया के लिए एक नई आशा है।
यीशु इसलिए आया ताकि, शांति के राजकुमार के रूप में, वह स्थायी शांति प्रदान करे; सभी जीवन के लेखक के रूप में, वह मृत लोगों को जीवन के लिए बुलाता है; दुनिया की रोशनी के रूप में, वह अंधेरे में बैठे लोगों पर अपनी रोशनी चमकाता है; और उस व्यक्ति के रूप में जो क्रूस पर मर गया और मृतकों में से तीसरे दिन फिर से जी उठा। वह उन सभी को पापों की क्षमा प्रदान करता है जो पश्चाताप और विश्वास में उसके पास आएंगे।
बाइबल कहती है, "क्योंकि परमेश् वर प्रसन्न हुआ कि उसकी सारी परिपूर्णता उस में (यीशु) वास करे, और उसके द्वारा सब वस्तुओं को, चाहे वह पृथ्वी की वस्तुएँ हों या स्वर्ग की वस्तुएँ, अपने लहू के द्वारा क्रूस पर बहाकर सब वस्तुओं का आपस में मेल-मिलाप करें। जी हाँ, क्रिसमस बेब, जीसस क्राइस्ट का अनमोल लहू करीब 33 साल बाद फ़लस्तीन की धरती पर बहाया गया ताकि अब और खून बहाने की ज़रूरत न पड़े।
मसीह का क्रॉस एक नए परिवार का वादा करता है जहां यहूदी, फिलिस्तीनी, हौथी, अरब, अफ्रीकी, पूर्व / दक्षिण / मध्य एशियाई, चीनी, यूरोपीय, उत्तर / दक्षिण अमेरिकी, और बाकी दोस्त और भाइयों और बहनों के रूप में एक साथ आ सकते हैं। क्रिसमस मुझे बताता है कि परमेश्वर मनुष्य का पुत्र बन गया, ताकि हम परमेश्वर की संतान बन सकें।
स्वर्गदूतों ने उस ठंडी सर्दियों की रात की घोषणा की, समाज के नीच, बहिष्कृत सदस्यों, गरीब चरवाहों के लिए, "... आज दाऊद के नगर में तुम्हारे लिये एक उद्धारकर्ता जन्मा है; वही मसीह, प्रभु है। उन्होंने अपनी भेड़ों को छोड़ दिया और इस प्रतिज्ञा किए गए उद्धारकर्ता को देखने और उसे अपनी पूजा की पेशकश करने के लिए बेतलेहम गए।
मैं आपको इस मौसम में बेथलहम आने के लिए आमंत्रित करता हूं?
आपको और आपके परिवार को सीजन की शुभकामनाएं और 2024 की शुभकामनाएं।
Christmas heralds a new day; a new beginning; a new dawn in the history of humankind. I love the way Luke records the words of Zechariah about Jesus for us, "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us…" It talks of a new era, a new hope for an embattled world.
Jesus came so that, as the Prince of peace, he provides lasting peace; as the author of all life, he calls, dead people to life; as the Light of the world, he shines His light on those sitting in darkness; and as the One who died on the Cross and rose again on the third day from among the dead, He offer forgiveness of sins to all who will come to him in repentance and faith.
The Bible states, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Yes, the precious blood of the Christmas babe, Jesus Christ, was shed on the very soil of Palestine, some 33 years later, so that no more blood needs to be shed.
The Cross of Christ promises a new family where Jews, Palestinians, Houthis, Arabs, Africans, East/South/Central Asians, Chinese, Europeans, North/South Americans, and the rest can come together as friends and as brothers and sisters. Christmas tells me that God became the Son of Man, so that we could become children of God.
The angels proclaimed that cold winter night, to the lowly, outcast members of society, the poor shepherds, "…Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." They responded by leaving their sheep and going to Bethlehem to see this promised Savior and to offer Him their worship.
I invite you to come to Bethlehem this season?
Wishing you and yours all the very best of the season and a happy and peaceful 2024.
09/06/2023
05/06/2023
31/05/2023
10/03/2023
Episode #46. Created for Relationships. Creation of Woman Genesis 2:18ff. God created us for relationships. According to God''s assessment, Man in his solitude is helpless and is in need of someone, "fit for him." So God created Wo...
04/03/2023
Episode #45 Created for God. The creation of man Genesis 2:7ff. God created us for Himself. Life has true meaning and purpose on in the context of our Creator. We exist for His good pleasure, to fulfill His purposes for o...
18/02/2023
Episode #44 A Reflection of Genesis chapter 1 - 2:1-4 An invitation to eavesdrop on the conversations of God, where He talks about His purposes and plans for His universe, and especially for each of us. The only...
11/02/2023
Episode #43 Genesis 2:1-4 The Sabbath Rest With the Living God, there is rest. It is not a rest from exhaustion, but it is a rest that trusts that the world is safe in God's hands. It is a time to ref...
04/02/2023
Episode #42 Genesis 1:28 God's mandate for us. God in speaking with us establishes tells of His commitment towards us. Our ability to respond to Him in love and obedience talks to us of the marvelous free...
29/01/2023
Episode #41 Genesis 1:26-27 Creation of Man God created us male and female. He created us in His image and in His likeness. We stand as one humanity before God in Adam. All our lineage goes back to our...
20/01/2023
Episode #40 God's good earth. Genesis 1 God of the Bible is not only the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of all Creation. He is also intimately involved with His creation. It will do well as stewards ...
26/12/2022
Episode #38. A call to the WORD. Acts 13; 2Pet 1; 2Tim 3 & 4. A call to the WORD in the midst of all this noise and sound. it is in spending time with the Bible that we encounter God and the...
19/11/2022
Luke 8:18 Take care then HOW you hear,...
Jesus talking to his disciples tells them to be careful as to HOW one hears. It suggests to me that there are different ways one can hear.
Sometimes we hear what we want to hear.
Other times we hear what was not said.
Yet at other times we hear, yet we fail to understand.
I am sure they are other HOWs of listening.
For Jesus, hearing meant DOING. To listen to God, in the Bible, is always linked to OBEDIENCE.
To have truly heard God is to OBEY and DO what He tells. How are you hearing?
Take care, with love
JA
I believe in climate change!
The Arctic ice is melting, and it is impacting the polar jet stream, which in turn is causing all kinds of weather-related havoc across the globe. Reversing the trend seems almost impossible. It is like we have crossed the Rubicon, without much hope of going back. We are heading towards not just an uncertain future, but a sure future that is going to make human habitation difficult, if not impossible on planet earth. Folks talking about carbon footprints and methane emissions, forget the very progress which made possible such predictions, is the cause of this looming destruction. We are caught in our own web. There is no going back. We have moved on and going back is out of the question. Our wants will now become our graves. The tragedy is, if this is the only home you and I have, then our children have no home. We are talking not about the distant future, but projections are for as early as in the next hundred (100) years.
Look around, the crumbling societal structures, which held humankind together in some semblance of order. This social order is in freefall! Chaos and despair rule. No one is responsible for the mess, and everyone is the victim. Pointed fingers are pointing at our own selves. We are all in it together, and there is no escape. We are getting better at breaking than mending. We are deconstructing societal structures without any game plan on how to regroup. Everything is falling apart. Newton’s third law of thermodynamics seems to have the last word; everything runs down.
If this indeed is the only home we have, then our children will not have a home.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, how am I to respond?
First, I want to propose, what we see around us is a sign of God’s mercy. God amid this chaos and despair is calling out to his wayward creatures to come back home to Himself. The first pages of the Bible tell me that God in His great mercy had to throw humans out of their first home, the garden of Eden, due to their rebellion against Him. He throws them out so they would have a chance at living rather than dying. Death came upon all, but life became possible through the person of Jesus Christ.
The current situation is no different. We are reminded of what our rebellion against God, the creator of this universe, has done to us. Sin leads to decay and death in all spheres of life. Our mortality, to the breaking down of our universe, is the result of this fractured relationship with our Creator. In the deepening crisis, I see the mercies of God. In it I hear the voice of God, calling out to each one of us, why should you die? Come home to me.
The Bible talks of a new world, where peace and righteousness will reign. A world where economic and social disparity will not exist. A world where God will be king. The God of the Bible is in the business of restoring and reconciling all His creation back to Himself, in and through the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I have hope amid crises. I see a new order emerging from the chaos. I see a new earth, even as the old one is dying. I smell spring amid the decay of autumn. Yes, I have a home because God has become my inheritance.
How about you? JA
24/12/2021
The Self Invited Guest. Episode #35 journeywithus.ca A Christmas Reflection 2021. The interaction of Jesus in Luke 19 with Zaccaheus, captures the spirit of Christmas.
A Christmas Reflection: The Self-Invited Guest
“Zacchaeus hurry and come down, for I MUST stay at your house today.”
Zacchaeus, rich, but hated; curious, yet scared; determined, but limited by his short stature, climbs up on a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus coming to his city – Jericho. He was seeking to see who Jesus was.
When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus hurry come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Jesus invites himself to his house for the night.
This is the story of Christmas. God came down to dwell among us. We did not invite Him, but He took the initiative! For Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Even when we did not seek God, He came seeking for us!
The Bible tells me, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one… There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
The good news of Christmas is that God has not forgotten His wayward people or His creation. He cares for us and wants to make His dwelling with us.
Zacchaeus hurries and comes down and receives Jesus joyfully. His joy and gratitude that Jesus would think of coming to his house express itself in a spontaneous party for Jesus. What happens next is the transformation, which is best left unsaid (you can read all about it in Luke’s gospel, chapter 19).
What warms my heart this Christmas season is the reminder, that even though I did not want anything to do with Jesus, he came uninvited, and privileged me with the words, “Jaison, I MUST stay at your house today.” What a joy? My life has never been the same!
Wherever, or whoever you are, Jesus is calling out, “I MUST stay at your house today.” Heed the call of Jesus, invite Him to your home! It will indeed be Christmas!!!
Wishing you all my dear reader 2022, a year filled with happiness, success, and good health. God Bless you! JA
02/12/2021
Mercy... 1Peter 1:3 Episode #34 journeywithus.ca Without experiencing the mercy of God we will never be able to enjoy God's grace. God be merciful is the prayer of the sinner. In receiving God's mercy, we s...
27/11/2021
I will not remember... Hebrew 8:12 A God who chooses not to remember the sins of His people, but chooses to put it on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that I can be right with Him. What a Sa...
A Reflection On Loss
Death seems everywhere during this time, especially for someone coming from South Asia. I know not of anyone in my wide circle of family, friends, and acquaintances, who has not been touched by the death of a dear one, or someone they knew. I am not sure anymore as to how to respond to this or what to say to these dear ones. I have no words for the sorrowing and the bereaved.
What can you tell someone who has lost their young child? What do you tell the one whose spouse is dead? Or to the child who overnight has become an orphan? Can words change the irreversible reality of what has happened?
I understand words are for the living, and more often it is for my own self. Words offer me the tool to distance myself from the harsh and nasty reality of the ugly truth of pain and suffering. It gives me an illusion that I still have some control over the horrors of being helpless in the face of a changing world. Words provide me the protection and sanity I need in the face of the unreal but very real event, called death. Words help me to rationalize the event and thus dull some of its emotional and psychological impacts.
I know how tiresome others can be during such times. The very same words that I use for others find no meaning and at times sound harsh and cruel even as I go through the experience of my own loss. At times I would prefer the other would shut up and not remind me of the terrible reality that nothing is going to be the same anymore.
The right word is useful, but in my experience, more than that is the presence of the other. The awareness that I have a friend around is more comforting than all the noise of words. I do not need words to enter the world of my neighbor in pain. Words are often not heard when in pain, but I want to believe, my presence has the potential to break the uncomfortable silence, amidst all the words.
The gift of presence is more than merely being there for the other. It the respectful, intentional, patient wait/availability to be part of the other’s world if invited. It is my way of extending my humanity to the other in pain/need. I realize, ultimately, this offer is not about the other, it is about myself and how I see myself in relation to the other.
In being there for the other, I acknowledge my own connectedness and shared humanity. In being invited to share in the journey of another, I validate my own being and worth as a human. In finding myself with the other, I am reflecting on my own pain and angst, as a fellow traveler. When others choose to share their stories, in some way it also becomes my story. The gift of self, in the end, is a gift to oneself for I find myself alive once again in the shared pain and suffering of the other, knowing it is a huge part of who we are as humans.
I ask myself is there anything that I have to offer my neighbor, other than the realization that I have nothing to offer but our shared humanity, in the journey of life. JA
If words could help…
I would like to say, everything is going to be okay, but we who have been touched by death know that it is not true. Things have changed and life is never going to be the same. We are going to miss our loved ones. We are going to miss their touch, their smile, the familiar sound/call of their voice, we are going to miss them at our dinner tables, we will miss them in our travels. We are going to miss them in the most unexpected moments of our lives, it may happen when we are listening to a song or when we are in the middle of enjoying a meal, or when we see that empty chair sitting vacant in that corner. We will miss them.
As time moves on, we will find them in different and new ways. We will find them in the winds that blow and in the sunlight that awakens us each morning. We will find them in the gentle autumn rain and in the spring roses. Love will find a way to be with its loved ones. JA
“…Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:37
Truth incarnate, in the person of Jesus Christ, stands before Pilate, inviting him to come to the side of Truth. Here the tables are turned, and Jesus is the judge, “everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” There are many voices but those on the side of truth will listen to Jesus.
The man in the dock invites his judge to be his follower, to align himself with those who are ‘of the truth.’
Are you on the side of truth? If yes, listen to the call of Jesus. JA
“Are you the king of the Jews?” John 18:33
Pilate, the governor of Judea, in asking the above question is trying to confirm the charges brought by the religious leaders against Jesus who in turn ask Pilate if he really was interested or was asking just for the sake of asking? In doing so, Jesus gives Pilate an opportunity to realize that the question has implications beyond the grave, which Pilate sadly neglects to his own loss.
Interestingly, Jesus does not deny the charge but defines his kingdom as not of this world. Pilate failed to see the One standing before Him was indeed the King of the universe. He failed to see that the arrival of the King was the announcement of His kingdom here on earth. Jesus in conquering death and the grave ushers in His eternal kingdom breaking the barriers of space and time.
The one whom Pilate will hand over to be crucified will be the One in whose court Pilate will have to stand in the future and the question to be answered then will be, “Is Jesus my King?”
What will your response be? JA
“What accusation do you bring against this man?” John 18:29
Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea, with the above question reopens the whole case. He is not going to roll over and play games with them, though ultimately grants them their desire, and hands over Jesus to be crucified. In asking this question, Pilate may have wanted to show them who the boss in town is. He humiliates them by asking them to take Jesus and judge them according to their own religious laws, fully aware what they wanted was not within their reach or authority.
They had no case against Jesus, their accusations had nothing to do with Roman laws, but they were determined to get rid of this troublemaker, who claimed to be God and they were willing to do anything to achieve it. They shake hands with their enemies, pledge their allegiance to Caesar, and turn a theological difference with Jesus into a political issue, finally framing it as an act of treason against the state, to achieve their evil end.
How about us? Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In other words, Jesus is making the exclusive claim that it is only through him that one can know God.
What will your response be? JA
Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed. John 18:27
A servant’s question, “You also are not one of his (Jesus’) disciples, are you?” and Peter denies his master. The crow of a rooster and a look from his master jerks him awake from the slumber he had chosen to be in. Peter standing and warming himself with the crowd forgot to whom he belonged. The courage which brought him thus far failed him miserably. He was a mess.
I see myself in this narration as another Peter who for the warmth and acceptance of the world have often betrayed my Saviour. The good news is God has not betrayed me. He comes seeking Peter even after his betrayal, only to entrust him with greater responsibility in His kingdom. I will never understand my Saviour, nor his mercy or grace.
Come to Jesus and know what it means to be accepted in the Beloved. JA
Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, ad they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. John 18:18
John’s simple, yet profound observation, “…. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself” is like a punch where it hurts. Peter would have cringed reading it. His master is being led to death and here is Peter who had sworn his undying allegiance to Jesus now on the other side taking care of his own physical needs.
I am no different than Peter. I talk big but fall short on doing. I have often wondered, do I have the right to a second pair of shoes, when I see my brother is barefoot? How do I bring myself to build palatial/opulent/luxurious homes, when hundreds of thousands of my brothers and sisters do not have a roof over their head? How have I managed to sear my conscience to spend hundreds of dollars at high-end restaurants when hundreds of my brothers and sister go hungry.
It is in our nature to talk about the other. How the rich should be taking care of the less privileged, but I ask myself, what have I done for the other? Am I like Peter with the world standing and warming myself, while my brothers and sisters are cold and in need?
I have a lot of excuses/reasons/rationale for not doing and living the way Jesus is calling me to. I offer myself the words of Paul as an invitation to join Jesus in what He is doing in our world.
“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. 2Cor 8:9” JA