Editorial........ “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jer.17:9)”
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he human heart has acquired a nature which tries to out smart the ways of God. It is so deceitful that it can manipulate the wrong as right and vice-versa. For example, when God says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,” the proud heart does not want to budge. It would rather get busy with false spirituality. Such is the deception of our day. One of the distinct marks of counter-feit religion is its ability to present what one would normally consider something as diabolically dangerous to be forthrightly genuine and harmless. Whether you like it or not, we are living in an era of spiritual deception. The devil had already set his foot in the Christian churches to exhibit his skill of the trade called deception. In one way or the other, we are all vulnerable to this spiritual malady. Homes are not spared
either. The media has already come under devil’s domain. It is imperative that we recognize to what extent the heart is capable of deceiving a believer who takes his regenerated life for granted. The Bible nicknames the devil as the “angel of light” (2 Cor.11:14). He knows that people want to be spiritual. However, one must ask: What do you mean by being spiritual? There are not many Christians who care to know about in full. Christian faith is supposed to be thoughtprocessed, intelligent, logical and rational. For example, what is acceptable worship of God? In other words, what is not deceptive spirituality? True spirituality, in simple terms mean: a) One not being committed to the conformity of the world, b) It is the ability to ‘discern’ the will of God, c) A spiritual person will only be too concerned exalting
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God than self, d) A spiritual person will experience the excruciating pain of self crucified and dethroned. e) A daily dying experience converts such a believer in to a living sacrifice offered at the altar of God. God is indeed pleased with such a spiritual expression. It is called as the acceptable worship made to God (Rom.12:2). It is not difficult to make out whether a person has sacrificed himself/herself at the altar of God. In the same count, any mature believer will be able to quickly discover if someone in the church or at a meeting is trying to be ‘spiritual’ without having experienced the transforming power of God. One can be a worship leader or a preacher leading in a spiritual worship. How would any one know that such a person is spiritually genuine? Haven’t we felt disturbed or perplexed when we found someone termed as “worship leader” moving on to the stage trying to run the
show of “spiritual worship?” More of today’s worship and praise sessions are either chaotic or confusing. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is both freedom and orderliness. How can any pastor or a leader in a Church call disorderly behavior as spiritual freedom? Early in the Ist Century, The apostle Paul encountered this problem of deceptive spirituality in the Corinthian Church. He admonished the young believers who misunderstood true spirituality and were drifting away into a kind of deception. “What then shall we say, brothers? When we come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for strengthening of the church. (1 Cor. 14:26).” Further to this, Paul says that when someone speaks in a tongue, he must be silent
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and speak to himself and God. (v,27). If anyone prophesies, others must carefully weigh what is being said (29). Here is also a caution: “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of the prophets. (32).” lease do not take me wrong. P I say with such pain and anguish that if not all, most Pentecostal brethren had gone terribly wrong in the above mentioned areas. If we think that traditional or denominational churches do not get into ecstatic gibberish as the Pentecostals do, they have their own baggage of spiritual deception. It is more subtle and too dangerous than the rest! But in many of the Pentecostal churches, most of them behave as if they have no control over their spirits. There is lack of clarity in what most of them utter. Pa,pa,pa, ra, ra, ra, sha,sha, sha… .! Does it sound like an intelligent language? There are no two things when it comes to possessing one’s logical reasoning and being truly
spiritual. A spiritual person will conduct himself to be sensible and sensitive to others around him. The assumption is that if you do not utter something irrational, other believers would brand you as one who does not have the gift of speaking in tongues. Is this not deceptive spirituality? Why are we acting like worldly men who would go to any length in order to find approval and acceptance from others? In all our activities called spiritual service, do we assume God to be present? God is in fact grieved. We try to manipulate with what we say and sing songs that are fragmented. We do not tend to complete our sentences which would other wise make full sense. In between we utter (rather yell): Alleluia, praise the Lord. The song loses its melody and the beauty of the message is lost. We end up messing up something beautiful that could have been a sweet smelling fragrance to God. Who does it? Generally,
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it a young leader who happens to be a soft-ware engineer or a corporate HR consultant. Hasn’t he lost his common sense? When it comes to spirituality, is there no sense or sensibility at all? Paul reminds Corinthian believers: “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (v.33). In most worship centres, the enactment of praise can be compared to Shakespeare’s words in Macbeth: “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Be it any denomination, if we have not learned to offer a song fully and sweetly to the exalted King and our Lord, we are not yet ready for heaven. Any pastor or a worship leader who carelessly messes up the whole aspect of worship must diligently visualize by studying the scene of worship in heaven through the chapters of 4 & 5 of the Book of Revelation. Those who are called to the ministry of shepherding the flock of Christ must ensure
that the sheep find their pasture and that they are led by the “quiet waters.” Quietness is a rare virtue in most charismatic/Pentecostal churches. There is a cultivated fear and the thought of which tells the mind that being quiet is being unspiritual. You must shout, scream, dance, roll down or pushed down…… Aren’t these common occurrences in any given context of the so called ‘Spirit-filled’ Churches today? Where does one find strong Biblical base for doing all of these? We should not be ashamed to call these unchristian practices as spiritual deception. Now there’s also a comment: Graveyard silence, maintained in established churches for any given reason is no cause to express one’s spiritual superiority. Even hymns and songs of praise are sung like a dirge to the music accompaniment of an age-old Pipe Organ. Such worshippers walk away with a sense of superior pride thinking they
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have had the best worship service in the town. This again, is a form of spiritual deception. Have we any time wondered how far each of us have moved away from biblical ethos? Be it our worship, our preaching or any kind of Christian activity. There is definitely something amiss. Jesus told the Samaritan woman: “The Father seeks the kind of worshippers who worship Him in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23). There is so much of Biblical truth is absent in our worship and conduct within (the church) and life and witness without. What must be done? To answer this we must brave ourselves and be prepared to put away every form of spiritual deception which God is not pleased with. God had repeatedly warned the people of Israel that he was not pleased with the offering of rams and other sacrifices. He
detested their playing of music and songs. To God, it was justice that seemed important. “Let justice roll live a river,” He told through the prophet Amos. (5:24). Check if the following is being observed in your church in keeping with the New Testament pattern upon which our faith rests (Foundational doctrines based on the teachings of Jesus’ and of the apostles) 1) Oneness of spirit 2) Fellowship 3) Apostolic Teaching 4) Breaking of bread 5) Holy Fear 6) Selfless Life 7) Praise and Worship There were few elements that the upcoming churches fail to incorporate in their worship. 1) Corporate
2) 3)
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Confessional Prayer Intercessory Prayer Faith Statements - sound biblical teaching 5
The modern day churches are obviously lacking in the area of sound Biblical foundation. One cannot manage with bit and pieces for too long. Christian ethos, right spiritual values and legacy are the very foundation on which the church must stand. Fear of God and reverence are replaced with shouts of Alleluia and artificial spiritual exercise. There is no place for holy fear in most of these churches. “Let the earth tremble and be silent before Him.” (l Chron.16:30; Hab. 2:20). Is there time allotted for quiet penitence of heart before God? (Ps.51). Should there be all noise and din or would our worship places become sanctuaries of sanctification and sacrifice? Such an initiative by any church will truly pave the way to put aside all forms of spiritual deception. Joshua Dhanabalan.
Does God work in the same pattern today like the daggerdrawn angel who confronted Balaam? We read in the Bible that God does not change which means that His character change not. Does he deal with the erring sinner and saint today? If so, how? God is a God of love, granted. He forgives the repentant sinners, true. But there is a principle operating in this world which is the principle of sowing and reaping. Both the Old and the New Testaments affirm this. A fine believer is in the habit of borrowing money. His urge to get rich makes him do so. He ends up soon as a bankrupt. He is still a believer who messed up with his finances. God still forgives
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him. But the debtor has to pay up his dues as per the law! He may be derided by his financers. Shame and dishonor may cover his face. Would he blame God for that? Does God love him truly? The deeper questions of faith like “Why” or “How Long Lord,” do not apply here! It is a clear case of ‘What a man sows, he reaps!’ J.D. _________________
CRACKING DOWN SPIRITUAL DECEPTION Are you part of a fellowship, worship group or a church that claims exclusive spiritual privileges? For example, do you often hear people around you say that yours is the only ‘Spirit-filled’ church in the locality? Or, the oft-repeat commendation that every one of your congregation members are anointed. Furthermore, that in your church, everyone speaks in tongues! There are miraculous signs and wonders, gifts of prophecy and revelation are found place in your church! Do all these statements appeal to our common sense? Are they sounding logical or pleasant? Yet we might find more and more believers who make such deceptive spiritual claims. Absence of Truth: Spiritual deception finds its due place when we replace scriptural truth. One can conveniently remove the
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mandate of God and bring in man-made conventions. No church is free from this. When truth itself resides no longer in the life of believer, deception become a way of life. External piety takes the place of inward godliness. I know of a certain church which is known for its kind of ‘Sunday Club’ social meeting. One finds opportunities to exhibit the latest apparels, hair-styling, or cat-walking. This again is part of the worship (of self) which goes on week after week. There is mere external show of strength and style found in the choir. But the melody of the hymn is missed out of it. Its message muffled. The pulpit is but a place of sheer experimentation of oratory skills, if not spiritual authenticity. The church continues to worship a crucified Christ. Most of her members have never met the risen Lord. There used to be a bunch of youth notoriously known for their carnal behavior. They had their share
of leadership in the church with all their spiritual deception. Once, they picked up one of their peers and questioned him about his shabby way of dressing. The young man replied: “What’s important is not a branded pair of trousers! God looks on the inside.” We are too concerned about visible exhibits of extravagance. A city full of churches Great preacher, lettered men, Grand music, choirs and organs; If these all fail , what then? Good workers, eager, earnest, Who labour hour by hour; But where, oh where, my brother, Is God’s Almighty power? Refinement, education! They want the very best, Their plans and schemes are perfect They give themselves no rest; They get the best of talent, They try their uttermost, But what they need, brother, Is God the Holy Ghost!
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(Samuel Stevenson).
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Have you been to the following churches? • Extremely conservative and
theologically buttoned-up tight style. • Fairly liberal, what might be called loosely-goosey style. • Highly emotional, informal, answer-back congregations. • Absolutely silent, stoic, straight and stern. • Biblically illiterate…. Not a Bible within gunshot distance. • Well-taught, in fact, almost a classroom atmosphere. • Some have been large, a few huge with multiple balconies. • Others were tiny, only a handful meeting in a home. • Old, hundreds of years old. • A few less than a month in existence. • Some are English seaking.. Others called for translators (Charles R. Swindoll).
It is not so much a problem of what is there as it is a problem of what is missing. There is absolute absence of spiritual truthfulness. I hope it is becoming quite clear to the reader as to what I am
attempting to say. Young or old, great or small Churches – all compete one over the other trying to be spiritual in one sense or the other. I visit places either as an evangelist, a discipleship trainer or a pastor. At times I am in for a rude shock when I go from place to place visiting new churches. Since I work across various denominational barriers and boundaries, it is easier to locate where things go wrong. Pastors of certain independent Churches work in companies and corporate sectors throughout the week. I know of Car Sellers, Real Estate promoters and businessmen who are into pastoral ministry. Instantaneously, they have a defense mechanism to reply any query as to the above criticism is this: “Paul was a tent-maker!” they seem to be saying. “I sacrifice my time in caring for my church in spite of my busy schedule God has given me a vision and burden to start a church”. They have their own justification. Those
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of us in full-time ministry knew well that our time is taken by various contingencies that arise unexpectedly. On the other hand, there are those who work in colleges, schools and companies have sincerely and devotedly spend their time in teaching the Word of God, counseling young believers and involving themselves in various activities of the ministry. They spend their time and money on a voluntary basis without running a ministry or Church of their own. This is commendable. Absence Of Ethics And Morality: We serve a God who is holy and just. He is a God of righteousness. This means we clearly draw out lines between right and wrong. God cannot tolerate wrong doing of those who deceive the Body of Christ in the name of serving Him. As mentioned before, one is tired of finding outward piety than inner fruitfulness. Jesus said: “Do not be like the hypocrites. When you go to
pray, go into your closet. Look up to God and pray in secret (unknown to men). And God will reward you openly.” This inner secretive communion is unknown to many spiritualists of the Christian church. If at all they do, ‘they blow the trumpets,’ of their so-called spiritual activities. Jesus reminded his listeners through His parable teaching and showed how the leaven quietly works its way through the dough. Kingdom’s people must be aware of this. The principles of the Kingdom of God work diametrically opposite to the values of the world. Unfortunately, anything that is called “spiritual” is out there for public spectacle. Anything spiritual nowadays is identified with Concerts, Stage-shows, Choreography, Music and Dance. This is 21st century spiritual deception. Do we provide impetus or give importance to the aspect of “Quiet Retreats” where one communes with Heavenly
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Father who responds openly to the seeking soul? Man needs quietness more than anything these days. Man’s heart is like the waves of the sea. It is tossing back and forth. It brings out froth, foam and dirt. As often as possible, one must allow the self to a process of inner cleansing. “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength”. ‘You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast in you (Isa. 26:3; 30:15). St. Augustine said: “Our hearts are restless, until they find rest in Thee.” In this article, we are not so much addressing or warning against dangerous cults like Jehovah Witnesses or the Mormons who deny the deity and humanity of Christ. We are talking about Bible believing Christians who are being swept into various forms of spiritual deception. When the evil called deception lies in the heart of man, his entire belief system gets corrupt. Perspective of God
is distorted. Purity of heart is plundered by hypocrisy. Such a man may be an evangelist, a pastor or a believer. It may be a simple pastor shepherding a congregation of about 30 members or a senior pastor leading a flock of a Mammoth Cathedral where the congregation members comprise of over 500 families. When both the servants of God fail in terms of the purity of heart, then it is probable that they may air words that are empty, lacking in conviction. Sunday after Sunday, without depth they may put up a show without daily cleansing and purifying of the heart. There is a proverb in Tamil which says: “When the pot is full, the contents come on easily to the spoon.” When one’s life is empty, creating noise through the beating of drums and terming it as being filled with the Holy Ghost is a blasphemy. Yelling, shouting and screaming during a worship service and calling as an acceptable worship to
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the Holy Ghost is nothing but anathema. It makes no difference if one may belong to a church that is Pentecostal, Free, Brethren, Evangelical or Denominational. A mature believer with a discerning heart will quickly make out the moment the preacher goes up to the pulpit to preach. By experience of the Word and personal walk with Christ, he or she would know quickly what comes out of the mouth of the preacher. It would soon become obvious If that word comes from the Lord or of human wisdom. A man or woman who has a continual habit of walking with God and obeying His Word will make a difference through what he/ she preaches. Nevertheless, such a person would make enemies sooner or later. Why? The Bible says: “Men loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19). People are hurt and annoyed when the Word confronts their deceptive
spirituality. On the day of Pentecost, repentant men asked Peter: “Brothers, what should we do?” (Acts: 2:37). Today, people are becoming too spiritual without being repentant. More and more people are testifying about their spiritual experiences that are so weird and has no biblical basis. A Christian must know the difference of being godly and being spiritual. A spiritual person tends to be ungodly in many things. There is a certain kind of spiritual deception that is going on among believers. And that is got to do with selective interpretation of the scriptures. In others words, it is called as convenient interpretation. As often I write in this columns, the issue is not so much to do with the heart. It has to do with appearance! Believers make such big fuss about their external exhibits. Pastors and believers are so material minded that they go on accumulating expensive cell-phones, high-end model
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cars, refrigerators and airconditioners, costly watches and laptops, let alone, the acquiring of immovable properties At most, the selective interpretation of the Scripture to them is: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….My cup overflows…” “Jehovah Jirah, my provider….” In one word: “God Gave It All!” Do we not attach much important to these earthly things in our churches? Worldly and material minded believers and pastors testify in their churches as to their accumulation of wealth to the glory of God! “You send contributions to a our television ministry. You will surely receive fourfold in return.” This is the slogan of the day. What would you call this? Spiritual deception? But our Lord Jesus Christ reminded: “Such things the heathen seek after. But you seek the Kingdom of God”. It is an irony when such believers again use their selective interpretation
to judge an ordinary believer who goes to church wearing a simple ornament and a bunch of flower! It is termed as: “Too worldly!” Spiritual deception indeed! Jesus condemned the Pharisees and said: “You blind guides! You strain the gnat but swallow a camel…” (Matt.23:24). Loosening The Mask: As Christians we must not be ashamed to recognize the fact that we tend to fear man more than God. The Bible declares more than once: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Spiritual wisdom is grossly absent for want of true reverence for God. Outwardly, we make utterances that are not expressions of godly fear. A man or woman who has understood to some extent ( for none of us will ever fully understand God completely), His character or His attributes, he/she would tremble in His presence. Our words would fail before His awesome character. We might prostrate and fall before Him. This is
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how the hymn-writer Edward Perronet penned the words: All Hail The Power of Jesus’ Name! Let Angels prostrate Fall, Bring forth the royal diadem, And Crown Him Lord of all.
We are beginning to see a generation of Christians who show utter disregard and irreverence for God. How can anyone claim superior spirituality when one fails in the basic tenets of faith? In the absence of truthfulness, spiritual deception sets in. We must carefully note that our own spiritual experience does not necessarily validate the truth of God. Instead, the truth of God’s word alone will affirm our experience to be authentic. Any spiritual experience must always be cross checked in the light of the Word of God. The following are some of the claims we use in order to cover up ourselves from fear of men: • Our church is truly Spirit-filled • All of our believers are anointed and possess gifts of the Holy Spirit
• In our church all believers speak in tongues!
We must remind ourselves of this fact. We will always struggle with the relative spiritual standards in this world. There is none – for all have come short of the glory of God. Until the time we see Him face-to-face, we would continue to see things dimly. God’s standards are unattainable, high and lofty. They are incomprehensible and unfathomable. But that is not to mean that we try and lower our standards of godliness and spirituality. a) Being Natural : As humans and yet spiritual, we must never attempt to become weird, abnormal or unnatural. As the Son of Man, Christ with all his humanity attracted men and women to Himself. Children were drawn to Him. Rich and poor, young and old, religious and sinners were all interested to come to Him. What was His secret? His was not using high sounding,
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bombastic words. He was simple, down-to-earth. He ate with sinners. He expressed his thirst and hunger. He said he was lonely and filled with anguish of the soul. But all at the same time, people recognized He was the Son of God. No where do we find the Bible that he pretended to be super-spiritual. But he was hard on those who were deceptively spiritual! b) Being Free : This means becoming free from the fear of men and being free in Christ. Again, a believer must guard himself/herself against the folly of misunderstanding ‘Freedom in the Spirit.’ This does not mean losing one’s control – for the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet ( 1 Cor. 14:32).. c) Being Protected From Attacks and spiritual misadventures: There are many cases of writings by missionary anthropologists and theologians who researched on Demonology
across world and have extensively observed and studied demonic activities among faint-hearted believers who did not possess sound Biblical ground work. Their faith have been both fallacious and fanciful. Men and women were attacked by demonic spirits in the Bible colleges and tarrying meetings where they waited on the Lord to receive “anointing” were in fact possessed by evil spirits. Some have spoken languages which were thought to be “tongues” were in fact utterances of the demons! Read for yourselves the incident of the sons of Sceva in Acts 19:14. d) Being set-free from spiritual illiteracy: Here’s a word of warning to women! This is not an attempt to belittle women. But the fact remains that they are naturally ‘curious’ than being ‘serious’ on spiritual matters. Paul calls them “weak-willed” women,” “always learning but never able to acknowledge the
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truth” (2 Tim.3:6). Please do not get mad on the Apostle Paul either! But the fact remains that women are very responsive to spiritual things. Watch any crusade crowd. The majority of them are women! One knows too well of many Indian women who were duped by the country’s so-called spiritual gurus who are mostly con men who either exploited their women devotees sexually or plundered their personal possessions. In the USA Christian cults have targeted particularly womenfolk into their drag-net of deception. There are also cases of the Christian church, where pastors in the guise of miracle working had taken advantage of women. Both men and women need to be educated and set free from the curse of Biblical illiteracy.
• Persisting in willful sin without genuine repentance. • Deliberately operating under the control of the flesh, terming it Spirit-led. • Unashamed Carnality and Worldliness made to appear as genuine spirituality. • Operating out of human will. • Refusing to face the truth. • Living a lie. • Hiding behind blame or self-pity • Rationalization to justify wrong decisions. • Hypocritical spiritual leadership. Here are some spiritual excuses we should do away with: • I have prayed about it and I believe God led me to do it. (super pious ationalization) • I am forgiven. Grace has covered it all The Lord will use me in a greater way. He understands (accommodation theology). • Even though I may have altered His plan, in the end He will be pleased. (end justifies means). • Nobody’s perfect (universal generalization). • God wants me to be happy (guilt- relieving excuse).
We shall all do well once we are able to grasp what lies beneath every form of spiritual deception. Quickly, let us note down a few things that needs cracking down immediately.
The sooner, it’s better. These things must go. God cannot bless a man or woman who willfully clings on to such things that do not please Him. J.D.
- Charles R. Swindoll.
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I t can be deduced both
from Scriptural view point and Christian experience that our conversion toward Jesus Christ is largely dependent on how we have understood the gospel and the way any individual, church or a group interpreted the essence of the Gospel. To a great extent, our own lives are characterized by those people who led us to Christ. For example, if they happened to be prompt, punctual, orderly, submissive and teachable ( and a lot more),– it is possible that we emulate such traits. Such qualities do not evolve outside the gospel. They usually
become part of the gospel transformation. If a Christian is always found to be lacking in discipline, disorganized or disoriented, but claims to be a prayer warrior, one has doubts about his /her claims. Again, a man or woman who does not possess simplicity or humility but calls himself or herself a Bible teacher or preacher, but shunning away all human contacts that makes him/her proud and arrogant, such a person’s life and doctrine is under scrutiny on the basis of the norms of the Scripture. What would you call that mighty preacher on the pulpit who sounds thunderous while delivering his sermon on Sunday but evades life’s important issues such as equality, justice, fairness of dealing with manto-man? Would that person prove the wisdom of Solomon while caught up with life’s difficult web? When faced with the tough issue of “whose child is this?” would he utilize godly wisdom, draw his sword and deliver judgment with
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justice? Greater than Solomon was He who said to the sinful woman:”Sin no more,” and with that same count uttered this to his own disciple: “Get behind me Satan.” Do we see the point? While the issue of who leads us to Christ remains important, there is a fact that cannot be overlooked - weak babies can also be born out of healthy parents! That settles at rest the issue of why some godly parents do have ungodly children and vice-versa. J.D __________________ Rev. Joshua, Thank you for a wondeful ssue on God’s Provision -keep up the good work as your thoughts expressed in your magazine are the need of the hour Cherian, Chennai
Dear Pastor, I was so blessed to see the photos of Ilakiya and others and how the Lord provides for them. I would like to continue giving for this project (HIV affected). Sister Beulah Abel. Chennai.
Dear Rev. Joshua, Thank you for sending me your publication: Christian Thought Series – March-April 2014. I have read it again and again. It is thought provoking – and I appreciate your effort. Please continue to send me your publication. Renchy Verghese. Chennai
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Dear Friends, There have been many responses from readers either through phone calls/SMS or email. It is encouraging to know the Body of Christ which is blessed and edified across the world. Indeed, it is a joy to find readers from many denominations. We have an online version of this magazine which reaches scores of people beyond the shores of our land. Thank you for encouraging us in this work. However, it terms of number of copies sent out, the responses have been quite poor. we have also done away with the annual subscription
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which is not well responded to from those who receive Christian Thought Series. Some have been receiving the magazine and were blessed for over 10 years. But never did we receive a word of encouragement. Though this may be disheartening, God had always sent a man or woman on time to provide us the needed encouragement and support. The work of God thus goes on! If any of you are prompted by God, kindly share in the work of training men and women in discipleship, evangelistic work or social concerns – particularly with those who are afflicted with HIV-AIDS Please notify change of address, if any. Your contributions may be sent to: Disciples For Christ State Bank of India, kellys Branch, Chennai 10. Savings Bank A/c No.32694836912. IFSC:SBINOO11736/ Branch Code 11736.
A
long
the road in Christian discipleship, we must discover a vital truth. And it is this: That we must never equate reckless sacrifice or wild abandonment to faith in Christ. It is faith that enables us to choose the way of the Cross and not the other way. Faith in heavenly treasures makes a disciple renounce all that are precious to him. Jesus never tells us to sacrifice all our possessions to inherit heavenly treasure. But if we come to grasp the truth that money, cars, property, comforts, prestige, good job are not so much worth compared to what
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God has in store for us, then we would let go of our earthly possessions- if need be. What makes us do that? It is not sacrifice, but faith! We make choices that have far more greater value on the basis of faith – “we fix out eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). The choices we make also indicate our value system. ________________
J.D.
I am a Christian
When I say that “ I am a Christian, I am not Shouting that “I am clean living.” I’m whispering “ I was lost,but now I’m found and forgiven. When I say “ I am a Christian, I don’t speak of this with pride, I’m confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide. When I say “I am a Christian, “ I’m not trying to be strong. I’m professing that I’am weak and need His strength to carry on When I say “I am Christian,” I’m not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it When I say “ I am a christian,” I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name. Whem I say “ I’m just a simple sinner who received God’s good grace somehow!
TRULY ANOINTED!
T
he Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recover of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour (Luke 4:18-19).
O
ne is often weary of repeatedly hearing the word “anointed” in Christian circles. Among the average Christian circles, this is the most misunderstood word. Against the back-drop of Biblical illiteracy each one claims to be anointed. What does the Bible say about anointing? The Old Testament concept of anointing involved the use of oil poured over men or materials. Thus, they were “separated,” “setapart” or “sanctified.” (Ps.133:2; Ex.13, 19, 40). Our Lord Jesus Christ, not only taught on anointing, but demonstrated it. His introduction to the subject on
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‘anointing’ was probably his first sermon in his home town. If you are a preacher, what was your feeling when you first delivered your message? How did people react or respond? But with Jesus it was altogether different. He was full of the power of the Spirit (Lk.4:14). Jesus as the Messiah had the authority to re-interpret the Scriptures. He referred to the prophecy of Isaiah (61:1,2), and claimed that it had made reference to Him alone. His Message: When Jesus spoke, His words were filled with authority. In other words, those words were truly anointed. His message was authentic. The gospels record that when He spoke, people were amazed at his teaching (v.22). The Pharisees and the “teachers of the Law” were too legalistic. In them they were lacking in vitality and Spirit’s power (Mk.1:22). Is our message of Jesus Christ truly authentic? Sad to note among many modern
preachers is the habit of
down-loading messages from the internet. What lies in your heart? If you do not have a message of your own, why surf the internet? You cannot possess a borrowing mentality when it comes to delivering the Lord’s message. In contrast, we find that the Old Testament prophets down-loaded “the burden of the Lord.” It was a message given to them by the anointing of the Spirit. The message was authenticated by the messenger (prophet) into the hearts and minds of God’s people. Their business was to constantly up-load the message for the people to hear it and obey the Lord. If you are a preacher or a pastor, please do not deliver a “cut” and “paste” sermon. Let the message come direct from the Word and your heart filled with compassion and conviction. H is Anointing: Too many believers are misled into fanciful thoughts and wishful thinking on anointing. In the case of our Lord, the
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anointing was a process. As a Son of God, He left behind His splendor and glory to obey His Father’s will (Phil.2:8). He identified himself with the sinful humanity as the Son of Man. We find himself being baptized by John as an act of identification (Matt.3:15,16). Thereafter, he was anointed (v.16b). His anointing was affirmed by the Father (v.17). We find a transition in Chapter 4 of Matthew. Verse one says that he was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Not many believers have the grasp to acknowledge the fact that utter abandonment too is part of the process of anointing. In a sense, Anointing, Affirmation and Abandonment are processes through which a believer must go through. We do not need to show-off our anointing out in the open. Jesus, our Lord was known to be a person meek and mild, prophecy foretold about Him: “He will not cry out nor his
voice will be heard in the streets (Matt.12:19)”. How much of public display and deceit is enacted during worship service or through prayer meetings to show ourselves as very spiritual and anointed? Is this not a form of spiritual deception? If our Lord is the model, let us learn humility from Him alone. Jesus never showcased his spiritual exercises of fasting or praying. He kept them as very personal and private. But his sonship and anointing involved loneliness, suffering and death on the cross. None of us ever want to die to ourselves. But we seek after painless anointing. To experience anointing of the Spirit, one must go through “wilderness experience.” His Preaching The Good News: What are the elements involved in Jesus’ preaching? It involved the “poor” (in the spirit – Matt.5:3). This meant that those with brokenness, contrition and
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simplicity of sprit are blessed to be heirs of God’s kingdom. The proud and the arrogant missed out on the grace of God, while the humble received the grace of God. In Jesus’ ministry, tax-collectors, prostitutes and sinners found joy and hope through his preaching. “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near,” he preached. The door of heaven closes on those who are selfreliant, proud and arrogant. They are those who generally tend to reject the gospel. His Proclamation of Freedom: Sin’s long-last bondage was finally broken when Christ spoke His last words on the cross: “It is finished.” Man finds freedom in Christ alone. The burden of sin is lifted at Calvary. The greatest problem that humanity suffers from is its enslavement to sin. Sin pervades all through our homes, neighbourhood, even our churches. It is only those who appropriate the atoning death of Christ enjoy freedom from the bondage of sin. Jesus
knew that He was sent to the world as the “Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.” In our gospel presentation, all of these truths must be made clear to the hearers. There is no other way by which a man may be saved from the bondage of sin. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12, Phil.2:10). His Provision of Sight: Speaking to the unbelieving Jews in John 9:40,41, Jesus implied that they were blind spiritually. Their claims of merely calling them as God’s children without obedience to the truth did not provide them good spiritual sight. Those who believed in his words, began to realize that their spiritual eyes were opened. It is possible for a man or woman called as religious to lose sight of the reality of truth. One can be a prominent member of a church and yet be living in falsehood. “We are Abraham’s descendants,” were the claims of the Jews. Nevertheless, they rejected the Messiah. There is a difference between
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those who boldly affirm: “We know” and those who with humility confess: “Lord, help my unbelief. Let me be able to see the truth.” It the latter that finds God’s mercy. His Release To The Oppressed: Jesus knew well the effect of sin on people’s lives. As the Son of Man he was moved with compassion when He saw them weary and oppressed. He said: “Come to me all who are weary and are heavy laden. I will give you rest. (Matt.11:28)” Humanity is burdened with the oppression of Satan’s enslavement. The Bible says that Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil (l John 3:8)”. The power of darkness reigns in the depth of human heart. Jesus came in order to set the captives free. Spiritual bondage and oppression is a common phenomenon one can find even among Christians. One of the manifestations of spiritual oppression is fear. It is not uncommon to find even well-meaning Christians caught up in the grip of some
fear. They fear about almost everything. They imagine things and become fearful. They are those who fear about future, fear about safety and security of one’s family, fear of failing health or finances. The power of darkness is such that it can keep people under the spell its oppression. God can provide deliverance from Satan’s oppression through the power of the cross. Will our proclamation of this gospel bring release to those oppressed by the devil? How powerful is the gospel we proclaim? (l Cor.1:18). His Proclamation
of
The Lord’s Favour:
Men and women become recipients of God’s mercy and compassion through the effects of the gospel. Total deliverance is realized when the gospel sets people at liberty. Jesus said: “Then, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). When darkness and hopelessness reigns in the heart of man, the gospel ushers in the hope of God’s
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favour. Every believer must fully recognize the vitality and the efficacy of the gospel. The gospel transcends every race, language or culture. Today, many of us stand as living witnesses to this transformation which the gospel of Jesus Christ had brought about. Imagine, what or where we would have been if we have not known Christ? His mercy and grace are new every morning. God’s love is steadfast and it never changes. Whenever a sinner turns to Christ, this favour is enjoyed by him or her. The effects of the gospel are both temporal and eternal. In essence, here is the Gospel Call. We are called to both declare and demonstrate the way Jesus proclaimed the gospel. Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these..(John 14L12)”. Dear friend, have you been involved in telling people what the gospel of Jesus Christ
meant to you? Have you had the joy of sharing this Good News to those who never heard it? Why not, find some good gospel tracts and sharing it with love to your neighbours? We have a responsibility to explain why we believe in the gospel ( 1 Pet. 3:15). The very fact that you and I remain as believers is because many men and women obeyed God’s call as missionaries and evangelists in the last 20 centuries and proclaimed the gospel traversing geographical boundaries of the earth. The Great Commission: Our Lord’s command to “Go and Make Disciples..” involves the proclamation of the gospel sensibly whereby people are set at liberty from spiritual bankruptcy, bondage, blindness and the burden of enslavement. Can people say that we are anointed and full of the Holy Spirit while proclaiming the Gospel? There is no place of spiritual deception here! J.D.
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THOUGHTS ON TITHING: OUR ATTITUDE TO MATERIAL THINGS (Excerpts from –The Way by Dr. E. Stanley Jones)
How can we relate life to the material, so that the material becomes an investment instead of an incubus? The material can be a weight or it can be wings; it can make us sigh or make us sing. A prosperous farmer gave three dollars a year to the church for many years. As he was signing the usual three-dollar cheque, the pastor remarked very quietly: “I wonder why God doesn’t paralyse your arm as you sign that. You ought to give five hundred dollars now as a thank offering.” Those blunt words struck straight home. The men knelt in the barnyard and the farmer surrendered himself and his money to God. He told his wife what had happened, and she replied: “I’ve been praying for that for years.” He gave three fivehundred –dollar gifts that year. His whole soul was loosed.
He was a free man and happy. In order to bring the material relationships of life under the control of the WAY, perhaps you will decide to take the following steps: 1) I have decided that God is owner. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” I have been acting as if I were owner, in other words, as if I were God. But I’m not God; God is God. I abdicate; He takes the throne. God is owner, and I am ower. “The government shall be upon his shoulder” – not mine. I obey. That relationship is pegged down. That is our starting point from where which we work out. 2) will set aside one tenth of my income as acknowledgment of His ownership. This does not discharge my total obligation in the matter, but it does set aside a portion as a symbol, a symbol of God’s total ownership. Just as one pays rent as acknowledgment
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of the ownership of the owner, so I pay one-tenth as acknowledgment of God’s ownership over the remaining nine tenths. 3)The remains nine tenths still belong to God and must be used under his guidance. I believe that His will is always my highest interest, that He is not out looking for a chance to impoverish, but seeking to enrich me. So I look for His guidance, not grudgingly but gladly. O God, my gracious Father, Thou who dist make me to live in a body, and who dost will that Soul and body may accord well, help me to get my material relations straight, so that I shall make the material not an enemy to be fought but an ally to be sought. Help me to find Thee in my material relationships. In Jesus’ name. Amen. (Those who are young in Christ would do well if they take care in following the above guidelines- Editor).
Some people are too concerned about the things of God. They are too passionate and involve themselves hastily in to such things that belongs to those holy hands that are solely “set-apart” for the work of God. There are many people who may be skilled or gifted. But God had not called all of them based on their merit. It is that lump of clay that God chooses to design as a pot . That alone becomes the “chosen vessel.” Make sure that God has called you to do this or that. The grace of God does not mean that God can be put up with anything. . Without knowing your limitation, do not try to stretch your hands too far in order to protect the ark of God. God is omnipotent and sovereign. There are some things that He alone can accomplish for His glory. J.D.
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WHITHER SPIRITUALITY?
Against
the back drop of countless activities that are going on in the name of Christian spirituality, it is time we talk stock of every form of subtle deception that is lurking in and around the church and Christian homes. The Word of God declares: “ Where there is no vision, people perish.(Prov. 29:18)” It means that people are lacking in direction and inward sight. Like flocks of sheep, they can be led only by a shepherd. This does not mean that we do away with legitimate form of spiritual leadership. There is a kind of herd mentality among many Christians. They seek direction from human leaders rather than from the Word of God. They look for details of spiritual direction from the so called spiritual counselors. Chaos Or Clarity? The Bible says that God is not the author of confusion. Christians have confused godliness with spirituality. In other words, a person supposedly spiritual must be godly. By being spiritual, one thinks he or
she possesses extraordinary spiritual experiences or capabilities. Today’s preachers claim to be spiritual in that they allegedly exhibit their gifts of healing, exorcising evil spirits or manifesting extra-spiritual powers such as seeing visions, their experience of having a casual conversation with Christ, enjoying a quick trip to heavenly realms and many more such revelations. Behind all of these beliefs, biblical illiteracy stands out as a strong barrier to true understanding of God and knowing Him intimately. When Paul uttered the words: “That I may know him.. (Phil. 3:10)”, he was talking about an extraordinary spiritual experience that many men during his life time may not have understood. Further, Paul talked about his experiences of having been taken into the third heaven (2 Cor. 12). Not many of us would ever experience or imagine the mystery of such spiritual adventure that Paul had. But he also goes on to talk about his thorn in the flesh in
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the same chapter. His suffering was something that was beyond his strength to endure. A lesson we must bear in mind is that a spiritual giant can be a simple human being who goes through every form of suffering that is common to man. Today’s preachers say that coming to Christ is the end of all forms of suffering. This again is a deceptive form of spirituality. Nowhere does the Bible teach this. Jesus said: “You will have trouble in this world.” Crown Without Cross: Today’s teaching safely eliminates the cross from Christian discipleship. Such preachers are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Christ chose the way of the cross. The apostle Peter reminds that every Christian must tread the path which Christ has trodden ( l Pet. 2:21). To teach that Christ had done away with the curse of sin on the cross does not mean that bodily suffering is totally removed from a believer’s life. Teachings such as these are false and highly misleading and a mature Christians must recognize where the
interpretation of the scripture is twisted. Before Peter was transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, he denied Christ. More so, was his refusal to Christ when he was told that Christ was to suffer and die on the cross. Jesus rebuked him and used very strong language, saying: “Get behind me, satan.” When cross is removed from Christian discipleship, those who remain in the church are no more Christ’s disciples, but devotees! Inward Spirituality Vs Outside Activiity: More and more people are becoming too spiritual nowadays. By this I mean, that they seek after God outside their spheres. This kind of “outside spirituality” does not bring much health to the soul. In fact, much of spiritual wanderings bring toxic effect on one’s spirit. “Call on me, I will answer,” “Seek me, you shall find me,” (Jer. 29:13; 33:3; Ps.91:5), are all promises of scripture in knowing God inwardly. Not many people are interested in seeking God earnestly in private. In the quietness of our spirits, we find
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Him where ‘deep calls deep.’ To many modern day Christians spirituality is a public spectacle. Somehow, they cannot stay indoors. They are those who frequent meetings, crusades and revelation retreats. One needs to watch closely their general activities – first as humans and then as transformed Christians. Often times, it is discouraging to find such believers fail to exhibit human touch of love and compassion that finds its due place in a far better way among non-Christians. Why is this? Can one be too spiritual and fail to be earthly? Jesus was the Son of God who communed with His Father. He enjoyed uninterrupted spiritual fellowship through prayer. Nevertheless, when it came to human need, he did not hesitate to reach out immediately. If you think, Christian life is all about preaching and listening to endless video tapes of preachers, you are terribly mistaken. Here is what James says: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows
in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (Jas. 1:27).” Again, one must not be misled into thinking that social gospel is the way to salvation. The Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace and not through works. Our good works are the fruits or the positive effect of our knowing God. Carnality Or Spirituality? I get spiritually disturbed when Christian youngsters flock to a darkly-lit auditoriums where smoke is pumped in a filmy style! There they ‘perform’ instead of being informed or instructed. It is where the ‘spiritual acrobats’ come on stage to enact their play which has no spiritual significance. There are not many who do not know Christ personally. Many young leaders keep saying that young men and women are brought in with the sole purpose of providing them a platform so there could be ways of exposing them to the gospel. But when and where gospel is shared? How well the gospel is explained to them?
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How are they being mentored as disciples? The crowds go back the way they came, only to return next time! We must pity the recurring state of Christian entertainment. Do we try to evangelize or share Christ out of our fleshly efforts? This is a modern day fallacy to seek Christ through stage-shows, sound and light festivities. Many city churches run a Sunday service megashows. But Christ is not found to be present in many of these places. I am aware of many Christian young men and women who generally have plenty of money throng together as fellowship groups in expensive restaurants. They are those who cannot express their love and kindness to their own parents. There is nothing wrong in meeting and enjoying a good dinner with friends once in a while. But a regular habit of frequenting expensive hotels is a sin. Would that money be spent in educating a poor child? Or would that time be profitably spent in caring the
sick or the aged? The Bible says: My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).. Commitment To Families: This kind of problem exists not only with the young people. Adults who are supposed to be responsible in their own homes, apart from their jobs are found to be too “out-going” nowadays. These are days when organizations run conferences or seminars entitled: “Women of Worth.” But one must visit their homes and quickly assess their cup-boards, kitchen shelves and refrigerators to ascertain if they are indeed women of worth. One can collect bagful of garbage or handful of cockroaches. “ Well, women of worth do not have time for all this! After all, they are career women. They are successful in their offices. Aren’t they worthy before God? Do not belittle them. They are created in God’s image”. Isn’t this a kind of deceptive message the preacher brings to such meetings? Have you ever read the life of Susanna Wesley? If not, please
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read the biography of Susanna Wesley The church around the world, that knows her life, calls Free copies of CHRISTIAN her blessed. She indeed, is a THOUGHT SERIES can be had woman of worth. from the following Christian Today’s older women are literature centres: computer savvy and career C.LS. PARK TOWN – oriented. They have time for CHENNAI- TAMIL NADU internet chat or posting updates C.L.S. ERNAKULARM – on FB. How much of time do they have reading their Bibles? Do they have the desire to pray? Not many of them show excellence in home-making or house keeping. Many of them do not know how to fix a good meal for their family so as to make them happy. In many homes, men happen to be cooks and care-takers! We have come a long way in acquiring knowledge. There seems to be enough of exposure in terms of acquiring biblical knowledge too. Unfortunately knowledge puffs up oneself. Godly wisdom and discernment continues to be the need of the hour both in Christian church and homes. J.D.
KERALA. CHRISTIAN LITERATURE CENTRE – GUWAHATI – ASSAM OPERATION MOBILIZATION – CHENNAI INSPIRIE INDIA (Lion & Lamb) , PURASAWALKAM, CHENNAI WORD OF CHRIST – KILPAUK, CHENNAI CHRISTIAN BOOKS AND MUSIC WORLD, KILPAUK, CHENNAI GLS (GOSPEL LITERATURE SERVICE) MUMBAI WORD CENTRE, KUMARAPATNAM (KARNATAKA) CSI HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, OOTY.
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