tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68999012933488528582024-03-13T09:48:42.016+05:30Rev. Daniel Siby JohnTheology, Mission, Addictions and SermonsRev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-76301650870742835332020-09-21T22:37:00.002+05:302020-09-24T11:38:45.234+05:30BETTER TO BE ALONE<p> BETTER TO BE ALONE THAN TO BE IN PAIN,</p><p>BETTER TO BE ALONE THAN TO BE REMINDED TO PAST HAPPY MOMENTS</p><p>BETTER TO BE ALONE THAN TO BE ALONELY IN CROWD</p><p>BETTER TO BE ALONE THAN TO HAVE FAKE LIFE</p><p>BETTER TO BE ALONE THAN TO BE JEALOUS</p><p>BETTER TO BE ALONE.....</p><p>BUT GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE US ALONE.</p><p><br /></p>Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-56655119586568464642020-06-07T20:12:00.003+05:302020-06-07T20:18:39.913+05:30OPPORTUNITIES IN MISSION IN INDIAN CONTEXT<br />
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“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work, one
finishes nothing. The Prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.”-
Ralph Waldo Emerson.</div>
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The day when you get satisfied in your mission activities
you are done with your mission. Don’t get satisfies but be curious, emphatic,
enthusiastic, passionate for the mission of God. </div>
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After the death of my son I came to the conclusion that we
all are selfish, I mean in a positive way. Why do we follow Christ? The answer is
simple that we want to be in heaven. Our desire is to be in heaven. When our
son went to be with the Lord, we had one desire added to it that to be meet him
too. So everybody has a desire in their heart to be secure, safe, have peace.
But they don’t know where to find it.</div>
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I want to have small thought on opportunity what the bible says
about it. Many times, we get opportunities but many times we don’t. What can be
done at that time? If we ask Paul about it, he would say create it. Let’s look
in <b>Acts 17: 16:<i> “his spirit provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of
idols.”</i> - </b>There was a provoking in him, some inspiration from inside.</div>
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Then in ‘<b><i>vs 23, he speaks about the unknown god’- </i></b>He
is creating opportunities in to make them know about Christ, we can see him
speaking in synagogues and marketplaces. He created an opportunity to speak to
the common men making their unknown god concept without diluting the theology
or the doctrine of Christ. </div>
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<span> </span>In 1<sup>st</sup>
century, Paul; did it, then we in this advanced technology we can do many
things. In the 1<sup>st</sup> century or today, our focus to share the Gospel and
remaining work is done by the spirit. 2nd century onwards we can see
opportunities for the mission were always less but God worked in the least expected
situations and places.</div>
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<span> </span>Our ultimate goal is to share the Gospel not to convert anybody in any form. That
the part of the Holy Spirit. </div>
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<span> </span>I
strongly believe opportunities are very rare that we get but we need to create
opportunities to share the Gospel. <span> </span>I
think we should learn a few things from businessmen, many times we don’t need a
product but they make the opportunity to buy that particular product. </div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>-<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Many times we may get opportunities but at the
same time, God expects us to create opportunities.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>-<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Mission these days is not easy but at the same
time, it is not impossible too.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>-<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->We have vast opportunities for doing missions
these days as technology has grown up like anything.</div>
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So how to create opportunities; hence we first need to know
the society very well. Let’s see how is our society.<span> </span>In my finding, I found out there are 4 types of
people.</div>
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<ol>
<li><span><span> <span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->People of God</li>
<li><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Receptive people</span></li>
<li><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Resistant people</span></li>
<li> None of these groups.</li>
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" /></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Children of God:</span></div>
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Children of God
are considered believers, i.e. the church-going people or people who are
trying to live in Christlikeness. These people need to be developed
spiritually; we need a direct word of God through sermons, counseling, etc.<span> </span>The ministries towards them are; Sunday
worships, Sunday schools, youth, women, men gatherings, Bible studies and
Weekly prayer groups etc. </div>
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2. <span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Receptive people</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">They are the non-
believing body but are very religious or can be good people in society and
also in family. What they lack is salvation. They are receptive to listen to
the gospel and will respond to it positively. The ministries towards them are;
making good relationships, Praying with them, Film shows, etc. For example: when we
were in Bihar, one of our missionaries went to the book, he met a person, he
asked him and he said what he is doing and all. That person told I want to meet
your pastor, he referred to Rev. Jerish Varghese, he met Achen, after a couple
of questions he said I want to be a believer. Rev. Jerish told to come to church
as possible to him. He used to live far. He was always there whenever possible.
He was a medical representative. He got married in a Hindu way, after his
marriage he bought his wife to Rev. Jerish and told him achenji (Reverend) whatever you
told me, tell her also so that she can also be a believer. He even started giving
tithe and helped in other needs of Patna mission-field. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>3.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Resistant people</div>
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They are also non
believing body, resistant to the Gospel and its activities. They are basically
anti- Christian elements of society. It is tough to share the Gospel to them.
They can hurt us or abuse us. At the same time, we cannot run from the responsibility
of sharing the Gospel to them. To reach them, we need to have schools,
Hospitals, tailoring training centers, etc. There are many examples in history where ministry was done by our compassion projects and other social development projects.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span>4.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->None of the above</div>
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They are might be
believers, or might be non believers. They have a peculiarity that, they are
very much passive to Gospel. They don’t have any response to the Gospel and
also are tough people to reach. For them what can be done, they obey us. Get
them involved in mission work and give them leadership in some or other things
in the mission field. I found these kinds of people in Gujarat. What we did is
that, we organized missionaries and told them to take few selected people
according to their maturity level for mission work and give them leadership in the prayer meetings and other things like ladies' meetings, elders meetings,
etc.<span> </span>as believers are concerned. About
non- believers we can try many times as possible to reach them. In Gujarat, the
main reason why we organize so many meetings is that just making it sure that
we share the gospel as many times as possible until they receive it.<span> </span>This is applicable in Gujarat, I don’t know
about other places. </div>
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We have many
opportunities in which we can do mission in possible ways; we just need to be
alert and see possible ways to share the gospel. As I said earlier, we just to
have that passion, zeal above all Ambition to do it for the faith we have in
Christ. We just need to take the risk, we will have a result of risk for the Lord. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Note: This is the seminar that I took at Jubilee Memorial Bible College. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-90348907432924059332020-05-31T00:51:00.001+05:302020-05-31T00:51:15.388+05:30Magnificent Salvation<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 Peter 1:10-12:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who
prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired
carefully, <sup>11</sup> inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in
them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the
subsequent glories. <sup>12</sup> It was revealed to them that they were
serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to
you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent
from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Peter writes this
letter to the people who are suffering from the persecution in the Roman Empire
by the Nero emperor. Church in Jerusalem especially the Jewish Christian got
scattered throughout Asia Minor. Peter is written to them encouraging to be in
faith don’t lose hope. That is why in the first chapter itself he speaks about
the hope of eternal life. Being part of that hope he mentions the worthy
or the glory of the salvation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vs. 8 & 9 says, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup>8</sup> Though you have not seen
him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in
him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, <sup>9</sup> for
you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--- you reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he speaks about the
worthiness or the magnificent salvation <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus said to his disciples once, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"Blessed are your eyes, because they
see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you, that many
prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it; and
to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (</i></span><a href="https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Matt%2013.16-17" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; border: dashed windowtext 1.0pt; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-border-alt: dashed windowtext .25pt; padding: 0in;">Matthew
13:16-17</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">).</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--Many wanted to see what we saw and many wanted to hear what we heard. The same thing is peter saying to the people who are grieving in their sufferings.
I want to emphasize what peter has emphasized about the Salvation to people who
were suffering. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I strongly believe, in these times of our life, what should we be more
concerned or thinking about when all around we have news of depression, cry,
death, punishment, etc. Today whatever be our situation or the situation of the
world, we as Christians or believing Christians or born again Christians, we
need to focus on our salvation, the beauty of it. It has much worth but I would
like to touch only things which peter has mentioned in his portion of his letter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our Salvation is a
magnificent, why:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He does this by telling us three amazing
things about our salvation—things that we may have never thought of before. I
will briefly mention them and pray that they will stick in your heart and bear the
fruit of faith and thanksgiving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vs. 10, 11, and 12.
Prophets Prophesized it:-<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was predicted or
Prophesized by the prophets at an early ages. They not only prophesized and they
wanted to know more about it but they were not able to. The prophets’ prophesized
about the salvation by grace but to their logic, it is impossible because
without the law how can anybody have salvation by grace. That’s why Peter says,
they had many questions. They were not able to understand what it meant. They
were eager to know about it, that's why in vs 11. Peter says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“they wondered when and to whom all this
would happen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 16.8pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Actually, they wanted to be part of it but
didn’t happen. They were told in Vs. 12 that it is not for you, actually they
were serving us. We know Isaiah prophesized about the Christ long back
approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ and He didn’t see him
coming. Just imagine Isaiah was serving us in this process of Salvation. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Lord's answer to
that yearning cry of the prophets is given in verse 12: "It was revealed
to them that they were not serving themselves, but you."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Spirit of Christ said to Isaiah, "Isaiah, be patient,
you're not serving yourself or even merely your own generation. You are serving
saints hundreds of years from now. They will see in your prophecy of me the
proof that I am who I say I am. And its truth will make its infinite value
unshakable in their lives. You will not have lived in vain."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vs. 11- 12. Holy
Spirit or the Spirit of Christ Predicted It and even Brings to Us.:-<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vs 11. Peter
points out the amazing fact that Christ himself—the Spirit of Christ—hundreds
of years before his own death and resurrection, was predicting his own death
and resurrection. Look at the middle of verse 11: "The Spirit of Christ
within [the prophets] . . . predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories
to follow." <i>Christ predicted the sufferings of Christ.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This means that Christ, the Son of God in Heaven, has been
contemplating his suffering and his death for us for centuries. Indeed as far
back as the plan of salvation reaches in the mind of God, so far back has
Christ has been willing and ready to give himself for our sins. You were not loved
for just a bloody moment of sacrifice in history. You have been loved for
endless ages in the eternal plan of the Father and the Son to save sinners who
trust in him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vs. 12. Peter highlights the value of our salvation by telling
us in verse 12 that the Holy Spirit himself sent from heaven has brought us the
news of our salvation through the gospel. "These things . . . now have
been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy
Spirit sent from heaven."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the right place to stop. This is what is happening right
now. I am preaching to you the gospel—the good news that Christ came into the
world to save sinners, with the salvation of tremendous value—far more valuable
than anything else you own or know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But it is not just me that is calling your attention to the
worth of Christ and of salvation; it is, I believe, the Holy Spirit sent from
heaven speaking through me. And my prayer is that you will not resist his call
on your life: That you will open yourself to believe and to experience an
ever-growing gratitude for such a great salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Angels Love to Look into It or Angels were
Astonished:-<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The next thing Peter says to highlight the value of our
salvation is that angels love to look into it. Verse 12 (at the end):
"things into which angels long to look."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This does not mean they want to but can't. It means they want to
because in a sense they are outsiders to the drama of sin and redemption (since
they never sinned) and they love to watch the great work of God's salvation
unfold in history and in the lives of the saints.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Peter's point is this: if angels get excited about our
salvation, how much more should we. If angels love to look at the work of God
in saving sinners like us, how much more should we who are the very
beneficiaries of that salvation (not just onlookers) love to look into it and
be thankful for it and say with Peter, "Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ. . ."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-64656782892590624232020-05-31T00:34:00.001+05:302020-05-31T00:34:58.350+05:30The Patriot’s Plaint <br />
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Psalm: 102 –</span></b></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a
lament before the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<div class="line" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hear my prayer, </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">let my cry for help come to you.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Do
not hide your face from me</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">when I am in distress.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span class="text">Turn your ear to me;</span><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">when I call, answer me quickly.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="line" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For my days vanish like smoke;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">my bones burn like glowing embers.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My
heart is blighted and withered like grass;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I forget to eat my food.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In
my distress I groan aloud</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and am reduced to skin and bones.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">6 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
am like a desert owl,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">like an owl among the ruins.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">7 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I
lie awake; I have become</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">like a bird alone on a roof.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">All
day long my enemies taunt me;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">those who rail against me use my name as a curse.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">9 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For
I eat ashes as my food</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and mingle my drink with tears</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">10 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">because
of your great wrath,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">11 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My
days are like the evening shadow;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I wither away like grass.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="line" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="line" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">12 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But you, </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">,
sit enthroned forever;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">your renown endures through all generations.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">13 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">You
will arise and have compassion on Zion,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">for it is time to show favor to her;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">the appointed time has come.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">14 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For
her stones are dear to your servants;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">her very dust moves them to pity.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">15 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
nations will fear the name of the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">16 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For
the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> will rebuild Zion</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and appear in his glory.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">17 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He
will respond to the prayer of the destitute;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">he will not despise their plea.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="line" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">18 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Let this be written for a future generation,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">that a people not yet created may praise the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">:</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">19 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> looked
down from his sanctuary on high,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">from heaven he viewed the earth,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">20 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">to
hear the groans of the prisoners</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and release those condemned to death.”</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">21 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So
the name of the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> will
be declared in Zion</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and his praise in Jerusalem</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">22 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">when
the peoples and the kingdoms</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">assemble to worship the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-variant: small-caps; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="line" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">23 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the course of my life</span></span><span class="text"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[</span></sup></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+102&version=NIV#fen-NIV-15545b" title="See footnote b"><sup><span style="color: #b34b2c; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">b</span></sup></a><span class="text"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">]</span></sup></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> he broke my
strength;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">he cut short my days.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">24 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So
I said:</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span class="text">“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;</span><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">your years go on through all generations.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">25 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In
the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and the heavens are the work of your hands.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">26 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">They
will perish, but you remain;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">they will all wear out like a garment.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span class="text">Like clothing you will change them</span><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and they will be discarded.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">27 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But
you remain the same,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and your years will never end.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">28 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
children of your servants will live in your presence;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 5.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">their descendants will be established before you.”</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Introduction</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Greetings in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This psalm is known as the
prayer of afflicted. We don’t know the author of this psalm. As per the author
is concern, there are many debates I don’t want to go into it in details but it is more to
Davidic psalm because there are some Davidic style of writings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some say that David wrote when he flew from
Absalom. The author is overwhelmed and pours out his pain before the Lord. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Charles H.
Spurgeon says “This psalm is a prayer far more in Spirit than in words.”</span></i></b><span style="color: red; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
don’t know his distress is personal or cooperate but it seems he is deep pain
and pouring out himself and his situation before God or his helplessness is
very much deeply expressed in this psalm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I would like to adopt the title given by Charles H. Spurgeon <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘Patriots Plaint’</b> in his commentary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">DIVISION:-</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the first portion of the Psalm, Ps 102:1-11, the moaning
monopolizes every verse, the lamentation is unceasing, sorrow rules his heart.
He expresses his pain by saying </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“</span></b><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I am in distress (vs.1-2), my bones burn like glowing embers
(vs.3), </span></b></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I</span></b></span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> forget to eat my food (vs. 4),
and I am reduced to skin and bones (vs.5), like an owl among the ruins (vs.6),
All day long my enemies taunt me (vs.8); </span></b></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b></span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">those who rail against me use my
name as a curse (vs.8), <sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></sup>For
I eat ashes as my food </span></b></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b></span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and mingle my drink with tears
(vs.9), because of your great wrath </span></b></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b></span><span class="text"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">for you have taken me up and
thrown me aside (vs.10), <sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></sup>My
days are like the evening shadow I wither away like grass (vs.11).”</span></b></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> he is not only lost strength in heart but also
outside. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second
portion, from Ps 102:12-28, He starts vs.12- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“But you O Lord sits enthroned forever.” </i>He has a vision of better
things, a hope, and a view of the gracious Lord, HIS eternal existence, and
care for HIS people, and therefore it is interspersed with sunlight, and it
ends up right gloriously with calm confidence for the future, and sweet rest in
the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I would like to bring out three points in light
of this psalm:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Grace in Affliction</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As far as a believer is concern,
suffering is never a new thing; it is always part of every believer’s life.
Jesus himself said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I have said these
things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have
tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we have Lord who has overcome this world. The
psalmist here is in great affliction. What does it mean by affliction? I would
say, a situation where we feel we are helpless, nothing more to do or unable to handle this situation or situation has gone from our control. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God allows us to go affliction
only to make understand that we cannot handle everything. Even this unbearable
or uncontrolled or unhandled situation, God gives us the GRACE to face it or go
through it. When Paul prayed to God for a particular thing which he wants to get
rid of, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“But HE said to me, “My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”……..”(2 Corinthians
12:9)</i>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>I and my wife are experiencing this GRACE every day from the day when our son fell sick, and nothing was in our hand or it
was more than we can handle. And when he left to his heavenly abode at the age
of 3 years and 8 months, it was unbearable, something which was unexpected. All
these happen all of the sudden but God in HIS grace is still leading us through
our life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why does God allow these in our
Life? God wants us to put our whole trust in HIM. In 2 Corinthians 1:9, Paul
says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Indeed,
we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might
not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In nutshell, as Paul says that
this happened that we might not trust in ourselves but in Christ. Paul emphasizes
the God who raises the dead. The power of God or HIS Almightiness is the reason
behind Paul’s trust in God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Faithfulness and Hope of God in Affliction</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The psalmist here is at the
bottom of all his troubles, He is under a pile, which he describes in exquisite
detail. He is a flitting shadow. But he then turns to describe God (v. 12). </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“But you O Lord sits enthroned forever.” </span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the logic, running on a straight line.
God is eternal because His character is constant; Zion will be restored (vs.
13) and when Zion is restored, God will regard the prayer of the destitute (vs.
17). Luther once wrote that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“the heart of
religion lies in its personal pronouns.” </i>For example, this is </span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my </span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God, and so this is </span><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">my </span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">promise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God is faithful and hope in HIM has always played a great role in the life of every Christian. During the time of
affliction, the psalmist is very much hopeful and trustful in the faithfulness of Christ.
God is the same forever, as Hebrews says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”</i> Hence, HIS character is
stable and unchangeable. So, we can depend on HIS faithfulness and can hope the
best in Christ. God’s character of eternity is something Psalmist is more
confident than his afflicted situation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-outline-level: 3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Victories future<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="line" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span class="text"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">26</span></sup></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> They will perish, but you remain;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">they will all wear out like a garment.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span class="text"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like clothing you
will change them</span><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and they will be discarded.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span class="text"><b><sup>27 </sup></b>But you remain the same,</span><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and your years will never end.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span class="text"><b><sup>28 </sup></b>The children of your
servants will live in your presence;</span><br />
</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">their descendants will be established before
you.”</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Vs 26-27- “They shall perish, but YOU shall
endure.”</span></i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The power which
made them shall dissolve them, even as the city of your love was destroyed at
your command; yet neither the ruined city nor the ruined earth can make a
change in YOU, reverse your purpose or diminish your glory. Psalmist says everything will pass away but your glory and your plans will always remain. So
in this time of distress, he is totally trusting in God who is unchangeable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There is some
more given in vs. 28-<i>The children of your servants shall continue.”</i> Here the psalmist is declaring a clear fact looking forward to a future generation, and
with confidence, he declares that his servants would arise and be preserved and
blessed by God. Some translation says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"Let
the sons of thy servants abide." </i>So let’s be faithful so that our plea
for Lord’s favor be heard and as we expect that the cause of God and truth will
revive in future generations. Let us hope that those who are to succeed us will
not be as stubborn, unbelieving and erring as we have been. Let’s pray to God
that He may rise up better order of man who has zeal and obedience shall win
and hold a long HIS blessings. God doesn’t neglect the children of his servants.
It is the rule that Abraham’s family was taken forever servant of God. Grace is
not hereditary but God loves to be served by the same family in time to
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is Zion's hope, her sons will
build her up, and her offspring will restore her former glories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Our God is God of wonders, whoever
trusts in him and whoever overcomes this world has a happy ending. Let’s trust in
God fully so that in this time of our distress where the whole world is fighting
with Covid-19, we as servants or children of God may find God’s faithfulness and
Hope and let’s overcome our helplessness by trusting God so that we can have a
glorious future with Lord not only in this world but the world to come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">God bless you….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-20280813799161502962013-04-19T14:05:00.000+05:302013-04-19T14:10:16.538+05:30The Anatomical And Physiological Details Of Death By Crucifixion<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tvIazwps8Hc/UXEBiP0q-nI/AAAAAAAAAOo/X37nRJU1nrU/s1600/740066_154567141360814_710858180_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tvIazwps8Hc/UXEBiP0q-nI/AAAAAAAAAOo/X37nRJU1nrU/s320/740066_154567141360814_710858180_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Anatomical And Physiological Details
Of Death By Crucifixion:</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">By Dr. C. Truman Davis</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From New Wine Magazine, April 1982.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Originally published in Arizona Medicine,</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">March 1965, Arizona Medical Association.<br />
<br />
Crucifixion was invented by the Persians in 300 BC, and perfected by the Romans
in 100 BC.<br />
<br />
1,It is the most painful death ever invented by man and is where we get our
term "excruciating."<br />
<br />
2,It was reserved primarily for the most vicious of male criminals.<br />
Jesus refused the anaesthetic wine which was offered to Him by the Roman
soldiers because of His promise in Matthew 26: 29, "But I say to you, I
will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I
drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."<br />
<br />
3,Jesus was stripped naked and His clothing divided by the Roman guards. This
was in fulfilment of Psalm 22:18, "They divide My garments among them, and
for My clothing they cast lots."<br />
<br />
4,The Crucifixion of Jesus guaranteed a horrific, slow, painful death.<br />
Having been nailed the Cross, Jesus now had an impossible anatomical position
to maintain.<br />
<br />
5,Jesus' knees were flexed at about 45 degrees, and He was forced to bear His
weight with the muscles of His thigh, which is not an anatomical position which
is possible to maintain for more than a few minutes without severe cramp in the
muscles of the thigh and calf.<br />
<br />
6,Jesus' weight was borne on His feet, with nails driven through them.<br />
As the strength of the muscles of Jesus' lower limbs tired, the weight of His
body had to be transferred to His wrists, His arms, and His shoulders.<br />
<br />
7,Within a few minutes of being placed on the Cross, Jesus' shoulders were
dislocated.<br />
Minutes later Jesus' elbows and wrists became dislocated.<br />
<br />
8,The result of these upper limb dislocations is that His arms were 9 inches
longer than normal, as clearly shown on the Shroud.<br />
<br />
9,In addition prophecy was fulfilled in Psalm 22:14, "I am poured out like
water, and all My bones are out of joint."<br />
<br />
10,After Jesus' wrists, elbows, and shoulders were dislocated, the weight of
His body on his upper limbs caused traction forces on the Pectoralis Major
muscles of His chest wall.<br />
<br />
11,These traction forces caused His rib cage to be pulled upwards and outwards,
in a most unnatural state. His chest wall was permanently in a position of
maximal respiratory inspiration. In order to exhale, Jesus was physiologically
required to force His body.<br />
<br />
12,In order to breathe out, Jesus had to push down on the nails in His feet to
raise His body, and allow His rib cage to move downwards and inwards to expire
air from His lungs.<br />
<br />
13,His lungs were in a resting position of constant maximum inspiration.<br />
Crucifixion is a medical catastrophe.<br />
<br />
14,The problem was that Jesus could not easily push down on the nails in His
feet because the muscles of His legs, bent at 45 degrees, were extremely
fatigued, in severe cramp, and in an anatomically compromised position.<br />
<br />
15,Unlike all Hollywood movies about the Crucifixion, the victim was extremely
active.<br />
The crucified victim was physiologically forced to move up and down the cross,
a distance of about 12 inches, in order to breathe.<br />
<br />
16,The process of respiration caused excruciating pain, mixed with the absolute
terror of asphyxiation.<br />
<br />
17,As the six hours of the Crucifixion wore on, Jesus was less and less able to
bear His weight on His legs, as His thigh and calf muscles became increasingly
exhausted.<br />
There was increasing dislocation of His wrists, elbows and shoulders, and
further elevation of His chest wall, making His breathing more and more
difficult<br />
Within minutes of crucifixion Jesus became severely dyspnoeic (short of
breath).<br />
<br />
18,His movements up and down the Cross to breathe caused excruciating pain in
His wrist, His feet, and His dislocated elbows and shoulders.<br />
<br />
19,The movements became less frequent as Jesus became increasingly exhausted,
but the terror of imminent death by asphyxiation forced Him to continue in His
efforts to breathe.<br />
<br />
20,Jesus' lower limb muscles developed excruciating cramp from the effort of
pushing down on His legs, to raise His body, so that He could breathe out, in
their anatomically compromised position.<br />
<br />
21,The pain from His two shattered median nerves in His wrists exploded with
every movement.<br />
<br />
22,Jesus was covered in blood and sweat.<br />
<br />
23,The blood was a result of the Scourging that nearly killed Him, and the
sweat as a result of His violent involuntary attempts to effort to expire air
from His lungs.<br />
Throughout all this He was completely naked, and the leaders of the Jews, the
crowds, and the thieves on both sides of Him were jeering, swearing and
laughing at Him.<br />
In addition, Jesus' own mother was watching.<br />
<br />
24,Physiologically, Jesus' body was undergoing a series of catastrophic and
terminal events.<br />
<br />
25,Because Jesus could not maintain adequate ventilation of His lungs, He was
now in a state of hypoventilation (inadequate ventilation).<br />
<br />
26,His blood oxygen level began to fall, and He developed Hypoxia (low blood
oxygen).<br />
In addition, because of His restricted respiratory movements, His blood carbon
dioxide (CO2) level began to rise, a condition known as Hypercapnia.<br />
<br />
27,This rising CO2 level stimulated His heart to beat faster in order to
increase the delivery of oxygen, and the removal of CO2<br />
<br />
28,The Respiratory Centre in Jesus' brain sent urgent messages to his lungs to
breathe faster, and Jesus began to pant.<br />
<br />
29,Jesus' physiological reflexes demanded that He took deeper breaths, and He
involuntarily moved up and down the Cross much faster, despite the excruciating
pain.<br />
The agonising movements spontaneously started several times a minute, to the
delight of the crowd who jeered Him, the Roman soldiers, and the Sanhedrin.<br />
<br />
30,However, due to the nailing of Jesus to the Cross and His increasing
exhaustion, He was unable to provide more oxygen to His oxygen starved body.<br />
<br />
31,The twin forces of Hypoxia (too little oxygen) and Hypercapnia (too much
CO2) caused His heart to beat faster and faster, and Jesus developed
Tachycardia.<br />
<br />
32,Jesus' heart beat faster and faster, and His pulse rate was probably about
220 beats/ minute, the maximum normally sustainable.<br />
<br />
33,Jesus had drunk nothing for 15 hours, since 6 pm the previous evening.<br />
Jesus had endured a scourging which nearly killed Him.<br />
<br />
34,He was bleeding from all over His body following the Scourging, the crown of
thorns, the nails in His wrists and feet, and the lacerations following His
beatings and falls.<br />
<br />
35,Jesus was already very dehydrated, and His blood pressure fell alarmingly.<br />
<br />
36,His blood pressure was probably about 80/50.<br />
<br />
37,He was in First Degree Shock, with Hypovolaemia (low blood volume),
Tachycardia (excessively fast Heart Rate), Tachypnoea (excessively fast
Respiratory Rate), and Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).<br />
<br />
38,By about noon Jesus' heart probably began to fail.<br />
<br />
39,Jesus' lungs probably began to fill up with Pulmonary Oedema.<br />
<br />
40,This only served to exacerbate His breathing, which was already severely
compromised.<br />
<br />
41,Jesus was in Heart Failure and Respiratory Failure.<br />
<br />
42,Jesus said, "I thirst" because His body was crying out for fluids.<br />
<br />
43,Jesus was in desperate need of an intravenous infusion of blood and plasma
to save His life<br />
<br />
44,Jesus could not breathe properly and was slowly suffocating to death.<br />
<br />
45,At this stage Jesus probably developed a Haemopericardium.<br />
<br />
46,Plasma and blood gathered in the space around His heart, called the
Pericardium.<br />
<br />
47,This fluid around His heart caused Cardiac Tamponade (fluid around His
heart, which prevented Jesus' heart from beating properly).<br />
<br />
48,Because of the increasing physiological demands on Jesus' heart, and the
advanced state of Haemopericardium, Jesus probably eventually sustained Cardiac
Rupture. His heart literally burst. This was probably the cause of His death.<br />
<br />
49,To slow the process of death the soldiers put a small wooden seat on the
Cross, which would allow Jesus the "privilege" of bearing His weight
on his sacrum.<br />
<br />
50,The effect of this was that it could take up to nine days to die on a Cross.<br />
<br />
51,When the Romans wanted to expedite death they would simply break the legs of
the victim, causing the victim to suffocate in a matter of minutes. This was
called Crucifragrum.<br />
<br />
52,At three o'clock in the afternoon Jesus said, "Tetelastai,"
meaning, "It is finished."<br />
At that moment, He gave up His Spirit, and He died.<br />
<br />
53,When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not
a bone of His body was broken, in fulfilment of prophecy (above).<br />
<br />
54,Jesus died after six hours of the most excruciating and terrifying torture
ever invented.<br />
<br />
55,Jesus died so that ordinary people like you and me could go to Heaven.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-22663901184656689532012-12-11T19:24:00.004+05:302013-01-05T23:11:40.147+05:30Transformation through transformed people <br />
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; line-height: 119%;">Evangelization in India demands church to be a transformational agent. Missions in India cannot be an isolated program for a particular community in a limited geographical location. The effect of the mission activities of a particular mission field must transform the people in that area at the same time influence the entire nation. It needs to have a specific focus and a nationwide purpose. This can happen only when the church becomes the transformational agent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S_eb9Cpglkk/UMc67oSWh9I/AAAAAAAAAOA/D-1jYwO2m-s/s1600/Pictur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S_eb9Cpglkk/UMc67oSWh9I/AAAAAAAAAOA/D-1jYwO2m-s/s320/Pictur.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; line-height: 119%;">The church is the body of transformed people (born again) who has the mission of transformation. The danger, the church can easily shift into is becoming parish oriented rather than mission oriented. There are mainly three groups of people we see in the society. Let us name them as enemies of gospel (resistant), friends of Gospel (receptive) and children of god (church members). A parish oriented church has activities mainly for the church members where as the mission oriented church focuses these three groups equally. Evangelization of India is possible only when the church focus these three groups of peoples in the society. Therefore the missions of the church is three fold <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Symbol; unicode-bidi: embed;">·</span><span style="width: 13.5pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%;">RESISTANT to RECEPTIVE <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Symbol; unicode-bidi: embed;">·</span><span style="width: 13.5pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%;">RECEPTIVE to CHILDREN OF GOD<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Symbol; unicode-bidi: embed;">·</span><span style="width: 13.5pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; font-weight: bold; line-height: 119%;">CHILDREN OF GOD to MATURE IN CHRIST<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; line-height: 119%;">Every day we come across these three groups of people. They are next to us. Identifying them as receptive or resistant is primary task before sharing the gospel. Direct sharing of the gospel help the receptive where as addressing the felt need helps the resistant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; line-height: 114%;">Church is the salt and light of the society. It cannot limit its boundary only for the church members. The church must relate with every member of the society through its various mission activities. All our programs and celebrations be an opportunity to relate with not only the church members but also the resistant and receptive of the society because our church is St. Thomas Evangelical Church </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; font-weight: bold; line-height: 114%;">OF INDIA</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Constantia; line-height: 114%;"> which is a transformational agent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This article written by Rev. Jersih Varghese (State Coodinator, Bihar) in Hindi Belt Mission's newsletter in the month of October 2012</div>
Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-1519752821984296232012-06-28T23:07:00.001+05:302012-06-28T23:07:10.152+05:30‘Evaluation of the claim of Swami Vivekananda that, “Hinduism is the throne of all religion and that all religion lead to one great truth that is found in Hinduism: Sanatana Dharma.”<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Swami Vivekananda is
the person who has influence around the world with his philosophy of practical Vedanta.
Swami Vivekananda and his teachings became the part of curriculum of the
schools and colleges because of his outstanding philosophy which he has
introduced to the world. He has uplifted the Indian spirituality; he made it
world famous spirituality. And this has its own impact in the mission even
today. Therefore, author is dealing with the Sanatana Dharma, Swami Vivekananda
and evaluation of his statement which he gave in the council of world religions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sanatana Dharma<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.1.</span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Introduction to Sanatana Dharma<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sanatana
Dharma literally means “‘eternal religion.’ The religion of the Hindus,
formulated by the rishis of the Vedas.” <w:sdt citation="t" id="4705469"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Swa98 \p 309 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Vivekananda 1998, 309)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> The other name of
Hinduism can be considered as <i>‘Sanatana
Dharma’</i>. Sanatana Dharma focuses on the charity towards the people of the
world and so people who follow Sanatana Dharma are more on the social work.
Sanatana Dharma is meant as the legitimate teacher of spirituality from India
which was the claim of the Swami Vivekananda. <w:sdt citation="t" id="197422"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Mat99 \p 129 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Mathew 1999, 129)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.2.</span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Conceptual Framework of Sanatana Dharma<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sanatana
Dharma can be understood as the experience of oneness according to the
Vivekananda’s understanding which deals with the world principles and ideas,
rather than historic personalities and cults. Sanatana dharma claims to have
the principles of all religion and so conversion to dharma was not a necessary
part of it, it is just a secondary aspect. According to Vivekananda’s teaching,
Sanatana dharma consists of all religions and it includes all religious
principles in it but ultimatum is in Sanatana dharma. Vivekananda preached to
Americans that they were all Vedantins because Vedanta declares the oneness
with everything and Sanatana dharma awakes human mind into a moral
consciousness. <w:sdt citation="t" id="693736"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Spe \p 412-415 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(n.d.412-415)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gandhi
recognizes himself as Sanatanist, he comments that the person who follow
Sanatana Dharma believes in Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas and all that
goes by the name of Hindu scriptures, and therefore in avataras and rebirth. Dharma
does not discourage idol-worship and not even encourage. When comes to
scriptural understanding they do not believe that all scriptures are inspired
but at the same accepts all religious scriptures other than Hinduism. Sanatana
Dharma propagates Guruism because of the belief that it is the rare thing to
find a combination of perfect purity and perfect learning. Sanatana Dharma
gives more emphasis in god and his oneness in rebirth and salvation. It is an
understanding that all human are born to serve god’s creation, Brahmana with
knowledge. <w:sdt citation="t" id="693735"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Sha04 \p 305-308 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Sharma 2004, 305-308)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Swami
Vivekananda<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">D.S.
Sarma states, “Swami Vivekananda did for the gospel of Ramakrishna something
similar to what St. Paul did for the Gospel of Christ.” <w:sdt citation="t" id="197423"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Sar73 \p 143 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Sarma 1973, 143)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.1.</span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Character Sketch of Swami Vivekananda<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Swami
Vivekananda was born in 12 January 1863 in Calcutta. His official name which
his parents named is Narendranath Datta. His mother is Bhuvaneshwari Devi,
called her son Vireshwara (Boon from Siva) because he was born after long
offerings and prayers to Siva. Viswanath Datta, father of Vivekananda was an
attorney-at-law of the High Court of Calcutta, was well verse in English and
Persian literature. <w:sdt citation="t" id="2750391"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Ste05 \p 3 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Stephen 2005, 3)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> He belonged to the
caste of <i>Kshatriya.</i> At the age of seventeen as a college student,
Narendranath came under the influence of Ramakrishna. He was a keen student of
philosophy and poetry. He studies all the systems of western philosophy. His favorite
English poets were Wordsworth and Shelley. The principal of his college,
William Hastings, an English man, remarked that Narendranath was a genius and
would make his mark in life. Narendranath (also called as Naren) was a member
of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj before meeting Ramakrishna. But his membership of
Sadharan Brahmo Samaj did not satisfy him because he was longing for a
religious experience. He even questioned the religious leaders about their
visibility of God and no one was able to answer him with certainty except
Ramakrishna. Thus Naren became the disciple of Ramakrishna. Naren lost his
father when he was appearing to B.A. and then he joined for the law but was not
able to complete his studies because of his financial situation at home due to
the death of his father. As a result he was searching for a job to meet his
material needs but was not able to get any job and at last he ended up on
Ramakrishna in asking to intercede for him to goddess or mother kali.
Ramakrishna encouraged him ask by himself to mother Kali, Naren went but was
not able to ask because his Brahmo Samaj<a href="file:///H:/word%20doc/personal%20doc/assingment/swami%20Vivekananda-%20intergrated%20corse.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Influence but being with Ramakrishna he was changed. In 1888, Vivekananda started
his life as a wandering monk. He went throughout India as a wandering monk
initially traveler with his other monk brothers and later on alone. In these
journeys he discovered India and dedicated himself for the service of the poor
and needy. He realized that he has a great mission in life and when he reached
Madras some of his admirers collected funds and send him to America to the
first Parliament of Religious meeting in Chicago at the age of thirty. About
his impression in the Parliament of Religious meeting New York Herald
commented: “He is undoubtedly the greatest figure in the Parliament of
Religions. After hearing him, we feel how foolish it is to send Missionaries to
his learned nation”. <w:sdt citation="t" id="2988876"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Zar98 \p 78 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Zarchariah 1998, 78)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> His remaining
lifespan he travelled throughout the world giving lectures and made many
disciples worldwide. Because of his visits around the world and making
disciples gave an understanding that there is no greater philosophy that
Hinduism and also it impacted on Modern Hindu Renaissance which became
self-conscious and adolescent. He died on July, 4<sup>th</sup> 1902 at the age
of thirty nine.<w:sdt citation="t" id="2988877"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> CITATION Zar98 \p 79-82 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--> (Zarchariah
1998, 79-82)<!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt>
Vivekananda is recognized as St. Paul for the Ramakrishna who toiled and got
many converts as St. Paul had in his missionary life. <w:sdt citation="t" id="2936207"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Neu97 \p 363 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Neuner 1997, 363)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> <b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.2.</span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Influence of Ramakrishna in the understanding of Swami
Vivekananda<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .75in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ramakrishna
had a major impact on the life of Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda was the
favorite disciple of Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna did not write any books but
through the writings of Vivekananda and other disciples his teachings are known
to the world. It is said that Ramakrishna as the guru of Vivekananda initiated
Vivekananda into religious experience through the placing of his right foot on
his body. Ramakrishna considered Narendra (i.e. Swami Vivekananda) as his
spiritual son and heir and trained him for his great mission of life. Swami
Vivekananda adopted his teachings and preached around the world and extended
the mission of Ramakrishna. Thus, Ramakrishna Mission was founded. <w:sdt citation="t" id="10669251"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:
field-begin'></span><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Zar98 \p
74-76 \l 1033<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:
field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Zarchariah
1998, 74-76)<!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .75in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
the first interview of Vivekananda with Ramakrishna has impressed him a lot and
it is said that his illumination began. His second interview with Ramakrishna
has made him to perceive very vividly the spiritual powers of the saints.
Vivekananda (Narendranath) stated about this experience, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 63pt 10pt 1in; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Muttering
something to himself, with his eyes fixed on me, he slowly drew near me. I
thought he might so something queer as on the preceding occasion. But in the
twinkling of an eye he placed his right foot on my body. The touch at once gave
rise to a novel experience within me. With my eyes open I saw that the walls
and everything in the room whirled rapidly and vanished into nought, and the
whole universe, together with my individuality, was about to merge in an all compassing
mysterious- void! I was terribly frightened and thought that I was facing
death, for the loss of individuality meant nothing short of that. Unable to
control myself, I cried out, ‘What is this you are doing to me? I have my
parents at home!’ he laughed aloud at this and, striking my chest, said, ‘All
right, let it rest now. Everything will come in time.’ The wonder of it was
that no sooner had he said this than that strange experience of mine vanished.
I was myself again and found everything, within and without the room, as it has
been before. All this happened in less time than it takes me to narrate it, but
it revolutionized my mind.” <w:sdt citation="t" id="4056938"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-style:normal'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Sar73 \p 147 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: normal;">(Sarma
1973, 147)</span><!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-style:normal'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--></w:sdt></span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 63.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
mystic touch ultimately changed Narendranath, a college youth into Swami
Vivekananda, a world famous monk. Narendra continuous his visit to Ramakrishna,
which lead him to grow in his illumination till his master looking upon him as
his spiritual heir. Ramakrishna was so capable that he was even able to
transmit his spirituality to others by the touch. At the death of Ramakrishna
he formally handed over his spiritual wealth to Narendranath. <w:sdt citation="t" id="4056942"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Sar73 \p 148 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Sarma 1973, 148)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> <i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 63.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 63.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.3.</span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Teachings of Swami Vivekananda<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .75in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Swami
Vivekananda basically taught ‘Vedanta’ or ‘Vedas’. He taught the practical
aspect of Vedanta. Swami Vivekananda taught that fullest of divinity indwells
man. He teaches service of man because of the presence of Reality in man i.e.
Atman which is not different from Brahman. He is of the opinion that the best
way to reach god is by the service of man i.e. in other words can be said that
all mankind are gods. He practiced <i>karma
yoga </i>and even taught <i>karma yoga </i>as
it is taught in Bhagavad-Gita. He emphasized more on action and hence
Ramakrishna mission was focused on Philanthropic, charitable, religious and
educational missionary activities. <w:sdt citation="t" id="8646079"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Zar98 \p 82-83 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Zarchariah 1998, 82-83)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .75in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vivekananda
wrote a book named ‘Vedanta: Voice of Freedom’ where he has put all his
teachings. He is of the opinion that Vedanta is the culmination of Vedas which
has no beginning and end. He further said that there are many facets of the
truth but religion is all about the realization. When spoken about god he said
that god is impersonal and at the same time personal because he is everything. When
comes to opinion about human the major teachings comes in that human are gods
and when looked into the perspective of god, there can be made many changes in
the structure of the society at the same time there will not be any fight or
hatred among the mankind which he named it as practical Vedanta. He is of the
opinion that the ultimate consciousness of self that is god is the attainment
of Moksha. Man dies, atman emerges with Brahman. <w:sdt citation="t" id="2815735"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Swa98 \p 1-270 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Vivekananda 1998, 1-270)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Evaluation: <i>“Hinduism is the Crown of all religions and that all religions lead to
one great truth that is found in Hinduism: The Sanatana Dharma.” </i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vivekananda
is saying that Hinduism is the crown of all religion i.e. he meant that he
recognizes Hinduism as superior to all religions of the world. He puts it has
the king or the queen of all religion. He further continues the statement
saying that all religion lead to one great truth. This can be understood as the
typical Hindu mindset. He claims that Hinduism is the queen of all religion but
at the same time accepts other religions also. He gives mere respect to other
religions also. Further he says that truth is found in Hinduism. He is of the
opinion that all religions have the truth but the ultimate truth is in Hinduism
that is in other words can be said that all religion or all truths of all
religion lead to one truth and that truth is in Hinduism. It simply means many
truths leads to one truth that is Hinduism. Vivekananda is conveying the
greatness of India as the custodian of spirituality. This statement can be
understood in the sense of Atheism that is in Vivekananda’s understanding,
India is the Mother Goddess. Anybody who attains divinity is a god and this can
be called as Atheism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vivekananda
says that he did not meant in external great thoughts of religion that are clad
when he speaks about religions; he did not mean about different buildings,
languages, rituals, books etc. that employ in various religions but what he
meant is the internal soul of every religion. He further says that every
religion has a soul behind it and that soul may differ from another soul in
another religion. Here, in this statement of Swami Vivekananda, he is trying to
bring together the whole religion of the world. He is of the belief that no
religion contradicts but supplementary with each other. Each religion takes up
the one great part of the universal truth. <w:sdt citation="t" id="2936204"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Swa98 \p 275 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Vivekananda 1998, 275)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> It is the same light
which is coming through different colors. Vivekananda stated that the Lord has
declared to the Hindu in the his incarnation as Krishna that he is there is in
every religion as the thread through a string of people and wherever the
extraordinary holiness and extraordinary power raising and purifying humanity,
know that it is Krishna there. <w:sdt citation="t" id="2936205"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Spe \p 46 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(n.d.46)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> This simply means
that Krishna is there in every religion and so all religion speaks about the
same truth which is there in Hinduism. If it is so then the major question to
be asked is that if in religion there is the presence of Krishna then Jesus
would not have contradicted to Krishna because God cannot contradict with
himself in his teachings or even in the way he provides salvation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
major thing to be remembered is that when Vivekananda was shouting for the
greatness of Indian Spirituality, the condition of India was that Brahmins were
swelling their pot-bellies at the expense of the sweat of millions of hungry,
skeletal miserables who were to toil and moil the fields for producing food
materials. They without food to eat, cloth to wear, huts to lay their heads,
were to feed the spiritual vedabtiins. The admirers of Vivekananda never knew
of the utter darkness that was rampant in India. Thousands of god-men walked in
India enjoying all types of worldly pleasures without engaging in any
productive activity, without shedding even a drop of sweat. These spiritual
beings did not even feel pity upon the poor fold who died of hunger and thirst.
Instead they squeezed them and forced them down more and more. They attributed
the misery of the poor folk as the misdeeds of their previous births. The
highly spiritual godmen of India never felt pity for these wretched detestable.
Unfortunately these was no intelligent person in the World Parliament of
Religions to test the veracity of the statement of Vivekananda by visiting
India to see the godmen of India enjoying heaven upon earth amidst the millions
of skeletal suffering mlechas<a href="file:///H:/word%20doc/personal%20doc/assingment/swami%20Vivekananda-%20intergrated%20corse.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
hellish life. India was and still is heaven for a small minority and hell for
the large majority. <w:sdt citation="t" id="693737"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Mat02 \p 306-307 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Mathew, M.G. 2002, 306-307)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mathew
states that Vivekananda was lying when he was praising Aryanism. There was not
even a shadow of truth in his portray of India. He should have been bold enough
to tell the truth that India was a land of mlechas, miserables, in utter
poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and ill-health. These godmen will neither help
the poor nor will they allow others to help them. In Hindu spirituality, there
is only selfishness, self-love and self-elation. There is no touch of love or
mercy. If a Shudra or low caste learns to read and write, Hindu Vedas say that
he should be killed. By birth he is banned from learning letters. A poor man
should suffer misery for he is born to suffer the wages of his sins he
committed in his previous life. Therefore, any religion which teaches love and
mercy is abhorrent to Hindutva. Christianity holds love as supreme quality and
hence Hindutva holds Christianity most detestable. <w:sdt citation="t" id="693744"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Mat02 \p 307 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Mathew, M.G. 2002, 307)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
looked into another side of same coin that is philosophical aspect. The
statement speaks about many truths but there cannot be many truths, there can
be only one truth. For instance, all the trains which leave from Chennai
Central do not go to Delhi but goes to different places in India. There can be
only one train which goes to Delhi at time. That is there can be one truth, it
cannot be possible there should be many truths which leads to one main truth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vivekananda
in his book Vedanta: the voice of freedom denounced Christianity saying that it
has no philosophy. But what is philosophy? More often than not, philosophy is
the effort of cunning intellectuals to present their ideas as truths to the
world. To present a plain truth, there is no need of philosophy. The bible
lacks philosophy because the bible presents ‘The Truth’ to the world. Take the
statement ‘God is love’. This is a plain truth and hence no philosophy is
required to prove the same. But take the statement ‘Man can attain godhead.’
This is a lie. To make the lei acceptable to at least some people, a long
narration of philosophy statements are required. To prove the biblical
statement there is no need of philosophical support. It simply means that the
statement of Swami Vivekananda is just a play of words. <w:sdt citation="t" id="2936206"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Mat02 \p 308 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Mathew, M.G. 2002, 308)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> Swami Vivekananda,
in one way trying to make harmony among world religions but his try to
harmonize the religion was in his philosophy of practical Vedanta which he
taught around the world and even made disciples. He tried to give freedom through
his philosophy. <w:sdt citation="t" id="2936217"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Sha02 \p 176 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Shah 2002, 176)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When it comes to the practical aspect, Swami’s
statement that all religions are same simply seems to be an illogical
statement. If it is so how would we able to distinguish the essence of a
religion from its supposed non-essentials? What principle we use? Presumably we
would make our judgment that on the grounds that some elements in a religion
are better than others. But from what vantage point shall we decide which is
better than others. And the whole question of truth get bypassed and swept
under the carpet by throwing them all into a saucepan, boiling them up and
straining off the essence. What if a religion gives a fuller expression of
religion than other? What if the absolute really has come in our midst, and God
Almighty has actually visited His people?
One thing is certain on man can claim that all religions are the same or
all religion holds the same truth. Because Christianity stand different from
any other religion in this world and there is no comparison which can be made
on the basis of logic when compared with any other religion. <w:sdt citation="t" id="53885329"><!--[if supportFields]><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>CITATION Gre02 \p 17-18 \l 1033<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]-->(Green 2002, 17-18)<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-end'></span><![endif]--></w:sdt></span>
<div>
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///H:/word%20doc/personal%20doc/assingment/swami%20Vivekananda-%20intergrated%20corse.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Founder of Brahmo Samaj is Raja Ram Mohan Roy and they despise idol worship.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///H:/word%20doc/personal%20doc/assingment/swami%20Vivekananda-%20intergrated%20corse.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
A Malayalam word used by Mr. M.G. Mathew for dirty or ugly or unattractive.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-36956065829226540542012-05-13T18:29:00.002+05:302012-05-13T18:29:11.427+05:30True Spirituality Leads to Right Action<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: -9.0pt; margin-right: -9.0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Scripture portion:</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <u>Luke: 23:34a “Father, Forgive them, for they do
not know what they are doing…..”</u> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Introduction <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Background<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The gospel
of Luke is written by a physician or a Historian, Luke, which is mentioned in
Colossians 4:14. He was a Greek and a Gentile Christian. He is the only known
Gentile author in NT. He wrote this letter about 60 A.D. and the purpose of
this gospel is to affirm the humanity and the divinity of Jesus, proving that
Jesus is Son of God at the same time Son of Man. He wrote this letter to
Theophilus and the churches around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When comes
to the setting of this passage, the preceding passages talks about the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ - Chapter 22 speaks about the Jewish Religious
leaders plotting against Jesus. By chapter 23, Jesus stood trail before the
Pilate, by chapter 23: 32, Jesus is placed on the cross with the two thieves on
the both sides. When Jesus said this statement he was crucified and here is the
situation where Jesus is going through pain- he is beaten up, dragged to
Golgotha, mocked and scorned. When Jesus hung on the cross he said few
statements which are commonly known as the seven sayings of Christ and first
statement on the cross is <u>Luke 23:34, “Father, Forgive these people, because
they know not what they doing.” </u> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He said, <u>“Father, Forgive them, for they do not
know what they are doing…..”</u> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">vs. 34a. The
first word he said is <i><u>“Father”</u>-</i>
we can see Jesus has used the word Father many times in his prayers. We can see
in Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 where he says ‘Our Heavenly Father’ and in John
17:1 where he prays for himself for His glorification, in Matthew 26: 39 the
prayer of Gethsemane and in Mark 14:36 he starts His prayer as ‘Abba Father’. When
compared to the Old Testament, Jesus is the first person who introduces Father to
the world or He was the first person who introduced a heavenly Father to the
mankind. In OT understanding, Jews never had an understanding of Father but
they had an understanding the God as King. So they even feared to pronounce the
name of the God. In that context Jesus introduces the God as Father. Whenever
Jesus used the term Father in His prayers; He portrayed the relationship of the
heavenly Father and the Son which is unique in its understanding and essence.
We can see in that the relationship was so deep that in the life of Jesus there
was no time that Father left Jesus or turned out His face from Him except when
Jesus was on the cross where he says the Father, Father, Why have you forsaken
me. Even there I believe that it was not the will of God that he turns his face
but as Jesus was bearing the sin of the mankind, God cannot see sin, He turned
his face from Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">To
understand this relationship, we have to understand the characteristic of God
and Jesus Christ. God the Father is Holy at the same Time God, the Son is also
Holy. God, the Father is Just and the same time God the Son is also Just, and
God, the Father is Love and at the same time God, the son is also love. So the
characteristic of Father is clearly seen in the life of Son, that is why Jesus
said, whoever has seen me has seen the Father. The unity and uniqueness in that
relationship is seen very clear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In one way Jesus was teaching or helping the mankind
to understand the deepness of the relationship which is expected by Creator for
human.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Jesus whenever used the term the Father, He was genuine in
its sense and in his usage. He was honest and sincere in his call towards the
Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane we can see the deepness of that
relationship. He said, “not my will but your will be done.” It makes us to
understand the willingness of Jesus to do anything what his Heavenly Father
wants Him to do, whatever may be experience or consequence. He was ready to do
any thing for the sake of Father that means Father’s will is same as the Son’s
will. The extremeness to do anything can be understood in the life of Jesus
which is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. That is the
relationship which they have with each other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When comes
into our own life, our whole system of Christianity have minimized the
relationship with God the Father by spending time in prayers and reading Bible.
I am not against reading Bible and prayer, it also the part of spirituality,
but I feel Jesus went above our conception of spirituality. For us spirituality
is just spend time in prayer and reading Bible. We have prayer and bible
reading but we have missed the mark of spirituality which Jesus meant, in the
sense that there is no pragmatic aspect or the practical aspect of our sense of
spirituality, which is not what God meant in having relationship with Him. The
relationship comes into existence when there is a practical aspect of what we
read and pray. But Jesus did that He not only spent time in prayer but also
practiced what he taught. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Secondly Jesus said in vs. 34b is <u>“Forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing…..”</u> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This is the
pray which he starts praying as ‘Father’ and the petition put forward is
forgiveness i.e. “Forgive these people, because they do not know what they are
doing.” It is prophesy which Isaiah Prophesied in 53:12, which has been
fulfilled when Jesus said this prayer, which says, <i><u>“Now he made intercession for transgressors.”</u></i> As I said
earlier Jesus here is going through the tough time he had in his earthly life.
He was going through the greatest suffering which no mankind has ever seen or
suffered as He did, and in the midst of that suffering he says, <i><u>“Forgive these people, because they do
not know what they are doing”</u></i> which humanly speaking, does not make any
sense to mankind because he won’t believe that a person can ever pray in this
way. Here Jesus was interceding for the people who are responsible for His
suffering, the people who abused him, mocked him, and insulted him. Here, Jesus
was able to do it only because of His relationship with God the Father. Here,
Jesus is practicing what He taught in the sermon of the mount in <i><u>Matthew 5: 44, which says, “Love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”</u></i> Jesus was
presenting a model before us by praying this prayer. He said, ‘forgive them’
which in itself was the extremeness of His love towards his enemies. When He
said love your enemies he was very much sure that without loving, one cannot
pray to forgive his/her enemies or even pray for the enemies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The next
phrase is <b><u>“for they do not know what
they are doing…..”</u></b> when looked into the context in which Jesus prayed,
we can see there were two types of enemies. One, were his own people that is in
the sense that they were Jews, these are the people, He called, they are His
people and separated and meant to be Holy and pure, for whom he is a Messiah
who will deliver them from their bondage. And the other, were the Roman
soldiers who were doing their duty or showing loyalty towards Roman government
from whom Jesus was given the punishment of the crucifixion. When we look in
that era we can know that Roman Soldiers were very cruel in their dealings with
criminals. The movie <i>Passion of Christ </i>is
able to show some of the cruelty of Roman soldiers. Jesus said “for they know not what they
doing” the biggest question to be asked over here <b>aren’t they knowing what they are doing? </b>The fact is that they were
knowing that they were killing an criminal according to the Roman soldier but
for Jews, they were killing the person who has proclaimed blasphemer by the
Pharisees but we can say that soldiers were ignorant of the fact Jesus is the
Lord and creator of the earth but the <b>Jewish
were not ignorant about the fact of Messiah but was not able to recognize the
fact that Jesus is that Messiah which OT prophesied, </b>if they would have
known they would have never crucified Him. Jesus knowing this fact that they
were ignorant but when looked into other side of it, Jesus for Him he would
have had cursed them and the result of that cursing would have been worst than
anything else in this world. He didn’t do that but instead he prefers to pray
or intercede for them who want Him to die. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Humanly speaking,
practically it is impossible for a person to pray in this way. If you or I
would be there in that place of Jesus we would have prayed Father, consume
these people for they are persecuting me. The major aspect to be remembered is
that Jesus was the Son of God, when looked into the glory of Son Of God who is
the controller of the whole universe. I believe that this prayer was not only
for the Jews and the Roman soldiers but for each one of us. Each moment we do
sin I believe even now God is interceding for us in the right side of the
Father. When we are forgiven by God we have a right or the responsibility given
to us to forgive others. Many times our forgiveness is conditional in its
essence in the sense that we forgive for the selfish purpose, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In the same
way we also forgive for the sake of selfish benefit. In this way there are
selfish motive behind getting reconciling with other people this cannot be
called as forgiving nature. Jesus did not forgive us in having selfish desire
but He want us to be saved from the bondage of sin. I think so, people like
Stephen in Acts.7:59-60 and living example of Glady Stains are the few examples
for the forgiveness, their sense of forgiveness was like Jesus one, in
Stephen’s case he was stoned to death in that pain he prayed, <u>“Lord, lay not
this sin to their charge.”</u> Same prayer which Jesus prayed on the cross of
Calvary by which we can understand that Stephen practices what was taught by
Jesus on the sermon on the mount and then in the case of Glady Stains, her
husband and children were burned alive in Orissa but she said that she forgives
them and also prayed which reflects the love for her enemies. I think this is the
attitude of forgiveness which God expects from us. And in Lord’s Prayer we read,
<u>‘forgive our sins as we forgive the sin of others,’</u> which means if we
are not able to forgive others respective of what they are, then our sins are
also not forgiven. Forgiveness is the major aspect of Christian faith and on
that we stand as Christian we are expected to forgive others as we are forgiven
by God. Let’s examine ourselves, do we forgive others? Or if we forgive, do our
forgiveness is dependent on condition? If we had forgiveness we weren’t be
divided by denomination, we weren’t divided for silly reason, we weren’t
divided within our own clans. In the book of Jonah, He says that God was
compassionate on the people of Nineveh and he changed his decision of their
destruction. Then who are we to keep hold on to what wrong people have, it says
love does not count the wrongs of the people. Then, why there is no
forgiveness? Especially in our Christian set up, forgiveness is lacking, we are
ready to receive forgiveness but not ready to forgive others. There is a need
of change in our present day society and culture of the Christianity. We have
comfortable with what we are, and do not want to come out of our comfort zone
for what God has called us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-6178281357495819562012-02-21T19:02:00.001+05:302012-02-21T19:02:22.049+05:30Comments from God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Comments
by God <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Young men and women
always like to be called as beautiful or handsome or a good person or something
else, and so they do whatever they can to get a good impression in schools,
colleges or even working places. As Bible is of the opinion that God looks into
the hearts of the people than the physical appearance of the people and on that
basis He comments about his creations. Unsurprisingly, it is amazing to say
that God comments. Hence, YAHWEH not only created everything in and around the
world but also commented about His creation. Without forgetting we have to put
into consideration that it is God who introduced Himself as ‘I am who I am’
which describes eternal power, unchanging character and absolute over everything.
Here are the few examples in the Bible where God commented about His creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Creation:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In Gen. 1:31; <i>“God saw all that he had made, and it was
very good”</i>. It is the first time in the bible where God commented about His
creation. In the creation account God created everything by His Word, but He
created man in a unique way and so when He looked at His creations and saw, He
commented <i>‘it is very good’</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Noah: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When looked into
further chapters of the Genesis it can seen in the time of Noah where God again
comments about His creation, in Gen 6: 7-8, it is read that He was grieved by
seeing the evil of the world. But that verse didn’t end there, it further says
that but Noah found favor in the eye of God. When we see the history of Noah,
there was a reason for him to find favor in the eye of God, which is mention in
Gen. 6:9 <i>“Noah was righteous, blameless
among the people of his time and he walked with God”.</i> The negative aspect
of the comment is the about the people in the time of Noah, because of whom God
was grieved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Abraham:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> When comes to Gen.
15:6, Abraham was credited as the righteous by seeing his faith by God. The
history of Abraham shows that Abraham was the first person who can be called as
a first Jew who can be understood as a person who just obeyed God without
having a second thought. His faith was further mentioned as an example in NT by
Paul and other authors of NT. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">David: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When looked into the
history of King David, he was commented as the <i>man after God’s own heart</i>, there is a peculiarity about King David,
and he was commented before he became the king of Israel that means at his
young age itself he was commented by God. When looked at the history of David
he was the person who obeyed God in every circumstance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Job:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> When it comes to the
life of Job, he was commented as, <i>“there
is no one like him in the earth, upright, man who fear God and shuns evil”</i>
(Job 1:8)<i>.</i> When looked into the life
of Job, he is recognized as the man of suffering, even in his suffering he did
not deny God but instead left everything to the will of the God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">John: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And when looked into NT,
it was John was called as the beloved disciple of Jesus. He was the disciple
who was very close to the Jesus. It is said that it was John whom Jesus gave
his mother to be his mother at the time of his death on cross. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> There
are many examples in the bible about God commenting his creation. In these
above people the commonality is that they were righteous even though many of
them failed in many of their situation or circumstances of their life, like
King David in the episode of Bathsheba or Abraham who doubted God in the
episode sleeping with Hagar. What is the comment of God about us? We are also
like the Noah, Abraham, David, Job and John, called separated for His purpose,
what is his comment about us? It is easy to fool man but we cannot fool God, we
can show something outside and have something else inside. These people were
righteous even when they had weakness and even failures in their life but they
were able to rectify their failures and even certain level of their weakness.
Jacob Isaac, urban youth worker says, <i>“Life
is not what you are not but what you are and God uses what you are.”</i> When
comes to the serving God or obeying His commandments human weaknesses or
failures does not come into consideration because our God is above all the
weaknesses and failures. What is God’s comment about you by looking your
life? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-51330985578561115192012-02-21T18:56:00.000+05:302012-02-21T18:56:28.547+05:30CHURCH, as the Body of Christ<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US">The most famous metaphor for church is ‘the Body of Christ’. The
church as the body of Christ is familiar picture in the NT. Paul used this
phrase in his Epistles like Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians and Colossians. The
concept of church as the body of Christ is the message of all time and
therefore, author is trying to deal with the brief Definition of the church and
its understandings and Body of Christ with its meanings, nature and
understandings of the Pauline epistles and various viewpoints and issues. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Definition of the church<o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Greek word used for Church is <i>‘ekklesia’</i>, and Paul used ekklesia in his epistles. The term
ekklesia is derived from the Old Testament, where the people of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> were the <i>‘qahal Yahweh’</i> (e.g. Num.16:3, 20:4; Deut.23: 1, 8:8) or <i>‘qahal <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place>’</i> (e.g. Ex.12: 6; Lev.
16:17; Num. 14:5). Paul often used the Phrase Church of God that is <i>‘ekklesia kyriou’ </i>(e.g. 1 Cor.1:2,
10:32, 11:2; 2 Cor.1:1; 1 Thess: 2:14). (Schreiner, p 331) The word ekklesia
also emphasized the church gathered, just as the term in Old Testament is used
when <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
gathered together (Ex.12:6, Lev.16:17; Num.14:5; Deut. 31:30; Josh. 8:35; I
Kings.8:14, 22, 55). So church can be defined as gathering together of the
believers even when such an idea is not specifically stated. (Schreiner, 333)</span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Understandings about the Church<o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">There is a traditional understanding of the Church which
can be understood in two different aspects that is visible church and invisible
church. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US"> <b>2.1.
Visibility of the church <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The visible church can be said as the physical or seen
institution or the organization. The visible is the church which consists of
all who are enrolled as church members. It is not difficult to determine who
they are, for their names appear on the registers of churches. There can be
born again church members but at the same time can be nominal Christians. With
little effort an accurate count of them can be made. The membership of the
visible church coincides with that of the invisible church. (Kuiper, 26)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US"> <b>2.2.
Invisibility of the church <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The invisible church is the church which is a spiritual
church which cannot be seen by our naked eyes. This church consists exclusively
of those who by grace of the Holy Spirit have been born again or it consists of
solely of regenerated persons. Together the members of the invisible church
constitute the Body of Christ. (Kuiper, 27-28)
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Body of Christ</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> <b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">3.1. Meaning of Body of
Christ<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Paul has given something more
than the sum of the believers in one place. He is speaking of an <i>‘Organic Unity’, </i>in which Christians not
only belong to the Christ and to one another within their body, they also bide
in Christ and find life in Christ. (Watson, 96) The Greek word used for the
Body of Christ is <i>‘to soma tou christou’</i>.
The equivalent expression includes ‘the body of the Lord’, ‘his body of flesh’,
and ‘his glorious body’. (<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hawthorne</st1:place></st1:city>,
76) <i> </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">3.2. Nature of Body of
Christ<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The body of Christ concept is plainly not used
allegorically in I Corinthians 12, for instance, different parts of the body do
not represent different individuals or sections of the Corinthian church. The Phrase
‘body of Christ’ is used realistically, ontologically and metaphorically or
symbolically or analogically. Most of the scholars like Schweitzer have a
realistic understanding by consider the concept as the corporeal union with the
risen Christ. J.A.T. Robinson, for whom the church is identified as literally
the resurrected body of Christ, these understanding ignores Paul’s careful
distinction between Christ’s resurrection and the believer’s resurrection in
future. Therefore, the protestant interpretation of the Body concept is
Metaphysical not literally and biologically or mystically. (<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hawthorne</st1:place></st1:city>,
78) <b> </b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">3.3. Understandings in the
Pauline Epistles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Two stages can be
distinguished in Paul’s use of the body conception reference to the church. It
is used as the simile in I Corinthians and Romans (Church like a body of
Christ) and as a metaphor in Colossians and Ephesians (Church as the body which
Christ as the Head). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">3.3.1. Romans and
Corinthians <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 72.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">In Romans 12:3 believers are admonished that everyone is
to know his own place in the church as a whole, and this is elucidated with the
figure of the body in which have many members and in which does not have the
same function. In moving little more further the body mentioned in I Cor. 12:14
is to the same effect. There too is the question of one body and the function
is different. The true nature of the body is expounded in its unity and
diversity in the Corinthians and the Romans with continuous indirect
application to the church. In these books it is beyond the mutual understanding
of the unity and diversity of the church that is elucidated and commanded under
the figure human body; throw necessary light on the mutual cooperation within a
specific community. Paul, by saying church as the body of Christ he meant the
‘belonging to Christ’. (Ridderbos,
369-370) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 72.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">In Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12, it is said that body
has many members but all the members do not have same functioning, so also
believers are one body in Christ but individually member one of another. Paul
is saying here that church is not the body of Christ in its existence as
community but precisely from Christ and from the bond that joins the church to
him. In other words Paul in the epistle of Romans and Corinthians is trying to
say that,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 90.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 90.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US">The designation of the church
as the body of Christ does not intend in the first place to qualify its mutual
unity and diversity, but to denote its unity in and with Christ.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 90.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 90.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US">This unity of the church with
Christ thus qualifies has its real ground neither in the spiritual indwelling
of Christ in church, nor in the thought that the Spirit constitutes the
communion between Christ and the church, but in the church belonging to Christ
in the redemptive-historical sense, in the inclusion of ‘the many in the one’.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 90.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 90.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US">In virtue of this common
belonging to and inclusion of the many in Christ, individual believers are
qualified as members of Christ and the church as his body. Church is related to the communion with the
blood and body of Christ exercised in the Lord’s Supper. Therefore, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">concept</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place> as the body of Christ has
figurative and metaphorical significance. However the unity and the communion
with Christ are expressed thereby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 90.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 90.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US">This communion and the unity of
Christ is represented by the
sacraments like Baptism and the
Lord’s supper and so church as the Body
pf Christ can be revealed only in virtue of the gift of the Holy Spirit given
by him to his body. (Ridderbos, 375-376)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">3.3.2. Ephesians and
Colossians<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US">In Ephesians and Colossians there is an advance in Paul’s thought,
involving the setting forth of the relationship which the church, as the body
of Christ, bears to Christ as head of the body (Eph. 5:22-33). The church as
the body of Christ occupies a highly significant role in the purposes of God. This
brought out particularly in Ephesians 1:23 where it is asserted that Christ’s
rule over all things are for, or on behalf of, church, at Ephesians 3:10 where
it is stated that through the church the wisdom of God is made known even to
the cosmic powers. The headship of the Christ over the church is presented in
terms of an organic relationship in which he exercise control over His people
as the head of the body exercises the control over its various parts. The
living relationship between the members is kept in view, while the dependence
of the members on Christ for life and power, as well as his supremacy, is
reiterated. The element of the body’s growth is made plain in Colossians 2:19
and even more so in Ephesians. Its upbuilding is mentioned in the context of
unity in diversity; such a growth derives from Christ and leads to Christ as
members are rightly related to him as the head and to one another (Eph. 4:1-16).
The church as the body of Christ is described in Christ fullness. In one sense
it is complete, for it is already a body just as there is already a Lord (Eph.
4:4-6). On the other hand it grows and will be completed on the final day. The
body thus partakes of the tensions regularly seen in the NT between the
‘already’ and ‘not yet’ between what it is and what it will be. The body of
Christ is a present reality and yet it is an eschatological, that is, future,
entity. (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Hawthorne</st1:city></st1:place>,
79-80) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 72.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Various viewpoints and Issues <o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 18.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The qualification of the church as the body of Christ is
a denotation of the special, close relationship and communion that exist
between the Christ and His church. Some have been of the opinion that church as
the body of Christ is of the relationship of believers to one another. When
Paul in his letters mentions about the church as the body of Christ took the
figure from the Greek world, as the communal in the state and the society was
spoken of under the figure of the body (Watson, 96). However, most of the
scholars in the opinion that Paul’s meaning is by the concept ‘Body of Christ’
but it qualifies not only the fellowship of believers, but primarily the nature
of the fellowship between the church and Christ himself. There are two senses
given to the Body of Christ that is the metaphysical-collective sense and the
real personal sense. (Richards, 81-82)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US"> <b>4.1.
Metaphysical sense<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">The qualification of the body of Christ is a figurative
representation of the vital communion of the church with Christ. There are two
different interpretations of the figurative view of body. They are as follows.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">In the first interpretation, it is characteristic of the
protestant traditional conception that body of Christ is here exclusively
understood of the pneumatic mode of existence of the church on the ground of
its communion with the exalted Christ. It is the spirit who constitutes this
communion. The church is the body of Christ as the fellowship in which he
dwells by his spirit and which he by his spirit enlivens and fills. In this
context the body of Christ is accordingly often spoken of as the invisible
church and mystical union between Christ and the church. (Ridderbos, 363) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">In the second interpretation Roman Catholic tradition is
considered. In Roman Catholic tradition, Church as the body of Christ is not
thought pneumatically but as the fruit of the union of the church with the
divine- human nature of the Christ. According to the Roman Catholic
understanding, church receives in the Eucharist a share of as the Body of the
Lord. The church indeed united with the body of God is understood in the
literal sense for e.g. in the Eucharist. (Ridderbos, 364)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Therefore, we cannot say that these two interpretations
are fundamentally different interpretation of the terminology of the ‘Body’.
For both interpretation are significantly collective as a designation of the
organic whole of the believers in their union with Christ but the difference
lies in the manner in which the nature of the union is understood. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US"> <b>4.2.
Real Personal Sense<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">In real personal sense are something which is developed
in the 1967 and again there are many interpretations, and they are as follows.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Some of the church as the body of Christ is the
expression of the Body of Christ on the analogy of anthropology understood in a
dichotomistic sense. The church is the Body of Christ because Christ constitutes
it by his Spirit and enlivens it by his indwelling. This is a representation of
the relationship of Body and soul. And this opinion is entirely foreign to the
Paul. There is also an another interpretation that Church as the body of Christ
that as church takes the Eucharist the Christian community feeds on this body
and blood (that is on the basis when Jesus says, “this is my body…..my blood,” he
said thereby transmit himself that is his actual self, his life and
personality), becomes the very life and personality of the risen Lord. In a way
to substantiate the point’s theologians are in view that Saul met the body of
the Christ (i.e. the whole Christian community) on the road of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Damascus</st1:city></st1:place>. (Ridderbos, 366)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Evaluation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US">The unity of the church was the problem of the first century
churches like <st1:city w:st="on">Corinth</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city>,
<st1:city w:st="on">Ephesus</st1:city> and Colossi and by the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">concept</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place>
as the body of Christ; Paul is trying to bring unity in the church by
explaining the spiritual aspect of the church. He was very much clear in making
sense to his audience by presenting this concept about the church. This message
of Paul is not at all irrelevant message for the Christian church even today but
is very much relevant in today’s Church which is lacking the unity and love
among each other and the relation with Christ. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US"> Watson States that church as the body of
Christ is to be in subjection to the Head, experience unity with the Head, Work
in glad service for the Head, and Take Direction from The Head. (Watson, 98)
Therefore, author wants to conclude church as the body of Christ made the
audience of the Paul easy to understand and the issue on which Paul discusses
about the concept of the Body of Christ is very much relevant issue even in the
21<sup>st</sup> century church. So, the description of Watson about the body of
Christ should be made practice in the church.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<b style="line-height: 200%;"><span lang="EN-US">Reference List</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Schreiner, Thomas
R., 2005, <i>‘Paul- Apostle of God’s Glory
in Christ’</i>, Secunderabad: <st1:place w:st="on">OM</st1:place> books.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Stedman, C. Ray,
1972, <i>‘Body Life’, </i><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">USA</st1:country-region></st1:place>: A Division of G/L Publication.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US">MacArthur, John
Jr., 1973, <i>‘The Church’, </i><st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Michigan</st1:place></st1:state>: Zondervan
Publishing House. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Richards, <st1:city w:st="on">Lawrence</st1:city> O., 1972, <i>‘A
new Face for the church’,</i> <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Michigan</st1:place></st1:state>:
Zondervam Publishing House</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Ridderbos, Herman,
1975, <i>‘Paul- An outline of His theology’,
</i><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Michigan</st1:state></st1:place>:
Eerdmans publishing company.<i> </i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Kuiper, R. B.,
1967, <i>‘The Glorious Body of Christ’</i> <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city>: The Banner of
Truth Trust.<i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Hawthorne, Gerald
F., Ralph P. Martin. Daniel G. Reid, 1993, <i>‘Dictionary
of Paul and His Letters’, </i><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>:
Intervarsity Press. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US">Watson, David,
1978, <i>‘I believe in the Church’, </i><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Michigan</st1:state></st1:place>: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company.</span></div>
</div>Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-25710983852827566702009-02-04T21:12:00.002+05:302010-12-18T14:22:31.558+05:30Biography of Rev P.T. Chandapilla - reseach by Rev Jeet Singh<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qmYqeQEi7ZM/TQx2NhQs13I/AAAAAAAAAE0/NrhJic0Jk4Q/s1600/rev.%2Bpt%2Bchandapilla.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qmYqeQEi7ZM/TQx2NhQs13I/AAAAAAAAAE0/NrhJic0Jk4Q/s320/rev.%2Bpt%2Bchandapilla.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551942415279773554" border="0" /></a><br />Introduction<br />Rev. Podimannil Thomas Chandapilla (18 March 1926 - ) was born in a very poor family, where he saw poverty very closely. However, due to the great commitment and sacrifice of his parents he was provided good education even though his family was not in position to provide him. Later in his life he got opportunity to go USA for his theological studies.<br />Soon after finishing his theological studies while working with UESI he became famous international evangelical gospel speaker and theologian who was known for his self sacrificing life style. Presently he is the Vicar General of the ST. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (STECI). In this paper the author deals with his biography and sees what his contributions to the Indian church are.<br />1. Formative Factors <br />1.1Early Life and influence of his Mother<br />P T Chandapilla was born in 18 March 1926. He was married to Dorothy Roshan Sentu on February 27, 1956 at Rajanandgaon, Madhya Pradesh and has one daughter. His parents come from Syrian Christian background and were members of the Mar Thoma Church. Initially for almost 18 years his father worked with Church Missionary Society (CMS) in village Kuzhickala of Central Travancore as a (updesi) preacher. But later when he was asked to take full membership in the mission’s work, he left the mission and joined the Voluntary Evangelistic Association of the Mar Thoma Church and served as a rural home missionary, which mean that he lost all the financial support from CMS and henceforth he had to support his family with his own way. However, his mother remained loyal to his father in his all adventures decisions.<br />He was the only son to his parents with other two sisters as his siblings. His father was Chiramannil Chadaplilla Thomas and mother was Sosamma Thomas gave great support to her husband because of poverty that they were facing. The Thomas family never believed in taking debt, whatever situation comes in their lives, this made their situation further worst. Even though it was a forced married yet she stood beside her husband when plate and pocket were empty and made a point that her family will not go hungry. In those days getting a cup of milk and a rice cake from the coffee shop was a luxurious item for the children.<br />However, even in extreme poverty they decided to provide best available education to their son. Hence he was sent in Mar Thoma Boarding school and Gurukulam High School, famous in then know times beside the greatest gift that is Bible. There were times when due to lack of payments of fees he would hide from the teacher’s eyes and attend his lectures and sleep in the big jungle in night that was around the school building. Whatever may be the situation that came on his way he was able to finish his schooling. But later he had opportunity to study four years in USA.<br />His mother was a very pious and God fearing women. She had lasting impact on her son’s life. Even in extreme poverty she maintained Christian virtues in her life and showed exemplary life to her children. Some of the basic Christian virtues were so strongly imparted in her children’s lives by the stories of Abraham Linclon’s mother, and of Susanna Wesley, the mother of John Wesley, stories of George Muller, Hudson Taylor, Apostle Paul and Bishop Abraham Mar Thoma. She inspired her children that, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of the wisdom, not to lie, prayer is the only way for all the situations, essential quiet time in other words no Bible – no food, personal honesty and clean Christian testimony and so on.<br />1.2 His call for the Lord’s work<br />The mind of P. T. Chadaplilla for the Lord’s work was prepared by his parents through their exemplary Christian life. There was one important incident which made him to see the love of Christ reflected through his parents’ life that was caring for an outcaste girl till her death by his parent in his home which made him to know the value of a precious soul. Even though this incident brought great indignation from people side yet it showed him the courage, determination, commitment of his missionary parents to the Lord Jesus Christ.<br />Further, her mother’s devotion to Christ led him to know about Christ and the call of God for His work. The call for the Lord’s work came very adventurously to him through the visions and dream shared to him by his mother in his childhood when he came home for summer break from Mar Thoma Mission Boarding school where he was studying in high school. By now his mother was mentally sick, but when she would relax she would share her inner thoughts with him.<br />One day after sharing a dream with her son she gave a call for the ministry in these words, “Son, your father and me never reach this waiting and hungry crowd of thousands. They are waiting for you to go and tell the news of Christ Jesus and His power to save. So my son, you will take charge of this unfinished task of your father and me. The duty is yours to reach them with the message. Truly they are all waiting in thousands. My son, it is you who will reach them with the message of Jesus. That is the meaning of my delightful dream.” He narrated this vision many times in his teaching and preaching when ever he got opportunity, especially some of the precious words of this dream have become very life for him, “I dreamed of thousands, they all wait for you.” This was the basic reasons for him to take up the vocation of Lord’s work. Thus the mind of young boy was prepared for the Lord’s works and call for this task was given to him. First 25 years of his parents had committed Christian ministry but next 25 years his mother was sick with schizophrenic disease till death and never her own self.<br />1.3 Impact of Second World War<br />P T Chandapilla finished his high school in the year of 1942, when the II world war just at its height. The impact of this war was employment crisis in India. Many unemployed people were struggling to have jobs. The only easy job was available in military service in the various cadres. The year of 1942 was the year of greatest adversity, trial and despair in his life. Due to war money was in short supply all over the country which affected Thomas’s family too. But this was the year which he spent with his parents after long year’s separation of schooling and missionary service and saw poverty very closely through the mature eyes. In those days poverty could be seen in his prayer, written in his book My Mother! My Teacher! Tributes of a Son to a Godly Mother, “O Lord, give me one full meal to eat and then let me die.”<br />Chandapilla worked for some time as a teacher in a free school where education was provided free of cost to the children coming from poor background on a voluntarily basis. However, this he did in order to get opening for the better employment. The whole family went through period of extreme struggle in their life. This made Chandapilla to question the wisdom of his father’s vocational choice and the futility of all the Christian service. But, at his time a failed attempt to join in military made him realized that his parents wanted him to become an ordained minister in the Mar Thoma Church. Further, it was his mother’s great desire that her only son would one day become like St. Paul or Bishop Abraham Mar Thoma. She used to tell him again and again that, “Son it is enough if you become like St. Paul and Bishop Abraham.” But young Chandapilla was still not ready for the work of the Lord; he went on doing male nursing course at American Presbyterian Mission Hospital. It was here when in reality he met the Lord in an intelligent way and had intelligent understanding about Christ.<br />1.4 Impact of Evangelical thinkers<br />He was very much influence by two prominent evangelical thinkers and their life style, one made indirect impact and other direct. Indirectly, he was influenced by Bishop Abraham Mar Thoma who was his mother’s contemporary and who was filled with the burden for the evangelization of all of India. His stories which he had heard from the mouth of his mother astonished him. Bishop Abraham Mar Thoma dies soon after the Indian Independence in 1947 and the second personality was the Rev. K K Methew who was a rich land owner, but was known for his missionary zeal. Whose self-sacrificial life became the role model in the life of Chandapilla. It is a known fact that when STECI went through financial crisis for years it was Rev. K K Methew who kept selling his property in order to support financial the families of the clergies of STECI. <br />2. Ministerial life<br />Soon after the completion of Chandapilla’s male nursing training, he had opportunity to finish his theological studies (M.Div) through Columbia International University. After completion of M.Div in 1955 he joined as a first Indian staff worker and later became first General Secretary of Union of Evangelical Students of India (UESI). But after serving twenty year with UESI, he joined STECI and in 1977, he became an ordained minister of STECI and later he was installed as Vicar General of the same Church.<br />He was entrusted the task of starting a Bible College as the premier theological institute of STECI by the Church council as one of the Silver Jubilee projects in 1987, at Thiruvilla where he had gone to preach in the Annual Convention of STECI. Thus, the birth of Jubilee Memorial Bible College took place on 15th August 1987 in Anna Nagar Chennai. It is interesting to note the name of college was suggested to the church council by the present principle The Rev. John M. Prashad. However, presently, The Very Rev. P T Chandapilla serves as the Vicar General of the STECT.<br />2.1National Influence<br />Around 1970, the All India Missionary Conference held in Hindustan Bible Institute Chennai paved the way for him to come in light on a national Christian level. Further, he became one of the prominent national key leaders when the All India Missionary Conference in 1974 held in Nagpur brought him on a national Christian leadership level. It was here when a great shift took place in his thinking. So far he was working with a Para-church but now he declared that he subscribes to the Episcopal Church and that the missionary task was the mandate of Church and not the mandate of a Para-church organization. This became the major cause for his resignation from UESI and joining in the STECI. The birth of Professional Associates and Decentralization of Tamil Nadu was another millstone in his life in the year of 1977 at that time he was working as a Pastor in STECI.<br />He was also instrumental in initiating a national movement in order to bring all the Evangelical Churches underneath one umbrella so that they would represent themselves as a single Evangelical body on a national level. Thus he became founder of the Federation of the Evangelical Churches of India (FECI), and further he became the first founding general secretary of FECI around 1976. However, this federation did not last long and died after his resignation from the post of General Secretary. He also had great influence upon many other famous National evangelicals such as Bishop C. V. Matthew, Theodore William, Sam Kamleson, Sayakrit Rao and so on. He has also developed a course for the theological students South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS) – a leading theological institute of India and has taught there for almost 4 years. <br />2.2 International Influence<br />P T Chandapilla was invited by Inter-Varsity Fellowship USA, to preach in Urbana Conference in 1969 as a key speaker along with Dr. Billy Graham. He was one of the board members of International Federation of Evangelical Students. He keeps enjoy the fellowship of Dr. John Stott through letters. He had theological dialogue with him through the letter on the issue of hell and heaven.<br />3. Rev. P T. Chandapilla’s Writings<br />He has written four books: The Master Trainer, Servant, India’s McNally Tai, My Mother! My Teacher and a course material – Missiological Issues in New Testament Times for theological students of SAIACS. Beside this there are several of his articles published in souvenirs, and in magazines. One can easily find his evangelical conviction and zeal for the evangelization of India. His theological thoughts based on his books can be summarized as:<br />3.1 Servant-hood: His understanding on this issue was that the nature of Christian servant-hood is that the master becomes the servant. The Christian servant-hood is a call to stand at the end of the line, to be a slave with no rights, to be poor, to be considered a failure and finally to die an insignificant death of ignoble. The reason for a church, devoid of influence and revolutionary power is in the absence of Christian servant-hood in the life and vocation of us Christians in our times. To remain true to the call of the Master-Servant we need to resolutely resist the success-promotion-prosperity syndrome which characterizes the modern world.<br />3.2 Mission: He was a great visionary, was inspired by his mother to reach out thousands. His heart was for mission. Many years he served among students before coming in leadership positions. His missionary zeal could be summarized in his own words before he joined in UESI, “I used to watch hundreds of students coming out of colleges when classes were over in various cities as I travelled.”<br />3.3 Leadership: He has written a book The Master Trainer in which he describes about the leadership. He makes clear in this book that there are eight qualities: the quality of selectiveness, concentration, communicativesness, transparency, availability, practicality and stickability that help a person to develop as a leader. These qualities were exhibited in the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ and were used by Paul to produce Timothy, Titus and others.<br />3.4 Self-Sacrificial lifestyle: Throughout his life, he lived an exemplary lifestyle. He took a vow soon after finishing his theological studies from USA, when he reached in India on seaport that he would never posses any property or any other possession. He threw all of his costly clothes and used to wear Lungi (tunic) and chappal (bathroom sandals) and said that I am always pilgrim passing from this world. <br />Conclusion<br />Rev. P T Chandapilla is known for his Biblical conviction and compassion. Some of his theological material is taught in the theological institute like SAIACS. According to the famous theologian and Bishop C. V. Mathew of STECI, if ever an epitaph was required for him, it would read, “He died serving.” Presently, he is bedridden in WM Hospital at Jubliee Memorial Bible College Chennai.<br /><br />Bibliography<br />Chadapilla, P T. The Master Trainer, Secunderabad: OM Books, 2000.<br />........................ Servant, Pune: Select Book Pub., 1990. <br />........................ My Mother! My Teacher, Mumbai: GLS, 1972.<br /><br />Articles<br />Jesusha. “Tete-a-tete”, Chennai: Campus Link, UESI, Jan-Feb, 2004.<br /><br />Interview<br />John Prashad, Principal of Jubilee Memorial Bible Collage, Chennai, 30th Jan. 2009.Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-69892452054655463802008-09-20T00:58:00.000+05:302008-09-20T01:00:15.661+05:30‘Liberation Theology’Liberation theology is the serious attempt to deal with the social, economic and political status of man in the world. Liberation theology can be said as the theology of the oppressed or the voice on behalf of the oppressed. Liberation theology had a major impact in the world. Here author is trying to deal with the background, definitions, origin, theologians, characteristic, themes, nature and theological issues of liberation theology. <br />Background of Liberation Theology<br />Latin America was the cradle of Liberation theology and was the first to formulate a system on behalf of the downtrodden. So to understand the background of the Liberation Theology it is necessary to know the history of the Latin America.<br />Liberation theology is the consequence of the Iberian and European colonization. Iberian Catholicism was brought to America with the military conquest in sixteenth century. And with them came the Roman Catholic Church. (Smith, 205) Iberians implant Christendom in which church is the only a part at the service of the economic and political interest, represented by the king of Spain and Pope. The church established in America was truly for the political and economical benefit of the Pope and Spanish crown. (Nunez, 18) For four centuries church had a dominant role in the history of the Latin America. Societies were divided into many classes and at the church was the leaders of the both the church and the state. (Smith, 205) in the social class offspring of the leaders and the church captured the second level of the governmental positions; the third stratum was from the Spanish masses that is soldiers, merchants, farmers etc. and then came the Amerindians (American Indians) and the at the very bottom comes mestizos and Black. (Nunez, 18) There was much oppression on the Amerindians from the church as well as government.<br />There were few missionaries who had pity on these Amerindians and tried to help them and also were successful to some extend. Missionary like Bartholome de Las Casas, freed his African slaves and sought peacefully evangelize the Indians. For the poor, he is the Moses who pleaded to the king of Spain urging that they may free these oppressed people from Spanish rule. Even when there was the decline of the Spanish power in seventeenth century, the power of Roman Catholic Church increased. And so church supported the higher classes of the society and others were rejected by the church and at the same time by the government because church was the governing body of the society either. Injustice and oppression continued after the independence of the Latin Amerindians that is natives. (Nunez, 20) <br />Definitions of the Liberation Theology<br />Smith defines Liberation Theology as the<br /><br />“Theological endeavor which sees God’s continuing work in the world from the viewpoint of the oppressed and understands that work to involve the reconstruction of persons and societies according to the mold of the Master” (Smith, 204)<br /><br />Grenz and Olson defines Liberation theology as,<br /><br />“The Theology of Liberation is rooted in a revolutionary Militancy” (Olson, 211)<br />And they also give the definition given by the native evangelicals,<br />“Liberation Theology is an allegedly biblical and profoundly christological quest for the genuine Christian orthopraxy. Such orthopraxy results from the juxtaposition of a critical reflection on the church’s pastoral activity and its historical interpretation in the light of divine revelation” (Olson, 211)<br /><br />Origin of the Liberation Theology<br />There are number of crucial reference points for the beginning of the movement. In 1965, some third world bishops present at Vatican II issued a pastoral letter concerning the shame of endemic poverty in their respective dioceses. In 1966, the World Council of Churches convened an international conference to consider concrete issues of social injustice. In this same year Camillo Torres the Catholic priest died while fighting as the member of guerrilla group in Colombia. (Hart, 318) In 1968 the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America, gathering in the city of Medellin, Colombia, initiated a theological revolution. This was the second meeting of CELAM, the Latin American Episcopal Conference, often referred to as CELAM II. CELAM II is considered as the true beginning of ‘Liberation Theology’. North American Theologians of Liberation commented that CELAM initiated a revolution in American Church life and which marked in history of Latin America. (Smith, 210)<br />In 1971 a volume appeared and that became the textbook of the new movement. The name of the book is ‘Theology of Liberation’ written by a Peruvian priest and theology professor name Gustavo Gutierrez. This book dominated the theological circle of the 1970s. (Olson, 210) <br />Liberation Theologians<br />The movement of the Liberation Theology is widespread in all over the world. From every corner of the world theologians represent Liberation theology. Even though theologians have different cultural and religious background, it is observed that they have the spirit of unity in their thoughts. The prominent theologians of the Liberation Theology are Gustavo Gutierrez, Leonardo Boff, and Hugo Assmann of Brazil, Jose Miranda of Mexico, Juan Luis Segundo of Uruguay and Spanish Born Jon Sobrino of El Salvador. There were also few protestant Liberation theologians like Methodist Jose Miguez Bonino of Argentina. Out of all these theologians the most prominent Catholic Liberation theologian was Gustavo Gutierrez and in protestant circle was Jose Miguez Bonino. (Olson, 213)<br />4.1. Gustavo Gutierrez<br />Gustavo Gutierrez was born Lima in 1928 in relatively poor family. In 1959 he received his Ph.D. in theology from the University of Lyon in France and was ordained to the priesthood. He, because of his lectures and the important book from which the movement derived its name was considered as ‘Father of liberation theology’. Gustavo spent most of his time ministering to the poor parish in Lima and teaching theology and social sciences at the Catholic University in Lima. In 1960s he served as chaplain to the National Union Catholic Students of Peru and during this period he came in contact with the revolutionaries such as Che Guevara and Camilo Torres. His inspired books for the theology of liberation are ‘The Theology of Liberation’ and ‘The power of Poor in History’. He taught and lectured at seminars and universities around the world about Liberation theology and he was the main speaker in the conference of liberation theology and third world theologians. (Smith, 208) <br />4.2. Jose Miguez Bonino<br />Jose Miguez Bonino was born in Santa FE, Argentina, in 1924. His parents were Methodist. Although he was raised in a middle class family, he had many contacts with the poor people of Argentina and gradually gained a social concern that led to identity with socialism. He pursued at a protestant seminary in Argentina and received his licentiate in 1948. Later he studied at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and Union Theological Seminary in New York City, receiving his PH.D in 1960. In his book ‘Doing Theology in a Revolutionary Situation’ he deals with the basis of Theology of Liberation, calling the church to overcome with the attitude of privatization and join with the revolutionary struggle on the behalf of the poor. He played a major role in the protestant circle of the Liberation Theology. (Olson, 213-214) <br />Characteristics of the Liberation theology<br />The origin of the liberation theology was in Latin America but its impact was all over the world. This movement gave birth to the theologies like Black theology in South Africa Afro-American community, Minjung theology in Korea, Theology of struggle in Philippians and Dalit theology in India and so it is not a monolithic movement. According to Liberation theologians, Liberation theology is the theology of the Church, Hermeneutical theology and Biblical theology.<br /><br /> <br />5.1.Liberation Theology is a Theology of the church<br />This theology is done by the committed people in the purpose to purifying the church of inauthentic social and cultural baggage, which has compromised its prophetic ministry to speak out against the injustice towards the oppressed people in behalf of them. It promotes the vision of a church which has given up its open or tacit support for political forces that resist the equalization of the power in society, a church that identifies with the suffering solidarity of Jesus Christ with outsiders. (Hart, 319) <br />5.2.Liberation theology is the Biblical Theology<br />Bible is regarded as the liberating text. Bible is considered as the appeal to as the guardian of dangerous, subversive memory of a new order inaugurated by Jesus, the Messiah that ends oppressions of all kinds, rights injustices, challenges social exclusions, warns against the personal accumulation of wealth and political dominance, reconciles enemies, demands the selfless service of others and meets violence with suffering. (Hart, 319)<br />The Exodus is interpreted as a paradigm of the liberation of an oppressed people and of the exile as an example of the consequence of idolatry in religion and injustice in society. The message of the prophets is directed largely to the rich and powerful, is seen as the warning of judgment. The Life of Jesus Christ is interpreted as a struggle against the forces that humiliate and exclude from normal society the exploited poor, women, children and the people of other races and beliefs. His death is seen as a consequence of his challenge to religious and political authority and as a sacrifice for the sin which is result of idolatry and leads to death and resurrection is understood as a victory over the powers of death and as the foundation for the hope in a new way of life. (Hart, 319) <br />6. Themes of Liberation Theology<br />Liberation theology is oriented towards the poor and oppressed and so according to their understanding poor occupies a position of especial importance in the interpretation of the Christian faith. And so proper starting point of Christian theology and mission must be ‘the view of below’, that is ‘where the pain is’ that is in the context of he pain and downtrodden and outcast.<br /> Liberation theology involves critical reflection of practice. Western classical theology regarded action as the result of reflection but liberation theology is the view that action comes first and, followed by reflection, that is theology to stop describing the world but transforming it. Liberation theology is committing to the transformation of society on behalf of and along with the oppressed. Then, as mentioned before reflection on what had happened or works to bring it into a right relationship with the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. (McGrath, 255) <br />7. Nature of the Liberation Theology<br />Liberation theology is the theology which is totally concentrated to the poor and oppressed people of the society and so theologians view Bible with the same perspectives. Scripture is considered as the liberating book and the God of scripture is the liberating God politically. Theology of liberation gives emphasis to the social, economic and political aspect of the life of the man especially to the context of the Latin America. Liberation theology is criticized as the combination of the Marxism and the Christianity. Liberation theology is has include Marxist thought to give fundamental substance to the Christian belief. (McGrath, 256)<br />8. Theological issues<br />These are the few theological issues which were faced by the liberation theology in Latin America.<br />8.1.New Spirituality<br />Traditionally and spiritual life and devotional practices have been associated with special times and places like on Sundays, feast days, churches and Monasteries. Liberation theology speaking from the state of the commitment to the poor argues that this concept of spirituality is limited and suggests that God is found by retreating from the world and its tensions and true spirituality is resting in the peace of His presence. It seems that liberation theology is in the view that the experience of God can be found primarily in the political practice of liberation that is the political liberation of the poor gives the presence of the God. (Dyrness, 104-105)<br />8.2.Biblical Hermeneutics<br />Bible is considered as the liberating book and the incidents of the bible are interpreted according to their context of Latin America. The salvation of God is always equated with liberation and stresses the social, political and economic aspects of salvation. Jesus is considered as the liberator, the political liberator. (McGrath, 256) <br /><br />Evaluation<br />Liberation theology played a major role in the church and also to the world in positive and also negative aspects. Liberation theology became the reason for the birth of the theologies like black, feminist etc. Liberation theology reminded the church that the God who is the liberator of Israelites from Egypt is also the liberator today. God is still the God of Justice. Liberation theology has reminded that 1 John 3:17-18, as the apostle says that -if anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him, let us not love from our words or tongue but with actions and in truth, which the church was missing in large in those days. Liberation theology has encouraged the church to see the interplay between the understanding and obedience in terms of dialectic in which the understanding of the church grows as church respond to God’s word in appropriate ways.<br />Liberation theology also missed the importance of the scripture in every sense. Liberation theology gave more emphasis to the political, economic and social aspects of man. They saw every thing from the view of the oppressed people. Liberation theology missed to see the other side of the man. Even they molded bible in their own convenience. <br />Conclusion<br /> Liberation theology has some excellent ideas and stimulating themes but the lost in right way of interpreting the bible. The major drawback of liberation theology is that they looked the physical side of man. They neglected the spiritual life of the man. The major lesson from liberation theology is that even the oppressed are the part of the society and should be helped by the church and church can play a major role in upliftment of them. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reference List<br />Nunez. C, Emilo Antonio, 1985, ‘Liberation Theology’, Chicago: Moody Press. <br />Smith, David L., 1992, ‘A Handbook of Contemporary Theology’, USA: A Bridge Point Book.<br />Olson, Roger E., Stanley J. Grenz, 1950, ‘20th Century Theology’, Illinois: Intervarsity Press<br />Hart, Trevor A., 2000, ‘The Dictionary of Historical Theology’, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.<br />Dyrness, William A., 1990, ‘Learning about Theology from Third World’, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing.<br />McGrath, Alister E., 1998, ‘Historical Theology’, UK: Blackwell Publishing.Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6899901293348852858.post-12057132109494142962008-09-19T23:52:00.000+05:302008-09-19T23:54:02.696+05:30Anthropological issues among the Urban YouthsYouths are the backbone of the church and the country. The maximum populations of India’s urban centers are youths and these youths are the future leaders of the church and society. And so to build them is the responsibility of the church by knowing their problems. Therefore, author is dealing with urban youth in today’s century, brief anthropological issues of the urban youths and the response of the church. <br /> <br />Urban Youth in today’s century<br />Urban youth commonly means, people between the age from 15-30. Urban youths are commonly addressed as rebellious generation. Especially for the elders, they are the people who don’t bother about others and who live a life pleasing to them. Today’s youth is mainly concern with their present day in their life, they don’t think about tomorrow. Youths, especially college going students and school going students like to have entertainment by watching movies in theaters or hangout or eating in hotels etc. They normally prefer to spend their time with their peer groups in these places. Urban youths are bolder than rural youths. There have their own opinion about everything in their life and they speak out anyway. There prefer to be independent in their life. Urban youths have been influenced by American concept of independence.<br />In the physical sense they are the people who like to be different in the society they prefer many styles in their life like having a long hair, having French cut mustache, wearing funny jeans, walking in a funny way, etc. which is not liked by elders. Youths claim that elders cannot understand them as they are but youth cannot change according to elder’s lifestyle. Every youth is searching for something in their life and they do any thing to get that. <br />Anthropological Problems<br />There are many problems like Identity crisis, Drugs, Sex, Fashion, Music, Mysticism, communal living, gigolos. The problems of youths are as follows:<br /> Identity Crisis<br />Major issue for the Urban Youths is the identity crisis. Mostly every youth tries to get identity in many ways, which can in a positive way or negative way. For e.g. normally they take interest in becoming a star of their college or school or in their job place by doing any activities which pleases their friends or other people who relate with them. And this identity crisis end up may be with social evil or drugs or alcohol etc. most of the youngsters who are in racket of ethical evil, they are mostly in search of identity in the society. This identity crisis is there in urban youths because as in cities there is competition in every domain of life and as city life is too busy no one bother about others and are busy with their work. The main reason for crisis is the lack of identity in peer circle or family circle etc. Inorder to gain identity they prefer any means way to be identified in the society.<br />For young believer also there is an identity crisis. For e.g. a youth who is a believer finds it difficult to find identity among his friends. They find difficulty in mingling with their friends as a Christian. (Interview with Tiji Mathew)<br /><br /> <br /> Drugs<br />Most of the time youngsters get into drug addiction due to the peer pressure, identity crisis, pleasure, movies, etc. Stuart says that most of the youths get in drugs because it is the human nature that if things are restricted to a person then it is the tendency that they want to try it again. The same mentality youths have in extreme of trying things which are restricted. They want to please their peer group or make an identity among other proving that they are something in the society even though it gives negative impact or negative image to the society about them. (Briscoe, 21-23)This habit of drugs leads them to problems like AIDS, psychological disorder, premarital sex, etc. <br /> Sex<br />In urban centers sex is the common phenomenon. Youths prefer to have a premarital sex and enjoy the life. There is the system in the urban centers among the youths that is ‘crush system’ which means having an affair for two weeks or three or in other words having a love relation which is not genuine or having a time-pass relationship. And this relation is influenced by Medias e.g. in M. TV there is program called Crush in which they call young people who have an infatuation with each other for having game and that results for precious gifts and also they provoke to propose to the people to propose each who have crush with each other, etc. In that relationship they may have sex also, it not at all a major concern. Urban girls are not at all concern about their virginity. Even they prefer to have sexual relationship for pleasure. These crush relations are mainly found in colleges going youths, people who are working in BPO’s (Call centers), etc. In BPO’s they have this relationship for sake of fun in the midst of their hectic pressure of their works.<br />Stuart says that the last generation girls even not prefer to speak to boys. It was their thinking that talking to a boy was something a big mistake. As far as sex is concern according to her sex outside the marriage is a greatest sin of the world. (Briscoe, 30) <br /> Mysticism<br />Mysticism can be divided into three groups and they are as follows:<br /> Spiritual Group<br />In this group very less people are there. They are spiritual due to their experience or due to their surrounding in which they grow. These people are totally dedicated to their God and are committed to it.<br /> <br /> Confused Group<br />Maximum number of youth’s population of the urban areas comes under this category. Most of the youths are in the confused state about religion and God and or in other words are they confused at the same time they don’t bother about their religious stand. This happens because they are seeing so many religions around them and they are finding difficult to choose which religion is the real and which is the real God. None of the religions are able to give the answers to the questions they ask. For e.g. the church is not able to answer the question of the youths because answer to the question contradicts with the life of the pastors and Church elders and at the same time Hindus find it easy to convince the youths but their youths contradicts with the tradition. And so they stay in the confused state. And this confused state result to sometimes Atheism. <br /> Atheist Group<br />More or less people come under this category. These are the people who first were in the confuse state and later on comes to the conclusion that there is no existence of God.<br />All their religious faiths depend on the words of the people and their personal experience. <br /><br /> Music<br />Music is weakness of the urban youths. They are crazy about music. Most of the youths prefer to have songs in their churches and have a live worship. Music is something which they cannot stop hearing. Music influences them so much in their life. This same music is sometimes dangerous for the youths because now a day’s young people are addicted to rock music and most of the rock songs are devilish in nature or in other words we can it is anti-Christ songs. Youths are not religiously educated enough to understand the meaning of this rock music. (Interview, Johncy) <br />2.10. Gigolos<br />Gigolos are to some extend can be said as male Prostitution. As I mentioned earlier urban youths are ready to do anything for the sake of money. Now a day the gigolos are very much found Indian urban centers like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. These gigolos are the men at age of 20-30 and they do it for sake of money. These people are educated people; The Week declares that some are graduates in the domain like Hotel Management, Pharmacy, etc and some are models and the people in entertainment domain. They are the stripper in the kitty parties and strip parties and are also paid very high. Their monthly income is from 100,000 to 200,000. Their clients are mainly old women, and the women who are suffering in their family relationship and also rich girls for pleasure. In this profession they can earn money and at the same time have pleasure. And this profession later result to addiction. (Saxena, 44-54) <br /> <br />Response of the church on these issues of the youths<br />Most of the churches are silent about the issues of the youths. As a result the youth population of the church is very low n most of the urban churches. Youths are not fed according to their needs. Today’s church is failing in the process of feeding the youths. Today’s churches concentrate to the mission aspects of the church but they are missing their youths because of the lack of their capability. Youths are normally condemned by the elders of the church instead of encouraging them to come to church etc. most of the youths today’s goes to the cults groups unknowing about its reality. Today’s church should answer to the question of where their youths are. Youths are the backbone of the church and church is responsible for the youths of the church. Youths are going to other churches also where their desire is fulfilled. Today’s church is facing the problem of Modernity and tradition. <br />Today’s youth are in search of identity and if church is able to provide it they will come to the church. Even in the Bible we can see that people believed in God because they received which they were missing in their life, e.g. Jesus did many miracles and so many people were able to believe in Christ. And so today’s churches also should show the power and love of Christ to the youths of the church. Every church member has a role to play to bring the youths back to the church in the belief of God. Once Rev. Chandapilla gave a advise to the one of the church leader that to bring the youths in the church and want to make an interest in them give them what they want, e.g. if they like to play cricket organize the cricket tournament and invite all of them to play. (Interview, Tiji)<br />Churches as a major scope in attracting youths by showing them the right way for their religious confusion but the church fails in doing so. There are also many exceptional churches that play a major role in the life of the youths. Church can play a major role in the spiritual life of the youths. The consequence of the failure of the church is that youths are becoming atheist in their religion and some go to the church like satanic churches which fulfills their evil desires of their life, to which they get attracted. <br />Today there are few churches which play a marvelous role in the growth of the youths in the church. Even the traditional churches are also coming up in nurturing the youths of their churches. Today’s churches should give the necessary things for the spiritual upliftment of the youths. Today’s youth prefer live worship, church should give them and they need identity in the church, church should be able to give them any position in the church or should be able to communicate with them in a caring and loving way so that they may feel that someone is concerning about them instead of blaming them. If church is about to respond in these way then church will be able to educate them and try to stop them in doing evil practices like premarital sex, drinking, drugs, etc.<br />Today’s church should consider youths as mature part of the body of Christ. <br /><br /><br /> <br />Evaluation<br /> The major concern altogether we can say is that there is no one to understand urban youths; even family members who come from rural set up finds it difficult to understand urban youths. Urban youths are accepted as prodigal children of their parents. <br /> Many of the problems of youths are not understood as problem by the youths like sex, music, etc. it is the responsibility of the church to make them understand their problems and make them understand their mistake. For communicating this issues church can have empathy on them and make them understand their issues. Today’s urban youths are going through the direction which is totally unaccepted to God and church cannot just watch that. Therefore let ever church have primary concern for the youths who are going to destruction. <br />Conclusion<br /> So author likes to conclude it, as youths are the future of the church and the society and it is the duty of the church to nourish the future. Without the right conduct of the youth there is no future of the society and the church. Religious communities can play a major role in building the youths in the society and the church. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Reference List<br />Briscoe, D. Stuart, 1972, ‘Where was church when the youth exploded?’ Michigan: Zondervan Publishing house.<br />Interview with Johncy Joseph on 12 Feb. 2008<br />Interview with Tiji Mathew on 13 Feb. 2008.<br />Saxena, Payal, 2008, ‘The New G-spot’, in ‘The Week’, Vol.26. No. 11, Kochi: Malayalam Manorama Press.Rev. Daniel Siby Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10748206270611052889noreply@blogger.com0