 |
Text Size: A | A | A | A
Join us in Facebook:
CSI Good News
(Church of South India Good News)
Vol. 2 / Issue 22 / July 6 2000
Contents of this issue
Editorial
I am the Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end
Living Water
Prayer Request
News Items (Common to all issues) :
Through the Valley of Death & other Books
Download Articles in Handheld Computers
Kids Page - Free Tutorials
Hindi / Malayalam/Tamil Bible Online
Your Spam Folder
Your Feedback
Editorial
By Sherly Isaac
Psalms 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."
Way of life:
Psalmist says that the word of God is a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. These are the living words of God that will show you the path of life. Once a person was going in the deep forest of Africa. Light was rarely reaching to the ground because of the thickness of forest. He lost the way in the midst of the forest and he got afraid and thought, "what to do now, where to go?" Immediately his guide said, do not be afraid but follow me. He had a torch in his hand and he went before him. The man followed him and reached to the end of forest safely.
That’s what Jesus said, follow me. Jesus said in John 10:27-29, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand." And also Jesus said in John 14:6, Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
There is only one way to heaven i.e. Jesus. If you have not yet known this way of life then come to Jesus and He will show you the way of life, eternal life.
Light in darkness:
Word of God is light for those who are walking on the dark ways of life. If you go through the darkness it will be a light in your path and show you the light so that you may never stumble. It would be like a torch.
Psalmist says in Psalms 23:4, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
His words bring prosperity in our lives:
We read an instance in Luke 5:1-7 that Jesus said to Simon Peter to launch out his nets into the deep. But Peter answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." But when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
When we do according to His words, prosperity comes in our lives because He only knows what would be best for us in which time. We can not know by our limited mind but God can. Peter and his friends were fisherman from childhood and they knew which is the best place to launch their net. They worked whole night very hard but they could not get a single fish. But when they heard the words of Jesus they could get big numbers of the fish. Yes, Many a times we fail to listen to His voice. Many times we want to do according to our own will but we fail miserably. But if we do according to His words we can be prosperous in our lives. That’s why God said to Joshua in Joshua 1:8, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
If you want prosperity in all your ways and if you want good success in your life you must read and meditate on His words and listen to His words.
I am the Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end
By Sheela Isaac
When God created this earth and the whole universe Lord Jesus was with Him all the time. Bible refers about Jesus as Word, Wisdom, Son of God and so on....
If we read John 1:1-3, these verses say about Lord Jesus. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "He was in the beginning with God." "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." Again in Proverb 8:30, "Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; "
These above verses say about Jesus Christ. Lord Himself said in Rev 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Rev 1:11, say, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,".............
The Whole earth and heaven and everything in it was created with the help of Jesus. He is the creator of everything. Whatever He created was perfect. There was no tears, no sickness, no sin, no worry and no death. Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden and they were very comfortable there. They did not have to go to work for money or bread. Everything looked fine.
But what happened to that perfect creation? Why today our world is different than what the Bible describes in the time of creation?
The reason is that sin entered in the life of Adam and Eve and the curse of sin came all over the world. Bible says, "wages of sin is death." (Rom 6:23). Sin has ruled all over the world and the result is in front of us. When God looked at His creation that was once perfect but now ruined, He might have been grieved over it. But God did not think, "let Me destroy the corrupted creation and make another good one." No He did not do so, but in great mercy He made a perfect plan for the redemption of fallen mankind. He sent His only Son Jesus Christ (who was in the beginning and who created everything) to this world to die for the sin of you and me.
He did everything to save fallen mankind. He bled and died on Calvary's Cross. Some months back I was reading in the newspaper about the pathetic end of a person who was in Indian plane and who was stabbed to death by Highjackers. They cut his throat several times, and blood was oozing out and he was dying slowly. And the people who were eyewitness said "how he was crying for water all the time, and how he suffered for more than 3 hours before the end came. How horrible it was, how painful it might have been to die slowly with terrible pain.
Think about Lord Jesus who created the whole universe, who is all in all, who is almighty, all powerful, whose one word could shake the wilderness of kadesh, whose one word could bring the whole world into existence, but now He submitted Himself to die that also very painful death on the cruel Cross to save you and me. He died for you and me, He paid the price for our redemption, He did everything to save you and me from HELL.
Now the question is, what is your response? He did His part, but you have to do your part now? Today in the Christian world the talk is going on, from pulpit, from people I heard it over and over again that Jesus died and did everything so we have a place in heaven. That is a lie from devil. Devil has blinded the eyes saying, "you are going to Church, you are in Christian family so every thing is ok." But you know food is ready, it is on table but if you sit in front of it thinking everything is ok, you will sit there hours and hours and still be starving. If you do not take food and put it in your mouth and swallow it, you will be sitting there only saying everything is ok.
When I was a child I heard several times about believing in God. I was so confused I used to ask a question to my dad "what should I do to reach heaven." You know what my dad used to say "do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord, that's it, because Bible says without Holy Spirit no one can call Jesus as Lord." But it never and never could satisfy me. I was thinking that's not the right answer for my question, because I do not see any change in my life, I do not get any special peace or so.....
One day I was reading some testimonies. It said how they got saved and how their life changed. They all had similar experience, "such and such a day I accepted Lord Jesus as my Savior." When I read that I was thinking "though I am born in a Christian family, but I do not have such experience." That day I prayed, "Lord I don't know what it is and how to get this experience, but I really need this change in my life." I am so thankful to God that one day I got the real experience of Salvation and things did change. And I know and know and know for sure that this is the real experience of forgiveness of sin. It is not an emotional experience, or some philosophy, but a reality. It comes by repentance from sins, it comes by admitting that I am a sinner and am in need of a Savior.
Yes my friend, you may be in a Christian family but you need this real experience which changes a person to new creation entirely. If you are still in doubt, if you say, "I don't know for sure" it means you need this experience. Think about it, you know what you are. No one else can tell you about yourself, but only you. If you are not sure about your eternity, fall at the feet of Jesus and ask that assurance, ask forgiveness of sin and let me tell you, you will never regret it.
He is Alpha and Omega. He is beginning and the end. Remember He has created you, He died for your redemption and now He will come to judge you. One day you are going to stand at His judgement throne. That day you have to give account. That day no one will be helping you, no not your father, mother or spouse. You will be all alone to give reply for everything you have done on this earth. Think about it? Will you stand before your creator as a blameless person or as a guilty person. It is upto you. Decide today itself.
Pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus I do not know where I am going. I am not sure whether I have a place in heaven or not. Please come into my heart. Make me your child, wash away my sins with your precious blood and forgive me. I want to reach heaven in any case. Please help me. Today I accept you as my Lord, as my Savior, as my King, as my everything. In Jesus name I pray Amen.
May God help you.
Living Water
By Sherly Isaac
John 7:38, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
Accept Jesus who is the source of Living Water:
Water brings life in our lives. Without water we can not even imagine of life or survival. When rain does not fall for many days then soil dries out and plants die without water. May be your life is dried out today because of the stress in your lives. Because of the problems you are facing may be, you are thinking that there is no way out. But if you look to Jesus who is the living water, He can remove all the stressful and draught situations from your life. He can give you the living water so that you may not got dried out but live an abundant life, a life which is promised by almighty God, a life full of peace, joy and happiness.
Living water will flow from your life:
Jesus promised to give the living water. We read a story in John chapter 4. Jesus being wearied from His journey, He sat by the well of Jacob. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." And she says to Jesus, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
You may have been saved from your sins, but still you need the living water in your life to survive in this world and to live a holy life and to fight with the powers of darkness. When you are connected with the source of the living water, it will gush out from your life. It will flow like a river. But the questions is, have you received this living water, which is Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to give His Holy Spirit to those who believe as we read in John 7:39, "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." After Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit as we read in Acts 2:4, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Yes, this is the living water, once you will get this you will never thirst. You need not to go searching for joy but joy will come into your heart. And the water that Jesus shall give will become in us a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. if you have not yet got the living water in your life if the living water is not flowing from your life, your life is a dried out life. You need this living water in your life.
It will give life to others:
When you receive this life where the living water is flowing you can not keep quiet. And when you go and tell about the mighty deeds of the Lord which He has done in your life, then others also will get this wonderful life through you. We read in John 4:39, "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." That woman went to her village and told about the things which Jesus told her and many believed and got everlasting life.
It will bring fruit:
Not only will the living water flow from your life, not only will others get life from your life but the living water will transform your life and your life will be a fruitful one. You will bring fruits as the Bible says in Psalms 1:3, "He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper."
Yes, your life will not be like a dried one or stressful one but filled with His peace and joy. And you shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season and whose leaf also shall not wither.
God wants to give this type of life, if you have not yet got this life, then this is the time to have this wonderful life. Its enough you lived in your problems, tears and sorrows. Its enough you lived in draught. Now is the time to come out from your draught and receive the living water. And live a life that is incomparable to anything!
Prayer Request
Please pray for our meeting in Maharastra State in August in the villages for many disciples for Christ. Please also pray for our pastor's training conference in New Bombay in Oct.
Rev. Wilson Clarke
Please pray for Bro. S Sankara Narayanan who is doing ministry in India. May the good Lord use him mightily so that he may be a blessing for many. He is also facing some problems in his family life. Please pray that God may help him to come out from all his problems.
Through the Valley of Death & other Books
As many of you know that in the year 2005, our dad was very sick even unto death. God miraculously healed him. We have compiled it in a book form. I sure believe that it will inspire you and encourage you greatly.
This book is available for purchase at JasmineCorp Store
Also read these two books by Sherly Isaac "Allah and Elohim - Are they the same God" Available at JasmineCorp Store, and "Is Jesus God?" Available at JasmineCorp Store,
Both books compares the Bible and the Quran and read eye opening facts about Jesus, God of the Bible, Allah and Islamic faith. I am sure that you want to read this.
Download Articles in Handheld Computers
You can now download articles in Palm Doc format for your palm handheld computer. It will work with any devise that has Palm OS and Palm Doc Reader installed. To download click on the link named "Palm Doc Format" i.e. at the top of this page by the side of each articles.
Kids Page - Free Tutorials
Now you can learn Graphics and web designing online at Kid's page. These tutorials are free for kids who subscribe for CSI Kids Newsletter. Currently tutorials for Paint Shop Pro, HTML and Dreamweaver are available.
So please enroll your kids by going to http://kids.csinewsletter.org/member/join.asp
And visit CSI Kid's page at http://kids.csinewsletter.org
Hindi / Malayalam/Tamil Bible Online
Now you can read Bible in Hindi online at http://www.hindibible.org
in Malayalam online at http://www.malayalambible.org
in Tamil online at http://www.hindibible.org?ver=tamil
Your Spam Folder
If you are getting this newsletter in your bulk/junk/Spam folder please hit the "not junk" or "not spam" button so that you could receive it in your mailbox. Also adding news@csinewsletter.com email address into your contact list can avoid this email from ending up in your bulk folder.
Your Feedback
Your feedback and comments are Welcome. Please send your Parish news & articles to Editor (Sherly N. Isaac) at this address News@csinewsletter.comThe messages submitted will be checked whether they are correct according to the word of God. Editor reserves the right to accept, reject or edit the messages. The writers are responsible for the contents of their writings.
 
|
