renewing and enriching life
Vol. 10 Issue No. 5
contents
May 2017
A magazine that will enrich and renew your spiritual life and give Christian perspective on current events. e-mail : revivemegod@gmail.com igotoibc@gmail.com visit us : www.revivemegod.org CHAIRMAN emeritus PASTOR T. S. ABRAHAM
5 editorial
Pastor Dr. John K. Mathew
6 Nazareth Manifesto - Let the oppressed go free Dr. J. N. Manokaran
9 Nazareth Manifesto Release and Recovery Dr. Kris A. Jackson
13 Jewish Synagogues during the time of Jesus
Jison Saju Joseph
16 TRUE FREEDOM Dr. A.C. George
19 good news for the poor in spirit Brother Noah
21 FREEDOM FROM SOCIAL EVILS
Pastor P. T. Thomas
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news
26 QUIZ
CHAIRMAN PASTOR Dr.T. VALSON ABRAHAM MEMBERS BRO. JACOB THOMAS BRO. SUNNY KODUMTHARA EDITOR PASTOR DR. JOHN K. MATHEW ADMINISTRATIVE EDITOR PASTOR SAJU JOSEPH ASSOCIATE EDITOR MRS. STARLA LUKOSE MANAGER PASTOR T. J. ABRAHAM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JUNE THOMAS ANN ABRAHAM PUBLISHER, PRINTER & OWNER MAJOR V. I. LUKOSE (Retired) HEBRON, KUMBANAD, PATHANAMTHITTA, KERALA. PRINTED AT VIANI PRINTINGS, LISSIE JN., ERNAKULAM, KERALA PLACE OF PUBLICATION KUMBANAD, PATHANAMTHITTA, KERALA - 689 547 DESIGN Beam Design S2dio Ph: 93870 73135 beamfine@gmail.com POSTAL ADDRESS P.O. BOX. 31, HEBRON, KUMBANAD KERALA, INDIA, PIN - 689 547 Phone: 0469 - 2664075, 2665855 Mobile: 94476 08954
The views and ideas expressed in each article are those of the writer. - Editor Pictures Courtesy : Google
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Letters
various types of stewardship. To be a steward is basically to be one with the mind of Christ. To have love and unity is the qualification of a true steward. We have become the slaves of Christ because God has extended His eternal plan for us. If we submit all our talents and gifts God will take it and use us for His glory. Stewardship is not only for full time ministers but also for believers. Let us understand this truth regarding stewardship and live as His faithful and good servants. George K.V, Kochi
Stewardship and Accountability
Stewardship in ministry
Dear revive, All the articles in the last revive were not simply relevant but also scholarly. In the Editorial, the various aspects of stewardship was dealt with in a very authoritative manner. We have to be good stewards not only in the matters of money but in every gift and talent God blessed us with.The greatest gift of God is His only Son Jesus Christ. Stewardship is the response of the Church towards God for this invaluable gift. Everything that a child of God or member of a church engages in should display a spirit of stewardship. It could be leading or being involved in church service or worship of God as a lifestyle or even in using the resources at our disposal. God wants us to be good stewards of all these. Another attitude expected of us is to display contentment and satisfaction in our lives. The experiences we have are all varied and teach us a lot of lessons. God bless the ministry of revive and all the writers. K.C. Johnson, Jaipur
True Stewardship
Dear Editor, The “Just one minute,” by Rev. Dr. T. Valson Abraham clearly teaches us the
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Dear Editor, The article by Rev.Dr. Mathew Varkey in the last issue of revive throws light upon a very important aspect of Stewardship. As he truly states, the Christian understanding of stewardship follows from the belief that human beings are created by the same God who created the entire universe and everything in it. To look after the earth is the responsibility of the Christian Steward. It involves responsible management of our God given resources of time, talents and treasures. Stewards as disciples of Jesus Christ see themselves as mere caretakers of all the gifts of God. We need to be more disciplined and trustworthy stewards so that the Kingdom of God be established soon. We are each called to be accountable stewards. James Joy, Coimbatore
Parents as Good Stewards Dear revive, Dr. James George‘s article about the great responsibility of parents in bringing up the children is well written. God entrusted the act of creation to human beings, and therefore begetting and rearing children are their primary response to the divine call. Parents are the visible expressions of the invisible God. Children should receive warmth, forgiveness, and unconditional acceptance from parents. Only those parents, who have
experienced unconditional love from God can impart the same towards their children. It is my prayer that this article will be an eye-opener to many parents. Parenting is a great responsiblity and must be handled as a divinely ordained ministry. Roy Joseph, Canada
Stewards of the Gospel Dear Editor, My congratulations and to the editorial team and the writers for bringing out such beautiful issue on Stewardship where various aspects of stewardship are discussed. I have been impressed most by the article of Rev.Thomas Cherian on the stewardship of the Gospel. Among all the responsibilities, the Gospel is the most valued of all that is expected to be entrusted to a born again believer. As the writer says, Paul presents the apostles as the stewards of the gospel, which is the good news of Jesus Christ. It is true again that reading, studying and knowing the gospel is not enough. One has to proclaim Gospel in words and deeds. Let’s rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be true stewards of the Gospel amidst all opposition and hardship. Elizabeth Mathews, Kottayam
Servanthood as Stewardship Dear revive, What an example Jesus Christ has been as a good steward, conveyed to us by His servanthood and love for humanity. This aspect is rightly pointed out by Dr. Shaibu Abraham in his article. Jesus encountered rejection, mockery and contempt, suffering and finally death. All this suffering originated from the dominant religious tradition of His time. He bore all these experiences with an attitude of a servant. May our attitude be one that will willingly follow this example of Jesus -to be good stewards of Jesus Christ. Many thanks to the writer and revive. Wesley Thomas, Manipal
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Pastor Dr. John K. Mathew
It was
at that obscure village he grew up, JESUS OF NAZARETH, the Savior of the world. It is so amazing that this solitary figure,'tender shoot' in the words of Isaiah, turned the world upside down. His teaching was so simple. His life was so humble His stories were so effective. his parables were so authentic. His love so wonderful. His transforming power so amazing. Halley's Bible handbook reads: His appearance on the earth is the central event of all history. The Old testament sets the stage for it. The new Testament describes it. As a man, He lived the most strangely beautiful life ever known. He was the kindest, tenderest, gentlest, most patient, most sympathetic man that ever lived. He loved people. He hated to see people in trouble. He loved to forgive. He loved to help. He wrought marvelous miracles to feed hungry people. He forsook food Himself, to relieve the suffering. Multitudes - weary, pain ridden and heart sick, came to Him, and found healing and relief. It is said of Him, and of no other, that if all the deeds of kindness that He did were written, the world would not contain the books. That is the kind of man Jesus was.That is the kind of person God is" Nazareth can be proud that the embodiment of love and sacrifice lived there and changed the world with his simple manifesto. "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. "Come and see", said Philip." (John 1:46). Two towns, Nazareth and Capernaum, are given particular significance in the account of Jesus' time, in Galilee. Nazareth was then little more than a village. It is a symbol of the Jewish rejection of Jesus, all the more piognant, because it was His home. All the Synoptic Gospels record Jesus' teaching in the Synagogue there, the
All the
Synoptic Gospels record Jesus' teaching in the Synagogue there, the unbelief that greeted Him, and His response that "a prophet is not without honor except in his own country". unbelief that greeted Him, and His response that "a prophet is not without honor except in his own country". Nobody can blame Nathanael for his response because the village is not mentioned in the Old Testament as a place of importance in the Jewish history. But Nazareth bacame the epicenter of a silent yet a profound revolution. May 2017
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Dr. J. N. Manokaran A Civil Engineer by profession. God called him and his family to be missional leader in Haryana as cross cultural missionaries for eleven years. Since, 1997 they returned back to Tamil Nadu to help missionaries and pastors to build their capacities by teaching, training and writing.
Nazareth Manifesto
- Let the oppressed go free
“The spirit of the Lord is on me, because has anointed: me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to prisoners, and recovery
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
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of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4: 18 & 19) This portion of the Scripture is popularly known as the “Nazareth Manifesto”. When Lord Jesus began His ministry, He read from the scroll of Isaiah 61:1-2 at a synagogue in Nazareth. These words are quoted widely and many theologians and missiologists interpret it differently.
Who are the oppressed? There are many kinds of oppressed people who are weighed down, overwhelmed and bewildered. There are many who toil, work hard, carry heavy burden for the sake of earning a few rupees. They are exploited and oppressed. Their economic situation, lack of education and lack of connections to people of influence are exploited. They are oppressed to do hard work, for less wages or no wages. Manual scavengers are examples of those who carry heavy burden without any protection and are exposed to dangers and health hazards. Some have even died while getting inside manholes of septic tanks or drainage pipes. There are others who are spiritually oppressed. Demon possession, and victims of charms and black magic are examples. Dark spiritual agents, manipulated by tantrics, black magic and witchcraft oppress them. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Lot was oppressed by the sensual conduct of people around him in Sodom. (II Peter 2:7) Righteous people are oppressed by seeing, observing and living amongst people who have a different set of values.
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1. Social work and evangelism are different In this school of thought, people think that both are different and should not be mixed. One example is: Philip preached the gospel to Ethiopian eunuch without finding his felt needs. (Acts 8:26-40) 2. Social work is outcome of evangelism The gospel brings radical change in the disciples of Lord
The
Indeed, it is a fact that many are emotionally oppressed. Parents are not loved by children and vice versa. Husband not loving wife and vice versa. They do not have the sense of being accepted, belonging, meaning and purpose of life. They become inward looking, bitter, revengeful and filled with hatred. Mental oppression is another factor. People who do high stress job are mentally stressed. Demands of jobs or institutions, government, families, society could be stressful for people. Unwarranted expectation from parents or children could be stressful. There are students who have committed suicide due to stress of their studies, unable to fulfill the desires and expectations of parents. Psalmist writes the taunt of enemies oppressed him.(Psalm 42:10) People are also oppressed with certain mental paradigm which could be narrow and self-defeating. There is also religious oppression. There are customs and rituals to be followed, even when a person does not believe in the value of those rituals. There are some rituals that could make a person debtor for life. The dos and don’ts thrust on the people by religious people could be oppressive. Sin and guilt conscience is also oppressive. When Adam and Eve sinned, guilt conscience drove them to hide themselves. The burden of sin can cause immense agony to the innermost being. David writes this experience as ‘wasting away of bones’ and groaning all day. (Psalms 32:3)
Freedom The meaning of freedom used in the original language is ‘to create spaciousness’ or ‘provide room to live’. Freedom is to deliver a person from all constraints, bondages, emotional baggage, burdens, traps and chains. The freedom provides opportunity for a person to do God’s highest intentions, plans and purposes. Freedom also includes dignity. The basic amenities like food, clothing and shelter provides dignity for a human. The gospel provides freedom for all bondage and provides human dignity as needs are met.
Setting Free The mission of setting free was inaugurated by Lord Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. This mission of setting captives free continues through His disciples, and the community of disciples, the Church. In the history, there are four different school of thoughts that connects Social Work/Social Action/Justice and Evangelism or making disciples.
meaning of freedom used in the original language is ‘to create spaciousness’ or ‘provide room to live’. Freedom is to deliver a person from all constraints, bondages, emotional baggage, burdens, traps and chains. Jesus Christ. Those who are selfish become interested in others and are even willing to sacrifice. Brotherly love is expressed in willing sacrifice for the sake of others. (I John 3: 16-18) The faith does not exist alone, but is expressed in changing the society around us. (James 2:18) Good works do not end in salvation, but good works are the result of salvation. The selfish nature of human beings become sacrificing nature because a disciple becomes a new creature.
3. Social work: opens the door of evangelism This school of thought likes to May 2017
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use social work as the entry point in a community. Doing good will provide respect for the Christian presence. Hospitals, schools, creating drinking water facility, English classes…etc. Based on the good will, evangelism could be done. This is criticized mainly by those who are people of other faith, that Christians fake good works to gain entry and convert people.
4. Social work a partner in evangelism Some scholars consider that social work is a legitimate,
When
a person comes to Lord Jesus Christ, the salvation embraces all aspects of life. As sin distorted all aspects of human life, salvation restores all aspects of human life. valuable and equal partner along with evangelism. Some scholars explain social work and evangelism like married spouses: husband and wife. Two spouses are two different beings but are one. In the same way evangelism and social work could have different identities but they are work together as one couple. John Stott, a great scholar considers the two as two blades of a scissor.
Holistic Impact and Holistic Restoration The consequences of sin embraced all aspects of human life. When Adam and Eve sinned,
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it affected their spiritual life – losing relationship with God; emotional life – afraid and ashamed; environment – sent out of their comfortable Garden of Eden; physical life – pain, suffering, (Genesis 3:16) and sweat; mental life – mind darkened (Ephesians 4:18); moral life – conscience seared (I Timothy 4:2) When a person comes to Lord Jesus Christ, the salvation embraces all aspects of life. As sin distorted all aspects of human life, salvation restores all aspects of human life.
Manifesto Manifested Jesus brought freedom at all these different levels. He promised his disciples: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). The oppression in the form of weariness and unbearable burden is removed. It is a marvelous transaction where a believer can exchange the oppression for peace and rest. In the earthly ministry, Lord Jesus Christ transformed several people. One among those was Mary Magdalene, she was delivered from the oppression of the seven demons that had tormented her. (Luke 8:2); Another example is Zacchaeus, he was inspired to refund what he had collected by fraudulent means. He was delivered from the oppression of insatiable greediness. (Luke 19:8).
Freedom today 1.
Son of God sets people free Lord Jesus Christ not only set people free from oppression during his ministry on the earth, he continues to do so even today. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) Paul writes to the believers in Galatia reminding them of freedom Lord Jesus Christ has granted them. They should be watchful not to lose the freedom and again become a slave. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) 2.
Truth sets a person free An elephant is tamed by tying one of its legs with strong chain to a strong tree. The elephant tries to free itself, but is unable to do so. In fact, its leg is hurt and even injured. The more it tries, more deep becomes its injury and the pain multiples. Then the elephant decides that it cannot make itself free. An elephant thus tamed could be tied with small rope and peg. It is enslaved by its past experience and its memory. In the same way, many human beings are enslaved by bad habits, evil influences, and demeaning ideas. When they know the truth, they are delivered from the bondage of memory. “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) The Word of God is the Truth. This truth renews the mind. (Romans 12:2) Thus a person is freed from the oppression of deceptive philosophies, meaningless traditions, illogical superstitions and worthless chants of Satan. 3.
The Spirit of God sets a person free “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (II Corinthians 3:17) The Spirit of God provides freedom for the believers. The indwelling Spirit of God sets a person free. “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2)
Challenge Oppressor Satan is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Lord sets people free by giving life in its completeness and wholeness. “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”(Psalms 9:9) As long as we live on this planet earth, there would be oppression from multiple sides. However, we are assured of victory and freedom through his Son, Word of God and the Spirit of God.
renewing and enriching life
Dr. Kris A. Jackson Evangelist and Author, Branson West, Missouri, USA
Nazareth Manifesto
Release and Recovery
“Loose him
and let him go!” Jesus commanded His disciples, as they, shaking in their sandals, watched Lazarus, bound in grave-clothes, exit the sarcophagus. He had been clinically dead fora full four days. Take a whiff! Interesting story, both mystifying and “myth”-tifying. Let me ask, is the working of miracles a myth? Or do believers still have authority to “loose on earth, and it shall be loosed in heaven”? Miracles, signs, wonders, and the release of captives are works modern believers rehearse from Bible days, but seldom, if ever, repeat in our own day. “Blinded eyes opened? In my city or village? The norm for any typical Sunday? Not possible!” Yet, the day of miracles has not ceased because a miracle Christ is seated at God’s right hand. He said, “The works that I do shall you do also”, even greater works in scope, “because I go to my Father” (John 14:13). That is the key phrase. Christ is ascended, seated at the Father’s right hand, and in administration over His body, through which He intends to continue the work He began while in the body. The risen Christ exchanged a finite and local human body for an expansive, global Body through which He could extend what was commenced in Nazareth. Remember, after the Holy Spirit descended and rested upon Jesus when he was baptized by John in the Jordan River, followed by a forty-day fast, He “returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee…” (Luke 4:14) Dunamis power was upon Him. There He entered his boyhood synagogue and quoted Isaiah’s prophecy concerning
We are
to minister God’s grace to a hurting world. In this series Christ’s ministry commission is being termed the“Nazareth Manifesto”, a manifesto because it encapsulates the basic job description of our Lord while He walked on earth. May 2017
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the coming Anointed One, the Messiah – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18). Look closely at the phrasing in that text and notice five “B’s”, the Bankrupt, the Brokenhearted, the Blind, the Bound and the Bruised. Five is the number most representative of grace. We are to minister God’s grace to a hurting world. In this series
The Greek
word translated “deliverance” normally speaks of remission of sins or forgiveness, so it is important to know that not all deliverance involves intense spiritual warfare or breaking of stubborn spiritual strongholds. Christ’s ministry commission is being termed the“Nazareth Manifesto”, a manifesto because it encapsulates the basic job description of our Lord while He walked on earth. John, in so many words restated the manifesto, that the Son of God was “manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Are we destroying the devil’s works or just trying to maintain a Sunday morning crowd? The Nazareth Manifesto
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was not Christ’s ministry model alone, it is the marching orders for the church. Church ministry is more than sermons, sacraments, fellowship and hospital visits. it is the breaking of bondages and recovering of what has been robbed by the evil one – in two words, Release and Recovery.
Christ was Saturated Of first importance, the commission is performed through the power of the Spirit – “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). A minister without the Holy Spirit is like a light bulb without electricity, a car without petrol, a gun without bullets, a sail without wind or a heartbeat without blood. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me!” Can you declare it? Ministry is not by mental might, not by numerical, financial or technical power, but “by my Spirit, says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). Similarly, Jesus announced, “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Christ was Sent Being saturated, the man or woman of God is then sent – “He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted…” Some are “sent”, others presumptuously “went”. God’s appointing requires God’s anointing. Jesus hadn’t healed a single sickness prior to announcing His ministry manifesto. No one had been raised from the dead. In fact, there is not even mention of Him preaching a single sermon until He could boldly proclaim that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. Being full of knowledge has merit, but “full of the Holy Spirit” takes priority. Notice, He was sent to preach, then sent to heal. Preaching and healing fit hand in glove. The one is not complete without the other. The church is a university for learning God’s principles and a hospital for loosing God’s power.
Christ now Superintends In this message, we will concentrate only on the two ministries of release and recovery, delivering the captives and recovering of sight to the blind. Obviously, there are more ways to be bound than to be addicted to drugs or held captive by demonic possession. Those specifics are included but it is much more common to see people bound by repeated failures, years of criticism, constant negative input, a host of phobias and so on. Likewise, there are more ways to be blind than to have failing eyes. Many are blind to truth, blind to their own inner potential, blind to God’s love, blind to the devil’s deceptions and blind to the ripe harvest that surrounds them. The prayer of the church should be, “Lord, open our eyes”, and, “Lord, break our chains”. If we are to obey the Nazareth Manifesto we must major on those two areas. In every corporate gathering, eyes should be opened through the proclamation of the word, and chains snapped as faith responds to the word.
Deliverance to the Captives First, let us discuss the matter of release, our commission to “preach deliverance to the captives”. With preference for teaching, I love to break down the word and make it understandable, but chains are broken, not by teaching but by preaching, by proclamation that builds faith in the hearers and brings them to a point of conviction about God’s truth – “the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing” (Acts 10:27). Preaching, in this context, is electrified teaching, a message that is “plugged in” to the divine current. The Greek word translated “deliverance” normally speaks of remission of sins or forgiveness, so it is important to know that not all deliverance involves intense spiritual warfare or breaking of stubborn spiritual strongholds. In truth, most deliverance is a
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awarded double for his trouble. But the chief ministry of recovery deals with “sight”, that is, having a vision for life, focus in ministry and revelation or insight into the wisdom of God’s word. Jesus opened the eyes of the blind on a few occasions. One saw “men as trees walking”, vision was blurred until there was a second touch. He applied mud to another man’s eyes and had him rinse at the Pool of Siloam. After the mud application, a combination of dust (“Adam, dust thou art”), and Christ’s spittle, representing the
The
matter of helping the listener see that he or she is accepted, forgiven and made free through the work of the cross. The word used for captive comes from a Greek term meaning “a spear”, in other words a captive is one controlled at the tip of a spear. In 2 Timothy 2:25,26 Paul explains this captivity. First, he said he instructed “those who oppose themselves”. Before progress can be made, a person must quit being his own worst enemy. Second, he prayed that God would “give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth”. Deliverance requires a change of mind which can only happen when captives believe and receive the truth, for the truth is what makes free (John 8:32). Third, he suggested that through knowledge of the truth “they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil”. Delivering captives does not always require loud rebukes and long sessions of prayer, armed with truth the captive can take his own stand against the evil one. Finally, Paul mentioned that those who oppose themselves and fail to walk in truth “are taken captive by him at his will”. The roaring lion seeks whom he may devour. Satan is on a hunt for precious souls. But Christ purchased every man’s freedom on the cross. This is the message we proclaim – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Free indeed and free “in deed”, because the New Testament is the recorded deed or contract of what is ours in Christ. The gospel, or Good News, is the proclamation of that completed purchase.
Recovering of Sight to the Blind And then there is the matter of recovery, “and recovering of sight to the blind”. To recover means to take back, to re-seize or to reinstate. The devil has no right to take for himself what has been purchased at Calvary. David recovered all (1 Samuel 30:18). He would not settle for partial reclamation. Believers “shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18). Hearing the truth of God’s word is discovery, but applying the truth learned to our own losses is recovery. And what is to be recovered? The man with the withered hand recovered use of his hand. Joel promised that the years the cankerworm had eaten will be recovered. Solomon judged that if the thief is found, “he shall restore sevenfold” (Proverbs 6:31). Jacob shall possess his possessions (Obadiah 17). Job recovered his losses and was
preacher of the gospel is a spiritual optometrist who has cast the plank out of his own eye that he might see clearly to do the delicate surgery of removing impediments from the eyes of those who would see Jesus. anointing of the Spirit, the blind man was ordered to wash in the pool, a type of “the washing of regeneration”. Upon obeying the simple command, he “washed, and came seeing” (John 9:7). I can picture the neighborhood ruffians teasing, “Hey blind man, where are you going with the mud in your eyes?” To which, we can assume he answered, “I’ll see you later!” And see them later he did! The Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ for “recovering of sight to the blind”. May 2017
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Paul’s chief prayer for the Ephesians was, “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18),and his chief mission was, “to make all men see” (Ephesians 3:9).There is much ophthalmology in our theology. The preacher of the gospel is a spiritual optometrist who has cast the plank out of his own eye that he might see clearly to do the delicate surgery of removing impediments from the eyes of those who would see Jesus.
“Remember who you are. Don’t compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth.” - Lysa Terkeurst
The obvious requirement would be that the spiritual optician himself be able first to see before he can prescribe a lens through which others can see. The lifeguard must be able to swim before he ventures to rescue the drowning.
From Nazareth to the Uttermost So, the minister of the gospel needs all chains broken in his own life, plus he or she must be able to pass a biblical eye exam. Nothing frees like freedom. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1 NIV). Our worship must be free, our consciences free, all restraints in giving, loving and praising, free. Breaking captivity is a choice. Paul
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and Silas praised God with stocks on their feet and bonds on their hands. They did not allow the inner man to be shackled. If you need deliverance confess your faults one to another and don’t be too proud to receive prayer to break whatever bondage is there. But the key, as mentioned earlier is to grow in truth, and further, to seek deeper intimacy with the Holy Spirit, for “where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty”. Also, it takes sight to minister sight to the blind. The more a person can see in God’s word the more he can help others to see, so we must be on a constant quest for revelation knowledge. God’s people “are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. The problem lies in thinking we have full revelation when we only see in part, “through a glass, darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Pride claims to have 20/20 vision and refuses to accept any possibility that its vision is impaired. The minister who is most successful at recovering sight to the blind is the minister who is aware of his own weakness. Keep seeking and you will keep seeing – more and more. How do we respond to the Nazareth Manifesto? You may not have forty days to get alone in the desert as did our Example, but through ongoing sessions in the secret place all can rightfully make the declaration, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me”. The “gospel to the poor” is an invitation to preach to the poorest in Third World environments as well as the poverty of soul found in the wealthiest high-rises of Singapore, New York or Dubai. The brokenhearted are passed on every street corner. The bound sit on our church pews as much as they sit in federal prisons. Need is all around us if we will only look (and listen). Ask for a fresh baptism in the Holy Spirit. Then lift your voice, louder, I said louder, not in volume but in clarity, “preach deliverance to the captives”. And let the devil know you mean business because “recovery” of sight means you are planning on entering his camp and taking something back that has been stolen. It was tried and tested in Nazareth, it will work to the ends of the earth.
renewing and enriching life
Jison Saju Joseph
BA, BD, (M.Th)
Jewish Synagogues during the time of Jesus The Gospel writer Luke preserves an important account of first century synagogue worship where Jesus too was involved: “And he (Jesus) came to Nazareth,
where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue as his custom was, on the Sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written...� (Luke 4:16-17) The first Jewish synagogues may have been built by Jews held captive far from the temple during the Babylonian Exile in the sixth century B.C. However, synagogues were important religious and social institutions later in the years of early Judaism of the Second Temple and during the time of Jesus and further. The original Greek word synagogue means merely "a place of meeting." In the Jewish world synagogues were second only to the temple in Jerusalem itself as religious institutions. They also served as schools of religious instruction and communal halls for civic functions under the direction of a council of elders. Typically, a synagogue was a small structure built on a rise above the neighbouring houses. Opposite the entrance, a portable ark contained the scrolls of the Law and the Prophets. In front of it, facing worshipers were the "chief seats" for religious leaders. Men and women perhaps sat apart from each other in the congregation as they did in later times. For public worship, which was conducted on the Sabbath, a minimum of 10 adult males had to be in attendance. The five-part service included prayers, psalm-singing, blessings, readings from the Scriptures, and commentaries on the sacred passages, but there were no sacrifices and no standard liturgy. Although a rabbi might be recognized as the leader because of his distinguished teaching, there was no official clergy. In fact, any Jew who felt himself qualified could ask for permission to teach the Scriptures.
The original Greek word synagogue means merely "a place of meeting." In the Jewish world synagogues were second only to the temple in Jerusalem itself as religious institutions. They also served as schools of religious instruction and communal halls for civic functions under the direction of a council of elders.
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Synagogues in Judaism The synagogue played a large part in the growth and persistence of Judaism. The Jews of the exile founded synagogues in every city of the empire where there were enough Jews to maintain one. Galilee, which in the days of the Maccabees was largely Gentile (I Macc. 5:21-23), was filled with synagogues in the time of Christ. The synagogue was the
The
synagogue was the social centre where the Jewish inhabitants of a city gathered weekly to meet each other. It was the educational medium for keeping the law before the people and for providing instruction for their children in the ancestral faith. social centre where the Jewish inhabitants of a city gathered weekly to meet each other. It was the educational medium for keeping the law before the people and for providing instruction for their children in the ancestral faith. It was the substitute for temple worship, which was precluded by distance. In the synagogue the study of the law took the place of ritual sacrifice, the rabbi supplanted the priest, and the communal faith was applied to individual life. Each synagogue had as its leader the "head of synagogue"
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(Mark 5:22), who was probably selected from among the elders by vote. The leader presided over the services in the synagogue, acted as instructor in case of any dispute (Luke 13:14), and introduced visitors to the assembly (Acts 13:15). The synagogue attendant, or hazzan, acted as custodian of the property and had the responsibility of caring for the building and its contents. His duties included warning the village people of the beginning of the Sabbath on Friday afternoon and notifying them also of its close. Probably he was the official mentioned in Luke 4:20 who brought forth the roll of Scripture from which Jesus preached in the synagogue at Nazareth and who replaced the roll in its proper place when He had finished reading from it. On occasion the hazzan served as the master of the local synagogue school. The synagogue buildings were usually substantial structures of stone, sometimes richly furnished if the congregation or sponsor were wealthy. Every synagogue had a chest in which the roll of the law was kept, a platform with a reading desk from which the Scripture of the day was read, lamps for lighting the building, and benches or seats for the congregation.
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However, women sat in a separate section, and were not expected to take part in the synagogue worship. The ancient synagogue was a unique and innovative institution that played a central role in Jewish life. As the Jewish space par excellence throughout the Roman world, the synagogue was the largest and most monumental building in any Jewish community and was often located in the centre of the town or village. Numerous synagogues were set up in Jerusalem, including one for freedmen, or exslaves. There were no less than 480 synagogues in Jerusalem during Jesus' time. The well preserved synagogue at Capernaum dates from the first or second century AD and is probably the site of the building where Jesus spoke. Wherever the apostle Paul travelled, he made first for the local synagogue to preach the Christian message to the Jews. As a qualified rabbi he would be invited to expound the weekly readings from the Torah and the Prophets. At Philippi he went to 'a place of prayer'. This was a common description for a synagogue and may have been a synagogue rather than just a riverside place of prayer, as is traditionally accepted. Some synagogues were huge. Excavators have discovered an enormous synagogue at Sardis, in western Turkey, which was in use from 200-600 AD. The main hall is 65 yards long, with a forecourt and porch projecting an additional 43 yards. The great Diploston synagogue in Alexandria was so enormous that a man was stationed in the middle of the building so he could signal with a flag the correct moment for the Amen to people at the back of the building.
who wanted to rise up against Rome, and partly because its essential ideas and beliefs struck many traditional Jews as too revolutionary. Perhaps as early as AD 50, Jews and Christianized Jews split, and soon the gulf between synagogue and church had widened beyond the point of reconciliation. The Church followed to some degree the procedure of the Synagogue.
The Synagogue Service The synagogue service consisted of recitation of the Jewish Shema, "Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah: and you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deut. 6:4, 5). This was accompanied by sentences of praise to God called Berakot because they began with the word "Blessed." Following the Shema was a ritual prayer, concluding with an opportunity for individual silent prayer on the part of the members of the congregation. The reading of the Scriptures, which came next, began with special sections of the law which were assigned to holy days; but as time went on the entire Pentateuch was divided into sections which gave a fixed cycle of one hundred fifty-four lessons to be read in a definite period of time. The Palestinian Jews read through the Pentateuch every three years, whereas the Babylonian Jews completed the reading in one year. The Prophets were also used, as Jesus' reading in the synagogue shows (Luke 4:16-.). Probably on that occasion Jesus Himself selected the reading. A sermon followed the reading of the Scripture, explaining the portion which had been read. The sermon in the synagogue at Nazareth was in full keeping with the regular procedure of the day. The sermon closed with a blessing, pronounced by some priestly member of the congregation. If no person with priestly qualifications was present, a prayer was substituted for the blessing. Jesus Himself attended regularly the service of the synagogue and took part in it. His disciples also had been accustomed to its ritual. Paul in his travels visited the synagogues first whenever he entered strange cities, and he preached and debated with the Jews and proselytes who gathered to hear him.
Synagogues and the First Century Church In the very beginning, believers in Jesus did not separate themselves from their fellow Jews. Like Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and lesser-known groups, they seemed to form a new sect of Judaism-sometimes called "the Way"; and the first Christians preached in synagogues whose members shared many of the same beliefs and were already familiar with the Scriptures. Later, as missionaries carried the Gospel out into the Greco-Roman world, services that included gentiles were initially held in synagogues; but soon there were churches specifically for gentile converts. Soon, the gentile Christianity that grew out of the early churches began to predominate over the Jewish Christianity that was centred in synagogues. In fact, as the faith spread in the West, it failed in Palestine, partly because it did not give encouragement to the Zealots,
“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'” – Billy Graham
As a matter of fact, some early Christian worship may have been carried on within the synagogue; for the Epistle of James implies that the Christian community to whom it was written was still worshipping there (James. 2:1, 2). Because of the summary and persistent rejection of the gospel of Christ by the Jewish people, the church and the synagogue parted company. May 2017
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Dr. A.C. George Former Principal, Southern Asia Bible College, Bangalore
TRUE FREEDOM The word
'freedom' evokes different types of responses from different people, depending on their individual circumstances. To a nation of people which is ruled by a foreign countryas India was, fifty plus years ago-it means throwing off the yoke of the foreign rulers.
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Freedom! It is a golden word for those who are bound by many fetters. Some of them may be physical, others might be mental or emotional. The word 'freedom'
evokes different types of responses from different people, depending on their individual circumstances. To a nation of people which is ruled by a foreign country- as India was, fifty plus years ago-it means throwing off the yoke of the foreign rulers. To a laborer who is literally shackled and forced to work in a quarry or in a field owned by a hard hearted landlord, freedom means getting out of the shackles. To a child who is forced to work in a matchbox factory or a car garage, freedom means getting out of the evil system of child labor and enjoying his childhood like other normal children. To a housewife who is almost confined to the house because of the daily routine of cooking and doing other domestic chores, freedom means being able to get out of her house, breathe a whiff of fresh air and relax for a while. More pictures can be painted. Unfortunately, all of these are real life situations that exist in the world today, especially in the developing countries of the world. For many freedom is simply a day dream and building castles in the air. Freedom has many dimensions. The above examples portray some aspects of freedom in the physical realm- of the body and mind. But true freedom goes far beyond the physical into the realm of the spirit of man. That is the concern of this article.
The Old Testament Perspective In order to understand the concept of freedom in the Old Testament, we need to think of the condition of the Israelites in the land of Egypt. Just as God told Abraham that his descendants would live as strangers in a foreign land and serve them and that they would be afflicted there for 400 years, before God would bring them out of that land (Gen. 15:13-14), Israel lived in Egypt in slavery. After the death of Joseph,
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the sons of Jacob (Israel) were treated badly. Their miserable existence in Egypt included forced labor, torture by the “taskmasters” and afflictions of various kinds. Their experience is described by such terms as “bondage”, “affliction”, “burden”, “bitterness”, etc. (Exo.. 1:7-22). Egypt was a “house of bondage”. (Exo. 20:2) and an “iron furnace” (Deu. 4:20) for Israel. In keeping with His character God acted in due time. The message of deliverance came to Moses in his “burning bush” experience. God told him: “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey….” (Exo. 3:7-8, KJV). The subsequent chapters tell us how God effected this deliverance for Israel through a display of his power manifested in a series of miracles in Egypt culminating in the slaying of the “first born” of the Egyptians (Exo. 12:29-30). As for the Israelites, a “Passover lamb” was slain for every household (Exo. 12). That became a providential substitute for the Israelites and the blood of the paschal lamb served as a canopy of protection for them (Exo. 12:13). The event was to be remembered and celebrated as God’s act of redemption for the nation. Typologically it foreshadowed the redemption accomplished by Christ the true Passover lamb (1 Cor 5:7). Israel’s deliverance from Egypt marked the beginning of Israel’s journey into the land of their dreams. In his “redemption song” Moses expressed his confidence that God would guide the people he “redeemed” (ransomed) “to the place where his holiness dwells” (Exo. 15:13, KJV).The redeemed people became a special nation and a holy nation to the Lord through the Sinaitic covenant. The Ten Commandments and all the other aspects of the law- ceremonial, Levitical etc.- reflected the holiness of God and God’s expectation of Israel to conform to God’s standard. The offerings and sacrifices including the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement made provisions for the remission of
Freedom
was the focal point of Jesus’ message and ministry. At the very outset he called people to repent of their sins and believe in the good news.
sins at the individual and national level (Lev. 1-5; 16). The object of deliverance from Egypt was to make them unique people and to enable them to worship God, keep his commands and to enter into the land and possess all the blessings God had promised to the Fathers. (Exo 19:5; Deu 7:6; Gen. 12:1-7; Exo. 3:17). These in essence were the components of redemption as outlined in the Old Testament. In reality they May 2017
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symbolized and foreshadowed the great deliverance God was to effect through the Messiah, the Redeemer of the world.
The New Testament Understanding Reflecting on the “why” of the incarnation and the work Christ accomplished through his life, ministry and his death on the cross, St. Paul makes some categorical statements in his letter to the Galatians:
Jesus
taught very clearly that he came to bring freedom to those in captivity. When he told the Jews that “the truth will set them free” (Jn. 8:32, KJV) they denied that they were even in bondage. But Jesus asserted that they were servants of sin and that he came to set them free. “So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free” “We were slaves to the spiritual powers of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” (Gal 4:4-5, The New Living Translation). These statements underscore the human condition of slavery and the freedom Christ came to give to the slaves. The outcome of that freedom is that slaves can become sons through Christ. The deliverance that Christ
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was to bring to those who were enslaved was anticipated and predicted in the Old Testament. Starting with the “Protoevangelion” (the first gospel) of Gen. 3:15, the Messiah was depicted in many prophecies. The “seed of the woman” whose mission was to “crush” the head of the serpent, is qualified by Isaiah as the son of a virgin who will be called “Immanuel”- “God with us” (Isa. 7:14). That “Son” is further described as having several royal titles including “Wonderful”, “Counselor”, and “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). Isaiah had several other prophecies about the mission of the Messiah. In one place he speaks of the mission of Christ in these terms: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the broken hearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed” (Isaiah 62:1, NLT). By reading this passage in the synagogue in Nazareth and stating that this prophecy relates to his mission, Jesus made it very clear that he came to break yokes and set captives free. Truly the Messiah came to bring deliverance to all that were suffering under various kinds of burdens and oppressions. Freedom was the focal point of Jesus’ message and ministry. At the very outset he called people to repent of their sins and believe in the good news. (Mk 1:15). He healed many who were afflicted by diseases (Mk. 1:40,41; 2:8-10). He cast demons out of so many who had been bound by Satan (Acts 10:38). He called people who were under the yoke and carrying many burdens to come to him for release and peace (Mt. 11:28). Jesus’ words: “I will give you rest” spelled freedom to the oppressed. Jesus taught very clearly that he came to bring freedom to those in captivity. When he told the Jews that “the truth will set them free” (Jn. 8:32, KJV) they denied that they were even in bondage. But Jesus asserted that they were servants of sin and that he came to set them free. “So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free” (Jn. 8:36, KJV). In this dialogue with the Jews, Jesus revealed the truth that people do what they do because of the Devil who is a murderer and a liar. In contrast, Jesus is the Truth and the emancipator. The apostle John deals with the twin concepts of slavery and freedom in his first epistle and declares that the “Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn. 3:8). True freedom consists of breaking free from the dominion of the Devil and experiencing the freedom that Christ offers to all captives. It must be pointed out that the theological word the New Testament uses for the concept of freedom is redemption. It was borrowed from the slave trade that existed in the world at that time. Three Greek words have been used to deal with the various aspects of the trade: Agorazo means buying from the market, exagorazo means bringing out of the market and andlutroo means releasing (the slave) by paying a price. All of these concepts are applicable to the redemption that Jesus accomplished for humanity. He came to the world to save sinners. He paid a great price to purchase the sinners for his own purpose. That price was his own precious blood (1 Pet.1: 18). And he leads his own out of slavery into a glorious freedom. The basic meaning of redemption is freedom. Its essence is the forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7). When sin is dealt with properly, all the other shackles that restrict and afflict the human heart whether it is fear or anxiety or ailments of various kinds- will loosen their grips on the human mind. In conclusion let me say that it is one thing to find freedom in Christ, but it is quite another to maintain that freedom in our day to day experiences. The “old Master” will make many attempts to recapture his territories and subjects. It is imperative that we recognize the wicked devices of the Devil and resist him so that we will not jeopardize our freedom. Paul gave this admonition to the Galatian Christians: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1, NIV). Jesus Christ our liberator has set us free from all spiritual bondage. It is our duty to enjoy that freedom by being vigilant and subjecting ourselves to his Lordship continually. We also need to live in the realm of the Spirit and obtain new heights of spirituality and liberty in the Spirit. That is the calling God has given to every believer.
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Brother Noah
good news for the poor in spirit
John 9… As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “… Neither…”
The street
held no significance. It was not marked by a gate or fountain or a special market. Whether it was crowded, dirty, tree lined, narrow or wide, I do not know. What is known is that a man had taken his place for the day to beg. Blind, destitute, ignored by the masses that past each day, his life consisted of the few coins that would rattle incessantly when he heard the sound of feet passing him by. He was considered cursed by someone’s sin… a parent, himself… someone must have sinned to cause his forever blindness. After all, blaming his condition on behavior absolved everyone from actually caring for him or taking responsibility to help. That is what they thought, at least, because they had been taught from birth to judge people
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” - Francis Chan
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by their behavior, past offenses and even their family of origin. They never addressed the man. Only Jesus. "Teacher, whose sin caused this guy's blindness, his own, or the sin of his parents?" Jesus answered, "Neither. It happened to him so that you could watch him experience God's miracle." John 9:2-3
Jesus’
words were a declaration that His full intent was to release the power of God to change our poor state to a blessed state. That is why His response to the disciples as they talked about “who sinned” was not about what happened in the past but what was going to happen now that would change that man’s future.
You know the rest of the story. Jesus spit on the ground and made mud. He smeared the mud on the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash. And the man born blind saw for the first time since he was born! By far, it was the best day of that man’s entire life. When Jesus began His public ministry, He proclaimed for all to hear that His purpose and intent was to proclaim good news to the poor. He was not making a
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statement about income, money, wealth or prosperity though. This was God talking after all, and He knew that mankind was bankrupt because of sin. No one could claim the wealth of creation that had been given in the Garden. Everyone of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve were bankrupt and marked for destitute living. The devil made sure of it. Jesus’ words were a declaration that His full intent was to release the power of God to change our poor state to a blessed state. That is why His response to the disciples as they talked about “who sinned” was not about what happened in the past but what was going to happen now that would change that man’s future. And the man's eyes miraculously were changed, healed and recreated as he washed the mud that had hardened on his face. For the first time, he saw what he had only heard… The voice of children laughing and playing, the donkey that pulled the merchants cart, the woman who sold fruit across the way, the face of his own mother. Did tears flow from those new eyes? Did he reach out and touch his eyes to make sure it was all real? Did he laugh and run and watch the dust rise when he jumped up and down? This was more than a new day. This day began a new life. He didn’t know them until they spoke but when they did he recognized the men who had kicked at him, called him names and threw their trash in his cup. “It can’t be! You can’t be that blind beggar.” “I am,” he said, “I am that same man! I am healed. I can see for the first time in my life!” But instead of rejoicing over the miracle, they argued back and forth, completely ignoring the man. Finally, they grabbed his arms and took him to the synagogue where the priests were honoring the Sabbath. It was much of the same. They asked him what happened, he told them the story, and the room soon erupted into arguing. Again and again they asked him, finally calling his parents. “Is this your son who was born blind?” His parents were terrified. “Ask him yourself,” they said with their eyes cast to the ground. “He’s old enough to answer without us!” And so, on the best day of his life, his village denied him, the priests cast him out, and even his family left him alone. No one came along side of him and rejoiced. No one. The poorest among us are not those without money but those without a friend. They can have all the world’s good, but without relationships, the coins in their pockets will never fill their empty souls. That is why what happened next was so amazing. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man.” John 9:35 I don’t know how long the man was alone. Was it a day, an hour, a week? The bible doesn’t say. What I do know is that as soon as Jesus heard that the man had been cast out, He went to look for him. He came to proclaim good news to the poor. And that poor man was about to experience the God of all creation who removes aloneness by His very presence. Remember the beginning of the story? Everyone wanted to know who sinned. But Jesus never mentioned his sin, even though he surely was a sinner. Jesus was more concerned about his aloneness, his poverty of soul, then his sin. Rejected by society, the church and his family, Jesus went and found the man. If the church is to see people with Jesus eyes, we need to be healed of our blindness. If the church is to fulfill the mission to proclaim good news, more than preaching is needed. If the church is to be the hands and feet of the Master, our preaching needs to be action. Fulfilling the calling of Jesus means we must do what the Master does, and that is coming alongside and entering into the world of the poor in spirit.
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Pastor P. T. Thomas Writer & Bible Teacher
FREEDOM FROM SOCIAL EVILS Man is a social being. He can not live in isolation or hide himself away from the society. Society is formed by individuals living together. Man needs the
society just as much as the society needs man. As man is inherently evil, society gets pervaded by evil. The Bible says: “… the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). So the presence and prevalence of evil in human society is an undeniable reality. In His great high priestly prayer Jesus said: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15). A child of God has to live in the evil human society, not isolate himself from it. He has to lead a holy life in the midst of evils attempting to influence and reform the society he lives in, so when we speak about freedom from social evils, we do not mean a sage living in isolation, but one who exercises authority over the evil forces around him and seeks to liberate the society from the clutches of evil. ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’– is a common maxim generally followed by all. It is easy to swim along the current and join the masses in their mad rush. But it is hard to swim against the current. He who refuses to concede to the accustomed norms of the society will be ostracized, alienated and subjected to much suffering. One who tries to correct a social evil will have to face collective resistance from
“I was made for more than being stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat. I am not made to be a victim of my poor choices. I was made to be a victorious child of God.” - Lysa TerKeurst
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The Word
of God has laid bare the heart of God before us. Therein we see the holiness, righteousness, justice and majesty of God. A vision of the holy God will make us see our real state. the community. So only one with a very clear conviction, commitment and willingness to suffer for the benefit of others can stand against social evils. The main obstacle in resisting social evil is that people do not generally take it as an evil at all. Long trodden paths are too hard to till. Even glaring evils like ‘sati’ (the practice of the widow being thrown into the funeral pyre of the dead husband) child marriage, caste system, untouchability, dowry, slave trade – etc. were not considered detestable evils. Those who fought against them
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had to face and overcome the fury of large sections of the society. People seem to remain under a blinding spell, unable or unwilling to see the reality. It is because the whole world remains under the evil one. The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers and they refuse to see the truth. So the first and the most important step to liberate people from social evils is to educate them. Only the light of the Word of God can remove the darkness of ignorance, which pervades society. History makes it very clear that it is ‘the light of the world’ even Jesus Christ and His Word that has liberated the world from the enslaving darkness of social evils. The pockets of the world where the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ has not shone still remain under such darkness. Evangelists are torch bearers and heralds of liberation. We who got our blinded eyes opened should now do our utmost to liberate those groping in darkness. We should shine forth to the world around us, reflecting the radiance of the true light of the world – Jesus Christ. It will open the eyes of many and break the shackles of social evils. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the panacea for the evils afflicting the human society. The pity is that we fail in this noble mission entrusted to us. On the other hand, some of the lesser evils prevailing in the society inject us. Wasteful extravagance prompted by the boastful pride of life is so rampant among us that the godly ones feel very uncomfortable in our ceremonies like a wedding reception and even the wedding ceremony proper. Pomp and show mark even our funeral services. God-given material resources are squandered thoughtlessly to pamper our ego. Such wasteful ostentation has assumed the horrible dimension of an infectious social evil. People compete with each other to excel over the other in pomp and ostentation. We should not forget the fact that the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life are from the world (1 John 2:16). Even in spiritual services like the annual convention of the churches, we see this show off and competition to excel the other in ostentation. Everything should be done in a ‘fitting and orderly way’, but doing even the best thing to pamper our ego is an evil. That which happens in the world around us should not affect us. We should not forget that we have been crucified with Christ and we no longer live but Christ lives in us’ (Gal.2:20). Other social evils like bribe, usury, unfaithfulness in business dealings, cheating, consumption of intoxicating drinks, craze for ornaments, divorce etc. too have made inroads even into the church circles. The most tragic part of it is that even believers no longer consider their malicious practices as evil. Our leaders and teachers are busy groping through the scriptures and its various versions in a desperate bid to locate a word or verse somewhere by which a semblance of an excuse may be offered in defenseof such practices. Our attitude to evil has undergone a disastrous change. He who does not find any detestable element in an evil can not desire for extricating himself from its clutches. So we should start receiving things in the light of the Word of God and boldly brand an evil an evil. The Word of God has laid bare the heart of God before us. Therein we see the holiness, righteousness, justice and majesty of God. A vision of the holy God will make us see our real state. Prophet Isaiah had a heavenly vision of the majesty of God and he cried out: ‘Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips…’ (Isa. 6:5). A clear vision of the glory of God will make us see ourselves and the society we live in. It will make us cry out as Isaiah did. This is the first step to freedom from social evils. ‘Then you will know, the truth and the truth will set you free… if the Son (Jesus Christ) sets you free, you shall be free indeed’ (John 8:32-36).
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news Jharkhand Christians face forced conversion to Hinduism
These four families are regular worshippers at the Pentecostal Church of God in a neighbouring village Goratoli. Mundu along with 30 to 40 Christians from the area approached the local police on 24 April and were told that ‘peace talks’ would be led by the police. “We don’t want to file a formal report against the villagers, as they are in huge majority. The police will arrest the leaders of the village and then the entire village will pressurize the four families and persecute them in every possible way. We do not intend to develop enmity. We have requested the police in-charge to intervene and make the villagers understand our ‘freedom of choice’ given by our constitution,” said Mundu. What was shocking for Mundu was that the church congregation had never faced such extreme threats and persecution since their Church was established. “Our church has been running from 2000 and all of them are Sarna believers. We have not heard of such a thing before,” he said. “The Sarna people have been added into the government records as Hindus and not as Sarna when recording their religious designation. And this is false. The Sarna people have no idea about this as they are ignorant,” said Mundu.
Woman pastor stands strong against extremists
Jharkhand, April 25, 2017: Four Christian families in the Eastern Indian state of Jharkhand are facing tremendous pressure from the villagers to leave their Christian faith and ‘return’ to the Hindu faith. The four families are the only Christians in the entire village of Ganaloya. They became Christians in 2010 and this week opposition in their village came to a head. In a village meeting they summoned the four families and demanded that they return to the Hindu faith. “They have been given time till Thursday (27 April) to respond else they will be expelled from the village for life time,” said Sunil Kumar Mundu the Secretary of the Pentecostal Church of God in an interview with Global Christian News. These families had converted from the Sarna (tribe) faith after each family had a history of prolonged illness. “These families have taken a firm stand, of not returning back to their previous faith in spite of threats from the villagers,” added Mundu.
Uttar Pradesh, May 3, 2017: In a densely-populated Jalalabad – a village in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh – an entire village got together against a small Christian community in their midst. Hindu extremists attacked 20 Christian families including verbally abusing them and indecently assaulting the female pastor who leads them. May 2017
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The villagers demanded that the Christians stop conducting prayer meetings and services in the village. “The villagers had been harassing and threatening us for the past four days,” said Pastor Pushpa Kumar in an interview. “When Pushpa’s harassers saw that nothing is deterring her from her Christian faith, they attacked her physically,” said Pastor Anil an independent church leader from a nearby village. He said the villagers had threatened to pull the pastor’s saree off and strip her. Pushpa approached the Dullahpur police station to make a complaint 29 April 2017. Pushpa told police: “This is not my caste conversion; It is my heart’s conversion!” After Pushpa’s brave confrontational statements, the matter was brought to the notice of the Superintendent of Police, who visited Pushpa’s village today and strictly warned the villagers to allow the Christians to worship with freedom and reminded the villagers that they are free to follow the faith they choose to. Pushpa was the first Christian in the entire village and started the Church in her home about three years ago. “She was alone then, and now 20 families have started to believe,” revealed Andrias. This incident happened soon after a seven-member delegation comprising of Archbishop and Bishops from the Catholic Churches met with the newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. They shared with him their fear of the rising incidents of violence against the minority Christian community in the biggest Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister had assured church leaders that there would be justice against law breakers. He asked them to continue their services to the poor and the needy in various fields, including education, and practice their faith without fear.
pastors arrested in mp On 9 April in village Sitabedi, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, RSS members accompanied by police personnel disrupted worship service and arrested the pastors and their wives and other Christians, and took them to the local police station at Piplod. The Pastors who were arrested were: Pastor Amar Singh Solanki, Pastor Kishore Barela, and Pastor Prabhakar Solanki. The Christians were accused of conducting conversions by force and allurement. The incident took place around 12:30 pm. According to reports received the RSS members surrounded the police station demanding action against the Christians. Later after 6 pm, the police released three women and two men but an FIR was registered against the Pastors under the Madhya
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Pradesh Freedom of religion act. They remain in lock up and await a bail till this release.
Hindu extremists disrupted the Church meeting On 9 April in Kaithal, Haryana, local Hindu extremists disrupted the Church meeting Pastored by Pastor Yashpal. The attackers threatened and manhandled the Christians present as well as complained against the Christians at the local police station alleging conversions. Soon the police arrived and took into custody Pastor Yashpal and the Christians gathered for Sunday Worship. They were taken to the Civil Lines Police Station. The Inspector In Charge Mr. Jaswant spoke to EFI and said that the Christians had been taken into protective custody. The Christians were released as the allegations against them were found baseless.
Pastor beaten in UP On 9 April, in village Jahanpur, Post Dullahpur, district Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh a local mob beat up Pastor Krishna Paul and handed him over to the police. Pastor Krishna Paul is serving with the Believer's Church in the area and belongs to Kolkata. The mob responsible for beating him is thought to be the local liquor mafia, who held him responsible for the on-going agitation by local women against liquor shops in the area. He was released after local Christian leaders intervened in the situation and spoke to the police.
rajasthan On 9 April in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, Hindu extremists disrupted the worship service of the Church of God and Pastor Saji Mathew was arrested and taken into police custody along with seven Christians. According to reports local villagers with the help of a Hindu Priest had complained to the local Sarpanch that Christians are involved in the conversions. After getting the letter signed by the Sarpanch the villagers gave it to the police officials as a complaint, following which the police arrested the Christians. Local Christian leaders approached the police for the release of pastor Mathew and all Christians were released late at night.
tamil nadu On 9 April in Keeranur Post, Palani Taluka, district Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, the revenue inspector and village administrative officers disrupted private prayers at the house of Pastor
renewing and enriching life
Gunasekaran. The officers took video clips and pictures of the people praying in the house and told the people to stop the prayers. They also told the Christians to take permission from the District Collector before praying in the house. Pastor Gunasekaran's extended family (about 20 people) has gathered every Sunday for the last 24 years in his house for private prayers. The prayers are not attended by public and are a family affair. No loudspeaker system is used either during these prayers. In spite of telling the authorities this, they did not relent and forced pastor Gunasekaran to sign on a letter that they had prepared and asked him to report at the Tehsildar's office on the following day. News credit : Global Christian News
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP AND OTHER PARTICULARS ABOUT NEWSPAPER ENTITLED “revive” AS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED UNDER RULE 8 OF THE REGISTRATION OF NEWSPAPER (CENTRAL RULES 1956) FORM IV 1. Place of publication : 2. Periodicity of its publication : 3. Printer’s Name : Address : Whether citizen of India : 4. Publisher’s Name : 5. Editor’s Name : 6. Name and address of individuals : who own the newspaper and partners or share holders holding more than one percent of the total capital
Kumbanad, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, 689 547 Monthly Major V. I. Lukose (Retd) Hebron, Kumbanad, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, 689 547 Yes -as aboveSaju Joseph Revive Post Box No. 31 Hebron, Kumbanad Kerala, India - 689 547
I Major V. I. Lukose (Retd), hereby declare that the particulars given are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Date : 01-05-2017
Sd/Publisher May 2017
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QUIZ–51
THE RUNNERS
1. What bizzare person saw Jesus from far off and ran to worship him? 2. What belligerent man ran to meet his brother and kissed him after a long time of separation? 3. Who outran a team of horses? 4. What evangelist ran to meet a foreign official in his chariot? 5. What disciple outran Peter to Jesus’ tomb? 6. Who ran to the Priest Eli, thinking Eli had called him in the night, though it was actually god who called? 7. What cousin of Jacob’s ran to tell her father when she found she and Jacob were related? 8. What boy ran in to the Philistine camp to confront their best warrior? 9. What servant of the prophet Elisha ran to meet the woman of Shunem? 10. What short man ran to see Jesus but could not because of his weight?
The ABC of becoming a Christian
Admit that you are in
need of someone to save you from guilt, shame and bondage or addictions. Admit that you have violated God’s Laws.
Answers for Quiz - 50 SO MANY CHILDREN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Isaiah (11:6) Elijah (Malachi 4:6) Proverbs (22:6) Eli (1 Samuel 3:13) Hannah (1 Samuel 2:19) Jephthah (Judges 11:30–40) Jotham (Judges 9:1–5) The wife of Phinehas (1 Samuel 4:19–22) 9 Deuteronomy (24:16) 10 Joel (2:28)
Believe that Jesus Christ is the
only One whois able to save you and to bring deliverence and offer forgiveness of sins. Believe that Jesus is the only One to conquer death and is the risen Saviour.
Confess with your
mouth that Jesus is your Lord and submit to His rulership in your life.
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26 May 2017