Christian Thought Series - May - June 2015.

Table Of Contents Editorial

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Grace, So Amazing!

Pg. 6

Growing In Grace

Pg. 9

Story Behind Hymn:

What A Friend We Have...

Pg. 13

The Grace Of Giving

Pg. 14

Passing Away Gracefully

Pg. 19

Christian Thought Series May-June 2015 Vol.12 Issue 05 Published by :

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“And much grace was upon them all...”

Acts 4:33

Editorial... time I attempt to write, Etheach thoughts of all sorts collide one with other. The inner battle rages in the

realm of my mind all the time. What should I write? Well, I must write that which is appropriate and relevant. But then, where do I begin? As I battled in my mind, it appeared as though it sounded deep within: “Write on the subject of Abundant grace”. I quickly realized that we all as Christians use the word ‘grace’ very often. But when it comes to recognizing it thoroughly from life’s perspective, we stumble and fail to explain how it works.

The text you would find in the front page cover is what we would consider in this editorial. Precisely, the verse says: ‘…and much grace was upon them all.’ (Acts 4:33).

In other words, grace was available in great measure to the early Church believers! Why? Here are a few things we can list from the previous verse.

Unity: “All the believers were one in heart and mind” (v.32). There was no “I”, “You” or “Me”. Perhaps, their shout resonated: “We are all one in Christ Jesus”. Christ was the unifying factor. Unity of thought also means unity of purpose. If our minds are focused in the right direction, then our

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actions will flow out naturally. There could be no striving, straining or struggling. In other words, it was the Holy Ghost’s power that united them all at Pentecost. It was He who made things possible for the believers. They did not hold a committee meeting to work out a budget or agenda for the next one year. No where did we find that they were exerting themselves to do the work of God.

Commonality: We must recognize the fact that they were not sophisticated men and women.

There is much to talk about that here. They were just commoners.

It appears that there were not many aristocrats. Even if there were some, they too became commoners!

This word means just ordinary, common-people called out together for a special cause. There were not many who were in the lime-light, not many refined men and women.

And for that matter, the leadership still rested with Peter, for that kind of fisherman he was! One thing was sure. They had a strong bonding with each other – a sense of belonging to one another.

I wonder, if you are part of any “Grace-Church”, and experience this on a day-to-day basis?

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Unity and commonality are virtues or qualities that can also drive people to extremes. For example, unity can be pressed into the mould of uniformity and commonality can be turned into communism. We may be aware that there are many churches that had crept into such error. For example, church discipline is good, but it can be deadly when that same discipline is abused to put down a person’s legitimate freedom.

There are many such independent churches, assemblies and churches that operate in such a fashion. It is nothing short of going back to the Roman Catholic Church’s autocracy. If rightly put to use, unity and commonality can be powerful tools in the hands of the believers.

Great evidence of grace, indeed!

Powerful Testimony: (v33).

Christ is risen! This was their testimony. In other words, they testified to what they had “seen with our eyes” (I John 1:1). How can we ever testify about something or someone of whom we do not possess first- hand knowledge or experience?

This was the characteristic of the early disciples who doubtlessly testified to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was something that drastically changed the very course of their faith. Undaunted faith was theirs which did not waver when pain and persecution was meted out to them.

It was the resurrection event which finally culminated in the experience of Pentecostal anointing. There on, abundant grace was granted to all Vol.12 Issue 5

the believers. Things began to move on mysteriously, rather supernaturally.

The church was ushered in to the world with abundant grace from above.

Now, considering ourselves 20 centuries later, what does grace mean to us daily? Meeting someone, we ask: “How are you doing?” The answer comes almost instantly, thoughtful or not, one is not sure: “By the grace of God, I am well!”

Is grace taken for granted in a Christian’s life? Too often, have turned out to be no so graceful!

Again, grace is one of the most abused doctrines of the Christian church today. “It is by grace you have been saved” (Eph.2:5). Somehow, this is taken all too lightly – to mean that Christ did it all and therefore we do not care how we live. Too many believing Christians tend to think grace as some kind of a formula that erases the guilt of sin. The Bible does not teach such doctrine at all.

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! (Rom.6:1)” More and more young believers are confronted with up-beat megachurches springing up everywhere with their new teaching called hyper-grace.

The term hyper-grace has been used to describe a new wave of teaching that emphasizes the grace of God to the exclusion of other vital teachings such as repentance and confession of sin. Hyper-grace teachers maintain that all sin - past, present, and future, has already been

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forgiven, so there is no need for a believer to ever confess it. Hypergrace teaching says that, when God looks at us, He sees only a holy and righteous people. The conclusion of hyper-grace teaching is that we are not bound by Jesus’ teaching, even as we are not under the Law; that believers are not responsible for their sin; and that anyone who disagrees is a pharisaical legalist. In short, hyper-grace teachers “pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality” Preachers of hyper-grace doctrine discount the Old Testament and the Ten Commandments as irrelevant to New Testament believers. They even teach that Jesus’ words spoken before His resurrection are part of the Old Covenant and no longer applicable to born-again believers. (http://www.gotquestions.org/hyper-grace).

One of the most quoted parts of the book by Bonhoeffer: The Cost Of Discipleship deals with the distinction between “cheap” and “costly” grace.

But what is “cheap” grace? Here it is in Bonhoeffer’s words: “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness withoutrequiringrepentance, baptism without church discipline.

Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ”.

“Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes

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as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light”.

Bonhoeffer argues that as Christianity spread, the Church became more “secularised”, accommodating the demands of obedience to Jesus to the requirements of society. In this way, “the world was Christianised, and grace became its common property”. But the hazard of this was that the gospel was cheapened, and obedience to the living Christ was gradually lost beneath formula and ritual, so that in the end, grace could literally be sold for monetary gain.

This comes to us as a warning.

It is a clear state of the present day church drifting far away from the New Testament teaching about the grace which is costly.

We need to clearly understand the experience of the early believers.

Abundant grace was their portion not only when there was sunshine.

They had supernatural experience of speaking in tongues and have had the anointing of the Holy Ghost. But when times were bad, they had the same grace abundantly working in them. The apostles had the courage and boldness, witnessing and speaking up against the threat of persecution. They testified fearlessly about “Jesus whom God raised up from the dead” (Acts 5:30). There were individual apostles (Stephen),

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who were identified with “full of departed from Israel, for the ark of God has God’s grace and power”(Acts 6:8). been captured’” (1 Samuel 4:21–22). The Where is this virtue of abundant word Ichabod means literally “inglorious” grace in me and in you? Why is it or “there is no glory,” and in her this jewel of grace missing out from pain and despair, the woman (who Christian life? Have we all become is unnamed in Scripture) lamented a bunch of disgraceful Christians? over the loss of the glory of God Please bear with me. If you do not from Israel. agree to what I am saying, then where It is a terrible thing to experience is the evidence of abundant grace in the loss of the glory of God. The same our personal lives, our homes and our things that caused Ichabod in Israel— Churches? Has something drastically sin, disobedience, idolatry—are gone wrong somewhere? Or, should present in many of today’s churches. we be bold enough to use the Old (http://www.gotquestions.org/Ichabod.)

Testament term: Ichabod.

When Jesus came as the incarnate The term Ichabod is found in two Son of God, he transformed the Law places in the Bible: I Samuel 4:21 of Moses with that of grace and truth. and 14:3. Ichabod was the son of (John 1:17). And John says: “From Phinehas and the grandson of Eli, the fullness of his grace, we have received the priest of the Lord in Shiloh. The one blessing after another” (v.16). sad story of Eli and his two wayward If we have inherited Christ’s sons, Phinehas and Hophni, is fullest blessings, then grace must found in 1 Samuel, chapters 2 and 4. be manifested through our lives in Hophni and Phinehas died in battle manifold ways. with the Philistines who captured Throughout the Book of the the Ark of the Covenant and took Acts of the Apostles, we read that it away from Israel. Upon hearing abundant grace was present even this terrible news, Eli fell backward when there were situations such as off his chair and broke his neck and died. Phinehas’s pregnant wife went pain and persecution, prisonhood and poverty or pestilence. into labor and bore a son.

Is this grace abundantly at work “And she named the child Ichabod, in your life and mine? saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel!’

If not, what has gone wrong with because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her you and me?

- Joshua Dhanabalan husband. And she said, ‘The glory has eligious enthusiasts sincerely believe that their activities and good works earn them favour of God. As Christians, we might serve Christ for the wrong reason. Is it because we try to find our identity – Who am I? This question remains unresolved for many of us.

- J.D.

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G r a c e , S o A m a z i n g !

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ove so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

How often have you wondered about the love and goodness of God? Grace, as we have been saying is concerned with the nature of God’s love. The expression of that love is the sweetest fruit of God’s grace! Can any one of us claim or boast of living our lives without the grace of God? We fail to acknowledge its working through our lives. God’s love is manifested in so many ways. The channel through which love flows to us is through His grace. Those men and women of God, who have experienced utmost painful moments could pray, praise and sing to the glory of God. They were unperturbed, unmoved and committed themselves to the grace of God. Grace Inconceivable When you wake up in the morning, what thought fills your mind? The fact that you and I are alive and able to move through is because of God’s grace. When sickness takes over, the loved ones are removed from us or some untoward event has befallen us- still the grace of God sustains. It is precisely why the converted slave trader-cum-ship-captain John Newton sang: Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come; ‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home.

Human words or expressions often fail to describe the love of God. Language is not always able to adequately express the goodness of God. However, it is again the language that we use to convey our understanding of who God is and of His

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love. The carnal man is unaware of the qualities of God. All through the psalms, David consistently and repeatedly talks of God’s love which is steadfast. After three thousand years or more, we as believers are not able to adequately express what God means to us. We do not seem to express His steadfast love, goodness and grace. Perhaps, we are unaware of how these flow through our lives as channels of grace.

In the Post-Modern Era, man seldom thinks about God. He has become the crowned monarch. It is not so much of “glory to God in the highest.” Man seeks to replace God and even tries to usurp God’s glory.

The Bible depicts this to be main cause of the fall of the chief angel from heaven. The more we recognize the goodness and love of God, we will continue to enthrone Him in our lives.

Another song writer tries to express God’s love sings thus: The love of God is great afar, No tongue or pen can ever tell, It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell.

Nothing but the love of God assures us that we are the children of God. It provides us liberty from slavery of sin. The fear is gone. We are emboldened to call God as ‘Abba’ Father.

Grace Demonstrated In Luke 15, Jesus presents a classic example of the way God’s love was shown to an unworthy son who would otherwise never merit God’s favour for what he was.

But the wretched son was embraced with a warm hug by the father. “Father, I am

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unworthy to be accepted to be your son,” - cries the son. But the Father was in a mood of celebration. Jesus portrays a perfect picture of such enormous grace exhibited by the Father.

A ring may signify a sense of belonging and affirmation of relationship, the robe (of righteousness) given may indicate that the guilty son was pardoned and accepted and so on. Every sinner who turns to Christ, by faith is received with the grace of God which is all too amazing to describe. For example, a worthless rascal is made as a son to God through His grace! No other faiths or religions of the world have this as kind of redemptive plan for the guilty man.

Grace Reciprocated What would become of grace, of which we are so blessed beyond words, if it is put under a bushel? Unfortunately, that is precisely what happens with many believers. We often use the phrase: “Taken for granted.” It sounds something like saying that grace is granted and so we take it as lightly as we can. Have we ever thought as to why God in his Sovereign wisdom prepared to accept us in spite of who we are? A man or woman who earnestly and sincerely appreciated the import of grace in his or her life will never take life easily.

To see believers becoming cold and sullen, indifferent and inactive but saying all the time, “Oh well, I am doing fine, by the grace of God!” is a painful sight. A child of God taking grace for granted cannot be doing fine all the time. It may appear to be so. For example, can a believer saved by God’s grace lead an utterly self-centered life?

No! Grace will only enable a believer to be crucified to self each day. Every word of the scripture is either taken for granted or abused for our own selfish ends. If I say that I go on in this life by the grace, how do I begin Vol.12 Issue 5

my day? What are my priorities? What are those things that occupy my mind most of my time? How do I ascertain that grace is at work in my life and that I am being careful not to trample but reciprocate it before God by being fruitful through my belief and behavior?

Do I lead a life with utter disregard to God and to my fellow-men, yet all the time talk about the grace of God? This cheap grace-talk must soon end. We have dishonoured God and basked in the abundant goodness of God’s grace for very long. It is because it was freely given to us. It costed us nothing. But it costed the very life of the Son of God. In this regard, it must be said that God’s whole plan of salvation laid out in the holy scriptures is largely being misunderstood by the average Christian.

The greatness of the gospel being, “not by work, but by grace,” is being cheapened by the carnal man. You can live the way it pleases you! The churchgoer is not bothered by the Holiness of God, the righteousness of God or the wrath of God. Does the gospel speak about the wrath of God or the grace of God? It speaks about both the things. The cross is where the love of God and the justice of God is dealt with. Christians tend to be misled by one truth over the other. God’s grace cannot simply sustain a believer in the longer run. There would come a time when people can simply recognize the presence or the absence of God’s grace in a person’s life.

Grace is something that God has provided to each of us as a channel through which flows the love of God – his patience, kindness, goodness and forgiveness. But that cannot go on forever. We must take care lest the channel runs dry over a period of time.

How is your life? Is grace evident within or without? How do you handle situations-

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both favourable and unfavourable? Are God who is merciful. It was the apostle Paul you seen always as a person who grumble, who experienced God’s grace in greater complain or murmur about the things of proportion that he had much to talk about life? It is true there are certain factors that in his epistles. Here are some of the phrases may annoy us. A Christian is often frustrated that he employs in describing God’s grace” because of what he sees that goes on around • Incomparable riches of his grace him – inequality, injustice, exploitation, (Eph.2:7), uncleanness, sexual perversion, unholy living- • God who is rich in mercy (2:4), and even at times within the • Riches of God’s grace Body of Christ. But that is a How is your life? (1:7).

Is grace evident different thing. A believer is This is a language used within or without? pained and reacts to ungodly by someone who had known things. But when grace abounds How do you handle to have experienced love in his own life, accepts all situations – both and forgiveness of the God in that comes to him with gracefavourable and great depth. both good or bad. That is the unfavourable?

“I was a blasphemer and a way we reciprocate grace both persecutor and a violent man. I was shown mercy within and without. Are you living a life of because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace reciprocity of God’s grace? Someone said: Life of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus how we respond to it.

(1 Tim. 1:13).”

There is what we call “Broken Heart” D.L.Moody experiencing the abundant famous study that researched and found grace in his life once shouted: “God stop!” about 40% or more mortality rate of It was overflowing through his life in such widowers occurred within 6 months of great measure! their wives’ death. Severe attitudinal failure occurred in most of them. But to those who Dear friend, do not let your life become accepted situations, regardless of what the barren and dry. future held for them, the attitude choice Do not shut out the channels of God’s was theirs to make: grace.

Bitterness or forgiveness Grace is not just needed for forgiveness To give up or to go on alone. Sustaining grace is essential to lead a Hatred or Hope, life of victory amidst toils of life.

Determination to endure or Lastly, if you think you are in your To give in to the paralysis of self-pity. twilight years (and I am writing to senior To which of the above category do you men and women of God), sustaining grace belong? is ever more needed to die in Him. Are you a person full of God’s grace?

There have been greater testimonies How is your attitude toward your own life? about the way God’s men and women lived Grace Much Spoken By a Man of God: and died. Many of them died victoriously Grace is one of the comforting doctrines through the fiery trials of their life. in all of the New Testament. It is the truth How about you and me? of how a guilty sinner is forgiven freely by Isn’t grace so amazing? - J.D

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s grace static or dynamic? Have you ever given a thought to this? I know what I am about to say may not be well received by some well meaning Christians and even Bible teachers who seem to have such authority on the doctrine of grace. To me, grace in the life of Christian may either overflow or run dry. If that were not so, Paul would not have urged Timothy with these words: “Be strong in the grace…(2 Tim 2:1)” Does that sound like a casual comment or a stern imperative?

There is prevalent idea among Christians is that grace is something like an auto-pilot in the modern fly-by-wire aircraft. Once turned on mode to fly at 35,000 ft, the aircraft cruises even without the pilot’s maneuvering. No doubt, grace from God is in-built. Grace is not an external force. It is an inward spiritual asset.

Grace As Talents: We might not make a mistake if we attempt to say that grace can be compared to the talents in Jesus’ parable. The only difference is that these talents are inwardly embedded in the soul and spirit of a believer. This is the same grace, freely received from God through which we are saved. And this same grace in a believer ventures out, risks-it-all for Christ, loses personal reputation, but wins for the Kingdom, have been put to shamewell, grace like the talents are constantly put to work under such circumstances mentioned above. That is when grace grows. When we bless the people of God Vol.12 Issue 5

through the benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you,” it does not mean a passive grace. At times, there is a prefix to this benediction: “Go out into the world as witnesses of Christ… The grace of our Lord be with you…” What does this mean? It means that there is an inward treasure that we possess. We never earned it. It was given to us freely. This was the grace from God that had saved us, sanctified us in order to follow and serve Him. In other words, by so putting to commendable use, grace begins to grow, rather a believer grows in grace.

Evidence Of Grace: One may possess sound scriptural knowledge. Would that amount to growing in grace? Knowledge often puffs up. It is possible to gain scriptural or spiritual knowledge and yet lacking in grace. We may have seen many Christians who are devout. They read their Bibles daily, attend Church regularly. They are well aware of the doctrines of the Bible, the plan of salvation etc. Yet they may be those who would possess no grace at all.

One can testify, preach, pray longer – and still be found to have no grace at all. We are saying that grace does not operate by mere activities that are religious. Again, we are saying, that it is not up to us to own gracefor we have received it from God. We can never boast. But something happens in the life of a believer when grace is in full flow. In which case, his love for people, compassion, kindness are all reflected more Christ-like – perhaps, all the fruit of the Spirit may be evident. It is one thing to be spiritually knowledgeable, but altogether a different thing to possess the fullness of God’s grace within.

You may be one of those good-godly Christian who do not drink, swear, steal

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or involved in sexual misconduct. This is a kind of person you are. You love God and God’s Word enthralls you each day. You spend hours in prayer. Perhaps, the best spiritual books are all read by you. But when calamity strikes next door, you simply pray.

You don’t seem to have the immediate impulse to reach out and do something.

You may be termed as a passively graceful Christian. When someone is dying and needing few units of blood immediately, you simply pass by like the Levite. There is a poor old lady who takes care of her grand child in the absence of both her parents. Every now and then, she scurries or scrambles to find some money in order to meet the educational expenses of her grand-child. She knocked at your door a couple of times but to no avail.

How on earth can anyone appreciate you by saying that you are a person growing in God’s grace? Do you think every other fruit of the Spirit automatically grows out there without nurturing the plant? Grace, in the same way, needs to be nurtured or cultivated. The fruit of the Spirit is only the end product that can be harvested in and through the life of any Christian who grows in grace.

But again, I am baffled about the way some people talk all the time about what they term as the irresistible grace. Such a phrase is not found in the scripture.

But it is a doctrine born out of a certain emphasis of the doctrine of grace. There is a wide gulf existing between two schools of theological thought: Arminius and Calvin.

One emphasizes human responsibility and the other reduces human responsibility, calling it human inability (Total Depravity of Man due to the early Fall or Sin), and

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that man is totally unable to respond to God. This doctrine, on the other hand emphasizes the Sovereignty of God. By which, it defines the Election of God and how He alone has the prerogative in the whole process of predestination.

In actual practice, one can find that both are simultaneously and interchangeably at work. We cannot throw away the baby with the bath water. To ask someone: Have you been saved by God’s grace? The answer would be “Yes!” But to ask: What else did you do? He may say: “I repented, responded, put my faith in God.” I have no problem with the Sovereignty of God. But to reduce man calling him spiritually disable means to diminish all of his mental or spiritual faculties. The whole aspect of the freedom of choice, of which the vast majority of Christians either identify themselves with or having no problem accepting the way God made man – not as a robot is somehow put to trash by Calvinistic teaching.

Here is the comment of one of the finest Evangelical scholars of 20th century.

Francis Schaeffer says: “I am convinced that one of the great weaknesses in evangelical preaching the last few years is that we have lost sight of the biblical fact that man is wonderful. We have tended to reduce man to a zero. Man is indeed lost, but that does not mean he is nothing (Totally Depraved).

You can emphasize that man is totally lost and still have the biblical answer that is really great. The Christian position is that man is made in the image of God and even though he is now a sinner, he can do those things that are tremendous – he can influence history for this life and the life to come, for himself and for others.”

Channels of Grace: Is grace all of God

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or of you? To clarify this, we must say, Grace is of God, by God, from God given to you. It is as if the Master is saying to the lazy servants: “Why are you wasting your time doing nothing. Go and work in my field. I shall pay you reasonably well.” They had the energy and strength to work or plough the field. But it is just that they had no motivation or direction.

The Master orders them, and they obey and receive their wages. What if they had not responded to the Master’s call? What if they had excused themselves? God is constantly telling us: “My son/daughter grown in the grace of God. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

Here are some channels we must constantly use for grace to flow through our lives. (a) The study of God’s Word. Much need not be said of this. Mature Christians know of this worth and value. Seeking God earnestly through the written word is imperative. It is one way of God directing our lives, transforming us constantly as we listen to Him speak, guide and correct through His Holy Word. (b) Submitting Ourselves Through Prayer: Prayer is not so much about asking, but submitting. “Not my will, but yours’ be done.” Through prayer, a believer gets to understand the heart-beat of Godthat which is His will, good, pleasing and perfect. (c) Being Engaged in Fruitful Works: The Holy Spirit is the medium through which life from God f lows in and through our soul. If we close up those little channels in the young plant through which flows the life-giving sap, what will be the result? It is possible that Vol.12 Issue 5

we will meet with the same result in our spiritual being if we grieve the Spirit of God. If we refuse to do what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do, we tend to get stunted in grace. What if the Spirit of God is speaking to your heart and mind to visit a poor sick man or to give of your means for the cause of Christ?

What if there arises a necessity to fast or to take some risk involved in the work of God? How would we expect to grow in grace if we knew so much of the Bible or of the world missions and have done nothing? (d) Sensible Faith: The grace that saved us through believing in the work of Jesus Christ need to behave in a way that is worthy of God’s call. This means that faith works because of grace. “You see Abraham’s faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made completely by what he did. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by his faith alone”.(James 2:22,24).

Never To Be Indifferent: As Gods fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. Now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:1). Paul was the one who sternly spoke against the Jewish Law Keeping. He argued that man is not saved through good works. He emphatically brought out in all his epistles the doctrine of grace – which is to mean that man can never earn his salvation through good works. This theme brought such spiritual jolt in the life of Martin Luther and the whole doctrine of “Justification By Faith,” became the spiritual ethos upon which the “Reformed Doctrines” were founded. But we must never miss the point. At times it is possible

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to ‘throw out the baby with bath water.’

In our human excitement and eagerness to follow the scriptures, we tend to hit extreme points.

Paul seem to say here that we need to take God’s grace seriously. Grace never operates in a vacuum. The life of a believer can either be a treasure-trove or a trash-bin.

Galatians 5 explains it well. A believer’s life can be full of spiritual wealth or it can also be turned into a moral mess.

If a believer is choked by the cares of world all the time, only too eager to make money and wealth and he excuses saying he does not find time to read the Bible or pray, it is a clear indication of the loss of the goodness of God’s grace in his life. I wonder, if there can be irresistible grace in such a person. I have found some of them miserable when sickness strikes them or when disaster had befallen in their family.

There were those who have lost their wealth and earthly goods and regretted late in life that they have missed to love for God when their life was at its ebb and flow.

God reminds you and I to grow in grace – and the time is now! When God’s time of favour is at hand, we are to respond instantly.

There would be no such time waiting for us until we take our own time to make every effort to stabilize our earthly life – toiling from dawn to dusk. We might think “There’s still more time. I can somehow make it sooner or later”. Some older folks are considering them fortunate in this.

To some of them, after their retirement, religion offers a very good past-time. I nicknamed them “Retired –Saints!”. Most of them have not grown in grace. They ought to have grown in the right season.

Today, they are dry and barren. They read,

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pray and give their money to the Church.

But their life is one of shrunken grace. Have we seen those many number of shrunken men and women in our pews, well past their sixty? You talk to them for a while.

They will begin to cry. Deep within them is some gnawing pain disturbing them.

They are not full of the joy of the Holy Ghost. On the other hand, one might find a child of God, amidst turbulence, trial or tribulation goes about joyfully, wading through tumultuous waves that may flow over his head. This man had known grace and also grown through it!

To one such man, to whom tragedy struck, not once but twice, God’s grace seemed to overflow in the face of devastating pain and sorrow. He turned to God for friendship, for in Him he found the essence of a right relationship with God. He saw God not as an impersonal force to be feared, but as a loving Father and friend whose greatest desire is to carry our burdens and ease our pain. For over a century, this Hymn that was born out of a tragedy of this one man had comforted millions of believers world wide.

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear, What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit!

Oh what needless pain we bear!

All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer.

(Read: The Story Behind The Hymn on pg no. 13 ) In conclusion, I think of what Paul told Timothy: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…” (2 Tim. 1:6). Grace itself is like coal-fire kept within the bosom of a child of God. It is up to us to keep the flame

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going. As we traverse through the thick and thin of life’s journey, we must carry grace (precious, free gift of God), as if it is just a piece of coal-fire. Imagine, having been lost in a jungle, it is required to make fire–either to warm ourselves in cold and

wintry nights or provide us warm and safe drink when our throats are dry and parched. Grace within needs fanning, lest, it will be put out!

Is your grace a flickering torch or a burning coal?

- J.D.

Story Behind The Hymn:

What a Friend We Have In Jesus

The information contained in this review is printed with permission from the author and publisher: Ace Collins, Stories Behind the Hymns that Inspire America, (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003).

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he great American evangelist Dwight L. Moody incorporated this song in his sermons, writings, and teachings. This caused many people to believe that the song is an American hymn. Not so. It was written by an Irishman in Canada.

One Hundred fifty years ago two businessmen stood on a Port Hope, Ontario street corner as a little man carrying a saw walked by. One of the businessmen said, “Now there is a man who is happy with his lot in life. I wish I could know his joy. Perhaps I can get him to cut my winter’s supply of wood.”

“I know that man. He would not cut your firewood. He cuts wood only for the financially destitute and for those who are physically handicapped and cannot cut their own firewood.”

That young woodcutter was named Joseph Scriven. Son of a captain in the British Royal Marines, Joseph was born in Ireland in 1819. After receiving his university degree from Trinity College in London, he quickly established himself as a teacher, fell in love, and made plans to settle in his hometown. Then tragedy struck. The day before his scheduled wedding, his fiancé drowned.

Overcome with grief, Scriven left Ireland to start a new life in Canada. He established a home in Rice Lake, where he met and fell in love with Eliza Rice. Just weeks before she was to become Joseph Scriven’s bride, she suddenly grew sick. In a matter of weeks, Eliza died.

A shattered Scriven turned to the only thing that had anchored him during his life — his faith. Through prayer and Bible study he found not just solace, but a mission. The twenty-five year old Scriven took a vow of poverty, sold all of his earthly possessions, and vowed to give his life to the physically handicapped and financially destitute.

Ten years later Scriven received word that his mother had become very ill. The man who had taken a vow of poverty did not have the funds to go home to help care for her. Heartsick, and feeling a need to reach out to her, he wrote the story of his life in three short verses he called “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

Later, Scriven said, “The Lord and I together wrote the song.” Several of his friends got a copy and one of them carried a copy to a music publisher. Within two years the little poem of inspiration had been published and coupled to a tune written by an American lawyer, Charles Converse.

Two decades later the great American evangelist Dwight L. Moody came across the song and believed it to be the most touching modern hymn that he had ever heard. It was Moody who gave the song a national platform and caused so many to think that the song had been written in America.

Ironically, Joseph Scriven drowned in a Canadian lake in 1886. He did not live to see his song carried to every corner of the globe.

What does the word ‘Grace’ mean?

In terms of the Christian faith, grace is concerned with the nature of God’s love. It is the unmerited favour of God. We do not deserve the love and goodness that is freely and unconditionally given from heaven. All we can do is receive it. Jesus tells about a son who squanders his father’s inheritance. When the son returns, rather than rejecting or disciplining him, the father runs to greet him and celebrates his return. The story gives us an insight into the kind of love that God gives.

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And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian Churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity (2 Cor. 8:1,2).

never repaid the money to his nephew nor t is an acceptable fact that those who are made a good lot of money out of running rich or the well-to-do seldom open up the taxi. their hearts nor their wallets to those who Those of us who are good at logical are in need. On the other hand, the simple reasoning will be quick to say that the people with their poverty have often proved nephew acted out of sheer foolishness. We to be genuinely sacrificial and generous. rationalize but end up helping none!

This is precisely what Paul is writing when he refers in the verse above, the qualities of The Way Jesus Taught: Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what the believers is Macedonia.

Givers, Grit With Grace! All those who belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do have adequate working experience at the to others as you would have them do to you. grass-root level would know that poor (Luke 6:30). people show immediate response and love Is this teaching practical in the 21st when there is a need. They do not mind century? Would Jesus teach something if taking risks. Wherever tragedy strikes, or that does not prove to be practical? What some calamity caught people unawares, would happen if we literally follow His they are always the Good Samaritans who teaching today? Would we go poor or consisted of the poorer lot. They are quick hungry or lose our wealth? Think for a to act or react and do not think twice as moment. those of us who put our mental faculties It appears that the principles of to work – say, draw a disaster management the Kingdom always seem to operate programme, plan the budget, raise funds, paradoxically.

For example, Jesus further move in the contingency and so on. It taught: For whoever wants to save his life could be anywhere, we have often read will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me of those men and women who have acted swiftly and saved lives in the event of a will save it (Luke 9:24). catastrophe before the arrival of the rapid Jesus seemed to work on with a different response team. They bring in food and arithmetic. What the world considered clothing, transport the injured to hospitals, as gain, he discounted as loss and loss as rescue those buried in debris and continue gain. The modern day management gurus engaging in many more brave acts. will have difficulty accepting this ‘mantra’.

A taxi-driver narrating his story told me Today’s business mantra is ‘manipulation that he had incurred a heavy debt while of methods’, ‘management of funds’ that trying to help his uncle who lost his job. goes suddenly in the drains, the bullish His uncle was in dire need for money and or the bearish market trends that makes the family needed to be cared for. Without investors stand in their tenterhooks. The a second thought, the nephew borrowed economic recession that swept the globe huge sums of money, bought a car to be in recent years have seen people who used as a taxi for his uncle. Well, the man thought themselves as wise by the business 14 Christian Thought Series Vol.12 Issue 5

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standards have often ended their lives by committing suicide.

Are There Macedonians Today? All across the globe, there are hundreds and thousands of them. But many of them are not known to the outside world or the Church. Many of them are rich in faith.

But with the poor people the business calculations of the world do not arise! They have nothing to calculate with. Often times, it is the last two pennies which they gladly part with.

I have seen this happen in many of the rural areas where we ministered in the years past. Their brave generosity often humbled us. They were just willing to give us anything as an expressions of their love and devotion towards Christ and us as servants of the Lord.

Once a poor lady brought in a doorframe – the only possession she had to be fixed in a village chapel. At other times, they brought in small amounts of money to be given to us as an “offering’’ to God-often hidden under a bushel by women – to be kept away from the prying eyes of their drunkard–husbands. My own faith got strengthened by looking at their sacrifice.

As a servant of the Lord who takes risks in the ministry, I take my eyes off from distractions that may put me in financial fix. This means that I do not incur heavy expenditure in the name of the ministry. While using the sparsely given contributions, I use them for meeting the needs of poor people, HIV-AIDs patients, distribution of gospel tracts, publication expenditure or sharing our love and hospitality to those in need. At times I wondered if a ministry can be carried out Vol.12 Issue 5

at all through the country with the paltry sum of money we possess!

Personally speaking, in about 35 years of stepping out for ministry, and having seen 25 years of hardship of all sorts through the ministry of Disciples For Christ, the fact remains that ministry itself had not come to a grinding halt for want of money or man power. It had been a challenge. There has always been an affirmation from the Lord that kept us going against all odds.

Without exaggeration, I can state that I have not made money or accumulated personal goods through ministry. Yet it remains a mystery that I lack no good thing! There are blessings both tangible and intangible that only those of us experience would certainly know of. It proves to be an experiential truth that mere five loaves and two fish are plentiful to a great multitude. Sadly, it is only those who toil from dawn to dusk seem to carry a purse that seem to have a hole in it.

I am of the opinion that material blessings that are inherited or owned through legitimate ways are not sinful as long as one does not cling to it. It is not right to despise riches or those who are rich unless they fall under the category of the Young Rich Ruler or the rich man who never cared for the poor Lazarus. I also do not say that poverty equals spiritual blessing. In India, people are poor in most cases for being lazy. It is not good to discount the principle of good stewardship of time, talent or money.

Paul says the Macedonian believers were poor. It may have been due to the fact of inadequate payment of wages, bondedlabour or other forms of exploitation by the employers. Not many of them in that

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church seemed to have worked among the white-collared men. Yet, Paul says that they were rich. God made them rich through His grace. Through all their affliction, pain and sorrow, they had the highest priority laid out for their lives.

Commendable Qualities Of Macedonian Believers • They went through severe trial.

• They had overflowing joy.

• They were extremely poor.

• They had rich generosity.

• They gave as much as they were able.

• They gave beyond their ability.

• They gave entirely on their own.

• They pleaded for the privilege of sharing.

• They considered this as service to the saints.

• They gave first themselves to the Lord.

• They gave gifts in keeping with God’s will (2 Cor. 8:1-6).

How many such people are found in our Churches?

Christian Accountability: Paul uses this example to motivate the Corinthian believers who made a pledge to support Paul’s ministry an year ago (v.10).

He challenges them by saying that the Macedonians were “excelled in the grace of giving.” (v.7).

Paul goes on to say something more striking than all of the above. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (v.9).

The above verse reminds each of us that any Christian who had benefitted much from Christ’s work on the cross cannot lead a life of indifference. Such a person’s time, talents and resources belong to Christ. He himself belongs to Christ and consciously submits to His Lordship. If

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this becomes a reality in each of our lives, we must soon be expecting a revival in of our own continents or countries.

Paul spends a whole chapter talking about the grace of God – connecting it with giving. Paul was a missionary and churchplanter always embarking on a journey.

He endorses Titus, his fellow-worker and commends his enthusiasm and personal initiative in meeting the Corinthians on behalf of Paul and to receive the offering. It appears from the Epistle that the Corinthian believers made a pledge to support Paul’s ministry a year ago, but somehow found to be dodging now.

Paul understood and recognized the implication of handling money. Therefore, he emphatically underscores the need for care and diligence in administering the finances and along with him his trusted field-workers would do the same in honouring the Lord. The lesson is whether we give, receive or spending the money toward establishing God’s kingdom on the earth, much grace is to be endowed by God from above so we are well directed in whatever things we are called to do.

Are You Gifted With Grace?: I

know of a wealthy man who is our reader. He is engaged in preaching and some ministry activities that seldom hurt him. One can find many such people everywhere.

Unfortunately, preaching comes in handy for some elders. He receives CTS for many number of years. He appreciates the articles published in our column. He further makes request for older issues. He knows all too well that ours is a ministry which struggles with finances. At times, I send a

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mild reminder requesting him and others to subscribe with a minimum of Rs.100/But the reminders are simply ignored. But he likes to have the copy of the issue on time. There are at least hundreds of them in our mailing list!

In the same way there are over hundreds of Libraries in seminaries or Bible colleges spread across the country. The librarians either send an email or a letter appreciating and the benefit it brings to their students.

But somehow they fail to reciprocate our requests to send a small subscription. That is duly forgotten the moment the magazine reaches their shelf !

Without doubt, over the years, I have been told that many seminarians, pastors and students use the materials in their sermons or assignments – but all for free!

Simply put it: One hundred rupees given by 50 people will fetch Rs.5000.

That will simply cover nearly one-third of the printing/postage expenses! There are good number of wealthy readers – and in the earthly sense I am proud of them. But much of their wealth does no good to us or to the ministry. I do not understand how one can become spiritual by painless prayer or through pleasant reading of spiritual matters.

Here is a lesson how one can become rich spiritually: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (V.9). The Greek word ‘kenosis’ (κένωσις), means the self emptying, which ultimately means the relinquishment of some of the attributes of God by Jesus in becoming man and suffering death.

Giving itself is a gift from God. In other words, Paul calls it the grace of giving.

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never dare to give a mite to the work of God. On the other hand, there are those who give somewhere or to someone out of fear or to receive some blessing. They send huge amounts to certain preachers requesting them to pray for their grand children’s marriage. They plead for prayer on such issues like promotion in jobs, blessing of child-birth, for building a newhouse or buying a new car. Such requests are made along with a sizable gift of money.

Money for prayer is as common as it used to be just before Reformation. Christians corrupt scriptural norms. In the following chapter, Paul further goes on to clarify confusion that were in the minds of early Christians.

He urged them: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”. (2 Cor.9:7).

I have often been reprimanded by wellmeaning Christians for not engaging in promotional work for our ministry. By promotional work, they mean fund-raising.

They ask: How would you run the work?

You cannot extend the work. You cannot think of taking up any projects. Make people give to your work regularly. Well, I am a Bible teacher. In short, I am a servant of the Lord. I am not trained in the skills of fund raising. I believe that people must come forward to give by reposing their trust and confidence in the kind of work we do. As far as we can, we try and present the work and its needs. But we cannot put pressure on anyone. There were heartwarming moments when people came to us saying that the Lord urged them to give to our work. Such gestures are a blessing indeed than coercing people to give.

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A Word Of Caution: We were giving by believers ended up in the wrong reminded that giving itself is a grace from God. Therefore, while being led to give to the Lord’s work, it is essential to check as to where or to whom the money is being sent. What would be the net result?

Would the money be put to right use? Do those men and women who seek financial support citing various reasons or providing impressive reports hold a good standing among Christian community? What are their credentials?

Grace also means vigilance: A friend of mine who once used to support us “out of his poverty” lamented that much of

hands. He said that huge sums of money flowed into those hands where there were imaginary needs created artificially or facts being exaggerated. To those in real need, the resources never reached!

God is pleased with a thoughtful giver, not only a cheerful giver!

While exercising God’s discernment in giving, let us cultivate the grace of giving.

It is a helpful idea to provide information and encouragement to those who have resources but are not knowledgeable enough to channel in their finances.

Let us excel in the grace of giving. - J.D.

Warning Against Spiritual Obesity

is a pitiable sight to witness Christian believers who had acquired knowledge It about Jesus Christ – a good measure, pressed down – well beyond one can contain within the capacity of one’s mind or the heart!. They have gotten hold of every material

– be it a magazine, a book and have continued gobbling up more and more information about Bible Prophecy, Coming of Christ, World Evangelization- and have triggered unhealthy fear in the minds of fellow Christians. All along, their faith had been passive. The accumulation of information about Christ or His Church had resulted in a kind of spiritual obesity in them.

Many of them cannot move. They sit before their computers. Eagerly they visit all the websites that offer information about holiness or godliness. Unfortunately, both virtues elude them. Those who accumulate mere wealth of knowledge about Jesus Christ are like the Dead Sea. There is no out-let – for this sea just receives dense salty water that flows in to it. Having situated below sea level, there is much in-take without an out-let. The water is dense and salty. There are no living organisms found in it. So also, it is true in the life of a Christian who reads and receives spiritual in-put through his attendance of various meetings or study programs. Until such a person learns to give out, he will be hard-pressed by a kind of spiritual burden which is unhealthy. There is a right kind of spiritual burden which would result in a mission. Spiritual burden without mission is a drudgery.

- J.D.

The Grace Prayer is based on Paul’s prayer at the end of 2 Corinthians 13.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”.

2 Cor 13:14, NIV Bible To this have been added the words “Now and evermore, Amen.” It is common practice in church meetings for the whole congregation to say the grace prayer out loud, and to each other. It is usual for Methodist Churches to close their meetings with this prayer. In John Wesley’s Bible Notes, we see an insight into the importance of this blessing to the life of the church. Wesley warns that it should not be taken with disrespect.

John Wesley’s Bible Notes on 2 Corinthians 13:14 It is with great reason that this comprehensive and instructive blessing is pronounced at the close our solemn assemblies; and it is a very indecent thing to see so many quitting them, or getting into postures of remove, before this short sentence can be ended. How often have we heard this awful benediction pronounced! Let us study it more and more, that we may value it proportionably; that we may either deliver or receive it with a becoming reverence, with eyes and hearts lifted up to God, “who giveth the blessing out of Sion, and life for evermore.”

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saints of old sang: “This world is not Passing Away my The home, I’m just passing through.” And Gracefully! they sang: “I’ll fly away to glory.” Somehow,

The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Ps.90:10,12).

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s part of my pastoral care, I have committed to visit a few elderly persons from time to time in order to pray and encourage them. If I could, I run errands for them! Often, I listen to their cry of woe of some sort of abandonment by their kin.

Loneliness kills many of them. Those whom I get to see do not belong to the poorer lots. Some of them struggle with the problem of plenty. They get worried with ‘what to do with so many of these?’ I often thought to myself of what Jesus told the young rich ruler: “Give to the poor, so you will have riches in heaven.” Sadly though, it does not occur to them. I have never been forthright in speaking to them about sharing at least a onetenth of their income to the church, missions or the poor and needy. It is a plain fact that not many of them are in the habit of sharing their tithes to the Lord’s kingdom.

Are You Ready?: When I talk to them, they give an impression as if they will be here for very long.

The kind of preparations they engage themselves with appear to be that of those who are in their 40’s or 50’s! It is commendable to have such a spirit. In doing so, they appear to be courageous and confident against all the odds of life.

The sad thing remains is that they have made no preparation for the “Home-Going.” Death is no respecter of persons. It may be 17 or 70, death can knock at our door any time. It is a great leveler of the poor and rich. We carry none of the earthly riches with us when we leave this world. Yet, the attachment some elders seem to have for all the things of the world somewhat baffles me.

A friend of mine shared about the way his father died. He made such thoughtful preparation prior to his death. The family was amazed and praised God for His life.

Another saint of God wrote in a Christian magazine about his dream and meeting the Lordtalking about his imminent death. Before the article was published, he went on to be with the Lorddying peacefully.

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none of these things seem to have any attraction for them.

Are You Ready To Give Up?: In the context of Christian ministry, there are senior citizens engaged well advanced in their years. Some of them have turned to be over 70. One can appreciate their zeal and commitment that sustain them each day. But to run around like a 30 year old young man is not in keeping with biblical ethos. At times, they leave an impression as if they are the only saviours to be around, and their leadership absolutely indispensable “Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you.” ( Deut.31:1,2).

God said to Joshua: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people. Get ready to cross the Jordan River”. (Josh.1:2).

Here are a couple of leadership principles: (1) We need to accept change in leadership, (2) God’s servants must give room for younger leaders to serve God. Here lies an indication of spiritual maturity whereby a senior servant of the Lord passes on the baton to someone younger to him or her.

There are some churches still managed by very old men who have not yet trained able men to succeed them.

Make Preparation For Leaving: Do not linger!

Until you leave, no change is evitable. If you believe that it is the work of God and that He had assigned you this sacred vocation, you will also recognize that the time has come for others to step into your shoes.

As a young man, I have observed some senior servants of God were never in favour of training a younger person. Though not expressed by them, it was quite obvious. I later realized that it could be due to their own sense of insecurity. The reasons for doing so is that it entails a person with position, dignity and honour from others. Not many are willing to let go of this.

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George Verwer, who is called as the World Missions Adventurer, the founder of Operation Mobilization is a living legend. It is said of him that two years before of his retirement, he chose the leader in succession and trained him.

Some Christian organization in India are in the habit of head-hunting for a very long timelooking for a CEO to lead the team. As the usual case may be: “A suitable CEO is yet to be found”.

The applicants do not satisfy the organization’s basic ethos. Therefore, the board requests the CEO who is at the point of retirement, to continue.

This can go on for a couple of years too!

This is the present trend-setter and a subtle game played in most Christian organizations.

One of the deeply felt needs in our churches and organizations is able and upright leadership.

I heard of a certain pastor who, after his retirement, having become part of the church’s trust had never allowed the younger pastors to perform with freedom. Those who came to serve, went away exasperated by the skillful old man who brought in charges on the young men. In the meantime, he carried on with his leadership in the Church.

Without fear, but with sadness I would like to record here the following facts. To my knowledge,

some churches called as Union Chapel/Church in the Nilgiris and in Andhra Pradesh go through this kind leadership crisis for a very long time. There is one more similar church that I know belonging to the Baptist Denomination in Karnataka ( I leave out the city’s name for the sake of anonymity),that treats in-coming pastors like sham. Godly men must wake up to this trickery of the devil through angelic form. We must welcome and encourage up-coming, vibrant leadership so that the work of God does not suffer.

Older people (those in the ministry as well), must lead quiet, purposeful lives that enrich others. They must slow down their pace of activity. They must stop travelling over-seas with hectic programme schedule. Remember we are not living in times of the apostle Paul. Identify younger leadership and train them. Become more reflective and thoughtful. Evaluate your life and work. Do not panic. Be joyful to meeting the Lord.

If such hope swells in you and the love for Christ fills your heart, you will look forward to dying in Christ. It is a blessed hope of every Christian, be it young or old.

“For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil.1:21). - J.D.

Training Centre Building Project Dear Friends/Readers,

From time to time we have made a general appeal to some of the needs of our work. We are praying and taking efforts to put the site belonging to Disciples For Christ to productive use. It lies in a state of ruin without use for over 15 years. We fear risks of encroachment. God willing, we plan to have a residence–cum training centre and hope to move away from city and operate from here in a quiet place, focusing on training young people and concentrating on other effective means of ministry. We have ear-marked rupees one lakh received from our ministry partner family a couple of years ago. Six months ago, I sent an appeal and received Rs.25,000/- from six partners. We have a long way to go. The Proposed budget for building is Rs.50 lakhs. The cost might go up since we failed to launch the project in the last two years. You may prayerfully consider contributing toward this project. With your generous support, we shall move in at the earliest. Pl. feel free to ask for more details. We shall gladly arrange to take you on a site visit if you would like to see the place. Building Fund Contributions may be sent to:

DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST, HDFC BANK, A/C NO.50200007377501 IFSC HDFC0000124, Kellys Branch, Chennai 10.

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Please inform us in case you transferred money, enabling us to make acknowledgement.

Thank you!

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