Kingdom Perspectives September October 2020

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

Volume 1 | Issue 9

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KINGDOM PRINCIPLES for Kingdom’ Lifestyle!

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CONTENTS Editorial Sherin Johnson About Jesus Evg. Blasson N Mathew Perception of Godliness In The Kingdom Of God Evg. Blasson N Mathew Godliness Is a Vital Attribute With Eternal Significance Pr. Shejo Varghese Different Means to Godliness Pr. Bijoy Varghese Poem: His Love Dilu Babu How Do We Get Godliness Rev. Stephenson Manuel Etymology: Godliness Shyam Raj Alive in Christ: A Living Story while confronting with Christ

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All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Kingdom Perspectives has been made available to you through the help and support of the friends and sponsors of Kingdom Perspectives Ministries. All Bible references are from King James Version, New International Version, New Living Translation, Amplified Bible Classic Edition and Revised Standard Version (RSV). Kingdom Perspectives is published by Kingdom Perspectives Ministries, Bangalore, India.

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President: Blasson N. Mathew Chief Editor: Sherin Johnson Creative Head: Jose Valiyakalayil Co-ordinator Overseas: Betty Joseph Subscription Co-ordinators: Roshin C. Raju, Jithin Abraham and Kevin C.K. Special Thanks: Jessica Coutinho, Michelle Knowles

EDITORIAL

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SHERIN JOHNSON Chief Editor

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odliness teaches us to say “NO” to ungodliness. It enables us to be spiritual beings who live a self controlled upright life for God. God seeks people of godliness whose purpose and living are centered on God, rather than worldly passions. Yielding ourselves to godliness will modify our personality. It will strengthen us to be faithful to our calling and doing the good works for which we were saved.

According, to 2 Peter 1. 3 “His DIVINE POWER has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” we don’t need any special talent or equipment but rather God’s divine power that supernaturally works in us. God has given to each one of us EVERYTHING WE ARE IN NEED FOR a wonderful godly LIFE now and forever.

What do you think of godliness? Some of you use expressions like love, care and all sort of human concerns. However, godliness is the foundation on which godly character is built, such as fear of God, love of God and desire of God. God’s concerns are much more than any of the human concerns such as mere approaches of human love and cares. Yet, godliness is the godlikeness and Christ like attitude that really Carries each other’s burden and do good and behave well with others. Bible says be merciful so that you will get mercy (Mathew 5.7). If God has forgiven us we ought to forgive others and bear each other’s burden. Let us discover more depths on godliness as we flick on the pages of this edition.

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About Jesus

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re you bored in life? Finding no meaning while living? If so, you haven’t lived to the full potential of your life. It seems that your heart is not satisfied and it is still yearning for something awesome. Moreover, you have neither realized the real purpose nor the calling behind your life. Realizing a God who created you for Him will help you to lead you to the perfect will of God in your life. Yes, God has a great purpose over your life. It is He who fashioned you and it is for His works he has designed you as a unique person. The Holy Bible says you have been made by God for Him (Colo. 1.16). God had created everything before creating men in the earth that they may enjoy the blessings of God and glorify His name.

BLASSON N. MATHEW President, Kingdom Perspectives

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God had blessed men spiritually so that they may be blessed physically in everything they do. God planned about creating man and confessed over them that “…Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis. 1.26). In addition to the above said confession, God had blessed them and said “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1.28). God has done His part to help us have authority over everything that dominates us. However, determining our spiritual relationships is more important to reach towards that goal of living with certain authority in the physical realm.

Prayer and living a godly life is the means to relate with this God who confers power on us to have dominion in life. Moreover, what we receive in the prayer room is what we are going to get in our daily life. Therefore, do what is pleasing to God. Jesus led a life pleasing to the father. He found purposes of the father in His life. Jesus saved mankind and purchased them by His precious blood on the cross. Now anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. May the good Lord help you find a meaning in life.

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"Godliness is a virtue of holiness, purity and righteousness reflected from God in our continuous walk WITH HIM" Jessica Coutinho

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Evg. Blasson N. Mathew

Perception of Godliness in the

KINGDOM OF GOD “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1.27) od desires that you may have godliness and be blessed with a pure lifestyle and purpose oriented living. Perception of Godliness in the Kingdom of God is entirely different from all parallel secular ideologies. Godliness is a multidimensional character that motivates us to lead a purified lifestyle with a sincere heart for good works. God's concerns are far above human concerns. God of the Bible is a holy God who has much concern for the unfortunate and destitute. God desires that we must carry the same concern. Accordingly, the biblical perspective of “religion” is all about living an unstained life by caring for the various needs of orphans and widows who represent the weak in the world (James 1.27). Lord Jesus is the one who really fulfilled the heart desires of the father and gave us a good model in godliness.

Jesus has healed and comforted many; not for the sake of healing, rather it was His compassion for mankind.

Jesus really loves you and cares for you. There are no issues that His love and concern for you cannot deal with.

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A means to apprehend the meaning of godliness is by knowing it as one of the major principles of the Kingdom of God. Further, personally experiencing the Lord is a means to comprehend godliness. Many may ask, is it practical to have godliness in life? The ideal character of godliness is made possible by many Bible characters. Tabitha is one such character in the Bible, with godliness, by her choice. Further, we must know how important it is to have zeal for purity in our personal life and work at this perilous time of a pervert generation.

Godliness is a Principle of the Kingdom of God Obedience to the principles of the kingdom is the means for kingdom blessings. Therefore, it is very important to observe the principles of the kingdom and its various concerns taught by the Lord Jesus Christ. However, to be blessed with kingdom blessings, first you must get cleansed from every sin, sickness and curses of this world and be spiritually free by the precious blood of Jesus. The Bible says He took our pain and bore our sufferings. Further, Jesus

was pierced for our transgressions, nailed to the cross for our iniquities and by His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53.4-5). Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10.13). All such people who are born again in Christ are created for the good works (Ephesians 2.10). A wise and an understanding person will always have his own way of godliness by leading a good life and doing good works with much meekness (James 3.13). Moreover, God commends that it is very important for us to stir one another up in sincere love and good works in the church (Hebrews 10.24). When we engage ourselves in kingdom concerns, all things shall be added to you (Mathew 6.33). Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life‌ (Psalm 23.6).

Further, Jesus said “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Mathew 5.16).

Lord Jesus has compared the visible light with good works. So that it is not only our messages that people observe but all the good works we do in life. On the other hand, the devil may always tell you what you don't have but rather, you think about who you are in Christ and what good you can do, trusting in the Lord.

In addition, Jesus said you are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to

be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men (Mathew 5.13-16). Many are in the condition of being trampled by the people. Some are trampled by their family members and others by the worldly people. We must also note that a person who doesn't hold fast to godliness will lose meaning in life, resulting in no real purpose while living. The real purpose for which God had called us, is to do good. The Bible says we must not grow tired in doing good and in due season we shall reap what we have sown in life (Galatians 6.9).

Jesus is a Good Example of Godliness Whoever met Jesus never felt he is merely a religious person without godliness. He always carried the burden of the weak in society. Jesus once went into the house of Zacchaeus (Luke 19.1-10). Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector in Jericho; he earnestly desired to see Jesus Christ, but when he met with Jesus, that instant meeting transformed him to be a man of generosity in giving half of all he possessed. The love of money is the root of all of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). He was a man with a lot of such sins. However; Jesus, who loved sinners, found him and transformed him in the first instance.

Life Story of Tabitha - A Paradigm of Godliness It is a great blessing to lead a godly life, since God is involved in it. God will bring out a lot of godly

Today's world lacks people with the zeal of God for purity in personal life and good works. Even though there are some who carry the good qualities of godliness and true spirituality, on the other hand, respect and love for God and elders is deteriorating in our society as days go by. The atmosphere where our children are raised could be a reason for such fragmented relationships.

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purposes in your life. The Bible illustrates the life story of Tabitha, who was a woman of good works and charity (Acts 9.36). She was known for her good deeds, but she fell sick one day and later she died. Most probably she would have left behind many good dreams, purposes and visions. However, we see God intervening in her life by sending Apostle Peter and bringing her back to life so that she can live out these purposes for many more years to come. This is our God, who is the owner of life. He adds purpose to our life on earth as well as in eternity. God rewards you on earth and eternity in accordance with what we have done on earth (Galatians 6.7).

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God desires that you may have godliness and be blessed with a pure lifestyle and purpose oriented living. Perception of Godliness in the Kingdom of God is entirely different from all parallel secular ideologies. Godliness is a multidimensional character that motivates us to lead a purified lifestyle with a sincere heart for good works. God's concerns are far above human concerns.

God of the Bible is a holy God who has much concern for the unfortunate and destitute.

Godliness is a Choice Jesus once said to the disciples, “whatever you have given to the poor, you have given to me and whoever of the weak you receive, in my name, you have received me� (Mathew 25. 31-40).

However, helping the needy is a choice and God has given that option to us. When we do something for those who are in need, we make an opportunity for people to praise the name of the Lord. Hence, both the giver and receiver are reciprocally being blessed when it is wholeheartedly done. Moreover, we add a purpose to life, when it is done sincerely. A person's whole being is involved in fulfilling this very purpose in life. We also learn more about the generosity of our Father and we never lack anything when we choose to lose what we have for the needy.

Therefore, let us strive to fulfill the wish of God to meet with the needy and help the weak in our society.

Zeal of God for Purity in Personal Life and Works Today's world lacks people with the zeal of God for purity in personal life and good works. Even though there are some who carry the good qualities of godliness and true spirituality, on the other hand, respect and love for God and elders is deteriorating in our society as days go by. The atmosphere where our children are raised could be a reason for such fragmented relationships. It is partly due to the fact that parents find less time for their children, since they are in a hurry to make money in meeting the demands of their daily life. Thus, many have not lived to full potential. Further, many live as if they don't have any liability to parents, society and themselves. We must rather, in this century, prioritize godliness. Attitude matters a lot in this regard. Jesus, who carried the love of God, is a good model for godliness. He visited many in their homes and freely spoke to different strata of the society. We should be social beings, engaging with all sorts of people in the society and should not keep differences in the name of caste, color or creed. Let us not be like the ignorant, but rather, understand the world around us as the holy Bible never resists us. Let us engage in loving and caring for the needy without regard to his or her religion. Finally, Godliness is the gift of God. It is a character that is formed by the Holy Spirit in our lives. If you are able to trust God and yield to the Holy Spirit, you can have it in abundance (Galatians 5.22). You may not have enough time to do everything you would like to do in life. However, God has given you the power to do it within a span of time by His Spirit. Therefore, let us exercise godliness in this world of anxieties and crises with God-given grace and strength. May the good Lord strengthen you.

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Mathew 5:7

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Pr. Shejo Varghese

Godliness a vital attribute with

ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE For the child of God, the meaning of the fear of God is not centred upon the wrath of God but upon the majesty, holiness, and transcendent glory of God. It is veneration and honor, reverence and awe. This fear is truly the foundation for godliness. It is the attitude that comes from our hearts adoration and love, reverence and honor toward this great and mighty creator.

Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy, his coworker, he instructs him, Timothy, to “…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come”(1 Timothy 4:7,8). This instruction shows us the true value of Godliness for a follower of Christ. Paul reminds us that Godliness is a trait that has a value not only in this world but also in the life to come. If Godliness is such a valuable trait, having an impact on this world and in the world to come, it should be a defining character of the follower of Christ. The purpose of the training in Godliness is to put on the new self and to grow in our Christian character.

Godliness is more than just Christian character. It covers the entirety of a Christian's life. It is the foundation upon which we build the Christian character. The Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines Godliness as a personal attitude toward God that results in actions that are pleasing to God. Though the words godly and godliness appear only a few times in the New

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Testament, the entire book exists to help train the believer to be “trained in godliness”.

Apostles Paul and Peter spoke extensively on Godliness in their epistles. In his letter to Titus, Paul starts the letter by addressing himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ, as one being called to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness (Titus 1:1). He reminds Titus in the letter that God's grace “teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives,” as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul continues to emphasize the importance of godliness. He reminds Timothy that we are to pray for those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. We are to train ourselves to be godly. We are to pursue godliness. Godliness with contentment is held forth as great gain and finally, godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Peter in his letters, looking forward to the day of the

Lord when the earth and everything in it will be destroyed, asks us to live holy and godly lives (2 Peter 3:10-12). Here Peter uses the most significant event of all history to encourage us to remain faithful to our Christian duty; to live holy and godly lives.

All these verses highlight to us the importance of Godliness in the life of a Christian. It is not something that is reserved only for the Christian Elites but is something that is expected from every follower of Christ. The Bible reminds us that God has given to each one of us “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). This is a promise that holds true for the least and the greatest of believers. We are called to use those blessings provided to us in our practice of godliness.

Devotion to God: Foundation of Godliness Even though Godliness is an essential trait of a Christian's life, many fail to be Godly as God intends them to be. There are many reasons for the lack of emphasis and the practice of godliness but the primary reason for the failure can be attributed to the foundations of Godliness that they build their lives upon. For many Christians, the motivation for being godly can be attributed to pleasing their pastors, making themselves look good in front of other believers and even to make themselves feel that they are better than other Christians. All these are motivations of the flesh and are bound to fail.

As we look into the early pages of the Bible, we can find a person called Enoch who “walked with God.” We know very little about his life but that little information about him speaks volumes about his life.

The author of Hebrews gives Enoch a place in his great “Faith's Hall of Fame” in chapter 11. He is described as the “one who pleased God.” Here are two important

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clues that the Bible provides us about Enoch's life. He walked with God, and He pleased God. It is evident from these two statements that Enoch's life was centred in God. he enjoyed a relationship with God and he pleased God. We could clearly say that he was devoted to God. This as per the Bible is the true meaning of godliness. The New Testament word for godliness, in its original meaning, conveys the idea of a personal attitude toward God that results in actions that are pleasing to God. Devotion to God is the only motivation for Christian behaviour that is pleasing to God. This motivation is the key demarcating factor between a godly person from the moral person, or the good-hearted person, or the zealous person. A God-centered lifestyle cannot be developed and maintained apart from having a strong devotion to God. Only a strong personal relationship with the living God can keep such a commitment from becoming oppressive and legalistic.

It is sad to note that many Christians do not have this atmosphere of godliness about them. They may be devoted to a vision or to a ministry, or to their own reputation as a Christian, but not to God. Only true devotion to God always results in godly character.

Three elements of Devotion to God Devotion is not an activity but is an attitude toward God. This attitude is composed of three essential elements; namely the fear of God, the love of God, the desire for God A. Fear of God The Christian professor John Murray said, “The fear of God is the soul of godliness.” Yet the fear of God is a concept that seems to be old-fashioned and outdated to many modern-day Christians. Although the

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Only if we have the right motivation for Godliness, can we engage in the practice of Godliness daily in our lives. The devotion to God is the foundation for all Godliness. It is characterised by having the fear of God, the love of God and the desire for God.

concept of the fear of God is spoken about a lot in the Old Testament, it would be a mistake to assume that it is not important in the New Testament. One of the blessings of the new covenant is the implanting in believers hearts the fear of the Lord (Jeremiah 32:40).

Paul and Peter both use the fear of the Lord as a motive to holy and righteous living (2 Corinthians 7:1, Ephesians 5:21, Colossians 3:22, and 1 Peter 1:17). It was prophesied of Jesus in Isaiah “…he will delight in the fear of the Lord” (11:3). All these example stand to show us the importance of the Fear of God is for our godliness.

For the child of God, the meaning of the fear of God is not centred upon the wrath of God but upon the majesty, holiness, and transcendent glory of God. It is veneration and honor, reverence and awe. This fear is truly the foundation for godliness. It is the attitude that comes from our hearts adoration and love, reverence and honor toward this great and mighty creator. It is impossible to be devoted to God if one's heart is not filled with the fear of God. There exist a healthy tension in the godly person's heart between the reverential awe of God in His glory and the childlike confidence in God as heavenly Father.

Without this tension, a Christian's confidence can easily degenerate into familiarity and contempt.

The Reverend Albert N. Martin has said that the essential ingredients of the fear of God are (1) correct concepts of the character of God, (2) a pervasive sense of the presence of God, and (3) a constant awareness of our obligation to God. If we have some comprehension of God's infinite holiness and His hatred of sin, coupled with this pervasive sense of God's presence in all of our actions, yes, even our thoughts, then such a fear of God must influence and regulate our conduct to be godly.

B. Love of God Only the God-fearing Christian can truly appreciate the love of God. As we are awakened to the big gap in our holiness compared to the Almighty God and the love of God that help bridge that gap through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, our hearts are filled with love for God. Only a godly person will never forget that they were at one time the object of God's holy and just wrath; the wrath which he, a sinner, should have borne but was displayed totally upon the Son of God.

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How much we appreciate God's love is determined by how deeply we fear Him. The more we see God in His infinite majesty, holiness, and transcendent glory, the more we will gaze with wonder and amazement upon His love poured out at Calvary. The deeper our perception of God's love to us in Christ, the more profound our reverence and awe of Him and more the commitment we would have in our life to be godly.

C. Desire for God True godliness produces a longing for God himself and creates a longing to enjoy God's presence and fellowship. In the Bible, David yearned intensely for God Himself that he might enjoy his presence and His beauty (Psalm 27:4). He David enjoyed dwelling upon the majesty and greatness, the holiness and goodness of God. We are all created to be satisfied by God alone. Only he can satisfy the true longing of our hearts. A Godly person recognized that and yearns for more and more of his presence and fellowship. He is never satisfied with his present experience of God. He always yearns for more. As he contemplates the awesomeness of God's infinite majesty, power, and holiness, and then as he dwells upon the riches of His mercy and grace poured out at Calvary, his heart is captivated by this One who could love him so.

This longing for God is the one that produces a desire to glorify God and to please Him. The apostle Paul also experienced this longing for God: “I want to know Christ ...” (Philippians 3:10).In the same breath, Paul expresses the desire to know Christ as well as to be like Him. This is God's ultimate objective for us and is the fruit of the Spirit's work in us.

Only if we have the right motivation for Godliness, can we engage in the practice of Godliness daily in our lives. The devotion to God is the foundation for all Godliness. It is characterised by having the fear of God, the love of God and the desire for God. The fear of God, which is an attitude of reverence and awe, veneration and honour toward God, coupled with a revelation of God's deep love for us through the atoning death of Christ can only produce within our souls an intense desire for this One who is so awesome in His glory and majesty and yet so abounding in His love and mercy.

odliness means Piety by virtue of being a godly person. It is an important subject in the Bible.

Piousness is the best character that the Bible apprises to have in life for every Christian. Godliness is a means for fruitfulness in daily life without which it is difficult to please God. Moreover, without obedience to the commandments of God's word, it is not possible to have a devoted life. In 2 Peter 1:7, Apostle Peter says, it is one of the Christian characters that we should cherish once we become children of God. Therefore, it is important to know what godliness is from the word of God.

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DIFFERENT MEANS TO GODLINESS

Godliness is God-likeness that directs us to seek the perfect will of God. Once we become the children of God, it is very important to understand the will of God. We know the will of God only through His word.

Further, Praying to God and fellowship with cobelievers are the ways to achieve the will of God in our lives. It is God's desire to save the entire world in Jesus Christ. However, God needs His children's participation in this great work, which He has been doing all through the ages. Further, God intends for all who are saved by Him to be partakers of divine nature in sharing the gospel. The Bible clearly says in Rom 8:29, "For whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son."

Source of Godliness

Pr. Bijoy Varghese

The spirit of God, who is the spirit of truth, is the source of godliness. As we read in Revelation 22:1, may the good Lord help us to meet with Him and enable us to receive the living water from the Heavenly throne so that we may grow in godliness.

Challenges to Godliness

Godliness is nothing but God likeness in perfect accomplishment in life. If we live with the father in our personal life, God will enable us to live for the father in our public life. We should follow Jesus in every step of our life.

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It is not too easy to follow Jesus in His footsteps. As we are living in the last minutes of the last hour of the end of the ages, there is an increase of sin and iniquities in the world. Even sin has crept into the church. However, God is doing incomprehensible things in the world today. There is a remnant who never bows down before sinful pleasures of this world similar to the days of Elijah where God has kept seven thousand people who did not bow before Baal. We shall not allow our lives to float as water flows rather we should stand against worldliness and stand strong for God. We must believe that God is preparing a glorious church for the rapture of the Church.

Godliness is nothing but God likeness in perfect accomplishment in life. If we live with the father in our personal life, God will enable us to live for the father in our public life. We should follow Jesus in every step of our life. It is the heart of God that we should have godliness. Hence, when Jesus was preaching on the mount, said, “Therefore you shall be perfect just as your Father in Heaven is perfect. May the good Lord help you to grow more in godliness.

His Love.....

In the darkest hour When no one else could hear me When all that I had was desperation When my eyes were filled with pain When my heart was bleeding heavily When I was clothed with my shame When my Spirit longs for peace And I was sinking down in the sin I poured out everything In search of a Light And i saw the unfailing Love At the Cross Waiting for me patiently To pour out the Love That cleansed me wholly and made new Filled my soul with everlasting peace Healed my wounds with the unending Love Took away my shame and made His own Showed me the Light that i ever known Made me forget all the scars i had And its Love... His Love

Dilu Babu

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How do we get GODLINESS?

Stephenson Manuel One of the Greek words used for Godliness is 'eusebeia', meaning “well devoted” that describes “piety'' which is characterized by a God-ward attitude, that is well pleasing to God. We must have an attitude of pleasing God, in everything we do. Every aspect of our life and ministry must reveal Godliness. odliness is a very important word that summarizes the totality of Christian Spirituality. It denotes our piety leading to complete, constant and cheerful obedience to God's commandments. In other words, we as Christians need to have (1) complete obedience, (2) constant obedience, as well as (3) cheerful obedience to God.

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Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (2001, p508) defines Godliness, as “the manner of life that is centred on God, with special reference to devotion, piety and reverence towards him”. How do we know whether we have Godliness? Compare your life against the scripture portions that speak about the characteristics of ungodly /wicked as well as godly.

One of the Greek words used for Godliness is 'eusebeia', meaning “well devoted” that describes “piety'' which is characterized by a God-ward attitude, that is well pleasing to God. We must have an attitude of pleasing God, in everything we do. Every aspect of our life and ministry must reveal Godliness.

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The word piety is very much related to Godliness. For example, in 1 Tim. 5:4, children and grandchildren have an obligation to express, in a practical way their dutifulness towards their own family. The Greek word used here is 'eusebeo'. In the same way children of God have an obligation to our Father God. It could also mean pious, godly, and devout.

This obligation we fulfil though our worship (Act. 17:23), through constant obedience to Him; through reverence to Him; and through developing characters that will please Him. It shapes our faith in Him. Our Doctrine (faith) must be consistent with Godliness: In 1 Timothy 6:3, we find “the doctrine according to Godliness” means, our doctrine should be consistent with godliness, which is in contrast with the false teachers. In other words, godliness controls our doctrine, what we believe.

True message produces godliness in the hearers: Titus 1:1 Apostle Paul talks about the “…. Knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness”, which means, those who

claim to speak the true message of Christ must be ready to be judged by their message, whether it produces godly character in the lives of those who accept the message.

How do we get godliness?

1. Through the knowledge of God: As a godly person preaches the message or read the scripture, it creates a picture of a great God in the minds of the people. As they understand the greatness of God more and more, they surrender their lives to obey Him. Thus the knowledge of God produces godliness.

2. Love of God: “if we love him, we will obey Him”. A complete obedience is possible only when we love him fully. 1Tim. 2: 1-3 : Apostle Paul was showing Timothy a good and acceptable thing, that is to give thanks, pray and intercede for all kinds of people, including kings and people in authority. So that God will control them and we may be able to lead a quiet and peaceable life, a life of godliness, and honesty. This verse speaks to us two things: (1) The importance of our prayer in order to have a godly life. (2) God who can control the individuals, and circumstances that may stand against our godliness.

3. God Himself enables us: No one can come to full obedience to God unless He helps us. God enables us by the Holy Spirit, no matter in what circumstance you are positioned, to obey Him. The Hebrew word translated “godly” is “Hasid”. It could be used for “grace” as well as “saints”. It indicates those who are recipients of God's grace and showed the impact of grace in lives. For example (1 Sam. 2:9; Ps. 4:3; 12:1; etc).

In the New Testament, the word godliness is

expressed through the Hellenistic idea. For example, the Greek word 'eusebeia' derives from the word meaning, “to step back” or “to keep a distance”.

The Greek translation of the Old Testament, called Septuagint tries to convey this idea by using the word for “Fear of God”, which has a central meaning in a life of active obedience to the Law (cf. Lev. 19:14; 25:17; Job 1:1; Ps.128:1; Jere. 32:40).

Leave some things and practice new things: In 1Tim. 4: 7-8 : Apostle Paul advised Timothy that true godliness requires obedience, practical action and self-discipline. Avoid irreverent, silly myths which will not do any good to you. If we compare 4:7 with 1:4, we understand that true godliness is not a myth, beliefs or knowledge; it requires obedience, practical action and self-discipline (cf. 1 Pet. 1:13).

Godliness is an action oriented word, it is not a philosophy or an idea. In Psalm 12:1 “Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.” Two important facts are expressed here : God loves to see the godly people. Second, Psalmist could see no godly people. Psalmist continues with few examples of wicked people. People speak lies; speak with deception; boasting; and oppress the weak.

It is true that several people receive grace from God, fear God and live as saints. God encourages everyone to be his saints. God loves them. In the same psalms (12:5) God promises that “I will now arise and protect” them who are affected by the actions of the ungodly. .. and the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined the furnace .. and purified seven times”. Let us always remember that we are saints of God. We need to offer constant obedience to God. We need to worship Him as we are recipients of His Grace.

It is true that several people receive grace from God, fear God and live as saints. God encourages everyone to be his saints.

God loves them.

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Etymology

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T

Shyam Raj Professor in Theological Studies, Bangalore

he Geek word “eusebeia” is used to indicate godliness; basically it means to respect men or God with due honor. In the Holy Bible “eusebeia” refers exclusively to “reverence towards God.” Godliness is a significant term in the Christian faith. The “piety” which is part of godliness toward God is rectitude of conduct which springs from a proper relationship with God. The word “eusebeia” is used interchangeably with piety and godliness. For instance, we see this usage fourteen times in the letters of Peter and Paul in the New Testament.While the expression also refers to the divinity of God and it describes a positive way of life influenced by God, and an inspired reflection in the tenets of the Christian faith.

Eusebius, the father of the early church History, defines “eusebeia” as the Moratorium efficiency with God, which means life in accordance with Him. The mystery of godliness is the fundamental doctrine centered in the person of Christ, which is the source and criterion of all Christian devotion and beliefs.

The word is found most frequently in Pastoral Epistles. Paul specially emphasizes godliness in his first letter to Timothy. We have to pray for those in authority, that we may live peacefully and quietly in all godliness and holiness. We have to train ourselves to be godly and pursue godliness.The word “pursue” indicates preserving effort. Godliness with contentment is considered as a great gain. As Christians we should devote ourselves to spiritual fitness with much enthusiasm. May Lord keep you in godliness.

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ALIVE IN CHRIST A Living Story of Transformation While Confronting with Christ L

et me share with you my life story for your encouragement and faith. This is a life story of how I defeated pain, difficulties and struggles in my life and got liberated from all traditional bindings, the moment I met with Lord Jesus Christ. I was born and brought up in a conservative orthodox Indian family where me, my parents were very strict in our religious tradition and socially knit culture with which we did a lot of practices that didn't please the heart of God. As a son of orthodox parents, I was also brought up as a traditional devotee of worldly gods. However, as a youngster, I led my life in confusion without real focus, and full of sin. At the age of 14, I came to know or realize Lord Jesus Christ in my personal life which altogether transformed my whole life. Subsequently, I defeated every kind of confusions and the sins that controlled my life. Since then, I had righteous consciousness, real freedom and led a meaningful life.

I had a good friend; his life was very different from other friends. He was very loving, had a good attitude and led a blessed lifestyle which I felt was very different from many other people. He was also from a similar religious tradition like mine, but He was a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ. On one fine day, he shared about Lord Jesus Christ to me. When he shared the gospel, I was much interested in knowing more about Jesus. As days went by, we started to pray and read the Bible. One day we got to know about a pastor.

By that time, our Christian friend circle had increased to five friends who recently knew about Lord Jesus. All of us were classmates.

Sooner, our day to day life changed drastically by the grace of the Lord and we became stronger in faith.

Accordingly, our talks and discussions used to be about spiritual matters and on how to progress in the

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work of Christ. Meanwhile I had a most blessed and unforgettable experience. Those days we regularly gathered at our church and on one blessed day while praying the Holy Spirit touched me with His gift of tongues. As a result we strived for the Lord's work more diligently. Since then we go to different places and share the gospel at church taking the Bible.

Continued sharing of the gospel led few people to accept the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the other hand few rejected us and our gospel. Without anguish we continued in our work of the Lord.

Before longevity of much joy, everything turns around. Our parents, friends, neighbors and relatives came to know about our belief and ministry activities.

Firstly, our Parents scolded us and told us not to do Christian works. They told us that it is against our tradition, customs and culture. Being incapacitated, we nodded our head in agreement and secretly continued prayers sitting in bathrooms and terraces, and fervently progressed in the work of the Lord.

At a fast pace, another shift in our spiritual life was awaiting, without our knowledge. Our secret prayers at home didn't go long. It was during one of these days Pastor Benny Hinn, a gospel crusader came to our city Bangalore to preach the gospel. With much happiness and eagerness we friends together went for the prayer meeting. Since, parents were against our faith we decided to lie to our parents. We told our parents that a Muslim friend's sister is getting married and we are invited to go for it. Then we attended the meeting along with our pastor. The prayer crusade was very powerful and a blessing to each one of us. It was located too far from our home, so we returned back home late at night. However, my father and friends' dad were waiting for us at the bus stop. They with a lot

of doubts interrogated us but we told the marriage got over very late, hence we returned back way late. My friends were able to convince their dad and they went to their home. But my dad got suspicious and was very angry at me that he started beating me. Finally I had to tell the truth. Later my dad took me to my friend's place the same night and told their parents that we went for Christian prayers. My friend's dad got very angry and started hitting both brothers. Due to severe persecutions from my own family members, one of my friend's left elbow was broken and another one's leg was broken and bleeding badly. After this incident, my dad asked me to sleep outside the house. Next morning he enquired more and he wanted to put an end to all our Christian activities. Then my dad took me to two more friends' houses and told us about our deeds to them. I was badly treated in our village, we were questioned by our relatives and neighbors and I was rebuked because of following Christ.

Further, a group of people took me to the pastor's house and many scolded him badly as well. There was a huge crowd, where all people gathered and many pointed their fingers at me, as if I had done some crime. They asked me, did your pastor force you people to follow Christ? Due to several criticism and insults I happened to say yes, and I was completely afraid of the situation. Later the pastor was warned by people saying not to continue these activities.

I finally decided not to follow the Lord due to severe persecutions and agony. Moreover, I was totally scared even to listen to the word of Jesus. I had totally stopped going to church and also to pray till a fresh new day while I was in my college the Holy Spirit urged me to start praying again. Though I was weak, by the grace of the Lord, I received the strength and power to pray. Slowly with fear I started to pray. But God guided me once again to pray, read the Bible and follow the path of the Lord. Prayer life strengthened me to complete my studies without any difficulties and more

close to the Lord. Moreover, without much delay, God did wonderful miracles to give me a job and everything went wonderfully. Now I got a good chance to go to church and participate in all the meetings, gatherings and prayer groups. Persecutions were behind me but I chose to be close to the Lord. My parents caught me for following Christ on many occasions and they brutally hurt me with words. They asked me to leave the house, if I followed Jesus Christ again. How can I forget the taste and sweetness of the Lord throughout my life?

God has strengthened me and I followed Him secretly.

God had added much color to my life by a wonderful gift –a wonderful hearted blessed wife. In many ways I am blessed through her life. Though I had faced many difficulties in my life and for a long time, it is all about pain, sorrow, bitterness, tensions, tortures, warnings and heartbreaking situations, but God never left me alone He is my savior, guide, path, light, my father, best friend, comforter, hope, success, and my everything. If you are going through any kinds of difficulties in life, the same God can save you and completely deliver you out of any kind of difficult people or situations. The Holy Bible will sustain you, it has promises for your entire life. His words always gave me new hope and made me stand strong in Him. Though there were many barriers in my life, I considered it as nothing when I realized what the Lord has prepared for me. He will prepare you too. God will make sure everything that happens in our life turns for the good of the one who was called and loved by Him (Romans 8.28). Today, if the Lord is well pleased to choose a sinner like me and bless me, imagine how greatly He loves you and cares for every human being.

There is a lot more to write about my testimony, but I will end here. I am what I am today is all because of His grace. I encourage you to live every moment by the grace of God, you and your life will be sustained meaningfully in His caring hands. Special thanks to Pr. Blasson and Sis. Blessy for their love. May the good Lord bless you.

Saved to serve the Lord at any cost

A Brother in Christ

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