Volume 1 | Issue 5
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2020
KINGDOM
PERSPECTIVES
For Private Circulation Only
Comforting | Inspiring | Word of Life and Spirit
Alive in Christ: Testimony Evg. Ditty Thomas
HOPE OF THE CHURCH
JESUS is the REASON for this SEASON Christmas Greetings
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Kingdom Perspectives | Jan - Feb 2020
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CONTENTS
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Kingdom Perspectives has been made available to you through the help and support of the friends and sponsors of Kingdom Perspectives Ministries. All Bible references are from King James Version, New International Version, New Living Translation, Amplified Bible Classic Edition and Revised Standard Version (RSV). Kingdom Perspectives is published by Kingdom Perspectives Ministries, Bangalore, India. For more information visit our website: kingdomperspectives.in +91 9916782434 kingdomperspectives77@gmail.com
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Hope amidst the Hurdles Evg. Joel Johnson
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Alive in Christ: Testimony Evg. Ditty Thomas
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God of Hope in times of despair Pr. Phibin John
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Second Coming of Christ The Hope of the Church, Blasson N. Mathew
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Etymology - Hope Prof. Shyam Raj
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Poem - Be thankful Shifa Christina Reji
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President: Blasson N. Mathew Chief Editor: Sherin Johnson Creative Head: Jose Valiyakalayil Co-ordinator Overseas: Betty Joseph Subscription Co-ordinators: Roshin C. Raju, Jithin Abraham and Kevin C.K. Special Thanks: Jessica Coutinho, Michelle Knowles Binson Babu, Pr. Biju Yohannan.
EDITORIAL God has planted hope in the heart of every believer so that we could build a strong relationship of love and trust with our God.
Hope is a strong and confident expectation. Hope is one of the three Christian virtues and an essence of Christian faith; we hope that one day we will go to heaven. We hope that God hears and answers our prayers. Hope brings confidence, love, joy, and security. The Bible says “the LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him� (Lam. 3.25) Hope is as tiny as an atom; still it is packed with powerful strength and goodness. Hope is an inspiration for the one in despair as it can be a powerful stimulant for the broken hearted. Hope is gentle and kind and it is found deep inside our hearts by which we are prompted to live in the better tomorrow. We, Christians are comforted by the hope of the Bible that God is good to those whose hope is in Him. God gives us more confidence to live when we are tossed by the trials. God has planted hope in the heart of every believer so that we could build a strong relationship of love and trust with our God. Hope is built by nourishing the word of God on a daily basis. As we have come to the beginning of the year let us hope that the year-2020 will be a most fruitful for us. May the good Lord guide your hearts to grow in hope, as you read this edition which focuses on hope of the Church.
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SHERIN JOHNSON Chief Editor
ABOUT JESUS
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esus Christ is the hope of glory; who is God incarnate for the lost (Colo.1:27). God never rejects the lost (Genesis 3:21). God has promised his hand of help for us when we were lost in sin, sickness
and curses of this world. While men failed in their own efforts to perfect
themselves, we found God's open hands reaching to us through his only begotten son Lord Jesus Christ. It was His plan to bless us in Christ before the world began. He wanted His people to be holy and blameless, therefore by His great love He chose us before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4). He purposed us in Christ. For God has created everything in the world through and for Christ (Colo.1:16). When we understand the ultimate purpose of our life we can live a life that is not wasted. If we really yield our life to Jesus; He can fulfill the plans He has for us. He is the way the truth and the life (John 14:6). Apart from Him there is no way that we can live a meaningful life here in this world and in eternity. Commit your life to Jesus. He can lead you and guide you. Let Jesus be the author of your faith (Heb.12:1). May Lord Jesus Christ; who is the hope of glory live in you (Colo 1:27). Jesus is the unchanging God who faithfully keeps his promised words. All your circumstances will automatically change when Jesus changes you. When Jesus show favor on you; you will have favor everywhere. God intends to make all things well according to His great love and favor for His children. Jesus can definitely transform your life, if you really trust Him and give yourself to Him. May God complete all His plans in you!
Blasson N. Mathew President Kingdom Perspectives
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Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful... Heb 10:23
KINGDOM
PERSPECTIVES Gospel | Literature | Education
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Hope Amidst The Hurdles Evg. Joel Johnson
For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth (Psalms 71:5).
live in a world, where each day every individual finds a reason to live, they hope every day for things to work hard on. But in the game of life, many people lose their hope when troubles and struggles hit them. For many lives it may be hard to come back to a hopeful life when they are in struggles. However, for a child of God, his or her hope for this life and life after relies only on one person: Jesus Christ. The Psalmist says, “For you O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord from my youth.” Our Lord's word is our hope- “OUR ETERNAL HOPE.”
we certainly forget it is not only having hope for tomorrow, but our destination is to have eternal hope of living with Christ forever on the other side.
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Verse 36 tells us that “disciples were with Him,” read that again! Disciples went with Him, He didn't go with the disciples, that is another beautiful way of understanding that our hope of eternal life is when we choose to walk with Him in every circumstance of our life, sometimes we ask God to compromise with our plans and ask Him to do what we want, friends that is not going to take us to our promised land, we know the story of the children of Israel, they came out of Egypt with hope to enter the promise land, but instead going with God, in the middle they had their own plans and later we know how it ended. Make a decision today to walk with the ONE who is actually your only hope, be it for life here on Earth or there on the other side.
Let us learn through the book of Mark 4:35-41, a beautiful passage that shows no matter what happens, His word is our assurance. Going through this passage, I am personally challenged in my walk with the Lord and I am so excited to share it with you. If you look at the first two verses (4:35, 36). Jesus said “Let us go to the other side” I am pretty sure that the disciples wondered where Jesus was leading them next, but based on past wonders and miracles they witnessed, they got on board with no questions, their hope was laid on one single statement from their Lord. That's exactly what happens to us as new believers, we get on a journey of Christian life having full of hope on our Lord, all excited about new the life with Christ, but
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Now when we read verses 37, 38 Jesus along with disciples was in the middle of a journey, and when out of nowhere a furious storm arose, they could have avoided this journey, can you imagine the chaos on the boat? The boat was already getting filled and there in the midst of a stormy world around them, Jesus was resting in the stern. This is a beautiful picture of what our life is all about, especially when hardships of life 7
come; the first thing to remember is with whom you actually stepped on board. Did you know that Jesus was the first one to know about the storm even before any of his disciples knew about it? Why? Because He was in the stern of the boat (lower deck part of the boat), any wave that entered inside the boat had to cross over Jesus! Every single wave needed to be felt by the Master before it even touched the inner parts of the boat, therefore always remember before you face any storms; God already knows it is coming.
(sternly) rebuked the wind, and the wind died down (as if it had grown weary) and there was (at once) a great calm (a perfect peacefulness). In verse 40, Jesus asked his disciples about their faith. Remember when you have faith, you trust and your trust leads you to have hope even in the midst of a sinking life. A small beam of hope will help you to understand your stand as a child of God and in this passage, the disciples were afraid because they lost the foundation of their only hope that is the word of their Master in the beginning “Let's go to the other side.”
In verse 38 we see how the disciples start complaining about the situation, they say “Lord do you not care that we are about to die”? They might have thought to themselves wish we had never left the village, or the crowd, it was much safer out there than here, this is how we feel in our Christian life, when tempest of physical, emotional or spiritual battle roars at us, we want to turn back and give up on eternal hope that is set before us, we try to find comfort in what we have left behind rather than understanding that the ONE who has called us on board with Him, He is the Creator of the universe. Stand on His word “Let's go to the other side,” if He has said so, nothing can stop Him or us.
Know that we have been given the Holy spirit, God's living word and the prayer as our powerful weapon against any darts of the enemy. Focus on the destiny that God has set before you, and not your current situation. Amen ! Today I challenge you all to step up from your circumstances of hopelessness, failures and know that your Heavenly Father who sent His only son Jesus Christ to die for us, is our living hope not only for these days but also for days to come and forever. Stand on His promises for your life, because they shall never fail (Mathew 24:35) acknowledge Him and He will surely direct your paths. Take time to thank God for the life of Jesus Christ who was, is and will always be our eternal hope to take us to the other side of the Promised Land.
The last three verses (39,40,41) makes us understand what the authority we carry as we walk to our promise land, the Amplified version says “ He got up and
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When hardships of life come; the first thing to remember is with whom you actually stepped on board. Did you know that Jesus was the first one to know about the storm even before any of his disciples knew about it?
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A Tribute to Evg. Reinhard Bonnke, A role model of our times!
KINGDOM
PERSPECTIVES Gospel | Literature | Education
“LET MY MORTAL LIPS PREACH THE ETERNAL GOSPEL, AND MY MORTAL HANDS BUILD YOUR ETERNAL KINGDOM TO THE GLORY OF THE FATHER.” EVANGELIST REINHARD BONNKE
19th April 1942 - 7th December 2019 Kingdom Perspectives | Jan - Feb 2020
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Alive In Christ Testimony of
Evg. Ditty Thomas
On a fine day, as I got up in the morning, I thought I would meet one of my best friends. We had a nice fellowship on that day, the 13th of April 1997, but it didn't last long. On our way back home, we met with an accident in Kulathupuzha, India at 11.45pm. This was the eighth accident in my life but above all others, this one was particularly devastating as it took the life of my friend and left me fighting for my life in a hospital named Medical College, Trivandrum, India. The whole incident was very depressing to deal with. I felt so empty and guilty due to the loss of my friend. I found no reason to live as I was obligated to take the grief and sadness of my friend's family members. My friends and parents initially mourned my death due to the fact that the scene of the accident site described the death of both my friend and myself. Likewise, those who first came to the site fallaciously reported our death. However, nobody knew my Lord Jesus Christ, who has the authority over life and death spared my life for some good reasons. The accident was so severe, due to its impact; my right leg was severed into two and held together by muscle and torn ligaments. However, God covered me in His wings, when I was fighting for life in the hospital. The doctors found it so hard to stabilize my leg and they were even contemplating amputating it. The notion of
losing my leg was a great concern for me and I began to cry out to the Lord. In my hospital bed, I made a promise to God on the 14th of April 1997: “Lord! If you do a miracle for me and give me back my leg then I will run for you, wherever you want me to be.” However, the Lord who watches over me had a different plan for me, so He enabled the doctors to save my leg through surgery. By God's grace my leg was held together at last. The doctors who treated me did not promise a healthy leg in the long run. In my observation the treatment was a 'test case' in view of the fact that the doctors did not know the prognosis of their actions. In fact, the leg was immovable, and the pain was not subsiding. I still feared the amputation of my leg. However, by the second surgery the doctors managed to stitch my leg and sent me home. The doctor's prognosis was bleak, since they were planning to amputate my leg if it didn't heal as expected. However, to everyone's surprise in the sixth month
“Lord! If you do a miracle for me and give me back my leg then I will run for you, wherever you want me to be.” Kingdom Perspectives | Jan - Feb 2020
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following the accident, I had a special encounter with my living God. While I was praying to God, He spoke to me and I sensed in my body a tender touch of God in a miraculous way. As a result, for the first time after the accident, I could get up out of my bed normally without pain or discomfort. Moreover, I was able to walk normally without any aide. I realized that the Lord had done a miracle in my life. This day was a special day in my life and I tasted the goodness of our Lord. Following my healing, I trusted all the more in the true and living God. Since then my only one desire was to know Him more and to follow His foot stool. Hence, I offered the rest of my life for His glory. When I submitted to Him; He strengthened me and directed me by His word. In addition, I experienced a spiritual intimacy with my Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, I realized the reality of taking the cross by following Christ.
kept practicing all the religious practices and rituals including attending the church services as part of our tradition. It was a mere sense of fear and religiosity that directed me to do everything outwardly and I missed the reality of God until I met Him personally.
My parents lovingly named me Ditty Thomas. I was born in the year 1976 as the eldest of three sons to very precious and lovely parents, Thomas Varghese and Omana Thomas in a middle-class family. I grew up in a town called Kulathupuzha, Kollam district in the State of Kerala, South India. I experienced God's sustaining grace and mercy well before I came to know Him. I grew up with loving parents and caring siblings having no wants for material things but that didn't ultimately satisfy my inner longings and spiritual thirst. With due respect to the faith of our forefathers I was raised in a traditional 'Mar Thoma' Christian family in Kerala but I had no personal experience with God. However, I
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Jesus transformed my life when I was able to trust in Him in the dark and dismal days of those seven bike accidents and one Jeep accident from 1994 to 1997. I am so happy that I could receive Jesus as my personal Savior before I reached the age of twenty- two. Even though I could have been taken from this world in these accidents looking back, I can clearly see the gracious and miraculous hand of God's protection over my life.
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From that day on, God eased me to grow in life, step by step, in every sphere. By God's grace I finished my engineering degree in the year 1997. In the year 2002, God's marvelous favor opened me an opportunity in United Arab Emirates (UAE) to work as an engineer. I began my ministry life there, along with my job. However, in the year 2004 God gifted me Maya Ditty as my life partner in marriage. God has blessed us with two boys Ephraim Ditty and Ethan Ditty. The Lord has led us to live in a town called Reading in the county of Berkshire in the United Kingdom and along with my ministry I am working as a Consultant Project Engineer. We had the joy of ministering in many parts of the U.K. since arriving here.
particularly in India, Europe, particularly in U.S.A and many Gulf countries. We became more focused in the ministry when we visited Israel in the year 2009. We had significant time in Israel walking with the Lord. God spoke to me and gave me a clear vision about our life and ministry when we were visiting Capernaum, where Jesus spent most of His time while on the earth. Particularly, He gave us the word 'Shalom,' which means peace or wholeness in Hebrew, and promised us to be a witness of His gospel to the ends of the earth. Our vision became a reality in 2010 when we initiated the 'SHALOM Y' ALL' ministry. Today, we serve the Lord from Reading, in U.K. We are currently the members of the New Life Christian Fellowship church in U.K. Our only desire is to bring glory to our Lord's Holy name as we proclaim His matchless word to the nations. We request your prayers for our family and for the work which God has saved me and my family for. God bless you.
The Lord has led us to initiate several prayer and fellowship meetings in Reading, U.K. Meanwhile, I realized an evangelistic calling on us to the lost souls in this sinful world. From then, until now, God enabled us as a family to grow in the ministry alongside our jobs and we were able to share the gospel in Asia,
We had the joy of ministering in many parts of the U.K. since arriving here. The Lord has led us to initiate several prayer and fellowship meetings in Reading, U.K. Meanwhile, I realized an evangelistic calling on us to the lost souls in this sinful world.
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Pr. Phibin John
God of Hope in Times of Despair Now may the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) (NKJV) live in a constantly changing world where we are confronted with many unexpected moments on a daily basis. This changing phase is the character of the systems of this world leading an anxiety-ridden lifestyle that threatens society with despair. Despair is a state in which all hope is lost. The cognitive status of our modern generation is worry and tension due to craving for livelihood. The probability of despair and depression is greater than ever before as many are under various troubles, due to obscured spiritual visions of godly opportunities and possibilities. Hence, without having the Biblical hope, life becomes tougher and harder even to survive. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, a Russian novelist and philosopher of the 19th century, rightly observed that “To live without hope is to cease to live.”Since godly hope is the fact that leads us to live our life to the fullest, it must therefore be the most precious energy we ought to cherish in life.
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Living in such a peaceful realm is the culture of the Kingdom of God. The transformation due to the reign of Christ in a person determines whether the individual is in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of eternal hope. The establishment of this Kingdom is ultimately by transferring darkness, dread and despair into hope. Therefore, a shift is important in lives to discover times of refreshing from the epoch of despair. The Times of Despair Every person in their life at various occasions travels through particular bleak situations devoid of hope. Particularly, when things don't move the way we expect and whilst circumstances turn out to be adverse and expectations fail us; things seem hopeless. Many at this point of time feel rejected and abandoned. However, it is in these times of dejection that we learn most of our life's greatest lessons. Many place their hope in God in these times of despair. Many individuals have found the light of truth in their darkest times of despair.
Apostle Paul, in the book of Romans 15:13,states that: “there is a God who is the provider of hope.” It is the same God who fills us with all joy and peace. Our belief Godly encounters changes lives forever. The Bible in God is vital in order to produce joy, peace and hope describes about the encounter of a Samaritan woman since the divine fruits of joy and peace can only be of Sychar with Jesus which imparted a new hope attained by believing in Him. This means that God is within her to live. Before her encounter with Jesus, the sole source of all true joy, peace and hope. she was utterly in anguish. In order to have a meaning Furthermore, it grows in abundance by the power of in life and to lead a contented life, she gave her life wrongly to many persons. The Bible says that she had the Holy Spirit. Kingdom Perspectives | Jan - Feb 2020 13
had five husbands, and she had a living relation with another one at the time of their conversation. None of them could satisfy her. It is at this point of time that she faces the Lord Jesus Christ. Her meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ opened a door of new hope. This encounter with Jesus changed her times of despair into seasons of refreshing.
The God whom we serve is the one who fills His people with hope. He led the people of Israel in to freedom who were once in slavery. They experienced freedom of hope. To them whatever was hopeless is filled with hope from heaven above. The Psalmist, with all his confidence in God says, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil; for you are with me.” Even in the darkest times of despair the Psalmist is privileged to know a God who is God of hope.
There are innumerable examples of transformations emphatically highlighted in the Bible. The story of Zacchaeus is a moving story. He was a rich chief tax collector. He had everything in his life. He led a very carefree life. Yet, there was a great vacuum in his life that nobody and nothing could fill. When Zacchaeus realized that there is an increasing joy at the sight of Jesus he sacrificed everything for a continuous life with Jesus. The Bible says that Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully. An encounter with Christ gives a refreshing charisma to the soul. Jesus' words soothed him and His presence began to cure the wounds of Zachaeru's heart. Zacchaeus began to cherish the joy of the Lord in a special way. The significance of this joy is that there is an undying hope implanted. This is the uniqueness of a Spirit-led life; there is abounding joy and undying hope. This Spirit-led life is possible when one attains the new birth in Christ. A born again individual is someone in whom Christ is born; the hope of glory.
The Greatest Discovery of Life: Christ the Hope of Glory The thief on the cross was in the state of utter hopelessness. But his acceptance of Christ as the Messiah brought him hope. The dying thief on the cross received an undying hope from Christ; the hope of glory. God is promising him that “you will be with me today, in paradise.” The Cross still stands as the epitome of victorious hope. The adulterous woman found her hope from the Lord and she could live as a holy person the rest of her life. The Samaritan woman found her hope in the Messiah. Zacchaeus found his hope in the Saviour of his life. According to Emil Brunner, “what oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.”Moltmann's experiences in a prisoner of war camp at the end of World War II, led him to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in which the concept of hope played a great part.
The Times of Refreshing The times of refreshing comes from the Lord, while the world gives times of despair. The book of Acts 3:19 records the powerful message of Apostle Peter; he says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that time of refreshing may come from the Lord.” The right relationship with God and His presence is what brings the precise times of refreshing. So as to overcome the aspect of despair, we must embrace the following elements as per the verse said above:
An American Chaplain gave a small copy of the New Testament to him in the camp. He found the heavenly hope within. He later claimed, “I didn't find Christ, He found me.” Moltmann believed that God's promise to work in the future is more important than what He has done in the past. Christians have been called to live as a 'hoper,' someone who is impatient and terribly dissatisfied with current status of the world and has full confidence in God Almighty.
1. Repent: Repentance is the admitting the fact that we are wrong. So as to have the remission of sins, one must repent of his sins. The Greek word for repentance is metanoeo, which means to change one's mind or purpose to God's will.
As Apostle Peter says, in1 Peter 1:3 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This was what all the men of God, like Moltmann, who were touched by God, experienced. He found Christ and the hope of glory. In times of despair, God is found more real. When we trust Him, He fills us with the hope that the world fails to give. May God fill us with His hope to move forward on this track of faith.
2. Turn to God: Get right with God. Having a right relationship with God brings refreshing to our spirit, soul and body. 3. Blot out the sins: Conquering the power of sin by the power of Jesus Christ. The God of Hope
The Cross still stands as the epitome of victorious hope. The adulterous woman found her hope from the Lord and she could live as a holy person the rest of her life. The Samaritan woman found her hope in the Messiah. Kingdom Perspectives | Jan - Feb 2020
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SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, THE HOPE OF THE CHURCH Evg. Blasson N. Mathew
he greatest hope of the church is the Parousia – the imminent advent of Christ as the judge for the last judgment. The Holy Bible exhorts us that we must be prepared in life because the Lord Jesus will come and renew our bodies into a transformed body and takes us to heaven within the time-span of the twinkling of an eye. Hence, the Bible reads,“who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21, 1 Corinthians15:23). Preparation is a must, as the time of His coming is not revealed: “so you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44). Matthew says,“therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42). Moreover, the Bible admonishes that we have to be sober minded and be at peace with all, as His day of coming is advancing (Hebrews 10:24-25). Jesus himself revealed to Apostle John that: “He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon...'” (Revelation 22:20). On an occasion Jesus assures us, by saying that He will be rewarding those who are waiting for him:“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done” (Revelation 22:12).
The Manner of His Coming
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Just in the same manner as Jesus was taken to heaven, as a person, so is He coming back to the Earth. An Angel said to the disciples of Jesus, when He was taken from them, “Men of Galilee… why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10-11). Moreover, when He comes as a person, He is visible to everyone and all can recognize Him. For the Bible says: “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him,” and all the people on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen (Revelation 1:7). His Coming is Advancing Today's newly emerging social culture, where there is diminished value for relationships in family and society illustrates the fact that our Lord's coming is advancing. First and foremost, warning of His coming is about the appearance of Antichrist. The Bible says in 1 John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” The new world order has prepared everything to welcome the Antichrist. The second evidence of His coming is the terrible times and catastrophes during the period of His coming. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Apostle Paul notes this fact, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” If we monitor today's society, we can see an exact depiction of this Bible passage.
A Time of Destruction The Bible states that everything has an end. When people think that world is advancing in technology, it is important to remember God determined an end to everything and that day of destruction of all things is very near. In the New Testament the word Eschaton is used to describe a day at the end of time following Armageddon when God will decree the fate of each and every individual human, according to the good and evil of their earthly lives. Therefore, the Bible says,“be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray” (1 Peter 4:7). God can determine an end of everything as He is the Beginning and the End- the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8).
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Thirdly, the increasing measure of unusual signs in nature. Luke 21:25-26 reveals,“There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be 15
God prepares us for His coming by His Spirit. God earnestly desires that we may be holy and blameless in His coming: in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” How seriously we must prepare ourselves every time when God warns us through signs in nature. When the socio, political and religious leaders of this world are promising a peaceful world of serenity, and when they are planning for it; on the other hand, destruction, religious fanaticisms are emerging more in number. The Bible says in I Thessalonians 5:2-3, that “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, Peace and safety, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Fourthly, more efforts have been made in this decade than ever before for reaching the unreached with the living Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, once the gospel reaches the whole world, the end will come. For the Bible says in Matthew 24:14,“And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Let us be ready as His second advent is advancing.
bothered about those who do not have the gift of salvation in Christ and choose to live in unholy lifestyle. For God says: “Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy. Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done” (Revelation 22:11-12). Be Prepared as a Church The Church has a great responsibility in preparing themselves for the coming of Lord. Since the Lord is coming to take a holy and blameless Church, it has to be strengthened in the end time. Moreover, the Church is a community sealed by the Holy Spirit for redemption. The Church needs to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in its administration, teachings and relationship with the world. In the epistle to Ephesians, we read, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). To the seven churches in Asia Minor, God gave a message which is just as applicable to today's church. To the church in Ephesus, God promised the fruit of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God, if they overcome in life as a church (Revelation 2:7). To the church in Smyrna, God has promised that they will not be hurt at all by the second death if they are triumphant in their life. Moreover, those who are faithful, even to the point of death in the church of Smyrna, God has promised to give a Victor's Crown (Revelation 2:10-11). To the church in Pergamos, God says, the hidden manna is given to those who are successful in living for God. Moreover, they will have a white stone with a new name written on it (Revelation 2:16-17). To the church in Thyatira, God says, everyone who is victorious and who does God's will until the end of their life, will have authority over the nations (Revelation 2:26). To the Church in Sardis, God has promised to write their name in the book of life and to acknowledge their name before God the Father and His angels if they are victorious in life (Revelation3:5). God told the church in Philadelphia, to 'hold onto what you have and to not allow anyone to take your crown.' Moreover, those who are victorious in the Philadelphia church God has promised to make a pillar in the temple of God. Further, God says: I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name (Revelation3:11-12). To the church in Laodicea, God says, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to
Preparation for His coming The Lord's coming is imminent, so be prepared in all aspects as the Spirit of the Lord leads. For the Bible admonishes us in Matthew 24:42-44, “So be prepared, for you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for my unannounced return.” Those who are not prepared well will not be able to meet Him. In particular, we read in Luke 21:28 that “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Do not put all your hope in this world, rather, we must be mindful about the fact that this world is a temporary shelter and our hope is in the world to come. In 1Corinthians 15:19, we read,“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Further, Jesus says, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Revelation 3:11). Be Prepared as a Believer God prepares us for His coming by His Spirit. God earnestly desires that we may be holy and blameless in His coming: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He strengthens our heart and mind to concentrate on Him (1 Thessalonians 3:13). Do not follow those people's way of life who never bothered to live according to the living word. However, God never
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sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne (Revelation3:20-21). Many are distorting the Word of God that the Lord has entrusted to the church. Many are not living in Him to bear fruits. Therefore, let us as a church continues in Him, so that when He comes back; let Him see a glorious Church. That we shall by no means be ashamed before Him at his coming (1 John 2:28). Let us all think more about the things of heaven and about Him who is in Heaven. Apostle Paul says: “I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). There is a possibility of a good life in this earth and
hope of life after death. In spite of all the worldly despair and anxiety, the Holy Bible brings the great message of hope that our Lord Jesus is going to come back in the same manner as He was taken into heaven. The same Lord Jesus Christ who was born into the world for the remission of the sins, who died and was resurrected and ascended into heaven will come back with His heavenly Angels with the sound of a trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16). How much more the church has to patiently wait for the coming of our Lord even as the nation Israel was hopefully waiting for the coming of their Messiah. Let us be hopeful about a new world that God is making for us in heaven while we are in this transitory world. May the good Lord strengthen you to be prepared for His coming!
Etymology
HOPE Hope describes the happy anticipation of good.The New Testament Greek term for hope is Elpis, which has been written 1680 times in the N.T. There are few Hebrew words for hope such as batah–'trust' and vahat– 'wait for.' Hope is a concept involving trustful anticipation, particularly with reference to the fulfillment of the promises of God. Hope is one of the finest responses to which the human spirit is capable of. Hope desires with the expectation of obtaining what is desired, or belief that is obtainable through trust and reliance. For the New Testament Christians, hope is almost always connected with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end and the resurrection of the dead. For a Christian, His hope in His God is the anchor of his or her Soul. Both sure and steadfast with anticipation for a bright future, enabling him or her to bear burden and infuses the needed strength in time of weakness or in weary situations. Faith, Hope and Love are inseparable and these facts comprise the Christian way of living.
Shyam Raj Professor in Theological Studies, Bangalore
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Be Thankful Wherever you find yourself today Whether filled with joy or wrapped in pain Remember to pause a moment and give thanks to God For no other event in our history and time Can change our lives like the birth of Christ In the midst of this dark world Birth of Christ brought light to my world I need Jesus as my guarding light For He is kind and I am his child Lord! With your help everything will be alright His Love never failing, His presence always near The greatest wonder in Heaven on Christmas did appear So remember to pause and give thanks For He is the truth and the way! My Heavenly father, who forever reigns!
Shifa Christina Reji
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JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” Rev. 22:12
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