Sathyavani
The Voice of Truth
What God Calls Beautiful? Biblical Submission
Touch From The Lord
- Supernatural Corner
Trumpet Call The Accuracy of Biblical Prophecy
For Private Circulation Only
EL-BETHEL ENDTIME MISSIONS
EL-BETHEL ENDTIME MISSIONS “We can preach the gospel in the regions far beyond you without boasting about things already accomplished by someone else.” 2 Corinthians 10:16 FOUNDER - PRESIDENT R. Christopher Arulanand FOUNDER - DIRECTOR Dr. Santha Christopher EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR M. Sheridon Vedhavinod OVERSEER - MISSIONS B. Paul Deepak (West) Charles Aaron (South) NATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR Santhosh Kumar OVERSEER - EVANGELISM & MISSIONARY TRAINING Jones Sukumar D. MANAGER - OPERATIONS H. Dinesh ASSOCIATE - OPERATIONS Franklin Jayaraj C0-0RDINATOR - FACILITIES Jude Almeida C0-0RDINATOR - MEDIA Ashwin Christopher ADVISORY CONSULTANT Ajit Christopher
About Us El-Bethel Endtime Missions was started in the year 2000 in obedience to God’s divine mandate to plant churches and raise leaders all over India. In the last fourteen years the Lord has enabled us to make mission trips to various parts of North India especially the states of Bihar, Jharkand, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Andaman Islands, Meghalaya and also our neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Srilanka. These visits have truly been a catalyst for us to take the Gospel to the unreached. We are involved in training missionaries, planting churches, establishing Bible College learning centres, releasing Gospel CD’s and publishing Magazine and literatures. OUR MISSION STATEMENT The Goal of El-Bethel Endtime Missions is to plant churches among various ethnic groups in India by pioneering into virgin territories, especially in the Northern parts of India where mission work has been impervious, raise and equip leaders to preach the truth and prepare the church for the coming of the Lord Jesus. We take the word of God to the regions beyond you! ‘Sathyavani’ is a quarterly magazine published by Grace & Joy Media.
Cover Photo: Sunset in Seattle, USA by Ashwin Christopher Photo Credits: Ashwin Christopher Proof Reading: Benny Sathish Design: Aswini Moorthy
CONTENTS
(October to December 2014)
6 Missions Trail
God Qualifies the Called!
Word for the Season Remember Lot’s Wife
8 You want me to what?
16 Delivered from Drugs & Death Testimony of Paul Deepak
Pursuing Biblical Submission in a Hostile World
19
4
18
5
20
9
20
9
21
Founders’ Desk El-Bethel Endtime Missions Strange But True On Your Knees
10 11
Supernatural Corner
Missions Report
Real Life Anecdotes Story Power Cerebrating Thought Provoking Quotes Trumpet Call
22
Health Tips
22
National News
From the
Founders’ Desk Dear Beloved in Christ, It seemed as though the year 2014 just started and how fast time has whizzed past on swallow’s wings that we have come to the beginning of another year - 2015. It has been an eventful year with wars, rumours of war, famine, earthquakes, violence, bloodshed and intriguing disasters – all that this world could possibly offer. Yet, when Christ is in our vessel it doesn’t really matter, as we are safe inspite of the tempestous times. God is so faithful and is in control of our lives that we can say ‘Ebenezer – Thus far the Lord has helped us’ (1 Samuel 7:12), and will also lead us in the year 2015 – no matter what happens around us. May the peace of Christ richly dwell in your hearts as you enter the new year and may He reveal to you what He expects from your lives, that at the end of 2015 you would have done His perfect will. “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority now and forever” – Jude 24,25. Stay blessed! In His Service, Christopher Arulanand & Dr. Santha Christopher. El-Bethel Endtime Missions is a registered trust. Contact Details: Dr. Santha Christopher Phone : +91 44 25982924, Mobile : +91 9840785048 E-mail : elbethelfire@hotmail.com M. Sheridon Vedhavinod Phone : +91 44 25982924, Mobile : +91 9840482232 E-mail : elbethelmissions@gmail.com Volume 1, Issue 4
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EL-BETHEL ENDTIME MISSIONS (EBEM)
Our Focus 1. Missionary Training – Pastors & Mission Leaders. Our Missionary Training Centre started at the EBEM Head Office in Chennai is involved in training Pastors, Evangelists and Mission Leaders. Those who have a passion for ministry are thoroughly equipped to serve God in line with their calling. Devotions are conducted every day and preaching techniques are taught in the Great Commission Lab – a training program providing preaching guidelines to equip the trainees to be engaging and powerful preachers/teachers of the Word. As a part of their training program, trainees are posted in one of our developed churches at the mission fields (North India/South India) to assist the leaders and have a practical experience on Evangelism and Witnessing. After a period of time, the trainees are sent as missionaries to their respective mission fields where the Holy Spirit leads them to start the pioneering work of planting churches.
2. King of Glory Sanctuaries – Church Planting Movement. Our Goal is to penetrate into virgin territories and plant churches all over India. So far the Lord has enabled us to plant 10 churches across various states of India - West Bengal, Goa, Assam and Tamil Nadu.
3. El-Bethel Bible College – Conducting Diploma Courses. Our Goal is to establish learning centres and teach the word of God to both laymen and ministry inclined students. The Lord has opened doors for us to set up 12 Bible College learning centres across India since its inception in 2001. So far 397 students have successfully graduated from our Bible College from 17 regular batches and 5 distance learning batches. Presently, we have 8 ongoing batches with 178 students studying in our learning centres established in Chennai, Kangayam, Coimbatore and Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu, and Ribandar in Goa.
4. Grace & Joy Media – Gospel Media &
Literature Ministry. Our Goal is to develop and publish Books, CDs and DVDs to communicate the Gospel. The Sathyavani Magazine is also published by Grace and Joy Media. Sathyavani
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Word for the Season
Remember Lot’s Wife (Luke 17:32)
W
hen God pronounced His final judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed the infamous cities. In its ruins near Mount Sodom, today stands another amusing column believed to be a ‘pillar of salt’. Jesus cites this disturbing story to His disciples and concludes with three powerful words, “Remember Lot’s Wife” (Luke 17:32).
Remember Lot’s Wife (Luke 17:32)
When many thousands had died in Sodom, why only remember Lot’s wife?
In all of Sodom and Gomorrah, God had decided to spare only Lot’s family from facing His irrepressible wrath. Lot received a divine angelic visitation, summoning to prepare his household to leave the vicious city. Beyond any doubt, Lot’s wife was chosen by God to escape the near approaching disaster. She knew God and responded to the warning of the angels but her only struggle was in leaving behind all her possessions to be burnt up in smoke. Lot was a rich man; at the same time Bible credits him to be righteous. However, unlike Noah, he failed miserably to redeem his family in spite of God’s mercy. He tried persuading his sons–in–law to join him in the flight but to them, he seemed to be joking (Genesis 19:14–16). The clock was ticking and God was in a hurry to unleash His fury on the wicked world but Lot, still unprepared was found lingering in Sodom. The whole story of Lot is rehearsed Half way out of Sodom with against the backdrop of the Second Comhalf a heart. ing of our Lord Jesus Christ. As a word of caution to His followers, Jesus recalls Lot’s wife who shockingly lost her soul when she had the opportunity to save herself. She disobeyed God’s command and looked back. As Jesus rightly said, ‘For where your treasure is there your heart will be also’, the heart of Lot’s
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Remember Lot’s Wife (Luke 17:32)
wife was tied to the materialistic world of Sodom and Gomorrah. She was half way out of Sodom but only with half a heart. It seemed like she was leaving behind her house, livestock and all her wealth for a better world which God had prepared beyond the mountains but soon stumbled at her own madness. Hence at the crossroads of Sodom, the tragic life of Lot’s wife stands as an epitome of disgrace for generations to come. As we have closed another year, the return of our Lord Jesus Christ also draws closer. This story comes as a wake-up call to all the Christians, whose hearts are still entangled in the perishing pursuits of this world. Drawing a parallel from Lot’s wife, Jesus told His hearers, “He who is on the housetop should not go down to take his goods… let him not turn back”, because the greatest test on that day for each one is to save his own soul (Luke 17:31). Dear child of God, the truth from this passage (Luke 17:26 – 36), serves as a dreadful reminder that even the elect can miss out on that Great day of His coming. Some Christians are like Lot’s wife: they know that Sodom is reserved for fire but can’t help falling in love with it. God couldn’t save Lot’s whole family because of their individual choices.
It would be a grave mistake to assume that His grace alone is enough to get us to heaven regardless of how we live on earth.
When we have the true knowledge of God’s character we come to understand that God’s mercy and grace reaches a tipping point when God’s judgment begins. It would be a grave mistake to assume that His grace alone is enough to get us to heaven regardless of how we live on earth. Christians who have failed to sever the connection from this present world are never prepared to leave for a better world. At the beginning of this new year, instead of looking back at the things gone by, lets start looking up to Jesus. He is coming very soon (Maranatha)! May this year bring you closer to Him than ever before! Images Downloaded from: https://dangitbill.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/sodom.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/MountSodom061607.jpg
Sheridon Vedhavinod is a software professional who obeyed the call of God in his life to enter God’s ministry in 2003. He is a gifted Bible teacher, gospel singer and Pastor of King of Glory Sanctuary, Chennai. He serves as Executive Director in El-Bethel Endtime Missions. He is also a member of the gospel quartet - The New Covenant Singers. Sathyavani
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Missions Trail
G
ladys Aylward from the suburbs of London wanted to become a missionary to China – a land governed by communistic ideologies which fiercely opposed the spread of the Gospel. The desire to be a missionary was birthed when Gladys heard about the dire need of missionaries to China. She knew that the call of God upon her life was imminent. Her stint at the China Inland Missionary School turned out to be a regrettable experience. Gladys failed in her Bible class and as an older woman she was not eligible to be a missionary. Resolute and obedient to her call she decided to act upon it on her own. Gladys encountered her first obstacle when she did not have ninety pounds for the ticket to China since it was thirty times more than all the money she had. She took the risk of booking the cheapest fare – which included an overland travel through Germany, Poland, Siberia that finally passed through the war zone between Russia and China. Could the splatter of blood and bullets quell her desire of serving God as a missionary? A few days later, her journey was brought to an abrupt halt at Siberia due to the ongoing war she had been warned about. To her utter dismay, Gladys was forced to walk alone thirty miles back to the nearest station braving the cold icy winds and without food. Yet Gladys prayed “I want to go to China to serve You Lord, don’t let me die here”. Famished and weakened by the thirty hour ordeal, she arrived at Chita station only to be arrested by Russian officials. She was in their custody for several days as they took her to be a machinist in the military and not a missionary. Gladys feared that she might have to remain in these iron fetters for life. Amidst all the gloom, her focus was drawn to Nehemiah 4:14 – “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, Great and Awesome”. Miraculously she was able to escape from the grip of the Soviets and her entry to China soon became a reality. Gladys sailed across to her final destination to become a missionary to the Chinese people as she had envisioned! Gladys is the epitome of how God uses someone of meagre means and abilities when there is a wholehearted yielding to His Spirit. In the words of Bill Hamon, ‘God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called’. Her faithfulness to God’s vision saw thousands turn to Christianity in China during her lifetime. by Jude Almeida Images downloaded from: 1. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ejZb_Ovsj-8/Ult1ngtAJUI/AAAAAAAAFjI/OpPnrYLLo80/s1600/034_01_0143_Creation.jpg 2. http://missionzones.org/content/uploads/gladys1.jpg 3. https://www.stepmap.de/landkarte/gladys-aylward-s-reise-nach-china-1381511.png, Volume 1, Issue 4
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Strange But True STONE PELTING FESTIVAL
to appease goddess kali
In Dhami village, Shimla at a Hindu
temple, devotees of goddess kali celebrate a century old unique ritual - stone pelting festival. The celebration occurs a day after Diwali (festival of lights) a festival that symbolizes victory of good over evil. The adherents pelt stones against each other until they bleed and the blood is then offered to the goddess kali that brings good luck and fortune. The young member of the Royal Family, Jagdeep Singh, said that the festival was instituted by a queen to replace the event of human sacrifice since it was practised earlier during this celebration. The local administration tried to appease the violent outburst of the villagers but to no avail as they were adamant and continued to engage in the stone pelting rage.
Source: 1. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-shimla-celebrates-traditional-stone-pelting-festival-to-appease-goddess-kali-2029025, 2.http://dunyanews.tv/indexphp/en/World/242326-Indias-stonepelting-festival-leaves-many-injured Image downloaded from: 1.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Dhami_From_Jyun_Ki_Dhaar.jpg 2. http://img.dunyanews.tv/images/userfiles/Simla.jpg
Stand Strong When the kingdom of darkness And the kingdom of light, Hover over a man and begin to fight-
On Your Knees
One to destroy, The other to restore; One to bring him to an end, The other to complete. Oh Man! Bow to the other in Whose power and might Thou can be sure Thou shall never lose a fight. For in discerning right from wrong, It’s on your knees that THOU STAND STRONG!
- Nathaniel Frederick
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Supernatural corner
I
am Besmardimo da Costa of Portuguese descent, married to a Goan and residing in Goa, India. From my early years I have been an ardent follower of the Roman Catholic faith. I was financially sound and well settled in life with children married and living abroad. Just when I thought all was well, the sudden turn of events took me downhill. One day when I visited the beach in Goa for a sunbath, I developed an allergy in my feet which rapidly spread to both my legs resulting in severe edema up to my knees. What seemed initially as a common allergy soon became alarming. We consulted many doctors, spent a lot of money for the treatment but to no avail. The allergy intensified, the itching sensation worsened and no medication could bring any relief for the past eleven years. I met two men of God from El-Bethel Endtime Missions who shared about God’s power through Jesus Christ. Even though I hailed from a Roman Catholic home, I never heard or experienced this miraculous power. I was led to ask the gentlemen to pray for me, something which I never did in my entire life. To my great astonishment I was instantly
healed of the itching sensation. My joy had no bounds when I was relieved of this condition. Later, I was invited to attend a seminar on End Times and Eternal Judgment and was eager to learn more about God’s Truth. After the seminar, the man of God prayed for my healing. I sensed a warm feeling all over my body. Though there wasn’t any further tangible result immediately, I knew I received a touch from God. That very same night, my healing was complete as my legs were restored to normalcy. In Mark 5:25–34, we read about a woman with the issue of blood for twelve years. She had suffered many things from many physicians and also considered as unclean by her community. When she heard about the Greatest Physician in town, she was determined to touch Him. Pushing through the bustling crowd, she reached out with all her effort to touch the hem of Christ’s garment. Out of her desperation and dire need, she exercised her faith to receive her healing and she wasn’t denied of it indeed. No matter how adverse the situation may be, our only hope amidst all hopelessness is JESUS CHRIST. For He is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. Praise be to His Name.
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GOA
MINISTRY REPORT
An article published by India Today on sex & mafia on the cocaine coast reveals some disturbing facts about Goa. Sinful pleasures are available at Goa’s dusk-to-dawn beach parties. These take place at the 320 beach shacks on a three kilometer sanSanity Amidst dy stretch of North Goa, which is a haven for drug Chaos pushers. Sex is an organized market run by the mafia and women traffickers from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Nearly 10,000 Russians who live in north Goa in small enclaves that are dubbed ‘Little Russia’ by the locals are turning Goa into a global prostitution hub. They say, “Sin is our way to salvation. Sex for cash, gambling, orgies, drugs and homosexuality, we do it all”. Just a couple of kilometers away from the shores of sin, a church has been planted by Ps. Paul Deepak in a place called Porvorim in North Goa. For the last one and a half years, Ps. Deepak has tirelessly worked among the Goan community to take the life changing message of Christ into their broken and depraved lives. Currently, thirteen people who have experienced true conversion gather every Sunday morning to worship. Through healing and prophetic ministry the Lord is touching many lives in Goa and souls are being added to this house church. Prayer Focus:
1. Young generation- most of them are addicted to drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality and gambling. Pray that God will deliver them from their addictions. 2. Majority of the Christians deceived and are being drifted away because of lack of knowledge of the Word of God. Pray that the Lord will raise more truthful and God fearing disciples of Jesus Christ.
WEST BENGAL Darkness looms over the church
It was one of those depressing moments for the church in West Bengal as they lost a faithful believer, Rupa Patra in the month of November due to a terminal illness. The true cause of the death was primarily because of the awful deprivation of medical assistance in these villages. It was reported that the people have no proper hospital facilities or treatment available and the standards of hygiene of these slum dwellers are abysmally low. This is the second death that’s happened in the last two months and it has caused the church to suffer under the lash of the locals. Rumours are being spread that the fearsome wrath of their gods have killed the Christian converts. It has been a testing time for the church in West Bengal as it continues to thrive without much support under these unfavourable conditions. Prayer Focus: Out of 110 villages our missionaries have preached the gospel in 20 villages. Pray that the Lord would bring salvation to the strong willed Bengalis and also provide for their basic amenities as the people grapple to survive in the midst of abject poverty. Sathyavani
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START OF A NEW SEASON Inagurating Learning Centres at various places
El-Bethel Bible College
By the grace of God, this quarter we achieved a new milestone by inaugurating two more EBBC Learning Centres in Tamilnadu, at Coimbatore and Thiruvarur. The Learning Centre in Ratnapuri, Coimbatore was launched on October 2nd where eight students, showing great eagerness to study the Word of God, Ps. Charles Aaron addressing the students with a power point presentation at enrolled for the Diploma in Biblical Studies (DBS). the Inaugural service in Coimbatore.
Ps. Santhosh at the EBC Learning Centre, Thiruvarur. Ps. Dominic Co-ordinator, Thiruvarur.
Mr. Reethan who is studying DBS through distance education created awareness in the local churches at Thiruvarur about our Bible College and with the help of Ps. Nathaniel canvassed to bring in 25 students to join the course in this new locale. The Learning Centre was inaugurated on November 14th by Ps. Santhosh, National Co-ordinator and Mr. Dinesh, Manager-Operations. The classes started on November 15th with Ps. Santhosh taking the first two subjects, ‘Bible - The Inspired Word of God’ and ‘Spiritual Vision’. Ps. Dominic Sebastine has been appointed as the Co-ordinator.
The 23rd batch began on October 12th in Royapuram with 32 students who enrolled for the Diploma in Biblical Studies (DBS) program.
Working with Ps. Gordon and Sue Vockins Ps. Gordon and Sue Vockins, the founders of All Nations Christian Centre, Perth, have been associated with our Ministry since 1999. Gifted with a prophetic ministry, the Lord uses him as an itinerant minister. Having travelled to countries like Philippines, China, West Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and many others in the last 30 years, they have always had a special place in their heart for India. Over ten years, they have played an active role in our church planting programs and have ministered in various parts of India. El-Bethel Bible College is deeply indebted to both of them for their love and encouragement they have showered in all these years. We appreciate their commitment and consider it a privilege to serve the Lord together with them as co-workers in His vineyard. Volume 1, Issue 4
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Correspondence Graduation Mrs. Lydia Prince distributing the Diploma Certificates to the students. Mrs. Elizabeth, Student from Malaysia sharing her testimony. The Fifth Correspondence Graduation Service was conducted on November 28th with eleven students successfully completing their Diploma course. We had our first international student from Malaysia graduating along with the other students from Chennai, Thiruvarur, Vellore and Salem. Dr. Prince Prabhu and his wife Mrs. Lydia Prince were the Chief Guests for the occasion. Prayer Focus: * There is an opening to teach the Word of God among the Banjara Community in Goa as they have shown interest to join the Bible College Diploma Course. * We also expect to start three more learning centres in Sirkazhi, Thiruvarur and Oddanchatram in the upcoming months. * Pray that the Lord would bring eager students who will be committed to study the Word of God and live in accordance to His Will.
Staff News There were two new additions in the El-Bethel family, and we would like to thank God for the good health of both the babies. Many Congratulations to Ps. Charles and Preetha on the birth of Sophia Sangeerthana, and to Ps. Sheridon and Hephzibah on the birth of their daughter, Evelyn Arpana. We wish the families joy and happiness as they cherish this special moment in their lives.
Ps. Charles, Preetha, Danny and Sofia
Ps.Sheridon, Hephzibah, Esther and Evelyn
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KING OF GLORY SANCTUARIES
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places: surely I have a delightful inheritance Psalm 16:6
God of small Beginnings
PRESENT
PAST
T
he Tamil church in Royapuram was started in the year 2002, and in the last 12 years, through changing circumstances God has wonderfully led us from glory to glory and strength to strength. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” We can emphatically say that our ministry is a true reflection of this promise as God has certainly enlarged our boundaries. On October 14th, 2014 we moved into a fully air-conditioned and spacious new location. It was indeed a red–letter day in the history of El-Bethel Endtime Missions. We cannot but remember our humble beginnings and attribute our growth to God’s enduring goodness. He is the only One who deserves all the glory and praise.
Men’s Sunday at KOG, Vepery The Men’s Sunday, celebrated on the first week of November, was different from the usual Sunday service in Nathaniel, Ashwin NN and Ben that the entire service was led by the Ashwin Joshua leading Praise and Worship with John on the Violin and enacting a skit - ‘On the Throne’. Men’s team. They ministered to the Ashwin NN on the lead guitar. congregation through inspiring skits, special songs and thought provoking presentations. The preacher for the day was Jude Almeida who spoke on Jesus being the “Great I Am” from John 8. Michael de Padua and Prince presenting a Jude Almeida powerpoint on the ‘Signs of End times’.
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sharing the Word.
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Evangelical Christmas Programs Making Christmas Meaningful Over the years we have made it our tradition to conduct Evangelical Programs during the Christmas season. We have generally found it easier to invite our unbelieving friends to the Church for a Christmas party than for a normal Sunday service, as it creates an opportunity for us to share the story of Jesus. This year we conducted Evangelical Programs in Vepery, Royapuram, Otteri, Kangayam and also in Goa. Though people turned out in small numbers, the message preached through the songs and skit still made a significant impact in the lives of many who were open to the Gospel. Royapuram: 23 attended the program out of which 15 showed some interest and 2 accepted the Lord. Vepery: 29 people attended Kangayam: the evangelical program out of 10 people which 4 accepted the Lord and attended the 12 were open to the gospel. evangelical program out of which 3 showed some interest. Velachery Otteri
Model Line, Royapuram
Many attended and the follow up will be done in Otteri, Velachery and Model line in the near future. Prayer Focus: * May the Lord open their hearts to the Knowlege of God for Salvation. * May the seed that was planted in the hearts of these people, grow into a tree and bear fruits worthy of repentance. Sathyavani
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You want me to what?
Pursuing Biblical submission in a hostile world
I
n today’s society, women are encouraged to pursue status, a good self-image, and success in the marketplace. Many of the traditional roles of family rearing and homemaking have been dismissed as old-fashioned. Biblical duties for men and women in marriage have often been exchanged for self-made roles that aim at eliminating male/female distinctions. Because of this exchange, men are no longer seen as the leader or authority in many marriages, which in turn nullifies women’s responsibility to submit to them and respect them. Aside from being considered archaic and unnecessary, nowadays Biblical submission is viewed as weak, “shameful” and even degrading1. One woman even goes as far as describing Biblical submission as having “deleterious effects…upon the self-image of women who practice it”1. In light of these negative perceptions of submission, many women are left wondering why they should obey God’s command to submit to their husbands. As a woman entering into the covenant of marriage myself, I had my own questions about submission. Why did the Bible place such a great emphasis on wives’ submission to their husbands? Why was it so important? The following are three insights from 1 Peter 3:1-7 about why Biblical submission is not only necessary, but also life-changing. Biblical submission is powerful The world portrays submission as weak, but God describes it as powerful. In 1 Peter 3:1-2, a wife’s submissive behavior is described as the vehicle for her husband’s salvation. In other words, this woman’s conduct is so influential, that her husband is won to Christ, even without preaching (i.e. “without a word”) (v. 1). From a worldly perspective, we learn to nag or manipulate our husbands to get our way. However, God says that submission influences our husbands in a more significant, eternal way. The reason why it is so impactful is because it is not the woman’s convincing words that bring her unbelieving husband to God, but rather her reverent disposition that draws him. That is one powerful testimony! Biblical submission is precious While the world regards submission as “shameful”1, submission is precious in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:4). This is because it produces unfading internal beauty, void of the anxiety and criticism that are so characteristic of our godless world. We are no longer Volume 1, Issue 4
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trapped in the world’s fleeting pursuit of external beauty, because we can cultivate a permanent radiance, stemming from our gentle and confident character (v.4). We follow the pattern of godly women who went before us, like Sarah, who submitted to her husband, Abraham. She is described as a “holy” woman who did good to her husband (v.5-6). This is what God calls beautiful. Biblical submission is based on God’s promises According to the world, submission means women have to rely on their husbands’ wisdom because they are less capable spiritually and thus accept a subservient role1. However, the Bible says that women who submit demonstrate their own spiritual vigor because they hope in God and not in men (1 Peter 3:5-6). We do not submit because men are superior to women (in fact v.7 says we are both heirs of the grace of life) or because our husbands are perfect leaders, but rather because we trust in God’s sovereign control of human hearts (Proverbs 21:1). Therefore, the degree to which we submit to our husbands is the degree to which we demonstrate our hope in God. Secondly, submission does not lead to a fearful subservience, but rather to a fearless freedom. In 1 Peter 3:5-6, the “holy women who trusted in God”, are admonished to do good to their husbands “without any terror”. This means that the motivation to submit is not fear of man, but faith in God. Therefore, when we picture submission, we should think of hope-filled women who willingly and fearlessly support their husbands’ leadership2, because they know that ultimately God, not their husband, is in charge. In other words, submission is not a coerced response to a strong husband, but rather a courageous response to our trustworthy God. In conclusion, we have seen that Biblical submission is powerful, precious and stems from faith in God’s promises. Contrary to the world’s opinion, it is not a mark of weakness, a source of shame, or a proof of female incapability. It is a statement of trust in our all-sufficient God. May God grant us the grace to demonstrate the power, beauty and hope of submission to a hostile world. About the Author Katie Christopher is currently pursuing her Graduate certificate in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship at Moody Theological Seminary. She also holds a bachelors degree in Spanish and Psychology from Western Michigan University. She is married to Ajit Christopher and resides in Chicago, Illinois. She is passionate about teaching other women and children the truths she has learnt from the Bible and also interested in learning new languages and cultures. Footnotes 1. “The Effect of Biblical Submission on Women’s Self-Image.” The Happy Feminist. N.p., 18 Feb. 2006. Web. 27 Nov. 2014. <http://happyfeminist.typepad. com/happyfeminist/2006/02/the_effect_of_b.html 2. Piper, John. “Woman of Valor for Non-Promise Keepers”. Desiring God. Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN. 4, Sept. 1994.
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Real Life Anecdote - An incident from the Life of St. Nicolas of Myra Saint Nicolas of Myra was a devoted follower of Christ and articulated his faith in action – a help to the needy. As a young boy, he was greatly influenced by two great Royal laws of Jesus Christ – “love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:29-31). He took every measure to practise these commandments. On one occasion he heard about the miserable state of a poor family where the father planned to sell the eldest daughter as a brothel slave. Nicolas took a bag full of gold, sat at their doorstep till the break of dawn, knocked at the door and threw the bag in. He did this twice without revealing his identity. But the third time he couldn’t escape the eyes of the father. When asked about his act of giving without revealing his identity, he replied, “Because it is good to give (when) God only knows about it”. 1 1
Goodness indicates a zealous activity of doing good to others. Any act of goodness should be rooted and governed by the love of God. Moreover, it should be done secretly without expecting any appreciation of men. When done in secret, God rewards in open. “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven” Matthew 6:1. Footnotes: 1. Ace Collins, Stories Behind Men of Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009) Image downloaded from: http://dab1nmslvvntp.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/StNicholas.jpg http://www.issacharinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/prayer-warrior.jpg
Pray For India
• Please pray for freedom of speech and religion in India, and that the Gospel message would go forth unhindered. • Ghar Vapsi (Homecoming), a mass reconversion camp has been organized in different parts of India to ‘reconvert’ followers of other religions to Hinduism. The national secretary of a pro-Hindu organization stated that over 7 lakh Indian Christians have been re-converted. ‘We are just bringing them back to their original faith, as centuries ago Indians were converted by force’, he said. • The most recent assault on religious freedom was in the house of the Lok Sabha (Parliament) when the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, M. Venkaiah Naidu called for a nation-wide law to restrict conversions,at the end of a three-hour discussion on the “conversion by inducement”, Let us pray that the Lord will intervene and the leaders of our country will be more receptive to the message of the Gospel. Volume 1, Issue 4
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Life Changer
JESUS IS REAL
The Testimony of Paul Deepak
s a city boy, born and raised in Chennai, India, I was A an ardent fan of a Tamil actor. He became my role model- I
mimicked every style of his, even his smoking. As time went on, I got hooked on all kinds of drugs. What initially began as entertainment, turned into an addiction. Before long I was even pinching my parents’ purses, looting my neighbours, and stealing parked bicycles, for which I was put behind bars. Disgusted with my lifestyle, I was rejected by my family and friends. Since mere survival became a challenge, I started off as a lorry cleaner, moved on to own a pan (beetle nut) shop and ended up being a (tri-cycle) rickshaw puller. Eventually, I landed at the harbor gates as a daily wage worker. My indulgent lifestyle was on a new high with no one to discipline me or any authority to be accountable to. However, life on the highway does take its toll, and soon I was bedridden with a lung disease due to excessive tobacco consumption. I began to spew out blood which made me start fearing for my life. Within two months of being discharged from the hospital, I again yielded to the temptation of smoking and the repercussions were immediate. During these dark moments, an old friend of mine gave me a Bible. Seeking deliverance from this nagging fear of death, I began to turn the pages of God’s Word. When I came across - John 8:34, which stated, “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin”, brought a realization of the bondage that I was in. While my mind raced to find the answer, my eyes were opened to the subsequent verse - John 8:36, where Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. A ray of hope shinned in my darkness, and in utter desperation I prayed earnestly to Jesus. My life has never been the same again since!. From that day, all my vices lost its grip over my life and I was this new man, a new creation with a purposeful life to live. The changes were so evident that people began to accept me and respect me for the kind of person I chose to be. Today I serve as a missionary in Goa along with my wife Kiruba and daughter Davina and I work among people who have a similar bondage that I had. Jesus is real! He is indeed in the business of changing lives. If He can pull out this sinner from the pit, He sure can do it for anyone! May His Name be glorified. Sathyavani
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Story Power FAST & PRAY TO KEEP YOURSELF 100% SHARP
L
ong ago two men went out from a little village into the forest to cut wood. Every hour one of them would go back to his village and would be missing at work for the next 15 minutes. Then he would re-appear and work until the next hour and be gone again. The other man toiled all day long without a break. He stopped only for a short lunch. At the end of the day, each had a pile of wood to show for the labour. However, the man who took a break in between every hour had the much bigger pile. ‘How can this be?’ said the weary one in disbelief, ‘You went to your village at the stroke of every hour to drink tea. Yet you have accomplished much more.’The other replied, ‘Ah, my good friend, I did not go to my village to drink tea or waste my time, I only went to sharpen my axe.’ Fasting and prayer is the sharpened axe of a believer’s communication with God. It keeps you razor sharp in being able to listen to God’s voice.No wonder fasting and prayer is mentioned exactly 100 times each in the Bible. Keep yourself 100% sharp! Image downloaded from: file:///D:/Magazine%20Pics/Photos%20mag%204/109433875.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N3W-GJwt1-w/TsBPRfsa8yI/AAAAAAAANbE/-PC-wWX3_x0/s1600/firewood+2.jpg
CEREBRATING THOUGHT PROVOKING QUOTES •
When there’s something in the Bible that Churches don’t like, they call it legalism. – Leonard Ravenhill
•
If Christ’s LORDSHIP does not disrupt our own lordship, then the reality of our conversion must be questioned. – Charles Colson
•
Christianity can be condensed into four words – ADMIT, SUBMIT, COMMIT and TRANSMIT. – Samuel Wilberforce
Volume 1, Issue 4
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Tr u
m
a ll C t e p
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.” - Daniel 12:4
From this verse we find that in the last days many will be eager to know about God and will make an effort to do so. Taking this into account, we can say that (i) the popularity of the Bible will rapidly increase as we approach the End Times. (ii) if the prophetic facts of the Bible are really true and are being fulfilled, then there should also be an overall information explosion in the world to distract human minds away from knowing their Creator. Prof. Peter Stoner applying probability science to the Bible, calculated just 8 Messianic prophecies being fulfilled in the life of Jesus and states that the possibility of all 8 prophecies being fulfilled accidently in the life of one person is 1 in 1017 or that’s one in one hundred quadrillion! Such is the accuracy of biblical prophecy when subjected to rigorous proof. To match this, you will find that the Bible is the world’s best-selling and most widely distributed book (>5 billion copies). Further, every year an average of $500 million are sold that it dwarfs the sales of all other books. Moreover, a worldwide sharing of information through internet and an outburst of social networking media has also made knowledge expansion incredible. The Internet traffic is currently estimated to be 5 million terabytes (TB). Until 1900, human knowledge doubled approximately every century but now it is doubling every 13 months. On one hand, the Godly knowledge obtained from His Word (Bible) makes His people to know Him more and about His coming and on the other hand, worldly knowledge makes us more independent and sinful. So either way, an increase in knowledge is for sure a sign of His coming. About the Author Dr. Prince Prabhu works as a Faculty member at the Teaching and Research Centre of Biotechnology, Anna University. He is an able Bible teacher, gifted in expositing the Scriptures with an apologetic edge. He also serves as an Elder in King of Glory Sanctuary. Conversant in both English and Tamil, he teaches in the El-Bethel Bible College learning Centres established all over India. Sathyavani
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Ebola or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF)
Health Tips with Dr. Eswaramoorthy MD
‘Ebola’ means ‘blackwater’, and is named after a river in Democratic Republic of Congo where the 1st outbreak happened in 1976. EHF is caused by Ebolavirus. As per WHO data on 27th December 2014, Ebola has infected 20,115 people in 8 countries across the globe with 7,857 reported deaths. Mode of transmission: • Blood or body fluids, • Objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus, • Infected fruit bats or primates (apes and monkeys). Ebola does not spread through air, water or by food. Signs and symptoms: Symptoms appear from 2-21 days after exposure to the virus and includes: Fever, Severe headache, Muscle pain, Weakness, Fatigue, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Abdominal pain and Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising). Diagnosed by medical history and lab tests like ELISA and PCR can confirm the infection. Treatment: Symptomatic treatment by providing intravenous fluids, maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure can improve the chances of survival. Experimental vaccines are under development. People who recover from the infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years. Prevention: If you travel to or are in an area affected by an Ebola outbreak, make sure to do the following: Practice careful hygiene - wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).
National News
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html
National Law to curb conversions On December 11, 2014, the government (Bharatiya Janata Party - BJP) called for a nationwide law to restrict conversions. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu has called upon all parties to share their support for an anti - conversion law in all states and the centre. The government is on a crackdown to ensure that there is a law to prevent forcible conversions of any sort. http://www.thehindu.com/ National Book & World Yoga Day On December 7, 2014, External Affairs Minister Mrs. Sushma Swaraj said, that the Centre would soon declare the Bhagwad Gita, the sacred text of Hindus as a ‘Rashtriya Granth’ (National Book). It was only a formality that remained to make the book a “National Scripture” she stated. Mrs. Swaraj also said that June 21 will soon be declared as World Yoga Day. The proposal was made by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi at the United Nations General Assembly meet in September 2014 which was supported by 170 Nations. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Volume 1, Issue 4
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R. Christopher Arulanand, a Chemical Engineer by profession is also a songwriter, singer and preacher serving the Lord Jesus Christ in full time Christian ministry for the last twenty years. He is the leader of the New Covenant Singers, a gospel quartet. His passion in proclaiming the love of our Lord Jesus Christ to the world is evident in his 3 albums – “Your Grace in my life”, “Jesus, Call Him anytime” and “The Greatest Lover of all.
The New Covenant Singers was formed in 1987 and the group specializes in singing Gospel numbers to four part harmony. Some of the songs in this album have been programmed by Harris Jeyaraj and Augustine Ponseelan. The New Covenant Singers have ministered in various Churches, Christian Institutions and done concerts and Crusades in India and abroad for the last twenty seven years.
The prime objective of the group is to promote the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and they sincerely strive to preach the message of truth with their lips and their lives. To order your copies Contact H. Dinesh Ph No: +91 9840599784, 044 2598 2924 Sathyavani
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TO KNOW
EL-BETHEL
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