Truth Alive: June 2018 by Sathyam Publications

JUNE 2018

“

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

”

Psalms 37:4

EDITORIAL When God says, “NO” I will never forget the moment when I knew God had answered “no” to something I really wanted. He seemed to whisper this answer into my heart to help me realise I had spent too much time holding onto something I was not meant to have. After months of presenting my request, he gently told me to let it go. CS Lewis once wrote, “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” He is not afraid of the pain we feel. His sovereignty is not dependent on our emotions. He will not try to invalidate our hurt with quick and temporary fixes. We are free to express a sense of lack and sorrow in the moment. He lets us feel the void so that he might satisfy us with himself. He wants to draw near. God always has our ultimate good in mind, which means he will pry the idols from our hands. He does this not because he is cruel or depriving us. He knows better than we do, and his “no” is always merciful, even when it hurts. He is for us, fighting against what will keep us from him (Romans 8:31). He knows our hearts can only be truly satisfied with himself (John 4:14). He will not tolerate being second in our lives, because he wants us to have something so much better than what the world can offer. Disappointment may be part of living in this world, as we struggle to let go of our earthly desires and open our hearts to receive the good things God wants to give us. But if we are in Christ, our struggle with disappointment is only temporary. The promises of God, and the joy we experience as we realise them, are eternal. I hope and pray that this magazine boosts your faith, encourages your walk with God and I hope and pray that this magazine boosts your faith, encourages your walk with God and uplifts you. While you read through these pages, I pray that you experience the true love and spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! God Bless You!

Isaac Vadavana Vice Chairman Sathyam Service Trust

JUNE 2018

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VOLUME 8 ISSUE 6 JUNE 2018 Rs. 100/-

CONTENTS

PAGE

Marriage and Morality : Dr. John Mathew .........................................................................7

This We Believe : Dr. Alexander Kurian .............................................................................9

Being Female.... a Biblical Viewpoint : Leonie Poole .........................................................11

Chris’ Poem : Joni Eareckson Tada .................................................................................13

Family’s Expressive Styles : Dr. Thomas Kulanjiyil ..........................................................15

God Speaking : Dr. Joseph Mizzi .....................................................................................17

Jesus’ Bold Move : Craig Etheredge ................................................................................19

News / Events ...............................................................................................................21

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ABOUT TRUTH ALIVE Ever since the first issue in 2009, Truth Alive has been a leading monthly magazine for Christian families around the globe. It is published by Truth Ministries, a humanitarian charity into social ministry, education and evangelization.

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JUNE 2018

Being femaleâ&#x20AC;¦. a Biblical viewpoint Contd. By Leonie Poole

JUNE 2018

BANGALORE NEWS Persecution is Rising in India, but Christianity Standing Strong

Bangalore: It's more dangerous now than ever before to be a Christian in India.Open Doors has ofﬁcially released its 2018 World Watch List, and India ranks number 11 out of the top 50 countries where Christian persecution is at its worst."Persecution of Christians is rising in India. More than ever before, the growth of radical Hinduism in the nation is fueling violent attacks, with even greater impunity for attackers as the government sides with radical groups,"the organi-zation wrote in its report. Pastor Joseph D'Souza, who works tirelessly for human rights in India told CBN News extremists are spreading dangerous propaganda against Christians in the country."The propaganda that continues to go on which is absolutely not correct that Christians are involved in false and forced conversions. Nothing of that sort is happening," he explained. The propaganda that somehow Christians are working against India, against the interests of India by trying to be Christians, is propelling this. And a lack of control of these groups that seem to commit crimes and attack minorities with impunity," he continued.D'Souza said radical Hindu extremists aren't just targeting India's Christians, but

anyone who does not adhere to their ideology."It's not just related to the Christians. It's also related to the Muslims, Dalits, and now also Hindus," he said.The situation is especially hard for Dalits -- people who rank the lowest in India's caste system and are considered "untouchable.""India cannot continue with a caste system," D'Souza said. "While many Dalits have found freedom and dignity through Christian work and education and spiritual work, the problem is not over."Despite the growing persecution of Muslims, Dalits, Hindus, and Christians, D'Souza said God is still at work in India.Persecution has never stopped the growth of the church. In fact, when we are attacked, when we are persecuted, we become stronger," he said. "They're standing strong and they're not recounting."

Trapped Kachin Christians reach safety in dramatic elephant escape

Two thousand Kachin Christians, who were trapped in the jungle by the Myanmar (Burmese) Army have now reached safety, travelling on foot and by elephant, according to Barnabas Fund, a relief agency for the persecuted church. Sources close to the agency report that although they are now free and safe, many are still in desperate need and thousands of Kachin have taken shelter in churches. There is also the threat of further attacks by the military: “Please continue to pray for the Kachin. The Burmese Army have sent more troops to other Kachin areas, and we are expecting a new ﬂood of attacks and refugees soon when the rainy season starts.” Attacks by the army, which began in April, trapped around 2,000 Kachin Christian civilians in the jungle of northern Myanmar. The total number of displaced Kachin was estimated to be as high as 10,000. Those who ﬂed, including new mothers and the elderly, have mostly travelled without any mechanised transport, through thick jungle. Several are reported to have been injured by landmines. 21

JUNE 2018

The latest phase of the Myanmar military's campaign in Kachin regions in northern Myanmar began with heavy airstrikes on 11 April 2018. The mainly-Christian ethnic minority have been targeted for decades in what the government claims is a campaign against Kachin separatist groups.

Anti-Conversion' Bill Becomes Law in Uttarakhand State, India Uttarakhand has become the seventh state in India to put “anticonversion” legislation in for ce.Gov. Krishna Kant Paul on April 18 signed the “Freedom of Religion” bill (Dharma Swatantrata Adhiniyam), which the state Legislative Assembly had passed. While staff members of the concerned ofﬁce deny receiving the signed bill, local media and Jagran, a national newspaper, have reported the news of the governor's approval of the bill and enforcement of the act.Uttarakhand now joins Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand as states that have adopted anti-conversion bills, which Hindu extremists routinely use to falsely accuse Christians of forcible or fraudulent conversion. “It fails the very basic test of explaining to the world the need for having such a law,” he said. “There is no forcible or fraudulent conversion in the state to the Christian or Muslim or Sikh faiths shown either by the Census data or by the police statistics. In the absence of such reality, the only explanation can be that it is to threaten the minority communities or to curb the freedom of religion of the Dalit and backward communities whose rights are being crushed by the upper castes which exercise political power in the state.”

ST. PETERS UNDERTAKERS (CALLED TO SERVE ALL RELIGION) Mr. George Wilson was fascinated by a strong desire for Funeral Services. In time, by God's Grace, this desire turned into a passion where he became a Funeral Director by founding St. Peter's Undertaker in 1999. This enterprise was registered according to the law of the land and began to provide ﬁrst-class funeral services to people of all faiths 22

without discrimination, at an affordable cost. St. Peter's Undertaker is well-established in serving both dignitaries and the lesser privileged by helping families, through their times of grief, with concern and loving care, through with his competent and dedicated staff. St. Peter's Undertaker is the most respected funeral service provider, sought out by all from every corner of the city of Bangalore & State of Karnataka, India. This credibility and image built over the years have made St. Peter's Undertaker the leader of the funeral service industry in hardly any time. With the objective of making the highest quality funeral products available,St. Peter's Undertaker has established a fully ﬂedged, state- ofthe-art manufacturing unit on the New Airport Link Road at Hennur, which is a prime locality in Bangalore city.

JUNE 2018

INDIA NEWS India: 2017 Saw 20 Percent Increase in Atrocities against Christians, Says Lawyer

shaking, she said, “We had hidden him inside a room and locked the room from outside. They went on hunting for him everywhere. This is how we were able to save his life.” India ranked 11th on Christian support organization Open Doors' 2018 World Watch List of countries where Christians experience the most persecution.

Christians in North Korea Executed and Tortured for Praying and Reading Bible

Amid growing extreme religious nationalism in India, dozens of speakers have called for concerted action to uphold the country's constitution and fundamental rights, at a conference to mark four years of government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “There is a grave threat to plurality,” Professor Ganesh Narayan Devy, a scholar on India's religious and linguistic diversity, told the 25-27 May 'Citizens' Conclave' on 'Building an Inclusive India' in New Delhi, attended by over 800 delegates from across the country. Religious extremists demonize and attack us: 2017 saw a 20 per cent increase in the number of atrocities against Christians,” Tehmina Arora, a lawyer and director of rights group ADF India, told the conference.

Pastor's Wife Hides Husband from Religious Extremists Seeking to Kill Him in Northern India

Only four percent of North Korean defectors had seen a Bible in the country, according to a new State Department report, which also said the Communist government continues to “deal harshly with those who [engage] in almost any religious practices through executions, torture, beatings, and arrests.” Additionally, an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 citizens are being held in political prison camps, and many for religious reasons, according to the report. The data was included in the State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2017, which was released Tuesday and included ﬁndings for every country in the world. The report on North Korea was particularly eye-opening. The U.S. government estimates the North Korean population at 25.2 million. United Nation estimates say there are between 200,000 and 400,000 Christians in the country.

Indonesian Pastor Facing Prison Sentence for Sharing His Faith

In an attack on a church service in northern India that left a 55-year-old man unconscious, the wife of a pastor hid her husband after extremists said they would kill him, sources said. Women and children were not spared in the attack by 25 masked extremists armed with wooden sticks last month on the Full Gospel Pentecostal Church in Baburia Khera, Uttar Pradesh state, after which police treated church members as criminals. “They were looking for the pastor, saying, 'We will kill him today,'” pastor Kamlesh Kumar's wife, identiﬁed only as Shashikala, told Morning Star News. Her voice

A court in Indonesia sentenced Pastor Abraham Ben Moses to four years in prison for religious defamation. The conviction followed his December 2017 arrest due to a viral video of him discussing his Christian faith with a taxi driver. Rev. Moses is a former Muslim who studied comparative religions and started investigating the Christian faith to disprove it. This led to his recognizing the reality of the 23

JUNE 2018

Christian faith and he converted to Christ in 2006. Indonesia's largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, ﬁled a blasphemy charge again Abraham Ben Moses. Police arrested him on December 5th and conﬁscated his cell phone as evidence.

of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.” "The United States government joins the people of China in mourning the loss of tens of thousands of lives in the tragedy, and notes the value of memorializing their lives and calling for full accountability to prevent or mitigate future disasters," Nauert continued.

US State Department Criticizes China for Shutting down Church Service

New Iraqi Leader Vows to 'Support Christians'

The US State Department has criticized the Chinese government for reportedly shutting down a Christian church service held in memory of the nearly 70,000 people who died in a 2008 earthquake. According to TheHill.com, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement: "We are deeply concerned by the Chinese government's reported harassment of the Early Rain Covenant Church, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province after they planned to hold a memorial service on May 12, for the victims

The Chaldean Patriarch, Louis Sako, has telephoned Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr to congratulate him on his unexpected victory in the country's recent parliamentary elections. The Patriarchate also said that Sako told Sadr he hoped for a government that promotes the common good of all the Iraqi people. According to the Patriarchate, Sadr thanked Sako for his words and pledged to “support Christians”, the Vatican-linked news agency Fides reported. Sako has positioned himself of leader of Iraq's remaining Christians, who are rebuilding their lives, homes and churches since the military defeat of IS last year.

JUNE 2018

WORLD NEWS 64 Percent of Christians Today Believe Evangelizing is Optional

A new study from the Barna Group has found that Christians are not evangelizing as often as they used to. The ofﬁcial title of the study is “Sharing Faith is Increasingly Optional to Christians.” The recently-released study is a follow-up on a study conducted back in 1993. A revealing change in the statistics between 1993 and today was that “In 1993, 89 percent of Christians who had shared their faith agreed this is a responsibility of every Christian. Today, just 64 percent say so—a 25-point drop.” The way Christians approach evangelism has also changed over the past 25 years. Christians today also more strongly stress the need to have a relationship with a person for evangelism to be effective.

Christians Say Bible is Better Than Coffee to Kick-start the Day

A new survey has revealed that, among those who recognize the importance of the Bible, 61 percent say it is more necessary to their morning routine than coffee, sweets, or social media. Charisma News reports that this ﬁnding comes from the State of the Bible research commissioned by the American Bible Society and conducted by Barna Group. Among all Americans in general, the survey found 37 percent say coffee is most essential to their morning routine, 28 percent said sweets, 19 percent said social media, and 16 percent said the Bible. American Bible Society President Roy

Peterson observed that, for those who did say the Bible is most essential to kick-starting their day, the Bible serves as a source of energy and vision for the day ahead

'The Trump Prophecy' Film Will Tell the Story of One Man's Vision of Trump's Presidency

Liberty University students and faculty have been working on a feature-length film that will be shown in over 1,000 theaters across the country. The film is called “The Trump Prophecy” and explores how one man's prophecy and a prayer movement apparently helped to elect President Trump. The Christian Post reports that about 56 Liberty students and faculty members have been working on the project. The film tells the story of how retired Florida firefighter Mark Taylor reportedly saw a vision from God in April 2011 in which God told him that Donald Trump would be president one day.

Study Shows Europe is Not as Secular as Previously Thought

With its dwindling rates of attendance at religious services and rising numbers of churches shuttered or sold, Western Europe seems to be the region of the world where the outlook for faith is bleakest. Roman Catholicism's Pope Francis was the latest to lament this trend, saying that Western society seemed like “a journey ending in a shipwreck, with the survivors trying to build a raft.” A new survey by the Pew Research Center looks past the headlines that worry the established churches to ask what Western Europeans think about religion. The results, issued Tuesday (May 29), suggest a more nuanced picture. Despite the region's widespread 25

JUNE 2018

secularization, 64 percent of the 24,599 adults Pew surveyed in 15 countries still identify as Christians, even if only 18 percent say they attend church at least once a month. At 46 percent of the total sample, nonpracticing Christians make up the largest single group in the survey, almost double the 24 percent of religiously unafﬁliated — atheists, agnostics and “nones” — that often dominate commentaries about the state of Christianity in its erstwhile stronghold.

distributing Bibles around the world will soon require all employees to adhere to orthodox Christian beliefs and heed a conservative code of sexual ethics. Employees are resigning in protest of the new policy, which will effectively prohibit sexually active LGBT people and couples in cohabitating relationships from working for the American Bible Society. But the organization stands by it as a measure intended to bring “unity and clarity.”

In His Will, Billy Graham Urges Family to Defend Gospel 'at Any Cost’

'Oldest Manuscript' of Gospel of Mark Discovered

The Rev. Billy Graham's final will and testament has been made public, and in it he praises his wife, Ruth, and admonishes his family to uphold the Gospel no matter what. The Christian Post shares some of Graham's words in the document, the rest of which can be found on WSOCTV.com. "I ask my children and grandchildren to maintain and defend at all hazards at any cost of personal sacrifice the blessed doctrine of complete Atonement for sin through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ once offered, and through that alone. I urge all of you to walk with the Lord in a life of separation from the world and to keep eternal values in view.” Graham also encouraged his family to read the Bible daily and to trust in Jesus for salvation. He then went on to thank his wife, Ruth, for the “wonderful, thrilling, and joyous life” they were able to share. In the will, Graham also specified that 10 percent of his residuary estate will go directly to the cause of the Gospel.

An ancient and much-debated fragment of the Gospel of Mark has been dated to the late second to early third century A.D., making it the oldest fragment of Mark ever found. The Egypt Exploration Society made the announcement about the fragment – known as P.Oxy LXXXIII 5345 – on its website May 24. “After rigorous comparison with other objectively dated texts, the hand of this papyrus is now assigned to the late second to early third century AD,” the society said. The society added that “the two sides of the papyrus each preserve brief traces of a passage” from Mark. It was found around 1903 along with many other ancient documents, the society said.

The Pope Will Star in Two New Christian Films

American Bible Society to Require Church Attendance, Certain Beliefs about LGBT

One of the oldest nonproﬁt organizations dedicated to 26

The 266th man to hold the Papal reigns is starring in not one, but two movies coming out this May. The ﬁlm will donate all proﬁts to Los Hogares de Cristo and El Almendro. These charities, close to Pope Francis' heart, are located in his home-country of Argentina and provide aid to at-risk children and young adults.

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