Lighthouse Prepare to Meet God
Preparation is a well-known word. All of us prepare for many things in life. In fact, the major events in life demand a time of preparation.
I think the best illustration for preparation is a wedding. Couples have to send invitations, flowers should be chosen, music should be arranged, a bridal party has to be selected, and of course, preparations have to be made for the reception. Without preparation, couples cannot go into their wedding. This is true as we move into a new home or start a new job. In short, major events in life demand lot of preparation.
Exodus 19 is a very challenging chapter. It talks about the preparation that the Lord is demanding from the people of Israel before they go to meet with God. At the moment, God is trying to form a nation with the people of Israel who are not organized. They have no laws to follow. Therefore, before the law is given to the people, God wanted them to prepare themselves. If we pay attention to what the Israelites were asked to do, it is profitable for us because it will give us clues for how we should prepare to meet with God.
The first thing that the Lord demands is a spiritual preparation. In Exodus 19:3-6, Moses explains this clearly. The first step in preparing to meet with God is recognizing God as the awesome being. What the Israelites saw on the mountain is not very simple. All the spectacular sights and sounds on the mountain (the clouds, the thunder, the lightening, the trumpet blasts, the trembling mountain) were all designed to impress upon the people the power and glory of the Lord. Before the Israelites can meet with God, they must have that appropriate sense of reverence, gratitude and awe.
This is also true for us. We cannot meet with God as equals! He is our superior. Remember the following;
• He is Holy, but we are sinners in need of mercy and grace
• He is all-powerful, but we are weak
• He is wise and sees all, but we can see only the present
• He is the Creator, but we are the created
• He is the standard by which we define and measure our lives, but He is not defined by us.
The second thing that the Lord demands is a mental preparation. Moses explains that in Exodus 19:78. He told the children of Israel that before the people come to meet the Lord, they should be mentally ready to respond. In fact, God had no intention of speaking unless the people were prepared to listen. The Israelites needed to realize that God has the right to command His people.
When God commands, people must be ready to listen and obey. In fact, enjoying God’s blessing is contingent on the obedience of the people. God will bless his people, but people must obey to enjoy that blessing. It is not enough to say that we love Him, we must really love Him. We must love Him enough to be willing to follow Him. Some of the things God commands may be hard. But it is still God who commands.
Remember the following;
• He may ask you to forgive
• He may ask you to stop some behavior
• He may ask you to do something to help someone else
• He may ask you to change your attitude
• He may ask you to wait for something you really want
• He may ask you to realign your priorities
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Ambikapur, Champa, Raipur, Rajnandgaon and Durg, Chattisgarh; Bihar, Jharkand, Uttar Pradesh East, Uttar Pradesh West, Delhi North, Delhi East, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. We conduct 3 tailor institutes in India. The church was instrumental in constructing the Bihar Medical Center where medical aid and treatment is provided to the indigenous villagers by a group of 5 volunteers with a medical doctor.
The Baikunthpur Bible college trains workers through teaching of the Word. Approximately 25 students are taught each semester.
MEXICO
In Mexico we support work in Matamoros and Reynosa. A Children’s Home is under construction in Matamoros to take care of the essential day activities/ educational needs of children.
He said to them, “Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation”. Mark 16:15
There is a Bible school and multiple church stations in Matamoros. In Reynosa monthly support is extended to a children’s home.
In Benin, Africa training seminars and evangelistic outreach is done in Benin as well as the nearby villages of Togo.
BELIZE
In Belize, educational scholarship is being provided to one student for his Bachelors degree.
CHARITY
Various charitable works are done throughout the year. The Gilgal Ashwasa Bhawan is where we support handicapped and old aged men and women. Retired pastors who have no financial resources are supported monthly. Every year we give a modest scholarship to approximately 25 BSc nursing students a year. The church receives various medical, educational, and home construction help requests every month.
Within our resources, we lend a helping hand to as many as possible as long as they are genuine requests with appropriate recommendations. The church has been involved in many humanitarian relief over the years (Kerala flood relief, Covid relief). This year we are involved in the Turkey Earthquake relief effort. The Lord has strengthened our hands to uplift the poor and needy. Let us give abundantly and cheerfully from our blessings this coming year 2023.
THANK YOU!
Special thanks to Pr. Abraham Samuel who sacrificially devoted his time and efforts voluntarily for the church. He enthusiastically and diligently toiled at facilitating our church mission and charity functions for the last four years.
SUPPORT!
You can be a sponsor of missions by donating $60/ month for India or $100/ month for Mexico or Africa. Please write checks to Global Mission & Charity or you may give online.
The building expansion committee is actively meeting to complete the final drawings, before it is submitted to the City of Houston for approval.
As of March, the building expansion plans are at 90% completion. We are looking at April, as the month to submit the plans to the City. The preliminary Civil engineering plans have been submitted to the City for approval; which includes, parking lots, irrigation, drainage, and any water mitigation.
Building Finance Team members have been selected and announced to the church. We have met as a Finance team several times and we have selected Amegy Bank as our lender. With the Church Board’s approval, our loan application is currently in the process of being approved. The bank has sent several representatives for our church appraisal and also to do an environmental study, as part of the loan process.
A Church Interior Design Team has been selected by the Church Board and announced to the church. We met as an Interior design team for suggestions. We all have agreed on some great ideas to incorporate into the building plans.
New Building Fund Raising Team was selected by the church Board and also announced to the church. The first fund raising team meeting will take place soon to come up with ideas to set goals and to come up with ideas to raise funds.
Once building plans have been approved by the City of Houston, we will have a ground breaking ceremony, before the start of the build. The executives and the board will plan the date and ceremony details.
As of now, we are on schedule to meet the construction start day and time; but the start date is pending the city approval of our plans.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1. Isaiah was a prophet to the kingdom of Judah during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Isaiah was no ordinary prophet. He was a royal prophet, one who ministered in the courts of the king. Not only was he a royal prophet, he was a relative of the king (Isaiah and Uzziah were cousins). As a royal prophet, he bore the burden of caring for the people and the affairs of the kingdom of Judah. As he began his ministry, his cousin, the king, had died. Isaiah had loved, cared for, and been a voice of reason for the king. I am sure so many affairs of the nation were in process and progress, but in the midst of all of that, the king had died.
Isaiah was most likely despondent with the loss of the king and worried for the future of the nation of Judah. As he looked into the royal court of the kingdom, he could see there was an empty throne a kingdom with a dead king, no king at all. It is in this situation that Isaiah saw a vision; "I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple". Isaiah may have had so many plans with his cousin, the King of Judah, but God, through this vision, was showing him that the real king isn’t a mortal man; it is God, and that God is in control.
In our own lives, we may have so many plans, and in the middle of it all, everything can fall apart, as it did for the prophet Isaiah. It is in these moments that we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and realize that He is on the throne. The sovereignty of God is still and will always be manifest in all situations; "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). "I know that you can do all things; no PLAN of yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:2)
When our lives feel like they are in disarray, or in a whirlwind, He is still king over the flood. In all of these things, God has a plan, and his greatest plan is 'us'. Even greater than doing something around us, for us, or even through us, God desires to do something in us. God is working in our lives to mold and shape us into His image. He at times needs to peel back the onion to get to the core to do an inner work in our lives. In Isaiah’s life, this was not any less true, even though he was called by God to be a prophet of a nation. God needed to remove the object of his assurance and show him that more than any mortal man, God was in control. God was his security and ultimate authority. Today, whether things are going well or awry, God has a plan both in us, through us, and around us. As a father, he is trying to teach us lessons for life and godliness.
This year as a youth dept we are hopeful for what lies ahead knowing God is in control. We desire to foster a fellowship as a youth body and mentor spiritual maturity and leadership.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IS STILL AND WILL ALWAYS BE MANIFESTED IN ALL SITUATIONSPr. Christopher Peter
“Essential workers” of IPC also known as the media team comprises of volunteers who operate audio, video, lighting, and live streaming. Almost every meeting held at the church requires operation of media team to ensure sound system and visual equipment are setup correctly and running smoothly so the service runs without any technical difficulties. Each Sunday service requires about 10 -15 volunteers for a smooth operation. Here are some of the ways a media team can contribute:
Livestreaming: In-person church services may not always be possible or accessible to everyone, especially during times of pandemic or other restrictions. There may be members who are homebound or live in other parts of the world. A media team can help to livestream church services so that members can be a part of the service remotely.
Audio/Visual Support: The media team can provide technical support for the church's audio and visual systems during services and events. They can ensure that sound systems, projectors, and other equipment are set up correctly and running smoothly.
