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TBN SMS MINISTRY	[ the_brethren_news ]	Tuesday 31 August 20:15
TBN SMS MINISTRY Another ministry that we started is SMS ministry, so that the news and prayer requests from Thrissur District will reach faster in your mobile phone. If you want to receive the SMS in your mobile phone, please send us your name and mobile number to us.
The Law in Today's Society	[ moderator ]	Sunday 27 June 13:31
The authority of law The Bible tells the story of how men often reject God and do what they want to do. The God of the Bible provided laws to try to help men hold society together (a fallback parachute for those people who are not in fellowship with God), but men ignored the laws, or rationalized their own way of obeying the laws. Because the heart and spirit of laws were not being followed, the laws became more complex to convict men intent on rebelling against law. Complex laws do not stop someone intent on breaking the law - the added complexity can actually be used to find more ways to break the law as it gets more disassociated from its heart and spirit. The complication of laws stem from the law-enforcers (judges) disassociation with the giver/authority of law, and inability to discern and apply the heart and spirit of law. What is the heart and spirit of law? "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." Who is the authority behind law? If it is man, the authority can be challenged at any time. Man is fallible - he can be tricked and manipulated. Man's power can be overthrown and bought. When man acts as the authority behind law, the laws will change over time as the authority is challenged and as the perspectives of men change. When men create law, it is imperfect and may be corrupt too. In a free society of equals, any man may challenge another. The law of any man may be challenged, because the laws of men are imperfect and are fair game for scrutiny. Our court systems are full of such challenges. The growth rate of these cases might be a good indicator of the effectiveness of man's ability to create law and govern himself. If the authority behind law is God - the God described in the Bible - then the law and lawgiver are perfect and uncorruptable. This kind of law does not change - nor does the penalty for lawbreakers. Although a man may challenge such law, he cannot win because the power of the lawgiver is unconquerable. What is the destiny of a government that rejects God and his law? 1. Increasing social unrest and chaos (society will begin to disintegrate). Since men declare that the law is theirs to take and give, and since all men are fallible, man's law is imperfect and without supreme authority. Just as children with boundaries have peace and stability in a God-honoring home, society needs the kingship of God and the rule of His law to hold together. 2. The law will have no morality in itself (laws will begin to promote immorality). Morality is an action of man to follow Godly behavior even while not in relationship with Him. As God is rejected from government, morality is also rejected because it reminds the ungodly, of godly behavior. They will not tolerate such a reminder. 3. The government will persecute those who follow God. Such persecution is prosecution for lack of obeying the laws of men, which promote ungodly behavior. God is the lawgiver his followers will obey, and some of these laws will be diametrically opposed to the ungodly laws of men. 4. God will not bless a government or people that rejects Him. They will lack love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 5. God will shake them, and allow them to be conquered - in hopes that they will turn to Him as their savior and King. 6. An ungodly government will eradicate God, reminders of God, and godly men from itself. Worse, in a government-run state, it will seek to prevent the people it governs from pursuing God too. In the United States, because the Government is "of the people", the concept of separation of church and state will be imposed on the people (a law twisted to suit men's whim). Minimally, no godliness will be allowed to be expressed in a government role. Imposition of Anti-Christ government rule on society No openly professing follower of God will be allowed to pursue government office. As society collapses and the government-state increases in power, the anti-God agenda will oppress and persecute the people of God more. For example, government branches will dictate proper standards for raising children in the home, and children will be taken from followers of God, who do not adhere to government laws prohibiting godly parenting practices. Any business (there will be many due to economic strife) contracted or bailed out by the government will be obliged to comply with government standards. Thus, worker behavior in the private sector will also be mandated. These behaviors are the complete antithesis of the Constitutional objective, which was to allow freedom of people from government oppression in the expression of their faith, and representation of people of faith by like-minded and like-acting representatives. The perfect Government Man has proven himself incapable of successfully governing himself. What nation has ruled itself for thousands of years without oppressing its people and being mired in internal corruption, meanwhile exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? None. There will be no perfect government until there is one that follows God's law flawlessly and has a direct, functioning relationship with Him - the giver of perfect law. Solomon said at the onset of his kingship "Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people?" While this should be the ambition of government, the only perfect governor is the Lord Jesus Christ. Of His rule, there will be no end. But what do we do in the meantime? "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NIV "Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens." Exodus 18:19-21
A WHOLE LOT OF SHAKIN' GOIN' ON	[ shoulders ]	Sunday 02 May 01:00
A WHOLE LOT OF SHAKIN' GOIN' ON: That statement is much more than the simple phrase of an old rock and roll song, and it is far more profound than the presence of numerous recent earthquakes around the world . . . Haiti, Baja Mexico, China, Papua New Guinea . . . or the rumblings of volcanic eruptions in Iceland. It is the accurate description of a fundamental right and act of God. He declared this in Hebrews 12:25-29 ---- See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven." And this expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. I sometimes wonder if we Christians really do believe the Bible, for so often we seem utterly shocked by things that happen around us, as if they come as a total surprise to us even though they are clearly predicted or described in the Bible. Such is the case with the current condition of global "shaking" that has been going on for the past several years. This "shaking" is both physical (as in earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami's, hurricanes, and the like) allegorical, and spiritual. I have written about this in the past, but in light of events and conditions developing over the past year, I want to revisit the subject again. I also want to address it again as what I think is the beginning of a series of letters I hope to write you in coming weeks on the topic of "Awakening ---- Eminent or Not?" Yesterday I did a "Google Search" on the topic, "Social Changes Of Spiritual Awakenings", curious to see what I might come up with. I don't know why I was so surprised when I discovered that about 75% of all links referred in one way or another to the New Age concept of having your inner self awakened to newer levels of consciousness and approaching perfection. It was another example of how the world has again hijacked a Biblical concept and customarily perverted it into a convoluted mish-mash of meaningless psycho-babble. The fact of the matter is, however, that what is happening around us (and perhaps with us) is not only clearly predicted in Scripture, but it not nearly as distant as some have assumed. Events and developments that on the surface seem to have no interconnecting theme, to the contrary actually reveal the phenomenon about which the writer of Hebrews penned those words above. There is clearly a "whole lot of shakin' goin' on." Why is it that we are so hesitant to connect the dots representing this global display of God's activity? Is it because we are afraid we might "spiritualize" things beyond their merit? Is it because we don't want to appear as radicals or fanatics? Is it because we are ashamed to be identified as "Jesus freaks" or "Last Days" gurus? Is it possible that, in waiting for some cataclysmic event, we overlook the obvious . . . that this "shaking" is more likely to instead be a prolonged cycle, perhaps years-long in duration? Are we saying with our mouths that Jesus could come at any minute, but in actual attitude and practice, really don't expect Him for quite some time? Is it even possible that we really don't take much stock in the Bible's description of God's agenda regarding sin and rebellion in general and the return of Christ in particular? Nobody can deny that many things the Bible predicts about the "as-it-was-in-the-days-of-Noah" era in which we live ---- natural disasters, political upheaval, economic turbulence, military activity, religious deceptions, global conflicts, increasing iniquity, etc. Maybe we try to deny the trend because we feel so helpless,or because we want to make sure there is room left for us to reach our own personal goals and achieve some degree of success. Perhaps, then, it will do us good to take a couple of steps back from the blur of rapidly-occurring events in order to get some degree of focus and clarity. Maybe, instead of looking at only specific isolated occurrences, we need to get more of a panoramic sweep of things. I recall that some 25 years ago my good friend, Jim Hylton, preached a message at a Bible conference in which we were speaking in Rockford, IL, on "The Shaking That Must Come". I had never heard a message on that topic before, and was struck by the profundity of his explanation. It was at that point that God began to put in my heart an understanding of just how sweeping, thorough, and necessary the events of coming days was going to be. Based on the teachings of Scripture, we can be assured that our sovereign God is going to do something so massive and radical in His activity of retribution, restoration, and reconciliation, that the entire world is going to heave and shudder under His feet. He is, indeed, going to have the final word in the matter as He metes out justice, righteousness, and mercy upon mankind. The shaking began a number of years ago, and will only intensify until the work is finished. We had best be prepared. So, with that goal in mind, let's take a few minutes to ask and answer some fundamental questions:Click here to read on... http://freegroups.net/groups/shoulders/0::746read.html
Get over 15% off on the perfect gift for graduation	[ uplift ]	Wednesday 21 April 10:05
Will the high-school or college graduate like it? Will I feel good about giving it? Is the price affordable? Will it help the graduate in this transition phase? Yes. Yes. Yes. And, yes. The popular UPLift series, "Choose to Shine," bigger and better with new material, is now in book form and will be arriving from the printer just in time for graduation. Renamed CHOOSE! 13 Choices to Transform Your Heart and Soul, the book is professionally done, with dark brown ink on cream-colored paper. The style is light, but the message is spot on. If you order by May 15, you'll get over 15% off the cover price of the book. And be sure to get your own copy as well. For more about CHOOSE!, click here.
Introducing a new service at JesusAgora.org: The Christian Exchange	[ c_lug ]	Thursday 11 March 07:14
Introducing a new service at JesusAgora.org: The Christian Exchange Agora: the place where such an assembly met, originally a marketplace or public square. This is one of Jesus' public squares. This service presents a good reminder of the Acts 2 community that was so vibrantly drawing others to follow Jesus - people whose lives were selflessly committed to charity and outreach. When you visit the link below, you will notice the Exchange is primarily centered around opportunities to do the works, and express the care God calls us to. Teaching, fellowship, meals together, prayers, praise, selling goods to support ministry, missions fundraising, worship, and thanksgiving for those recently saved. All posts are moderated on the service, which otherwise functions like a blend of eBay and Craigslist. I hope you find it useful to incorporate into your ministries. The link is: http://jesusagora.org/cgi/charity.cgi
What Is Life?	[ test ]	Monday 15 February 12:29
Astrobiology Magazine has an article at Space.com titled "What Is Life? A New Theory" The article starts out: Biology is often called the study of life, yet in the history of the field, experts have never agreed on just what, exactly, life is. Sometimes the old news about life is adequate. There's LIFE and then there's LIVING. The first thing called "living" in the Bible, were the air and sea creatures God created on the 5th day, and on the land on the 6th day. God had not called the plants living. Genesis 1:20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. In Genesis 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. The creatures created prior to man, were not said to have received this treatment from God. Why would they? They were not what God had set his focus on when he determined "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." What did God breathe into us - just air? James 4 says "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us". Then mankind is something very unique - a living creature carying the spirit God has placed in us. And we know God doesn't die - He is eternal, and so is that spirit within us. This is the eternal life Jesus Christ came to save - OUR eternal lives. Jesus says “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Jesus is referring to something more than the life so many men and women put up with - the daily grind. Several of the articles below describe the purposeful LIFE God has in mind for us, which sets the pattern for our eternity. If you have not devoted your life to God, I urge you to do so. Please read on...
Dreaming of a white Christmas	[ bible1year ]	Friday 25 December 01:58
Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who not only once was born, died, and overcame death to offer mankind Life - but who offers us Life today, each day. This same Jesus is coming again for those of us whose lamps remain lit, like the maidens of Matthew 25:1 ¹"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' ⁷Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' ⁹But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' ¹⁰And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. ¹¹Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' ¹²But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' ¹³Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. We are those maidens. Many reading this email attended a Christmas Eve candle-light service last night. Your service may have been somber like a funeral, or it may have been an exciting joyful event, truly celebrating the birth of the most important person ever born - our Savior. I hope yours was a joyful celebration! I hope we have not been deluded by the world's empty X-mas event (which distracts us with self-indulgence), so that when we hold our candles high, they fail to shine with the white light of God's glory. In John 4:7, Jesus talks about Living water: ⁷There came a woman of Samar'ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." ⁸For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. ⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samar'ia?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. ¹⁰Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." ¹¹The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? ¹²Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" ¹³Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Whether it's oil for our lamps, or Living water for our soul, Jesus is the provider. And Jesus has something else for us today - a white fire that is able to consume the corruption we have allowed to grow in our souls, which has stopped His Glory from shining from our lives for so long. The question is, will you allow His white fire to burn, out of your control, in your soul? I'm dreaming of a white Christmas - one where the power of God is no longer held in check by my self-serving interests, but where God's Glory spreads like crazy and He shines so brightly that the light illuminates the path of those around me, and He guides my life daily. If you're like me, and want God to take your purposeless or confused life and give you direction and meaning for living, take time today to speak with Him, and give God full permission to let his Spirit spread into your life in every way - let His white fire begin to shine, burn away the garbage, and give Life to you and His white light to those around you. Join me in making it our passion to love and pursue God, giving everything to Him. Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!
Is Jesus' Heavenly Father really Lord & Master of your life & church?	[ moderator_chat ]	Friday 11 December 11:38
Is Jesus' Heavenly Father really Lord and Master of your life, and your church? How many Christians have concluded that God doesn't speak or intervene in their lives, and that seeking God “in person” is a waste of time? How many Christians literally believe that the “Word of God” is the Bible? How many churches are set up to operate in such a manner that the men and women in charge can make decisions without consulting with God? Is the church engaged to Jesus, or is has she given up on that courtship, and is pursuing another? I can tell you the truth – Christ is coming back, and many in the church will not be ready for him. Many have already died without Him as their Lord and Master. It is easy to tell which churches are ruled by men, rather than by God – these churches stand out in the news as they make major theological changes that are contrary to scripture. Since they rationalize that God no longer speaks in person, they can contain Him in a box (or book!), and then alter that box to suit their own desires such as power, acceptance of their sin, recognition, and emotional compensation. God is not the Lord of that church – they have fashioned another god in His place. It is a sham that such people still call themselves Christians, because they certainly do not follow Christ. But the church is made up of people like you and me... My own fear is that if I listen to all God has to say, I will not like some part of it. So I selectively obey God. I read the Bible instead of seeking Him in person, because I am afraid of what He may say or ask from me. I see God as a threat to my lifestyle, and the security of my future, which I am trying to build up. And what is the result? My life lacks purpose and direction – it has spurts of brilliance, but is not burning constantly bright – I am missing the mark and not fulfilling the complete purpose God has for me. And like the church I am part of, I may go off and begin serving myself. The book of James chapter 4 says, 4 Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? 6 But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. So the spirit of God is in mankind, naturally drawing us to Him like water returns to the oceans. We can distract ourselves, and pretend many things, but the truth is unavoidable – we were made for a purpose, and only in God our creator can that purpose be properly met. I fear God. But this isn't the kind of healthy fear of one who knows God and trusts in Him fully – mine is more of a self-serving fear – it's a fearfulness of how God threatens my self-serving nature. It's a fear that God puts my little empire at risk, because I didn't build that empire (fully) at His direction. I may have built on the wrong foundation. Let's name some fears: Will my retirement be stable, peaceful, and offer me financial flexibility to party when I want ? Will God ask me to do something that prevents me from watching my TV show tonight ? Will God ask me to use my money in some way other than for the widescreen TV I was dreaming of ? Will my wife tolerate being uprooted when God calls me to relocate to India for His sake ? Will I lose my job and be laughed at when I become more vocal about the reality of God's impact on my life at work ? Will the world hunt me down as I become a threat to their complacency when I serve the living God and respond dynamically, daily, to his leadership in my life ? See the trend? Every fear is self-serving. I want to serve myself more than I want to serve God. And I will tell you that the world is very afraid of true servants of God. It is because they don't understand God's nature (or maybe they do) – like me, they sense a threat to their empires and personal “freedoms”. And this is the same threat Satan sees, and so he works against God. What is the nature of God? I think we inherently perceive it – God is not selfless as we are. He is far more self-sacrificing than we are normally willing to be. He set aside his glory and kingship to be born in mud and filth, to parents of very little means – and you know what else He did. That is an intense love, and He calls us to love Him, and to love others like He does. You know, people of the world will kill a loving servant of God to protect their empires. Those loving servants of God are quite unpredictable – they could be labeled a terrorist threat. Loss of life for God...yeah, I keep bringing that up. I got a little self-preservation thing goin' on... do you too ? So where does the courage to serve God come from? It is easy in concept. We can serve Him in law, but He prefers we serve Him in love. This is the kind of love that draws a woman to a man before and during marriage – selfless, consuming, joyful, fulfilling. The courageous part comes in making the decision to pursue that relationship – to make the eternal commitment that because God shows His love for me, I will love Him back. Yes, He is the love initiator – that is a sure thing. The relationship will never crumble due to a lack on His part. So it seems this courage to fully serve God as Lord and Master comes from the love and trust we have in Him. How can He be fully Lord of my life, where I will risk everything for Him? A friend of mine reminded me that participating in the Lordship of God is an ongoing process. We fall down, we get up (with God's power). The key is to not forsake the relationship with God. Pursue Him! Looking back, we can see where we've been – there is evidence of a life that lacks purpose and direction. But God has shown us His love, and we are faced with a jump of faith, trusting in His character. Let's both take the jump, because Jesus says “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Let us demonstrate the Lordship of God in our lives by seeking Him in person (in mind and spirit), obeying, and pursuing Him constantly!
Google stops censoring Christian ads	[ cu ]	Friday 19 September 08:56
Many people have been getting critical of Google, the dominant search engine, simply because it's so big. Others have complained that people have no privacy anymore, because Google search can reveal shocking amounts of personal information about individuals. (Which is hardly fair to Google, since it's not the only search engine in the world, just the most popular. If it wasn't around, people would still be using AltaVista or Yahoo or something.) What I haven't seen people complaining about is the potential for Google to censor the Internet, by deciding what information users may or may not see. In March, Google refused to show ads about abortion placed by the Christian Institute. (more)
Time for Revival	[ healing ]	Monday 01 September 09:25
The glory of Jesus of Nazareth was displayed in his earthly ministry when he changed water into wine. He displayed this glory and told us it was our inheritance in the kingdom of God here on earth. John 20 relates that if all of his miracles were written about that john didnt suppose the earth would be able to contain the books.... this was 3 years of miracle ministry. This is what Jesus left us.This glory. His kingdom on earth. With Pentacost came even more. Shadows healed and tongues were spoken for first time. Focus on this glory part of the Christ. Its this that will heal and do miracles. Dont strive. Just focus and accept like the shepherds... simple child like way. Its our inheritance on earth God bless