H T Feb 2014

EDITORIAL

Escape to the Mountain W

ithout an iota of overstatement one may say that the call to holiness is most relevant in the present scenario.

The matter of holy life is relegated to the back burner. Anything is okay these days. Loose living and profligacy are encouraged by the media and the socialites. To live a guilt-free life, a seared conscience is suggested than a sensitive one. In such times and trends the call to holiness is of great significance to a child of God. Anything that does not measure up to the standard of holiness that is clearly set in the Bible is sin. Any unholy thought pampered in one's mind, words unworthy or works which are displeasing to the Lord would have their contaminating effect. It separates him from God, disrupts fellowship with others, makes one ineffective in his duties and even it generates schism in one's own self. Neither God does, nor can a child of God desire such state of affairs for his life. This is why there are so many instructions and warnings in the Bible about the perils and punishments for sin.

Care for holiness must be primary concern of believers.

Paul tells young Timothy, “Flee also youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2.22). This fleeing is not a one-time action but a continuous practice. There is no time in which one can think that he is free from the maul of the enemy.

He may devour a child of God at any moment unawares. Paul while

writing on the spiritual warfare says that one should put on the whole armour of God always, while the times are evil and also when all the evil days are past. The moment when one thinks he is safe may turn out to be the most unsafe moments in his life. “Youthful lusts” are not just those desires that trouble only the young people.

These are those temptations that begin when one is young and stays the whole life. Thus they are not just the desires of the young. But they transcend all age limits.

Examples are love for self-glory, greed for material prosperity, sexual desires, urge for worldly positions etc. Though these are common among all human beings a child of God is urged to keep himself clean from all such contaminations.

mountains. They compromised and entered a place nearby. The third example of fleeing is seen in the life of Joseph (Gen 42). For this young man in Egypt, far away from home and his own countrymen and any relative, the temptation came in the form of Potipher's wife. For Joseph, having gone through all rigours in early life could have considered it as an opportunity for influence in higher echelons in the country. But he was sure of the fact that advancement never comes in the perverse ways of the world but in the path that befits God's own character. He was ready to wait till the Lord worked for Him. And the Lord did honour him. If he lost his servant's dress in fleeing God gave him a royal robe in honour!

Anybody who gives priority to holiness should flee from sin as It is interesting to notice three Joseph did. Fleeing with head degrees of 'fleeing' in the Book of turned to Sodom or running half Genesis. Firstly, notice the fleeing of way in compromise shall not take Lot's wife (Gen.19). She seemed to one to that measure of perfection flee from Sodom. But that was only which God desires for his child. when the angel had held her hands Unrepentant, uncompromising and pulled her forward to escape. fleeing is what is demanded from a But when the angels left her hands child of God. One who wants his she gave up running. Probably garden to grow in beauty cannot thinking about the hoards of also reserve a space for weeds in personal belongings she turned to the garden. Flee and keep fleeing is see the place where her heart was. what is demanded from a believer She stood their frozen. She became in his progress in holiness. “Escape a salt pillar- a sign of warning to all to the mountains, lest you be those who would go after the destroyed”, is the order. world. Another example of fleeing is Lot and his daughters. They were Thomson B Thomas reluctant to flee, but still fled. The Guest Editor angels urged them to flee to the Harvest Times for Your Family January 2014/Volume 11 Issue 02 3

DEVOTIONAL

In Pursuit of Holiness (Phil 2:1-16)

– Albert Sunil “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the middle of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil.2:12-15)

'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far And Grace will lead me home”

and adoption are the acts of God. They are not the works of men.

But sanctification is work done IN us. He has begun the work of The lyrics of the timeless hymn by sanctification at the time of John Newton echo the words of regeneration. It is a continuing Apostle Paul to the saints at work of God, which means that Philippi, “Being confident of this sanctification is progressive. It is very thing, that he which hath not instantaneous. It's all with begun a good work in you will the purpose that the church perform it until the day of Jesus should be presented to the Lord Christ” (1:6). There is grace in without spot. God has set out to salvation and in sanctification. cleanse and purge his people and The many facets of this saving he will not fail while he does that. grace in regeneration, justification He will complete it. By this 4

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remark, it is quite evident that it is a long process. From the day of being born again till reaching home in heaven, the Lord continues to sanctify His people

by His blood and His Word applied by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, sanctification must be understood and experienced in view of our day to day living.

A man is not a Christian if he is not experiencing this process in his life. It is an infallible experience the child of God

undergoes. It is not a theory or a theological formula that is beyond estimation for a Christian. A believer is actively involved in it from the day he's born again and the Holy Spirit starts dwelling in him. It is a mighty operation of the grace and power of God.

of His flesh (Mark 14:36). Every lest he fall. Only the Lord can deliver us by his finished work true Christian has the same of suffering and shedding blood privilege. And what a solemn on the cross. Therefore pursue privilege it is! We ought to the walk with due respect to pursue holiness because of who glorify his name. we are. The exhortation is to live without murmurings and 4. By remembering WHY we are disputing. Or else it is here, v15. Among whom you incompatible to the fact of who In Phil 2 we have the essential shine as lights in the world. we are. This will keep us from steps for our personal holy living.

You are here to be the light in slandering and back biting. You this world. There is no other and I ought to behave ourselves 1. By remembering WHOSE we reason for a Christian to be in for it speaks of the corporate are, v12-13 Sanctification is this world. Did you ask a testimony of the assembly. the work of God the Holy Spirit question to the Lord, why the in the life of the child of God. Lord does not take a saved one 3. By remembering WHERE we We read 'for it is God which immediately out of the world? are, v15. Notice the phrase 'in worketh in you'. God is There are so many problems the midst of a crooked and working in his people, and difficulties; Why then am I perverse nation'. We are in a reminding those in whom he is here, with all this darkness and world that is vile and wicked. working that they belong to corruption around me? What This means that the world lives him. We have to live holy am I doing here? See his in a state of decay, for it is because you and I belong to answer in John 17:15 “Don't under the control of god of this Him. He is in you, he bought take them out of the world but world. When it says that you you, remember the words of keep them from evil, sanctify shine as a light, it implies that Paul in Acts 27:23, 'Whose I them.” That's the answer. First the world is in a state of am'. This is the description of a he tells us clearly that it is darkness. The course of the real Christian. Therefore with neither his will nor his desire to world is towards destruction. fear and trembling and true take us immediately to heaven Eph 2:2 reminds that we are love for God, we ought to after we are saved. “I need saved from such a state. The pursue holiness. God, working them to be in the world, as thou price of our redemption is very in us, is a holy God. Since he is have sent me, I send them”. But great. What did it take to holy we ought to remember notice, that in the midst of deliver me? Galatians 1:4 sums that we have to live before him these words he said, “sanctify it up. It took Christ to come, to in holiness. Bearing this truth them” so as to say-While they die, to suffer and die under the in mind will enable us to pass are there, keep them, preserve load of sin. He brought us out our days of sojourn with fear them, and sanctify them. that He might bring us in. How and trembling. can we turn back to that from Now we know why we are 2. By remembering WHO we are, which we are delivered once here? -To serve him, to shine v15. 'The sons of God'. Paul for all and that too with such a as lights and to be a witness exhorts them to pursue great price? May we shine as a for him. Not only should we holiness by gently reminding light for many others to see the remember that we are in this them who they are. Apostle same path and experience the world of darkness and Peter also says, 'ye call on the same deliverance. Therefore, corruption but also remember father' (1Pet 1:15-17), which we ought to pursue holiness in you are to shine as a lights in means you are born of Him. He our Christian life because of this world. If a Christian won't is yours and you are his. And where we are. While we do shine then there is no light. that we must not forget that the because you are his sons, he (Matt 5:14-ye are the light of world is a place where there sends his Spirit in our hearts, are snares and pitfalls. Let him which cries Abba Father (Gal 21 who thinks he stands take care 4:6), as Christ cried in the days Harvest Times for Your Family February 2014/Volume 11 Issue 02

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FEATURE ARTICLE

– Thomson B Thomas

T

he work of God in changing a wile sinner in conformity to the Lord Jesus is a miracle that surpasses all other miracles. The transactions involved in the transformation are beyond explanation. There are mysteries involved. But those truths revealed about it in the Scripture are for the joy of the saints. Paul's address of the Corinthians should amaze anybody. He writes, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (1 Cor.1.2). He calls them all as saints! This is because of the marvelous work of God in salvation and sanctification.

Sanctification is one of the resplendent words in Christian vocabulary. It is a distinctive of Christian faith. In English 'Sanctification' comes from two Latin words. They are 'Sanctus' which means 'sacred' and 'facio' which means 'I make'. Thus the word means 'to be set apart' or 'made sacred'. This is also the meaning of sanctification in the original biblical languages. This teaches that all believers are set apart or made sacred in Christ Jesus. God sees them through His Son with all His qualities. And God expects such to advance in 6

the path of holiness and thus reflect holiness by their lives in the world till the day comes when they shall be fully like Him.

Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thes.2.13). Notice here the mention of the 'sanctification' coming before the 'belief in the truth'. Comparable verse with the Sanctification may be considered same order in works of salvation in its four aspects as seen in the is seen in Peter's words also.

New Testament. They may be Peter says, “Elect according to the described briefly as follows. foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for 1. Pre conversion obedience and sprinkling of the Sanctification blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you This is not the sanctification from and peace be multiplied” (1 Pt. sins. But this is those works of the 1.2). Here also notice the Spirit in bringing a sinner to the obedience to the gospel and the Saviour. The Spirit sets apart the sprinkling of the blood being elect from his circumstances to preceded with the 'sanctification bring him to salvation. It may of the Spirit'. This is those works include generating an interest in of the Holy Spirit in the life of a him for spiritual matters, giving sinner in bringing him to the him opportunities to listen to the Saviour. Without this initiative gospel and bringing conviction in and work of the Spirit none can him about his sinful state. He also come to salvation. helps him call Jesus the Lord.

These works of the Spirit 2. Positional Sanctification collectively are called the pre conversion sanctification. But this When a person is in Christ by faith all things about him is just the setting apart of a becomes new (2 Cor.5.17). What person to hear the gospel and meet the Saviour. This is indicated are true of Christ is reckoned to his account. Thus Christ's in what Paul says to the holiness is also reckoned to his Thessalonians. He says, “But we account. It is not because of are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved anything that he did. It is all by the Lord, because God from the because of his position in Christ. beginning chose you for salvation This is positional sanctification.

Paul calls the believers in Corinth through sanctification by the

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as 'saints' (1 Cor.1.2). It is not because of their life but because of their position in Christ. If one looks at their lives it is not difficult to conclude that they had no quality to be called thus. To 'Corinthianize' meant to live in profligacy. But they were chosen and placed by God the Father in Christ Jesus (1.30). Thus what was true of Jesus was put in their account. This is true of all the believers. They are declared as saints by heaven.

This truth is seen in other passages also. Paul calls the believers as, “Those who are sanctified by faith” (Acts.28.18).

The epistle to the Hebrews says what way this happens in ones' life. It says, “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hb.10.11).

Then the writer says about their perfection, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (v.14).

The usages here are not in future tense but in the past tense. It is their possession already.

There are illustrations in the Old Testament for this truth. When the High Priest entered into the holiest of all he was adorned with the attire provided for him. The names of all the tribes were there on his breast and shoulders. On the head gear it was written 'Holiness to the Lord' (Exo.28.36,37). This point to the acceptance the tribes have in the sight of the Lord. They are accepted as holy because of the ministry of the High Priest.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi and others known for joining in one way or other with evil;are borne within the veil. Little Benjamin is also there. All are accepted in the

divine presence as holy. Another picture is seen in the Ark of the Covenant which was the only furniture in the holiest of all.It had three items in it- the golden pot with manna, Aaron's budded rod and two tablets of the Covenant. All these three spoke of the great sins of the people of Israel in the wildernessmurmuring, rebellion and idolatry respectively. But the Mercy Seat covered them all.

When the Mercy Seat is removed God's wrath is revealed. An instance of it is in 1 Samuel 6.19 when the residents of Bethshemesh removed the Mercy Seat from off the Ark and fifty thousand seventy people perished. This illustrates how much Christ means to a believer.

Paul says, “Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood” (Rom.3.25).The Lord has become covering for believers, purging all sins.When sins are thus purged such are accepted in the presence of the Lord in the beloved (Eph.1.4) as holy.

3. Practical Sanctification All those who have positional holiness must also practice holiness in their daily lives. The instructions for this are aplenty in the Scripture. It instructs to be holy in all conducts of life. The standard set for ones' holiness is God's holiness itself (1 Pt.1.15).

To experience this in ones' life he must keep fleeing from youthful lusts (2 Tim.2.22).In order to overcome the temptations of the world God gives more grace (Js.4.6). This grace which helps in temptations includes the Word of God which sheds light in the path correcting and leading in the way.

If at all one falls to temptations he

must repent, confess and find cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn.1.7).If these spiritual exercises are not practiced in life such shall fall in the chastening hands of God (Hb.12.6). When ones' priority in life is holiness God shall help him progress in the path of sanctification. Though it is God who works in ones' life the progress of it depends on the measure of his cooperation with God who works in him.

4. Perfect Sanctification When the child of God shall see the Lord face to face he shall become like Him. John says, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn.3.2).This final conformity to happen believers need not do anything.

The Lord shall do it for them. Paul says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Phil.3.20,21).This is the eager expectation of all the children of God. Anybody who is sincerely anticipating this final transformation, when he shall be like the Lord Jesus Christ, shall also presently endeavour earnestly to progress in the path of holiness.

– Thomson B Thomas is an evangelist, a Bible Teacher and preacher based in Mumbai.

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PROPHECY

The seventieth week "The “Kotel” or the “Wailing Wall” is a wall near the Temple that survived the Roman attack of AD 70. It is frequented by Jews. The “Dome of the Rock” mosque in the background occupies the place where the Temple once stood."

I

Rome1. The Roman Emperor sent an army to crush the Jewish revolt.

One by one, the Jewish cities fell to the Roman army, and in AD 70, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem (“the city”) and the temple (“the sanctuary”). Later, they expelled the Jews from Judea. The “flood” probably refers to the great mass of Roman soldiers that entered Jerusalem while destroying it. Since Events following the 69th then, the Temple area has been week: desolate2. Here again, we have a “And after[seven and] threescore remarkable fulfillment of Biblical and two weeks shall Messiah be cut prophecy. In 538 BC, the angel off, but not for himself: and the predicts a course of events that people of the prince that shall come began in AD 70 and continues to shall destroy the city and the this day! We need to give attention sanctuary; and the end thereof shall to the phrase “the people of the be with a flood, and unto the end of prince that shall come”. “The prince the war desolations are determined”. that shall come” is referring to the – Daniel 9:26 coming world ruler whom we generally call ‘Antichrist’. The The Lord Jesus came to his own destruction of the sanctuary in AD people but they did not receive 70 helps us to identify “the people him. The crowds who had of the prince” as the Romans – thus welcomed him when he entered the prince or Antichrist will be of Jerusalem cried “Crucify him!” four Roman descent days later! Thus the Messiah was “cut off”, but “not for himself” – he Start of the 70th week died as a propitiation for the sins of And he3 shall confirm the covenant the world. with many for one week [70th week]: and in the midst of the week A few decades after the Lord Jesus he shall cause the sacrifice and the died, the Jews rebelled against n the earlier parts, we saw how Daniel’s Seventy Weeks began when the Persian Emperor Artaxerxes Longimanus gave Nehemiah permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem on 14th March 445 BC. After sixty nine “weeks”, the Lord Jesus presented himself to Israel as their Messiah on 6th April 32 AD.

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– Johnny Varghese

oblation to cease, and upon the wing abominations making desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” – Daniel 9:274 The events described here have never taken place. No one has ever made a covenant with “many” for one week (seven years) and then stopped the Jewish sacrifices after three and a half years. Thus, there is an interruption in Daniel’s prophetic time table between the 69th and the 70th week and this interruption continues till today5.

The above considerations lead to two questions:1. Why is this interruption in the seventy weeks?

2. When will the seventieth week begin?

To answer the first question, recall that Daniel’s seventy weeks concern “thy people” – Israel. The Lord Jesus warned the Jews that because of their rejection of the Messiah, God would set them aside in favour of another group of people (Matthew 21:43). Who is this group? The church! The church was born on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the Lord Jesus rose

again from the dead (Acts 2:1, Leviticus 23:10-15). The church is here today, and will be here till the Lord raptures her away (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Thus, the interruption is because God set aside Israel and started the church.

This leads us to the answer to the second question. God will resume His dealings with Israel when the church is taken out of the earth.

Thus, the seventieth week will begin after the rapture.

The covenant: The day on which the Antichrist signs the peace covenant with Israel will mark the beginning of the seventieth week. Why is a need felt for a covenant? The answer was not evident during Daniel’s time, but after the decay of the Roman Empire, Jerusalem (in particular the Temple Mount) has been disputed territory between the Jews and Muslims, with the Vatican also wanting a say. The Jews want to have sacrifices and regular temple worship. Even today, world leaders are trying to reach an agreement between Israel and the Arabs – so far without success.

The covenant will be engineered by the prince – he must be of Roman descent because it was the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.

He is the “man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and the “antichrist” (1 John 2:18). His covenant will be with “many” – Jews and Arabs, perhaps even the rest of the world. This is a covenant that is not of God (Isaiah 28:15-18) and will not work out well – thus the Jews who participate are unfaithful Jews – “many” in contrast to the small, faithful remnant.

The breaking of the covenant: With the covenant, it will look as if things are fine. All the parties are happy; the Jews can perform their

sacrifices. But in the middle of the week, the prince will violate the agreement; he will force the Jews to stop the sacrifices.

He will also set up the abomination that causes desolation (that is, the image of the Destruction of the second temple in A D 70 Antichrist) – thus the sanctuary will antichrist makes regarding be desecrated. The Lord Jesus Jerusalem. In the middle of the refers to this in his Olivet week however, the antichrist will Discourse (Matthew 24:15). stop the Jewish sacrifices and Righteous Jews of course, will have none of this and will protest against the prince. This will result in a great persecution – “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).

This second half of the 70th week is also referred to elsewhere in scripture:-

persecute the Jews. At the end of the 70th week, the Lord Jesus will descend to earth and begin his reign.

1

The primary source of information about this event is Jewish Wars, written by Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian who was present as an eyewitness. Josephus commends Titus, the general who led the Roman forces, for two things: Titus offered amnesty to the Jews if they would surrender, and he wanted to save the temple.

However, when the Roman soldiers found the Jews using the Temple as a vantage point to launch attacks, they shot fire-tipped arrows at it.

As the temple burned, the gold of the treasury melted and flowed into the crevices between the stones. The Roman soldiers, eager to retrieve the gold, made sure that not one stone was left standing on another. The price of gold fell by 50% in Syria.

2

In later centuries, the temple area housed Greek Orthodox Church buildings, and later still, mosques. The Jewish sacrifices have not been performed for the last two thousand years, and even today, Jewish access to the Temple Mount is highly restricted, and Jews are banned from praying on it. Thus the area is still desolate from God’s and Israel’s point of view.

3

That is, the prince whose people destroy the sanctuary, not Messiah the prince.

1. The Gentiles will trample Jerusalem (Revelation 11:2) 2. There will be two witnesses whose mouths spew out fire (Revelation 11:3) 3. God will provide for the miraculous protection of righteous Jews (Revelation 12:6, 14) 4. The prince will be busy with many wars (Daniel 11:36-45, Daniel 12:7, 11, 12). He and all the armies of the world will be gathered against Israel at Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) The seventieth week ends when Jesus returns in glory (Matthew 24:29-30); the Lord Jesus will rescue Israel, perform judgments and start his millennial reign (Revelation 19:19-20:4).

Summary: The 70th week is yet future. It begins with the covenant that the

4

I have used the KJV modified with Newberry’s renderings.

5 Some expositors have tried to force fit the 70th week immediately after the 69th. This does violence to history and/or sound exegesis. For example, the covenant of Matthew 26:28 was not for one week, nor did the sacrifices cease three and a half years later. The Jewish war lasted four years, not three and a half years.

Nor was there a period of Christian persecution lasting exactly three and a half years after it.

Neither the Lord Jesus nor Caesar stopped the sacrifices in AD 70. It was the obstinacy of the Jews in rebelling against Rome that led to the cessation of the sacrifices.

– Johnny Varghese is an IIT alumnus and lives in Thane.

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– Christina Durham “

B

ecause of the savour of Thy good ointments, Thy Name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins Love Thee." Song of Sol: 1.3.

"All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia." Psa: 5.8.

"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in “every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; to the one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life." 2 Cor: 2.14-16.

"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour." Eccles: 10.1.

There is a mysterious sweetness and power in the name of Christ which even His enemies will not deny. Let anyone mention that Name and watch the result.

It is true that from the fanatic there may be the response of hatred, but from the majority there will be the response of respect, – in some cases of something more than respect. To some He is a great Teacher, – to others the greatest of teachers.

Some will admit Him to be an Incarnation of Deity. The few will acknowledge Him as the only 10 Harvest Times for Your Family

Incarnation of the Godhead,-God Himself come in the likeness of men. In His own day common men "were beyond measure astonished, saying: He hath done all things well!" Mark. 7.37. The disciples said: "What manner of man is this?" Mark. 4.41. The Pharisees "marvelled at Him." Mark. 12.17. The officers testified: "Never man spake like this Man." John. 7.46. The centurion and they that were with him, fearing greatly because of the natural phenomena that accompanied His death, said: "Truly this was the Son of God!" Matt: 27.54. At the mention of His Name the sick and suffering, the blind, the deaf, the lame, the outcast morally as well as physically, turned to follow and throng Him till the blessing breathed in His Name enfolded them with its healing.

the fulfilment of that of which they were the type in that Holy One upon whom was the anointing of the Spirit of the Lord.

Luke. 4.18.

In Jesus Christ everything about both His character and His person shed abroad a sweet savour that rejoiced the heart of both God and men. The bride in the Song of Solomon, looking upon her adorable Lover and Lord, could not find words with which to measure the sweetness and perfection of His character and love. To her His very Name was sweetness. "Because of the savour of Thy good ointments, Thy Name is as ointment poured forth." Not a volatile vapour that filled the air with a moment's sharp sweetness, but something that clung and pervaded till those who embraced it were themselves "All Thy garments' smell of myrrh, carriers of the sweetness, which and aloes, and cassia." Myrrh, the bore witness to the fact that they bleeding tree that was the symbol had companied with Him. both of suffering and also of the The purpose of God in His people power to endure; aloes, the is to make "manifest the savour of symbol of the strength and His knowledge" by them in every' sweetness that come with testing place. "For we are unto God a and maturity; cassia, the symbol sweet savour of Christ, in them of that fragrance that is the result that are saved, and in them that of stripping and self-sacrifice. perish." Alas! it is a sad but true These precious spices were fact that Christians so often fail among the ingredients of the holy rightly to represent the One anointing oil used in the tabernacle, and all of them found 24

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FAMILY

-X

– John Kurian reminder in this context "Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:18).

This love of the husband should not be based on his wife's performance but on her worth as God's precious gift to him. He loves her not because she does everything right or not even because she pleases him in everything. He loves her just because she is his wife and because God has commanded him to love her. This love is unconditional.

The Role of Husbands in the Family The next role of a husband in family life is to love his wife. This is clearly stated in Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her." This is repeated in Col.3:19 “Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.” The word used in these verses for 'love' is 'agape' which is used in the Bible for divine love or the highest degree of love. This is not just an emotional exercise of getting excited or heated up inside.

This is more than'liking' somebody a lot. Biblical love is not blind neither is it an empty sentimentalism. Love has an emotional element to it but it is not merely an emotion. If it was only an emotion, God could not

have commanded it. Only an action can be commanded. Agape can be defined as a commitment for the ultimate well being of one being loved, irrespective of one's state condition or response. William Mac Donald defines it as “a calculated pattern of behavior”. It is a deliberate life style followed and a course of life chosen willingly. John Mac Arthur brings out the real meaning of it as he states “this love centers completely on the needs and welfare of the one loved and does whatever necessary to meet those needs”. Therefore a husband's loving is an act, something that he should deliberately do. Loving one's wife in a godly way means not only having a feeling but acting that love out in real life. Apostle John's instruction in his first epistle Ch.3 and verse 18 is a good

It is to be specially noted that God has set definite standards for loving one's wife. This helps the husbands to know the nature of love that should be shown to their wives.

Look at the first standard God has set. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph.5:25). The expression of Christ's love for the church was giving himself for her. Thus husbands also should give themselves totally and unreservedly for their wives. The nature of Christ's love for the church as described here is unselfish and sacrificial. "Love seeketh not her own" (1 Cor.13) His love cost him everything, even his own life. It involved inconvenience, pain, agony and humiliation. He did not consider the cost he had to pay but only the benefit and blessing the church would gain. He was willing to give up anything for his

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bride, the church. Christ's love for the church is without limits, nothing is held back. The sacrifice of Christ was intentional. It was purposeful; He was doing it for a reason. That is how husbands should love their wives. His love does not depend on our love for Him. Oh! What a high standard is presented before the husbands here for loving their wives.

A second standard the Scripture sets before the husbands is “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies” (V.28).The next verse says “For no one ever hated their own body”.

This is again emphasized in V.33 when it says “let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself”. All of us care for our bodies and do only the best for ourselves. We keep it as well fed and healthy as possible. Any need of the body is immediately taken care of. This should be the way we love our wives. Practically it means that we should see her needs and pain as if it were our own. Her every need should receive our full attention and efforts should be made to meet those needs.

It is important to let the wife know that we value, respect and love her.

This can be done through verbal communication and through actions.

husband loves her as he ought to.

Which wife on earth will hesitate to submit to a husband who loves her intensely, sacrificially and unselfishly?

Every man who enters in to marriage makes a commitment to love his wife through the covenant he makes at the point of marriage.

Harsh answers, angry looks and irritated tones of voice are never the expressions of love. It is the husband's responsibility to create and maintain an atmosphere of love in the home. The initiative for this should come from the husband's side.

It is evident that the type of love the Scripture demands from a husband is not easy to give. In fact, it is humanly impossible in our own strength. The power to love comes out of our relationship with God. It is the result of a super natural enablement by the Spirit of God. It requires a moment-bymoment dependence on God, acknowledging one's inability to generate that love by self effort. As Husbands should love their wives we ask God to empower us and in obedience to the command of enable us to love, God helps us. And the Lord and not in response to thus we can give our wife what she what the wife does for him. needs most –true biblical 'agape' The Bible uses the word “love” over love.

350 times. It is interesting to note The possibility of being a good and that almost10% of these times are loving husband is only through in the Song of Solomon (which faith in Jesus Christ. We are comprises less than 0.5 percent of enabled to love, only when the Lord Scripture), a book on marital love. comes in to our lives and enables This highlights the place of love in us to love unselfishly. marriage.

A wife is able to perform well and be at her best only when the

– John Kurian is an evangelist, Bible teacher and preacher based in Kerala.

Positions open at GLS Gospel Literature Service (GLS) is a Public Charitable Trust devoted to the Lord's work, the spread of the Gospel and other charitable activities since 1946.

Editor/Assistant Editor: A born again Christian. Graduate/Post Graduate in English Literature with about 3-4 years experience in publishing field. Additional qualification in journalism or mass media will be added advantage. Sound biblical knowledge is essential. He/she should have ability to do editing and proofreading of various manuscripts/articles for magazine, online content, and catalogue. Able to write copy for publishing /promotional materials. Age: 25-30 Years.

Finance Manager: A born again Christian. Post Graduate in commerce /CA inter with 5 years of experience in Financial and Management Accounting. He/she should be able to finalize the books of account and balance sheet independently. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft suit, working efficiency in Tally ERP, Sales Tax, Income Tax and FCRA knowledge preferred.

Maximum Age: 45 Years.

Publishing Manager: A born again Christian Graduate/ Post Graduate in marketing with 3-5 years experience in publishing, marketing and sales in a publishing enterprise. The candidate must have ability to manage the entire publishing process, ability to develop and execute sales/marketing/promotional strategies. He/she must have strong interpersonal, networking communication skill and should be familiar with various social media platforms, knowledge of e-book and other technology platforms and distribution systems. Maximum Age: 40 Years.

Apply to: Info@glsindia.com GLS Publishing, 250-D, Udyog Bhavan, Worli Colony, Mumbai- 400 030.

Tel: 022-24930116/66627243 12

Harvest Times for Your Family February 2014/Volume 11 Issue 02

BIOGRAPHY

"The white Fox of Andhra" (1893 -1982)

– Koshy Mathew

S

ilas Fowler Fox was one of the most outstanding, interesting and an unusual missionary who laboured for more than fifty one years in Andhra Pradesh. He was nick named “The White Fox of Andhra". S. K. Agrippa, a native evangelist was his co - worker for nearly fifty years was called as “The Black Fox". Both Agrippa and Silas had several things in common, and God used these two mighty men.

Together they served a generation.

In 1973 at the age of 80, Silas Fox was awarded the honour of 'Alumnus of the year' by the Toronto Bible College from where he graduated in the year 1916. In the citation he was referred as "A man with the heart of a Viking and simple faith of a child".

Early life and education Silas F. Fox was born in Josephsburg, Alberta, Canada on December 22nd, 1893. He was the youngest of three children born to Attorney Caleb and Bessie Fox. Caleb died three weeks after Silas' birth. Silas' siblings were Paul and Florence. Bessie married again to Mr. Roberts, who was a postmaster and a storekeeper. Silas' stepfather was an abusive alcoholic and caused the family great suffering.

While Silas was still a young child, his mother left his stepfather, taking the children with her. He grew up in a single-parent home

other companies as an errand boy and store clerk.

Conversion and call for the ministry In his neighborhood at Toronto he met a girl named Emma and fell in love with her at first sight. It was through her influence that he began to attend a Baptist church.

In due time he made a profession of faith and was baptized, but he really did not live for the Lord as he should have. It was the testimony of a middle-aged alcoholic who said to him on one occasion, "Silas, take with no Christian influence. some advice from a drunken bum.

Because of the family's poverty, Take Christ as your Saviour, and Silas went to live with his uncle, a you won't end up like me-a good Baptist preacher. for nothing." It was with these At the age of four and a half, he words in mind he finally fell on his started schooling and continued till knees and cried out to the Lord he was eleven and a half. He had a Jesus Christ and accepted Him as great desire to excel in his studies his true Lord and Master. and always stood first in his class.

During this time, seven Canadian Thanks to his uncle, time to time, Baptist missionaries addressed the he came under the sound of God's word. Life had been a hard struggle needs in the mission fields to the Sunday school children. Call was for Silas right from the beginning. given to the children to commit When he was twelve he moved to their lives for the missionary Toronto to rejoin with the family. service and invited them to sign To meet the daily needs, he had to their names in a book. Many hunt for jobs at the age of twelve. children wrote their names, and Even though the law of the land along with them both Emma Grau prohibited child labour, he and Silas fox also enrolled one after concealed his age in order to get a the other. job. Silas began working as a As he was attending West Toronto riveter in a Higel piano factory in Baptist Church, he came under the 1905. He went on to find jobs with Harvest Times for Your Family February 2014/Volume 11 Issue 02

13

powerful ministry of Andrew Imrie, a preacher with an evangelist's heart. This man regularly held classes for soul winners and challenged the audience. One Wednesday night, it was Silas's turn to be challenged. It was as though the finger of God was pointing directly at him. "I mean you Silas Fox. I want you to become involved!� He left the place with a great burden and started sharing the good news to others. Next day he shared the Gospel to Mr. Max, and could win him for Christ. From that day onwards he started winning souls for Christ and it continued for more than half a century. He also developed a great urge to study the Bible. Hence he joined the Toronto Baptist Bible College and studied along with his job. Mean while Emma also joined in the Bible College. He completed his graduation on April 28, 1916.

Missionary to India.

While studying, one day an elderly Englishman Mr. Davidson of the Ceylon and India General Mission came to the college and addressed the students. He spoke of India and the need of workers in the various villages of India. After a personal conversation with Davidson, Silas was convinced that the Lord wanted him to go to India, at a place called Madakasira in the Madras presidency. He married Emma on November 23, 1916.

After two days the newlyweds left Toronto for Vancouver and from there they sailed to India, where they arrived in 1917.

For their first term, they were based in the town of Madakasira in West Madras. Much of their time was spent learning the Telugu language. Fox also visited some 300 villages around Madakasira, preaching to crowds in the village squares. Around 1921, Fox started a little newspaper called 14

Kalyandrug Sathyadootha, which translates as Kalyandrug Message of Truth. It was printed every month in the Telugu language and filled a need for Christian literature. It consisted of a sermon, anecdotes, questions and answers about Christianity, and notices of meetings. Fox continued for years to edit this paper, which was eventually renamed Kristava Nirikshina or Christian Hope. (Even now this magazine is getting published by Bro. Ezra Gummadi, from Chirala). When the Foxes' first term ended in 1924, they returned to Canada on furlough.

Before coming to India, in his second term, in the year 1925, he resigned from the missionary society and worked as an independent missionary. He depended upon the Lord for all his temporal needs. On one occasion while speaking from Acts 27 concerning the shipwreck, he humorously said, " Here we see the scriptural justification for board. It says in verse 44 that some escaped on boards. Many a board keeps a sinking missionary afloat."

His family His wife Emma was a great support for him in the ministry. One of the many behind-the- scene activities that Emma superintended was the circulation of his paper and other literature and correspondence, a very considerable task. She was the one who kept the family ship on an even keel. He often referred to Emma in this way, "She was a missionary wife, not just the wife of a missionary-a very important difference."

The Lord blessed them with six children, two daughters and four sons. Emma sometimes had to manage on a slender budget.

Though sometimes there was austerity, there was no lack. The larder, though not always full, was

Harvest Times for Your Family February 2014/Volume 11 Issue 02

never empty. "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger" but the members of Silas's household could finish off that verse by saying, “but the little foxes lacked no good thing" A Dynamic preacher As with the prophets of old, Silas said there were two "woes" that he preached. One was for the hearers: "Woe if you do not listen." The other was for himself: "Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel." He did preach Gospel his whole life.

Even though most of the time he spent among Telugu congregationirrespective of any denominationhis ministry was spread all over India. Sometimes he traveled by air to save time and earned the nick name "flying fox". Silas made a point of never asking for meetings and seldom refused an invitation.

His favorite pulpits were the marketplace, the roadside, and under shaded trees. He communicated the gospel in a simple and humorous way. He knew how to make the audience laugh and at the same time to weep as they were convicted of their sins.

Following incidents illustrates the power of his messages. It happened in Kerala, his translator on this occasion was Mamman Kurian, of Kallisserry. Silas was challenging the people from Isaiah chapter 6, "Who will go for us"? Before he could continue his translator took over. "I will go," the translator told the people because God had been speaking to him for a long time, but he was dodging the call. He had a good job in the sugar factory, but when once more he had felt the call of God, and said "I am now yielding to the call of God. I will go". He made a vow and fulfilled it. God used Bro. Mamman kurian mightily in the remaining days of his life.

23

CHALLENGERS

(Part 2) (Shown in the picture is Andi along with his wife Dr Sheba Eicher, and their children Enoch and Asha. Dr Sheba oversees the medical care provided at JSK)

– Johnny Varghese Andi Eicher is in charge of Jeevan Sahara Kendra (JSK), a Christian ministry in Thane, Maharashtra, for people with HIV/AIDS. Johnny Varghese interviewed him on behalf of Harvest Times. This is the second part of the interview.

JV: A lot of us have heard heroic accounts of missionaries who came to India and provided health care at a time when no facilities were there here. Today there is private and government health care available. Some of us are wondering whether charitable health care by Christians is redundant today.

AI: If everyone had a well-paying job and an insurance cover, they

could afford health care; then there would be no need for charity. But, if we are honest in looking at our country, we see that the majority of our country is living from hand to mouth. When a healthcare crisis takes place, people have to pay, so they liquidate their assets. Thus, health care emergencies are one of the leading causes of poverty. There has been a study which has suggested that every year in our

country over a million people go in to poverty because of heart attack. So we still have a huge need for various forms of charity.

JSK advocates using the government's health care system as much as possible. But at the same time we admit that sometimes the care is so poor that the system is not really there. So quality is another area where Christians have to show a difference. Further, providing care

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15

ethically, cost effectively and in a true healing way are Christian distinctives that are still relevant.

In fact the current climate is so hostile and fearful. The trust that used to be there in the health profession has largely eroded because people are seeing clearly how money is being made off patients with no concern for who they are. So, there is a lot in Indian health care that has to change. So there are many roles for Christians to play at different levels so that the glory goes to God. JV: If you find there is a person who suspects he has HIV, what is the course of action you would take?

AI: The best thing to do, if there is any doubt, is to go and get counseling and testing because testing tells you the truth. The Christian perspective is that you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Of course, the Lord said this is in the context of discipleship but it's a general principle. God is the author of truth. When we understand the reality of our lives then we can make steps to move forward. So, if a person has any doubt about their own past, may be they have not been faithful, may be they have experimented sexually in the past, may be they were in a situation where they have been abused – whatever it be, if they feel they have been exposed to HIV, then they should get tested.

We suggest going to a government integrated testing and counseling centre. These are found in all the major city hospitals in Mumbai and district hospitals all across the country. Testing is free and it is of good quality and usually some amount of counseling is given. At Jeevan Sahara Kendra, 16

we have the advantage of trained Christian counselors who are able to give especially good counsel. So if anyone is in the Mumbai area, we would suggest coming to JSK in Thane; we will be able to do the counseling and testing here. We have a partnership with the government, so we are an accredited testing centre for HIV. JV: How do you balance providing medical care to people with HIV and telling them the good news about Jesus Christ?

God who does the healing. So whatever medicine we use it's always in humility: “Lord, here is the medicine”. We help our patients by telling them, “When you take this pill, pray to the Lord Jesus. He is the one who is going to help you.”

JV: Are there any specific aspects of the Lord Jesus that help you in your work?

AI: Yes, one of the most beautiful passages for us – I think it was written specially for us – is Mark 1:40-44. A man with leprosy AI: It is a “both-and” situation, not comes. Here is a man who is an “either-or” one. The Lord Jesus defined by his disease. He has been rejected. But he has heard healed the sick, cast out demons, that the Lord is there and he says, taught in the synagogues and proclaimed the good news. He did “If you are willing, you can heal me”. So he knows Jesus has the not “put on just one hat” and say power but he doesn't know if “I won't tell them about the Jesus has the love and that is the Kingdom; I will only heal”. There key issue for us as the church. Do is only one Jesus and not four we really love? We have the Bible, Jesuses. As followers of Christ we have righteousness, we have we're told to love our neighbors. purity, but do we really love? The Our love for our neighbor cannot Lord demonstrates that He has the only be a physical help, it has to love. include the proclamation of the truth of the Lord Jesus. What does 1. The Lord's heart was moved it profit a man with HIV if he gets with compassion. So if the Lord's medicines, if his child gets heart was moved with compassion scholarship and all the good then why are our hearts hard? So things take place but if he leaves that is the fundamental this world without knowing the foundation of our ministry. Our Lord Jesus as his personal Savior? hard hearts need to be broken by But the flip side is also true. 1 the things that broke the Lord's John 3:16-18 says this is what we heart. know love is that Christ gave His life for us so we too lay down our 2. The Lord touched him. The life for our brother. If anyone sees leper had never been touched his brother in need and does not since the day he was sent away help him, how can the love of God from his home. People with HIV be in him? So our love has to be are longing to be touched because practical. It has to hurt us. It nobody is touching them. We've means that we should be ready to had people coming to see my wife give away our resources that God who is a medical doctor and she has given to us. And as we has done a basic physical minister to people medically, we examination – what every normal realize that our medical tools are doctor does – and they have told means for God to heal but it is her that no doctor has ever done

Harvest Times for Your Family February 2014/Volume 11 Issue 02

this to them. They have been for years under treatment with different doctors but no doctor has ever had the basic decency of even touching them, listening to their chest – doing these simple things. The Lord Jesus touched and we need to touch people.

3. He says publicly, “I am willing” – a public answer to a public question. So we learn from this that HIV ministry has to be public. Believers and especially those who minister the word must publicly say: “Jesus loves people with HIV. We as a church are committed to caring for people with HIV”. When the congregation/Church/ believer sees that this is what God's people are doing, it opens up opportunities for the common brother and sister to be generous, to be kind, to be following the Lord, to be loving their neighbor.

4. Finally the Lord Jesus spoke words of power. He said, “Be clean” and the man was clean.

After the man was cured of leprosy the man was told to go to the priest. This was a testimony – that the Messiah has come. There is One who has the power to break the curse that leprosy was at that point of time. Can we not see that today, the church has the power by God's grace to break the curse that nobody else wants to?

For us these five verses are very rich in meaning and give us a glimpse of the Christ-centered approach to the broken lives that characterize people with HIV. JV: Believers may be reluctant to accept HIV positive believers as their brothers and sisters in Christ. How do you deal with this?

AI: It's not easy because many people with HIV have pretty

messed up lives. They have fallen.

They have been alcoholic and some of them are still struggling with alcohol. Their relationships are broken; they were unfaithful.

How to include them? How to maintain the righteous standards of God at the same time? There are two keys that help:Firstly – the discipleship process: When we come to the Lord we are saved. Our sins are forgiven once and for all. The epistle to the Romans says that there is no condemnation anymore. But Paul talks about struggling with sin and doing things that he doesn't want to do. When we remind ourselves of our own unworthiness and the Holy Spirit keeps pointing at areas in our lives that still need to be transformed, we lose any sense of superiority. Look at great saints; brothers and sisters who have been intimate with God – the closer they are to God the more horrified they are of stilllingering things in their life. But those who are quick to point the finger often have a pretty shallow intimacy with God. Corporate discipleship includes brothers and sisters who are struggling.

Secondly – The parental perspective: Paul writes to various churches and he has some harsh words because they are doing some pretty nasty things but he is writing as a father and he is deeply concerned that they change. He is not saying: “you are rotten people, get out, I don't want anything to do with you anymore.” His whole desire is restoration, reconciliation, holiness, and purity. The Bible says if you see a brother in sin then you who are mature should gently restore him but also be careful that you don't fall into the

same thing. We are called to community. HIV is a challenge in that it brings some pretty raw people into our churches. But it's also a tremendous blessing because it forces us out of our comfort zone and we experience the New Testament kind of Christianity where people see amazing things takes place.

JV: What work opportunities are available in JSK? AI: Right now, immediately we need nurses. We can hire. We haven't been able to attract nurses who love the Lord and are willing to serve in this ministry.

So we are handicapped. We have a beautiful set up. We have sufficient funds to run it. But we don't have the nurse personnel, so we are not able to admit patients at the level that we want to. Beyond that we're looking for people who have a calling or who are willing to discover a calling.

So we are looking for people who love the Lord, who want to serve for a reasonable period of time.

We normally challenge people to serve at least 2 years with us. If they have social work training the better, that really helps. But if they don't and they have a calling then we are also willing to train them on the job. And we can always do with a doctor to take us a step further.

JV: Is there anything more that you want to say?

AI: We have many disappointments – sometimes people we love make poor and disastrous choices in their lives; but all of those disappointments are swept aside when we see God really changing so many lives. Just as an example, there was a lady

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19 17

– Tabbsum Roy Paes

18

Harvest Times for Your Family February 2014/Volume 11 Issue 02

– Tabbsum Roy Paes is a writer and lives in Gurgaon.

An Interview with Andi Eicher whose husband was a truck driver.

He came to the Lord partly through JSK. She and her husband were being discipled at a local church. And this local church encouraged them that at 12 noon every day, everybody should stop their work and pray to the Lord.

And they suggested that they could use the Lord's Prayer as a way. Her husband and her daughter were in faith at that time. Her husband and daughter had been educated but she was illiterate. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't remember the prayer; this made her sad and despondent. Then one night at 2.30 am she heard a voice asking her to get up and say the prayer and she replied, “No, I can't do that, I'm illiterate”. Again the voice asked her to get up and say the prayer and this went on for 3 or 4 times. So she got up, crossed her

arms and said the prayer. She woke up and then told her husband that she had this dream.

So he looked at her and told her to say the prayer and she recited the entire Lord's Prayer flawlessly.

Then, one or two days later, she came and met Sheba and told her the story. So Sheba also requested her to say the prayer. Sheba told me that this woman sat and covered herself, held her arms together and with such passion prayed to the Lord using the Lord's Prayer. Now where else do we see the power of God in our generation? This is only the Lord's doing. It is because of demonstrations like this that we're still here. We would have loved to leave many times. But we know God has called us here to this place and this time. We're very willing to move on if the Lord clearly tells us to move. We'll be

contd. from Page No 17

happy to go but till that time the evidence that God is at work reminds us that whatever disappointments and sadness we go through, whatever fatigue and various issues we struggle with, the harvest is not only ripe but is being gathered in. The meeting room at our centre has about 200 golden stars stuck to the ceiling.

Each star has the name of one of our late HIV-positive contacts written on it. So over the last 11 years we have lost about 200 friends. I can't tell you how many of them are in the kingdom but I can tell you a lot of them are. They are waiting for us to join them in eternity – that's our legacy. We're thankful to those who are praying for us and those who have responded to His call to work here. All glory to God.

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EXPLORERS

Why should you be a Christian?

– Cynthia John

R

“

icha was a pastor's daughter.

She grew up wearing the conservative, pastel-coloured clothes her mother bought her.

She learnt to pray, study the Bible and behave like a sweetmannered, helpful girl. As she grew into a teenager, Richa felt she was missing something. She saw her brightly-dressed classmates sport funky nail art and hairstyles. She saw them chatter about boyfriends and loud parties. Though she somehow knew all this would not fit in with her conservative family in the course of time she started rejecting the habits and customs of her parents. She decided to do whatever she wanted, regardless of whether her family liked it or not.

Her father had always been known as a good pastor. But circumstances put stress on him and dragged him to the worldly ways. He was still a pastor but lived a hypocritical life which only people in the home knew.

Fight in the home became 20

normal. Her father had been the one who had taught her about God and about living to obey Him. Now, her image of her father was shattered. He was no longer a father who always set a good example. He was a hypocrite. He was not a good father or husband. Being a good pastor just seemed to be an act.

“Then, what is the meaning of being a Christian?” Richa wondered. She slowly stopped taking her relationship with God seriously, and moved away from Him. She thought“less about Him, and started living life her own way, without taking the time to pray or think about whether she was doing the right thing.

Like Richa, many people who know God move away from Him for different reasons.

truths that the Bible has talked about.

Some people get interested in habits and behaviour that the Bible opposes, and would rather ignore the Bible.

At a certain point, most of us wonder why we should be Christians. Or whether we are really following the true God. That is the time when we should analyse why we follow Christianity.

Is it because we were born in a family that believes in Christianity?

Is it because we go to a certain church?

Is it because we don't know much about other religions?

Some people think the Bible's teachings are not relevant in today's world.

None of these are good reasons to follow Christianity. If we don't have a strong reason to believe in Christ, we will not be real Christians.

Some people think Christianity does not agree with Science. This is not true. Science often reveals

Here are some compelling reasons why you should be a Christian.

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1. Jesus is the only way to heaven: The Bible clearly tells us that the only way to be forgiven of our sins is to accept Jesus, who died to take the punishment for our sins. As we learn about different concepts related to salvation, like repentance, confession and forgiveness, we will be able to see that getting to heaven, after death, is only possible through Jesus.

“Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 2. We have a real, living relationship with God: We communicate with God. We don't pray blind prayers, unsure of whether they are heard or not. We know that God is listening, and He also answers us in different ways, such as granting our requests, or helping us realise that it was

better for us not to have something we asked for. As we learn more about Him, and speak to Him, He speaks to us too. The Bible is one way in which He lets us know His thoughts. As we experience His presence and work in our lives, we know we have a real relationship with God. God promises us, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Matthew 7:7 3. You are thankful to God: There are hundreds of blessings we can be thankful for, and the greatest one is that God forgives our sins and makes us His children, when we repent and ask for forgiveness. Out of sheer gratitude, we should want to do all we can to please Him and obey Him. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot

In Pursuit of Holiness the world.) What does that statement mean? In John 8:12 he said, “I am the light of the world.” So, when we are in union with Christ we ARE the light. Though he is not here, we are kept here, to represent him in this world of darkness.

Remember, we are children of God wherever we are. The very purpose of our salvation is to shine for the Lord. If we are living in a manner that is no different than those ungodly sinners around us then are we living the walk of

be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28 4. Jesus gives us real joy and peace: When we follow Jesus, obeying His words, He fills us with His love, joy and peace. It is an experience that is special, because we can have His peace and joy even when situations are difficult or painful. His comfort and assurance will always be with us.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7 – Cynthia John is the author of several books, mostly for Children's Bible Schools and Sunday School.

contd. from Page No 5

holiness with fear and trembling? – NO! Therefore, let our light so shine before men so as to glorify our Father in heaven.

5. By remembering WHOM we are to be like, v5. That's the beginning of the whole passage here. “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.” In order to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, we ought to have humility, godliness, reverence and submission. He humbled himself, obeyed, and

died. That is the extent of the humility of Christ. Our prayer should be “Dear Lord, I surrender myself to you. Help me to live,having the mind of the Lord Jesus and walk as He walked. May your solemn will and divine purpose be fulfilled in me'. And in order to do that with fear and trembling, let us always keep these five truths focused in our mind. May His name be glorified.

– Albert Sunil - Evangelist and an itinerary preacher based in Aurangabad, MS

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HER CORNER

VIRTUOUS WOMAN Part 5

– Mercy Sambob Proverbs 31 details for us the number of ways the woman can be virtuous. In the last 4 articles we looked at how she is virtuous towards her husband, towards her household and towards her work.

Now let us consider a few more attributes of a virtuous woman.

She is virtuous in giving.

only known to give hard work to their servants but not for “In Vs15 “She giveth a portion to reasonable wages. Consequently, her maidens (maid servants).” In servants do not stick around such Vs20 “She stretcheth out her hand homes.

Just wages is required at to the poor. Yea, she reacheth forth least as compensation. It may be her hands to the needy.” appropriate to even support them We can see how she is concerned in their needs to the extent about the well being of her possible, . The more one shows servants as her team members and mercy to them they would respond the needy poor. She expresses her towards their work the more empathy. She is virtuous not only faithfully and willingly. We notice towards her household, but that a virtuous woman obtains towards her servants as well. She good report from her maid is mindful not only about her servants. family, but also about her servants.

She gives a portion to her maidens. In a parable of the vineyard, the Lord said, “Go ye also into the In the margin, we see that she vineyard and whatsoever is right I employs work for them. Not only will give you” Matthew 20:4. Paul the work, but the wages too. Yes, she knows that a worker is worthy also establishes this truth through several metaphors in I Cor 9 “who of his compensation. So she sets planteth a vineyard and eateth not aside a reasonable portion as the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a reward to her workers for the flock and eateth not of the milk of work they do. Our testimony the flock? It is written in the Law should get established first at of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle home. As a first step she needs to gain the confidence of her husband the mouth of the ox that treadeth and her children. Some sisters are out the corn… Do ye not know that 22

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they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar.” I Cor 9:7-14. Though this portion applies more to gospel workers who labour in His vineyard, but it is a general principle,that laborer is worthy of his wages.and also applies to the subject we are dealing with.

She is virtuous towards poor and needy “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor, and she reacheth forth her hands to the needy” Prov 31:20. A virtuous woman does not withhold her hand, rather she stretcheth her hand and supports the poor and needy. Her hand is not shortened.

Though she was noble, rich, engaged in great business, yet she keeps in mind the needs of the poor and the needy without any any social disparity. She stretches forth her hands to extend any sort of help to the poor and the needy in cash or kind or in any work that

leather garments for both of them.

So also He gives us garments of righteousness and garments of salvation. Fine linen speaks of His righteousness. Scarlet speaks of His salvation. Strength and honor are her garments. In another She is virtuous in her clothing: article, we have seen how a Pro 31:22 Her clothing is silk and virtuous woman girds her loins purple. In Vs 25 it is written, 'that and works mightily with both of strength and honor are her her hands. The word of God speaks clothing.' From these verses we of many garments of the Lord and gather that her clothing is of fine their implication. We do not go into linen and of scarlet. These days we those details now.We must be are in touch with terrilene , terriclothed with His righteousness and cotton, teri-wool, nylon, nylex etc. be strong in the Lord.

In fact we do not know the names Thus the Virtuous woman is: of many textures. Clothing of this virtuous woman is very significant. 1. Virtuous towards her servant maids.

This concerns her life of faith and She is virtuous towards visitors it both spiritual and heavenly.

2. Virtuous towards poor and Human effort is not seen in her She maketh herself coverings of needy. clothing. This sort of clothing is tapestry (beds). Bed speaks of 3. Virtuous towards visitors. rest. It is not a single bed. If so we not available in any shop. These 4. Virtuous in her clothing are special garments that are may think it is for herself. But the plurality of beds is an indication of made ready through our Lord's her hospitality. A virtuous woman crucifixion, death and resurrection. When Adam and Eve – Mercy Sambob, is a house wife, thinks of her guests and prepares ministering among sisters and residing committed sin, the Lord made beds for them. She is willing to at Kadapa, AP. is needed. The profit she creates she does not' spend for herself nor for her household nor stop at maid servants but. she remembers the poor and shares with the lowly and needy. “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord.” Pro 19:17 The Lord remembered us when we were in low estate. He heard the cry of the poor and lifted them up. So we too must remember the poor. A virtuous woman stretcheth "forth her hands". She does help others not only with one hand but with both hands. Our Lord stretched forth both His hands for our sake;so we also should stretch forth our hands to the needy.

receive guests into her home and gives herself in loving service to them.This is a call and challenge to sisters that we make room for others in our home and take care of them.

Silas Fox contd. from Page No 14 Perhaps the most memorable sermon Silas ever preached in India, was the one he preached in September 1935 in Bombay. He came to Mumbai on the invitation of Handley Bird, who started a new work in the city.

For the particular evening's sermon, Silas had selected the text from Jude verse 23, "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire". It was a fiery message. At the top of his voice Silas shouted " fire, fire fire". Within a short time the building was surrounded by fire engines and the men from fire department began to search the building. They could locate none and were convinced that there was

no fire. Someone alarmed by Silas's shout; called out to the fire department. Next morning, English dailies carried the news item with the caption, " Fiery American Evangelist calls out Bombay Fire Deparment". "The wrong country got the blame or credit," remarked Silas. Silas Fox was not an American, he was Canadian.

Last days and home call

Canada; however Mr Fox paid his last visit to India in 1968 and preached extensively. In 1971, Mrs Emma Fox sustained a heart attack and henceforth was in coma until she was called home. Mr Fox used to say that there is no retirement in gospel ministry.

With his limited health, he continued to preach from a wheelchair in 1975. All these years, their eldest daughter Ruth looked after them very well. Mrs Fox was called home in 1981 and Mr Fox was called home in the following year, May,1982.

During his long stay in India, from 1917 onwards, he stationed at various places, Kalvandrug, Madakasira, Hindupur, Kuppam, Ootacamund, Anantapur and Bangalore. Silas and Emma Fox left – Koshy Mathew is an itinerant Bible India in 1961,and settled in Teacher based in Mumbai.

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Dead Flies

contd. from Page No 10

whose Name they bear. Often the very fact that they bear His Name seems to rob it of something of its sweetness, and they prove rather to be a stumbling block than a help to those seekers after the truth who look to see in the disciple a true representation of the Master with whom he is supposed to live in constant communion, and whose character he is expected rightly and continually to portray by reason of that communion, and by the power of the indwelling of the Spirit of the Master himself. In short, Christians make claims so great, yet fall so far short of the ideals they boast. Well may we question why this should be so!

"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour." We have the answer to our question in this verse. The apothecary may have taken the utmost care to compound the ingredients in the right proportions. For a perfect ointment it is necessary to beat and grind the ingredients together in the mortar till the result is that perfection of blending which by its sweetness or curative properties, brings honour to the apothecary's art.

All this may have been done, and yet there is a "stinking savour"!

What a rebuke to us as Christians to realize that, however perfect the ointment, it is possible for it to be spoiled after all by something so utterly valueless as a little dead fly.

We cannot pretend to ignorance as to the implication of the dead fly in the ointment. "To be carnally minded is death," (Rom. 8.6.) leaves us in no doubt as to 24

concord". How often the ointment of Christian unity is spoiled by this dead fly! Variance is the twin' child of a harsh judging' spirit, which is perhaps the commonest failing among Christians. The other twin is evil-speaking. Who does not know the type who has never a good word to say of anybody,-who is always running other people down. Someone's name is mentioned and Most will doubtless look at the blackest sins on the list, and hotly immediately they cast a doubt on plead: "Not guilty". The very heat his integrity, or by repeating gossip, or by innuendo seek to of self- defence destroys the besmirch his character. "Let all ability to accept the fact that bitterness, and wrath, and those sins which are accounted "great" in the eyes of men are not clamour, and: evil speaking, be the only things which can cause a put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to "stinking savour". What about another, tenderhearted, hatred? forgiving."

Eph: 4.32. That is the We are inclined to interpret "hatred" as "a murderous feeling only antidote for variance. towards another", but 1 John 4.20 Unfortunately, Christians addicted to judging others and tells us plainly that "loveth not" and "hateth" are interchangeable their motives, will often excuse themselves as exercising terms. Even the dictionary discernment, which they ¡go interprets the word "hate" as "to further and claim as a gift from dislike greatly", "to have a great the Lord. The spirit of aversion to", "to detest". When discernment is very different the Bible tells us that the lustful from the spirit of judging. It is glance is equivalent to adultery, given to those who will make that we accept the fact with an which is revealed to them in this outward sigh, and inward way a burden of steadfast and conviction; but when the Bible importunate prayer. A great man also tells us that "not to love" is of God who possessed the spirit "to hate", we protest that of discernment in an unusual extremes of interpretation or degree felt that such revelations meaning are wrong. God's Word were a matter between God and does not allow for euphemism. his soul alone. In one particular Wrong-doing is called "sin", not instance where variance "moral aberration". Dislike of threatened to split an assembly, another is called "hatred", the Lord revealed to him the whether we like the definition or secret of the trouble. Years after not. he wrote: "Of this I said not a Again, "variance" in simpler word to anyone.� but as the language means "disagreement situation grew worse he gave leading to dissension", "lack of himself "to steadfast appeal to the the source of death. "If ye live after: the flesh ye shall die", and the works of the flesh are these: "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,' seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like." Can we imagine a darker list than this?

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Head of the Church". The results were amazing. The problem solved itself and assembly flourished spiritually and prospered exceedingly. Can anyone say that the results would have been the same had he "shared his exercises" with others, even with a view to "an intelligent fellowship in prayer", as is so often pleaded. Rare indeed is the man or woman who can hear an evil report of another without being prejudiced; and rarer still is the man who can report an evil with an unbiased and genuine concern for the offender, Paul may have been the exception that proves the rule, but to seek to emulate him in this, is alas! only a proof of carnality.

Such an attitude of heart can only be born in us by the Spirit of God. It is not something that can be attained by human effort. The man who can "judge righteous judgment", and rebuke with authority is the man who has himself been through the refining fires, not the man who thinks he has!

Let us look further at the list!

Emulation,-the desire for superiority, the endeavour to excel another in popularity or attainments,-with its sister- evil of envy, which includes discontent because of the other's superiority or talents, and begrudges him his good fortune,are the children of jealousy, that green-eyed passion which filled the heart of man's greatest Enemy, and compelled him to tempt our first parents because he could not bear to see them enjoying the favour and blessing of God that had once been his portion. It was jealousy in Saul because of the ascendant star of

David both with God and men (1 Sam: 18.7-9.) that provoked him to attempt his murder. It was jealousy that compelled King Herod to a deed so foul as the murder of the infants of Bethlehem; and even the religious leaders of the Jewish nation to the 'murder of the Son of God.

anointing of the Sanctuary, no fly will even rest upon the ointment, still less become ensnared in it, to its death, and our loss of testimony.

A thoughtful reader may well ask: 'How is it that flies are attracted to the ointment of our testimony, yet never rullied the sweet savour of His good ointments ?" Flies after all come from without, how is contamination to be avoided ?

The answer lies in the ingredients of the holy anointing oil. Each of those ingredients repelled rather than -attracted the loathesome insects. The bitter-sweetness of the aloes and cassia, and the pungency of the myrrh, would allow no insect to come near the oil in which they were blended. If our anointing is truly the

as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him." 1 John. 2.27.

Let us like Mary, withholding nothing, pour out at His feet the costliest tribute of our heart's devotion and love, that the Nor does jealousy affect only the house,-His House,-may be "filled object of its suspicion and dislike. with the odour of the ointment".

It is a canker that eats away at the There were no dead flies in that heart of the man in which it has ointment! found a home. "Envy," said the "He that soweth to the flesh shall wisest of men, "is the rottenness of of the flesh reap corruption; but he the bones." Prov: 14.30. Where that soweth to the Spirit, shall Of envy or jealousy come in, either the Spirit reap life everlasting." between friends, or among the Gal: 6.8. members of an assembly, spiritual death is also present. Vice versa, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall where death is evident instead of not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Gal. 5.16. life, the "root of bitterness" is generally a hidden jealousy.

"That anointing which ye have (1 Cor: 3.3.) received of Him abideth, in you ...

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me." John. 15.4.

(Republished from The Balance of Truth, March-April 1960) – The late Christina Durham was the co-founder of GLS. She was an avid writer and poet.

Non Receipt of HT Subscribers may please note that, we regularly post HT on 1st or 2nd of every month. In case you have not received HT please contact us by email to admin@glsindia.com so that we can send you another copy.

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READER'S RESPONSE

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February 2014/Volume 11 Issue 02