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Showing posts from December, 2012

His way... (Numbers 20:10-12)

"Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." (Numbers 20:10-12) THREE THINGS TO TIN IN 1. The Pulpit is not the place to express our personal frustration. It is the place to do the service of God. 2. God has called us to serve Him His way. If He has told us to speak to the rock, we must do just that and nothing else. 3. When our people can't see through the problem because of the dark, God wants us to light a candle and glorify and honor His holy Name. For, there is no darkness that has not been conquered by His light.

Divine Connections

I believe in divine connections. 1. Divine connections are connections that God wants us to have in our lives. 2. Divine connections are connections that God brings into our lives. 3. Divine connections are connections that God establishes in our lives.

On the Celebration of Christmas

It is interesting to note that the date of Christ ’s birth is not recorded anywhere in the Scriptures. For whatever reasons, however, which is a matter of historical debate, the birthday of Jesus is celebrated at different places on different dates (mainly on December 25 or January 7). Interestingly, though the Scriptures took care to record the exact date when the word of God came to many of the prophets in the Old Testament , there is no attempt seen to record the exact date when the Word of God became flesh and came and lived among men as the Finality of God’s speaking business. Of course, the place of His birth is mentioned. While the Birth itself had many significant pointers flashing around it (the Census order, the Star, the Magi, the shepherds, etc), attempts to pinpoint the exact time have been difficult. Whatever, I think God doesn’t want us to waste our time thinking too much of the date when Christ is born that we lose significance of the purpose for which He was born and

10 Principles of Power Living from the Book of Haggai

1. Tomorrow never comes while you are looking forward to it. Hag.1:2 YOUR POWER MOMENT = "NOW" Eccl.11:4,5,6 - He who observes the wind will not sow. The First Step taken is Half the Journey Done 2. If you care for God's house, God will care for your house. Hag.1:3-9 YOUR POWER ATTITUDE= "CARE" "ZEAL" "PASSION" 3. There is no fruitfulness without the blessing of the Lord. Hag.1:11 YOUR POWER ENVIRONMENT= "FAVOR OF GOD" Esth.4:14. Favor Positions you Promotes you Protects you  4. There is no revival without a message of revival. Hag.1:12 YOUR POWER ACTION= "OBEDIENCE" 5. The Word is what stirs one to action. Hag.1:14 YOUR POWER EXPERIENCE= "STIRRED" 6. The ministry of the Word and the ministry of the House go together. Hag.2:2,10 Keep a record of the date and word.. YOUR POWER VISION/EXPECTATION = "BETTER IS YET TO COME" Keep moving...There's reason to move ahead 7. When God gives a Vision, He also g

Wishing You A Very Happy Christmas & A Joyous New Year!!

The world hustled and bustled in its own way as usual. The little stars flickered and twinkled way up in the sky. The angels huddled and bundled in a way quite unusual To gaze into the glowing face of a new born boy. One said, "See how tiny He looks in those swaddling clothes, The Prince of Heaven has crossed into earth's deadly orb. He who made Solomon rich has chosen for Himself a manger, The Head of all things is born in His own world like a stranger!" Then a gong rung hard and an angel called, "To the shepherds!" And in an instant they were out of Bethlehem into the suburbs. One angel declared to some grubby men, "Unto you Christ is born!" And the angels rejoined, "Gloria in Excelsis Deo! Peace on earth, good will to men!" "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)

Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion! Unchain it and itwill defend itself. – Charles Spurgeon

“Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion! Unchain it and it will defend itself.” – Charles Spurgeon There are at least three polar approaches to Christian Apologetics: (1) the Evidentialist Approach – that claims to prove God on the basis of non-biblical evidence, (2) the Reformed Approach – that claims the knowledge of God to already be basic to our epistemic frame, and (3) the Fideistic Approach – that rules out any extra evidence other than the Divine Self-Revelation itself. Epistemically speaking, one also finds (1) the Rational Approach – for instance, the Ontological Arguments, that try to prove God on pure a priori rational bases, (2) the Empirical Approach – for instance, the Design Arguments and the Arguments from Miracles and Religious Experiences, that try to prove God on the basis of empirical evidences, and (3) the Intuitive Approach – that claim recognition of Truth as a faculty function (like the faculty of eye recognizing colors), without the need of extra evide

Zacharias

Zacharias is a curious personality in the New Testament . The Gospel of Luke begins with his story, and he and his wife are introduced with the words: "they were both righteous before God , walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." (1:6). Note that  (1) They were both righteous "before God". There were many, and still are many, who would like to only look (or at least only look) righteous before people. The Pharisees used to wear white robes, stand in public places, and try to show how righteous and godly they were. But, Jesus called them "white washed tombs". They were not righteous in God's sight. But, these were the same persons who called Jesus a blasphemer, a violator of law, and condemned him to the death of the cross. However, Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of divine righteousness. It's not important whether think we are righteous or not. But, it's important what the True and Rightful Judge says about us

He will be called Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6)

"He will be called Wonderful" (Isaiah 9:6) 1. His NAME is Wonderful (Judges 13:18) 2. His WORKS are Wonderful (Psalm 111:2-4) 3. His WORDS are Wonderful (Psalm 119:129) 4. He HIMSELF is Wonderful (Isaiah 28:29) He is Wonderful in Wisdom and Counsel उसका नाम अद्भुत...रखा जाएगा (यशायाह 9:6) 1. उसका नाम अद्भुत है (न्‍यायियों 13:18) 2. उसके काम अद्भुत है (भजन 111:2-4) 3. उसके वचन अद्भुत है (भजन 119:129) 4. वह स्‍वयं अद्भुत है (यशायाह 28:29) वह बुद्धि और युक्ति में अद्भुत है।

Chupke Chupke - Samir Tiruwa (Hindi Christian Song)

The Crime of Silence (if he does not tell it, he bears guilt, Leviticus 5:1)

If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter; if he does not tell it, he bears guilt. (NKJV) If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible. (NIV) If you sin by not stepping up and offering yourself as a witness to something you've heard or seen in cases of wrongdoing, you'll be held responsible. (MSG) A popular quote, usually attributed to Edmund Burke rightly or wrongly, says "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." In the same vein, Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." While the right to silence is a right that citizens have in order to guard against false self-incrimination, a witness

Theology of Clothing: Discussion Points & Questions (Notes)

In the beginning the man and his wife were naked, but not ashamed. Shame & dishonor are terms contingent to the world of sin Where there is sin there is the sense of shame & dishonor When the man and his wife sinned, they acquired the sense of fear and shame; and, found the remedy in clothes of fig leaves to cover their nakedness Nakedness is contingent on sight and the sense related to it. It is not merely sexual (for the woman and man wouldn’t feel ashamed of each other with regard to that) Clothing is not just a symbol; it is a remedy… it is a basic need. Physically it covers against the antagonistic physical forces. Psychologically it remedies shame by hiding nakedness. Nakedness needs to be hid because man has become a private being. Nakedness relates to the organs primarily associated with sexuality. “Culture” (concepts and customs) play important rule in defining “nakedness” and “shame” “Cover” indicates the need for privatization of sexuality in a world that has grown

Christian Ethics in Family and Society

TO PARENTS A. Encourage your child (Colossians 3:21) Don’t let them feel discouraged, sullen, inferior, or frustrated. Give gifts (Luke 11:11-13), Forgive, don’t dig the past (Luke 15:22) B. Discipline him/her while he is young (Proverbs 19:18; Hebrews 12:10) C. Nurture him/her in the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) 1. In the training (Proverbs 22:6, Catechize, 2Timothy 3:15) 2. Discipline (Proverbs 13:24; 22:15; 19:18; 23:13,14; 29:15,17) 3. Counsel 4. Admonition D. Do not Irritate your child (Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 6:4) 1. Do not provoke to anger 2. Do not exasperate him/her to resentment 3. Do not fret 4. Do not be hard on them or harass them 5. Do not break their spirit E. Provide for one’s home (1Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 31:21,22,24,27). TO CHILDREN A. Obey your parents in all things. Make it a lifestyle to obey. For this is well pleasing unto the Lord (Colossians 3:20). B. Obey your parents in the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1). For this is right. C. Honor them (Ephesians 6:2,3). That it may be wel

BIBLICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR A GODLY CONDUCT IN FAMILY & SOCIETY

TO PARENTS A. Encourage your child (Colossians 3:21) Don’t let them feel discouraged, sullen, inferior, or frustrated. Give gifts (Luke 11:11-13), Forgive, don’t dig the past (Luke 15:22) B. Discipline him/her while he is young (Proverbs 19:18; Hebrews 12:10) C. Nurture him/her in the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) 1. In the training (Proverbs 22:6, Catechize, 2Timothy 3:15) 2. Discipline (Proverbs 13:24; 22:15; 19:18; 23:13,14; 29:15,17) 3. Counsel 4. Admonition D. Do not Irritate your child (Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 6:4) 1. Do not provoke to anger 2. Do not exasperate him/her to resentment 3. Do not fret 4. Do not be hard on them or harass them 5. Do not break their spirit E. Provide for one’s home (1Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 31:21,22,24,27). TO CHILDREN A. Obey your parents in all things. Make it a lifestyle to obey. For this is well pleasing unto the Lord (Colossians 3:20). B. Obey your parents in the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1). For this is right. C. Honor them (Ephesians 6:2,3). That it may be wel

A Short Historical Account of Christian Conversions in India

Palayur Church is the oldest Christian church in India and  one of the seven founded by St Thomas the Apostle in 52 AD.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The first Indian convert to Christianity can be traced to the time when the Apostle Thomas , disciple of Jesus, came to India in around 48 AD. The Apostle Thomas sailed from Alexandra with Habban, the merchant king of Gundnaphor, to the Indus and reached Taxila (now in Punjab) about 48-49 AD. From there he went to Muziri on the Malabar Coast via Socotra about 50 AD. He reached Muziri in 51-52 AD. [1] A study of the book of the Acts in the New Testament will reveal that the apostles often chose the synagogues established in various Jewish settlements of the world as an opening ground for the preaching of the Gospel. It has been reasoned that Apostle Thomas’ choice of the Tamil coast was because of the flourishing Jewish settlements along the coast, in Madras and Cochin dating back to the Jewish Diaspora or even back to King Solomon’s tradin

मसीही नीतिशास्‍त्र, परिवार और समाज में

मसीही आचार संहिता  परिवार में माता-पिता के लिए निर्देश 1. अपने बच्‍चे को प्रोत्‍साहित करें हे बच्चेवालों, अपने बालकों को तंग न करो, न हो कि उन का साहस टूट जाए। (कुलु 3:21) उनके साहस को न तोडें। उन्‍हें उदास, हताश, चिडचिडा, छोटा, नीचा, या घटिया मेहसूस होने न दें। उन्‍हें अच्‍छी अच्‍छी वस्तुऐं दें, जैसा हमारा पिता परमेश्‍वर भी हमें प्रेम से सारी वस्‍तुऐं देता है। (लूका 11:11-13) 2. जब बच्‍चे जवान है तभी उन्‍हें अनुशासन सिखादें । जबतक आशा है तो अपने पुत्र को ताड़ना कर, जान बूझकर उसका मार न डाल। (नीति 19:18)। अनुशासन की शिक्षा देना प्रेम की ही निशानी है। ( इब्रा 12: 6:10) 3. प्रभु की शिक्षा, और चितावनी देते हुए, उन का पालन- पोषण करो। और हे बच्चेवालों अपने बच्चों को रिस न दिलाओ परन्तु प्रभु की शिक्षा, और चितावनी देते हुए, उन का पालन- पोषण करो।। (इफि 6:4) - उन्‍हें शिक्षा दें लड़के को शिक्षा उसी मार्ग की दे जिस में उसको चलना चाहिये, और वह बुढ़ापे में भी उस से न हटेगा। (नीति 22:6) और बालकपन से पवित्र शास्त्रा तेरा जाना हुआ है, जो तुझे मसीह पर विश्वास करने से उद्धार प्राप्त करने के लिये बुद्धि