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You Will Be Called The Children of God 1
From your Brother
I
greet you in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who told Apostle John “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Will you lift up your spirit and thank the Lord for helping us step into another new month in 2018? Estimates tell us that as many as 105 people die every minute around the world. In other words, death snatches almost two persons every second somewhere in the world. We live in an uncertain world where everything and everyone is bound to change. The Bible says: 'And the world is passing away, and the lust of it' (1 John 2:17). 'Surely every man walks about like a shadow; At the launch of Little Messenger, the Children’s surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up magazine from Messenger Communications, our media company. Check out Page 11. riches, and does not know who will gather them' (Psalm 39:6). Banking scams seem to have become the order of the day in India. Corrupt people close to the powers that be defraud the banks to the tune of several lakhs and crores of rupees and scurry out of the country. Murders, organized loot and plunder and corrupt and illegitimate practices are on the increase in the nation. And, the Law seems to stand by with its eyes tightly shut, mouth closed and hands folded looking unaffected by all the happenings. Justice and the law of the land have become nearly powerless. The ruling dispensation and the opposition parties are forever playing the game of passing the buck. At other times, they keep badmouthing each other for everything that has failed in the nation. The ones who looted the country seem to have the best time of their lives going around the world living in luxury hotels and yachts, wining and dining while the man who allegedly stole a handful of rice for a hungry stomach is lynched to death somewhere in the country. The ones who strove to bring the people on the path of righteousness are done away with while the film actors and actresses who lead many on the path of wickedness through their lascivious behaviour on and off screen are feted and glorified by the governments and the masses. The Bible says 'And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.' But, the children of God our Lord Jesus Christ need not despair and lose hope even in these wicked times. The One who said 'For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off' is coming soon. He won't tarry. We read about His counsel for us in Rev 22:11. 'He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.' Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, says: 'And My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.' The children of the Living God will get their reward, honour and glory not from this world but from the world that is to come soon. Please uphold our mission field work in your prayers. Come forward to support our Vacation Bible School ministries with your offerings. You may adopt a missionary or a mission field through your monthly contributions. Let us all become builders of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ by accepting the truth of the Scriptures where it says: 'Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.' 'Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you' (Hosea 10:12). May God bless the work of your hands this month! May God make His grace abound in your family, work, workplace and ministry! The Lord will bless us. Amen. Hallelujah. Maranatha. 2
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THE MESSAGE
You Will Be Called The Children of God
Gomer was the completion of whoredom. God asked Hosea to name the firstborn boy ‘Jezreel’ for in a little while God would avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu. The second child of Gomer was to be called ‘Lo-ruhamah’ (which meant not beloved or no mercy). God asked Hosea to name the third child, a son, as ‘Lo-ammi’. The third child’s name meant ‘not My people.’ God had delivered four powerful messages to the nation of Israel through four members of Hosea’s household: Like Gomer, Israel was full of whoredom. And because of their adulterous ways, they will not obtain mercy and they will not be called as God’s people any more. The name Jezreel meant in Hebrew that God will scatter and sow. Hosea told Israel that in a short while they will be scattered throughout the world. Just as God had foretold through Hosea, Israel was scattered in 724 BC. In that year, Israel fell completely to the Assyrian army. Hosea’s prophecies were vindicated. God never lies. He does what He says. Isaiah 14:24 says: ‘The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass”.’ In Isaiah 46:11 God says: ‘Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.’ Job knew this and affirmed: ‘I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.’ Will you say an Amen to that? Child of God, if you are in the centre of God’s will, the things that happen in your life will be according
BY ROBIN SAM “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God’ (Hosea 1:10). OUR God is rich in mercy, says the Bible. Sometimes, due to our delinquent ways, He may abandon us. But, He says in Isaiah 54:7: ‘For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you.’ The nation of Israel had turned a deaf ear to God’s plaintive cries, and He raised prophet after prophet to get their attention. Hosea was one such prophet God raised to get the nation of Israel to repent. Although Hosea was a contemporary of Joel, Amos, Micah, Jonah, Obadiah, and Isaiah, it was he who first prophesied about the destruction of Israel. His message to Israel was that they were an evil and adulterous nation. Among his contemporaries, he was also the only one who got one of the toughest personal assignments. He was asked to marry Gomer, a whore. Hosea’s reputation was at stake, but he chose to obey God. Gomer gave birth to three children – two boys and a girl. Gomer and all the three children’s names were dreadful warnings to the nation of Israel. The name Gomer meant completion. Completion of what you may ask. THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w APRIL 2018
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to what God has purposed and prophesied. Hallelujah! It will not be according to what the devil says, nor according to what your detractors say. King David, the psalmist, had this revelation. He wondered in Psalm 2 why the nations raged and its people plotted a vain thing. ‘The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision’ (Psalm 2: 2-4). The living God, who wanted Hosea to name his daughter as Lo-ruhamah (unpitied), is a merciful God. That’s why before the end of the 1st chapter of Hosea, God relented. In Hosea 1:10 we find God saying: “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God’.” The God of Israel is a merciful God. Apostle Paul says God is ‘rich in mercy’ (Eph. 2:4). When Moses wanted to see God's glory, He told him: ‘I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Exo. 33:19). But then it is He who decides to whom He will be merciful and compassionate.
instructed, God tells us. Being wise and being instructed may sound like old fashioned, but it is the only way to know where we are going and how we will end up. Deut. 32:29 tells us the need to be wise and of good understanding. ‘Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!’ Being wise is a choice you and I make. Solomon chose to be wise and asked for wisdom. Wisdom is a realization of our condition and the knowledge of the remedy to get out of the rut we are in. God expects three realizations in His children.
The first realization: We are sinners, and we need a Saviour
MERCY IS GOD’S PREROGATIVE Deut. 7:9-10 give us a glimpse of how God determines to whom He will be merciful. ‘Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.’ Yes, the 10th verse is a warning not to take His words or grace lightly. ‘He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.’Amen. Hallelujah! WHAT SHOULD WE DO? Once we know the yardstick of God’s mercy and compassion, it is only wise for us to decide to be at the receiving end of His mercy. Psalm 2:10-12 tell us what we must do. ‘Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.’ TWO KEY THINGS: There are two things that God expects in us as His children. Be wise and be Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
Deut. 32:18 tells us of the terrible state of a nation that forgot its roots. ‘Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you.’ The right understanding of our beginnings (God is the Rock that begot us; He is our Father) will keep us humble and never let us exceed our brief. As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one’ (Romans 3:1012).
The 2nd realization: We are wasted because of our sinful condition ‘They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; they have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell; it shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. ‘I will heap disasters 5
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THE MESSAGE on them; I will spend My arrows on them. They shall be wasted with hunger, devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword shall destroy outside; there shall be terror within for the young man and virgin, the nursing child with the man of gray hairs’ (Deut. 32:21-25). Israel, who were once God’s people, had fallen and were being wasted by hunger, devoured by pestilence and destruction. 2 Kings 17:15 give us a detailed description of the terrible state they had fallen into. ‘And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became ‘take heed’ in some translations. Take heed and be idolaters, and went after the nations who were all warned to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with around them, concerning whom the Lord had trembling. What should we take heed about? God shows us charged them that they should not do like them.’ three things primarily.
Take heed of yourself
The 3rd realization: We have an awesome God, who is sovereign
Luke 17:3 ‘Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.’ This is a powerful reminder of how we need to be aware of our own selves. Is there bitterness in you? Is there an unforgiving spirit that is standing between you and your blessings? Is there malice in your heart? Do you rejoice at the way God nurtures and makes others grow or do you miss your sleep in the night gnashing teeth at the prosperity of your neighbour and brethren? At the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart, said someone. That’s true, too. Proverbs 4:23 warns us to: ‘Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.’
At the dedication of the Temple of God, King Solomon lifted up his heart, soul and spirit declaring in front of the congregation of Israel: ‘LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way’ (1 Kings 8: 22-23). He is awesome in power, grace and glory. Deut. 32:29 ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.’ Isaiah 46:9 ‘Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.’ He declares the end from the beginning because He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Hallelujah! New Testament writers echoed this too. Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 8:5-6 thus: ‘For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.’ Standing in chains before the Sanhedrin, the learned council of the Jews, Apostle Peter said: ‘There is salvation is no other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12). According to Psalm 2:11, the second thing God expects in us to be His children is be instructed. The phrase ‘be instructed’ is rendered as ‘be warned’ and THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w APRIL 2018
Take heed of your doctrine In 1 Timothy 4:17, Apostle Paul offers words of wisdom to a young servant of God. ‘Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.’ What you believe in is so important that it can determine your destination. Do you believe that there is only one God? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe in the immaculate conception of Mary? Do you believe that Jesus is the only mediator between man and heavens? Do you believe that He is the only way to Heaven? Do you believe in the power of the resurrection? Do you believe in life after death? Do you believe that there is actually a just God who will reward the righteous and punish the wicked? Beware of what you are taught. Beware of what 6
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you teach others. Beware of what you circulate. ‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer’, David prayed in Psalm 19:14. Speak words of grace. ‘Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers’ (Ephesians 4:29). Speak words of life and truth. ‘Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another’ (Ephesians 4:25). What you deem to be true can determine your destination!
wouldn’t have arrived at where we are now. But, I am asking you to consider your thoughts. The reason why you are failing quite often at a particular sin is because you have not taken efforts to guard your eyes. Those movie clips you watch when you are alone, those chats you engage in with that person, those quick compromises you make to please yourself – those are detours from the path God has laid for you. Those are your pitfalls. Those are your stumbling blocks. ‘Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world’ (1 John 2:15-16). When we have the right understanding and take heed of these three areas of our life, God who delivered warning messages through Lo-ruhamah and Lo-ammi will turn to us and say ‘You are sons of the living God’ in the place where it was said, ‘You are not My people.’Amen. Hallelujah!
Take heed of the light in you In Luke 11:35 we find Jesus Christ telling His disciples to ‘take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.’ In the preceding verse, Jesus had warned the disciples about guarding their eyes. ‘The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.’ Are you a Christian? Let me ask you about how victorious you are in walking with God? Do you have a steady walk with God or do you stumble often, wait for Him to pick you up only to fall again, again and again? I am not suggesting that your Christian will be like a straight line ascending without a fall. We all fail God, we all need grace. None of us is perfect. But for God’s grace we
A prayer the true Church can’t say No to! without hesitation pay any price for the advancement of Your unbridled truth and who will not accommodate the pressures of political correctness. Give to us preachers with low pride, wide faith, and deep love. Rain down upon us Godly men who are committed to conviction rather than convenience. Give us those who are fearless in the face of worldly opposition to the Cross. Heavenly Father, we need pastors who will pray earnestly and preach boldly. Send to us men whose walk is by faith, whose behavior is by the principles of righteousness, whose dreams are in the things of Heaven, and whose book is the Bible. God give us men who are up to the task. These, O God, are the preachers that we need. Amen.
BY MARK SHUTTS GOD, give us preachers who will not flinch when the battle is at its most fierce. Give us pastors who will not acquiesce, compromise, or fade into conformity. Position behind our pulpits Godly men who cannot be bought and who will not merchandise You as the means to material prosperity. Give us preachers who are willing to pay the price, make the sacrifice, stand the ground, and hold the torch of an unbridled saving Gospel high for the world to see. Give our Churches preachers who are wholly possessed through and through with principles that are true to Your Word. Give us pastors who to their last breath are defiant to the core against surrendering those principles of righteousness. Fill our pulpits with holy men of God who will Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
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ASSESSMENT
How to Determine the Needs of the Church 4. Evangelism and Missions. BY DR. RICHARD J. KREJCIR Here is a list of most of the main ministries. Add WHAT are the needs of your Church? your needs as God directs This is where you do an honest assessment of (In no particular order of importance). what is needed in your church, whether it is spiritual growth, programs, facility improvements, Form IV leadership training, discipleship, or teaching…. 1. What is the principle purpose and reason for 1. Place of publication: Chennai 2. Periodicity of publication: Monthly your church to exist? 3. Printer’s name & nationality: L. Cyril Sagayaraj, 2. What are the needs in the church? Try to list 20. Indian Include such things as discipleship training, fourth Address: No. 142, L&T Road, Burma Colony, Perungudi, Chennai 600 096. grade Sunday School class, etc. 3. Now rate the importance of each of those needs, 4. Publisher’s name & nationality: Elsy Robin, keeping in mind Biblical priorities over personal Indian Address: 329/4, Poonga Apartments, HIG Flats, ones! W 2nd Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai 40. 4. What are the demographics of your Editor’s name & nationality: Elsy Robin, Indian congregation, such as age, education, social and Address: 329/4, Poonga Apartments, HIG Flats, 2nd Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai 40. cultural makeup, etc.? 5. Now take a careful look at the various 6. Names and addresses of individuals who own ministries of your church, even if they are not yet the newspaper and partners or shareholders more than one percent of the total capital: started. Ask what the needs are for each one. You can holding Elsy Robin use our list below or simplify it into four categories: I, Elsy Robin, hereby declare that the particulars 1. Worship Services, including teaching and given above are true to the best of my knowledge prayer and belief. Date: 1 April, 2018 2. Fellowship and Pastoral Care Signed: Elsy Robin 3. Discipleship and Sunday School classes
Training the trainers:
equipping the labourers:
enhancing the harvest:
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Gift a School Bag Kit to a needy child! Thousands of children in India go to schools without the essentials! Partner with Messenger Missions in gifting underprivileged children a joyful start to school this year
A School Bag Kit costs Rs.500/A kit contains a set of notebooks, pens, pencils & a water bottle in a school bag. A/C Name A/C No Account Type Bank Name Branch Branch IFS code Swift code
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GOSPEL MELA 2018 24-Hour Chain Prayer
15 Specific Prayer Points For a 30-Minute Intercession And, I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none (Ezekiel 22:30).
Praying with one accord for 2,234 people groups spread across 1.2 billion people in 29 states and 7 UTs in one nation. Every nation, every tribe, every people and every tongue shall say: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!� (Revelation 7:10). 1. Pray for the children who are appearing for board examinations and NEET, IIT entrance examinations. Pray that God gives them good health, strength, wisdom, protection and memory power in their exams. 2. Pray over the Promise Verse God has given us for 2018. May what Jesus Christ told us through John 1:50: 'You will see greater things than these', be realized literally in our spiritual life, material blessings, at our workplace and in our families. 3. Let us pray for peace in our country, especially in Tamil Nadu. Pray that God raises people who are genuinely interested in public welfare to be in power. May our bureaucrats be people who are blameless in their work and sincerely work towards implementing public welfare measures! Pray for corruption to be rooted out of our country. 4. Pray that fundamentalism and terrorism to be a thing of the past in our country. Pray that the people of the nation are delivered from superstitious beliefs, alcoholism and the scourge of drugs. May the powers of darkness over the nation be removed and the light from the Son of Righteousness deliver those who are bound by the powers of evil. 5. Pray for Messenger Missions' leader and his family. Pray that God will grant him the wisdom and grace needed to fulfil the visions God has given him. Pray for his health. May God use him mightily in the ministry this month! 6. Pray that this summer there will be no drought-like situations anywhere in the county. Pray that we are guarded from contagious diseases and famine. Ask the God of Heavens to give rains in their due season so the farmers' hope is not cut off. 7. Let us pray for the north-eastern states. Uphold Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in your prayers. Pray that the nefarious plans of fundamentalist forces will not fructify. Pray God's divine protection over the peoples of these states. Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
PRAYER HOTLINE Call to Me,and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know
(Jeremiah 33:3). 8. We need to pray that God will raise His children to pray for the nation and its people in every church, missions' organization, mission field and family. We need to acknowledge our sins and pray for the mercy of God to be upon us. May God prosper this nation! Amen. 9. Pray for the VBS ministries of Messenger Missions to be conducted across our mission fields in April, May and June. Pray that hundreds of children will come to know the saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ through these summer outreaches. Ask the Lord of Hosts to remove every obstacle from our path. Pray that God raises His children to meet the needs of the ministry. 10. Incidence of chain snatchings is said to be on the rise in the nation. Delhi leads in the number of chain snatching cases filed by the police. As many as 37,557 chain snatching cases were filed in that city from 2013 to 2017. Pray that the police becomes vigilant in curbing these crimes and investigating them. 11. Pray for the economic condition of the nation. Pray that instances of banking frauds committed by the high and the mighty are brought down. Indian public sector banks are facing an estimated loss of 7.34 lakh rupees in bad loans. As much as 70% of the country's fixed deposits are in the 21 public sector banks. Pray. 12. As the attacks on minorities, especially Christians and their worship places, are on the rise pray that every state government in India will constitute a special body to bring down the attacks against the minority communities. In some states the government is inimical to the minorities. Pray that this despicable situation will change for the better.
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GOSPEL MELA 13. God saved Messenger Missions' worker in Punjab, Bro. Pradeep Paul, from a road accident last month. Even as we praise God for His miraculous intervention, pray that God protects our mission field staff and office staff in their coming and going. Pray for God's protection to be upon their families. Pray also for other servants of God that you know personally. 14. There are several roadblocks to the evangelization of the nation chief among them is the spiritual darkness prevailing over the country. Pray for God's intervention to break the powers of sorcery, witchcraft, spirit of adultery, prostitution and jealousy in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. May the love of Jesus Christ touch the hearts of those against Him! 15. Pray for the nation of Israel. The Bible exhorts us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6). They are surrounded by countries who want to see the Jews doomed. Pray for a change of heart in the Jews who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah. May God touch them and make them believers in Christ Jesus. Amen.
NGER from MESSE MISSIONS
When you send us donations to support our ministries, we request you to specify the particular need for which the money may be used. We also request those sending donations through NEFT/IMPS to contact our office and share your name and mobile number for our reference and communications. If you do not receive a receipt from our registered office in Chennai for your donations even after 7 working days, please bring it to our notice immediately. Contact: 044-26247598; 98840 38002. THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w APRIL 2018
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Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
Support our VBS ministry
Bless 5 people this month! If there are friends and relatives that you know who have not come across The Christian Messenger magazines yet, will you introduce it to five of them this month? Write down their names, addresses along with their phone numbers in the form below and send it to us. We will send the magazines absolutely free of cost to them. We thank you for all your support to this ministry. May God Himself bless you! 1. Name : __________________________ Address : ___________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Telephone No.: _______________________ 2. Name : __________________________ Address : ___________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Telephone No.: _______________________
We are keen to introduce Lord Jesus Christ and His love to over 800 children this year through the Vacation Bible School ministries in May and June. 3. Name : __________________________ In Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, schools close for summer holidays only in June so VBS will be Address : ___________________________ held in those two states only that month. In all our ___________________________________ other states, VBS will be conducted by end of April ___________________________________ or in May I urge you to pray for the VBS ministry Telephone No.: _______________________ from now onwards? Pray that God will remove every obstacle that 4. Name : __________________________ prevents children from getting close to you. Pray Address : ___________________________ also that the teachers’ VBS training will go on as ___________________________________ scheduled and every child who comes to the VBS ___________________________________ gatherings will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Telephone No.: _______________________ Saviour. Each child's expense for a day will be Rs.50/5. Name : __________________________ Going by that estimate, the VBS ministries across all Address : ___________________________ our fields in India will require not less than ___________________________________ Rs.1,20,000/- for the three day meetings. It's my ___________________________________ desire that this expense will be met by your prayers Telephone No.: _______________________ and generous contributions. May God remember (Please remember to send the phone number those who support this ministry a hundredfold! To send your donations: and pin code of those whose addresses you are sending us without fail.) A/C Name : Messenger Missions A/C No : 913020055473409 Account Type : Current Bank Name : Axis Bank Branch : Mogappair, Chennai. Branch : 345 IFS code : UTIB0000345 Swift code : AXISINBB016 Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
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THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w APRIL 2018
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Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
MINISTRY TRAINING
We preach Christ crucified MESSENGER MISSIONS along with Bethel ministries got together on March 3 to offer a one-day specialized ministry training camp for those involved in various ministries. We thank Bro. Solomon, Bro. Lindon Johnson and Bro. Rajasingh for their inputs. If you would like to be part of our next training program, please register your names now. Contact: 044-9884038002. 044-9884038002.
Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
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THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w APRIL 2018
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Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
MINISTRIES
Why Churches Should Focus More on Marriage BY DAVE WILLIS WE recently sat down with a young couple from our church. They didn’t have a family support system locally. Within the first minutes of our meeting, the wife was crying. The stress of the move had taken its toll on this young family. The husband’s long hours and pressing new responsibilities increased the tension at home. They both needed the marriage to be a source of strength and encouragement during this difficult time, but the foundation of their relationship was crumbling. The husband and wife were dealing with the stress in their own ways. They weren’t communicating or supporting each other. They were drifting further apart instead of facing their struggles side-by-side. They desperately wanted to make the marriage work, but they weren't sure where or how to begin. We prayed with them and reminded them that with Christ as their foundation, they could weather any storm. We told them that they didn’t need to face their challenges alone because God calls us to carry each other’s burdens and to find healing and support within Biblical community. We gave them some resources to help them start renewing their relationship and connected them with a small group where they could find friendship, mentorship and practical support to help them through this challenging season. We recommended a good Christian counselor who could provide ongoing support and guidance and over time, they experienced healing and transformation in their marriage. Each week countless couples just like this one, walk into our churches. Many of them appear to have everything together, but often there’s a hidden reality. So many marriages are hurting and our churches need to be a place where broken relationships can be healed and strong marriages can grow even stronger. Through our years in ministry, we’ve had thousands of interactions with married couples from all over the world. Many of these conversations happen in our church, but the majority have taken place online with people, desperate for help, who feel they have nowhere else to turn. Through these conversations we’ve learned that all married couples need encouragement and practical tools to help them. We’ve also observed that most married couples don’t know where to go to get the help they need. Most importantly, we’ve realized that churches hold the essential key to Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
solving the modern marriage crisis. But sadly, most of them don’t even know where to start. Creating and cultivating a church that champions healthy marriages is one of the most practical investments of time and resources a church can make. Here are some reasons why churches need to do more to build strong marriages: 1. Marriage, by God’s design, is the foundation of the family. Building stronger marriages will lead to stronger families. Stronger families create stronger churches, which lead to stronger communities, and ultimately, a better world. Marriage is uniquely and sacredly designed to display God’s kingdom on earth. When marriages improve, nearly everything else improves as a result. When marriages are hurting, society suffers as a result. 2. Marriage Ministry is an effective evangelistic outreach. We've found that many unchurched couples are willing to attend a service if the church can provide practical help for their marriage. When we’ve done sermon series or conferences around marriage, the result is always a boost in attendance and many firsttime guests. 3. If people don’t get answers about marriage from the church, they’ll get answers from the culture (which is why so many marriages are failing). It’s our sacred responsibility as followers of Christ and ministers of the gospel to lift up the value of a Christ-centered marriage. We must teach our congregations how to make their marriages all God wants them to be. The need for stronger marriages in our society is apparent and it’s clear that the church could be doing more to help. But most churches simply don’t know how go about it. The good news is that doing more to build stronger marriages within your church is simpler than you might think and you can get started right away!
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DISCIPLESHIP
Don’t fish alone BY STEVE GREENE EVEN professional fishermen have bad days. The disciples wandered aimlessly for a time following the crucifixion of Jesus. Some returned to their life of fishing. “Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ Then they said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and immediately entered the boat. But that night they caught nothing” (John 21:3). It’s hard for us to walk a mile in their sandals. We can’t possibly feel what they must have felt after watching the crucifixion. Their personal memory of the words of Jesus still echoed. But their leader was killed. Their hearts longed for Him. Their minds raced with questions and few answers. One of the disciples must have asked, “What are we going to do?” Peter had the great idea to go fishing. I suspect it was an occupational option rather than an escape to ponder while enjoying nature. While I wish to escape to a dusk-lit, weepingwillow-lined pond in Mayberry, the disciples launched their boat into the darkening Sea of Tiberius. It’s important to note that the personal flotation device wasn't invented until the early 1800s. Their fishing trip was a bust. Can’t you just hear Peter whine? “How can things get any worse? I can’t even catch a fish.” Jesus appeared and helped the fishermen: When the morning came, Jesus stood on the shore. But the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered Him, “No.” He said to them, “Throw the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they threw it, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the abundance of fish.—John 21:4-6 They caught 153 large fish. Thankfully, there was someone in the group who liked accounting. Jesus reminded the group of their continuing need to depend on Him. The fishermen were skilled but perhaps mindful of their previous independence. Their empty net was a sharp reminder of their dependence on Jesus. Even in our strength, we must remain dependent on the provision of the Lord. When we begin to think that “we’ve got this,” we will surely be reminded that our net is empty. Love leaders ask penetrating questions. “Children, have you caught any fish?”
Dear Bro. Robin Sam, I love reading THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER magazine which supplies spiritual food and deep insights and correct interpretation of the Holy Bible. I am fully enriched by your messages in the magazine. Kindly pray for me and my family, for our overall wellbeing. Pray that we stay as true Christian believers. Thank you for your kind prayers, Your Brother in Christ Jesus, Ashish Mankin Sangma, Meghalaya. 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 APRIL 2018
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Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in
l pe ble s i Go a B e ar ng Sh ifti g by
THIS BOOK HAS BROUGHT HOPE, JOY AND LOVE IN MILLIONS OF LIVES! Wasn’t your life also transformed for the better by the Bible?
Will you now place it in the hands of those who seek the Truth? GIFT someone a Bible in Hindi, Odiya or Punjabi today. A copy of the full Bible in Hindi / Punjabi / Odiya costs Rs.200/Join MESSENGER MISSIONS in taking the Gospel to the unreached people in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha besides, of course, in Tamil Nadu. EEEE E E I would like to partner with MESSENGER MISSIONS by gifting
100 Bibles in ________________________(specify the language here) 50 Bibles in ________________________ 25 Bibles in ________________________ 10 Bibles in ________________________ 1 Bible in ________________________ I am enclosing a cheque/DD in favor of MESSENGER MISSIONS for Rs.___________/- as my gift.
I would like to partner with MESSENGER MISSIONS by contributing Rs.5,000 to print 50,000 Gospel tracts in Hindi Punjabi or Odiya Rs.5,000 to support a missionary in one State every month / once a year I am enclosing a cheque/DD in favor of MESSENGER MISSIONS for Rs.___________/- as my gift.
To send your contribution through Bank Transfer, Net Banking or Money Order, please check details on Page 17. 23
RNI No. TNBIL/2004/15307 Postal Registration No. TN/CCN/271/2016-2018 Posted: 2nd to 8th of every month Licence to Post Without Pre-payment WPP No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-77/2016-2018 | Date of Publication: 25 of every month th
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