A STEP FORWARD
Greetings in the Name of Jesus ChristThe end of a year and the beginning of a new year brings mixed emotions. It is a good time to reflect on the year that is ending and to look forward to the year that is soon to begin. It is a good time for us to turn our thoughts towards making changes, setting new goals, and looking forward to positive possibilities waiting in the coming New Year. It is also a good time for us to take inventory of our walk with the Lord. We need to honestly examine ourselves and see where we have been, where we are and where the Lord wants us to be – a year end cleansing process which would help us to decide what is to be retained and what is to be given up in our lives. With Gratitude for the blessings of 2011, we have to reset our minds on Godly actions that bring glory to Him. Along with the change in year, our actions too should change for which we should take a very close look at where we are in our relationship with Him. § A deeper knowledge of Jesus, (Colossians 3:10)§ A clean, holy life, (Colossians 3:5-9)§ Godly virtues, (Colossians 3:12-17)§ Holiness in our domestic life, (Colossians 3:18-21)§ Holiness in our social life, (Colossians 3:22-4:1)§ An effective prayer life – (Colossians 4:2)§ A fruitful witness – (Colossians 4:3-6)In other words, we are to live like Jesus lived, (1 John 2:6). We have to live out the fruit of the Spirit in our lives day by day, (Galatians 5:22-23). We are challenged to live out our lives with genuine spiritual values, and not the values of a fallen world. We must direct our attention to the spiritual and the heavenly, to become enabled to live a heavenly, holy and God-honoring life in this world.We have to allow a heavenly perspective to govern our earthly walk! Every decision, every activity, every plan and purpose is to be considered in the light of eternity. Everything is to be laid out before the Lord and considered not from an earthly perspective, but from a Heavenly perspective. This is possible because of our Lord’s presence in Heaven. From His place at the Father’s right hand, Jesus makes intercession for us and He gives us all that we need to live for Him in this world, (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:31-34). Only this can bring the much desired peace and happiness into our lives.Destiny does not change with the change in year. Along with the change in year, our actions too should change for the better. The New Year does not bring anything new with it unless fresh and sacred thoughts originate in our hearts at the turn of a year.As we prepare to enter a New Year, may the Lord help us to realize who we are and what we have in Jesus. May that realization change our walk for His glory!
-- Beena
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Friday, December 30, 2011
MIGRATION: GOD’S MISSION WITH A VISION--
Throughout the history of God’s people, God has accomplished God’s mission by moving people from land to land. According to the Bible, the Nature of God, is that of one who dwells among the people and also one who travels with his people. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses are a few with whom God travelled in their journey of life. The History of Israel in Old Testament testifies that God works among the migrating generation. In the New Testament, Jesus promised that His church was to be His witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (ref. Acts 1:8). The first believers migrated and were scattered because of the persecution against the church in Jerusalem. So, “those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (ref.Acts 8:4). Philip went to Samaria, and there are many oral traditions that record the apostles traveling to faraway places to preach the word (Thomas to India, Barnabas back to Cyprus, etc.). The exponential growth of the Early Church depended on scattered believers reaching out to pockets of immigrant population around the ancient world. Many of the apostles focused their ministry among pockets of migrant Jews throughout Asia Minor and Rome. Paul’s strategy in Asia Minor, while intended to target the Gentiles, started at the synagogues of the immigrant Jews in places like Derbe, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth (ref.Acts 16-18).In Europe alone, several works have been started because of immigrants who, having received Christ and His message of holiness in their homeland, have taken the message to the new lands in which they have been planted. Examples abound: In Portugal, the church was started with and by immigrants from Cape Verde; in France, the church was started by immigrants from Martinique, Haiti, and Egypt; in Spain, the core of the Church of the Nazarene today is composed primarily of immigrants from Latin America. In those cases Nazarenes from mature mission fields have migrated to other parts of the world and they have taken the message and the doctrine along. This is also true for the church in America. Global migration therefore is not a new phenomenon. Most successful missionary movements have included a migratory element. Several conclusions can be drawn from Scripture, history, and the recent global realities of cross-migration. The most important one is that God has chosen the mobility of people as one of the ways to accomplish God’s mission. .The Madras Marthoma Syrian Church has the distinction of being the first parish of the church outside Kerala established 75 years ago with about 60 migrants from the neighbouring state of Kerala. Subsequently over the years the number of migrants have increased.How have we been instruments of God’s revival and spiritual renewal ? Have we accomplished God’s mission in our migration? These are issues we need focus upon as we continue to gain strength and insight from God to carry the torch forward in lighting the world around us with the light of His Word. with regards Sajesh Achen
Throughout the history of God’s people, God has accomplished God’s mission by moving people from land to land. According to the Bible, the Nature of God, is that of one who dwells among the people and also one who travels with his people. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses are a few with whom God travelled in their journey of life. The History of Israel in Old Testament testifies that God works among the migrating generation. In the New Testament, Jesus promised that His church was to be His witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (ref. Acts 1:8). The first believers migrated and were scattered because of the persecution against the church in Jerusalem. So, “those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (ref.Acts 8:4). Philip went to Samaria, and there are many oral traditions that record the apostles traveling to faraway places to preach the word (Thomas to India, Barnabas back to Cyprus, etc.). The exponential growth of the Early Church depended on scattered believers reaching out to pockets of immigrant population around the ancient world. Many of the apostles focused their ministry among pockets of migrant Jews throughout Asia Minor and Rome. Paul’s strategy in Asia Minor, while intended to target the Gentiles, started at the synagogues of the immigrant Jews in places like Derbe, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth (ref.Acts 16-18).In Europe alone, several works have been started because of immigrants who, having received Christ and His message of holiness in their homeland, have taken the message to the new lands in which they have been planted. Examples abound: In Portugal, the church was started with and by immigrants from Cape Verde; in France, the church was started by immigrants from Martinique, Haiti, and Egypt; in Spain, the core of the Church of the Nazarene today is composed primarily of immigrants from Latin America. In those cases Nazarenes from mature mission fields have migrated to other parts of the world and they have taken the message and the doctrine along. This is also true for the church in America. Global migration therefore is not a new phenomenon. Most successful missionary movements have included a migratory element. Several conclusions can be drawn from Scripture, history, and the recent global realities of cross-migration. The most important one is that God has chosen the mobility of people as one of the ways to accomplish God’s mission. .The Madras Marthoma Syrian Church has the distinction of being the first parish of the church outside Kerala established 75 years ago with about 60 migrants from the neighbouring state of Kerala. Subsequently over the years the number of migrants have increased.How have we been instruments of God’s revival and spiritual renewal ? Have we accomplished God’s mission in our migration? These are issues we need focus upon as we continue to gain strength and insight from God to carry the torch forward in lighting the world around us with the light of His Word. with regards Sajesh Achen
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