July-2015-English by Christian Messenger

PERSPECTIVE

Of scandals, Pentecostals and Charismatics intellectualism of a theological tradition that includes “hearing voice” in their heads . I am convinced that the Charismatics theological bankruptcy is a breeding ground for all manner of “charlatans with long titles” who have never seen the inside of a credible theological school. I wonder what theological legacy Charismatics are building? Many people are immediately attracted by the sense of ‘spiritual’ energy and divine mission Charismatics seem to possess. They have apostles and prophets, just like in the Bible, and they tell us that God is doing a new thing and they are “it”. The biggest scandal seems to have been endorsing the new ‘third wave’ generation of charismatic apostles and prophets as bona-fide spiritual leaders. To make it as an Apostle these days all you need is to “hear voices” and appoint yourself unilaterally with no peer review. Yet many of the sincere Christians who attend these churches have not made a complete or careful examination of the teachings of these apostles and prophets, nor carefully searched the Scriptures to see if they are true. A lot of these prophets and apostles always talk about the devil. They major on demonology instead of Christology. Demons are so talked about and Christ so talked less of, that the people start seeing demons everywhere, under their beds, in sleep and inside themselves that they need “deliverance services” to be exorcized. They seem to talk about what the devil was doing as much as what God was doing. Apparently these prophets and apostles are so vital to God’s end time plan, and moving in such a high level of prophetic impartation, that the devil seems to be always after them and giving them a hard time. They take a pragmatic approach to truth:

BY DAFITA MADISA SCANDALS can be found in any group of Christians. Sadly, the reason that scandals among Pentecostals and Charismatics are even more significant is because they claim a special anointing of the Spirit of God. They claim double blessings and triple anointings and super Spirit baptisms. They claim to operate in the Spirit and flow in the Spirit and talk in the Spirit and prophesy in the Spirit and laugh in the Spirit and soak in the Spirit and some even get drunk in the Spirit. They claim to have the “full gospel” and the “four square gospel” and to operate in the “five-fold ministry.” I am not surprized that people whose theology includes “hearing voices in their heads” can have their wires so crossed! If any Tom , Dick and Harry can hear voices, don’t be surprized when those voices tell them to “strip women” in worship services, drink petrol and eat grass. The biggest scandal in Christendom is the anti-

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One Thing You Lack! BY RAJA DHAS WHEN God created man he said “it is very good.” Man lacked nothing in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned against God they were sent out from the Garden. From thereon, humans began to lack many things. The Bible says, ‘All the fullness of God dwells bodily in Jesus.’ He has all the blessings that we need. He can understand what we lack; He can provide what we need. We can be complete in Him (Col. 2:9, 10). In Mark 10:21 we read this passage, “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘ONE THING YOU LACK: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me’.” Jesus looked at the young rich ruler, loved him and spoke to him about his need. The young man had everything the world could offer - wealth, health, position - yet there was a vacuum in his heart. He had riches in his heart, where he should have enthroned God. Jesus told him the truth, “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” The Bible says, he went away sorrowful! What should you do to inherit eternal life? Come to Jesus, take him into your heart, HE is the eternal life. He will tell you what you lack. Obey what He tells you to do. We may lack one or more things, only Jesus can tell us about what we lack. Obey and follow him into eternal life. If He asks you to leave anything by the wayside before you follow Him, be sure to do it. What have you left for Jesus? Many aspire to do ministry for Jesus, but are they willing to leave all and follow Him? Many try to do ministry just for money and prosperity! What shall it profit us if we gain the whole world and lose our own soul? Empty we came into this world, empty we will leave this world! Why don’t we find out what we lack, obey and follow him according to his guidelines? Those who live for this world will have to leave Jesus and go away sorrowful My testimony: When I was 22 years old I got saved. Jesus taught me to pray and meditate on God’s word for around three hours every day. I had a lucrative job opportunity and also an open door to do THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JULY 2015

Jesus did not promise me property and riches, He gave Himself to me. He has been with me all these years. And I know that he will be with me always. my Ph. D in Zoology. But when I was 25, the Lord called me for His ministry. I left all and followed HIM. My daddy said, “I will not give you any property; because you are going for ministry.” Within 10 minutes after my daddy spoke, the Lord Jesus spoke to me and said, “I am your inheritance.” Jesus did not promise me property and riches, He gave Himself to me. He has been with me all these 42 years. And I know that he will be with me till the end and all through eternity. I count it a privilege to serve Him. Serving Jesus, winning souls and discipling souls for him is reward enough for me. These days when I see many who are involved in ministry do so for money, my heart aches. Dear friend, what have you left for Jesus? What do you lack? Are you following Jesus? Run to Jesus, kneel down before Him and ask Him. He will look at you, love you and tell you, “One thing you lack…” Obey Him, you will be a blessing. May the Lord bless you, fill you and use you! The writer is the Academic Dean of Hindustan Bible Institute and College, Chennai.

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7 Powerful Ways Every Wife Can Pray Over Her Husband is the head of the family (Ephesians 5:23). To get this right is the first step towards living a spiritually fulfilling family life. If you agree with me that you as a spiritual partner of your husband have a great role to play by being the one who will pray for him every day and night, then we will move on to the 7 powerful ways you can pray over your husband. 1. Pray that he will stand firm in his faith Dear Father God, I pray that you will help him to love you always and serve you wholeheartedly. Help him in his resolve to live for you as a Kingdom man. Make him, like David, a man after your own heart. Make him stand firm in his faith and be alert to the falsities of life and wrong doctrines. Give him the grace to ‘Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.’ Let all that he does be done with love (1 Corinthians 16:13). May the purpose for which you created him be fulfilled in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 2. Pray that he will gain honour and standing in his life In Job 29, the beleaguered man tells his ‘comforters’ how his life was before Satan played havoc. I would like you to read the chapter carefully. What was Job’s standing in the society? Job 1:3 says that the man was ‘the greatest of all the people of the

BY ROBIN SAM DOES your husband need your prayers? Silly as it may sound it is incredible how many nominal Christian women do not realize the need to pray for their husbands. If you are a married woman, I would like you to get this first: Your husband needs your prayers as much as you have need of his. If your husband’s parents are alive, and if they are believers, then be assured that they will pray for him. However, when you, his helpmate, pray for him God’s merciful hands will work in his favour. You need to have no doubt about it. And, God will make your husband testify like the psalmist in Psalm 94:18, ‘If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.’ Although men and women are similar in many behavioural traits, there is a huge difference in their mindscape. The Bible says, when God created the earth, he appointed man to rule over it. Eve was created as the helpmate for Adam. By that divine decision, God did not ask man to subjugate woman but gave him the supreme mandate to rule over the household (Genesis 3:16). We must not infer this in a wrong sense. Women should understand that they are equal heirs with men in a spiritual inheritance. However just as Christ is the head of the church, man THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JULY 2015

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the message that you and I need to draw is laid out in the very beginning. And, what’s the message? The four qualities of Job. Job was blameless, upright, God-fearing and evil-shunning. Would you like your husband to be a man like Job? Would you like him to receive the honour, standing and blessings that Job received? There’s only one way! And, that’s to live like Job did. So pray that your husband will live like Job – as an upright, blameless and God-fearing man

East.’ That he was the greatest of the people of his times in his land meant that he had quite a few blessings and divine privileges. We will examine some of them here. God watched over him in those days (Job 29: 2). God’s lamp shone upon his head (verse 3). His friendly counsel was over Job’s tent (verse 4). The Almighty was with him (verse 5). There was prosperity in his house (verse 6). He had honour at home, in the city and in the open square (verses 7-9). He had more honour than the nobles (verse 10). He had a great testimony at home and in the open (verses 11, 12-16). He was righteous, blessed and a do-gooder (verses 13, 14). How was it possible for Job to be such a blessed man? God has revealed the answer to the question in the very first verse of the first chapter of Job. While the moral of any story is only revealed at the end of fables, in the book of Job

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who shuns evil. 3. Pray that his prayers will be answered 1 John 3:22 says, ‘And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.’ How can we get our prayers answered by God? By keeping His commandments. It’s that simple. We must keep them even when they seem burdensome. The good news is Jesus Himself has said: ‘My yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:30). I urge you to pray this prayer first for your life and then for your spouse’s. The key to answered prayers is keeping God’s commandments. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, says James 5:16. 4. Pray that he will remain steadfast in his calling The Spirit of God who made Paul write of the importance of being ‘brave’ and ‘strong’ (1 Corinthians 16:13 also made the apostle write the epistle to Ephesians. The first verse in Ephesians 1 urges us to ‘walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.’ That’s the advice Paul gives to the church in Ephesus. This is perhaps one of the most difficult things to follow too. Do you know what your calling is? Does your husband know the calling of God upon his life? THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JULY 2015

If neither of you know it, I pray God will reveal it to you in the coming days. If you know what your calling is, I pray to God that He will give you the grace to walk worthy of it, too. 5. Pray that he will love you just like Christ loves the church The love that Christ showers upon His church is selfless and limitless. How did God the Father love the world? John 3:16 says, ‘For God SO loved the world…’ (emphasis mine). Because of the limitations of our mind we tend to think that there is a certain height, depth and width to God’s love (Ephesians 3:18,19). Nothing could be possibly farther from the truth. God’s love is infinite, just like His glory, power and might are infinite (Psalm 139:1, 2). It is way beyond our comprehension and too high for our knowledge. Now, ponder over Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:25, ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.’ Do you think it’s a tall order? I think not! Yes, it's difficult when we attempt to do it with our strength. However, it is possible with God’s grace (Luke 18:27). When some of us find it difficult to love ourselves, loving others – just as Christ also loved the church – would be difficult too, but it is not impossible.

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COVER STORY 6. Pray that he will show Christ to your children through his life Eli must have been a loving dad to his children, Hophni and Phinehas. The children of such a great man of God ought to have been God’s favourites, too, but the Bible calls them ‘scoundrels’, ‘good-fornothing priests’. Eli did not get any commendation from God for being a loving and doting dad. On the contrary, God was disappointed with him over his parenting style – laid back and leisurely. Matthew Henry says, ‘Eli shunned trouble and exertion.’ To be fair to Eli, he did question his sons over their wayward ways (1 Samuel 2:23) and he did advise them (verse 24). But he stopped at that. 1 Corinthians 4:20 says, ‘For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.’ Even after being told by Samuel about the impending judgment of God upon his family, we see Eli being quite nonchalant and unrepentant. ‘And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him’ (1 Samuel 3:18). King David was, of course, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), but sadly he failed as a father. The man who was one of the best kings to rule over Israel, fell into sin with Bathsheba and did a dastardly act to hide his sin. Ultimately, his past caught up with him (2 Samuel 12:7). If this happened to the man after God’s own heart, where would we be if we don’t watch out? If you have prayed for your husband’s honour and standing, you now need to pray that he will have a great testimony in his life. Only a good witness can

proclaim the truth. Pray for your husband keeping in mind that only in such a life God’s Word will powerfully manifest itself. 7. Pray he will be a man who takes charge of the family Remember God is not just looking for men, but Kingdom men. It’s the Kingdom man who leads his family from the front. He does not shirk his responsibility towards the family. He does not take lightly his role as the breadwinner of the family. The Kingdom man knows his job does not get over with fathering a few children. He does whatever is in his might (and whatever is right before God) to prosper the family. Therefore, pray that God will bless the work of your husband’s hands. Pray that he will be blessed in the city and in the country (Deuteronomy 28:3). That he will be watched over when he comes in and when he goes out (Psalm 121:8). Pray that your husband will never resort to shortcuts to success. Pray that he will always lean on to God to meet his needs and the needs of the family (Philippians 4:19, 1 Timothy 5:8). You can pray over him in a lot more ways but if you have begun praying for the 7 ways in which your husband can be blessed by the Lord, it is a good start. I hope that God will enable you to pray wholeheartedly for your spouse and that through your prayers God will command a breakthrough, a blessing into your life, the life of your husband and that of your children. In Jesus’ matchless name, I pray, Amen.

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Be still while God leads BY SHEILA BOSE THE Lord who has chosen us before the foundation of the earth will lead us through in this world which is full of evil. The Lord who has called us is faithful and He will guard what we have entrusted to Him until that day (2 Tim 1:12). In Psalm 23:2, the Psalmist says the Lord leads us beside the ‘quiet waters’. What are quiet waters? They are very pleasant and serene situations where we can relax and be happy. David could say that because the Lord was his shepherd. Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14). Knowing the shepherd is one of the most intimate relationships we can have with God. How is our relationship with God today? Do we really enjoy His presence? Is the time that we spend with Him in reading the Bible and prayer enjoyable? Unless we know Him, we cannot really enjoy His presence and hear His still, small voice. Jesus says the sheep listen to His voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He goes on ahead of the sheep and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. We are privileged to be called by our name by our God, the Lord who has given His life for us. Our responsibility is to follow

Him wherever He leads us. Sometimes God may lead us even through storms. We read in Psalm 107:25-28, (ESV) ‘He commanded and raised the stormy wind which lifted up the waves of the sea…. He delivered them from their distress.’ When passing through the storm, God expects us to be quiet and allow Him to act. If we try to do something in our own way, we will destroy God’s plan and purpose for our lives. And, believe me His plans are much superior to ours. He takes His sheep through the storm to make them learn a precious lesson which they would not learn otherwise. During the time of storm, we are expected to be calm and quiet, fully trusting the shepherd. Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:14). This was the command given by Moses when the Israelites were between the sea and the Pharaoh’s army. Hold on to the faith with the confidence that the good and the great shepherd will carry us through till the day we will meet Him face to face. Whether we are beside the calm water or walking through the storm let us be quiet, trusting our Creator and allow Him to act.

Of scandals, Pentecostals and Charismatics (Continued from Page 3)

and that is why most charismatic churches are autonomous entities built on the cult of the personality of the founder. In that type of autonomous church governance, the founder can do anything because he is not accountable to any denomination. His word is supreme! He speaks ex cathedra! Within the charismatic movement there are pronounced tendencies that are highly cult-like in the way members relate to spiritual leadership and respond to teaching. They call their preachers “Daddy.” Most within this movement do not associate at all with other Christian groups. In their view, there is little to be gained by associating with other Christian groups anyway, since they are the ones who have “the revelation”, and if there is more to be given, God would give it only to them. Many harbour the delusion that they are God’s cutting edge, leading the way for the “new thing” God is doing in our generation. This elitism, the sense of being on God’s cutting edge, is what attracts most of people to the charismatic movement. They love the sense of being a part of God’s inner circle.

whatever works is OK. What little Bible teaching there is usually comes in the form of “keys” or “steps” to reaching some personal or group goal, such as realizing your full potential. Lots of teaching centered on the mechanics of various “how-to” methodologies, such as ‘how-to journal’ as a method to hear God. How-to pray for the sick. How-to reach the community. How-to minister and receive innerhealing. How-to discover your spiritual ‘gift mix’. How-to interpret dreams, and so on. Often, preaching is little more than subjective ramblings about what the speaker “felt” God was currently saying or doing. And always about how much God loved us and how some wonderful new thing was on the horizon. Always couched in very spiritual terms, but it is typically the leader’s opinions of what God is saying at the moment and seldom is there much, if any, Biblical exposition. Charismatics need to go back to the drawing board and see if they are still in the faith. The cultic-mindset is rampant in the charismatic church today and has resulted in an appalling lack of The writer is a pastor, speaker and life coach at discernment and accountability in that movement Bible Baptist Church in Hartbeespoort South Africa. THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JULY 2015

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PROFILE

3 faith facts about Jeb Bush LIKE his Republican brethren, Catholic convert Jeb Bush, 62, is chasing the white evangelical vote in the pre-primary heats of the 2016 presidential race. With his sinking poll numbers — and plenty of Catholic and evangelical competition, too — he has a fight ahead. Here are three faith facts about the third Bush to look toward the Oval Office. 1. Like many Americans, he comes from a religiously mixed family. His great-grandfather was a Catholic . His father, George H.W. Bush, was raised Episcopalian, and mother, Barbara, grew up Presbyterian. His brother George W. is an evangelical who drew voters with his narrative about giving up his partying ways after a talk with Billy Graham. Jeb Bush married his wife, Columba, a Catholic, at the University of Texas’ Catholic student center when he was just 21 years old in 1974. He joined the Catholic Church in a ceremony at the Easter vigil in 1995, finding wisdom and solace in it a year after a brutal campaign and humbling defeat in his first run to be Florida’s governor, according to The Washington Post. This winter, Bush told a New York Times reporter, “I loved the absolute nature of the Catholic church. It resonated with me.” 2. Faith infuses his governing choices. Jeb Bush has long been more overt than his father or brother were about campaigning and governing on a religion-based moral agenda. “It’s not an imposition of faith. It’s who you are,” he told The Florida Catholic in 2007. Whether he’s talking about the unborn or the terminally ill, Bush told Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, his “deeply held belief” is that “the most vulnerable in our society need to be protected. They need to have legal rights. And as a society, we need to recognize their value and their worth.” As Florida governor, he pushed laws to limit abortion and he offered state funding to crisis pregnancy centers that counseled against it, he told Daly in an April 13 radio interview. Bush tried unsuccessfully to block the effort by Terri Schiavo’s husband to disconnect the artificial food and hydration that kept his irreparably brain-damaged wife alive. Bush also opposes physician-assisted dying, now legal in five states. 3. But he’s not 100 percent in line with Catholic teaching on all points. Bush is in accord with the Catholic bishops on pushing for immigration reform, according to The New York Times, which tracked Bush to his Coral THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JULY 2015

Gables, Fla., church one Sunday in March and photographed him passing the peace. But he doesn’t heed Catholic teaching on one matter of life and death. Like 59 percent of white Catholics in a Pew Research Center survey, he supports the death penalty. Florida executed 21 prisoners during his two terms as governor, 19992007, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

AICC re-launches helpline numbers for oppressed, marginalized people AICC (All India Christian Council) is relaunching helpline numbers for people to contact for help with regard to religious freedom, freedom of conscience and fundamental right of all marginalized people. One national helpline number is assigned and three other numbers are also available each for North East India, South India and North India regions. AICC is also setting up a helpline to deal with the issues of crime against women. AICC helpline numbers: National Helpline Number: 040-27868907 (9 am – 5 pm) AICC officials can be reached during holidays & non-official hours North India: +91-9912741173; South India: + 9866709596; North East India: + 9100952490; Helpline for Crime against Women: +917661077687; Fax: 040-27868908; Email: administrator@christiancouncil.in AICC works with the government to help raise awareness of the oppression, discrimination, and violence that Dalits face, a release said.

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INDIA REPORTS

Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson bats for Sangh Parivar THE Christian community in the country should imbibe more from Indian traditions and culture, Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson said recently. However, Thomson’s comments were not challenged by anybody in the Catholic gathering. The biggest challenge faced by the Christian congregations in the country today was the failure to produce true disciples of Christ, he said while delivering the memorial lecture organized by the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church to mark the birth centenary celebrations of Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios. According to Thomson, Christians should recite Gayatri mantra in churches and imbibe Indian traditions. Although his comments are despicable, no one in the gathering confronted him over his chant-Gayatri-mantra suggestion. “Why shouldn’t we recite the Gayatri mantra in churches? If we can’t recite it there, why can’t we include it in our prayers,” he said, quoting translations of the Gayatri mantra in both Malayalam and English. “Christians should imbibe Indian traditions deeply,” he said. Thomson’s comments suggested that he had cracked the reason behind the alleged failure of Christianity in India. “The reason why Christianity has failed to take

deep roots in India is because of the impression that Christians here are the ‘representatives’ of a foreign institution,” he said. Archbishop Mar Gregorios was a ‘sanyasin’ in the true Indian tradition who believed that the Christian thought was an integral part of Indian culture, Thomson said. Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani, who inaugurated the program, remembered Benedict Mar Gregorios as a good shepherd, an institution builder and a social leader who strived for communal harmony. An individual who stood on the uppermost rungs of the Church hierarchy, Mar Gregorios was respected by people belonging to all religions. “He was a karmayogi who strode way ahead of his age. He left his imprints on the social, spiritual and cultural spheres of the state,” Mani said. Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, presided over the function. With inputs from agencies

Directionless Christian, Communist, Muslim systems running India: Puri Shankaracharya

PURI Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati recently claimed that India was being run by “directionless Christian, Communist and Muslim systems” and its democracy and Constitution were not in line with the country’s needs and traditions. The religious guru, who had triggered controversy in the past for his comments including blaming western influence for rapes, said politicians THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JULY 2015

had become a tool in the hands of “foreign conspirators”. “India is run by foreign conspirators you should know. Our prime minister and ministers are guided by somewhere else...India is guided by directionless Christian, Communist and Muslim systems,” he said at a function to mark the second anniversary of Uttarakhand floods and landslides, which had left thousands dead. The event was organised by BJP MP Ashwini Kumar Choubey where senior RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabole was special guest while Puri Shankaracharya was the chief guest. He lamented “destruction” of Himalaya and Ganga for developmental needs and said natural calamity much more severe than what was witnessed in Uttarakhand and Nepal would strike if things continued the same way. Foreign conspirators want to destroy all Indian symbols, he alleged. “What is regrettable is that our democracy is not in line with our culture. The Constitution we have is not in line with our culture,” he claimed. PTI

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BIBLE UNIVERSITY OF HOLY SPIRIT, NEW JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM (BUHSNJB) WORLD UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONALISM Regd. No. 667 dated 24 June 2009 ‘JEHOVAH SHALOM’ No. 1. (Old No. 2), Opp. To Jawahar Hospital, Lutheran Church Cross Street, Kadaperi, Tambaram, Chennai – 600045. Tel: +91-44-22382774, E-mail: edmunds_36@yahoo.co.in Website: www.bibleuniversity.info Cell: 9380002895, Landline: 044-22382774 Cardinal Dr. Rev. Thomas Edmunds FOUNDER – CHANCELLOR Dr. M. C. Devaraj, I.T.S. D.D., D.Min, D.Litt. Joint Director General of Foreign Trade, Government of India (Retd.) Pro-Chancellor (National)

Accredited by World – Wide Accreditation Commission of Christian Educational Institutions, With 300 Bible Colleges, Richmond, VA, 23224, USA Accredited with Pentecostal Association for Theological Accreditation (PATA), Vijayawada. A Global Association for Theological Accreditation Doctoral Scholars are guided by Competent Theologians of Repute

Doctoral Scholars in Church History and International Affairs and those who do research on any Aspect connected with Israel, are given facility to do Field Work in Israel through The Hebrew University, Jerusalem. BUHSNJB is organized as per the laws of the Tamil Nadu Government and Government of India. PRO CHANCELLOR (International) Dr. Mohan Nandipamu Montreal, Canada

CARDINAL REV. DR. PROF. THOMAS EDMUNDS M.A., M.A., M.DIV, L.L.D., Ph.D. (JNU, COLUMBIA, USA) Twice in USA as Fulbright Research Scholar in Columbia University, New York City and in Boston University, Boston and Lutheran World Federation Scholar, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. Administration: Cell: 9380002895, Registrar (Academic) 044-22382774

Pastor Shankar Samuel, Registrar. This Bible University of Holy Spirit, New Jerusalem and Bethlehem (BUHSNJB) has been accredited as a center of Excellence in the field of Theological Education both in India and in other parts of the world.

COURSES OFFERED:

15 Senior Pastors, Theologians of repute are on the Staff. Doctoral Scholars are given guidance by theologians of repute. Gold Medals are given to Outstanding Scholars.

In English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi C.TH., B.MIN., B.TH., B.D., M.MIN., M.TH., M.DIV., D.MIN, D.D.TH.D., S.T.D., PH.D., (Biblical Studies) PH.D., (Christian Leadership) PH.D. (Church Management), PH.D. (Christian Counseling) PH.D. (Church Leadership) PH.D. (Church History) and PH.D. in Foreign Policy, Strategic and Security Studies in Biblical Perspectives. . B.A. In (Christian Counseling), M.A. in (Christian Counseling) The Courses are heavily Bible oriented syllabus. Honorary Doctorates are Conferred on MERIT as per the decision of the Board.

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C. Th Rs.3,000/-

D. Th Rs.4,000/-

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Masters Rs.12,000/-

Doctorates Rs.20,000

Reg for all Courses, Rs.100/-

Christians and Others Interested in Christianity from all countries can join our courses You can serve in your free time as Promotional Coordinator of The Bible University of Holy Spirit. New Jerusalem and Bethlehem (BUHSNJB) and receive Contribution to receive the Application Form and Brochure and Prospectus send us by post or by email your full postal address. Send Rs.100/- by D.D. favour of “THE BIBLE UNIVERSITY OF HOLY SPIRIT TRUST” payable at Chennai or by Money Order to Dr. T. Edmunds, 1, Old No. 2, Lutheran Church Cross Street, Kadaperi, Tambaram, Chennai - 600045. Website: www.christianmessenger.in | Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com

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INSPIRATION

‘Soul Surfer’ Bethany Hamilton gives birth to baby boy PROFESSIONAL surfer Bethany Hamilton has given birth to a healthy baby boy. Hamilton survived a shark attack in 2003 that severed her left arm to her shoulder. Miraculously, Hamilton returned to surfing only three weeks after the attack. The shark attack is documented in her autobiography “Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fight to Get Back on the Board” as well as the movie “Soul Surfer.” Life News reports Hamilton, now 25, gave birth to her son with husband Adam Dirks by her side. The couple named the baby Tobias after his greatgrandfather. The name means “the goodness of God,” according to a Facebook post on Hamilton’s official page. Prior to the birth of her son, Hamilton said that she was not worried about conquering motherhood with only one arm. “I’ve been thinking about it, but I often forget that I have one arm. When I think about it, a squirming baby and changing the diaper… I think how I live

life, just adjust and adapt to different things, especially things that are a lot easier with two arms. There’s going to be things that will be very challenging with one arm, but I’ll just have to find my own way to take care of this baby. Of course, I’ll have Adam to help, but if he’s out and about busy, I’ll have to… figure it out and be creative,” she said in an interview with People magazine.

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tho;f;if ,yFthf> Ntjidfsw;wjhf ,Uf;Fk; vd;w fw;gid cyfpy; ePq;fs; tho;e;jhy;> kdr; Nrhh;Tfs;> jtwhd rpe;jidfs;> Jd;g Neuj;jpy; Jtz;L Nghjy; Nghd;w epiyfSf;F MshtPh;fs;. rhh;e;jpUq;fs;. ~~kD\id ek;Gtijg; ghh;f;fpYk; fh;j;jh; Nghpy; gw;WjyhapUg;gNj eyk;|| (rq;. 118:8). cile;j fhnyYk;gpd; Nky; Nghlg;gLk; khTf;fl;L cjTtijg; Nghy kdpjh;fs; rpy Ntisfspy; cq;fSf;F cjtyhk;. cq;fs; fhy; Fzkile;J cly; Rikiaj; jhq;fp elf;Fk; epiy tUk;NghJ> khTf;fl;L mfw;wg;gl Ntz;Lk;. mfw;whtpl;lhy; cq;fs; fhy; jd; KO typikia kPz;Lk; milahky; Ngha;tpLk;. fh;j;jh; kl;LNk vg;NghJk; cq;fNshL ,Ue;J KOikahf cjt KbAk;. gTy; ,t;thW vOJfpwhh;. ~~xUtDk; vd;NdhNl $l ,Uf;ftpy;iy. vy;yhUk; vd;idf; iftpl;lhh;fs;. me;jf; Fw;wk; mth;fs; Nky; RkuhjpUg;gjhf. fh;j;jNuh vdf;Fj;Jizahf epd;W .... vd;idg; gyg;gLj;jpdhh;. fh;j;jh; vy;yhj; jPikapdpd;Wk; vd;id ,ul;rpj;J> jk;Kila guk uh[;[paj;ij milAk;gb fhg;ghw;Wthh;. mtUf;Fr; rjhfhyq;fspYk; kfpik cz;lhtjhf. Mnkd;.|| (2 jPNkh. 4:16-18).

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SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY

Pray for land to build a church in Punjab Jammu: We have a church and a mission field in the northern-most state of the country where we have been working since 2011. Last Christmas, as many as 150 people gathered to remember the birth of Jesus Christ and celebrate His salvation in our church in Jammu. The mission field which is very close to the border with Pakistan had seen some turbulent times in the recent past with shelling by Pakistani Rangers at Indian posts. However, things are relatively calm now. Continue to pray for the Lord’s work to go on peacefully and unhindered in Jammu & Kashmir. Recently, as many as 10 new people have started coming to the church to know more about Jesus Christ. We praise God for this work of the Lord. Chhattisgarh: Since 2012, we have been involved in missions work in this central Indian state. We have four fulltime workers and one church in the state. Besides this church, Sunday worship services are conducted at four different places in Chhattisgarh. Last year, one of our village churches was damaged by anti-Christian forces. Not only that, we are facing acute space shortage in the church in Jagdalpur. Please pray that God will open doors for us to renovate and extend the church to

accommodate at least 150 believers. Despite stiff opposition, five people came to the Lord recently and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in the town. They affirmed their decision to live for Christ and took baptism recently. Will you remember the workers and the church believers in your daily prayers? Punjab: A mission-minded couple is working with us in serving the Lord in this state. By God’s grace, evangelistic efforts such as tracts distribution, roadside meetings, Gospel gatherings and personal evangelism are going on in here despite the fact that we began our missions outreach in Punjab only a year ago. The church in Pathankot needs a place of its own. There is much opposition to conducting worship services in rented places. Will you pray with us that God will fulfil this need of the church in Punjab? Himachal Pradesh: Worship services are conducted twice a month in Prem Nagar, Chinour, Indora, Sarna and Mohtali here. There’s an acute need for a fulltime worker here. Pray with us that God will raise a God-fearing, Spirit-led couple to work along with us in the State. Pray also that they get a decent accommodation to live and minister.

HOW TO SEND YOUR OFFERINGS TO OUR MINISTRY You can support this ministry through your sacrificial contributions & donations once a month or every quarter, half-yearly or even once a year.

1. CHEQUE/DD: When you send us a cheque or a DD, Account Name: Messenger Missions please send it in the name of MESSENGER MISSIONS. Or A/C No: 913020055473409 you can send it in the name of MESSENGER MISSIONS, IFSC code: UTIB0000345 A/c No. 913020055473409. If you are sending a Bank: Axis Bank cheque, please ensure it is crossed (A/c Payee Only) for Branch: Mogappair. added safety. 2. DIRECT BANK TRANSFER: If you are sending us your contributions directly through your bank, please use the information given below: Messenger Missions, A/c No. 913020055473409, Swift Code: AXISINBB016, IFS Code: UTIB0000345; Branch Code: 345; Axis Bank Ltd., Mogappair Branch, Chennai. 3. NET BANKING: If you are sending us your offering online please use the information given below: Messenger Missions, A/c No. 913020055473409; IFS Code: UTIB0000345; Branch Code: 345, Axis Bank Ltd., Mogappair, Branch, Chennai. 4. MONEY ORDER: Your contributions through money order can be sent to us directly at Messenger Misssions, 20/20, Bharathiar Street, Srinivasa Nagar, Padi, Chennai 600 050. Please let us know of your money order remittance by phone (044-65145334, 0-7299063345) or email: contact@christianmessenger.in Please send us your cheques and demand draft directly to our office and not to the bank address. Please tell us how you would like your contribution to be used. Giving us your details such as your full name, complete address, phone number and email ID will help us acknowledge your contribution and send you receipt.

MESSENGER MISSIONS (missions wing of The Christian Messenger) No. 20/20, Bharathiar Street, Srinivasa Nagar, Padi, Chennai 600 050. Website: www.christianmessenger.in | Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com

JULY 2015 w THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER

BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

1 Chronicles “Tracing our roots” is a discovery which gives a 3. God is always at work. glimpse into our own heritage. It tells us where we came from, who we are and what we are made up of! Looking back shows us God’s faithfulness and develops a sense of hope in us. 1 Chronicles may be characterized as a ‘book of hope’. It traces the history of the nation of Israel from Adam to David and then from captivity to restoration. It is much of a repetition of that which is found in the book of 1 & 2 Samuel. The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles were written originally as one book. In later translations, it was divided. The Book of Chronicles was apparently written to encourage the exiles who returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. In Hebrew, the book of chronicles is called as Divrei Hayyamim, “The matters of the days.” Author: The author of the book is unknown, although Ezra the priest and scribe seems to have written the book. He has used many sources in writing his book, including the books of Samuel and Kings. Period: A period of 40 years from 1010 BC to 970 BC. Place written: In Israel, after returning from the Babylonian captivity. Timeline: David becomes king over all Israel – 1003 BC David captures Jerusalem – 1000 BC Birth of Solomon – 991 BC David’s census – 980 BC Death of David – 970 BC Outline of the book: 1. The royal line of David (1:1-9:44), 2. The reign of David (10:1-29:30). Key incidents with reference: 1. The family tree of Adam to Israel (1) 2. The family tree of Israel & Judah (2) 3. The family tree of David (3) 4. The descendants of the 12 tribes (4-8) 5. The descendants of the remnant (9) 6. David becomes king (10) 7. Transportation of the Ark (13, 15, 16) 8. David’s victories (18, 19) 9. David’s census (21) 10. Plans to build the temple (22) 11. Organization of temple leaders (23-26) 12. Final exhortations of David (28) 13. David’s final prayer & death and also the coronation of Solomon (29). Key characteristics of God: 1. God keeps His promises. 2. God establishes the heritage. THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JULY 2015

4. God controls the history of generations. 5. God remembers us even after our death. 6. God uses his people to fulfill His will. 7. God establishes His covenant with His people. 8. God chooses individuals to lead His people. 9. God ordains leaders to guide His people. 10. God knows the face and name of each person. Key Verse: 1 Chronicles 14:2 “So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.” Key People: David, Solomon. Key Places: Hebron, Jerusalem, The temple. Principles passed on by David to Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:9) 1. Get to know God personally 2. Learn God’s commands 3. Discover His plan for you 4. Worship Him with a whole heart 5. Serve Him with a willing mind 6. Be faithful 7. Don’t become discouraged Christ in 1 Chronicles: In David’s song of thanksgiving 1 Chronicles 16:33, he refers to the time when Christ will come to judge the earth. As a part of the Davidic Covenant in 17:13-14, it talks about the son who will be established. His throne forever refers to Jesus Christ. The record of names demonstrates that God is interested not only in nations but also in individuals, “You and me”. He knows us more than just our names. He remembers our face and knows our heart. So, let us be secure about our relationship with God and build on a heritage that can be passed on to generation us.

5 key verses about importance of generations 1. Psalm 145:4 – One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 2. Psalm 100:5 – For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. 3. Psalm 102:18 – This will be “written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.” 4. Genesis 22:18 – “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 5. Luke 1:50 – His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. Website: www.christianmessenger.in | Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com

MINISTRY MONITOR

Samuel Meshack elected president of WACC REV. Dr. Samuel W. Meshack was elected to serve a four-year term as the new president of WACC (World Association of Christian Communication) at its meeting of members on May 29. Director of Higher Education at the Hindustan Bible Institute and College, Chennai, Meshack was previously one of WACC’s first directors, president of WACC Asia, and secretary of WACC Global. He recently served as chairperson of the WACC task force on continuing education and training and coordinated leadership training for WACC’s regional executive committee members. Meshack earned his doctoral degree from the Centre for Mass Communication Research of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. He has published many articles in the field of communication and ethics with an emphasis on the rights and privileges of marginalized people and mission concerns. He is Professor of Communication in theological and secular

universities in India and abroad, guiding researchers towards their doctoral degrees. Addressing the meeting of members, Meshack, said “I am very grateful to those who had put forward my name as a candidate for the presidency, for the support I have received from the executive committee and members of WACC Asia and others worldwide. I pledge myself to strengthening WACC and to advancing its vision and mission of communication for all.” Meshack is the first WACC president to come from the Asia Region. The WACC meeting of members also elected a new Board of Directors consisting of four women and four men. NCCI

Bishop Taranath Sagar nominated to Asian Christian conference’s executive body BISHOP Dr. Taranath S. Sagar, president of National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), was nominated to the Executive Committee of Christian Conference of Asia at its 16th general assembly held in Jakarta from May 20 to 27. The theme of the assembly was “Living Together in the Household of God”. Bishop Sagar is a prominent and dynamic leader with accomplishments and acclaim known not only in India, but around the world. A Bishop of the Methodist Church in India (MCI), he is also member of the Central Committee of World Council of Churches (WCC) elected in its 10th assembly in Busan, South Korea. Bishop Sagar has contributed immensely to the proceedings of CCA’s assembly through his insights and profound wisdom. He was a member of the constitutional amendment committee, and moderated the constitutional amendment session during CCA Extraordinary General Assembly for constitutional amendments held on May 21, 2015 prior to the General assembly. NCCI Website: www.christianmessenger.in | Email: christianmessengerindia@gmail.com

Bishop George Ninan passes away BISHOP A. George Ninan, former Associate General Secretary and Executive Secretary for URM of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) passed away in New York on June 21. He was also the former Bishop of Nasik Diocese of the Church of North India. An excellent organizer, visionary and theologian, Bishop George Ninan was a proponent of wider ecumenism and mission in a pluralistic Asia. Bishop George Ninan, who started his ecumenical journey through the Youth Christian Council of Action (YCCA) in Kerala, India during his student days, was actively involved in the Asian and global ecumenical movement for several decades. His leadership in the Bombay Urban Industrial League for Development (BUILD) and the innovative programmes he initiated through working among the slum dwellers in Bombay were concrete examples of the real meaning of social justice in the context of mission and witness of the church. He had played an important role in initiating Christian Action Groups in many parts of India in the 1970s, which came into being as a result of responses to faith and witness of committed Christians who worked in rural and urban situations of poverty, exploitation, injustice and corruption in society. He was an ardent proponent of churches’ participation in people’s struggle for structural changes in an unjust society. JULY 2015 w THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE

Steps to the Christian life 1. REPENT: Turn around. Change your mind. Confess your sins. ‘I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’ (Luke 13:3) 2. RECEIVE HIM: You need the Savior. His name is Jesus Christ. Accept Him. ‘But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name’ (John 1:12) 3. BE ‘BORN AGAIN’: This is what God does for you. Being ‘Born Again’ is a new birth. It’s your spiritual birth. It’s a miracle of spiritual life performed by the Holy Spirit. ‘…who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (John 1:13) 4. REJOICE PUBLICLY: Make known your testimony for Christ to others. ‘If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’ (Romans 10:9, 10) 5. REQUEST WATER BAPTISM: This is an outward stand you take for the inward change that has happened in you. ‘He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’ (Mark 16:16) 6. READ THE WORD: The Word is the source of your faith. ‘He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’ (1 John 5:13) 7. REACH GOD IN PRAYER: Prayer is conversation with God. Life is sustained by union and communion (Ephesians 6:18, James 4:2) ‘Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.’ (1 John 5:14, 15)

8. RESIST THE DEVIL: Temptation is not sin. It is yielding to temptation that is sin. ‘That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 1:7) 9. RESTITUTION: Your guilt is gone, your sins are washed. You are a new being. You can convert your influence for good. ‘Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.’ (Luke 19:8) 10. RENDER TO GOD THINGS THAT ARE HIS: Start tithing your income immediately. ‘Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’ (Malachi 3:8, 10) 11 . R E G U L A R LY AT T E N D CHURCH/SUNDAY SCHOOL: Associate yourself immediately with God’s people. Become a church member (Heb 10:25). ‘So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.’ (Luke 4:16) 12. RELATE YOUR EXPERIENCE TO OTHERS: You maintain strength by exercise. ‘Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’ (Ezekiel 33:9, 10)

‘Sister Nirmala always wanted to work for the poor’ TRIBUTE SISTER Nirmala, who succeeded Mother Teresa as the head of the Missionaries of Charity founded by the Nobel laureate, died on June 23. She was 81. A Missionaries of Charity official said Sister Nirmala had not been well for some time before her death. Born Kusum Joshi at Ranchi in 1934, she didn’t show any inclination towards religion as a youngster, said 74-year-old Surendra Prasad Joshi, her younger brother. “But she always wanted to work for the poor. Meeting Mother Teresa was the turning point for her. She realized that she wanted to THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w JULY 2015

be with her and join her mission. It was a bold decision for she was very young and preparing to study law in Kolkata. She joined the order before she completed her post-graduation, but later finished the course. She got her law degree, too, encouraged by Mother Teresa,” said Joshi. As a youngster, she wasn’t any different from girls her age. “Even though her only hobby was doing something for the poor, she was passionate about drama. She would act and write plays. She was very good at it,” he said. Their father was doubtful about Mother Teresa when he heard that his eldest daughter wanted to join

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h e r o r d e r. “ H e decided to go to Kolkata and find out for himself. He was impressed with what he saw and never raised further objection,” said Joshi. Nirmala’s father was a sepoy in Bihar Military Police when she was born. He retired as an assistant commandant and

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spent most of his life in Bihar. The family hailed from Nepal, though. “We grew up in Ranchi and some of us travelled to Patna for our higher education. Nirmala was among them,” said Joshi who is now based in Kathmandu. He retired as a teacher from Patton College 10 years ago. Even though Joshi and the other siblings remained Hindu and lived far apart, they never lost touch with Nirmala. She remained the doting elder sister who continued to take an interest in what the rest of the family was doing. “We would rarely meet, but whenever we did, she would treat us just the way she always did. For us, she remained our revered hazurdidi,” said Joshi. Sister Nirmala, he recalled, visited Nepal just once after she became the Superior-General of the order following Mother Teresa’s death in 1997. On March 13, 1997, six months before Mother Teresa’s death, Nirmala Joshi was selected the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity. Sister Mary Prema was elected to succeed Sister Nirmala during a general chapter held in Calcutta in April 2009.

CLS Book Shop, (Park Town), ELS Book Shops, (Doveton, Vepery & Mount Rd.) God is Good, (Choolaimedu) Galilee Literature Paradise, (Ashok Nagar & Ponneri), Hebron Literature Centre, ICSA Book Shop, (Egmore), IVP India Book Room, (Millers Rd.), The Bible House, (Anna Nagar), Word of Christ, (Kilpauk), Word of the Lord, (Koyambedu) Alpha Book Store, (Kumanan Chavadi),

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LITTLE MESSENGER IDA KIRUBA

NEIGHBOURS OF ISRAEL Hello kids! Do you know your neighbours? Some of them may be friendly but others may not be so! The nation of Israel also had neighbours. Will you find them and fit them in the crossword? There are 10 of them to be found out. STEPS TO FIND: 1. Read the reference from the clue. 2. Look in the crossword for the starting letter. 3. Look for the name of a nation starting with letter given. 4. Write the name in the crossword. 5. Take a copy of this page and send it to us. 7, 8 9 1 E M B 2 4 A A Clue Box 6 1. 2 Kings 20:12 S 2. 2 Kings 15:19 3. Psalm 60:8 4. Exodus 17:8 10 3 A 5. Song of Solomon 3:9 P 6. 2 Samuel 8:13 7. Exodus 12:40 8. Genesis 32:3 9. Genesis 19:37 10. Genesis 19:38 5 L

NAME …………………………………………………. AGE ..………… CLASS …………………. SCHOOL .....……………………………….. RESIDENCE: ……………………………………..………….…….........

Answers to last month’s puzzle: 1. Othniel, 2. Ehud, 3. Shamgar, 4. Deborah, 5. Gideon, 6. Issachar, 7. Jair, 8. Jephthah, 9. Ibzan, 10. Elon, 11. Abdon, 12. Samson, 13. Eli, 14. Samuel.

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