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Back to the Basics: Discipleship
Notes from a Bible Study led by Denny John

The dictionary defines paradigm as:

‘A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.’

In simpler words, it’s a context or an environment that gives meaning.

We’ll look into the whole concept of right and wrong; how we can choose what to believe and know what we believe is right. This involves three levels of interplay.

• To perceive
• Interpret what we perceive
• Our response to the interpretation

Influences on our Paradigm

Culture – It conditions us to tell normal apart from abnormal.

Family – All of us come from varying backgrounds.

Education – Our perspectives vary with our levels of education and exposure.

Personal experience – Siblings growing up in the same house, brought up by the same people are usually widely different in terms of character.

These factors are for us to be self-aware. From where do we derive most of our views and decisions? What defines what we believe and why we do what we do?

Reading the first eleven chapters of Romans, we are presented with the various doctrines that Paul has put before us. In chapter twelve he urges us to put these into practice. It is a call to commitment and a call to change.

Our challenge today is: What if our core beliefs are wrong? If so, where do we find the truth? For us believers we know we can find it in Jesus.

I am the way and the truth and the life. – Jesus

We experience Christ as a community and individually. Truth does not convince, but we choose to believe in it because we want to.

Hard Questions

• What is the predominant influence in my value system?
• Is there one thing I believe that could possibly be untrue?
• How would I respond to someone who thinks that my beliefs are false?

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Homosexuality: How do we approach a person living in sin?
Notes from a Bible Study led by John VC

References: Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:18,19

Homosexuality is not a sexual preference.

It’s an active choice made by most people; giving in to the hurts of the world. It’s important to realize why these people have made the choice to be homosexual.

Key reasons for homosexuality include:

• Absence of a same-sex role model
• Dominating opposite-sex parent
• Sexual abuse
• Broken homes
• Choice of instant gratification(Self control is a virtue!)

The Walk

What would a Christian response to your homosexual friends be?

Talk to them, helping them discover the real issue, and to guide them through it. It’s important to know that different people have differing capacities of God-given grace to handle situations and that we can fall back on our brothers and sisters in Christ for guidance and support.

Address the sin

An important disctincion to make here is to rebuke, but not condemn the person. People who tell you that they are homosexual are likely to be aware of the reason for it, too. The Bible makes NO allowances for homosexuality; it is a sin.

Flee from evil; don’t stand in a position where you’re vulnerable to sin.

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Back to the Basics: Discipleship
Notes from a Bible Study led by Denny John

What is Discipleship?

The dictionary defines discipleship as:

A person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower

Discipleship for a Christian is very different as compared to others. Why? Because of whom we follow.

What Does Discipleship Call Us to Do?

The Great Commission

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

The First Commission

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

Man was made in God’s own image. It’s about a lifestyle, the quality of our lives. We need to reflect the Master in our life. For the disciples, discipleship began when Jesus called them and they followed.

It is indeed very important for us to re-examine our foundations. It’s not about the conversions or strength or the membership but about who we follow and how we do it.

There is no discipleship outside obedience, and obedience to the one who bought us our freedom. In the midst of disobedience we are called to obey. (John 8:32-38)

Jesus’ agenda was – ‘I can do nothing without my Father’s will’.
Joseph; in spite of being sold as a slave to a foreign land by his own brothers was still diligent in obedience.
Daniel and his friends were obedient to the point of being thrown into the burning furnace; God came through for them.

God will always come through for each one of us if we stand up for him.

Ultimately, it is knowing who has called us and how we live a worthwhile life. A life of victory through obedience. Being saved and to stay saved by grace.

(Photo by elifb)

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How to Share Your Values Without Being Judgemental
Notes from a Bible Study led by John VC

References: Haggai 2:10, Galatians 5:2, Hebrews 2:1, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Issues We Dealt With

• Is it okay to watch movies with explicit scenes?
• Should homosexual parents be allowed to adopt children?
• A case study regarding the introduction of an abortion pill.

Questions that Arise

• How do you truly know your limits? How much is really enough? When do you stop? Draw the line?
• How do you get a person to understand that what he’s doing is sinful without pushing him away?
• Should abortion be the right of the mother? Or is it murder?

Takeaways

• We must demonstrate faith through love.
• There is no reason for guilt. Jesus did not die for us to let us live in guilt and fear. As we’ve said earlier, we need to be plugged into the power source. Constantly.
• With Christ in us we are free from the bondage of sin. By holding on to the law we reject the freedom to live by grace.
• Without hope, faith cannot endure.

Case Studies

Difficult_Issues.pdf Download this file

(Photo by jeff-bauche)

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The Rich Young Ruler
Notes from a Bible Study led by John VC

References: Matthew 19:16-24, Mark 10:17-23, Luke 18:18-25

Love for Riches > Love for God?

This account is narrated in almost the same way in these 3 Gospels

Answering the following will help you understand the portion better:

• Try to paint a picture of the rich young man in not more than 20 words.
• Which commandment did Jesus specifically refer to?
• Why was it so difficult for the rich young ruler when realization set it.?

Lessons

We see a very polite, respectful and eager young man who leaves Christ and goes away sorrowful. Why? The story makes it clear that he is young, and Luke tells us he is a ruler; possibly a magistrate or a Justice of the Peace.

In the parallel account in Mark, we are told that the young man came running up to Christ and knelt before him, indicating a sense of urgency and respect. He then shows submissiveness and a willingness to be taught when he addresses Jesus as Good Teacher.

The young ruler tells Christ that he has kept all the commandments since he was a child. What else should he do? Jesus does not contradict him. In Mark’s account, it says He looked at him and loved him. Possibly, this man was adept at keeping the letter of the law, but he was coming up short in abiding by the spirit of the law. Perhaps Jesus saw that he was absolutely sincere in his efforts to abide by those commandments. He says:

I’m keeping the commandments and have done well in that regard all my life. Show me where I’m coming up short.

Jesus sees he is sincere in his pursuit and it says he loved him. He loved him enough to tell him what he needed to hear, pointing to the one thing hindering him. The ruler said to Jesus what he thought he kept, Jesus told him what he did not. He probably thought he kept it all and would be commended, that there would be nothing to hinder him. However, Jesus puts his finger on just one thing—“Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.

God specifically refers one of the ten commandments:

You shall have no other gods before me.

If the young man did this, he would show his love for God. It would be greater than his love for his possessions. This would please God. Yet, the young ruler was unwilling to do this. His treasure was here on earth. To him the cost of eternal life was way too high. His worldly riches exerted a stronger tug on his heart than Christ did; the young man walks away sad.

Looking at the world we live in today; surrounded by our worldly pleasures and comforts, it’s upto each one of us to look for things in our life that hinder our relationship with God.

(Photo by talkephotography)

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Guard Your Hearts
Notes from a Bible Study led by Suhasini Sabrina

Reference: Galatians 5

Questions

Finding answers to the questions below will help you to understand the text better.

• Who wrote the Galatians, to whom and why?
• What is the only thing that matters in Christ?
• What happens when you use your freedom to please God?

• What are the two things that Christ has given us freedom from?
• What are the two things that are in conflict in us?
• List out the fruit of the Spirit?

• What is Christ’s gift to us and how can Christ’s gift lose its value for us?
• Why is it impossible to keep the Mosaic laws?
• Who kept the Galatians from following the truth?Why?

• What is it you give up on,trying to be righteous by keeping the law with all your strength?
• How can one misuse the freedom given by Christ?
• Sum up God’s word in a single sentence.

• Concerning the Galatians, what is Paul confident about through the insight he has from God?
• How can one escape from the strange power of law-dominated existence?
• What happens if you misuse the freedom from the law and sin against Christ?

The book of Galatians is one of the doctrinal foundation-stones of the New Testament. The book may be second in importance only to the book of Romans. It is said that Martin Luther lived in Romans and Galatians. The material may seem difficult to understand at times, but we must face the hard cold fact: without an understanding of this book, regardless of the difficulty of its' concepts, one would build his Christian doctrine on shifting sands.

We have been set free from the law by the salvation we have received in Jesus Christ. We have liberty, not that we have the right to do anything we want but that we have the right to do right. Our service and daily walk is motivated by love rather than fear of impending judgment. Verse thirteen tells us that in being called to liberty that we have not received a license to sin but that we are to use this liberty for spiritual things, serving each other motivated out of love.

Paul exposes in the last section of chapter five the arch-enemies of the Christian walk, the works of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit.

Making the Word a Part of You

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

• Talk to yourself. Talk positively; think along God’s lines.
• Don’t self pity.
• Read the God’s Word.
• Choose to be happy, positive.
• Be consistent in your faith.

(Photo by pluuuis)

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An excerpt from an article by Charles R Swindoll

Entertainment is everything today. So important, in fact, that we have television programs and magazines devoted solely to the subject. All of which makes it real difficult to be committed to substance rather than the superficial. This includes reading widely, probing deeply, seeing with discernment, rejecting the false, learning the facts. In short, thinking! What I’m pushing for is more who know what they believe, and why. Folks who can spot phony baloney before it hits the headlines … Folks who don’t wait to be told every move to make, who are challenged within to grow, to study, to learn. Such discernment never comes automatically. Thinking is hard work, but, oh, so rewarding. And so essential for survival…

Commentary on the article above by Abhishek Scariya

Let’s stop and think. Seriously. Think about how much we actually think these days! Much less than we ought to. A huge chunk of the information we consume comes through audio-visual media; television and the internet in particular. Something that relies on quick and perky content. There’s hardly any room here for any serious or truthful analysis. Added to that, as the author notes, entertainment has overshadowed all other forms of content that it’s not uncommon for a person to view everything in the world through its lenses. Ultimately what we know, say or do go through almost no filtering because it comes to us in the form of entertainment.

Take any movie for instance, or a TV show or popular song. Knowingly or unknowingly, the philosophy behind them (good or bad) creeps into our understanding of the world and inevitably plays an important factor in the decisions we take. For example, I saw the ‘The Expendables’ the other day. The bad guys are well established in the movie and as it progresses the brutal violence seems so ‘needed’ or ‘fulfilling’! or say the lyrics of a song which glorifies rebellion or hatred towards authority. Or even something seemingly trivial like the TV series ‘Friends’. What message does it convey? I must admit a lot of it’s humor is great but it’s underlying worldview leaves much to think about.

Culture and entertainment are married to each other in an awkward vicious cycle. Culture influences what goes into entertainment, and the message given through entertainment flows back into culture and so on. Being as callous as it can get, entertainment today tries to bridge fantasy and truth in an unhealthy manner. Take the very word ‘reality-show’ which supposedly shows truth but the pretense is that it’s taken as entertainment. Isn’t it mutually contradictory? In effect, it’s not enough for us to take things ‘as is’ assuming that their purpose is solely for entertainment. In a larger scheme of things entertainment is good. We all need it and there is nothing wrong with it. The Bible never teaches us not to be entertained but on the other hand, it should never be an end to itself; the reasons being: 1. It takes us away from the more important things in life 2. The messages it propagates directly influence our lives

Thoughts

• After watching a movie or tv show or listening to a song, analyze what it’s trying to say. Take a step further; don’t just go with the flow, but think about it’s context, content and message. Stuff that is not directly apparent from the plot, but the ideology that the plot itself is based on. Can this message be used positively? Or does it have a negative effect on our hearts and minds?
• Make a written list of the positives and negatives of a movie/song
• Keep a track of the number of hours spent on entertainment daily or weekly.

Original article: www.insight.org/library/insight-for-today/wanted-thinkers.html
Photo by Wasfi Akab

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Dare to be a Daniel
Notes from a talk by John K John

Reference: Daniel 1:3-9; 3:1,4,7,12

Daniel was taken captive by the Babylon’s along with three of his friends. He was far, far away from home; he even lost his identity – the king changed his name. But not once did he think twice about being unfaithful to the God he served. He was still obedient, praying to God not paying heed to orders from the King. God, in turn, delivered him from the fiery furnace and the lions' den.

As Jeremiah says , God looks after every minute detail. Till date, scientists are puzzled about the migration patterns of Arctic Terns. Arctic Terns travel 19,000 kilometers from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back every year during migration. In its life time, it would travel a distance equal to travelling to the moon and back! But the Bible tells us, in Jeremiah 8:7, God knows every little detail:

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration.

In our day to day world we face a cultural war. Sun Tzu, in his The Art of War says:

The Art of War is governed by five constant factors:

• Moral Law
• Heaven
• Earth
• The Commander
• Method & Discipline

Moral Law? Here, that means living in harmony. People being in complete accord with their ruler; following him regardless of their lives; not afraid of danger. We being Christians have our Bibles to follow. We have the 10 Commandments to guide us.

Here’s the story of Eric Liddel

During the summer of 1924, the Olympics were hosted by the city of Paris. Liddell was a committed Christian and refused to run on Sunday. He was forced to withdraw from the 100 meters race, his best event, which took place on a Sunday. The schedule had been published several months earlier, and his decision was made well before the Games began. Liddell spent the intervening months training for the 400 meters, an event in which he had no previous experience. The day of 400 meters race came, and as Liddell went to the starting blocks, an American masseur slipped a piece of paper into Liddell’s hand with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30:

“Those who honor me I will honor.”

He not only won the race, but broke the existing world record with a time of 47.6 seconds. A few days earlier, Liddell had competed in the 200 metre finals, for which he received the bronze medal behind Americans Jackson Scholz and Charles Paddock, beating Harold Abrahams, who finished in sixth place. (This was the second and last race in which these two runners met). His performance in the 400 metres in Paris remained a world record for four years, and a European record for 12 years

God wants each one of us to honour him in what we do, whatever that may be.

Pray for these important decisions that shape your life:

• Selecting good friends
• Choosing your career
• Finding the right person to spend your life with

(Photo by Etrusia UK)

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Are You in Touch With Your World?
Does Your Walk End In Church?
Notes from a session led by John VC

Activity

Let’s consider five scenarios

1. A dam has to be built, that will be a boon to the population for years to come. However, the construction of this dam would displace the tribals living in that area for decades. You are a non-christian organisation in charge of deciding whether or not the dam should be built. How would you decide?

2. You’re part of a school board faced with a decision. Should your school allow kids below the poverty-line to study along with the ‘normal’ well-to-do kids already in your school. How would you respond, being a non-christan?

3. The US government has hiked visa rates. You are a company that places talent in the US. A christian company. What measures would you take so that you don’t lose money?

4. You’re the leader of a hardcore rock band. A member of your band recently became a christian. How would you react? Would you be comfortable having him in your band?

5. As housewives, and people who live in residential complexes, how much of an effort do we make to reach out and connect? Do we know anything about our neighbours? Do we seek out to enrich their lives? Or do we engage more easily in idle talk and harmful gossip than we do in building up lives of people around us? Discuss.

What can one take away from this?

On a personal front, we need to be more conscious of our world today. We should be active in our walk in the midst of society.

Where is your mission field?

Practical Steps

• Collect two newspaper clippings that moved your heart when you saw them.
• Go speak to someone in your neighborhood; small talk or otherwise. Make an effort; take the first step.

(Photo by Cayusa)

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Captivated by Grace; Not Enslaved by Law
Notes from a Bible Study led by John VC

Reference: Galatians 4:1-11

The passage talks about Paul’s concern for the Galatians. Galatians were mainly gentiles who were influenced by Judaism, making their walk ritualistic. Paul was trying to put across the distinction of their lives being governed by the Law as opposed to being governed by Grace.

Governed by the Law

The laws specify the Dos and Don'ts. They’re oppressive by nature – the Law is something which is followed by people under bondage, who are always fearful of breaking it.

How can we be good Christians?

By attending church which helps us in our day to day walk? By partaking in the communion? Listening to gospel music? Forgiving one another?

While these things are important, they pale in comparison to the primary purpose of being a Christian – following Christ.

Governed by Grace

We are recognized children of God. We can discern between what’s right and wrong; given that we have access to the law. An attitude of Love is involved.

Our walk is governed by Grace; knowing we are already victors in Christ. When God looks at us he sees Jesus. However, being human, we see nothing but imperfection.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Our old self doesn’t let go. An internal battle is being waged between our old selves and our renewed selves. The Bible says that God has long forgotten our past misdeeds. All we need to do is confess our sins and seek God’s forgiveness.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

We must stop trying and allow God to work in us.

We no longer need to be afraid of the law, but enjoy the freedom of knowing that even if we go against the law and, we are governed by Grace.

Are we living in victory? Stop striving and allow God to step in.

Is our walk governed by the confidence in Grace or the fear of the Law?

(Photo by kanneda99)

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An article by Joshua Harris from Boundless Online

Following Christ carries radical implications for the believer’s lifestyle. Including our media habits.

When the Apostle John wrote “Do not love the world,” he clearly wasn’t anticipating satellite TV, the internet, magazines, computer games — all the things we lump together today as “media.” But he knew this: the human heart does not change. Sin is a timeless, universal constant. Whatever new vehicle of communication man dreams up, sin just hops on board.

The results are obvious. Wherever we look, technology blasts us with the world’s values, attitudes, and false definitions of reality. The popular media lie to us about the nature of goodness, truth, and beauty. They offer counterfeit versions of what a family is supposed to look like, what romance is, what success is all about, and where we should spend our money.

The media never try to reason with us. Instead, they seek a hard-wire connection straight into the emotions. Why offer some lame, tortured argument in favor of immorality when you can simply show slow-motion close-ups of beautiful people bathed in soft lighting and romantic music? Painful consequences of sin? Where?!

The power of today’s all-pervasive media lie in their ability to make evil seem appealing. If anything, John’s warning is even more vital for us than it was for his original readers.

Half a Poison Pill Won’t Kill You

Most of us recognize the danger of exposing ourselves to sinful content, so we tend to set arbitrary limits based on how much we think we can “handle.” When a movie or TV show presents us with mild or infrequent profanity, an occasional adulterous affair, or a limited amount of gratuitous violence, we sort of weigh the danger level. We act as if we each have a “sin threshold” beyond which we dare not go. We might as well ask how much of a poison pill we can swallow before it kills us.

But the greatest danger of the popular media is not a one-time exposure to a particular instance of sin (as serious as that can be). It’s how long-term exposure to worldliness — little chunks of poison pill, day after day, week after week — can deaden our hearts to the ugliness of sin. What God calls the lust of the eyes and the sinful cravings of the heart are typically portrayed by the popular media as natural and harmless. The eventual effect of all those bits of poison pill is to deaden the conscience by trivializing the very things that God’s Word calls the enemies of our souls.

If You Don’t Enjoy the Calorie…

Does anyone really believe that if I disapprove of the sin I’m watching, or roll my eyes and mutter about Hollywood’s wickedness, or fast-forward through the really bad parts, my soul is not affected? Yeah, sure — and if you don’t actually like chocolate cake, eating it won’t add to your waistline.

Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. But the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Gal 6:7-8)

I’ve looked, and there just don’t seem to be any loopholes in this verse.

Too many of us sow to the flesh every day — watching hours of TV but spending 15 minutes in devotions — and wonder why we don’t reap a harvest of holiness. Let’s look at three ways to make practical changes to our consumption of popular media.

Increasing Our Discernment

To discern is to perceive the true nature of something. Because the popular media so often speak to us through our emotions, we must grow in discernment. Otherwise, when violence comes disguised as justice, when lust masquerades as romance, or when greed and selfishness pose as success, we’re likely to be deceived. Here are some biblical ways to help you discern whether a certain activity glorifies God.

• Does it present a temptation to sin? (Rom. 13:14, 2 Tim. 2:22)
• Is it beneficial? (1 Cor. 6:12a, 1 Cor. 10:23)
• Is it enslaving? (1 Cor. 6:12b)

(Regarding the preceding two items, please note that when Paul writes in First Corinthians, “All things are lawful for me,” he is not establishing a divine mandate for a free-for-all of entertainment indulgence. He is, instead, quoting a false proverb then common among the Corinthians so that he might refute it.)

• Does it honor and glorify God? (1 Cor. 10:31)
• Does it promote the good of others? (1 Cor. 10:33)
• Does it cause anyone to stumble? (1 Cor. 10:32)
• Does it arise from a pure motive? (Jer. 17:9)

I’d also recommend you regularly apply the “Susanna Wesley Test.” While away at college, John Wesley wrote to his mother, Susanna, asking for a list of sins he should avoid. Her response is a model of biblical wisdom applied:

Whatever weakens your reason, whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience, whatever obscures your sense of God, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, whatever takes away from your relish for spiritual things, that to you is sin, no matter how innocent it is in itself.

After it perceives, discernment acts. Winnowing good from evil, it rejects that which is worthless. “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21-22).

So, even after you have made your best biblical judgment about a book, movie, TV show, or something else, don’t revert to the passive mode. If something offends, be willing to turn off the set, stop reading, or leave the theater. Always be ready to refute the false ideas or unbiblical thinking that will nearly always be present to one degree or another. Let’s be people who write in book margins, talk to our televisions, and discuss movies and concerts with one another afterwards to help sharpen our discernment and to increase our ability to critique unbiblical values.

Raising Our Standards

Wherever our standards fall short of Scripture, let’s raise them — but humbly, without flaunting them or holding others to the standard we’ve adopted. At the same time, let’s invite others into this area of our lives, welcoming observations about our media habits, and being willing to discuss and hold each other accountable to standards we have prayerfully set. Let’s focus on our own convictions before God, but let us also love each other enough to challenge and question our choices in this area.

We should always be asking if our standards are high enough. Let’s never assume we have arrived.

Changing Our Habits

Many Christians, perhaps most, can imagine making heroic sacrifices for God, yet we resist the small adjustments. “Jesus, I will forsake my home, family, and future, but don’t ask me to give up my favorite TV show!”

Let’s not forget that following Christ carries radical implications for the believer’s lifestyle. If we would honor God in this area, we need to regularly re-evaluate our media habits. Should we watch less television? Go to fewer movies? Spend less time online? It’s easy to relate to TV and movie viewing as if a certain amount of it is some kind of right or necessity. But as believers, our only non-negotiable ought to be obeying and glorifying God — even if that means not seeing the blockbuster movie everyone is talking about, or keeping the TV off on weeknights. As Wayne Wilson has noted,

Theatergoing should not be something we do instead of playing miniature golf. Unlike putting, movies must be approached with extreme caution, as though one were treading into the domain of a deceitful and powerful enemy, for that is the truth of it. Critical faculties must be in full alert. Christians must never randomly patronize the theater. A film’s popularity should make no difference. You should be willing to remain ignorant of the “movie event of the year” if it violates God’s standard. Believe me, he is not impressed by the Academy Awards.

If necessary, let me urge you to consider changing the setup of your home so that entertainment technology, particularly television, is neither omni-present nor central. Let’s not allow movie and television watching to become our default free-time activities. You may also wish to abstain periodically from different forms of media in order to test their influence on your life and increase your focus on God.

Be very clear on this: the world wants your attention, allegiance, and love. Whether subtly or blatantly, it will never stop seeking to persuade you. It is therefore essential that we, as Christians, engage in the battle for our own hearts and souls. The Apostle John lived in a world without the temptations of modern media, but this issue of the heart remains the same: who or what will you love?

(Photo by ToastyKen)

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http://www.timesnow.tv/Poor-school-children-labelled-criminals/articleshow/43...

The height of discrimination being practiced in private schools. Bethany High, a top school in Bangalore, has sent out a circular to the parents of their students and through this circular the school has warned them against the provisions of the Right to Education.

Being alarmist and downright distasteful, the circular says that admitting poor students into the school will be detrimental to the psyche of those that are already studying there. Thats not all, what's even more shocking is that the school has equated poor children to criminals adding that such students could beat up other students as well as teach them bad habits.

The circular also implies that these underprivileged childen are likely to misbehave with girls and teachers, going on to add that none of this would then be the school's responsibility and that the school will be able to do nothing as according to the RTE, students cannot be thrown out of school.

The Bethany High School circular reads: Kindly do not ignore this circular as it affects your child's future directly.

 Any child will have to be allowed into school and share the classroom with your child. Eminent psychologists have said that this will be detrimental to the psyche of all the children. Once this Act is enforced, another child could beat up your child, smoke on the campus, misbehave with a girl or a teacher and the school will have to watch helplessly. HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has slammed the school over the 'elitist circular'. Sibal calls school's circular discriminatory and says the ministry will the school. He questioned whether the school thinks a 6 year old will misbehave.

Please pray for the leaders of the institution: For wisdom and calmness; to respond calmly and with maturity to this bad press that they have attracted inadvertently.

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God and DNA
An article adapted from EadsHome Ministries

Reference: Psalm 139

Psalm 139 details God’s blueprint for our design. On April 2, 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick presented the structure for DNA. DNA contains all the genetic information to create our entire bodies. DNA encodes our red blood cells, and the heart that pumps them. DNA encodes our hair follicles, and the color of the hair in them. DNA encodes our bones, and the muscles attached to them.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou has covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Unique, Distinguished Creations!

In verse 14 we read that we are fearfully made. The Hebrew word here is Ya’re, from the root to revere or to fear. The word wonderfully in Hebrew is Pah'lah, which comes from the root to distinguish, separate, or set apart. From this we read, With fearful things I am distinguished God is saying that we are each unique, distinguished, wonderful creations! And He created us with fearful, reverent, awesome things. Our bodies have certainly been constructed with amazing building blocks.

I remember Anatomy class in Medical School. Everyone dreaded with fear and nervousness the first day of Anatomy. Most of us anticipated itthe entire summer leading up to that our first year in Medical School. The day we unveiled the cadavers we would be dissecting in lab was a memorable day. Although everyone of us had seen a dead person at a funeral, none of us had seen the insides of a dead person. As the weeks passed into months, we dissected muscles, nerves, blood vessels, organs, bone, and fascia. We identified every one of these hundreds of structures and were tested on them. From a purely non-microscopic viewpoint I can tell you that we are made with awesome things! The intricacy of our bodies is beyond comprehension. When we think of our bodies from a microscopic standpoint, it becomes even more mind-boggling to consider the complexity of the fearful things. With these fearful things we are made into unique, distinguished creatures. Though we all possess the same anatomy (with rare exceptions), we are all unique.

Not Hidden from God

In verse 15 we read that our substance was not hid from God. This word substance in Hebrew is otsem, which can also refer to our bones or our body. Certainly nothing that happens in the womb is hidden from God. All the details of how we are made are not known to mankind. Even if we can map out the events with precision, we shall never know the full details of the how. Thus, our formation will remain secret to a degree. We were curiously wrought or woven by God. The next phrase depths of the earth is an interesting phrase. The Hebrew word for depth is tach'tiy which refers to lower parts, pit, or womb. Here we see that the womb of the woman is figuratively the womb of the earth. For we all come from dust (Genesis 3:19), so our mother’s womb is where dust becomes an image bearer of God.

God’s Book of DNA

In verse 16 we read that God saw our substance (literally our unformed bodies – embryo in today’s language), in the womb. An interesting difference is seen here between the NIV translation and the King James Bible. The NIV says:

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

So the question is this: Does God’s book contain our days and the things we will do, or does God’s book contain the information that details the formation of our bodies? This is an important question because it determines the nature of God’s book. Without knowing what is in God’s book, we cannot know what His book is at all. The hinge to this passage is kowl; meaning all of them or every one. The passage reads like this: “Your eyes saw my embryo/substance and on your book all of them (kowl) were written. In the continuance of days (yowm) were they formed.” If kowl is referring to the days rather than our substance, then it would be appropriate to translate this passage with a reference to the book containing our days. But the prior context is our bodies, not our days. Verses 13, 14, 15, and 16 all have as their subject matter the formation of our bodies in the womb. Therefore the psalmist, when saying kowl (all of them) is most certainly referring to the subject of the last 4 verses; our bodies.

God’s record of our bodies is found in the spectacular DNA structure. He has recorded everything about us in the pages of these molecules. The number of hairs on our head. Our height. Our skin and hair color. Our physical, mental, and intellectual strengths.

Long before mankind discovered DNA, God was creating and using it to record us in His wonderful book of our members.

(Photo by mrhappy)

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Reference: Galatians 4:1-5

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

In chapter 3 Paul has established, on biblical and theological grounds, the superiority of grace over law, of receiving the blessings of God through faith as opposed to the curse which comes through the works of the Law. He now seeks to illustrate and apply this truth by turning to a well-known practice in the ancient world, that of an heir coming of age, so as to enjoy all that he has legally possessed, but which has been beyond his personal control.

Here Paul refers to a Roman legal process, well known to himself and his readers. According to Roman law, the heir was under the control of a tutor until the age of 14. This tutor was named by the father and placed in his will. From the age of 14 until the heir was 25, he was under a curator, at least sometimes named by the father. The tutor and the curator were not necessarily intended to be synonymous with Paul’s “guardians” and “managers” (4:2). It may be that the “guardian” was in charge of the child, while the “manager” was in control of the assets of the child. When the heir reached the age of 25 (or the age stipulated by the father), he then entered into the full privileges of his possession. Until that time, the heir was in the frustrating predicament of legally owning his father’s inheritance without actually enjoying its possession.

Our legal system places an estate in the hands of a trustee until the child reaches legal age, with a certain amount of funds provided during childhood as established by the father. We can hardly imagine the confinement of the “heir” of Paul’s day who had someone to tell him what to do and not to do and another to spend his money for him. The closest we might come to this is with the Federal Government. The IRS takes a certain amount of money from us as a reserve fund against projected taxes, even when we may get much or all of it back. Until the government decides to give us our money, it is theirs to control.

The restrictions on the heir of ancient times were far greater. Can you imagine what it must have been like for a young man to be, as it were, a millionaire, and yet not be able to do as he wanted with this money? For all intents and purposes, the heir was no different from the slave, for he received only what the “guardians” and “managers” determined to give him (4:1).

In verses 3-5, Paul makes the analogy to the status of the Jews who lived under the Law. The “heir” under Roman law had legal ownership of his father’s wealth; he did not actually possess it or enjoy it. So too the Jews had the promises of God to Abraham, yet they were not yet realized or enjoyed. Just as the Roman “heir” was under the dictates of the appointed “tutor” and “curator,” the Israelite was under the Law, with all of its restrictions and mediators. The time for both preparatory periods to end was established by the father. For the “heir,” it was the age determined by the Roman law or specified by the father. For the believer, the Law’s tutelage ended at the appointed time when the Father determined for the Son to be sent to the earth to redeem fallen man.

The expression “elemental things of the world” in verse 3 has been the source of considerable discussion. Bruce comments:

“The word stoicheia means primarily things placed side by side in a row; it is used of the letters of the alphabet, the ABCs, and then, because the learning of the ABCs is the first lesson in a literary education, it comes to mean ‘rudiments,’ ‘first principles’.“(as in Heb. 5:12.)

I do not see the term as it is used here to have a highly technical meaning as some have suggested. Paul is trying to show the benefits of maturity, as opposed to the restrictions of immaturity. Those principles under which a child is restrained and governed are appropriately labeled “elementary.” These “elementary principles,” these ABCs, have been put aside, thankfully, and replaced by something far better.

Paul seems to speak specifically here of the Jews as implied by the term “we” in verse 3, which is paralleled in verse 5 by “those under the Law.” Christ was sent to the earth as one “born of a woman” (4:4). This was necessary to fulfill the promise of Genesis 3:15, and also was a necessary part of the incarnation, so that Christ could die for man as man. In addition, Christ was born “under the Law” (4:4) so that He was able to bear the curse of the Law to enable men to receive the blessings which God promised to Abraham’s offspring (2:13-14). The “adoption as sons” (4:5) is that enjoyment of the promises of God to Abraham, and the passing from the restrictions and confinement of the Law to the fullness and freedom of grace.

Via bible.org

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What Do You Long For?
Notes from a talk presented by Jonathan Singh

(Activity: List out 5 things that you most long for in your life)

James & John

Reference: Mark 10:35-45

What did James and John long for?

They longed to sit at the right and left of Jesus in his Kingdom.

What do you think they meant?

Jews hold the view that the Messiah will be a King from David’s line associated with a specific series of events that have not yet occurred, including the return of Jews to their homeland and the rebuilding of The Temple; an era of peace and understanding during which the knowledge of God fills the earth.

James and John, I presume, were expecting the same and wanted to be neIxt to him. They thought that God’s kingdom would begin on earth immediately. It was like a request for an important job in government.

But Jesus replies saying: “You do not know what you are asking for.” Jesus says: “Can you drink?”, and they replied: “We can.” They asked this with all there heart even though they didn’t understand the true meaning of what Jesus said until after Jesus' resurrection. But they just wanted to be with Jesus after hearing from Him and seeing all that he had done. They didn’t even ask what he meant.

Then Jesus said to them: “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit on my right and left is not for me to grant.”

The image of the cup is important.

• Psalm 23 – Cup of Joy and Favor
• Jeremiah 25 and Matthew 26 – In the Garden of Gethsemane and in Jeremiah – Cup of Wrath and Death.

Christ is going on with his undertaking for the salvation of mankind. He was, is, and will be the wonder of all his disciples. Worldly honor is a glittering thing, with which the eyes of Christ’s own disciples have many times been dazzled. Our care must be that we may have wisdom and grace to know how to suffer with him; and we may trust him to provide what the degrees of our glory shall be. Christ shows them that dominion was generally abused in the world.

If Jesus gratifies all our desires, it would soon appear that we desire fame or authority, and are unwilling to taste of his cup, or to have his baptism. But he loves us, and will only give his people what is good for them and much more than they expect. The image of the cup here is life and suffering and death. James and John both did suffer ultimately. James dies a Martyr (Acts 12:2). John was forced to live in exile.

They both suffered and were heavily persecuted but at the same time they had the favor of God.

Next you see the disciples angry with James and John. They get into a squabble. But Jesus tells all of them that they are missing the point. If they want to follow Him, they cannot lord over others, dominate over others, or try to make their authority felt.

“If you want to share my life”, Jesus says, “you have to become a servant, and serve people.”

Jesus asks us to long to serve people, to give our lives in proclaiming the Gospel.

Bartimaeus

Reference: Mark 10:46-52

What did Bartimaeus long for?

Bartimaeus longed to see.

(There’s irony here. He could see even though he was physically blind.)

Do you think Jesus didn’t know that?

Look at Bartimaeus' perseverance in verse 48:

“Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!”

• Bartimaeus knew Jesus was the messiah. He believed and he had faith, which comes from – hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)

• We are justified by faith. (Romans 5, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9)

• Faith comes through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17) Bartimaeus had faith because he longed to hear the Word of God.

We must long to hear the Word of God; to see, no matter how much people put us down.

Don’t Be Conformed to This World

Reference: Romans 12:2

Paul focuses on one essential means of transformation — the renewal of the mind.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

Paul says: “Do not be conformed to this world”. But at the same time Paul says: “I try to please everybody in every way.”

1 Corinthians 9:22

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

1 Corinthians 10:32-33

Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God ,even as I try to please everybody in every way.

Is this possible?

Andrew Walls, in his book, The Missionary Movement In Christian History says: We are indigenous (native – in the world), yet we are pilgrims (strangers – not of the world). (John 17:14-16)

We can even look at it this way: we accept the Gospel no matter what our culture is. The Gospel is accepted all over the world in different places, different cultures; but once we accept it and begin to understand it, we realize that it corrects us and shows us the various aspects that are not right with not just our culture but also ourselves. We soon begin to feel like we are strangers in this world. We’re made for another Kingdom.

We Adapt

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

Yet we Confront

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

(Ephesians 5:6-7)

• Do you long to break loose from conformity to the world?
• Do you long to be transformed and new from the inside out?
• Do you long to be free from mere duty-driven Christianity and do what you love to do because that’s what you ought to do?
• Do you long to offer up your body as a living sacrifice so that your whole life becomes a spiritual act of worship, and displays the worth of Christ above the worth of the world? • Do you long to be with Christ.?

Then give yourself with all your might to pursuing the renewal of your mind. Because the Bible says, this is the key to transformation.

The Holy Spirit renews the mind. It is first and decisively his work. We are radically dependent on him.

Conclusion

Go back to your list and check again; do you really long for the things you listed out?

Do you long to become a leader? To outdo your friends in college? To outperform your colleagues at work?
Do you long to be cool? Hang out with friends who are cool in the eyes of the world?

Or do you long to serve God; hear from His word and just be with Him?

(Photo by Ferran)

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The Giraffe’s Neck – Evolution vs. Creation
Notes from a talk presented by Nikhil Isaac

Slides from the talk can be found below.

Being believers in Christ, we know how awesome God’s creation is. He created the world in 7 days.

As far as the world is concerned there are two views. Creation & Evolution.

We all realize that God is Creator, but how often do we consider what was involved in that creation? God is a chemist, a physicist, an astronomer, a biologist. He is most certainly an artist, a maker of all of our world’s beauty. He is the lawmaker of all of the unseen forces that make nature orderly and predictable.

The conditions of creation were intricately planned and considered. A mindless uncontrolled big bang would result in destruction and chaos, not the life and order we now see.

Creation

The First Day – The first recorded Words of God that we have are: “Let there be light”. And so it was, that the light was made separate from darkness. (Genesis 1:3-5)

The Second Day – The separation of the waters. There was yet no liquid water, no oceans. (Genesis 1:6-8)

The Third Day – The first appearance of dry ground. With dry ground available, the first plants were made to grow in great abundance. (Genesis 1:9-13)

The Fourth Day – With the sky now clear, the sun, moon and stars were dependably visible. They were to serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years. The sun marked the day, and the stars marked the seasons. Constellations are seen in particular seasons. For example, Orion is visible only during winter in the northern hemisphere. (Genesis 1:14-19)

The Fifth Day – Great numbers of birds and sea creatures were created. 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.” (Genesis 1:20-23)

The Sixth Day – Man. From the man, woman. Humans today are just now discovering how to genetically alter fertilized embryos, and even create a human from the tissue of another – cloning. (Genesis 1:24-31)

The Seventh Day – The Sabbath Day. “By the sixth day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done. (Genesis 2:2-3)

Evolution

Evolution is a theory put forward by Charles Darwin and other scientists.

According to this theory the universe exploded out of nothing. Different life forms are said to have evolved from a common ancestor.

Natural selection – It is a process by which heritable traits that make it more likely for an organism to survive and successfully reproduce become more common in a population over successive generations. The natural genetic variation within a population of organisms means that some individuals will survive more successfully than others in their current environment. Factors which affect reproductive success are also important, an issue which Charles Darwin developed in his ideas on sexual selection. The term was introduced by Darwin in his groundbreaking 1859 book On the Origin of Species.

Slides from the Talk

The_Giraffe's_Neck.ppt Download this file

(Photo by stuckincustoms)

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I remember a true incident that took place during World War II when the German soldiers were preparing to attack the city of Holland.

There lived an old lady with her only son in Holland. This lady had great faith in God from her very young age and looked unto God alone for everything she needed. She also taught her son to trust in God.

One day she heard on the radio that the German soldiers are all set to attack the city that night and destroy it. The son, trembling with fear, asked his mom how God would let such a thing happen to someone who trusted in Him. Their house was at the entrance of the city and there was no way for them to escape the destruction.

His mother, still strong in her faith, knelt down on her knees and prayed. She assured her son that God would protect them.

That night, they heard great explosions outside the house. They also heard the soldiers marching outside entering each home and destroying it. To their surprise, not one soldier entered their house. They sat awake until dawn and by early morning German soldiers had left the city.

Then they went out to see why the soldiers had passed their house without causing them any harm. Ah, what a great scene to see! Their home was completely covered with snow throughout the night.

God had covered them with His protection throughout the night so that the soldiers could not see their house…

That’s how God works in a wonderful way, above our thoughts, to protect those who love Him and those who trust in Him.

By Georgy from turnbacktogod.com

(Photo by Garry)

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