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CSI Good News
(Church of South India Good News)
Vol. 4 / Issue 44 / December 12 2002
Contents of this issue
Editorial
Is Bible infallible? (Part - 5)
Jesus’ purpose of coming on earth
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
Soon we are going to celebrate Christmas. What is the story behind Christmas? Why is there so much importance to a poor boy born in a manger? Oh, well, this boy who was born in a manger wasn’t the ordinary boy like any other boys. Though He possessed all the riches and glory yet He came down to this world taking a human form leaving behind all the wealth, glory and majesty. He humbled Himself and took birth in a poor home not for His welfare or to show a model but to save the lost humanity. He came down in this world to save us from eternal damnation. He became poor so that we may become rich.
Many think that those who are wealthy and blessed with good material things need not much attention. But Jesus said in Rev 3:17-18, "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”
Once I heard from one woman who was born in America in a rich home and who became a missionary in Africa. She always hated rich people and always thought that they do not need anything in their lives. But one day Jesus asked her to see rich people with the eyes of Jesus. And Jesus also showed her the miserable condition in which these rich people were. She saw a vision that, these rich people had everything –good clothes, big, beautiful and luxurious homes. But when she saw the same people with the eyes of Jesus, she saw that they were wearing rags and their shoes had holes. They were as poor and miserable as ordinary poor and miserable people. Then only she realized that rich people also needed Jesus, no matter how wealthy they may be.
Very often we forget that rich and wealthy people are not exceptional compared to poor people. They also face the same problem of sin and sufferings that a poor person face. And they also need salvation and the healing touch of Jesus Christ who came down in this world for every person irrespective of caste, creed, religion, color or race. That’s why Jesus said, “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”
Yes, Jesus came in this world to give us riches and glory by removing the shame of sin and guilt. He is ready to bless your life today, He is ready to wipe away your spiritual poverty and shame. He came for the very purpose to make you rich and blessed. I wish and pray that in this Christmas let this Holy child be born in your hearts and in your homes and make you rich.
Is Bible infallible? (Part - 5)
By Vinod Isaac
So far we explored four areas of Genesis account.
1. Eye Witness account
2. Material evidence
3. Purpose and Attachment and
4. Existence of evil
In all of these so far we see that the evidence is overwhelming. Today we are going to dig little more deeper and look into the area of "Impact of Evil".
Gen 4:7 "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
Genesis 4:7 very clearly describes that the most severe Impact of sin was that man lost acceptance in the sight of God. I heard this question time and again doubting why would a loving God send people to hell? Answer is, “it is not God who sends us to hell but it is our sin that takes us to hell.” Genesis 4:7 is the first verse in the Bible that uses the word ‘sin’ and this verse gives us some of the great insights about today's human misery.
Last time we had seen that this verse gives us the very definition of evil and gives us overwhelming evidence that the existence of sin in today's world is consistent with the description of Gen 4:7 hence Genesis defines evil in the most accurate terms.
Abel and Cain both brought an offering before the Lord. Cain's offering was rejected because of his sin but Abel's offering was accepted because of his righteousness. Now Cain is angry in the very same way, as many times people get angry with God for their own faults. God asks him why he is angry.
Gen 4:6 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
In this context God is trying to make him understand that it was his fault and that he needed to get himself corrected. When people say "I don't believe that such a loving God will send people to hell", they forget that sin has it's consequences and that there is no way a Holy God can close His eyes and just ignore sin. If He ignores sin then He will not be justified as ‘just God’. Because it is not fair to let sinner go unpunished.
So because God is ‘just God’ and as sin and God cannot go together, man becomes unacceptable to God because of sin. Now the liberal theologians will say, “I don't believe that”. My answer is, “whether you believe or not, rule is rule, and your not believing can not change the rule.”
Even today consciously or unconsciously humans follow this rule. If you commit crime you go to jail. You are no longer acceptable in society. But because humans are unjust this rule is not implemented fairly. God is just and so a person can't escape by giving false testimony or false evidences.
Who are likely to be charged in the justice system of God? Answer is, ‘All’. Rom 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Again in Rom 3:10,11 Bibles makes it very clear that all are sinners. There is none righteous.
Rom 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;
Rom 3:11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
Now the theologians/pastors who try to keep their position, or try to become acceptable in a political system or try to become honorable among people, give people a blanket clemency that they are all ok and that they are great people. Some even declare that they are all saved while knowing very well that these people are living in sin. In other words they try to make a mockery of God. It is contrary to the Word of God. God does not support such claims. If today a liberal theologian have to walk down to Cain, he/she will say, “Cain you are the greatest person in the whole world. You are the champ buddy.” But the fact is Cain is a sinner and he needs to do well otherwise sin lies at the door and the sting of sin produces death. Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death."
So if I go and tell Cain that he is doing ok, what I am doing is that I am encouraging him to sin more and ultimately get the death penalty. Sin brings such a horrible conclusion in the life of a person. Impact of sin is horrible, it's consequences are horrible.
God did not stop there. He loves you and me so much that he made a way out of this horrible situation. He sent His only begotten son to this world, so that whoever believes in the son shall not perish but have everlasting life. Isn't it wonderful? Jesus came down to this earth to save those who are lost.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Mat 18:11 "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
The very purpose of Jesus coming into this world was to save people from their sins. And if today pastors/theologians teach that sin is ok. Don't worry about it. Just help the poor and needy you will be fine. Then they are insulting Lord Jesus Christ.
Mat 1:21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
God takes the impact of sin very seriously that is why He even was ready to pay the price - His beloved Son's death on the cruel cross. He wanted people to get out of their sin at any cost. And He gave away to death His most precious thing the only begotten of God.
Sin had impact on the human beings making them unacceptable in the sight of God. But Son of the living God, Lord Jesus Christ came down so that we can receive our lost status back, so that we can become acceptable in the sight of God.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13 says that we can become children of God by receiving Jesus.
Are you ready to receive Jesus in your heart today? Do you want to say to Him that you have sinned so far by ignoring sin. And committing sin yourself? Do you want to take up the challenge God put before Cain "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" Do you want to do good?
Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse you with His precious blood that He shed on the cross for you. Tell Him that you will live for Him from today.
Or you can use this prayer.
Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. I also believe that your blood can cleanse me from all my sins. I come to you today as I am. Please cleanse me and make me a new person. Please come into my heart. Please change my life. Be my Lord and my savior from today. I ask in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus’ purpose of coming on earth
By Sherly Isaac
Hebrew 2:14-15, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
The above verse tells us that Jesus came to destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Many ask, “Is it not God who created death?” The answer is “no”. It is not God who created death but when Adam and Eve sinned against God, God punished them. And one of the punishments was, “Death”. Genesis 3rd chapter talks in detail that how death and destruction came in this world. There was no death or destruction before the sin of Adam and Eve. God gave them authority over everything but the serpent stole that authority from them. God gave them blessings and good life but devil stole those blessings and good life. God gave them eternal life but devil stole that from them and made their lives miserable. Because of one man’ disobedience death and destruction came in this world.
If today we see death and destruction, it is not because God created it but because our parents sinned against God and disobeyed His commandment and hence punishment of God came upon them. Bible says in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” But salvation came through Christ as we read in Rom 5:15, “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.”
Jesus came to destroy death and destruction. Though He is God still He loved us so much that He came down in the form of a man. So that every human being should get eternal life. Bible says in Proverbs 8:36, “But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death." And in Proverbs 8:35, “For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD.”
Jesus came in this world to give us life – eternal life. While you are in this world accept Him as your Lord and Savior otherwise sure death is waiting for you. God does not want you to die but live forever. He says in Ezekiel 18:23, "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”
Moses asked the people to choose life as we read in Deuteronomy 30:19, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”
Yes, it is your choice whether to choose life or death, heaven or hell, eternal blessings or eternal punishment. What would you choose today? It is my prayer that, in this Christmas you may choose life.
Prayer Request
I am in need of your prayer. I have been receiving endless blessings from our God
Almighty. I am studying B.E.(cse) final year in MepcoSchlenk Engineering College. I have applied for GRE AND TOEFL examinations that is due on 18th and 24th of this month.But i haven't got the passport which is the hall ticket yet. I am very much worried about it. Please pray for the quick arrival of passport. I haven't prepared for the exam. I am very much frightened to face the exam. I don't know how i will do the exam. I find the syllabus very tedious. Please pray that i should write my exams well and come out in flying colours.
Diana
My request is get out of my depression, help me in my financial and job crisis. Help me to find the right person in a loving and warm relationship. Help me to regain my happiness and stay focused on God. I thank God for all he has brought me through thus far, but somewhere down the road I have lost my way depending on addictions. Help me Father!
Blanche
Please pray that Mohammed, myself and my children are reunited now, that we have a happy home, life and future together, all of us serving our Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus name.Thank you God. Please God, the children are really believing you for this.
Thank you.
Maria
Lord, I pray that my husband will get custody of his beloved daughter Alissa.
Mrs. Wider
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.
 
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