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INDIA’S EVANGELICAL NEWS MAGAZINE
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Vol. 13, No. 4
Page 28
AUGUST, 2016
The purpose of the news magazine is to report newsworthy religious events and activities within the local community, nationwide and around the world, to increase the awareness and activism of believers regarding the moral issues of today, to provide thought-provoking commentary, and to provide an effective advertising vehicle for Christian ministries and organizations, events and businesses that want to reach the Christian community. - Editor
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THE MESSAGE
THE FOUR-LETTER WORD YOU MUST AVOID In Your Life & Ministry! Ahab would learn in his life. To defeat the enemy is to annihilate him totally. If you were to wound him and let him go scot-free your life, your very life, would be at stake. Dear child of God, what's that one area in your life where you are constantly slipping? You have won the battle many times over but the enemy is still at large. Do you know if that is the case, the enemy will have the last laugh? In your spiritual life, there are areas where you have triumphed over the enemy, but then there are a few secret corners of your life where the enemy is still lurking with a dagger behind his back to get you. You know it, the enemy knows it and God Almighty knows it too. Do you know why you have not vanquished the enemy yet in those secret corners of your life? Of late, you have been busy here and there….You have been postponing the most important thing in your life – encountering the enemy and vanquishing him for good. BUSY is a four-letter word, and God hates it. Being busy does not mean you are fruitful. You are telling yourself and others that you are engaged in the Lord's ministry. To all those who call up to enquire your wellbeing, you say you're busy. Being busy does not mean you are productive. Being busy does not mean you're being profitable in the Lord's
BY ROBIN SAM “And while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone” (1 Kings 20:40). AN UNNAMED PROPHET who went in a disguise before King Ahab of Israel gave him a piece of fiction about how a man came to him with another one and asked him to keep him in safe custody. The prophet had to guard the man diligently and if he escaped, the prophet's life shall be taken for the captive's life, he was told. The prophet said: “And while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” Yes, the prophet had a job to do, an important one at that. But instead of attending to the important task on hand, he was engaged in other things. And as a result, the captive gave him the slip. Now, his life was at stake. King Ahab heard out the prophet and said: “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.” At which point, the prophet removed his disguise and revealed his identity to the king. The story, he told the king, was about the king himself. The man who was busy here and there was the king himself and the captive who slipped away was none other than Ben-Hadad, the Syrian king whom Ahab had defeated not once but twice but never annihilated. And, thus began one of the most important lessons THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w AUGUST 2016
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service. Sometimes, we use certain words without really understanding what they mean or stand for. BUSY is one such word. It's a useless word. It may make you feel good to think that you are busy, but wait a minute: Is that God's plan and direction for your life? Did God bring you into the world to be busy? I know God's servants who were once used mightily by the Lord that have now gone away from their calling. Do you know what their problem was? When they became useful to the Lord, they also became famous. They became much sought-after for their wisdom and words of anointing. They soon started accepting every assignment that came their way. They soon started sitting on one too many board meetings. They became jetsetters, traveling here and there not realizing all the busy-ness was taking a toll on their spiritual life. They had become too busy that they could not pray anymore as they did earlier. They had become too busy that they did not hear the voice of the Lord any longer. The time they spent earlier in the presence of the Lord, reading up on His Word and meditating it and talking to Him, was now being spent to cater to the needs of the world. Don't get me wrong. Ministry is about catering to the needs of the world, but that's not all. Ministry is about pleasing the Lord, first and foremost. Both Martha and Mary loved the Lord but while Martha took the route of serving to please the Lord, Mary offered herself to sweetly commune with the Lord. Which approach, do you think, did the Lord appreciate? Luke 10:40-42 say: But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Jesus did not slight Martha's ministrations but found out that while she ministered she was also worried and troubled about many things. Martha's ministry itself became a source of distraction to her, but Mary's sweet communion with the Lord was not broken by anything. There are families I know where the husband is too busy at his work or in his business that he has started neglecting his wife, children and parents. And, the strain is telling on the family. They may have every material need that you can possibly think of, but then the family is falling apart. Dear child of God, you were not created to be Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
What exactly was King Ahab’s wrongdoing? IF YOU carefully examine the passage in 1 Kings 20, you would notice that Ahab did, not one but five wrongdoings. 1. When he was expected to annihilate the enemy, he made a treaty with him (verse 34) 2. He consulted with God about his steps and strategies when he went to the battle the first time. The second time, however, we don't see him seeking God for His direction. Even when victory was a foregone conclusion on both occasions, he did not seek to know the mind of the Lord. 3. He ignored the counsel given by God in verse 22. 4. He made the foolish mistake of calling his enemy, Ben-Hadad, his 'brother' and treated him like an equal (verse 32). Don't call the cultists, and all those that deny the deity of Jesus, even when they come carrying a Bible and in the garb of Christianity, your brothers or sisters. When you know those who come up against you are hated and forsaken by the Lord, don't dare to make them your co-equal. (Also read 2 Timothy 4:14). 5. Ahab was busy, here and there. busy. You were created to be fruitful. Let's get this straight. What was the prophet's supposed failure? He was busy, and that's only one aspect of it. He was 'here and there'. When the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord one day, Satan also came among them. And the Lord asked Satan where he was coming from? And, what was Satan's answer? Job 2:2 says that Satan answered and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.' I know some youngsters in Christian families who don't like staying up in their homes. Whenever you visit their homes, the youngsters are always out. Ask their parents where their children are and you get a stock reply: 'Oh, they're out with their friends.' The parents should be worried about the fact that their children are out of their homes and roaming here and there. Going to and fro is the Satan's job, don't make it yours. Let it not be your children's task either. I want to bring another instance from the Bible to highlight the uselessness of being busy, the utter unproductiveness of going here and there; to and fro. After it had rained for 40 days and nights, Noah opened the window of the ark to check out the landscape. All he saw was water, water everywhere. 7
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THE MESSAGE This famine is a famine of the Word of God. In those days, the Bible says in Amos 8:12, 'They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it.' Dear child of God, we are dangerously close to the time prophesied in Amos. Store up the Word of God in your heart while there is yet time. The Scriptures indicate that another time will come before the time of the famine of the Word of God. I believe we are already in that time. In Daniel 12:4, God told the prophet, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” We're living in the time of the end when travel across seas and between continents has increased manifold. World air travel industry has reported robust growth and predicted huge growth in the next 10 years. Knowledge is also increasing by the day. Everything that you need to know and more is accessible in the palm of your hand. With one tap and one swipe you can read up and store up a lot of information. Truly, we're living in the days when knowledge has increased. If the time we're living in is the time foretold in Daniel 12:4, then coming up next is the time prophesied in Amos 8:12. If all these prophecies have left you wondering what to do, I urge you to take the route Mary took to please the Lord. Choose the path of sweet communion before you take the path of service to the Lord and the world. And, do it every single day of your life. Let prayer precede projects. Let meditation of the Word come before ministering to the world. Fresh after their exploits in their mission fields when the disciples returned to Jesus Christ and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught, the Lord told them: “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Why did Jesus respond that way? Did He not like what His disciples did and taught. No, far from it. Mark 6:32 says, 'For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.' Just as Jesus knew where His disciples will have the time and the space to have their food in quiet, Jesus knows where you will get your spiritual food. Food for your soul is found only in the Lord's presence. The Psalmist says in Psalm 16:11, 'You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.' Amen!
Genesis 8:7 says, 'Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.' What did the raven do? It kept going to and fro! For how long? Until the waters had dried up. Noah sent out the raven on a mission. It was on a fact-finding mission but it offered Noah no clue about what was going on earth; the only thing it did was it kept going to and fro. Because, there was no news from the raven Noah also sent out a dove. Genesis 8:9 says, 'But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth.' The raven was sent out much before the dove. While the dove found out that she could not rest anywhere on earth, she returned to the ark. What was the raven doing then? The realities outside the ark that applied to the dove applied to the raven as well. But the raven kept going to and fro. Noah sent out the dove again after seven days and this time it brought back a freshly plucked olive leaf. Another seven days later, Noah sent the dove out again. And this time, she did not return anymore. Each time the dove came back to the ark it had a message for Noah, her master. The first time, she conveyed to the master that flood waters had still not receded. The second time, she brought an olive leaf in the evening and by that Noah knew that waters had receded somewhere and vegetation was springing up. The third time, she did not come back and that was her message to Noah: It was safe to disembark the ark now. What does that tell you about the dove? She knew her master and she knew the task given to her. She was faithful to her master. But all this while, the raven kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. What does that tell you about the raven? It put self above service. Like the dove, the raven also knew that it could not find a place to rest the sole of its foot, yet it kept going back and forth. Do you want to live your life like the raven or the dove? Do you know the purpose for which the Master has created you? Do you know the Master wants you to live for Him? Will you live like the raven or the dove? A person who goes back and forth is a doubleminded person. He gains nothing in his life, does nothing concrete in his life and contributes neither to the world nor to the Lord because he vacillates. James 1:8 says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. He is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. He will get nothing from the Lord, says the Bible. We're living in the last days. In the last days, God warns us that a famine will come upon the world. THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w AUGUST 2016
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Why does God not give us specific instructions at times? THE STORY of the confrontation between I'll tell you why. Right from the time of Moses, Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, and King of Ahab of God's instruction to the Israelites was have no truck Israel unfolds in 1 Kings 20 verse 1 onwards. with the idolatrous nations around them but to Ben-Hadad led two expeditions against Israel. utterly destroy them (Deuteronomy 7:2; 12:2;
20:17). That was also Israel's resolution before the Lord (Numbers 21:2). That has always been the command of the Lord. God says in Malachi 3:6, 'I am the Lord, I change not.' God had neither changed His person or His power or His word. Ahab knew it. So, when Ahab let Ben-Hadad slip away from the battle God foretold him about enemy's imminent return and left the next course of action to Ahab's discretion. Dear child of God, when you shut your eyes to God's specific statutes He will start giving you general instructions. That's what happened in Ahab's life. When God speaks to you, do you look the other way? Are you in the habit of paying no heed to God's directions for your life? Do you stifle the voice of your conscience? If you do, then you are treading on thin ice. Return to God and He will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts (Zechariah 1:3). When the Syrian king returned the second time, he came with a new strategy and greater number of forces. Israel, the victor in the first battle, still had no mighty force. They were few in number. Verse 27 says, 'Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the countryside.' The Syrians thought Israel won the first battle because the Lord their God is the God of the hills. So this time, they strategized to take on Israel in the valleys. Little did they know that the Lord is not only the God of the hills and the valleys but the entire universe! However, the God who did not give a specific instruction to Ahab was gracious enough to prophesy the outcome of the second battle to him. Dear child of God, God has foretold the end of Satan to us. Revelation 20:10 says, 'The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.' The enemy who goes about like a roaring lion is actually a fallen angel, a total failure who's counting his last days. You need not fear him.
In the first, he had 32 kings with him in his battle march against Ahab. We're not told about the size of the Syrian army with its affiliates, but it must have been predictably huge. We, however, know what Ahab mustered to face up to the oppressors. The Bible says he mustered 232 young leaders of the province along with 7,000 Israelites. Obviously, that would not have sufficed, but then Ahab was not going in his own strength. He was in the battle but the battle itself was not his but the Lord's. Hallelujah! When the Lord of Hosts sides His children in the battle, there's no doubt about the outcome. 'And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry. Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter' (verse 20, 21). As soon as the battle was over, God sent a prophet to Ahab. He told the king that although victory was his, he was not to rest on his laurels because the king of Syria would launch another attack on Israel the next year. Sometimes, when we secure a little victory we tend to think the enemy is annihilated. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Dear child of God, listen to what the Spirit of God is telling you. Sometimes, God will tell you: 'The Egyptian that you see today, you shall see no more' (Exodus 14:13). But then, there are also times when God will tell you: 'The enemy is not annihilated, he's only wounded. He's going to come back.' Some illnesses and troubles go away forever but some remain or go away briefly only to return. King Ahab received a warning and a word of instruction from the Lord through the prophet. 'Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do‌' 'See what you should do.' That's an unusual command. God did not give Ahab any specific instruction about what he ought to do. 'See what you should do.' That was a general instruction. So why did God not give Ahab a specific instruction about how to handle the enemy? Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
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GOSPEL MELA 2016 24-Hour Chain Prayer
15 Specific Prayer Points For a 30-Minute Intercession Praying with one accord for 2,234 people groups spread across 1.2 billion people in 29 states and 7 UTs in one nation. Every nation, every tribe, every people and every tongue shall say: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10).
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Redemption of our souls is possible only through Jesus, there’s no other way. Gospel is nothing but proclaiming that Jesus is the only way to be saved from our sins, to be delivered out of the bondage of our curses and to come out of darkness into His magnificent light. We are doing this in a concerted manner by targeting one State in the country every month for the next 12 months. We are reaching out to 100,000 people in each state with the Gospel message through tracts, other booklets and personal evangelism wherever possible. We are not working on this in isolation but have involved several local churches and missions organizations in each state. We have christened this effort as ‘Gospel Mela 2016’. We need your prayerful support to make this a success. We lean on to the One who said: ‘…for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). God expects us to intensify our prayers and give freely to the Lord’s work so hundreds of thousands of Indians will come to know that Jesus is the only way to salvation in the next one year. Besides using these prayer points to pray for 30 minutes during the 24-hour chain prayer time, will you also set apart five minutes a day or an hour on any day of the week to join us in prayer? If you do, God will do wonders in this nation. Amen. Glory to God. 1. We're focussing on Punjab this month. This state in the northwest of the country is rich in natural resources. Agriculture is the largest industry here. Chandigarh is the joint administrative capital of Punjab and Haryana. The population of the state is estimated to be close to 2.9 crore. Christians constitute about 1.10% of the total population. As THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w AUGUST 2016
many as 451 people groups are yet to be reached with the Gospel. Pray. 2 Pray in particular for our work in Pathankot. Messenger Missions has a mission field in Pathankot. Out of the 269 people groups living in this district, 257 are unreached. Out of the district's population 6,44,000 Christians constitute a mere 7.1 percent. Pray for the people groups living here. 3. Pray for the Ad Dharmi people group. Population: 7,69,000. Christians: None. They are engaged in tanning hides and related leatherwork. The low literacy rate of this community (40%) stands in the way of the Gospel workers when it comes to reaching them through printed materials. Pray that the other mediums – such as audio-video – and personal evangelism methods among them bear fruit. .4 Very little is known about the Arain people group in Punjab except that they are about 22,000 in number and are also known as Rain, Baghban and Chaudari. They follow Sikh traditions, speak Punjabi, and live in Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh and Uttarakhand besides of course Punjab. Christians: None. 5. Pray for a mighty revival in the mission fields administered by Messenger Missions and other mission organizations. If God's work has to progress on war footing, Gospel outreach efforts have to be accompanied by signs and wonders on ground. Remember our mission fields in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. 6. The Arora people group's most visible member is former prime minister Manmohan Singh. The Aroras (among them are both Hindus and Sikhs) had to flee from Pakistan with nothing but their clothes they were wearing during the bloody partition of India in 1947. The resilient people group, however, established themselves in many fields business, medicine, finance, technology, education and armed forces. Although they are tolerant towards other religions, very few have accepted Jesus Christ as
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We prayed, we will prevail!
Keep Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh in your prayers. Our mission field is in this district. Out of the 296 people groups who live in this district, 273 are unreached. The population of the district is about 18 lakh. The population percentage in the district is also a mere 0.3 percent. Much work has been done here recently to meet over a lakh people in the district. Pray that the work yields results. their Saviour. Pray for this community. 7. Pray for the Bawaria people group. They number about 1,00,000 and are found in large numbers in Punjab besides Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. They are alternately called as Naribut, Bhatti and Bauria. They speak Punjabi, Hindi, Bagri, Bauria Dogri and Haryanvi. Although evangelism materials are available in most of the languages they speak, little progress has been made in reaching them with the love of Christ. 8. A huge amount of money is required to buy Bibles, New Testaments and Gospel Tracts in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Odiya among other languages month after month. Pray that these needs are met by God through Christians who come forward to store treasures for themselves in heaven (Matthew 6:20). 9. The Chamar people group's population is estimated at 14,90,000. Although they do not belong to the Scheduled Caste, other people groups look down upon them because they are engaged in leather work. Some of the other names they go by are Arya, Bhambi, GoliaRaigar, Jatav, Jatia, Mehtar, Mochi, Ramdasi and Ravidas. They speak Hindi, Bagri, Telugu, Bhojpuri, Dhundari, and Marwari. There are no known Christians among them. 10. Much progress has been made in the evangelism work among the Chuhra people group, who are scavengers. Literacy percent is almost 50%. They worship their dead ancestors. Out of the 23,21,000 Chuhras in India, 13.4% is Christian. In Punjab alone, there are 10,98,000 Chuhras. They are also known as Chuhre or Chura, Balmiki, Chamri, Jimadar, and Mehtar. Pray that the existing Christian folks are able to bring the others in the community to the salvation available only in Jesus Christ. 11. If every Christian family comes forward to send a person to missions or give generously for the needs of the missions, we can reach the unreached people of our nation (India) sooner than we think. Let 'Go, send or give' be the slogan and the heart's cry of every redeemed believer. 12. Among the Gujar community, there are three Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
Mrs. Beulah Walter I praise God who has helped me to pray for Gospel Mela's prayer points. What gives me greater joy is the fact that my son's family and my two daughters who live abroad are also praying over these points. This chain prayer has made a lot of changes in my personal prayer life. To examine myself and prepare myself before I begin to pray for each people group is a new experience for me. Some of my new friends have come forward to pray for this noble task. I pray to God that this prayer discipline will help us take the Gospel to all places. Mrs. Rajeswari When I began to pray over the prayer points of Gospel Mela last month, God moved in a new and powerful way. He filled me with His presence. Although I began praying for the prayer points, soon I realized that I was praying in tongues. God poured out a great burden for souls within me. Just as the parting of the Red Sea was ordained by the Lord, just as the miracle happened at the right time, I realized that the salvation that is going to come upon our nation through Gospel Mela is also ordained by Him. God impressed on me that we are all merely instruments in His hands to achieve His purpose on earth. main divisions: those who speak Hindi and follow Hindu traditions (population 1,28,000), those who speak Urdu and follow Muslim traditions (population 19,000) and those who speak Punjabi and follow Sikh traditions (population: 31,000). The Gujjars are a fierce warrior tribe. The state of Gujarat
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PRAYER POINTS is named after them. In 1857, the Gujjars took part in the mutiny to drive British out of India. After the mutiny ended, the English labelled them as a 'criminal tribe.' Ask God to break the hold that the Sikh religion has on the Gujjars of India. May this people group realize that Jesus Christ is the only true source of salvation. 13. Pray for the Jat community that follows Sikh traditions. The word 'Jat' is from the Arabic word 'jatta' referring to the inhabitants of what is now much of Pakistan and northwest India. They arrived in the sub-continent as invaders, yet did not establish ruling dynasties. They were presumably IndoIranian who in the course of time mixed with other invaders and older Indian inhabitants. The population of the Jats who follow Sikh traditions in India is 1,07,85,000, of which 0.01 percent is Christian. In Punjab alone, there are 73,90,000 Jats. Pray that the Holy Spirit will soften their hearts towards the Gospel. 14. Do we trust God enough to save India? Halfhearted prayers won't do. If you are wrestling with unbelief, read Isaiah 50:2. It says: 'Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?' Lord, we pray that Your hand will still do mighty things in our nation. With that hope, we pray: 'Lord, save India.' 15. The Jat Mann people group that follows Sikh traditions in India number about 1,24,000 in the country. They claim that they came to India from a region near the Caspian Sea. In the 8th century BC, they had their own kingdom called Manniai later known as Armenia. In India, they live in Punjab and Haryana. Pray for wisdom to Gospel workers to reach this community. Pray God will raise up believers from Armenia who will witness Christ to the Jat Mann group. Ms. Shiromi Aruldass I praise God for helping me pray for the Gospel Mela since April this year. Ever since I began praying, God has given me a new burden for the nation. I prayed that many souls will come into the knowledge of Christ. At that time, God also gave me a burden to pray for those children in our country who are starving. May God give me the grace to continue to pray in the coming days and help me to involve my friends in the prayer ministry. THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w AUGUST 2016
We prayed, we will prevail! Mr. Balasubramanian Praying for the Gospel Mela was a new experience for me. I have come into the Lord quite recently but as soon as I had finished praying there I could feel a great sense of peace pervading within me. Through the prayer points, I came to know about the existence of innumerable people groups and communities who still have not heard of Jesus. Since I was a Gentile myself once, I was able to pray for people from similar backgrounds with a lot of burden. I thank Messenger Missions for giving an opportunity to intercede for the nation. Mr. Daniel Praise be to the Holy Name of the Lord. I work with the Cornerstone Tribal Mission based in Nilgiris. I am able to feel the presence of the Lord whenever I pray over the prayer points you send me. It gives me great joy to pray for the various people groups of the nation. I will pray even more fervently and with a greater burden for the people in the coming days. I pray to God that He will add many souls to His flock through this great ministry.
The next 24-hour chain prayer will be from midnight of Aug 29, 2016 to midnight of Aug 30, 2016. You will receive a new set of prayer points for the same. For any other assistance, call 044-65145334 or email: contact@christianmessenger.in 12
Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
THE WAY TODAY
God is not a Communist. He’s simply, majestically, awesomely God! BY ROBIN SAM Mark 4:25 (NKJV) says: “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” THE FIRST TIME I read that passage as a young boy I said, 'Now, that's unfair, God! You are giving the one who already has, more! And, you are taking stuff away from him who doesn't have.'Our understanding of the Bible can be skewed if we don't seek the help of the Spirit of God. The Bible says '...My thoughts are not your thoughts.' Where you and I see injustice, God serves divine justice. And God's justice is better than our poetic justice. You see God is not talking about making the rich richer or plundering the poor and making him poorer. God is not a Communist, He is God. There can be nothing more or nothing less about it. He is simply, majestically and awesomely GOD! So, what is it that God says will be given to him who has? What is the possession of the person we're talking about? He's talking about His Word. You either have it in you or you don't. You are either a Bible-reading, Scripture-driven, Holy Spirit led person or you are not! If you have a thirst and hunger for the Word of God, Jesus says, there's going to be an increase of it in the days to come. If you have a desire for the Spiritual milk that's the Word of God, you will find that God will not only increase the desire but He will also satiate your thirst and hunger. At another level, I think, Jesus is also talking about faith. Either you have it or you don't. The mountain-moving faith is only as small as a mustard seed. If a big, craggy mountain can be moved by a tiny grain, imagine what you can do when God gives us more faith! Today, let us ask God for a greater appetite for His Word. And because faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God, let us also ask Him for a greater measure of faith. Because Mark 4:24 says, “...With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Note the Bible does not say a similar measure but the same measure. Ask God for a greater measure of faith. The measure is also my dealing with other people. How I treat others is the measure that God is going to use to treat me - the same measure not a similar measure. That's a dreadful thought! In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w AUGUST 2016
How do you know if you have what it takes to please God in you? Check your response to the Word of God. Do you crave for the spiritual milk? A thirst and hunger for His Word? Check your dealings with other people. If your connection with God is not alright, your connection with people won't be any better either. Check your level of faith. Remember, the mountain-moving faith comes from a tiny mustard seed like faith. A tiny spark can set fire to a huge forest. If you have it, I pray to God that He will give you an increase of it. If you don't have it, ask Jesus for help. He is ready to help you if you confess spiritual poverty and ask Him to come into your heart and change you for the better. “For everyone who asks receives,” Jesus said in Matthew 7:8. Ask and it shall be given to you! Amen.
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We prayed, we will prevail! A woman who did not want to reveal her name: I know the kind of strongholds that people who do not know Jesus are in because I come born and raised in a Hindu family. When someone told me about this Gospel Mela ministry, I became fearful. But I was convicted by the Holy Spirit and told by my friends not to lean on to my own understanding. After that, I began to lean on His will and His grace. To preach the Gospel to all nations is the Lord's command. So, I began to pray with much burden. God's Word tells us in John 15:7, 'If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.' I pray that those people who live in darkness get to see the face of Jesus. I pray their eyes will be opened to receive the salvation from you, Lord. Amen. Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
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by Sha gi re fti G ng os a pe Bi l bl e
SE ES N
SION IS
R GE M
THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER
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THIS BOOK HAS BROUGHT HOPE, JOY AND LOVE IN MILLIONS OF LIVES! Wasn’t your life also transformed for the better by the Bible?
Will you now place it in the hands of those who seek the Truth? GIFT someone a Bible in Hindi or Punjabi today. A copy of the full Bible in Hindi / Punjabi costs Rs.200/Join MESSENGER MISSIONS in taking the Gospel to the unreached people in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh besides, of course, in Tamil Nadu. I would like to partner with MESSENGER MISSIONS by gifting 100 Bibles in ________________________(specify the language here) 50 Bibles in ________________________ 25 Bibles in ________________________ 10 Bibles in ________________________ 1 Bible in ________________________ I am enclosing a cheque/DD in favor of MESSENGER MISSIONS for Rs.___________/- as my gift.
I would like to partner with MESSENGER MISSIONS by contributing Rs.5,000 to print 50,000 Gospel tracts in Hindi or Punjabi ( Tick the appropriate box) Rs.5,000 to support a missionary in one State once a year / every month I am enclosing a cheque/DD in favor of MESSENGER MISSIONS for Rs.___________/- as my gift.
To send your contribution through Bank Transfer, Net Banking or Money Order, please check details on Page 21. Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
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REAR VIEW 1 year ago
How to receive from God Beloved in Christ, I greet you in the matchless name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who said, “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks find, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” (Mathew 7:8) HOW TO RECEIVE
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THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w AUGUST 2016
FROM GOD: The secret of receiving from God is in asking God. To receive one ought to ask is what the scripture teach us. Likewise, to find something, we need to seek it. To get a door bolted from the inside opened for us, knocking is the key. Have you asked something of God? I praise God if you have asked and received. He is a God who delights in giving to His children. Unlike Herod, who was 'exceeding sorry' to give what he had promised (Mark 6:26), our God gives to all those who ask. And He gives liberally and without reproach. (James 1:5) If you have not received what you have asked for, perhaps it's not God's time yet. And when His time comes, the will not tarry a moment longer than it takes. One reason why we don't receive is we have a faith problem. “…let him ask in faith, with no doubting” (James 1:6). A double-minded man, who is unstable in all his ways, will not receive anything from the Lord. The second reason why we do not receive what we ask for is because we ask amiss (James 4:3). Asking amiss is asking with a wrong motive, “that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). HOW TO RECEIVE MUCH FROM GOD: The Bible also lets us into the secret of how much we can receive from God. In other words, God tells us that we can determine the quantum of what we receive from Him. Yes, how much we receive from God is determined b how much we give to God, says the Bible. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you”. (Luke 6:38). Your sowing determines your reaping, says the Bible. “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reaps bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6). It is my prayer for you today that you will ask and receive from God. In the general economy, a giver is depleted, but in God's economy the giver is enriched because of his giving. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Thank you for supporting this ministry through you prayerful and sacrificial offerings and contributions. May God Himself bless you according to His promise. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work”. (2 Corinthians 9:8) In His Service Robin Sam 20
Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY
Pray for our mission fields in Madhya Pradesh BY THE divine plan of God, Messenger Missions has completed 14 months in the mission fields of Madhya Pradesh. Our mission field is in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. There are 139 villages and 83 panchayats in the district. Around 20,000 people live in the village where our Gospel worker Sanjay Udaypure lives. Thanks to his tireless work here for over a year, around 40 to 50 people come together to worship the Lord in the village. Six of these villagers who had accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour decided to take baptism last month. Besides this village, our work is also centered in three other villages separated by huge distances. Bible studies, praise and worship and regular prayers are offered in these villages. To God be all glory. Pray that God opens doors of favour for the Gospel in all this State. The anti-conversion bill in force here in the state is many times misused to target evangelists, pastors and believers. Pray this situation changes. Let there be a favourable climate for the release of God's power through the Gospel. Only God can make it happen.
God-willing, out of the four places where we have our mission fields in this district a church needs to be constructed at least in one. The local pastor, believers and we are praying that it will happen. Pray that God opens the door at the right time and we receive the resources and the favour of God and men for this to happen. May God Himself richly bless you. Amen.
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Messenger Missions has mission fields in the north and central regions of India. It builds the Kingdom of God through evangelism, church planting, Bible Study groups, medical camps, community development projects and other ministries.
Messenger Communications publishes The Christian Messenger in English and Tamil. Its mission is to sow the Word of God and faith in as many lives as possible and proclaim the Gospel through niche media products and get a generation ready for the Lord’s imminent return.
To contribute your offerings for our missions, please use the details below: A/C Name A/C No Account Type Bank Name Branch Branch IFS code Swift code
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: Messenger Missions : 913020055473409 : Current : Axis Bank : Mogappair, Chennai. : 345 : UTIB0000345 : AXISINBB016
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: Messenger Communications : 030501389547195001 : Current : Catholic Syrian Bank : Padi, Chennai : 305 : CSBK0000305
Please let us know details of your offerings and subscriptions after you make the payment at 044-65145334 or 0-7299063345. It will help us send a receipt to you immediately. Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com
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