The Christian Messenger June 2017 English

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Vol. 14, No. 2

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JUNE, 2017

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COVER FEATURE

MEMORIZING SCRIPTURES The Why and How of it “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deuteronomy 11:18-20).

back to it as often as possible. 2 Timothy 3:16 says 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.' Every time you read it, God comes out of it because God has gone into it. The ultimate aim of God the Father for our lives is to make us look like His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul wrote thus: 'For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren' (Romans 8:29). How can we be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ? By reading up His Word. The Scriptures reveal who Jesus is. God spoke to the saints of the old through visions and His Word. Today, in the New Testament days He still speaks through visions and dreams, but to the vast majority of those in the church, God speaks through the written Word of God. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord (1 Samuel 3:21). Even today, God reveals who He is through the Word of God.

WHAT DOES IT mean to lay up the Word of God in our heart and mind? Laying up the Scriptures in our heart and mind is being conscious of God's Word throughout the day.

Word of God laid up in our heart is like a photo frame fixed on a wall. Something that's fixed on the wall reminds us about something. It's not dislodged easily; it stays there. And, there's one more thing.

Have you noticed how the colour of the wall behind the photo frame that's been there for some time is distinctly different from the rest of the areas? Yes, something that's fixed protects the color or nature of the thing it has covered. The Word of God is both a To triumph over sin sword and a shield to us.

The psalmist in Psalm 119:9 asks us a pertinent You and I can lay up God's Word in our heart. Age is no barrier to memorize God's Word. It's for our question and puts out the answer to it. 'How can a own good. Treasure His Words more than anything young man cleanse his way?By taking heed according to Your word.' In verse 11, he further else in the world. amplifies the thought. 'Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.' Ephesians Why do we need to memorize the 6:10 asks us to be 'strong in the Lord and in His Scriptures? mighty power.' We get the power to live a holy life through the revealed Word. When we accepted Jesus There are at least seven commonly agreed reasons as our Saviour, we became the adopted sons and daughters of God. So now, we are called to live a that I can think of. holy and sanctified life. 'Therefore you shall be 1.

Conformity to Christ perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect' 2.

To triumph over sin (Matthew 5:48).

3.

To triumph over Satan 4.

To know what to say To triumph over Satan 5.

Because God’s Word is eternal Before Jesus began His earthly ministry, He was 6.

Get ready for the days of famine led up by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be 7.

Not to be deceived by false gods tempted by the devil. After 40 days and nights, the tempter came to tempt Jesus. Every time Satan laid up a challenge to prove His divinity or promised to Conformity to Christ offer Hi something in return for worshiping him, If your intention is to live a Christ-like life, then Jesus countered him saying: 'It is written.' If Jesus, there's no better way to begin doing it than to start learning and meditating the Word of God. Merely the Son of God, had to use the Word of God to ward reading it will not do. You need to study it and go off the devil, how much more should you and I be Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

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COVER FEATURE book that most of the other prisoners around her were unhappy and hopeless.

Sabina was also very thankful for Bible verses she had memorized before she went to prison. She later wrote, “We had no Bible. We hungered for it more than bread. How I wished I'd learned more of it by heart! But we repeated daily the verses we knew.

Other Christians, like me, had memorized long passages, knowing that soon their time would come for arrest.They brought riches to prison. While others quarrelled and fought, we lay on our mattresses and repeated verses to ourselves through the long nights. We learned what newcomers brought and taught them what we knew. So an unwritten Bible circulated through all Romania's prisons.” Such is the power of the Word of God written on our heart.

employing the Scriptures to fend off his challenge?

In John 12:49, Jesus said: 'For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.'

To know what to say Proverbs 25:11 says: 'A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.' A child of God needs to speak like one. His words should be pleasant and full of grace. 'Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones' (Prov. 16:24). You and I don't get words that are pleasant and gracious in our natural realm. To say them we need to have them inside of us. Jesus said in Luke 6:45, 'A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.'

Not to be deceived by false gods Perhaps the most important reason a Christian should memorize the Scriptures is found in Deuteronomy 11:16. It says: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them…”

Jesus told us to be beware of false prophets. In Matthew 7:15, He said: 'Beware of false prophets.

They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.' In Mark 13:22, Jesus had already warned us about what will happen in the last days. 'For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.' The Word of God has the ability to not only purify us but also help us navigate our way through the wilderness of the world. It give us a heavenly perspective. It helps us in identifying ourselves with God. It teaches us the humility of Christ. It has the power to convict and transform. It shows the way. When we are confounded by the world's events, it tells us where to find peace, joy and truth. While the rest of the world seems to be groping in the darkness, the children of God know where they are headed to. 'But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary' (Isaiah 40:31).

Because God’s Word is eternal Apostle Peter while talking about the enduring nature of the Word of God quoted Isaiah 40:6-8 to say this in 1 Peter 1:24, 25, “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” The psalmist said: 'Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven' (Psalm 119:89). Jesus Christ had this to say about the immutability of the Scriptures said: 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.' In this world where everything is transient, only the Word of God is eternal. The sooner we learn this truth and trust in it the better for us.

Get ready for the days of famine

There's another reason why we need to store up God's Word in our heart. Amos 8:11 and 12 foretell a time of famine that is fast approaching us. The prophet says this time is not a time of famine of bread or drought of water. '“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,“That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it'.” This may be a time of tribulation that is to shortly come upon the earth. Already, in many How to memorize the Scriptures?

Islamic and Communist countries the famine of the Word of God is already in place. Who knows whether such a time will not come upon our land?

1. Choose a verse that speaks Richard Wurmbrand and his wife, Sabina, were in something in your life right now prison in Romania because of their Christian In other words, take up the Bible verses that mean activities. Their prisons were miserable, dirty something to you through your situation. It may be a places. Guards fed them poorly and treated them revelatory word or a word of encouragement or a harshly.Sabina wrote about her prison experiences word of warning and chastisement. Whatever it is, if in a book called The Pastor's Wife. She noted in her THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JUNE 2017

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memorizing. Use sticky notes to memorize Scriptures. If you are doing it alone or with somebody else, make sure you see a lot of the verse(s) wherever you go. Carry the flash cards along. When waiting for the doctor in his clinic, use the time to memorize it. Stick it up on the refrigerator, on the dashboard of your car and any other place you can think of.

it has meant something to you then it is something that has to be inscribed on your heart. Apart from the Bible verses that I memorized as a Sunday school student, the ones that have stayed on my mind are the ones that God spoke to me through in moments of my doubt, fear, grief and jubilation.

Romans 8:33 is a powerful verse. When I heard it from the pulpit, it was as if I was hearing it for the first time. It hit me like a ton of bricks. God spoke to lift up my spirit when I was downcast by a particularly worrying thought of losing my job and honour at a particular moment in life.

7. Use music for help Psalm 103 can be memorized best by listening to its song renditions. If you are musically inclined, try giving a tune to that verse. If you are not, use a nursery lullaby tune to the verse you are memorizing. Find out if the verse is used by hymn writers in contemporary praise and worship songs or traditional hymns. Listen to those songs even as you are trying to commit it to memory.

2. Start small

Being ambitious is one thing, being practical is quite another. When you start memorizing Scriptures don't attempt to take in full chapters. Start with a small verse. Then move on to bigger verses.

When you identify a verse that you think you ought 8. Repeat, repeat, repeat to memorize begin by memorizing the first five Involve family members, like-minded friends, words. Then move on to the other words, then the colleagues, anybody who is interested to learn and rest. That why you can tackle even the most difficult memorize the Scriptures. Try repeating the verses verses and hard passages. you have learned to your spouse, children, siblings or friends. If you have a memorization partner, 3. Write it down People who have had success with memorizing great! If you don't have one, rope in one of your Scriptures vouch for the importance of writing down family members or friends to listen to you and correct you if you are going wrong. the verses that you are trying to learn by heart.

When you write down the verse, be sure you write it down not once but many times. Over and over again. Five to 10 times is normal. Sometimes, you may have to write it down even 50 times or more to master it. Another trick in memorizing Scriptures is to write down the verse you are trying to retain in your heart vertically. Yes, write it down vertically.

Write down the first few words in a single line, then use another line to write down the next set of words.

That’s much better than writing it down like a long sentence in a composition.

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4. Say it out aloud Learning by rote is all about saying the verse aloud. You can even record the memory verse by reciting it slowly. Listen to your recording of the verse repeatedly even as you try repeating it. It's like a karaoke song.

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5. Incorporate the verse into your life Make the verse that you are memorizing part of your life. See how you can live it. If it's a warning, stay away from the things it warns about. If it's an encouragement, use it often to encourage others. If it's a promise, claim it over and over again. Make it personal. Make it come alive in your life.

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MINISTRY MENTOR

5 Core Essentials Far Too Many Christian Leaders Stupidly Sacrifice zero communication, it would fail.

God has more love, power and strength in a single breath than you have in your entire being over a life time.

Ministry is a divine partnership. Prayer is fuel for life.

Even when you're not 'feeling it,' pray. God misses you. And you miss him.

2. Scripture I told you this list was basic.

Too many Christian leaders also sacrifice the personal reading of scripture.

There's a world of difference between reading Romans 8 because you're preaching on it Sunday and reading Romans 8 to hear God speak to you as a person, spouse, parent or friend.

I realized early on in my ministry that I had the propensity to cheat scripture reading because I was in ministry. So a year after I started full time in ministry, I bought a One Year Bible. The One Year Bible moves you through the entire Bible in 365 days in easy, daily readings.

For 19 years now, that's been my daily routine.

These days I use YouVersion's plans for reading scripture in one year (here's the plan I'm using in 2017). Whenever I've tried something different, I come back to the One Year plan, not because I'm strong, but because I know I'm weak if I don't.

I love it when I read the scripture, and it just owns me.

Yesterday my personal scripture reading took me (among other places) to Proverbs 11:17, which simply says, “Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.”

Those words reverberated like they were spoken in an echo chamber for me all day. I can be cruel at times. It was just haunting.

I felt like that was God speaking directly to me.

And I needed to hear it.

Too many leaders read the Bible without letting the Bible read them.

3. Diet For years I resisted the idea that how you cared for your body had anything to do with your spiritual, intellectual or leadership life.

Given the correlation between your diet, how you feel and, honestly, how you perform is too great to ignore. Poor diet is increasingly cited as a factor in mental health and depression.

I notice a direct connection in my mental alertness

BY CAREY NIEUWHOF

S

O YOU’RE WONDERING how you’’re going to make it in the long run in leadership. Or maybe you're wondering how you're simply going to make it to Friday.

I get that. Leadership is hard. But sometimes it's not nearly as hard as we make it out to be.

Almost every day, I get questions from leaders who are burning out. Some of the most read posts I've written have to do with burnout (you can access most of them directly through this post).

In addition, I hear daily from leaders who may not be burning out but who are just tired.

On the other side of my burnout (which happened 11 years ago), I've learned there are 5 leadership essentials that sound so basic yet have become nonnegotiable for me.

Leadership is hard. But sometimes it's not nearly as hard as we make it out to be.

1. Your Prayer Life It's ironic that one of the first casualties of ministry is the leader's spiritual life.

I get it. Prayer can be confusing once you're in ministry. After all, what do you pray for?

You want to pray for your church, but sometimes it's easy to make that all you pray for.

A few years ago I asked my staff team this question: If you were done in ministry tomorrow, what would be left of your faith?

That's a sobering question. If you couldn't pray about work or leadership, what would you pray about?

You got into ministry because you knew you loved Jesus and he loved you. That hasn't changed.

Even 10 minutes of prayer a day can make a huge difference in your life as a leader.

If you find yourself stuck in prayer, get help. I find it helpful to practice prayer in a tradition that is different from mine.

For the last six months on many mornings, I've used the prayers written for the Daily Office From the Mission of St. Clare to springboard my own prayers. It forces me to think differently about prayer and to pray about things I wouldn't normally pray about.

How you pray is less important than the fact that you pray. So pray.

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That's a lie.

Ignoring your physical health means you'll never lead at your fullest potential. Think about that.

5. Sleep I used to wear my lack of sleep as a badge of leadership honor, as in I can get by on four to five hours a night.

I thought people who could survive on two to three hours a night were heroes. More time to work, right?

Then I burned out.

What I didn't really know is that sleep is like money. Get overdrawn long enough and you end up in debt.

Run a sleep deficit long enough and eventually you have a big debt. And guess what? Debts need to be paid off.

This lesson became inescapable for me personally in August 2006. Three months into my burnout, I was having a hard time functioning.

In fact, my fatigue was inescapable. So I decided to sleep every time my body told me I was tired.

I slept a lot that August. Eight to 11 hours a night. I added to that multiple naps a day whenever I could grab them.

By the end of the month, I felt much better.

And since that time, I've guarded sleep as one of

Too many Christian leaders also sacrifice the personal reading of scripture.There’s a world of difference between reading Romans 8 because you're preaching on it Sunday in your church and reading Romans 8 to hear God speak to you as personally as a person, spouse, parent or friend. and the amount of sugar and carbs I consume. The cleaner I eat, the better I feel mentally and emotionally.

And of course, diet is directly linked to your weight. As a trainer once told me, you can't outexercise a bad diet.

Being overweight or even obese is almost normal in some Christian circles.

As someone who has to watch my weight very carefully (and who does not understand how anyone can be a natural bean pole), I empathize. And I also know I often eat when I'm not hungry, but when I'm upset or just bored.

And like many people, food is something I still have to stop running to as an escape.

Sadly, food is the drug of choice for many Christian leaders.

4. Exercise When I was in my 30s, I would listen to Bill Hybels talk about physical fitness at the Global Leadership Summit and think “doesn't apply to me.”

I was 30-40 pounds heavier than I should have been and avoided exercise like the plague.

In the same way food directly impacts your mental and physical well-being, so does exercise. I hated hearing that, but it's true.

I still love eating far more than I love exercising, but about a decade ago I bought a road bike. On the other side of burnout I realized bad diet, no exercise and other factors contributed to my crash and I needed to find some form of exercise I really enjoyed.

I still don't love biking as much as I love BBQ, but it's a form of exercise I enjoy the most.

It also has tremendous creative benefits. I often come up with some of my best ideas while cycling and I listen to podcasts that spark about 100 other ideas in my mind. It's fuel in more ways than one.

Many of us in leadership try to convince ourselves that we can lead at our fullest potential without caring for our bodies.

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Living Hope Association, Bangalore URGENTLY REQUIRES The following for this academic year which starts on 1st June 2017 1. Female Teacher for pre-school - 1 Qualification: Montessori and / or D. Ed and teaching experience for 4 to 5 years.

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MINISTRY MENTOR the most important things I do every day. I take naps most days. I never book red-eye flights.

I'm so much sharper, kinder and happier when I'm rested.

Even if you're not dead, sick or burning out, lack of sleep can turn you into you a bit of a jerk.

Unrested, you'll snap at the kids more, fight with your spouse more, and even at work, you won't be fun to hang around.

Here's what I find.

I am at my most kind when I'm the most rested.

When I'm tired, I'm just not nearly as nice to be around.

Finally, this too is medical.

According to research, chronic lack of sleep can cause weight gain, age your skin, harm your sex drive, impair memory and can contribute to illnesses as serious as diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and even premature death.

It's a little shocking, but it's not actually an exaggeration to say that a chronic lack of sleep can kill you.

What Do You Need to Stop Cheating?

I know this is a bit of a wake up call, even though it's so basic.

But honor these five things, and you'll be in a

THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JUNE 2017

position to realize your full potential as a leader.

Can you grow as a leader beyond these five things? Of course.

On the other side of my burnout I developed brand new habits and practices that allowed me to do so much more than before.

I get asked about it so often I put it into a new course called the High Impact Leader Course. It's all about getting time, energy and priorities working in your favor.

The course opens for new registrations on May 15, 2017, for a very limited time, and we have some new features we're adding. If you want to know more, check out the High Impact Leader here, and join the waiting list. We'll send you a free productivity course via email.

In the meantime, though, these five factors provide a baseline for the well-being every leader needs to practice.

Mess these five up, and well, it's just a stupid way to live that robs you of what God wants to do in you and through you. I know—I cheated the last three for a decade. What would you add to the list?

What are you learning?

Carey Nieuwhof is founding pastor of Connexus Church and is author of several bestselling books.

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GOSPEL MELA 2017 24-Hour Chain Prayer

10 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).

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Redemption of our souls is possible only through Jesus, there’s no other way. Gospel is nothing but proclaiming that Jesus is the only way to be saved from our sins, to be delivered out of the bondage of our curses and to come out of darkness into His magnificent light.

We are doing this in a concerted manner by targeting one State in the country every month for the next 12 months. We are reaching out to 1,00,000 people in each state with the Gospel message through tracts, other booklets and personal evangelism wherever possible. We are not working on this in isolation but have involved several local churches and missions

organizations in each state. We have christened this effort as ‘Gospel Mela 2016’.

We need your prayerful support to make this a success. We lean on to the One who said: ‘…for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). God expects us to intensify our prayers and give freely to the Lord’s work so hundreds of thousands of Indians will come to know that Jesus is the only way to salvation in the next one year.

Besides using these prayer points to pray for 30 minutes during the 24-hour chain prayer time, will you also set apart five minutes a day or an hour on any day of the week to join us in prayer?

If you do, God will do wonders in this nation.

Amen. Glory to God.

1. LIQUOR SHOPS: OVER 3,000 bars and Tasmac outlets were closed in Tamil Nadu following a Supreme Court directive to remove all bars from national and state highways. Let us praise God for this. Now, the Madras High Court has banned liquor bars from residential areas. Pray that total prohibition is enforced in Tamil Nadu. Pray that the State is ridden of the spirit of drunkenness that destroys families.

2. POWER SITUATION: Generation of electricity through hydroelectric power plants has come down drastically as a result of lack of rain and fast depleting waters in the dams in Tamil Nadu.

Even when there was no rain, hydroelectric plants in the state used to generate 300 MW through the water stored in dams, but now with water fast drying up only 50 to 90 MW of power is being generated in the state through hydroelectric plants. If we do not get sufficient rains in June, hydroelectric stations will come to a grinding halt. Pray that this situation is reversed and we get surplus waters through rains.

3. TAMIL NADU: Pray for a positive change in the despicable political situation that prevails in Tamil Nadu now. Pray that people's representatives change for the better. Pray for a corruption-free government to be installed in the State. Pray that leaders of the political parties and groups that instigate violence by pitting one caste group against another mend their ways. Pray that people who are well educated, cultured, honest and God-fearing come into public life and politics. Pray for good governance all over India.

4. JAMMU & KASHMIR: Let us pray for peace in Jammu & Kashmir. Pray for intrusions from across the border to be stopped. Pray that all conspiracies hatched by countries, political parties, leaders and divisive groups that instigate the people of the state to turn against the Government and the armed forces are defeated. The people of Kashmir need wisdom to realize that it is in their interest and their descendants' interest that they remain with India. Pray for Kashmiris to get this wisdom from

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SPECIAL FOCUS:

above.

5. DIPLOMACY:Pray that the diplomatic relations and people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan and India and China improve. To make the nation powerful, India needs safe borders, peaceful co-existence with neighbours and a strifefree domestic environment. Pray that God raises national leaders and bureaucrats with foresight and concern for the welfare of the people. Only such leaders can resolve India's border issues with neighbours and find a lasting solution to the problem with Pakistan.

6. ODISHA:The Bible often compares the Word of God to a sword. The Gospel that our native missionaries preach in unreached areas never returns without accomplishing its purpose. It reaches people groups and leads them to Jesus Christ. Pray for our ministries that are under way in Dengeshkal, Chandagiri, Singarakadak, Kabadasil and Kebidi among other villages. In a village called Kashipur, RSS workers are disrupting our work and preventing our workers from meeting with people. We have begun new work in Kundiguda. A man named SirinathaMaji is opposing the Gospel in Kittipadar.

Pray that God touches and transforms him.

7. TAMIL NADU:Pray for our ministries in Basavanapalli, Sathanakkal, Thenkanikottai and Dinnur in and around Hosur. Pray that churches are established in Periayasathanakkal and Hosur as a result of our Gospel outreaches and community development projects. We are praying for a worship place to be built in Thimmarayankottai. Pray along with us for the fruition of the project. Pray that all hindrances to Gospel at the Avalapalli refugees' camp are removed. Pray for Sunday services to begin at Basavanapalli. May God's hand be upon the children's ministry in the area!

8. PUNJAB:Pray for a great revival and repentance to break out among people as a result of our ministries in Pathankot, Rajpura, Sarna, Simbli, Gulpur, Narot, Motli and Jamlapur in Punjab. The enemy is on the prowl to disrupt and destroy the Kingdom building work that happens in Rajpura.

Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

We have planned a three-day outreach programme at Basavanapalli and Periyasathanakkal in August.

Children's ministry and a medical camp will be part of the outreach programme. A team from Chennai will go to Hosur, stay there and minister among the people there. Pray for the safety of the teams in Chennai and Hosur. Pray that the ministries bear fruit. On an average, we need Rs.15,000/- to meet the expenses of a medial camp. We are looking at holding at least one medical camp every month.

Pray for this need to be met.

Pray that God touches and transforms Kajanlal who has risen up against our worker in Punjab. Pray that all the blockades currently in place in Rajpura against Gospel work are removed swiftly to the glory of God. We are praying that God will raise people to help us in buying a piece of land here to build a church with a seating capacity of 200.

Commit the 45 people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and are getting ready for baptism.

9. CHHATTISGARH: Pray that our work that is in progress in Khadakghat in Chhattisgarh goes on unhindered. Pray for a spirit of revival to sweep across the mission field. Last month, God miraculously saved the lives of our Gospel workers, YuneshKashyap and Joseph Kashyap, when they met with a road accident. We praise God for sparing their lives. Pray for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our works in Chhattisgarh.

10. MADHYA PRADESH: By the abundant grace of God, the Lord’s work is progressing in 15 villages in Madhya Pradesh under three Gospel workers. Pray that God gives a big harvest of souls in Kirnapur where we have a church. Pray for the extension of the boundaries of our community development project, ‘Asha Kiran’. Pray for our outreaches in Chhachanmeta and Tekkadi to grow and bear fruit. As many as 9 believers are ready for baptism in MP. Pray that they grow in the Word and in the Lord.

Please share these prayer points with others.

Pray for the change that you wish to see in our nation.

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THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JUNE 2017

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SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY

Help our missionaries’ children with school fees But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.”

And He went in to stay with them (Luke 24:29).

I GREET YOU in the Name of the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, who goes in to stay with those who constrain Him saying, 'Abide with us.'

We bless all children who are entering a new academic year with new resolutions. May God bestow special grace upon those who have joined new schools, colleges and universities for higher studies! We pray God will bless you all in a new and wonderful way that you have not experienced so far.

I invite you to come forward to support our missionaries' children with their education. June, obviously, is a challenging month for the parents.

We have 12 children among our missionaries' families that are in the school-going age group. We would like to support them by offering Rs.1,000/every month per child towards their education. That works out to Rs.1,44,000/- per annum. Will you pray with me that God will raise people who will come forward to sponsor the education of our

missionaries' children?

If God speaks to you will you come forward to meet this need partially at least? Please send your generous contributions to us at the earliest. Your prayerful support is needed for the continuance of the ministry. You may send your contributions as cheque/DD in favour of Messenger Missions and send it to our address.

Please remember to specify that your contribution is towards the Missionaries' Children's Education. May God bless you. Amen.

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.

The need this month No. of school-going children: 12 Monthly support required: Rs.12,000/Support for the entire year: Rs.1,44,000/-

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

To send your subscriptions and offerings for the media ministry, please see below:

: 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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JUNE 2017 w THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER

HOTLINE TO GOD

A Personal Prayer Plan For You! The greatest times in my prayer life have been those in which I followed a specific plan of action for prayer. Here is a plan that I have used from time to time, and I often customize it as I go.

BY RONNIE FLOYD PRAYER IS A spiritual journey. Just as a journey from your present location to the other side of the country requires that you have a plan to reach your destination, you need a plan to assist you in your spiritual journey of prayer. Prayer is your personal communication with God. Since this is your spiritual destination every day, you need a plan to help you reach your destination effectively and consistently.

In my own life, I have observed that the greatest times in my prayer life have been those in which I followed a specific plan of action for prayer. Here is a plan that I have used from time to time, and I often customize it as I go. Perhaps it will help you or at least serve as a guide. You can modify this plan to meet your own personal prayer needs.

The plan I am suggesting has four features that I believe make it accessible to everyone. *Simple. This plan is simple for everyone to use.

Whether you want to move into another dimension in your prayer life or are teaching a child to pray, I believe this plan can be beneficial. *Sequential. There is a sense of order to this plan.

If this is your first attempt to establish a prayer plan or you have used other plans, a sequential plan can help you. Simplicity combined with sequence produces relevance and productivity, particularly for followers of Christ. *Specific. One of the reasons this plan is so dynamic is that it leads you to pray for people, ministries, organizations, problems and situations in a specific manner. *Spiritual. This plan incorporates the Word of God into your prayer and encourages the dynamic of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of prayer.

You can modify this plan to meet your own personal prayer needs, but it can be a useful tool that will make a real difference in your spiritual life.

Step One: Read God's Word I believe it is very important to listen to God speak daily through His Word. What He says in His Word will prepare you to talk to Him and will influence what you say to Him in prayer. Always keep in mind that the Word of God and prayer go hand in hand. As you continue through the steps, keep your Bible open near you.

Step Two: Pray When you pray, follow these principles: Confession: Effective prayer occurs when you talk to God and listen to what God is saying to you.

Sin clogs the lines of communication between you and God. Therefore, confess your sin and your THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JUNE 2017

helplessness to God. Confession and repentance are very important in the life of the growing Christian.

God hears and answers your prayers when your heart yearns to be clean and right with Him. Praise: Praise is the expression of your love and adoration for who God is. In your time of praise, focus on three attributes of God's character. Make this a rich time of worship between you and your Creator.

Thanksgiving: This is the expression of gratefulness to God for all the things He has done for you. Thank him for provisional, physical and spiritual blessings. Thank Him for people who have blessed you. Take the time to say, “Thanks, God.�

Petition: During this time, focus your prayer on personal needs you want to present to God. Do not pray for others yet; pray for the things you believe to be within God's will for your own life. You can use a personal prayer notebook to record God's answers to the requests you lift up to Him for both yourself and others.

Intercession: Intercession is the privilege of standing in the gap between the God of heaven and the person you are praying for at the time.

Remember: God is attracted to the specific prayers you pray for yourself and others.

Urgent Requests: During your prayer time, you will also want to list urgent requests to pray for every day. An urgent prayer request is so critical that it requires daily attention from you for a specific time or until the crisis has passed. When God places an urgent need on someone else's life upon your heart, commit yourself to pray for that person daily.

Focus-Day Requests: As you become familiar with the basic principles of this plan, you may choose to add an additional layer of intercession that involves focusing your prayer on a special area each day. Consider the following schedule: Sunday: World missions and missionaries Monday: Lost and unchurched Tuesday: India, neighbouring countries and Israel.

Wednesday: Friends Thursday: Christian leaders Friday: Your local church

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intimate way every day of your life.

Saturday: Relatives Enjoy the journey! It’s worth it, so just do it!

When you add focus-day requests to your times of This article is an adapted and condensed excerpt intercession, you will have a healthy balance of prayer. Be careful not to overload this section from Ronnie Floyd’s book ‘How to Pray.’ because too many requests on your prayer list may overwhelm you and even squelch your desire to pray. But remember: Prayer is work!

Step Three: Journal I believe in the life-changing power of closing your time with God by writing a one-page letter to God. On this one page, you will be recapturing your main burdens as well as the joy of answered prayers.

Journaling provides a means of concrete communication with God. It also provides a sense of relief from your burdens. As you document your walk with God in this way, your faith in the power of prayer will increase. Journaling can become one of the greatest dynamics in your prayer life.

Just do it!

This is a suggested plan intended to help you, not bind you. Feel free to customize it according to your desires. The Holy Spirit will work through this plan, granting you spiritual liberty as you communicate with God. In time, these steps will become natural for you. Do not make the plan itself holy. What is holy is when you meet with God in a personal and

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044-65145334.

Training the trainers:

equipping the labourers:

enhancing the harvest:

India Graduate School of Missiology (Affiliated to Indian Institute of Missiology)

We offer the following programs in missiology: Residential program : B.Th and M.Div – for the young men and women Evening College : B.Th and M.Div – for the lay people Extension program : B.Th and M.Div – for the cross cultural missionaries Modular program : M.Th and D.Miss – for the Church and Mission leaders Distance Education program: B.Th and M.Div – offered through churches, missions, and NGOs

Features: Ø Excellent cross cultural context and exposure Ø Ideal for pastors and missionaries Ø Opportunity for higher level missiological training Ø Partial scholarship available for deserving candidates Ø D.Miss is the college program Ø Campus is also available for any retreat, seminars and camps

Please apply: The Registrar India Graduate School of Missiology, 167, Red Hills Road, Ikkadu, Kandigai, Tiruvallur, TN 602 021.

Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

Please call: 044-2764-5584 0-944-515-9913 / 0-994-377-7106 sjena1700@gmail.com andrewswamidoss@yahoo.com 17

JUNE 2017 w THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER

VIEWPOINT

Why you are allowed to be angry with God

BY BRIAN JONES You are allowed to hate God. If you don’t believe me I encourage you to read the “Psalms of Lament.”

Biblical scholars use that term for those psalms prayed by those living in immense pain. Our English word lament comes from the Latin word for weeping. Psalms 6, 13, 22, 35, 42, 43, 88, 102, 109 and 137 are examples of this type of psalm.

You’ll know you’ve come across one when you feel like you’ve turned the corner in a hallway and bumped into someone kicking, punching and screaming at a locked door; the psalms of lament are that intense.

You Are Allowed to Hate God For quite some time, when I was troubled or angry with God, I never told him about it—I didn't think I was allowed. This resulted in an inconsistency between what was in my heart and what came out of my mouth. The psalms of lament gave me the courage to be real.

If the psalms of lament teach us anything, it is this: Christians can love God and feel immense hatred toward him at the same time. God doesn't want tamed down, sanitized, forcibly dishonest prayers.

He wants us to talk to him from our hearts, and sometimes that involves screaming and using words we wouldn't repeat in public.

Sometimes anything less than this is dishonest.

As you read through the psalms of lament, you will notice that the people who wrote these prayers tended to focus on three basic themes: 1. Accusations Against God Their accusations are, at times, brutal. In Psalm 44:24, God is asked, “Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?”

When I first read that, as a new Christian, I couldn't believe someone could be that brash with God and live to write it. Yet, Psalm 44:23 is even worse: “Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.”

The author essentially tells God to wipe the sleep from his eyes and quit being lazy! How could these psalm writers talk this way?

I think the reason they were so bold is because they were willing to be honest. They wrote what they felt. If the psalms are the gymnasium of the soul, then I think the psalms of lament are the personal

trainers—pushing us to shed our inhibitions and false humility and encouraging us to express what we genuinely feel in our hearts toward God. 2. Hatred Toward Enemies This is what shocked me the most about these psalms when I first read them.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:44 to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. How, then, do we reconcile this command with what we see in the psalms of lament? Look at what a few of the psalmists prayed: “Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.” Psalm 3:7 “In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.” Psalm 143:12 “O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us—he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.” Psalm 137:8, 9 The writer is Senior Pastor of Christ's Church of the Valley in the suburbs of Philadelphia, US.

Pastor K C John completes 50 years in ministry GENERAL SECRETARY of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC) Rev K C John completed 50 years in God’s service.

He became a born-again believer in 1955 through a meeting of Dr Edwin Orr, a famous revival speaker. John completed his schooling at the Government High School in Thalavady, Kerala, and later his graduate degree at UC College, Alwaye, majoring in Physics and Mathematics.

Later, heeding God's call on his life, he pursued Theological studies at Shalom Bible Institute in Kottayam and Hebron Bible College, Kumbanad.

He also studied theology at Seattle Bible College, US. After his stint in the US, he returned to Kerala and founded Gospel Centre Church in Nedumpuram. The church has over 2,000 members currently. Pastor John is the founder of PowerVision TV, India’s first indigenous, multilingual, evangelical, Christian television station.

Owned and published by Elsy Robin from 329/4, Poonga Apartments, HIG Flats, II Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai 600 040. Printed by L Cyril Sagayaraj at VS Printograph Pvt Ltd., No. 15, Natesan Colony, Sri Ram Avenue, 1st Street, Kottivakkam, Chennai 600 041. Editor: Elsy Robin THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JUNE 2017

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