YOUTH FOCUS

In the last issue of the Youth Focus we have discussed about the Youth Power and how the churches can make use of it in a positive way. I believe that Christian churches are taking extra steps these days to accommodate our younger generation so that they can grow in a path which is acceptable to God. In order to achieve this goal we need to and willing to abolish man made barriers, fences and restrictions

The mission of the Church is to seek after the lost and bring them back to God. Very often we forget our mission in the midst of other insignificant things. That is the great work of the devil. When churches and individuals spend their time and energy in dealing with insignificant matters satan is winning the war. I would like to remind the Christians around the world, to straighten our priorities these days. Let us not be side tracked by the work of the devil, but be diligent and careful. If you are willing to do that God will use you mightily for His glory.

In order for us to be effective for God, we need to wait in the presence of God and receive the power from above. Acts 1: 8 says "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth". In this verse we can see the three important steps we need to follow, if we want to be effective for God. 1. Wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon you. 2. Receive Power. 3. Become a witness for God all over the world. If Jesus Christ and His disciples needed to have this great power in their life how much more we need today than in the first century. The problem with the Christian world today is that instead of relying on God, more often we depend on ourselves and our abilities. Having confidence in ourselves and in our abilities are always good, but in order to win souls we need to depend on God and in His power. Unless you are willing to wait in the presence of God like the disciples on the day of Pentecost, you cannot receive power. Without this power your efforts are going to be ineffective. It is high time for the churches to teach the importance of the doctorine of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is the power which can perform wonders in your life.

In order for us to understand this reality, the Bible presents us with the story of Peter. Peter was one of the disciples who was very close to Jesus Christ. He witnessed the glory of Jesus Christ when they were at the Mt. of Transfiguration. In spite of all the close encounters with Jesus Christ, he betrayed Jesus Christ three times before some insignificant people. This happened before the day of Pentecost. History presents a very different picture of Peter after the day of Pentecost. In the midst of thousands of people, he stood up and preached the gospel and about 3000 people repented and were baptized. Peter who betrayed Jesus Christ three times at the end died on the cross head down. What a wonderful reality.

Gospel of Jesus Christ can change a person, but Holy Spirit can make that person a powerful instrument for God. I would like to encourage our younger generation to understand this great phenomenon. Many Pentecostal churches which were founded on the very principle of the baptism of the Holy Spirit are conveniently ignoring this doctrine. As a result the younger generations are also ignorant of this doctrine and are slipping away from the very teaching of the Pentecost. We cannot let this happen. We need to teach our younger generation the importance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and how this experience can enrich their spiritual life. At the same time the adult generation of the believers should be willing to show to them the importance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit through their life.

A church without spirit filled members becomes a social gathering. A social gathering cannot minister to the spiritual needs of the people. In order to minister to the spiritual needs of the people, a church must have members full of power and spirit. That's why we need to encourage our younger generation to sit in the presence of God and receive this power from above. Our education, money and ability all can play some role in soul winning, but the power of the Holy Spirit is the one thing that can really make a positive impact. If we can encourage a generation of youths to desire and to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they can change this world for the glory of God. The key is and always will be the power from above. A changed person can be made useful and fruitful and effective by the power of the Holy Spirit. May God bless you all.

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Babu K. Iype, Dallas

Rev. Oommen Abraham

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And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh;…. (Acts 2:17)

As Christians we all have a choice in our walk. We can choose to grow in God (with all that it entails) or we can be satisfied with our current position (whatever that might be). I believe that God is calling to all his children to grow in Him. With that growth comes hardships (no one ever said Christian life was easy) but also power. I figure if you are going to go through hardships any ways —> you might as well experience the power of God. It is one thing to watch or hear about the power of God. It is another thing to experience it forselves. I am not talking about “a touch of" the Holy Spirit. I am talking about an undeniable move of the Holy Spirit. The kind of move in which demons flee, siners are saved, and incurable diseases are cured. John 14:12 Verily, Verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do ; because I do unto my Father.

John 14:12 Verily, Verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do ; because I do unto my Father.

I want to look at Elijah in I Kings 17&18. Let’s look at how God uses him to call down fire from heaven.

1. In chapter 17 verse 1, God ask him to make a bold stand. Elijah’s stand was extremely unpopular. But Elijah obeyed God. In this step alone God can use us to touch others —simply by being bold in obedience to him. 2. He learns to trust God more as he lives in the brook. He allows his faith to grow. God said that I will fed you through the mouth of a raven. This does not make sense with the our carnal mind. With no other companionship (remember the King is looking for him) other than God he is growing in his relationship with God. (If you get nothing else from this - please always grow closer to God). 3. God uses him to bless others. To us and the rest of the people suffering in the famine, what Elijah did for the widow and her son seem minor. But for the widow and her son, God used Elijah to sustain life (even after the boy died). Likewise just in the parable about the Talents, God will use us to do “little”, “smaller” miracles before He can use us to do greater things. It is important at this stage not to become enamored with the “little” miracle — remember God has something bigger in store. The greatest miracle of them all is salvation of a lost soul. 4. God will arrange for his miracle (after all it is all for His glory). It is in His time, at His place. He will stack the odds against you (which is why we go through the first two steps). He will wait until you don’t think you can go on. He will place you in the enemy’s hands (But really God has his enemies right where He wants them). At this point we must fade away and let God take center stage. There can not be any doubt who produced the fire.. With Elijah sacrifice soaking wet, there was no way that Elijah could set it on fire ——> It was undeniably God. 5. Remain simple. Look at Elijah’s prayer - uncompromising faith, pure in intentions, and giving God the glory

While it is important as Christians of the last days that we allow God to move through us, we can not desire the move of God more than God himself. Desire the Giver and not the Gift. I believe that God can use everyone of us. Our God is the same yesterday. today, and forever. If God is the same it is the people who are different. If God can use Elijah — God can use me and you. Amen !!!!

Church growth is not only mere sociological process, but a theological stance (McGavran). In the context of the Biblical understanding that Jesus said, “ I will build my Church,” only passing attention was given to the roles of the Holy Spirit in Church growth. Many factors which have become especially prominent are the role of supernatural signs and wonders, in Church growth and the part gifts of the Spirit exercises in the existence of the Church.When we talk about Church growth, God’s desire that His lost children be found and His Churches be multiplied. This is called individual growth or physical growth. As members of Christ’s body, the Church, Christians are constantly enriched with the blessings of the Holy Spirit. This is called Spiritual growth.

In the Church growth, three kinds of growth should be distinguished: biological, transfer, and conversions. Biological growth derives from those born in to Christian families. Biological growth is exceedingly slow. It often does not equal the normal population increase for the nation, for while some children become burning Christians, some are lost to the world, or through marriage are transfered back in to the other religions. Biological growth is good growth. God commanded us to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Christians should, truly bring up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Yet this type of growth will never bring the nations to faith and obedience. What a providential occurrence it was that the 120 Christians in Jerusalem before the day of Pentecost did not rely on biological growth, but for the intervention, entirely beyond any thing they had imagined, of the Holy Spirit.

By transfer growth is meant the increase of certain congregations at the expense of others. Some churches move from the country to the city, or from overpopulated areas to new lands the government is opening up. Transfer growth is important, but transfer growth will never extend the church, for unavoidably many are lost along the way. The third kind is conversion growth, in which those outside the church come to rest their faith intelligently on Jesus Christ and are baptized and added to the Lord in His Church. This is the only kind of growth by which the good news of salvation can spread. Ever since the church established, gifts of the spirit has played major part in the growth of the church.

What is Spiritual Gift ? First of all, the gospel of salvation declared by Jesus, then proclaimed by those who had received it has been confirmed by God Himself “by signs and wonders and various Miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His own will”(Heb 2:4). Such phenomena are called “Spiritual Gifts”. In His ministry Jesus started it, disciples performed it and Paul practiced it. Now Christians are continuing it. While we narrow down this definition, the Gift of the Spirit is a capacity for service. It is a function. A gift in the spiritual sense means the Holy Spirit doing a particular service through the believer and using the believer to do it. It must be done in the power of the Spirit of God. In otherwards, manifestation of the Spirit that is what a gift is. That means the exercise of supernatural gifts. The purpose of the gift is to build up the Church, The body of believers. It is not to be exercised selfishly, but is to give spiritual help to other believers.

Apostle Paul uses the word spiritual gifts in the book of first Corinthians 12:1, the Greek word is PNEUMATIKOS, which literally means “spirituality’s or spiritual things” (The Greek N.T.Dictionary). It is just against the ‘Carnality’s or Carnal things’. Paul was discussing the carnality’s and the divisions among the Corinthian believers. The carnality’s had to do with their divisions; their wrangling about different leaders, about adultery, about going to court against a brother, the sex problem, women’s dress and men’s haircuts, the love feast, gluttony and drunkenness at the Lord’s supper. That is all carnality, and we can find the same things in the church today. So Paul really wanted to talk to the Corinthian believers in a constructive way through exercise the spiritual gifts.

The modern church needs to change the same old stuff which we have in our church today. In a very sophisticated manner Christian educators say that we should tell our young people about sex, drugs and violence. Brothers and sisters, we had better tell them about spiritual things. There are so many programs in the churches that the young people never get anywhere near the Bible. So we have to bring our youngsters back to the spiritual things and teach them how to exercise the gifts of the spirit, because Gifts are given to maintain unity in diversity.

There are nine major gifts of the Spirit mentioned in the book of Corinthians chapter 12. This gifts are classified in to three: The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and discerning of Spirit. These are called gifts of Revelation. The second division is prophecy, divers kinds of tongues and the interpretation of tongues, these are called Gifts of Inspiration, and the third division is Faith, the Gifts of healing and the working of miracles, these are called gifts of power (Dakes). In the New Testament, so wonderfully illustrated is, how the Holy Spirit often works through gifts of the Spirit in Church Growth.

The role of the gifts of the Spirit in the growth of the church is supreme. Preaching, teaching, healing, theological training, broadcasting, publishing, building, raising chicken and raising children in a children’s home all are the part of the church growth. Only God not human forces, builds the church. Jesus said “I will build my church” (Mt. 16:18). The Apostle Paul acknowledge that while he plants and Appollos waters, only God gives the increase 1 Cor 3:6. The Sovereign power of the Holy Spirit often surprises us by the various growth under the most unpromising circumstances.

Among the gifts of the Spirit, divine healing was an essential part of the Evangelization as churches multiplied across Palestine and the Mediterranean world, When we review church growth around the world, we see that it frequently correlates with great healing campaigns. Where the church is up against an insuperable barrier, there, no matter what you do, how much you pray, how much you administer for church growth , the church either does not grow, grows only a little, or grows from within, not from without. Under such circumstances we need to learn heavily on that which is so wonderfully illustrated in the New Testament, namely the place of healing in church growth. We see of two villages of Lydda and Sharon where it is recorded in the Book of Acts that all Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord Act 9:35. Two whole villages in a Day! When did it happen ? When Aeneas was healed by Peter. This great ingathering was preceded by a remarkable case of divine healing. What are we Christians to make of all this? Is there something here that we can use ? We Christians believe that God has called us to engage actively in healing the sick, exorcising evil spirits, and multiplying churches.

In summary when believers turn to God and devote themselves to prayer, God pours out the Holy Spirit on His people. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they sometimes experience feelings of great joy and exaltation. Sometimes the chief effect appears to be mind and conscience. The gifts of the Holy Spirit enables then to confess sin, make restitution, break evil habits, lead victorious lives, persuade others of the available power, bring multitudes to Christ, and cause the church to grow mightily

Galatians 5:7 “Ye did run well, who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth?” When someone is converted, it is a wonderful experience for the individual as well as a joyous moment for everyone around. A truly converted person is born again ( 1Peter 1:23), saved (Romans 10:9), justified (Romans 5:1) and made a partaker in the divine nature ( 1 Peter 1:4). Do you recall the day of your conversion??? It is very sad to see someone truly converted, turning back, become lukewarm (Rev3:16), lose their first love (Rev2:4). What a tragedy to be an example and earnest worker and then turn away from the Lord. In the Galatian church there were people who were turned aside by false teachers. In the lesson verse mentioned above, we see that a Christian life is a race, but it also tell us that we may be hindered in the race. To be hindered means to be stopped or jostled from what you are trying to accomplish.

1) WAS IT THE INCONSISTENCY OF PROFESSING CHRISTIANS?

Do you look to other Christians and seek to follow their example or even put them on a pedestal? Then you discover that they were not perfect as you thought and became discouraged and disappointed? Soon you will see, man is never going to achieve perfection because he is mortal—not GOD. So those who put their trust in man as the best example are wrong. There is only one whom you we can set up as our example: that is the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 12:1,2) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us FIX our eyes on JESUS, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning the shame, and set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” It is most essential to look off, away from one’s self, one’s circumstances and from other Christians, unto Jesus himself.

2) WAS IT PERSECUTION, MISUNDERSTANDING OR OPPOSITION?

Many people who have accepted Christ may then have to face the opposition of loved ones. It is human nature to desire the approval of a loved one in any decision we may have to make. This is much more common in the Eastern culture. In the Indian culture, if one professes or confesses a faith contrary to the family tradition, they are considered outcasts and rarely forgiven. This may be more of a hindrance to those who embrace the Christian doctrine. In Matthew 5:11, 12, the Lord Jesus expressed that it is hard to be a Christian. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven for the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. The Lord Jesus was threatened with stones, they put a crown of thorns upon his head, they mocked him, then they crucified him. If they did this to Jesus who is our example, will they not do that to us?

3) WAS IT SEVERE TRIAL OR SORROW?

In Hebrews 2:6, “Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts as son.” The first thing the Lord does when we tell Him that we are willing to be wholly His is to test us out to see if we really mean it. He will discipline us all through our pilgrimage. The testings and trials are put on us to make us cast all this on Him, so that we may be refined and our faith strengthened. When an individual is going through difficulties, it is our responsibility as fellow Christians to support him through prayer and through words of encouragement. We often criticize, offer unwanted advice, and push that individual further away from the Lord, that is not what the Lord would want you to do.

4) WAS IT NEGLECT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD?

John 15:4, “Abide in me and I will abide in you. No branch can bear fruit unless you abide in me.” To abide means to stay put. Many Christians backslide because they have neglected private prayer, regular attendance with the house of God and have not grown spiritually. I encourage you to get into right relation with God and He will guide you in all your ways.

5) WAS IT SOME WILLFUL DISOBEDIENCE?

Jeremiah 26:13. “Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and bring the disaster he pronounced against you. You must amend you ways and obey the voice of the Lord.” There must be change in your lifestyle. Is it a wrong friendship (Amos 3:3), secret sin (Joshua 7:18,23), an un forgiving spirit, (Matthew 18:21,22) or an unfulfilled vow (Deut, 23:21). Sin separates man from God. Proverbs 28:13, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Psalm 66:18 “ If I had cherished sin in my heart , the Lord would not have listened.” If there is sin that is hindering you, confess it before the Lord with true repentance and He will forgive you and bless you.

6) WAS IT SOMETHING ELSE?

If you are willing and honest before the Lord and you long to come back to Him, He will call to remembrance the hindrances in your life, and when He does, make sure you obey His command. In John 2:5 we see that Mary said the same to the servants, “His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” If you do whatever he commands you to do you will enjoy the fellowship with the Lord. The only life that is glorifying to God, pleasing to others and satisfying to us is the life that is lived in complete obedience to the truth of the Lord Jesus who is the word, truth , way and life.

Remember, the Christian life is a race. In a race, many hindrances can happen, you may fall, get hurt, go through difficult times; but the goal is to overcome the hindrances through Jesus’ help and press towards the finish line. Then you will hear the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into my rest.

THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW AND CHRISTIANS ??