John 10:14-15, NIV

Kickstart your Bible reading in 2015

God does not tell us that we need to read the Bible everyday. What he does say is much more fascinating. In Psalm 1 and Joshua 1 God says that we ought to "meditate on the scriptures day and night".

This actually makes getting into our Bibles even more important. It’s not just something we read, it's something we think about. Constantly.

In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said that we can’t live by bread alone but by every word of God.

It’s like a light unto our path, a two-edged sword, a fire, and a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.

I want to be clear that your relationship with God doesn’t rise or fall on your reading habits. Instead, when we realise that God speaks to us through his Word, we should want to read it more!

Having trouble reading the Bible?

I don’t know about you but for me I go through pretty long dry patches where I don’t get to read my Bible all that much.

Most of the time it’s simply because I don’t know where to start. I mean, the book is huge! It’s not always an easy read - no matter what translation you use. Sometimes, I kinda feel lost just opening it.

As I have thought about this over the years, I’ve come up with some practical tips. I think these ideas are more helpful than just blindly pointing to a verse and hoping you “get something out of it”.

1. On your Mark, get set, go!

The book of Mark is my favorite book. If you don’t know where to start reading, start there. In fact, it’s a great place to restart - even if you restart a thousand times.

It contains the stories of Jesus' life and tells them very quickly. No long genealogies and no drawn out narratives. In fact, one of the words you’re going to see a lot in the book of Mark is “immediately”. It's a fast-paced book but with plenty of depth.

It's the sort of book where you can start at any chapter and read a section. You’ll get a story from the life of Jesus and you’ll be refreshed by the reminder of his greatness.

2. Short and Sweet

Yes, the Bible is a huge book. But it’s actually not just a book. It’s a collection of 66 books and writings. Some of those writings are massive! (You ever heard of Isaiah? I’ve been trying to study through that book for years!) But some of these writings are very short.

Since the lengthy portions of scripture can be overwhelming, why not just tackle something short? Like the book of Jude – it’s only one chapter. Or some of the epistles like Galatians, Ephesians Philippians and Colossians. You can read through any of these in half an hour.

Check out the Old Testament too. The minor prophets are all very short. So are the books Daniel, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and Esther. It may give you a sense of completion to read through an entire book. This may motivate you to keep going rather than give up.

3. Google Drill

Sometimes I like to take a topic that’s been on my mind and read what God says about it. 

I use a few websites like http://www.bibletopics.com, www.bible-topics.com and Carm.org. I also search for keywords on esvstudybible.org.

Just decide what you’re interested in learning about, search and read. Lately I’ve looked through topics like money, family and marriage. This is a great way to hear the voice of God and increase your knowledge of theology.

The truth is, we have no excuse. We get to hang out and talk with God! It’s something we can’t miss out on.

Don’t worry about how long you read or how much you read - just start reading and seek to hear from God. Hope these tips help you do that.

How to deal with conflict among friends.

Luke 6:37

Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. 

ANGELICA AND RENEE had been best friends since they sat next to each other in kindergarten Sunday school. But what started as a gleeful partnership on a science re­port nearly stomped out their friendship. Angelica liked to chat as much as anyone, but when the workload got serious, she wanted to split up the project and get her part done alone. Renee figured Angelica was irked — and she was — when Renee took charge and told Angelica what to do. And neither of the girls did well meeting deadlines­ which led to nasty slams like “You’re lazy!” and retorts of “Well, you’re stupid!”

If you haven’t experienced any conflict with your best friend, either (a) your best friend exists only in your imagination; (b) your best friend is a pen pal and you don’t speak the same language; (c) one or both of you is an alien; or (d) you and your friend aren’t as close as you think. Whenever you know another human being really well, conflict is inevitable.

When you have a conflict with a friend, you have a choice: resolve the conflict or dissolve the relationship. Here are some guidelines for keeping your fights fair:

Work at openness. You won’t get anywhere thinking you’re always right.

Choose your timing. Arguments break out at awkward times. Wait to settle them until both of you have the time and attention you need to talk things out.

Pick the right words. Think before you speak. Scan your words ahead of time and ask if they will help or hinder working out the problem.

Watch your tone of voice. You can say the right words in the wrong way. If you reek of sarcasm or criticism, your friend will smell you out.

Study your friend’s point of view. See the conflict through your friend’s eyes.  Think of how he or she feels instead of how you feel.

Pinpoint the problem. The real issue that started the fight might be more than meets the eye. Your friend, for example, might blow up at something you say — but she was already upset yesterday when you spent time with another friend.

Figure out a solution. Once you identify the problem, decide on a practical, real­istic solution. Talk about how to keep the conflict from happening again. Don’t give up until you have worked things out.

Pray for your friend. It’s tough to stay mad at someone you pray for regularly.  Tell God you want him to make your heart tender — and ask him to help you love your friend.

What conflict do you have flaming up right now that you need to extinguish?Ask God for a tender heart and a love that won’t let go.

The Gift of Suffering

Wait, what? Suffering? A gift?

Yes. it’s a gift that nobody wants, but that everybody receives at some point in their life.

Jesus Himself didn’t have a suffering-free existence: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even till the point of death” (Matt 26:38). And He told us point blank that we, too, will have trouble in this world (John 16:33).

Are you weighed down by suffering?

Suffering can come in many different ways, and oftentimes we can never fully perceive the weight of suffering someone else is carrying.

However, our Savior knows what it’s like to bear the weight of suffering. He voluntarily took the pain for us; in doing so, he gave us healing, too: “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Pet 2:24).

With that in mind, here's four things to remember when life gets tough.

1. Suffering leads to maturity

The Word of God word gives us a counter-cultural perspective on suffering and shows us how we should deal with trouble.

(James 1:2-4)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Our culture thrives on messages of what we need to do to finally “make it” – to have a complete life, complete happiness, or complete joy – which is always right around the corner.  

When things get better, when you work this out, when the next big break comes…

But the Bible has a polar opposite message: it’s in suffering that we are working hard towards completeness. 

Maybe what we should focus on is not the suffering we’re experiencing but what the suffering is doing in us – making us mature, complete, and not lacking in anything as James tells us.

Next time suffering is getting you down, stop and remember the end goal: this suffering needs to work its course so that you may be continually maturing.

2. There can be joy in suffering (Wait, what?)

Usually, the greater the suffering, the greater our negative attitudes can get. Here again, the Bible is counter-cultural. James tells us of the attitude that we should have when the going gets rough: joy – and not only just joy – but pure joy.

Why should we have this joy? It's because our faith is being grown and tested through suffering; perseverance is displayed only when we have trouble to persevere through; maturity is being formed in us.

Though we may not be happy with the pain we’re experiencing, we can be joyful in what it’s producing in us. Ultimately, though, we have joy centered in something greater than ourselves: We’ve been granted access to God; we can delight in our savior when nothing else seems delightful (Isaiah 61:10).

Hebrews 6:19aWe have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

3. Jesus is with you

Life may look pretty bleak during suffering. How can there be any hope? The author of Hebrews tells us what can be our anchor when life is a storm of suffering: our hope in the grace from Jesus.

We can cling to this hope that will not change: in the end (eternally speaking), it’s all going to be okay because our destiny rests with the Lord and Jesus’ saving grace. If He has our eternity covered, then we can be sure He is also walking with us in the meantime.

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

4. You can get equipped

What tool can we use when suffering is getting us down? Peter stresses the importance of preparing our minds. Suffering is going to come and temptation to doubt God or to fall in to sin will likely come with it.

We are not left unequipped, however, and should prepare our minds with God’s promises: He’s our strong tower (Prov 18:10); He’s going to supply our needs (Phil 4:19); He’s grace is sufficient in all our weakness (2 Cor 12:19). Truth has power. Equipped with God’s promises, we can extinguish the flaming darts of the enemy and praise Jesus during it.

Remember this...

Next time you face suffering, remember this:

• You have an end goal in all of this: completeness
• You get to choose your attitude; why not choose joy because we have Jesus no matter how bleak things look?
• You’re anchored: hope in Jesus keeps you grounded even when you feel that you’re drowning in a sea of suffering.
• You can get equipped: prepare your mind by taking up God’s promises so that you can praise God even when it’s hard.

Psalms 119: 176

2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV

"Every day we are given the opportunity to be made new in Christ, not by our might but by our surrender." 
- Lara Casey

When Your Shoes Don’t Fit, Don’t Wear Them

1 Samuel 17:38-39 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.

When David went up against Goliath, he went up against all earthly odds. You know this—because you’ve heard this story since you were in preschool. Even people who don’t believe the Bible like the quote the David and Goliath story.

What is important and often lost in this epic battle is how David fought. Its interesting that David came to Goliath with a measly slingshot and five rocks.

Keep in mind that Goliath came from long line of mammoth men. He might have been ten feet tall. He’d make Yao Ming look like a grasshopper. He’d make Shaq quake in his hi-tops. He’d not only win the Strongest Man Contest, he’d own it.

Its likely that Goliath fought with weapons that would dwarf David. Imagine a sword as big as a telephone pole. A shield the size of a wall. Metal that covered him from head to toe.

Here comes David, unprotected, short, and carrying a nifty little sling and five rocks. But David carried more than that.

David had the God of the Universe on His side. And compared to God, Goliath was just a grasshopper. He was a quivering fool. He was outmatched and outmaneuvered.

Here’s an important lesson for you as a young person. David didn’t accept the weapons and armor that Saul offered him. Logically they would have been much better for the fight than a slingshot. But David knew that he couldn’t fight with Saul’s armor. He had to fight with what God had given him.

What has God given you? Many teens want to be somebody else. They want to fight their battles with other people’s armor. But if you do that, God won’t fight for you. He wants you to be you, with your unique package of gifts and talents. Be yourself. Pursue the dreams God has given you—not the dreams He has for somebody else.

I wish I had learned this lesson earlier in life. It would have eliminated years of pursuing dreams and talents I had no business pursuing.

Bring your slingshot and rocks to the fight and see what God will do through you.

I can guarantee you one thing. Giants will fall. 

You are an Iceberg.

No, you aren't going to sink the Titanic, however like an iceberg, 90% of who you are is hidden - this is the part God really cares about.
How would you define yourself?

If you had to introduce yourself to someone in 25 words or less, what would you say? Would you talk about your age, your achievements, your interests, your hobbies, or your nationality?

In our performance-driven society, people are very interested in status – the titles we have and positions we hold. “I am a Student”, “a Teacher”, “an Olympian”, “a Musician”, “the Boss.”

As a result, we focus our efforts on striving for higher status. And we can be tempted to think this is what defines us.

But of far greater importance than our status (how the world views us) is our substance (how God views us).

It’s a bit like an ice-berg. What is seen above the water represents our status. What lies beneath the water (around 90% of an ice-berg) represents our substance, forming the greater part of who we are (what is seen by God).

What is under the surface?

What exactly does God desire to see within us? What substance?

(Isaiah 66:2b)
This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. 

God does not esteem people with titles, trophies or talents. God esteems people who are prepared to submit to His Word with fear and trembling. 

When we are people of substance, we live beyond mere status. We cultivate an emotional stability and restedness, security and humility, which enables us to live for God, and handle crises, criticisms and compliments well.

Ultimately, God is more interested in “what we have become” rather than merely “what we have accomplished for Him”.

So don’t neglect or abuse your substance. Don’t pour all your energy into your status, position, outward appearance, and style (the little bit that people see). Rather, remember who you really are, underneath “below the surface”. Develop and grow in godly substance.

Out of the Box

Romans 12:2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Do you ever feel boxed in? Totally bored with life? Just doing the same …. Whatever???

You’ve downloaded the latest app, seen the latest movie, and been to the mall, bought the latest gadget or outfit, yet …. Stuff has just lost its appeal and you feel like you’re just reliving the same daily lame and mundane routine. There's a deep down feeling that says "There's gotta be more to life than this?".

Guess what? You aren’t alone and yes, there is more ... a lot more.  A lot of people are bored with life and that’s because some important parts of who they are have been lulled into snooze mode.  

You and I have been conditioned to think like the world and just go with the flow.  We have a natural tendency to want to fit in and many people today are trying everything imaginable to do just that.

Our culture – mainly the media which includes TV, music, movies, the internet, video games, magazines, billboards etc. pump a never ending stream of ideas, thoughts, beliefs, messages, opinions, views of life – the list goes on.  Whether we realize it or not, our culture is boxing us in.  We are being spoon-fed a life of mediocrity.  Commercials? Come on – most of them are pretty lame, intelligence insulting selling simple experiences that don’t take much thought, depth or insight.   If we allow ourselves to be boxed in by all this world and our culture dangles in front of us we settle for less than the best.  To put it bluntly – this world’s pattern is messed up.

God’s heart is for each of us to move from the temporary, quick fix satisfaction routine (which really doesn’t satisfy at all) into an amazing relationship with him that brings the only true satisfaction and fulfillment experience.  The world robs us of the real riches that can only be found in God.  God’s plan is for you and I to focus outside and beyond this assembly line pop culture all around us. 

God’s plans and purposes for you are so amazing.  When you develop a heart focus to discover and live in God’s plan, the appeal of what the world says it can offer you soon starts to fade.  It just doesn’t measure up.  It doesn’t even come close.

Instead of being moulded and shaped by the assembly line of world culture, can I encourage you today to get off this world’s marketing grid and discover what God has for you?  Experience all the richness that God intended for you to experience.

Sunday Sermon Recap

Sunday Sermon Recap.
Elder Ho
Possessing the Promise land!

The wind of God will push and elevate us!

We are called to possess the land.
God has prepared a good land and 

Deuteronomy 34:1

34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho.There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan,

"The Lord showed him All the land."

Israelites have been wandering in the desert for 40 years.
God told them that only the next generation will enter the promise land.

When God makes a promise, he provides, protects & prepares.
When you walk with God expect these things.

For such a time as this.
You might ask, "Why was I born on ___?"
He has a plan for you since birth!
You have to choose to stay on God's course!
Everytime you make a choice for God, He will fulfill that promise.
So make the right choices, Jesus choices!

"Now therefore arise"

Joshua 1:2

2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

"Now arise and go"A call not only to arise, but to arise and go.
There is a call to this new generation.
God was always moving as the Israelites were in the wilderness.
We are to FOLLOW him!
If you don't go, there will be the the call from the wilderness/ the world.
God not only blessed the Israelites, but use them to bless others.
The wilderness is not a place of rest.
You can be at a place of rest when you know that you are in God's plan.
The wilderness is like the world, it is the easy way out but it will dry you out.

We must face our river Jordan, what is keeping us from entering the promise land?
What holds you back from God's will?

Joshua 1:7

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you maybe successful wherever you go.

"Be strong and courageous" 

Not literally physical strong but strong in faith and obedience to God!

Ephesians 5:19-20, MSG

Psamls 30:12, NIV

A Rescue Operation.

 Matthew 9:37

The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few.

Horns don’t stick out of the heads of non-Christians. Halos don’t circle the heads of Christians. When you look at a football team, believers and unbelievers all wear the same uniform. Sitting around you in algebra, chem lab, band, and in class, believers and unbelievers just look like kids trying to get a decent grade and fit in with the crowd.

But there’s a difference — a critical, eternal difference. Unbelievers don’t wear prison jumpsuits, but they are imprisoned in darkness, separated from God and eternal life. They live under the rule of Satan. They are chained to their sinful nature and follow its desires and thoughts (see Ephesians 2:1-3). But those of us who have trusted Christ live in the kingdom of light (see 1 John 1:5-7). God in his love has rescued us from the darkness. He brought us into the eternal kingdom of his Son, Jesus Christ (see Colossians 1:13).

Many have heard about this difference so often that its reality bounces off. You might doze uncaringly because that difference isn't as sharp to you as the similarities you share with non-Christians. But God hasn’t forgotten the difference. He’s very aware that millions of people still live in the dark without Christ. He’s incredibly concerned for each one — so concerned, in fact, that he took the ultimate step for every student, mom, and dad. He became a human being and gave his life.

The lostness of the people around you is serious business to God. He doesn’t want any to perish (see 2 Peter 3:9). He died to rescue the lost, and his rescue opera­tion didn’t stop at the cross. God gives you the privilege of being involved in it. God could save the world single-handedly if he chose to. But he’s appointed the rescued, who have trusted Christ, to work with him as rescuers.

Jesus compared God’s rescue mission to a grain harvest. He challenges you to pray for more harvesters (see Matthew 9:37-38). We are God’s ambassadors, official messengers with the ministry of taking his good news of salvation to others (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

Will all those chained in darkness be rescued? No. Tragically, many have refused to be rescued in the past, and many others will refuse in the future. But there are countless others waiting for someone to tell them that Christ has set them free.

How do you view the students around you? Are you concerned that many of them are lost and in need of rescue?

We are Blessed!

Job 42:10, 12-13, 15

"The Lord made him [Job] prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before…the Lord blessed that latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters....nowhere in the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters..."

Do you ever wonder why some people seem to have more blessings in their lives than others, or some people seem to have an easier time of things going through life than others?  I often wonder why it is that I, your basic human sinner just trying to do the right thing, have been blessed with such a wonderful life, relatively free from massive health problems, financial problems, etc. when others I know tell me how 3 of their siblings have cancer, they are facing bankruptcy, and just developed a strange virus that the doctors can't cure. Many times, I feel both guilty that my life is so good, and also feel some trepidation that something big and bad is yet to come.  When my thoughts turn in this direction, I am always reminded of Job, whose biblical example is the standard by which we are to be accepting of both the good and the bad that happen in life, and praise God for all of it.  Whether you feel like your life is full of trials or of complete blessings, look at the example Job gives us and see how God is pleased by faithfulness and love through all things!

Never too young!

All over the world, there are all sorts of things you can and can't do, depending on your age. 

Like, if you want to audition for X-Factor you’ll have to wait until you’re or if you want to start driving, you've got to be at least 17 years old to get a learner's license

No wonder sometimes young people feel like they’re never old enough to do anything. Sometimes this applies in church too.

Never too young to be a good example

Sometimes churches apply age limits to when you can become a church member or play in the band or become a junior leader at youth. These limits might be sensible, but they still leave you feeling like your waiting for the day when you can finally do something. In the Bible, Paul tells Timothy there’s something he can do regardless of his age. You won’t need a birth certificate or a fake ID to follow Paul’s advice.

Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:12:

1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

Paul is saying no matter whether you’re six, 16 or 66, God can use you to be an example of Jesus to someone else. Being an example of Jesus won’t magically begin happening when you reach a significant milestone, its already happening right now. The way you live your Christian life right now speaks loudly to your friends, family and everyone at church.

God uses the young

In the Bible, God used people when they were really old, like Abraham (75) and Moses (80). But he also used people when they were very young. Jeremiah told God he was too young to speak.

• God tells Jeremiah, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you” (Jeremiah 1:6-7).
  
• Josiah became king of Judah when he was eight years old.
  
• When he was 16, the Bible says that Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David (2 Chronicles 34:3).
  
• David himself was told he shouldn’t fight Goliath because he was only a boy (1 Samuel 17:33).
  
• Jesus worked a miracle of feeding 5000 people because a young boy offered five loaves and two fish (John 6:9).
  

The Bible says the eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him (2 Chronicles 9:16). When God is looking for someone to use, he’s looking at their heart and not at their date of birth.

You’ll never be too young to be a world-changer for the cause of Jesus and never too young to be a Godly example to anyone you know. Your time starts now.

Sunday Sermon Recap

Sunday Sermon Recap
Pr Anand Kumar
A little psalm with a BIG message!
Psalms 117

Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.Praise the Lord.

This is a song of to celebrate the Passover.
Our god is so great! He is supernatural and all powerful!

So they came out of Egypt worshipping and well!
But however their journey didn't go well.

They had a mission and agenda as they came out of Egypt, singing and praising.

In verse 1, we are told what to do
And in verse 2 we are told why.

WHAT: The Lord is to be magnified among the nations
-God desires that all the Nations praise Him.
-Praise: "Haw Lal"- to brag
-The nations around them could hear the praise they were giving
-how do you testify/ witness if you have no testimony/ have not witnessed.
-Praise is a choice
-Praising God is for His glory, not His.
-The word Nations refers to: people groups, different ethnic and linguistic groups
-God desires that all the nations extol Him
-Extol means to boast, laud or praise. To brag about Him.
-Bot to brag about what we have or have done, but that he provides and that he saves.
-if God is with us, who can be against us.

WHY: His Love is Great for us!-God's love is so EXTREMELY great that He sent His Son to die on the cross
-God faithfully endures FOREVER

Conclusion
-God MAGNIFY Himself in the life of His People
-God's desire is to love His people-To magnify God is to testify His Love and His Faithfulness to ALL PEOPLE
-Reaching out to the lost is through EVANGELISM & MISSIONS

Psalms 103: 13-14 NIV

Psalm 138:3, NIV

"In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul" Psalm 183:3, NIV

Oh Lord, you never fail us and you hear our every cry and prayer! Indeed in trying times you have made us bold and you have given us strength! We thank You Lord for your unfailing and never ending love!

VICTORIOUS FAITH

1 John 5:4, 5

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world— our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

WHAT is this “world” that we have to overcome? Did not God make the world and did He not see “everything that He had made and, behold, it was very good”? Yes, He did. But after sin entered this world, men came under its power and, now, by “the world” is meant all mankind who remain under the power of sin and are enemies of God. “The world” means the whole corrupt mass of human society out of which God has taken a people whom He has chosen for Himself, whom He quickens by His Divine Spirit and whose business it is to overcome the world. They will find that the world— the power of evil—will war against them and they also must war against it! And the issue of the battle must not long be doubtful. There remains for us only one of two courses—either the world must overcome us and we must yield to it—or else we must overcome the world and cause it to submit to us.

       The Apostle helps us to understand what he means by “the world” by what he says in the third verse. “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not grievous.” Now, anything which makes us think that God’s will is grievous is of the spirit of the world, against which we have to fight. If, for instance, we are tempted to think that the restrictions of God’s Law—His commandments and precepts are too stringent, it is the spirit of the world which tempts us to think so, for, “His commandments are not grievous” to those who truly love Him. It is only to the rebellious world that the restrictions of God appear to be too stringent, or that the commands of Christ be- come burdensome. If we are suffering pain or poverty, or whatever form of trial we may be called to endure, if we are tempted to say, “God is dealing harshly with us, He is unkind to us,” that, also, is manifesting the spirit of the world against which we are to contend until we conquer it.

      For God’s wil1 is always right and if we really love Him, we shall acknowledge that it is right and though, for a while, we may have to fight against the spirit of rebellion, yet if we are, indeed, God’s children, we must get the mastery over that spirit of evil and, so, the will of God, even when it involves pain, weakness, shame, or death, itself, shall still be perfectly agreeable to us because it is the will of God! We have not completely conquered the spirit of the world until we can truthfully say that the commandments of God, so far from being grievous to us, are acceptable simply because they come from Him. 

Lets endure this Year building our Faith and having victories throughout the year.

Pr Anand Kumar

Failure, My Teacher.

“I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”CH Spurgeon

Ever failed at something?

An exam or project? Failed to get home on time? Failed a friend?

We all have. Failure is familiar to us all, with some of us feeling like we experience it more than others. That was definitely the case for me. During Grade 11, I was working on a Maths project with a friend. I have a creative type personality, and I'm somewhat distracted most of the time, so my strength was never in completing set tasks by the due date. And this particular project was no exception. I failed to hand in the project, and consequently I failed my friend. Double whammy!

I owned my failures. I wore them around on my sleeve, my heart dripped with them. I lived on a roller-coarser of performance driven self-approval. When I did something great, I thought I was great. When I failed, I sunk deep and dark.

After years of living this way, I’ve realised that failure doesn’t need to sit heavy on us at all! It’s not something that defines our character or worth. Not one bit.

Is failure always negative?

It’s easy to believe that failure is bad and something to be ashamed of. There’s an assumption that it signifies weakness. We’ve all been laughed at for failing, and we’ve held our breath and thanked God when the person next to us failed and we didn’t.

Why do we run from it? Why is it so shameful?

I get it, I do the same. If 'failure' were a profession, I’d be a billionaire.

But what if our failures and failings, our hardships and challenges didn’t mark us as weak and inferior? What if they made us strong? What if they opened up new opportunities and levels of creativity for us?

I’m not saying that failure is an awesome experience, to earn its name it clearly isn’t. It’s horrible. But pain has a way of unearthing our beauty, pearls buried deep within our hearts and souls that can only be found while digging deep.

Those pearls look like resilience, hope, love, determination, the will to survive, the strength to stand, and the ability to dream. Learning. Growing.

The positive side of failure

Granted, embracing seasons of abundance and hope realised is much more fun and enjoyable than doing so in moments of humiliation and error. But often our greatest ’successes’ are born in our darkest moments. That's why the well-known Bible techer Charles Spurgeon says, “I have learned to kiss the wave (the hardship, circumstance, failure, challenge, heartache etc.) that throws me against the Rock of Ages (the God of endless and eternal love, faith and hope).

JK Rowling said in her speech at Harvard in 2008, “you will never truly know yourself or the strength of your relationships, until you have been tested by adversity.”

As painful and hard as it may be, embrace the waves - the turmoil, the failure - because they are, after all, not the end of everything, but our greatest and most patient teachers. And when the season is over, I hope you get to the point where you can look back with a thankful heart and kiss it fondly goodbye knowing that it has served you and your future well.

Romans 8:26-28 (MSG): "Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

Sunday Sermon Recap

Sunday Sermon Recap
Family Sunday
Elder Dorai
We are witnesses for Christ!

Luke 24:44-49

 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  He told them,“This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations,beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

V48- You are witnesses of these things.
We are witnesses for Christ

For context, we look at Luke 21 & Mark 13

Luke 21:12

“But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.  And so you will bear testimony to me.

In the midst of all this trial, he says, we remain as witnesses.

As much as our atmosphere seems bleak, it does not change that we are to be witnesses!

Align yourself to God's will in these times.

Not either a witness or good works, but both simultaneously.
One without the other is futile.

We as Christians are vehicles of hope in the darkness

We are witnesses to these things. But what do "these things" refer to?

 - Death and resurrection
 - Forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ

Acts 2: 32
Acts 3: 15
Act 5: 31-32
Acts 10: 41

We are not the only witnesses;
1. Scriptures bear witness
2. Us
3. Holy Spirit


We all line up and play a part in witnessing to others!

To be witnesses, 
V49- clothed with power on high
Rom 13: 14- clothed with Christ
To be witnesses we have to be clothes in Christ.

Clothing is in important, because you are dressed for what you do.

In 2015, find the clothing of Christ.
You need to know the message of Christ!
From darkness to light > power of satan to God > receive forgiveness > receive inheritance.

Clothed in the mission of God
Mission of god is the basis of everything.Mission is that He is to be made known to those still in darkness, all over the world.



Your testimony is God's work in your life.Write down your testimony to be able to share it with others.

Luke- anointed me to preach.

We need boldness!

To be a witness, we must;
- know Message of Christ
- be clothed in the mission of God
- be clothed in Power of spirit