THE FIERY PROPHET

Elijah, the fiery prophet, lived in a time of intense spiritual darkness. People were openly disobeying God's commands, and true worship seemed to have been all but snuffed out—yet God was still at work! Bringing the power of his word and Spirit into this situation, he used Elijah to break the darkness and to draw people back to himself.

I know a 'fiery prophet' in this day and age too. I met him about three and a half years ago in Margao, Goa (India). In those days, when i went home once a year (from Dubai-UAE), i would shoot up the stairs to my room, the moment i would hear his voice! In those days, he would be a regular visitor in the evenings. My brother's family and my mom would gather together to pray downstairs and i hated joining them!

Today, the situation has changed drastically! Alex (the fiery prophet) is not only a great friend but a constant prayer partner. He is the one amongst others like Bro.Johnson and Bro.Michael who has brought about the realisation that i must not 'lean on my own understanding'. They have all been my 'accountability partners' in varying degrees, helping me 'stay the course' in my spirituality.

I called Bro. Alex last evening. As usual, he wanted to hear what i had learnt from the Word (He discourages any talk of what i'd heard preached by others and always encourages me to share my own experiences and revelations from the Word). After he was happy to hear a few things i shared with him, he began to share the mighty works of God through him. He shared something very beautiful about the 'atonement', in the few minutes we spoke over the telephone. Here are a few notes from what he said to me and the studying i had to do as 'homework' on the same topic:

• To atone for means to make amends. In the Bible atonement is associated with man’s sin. God commanded Israel to set aside one day each year, the tenth day of the seventh month, which He called “the day of atonement” (Leviticus 16:29-30; 23:27-28). The people were to bring a sin offering, an innocent animal sacrifice “whose blood was brought in to make atonement” (Leviticus 16:27). God had said, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11) “. . . and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).

• We believe that men are regenerated, redeemed, reconciled to God, justified, forgiven, adopted, not by the Doctrine of the Atonement, but by the Atonement itself, by the sacrificial and substitutional death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• The love and mercy of God are infinite and matchless, still the penalty for sin must be paid. Thus it was, in the eternal past, before the foundation of the world, that God determined and planned that atonement should be provided for His fallen creatures who would be deceived by Satan. If no plan of atonement had been proposed and perpetuated by the Godhead, all would be hopeless for mankind. And so, in the counsels of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it was decreed that One should come and offer Himself as a Divine Substitute in the sinner’s place. This necessitated the Substitute taking upon Himself a human body. The eternal Son of God was that Substitute. And so “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John l:14). “God was manifest in the flesh” (I Timothy 3:16). “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself” (II Corinthians 5:19).

• We have been redeemed from sin’s penalty; we are being delivered daily from sin’s power. May we ever walk close to “Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own Blood” (Revelation 1:5)

If you are keeping a cross around your neck,finger, on the altar or your workstation, let it be kept only to REMIND YOU OF THIS FACT!

INSTILLING CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES IN CHILDREN

This is my 100th post and i thank all who read my postings and encourage me to keep writing!

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a blog for children and therefore, I’ve been reading up on articles that give me insight into how I should focus the ‘spiritual messages’ to children. The following are some of my ‘research notes’ which I want to share with you. Maybe those of you who read my blog can further guide me as to how I should go about composing the childrens' blog!

• Laying the Foundation.   Contrary to popular belief, Christian education can begin in the womb and cradle! Developing an attitude of trust in Jesus actually affects even the baby in the mother’s womb! The baby begins to ‘trust’ in his ‘god-loving’ parents even from the cradle!

• Children First View God through Their Parents’ Example.   The trust that a child develops in the unconditional love and acceptance of his parents and other caretakers will later form the basis for faith and trust in God as the perfect caretaker. As your child gets older, talk to her about your own beliefs and model your faith practices.

• Create an Atmosphere of Open Communication.   Most children will ask questions of a spiritual nature starting in the preschool years. Be sensitive and emotionally available, correcting misunderstandings without criticizing your child’s primitive beliefs. Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t have all the answers.

• Help Children Form a Positive Image of God.   Few things are as important to children’s spiritual development as helping them formulate a positive image of God as loving, caring, trustworthy, forgiving, and desiring intimacy with us. The essence of a loving God is conveyed, not by factual information, but through “attitude education” that influences a child’s behavior and feelings. It is formed by quality interactions with adults who mirror God’s love and care to children. Children may view God as a father figure (protective, strong, authoritative); a mother figure (nurturing, comforting, caretaking); a benevolent grandparent (older, more powerful than their parents, and semi-retired somewhere in heaven); an absent father (remote, distant, not really interested in their lives); a jolly Santa-figure (granting their requests); or a celestial killjoy (watching to catch a child misbehaving). When children form an early negative image of God, it is unlikely they will want to have a close relationship with God. Help your child form a notion of God as good and loving, trustworthy and faithful, creative and powerful, wise and understanding, righteous and moral.

• Teach Children About the Forebears of Their Faith.   When children learn about Jesus, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Daniel, they begin to appreciate that God has a special plan for the world and for them. They learn to follow the example of spiritual fathers and mothers of their faith by first following the model of the loved and respected adults in their lives.

• Use Prayer to Strengthen a Child’s Relationship with God.   Just as dialogue is the foundation for friendships and family relationships, prayer is a powerful way to strengthen our relationship with God. When we help young children pray, we should teach them how to praise, adore, and thank God. Saying grace at meals teaches children to acknowledge God as the creator and source of our daily provisions. Bedtime prayers provide a routine for praising God and thanking Him for our daily blessings. “Anytime prayers” and “event prayers” provide a constant reminder that God is as close as a whispered word or silent thought. Avoid having young children petition God for specific requests because, when such pleas are not granted, an egocentric preschooler may conclude that God is mean-spirited, rather than loving. Help children appreciate that prayer is a dialogue by listening for God’s response and feeling God’s presence as they pray.

• Connect God to Daily Life and Nature.   Try to make God relevant to your child’s daily life by mentioning that God created everything we need and enjoy and watches over us. Children can learn about the attributes of God by exploring the wonders of the natural world and appreciating the beauty, orderliness, and predictability in nature. Joyful learning about the known paves the way for understanding the unknown. Because God does not have a tangible appearance, show children indirect evidence of God’s existence.

• Let Children Participate in Formal Worship.   Worship experiences allow children to come into contact with men and women who model the love of God and to experience familiar rituals associated with your faith tradition. Children love to imitate adults and have a strong social need to be part of what the important adults in their lives consider valuable. While young children do not understand what is said at a worship service, they acquire attitudes by participating in the actions of ritual ceremony and learn by using all their senses–seeing the symbols of your faith, hearing worship music and recitations, smelling the floral arrangements or incense, alternately standing and sitting, and touching the collection plate or feeling the handshake of your spiritual leader.

• Provide Formal Religious Training for Children.   A positive religious training experience for children provides quality adult relationships, an age-appropriate learning environment, structure and predictability, and creative activities. Caring teachers serve as a living commentary on the Scriptures, while family activities, suppers, and music performances sponsored by your house of worship create a positive attitude about your faith tradition.

• Use Music and Singing to Convey Doctrinal Concepts.   Music and singing about doctrinal concepts impress theological messages on the hearts of both children and adults. Children’s praise songs and choruses, with their accompanying body motions and helpful repetition, teach children by the simplicity of their message and their total body involvement. Music is pleasurable, and children remember what they sing.

• Introduce Children to The Holy Bible.   Teach young children to recognize the Bible and revere it as God’s word. Give your child pictorial books of Bible stories for their very own. Be prepared to personalize Bible stories and “filter” out information children cannot yet understand, while conveying the message of God’s love. Choose joyful, uplifting stories as children are learning about God, and omit those with frightening aspects. You can supplement Scripture reading with age-appropriate educational tools, including videotapes, coloring books, and songs.

• Teach Kindness Toward Others.   Teach your child that, just as God loves and cares for us, we are to extend care and kindness to others. When we are generous, compassionate and kind to others, we become partners in God’s plan for the world. Provide opportunities for your child to assist those less fortunate, such as donating gently used toys and clothing.

   Spiritual beliefs are transmitted most effectively as a routine part of daily life. That’s why it’s said that, “Faith creeds are caught more than they are taught.”

DING DONG BELL

As I dwell more and more in the Word, I am lead by the Holy Spirit to listen to various pastors and  read commentaries expounding God’s word. This time around it is different in the sense that I’m not left confused by conflicting messages that I used to get say four years ago when I worshipped in various other churches and heard preachers of the ‘GOD CHANNELS’ over TV and the Internet! I believe that now, I’m blest with a new kind of discernment which is like a ‘DING DONG BELL’ which goes off the moment i make incorrect inferences from some of the teachings!

I remember the time when I first read GOOD MORNING HOLY SPIRIT and WELCOME HOLY SPIRIT both written by Benny Hinn. I was so overjoyed that I requested my brother Cosme, who runs WORD VENTURES (Christian Resource Center in Goa), to stock up on those books and started recommending the books to many of my friends. I even stocked up Malayalam translations of the same! But the sad thing was that no Catholic would have anything to do with Benny Hinn since he was a protestant preacher! Even my Malayalee neighbor was distraught thinking that I had left the Catholic Church when I gave her the Benny Hinn books! After almost 10 years of living in on the same floor as neighbours, what brought her to my door for the very first time ever was to talk to me about her concern that I was being influenced by ‘Non-Catholic preachers’! God bless her! (I was able to convince her that I was merely trying to help her ‘understand’ how one can have a wonderful relationship with the Holy Spirit, through the books!)

There’s a lot of ‘Christian Material’ out there that astounds as well as confounds us and before long, we are left wondering what/who to believe!  For example, many contemporary Bible teachers focus on material wealth and prosperity. Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with wealth and having possessions, so long as we are not controlled by them. However, these teachers often go to scripture to support their contentions and, in so doing, often miss the point of the particular verse or portion of scripture they cite. Most of the current prosperity gospel advocates justify their teaching by quoting Jesus in John 10:10 - I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

According to the prosperity teachers, Jesus was speaking of material abundance when he uttered these words. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Given the situation they were in, I doubt the early Christians were overly concerned with gaining material wealth. In the early days of the church, the prime focus was on solidifying the local church, spreading the gospel, and staying alive.  When Christ spoke of abundance in John 10:10, he was speaking of the fullness of life. Here Jesus is talking about the fact that through his mission, believers will now have the capacity to have the fullness of life that was lost due to the Fall. In essence, He was referring to a restored humanity, now in proper relationship with God and ready to bear fruit.

I’ve been through it myself and I made a strong decision to ALWAYS CONSULT THE HOLY SPIRIT in such matters. Many a times, it may happen that the Holy Spirit wants us to be exposed to a particular situation so that through it He may teach us a divine lesson with the experience of which we can guide another brother or sister in distress.

A significant number of Christians don’t fathom the rich treasures Christ has provided through his incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascendancy. In order to regain a full perspective on the accomplishments of Christ, our new identity as Children of the Light, and the authority and power granted to us, we need to carefully study Scripture and ascertain the full extent of the blessings of God’s provision through Christ. We must also live in a new manner and it is the Spirit that makes this new way of thinking, feeling, behaving and relating possible. Grasp that, and you are well on your way of appropriating your new identity in Christ.

The more your ‘DING DONG BELL’ keeps ringing, the more you know that the Holy Spirit’s discernment is working through you!

GOD WANTS YOU HEALED AND WHOLE!

This posting will not only be a perpetual reminder for me in my hour of need but I hope you will be blessed with it too! Let us forward this link to as many people as possible so that they may be comforted in their ‘long suffering’ and through their faith in Jesus, claim their healing! (... AND TESTIFY IT TOO!)

Note: EVERYONE who came to Jesus believing that they would be healed, were veritably healed!!!

Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

— Isaiah 53:4–5 (AMP)

But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

— Isaiah 53:5 (NLT)

… who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

— 1 Peter 2:24

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

— Romans 8:11

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

— Romans 8:32

Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Him and knelt before Him. “Lord,” the man said, “If You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” He said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

— Matthew 8:2–3 (NLT)

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out His word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.

— Psalm 107:19–20 (NLT)

For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.

— Psalm 91:3 (NLT)

He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes.

— Psalm 105:37

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

— 3 John 1:2 (NASB)

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly.”

— John 10:10

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.

— Psalm 91:5–7 (NLT)

With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

— Psalm 91:16

“…I am the Lord who heals you.”

— Exodus 15:26

“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.

— Jeremiah 30:17 (NLT)

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.

— Psalm 103:2–3

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they [are] life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

— Proverbs 4:20-22

Remember? I said (The Bible confirms)… Everyone Who Came To Jesus Was Healed

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

— Matthew 4:23

News about Him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to Him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon-possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—He healed them all.

— Matthew 4:24 (NLT)

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.” Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”

— Matthew 8: 5–7 (NIV)

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore [our] sicknesses.”

— Matthew 8:16–17

…Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up and went home!

— Matthew 9:6–7 (NLT)

Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them [the] lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.

— Matthew 15:30

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed Him.

— Matthew 20:34 (NIV)

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched [it] out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

— Mark 3:1–5

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched His robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

— Mark 5:25–29 (NLT)

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

— Mark 10:49–52 (NIV)

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

— Luke 4:40

And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed [them] all.

— Luke 6:19

A funeral procession was coming out as He approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” He said. Then He walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

— Luke 7:12–15 (NLT)

And a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then He put His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

— Luke 13:11–13 (NIV)

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!

— John 5:5–9 (NLT)

“…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

— Acts 10:38

Let us now say this prayer after having read and confessed the above scriptures:

“Lord Jesus, Your body was scourged and broken so that mine can be made whole. I receive all that You have done for me and I rest in Your finished work. There is nothing more for me to do. As I wait on You for the complete manifestation of my healing, I choose to focus on and give praise for Your great love for me. Amen!”

THE TEMPLE

Yesterday and the day before, saw me huddled behind a long table displaying the Word Ventures books, under a demountable gazebo at the X2 Event in Safa Park. I was invited by the organizers of the event to be the caricature artist for the event.

Since the mornings weren’t crowded, my eyes wandered about the park a bit and took in the festive atmosphere specially created for mums with their twins, triplets and more (Believe me … there were even sextuplets present at the event!). What caught my attention was a young couple who sauntered into the bazaar area where my tent was located. The lady was wearing a beautiful white dress but her husband (?) was wearing faded, torn, dirty jeans and a crumpled t-shirt. An artist was busy painting and a few people had gathered to watch her. Our couple also decided to take a break from the hot afternoon sun and decided to watch the painter at work. The man had no qualms about seating directly onto the grass, but the lady refused to sit even though her man tugged at her dress to make her sit!

The Holy Spirit, quick as He is, used this as a great example to teach me a lesson.

Why wasn’t the lady sitting down? – Because she was wearing a white dress and did not want to dirty it.

Why was the man quick to sit on the grass? – Because he was wearing torn, dirty jeans and did not care about dirtying his already dirty clothes.

So what is the ‘take-home’ from this? – Many a times we drill into ourselves that we have ugly bodies. Sometimes we even make it a point to repeatedly embarrass our growing children by telling them how fat and ugly they look. The result is that they begin living loosely – Many ‘not-so-good-looking’ girls end up falling prey to feeling this way and live out a promiscuous life!

On the other hand, if we drill into our children and loved ones that they are the ‘righteousness of God’ and that they are beautiful the way they are, they will ‘wear’ their bodies like it was a spotless white garment and always want to keep it clean and spotless.

NEVER FORGET that each of you is made beautiful in God’s eyes. You are the righteousness of God. You are a ‘son’ or ‘daughter’or 'a child of God'.  And like St. Paul says in 1 cor 6:19, “know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” – Let us live Holy Lives!

DIVINE HEALTH

I was listening to Pastor Joseph Prince this morning (on my way to work) and he said something very funny (with a hidden message of course!). When he was a young boy, he was into eating health foods and would eat a lot of salad greens. He quipped with a ‘So people think that eating carrots and greens like rabbits will give them health!’ He later went on to say that people confuse the ‘Health and Fitness’ issue with gaining health by eating/exercising right however, ‘Fitness’ comes from going to the gym and ‘Health’ comes from the Lord!

Pastor Prince was preaching on the topic of ‘Grace’ but I got inspired to write on ‘Divine Health’ today!

God's will that the human race be healthy was revealed in the Garden of Eden. Man was made in the image of God, possessing a perfect physical body that was free from sickness. "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Gen.2:17). If Adam and Eve had obeyed God's command not to eat the forbidden fruit, they would have lived indefinitely in the Garden, enjoying the gracious bounty without sickness, disease, pain or death. Though man was created mortal, God intended that he should ultimately be immortal. The Tree of Life was planted in the midst of the Garden. If our first parents had resisted the temptation to disobey God's command, eventually they would have partaken of the Tree of Life and, as a result, lived forever. In fact, after they sinned, they were banned from the Garden to guard against that possibility. Until the fall, Adam and Eve had enjoyed the glory and vigor of ‘Edenic’ youth, without worry or care. But afterwards, life changed. There was generation after generation of sorrow, sickness and suffering. Man eventually turned back into dust from which he came. And, in the process, he experienced pain and suffering, incapacitating disease, the physical deterioration of old age and finally death.  

Therefore, here’s The Bible Secret of Divine Health:  Adam and Eve experienced divine health in the Garden of Eden before their fall. Sickness came as a result of sin. We are redeemed not only from sin, but also from sickness— the curse that follows sin—a double cure for a double curse!

(Please reflect on: 1Pet 2:24 below…..UNDERSTAND IT WELL and CLAIM IT! IT will guarantee you DIVINE HEALTH)

1 Pet 2:24 -“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

Somebody has said, ‘If you get into God’s dream, God gets into your dream’.

Often times, we blame the devil for not being able to achieve our dreams but Satan IS NOT THE PROBLEM! Jesus identifies the ‘flesh’ (Earthly thinking, carnal mindedness) as being the obstacle to achieving our dreams! It is in fact our Worldly, sinful mindsets that do not allow our dreams to turn into reality!

In Col 2:13-15, St. Paul points out that it is not God’s design for us to conquer Satan but your ‘flesh’. A Christian should never forget that he/she is more than a conqueror in Christ!

Earlier this month, I heard Bro. Johnson preaching the Word.  HE gave us the following example: Imagine a boxer who gets a heavy beating from his opponent … round after round … It is now the last round and in that round, the boxer gets one hard punch into the face of his opponent and knocks him out for the count! He comes home and hands over the trophy and the cash to his wife. His wife is shocked to see his bleeding face but the joy of winning, the trophy and the cash soon outweighs the pain and the bruises!

In the Christian context, Jesus has fought this war with Satan and has reduced him to a powerless creep! He can no longer harm us except for troubling us with tempting thoughts that can lead us to sin and hell! Therefore, if one goes to hell it is not for his/her sin but for UNBELIEF!

All that is required of us is to say, “LORD I NEED A SAVIOUR” and TURN TO JESUS. The moment he/she does that, you are on the way to be truly ‘BORN AGAIN’. You can then share in His victory and glory.

Come on brothers and sisters, it is time to CHANGE your MESS into a MESSAGE, your SCARS into STARS. Christians have been given the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION (2 Cor 5:18). GO and give others the GOOD NEWS!

BECOME AN AMBASSADOR FOR CHRIST!  (2 Cor 5:20)

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.

Recently, I was talking to a wonderful human being who, at the end of our conversation on 'Religion and Humanity', concluded with that oft heard cliché - 'All religions lead to God'. I shared with him a few thoughts on Christianity.

What makes the Christian religion different from every other religion is love. I'm not saying that other religions don't concern themselves with love (because every religion worth the title does deal with love), but that in Christianity love is the central reality, not just one among a number of other values, and it is given far more importance than in any other religion. This emphasis on love is what sets Christianity far above every other religion because love is the central reality of human life.

Christianity sees the basis of reality as love: the love that constitutes the Undivided Unity of the Divine Trinity pours itself out in creating the cosmos, and then reveals itself in Jesus' redemptive incarnation and sacrifice on the cross.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen 1:27)

Communally man bears the image of God in his ability to love another-- not only the love of the male for the female and of the female for the male, but also to love others in general. Perhaps the greatest of all of God's gifts to man was a share of his own divine life so that man would have the ability to do what only God is capable of doing: loving God with the infinite love of God.

God's love impelled him to take action to help his creatures gone astray so when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman (Gal 4:4) Jesus is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, who was sent for love of mankind:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.... The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (Jn 1:1-5,9-14)

In the last three years of his life, Jesus taught the truth behind the Jewish law (cf. Mt 5:17): the fullness of the truth about man and his place in creation. The morality of Christ is not a set of arbitrary laws designed to keep people from enjoying life. Quite the contrary. Jesus' teachings reveal who man is, and by accepting the truth about oneself, one becomes truly free. This is why Jesus himself proclaimed, ``You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'' (Jn 8:32)

MARTYRDOM

Martydom crowns the spires of the Church as the most dramatic act of witness for the faith. No matter how a Christians dies, he knows that he who endures to the end will be saved (Mt 10:22, 24:13; Mk 13:13), so that with the grace of God he can say with St. Paul I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Tim 4:7)

Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. (Jas 1:12)

 Vivia Perpetua was an early martyr. She was a twenty-two-year-old catechumen (person preparing to enter the Church) when she was arrested in 203 A.D. during the persecution of Emperor Severus. Her father was a pagan. She was still nursing an infant son at the time of her arrest. She was liberally educated and married to a man of high rank. In short, she possessed every advantage of Roman society, yet she looked upon her worldly goods as nothing next to eternal life with her Lord, the crown of the martyrs. Her written account of her stay in prison, partially reprinted here, stands as a powerful witness to the trials she underwent.

A few days afterwards, a rumor was spread that we were to be examined. On hearing this, my father hastened again to the prison I saw at once the deep sorrow depicted on his countenance; he looked pale and emaciated with anxiety He came to me and said:

`My daughter, have pity on my gray hairs; have pity on thy father, if I still deserve to be called by that name. If thou still rememberest, that with these hands I have brought thee up to this the flower of thy age; if I have cherished thee more fondly than any of my other children, do not make me a laughing-stock to men. Look upon thy brothers, look upon thy mother and thy aunt; have compassion on thy darling babe, that cannot survive thee. Lay aside that haughtiness and foolish courage, before thou bring us all to ruin. Shouldst thou perish by the hand of the executioner, which of us shall therefore be able to lift up his head?'

Thus spoke my father, and taking my hands, he kissed them; he threw himself at my feet, and shedding a flood of tears, he called me no longer his daughter, but his lady. A great sadness overpowered my soul at this moving scene, which was much increased when I reflected, that my father was the only person in the family who would not rejoice at my Martyrdom! I endeavored to console him, and said: `My father, grieve not; nothing will befall me upon the scaffold, save what is pleasing to God. Remember that we are all in God's power, not in our own.' Then my father, without uttering a word, went away, weeping as if his heart would break.

The following day, whilst we were taking our meal, some officers suddenly presented themselves, and summoned us to appear before the judge We repaired to the forum The report of our trial had already been spread throughout the city; a vast concourse of people of every rank filled the tribunal one after another we were ordered to mount an elevated platform, whereon was seated Hilarian, the Procurator of the Province. Every one of my companions, when interrogated, generously confessed the Faith. It was now my turn; I was ready to make, without fear or trepidation, the same firm confession of my Faith, when behold, I see my father standing before me with my infant in his arms. He draws me a little aside, and, in a tone of gentlest supplication, he addresses me:

`O my daughter, have pity on thy innocent babe!' Hilarian, the judge, seeing the entreating looks of my father, immediately joins in: `Spare the gray hairs of thy father,' says he, `have' pity on this little infant. Sacrifice for the prosperity of the Emperors!'

`I will not do it,' I reply.

`Art thou then a Christian ?' asks Hilarian.

`Yes, I am a Christian,' I answer.

The boldness with which I made this confession, seemed to embarrass the magistrate Meanwhile, my father did not cease by words and looks to urge me to comply with the command of the judge. But Hilarian, recovering himself, and seeing that all endeavors of persuading me would end in disappointment, ordered one of the officers to send away my father. This officer, in order to enforce compliance with his command, was so bold as to strike my father with his stick. This blow afflicted me more than all I had hitherto endured. I knew how sensibly the disgracefulness of such an act would affect my aged parent, who had never failed to resent the least insult offered to any member of his family. Wherefore, I grieved much more for my father's sake than I would have done, had I myself been publicly beaten with rods.

After this, Hilarian pronounced our sentence, whereby we were all condemned to be exposed to the wild beasts. Our condemnation filled us with the greatest joy, and we returned cheerfully to our prison.

(from Acts of the Early Martyrs, vol. 1, by J.A.M. Fastre, 1873)

OUR GOD IS A GOD OF HOPE.

Brother Johnson is in town and his 'adventures of faith' have been in full swing over these past three days! He started preaching on the topic 'OUR GOD IS A GOD OF HOPE' and continued it over the three days with lots of breaks for 'live demonstrations' of how faith works through the Word of God, which in John 1:1 (onwards) we learn is Christ himself - 'The Word made flesh'.

Many were healed of their illnesses as per the measure of Bro. J's faith and the sufferer's response to the Word that was preached. My most beautiful moment came when in the middle of a prayer, my phone alerted me to an incoming message. Usually i put the phone off during prayer meetings but it was left on for a specific reason - God wanted to gift me with an 'answered prayer' - ' Mary had been discharged from hospital!'

You must be wondering who Mary is right?
Well it began with a call from Pakistan on the 5th of Mar 2012, pleading for Bro. Johnson's number and prayers for her sister who was involved in a serious accident in which she was badly hurt and rendered unconscious. She was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. I immediately sent a text message to Bro.J asking him to keep Mary in prayers.

A distraught relative (of Mary) from Abu Dhabi also called me and kept reporting Mary's progress through sms. I prayed and believed in Mary's complete recovery. Each passing day i was getting messages like, 'Mary has opened her eyes. She is responding to our voices', " She has started taking in some foods', 'She has started moving her limbs' etc. Deep down in my heart i knew that God had a purpose in saving Mary and my job was to interpret the Holy Spirit's prompting and send 'life giving scriptures' and 'instructions' through sms.

When i received today's message, i was overjoyed that the message that was being preached (Our God is a God of Hope), had indeed proved true!

JESUS IS A GOD OF HOPE!