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Vol. 7 / Issue 41 / April 29 2004

Contents of this issue

Editorial

Ideal or Model Church

Why Quran is not the Word of God? Part 2



News Items (Common to all issues) :

Standing in the Gap - Fasting prayer on 8th Dec.. 2015

Download Articles in Handheld Computers

Please Join us in "Peace Prayer Room"

Your Spam Folder

Hindi / Malayalam/Tamil Bible Online

Through the Valley of Death

Free Tutorials for your Kids!

Allah and Elohim - Are they the same God? Book

Free E-Cards

Online Games for you!



Editorial

By Sherly Isaac

John 14:1-3, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Jesus promised to prepare a place in heaven to live with Him. He went to prepare a beautiful place. Bible tells us that this is the land where there is no sorrow, no sighing no tears but unending joy and blessings. But the question is who will inherit that land.

Isaiah said about the future of a redeemed and ransomed person in Isa 35:8-10, "A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Those who are redeemed by the blood of Jesus will be in that beautiful land. Unclean person cannot enter into heaven. Jesus gave Himself on the cross as a ransom for our sins. He paid the price in full to redeem us from our sins and to give us holy life.

What is your position today? Are you redeemed of God? Are you sure about your destination that if you die today, you will go to heaven? If you are not sure about your destination, if you are not redeemed from your sins, you need to repent from your sins and turn to the living God before it may be too late.

Repent from your sins and invite Jesus in your life as your Lord and Savior. Allow Holy Spirit to take control of your life so that you could live a holy life. Paul asks you to leave those bad habits and works of darkness behind in which you were once and walk in the marvelous light which you have seen. We read in Eph 5:8, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." Stay in holiness because without holiness no one can see God or enter into heaven. Bible says in Eccl 9:8, "Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil."

Yes, there is an eternal home which Jesus is preparing in a beautiful land for those who are redeemed and those who walk in His ways. Are you one of them?



Ideal or Model Church

By Sheela Isaac

When we talk about Ideal or Model Church let’s see what makes the Church Ideal or a roll model for people. Today there are many mainline churches which claim themselves to be the right church or of right denomination. But are these churches really ideal churches in the light of the Bible? Are these churches following the doctrines and teachings of Bible? Bible speaks about the first church which was founded by the disciples of Jesus Christ. Even if we say that this church was founded by Christ Himself it would not be offensive, because they tried to follow the teachings of Christ with all faithfulness and purity. Let’s see some of the qualities of the early first century church which was an ideal or model church.

1. The First church was a saved and spirit filled (tongue speaking) church:

We find in the Bible how the early church was founded. Bible says that those who were saved were daily added to the church. It was not based on the principle of membership that anybody can come and join or anybody who is born in a Christian home can take membership. Acts 2:47, “….And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:41, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Here we find that Peter was preaching to the crowd. It might have been a huge crowd because Bible says that out of this crowd three thousand were saved and were added to the church. It means that the first church had only saved people as members. No other people (unsaved) were given the membership of the church. The first church, which was a model church, did not have even a single unsaved or ungodly person in it. All were saved and spirit filled. What a great church it might be.

So who were left out from this crowd?

Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:39, "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:40, “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."

So the people who continued to remain perverse were left out. The people who did not believe in Jesus Christ and His true Gospel were left out. People who heard the Gospel but refused to accept the Lord were called perverse people. Let’s see what is meant by “perverse.” I found this meaning in dictionary for “perverse.”

1. Directed away from what is right or good; perverted.

2. Obstinately persisting in an error or fault; wrongly self-willed or stubborn.


So what about our churches? Do you see 100% saved and spirit filled (who speak in tongues) people in our churches? No, our churches are filled with unsaved and perverted people. Look, I don’t call anybody perverted but Bible calls them so. In the mainline churches atleast 95-100% people may not be saved out of which you may find hardly 1-5% people who are really saved and may be hardly .01 -.1% spirit filled. So how can you call it a model or ideal church? No way!!! These are the people who always oppose the doctrines of Jesus. These are the people who always oppose salvation messages; these are the people who always want to live in sin. That’s why you all find the corruption in church. All the liars, backbiters, drinkers, adulterers, money mongers, murderers and witch crafters are sitting in the church. So how can you call it model or ideal church? Impossible.

Again we find that the people of the first church (ideal church) were all spirit filled people.

Acts 2:1, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

2. In the first church, people were prayer worriers and intercessors:

Acts 1:14, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”

Bible says that they all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. Why? because they were all like-minded people. They were all saved people. They were all godly and righteous people. If you are not a saved person then I believe that your prayers do not make much sense. When our churches are full of sinners how can you expect something good could come out of their prayers? I do not know whether the prayers of an unsaved person can make any difference in the kingdom of God. Once I did pretty badly in my board exams. At that time I was not saved. I still remember that I prayed for months together till my examination results were out. I prayed and prayed but I never felt that my prayers reached anywhere. All the time I felt as if I was praying and on the other end there was no one to hear my cry. I spent more than a month time in restlessness thinking if I fail in my exam what would happen. I could not get any peace during those restless times though I prayed hard. So I am not sure whether the prayers of an unsaved person brings much results or not? But one thing I know is that after I got saved most of my prayers brought answers. Some immediately and some later on after some time, but I am sure that prayer brings peace immediately with the assurance that my prayers have gone through.

3. The first church was a Gospel preaching church:

Acts 15:25, “it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,” Acts 15:26, “men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 15:27, “We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.” Acts 15:32, “Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.”

The first church was a Gospel preaching church. They sent out missionaries to preach the Gospel. Verse 15:32 says, “they sent out prophets….” What about our churches? Are our churches doing evangelization? Do we have evangelists, prophets in our churches? Sadly enough to say, No our mainline churches are not interested in Evangelism. Somebody once said, “I believe that Evangelism and charity are the same thing. When you build school, help the poor all these come with in evangelism.” The other day one person said, “I think we are sending money to Cancer center and cancer hospitals that is a missionary work or evangelism. Well I do not know how much these people read Bible. They even do not know the exact meaning of evangelism. How can you expect more from them? Somebody once said, “we don’t support evangelism, but we rather prefer to support mission and charity.”

Well lately I found out the new meaning of mission.

1. As earth is round the money given for mission also goes round and round. First it goes to the Pastor’s affiliated mission center, then as earth is round it certainly returns to the Pastor. Isn’t it a good idea, that’s why people insist on giving more money to mission field not for Gospel work.

2. Mission fund is collected to get favor from higher authorities like Bishop and so on. You got it were the rest of the mission money goes.

3. And of course some slips into the pockets of office bearers too.

That’s why once a pastor said, “I want to see this church as a missionary church, it is my dream.” Well that’s not a bad dream when money making business comes. Because he knows very well that earth is round like mission money is also. I do not know how a person can steal money from church and still sleep well without any guilty feelings. How can you steal from God’s treasury? How can you put your hand in offertory box to steal money without any fear of God? How can you put wrong bills to extract money that also from the church. I really don’t understand.

Our churches are not missionary (Gospel preaching and giving for Gospel) churches but our churches are money making churches. They have nothing to do with evangelism and Gospel preaching but they need money and they are not ashamed to extract (steal) money from God’s house. Why, because people are not saved but as Bible says that they are perverted generation.

Well today our churches are not model or ideal churches because we failed to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. As long as church neglects the teachings of Jesus Christ our churches will stay as stinking and corrupt church.



Why Quran is not the Word of God? Part 2

By Sherly Isaac

Last week we saw that Muhammad was getting his revelations. He was bewitched and powerful magic worked on him. He was under the influence of spell and witchcraft. Moreover his encounter with a so called angel who identified himself as Gabriel made him so distressed that many a times Muhammad tried to kill himself.

After all who this angel was who identified himself as angel Gabriel?

A distressing/suicidal/murdering spirit?:

In Bible we read about Saul that he was once filled with the Spirit of God but when he sinned against God and disobeyed Him the Spirit of God left him and a distressing spirit came and tormented him" (1 Sam 16:14-23). Because of this evil spirit Saul was greatly troubled in his heart. Days, months and years passed by and a day came in his life when he reached to the point where God did not respond to him and it made him really sick. So he turned to medium to know his future. Finally Saul died a tragic death by killing himself.

Bible also tells us that when that distressing spirit came upon Saul he tried to kill David as we read in 1 Sam 19:9-10, "Now the distressing spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night."

1 Sam 22nd chapter tells us that Saul killed the priests of the Lord. What was their crime? Ahimelech the Priest inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine, (1 Sam 22:10).

You can see similarities in Muhammad's inspiration. As I wrote last week and showed how Muhammad was completely distressed after having encounter with an angel at the cave. Muhammad was suicidal. Muhammad killed many innocent people among whom Jews were the main.

Hadith and Quran both says that the angel who identified as angel Gabriel hated Jews. In Hadith we read, "The Prophet said, "Just now Gabriel has informed me about that." 'Abdullah said, "Gabriel?" The Prophet said, "Yes." 'Abdullah said, "He, among the angels is the enemy of the Jews."

Hadith tells us that angel Gabriel visited Muhammad and commanded to kill men of Bani Quraiza. We read in Hadiths that Muhammad and his friends killed those Jews and distributed their women, children and properties among themselves. Bani Quraiza was a Jewish tribe. Here are the Hadith I am quoting.

Volume 5, Book 59, Number 362: Narrated Ibn Umar:
Bani An-Nadir and Bani Quraiza fought (against the Prophet violating their peace treaty), so the Prophet exiled Bani An-Nadir and allowed Bani Quraiza to remain at their places (in Medina) taking nothing from them till they fought against the Prophet again) . He then killed their men and distributed their women, children and property among the Muslims, but some of them came to the Prophet and he granted them safety, and they embraced Islam. He exiled all the Jews from Medina. They were the Jews of Bani Qainuqa', the tribe of 'Abdullah bin Salam and the Jews of Bani Haritha and all the other Jews of Medina.


Volume 5, Book 59, Number 443: Narrated 'Aisha:
When the Prophet returned from Al-Khandaq (i.e. Trench) and laid down his arms and took a bath, Gabriel came and said (to the Prophet ), You have laid down your arms? By Allah, we angels have not laid them down yet. So set out for them." The Prophet said, "Where to go?" Gabriel said, "Towards this side," pointing towards Banu Quraiza. So the Prophet went out towards them.

Volume 5, Book 59, Number 449: Narrated Al-Bara:
The Prophet said to Hassan, "Abuse them (with your poems), and Gabriel is with you (i.e, supports you)." (Through another group of sub narrators) Al-Bara bin Azib said, "On the day of Quraiza's (besiege), Allah's Apostle said to Hassan bin Thabit, 'Abuse them (with your poems), and Gabriel is with you (i.e. supports you).'"

Volume 5, Book 59, Number 725: Narrated Urwa bin Az-Zubair:
'Aisha said, "The Prophet said during his fatal illness, "Allah cursed the Jews for they took the graves of their prophets as places for worship." 'Aisha added, "Had it not been for that (statement of the Prophet ) his grave would have been made conspicuous. But he was afraid that it might be taken as a place for worship."


One another Hadith says, "curse be on the Jews and the Christians, as they took the graves of their prophets as (places of worship)".

All these things show that Muhammad was speaking to an angel who influenced him to commit all kinds of evil things which are abomination in the sight of God.

To be continued...




Standing in the Gap - Fasting prayer on 8th Dec.. 2015

As the Bible says in Ezekiel 22:30 "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it." And also the Bible says in Numbers 16:48, "And he (Aaron) stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped." We have fasting prayer every second Tuesday of each month. Our next fasting prayer meeting will be conducted on 16th Nov. 2015

Download Articles in Handheld Computers

You can now download articles in Palm Doc format for your palm handheld computer. It will work with any devise that has Palm OS and Palm Doc Reader installed. To download click on the link named "Palm Doc Format" i.e. at the top of this page by the side of each articles.

Please Join us in "Peace Prayer Room"

If you have any prayer request please join us any time at our New Chat Room at http://insearchofpeace.org/prayer If any of us available in prayer room, we will be praying online otherwise you can email your prayer request to feedback@insearchofpeace.org

Your Spam Folder

If you are getting this newsletter in your bulk/junk/Spam folder please hit the "not junk" or "not spam" button so that you could receive it in your mailbox. Also adding feedback@insearchofpeace.org email address into your contact list can avoid this email from ending up in your bulk folder.

Hindi / Malayalam/Tamil Bible Online

Now you can read Bible in Hindi online at http://www.hindibible.org
in Malayalam online at http://www.malayalambible.org
in Tamil online at http://www.hindibible.org?ver=tamil

Through the Valley of Death

As many of you know that in the year 2005, our dad was very sick even unto death. God miraculously healed him. We have compiled it in a book form. I sure believe that it will inspire you and encourage you greatly.

This book is available for purchase at JasmineCorp Store

Free Tutorials for your Kids!

Now you can learn Graphics and web designing online. These tutorials are free but you may need to get login ID by registering yourslef. Currently tutorials for Paint Shop Pro, HTML and Dreamweaver/Fireworks are available but in future more tutorials will be added.

Check the tutorials at:http://jasminecorp.net/tutorial

Allah and Elohim - Are they the same God? Book

Now available "Allah and Elohim - Are they the same God" Available at JasmineCorp Store, and "Is Jesus God?" Available at JasmineCorp Store,

Both books compares the Bible and the Quran and read eye opening facts about Jesus, God of the Bible, Allah and Islamic faith. I am sure that you want to read this.

Also read:
Book Title: Is Jesus God?
Author: Sherly Isaac
ISBN: 0759628092
http://insearchofpeace.org/books.htm

Free E-Cards

Send free E-Cards (Greeting Cards) to your friends and family. Its an easy way to stay in touch with friends and family. The website address is:
http://ecards.jcsearch.com

Online Games for you!

Now you can play games online at http://insearchofpeace.org/games




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