May 2012 2 Suvartha

Apostle Peteradvises us to

grow in the graceand knowledgeof our Lord and

SaviorJesus Christ.Apostle Paul

asks us to growup into him in

all things,which is the head,

even Christ

MATURITY MATURITY

MATURITY MATURITY

ThomasNainan

Attaining fullness, ripeness, becoming due,due date, reaching reproductive stage, fullydeveloped etc. are the dictionary meanings ofthe word 'maturity'. Every organism has an in-built urge and need for growth and maturity thatis natural. As far as a person is concerned,there are five stages in his/her development.They are infancy, childhood, teenage, adulthoodand old age. These mainly relate to physicalgrowth. Maturity means attaining higher levelsof growth intellectually, emotionally andspiritually. Everyone likes a child but if itremains as a child only, no one will be happy.Some people grow physically withoutproportionate mental growth. Such people arecalled mentally retarded. Worldly people try theirbest to bring such people back to normal lifewith lot of efforts and various types of training.There is a saying that ‘what you cannot cure,you have to endure'. In other words, maturity isto live in peace with what we cannot change, tohave the courage to change what can bechanged and to have the wisdom to differentiatebetween the two and act accordingly.

Childhood adolescence is accepted byeveryone, but not tolerated in a person whenhe reaches adulthood. Hence it must be ourdesire to reach the higher levels of growth,physically, mentally and spiritually. In the bookof Hebrew we read: "though by this time youought to be teachers, you need someone toteach you again the first principles of God’swords. You need milk, not solid food; foreveryone who lives on milk is unskilled in theword of righteousness for he is a child. But solidfood is for the matured, for those who have theirfaculties trained by practice to distinguish goodfrom evil" (Heb. 5:11-14).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christsaid: "you therefore must be perfect as yourheavenly Father is perfect". Again in Eph. 4:15we read: "we are to grow up into him in allthings, which is the head, even Christ". 1 Pet.2:2 exhorts us to long for the pure spiritual milkthat by it we may grow up to salvation. Whereasin 2 Pet. 3:18 the advice is to grow in the graceand knowledge of our Lord and savior JesusChrist. In short it is training and education.Education is a process by which thepotentialities in an individual are drawn out anddeveloped in knowledge, skill and character. Theeducation package contains the learner, subjectmatter, learning and teaching methods and theteacher competence to effect changes in thelearner. In the ministry of Jesus Christ, He usedto teach more and preach less. In ourcommunity, teaching is rare, only a lot ofpreaching and shouting, just as in politics wherecrowds and rabble rousers are the order of theday. Hence the new generation does not growto the level it is expected, hence our churcheshave a lopsided growth. It is necessary tounderstand the present situation and takecorrective action and proceed. Take heed toteach diligently to your children and theirchildren. Amen

MATURITY MATURITY

MATURITY MATURITY

May 2012 3 Suvartha

Bitterness and Resentment

We live in a world filled with bitterness andresentment. It has been a part of our communityfor as long as we can remember.

At some time or another, we all feel as if wehave been wronged by someone. At this time, wecan choose to be either forgiving, or resentful. Ifwe are resentful, bitterness will steal our innerpeace and could cause physical illness. It coulddestroy our relationship with God and cause ourclosest human relationships to suffer.

Bitterness and resentment are seen as sinswhich have no place in a true believer’s life. Jesusclearly says that those who refuse to forgive otherswill not be forgiven (Matt. 6:14,15). We shouldreplace bitterness with love. Paul tells us in 1 Cor.13 :5, “love does not hold grudges and will hardlyeven notice when others do it wrong”. In Rom.12:14, Apostle Paul is presenting to the saints afundamental, practical principle. To bless thosewho persecute you, you need to be a person offorgiveness. As A. Pope says, “to make mistakesis human, to forgive is divine”. Mahatma Gandhionce said, “The weak can never forgive.Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”.According to St. Augustine, forgiveness is thegreatest charity. Henry Van Dyke says, “Forgive andforget if you can; but forgive anyway and pray heartilyand kindly for all men, for thus only shall we be thechildren of our Father who makes His sun to riseon the evil and on the good, and sends rain on thejust and on the unjust.” E. Herbert says, “He thatcannot forgive others breaks the bridge over whichhe must pass himself; for every man has need tobe forgiven”. “Forgiveness is choosing to love”.James G. T. Fairfield, author of 'When You Don’tAgree', sees forgiveness as the first skill of self-giving love.

Forgiveness is a way of living. One needs todevelop a readiness to forgive. Eph. 4:31&32 says,“Stop being mean, bad tempered and angry.Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of othersshould have no place in your lives. Instead, bekind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving oneanother, just as God has forgiven you becauseyou belong to Christ”.

Resentment and bitterness are just like cancerattacking the body. If it is beyond the capability ofordinary treatment; you need to have an importantsurgery as soon as possible. If you keep on going

with resentment and bitterness, you will end up infailures and dead-ends. It will lead into unchristianlife-styles.

It is often easy to hurt and offend someone,but it is hard to heal the wounds left in damagedhearts. Sometimes people feel good when othersare hurt. But if you are a true Christian, you shouldforgive whole heartedly when you are hurt. Theweak will never forgive, but the strong will have awilling heart to forgive. Forgiveness is a weaponof the strong. Bitterness and resentment are theweapons of the weak.

How to overcome bitternessand resentment

* Be patient and wait on the Lord.* Be open to others.* Have the willingness to hear what others have

to say.* Examine our own lives in the light of the word

of God.* Let the Holy Spirit minister to us while we are

hurt.* Provide a sense of belonging or fellowship.* Show an interest in and prayerful concern for

others.* Accept suffering and stay strong for truth.* Be willing to be humble.The body of Christ is to be a growing, maturing

faith community. They need to grow together, fixingeach others' mistakes and helping them to moveon. We need to look for ‘win-win’ situations. AChrist-like character is the goal and aim of a trueChristian. Bitterness and resentment are heavyweights that hold us back in our path ofrighteousness. To lead a victorious Christian life,we must forgive and forget.

Bitterness & Resentment,Forgiveness & Reconciliation

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse"(Romans 12: 14)

PastorK.V. AbrahamNew York

Jesus said,those who refuseto forgive otherswill not beforgiven.Bitterness andresentment aresins which haveno place in a truebeliever’s life.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The weak can never forgive.Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”. According to

St. Augustine, forgiveness is the greatest charity.Henry Van Dyke says, “Forgive and forget if you can; but forgive

anyway and pray heartily and kindly for all men, for thus onlyshall we be the children of our Father who makes His sun torise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the justand on the unjust”. E. Herbert says, “He that cannot forgiveothers breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself;

for every man has need to be forgiven”.

May 2012 4 Suvartha

Reconciliation and Forgiveness

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at thealtar and there remember that your brother hassomething against you, leave your gift there in frontof the altar. First go and be reconciled to yourbrother; then come and offer your gift” (Matt.5:23,24)

Reconciliation is thefirst step of forgiveness.Forgiveness is both anevent and a process. Inforgiveness, the wall thatseparates relationships isbroken down. The processof forgiveness begins withr e c o n c i l i a t i o n .Reconciliation involves achange of attitude, changeof approach, change ofaction, and change ofbehavior.

In reconciliation, onereplaces hostility. The basis for true reconciliationis the cross of Christ. In Christ, God has reconciledwith humanity. One of the greatest messages ofChristian faith is reconciliation. In reconciliation,the hearts that were far draw nearer. We often askourselves this question, “How do we reconcile withthose who aren’t willing to?” With prayer and faith,humility and love, and with the strength ofthe HolySpirit, take the first step of reconciliation.Reconciliation requires a special, active effort ofreaching an unwilling, stubborn heart with a Godlymeekness. To achieve true reconciliation, we needto pay a price. God in Jesus Christ reconciled theworld, giving His only Son as a price. Therefore,we need to reach the goal by paying a price.

Remember, Jesus commanded forgiveness“And when you stand praying, if you hold

anything against anyone, forgive him, so that yourFather in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark11:25).

Even before offering a prayer, we need to havea clean heart. Prayer from an unforgiving heart willnot be heard by God. Many times, our prayers arerejected and unanswered due to an unforgivingheart.

1. Forgiveness involves recognizing limits:We as human beings are limited in our inner

strength. For true forgiveness, we need to find ourlimitations. Once we find our limitations, we willlook for the unlimited strength of God. With ourlimited ability, we try to solve our problems andissues. Many times, they remain unresolvedissues. But when we recognize our limits, it givesus room to look for God’s help and the counsel ofthe Holy Spirit.

2. Repentance and forgiveness go together:Repentance and forgiveness go very well

together. A unrepentent heart will not able toforgive. This is why many times forgiveness cannot take place. Repentance reshapes andremoulds our heart. It breaks down the hardenedareas of our life. For a lasting result in forgiveness,we need to have a truly repented life.

3. Forgiveness demands renouncing of sin:Covering up and hiding sin are the stumbling

blocks for forgiveness. Without renouncing sin,the act of forgiveness is not at all possible. Sinhinders forgiveness by being an obstacle whichdoes not allow the heart to excuse the wrong done.Wherever sin is, the unforgiving spirit will followthat life.

4. Forgiveness rebuilds relationships:True forgiveness is a sign of Christian growth.

It is not moving away from each other, but the stateof coming closer through reconciliation.Forgiveness is the foundation of rebuilding arelationship. The forgiver and forgiven will bothgrow in the Lord and the Word. They will supporteach other to grow in their Christian growth. If thisdoes not take place, forgiveness has no meaning.

5. Forgiveness is not a secret agenda:Forgiveness is not to gain or show anything. It

has got no secret agenda to achieve. The onlypurpose or goal of forgiveness is to reconcile withfellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Secretagendas are not biblical and not of the Christianfaith. Forgiveness is not to please someone. Inforgiveness, there is no win and loss, but it’s awin-win situation. Whenever a secret agendaarises, the enemy takes over the entire processand the purpose of forgiveness is lost. Therefore,avoid all secret agendas in forgiving one another.

6. Forgiveness is unlimited:Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times,

but seventy-seven times” (Matt. 18:22).Jesus explained how many times one needs

to forgive. He tells us that it’s unlimited. We shouldnever limit the number of times we forgive. As longas you live on earth as a Christian, forgiveness isalways available. We must live our lives with aforgiving heart. Jesus never limited hisforgiveness towards us. No matter how manytimes we slip up, He is willing to forgive us.Therefore, we need to forgive our brothers andsisters as Christ forgave.

Jesus said:“And when youstand praying,

if you holdanything againstanyone, forgive

him, so thatyour Father in

heaven mayforgive youyour sins”

** Forgiveness involves recognizing limits **** Repentance and forgiveness go together **** Forgiveness demands renouncing of sin **

** Forgiveness rebuilds relationships **** Forgiveness is not a secret agenda **

** Forgiveness is unlimited **

May 2012 5 Suvartha

The New Testament Church(Concluding Part)

The previous study about the metaphorsdescribing the Church has brought an extensiveinsight regarding our relationship with the body ofChrist and our Lord. In this section we look intothe characteristics of the church based on differentperspectives. A great author named RichardBewees has discovered six characteristics of thechurch.

1. Historical

Historically, the church of Jesus Christ wasopen to men and women from diverse groups andwalks of life. This divine mystery was revealed intothe human historical scene. The church ishistorical because God of history in the fullness oftime manifested in human form, lived in history,crucified, buried and resurrected in historical andgeographical setting. Similarly, the Lord of history,brought the church into history according to thedivine calendar as the fulfillment of His prediction(Matt. 16:16-18) on the Day of Pentecost. Moreover,it is well promised that Jesus, the Lord of thechurch, will be in the midst of His people whogather in His glorious name; no matter how smallor big is the group. This is historical fact.

2. Universal

Church is the fellowship of all believers whoare born again worldwide. This is the Church ofdifferent eras, past present and future, togetherthey form the church. It is the church of variouscultures, found in nations scattered over the earth,but united by common Lord. This ONENESS isthe core concept of the church. All local bodies areintegral part of the ONE BODY, the universal BODYof Jesus Christ.

3. Spiritual

The Church is spiritual community or house ofsaints in the secular world. It cannot be consideredas secular – social group. The church, having beenunited into the body through the spirit is moreimportant than different groups or denominations.

If the Holy Spirit does not unite its members itcannot truly exhibit oneness and spirituality. Thechurch is spirit-filled, spirit-empowered, spirit-united, spirit–controlled and spirit–renewed. Thechurch members exhibit family likeness in thebody of Christ (Eph. 5:14-15).

4. Scriptural

The authority of the church is established inthe unchanging word of sovereign God. Itsscriptural revelation becomes the basis of thechurch’s stability and belief. Moreover the churchhas been commissioned to defend and preservethis revelation and ordained to proclaim in theworld. Church is called submit to the authority ofthis revelation. This vital and priceless role mustnot be neglected in any case. Although GodAlmighty in the author of this revelation, church isreckoned as the custodian of it so that no fakebelief or heresies can overtake the position ofbelievers. Besides, it is important to understandthat the Church has been founded on a supremerevelation of the Master of the church, that is JesusChrist. Peter declared with conviction: “You are theChrist (Messiah-anointed), the son of the LivingGod”. This unalterable, incomparable and uniquetruth certainly became the foundation of the church(Matt. 16:12-20).

5. Missiological

The primary and noble purpose of the church’scall is to fulfill the final command, that is to carrythe glorious gospel of Jesus Christ to the utmostparts of the world. Church is the missionary ofGod. Church is sent by Lord Jesus andempowered through the dynamic presence of theHoly Spirit. A missionary church alone can be alive.The church is first Christo–centric and thenmission-centric. However, today unfortunately,most of the churches are entangled in manyprogrammes and projects, instead of prayer andproclamation. Most of the projects are self-centredand for monetary purpose. We forget the primarypurpose and nature. The divine task is evangelism,for which the church is endowed with the highvoltage of the Holy Spirit. Our aim is not toChristianize the world but to evangelize the people.

6. Eternal

The Church of Jesus Christ has a bright andglorious future ahead. Her destiny is eternity. Thechurch is living between two historical and biblicalfacts; the first is the life and work of Jesus, includingHis incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection andAscension. Second is the glorious return of Christ

PastorShibu Joseph,Mumbai

concludes thestudy of theNew TestamentChurchdiscussing itscharacteristicsbased ondifferentperspectives:historical,universal,spiritual,scriptural,missiologicaland eternal.

Bible Study

May 2012 6 Suvartha

Our nation saw a hippie culture in theseventies. It spread from the Western countries.One of the press reporters came across a hippiegirl in Mumbai and realized that her father was abillionaire in the United States. They asked herthe reason for adopting the culture. She replied:“My father gave me so much to live with, but nothingto live for.” What are the things we should have tobe content? Contentment provides the feeling thatwe have whatever we should have to lead a happylife.

Contentment and happiness influence ouractions. Surely, we have needs and plenty ofdesires. We need food to satisfy hunger, water forthirst, strength in fatigue and health in sickness.They come in the list of basic needs. Apart fromthese, we have an array of other needs: security inthe middle of crisis, protection when threats arise,peace amidst anxiety, and courage in fear. Againisolation is not the sign of healthy living. So, weneed people around us to boost our self-worth. Insocial life, we need acceptance in the face ofrejection; forgiveness to kill guilt; victory after defeat;and achievements when there is low self-esteem.We also have needs pertaining to self-realization:encouragement in the middle of disappointment;fullness instead of emptiness; sense of purposein the middle of stagnation.

All the above said factors may give fulfillment.In spite of the fulfilling of all these needs, some ofus may remain discontented. We can never be

fully contented as long as desires rule us. Wehave to rule our desires; otherwise, they willenslave us. Moreover, contentment always loomsout before us, like mirage, demanding satisfaction.

We run after so many things for thecontentment and fulfillment of our desires.Everyone understands after a while that it is a mererat race. It is as futile as digging dried up wellsthat cannot spring out water (Jer. 2:13). Some thinkthat wealth brings contentment. They are peoplewho struggle to draw from an empty well. Morewealth brings greed, not contentment. Some try tofind contentment in fame and popularity. Can powerand authority grant contentment? Not at all, powergives only a feeling of conquering, an illusion ofsuccess and contentment which actually bringsinsecurity.

Fear of losing our position and anxiety overour enemies haunt us day in and day out. Theremight be many playing the role of puppets beforeus when we are in power. Nevertheless, as soonas the authority vanishes, such people wouldignore us. I heard the story of a judge whose petdog died one day. Many people came to attend theburial. But the attendance was very poor at thejudge’s funeral, comprised of only his familymembers. Power compels us to protect it and ifwe become unsuccessful in playing the game,we become hopeless.

Some people end up in despair after tryingtheir hands on one thing after the other in search

CONTENTMENT

in the near future. On a certain Day, known only to sovereign God, the trumpet with sound in the clouds, the Master will appear withglorious crown on His bruised head and the church will be taken up into eternal glory to live eternally with her ever lovingbridegroom!! Hallelujah!

Conclusion:We have seen through this series of short studies, the biblical picture of the church. We have tried to bring out a clear

understanding about the plan of God regarding the new community. This study helps us to maintain the right relationship withChrist and His church. The church of Christ is the whole company of redeemed people, where -in Christ is present and active. Thisproper understanding would enable us to set our priorities in worship and mission. These are the twin – truths we need to alwaysstore up in our minds. Also, the study will enable us to defend and declare the most holy faith that is entrusted upon the saints andhighlight the prerequisite of holy living in the world as dynamic witnesses of our Lord. Let us take up the responsibility ofpresenting everyone perfect in Jesus Christ, so that we may appear before His glorious throne holy and without any blemish toreceive our honor and rewards. Let us continue to serve the Lord and the people, with love and joy. Praise the Lord.

"The New Testament Church" .... Contnuation from previous page

Dr. GeorgeSamuel

formerly anuclear

scientist,is currentlyDirector of

ValueEducation

Centre,Tiruvalla,

Kerala.

May 2012 7 Suvartha

of contentment until they realize that it was an effortin vain. There is absolutely no need to adoptunethical ways to fulfill all desires put down onour list, for they inevitably result in hopelessnessand despair.

Some of us buy as many things as possible toaccomplish contentment. We covet ourneighbour’s possessions thinking that if only wehad them we would be contented. Many of us arelured by the television advertisements.Commercials try to deceive us into believing thattheir products are essential for us. If we do notsee through this trick, we fool ourselves intosplurging money on unwanted items.Consequently, one would be tempted to amasswealth by underhand means to satiate suchneeds. The moment we corrupt ourselves to makemore money, we start an obsessive journey thattriggers only further dissatisfaction.

The Word of God isclear about living afulfilled life in themiddle of unfulfilleddesires (Phil. 4: 11,12).Christ made itpossible for us to live acontented life. Theterm “unfulfilleddesires” does notmean you have tosacrifice all yourpossessions to lead alowly life, incapable offulfilling your duties andr e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s .Unwarranted sacrifice does not result incontentment, nor does it help if we pretend humilityto be in the good books of peers.

God has created man to aim at great things.Some people find it difficult to understand noblevisions because they had the nurturing in the wrongcircumstances, unfortunately. Thus, they value thatwhich is low and mean. Can a pig be ever temptedwith rose buds to keep it out of the sty? No, it hasbeen with such an environment of muck and dirtthat the pig had never thought of anything better.However, human nature is different and ourcreation was not destined to live in slime. Thoughthere may be exceptions of people with basenature, human design is not, originally, to findcontentment in the mean things of life. We may beafter many cheap desires but it is possible toidentify noble from ignoble by the application ofthe principles of God's Word (2 Tim. 3: 16,17).

Christ made it possible to find contentmenteven in the middle of persistent crisis (Acts. 27:22-24). When a crisis strikes unexpectedly, weshould not despair but tackle it boldly. Thisrequires a character quality that will sustain us inthe midst of anything that comes. We are, in fact,foreordained to develop this quality (Rom. 8:29) ofJesus. It includes a levelheaded and clearperception on the reality of misfortunes in life anda goal perception concerning life. Acceptance ofreality is the starting point of a strategy to facechallenges in life. The best outcome of a crisis isthat it polishes us in character and behaviour. Ifour problems turned out to be means to achievegreater things, we could definitely find contentmentin them.

It gives us a lot of contentment to see ameaning and purpose in life. All our efforts have apurpose ahead of us. Once we have a clear

purpose, no amount ofhindrance can deterus fromaccomplishing ourtarget. Purpose isderived from ourbeliefs. Therefore,what we believe is veryimportant. While wederive contentment bya c c o m p l i s h i n gimportant goal in life,contentment comesalso out of doingsomeone else somegood. The younger

generation should be nurtured in biblical faith inorder for them to have meaning and purpose inlife. We read in Proverbs 22: 6 “to train up the childin the way he should go…” We should think alsoof the grown up generation or those who train them‘to walk themselves that way’ as well. The grownup generation should be role models in thismatter.

Apostle Paul in ship wreck (Acts 27)

"Last night anangel of theGod to whomI belong andwhom I servestood besideme and said,‘Do not beafraid, Paul. ---and God hasgraciously givenyou the lives ofall who sail withyou’. So keepup your cour-age, men, for Ihave faith inGod that it willhappenjust as hetold me"(Acts 27:23-25)

St. Paul: "I have learned to be content whateverthe circumstances. I know what it is to be in need,and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learnedthe secret of being content in any and every situa-tion, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in

plenty or in want. I can do all this through him whogives me strength" (Phil. 4:11-13)

Remember the "SUVARTHA" ministry in your prayers

May 2012 8 Suvartha

Joshua the servant

Joshua was born as a slave in Egypt.He was the son of Nun, of the tribe ofEphraim (1 Chronicles 7:20,27).Originally named Hoshea (Numbers13:8), meaning salvation, Mosesrenamed him Joshua, meaning TheLord is Salvation (Numbers 13:16).Joshua was an active participant in theExodus, and was Moses’ militarycommander when the Israelitesdefeated the Amalekites in Rephidimabout 2 months later (Exodus 17:8-16).Joshua was between 60 - 85 yrs oldwhen he became a leader and he diedat the age of 110. The book of Joshua,thus, spans about 25-40 years after entryinto the Promised Land. He was buriedin Timnath-serah (Joshua 24:28-30).Joshua was one of the twelve men sentby Moses to explore the land (Numbers13:16-17), but only Joshua and Calebgave an encouraging report. Joshua wasa close aide / minister to Moses(servant) and was Moses’ militarycommander (Exo. 24:13). BeforeMoses’ death, the leadership ofIsrael was formally transferred toJoshua (Deuteronomy 31:23). Thepeople were encamped at Shittimwhen he assumed the command(Joshua 1:1, 2:1).

He who would lead well mustfirst learn how to serve well(Another example: Elisha’sministry to Elijah -1 Kings 19:21)

Joshua the successor

God had specific assignmentsfor Joshua (Joshua 1:2-4)

* Go over Jordan (with all thepeople)

* Every place that the sole of yourfoot shall tread upon, I have givenunto you, so go an take it. (Fromthe wilderness - the area on thesouth and east of Canaan - toLebanon on the north upto river

Euphrates on the northeast upto thegreat sea, Mediterranean, on the West -all the land of Hittites, meaning theregions of Canaan and Syria occupiedby one of the large ethnic groups and atraditional power, a buffer state betweentwo great powers Assyrians andEgyptians).

* Divide and allot the land* Observe to do according to all the

law, turn not to the right or to the left,

meditate day and night.God’s promise: “I will not fail thee,

nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5) - Till dateGod has not failed or forsook them,unless they have disobeyed. Even if theydid, God has not forgotten His promise /covenant to Abraham and Moses for apromised land - The land flowing withmilk and honey, best fertile soil, andeverything in abundance - a kind ofparadise. So God reassures Joshuaagain and again to be strong andcourageous and not to fear (Joshua 1:6,7, 9 - repeated from Deut. 31:6,7,23).

Joshua’s personal capabilities

As a military commander, Israel couldperform only when Moses' hand waslifted up to heaven (Exodus 17:8-16).When there was sin of Achan, Joshualost his strength, courage and he feared(Joshua 7: 7-8)

What does it mean to 'Be Strong,Courageous and Fearless'?

Strong: Physical strength andalso mental strength - Unwavering,resolute, (opposite of being weak)

* Moses’ song: The Lord is mystrength and song and my salvation(Exo. 15:2)

* Hannah’s song: He will keepthe feet of his saints for by strengthof shall no man prevail (1 Sam. 2:9)

* David’s song: The Lord is myrock and fortress and my delivererand my strength in whom i will trust(Psa. 18: 2)

* Apostle Paul: I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens me(Phil. 4:13)

Where does your strength comefrom? Are you strong today? Are youUnwavering, resolute or are youweak and succumbing?

Courageous: The quality ofmind or spirit that enables a personto face difficulty, danger, pain -BRAVE

Courage in this context isbravery in battle and heroic courage

YouthForum

"Be strong and courageous ...Do not be afraid"

(Joshua 1:1-9)

Moses blessing Joshua

Johnson ThomasNew York

May 2012 9 Suvartha

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Meditation Saju John Mathew

How then I shall?

‘’The ark and Israel and Judahdwell in booths; ... shall I then go tomy house, to eat and to drink, and tolie with my wife?” (2 Samuel 11 :11 )

Reading passage:2 Samuel 11: 1-17

It was wartime. Kings were expected to be in the battleground! King David, nevertheless, decided to take rest and, thatculminated in his moral fall. Lazy people fall in to sin. Had David gone to the war front, he would never have seen Bathshebabathing and fallen in to adultery with her. (At least he could have prayed for the soldiers ... After all, it was evening, his prayer time!(Psa. 55: 17) Satan speaks more to idle people. Better be busy with Godly matters.

Stumbling on a steep path does not end up in one single fall. We fall and roll! This is what happened to David. To cover up hisone sin, he committed many more sins! Crookedly he asked his soldier Uriah, the Hittite, husband of Bathsheba, to go homeand spend the night with his wife; Remember, he was a Hittite, not pure Israelite. Nevertheless, he said ... ‘’The ark and Israeland Judah dwell in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to myhouse, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing” (2 Samuel 11:11).

Look how loyal he was towards his mission! He could think of nothing, but war! His personal pleasures did not touch him ...Here, is an underlying question to David ... King David, how could you eat, drink and indulge in lustful pleasures when your

people are camping in the open field to capture terrains for you? You even went for illegitimate pleasures, while Uriah chose todeny normal things like eating and drinking at home and sleeping with his wife ...

We see a pleasure loving society around us. Even people like David, mighty men of the Lord, men “after Gods own heart” areafter personal pleasures! “What is wrong with enjoying life?” they ask. The answer is ... the battle of the Lord is undone ... Howcan we?

Prayer: Lord, I know that I cannot indulge in worldly pleasures as the battle of the Lord is yet unfinished. Help me to be busywith Godly affairs. Amen.

For further reading: 2 Samuel 23:13-17; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Fear: A distressing emotion arousedby danger etc... Fear in this context is fearof consequences and fear due to doubtsAfter Jesus chose the twelve disciplesHe gave them their mission, warningand instructions and added:

“Do not be afraid of those who kill thebody but cannot kill the soul. Rather, beafraid of the One who can destroy bothsoul and body in hell“ (Matt 10:28)

"Don’t be afraid; you are worth morethan many sparrows" (Matt 10:31).

Joshua the winner

Preparation of conquest:• The crossing of the Jordan River

involved a miracle, The Lord stopped theflow of water so that the Israelites, led bythe Levites carrying the The Ark Of TheCovenant, could cross on dry ground(Joshua 3:15-17)

• Once across the Jordan, theIsraelites camped at Gilgal where theyobserved the Passover (Joshua 5:10).The next day, when they began eatingfrom the produce of the Promised Land,the Manna stopped being supplied tothem as it had been through theirWilderness Journey (Joshua 5:11-12).

• Canaan itself became politicallydivided into several small states thatwere often at war with one another. Godhad arranged the details of history insuch a way that conditions would be justright for the Israelites conquest ofcanaan

Program of conquest:• After the taking of Jericho (The Fall

Of Jericho), Joshua led the Israelites ontheir campaign to take the land that Godcommanded them to live in - 6 nationsand 31 kings fell to them (Joshua 11:18-23, 12:24).

• After the Promised Land came underthe effective control of Israel, Joshuadivided the land among the tribes,according to God’s instructions, withTimnath-serah in Mount Ephraim givento Joshua as his own.

Conclusion

The book of Joshua is a record ofGod’s faithfulness and it is a call for thebeliever to be obedient if he wouldappropriate all that God has designedfor him and a testimony of the might andgrace of a sovereign and holy God.

Finally, be strong and courageousand do not fear because our strengthcomes from our Lord and He haspromised to be with us always!

"Be strong and courageous" ..... Continuation from previous page

May 2012 Suvartha10

Children'sCorner

God uses a little girl to build His church

A little girl stood sobbing near a small church be-cause she couldn’t g o t o S u n d a y

sch-ool. The Sunday school was too crowded as there were so many children and the church was very small. Even though the little girl was from a poor family she decided to do something so that all the children will be able to attend the Sunday school.

But sadly some years later, this child died and the parents called for the pastor for the final arrange-ments. As the little girl’s body was being moved, a purse was found below her pillow inside which was 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday Juby Varghese

gift had in-creased to a huge sum. This is the history of Ba-ptist Church in the city of Philadelphia which has a seating arrangement of 3,300 members today and it also runs a hospital and a university!

Moral: This true story shows WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 cents. Just like the little lad who gave away five loaves and two fishes to Jesus which then became a blessing to so many, God also wants us to give our talents, ability and time in God’s hands so that we can be a blessing to many people. Let our lives be a blessing to others.

school”. When the pastor read that note, his eyes were filled with tears.

The pastor made an announce-ment in the Church the next Sunday about the incident and this touched the hearts of all the church members. The church members made large donations. Checks and donations also came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s

By

: P.

Ban

age

God's Creation

Sayana SanthoshMumbai

By

J.V.

Art

s

In a Hardware Shop

Give me a mousetrapplease, I've got to

catch a train

We haven't gotany as big as a train

By

: P.

Ban

age

May 2012 11 Suvartha

The article with the above titlepublished in Suvartha (January 2012issue) has brought to my attention thepresent day Gospel outreach programsfollowed by its leaders.

The author of the article has broughtto light methods which can be used forthe propagation of the gospel throughmodern technologies such as on-lineeducation, etc. The needs of perishingsouls, young or old, past or present, arethe same in the entire world. Let us turnto the departing words of our Lord JesusChrist and His commission to Hisdisciples: “Go ye into all the world andpreach the gospel to every one; thosewho believe, baptize them in the name

of Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. Those whobelieved and baptized were added to theBody of Christ. They assembled togetherin one accord for breaking of bread,prayer and fellowship. In order to havethese fellowship, worship, prayer andBible study, they had servants of Godcalled by God and anointed by Holy Spiritas Pastors, evangelists, prophets, etc.God prospered the church and thegospel spread throughout the world. Itcame to our motherland, India also inAD 52 according to tradition.

Modern technologies help in manyways to spread the gospel message inmany form, no doubt, but will they fullygive fellowship and fulfill the Lord’s

Can a Pastor beprepared on-line?

commission? My personal opinion isthat brothers and sisters should have tiesand fellowship so that they are enrichedby their association and personalexperiences and strengthened in a betterway than on-line ministry in seclusion.

However, let me ask our co-workersand believers to research from the Wordof God and the history of the churchwhether a pastor, fully educated on-linecan be as effective in preaching,teaching, healing and leading as onewho is trained on a real campus. Hopethis will be a real challenge for modernPentecostals, especially pastors andministers of the gospel.

Reader's response

Pastor Thomas Mathai, New York

Dear Pastor Thomas Mathai:Thank you for taking the time to write a response to the article on training pastors by online courses. I beleive itis an

inportant issue. Certainly, technology can hep in the education of ministers, but I am not in agreement that pastors should betrained fully on line. I cannot imagine Jesus training his disciples from a distance. Formation happens in real communities.

A community of faith and learning is needed. I am not convinced that a virtual community is a full replacement fora real community of disciples. Hope this conversation continues in India among our people.

Once again, thank you for writing.Blessings!Dr. Thomson K. Mathew, Dean, ORU College of Theology and MinistryProfessor of Pastoral Care

Dr. Thomson K. Mathew writes:

There is a legend of an African boynamed Emmanuel who keeps on askinglots of questions. One day he asked hisfriends and relatives: “What is thelanguage of God”? Everyone startedgiving answers one by one. But hecouldn’t get a proper answer. Some saidGod doesn’t speak, some said Hebrew,Aramaic, Greek etc.

Emmanuel went to different placesin his village to get a proper answer . Buthe couldn’t. He was so eager in gettingthe answer that he went to differentcountries of Africa. But he couldn’t get asatisfactory answer.

One day he sailed to other countriesoutside Africa. He traveled to manycountries asking the same question. And

at last he reached a village calledBethelehem. He thought that this townpeople will also not answer his question.But he thought of taking a last chance. Itwas night time. There was no room inthe inn to lay his head. So he went to theoutskirts of the village and reached acave. There also he couldn’t find a placesince it was occupied by a young womanwho asked him: “Where are you goingEmmanuel”? As he heard the youngwoman, he was amazed as she calledhim by his name. He was further moreamazed when she told him that he wastraveling to different places andcountries to find answer of his question”.She told him: "Your journey ends here.Tonight you shall see with your own eyes

the language of God. The language ofGod is love with mercy, understandingand total acceptance". By hearing thatanswer, he fell down on his knees andstarted crying, giving thanks to God forrevealing his question's proper answer.

The moral of the story: God lovedus and gave understanding to men toknow who God is through Jesus Christ.Just as Emmanuel discovered thelanguage of God, the prodigal sondiscovered the love and acceptance ofGod. Let’s stand for God and pray to Himthat His Spirit may reveal His love moreand more to our hearts.

The language of GodShort StoryJibin Babuji, Thane

Ambernath Church

May 2012 12 Suvartha

Jeremy Lin, another Christianrising star

In the March issue of Suvartha, aChristian football star, Tim Tebow, wasfeatured in these columns. Tebow isfamous for his act of kneeling in theplaying field and praying before everygame.

Here we present another EvangelicalChristian, Jeremy Lin, who has shot upinto lime light as a top class basket ballplayer. He is a Harvard graduate. Hisfather, Gie Ming Lin, a Taiwanese, is acomputer engineer in California whereJeremy grew up. The Lin family attendsthe Mountain View Church in California.Their Pastor Stephen Chen says thatJeremy considers his calling is to be aPastor. He wants people to be able toknow his Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Lin is living in the midst of a scornfuland unbelieving society. Let us hope andpray that he remains steadfast in his faithand be a standard bearer for the Lord.

Jeremy Lin

Britain's future as a Christiancountry

Daily Mail of London reports thatBritain may no longer be a Christiancountry by 2030 as the number of non-believers is set to overtake the numberof Christians. Christianity is losing morethan half a million believers every year.Research by the House of CommonsLibrary finds that while Christianity hasdeclined, other religions have seensharp increases. A group of MPs -'Christians in Parliament' - claimed thatpublic policy was promoting“unacceptable” discrimination againstChristians. The group’s chairman, GaryStreeter warned that believers werehaving their faith “steamrollered” by a“secular and hostile state". It has beenestimated that there were around 41.1million Christians in Britain in 2010 -down 7.6 percent over the past six yearsand there were around 13.4 million non-believers, up 49 percent over the sameperiod.

It is, indeed, sad to see that Britainwhich has produced great revivalists,preachers and missionaries has cometo this sorry state. Let us pray for a greatawakening among the British peoplebefore the Lord's return.

Colonel Sanders of KFC,a modern Caleb

Colonel Sanders’ Kentucky FriedChicken is now served daily across theUnited States as well as in more thaneighty other countries. It is one of thelargest fast food corporations in the world.One of the most amazing aspects of hislife is the fact that when he reached theage of sixty-five, after running a restaurantfor several years, Harland Sanders foundhimself penniless. He was a devoutChristian. He testified that it was his faithin the Lord that provided him with themotivation to succeed even when he was

already 65 years old.When his restaurant business

crashed he could be like many of hisaged friends, who had retired and livedoff the government retirement benefits.He had a special recipe to prepare friedchicken in a pressure cooker andbelieved that the special recipe wouldbe his next key to success. He took his

recipe and pressure cooker and traveledaround the United States looking forrestaurants that were willing to buy hisfranchise. In the 1950s, this ideasounded as crazy as it sounds today. Itwas said that not less than 1009restaurant owners turned him downbefore he was able to make his first sale.By 1964, Colonel Sanders had signedup more than 600 franchisees and latersold his business for a huge sum ofmoney.

There are some principles to belearned from the Sanders story when wethink about church growth:

1. The Colonel believed in what hehad and his potential. Belief is a powerfulmotivation. The church in the Book ofActs was a believing church. It wentthrough dark time of persecutions andattacks but triumphed because theapostles and the early Christians

Colonel Sanders

May 2012 13 Suvartha

Tahrir Square, Cairo

believed in what they had. Do we believethat we, the Church today, have a uniqueand powerful message to share with theworld? We believe that God has raisedus for more than being a ministry to ourcommunity but also to the rest of theworld.

2. The Colonel acted on his belief.Many years ago, Nehemiah believed thatthe wall of Jerusalem should be built andset out doing it. In spite of tremendousopposition from the enemies, Israelbelieved and stood with their leadership.And the wall was built!

3. The Colonel refused to bedisheartened by his limitations.For him,age was never a barrier but an asset.Caleb was one of the old Israelitegenerals who refused to surrender to thelimitation of his age. Instead, he believedthat the Lord would bless him even atthat ripe old age of 80 (Joshua 14:7-14).

NASA scientist claimshe was harassed for his beliefs

David Coppedge, former high-levelcomputer systems administrator at theJet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL),California, says he was harassed anddemoted by supervisors after expressinghis belief in intelligent design (Biblicalinterpretation of creation) to coworkers.He filed a religious discriminationlawsuit in April 2010 and he was firednine months later in retaliation forbringing the suit. His crime was that heloaned some DVDs about intelligentdesign to interested coworkers. The

case is being heard in the Superior Courtof Los Angeles. Coppedge’s lawyer,William Becker, argues his client wastreated differently because of hisreligious views and that JPL’s actionsinfringed on his religious freedom.

It is a horrifying situation even in afree country like USA that the powers ofdarkness can stand against the spreadof the gospel. But certainly they cannotprevail against the power of the gospel!

Tennessee admits there areweaknesses in 'Evolution theory'

Baptist Press reports that a bill thatwill allow Tennessee public schoolteachers to present the “weaknesses”of scientific theories such as evolutionhas been approved by the statelegislature. Teachers can help studentsunderstand, analyze and review in anobjective manner the scientific strengthsand weaknesses of existing scientifictheories including “biological evolution,the chemical origins of life, globalwarming and human cloning" since amajor purpose of scientific education is“to help students develop critical thinkingskills". The law would protect teachersaround the country who are “harassed,intimidated and sometimes fired” forpresenting arguments against evolution.

Even Darwin would not have expectedhis theory to be accepted as a scientifictruth! A theory remains a theory until it isproved. Evolution still remains in therealm of speculation! Many scientistsbelieve in the creation story in Genesis.

GET TOGETHER OF FORMER MEMBERS OF CHEMBUR IPC

Our former Pastors Mathew Samuel, Thomas V . Koshy and K.M. V arghese and many former members ofChembur IPC are current residents of North America and bearing witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in

various places and in various capacities. They all certainly cherish the memories of the days that they spentin fellowship of the Chembur church at different periods of time during the last 56 years.

Won’t it be a joyous occasion if we all could have a get-together in a separate session to refresh ourmemories when we assemble in Orlando, Florida for the 11th IPC Family Conference from July 26-29, 2012?

For comments and suggestions, please contact the following Chembur friends:

Johnson K. Samuel (516-558 7789), M.K. Mathews (407-654 4438)G.S. Thomas (972-333 1738), James Varghese (914-484 3184)

Email: ChemburIPCMeet@gmail.com

New English Bible translationomits words like 'Christ,’

‘Apostle’, etc!

Thomas Nelson Publishing hasreleased a new Bible translation 'TheVoice' which replaces “Jesus Christ” withterms such as “Jesus the Anointed One”,"Apostle" with "emissary", etc. They saythat the purpose of The Voice was tomake the Bible easier to understand formodern audiences. The name, 'Voice'comes as a translation of the Greek word

'logos' in John1:1. OtherE n g l i s hB i b l e st r a n s l a t e'logos' as“Word”. John1:1: “In theb e g i n n i n gwas the Word,and the Wordwas with God,and the Wordwas God,” istranslated inThe Voice as

“Before time itself was measured, theVoice was speaking. The Voice was andis God”.

The Voice has raised controversyamong Christians. Many Christians saythat The Voice blatantly distorts God’sWord in order to support a peculiar andaberrant theological agenda”!

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