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CSI Good News
(Church of South India Good News)
Vol. 4 / Issue 49 / January 16 2003
Contents of this issue
Editorial
Why Sacrifice was needed? II
Prayer Request
An Appeal from Aaron Achen
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
Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Jesus claimed that which no one else claimed in history so far nor will in the future. In the above verse Jesus explicitly said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life", it means that there is no other way except Jesus. If anybody wants to go to heaven, there is only one way and that is Jesus. Like vise, there is no other truth except Jesus and there is no one else who can give us life except Jesus because He is life.
In the above verse Jesus made it very clear that He is the only way and no one can go to heaven except through Him. For example if you want to go to Canada from USA, you have to take the exact flight which is destined to Canada. If you think, "I will go to airport and get into any plane and I will reach Canada", but it would be a great mistake." It is possible that you may not reach your correct destination. And if you are driving and if you think, "I would go to my garage, take my car and drive taking any road I find, as all the roads will lead me to Canada." Then you may be only circling around your home and may be never reach Canada. The bottom line is, if you want to reach a particular destination, you have to make sure that the way you have chosen leads to your destination. Otherwise there is no chance of reaching your destination.
Once we were on the way to New York. We had computer printed maps but there was something wrong in that map. So we lost our way. Though we reached New York at 7 P.M., we had to go on circling in express way for more than 4 hours. We were tired and disappointed and it seemed as if we were lost forever. We had no clue of how to reach our destination. That's what happens when you do not have a correct map or if you do not know the correct route for your destination. But many think that no matter what they believe or no matter what way they choose they will finally reach heaven. No, my friend, there is no other way except Jesus. If you want to go to heaven you have to choose Jesus. If you choose other ways, you will never reach heaven. Of course there are many who will tell you of other ways. Few days back I got an email listing some questions and answers with twisted Bible verses. The author of email tried to prove that Jesus is not the only way but Mohammed and other are also ways to heaven. When I compared that email and Bible verses from the Bible, I found it very deceiving and very twisting. Mohammed the founder of Islam died in fear and without hope, not knowing where he will end up. If you ask any Muslim, they will tell you the same thing that they are between fear and hope. They do not know whether they will reach heaven or hell.
Mohammed said to his own daughter in Hadith that he cannot save anybody not even his daughter. As we read in Hadith:
Abu Huraira related that when the verse, "Cause thy near relatives to fear," was revealed to the Prophet of Islam, the Prophet arose and began to proclaim: "Oh people of the Quraysh, and you sons of Abdul Manaf, and you Abbas, son of Abdul Muttalib, and you, Safiyyah my aunt, I cannot save you from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection. Take care of yourself, O my daughter Fatimah; you may use my property, but I cannot save you from God. Take care of yourself" (Bukhari).
Hadith records that while Mohammed was alive and was in this world, he saw some visions and in that he saw people in heaven and hell but he himself had no assurance of reaching heaven. Buddha had the same fate who could not show the way to his followers. So did others who tried to show the way but failed miserably. The reason was simple that they themselves could not find the true way. But look to Jesus who said with all authority, "I am the way, the truth and the life, No one comes to the Father except through Me." And in many other places Jesus said that He would give eternal life and assurance of heaven to those who believe on Him.
Yes, a blind person who himself is groping in the dark cannot show the way to others nor could he lead others in the right way. Jesus is the way to heaven. He wants us to live with Him forever. That's why He came in this world and gave His life for us so that we may never die but have eternal life through His shed blood.
Why Sacrifice was needed? II
By Sherly Isaac
From the last few weeks I was watching John Ankerberg show on TV where he invited world-renowned scholars like Jamal Badawi and Anis Shorrosh to have debate on Islam and Christianity. And Muslim scholars kept on insisting that Islam does not believe in blood sacrifice and the most funny things was that at the same time, they maintained their position that Allah and God of the Bible are the same God. And when one of the Christian scholars gave the example of a just judge who would not leave a criminal without punishment, then the reply of the Muslim scholar was, "No matter how just the judge may be he will never kill his son to pardon a criminal."
Well, I grew up in India where the deadliest snake called cobra is found widely. They can come in your home and bite you. If this venomous snake bites a person, the person will die within a few hours. To save him someone put his/her mouth at the place where the person was bitten and suck the venom out. That was the only remedy for snakebite till a few years back. And if you see your loved one dying before your eyes, you will do anything to save his/her life. That's not sacrificing unwillingly but the love that makes you to sacrifice anything.
A Few months back one Muslim brother who was converted to Christianity and was working among Muslims and Hindus in South India was beaten up by a group of ten people. He had head injury and he was at the brink of losing his eyesight. Doctors had no answers for his eye problem. The whole family were facing do or die situation. His children who are under twelve years took fast for three days without any food and water. The result was that at the end of their fast the girl suffered giddiness and boy was unable to speak. But God of compassion was moved with compassion and did a mighty miracle and healed him. No one forced his children to take fast and even their parents did not know that. Why did they take fast? Nothing but love, that compelled them to sacrifice their food for their father.
That's what Jesus did for us. When He saw that we human beings cannot come out of our sins by ourselves and eternal death was sure for us, He could not see us dying because of our sins. He could not see us dying and going to hell fire. That was the love that brought Him down in this world. He said, "Father, let Me go down and save them." And He came down to die for us. He gave His precious life for us so that we could live eternally. Bible says in Heb 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."
To destroy death and the bondage of fear of death, it was necessary that pure, innocent and holy blood should be shed. Jesus came in this world for the very purpose. He said in John 10:17-18,"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."
Yes, my friend, Jesus gave His life for us and shed His precious blood on the cruel cross so that the venom of sin should be removed from our system and that we may never die. His blood is available for us today. Accept it, that's the only medicine for you if you want to escape death and eternal destruction. That's the only medicine to remove the venom of sin from your system. Otherwise, sure death awaits you. Choice is yours.
Prayer Request
Please pray for me to get a job that I will be able to pay my bills My unemployment ran out.
Maxine
I have eczema and it troubles be a lot. Most of all it troubles me at school because of the environment and P.E. I have tried many medicines but nothing seems to work. I hope that my faith in God and your prayers will help me.
Christopher
Please for the search of my life partner and also for God's guidance and help in my new job. I work in a Business School where I have to teach the students to market our distance learning programs of MBA and Finance related courses. I am looking out for my life partner for over few months now I am unable to decide about whom to go ahead with. Please do pray for this matter
Lawrence
An Appeal from Aaron Achen
I am an ordained minister from CSI Diocese of Vellore presently doing my further Theological studies in Minnesota, US. I will be completing my course by May 2003 but I have valid F1 visa until June 2007 and so I am looking forward for opportunities where I can gain more practical ministerial Experience in US..
I have gained 10 years of experience serving the Vellore Diocese as Pastor and the Youth board director, also Served in the Executive Committee, Medical Board, Education Board, Liturgical Board. I am aged 35 years married no issues at present and my wife is a Occupational Therapist. We both are willing to serve the lord together if there is any opportunity open to us through the CSI USA group of churches and in other related links..
Please contact
With much regards and blessings
yours in His Care
Aaron & Sheeba
aaronalfred@hotmail.com
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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