THE SPIRITUAL PERIL OF DENYING THE TRUTH OF GOD

Scriptures tells us and warns us about our slacking-off in our faith and continually sinning as a common attitude of all the human beings. The scripture doesn't talk much about our sins we do unknowingly in our day-to-day lives but emphasizes on the act of doing sin deliberately.

If we know idol worshiping, speaking rubbish and unhealthy, telling a lie, hurting others through words and actions and so on and on is sin; but still keep on doing these things in our lives as a part of my behaviour and attitude, these sins are not forgiven; and the word also tells us that if we keep doing the sins deliberately then it would not be forgiven by God.

This sinful behaviour is the evidence to what kind of relationship we live with Almighty God. The continuity of sin is nothing but rejection of Jesus Christ in our life. This foretells that we are Christians just (born Christians) for the name sake and in fact through our minds and hearts we have not received Jesus as Christ – our Saviour. We rejected him like the Pharisees and the Jews of his times. We have received the knowledge of the life and the truth; but we still turn our backs towards the truth. There is no other alternative way of forgiveness and acceptance of God except through the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Continually sinning means rejection and denial of Jesus Christ is actually trampled the Son of God, His Holiness, His righteousness, His precious sacrifice, His love and His resurrection under foot. Rejecting him is rejecting Almighty God and the Holy Spirit.   

Peter and Thomas repented and God forgave them and then used them for His glory; but we acted like Judas Iscariot, we do not want repent and ask for forgiveness.

Almighty God calls us by our names that are engraved on His palm saying: -  

Isaiah 118

“--- though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Joel 213

“Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and he relents from sending calamity.”

Hosea 66

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offering.”

1 kings 1821

“--- How long will you waver between two options? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal is God, follow him.”

Rev. 315-16

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm – neither hot or cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Almighty God wants us to repent and ask for forgiveness. He is ready to deliver us from our sins provided we accept them and ask for the mercies of Almighty God. He has promised us to forgive all our sins if we ask for forgiveness from the depth of our hearts and believe that He is capable and able to save us and deliver us from our sins.

                                                                                     

          

UNITED CHURCH (CNI) AMBALA SADAR CELEBRATES ITS 153 th YEAR OF EXISTENCE

It was an honour to be part of 153 years of existence of United Church, Diocese of Delhi (CNI), Ambala Sadar celebrated on the 9th of November 2012, the day on which the church was re-dedicated to the glory of Almighty God after its renovation in the year 2009-2010.

Bishop of Diocese of Delhi CNI - The Rt. Rev. Sunil Kumar Singh, Delhi Diocesan Secretary - The Rev. Prabhakar Mahlan and many other pastors were present on the occasion. Seven children were confirmed by his grace Bishop Sunil Singh on this auspicious day. 

GOD THE HOLY TRINITY

JOHN 16: 5-15

In St. John’s Gospel we see that Jesus Christ tells the disciples that He will send them the advocate, the Spirit of truth, who will testify on his behalf [Jn.15²⁶ ;16^13-14]. Jesus Christ knew that he was going to be killed and that He rises again on the 3^rd day. He also knew that when he ascends to the Father, He will send the Holy Spirit to be with them forever to teach and testify about Christ. Jesus focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. Jesus addresses the Holy Spirit as HE. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon all the people who believed and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and the saviour; as a mighty rushing wind and as a tongues of fire and they began to speak in many different languages. From that day till today Almighty God continues to pour out His Holy Spirit upon the church, the people of God. Almighty God and Jesus Christ have kept their promise and the Holy Spirit is available to all who believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and saviour.

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct from one another. The Father honours the Son; the Son honours the Father and the Holy Spirit honours the Son (Jn.17^{1, 8, 22}). In the unity of the Godhead there is a trinity of Persons working out redemption.

• God the Father is the creator and the ruler of man & the provider of the redemption through His love [Jn.3¹⁶].
• God the Son is the redeemer, who became man for the purpose of our redemption.
• God the Holy Spirit is the “Executive of the Godhead” who applies to each believing soul the benefits of redemption.

 The foundation of the Christian idea of the Godhead is that of the One Supreme Almighty Spirit whom we worship, to whom we pray, from whom we receive grace and whom we serve. But the specific Christian thought of God is that of a Spirit, in the unity of whose being is revealed a distinction of persons whom we call the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the God from whom, through whom and by whom all things come – The Father as the primary source, The Son as the redemptive Mediator and The Holy Spirit as the personal applier of life and peace. Christianity insists that one God exists in Trinity: God has three persons but one essence. It was Tertullian (AD 160-220) first to formulate the doctrine of Trinity in the language of persons and essence – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit [not in condition, but in degree; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in aspect; yet of one substance, and of one condition; and of power, in as much as He is one God, from whom these degrees and the forms and aspects are reckon, under the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of Trinity was affirmed in the Council of Nicaea (AD325). The creed most of the churches recognizes  as the Nicene Creed: -

“I believe in One God, the Father Almighty,

Creator of Heaven and Earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,

Begotten , not made, One in being with the Father,

Through Him all things were created.

I believe in Holy Spirit, the Lord, giver of life,

Who proceeds from Father and the Son,

With Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.”

It treats the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as individual persons within the Godhead. The basis idea is that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are coequal and coeternal centers of the self-awareness, each being “I” in relation to the other two, who are “you” and each partaking of the full divine essence along with the other two. Jesus Christ also assumed the doctrine of Trinity when He prescribed baptism- “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” [Mt.28¹⁹]. the three persons share one name because they are one God. Jesus Christ teaches his disciples in the vs.5-15 about the Holy Spirit. In vs.⁵ Jesus wanted his disciples to concentrate on the result of His departure- the coming of the Holy Spirit rather thinking where Jesus Christ was going. Vs.^6-7 The disciples were grieved at the going of Jesus, but the coming of Holy Spirit at the day of Pentecost would assure them of Almighty God’s presence at their side anywhere and everywhere in the world. Jesus wanted to tell his followers that he was on the earth for a limited time for a specific task given to him by His heavenly Father. The will or the task was to born like a man, die on the cross for the sins of many and then rise again on the 3^rd day. Jesus Christ by becoming obedient to Almighty God, came victorious on the cross over the powers hostile to God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth that brings people to the truth of Almighty God. The world doesn't notice the Spirit of truth, but this Spirit was with Jesus’ disciples and would be in them forever. Vs.^8-9 The Holy Spirit will convict the world that we are all sinners, and would lead us to repentance and salvation. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, the world cannot accept him because they are not aware of him; but we as believers know the Spirit as it is with us. The expression “the Spirit of Truth” is often used in the Gospel is always in reference to Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ earlier in this gospel John 14⁶ declares Himself to be the truth. The Holy Spirit also convicts every human of righteousness and of judgment. The world’s ways of righteousness and the judgment is wrong and is on the principles of the worldly rulers. The world is equally condemned with its rulers. Vs.^13-15 The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth that leads the followers into all the truth by reminding them about all Jesus Christ had said and done. The Spirit was meant to be the one who communicates the truth to the hearers. Only through Jesus Christ we can understand who Almighty God is? The church of God is the character of Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit will bring glory to Jesus as the plan of redemption centers in Christ; this is the topic on which Holy Spirit concentrates its teachings (John 15²⁶). The close inter-relationship between the three persons of Trinity is once again emphasized. The Holy Spirit anoints and empowers to do what He directs him to do (Luke 4^{14-15; 18-21}). It also empowers to preach and heal (John 8²⁶); He is the advocate that pleads our cause before the Almighty God for us. Holy Spirit is also seen as a helper or a comforter that gives us peace and guidance at the time of trouble and it also intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. He helps us to pray (Rom.8²⁶). Jesus Christ had to go to the Father in order to send us the Paraclete, Holy Spirit that resides in us forever (1Cor.3¹⁶). The Spirit of God remains with every believer forever. The Old Testament people did not have this advantage. The Spirit of God came upon them but for a certain task and then left them; but post Pentecost every believer is equipped with the Holy Spirit forever. Today as we focus on the Trinity – God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, how much do we reflect their aspect in our lives? Do we find it easier to relate to relate to the Godhead as individuals – as Almighty God the Father, Jesus Christ his Son and the Holy Spirit the Comforter?

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR FAITH

Ephesians 6¹⁰     “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

The Old Testament tells us that Moses was chosen by the Lord God to follow him. He was chosen for a special task, the task to free the Israelites, God’s chosen people. Moses was little hesitant to go to Egypt to accomplish the task for which God called him. May be he could not come out fear that he had when he ran away from Pharaoh. But God gave him courage and the assistance of his brother Aaron. Many a times fear prejudges, preoccupation takes precedence over the calling of God. The fear of livelihood, day-to-day problems, health, family situations, finances, etc. overrules and governs us most of the time. In the same way like Moses, we are also chosen by Almighty God to be His disciples. Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to go to all the nations and make disciples for Him, baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and also teach them to obey everything He have commanded us. Unfortunately we ourselves do not obey His commands, so the question of teaching others and making them His disciples doesn’t rise. We also hesitate like Moses and give lame excuses.

To avoid Moses gave 5 excuses - 

• Ex. 3¹¹     “ ----- who am I, that should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt.”
• Ex. 3¹³      “----- Israelites would ask me, what is the name of the God of our ancestors.”
• Ex. 4¹        “ ----- what if they don’t believe me or listen to me and say the Lord did not appear to you.”
• Ex. 4¹⁰     “----- I have never been eloquent.”
• Ex. 4¹³     “----- please send someone else to do so.”

On hearing the 5^th excuse God became angry, how could Moses continue to refuse? After the series of rhetorical questions; God revealed that His power could overcome any inability which Moses might have felt. As a final gesture of Divine patience, God promised him assistance of his brother Aaron. In Exodus 4, Vs.18, the fact that Moses did not reveal his father-in-law, the real reason for his departure to Egypt possibly suggests that Moses remained unconvinced of God’s ability to accomplish his plans. God’s call to Moses is a vivid reminder of how we all are called to serve the living God.

In the letter to Ephesians, Paul addresses the whole Church corporately as an army of the Almighty God, not as an individual. Paul’s exhortation doesn’t prepare soldiers to make a quick moving attack but to take stand (Eph.6¹¹); to stand your ground (6¹³) and to stand firm (6¹⁴). The strong position Paul  has in his mind, will be clear to his readers ; it is our union with Christ, the head over all the things, far above all principalities and the powers and His resurrection is the power of Almighty God at work in us. Even the armour and the weapons turn out to be a mixture of God’s very own (Is.59¹⁷) with those of His Messiah (Is.11^4-5). 

Is.59 17

“He put on righteousness as his breastplate and the helmet of Salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.”

Is.11 4-5

“but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions         for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth with the breath of hid lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.”

(A) “Be strong in the Lord” literally means to find strength in the Lord. Emphasis is on the God’s mighty powers for the Spiritual fight. In addition to divine strength they will need the full armour that God provides.

(B)  A repeated “Stand Firm” in togetherness introduces the portrayal of the armour. The readers would no doubt have thought of the Roman soldiers but Paul has cast his description mainly in the terms of God’s armour. Here the Messiah’s belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness are added along with his powerful word which strikes judgement. Paul is saying that the Church’s basic equipment in the spiritual battle is integrity and righteous living. It is a deep spiritual understanding of the gospel of peace that provides the church with this firm grip that is the preparation for the battle. The shield of faith would protect from the fiery darts, would include anything from direct occult attack to devilish persecution, but above all the steady rain of temptations to fear, bitterness, anger and division that would break the church unity. These darts are to be countered with faith. Taking the shield of faith suggests a deliberate and positive holding onto the God’s revealed in the gospel, firm and resolute dependence on the Lord which quenches the fiery attempts of the enemy to harm and to spread panic.

(C)  A constant watch is needed. This doesn’t mean that prayer is one of the pieces of armour but spiritual understanding of the gospel combined with an alert prayerfulness is the combination of prayer-warrior, such prayer will be guided by spirit who gives access to God.

APPLICATION:

• Do we hear God calling us ?
• How do we respond to his calling?
• Does any kind of fear stops us in listening God’s call?
• Are we fully equipped with all the things necessary (i.e. The Spiritual armour) to fight the spiritual battle?
• With whom do we think, we have to fight this battle?
• What measures are we taking to overcome our fear?

These are some of the questions that we have to ask us and see where do we stand. We are on the God’s side as a soldier or on the Satan’s side as an enemy?

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life

The declaration of our Lord Jesus Christ – I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE is very popular and is widely known. All of us in general rely very much on this saying of the Lord and bounce with certitude that because we worship Jesus Christ we have the passport to enter and enjoy the glory of eternal life. Is it possible or certain for anyone to reach the destination for the reason that one has found the way? Can the way take the traveler to its destination? Can the traveler reach the destination and reap the fruits thereof lay in preserve simply because he is able to sing hymns on its charms or deliver sermons on its stupendous glory? Finding the right way is the first step for the aspirant to reach and enjoy eternal life and thereafter lies more cumbersome task ahead; the traveler may get stranded on the way, may squat , slip or even fall down on the way. He may encounter difficulties, temptations and such other exigencies which may become hurdles and obstacles which consequently may cause him abandon the journey. As the Psalter sings that we all are pilgrims and sojourners on this planet and our life is a journey from birth to death (from cradle to grave). In this journey we should be firm in each step guided by the truth. If we depart from the truth and pursue wickedness, selfishness, greed, hatred, jealousy, and anger in our hearts, we will slip and grope as in darkness.

Prov.4¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness; they do not know what causes them to stumble. 

Unless we stand firm and walk upright and steadfast, we cannot reach the goal and our mere choice of the way doesn’t come to our aid. Even in choosing the way, we should be diligent and prudent lest it should lead to death.

Prov.16²⁵ / Prov.14¹²​​​​​​ There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way that leads to death.

Jesus is the truth as he declares himself in Jn. 16¹³ – I AM THE TRUTH, and he also adds when the Spirit of truth comes he will guide us into the truth.

Jn.16 ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come.

It is therefore manifest that through guidance of the Spirit alone we can be led into whole truth. Rightly said that Jesus is the truth and it is through him and by the truth preached by him one can be made free, free from the bondage of – sin, economic crises, sickness, temptations, family problems, etc.. It is also a test for us and for our declared philosophy that we are the followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus also declared – I AM LIFE; as food is necessary for the physical being so much so spiritual nourishment is essential for the growth of inner being, because as God had said that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. 

Duet. 8³ So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone but also by everything that comes from the LORD’s mouth.

Mt. 4⁴ But he answered, “It is written, man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Lk. 4⁴ Jesus answered him, “It is written, man does not live by bread alone.”

 

Almighty God fed the Israelites in their journey with manna that rained from the skies and this manna is the symbolic and figurative illustration of the word proceeding out of the mouth of God. This word had been there from the very beginning.

Jn.1^1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.

Thus we realize that Jesus is the way, and the truth and the life personified. We are all with life. We speak, hear, and see things, smell, feel, eat, talk, move, stand and sit. Are these the only symbols or evidence of life. They are the symbols for the material and physical realm of human life. Besides these material symbols or elements man has a soul that distinguishes them from others. This life is something distinct and different from life in its ordinary exposition. That is how the church in Sardis was described.

Rev.3² This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead.'  

​​​​​​​Prov. 11 ¹⁹ True righteousness leads to life, but the one who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.

Let us examine ourselves with regard to the manner and situation of our life. If we follow Jesus in truth through the way He set before us, then only we have the life He offers.

THE GIFTS OF HOLY SPIRIT (John 20:19-23)

The believers of the church are endowed because of God’s grace. We are just the stewards to be used for the well being of the whole church, the body of Christ. Therefore, the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are given: -

·         Are not for self-interest;

·         To be used;

·         For the service of the church.

The whole idea of Apostle Paul is the essential unity of the body of Christ, the church; where the every member performs his/her duties or function in the church for the good of the whole body. Besides the gifts, we have other important aspects of the Holy Spirit’s manifestation in one’s life that is the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5: 22-23). Apostle Paul puts love on top of the list of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians: Love; Joy; Peace; Patience: Kindness; Goodness; Faithfulness; Gentleness and Self-control. The man gifted with the Holy Spirit is a converted person but the true indication that a person has received the Spirit is not in the emotional externals but in a character molded into Christ-likeness. These fruits are nothing but the qualities of virtues (morals) shown in the life of the believers. 

Pentecost comes from the Greek word penthkosth, (Pentecoste), literally meaning the fiftieth, given to the Jewish feast of weeks (Deut 16:10) which began fifty days after the Sabbath of the Passover festival. The day of Pentecost is the 50^th day after the Sabbath of Passover week, thus the first day of the week. Pentecost is also called the Feast of the Weeks (Deut.16:10), the Feast of Harvest (Ex.23¹⁶) and the day of the first fruits (Num.28:26). This was a feast where the first fruits of the corn harvest were presented.  Later on, the giving of the Law by Moses was also commemorated on this day.  Fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the gift of the Holy Spirit that was prophesied by the prophet Joel was given to all the believers.  Joel prophesied almost eight hundred years before the birth of Christ, about how God will gift his spirit: ‘It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.  Even upon the menservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out my spirit’ (Joel 2:28).

The Gospel according to John, chapter 20 and verse 19 tell us that the disciples were afraid of the Jews so they had locked themselves in a room and often stayed together. Here in Luke 24:36 also when they were still telling each other about their experiences of seeing Jesus, Risen Christ enters the locked room and wishes them “Peace be with you”- which was probably a common practice to greet each other among the Jews but Jesus wanted to give them His Spiritual peace that he had promised his disciples earlier before his death. Jesus knew that all his disciples had run away at the time of His crucifixion and did not believe that He has risen from the dead but at this hour they really needed the blessings of their Guru. Jesus gives them joy because they were depressed on the death of their Guru; they got peace because they were mourning and were restless; they got the power of the Holy Spirit as they thought themselves to be weak in their faiths after the death of Jesus who gave them the new life because they all repented and received Jesus as their Messiah who delivered them from the burden of sin.

Verse 20 tell us that by Jesus entering the closed room, the disciples thought that the spirit or a ghost of Jesus is standing in front of them; but Jesus shows them as the forth proof of His resurrection; His physical body of flesh and bones, his feet and hands with nail prints; the marks of the wounds were still on His resurrected body. Disciples needed to be convinced that they were seeing the real person, Jesus. Jesus proved that He is the Risen Christ rather than a ghost that was standing amongst them; forgiving them for what they had done earlier with their Guru by running away at the time of His crucifixion. Jesus showed them His wounds to make them believe on every word He had spoken. The word “MUST” in the Luke 24:44 tells us that it is no mere accident that the Scripture is fulfilled. There is divine necessity about it. (The Law of Moses°; The Prophets¹ and The Psalms²) Jesus was saying that these threefold division of the Hebrew Bible; every part of the Scripture bears witness to Him.

Verses 21-22 tell us that as He was anointed by his Heavenly Father to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the whole world, in the same way Jesus anoints His chosen ones by gifting them with his Spirit for a mission to spread the gospel and prepare each and every individual to repent and accept Jesus as a Saviour. This doesn’t refer to empowerment for the ministry that took place at the Pentecost, but to formal ordination of the disciples to the office of the apostles. Jesus Christ’s mission is one of the dominant themes of this gospel and is given as a pattern for his followers in the world. We May long for heaven but it is on earth that our work is done.

Verse 23 tells us that about the authority given by Jesus Christ to his disciples. In Mt.28:18 Jesus Christ says, “All authority in Heaven and earth has been given to me.” The disciples needed Almighty God’s help {Holy Spirit} to carry out the commission they had just been given. 

Ø  Are we ready to follow Jesus?

Ø  Do we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour?

Ø  Are we ready to commit our life in the service of the Lord?

The fruits of the Holy Spirit emphasize that unlike the gifts of the Spirit given in an unusual way; these are given to help and guide the believer to lead a true Christian life in his/her normal day-to-day life. The Spirit soothes like nothing else. The Spirit slakes our thirst like nothing else. Why settle for, or accept as inevitable, “a culture of deceit and half truth” when God’s promised His Spirit of truth to work with us for Him in His world? The most glorious day we look forward to as Christians is the last day, to which God’s Spirit inexorably draws us, when there will be an end of sin, deceit and half truth, and a glorious consummation of God’s perfect, kingdom reign. 

MEDICAL CAMP AT CNI CHURCH AMBALA SADAR

Today man is working hard to stay fit through exercise and medicines. There is wide range of products available in the market to increase your potentials; physically as well as inner strength, but to some extent these products may leave some side effects on our mental and physical body. Even Jesus Christ throughout His ministry had worked for the well being of every human being no matter which religion they belonged to. His main aim was to give Spiritual as well as physical nourishment to everyone; that is why we see in the Gospels that He not only fed a multitude of 5000 men and then again 4000 men, but also healed the blind, lepers, deaf, lame and raised the dead. This is what He wanted His believers to do in His absence.

 John 14:12  “I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Keep His teachings in mind this Medical Camp at the CNI Church, Ambala Sadar was organized on Sunday, 14^th of August 2011. The Medical Camp started immediately after the Sunday Worship Service. The camp was opened for the congregation as well as the people of other faiths. The camp consisted of medical awareness sessions where the doctors stressed on food supplements rather than medicines. Ayurvedacharyas promoted nature as the permanent cure of the diseases, a dietitian stressed on a balanced diet especially for women. Blood Sugar test, Blood Pressure, Acupressure therapy and Eye checkup facilities were provided. Almost 100-125 people availed the facilities in this camp.

 

This camp was organized under the banner of DELHI DIOCESAN CHRISTIAN LIFE, MISSION AND EVANGELISM COMMITTEE in association with VESTAGE MKTG. PVT. LTD., Ambala Cantonment and NATIONAL SOCIAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION, Ambala Cantonment.

REASONS TO BELIEVE IN CHRISTIANITY

There are many reasons to prove that Christianity is very much different from other faiths. The main reason is that the founder of Christianity, Lord Jesus Christ is a Risen Lord. He was born as a human being, lived as a human, suffered for the whole mankind as a human and was crucified as a human. He rose again from the dead on the third day and now seated at the right hand of the Father. The early Christians were not the theologians or the philosophers, but were the witnesses to the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead after three days inspite of sealing His body in the Tomb with guards, yet after three days the tomb was empty and those who saw the Living Christ were risking their lives to declare that HE IS ALIVE. We all believe that He shall come again to judge the world for what we have done throughout our life. There had been hundreds of prophecies of His Second Coming, but the Lord Jesus Himself have said that "NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY, EXCEPT THE FATHER" it means that no humanbeing knows about the Day but He wants all of us to stay awake, alert and always be in prayers. The founder Himself was in the beginning at the time of creation with the Father and He will be there on the Day of Judgment. The accuracy with which the Bible has been written is confirmed by the Dead Sea Scroll of Qumran. Today the Bible speak not only with the Spiritual power but also with prophetic accuracy. The whole Bible stresses on the love of God for the whole mankind. even during the ministry of Jesus, He showed his compassion for the poor and the oppressed, sick and the dying and for the sinners. He healed the sick, casted out the evil spirits, fed the multitude and raised the dead; not only this inspite of knowing that He will be betrayed by His own disciple He willingly wished to fulfill the Will of His Heavenly Father. It is Jesus Christ who reveals the caring love of the Heavenly Father for all that He has created. Jesus during his ministry set an example before us to lead a pure and righteous life that is pleasing to God. The life of Jesus not only changed the life of the disciples but also the life of their enemy, SAUL who's task was to catch the Christians and put them behind the bar. Saul was transformed to PAUL, from a Christian killer to the one who gave his life to establish the churches for the Lord. The Bible also explained that the problems in human life is the problem of the heart. Jesus said - "out of our heart proceed evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy. These are the things that defile man." Years after years we have hoped for the better future, we have fought wars, developed educational and technology theories yet we are not able to establish a world of peace, joy, love and justice. The carpenter's son changed the world. The world bears the silent witness to his birth, death, resurrection and the second coming. There is no other way that offers salvaton for forgiveness, eternal life and adoption into the family of God by calling and trusting.

GOD’S WORD GIVES US STRENGTH TO RESIST TEMPTATIONS

The expression temptation in the second part of the theme means test or trail to examine how steadfast a believer is in faith and belief he proclaims and pronounces. It is not only a test, but for an ardent believer is a process to strengthen him and invigorate his faith. In a sense, therefore, says that we should could it a blessing when we fall into temptation. But it will not be the same with everybody; unless the person under assault by temptation is cautious to fight it out, there is the danger of the person losing the crown reserved for him. Temptation assails man from within. Members of the body are the tools of temptation and the chief of the tool is the eye. People in general may at times when they are tempted; say that they are tempted by God. We must guard ourselves not to be beguiled by such thinking.

In the Gospels according to Matthew and Luke, we see how Jesus was tempted. Let us note the Scripture carefully; Jesus Christ, being full of Holy Spirit, returned and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and was tempted by the devil, The Satan, for 40 days. On the one hand we note that he was full of Holy Spirit and on the other hand we note he was led into wilderness, when he was tempted for 40 days. This appears conflicting. How could the Spirit lead any man into wilderness, and how could the devil tempt anybody filled with Holy Spirit? It suggests that the devil, who is the tempter, always lurks behind the persons filled with the Spirit to trap them in and to devour and enfeeble them. All of us therefore must be vigilant not to fall victims to the ingenious devices of the devil. In the gospel lesson we could observe as it were an internal exaltation, in the form of devilish mentality that provoked Jesus to perform certain exercises utilizing the energy acquired by him by virtue if his fasting of 40 days and spending time with his Heavenly Father. If the devil had accosted him in the form of a living being, he would
have chastised or cursed him away, but we find that he was led to a high mountain and then he was set on a pinnacle of the temple, it must be a mental and emotional exaltation of him understandably infused by the evil spirit. But we need not to be scared of the enticement and snares placed on our path to Salvation, by the adversary, because the Lord in whom we believe, knows how to deliver us from temptation.
From the Gospel we note that the devil always is prone to tempt one when he/she chooses to become stronger in faith by fasting, praying and by striving to be led by the Spirit. It is because the tempter does not want anyone to get out of his hold. Here is therefore a lesson for all of us. When we decide or resolve to become sturdy in our faith, we shall be all more liable to be tempted and it should be the appropriate time to guard ourselves with complete armour. When we endure temptation, we should count it as a blessing because we can then receive the crown of life, which our Lord Jesus Christ has promised. Coming back to the first part of the theme, The Holy Bible is the WORD OF GOD which stands forever and ever, as Jesus Christ had declared in Mt. 24³⁵. It is food for the soul and Lord Jesus Christ, when was tempted by Satan to convert stones into bread and satiate his hunger, admonished the latter saying that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. God’s Word, The Holy Bible is not only food but is life and life giving source to the faithful. God’s Word opens our eyes and enables us to hold wondrous things in his Scriptures. We also note that it were eyes through which first sin came into the life of human beings. The Word of God gives us strength and encourages us to face Satan in our daily life. The word of God is written with the inspiration of God so that we all may read and understand God’s love for the whole mankind that HE gave His only begotten Son, Jesus to die as ransom for many. It is written that the word of God is so powerful that it is two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrows and is a discerner of the thought and intents of heart.

Apostle Paul knowing that the Word of God is sharper than a sword, in his appeal to brethren to put on the armour of God including the word of God which is the sword of the spirit. In Rev.1¹⁶ we note that out of HIS mouth went a sharp two edged sword with which HE will fight those who fail to repent. It was because of this same word that Saul was transformed into Paul and it is still piercing the hearts of many, stony hearts
into the heart of flesh.

· Has this not been able to transform us from traditional Christians to true Christians?

· Has His word, the sword of God been able to make us repent and confess our faults?

If not then we should humble ourselves before God inviting His Word to enter our hearts to transform us.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF

Man is an inseparable part of the society he lives in. He tries to influence the society by his feelings, emotions and behaviour and in return he is also influenced by the activities of the society. Man and society are thus interactive and it is man who infuses the society with his pursuits and practices and inhales for his fusion what he gather from the society. Inspite of differences between caste, colour, creed, physical growth, language, mental and intellectual standards man should always feel oneness with others. this behaviour of man leads to unity in diversity and also reflects the universal brotherhood. For those in Christian faith it is essential at the same time to retain their identity, without in any manner assimilating the customs and traditions of the society that are disadvantageous to their spiritual growth. Once we mould ourselves in such form we feel the world's joy, suffering and pain as ours.

Looking at the topic the very first question strike is - What is important "Being a Christian" or "To became a Christian"? At large we may conclude that one should first be a Christian; but on a close and deep analysis of the two expressions - BEING and BECOMING we may all also agree that unless one continues to be a Christian by leading a truthful and righteous life, we cannot be adjudged a Christian. In the Book of Prophet Jeremiah we note the exhortation of the Prophet to the Jews carried away as captives to Babylon, to pray upon the Lord for peace of the city into which they were carried captives, for peace of the city would be their peace. Here we find a new teaching and a new exhortation. Christianity in general seeks to drive a wedge between itself and others on a certain amount superiority complex. but when we learn to love others to express our concern for others, this separatist tendency disappears like darkness during the day. To understand the feelings of others and to suffer the pain of others, we must identify ourselves with others so that we can represent to God the case of others with all emphasis. Our concern for the world must be expressed by our practical participation and involvement. If we are to continue Being Christians we should continue to be truthful to our commitment to Christ Jesus. Therefore being Christian is a continuous process and it is renewal of our Christian Faith and life daily. Such renewal makes us all into Being a Christian. As a Christian the best thing we could do is to pray for the whole world and for all our fellowmen. Generally our prayers are limited to us, our wants and requirements, our loved ones and our dear ones. Apostle Paul exhorts that we should pray for all men; in other words we must become the intercessors in true Christian spirit.

1 Timothy 2:1-3 "First of all, then I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people, even for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. Such prayer for all is good and welcomed before God our Savior, since he wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

It is therefore our duty of every individual more particular of us Christians to get ourselves concerned for the world and then alone we can establish HIS Kingdom on earth, within us and in our midst. When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied that the kingdom of God would not come directly, because it is within us. The commandments our Lord Jesus has propounded "That ye love one another" and "Love thy neighbor as thyself "and Do unto others as you would be done by" and the parable of the Good Samaritan, have all been made within the conceptual framework of our concern for the world. Once we develop the feeling of fellowship with others, love for others as ourselves, then we should consider ourselves as participants in the constructive program of formulating the kingdom of God on earth.

Today we have to examine ourselves, if there is any shortfall in our life to Being a Christian. There is no doubt we have become Christians and our symbolic expression to the fact is Baptism. The acid test is whether we are Being Christians or we are continuing our life by Being Christians. If we lack something in any respect then we have to pray to God to make us real Christians.

Rev. Daman Rodgers Writes: GOD’S WORD GIVES US STRENGTH TO RESIST TEMPTATIONS...

Rev. Daman Rodgers Writes: GOD’S WORD GIVES US STRENGTH TO RESIST TEMPTATIONS...: "The expression temptation in the second part of the theme means test or trail to examine how steadfast a believer is in faith and belief he ..."