EDITORIAL
Divine Circle of Love in Our Life T
he only true Triune God is love (1 John 4:8). It is not just that God has love but He is love. He alone can give, receive and share love within Himself because He is Triune. If God is not uni-plural as the Holy Bible teaches, then it was needed for Him to create, to express and share His love. Then He would not have been selfsufficient but dependent on creation which would disqualify Him from being God. The God of the Holy Bible did not create us to actualize any of His potential, but He graciously created us and added us to His self-sufficient circle of love. This Trinitarian concept of God is not only philosophically cogent but has immense practical implications for our lives.
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
financially but is much more than that. It must be remembered that the Father-Son relation in Trinity is an eternal relationship. The Son was the eternal delight of the Father. When Apostle John writes in John 1:1 “the word was with God,” the Greek word for ‘with’ is pros, where the implied One of the most important spheres of meaning is face-to-face relationship life where this love should be expressed is family. In fact, God created and not just ‘together’ (where the Greek word sun could have been used) man in His own image; “male and female He created them” (Genesis or ‘alongside of ’ (where the Greek 1:26). This is the foundation of the word meta could have been used). The family as our Master Lord Jesus Christ Son is the beloved of the Father, in clearly taught us (Matthew 19:4). The whom He was well pleased. God love that ought to be in the family is expects such a relationship between not the self-seeking love but the selfthe father and children in a family. giving love as in the Triune God or as demonstrated by Christ when He gave Do Christian fathers reflect the Trinity It challenges our concept of Himself for the Church (Ephesians in their relationship with their spirituality. Can I be spiritual by 5:25). Unfortunately, this is one area children? Honorable Gregory W. acquiring only more doctrinal and under severe attack in Christian life. I Slayton, a former US Ambassador, spiritual knowledge, spending hours am not just speaking about divorce entrepreneur, professor and above all together in fasting and meditation, but rates but those families that continue someone who considers fatherhood to having no relationship whatsoever to survive without reflecting the be the most important post in life, with my fellow human beings? No, says Trinitarian love. In this issue, Bro. John writes on the importance of the Holy Bible. Apostle John wrote (1 Kurian, internationally renowned Bible fatherhood and some practical tips on John 4: 21): “And this commandment teacher and counsellor starts a series how to “Be a Better Dad.” You will read we have from Him: that he who loves on the family with the first in series: more such articles in the future as well. God must love his brother also.” This is “The Importance of Family.” A mature, the only marga to be spiritual. Apostle godly family is also a clear sign of a We bow our knees to the “Father of our Paul says even if we have excelled in all mature spiritual relationship with God. Lord Jesus Christ from whom the other margas, but do not have love, it If one does not have a mature godly whole family in heaven and earth is profits us nothing. Apostle Paul wrote family, he cannot be considered for any named” and pray that God would bless (1 Corinthians 13:1-3): “Though I leadership role in the Church (1 your family through such articles. speak with the tongues of men and of Timothy 3:4). This correlation cannot angels, but have not love, I have be broken. become sounding brass or a clanging In Christ Within the family, one important role is cymbal. And though I have the gift of that of fatherhood. Again, this is not Jerry Thomas prophecy, and understand all restricted to supporting the children glseditor@gmail.com mysteries and all knowledge, and Harvest Times for Your Family
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DEVOTIONAL
Good & Pleasant Fellowship - Philip Nunn
P
salm 133 is one of a group of 15 Psalms called "songs of ascents" or "songs of degrees" (Psalms 120-134). Why these Psalms are grouped together is not certain. A very probable proposal is that they were sung by worshippers as they travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festivals. The theme of Psalm 133 would support this proposal. King David, as leader of God's people, was a keen observer of social behaviour. He had personally suffered the effects of jealousy, gossip, envy, rivalry and conflict. But, as expressed
"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life for evermore." (Psalm 133:1-3) 4
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in this Psalm, he also noticed that when the people of God dwelt together in unity, God would act and add something. This divine intervention made this social interaction special; he describes it as "good and pleasant". We call this expression of unity ‘fellowship’.
the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ" (DBY). This unity is a perfect goal we should work towards. This destination provides direction to every Christian ministry.
3. Psalm 133:1 – Experienced unity: Here David observes "how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in Perhaps surprisingly, the word "unity" unity!" (DBY). It is not a positional is used very few times in Scripture, unity caused by belonging to the same only 3 times in the English Bible [King tribe or nation. Neither is this unity a James and Darby translations]. These future goal or destination. The unity are: David sings about is a practical experience that can be lived and 1. Ephesians 4:3 – Positional unity: enjoyed today, here on earth, by the Here we are urged to "keep the unity of likes of you and me. The Spanish the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace" translation RV60 translates the idea as (DBY). This unity among all born again dwelling "together in harmony". Christians is Spirit made. It is a Musical harmony is a pleasant sound positional reality. It is a fact. We are made up of different notes - a encouraged to make every effort to delightful unity made up of diversity. keep it, to express it. But this is not always easy. Therefore, the apostle To help us understand "how good and precedes this command with an pleasant" this fellowship is, King David exhortation: "Be completely humble then uses two pictures: that of oil and gentle; be patient, bearing with poured on the head and that of dew one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2). falling on a mountain. Jewish figures of Without these four virtues, this divine speech like these can be unity can never be experienced. misunderstood. We can give them a meaning that was never intended. 2. Ephesians 4:13 – Future unity: A Modern readers may be tempted to few verses further on, we read that ignore the less obvious figures. My God gave gifted men to the Church to wife, for example, has never been prepare His people for works of enthusiastic about beards, and even service "until we all arrive at the unity less about oily heads and oily beards! of the faith and of the knowledge of the This could affect her appreciation of Son of God, at the full-grown man, at
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this Psalm. But about 3000 years ago, when this Psalm was written, these two figures conveyed clear and positive ideas. Let's explore them.
Precious oil poured on the head Every Bible student soon discovers that oil has many uses in Scripture. For example, it is used in food, in medicine, socially and in religious ceremonies. It is used symbolically to represent joy, happiness, comfort or blessing. Oil is sometimes used as a picture of the Holy Spirit. Given the rich usage of oil, what could it mean in this Psalm? The expression "precious oil", suggest that it was not common oil. The author was not thinking about cooking oil. Given that there is no reference to sickness in this Psalm, this oil was probably not medicinal. We read that this oil was poured on the head. This practice was a social nicety (Psalm 23:5; Luke 7:46) and also a ceremonial rite (Leviticus 14:18). The reference to Aaron's beard suggests that this Psalm was referring to the ceremonial oil used to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests, that is, the "oil of holy ointment" or the "sacred anointing oil". In Exodus 30:22-30 we find out how this oil was made and used. A distinctive feature of this sacred anointing oil was its smell; it is referred to as a fragrant blend. It was made by a perfumer. Its base was olive oil and it included great quantities of liquid myrrh, sweetsmelling cinnamon, aromatic cane and cassia. Now imagine all that being poured onto the head of Aaron. Not just a few drops, but enough to run down his head, down his beard and reaching the "hem of his garments". Perhaps we are now in better condition to understand the use of this figure in this Psalm. This unity, this fellowship, this happy interaction between God's people, is something that smells very, very good. This smell is attractive. "Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart" (Proverbs 27:9). Like any
parent, God enjoys seeing happy interaction among His children. As members of His family, we know this fellowship is sweet. Even nonChristians feel attracted to the scent of healthy, godly relationships. Perhaps the apostle Paul had this thought in mind when he wrote "we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing" (2 Corinthians 2:15). What do your family and Christian assembly smell like? Do you contribute towards this nice smell? Bitterness, selfishness, a critical attitude and an unforgiving spirit are like dead flies - and "dead flies give perfume a bad smell" (Ecclesiastes 10:1).
The Dew of Hermon This image is a bit more obscure, especially if unfamiliar with Bible geography. Mount Hermon is over 2800 meters high and is situated in the northern border of Israel. Snow and ice can be found on its peaks. Mount Zion is only 800 meters high and is situated in the southern half of Israel. It is one of the hills on which the city of Jerusalem is founded. King David wishes to illustrate "how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity", and said that it is like the "dew of Hermon that descendeth on the mountains of Zion" (DBY). What could this mean? Some suggest that since Mount Hermon was in the Northern kingdom and Mount Zion in the southern kingdom, this image is used to encourage unity among these two kingdoms. Perhaps it could have this effect. But the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms after David died. This motivation would not exist when he composed this Psalm. Some suggest that it is impossible for the dew of Hermon to fall on Mount Zion – because they are many miles apart. They suggest this figure points to a miracle. It is true that fellowship among God's people is a miracle, something of divine origin, but perhaps the dew image has a more natural interpretation.
living near Mount Zion to wake up to the dew of Hermon? It would be refreshing and invigorating. That is what true fellowship feels like. That is why David sings that the experience of unity among the people of God is "good and pleasant". Many years later, the apostle Paul also noticed how fellowship refreshed a tired saint: "we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you" (2 Corinthians 7:13). He wrote in Philemon 1:7 “your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints." Does the fellowship at your Christian assembly refresh and invigorate? How do others feel after spending some time talking with you or visiting your home? Like cool dew, true fellowship refreshes and invigorates.
Common features: Oil & Dew Having explored the distinctive features of oil and dew, we notice that these two figures share some common secondary ideas. 1. Abundance: The oil is poured freely. From the head it reaches the garments. The dew is cool and plentiful. Both figures depict generosity and abundance. With more oil, the smell is stronger. With more dew, the refreshment is greater. It has never been the Lord's desire for Christians to live in isolation. There is a time for solitude and there are Biblical reasons for separation. But the experience of this divine abundant unity within the Body of Christ will be either corrupted or hindered if we adopt conditions for fellowship looser or tighter than those observed among the apostles and saints in the New Testament. 2. From above: The oil is poured from above and runs down. The dew falls or descends from above. Similarly, the type of fellowship king David was excited about was more than natural comradeship. Its source was divine. It is different in nature from the fun football fans have together. Christian fellowship is more than happiness
The dew of Mount Hermon is cool and abundant. How would it feel for those Harvest Times for Your Family
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FEATURE ARTICLE
F
atherhood is the most important job that any of us will ever have. It is the only role in life for which we are truly indispensable. Our futures, our family and our entire society depend on the job we do as a dad.
“Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children.� - Bill Cosby The Importance of Fatherhood Somehow, much of our society has forgotten this simple fact that Bill Cosby expressed so well in the quote above. Down through history, men have gotten great joy from being good fathers, and society has directly benefited. Fatherhood has always been one of the cornerstones of civilization. In fact, many of the most serious social issues our society wrestles with from adult illiteracy to teenage pregnancy to 6
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increasing rates of chronic unemployment, drug abuse and mental illness stem directly from the breakdown of fatherhood. Of course, the presence or absence of a good mother is also important in the life of every child. Yet this article is for men just like you-men who want to be strong and noble fathers for their families, and have fun doing it. Becoming a good father is like running a marathon; it takes time, dedication and sticking to it. Maybe you're feeling burdened by what you perceive as your failures as a father. Or maybe you're just starting out on this whole fatherhood thing and you're not really sure how it works. All good questions and valid feelings, for we have all failed at one time or another, we have all had questions about the future, and our society today vastly underestimates the importance of fathers. So, if you are a father or even if you're just thinking about becoming a father, you are in (or about to start) the most important job of your life.
Why Is This Job So Important? You and I will probably have many jobs in our work careers-that is the way of the modern world. If we are deeply honest with ourselves, none of us is truly irreplaceable in our professional jobs. That's not an insult-it's reality. Among my other roles so far I have been a CEO, a venture capitalist, an ambassador and a college professor.
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– Gregory W. Slayton Former US Consul General to Bermuda, Professor, Businessman, and Philanthropist.
In every role I have ever had, I knew there were others out there who would probably do as good a job, or maybe even a better one, than me. But in my job as a dad to my children, like all dads for their kids, I cannot be replaced. The same is true of you as well. You are the best-qualified person in the entire world for that job. There is no one elseno one-who has the emotional, spiritual and physical assets you bring to this job. No other man will ever love your children as much as you do (and I know you love your kids, or you wouldn't be reading this). No other man is in the spiritual and emotional position to understand your kids as well as you do. And no other man is likely to be as committed to helping your kids build a successful future as you are. For them, you cannot be replaced.
Not only are you the very best person in the world for this job, but it is also the most important job you will ever have. The statistics are clear: The lives of your children will be hugely impacted by the job you do as their dad-and not only the lives of your children, but of their children and their children's children.
A Vital Step in Our Development as Men How do gold medal Olympic weight lifters become so strong? How did Jamaican sprinter Usain "Lightning" Bolt become the fastest man in the world? How does a team become Superbowl champions? Believe it or not, the same way you and I become good fathers (and, in the process, much better men). Self-sacrifice, hard work and selfdiscipline are some of the key building blocks to becoming a champion athlete and a championship team. These qualities are also the building blocks of champion dads of loving families. Research has long shown that men who are committed husbands and fathers are on average more productive in their jobs, enjoy better mental health, are generally happier with their lives, and contribute more to their communities than their unmarried or childless brothers. However, there is something else profoundly important about the fatherhood journey. As long as we don't give up on ourselves, or our families, we are changed into better men through the refining fire of being a father. Let's face it: Who wants to get up at 2:00 AM to make their pregnant wife the pickle sandwich she is craving? Who wants to take baby for the umpteenth stroll in the baby carriage so Mom can get a short (and much needed) break? Who wants to clean up after a sick child, or change the bed linens after a messy sleepover, or discipline a teen who desperately needs it? In short, no one except those who seek to be champion dads. Likewise, who wants to get up every day at 5:00 AM to run 5 or 10 miles? Who wants to push their bodies to their physical limit so they can become
stronger, faster and better at their chosen sport? Again, the answer is no one except those who wish to become champion athletes. That's the catch: There is no shortcut to becoming a champion athlete, just as there is no shortcut to becoming a good father and a good man. The very burdens that we carry for our families over time and the weight on our shoulders that can sometimes seem almost crushing are what make us better dads and stronger men. That is one of the deepest secrets of fatherhood. Not only do our family members-and our society as a wholebenefit tremendously from the process of our becoming good dads, but you and I, brother, benefit as well.
The Power of a "Noble Family Vision" A Noble Family Vision is like a roadmap of what you and your family want to be like in 10 or 20 or 30 years. Having one can be the difference between getting there safe and sound ... or not.
Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs
How can we, as fathers, set the tone and establish the direction for our families, while ensuring that we get every family member moving as a team in that direction? It all starts with what I call a Noble Family Vision.
Leadership Sets the Tone and Determines the Outcome General Dwight D. Eisenhower knew that the Allied invasion of Nazioccupied Europe was going to be a bloody mess. Thousands of men would die, tens of thousands would be wounded and an Allied victory was uncertain, at best. The weather and the seas did not cooperate. At times, even his Allies did not cooperate. But Ike had a vision-a Noble Vision-for a democratic and prosperous Europe free of Nazi tyranny. Ike understood the importance of that vision-he understood that the future of the free world depended on it. Bringing that vision to reality required enormous sacrifice, tremendous discipline and superb teamwork. But Ike did not waver and his team did not falter. Because they understood these things and stuck to them through thick and thin, Europe was freed of Nazi socialism and has enjoyed relative peace and prosperity for six plus decades.
And therein is my first-and maybe most important-question for you: What is your "Noble Vision" for your 29:18, KJV family? In other words, what do you Leo Tolstoy, one of the greatest Russian want your family to look like in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years? And what are you, writers, started one of the world's as the leader of your family, doing to most famous novels, Anna Karenina, advance that goal? with a haunting observation: "Happy families resemble one another, Most of us dads are so busy providing whereas each unhappy family is for our families and taking care of daily unhappy in its own tragic way." challenges that we haven't taken time Almost 150 years later, Tolstoy's observation still rings true. And I will add another truth: "Happy families are not built by accident." Of that I am 100 percent sure. Strong, loving, caring families are built over time, memory by memory, in good times and (not infrequently) tough times. But what can keep us going as men, as the leaders of our families, especially when the winds and the tides of life seem to blow and pull against us?
to truly think about what we would like our families to be in the future. And that is a problem, because nothing of any human significance is ever built by accident. No great company or building or work of art was ever created by accident. No World Series champion just lucked into the title. There is no significant human achievement in any field-the arts, sports, business, politics or sciencethat did not start with a vision of what
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those involved wanted to accomplish. Vision-a Noble Vision-of what we can accomplish together if we don't give in, give up or give out starts with leadership.
Help to Lead Your Family To do this you must develop bonds of mutual respect and trust with your closest allies (your children's mother, your kids and your deepest friends). Like Ike, you must listen to them and understand their fears and frustrations. But you must also help them understand and buy into a shared Noble Family Vision and their role in making that vision a reality. You will face great disappointment, discouragement and yes, even defeat. Sometimes it will seem that the wind and the tides are forever against you. At other times, your closest allies will deeply disappoint you. But if you keep on and see your Noble Vision for your family come to pass, you, your family, and society-in fact, the entire worldwill become the better for it. Yes, it takes hard work, sacrifice and self-discipline. But it is the most important job you or I will ever have. Our personal future-and that of our children and their children is at stake. Building a Noble Vision for your family's future isn't something you do in a few minutes. But it is something you should start doing right now. It is perhaps the most important part of what I call a "Life Vision." A man's Life Vision will include three main things: 1. Career Vision: what you want to accomplish in your work life if you have the opportunity. 2. Personal Vision: what type of man you want to be and be known as, what you want to be good at besides your work, and what you want people to say about you when you are gone. 3. Noble Family Vision: what your family will look like in 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years. What you, as the leader of your family, are doing to build toward that goal. The funny thing about the Noble Family Vision is that even though it is absolutely critical to a man's long-term happiness and fulfillment in life, it is 8
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not something most men spend much (or any) time thinking about, let alone planning for or actively working toward..
Start Building Your Noble Family Vision Right Now So let's take a few minutes right now to develop a Noble Vision for your family. It's not hard; in fact, it is kind of fun. No matter where you are in your fatherhood journey, a Noble Vision for your family can help. Inspite of where you are in life, and no matter how many disappointments you might have had as a dad, I encourage you to take a few minutes to really think about where you want your family to be in the future. Here are seven questions to help you build your Noble Family Vision. Answer them in the context of where you want to be in 5, 10, and 20 years: 1. What kind of relationship do you want to have with your wife? What do you want your marriage to look like? What do you hope she will say about you as a man, a husband and a father? 2. What kind of parent do you want to be? What do you want your children, when they are grown, to remember about your family life? How would you like them to characterize their childhood? 3. What do you want your kids to be like when they are adults? What do you want them to be known for and known as? 4. How do you want your children to relate to their own spouses and children? What kind of husband/wife and mom/ dad do you want your children to be?
Noble Family Vision. I encourage you to grab a pen and paper and write down as many answers as you can today. It won't take you long and it is vitally important to your future and your family's future. Once you've gotten your answers written down, take a few days to think about them. Over time, add the connecting phrases to make your answers into a unified statement, instead of seven different answers. Little by little, you will be creating your own Noble Family Vision. Don't worry that it's not perfect; of course it's not. But writing down a first draft, as rough as it might be, will get you halfway there. There is a reason all great stories get recorded in books: the written word lasts. Did you ever wonder why God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses in written form? Because the written word has staying power, and it has guiding power. Once you've got the beginning of your own Noble Family Vision written down, you're halfway home. But it has to be a Vision for your whole family, not just for you. So here's a suggestion: write a letter or email to your wife and get her thoughts, ideas and her support. The Bible is 100 percent correct when it teaches us that the man who has a good wife has received a true blessing from God. Yes, I know for those of us who are married, she's not perfect. But guess what? Neither are you or I ... not by a long shot, brother!
7. What are the core values that help bind your family together?
A Noble Family Vision won't be as powerful without her full partnership. Ask her specifically what she thinks about each question and your answers. Find out where she agrees and what she might add or change. Listen closely (we guys are not always the best listeners) and ask lots of questions. Seek to deeply understand what she is saying, and why. By the end of the discussion you will have a clear, shared Noble Family Vision. By writing down the Vision and getting her agreement
Answering these seven questions will give you the basic outline of your
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5. How do you want your children to interact with each other in the future-and with each other's spouses and families? 6. How do you want your children to interact with you in the future? What kind of relationship do you hope to have with them?
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When God is Silent (Republished from The Balance of Truth, February 1957)
“O Lord! ... be not silent unto me, lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down to the pit.” Psa. 28.1.
I
t is impossible not to have a great sympathy for Elijah as, tired and dispirited, he cast himself down under the juniper tree, and asked God to take away his life. Nor did God rebuke him, or argue with him. “Like as a father pitieth his children”, He looked down on His discouraged servant, and knew how much was due to his physical condition at that moment. “Arise, and eat!” He said, “because the journey is too great for thee.” And strengthened by that supernatural provision he travelled on for forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. What a lot is hidden in those five casual words: “forty days and forty nights.” What did those days and nights mean to Elijah?- a man momentarily out of touch with God, his heart burning with a sense of injustice, the feeling that God had let him down after all,- yet aflame with jealousy for the honour of God, and an aggravated sense of his own unique faithfulness. What had gone wrong? Shallow criticism has often tried to depict the fleeing Elijah as a coward. But was he? It was not the act of coward to stand boldly before an ungodly despot, and
announce a drought which would be lifted only at his own pleasure and command. 1 Kings 17.1. Nor was it a coward's act, three years and six months later, suddenly to reappear and challenge an enraged king who had searched the length and breadth, not only of the land, but also of surrounding countries, in order to wreak his vengeance on this Troubler of Israel! It was hardly the voice of a coward that rang out as he flung the king's taunt back at himself, and demanded that not only all Israel, but also the eight hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and of the groves, should gather to him to Mount Carmel. Nor was it a coward that stood and jeered at the multitude of prophets as they worked themselves into demon-possessed frenzy as they importuned their god for a sign and confirmation that was never given. It must have seemed more of a fool than a coward who at the evening hour, deluged the sacrifices, the wood, and the altar, three times with barrels of water, till the altar was standing as in a moat,-and then stood and challenged the God of Heaven to prove Himself by fire,-and got his answer too! And where was the coward in the
– Christina Durham
God will not compel our obedience, but in His silence there is often implied rebuke.
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next act?-when this amazing dare-devil marched the eight hundred and fifty defeated prophets into the valley, and himself, with superhuman strength butchered the lot, while the multitudes of Israel looked on, and not one amongst them raised a voice in protest, nor sought to check the massacre. It was hardly a coward either who, fully aware of the temper of the baffled crowd, hid his face between his knees, and wrestled with the Almighty till clouds gathered in the brassy heavens, and the storm burst in a fury of rain and wind. Nor was cowardice evident in the man who, in the face of the blinding tempest, outran the King's
turned his eye from his God, and became obsessed with the power of the billows that threatened to engulf him. Surely it was enough to discourage any man! What was the use of living if God was not going to vindicate the stand he had taken? No wonder his heart burned with despair and chagrin. But the pitying Father did not check him nor rebuke him. He allowed him to tire himself out-to come to an end of himself! Then He challenged him in gentle rebuke: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” In the mood he was in Elijah's answer could not have been other than self-vindicating, and self-
But Elijah had his eyes off God, and God did not speak again till Elijah was ready to listen.
chariot to Jezreel. Unfortunately Elijah was a “a man subject to like passions as we are,” and all these experiences of standing alone as God's witness must have magnified out of all proportion his sense of selfimportance and uniqueness. Suddenly it was himself that filled his eye, and not God. The king and the people had swayed to his every command, but here at last the possibilities of immediate and nation-wide revival were checked by a woman who failed to quail before the terror of his mighty acts, and who, in her anger, now threatened his existence. Poor Elijah! Hitherto God had been mighty on his behalf, but now he seemed to have failed to carry him through to ultimate triumph. Like Peter on the water, Elijah 10 Harvest Times for Your Family
pitying. Doubtless, after the way God had answered him before by fire and tempest, he expected God to answer him again by wind, and earthquake and fire, but he was disappointed. In the stillness that followed the upheavals of nature, came a quiet voice, repeating the challenge of that rebuke: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” It was in vain that he repeated his selfvindication and self-pity. God did not argue with Elijah! “Go back!” was His command, “and move and act and speak as I shall bid thee.” Why was Elijah failed? It was the ageold reason. He had his eyes off the Lord, and took action without waiting for his command. When at the first he had stood before Ahab, he did so at the
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command of the Lord. When he hid at the brook Cherith, it was God who had sent him there. It was God who bid him reveal himself again to Ahab after the years of famine, and who empowered him on Carmel, and in all the superhuman feats of that day Elijah forgot that the secret of his strength was the command of God, and at Jezebel's threat God had not commanded him to flee into the wilderness. God had expected him to stand firm in faith and quiet assurance, and as ever, God would surely have stood by His servant and vindicated his faith. But Elijah had his eyes off God, and God did not speak again till Elijah was ready to listen. Who is there among us who does not feel something kindred in Elijah's experience? How often we have come to a standstill in our Christian experience, not because of backsliding, for our hearts are aflame with zeal and love for Him,- but because we are suddenly so filled with a sense of our self-importance that we fail to listen for the voice of His direction, and take action without it. Immediately we lose the consciousness of His presence, in our bafflement, lose our faith and confidence in God, and our understanding of His ways. God will not compel our obedience, but in His silence there is often implied rebuke. He allows the long, hungry days and nights; the desert experience; the shadow of Horeb; the expectation of the revelation of His power, and the consequent disappointment and sense of frustration when it is not forthcoming,- but at last, when we have come to the end of ourselves,- our self pity, our self-vindication- we shall hear the small Voice out of the ensuing stillness: “What are you doing here? Go back and do only what I shall bid you!” “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying: This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Isa. 30.21 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psa.66.18 (The late Christian Durham was the co-founder of GLS. She was an avid writer and poet.)
FINANCE
Financial Responsibility of A Christian (PART-II)
– Koshy Zachariah the Lord's portion at first”. The quantum of “giving for the Lord” is not specifically mentioned in the NT scriptures, though it was ten percent in the Old Testament – “You must set aside a tithe of your crops, one tenth of all the crops you harvest each year” (Duet 14:23 LASB). That was the Law but a Christian, as the beneficiary of the great grace of Lord Jesus Christ, needs to set apart much more, cheerfully for the Lord and His ministries. The NT pattern for setting aside is “giving commensurate with what one gets” and shall be governed by “you must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully” (2 Cor 9:7 LASB). William n our last issue, the point briefly MacDonald writes “Each one is to give touched upon was that, every as he purposes in his heart. It will be person irrespective of their status is necessary for him to consider what is involved in the management of money; necessary for his own immediate needs. this is true of a “TRUST” or an He will have to think of just obligations ENTERPRISE or GOVERNMENT. We which he will incur in the course of also saw that accountability is normal life. But then, above that, he warranted and cannot be divested. should think of the needs of his fellow 1. PERSONAL FINANCE Christians and of the claims of Christ upon Him. Taking all these (a) Liberal giving considerations into view, he should give It is easier to understand the not grudgingly or of necessity. It is accountability factor in Personal possible to give under pressure of Finance through the Parable of the emotional appeal or public Talents mentioned in Mathew 25:14embarrassment. None of these things 30. It is a direction to Christians in the will do. God loves a cheerful giver”. matter of using money for furthering the gospel. In this parable, the focus is I firmly believe that financial on the discreet and wise management management calls for planning and of money. The money at the disposal of control – the two essential ingredients of 'MANAGEMENT”. In principle, all a Christian, in principle, shall be only “the residual money after setting apart other facets of Management fall under
I
Giving to the Lord shall not be out of compulsion; it shall be the outcome of a grateful heart, a heart that loves emptying itself for the Lord in response to the sacrificial love.
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these two. Every person should plan for the money at his disposal; both income and expenditure. In the case of a salaried employee, he could reckon the salary income and plan for it. The net salary is after deducting the income tax since the Employer takes on the role of an Income Tax Officer for deduction of tax at source (we shall consider the accountability on tax aspects separately). The money that comes into hand or to one's Bank Account is fairly steady. While planning for its utilization, the savings accrued through the savings schemes or LIC should be reckoned. These savings deducted at source should form part of the total income at one's disposal on one side and on the other side, part of the savings plan for the future. The net income credited to your Bank Account aggregated with the savings deducted at source, should be reckoned for the spending and savings plan. Expenses on rent, fuel, electricity, running the home etc. may vary from person to person depending on the lifestyle of the person. A very Senior Executive of an organization may have to choose an apartment commensurate with his standing if the house is not provided by the Organization as part of his compensation. The furnishing, if one's own shall be minimal, yet decent. The “minimal” on furnishing is irrelevant if the Company-provided house is also furnished. Similarly cars provided by the employer whether costly or less costly; so also business travel if the provision is for First AC train or business or First Class by air. Having considered the Company provided houses with furnishing, Company cars and business travel facilities, no money needs to be set apart for these from the monthly expenditure plan. The impulse towards an opulent life style and luxurious living should be under check and shall not be resorted to by Christian believers. Hence the disposable income after reckoning reasonable expenses for home and other areas (including children's education) should give due weightage for the money to be set apart for the Lord's work and Sunday offerings; an 12
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equal weightage for the Lord's work and personal savings is desirable, but the decision on this, depends on the magnitude of one's indebtedness to the Lord. William MacDonald writes on Philippians 4:17 “All that we have, belongs to the Lord and when we give to Him, we are giving Him what is His own. Christians who argue as to whether or not they should tithe their money have missed the point. A tithe or tenth part was commanded to Israelites under the law as the minimum gift. In this age of grace, the question should not be “How much shall I give the Lord? But rather “How much dare I keep for myself? It should be the Christian's desire to live economically and sacrificially in order to give an ever-increasing portion of his income to the work of the Lord that men might not perish for want of hearing the gospel of Christ.” Giving to the Lord shall not be out of compulsion; it shall be the outcome of a grateful heart, a heart that loves emptying itself for the Lord in response to the sacrificial love of the Lord who “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor that you through His poverty might be rich” (2 Cor 8:9 LASB). The word is sure and certain. “Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7 LASB). Jowett says “Cheerful giving is born of love and therefore it is a lover loving a lover and rejoicing in the communion. Giving is the language of loving; indeed, it has no other speech”. God so loved that He gave. “Love finds its very life in giving itself away. Its only pride in possession is the joy of surrender. If love has all things, yet it possesses nothing”. There can be no doubt that no amount of “giving” from our side could ever match the greatest gift of God; that of His own well-beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul bursts into an exclamation “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Cor 9:15). A reflection of our commitment on this at this point is warranted. What was
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David's commitment to giving?. When Ornan willingly and freely offered the place for an altar and the oxen for burnt offerings, David said “Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord nor offerings without cost”(1 Chr 21:24). David's “giving” for the construction of the Temple is phenomenal. William MacDonald writes “Although King David had given so much already to the work of the temple, yet as a final offering and as an example to the people, he dedicated more silver and gold from his Private Funds”. This offering (1 Chr 29:4) as the “Nelson Regency Bible (KJV)” records, is $17.28 billion equivalent of about Rs 95000 crores (present value). After this sacrificial giving, the scripture records “David's magnificent prayer and worship (1 Chr 29:10-17); an acknowledgement that he and his people were unworthy to give to God and that what they gave had come from Him anyway. There are so many men among us who are fabulously rich but when it comes to “giving “for the Lord's servants and His ministries, the portion allocated is rather paltry, very negligible. We read of the offerings of the people during Hezekiah's reign “the children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of corn, wine and oil and honey and of all the increase of the field and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly….. since the people began to bring the offerings unto the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have left plenty: for the Lord has blessed His people; and that which is left is this great store” (2 Chr 31:5-10). It is time to ponder. Is the Lord's store in heaps? It would be; if every Christian believer starts giving with a financial accountability. We shall continue on this in our next issue.
Koshy Zachariah was formerly the Executive Director-Finance with MRF Ltd. He is currently one of the elders of Bethesda Bible Chapel, Kilpauk, Chennai.
MISSION
Outreach Through the Local Church (We) are still called to join with the local church in evangelisation of the community.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of this world. Amen” (Mathew 28:19-20)
“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word”. (Acts 8:4) “For from you sounded out the Word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need to speak anything.” (1 Thessalonians 1:8)
did not flit from one church to another, as there was only one church in each town and city. Rival churches were not set up and each believer acknowledged the Lord by maintaining prayerful and loving relationships with all other local believers.
Each church also had one great aim, which was to evangelize its community. They believed very strongly in In the New Testament every Christian outreach, and engaged in it largely believer belonged to a local church. through personal witness, and also They were not dependent upon a evangelised more distantly through chapel or church building but missionary work. Today, God’s desire identified very closely with the local for His church has not changed; body of Christians, to whom they Christians are still called to join with belonged as committed members. They their local church in evangelisation of Harvest Times for Your Family
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their community. It maybe that we have lost sight of this great aim today, or our enthusiasm has weakened and our energy has been sapped. There are churches which were once famous for their evangelistic work when they were the cutting edge of Gospel and missionary work, whose zeal has dried up and whose vision has been lost. Too often today, we have churches who have not seen a convert in years, whose baptistery remains unopened, and whose message never effectively reaches into the community. At worst they are unnoticed, at best they are irrelevant. There needs to be an examination of what the work of the Gospel is and how it can be effectively presented in today’s society. As a first step in evangelism the local church need to be known in its locality. It must have a profile which impinges upon the consciousness of people who live round about. A church known to me had been in existence since 1920 on the same site continuously, but when in 1981 I started to contact the local people I found that many thought it was closed. They had never seen the doors open, as they had failed to pass at the times when the two short services were held on Sundays. The church is in a residential area, on a bus route, but people were unaware of its existence!
principles for outreach we must now turn to some of the difficulties or hindrances which are very evident today. These are influences which are working against effective outreach through the local church. HINDRANCES TO OUTREACH. 1. The problem of Materialism. Our Western society is a self-indulgent society. It believes in money, profit, possessions and pleasure. ‘Eat, drink and be merry’ summarizes much of what our society believes in. The Christian Gospel cuts across such selfishness and insists that we should:
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Your church and my church will never be effective in outreach if the gods of this world make us materialistic. Let us reaffirm our commitment to the commandment of Scripture: ‘Do not love the world or any-thing in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.’ (1 John 2:15). Let us give God the full love of our hearts and obey Him in all ways, especially in this area of evangelistic outreach. 2. The Problem of Pride. Too often churches have lost their unity and therefore their effectiveness in evangelism because of egotistical behaviour and jealousy. The day seems to have long gone when we were all willing to quietly surrender to the will of God and do whatever He wanted us to do.
The Gospel message must be explained in a simple and straightforward way, so that even a child can receive Christ as Saviour, but the Gospel is not simplistic.
A second step in evangelism is for the local church to be seen as relevant. What use is our church to people? When they entrust their children to us for camps, Sunday schools and clubs; when they look to us for weddings, funerals, child dedications, counselling, help and support; when they see us visit the old, bereaved and ill, a relevancy comes in and it is seen that the church has something good and deny self, share with others and care helpful to offer the local community. for the needs of people. A third step in evangelism is to build The problem today is not so much a relationships with the local people, problem of materialism in society but which we could call “bridges of of materialism within the church. communication”. It is building upon Clearly, a materialistic Christian is tenuous contacts and making them spiritually weak and disinterested in stronger. It is remembering that outreach and so is a materialistic everything which we say and do will church. We have today the problem of reflect upon our churches and its the people in the prophet Haggai’s dayministry, either for good or bad. we care about our homes and neglect Having established the foundation
work, rest not effort but outreach requires effort, self denial, discipline and hard work. It says ‘No’ to me and ‘Yes’ to God.
the house of God. We want ease not
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Today there is a desire for prominence, for position, we need to be asked to do something, we want our ideas accepted, we want appreciation, we want praise. If we don’t get these we become huffy, uncooperative, weak in attendance and poor in support. It is part of outreach to wash dishes, pull up weeds around the church building, set out chairs, collect hymnbooks, scrub floors and to say ‘hello’ to new people. We must recognize that these things need to be done, but let us do it for the Lord. A young man known to me came one day to the Lord with this prayer: ‘Lord, I will do anything for you in this church, even if it is only helping to move chairs for the children’s club’. He has never sought a public role, but it becomes increasingly evident that the Lord has gifted him for a singing and speaking ministry, but his attitude is so refreshing and he is a particular support to the evangelistic outreach of his local church. We must remember that it is not our will or ideas which should carry weight, but it is what God wants which is vital. We need a humble spirit to discern His will. It is too easy to lose sight of this through pride or by
harboring selfish ambition in our hearts, (James 3.14). 3. The Problem of Prayerlessness. The poorest attended meetings in our church are the prayer meetings. When I was prayer secretary for the University Christian Union we might on a good day get twenty-five to attend a prayer meeting out of a membership of one hundred and fifty! We have every excuse under the sun for skipping the prayer meeting and then we discuss endlessly why our outreach is so ineffective. We need more prayer not more programs. We need to seek the face of God in prayer, to know His will, and therefore to know what method will be effective for our church, in our area, in our time. So often it is true that we have not received because we have not asked, (James 4.4). Ron Dunn has noted that in Acts 2, ‘They prayed ten days and preached ten minutes and three thousand people were saved. Today we pray ten minutes and preach ten days and are ecstatic if anyone is saved’. (Taken from “Don’t Just Stand There, Pray Something”) 4. The Problem of No Vision. ‘Where there is no vision the people perish’ (Proverbs 29:18). Instead of visionaries we have elders and leaders who very often are desperately holding on to the status quo. It seems as though nothing must change, no one asks the questions: ‘Is what we do effective?’, ‘Is this what the Lord wants today?’ Who is giving time to think through strategy (God’s strategy)? Who is grappling with the needs of evangelism? Wherever we live there are elderly and shut-in people; single parent families; hooligans and vandals; addicts and alcoholics; the grieving; the respectable; the hardworking - how do
we evangelize them? We must grasp a vision for the task and pray through a strategy which is effective. 5. The Problem of Seeing only the Tangible. Our local church sacrificed time and money, had days of prayer and fasting for a new building. However, the same urgency and commitment to the spiritual building through evangelism has not been evident. We need neat and functional buildings, we need minibuses and equipment as these may be important, but the spiritual qualities of holiness, love, kindness and joy are far more important and much more vital for effective outreach. They are not tangible but spiritual - not visible but invisible through the working of the Holy Spirit. 6. The Problem of Few Workers. It is so easy for the same few to do all the work. They attend all meetings’ teach in Sunday School, clean the chapel, give out tracts. We need the whole body of the church to exercise its commitment and gift.
must grapple with the deep needs of the world today. What does the Bible (and therefore God) say about hunger, redundancy, unemployment, relationships, bereavement, war? These are big issues and have no simple answers. Also it is not good enough to tell people to come to Jesus and all their problems will disappear. This flies both in the face of a careful study of Scripture and in the face of daily practical experience. Problems do not cease when we become Christians but we do have greater resources to cope with and even deal with them once we are believers in the Lord Jesus. 8. The Problem of Criticism. It is the easiest thing in the world to criticize and our criticism can destroy a work of God. The preacher’s words may have seemed boring, shallow and irrelevant but we must keep those thoughts to ourselves, for the message may have been just what someone else needed and we must not rob them of the blessing.
Education can make us critics, as can the pride that goes with a successful and well paid job. “Church people control church affairs because they are intellectually, mentally and physically awake, but they may be morally and spiritually asleep” (A.W. Tozer). How easy to criticize - but it will arise when 7. The Problem of Simplistic we are not close to the Lord. To be Responses. close to the Lord stops us being The Gospel message must be explained destructively critical. in a simple and straightforward way, so We must now turn our attention to the that even a child can receive Christ as needs for effective outreach. Saviour, but the Gospel is not (This article will be continued in the next issue.) simplistic. It takes a lifetime of study to begin to grasp its complexity. Paul Young is a full time Bible teacher, author and Trustee of 'Echoes of Service' currently We need to be preserved from trite, living in UK. simplistic and shallow answers. We We need young and old to work together, to share the load, to ease the burden and to release some of the people for more fruitful tasks of Christian service. Are we playing our part?
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FAMILY
W
e are living in an age of moral and spiritual decline. Marriage and family are adversely affected in this downward slide. Seldom do young couples find a pattern for Christian family life that they can follow. Many Christian married couples are groping in darkness. They do not know whom to turn to for help. Even church leaders are often not equipped to handle the problems that confront families in the modern world. In a world where the divorce rate is increasing at an alarming rate, gay lifestyles, cohabitation and separation are threatening to tear down the very fabric of our society. Men and women who should live in the society are
Importance of Family and Marriage in God's Plan
molded in the families. What happens in the family affects the society. The church also is composed of individuals from different families and therefore the quality of the church also depends on the quality of families to a great extent.
– John Kurian
The church also is composed of individuals from different families and therefore the quality of the church also depends on the quality of families to a great extent. 16
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Is there a solution to the problems faced by families? Is it possible to live a happy and blessed married life even in this generation? Can we build families where members love and respect each other and experience the blissfulness of heaven in some measure? The good news is that the Bible, the word of God gives us enough guidance and help in this matter. Strong, healthy and blessed families can be built by obeying the rules laid down therein. 'God's rule book' gives us a blue print for marriage and family. As this blue print is given by the One who instituted marriage and family, we should seek to understand its teachings and follow its instructions.
This will equip us to build strong and healthy families where everyone lives in peace, knowing how to respect, understand and help one another. Conflicts that come up can be handled wisely in such a family atmosphere.
The Biblical Concepts of Family “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled” says the Bible in Hebrews 13:4. What gives marriage its respectability? First of all, we need to understand that the family is divine in origin;, it is the idea of an all wise God. The Family is not the invention of some clever men.The Bible clearly says in Genesis 2:18 'And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” It was God who made Adam and saw his need. God made provision to meet that need by making Eve and bringing her to the man. The Lord Jesus, talking about marriage in Mathew 19: 4, 5 said “He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female…… God has joined (them) together”. We can rightly say that God Himself instituted marriage and officiated the first wedding. Therefore God has the right to give us the instructions that regulate it. The Bible is God's 'instruction handbook' or 'The manufacturer's manual' that gives us all the guidelines that we should follow in order to run this institution well. Human cleverness and ideas are not sufficient to run the family. The One who originated it knows all about it and we would do well to listen to His principles and rules in this matter. No one can violate biblical principles without dire consequences. It is an encouragement to know that God is interested in families as He himself ordained it for man. God feels with us when it hurts in the family; because He wants to see it run smoothly. We can always go to God with our family problems confidently, knowing full well that He is more interested in our families than we ourselves are. He is ever ready to help us. God can bring healing and make our marriage stronger than before no
matter how broken the marriage is. No marriage is beyond repair for God. Failure is not final with God. Family is the first institution of God. Other divine institutions like government and church came much later. Before there was anything else, there was family. Human life on this earth begins in a family and that is where a person's personality is molded; that is the school from where
he learns his first lesson and that is where he is trained to be what he is meant to become. According to King Solomon, the wise man, the first counsel to shun evil is given in the family (Prov.1:8). God designed family relationships to be the nucleus of all human relationships. A person's life and dealings in the society will be a reflection of what he has learned in the family. Unhealthy families will create unhealthy societies. As we study the Bible we see that God of the Bible is a God of relationships. Family is a reflection and extension of the love relationship within the Godhead-Trinity. Ability to experience oneness of fellowship similar to the one existing in Trinity is included in the 'image' mentioned in Gen.1:26 when God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”.
This means God expects us to maintain love, harmony and oneness in family relationships as it exists within in the three persons of the Godhead. This seems to explain why Satan, the arch enemy of God, is out to destroy the sanctity of family relationships. Human beings were formed by the Creator with a deep need and longing to be in relationship. Man's primary relationship is with his creator God (Remember: Adam and Eve saw God first before they met each other). Relationship which most closely reflects our relationship with God is the marital relationship. It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word 'Yada'(meaning 'to know') used for the most intimate knowledge between a man and his wife is used in our relationship with God also.( “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain”-Gen.4:1. Compare this with Prov.3:6-“In all your ways acknowledge- Hb.'yada'- Him”.) Our primary relationship is with our Creator and all other relationships are dependent on this. The quality of our relationship with our wife depends on the quality of our relationship with God. The closeness of the husband and wife is directly proportionate to the spiritual closeness of the husband and wife to God. It should also be understood that no human relationship can do for you what God alone can do. No one can be to you what God alone can be to you. None but God can fill the vacuum in human heart. Even if we get the best husband or best wife, they can never fully satisfy us. We can find the fullness of joy and contentment only in our relationship with God; because that is how God has designed us. Therefore we need to cultivate and develop a proper relationship and intimacy with God which alone can give us a sense of fulfillment in life. REMEMBER: God is first and family is only second. John Kurian is an evangelist, a widely acclaimed Bible Teacher and preacher based in Kerala.
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“
R
echal! Why have you not been eating well, sweetheart?” Mummy asked her as she rushed off to her room. “I have been noticing this since you came back from your aunt's house on Saturday. Is everything all right? Where is the badge that you won in the Bible Quiz last year?”
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“Ye...ss, Yes!!! Yes!! Mummy”, Rechal muttered and ran into her room. A few lines of concern appeared on her mother's forehead and she looked worried. Rechal was a class VIII student. God had blessed her with a beautiful voice. She was a part of
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Tabbsum Roy Paes
She felt as if a pair of eyes was following her everywhere.
their church choir and never missed any VBS or Kids summer camp but actively participated in all the activities. She remembered all the songs and stories and shared them with her school friends who always wondered where she brought so much of enthusiasm, happiness and learning from. “She seems to know all good things”, they thought. On top of that, she used to make new friends every year and the list kept on increasing whereas her school friends went on vacations for a few days, came back, talked about it and forgot them. She kept in touch with her camp friends through e-mails shared a lot of stories about them. She would always spread happiness among her friends. But today, she seemed very sad. She would barely eat and speak only when required. With this in her mind, Mummy went to Rechal's room and was surprised to see her “WWJD?” badge lying on the study table. She always had that pinned on her dress and never parted with it. There was certainly something unusual about her new behavior. But what was wrong Mummy could not tell.
lady. She couldn't help noticing Rechal's changed behavior as Rechal was practicing “What a Friend we have in Jesus” for the camp. “Are we weak and heavy laden? Cumbered with a load of care, Precious Savior still our refuge, Take it to the Lord in prayer.” When she reached this stanza, Rechal broke down and began to cry. Once she calmed down, Rechal told her that her cousin Perry's PSP didn't get spoiled by mistake. She had asked her father to purchase one for her also but he had been delaying it. All her school friends owned one and when she met her cousin Perry this Saturday, she too had a PSP. So, in a fit of jealously, she had thrown Perry's PSP in a bucket of water. When Perry's parents found the damaged toy, they scolded Perry and withheld her pocket money.
Rechal returned home but had felt very uneasy since then. She felt as if a pair of eyes was following her everywhere. She lost her appetite and disliked talking to anyone. She confined herself to her room throughout the week and could not pray. She felt tired with a heavy An entire week went by. Rechal said burden on her shoulders. So today when she sang the song, she broke her prayers half heartedly. down. Something really seemed to be disturbing her. She was lost in her Mrs. Glory lovingly kissed on her own world, in her own thoughts. forehead and asked. “Where is your On Sunday morning, as she got 'What would Jesus Do' badge?” ready for church, Mummy noticed Rechal looked down and replied, “I that her WWJD badge was still on took it off because I knew I had her desk. done wrong and Jesus would never have done that.” Her smile was lost even as she sang in the church. The Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Glory, was a very caring and loving
“That's right”, said Mrs. Glory, “Since you know this now, what should be your next step?”
“I must confess it to God” Rechal answered. “And?” Mrs. Glory asked. “And my parents”, Rechal said. “Aaannndddd?”, Mrs. Glory asked emphasizing the word. ”I need to seek forgiveness from God and Perry as well” Rechal admitted finally. “That's like my little angel”, said Mrs. Glory as she smiled. Needless to say, Rechal was forgiven by God as it says in Psalm 86: 5 “For you Lord are good and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those Who call upon You” Her parents not only forgave her but they gifted her the PSP on her birthday. Uncle, Aunty and Perry also forgave her, Perry received all her due pocket money and her PSP was repaired. Rechal and Perry came closer as friends and sisters. She wore her 'WWJD?' badge again and decided never to part with it. Rechal resolved never to feel jealous again and memorized Psalm 139:7-12 which concludes that we can never hide from God. He is everywhere and can see everything we do. Ephesians 5:1 says that we should be an imitator of Christ. Rechal knew that Jesus would not do what she did in that situation. She corrected her mistake, sought forgiveness and decided never to repeat her mistake. Dear children, what would you do?
Tabbsum Roy Paes is a writer and lives in Delhi.
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EXPLORERS
– Cynthia John
She found it very comforting to know that God knew all her thoughts and feelings, and that He cared.
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S
heetal felt terribly upset. Her parents had just had a big fight. They had both been shouting, and she felt very scared. She had been in the next room, listening to everything, but they did not care. She had often seen her parents fight, but when it was such a big fight, she knew something bad was likely to happen. Once after a fight, her father had left home, and had returned only after six months. Their mother would not allow them to ask where their father was. All Sheetal and her brother could do was wait for him. This time, she hoped nothing like that would happen. She felt sad about her
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parents, but what made it worse was that it seemed they did not care about her and her brother. If they did, they would be talking about them, and not thinking about leaving. She was always afraid her parents would get separated or divorced. She couldn't imagine living without her father or her mother. She wanted them both. 'Who is there to care about my feelings?' she thought sadly. As the thought crossed her mind, she remembered. “He cares for you...” It was part of a song she had learnt in Sunday school. “Cast your burdens
unto Jesus, for He cares for you...” The words were from the Bible verse; 1 Peter 5:7. The more she thought about the verse, the more she realised that no matter how her parents behaved, God cared for her. He knew what she was thinking, and how sad she was feeling. “God, help me,” she prayed. She didn't feel the need to explain anything more. God knew exactly what she was talking about. After praying, she felt peaceful, and soon fell asleep.
He loves you more than any person – even your family members – ever could. He has shown His love in the biggest way possible – by sending Jesus to die for us. He loved you before you were born. He planned your life and made you the person you are today.
instant reply, He is right there with you, listening to every word you say. “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17
He can do anything – He can change your situation, or your mind, or someone else's mind. He has control He knows what's happening – He over everything. Everything in heaven allowed it to happen, and knows why it and earth are under His control. He can should happen. He can work it out for change things around in an instant, if your good. He knows more about He wants to. But sometimes, He might what's happening than you do. Not The next morning, when she walked have a reason not to change the only does He know and understand into the hall, she found her father and situation in the way you want. If that is everything, He also knows and controls the case, you can trust Him to make a mother drinking coffee. Once again, future events too. she remembered the words, “He cares better choice than you. “Great is our for you.” She felt happy that her He understands your feelings – even if Lord and mighty in power; his parents seemed to have made up after no one else seems to. He knows your understanding has no limit.” Psalm the fight. Her parents didn't always 147:5 every thought and feeling. He doesn't stay peaceful; they still argued, but just understand, but is compassionate He cares. So, put your burden on Him. Sheetal did not feel so sad anymore. and loving. He wants you to get rid of Tell Him your problems and give it to She found it very comforting to know anger, fear and worry, and trust in Him Him. Don't continue to worry about it. that God knew all her thoughts and completely, so that you can experience Trust that He will take care of it and be feelings, and that He cared. Just that His peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peaceful. “Cast all your anxiety on him knowledge helped her believe that He peace I give you. I do not give to you as would somehow make things better for the world gives. Do not let your hearts because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7. Anytime you feel sad or unloved, her. be troubled and do not be afraid.” John remember: 'He cares for you'. God, the 14:27 What about you? most important Person in the universe, He hears your prayer – even if it is just cares for you. Have you ever felt unloved or a single line like, 'Help me, God.' He unwanted? Have you ever wished you listens to you, and He responds. Any had someone who really cares? There Cynthia John is a writer and mother of two kids time you pray, you can be sure He is is someone who cares. God. listening. Even if you don't get an
Poem
Be ye strong and be brave For I have won over the grave. Every demon does tremble At each step they do stumble. Now my son, fear not the foes Says my God, the Lord of Hosts. O my soul no need to worry Better the days when we do scurry. The victory is ours, peace will be Joy unmeasured, full and free.
Now my son, fear not the foes Says my God, the Lord of Hosts. Go spread the word far and wide Resist the wind, swim against the tide. He who is thirsty, come drink of me He who hunger, come feast on me. Now my son, fear not the foes Says my God, the Lord of Hosts. Davis Thomson
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CHALLENGERS
– Joy John
W
e come across a lot of questions every day. Right answers to the right questions are inevitable for us to take right decisions. Unfortunately very few people try to answer the most crucial questions in life which affect their destiny. The quest to know is as old as man. Many times people settle down to believe incoherent answers to the most important questions of life. Let me present three crucial questions that demands coherent and consistent answers.
1) Who am I? My dear friend, have you ever asked this question to yourself? We can come up with many answers such as I am a man/woman, I am a student, I am an Indian, I am a Hindu/Christian, I am an engineer/farmer, I am a Telugu/Marathi, etc. These answers are inadequate because they highlight only one particular aspect of your identity. In saying, 'I am a human', you distinguishing yourself from animals or birds. The reply “I am an Indian” explains nationality. Some of the answers will throw light in to your language, job, gender, religion but none of these answers are complete in themselves. Hence we need to ask this question about our identity. It depends on who made us. It seems that every one is in search of their identity. Identity crisis is a universal phenomenon as the following poem suggests. 22
Harvest Times for Your Family
I AM a hastily written ending, I AM a punch line with a bad taste I AM an argument in reserve, I AM the fact that theories hate I AM the only thing not mentioned, I AM the catch that 'there must be' I AM the robbery with violence, I AM the one you would not see I AM the bad dream that has to come true, I AM obscelence built in I AM the door you cannot look behind; I AM as original as sin I AM the problem that changes your plan, I AM the unexpected guest I AM the confusion of philosophers; I AM the well known factor 'X' There are some who think that we are the product of random chance (evolutionist) and others who think that we are maya (an illusion). If we are the result of random change, how do we see design in the universe and if we are an illusion, who is asking these questions? In the Holy Bible, God explains that man is created in His image and likeness. Therefore, he is very valuable. Irrespective of their religion, cast, creed or race, God loves all human beings. You are someone created by God for a specific purpose. The Holy Bible says that you were known by God of the universe even before you were born! See Psalm 139:13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
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I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. This knowledge becomes the starting point for the next question.
2) Why am I here? If we have been created with such care, there has to be a reason for our existence. All of us are put on this planet for a purpose. We are part of a big picture. But very few people discover their purpose in life. Most of us just exist and keep counting our days rather than making our days count. Dr. Albert Einstein was once asked, "Why are we here?" He replied, "If the universe is an accident, we are accidents. But if there is meaning in the universe, there is meaning in us also." And he added, "The more I study physics, the more I am drawn towards metaphysics." Woodrow Wilson said: “I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed than succeed in a cause that would ultimately fail”. If there is no substantial purpose of life all what we do will be futile as this anonymous poet says:
Into this world to eat and to sleep And to know no reason why he was born Save to consume the corn Devour the cattle, flock and fish And to leave behind an empty dish! The Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy quipped “What is life for? To die? To wait for death till it comes? I fear that even more. Then I must live. But what for? In order to die? And I could not escape from that circle.” If there is no purpose in life, death is a winner and we live for no reason.
God. All have turned away; they have The college boy was hatless, together become worthless; there is no The proper diet fatless. one who does good, not even one." New motor roads are dustless, If we make our conscience as the The latest steel is rustless, judge over our thoughts, words and Our tennis courts are sodless, actions, certainly it will condemn us as Our new religion — godless. guilty. It is true that no human being Even though all will physically die, the can stand right before God. Bible says essence of our being; our soul, is in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful immortal and continues to live. The above all things and beyond cure. Who Bible says 'It is appointed for men to can understand it?” die once, but after this the judgment' As someone commented though we call sin by any other name we stand condemned before a Holy God. Look the poem which explains the same.
What is it that you live for? To have Man calls it an accident; God calls it an more money, a car, a job, position, abomination. power, electronic gadgets, health, Man calls it a blunder; God calls it a beauty, entertainment, friendship, blindness. achievements etc? These goals are only momentary, will fade with time and be Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease. destroyed by death. Man calls it a chance; God calls it a Instead, a wise king of old plainly said: choice. 'Let us hear the conclusion of the whole Man calls it an error; God calls it an matter: Fear God, and keep his enmity. commandments: for this is the whole Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a duty of man'. (Ecc. 12: 13) fatality. Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an Our ultimate purpose is to live in iniquity relationship with the God of the universe. Only God can determine the Man calls it a luxury; God calls it leprosy. meaning in each individual's life. Man calls it liberty; God calls it Anything without God is futile. After lawlessness. much labor, pleasure and triumph, the Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a same king also stated that one can tragedy achieve and possess everything Man calls it a mistake; God calls it without God, but will end up chasing madness. the wind. Man calls it weakness; God calls it Seeking God and living in relationship willfulness. with Him alone makes life worth living. My friend, it's important that you know Not only were we born as sinners but practice sin. And now more than ever, where you stand in relation to God. I our society moves further and further urge you to seek Him before life's end. away from God. In fact, any discussion on the end of life/death leads directly into third question.
3) Where do we go from here? George Bernard Shaw said: “Death is the ultimate statistic, one out of one die”. Death is sure but its timing is uncertain! Why do people die? The Bible says “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). We all die because all of us are sinners.
The poet Arthur Guiterman puts the situation humorously in 'Our New Religion' First dentistry was painless. Then bicycles were chainless, Carriages were horseless, And many laws enforceless. Next cookery was fireless, Telegraphy was wireless, Cigars were nicotineless, And coffee caffeineless.
Rom. 3:10-12 "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one Soon oranges were seedless, The putting green was weedless, who understands, no one who seeks
(Heb. 9:27). As sinners from birth we have earned our wage of death; eternal separation from God and punishment in Hell. However, in the person of Jesus Christ we can have the hope of an eternal life. He promised “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”. (John 11:25-26). He is God who became man to take away the sin of humanity. He lived 2000 years ago, performed miracles to save others, and was crucified. The Bible says “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. (Rom. 5:8). He bore our sins, became the sacrifice and paid the price. He died and was buried but on the third day he came back to life. And in Him and Him alone, do we have the possibility of heaven and eternity with God. The Bible clearly speaks about life after death; either with God or judgement and punishment. The choice is ours. At this point, you need to consider your identity, purpose and final destination. All these are issues that need answers to live a life of joy and satisfaction. Jesus invites you to find answers to these perplexing questions. He is the answer; the truth you seek and the way you should go. Come and experience the new life that Jesus gives, accept him as your Savior and Lord. Admit that you are a sinner and believe that Jesus died in your place to save you. Then, eternal life will become yours! Your destiny is depending upon your decision. Prof. Joy John is the Academic Dean of Asian Christian Academy and a resident of Hosur, Bangalore
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HER CORNER These are the excerpts of an interview between Miss Phyllis Treasure, Superintendent, Rehoboth Ministries and HT's Sarita Khisty. Please read the full length interview at Fireside: the GLS blog (glsindia.com/blog/catogory/fireside)
This is My Place for You
On the Call to Serve in India
somewhere if I asked you to go?” And so finally I said “I love you enough to go anywhere You ask me to go.” And in that simple statement there became an awareness that God had an intent and would definitely send me somewhere. And so through my growing up years I was constantly waiting, hoping and looking to notice the place where He was going to send me. We went to missionary meetings and I read magazines and books and always wondered: 'Will you show me today?' But there was no response. In all this time, I told nobody what was in my heart. That was between the Lord and me.
In Sunday school, I won a book called 'Climbing' by Mrs. Goforth. It was her memoir as a Missionary Wife. In it, she narrates an incident where she visits a lady in China. Now that lady warned her not to come over as her family had been ill and she could not clean her home which had bedbugs. And Mrs. Goforth mentions a verse which came to her heart 'The love of Christ constraineth me'. And so she went to that lady's home, sat on her bed, embraced her and spent time with her. As a little girl living in NZ where there were no such things, I said in my heart “Don't ever send me where there's bugs!' And then I remember time and again it seemed the Lord was speaking in my heart saying “How much do you really love me? Would you go
I used to teach in a place miles away from home. One day, Ms. Wallace came from India to our ladies meeting. She shared about the orphanage at Rehoboth and the need for another staff member. And immediately God spoke to my heart 'This is My place for you'. But it was such a big thing. The world was very different back then. And how could I leave NZ? I knew that my call was for life. I knew it was a lifetime commitment. And I had difficulty leaving my parents and NZ. So I said to the Lord 'Please confirm this for me'. Then a letter came from Ms. Wallace saying 'I do not understand it. I have been all over NZ; east, west, north and south and no one, not a single person is ready to go back with me'. And in my heart I said
On Childhood and Salvation I am a New Zealander from a Brethren Christian home with a loving, supportive family. At morning and evening prayers, Father would always pray that we would be an 'unbroken circle in the glory'. I knew that I was not saved. And that if Jesus returned, I would not go with Him. This was always something that troubled me. And briefly put, I sat up one night and I could not go on anymore. I prayed then, accepting the Lord Jesus as my Saviour, acknowledging that I was a sinner and that I needed a Saviour.
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(He) was saying “How much do you really love me? Would you go somewhere if I asked you to go?” And I finally said “ I love you enough to go anywhere you ask me to go”
'Nobody will because I am that person'. But I was still not sure. So I asked God for a third time, 'Please tell me again if this is what You want me to do. Please remove all doubts.' The next month's issue of our Assembly magazine carried in prominent, bold type 'Prayer request for Ms. Wallace and a Helper'. I saw that and I said 'Thank You Father' and I knew that I would be coming to India. I had still told no one about this. So I wrote a letter to my parents telling them everything. One day I was teaching and the Principal came inside and said “It's very strange; there is a telegram for you but it's in code”! He said “C-O-L 1-9”. I laughed and said “It's not code; it's a Bible verse.” The telegram was from my parents and the verse was 'For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God'. And that was a wonderful response from my parents! So, I told Ms Wallace and the Assembly and was sent out by them. And so in March 1957, I arrived in India.
the evening gatherings, I would look down at 200 pairs of eyes and wonder how I would provide for the next day's meal. But I have learnt to live by Mathew 6:30-32 'Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear'? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things”.
On Her Training I studied Home science in college which included a lot of child care and child psychology in a basic way. All of which was very useful in the actual, day to day work I do now. And all this was in advance without knowing where it would be used in future. It was completely guided by God. It's in hindsight that you see how all the little details work together. These are stories of God's providence in one's life.
On Struggles and Hardships in Serving in India
Life in India was hard. I was very homesick. There were no telephones On the Rehoboth Orphanage back then. We used to communicate I joined Rehoboth as a helper to Ms. via letters which would take 2-3 Wallace. Once she was called home, the months to get delivered. We didn't Lord continued to use me to further know what was happening back at the purpose of this ministry. Its home. Learning the language was mission is to provide a home for the another struggle. Malayalam is a poor, needy, orphans or destitute difficult language and I would practice children, providing for their it daily. But there would not be anyone educational, physical, medical and to practice it with. Ms. Wallace would spiritual needs; training and equipping go visiting, leaving me alone. And I them to some gainful occupation in life would be homesick and desperately so that they will develop into good, lonely. There was no spiritual input, no healthy and progressive citizens. It also books to learn from. I was in a strange aims to educate men and women with land, not knowing the language, lonely spiritual values. Providing homes to and the food did not agree with me. I the elderly people so as to give them a began to fall seriously ill. And I would sense of well being and usefulness is not get better. And it bothered me that another purpose. So, there is an I was not meeting the spiritual criteria orphanage for girls, a school, an old I had set up for myself. However, I age home and a theological institute. refused to go home. I knew that if I And I have been blessed to be a part of went back to NZ, I would never return this ministry. I have seen the Lord to India again. For months, I could provide miraculously. Sometimes, in barely eat or work. Finally, Ms. Wallace
said that she could not care for me any longer. Still I did not return to NZ but went to Ooty where I stayed some months, then returned to Ms. Wallace at Kunnamkulam. Only after completing 5 years in India did I return home to NZ. There I received medical care, rest and the comfort of home till I was strong enough to return. The way has not been easy and many times I have wondered 'why not give it all up'. That's when the confirmation I had asked for and received served to make me stay; to not quit. In the midst of disparaging and discouraging voices, I remind myself that God is in control. I can only call out to Him and cling to Him regarding problematic issues. He says that 'If you will not believe, you will not last'. (Isaiah 7:9) And this is true in all problems which I do not have the strength to handle. I must absolutely commit all of them to Him. And at such times, His Word speaks loud and clear and livingly to the heart. The verse says 'Cast your burdens on the Lord' but I don't have the strength to even pick it up and put it on Him. But in one version, I found that the word 'cast' originally means 'to roll'. And I was so encouraged thinking 'Now that I can do'. I can push it on to Him and let Him handle all of this. But it is a matter of the will. You cannot let yourself get bitter. You cannot let your mind wander; you must fix your eyes on God alone. And if he is God, then all things are possible with Him and that is enough strength, day by day. But beyond that, I can “pray for people which despitefully use you”, saying 'God bless them'. The Bible is clear 'Don't let the root of bitterness be in your heart or else many will be defiled by that' (Hebrews 12:15)
On Her Motivation & Encouragement While the Word is high on the list, you also have people God sends to encourage you. The great thing I have is the power of prayer and I have been prayed for by so many people. I will go back to NZ and people will come up to me and say 'Dear, I have been praying for you twice a day for the past 50 years'. And that is such a blessing.
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Where is my strength? Surely it is in the Lord and that is what keeps me going. Another crucial thing is that you have to let yourself be encouraged by these people. Accept their encouragement. A lot of it is the mind and in the will. You have to have a bit of stickability. All ministry workers need more than ability, they need stickability.
On Partnership with Rehoboth Ministry I would prefer that people contact us directly. Based on the extent of their involvement, they can be prayer partners, regular visitors or financial support to us. They can contact us via our website.
To the Readers Each of us is called to live with a heart of compassion, a heart like Jesus Christ's. We can be involved in people's lives and sufferings to His glory wherever we are. It is not necessary that only full time workers do His work. Where ever you maybe, that is where you are called to live a life of Christian faith and values. Yet in a sinful world, it is imperative that we must do so.
Good & Pleasant Fellowship contd. from Page No 5 because we form part of the same assembly, the same denomination or the same circle of fellowship. It is more than having intellectual affinity or agreeing with some set of religious procedures. There is something divine that unites all the people of God, and when it can be expressed, it smells good and refreshes the soul.
Conclusion Our Lord Jesus thought of us and prayed for us: "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one… Sanctify them (set them apart for sacred use) by the truth; your word is truth… that all of them may be one, Father… May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:11-21,). For the world to believe, they must see something. Clearly the Lord Jesus had in mind a unity and
Be a Better Dad that what you've written accurately represents her thoughts, you will ensure that both of you share the same Noble Vision for your family, which is a very important first step. Once you have a unified Noble Family Vision written down, it's time for a family meeting. However, you do it, be sure that each of your kids understands the Noble Vision that you and your children's mother have for the whole family. Discuss it with them, and see if they have any suggestions or changes. Make it abundantly clear that each child has an important role in making your Noble Family Vision a reality. 26
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Philip Nunn, a well known Bible teacher, worked as a missionary in Colombia, where he taught, discipled and counseled belivers. He now lives in Holland. GLS recently published his book 'Homosexual Partnerships: Biblical and Pastoral Considerations'.
contd. from Page No 8
Once you've all agreed on your Noble Family Vision, finalize it in writing. If you can, have it written up nicely and framed. Have it placed in a family area, such as in the kitchen or the family room, where everyone will see it frequently. At least twice a year (at the very minimum), ask your family, "How are we doing on our Noble Family Vision?" Be sure to keep the Vision in the forefront of everyone's mind. In other words, don't let it fade into the background. A Noble Family Vision can be especially valuable in the tough times. It should also help you as a dad to see the importance of your role in leading your
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some evidence of that unity. Is this an impossible prayer? It presents us with a serious challenge. Naturally we feel more at ease with those who sing like we do and share our social and religious customs. Our consciences are at peace when dealing with Christians we totally agree with. Is this the expression of unity our Lord was praying for? May the Lord grant us the wisdom and the courage to know when He would have us separate and when he would have us cooperate. Where Christian unity can be rightfully expressed "there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life for evermore". And we desperately need that blessing.
family toward this Noble Vision, for without effective leadership, even the noblest vision isn't much better than a dream. But with empowering servant leadership, families can stick together and persevere through even the toughest circumstances and see a beautiful future come to pass. (The above article is an excerpt from the international best-selling book 'Be a Better Dad Today: Ten Tools Every Father Needs' by Gregory W. Slayton published by Regal Publishing. All rights to the above content belong to the Publisher. For more information, please visit www.BeABetterDadToday.com or www.Facebook.com/BeABetterDad Today)