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THE MESSAGE THE MESSAGE
5 DOORS God Opens For His Children talking about? It was an opportunity that he got to minister the Word of God in Ephesus. The city of Ephesus was in modern-day Turkey and was about 1,400 km away from Corinth in Greece. The church of Corinth had several problems that Paul had to address and redress. He had to urgently leave Ephesus for Corinth to contain the damage that some unscrupulous elements were creating within the church, but Paul knew if he left Ephesus for Corinth on a damage-control exercise, the opportunity of planting the Word of God in Ephesus may be lost for ever. ‘A great and effective door' is a new opportunity for you to share the love of the Son of God with others in a totally different and new setting than you ever have. Every opportunity to serve God is a hammer blow to the devil. Remember, when a great and effective door is opened for you, Satan will try to dislodge you from that place and position because he knows your work there will challenge his strongholds. Like He did for Paul, God will open a great and effective door for His children. This door, however, is fraught with dangers because of two reasons: One, there will be many adversaries. Two, when you try to begin this new work, you may see some of your earlier work being destroyed. As a result, there will, usually, be an urge to flee the battlefield and go back to the comfort of the familiar terrain. If your reason tells you to quit the new place and position that God has placed in you and go back to the place from where you came to repair or restore something that is out of order, and your spirit tells
BY ROBIN SAM ‘And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’ The One who opens a door that no one can shut is none other than Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, opens 5 doors for His children. 1. Door of new opportunities 2. Door of second chances 3. Door of revelations 4. Door of dashed hopes 5. Door of timely help Door of new opportunities: Great and effective door In 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, Paul wrote thus: 'But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’ Apostle Paul founded the church in Corinth, an ancient city in Greece, which was also the seat of power of the Roman province in Achaia. After being divinely strengthened by a vision where the Lord appeared to him and asked him to speak out boldly without fear because there were many more souls to be saved in the city (Acts 18:9, 10), Paul spent 18 months in Corinth and nourished the church there. What was the great and effective door Paul was THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w NOVEMBER 2017
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you to remain right where God has opened an opportunity to minister His Word and win souls for His Kingdom, my prayer is you will heed the voice of your spirit. Remember, God gave no special vision to Paul to remain in Ephesus. Paul made the decision himself. God will direct by visions, but sometimes will remain silent on your next step. But, if you are rooted in the Word and have the confidence that you remain in His will go ahead and do according to what your spirit tells you to do. That's what Paul did at Ephesus. A great and effective door is also an opportunity for you to display extraordinary courage for the cause of the Kingdom of God. Paul said: 'For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.' Yes, there will be many adversaries opposite every door that is opened for the child of God to witness and preach the Word. But if you do not buckle under pressure, God will make you see a rich harvest like He did for Paul in Ephesus. Door of second chances: Door of faith Acts 14:27: 'Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.' Barnabas and Saul were ministry partners. In Acts 13, we see the Holy Spirit separating the two men for His work for which they were called. They worked together to spread the Gospel in Seleucia, Cyprus and Antioch, but they were met with opposition from the Jews. Towards, the end of the chapter we see them resolving to reach out to the Gentiles. Thus they landed in Iconium (a place in present-day Turkey). Some among the Jews and the Greek believed their word, but the unbelieving Jews prevailed over the believers and soon the two had to leave Iconium in a haste to save their lives. They arrived at Lystra in the land of Lycaonia. In Lystra, despite the miracle of a cripple walking and the people considering them as their gods Jupiter and Mercury, trouble erupted. Paul was stoned and left for dead outside the city, but miraculously revived. They left for Derbe where they preached the Gospel and made many disciples. After a few days, emboldened by the fact that God was adding people to His Kingdom through their preaching the two decided to go back to the places where they had met with opposition earlier. Paul and Barnabas went back to Iconium, where a conspiracy was hatched to discredit them and stone them to death. They went back to Lystra where Paul was stoned and dragged outside the city gates. They went back to Antioch where jealous Jews had prevented them from sharing the Gospel in their synagogue. Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
God gave them enough grace to revisit the places where they were rejected and threatened with violence. Not only that, in all these places where the Gospel was met with opposition God raised people from among the Jews and the gentiles to be His children. When they went to Seleucia, Cyprus and Antioch, it looked like their labour was in vain and their ministry a failure. But out of the ashes of disappointment came a mighty harvest of souls. Acts 14:26 says: '…they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.' In all these places, Paul and Barnabas strengthened the disciples, appointed elders and commended them to the Lord, says the Bible. If you are a faithful child of God, it's only a matter of time before He turns your disappointments into divine appointments. He will make your failures signposts for successes to come in the future. He will open the door of second chances that is called the 'door of faith.' 'The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it' (1 Thess. 5:24). Every time you think you are either losing it or have lost it, remember what the Word of God tells you. ‘The battle does not belong to you, but to God’ (2 Chron. 20:15; 1 Sam. 17:47). And, 'victory comes from the Lord’ (Pro. 21:31). It's my prayer for you that God will take you back to your Iconiums and Lystras and Antiochs – places where you bit the dust. Take your heartaches and disappointments to the God of second chances, He reigns over the nations (Ps. 47:8). Hallelujah! Door of revelations: To speak the mystery of Christ Colossians 4:3-4: 'meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.' What's the mystery of Christ? Turn to Ephesians 3:4-6: '…the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel…' Paul says the mystery of Christ was revealed to him by a revelation (verse 3). This mystery – that the gentiles should be fellow heirs and partakers of God's promise in Christ along with the chosen people – was not made known to the patriarchs and the Old Testament saints. In fact, even Apostle Peter was so steeped in tradition that God had to reveal this mystery to him through the vision of a sheet with 5
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THE MESSAGE They knew the men's lives would be in danger if they stepped out. Being women meant they were no great threat to the Jewish leaders. Small mercies. Either way, they did not care. All they wanted to do was get beside Jesus' body and anoint it with their spices. But, how would they do it? They spoke, perhaps for the first time since they set out in the dawn. 'Who will roll the stone from the door of the tomb for us?' They knew the tomb would be sealed and soldiers guarding it day and night but how could they expect the enemies of their Master to show them mercy? 'But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.' When do you think was the stone rolled away? If you go by Mark's account, it was rolled well before the women arrived at the tomb. Matthew 28:2 tells us what happened: 'And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.' So, the women's question (Who will roll the stone for us?) was pointless. In their mind, the door at the tomb presented a formidable challenge. It was a door of dashed hopes. But, there is a God who opens the door of dashed hopes to make you witness the power of the resurrection. Peter was guarded by a guard of 16 soldiers; he was bound by two chains. There was a first and second guard post and an iron gate that opened to the city. But when it was time for his deliverance, no shackles, no guards, no doors, no gates could hold him back (Acts 12:5-10). The One who shuts and no one opens is the Lord and God of Peter. Hallelujah! Perhaps, if you are at a point in your life where you are standing at a door of dashed hopes, take heart. The God of Mary Magdalene, Mary, Salome and Peter still reigns. He is still sovereign. He is still in the business of rolling stones away, however, large they are! Door of timely help: The double doors Isaiah 45:1, 'Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.' King Cyrus ruled over Persia between 539-530 BC. He was not a Jew but a Mede. However, his nationality did not matter to God. He was prophesied about 150 years before he was born. The Jews were in Babylonian captivity for 70 years. It looked as if they would be forever enslaved in the land of oppression. But God opened the door of timely help to them through King Cyrus. It was during his reign that the Jews in captivity were set free to go back to Israel, their homeland, by
unclean animals (Acts 10:9-16). When did Paul himself get this revelation? Most theologians think the man who was caught up in the third heaven mentioned in 2 Cor. 12 is Paul himself. And, when did that incident occur? Bible scholars surmise it could have been when he was stoned and left for dead in Lystra (Acts 14:19-20). It may have been then that Paul got the revelation about the mystery of Christ or during his missionary journeys where the Jews rejected him and Barnabas, and the two resolved to go to the gentiles with the Gospel. The mystery of Christ is not the Gospel per se. It is the blessing of the Gospel. It is what comes from Christ through His Gospel. If you have received the Gospel with joy and yielded your life over to Jesus, you are child of God, a heir of God, and a co-heir with Christ over all the treasures and blessings that come with the Gospel. If you have let the Gospel change you, the God of the Gospel will ensure you receive the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:29). Hallelujah! I pray that God will open a door for the word to you this month so that you may speak the mystery of Christ to your co-workers, friends and family with conviction and boldness. Door of dashed hopes: The stone that’s rolled away Mark 16:2-4, 'Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.' Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome set out from their abode in Jerusalem before daybreak. They were women on a mission. They had bought spices to anoint the body of the Lord. In those days, spices were offered to the dead body to prevent it from decaying. Jesus was the most important man in the lives of the three women. He meant a lot to them when He was alive. Now that He was dead and His body lay in the cold tomb, His absence haunted them. We do not know if they spoke with each other. Perhaps they did not as their grief was thicker than the cold, morning air of that day. The apostles were all scattered. They had run away from their Master in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter and John, of course, followed Him, but kept themselves at a safe distance. They were either too groggy to stir from sleep, tired as they were from all the weeping that happened in the night. Or afraid to step out for fear of being nabbed by the High Priest's men. Or both. The women did not wait for the men to join them. THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w NOVEMBER 2017
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an official decree (2 Chron. 36:22-23). King Cyrus helped the Jews not only to go back home but also build their temple in Jerusalem under Ezra, the scribe, and Zerubbabel who belonged to the family of King David. In Isaiah 44:28, God says this about Cyrus: 'He is my shepherd, and he shall perform all my pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid”.' The God of the Bible moves in mysterious ways. He performs what He proclaims. His judgements are unsearchable and His ways untraceable. The Jews were held as slaves in Babylon for 70 years, when God raised up Cyrus, a Mede from Persia, and gave him power over the great nation (Babylon). History tells us that Babylon in those days was the wealthiest nation on the face of the earth. It was a formidable nation and no one dared to come against it. The walls of the city were 32 feet thick, there were heaps and heaps of gold, silver and precious stones in the city. But, the strength of the nations is no match for the God of Israel. God promised to hold the right hand of Cyrus and subdue nations before him. 'Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: 'I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord,
who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel' (Isaiah 45:1-3). God did it for three reasons. One, that Cyrus may know He is the Lord and there is no other. Two, 'for Jacob, My servant's sake and Israel, My elect.' Three, so God's plan and purpose for His elect will be fulfilled. Double doors are not only strong doors but they are strongholds as well. God can break both the double doors and the strongholds for His children. Although the doors were opened to Cyrus they were not opened for Cyrus. God had promised to break them, cut the bars of iron and break in pieces the gates of bronze to not only deliver His people but also give them great wealth and treasures to rebuild His temple in Jerusalem. God can open any or all of these 5 doors for His children. He will open the door of new opportunities, the door of second chances, the door of revelations, the door of dashed hopes and the door of timely help to you if you are a child of God, cleansed and redeemed by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. The doors will be opened only for those who have acknowledged Jesus as the only way to the Father (John 14:6). The doors will be opened only for those who have walked through the Door called Jesus. Jesus said: 'I am the door' (John 10:7). The doors will be opened for those who enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Ps.100:4). May God open all these 5 doors for you and me all the years of your life! Amen.
Church of God in India Kerala State convention
IPC Kerala State Ministers’ meetings begin on Nov 14
CHURCH growth will be the theme for the State ministers’ meeting of the India Pentecostal Church of God in Kerala that THE 95thgeneral convention of Church of God in is set to begin on Nov India's Kerala State will be held at the church's 14. The meetings will stadium in Ramanchira in Tiruvalla from January 22 to 28 next year. be held at three regions from Nov 14 to 23. Daily fasting prayers that begun on September 27 Senior pastor of New Life Assembly of God D will go on till Jan 15, 2018. Prayers will continue at Mohan (in picture), Rev. Ravi Mani (Bangalore) the stadium from Jan 15 onwards. and Dr Thomas Idiculla (USA) will be the main Several servants of God from India and abroad speakers. IPC president pastor K C Thomas will will minister the Word of God. Pastors J Joseph, Y inaugurate the convention. Vice president pastor Reji and Johnson Daniel headed the steering Raju Poovakala will preside. committee. Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
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PROVISIONS OF GOD
What you’re praying for: Is it a need or a want? BY AGNES AMOS-COLEMAN RECENTLY, I was speaking with a CEO I worked with and during our conversation she asked me to share my career goal with her. Without any hesitation, I shared with her that my life's goal is to use my time to serve God and people and that my career goal isn't as important to me as it was many years ago. Why this shift in mindset you may ask? The answer lies in Matthew 6:33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” God prepared me over 7 years ago, through Financial Peace University, to get out of the bondage of financial debt so that my husband and I could be free to live life as He designed it. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we continue to daily make intentional choices to prioritize our needs over our wants. Friends, there is freedom in surrendering our resources to the Lord, including our lives, time, talents, money, and so on. When we do so, His words assure us that God will meet our needs, but not necessarily our wants. This assurance is based on:
The faithfulness of God. The Bible tell us that God is not human, that He should lie, nor a human being, that He should change his mind. When we partner with the Lord with our resources, we're on a winning team – no matter what the situation feels or looks like (Numbers 23:19). The provisions of God. The Psalmist reminded us in Psalm 37:25 that from his youth till his old age, he never saw the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. This is a guaranteed promise for us, as children of God. Our need of food, water clothing and shelter will be met and then some – even if he must send the Ravens, as He did for Elijah (1 Kings 17:6). So, what does God require in return from us? That we live a life content and satisfied with His plan for our lives; to be debt free to live life as He intended; not desiring to be rich, but desiring God, and not love money, but love God (1 Timothy 6:6-10). AND always give Him praise and thanksgiving (Psalm 9:1). Christ follower, I encourage you to prioritize your needs over your wants today and watch your God, who can make a way where there is no way, meet your needs. Read John 8:31-32.
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GOSPEL MELA 2017 24-Hour Chain Prayer
15 Specific Prayer Points For a 30-Minute Intercession And, I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none (Ezekiel 22:30).
Praying with one accord for 2,234 people groups spread across 1.2 billion people in 29 states and 7 UTs in one nation. Every nation, every tribe, every people and every tongue shall say: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!� (Revelation 7:10). 1. Let us pray for the city of Bangalore that received unprecedented rainfall last month. Till Oct 13, at least 7 persons had died in rain-related incidents in Bangalore alone. In the last 60 days, it rained 46 days, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah told the media on Oct 15. Pray for the people of the city. Let us pray for every state in India remembering that natural disasters are on the rise the world over. 'Then He (Jesus) arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm' (Matt. 8:26). 2. Pray that the city of Chennai receives good rains. Although it had rained heavily in various parts of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is yet to get adequate rainfall this year. The average rainfall in Chennai is 867 mm, but in the last monsoon the city got only 110 mm. Let us pray for the city to get good rains so that the water shortage in the city and the suburbs will be resolved. 'You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, when it was weary' (Psalm 68:9). 3. Pray for a stable and corruption-free government that works for the welfare of the people in Tamil Nadu. We need to pray that the forces bent on destabilising the government are defeated and people-welfare measures are implemented in the state. Let us also intercede for the restraining hand of the Lord to be upon the state to prevent any untoward incidents like natural disasters and violence that rocked Tamil Nadu in November and December the previous years. 'Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;but happy is he who keeps the law' (Pro. 29:18). 4. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has claimed that his government will build a 100-meter tall statue of Ram in Ayodhya. It is said Rs.330 crores will be spent on the designing and installation of the statue. Media outlets and the general public have raised questions about the need for the statue at such a huge cost while young children are still dying for lack of good medical THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w NOVEMBER 2017
facilities in the hospitals in the chief minister's constituency, Gorakhpur. It may be recalled that prime minister Narendra Modi had already inaugurated a 112-ft tall statue of Siva in Coimbatore a few months ago. '(They) shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;and the land was polluted with blood' (Ps. 106:38). 5. Pray for the total abolition of the Devdasi system from our country. Although the practice is banned in the country, it is widely practiced in some states. Under the Devdasi system, young girls who attain puberty are dedicated to the local deities in temples as their slaves. In reality, however, they become public property and are abused sexually by the men of the villages. Pray that this practice becomes obsolete in Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu), Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), Maharashtra, Karnataka and Odisha. According to a survey done in 2006, devdasis in India number anywhere between 44,000 and 2,50,000. Most of them are forced into prostitution within the local communities or are sold in red light areas. Pray for the deliverance and sustenance of these women. '‌Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God' (Rom. 6:13). 6. Surveys report that poverty levels in India have gone up. In the recent Global Hunger Index released, India ranked 100 among 119 countries. In Asia, India ranks 3rdamong the countries in the region below Afghanistan and Pakistan. 'If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs' (Deut. 15:7,8). 7. The Indian history is in danger of being 12
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rewritten by fundamentalist forces to suit their ideology. Recently, SangeetSom, a BJP legislator in UP, said Taj Mahal in Agra is a blot on Indian culture and the monument was built by traitors. He has also said the Islamic 'traitors' names should be removed from history books which will be rewritten soon. Pray that the powers of darkness that plot to persecute and annihilate minorities in a systematic way in India like the way Haman plotted the annihilation of the Jews in the Bible are dealt with by God. Pray for a change of heart among those who follow fundamentalist ideologies. 'For the battle is the Lord's' (1 Sam. 17:47), 'Victory belongs to the Lord' (Pro. 21:31). 8. Pray for dengue to be contained in Tamil Nadu. Till Oct 4, as many as 25 persons have succumbed to the mosquito-borne disease. In 2012, 65 people were reported dead due to dengue. Six districts in Tamil Nadu (Namakkal, Salem, Thanjavur, Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram) are the worst affected. The disease begins every year after July and rages on till November after rains. Pray for anti-dengue vaccination drugs to be effective and reach the masses. 'Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence' (Ps. 91:3). 9. Of the 6909 languages in the world, whole Bible is available in 636 languages while the New Testament is available in 1442 languages. Certain books of the Bible are available in 1145 languages while portions of the Scriptures are available in 3223 languages. There is no Scriptural translations available in 3686 language. Pray for the Bible to be translated in all the 780 languages spoken in India. There are 46 tribal groups in Madhya Pradesh alone but most of them do not have a script for their language. Pray for the Bible translations aided by Messenger Missions in Rathwi, Inner Seraji and Ranglong. Pray that Bibles in these languages are made a reality soon. '‌every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father' (Phil. 2:11). 10. The youth of today are considered the backbone of the world tomorrow. Pray for more ministries to reach out to the youth of the nation. Pray for the deliverance of the youth who get caught in the vainglorious ways and pleasures of the world. Pray that parents receive wisdom from above to guide their children in prayer and with the light of the Word of God. We need to pray that churches and ministries will do more to bring the youth to the fold. 'How can a young man cleanse his way?By taking heed according to Your word' (Ps. 119:9). 11. Pray for the deliverance of people who are caught up in the spell of Vastu. It is high time people Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
realized that it is a superstition and not a stream of science. According to vastu, certain directions and certain placements of stones, idols and doors bring luck and prosperity. Pray that people who are in the hold of this superstitious belief are set free in the Name of Jesus Christ. 'For exaltation comes neither from the eastnor from the west nor from the south' (Ps. 75:6). 12. Pray that the forces of darkness that work against the Church, missions organizations and NGOs become powerless. Pray that the weapons and counsel that are formed against God's servants do not prosper. May God create an atmosphere where His servants preach the Gospel in a free and fearless manner. Almost 90 percent of the people groups in the nation have not yet been reached by the Gospel. We, who believe that the Lord's return is imminent, need to take steps to spread the Gospel on a war footing. May God give us the grace! 13. Pray for the upcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat. The Vijay Rupani government's term ends in January 2018. Pray for all fundamentalist forces to be trounced. The BJP government's claim of vikas (development) in Gujarat is already subject to extreme ridicule in social media. Pray that the people of Gujarat see through lies and false claims of development and vote in a stable and corruption-free government. 14. Pray that the spirit of darkness that spreads religious intolerance in the country is bound in the Name of Jesus Christ. Let us pray that all the divisive forces that instigate one people group against another and pits one community against another lose their power and their nefarious plans are defeated. Let us pray that law and order is maintained in all our states so the church and the general public may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 15. Pray for world peace. With both North Korea and the US threatening to destroy each other, world peace is at stake. Pray for sanity to prevail among world leaders. Pray that they cut down on rhetoric and give importance to diplomacy to work in tough circumstances. The world leaders need fear of God in their hearts to guide them to take the right decisions in extremely volatile situations.
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SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY
Be generous to Gospel workers this Christmas IN A month’s time, we would be getting ready to celebrate Christmas. In some families, Christmas festivities begin early. The quintessential Christmas star, the tree and the decorations are out as early as in November. Some families would have completed their shopping for new clothes already. Some buy new furniture and gadgets around Christmas to avail of the discounts offered by the retail shopping malls. Some people plan Christmas getaways and vacations three to six months ahead. The mandatory carols, the visits to the houses of friends and families, the cakes and the nip in the air add to the gaiety of the season. But in all these, I hope you would not forget Gospel workers who toil in remote places to sow the Word of God. They are the ones who act as the foot soldiers of Christ. Rain or shine, they march on proclaiming the liberating message of the cross. At Messenger Missions, we have 10 families that are associated with the evangelistic work. Some of them are in the forefront of the mission fields, while a few are in the office taking care of the logistics and
administration. Like in the previous years, we would like to give each family a Christmas gift. Besides, we have also planned special outreaches in our mission fields during Christmas. What better time than Christmas to talk about Jesus Christ? They outreaches would involve giving the poor a hearty meal, warm woollen blankets to those in the cold regions and solar lanterns to the poor who live in houses that are not electrified yet. We would need not less than Rs.2.25 lakh to support these projects during Christmas. It is my hope that you would budget a generous amount as contribution to this Christmas Fund this month. Will you please make sure that your contributions reach us before the end of November so we can execute these projects on time? May God bless you and yours! Yours in Christ, Robin Sam
Support our mission fields
Support our media ministry
Messenger Missions has mission fields in the north and central regions of India. It builds the Kingdom of God through evangelism, church planting, Bible Study groups, medical camps, community development projects and other ministries.
Messenger Communications publishes The Christian Messenger in English and Tamil. Its mission is to sow the Word of God and faith in as many lives as possible and proclaim the Gospel through niche media products and get a generation ready for the Lord’s imminent return.
They outreaches involve giving the poor a hearty meal, warm woollen blankets and solar lanterns to the poor.
To contribute your offerings for our missions, please use the details below: A/C Name A/C No Account Type Bank Name Branch Branch IFS code Swift code
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: Messenger Missions : 913020055473409 : Current : Axis Bank : Mogappair, Chennai. : 345 : UTIB0000345 : AXISINBB016
A/C Name A/C No Account Type Bank Branch Branch code IFS code
: Messenger Communications : 030501389547195001 : Current : Catholic Syrian Bank : Padi, Chennai : 305 : CSBK0000305
Please let us know details of your offerings and subscriptions after you make the payment at 044-65145334 or 0-7299063345. It will help us send a receipt to you immediately. Our address: Messenger Missions, No. 20/20, Bharathiar Street, Srinivasa Nagar, Padi, Chennai 600 050. Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
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The National Co-ordinator, Quiet Corner India 18, Ramakrishnappa Road, Cox Town, Bangalore - 560 005 Ph: 080 25483145; Mob: 07204750473 Email: quietcornerindia@airtelmail.in THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w NOVEMBER 2017
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WORD EXAMINED
The Bible’s Most Misinterpreted Verse About Faith BY PAUL DAVID TRIPP I enjoy a comfortable, predictable and pleasurable life. How about you? If I could experience a life free from difficulty, pain, inconvenience and struggle…sign me up! This includes silly, unrealistic wishes, like wanting to drive on roads paid for by other citizens who choose not to use them. Or chocolate at ready reach, without the consequence of weight gain. It also includes hard-hitting realities: a lifealtering illness, a tragic accident, the death of a loved one, the breakdown of a relationship or the collapse of a lifelong dream. In many ways, these are God-honoring desires. The Creator invented pleasure for us to enjoy, and prior to The Fall, there was no pain, suffering or loss. But we have to be careful. There's a false theology out there preaching that if you have faith in God, life will go well for you. If you read Romans 8:28 out of context, it makes sense: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good.” To protect our hearts and minds, we have to read Scripture in its proper context, and we also have to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. In its proper context, Romans 8 is discussing “the
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good” of our spiritual redemption, not our physical comfort. But what I really want to write about today is how Hebrews 11 properly interprets this verse. At the end of this famous passage about faith, we're presented with a list of Christians who had to endure hardship, suffering and loss: and they were commended for their faith in God. We must reject a theology that teaches that Christianity is an automatic ticket to a comfortable, predictable, pleasurable, healthy and wealthy life. That's the easy part, at least intellectually with our mind. What's harder is not judging God in our hearts when he doesn't deliver your definition of “the good life.” We must remember that our vision is sometimes short-sighted, and our desires sometimes selfish. So what God deems as good, we may view as bad. You see, God never makes a mistake, nor does he ever get a wrong address. He’ll do whatever he wants to us and through us to get glory, and to redeem us. Whatever season you're in, or whatever unwanted trajectory your life has taken, know this: There’s no safer place than to be in God's best plan for your life. What you’re experiencing is God's Plan A, even though at times you may want to grade it an F. There is no Plan B.
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BOOK REVIEW
1200 Scripture Outlines through the Bible IN 1922, a man from Lanarkshire, Scotland, came to India as a missionary. His name was Archibald Naismith. He along with his wife took charge of the Mission School for Indian pupils in Narsapur in Andhra Pradesh. He served the Lord in India for 36 years during which time the number of students at the mission school rose from 300 to 1,500. Naismith was also a prolific preacher. He preached the Word of God both in India and other countries. He prepared a Concordance of all the proper nouns in the Telugu Bible. He also published various brief expository sermons in Telugu. The Naismiths had 5 sons, all of whom were born in India. According to the publisher, the sons are engaged in various forms of Christian service. The book under review, ‘1200 Scripture Outlines’ will be immensely useful to Bible students and preachers alike. Sermon outline books are not new in India, but what sets this book apart is the sequential arrangement of the outlines according to the books of the Bible beginning from Genesis to Revelation. The book can be used by both preachers and lay people alike. The outlines of the book are either textual, topical or expositional and hence will cater to a diverse set of Christian audience. Naismith is also the author of ‘1200 Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes’. In the preface of the book, Naismith admits that out of the 1200 outlines about 300 have been collected from various other preachers. The remaining was done by Naismith himself. Do the sermon outlines do a disservice to the body of Christ in that it makes the preachers lazy and not wanting to spend time and energy in delving deep into the Word of God? Naismith did not think so. He writes in the preface: “May I hope that this collection
of Scripture outlines…will, far from producing lazy preachers, stimulate users to further study and encourage the orderly presentation of Scripture texts. Skeletons are for students to examine, and become familiar with basic structures, but are powerless unless clothed with Book: 1200 Scripture bodies and infused with Outlines through the some measure of vital Bible energy.” Author: A Naismith Naismith is right. Publisher: Moriah Any sermon outline Ministries book is a guidebook on Price: Rs.350/homiletics. It can edify, enlighten and instruct, but the effort of extracting the juice out of the Word of God remains that of the reader. If you are a diligent reader wanting to preach with clear ideas and points, Naismith’s 1200 Scripture Outlines’ will be immensely useful to you. Go for it! For details on how to buy the book, contact Moriah Ministries. Phone: 044-2363 4010. Email: moriahministies@gmail.com
Benjamin Ross, former associate of The Christian Messenger, enters glory OBITUARY BENJAMIN ROSS, a former associate of The Christian Messenger magazine and ministry, died on Oct 20. He was 73. Bro. Ross was Director of Strategy and Planning at M e s s e n g e r Communications, the company that publishes The Christian Messenger magazines. He had also worked with the Faith Tract and Prayer League (FPTL) earlier. He was a mechanical engineer from Annamalai University. He is survived by his wife, Sarojini Ross, sons Arun Ross and Jeyanth Ross and daughter Sheba Titus.
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l pe ble s i Go a B e ar ng Sh ifti g by
THIS BOOK HAS BROUGHT HOPE, JOY AND LOVE IN MILLIONS OF LIVES!
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