YOUTH FOCUS
| Volume 3 | Number 2 |
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From the Publisher's Desk |
We can learn some valuable lessons from the sudden death of Princess Diana and the excepted death of Mother Teresa. No matter how young, beautiful, influential, popular, caring, noble you are death is going to come into your life uninvited. Death never gives you an option. It will do its duty and walk away. Very often when we are alive we forget this truth. Bible clearly talks about the appointed death of all human beings. Since it is appointed by God, you'd not have a way of escaping death by your own power.
After your death, even the entire world sing a song about you and declare that you belong to heaven, it’s not going to happen. Heaven is not a place for just good people, but it a place for the born again saints. If you are a born again person you should have good in you otherwise you are a hypocrite. If you are hypocrite heaven is not a place for you. Salvation is not by deeds but by faith. In this world we can see lot of good people. Nicodemus and Cornelius are examples of some of the good people in the Bible. Jesus Christ and the Apostles preached the gospel of salvation to them. Jesus Christ himself told Nicodemus: "Verily, verily I say unto thee, expect a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3)."
Once you are born again you have to lead a life worthy of God. You are not allowed to live a life the way you like. Dear friend, God has called you with a high calling. It is your responsibility to fulfill God’s calling in your life. Some times you may think that Bible is outdated and Biblical teachings are not modern. You have all the freedom to think whatever way you like, the Bible says: Heaven and earth will pass away but my WORD will remain the same. If the Word of God is unchanging you do not have much option but to change yourself according to the Word of God.
The reason is very simple, our life on this earth is very short and at the same time very precious. You do not have another life to experiment with the one you have now. So take it very seriously. Make the best use of it for the Glory of God. The only thing which is going to count in the eternity is the things you have done for the cause of God. Dear friend, life is too precious to waste. May God help you take the right decision in your life. Amen.
| Rev. Abraham Thomas is the Convener of the 16th Pentecostal Youth Conference of Dallas. He is in the Ministry more than 20 years and he spend 18 years as the Pastor of the largest Pentecostal church in Kuwait. Now he is the Pastor of North Dallas Church of God in Dallas Texas USA. |
The Promised land spoken of in Numbers 13:26-28, was rich and plentiful. There were many good reasons to go to the land. In verse 27 “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. There were twelve leaders sent to explore the land of Canaan. There were obstacles as well as blessings in that land. The minority (Joshua and Caleb) focused on the good of the land while the majority focused on the difficulties. The majority in verse 28 states “But the people who live there are powerful, the cities are fortified and very large.”.. They forgot God’s promise given to them in verse 2 “send some men to explore the land of Canaan which I am giving to the Israelites. The majority focused on the descendants of Anak, Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites and the Amorites who were all enemies of Israel. Joshua and Caleb closed their physical eyes to theses problems and trusted on the promise that God had given them God said “go possess the land.” Joshua and Caleb said “ we can possess it”, while the majority said “we cannot possess it”.
United States is a land of opportunity but it is also a stronghold of Satan. God tells us by His power “Go possess the land.” There are many hindrances that are present , 1) visionless servants 2) self motivated servants 3) discouraging people. I will expound on the self motivated or self serving Christian worker. They will take advantage of the gospel to serve themselves. 2 Kings 5:20 “Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself ..........I will run after him and get something from him. Although Gehazi had been a helpful servant, personal gain had become more important than serving his master. To become rich, he wanted what his master had refused. In 2 Kings 6:15 , we see that Elisha was man of vision. We read in v.15 When the servant of the man of God go up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh , my lord, what shall we do? V.16 Don’t be afraid ,...”those who are with us are more than those who are with them. v. 17 And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Young Christian, stop chasing after what the Master refused, have the vision of the Master, hear God’s promises and see the Master himself.
Be active in the Lord’s ministry, trust in the Lord and with prayer let us work for the expansion of the kingdom of God. Trust upon God’s promises like Joshua and Caleb, and go possess the land of opportunity which awaits you!
| This is the first prize winning essay for Level 6 during the 16th annual competition of the Pentecostal Youth Conference of Dallas. Dayle John is a member of the Hebron Pentecostal Fellowship, Dallas and a Corporate Law student at the Southern Methodist University, Dallas. |
God’s faithfulness is the cornerstone of Christian life. Christianity is the only religion that professes of a God that reciprocates faithfully to His people. Without God’s faithfulness, our lives would be meaningless and void. Our acceptance into the Kingdom of God is a direct result of His faithfulness towards His creation.
What does God’s faithfulness entail? God’s faithfulness means that we can take God at His word. God is and always has been true to His word. His faithfulness can be seen frequently in the Old Testament. God promised a way of Salvation to Adam, and in His due time He provided a remedy or a path for salvation for fallen man. Despite human inadequacies, God’s faithfulness is not conditional. In His grace, He keeps true to His word in spite of what we as people do. God’s faithfulness to Abraham, resulted in the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt in His appropriate time. God’s faithfulness tarries but it does not cease to exist. God, despite the impatience and unfaithfulness of Israel, in His faithfulness provided a way of deliverance from bondage through Moses. God’s plans for humanity is a direct result of His faithfulness to the promises He has made to His select people. His faithfulness does not end with Israel alone but was extended even to the gentiles in the New Testament. God sent His own Son as a sacrifice for all mankind as a result of His promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to the children of Israel. Even though God didn’t sent His Son in their lifetimes, He made His promises of salvation available to others. God’s faithfulness is evident throughout history. He is true to His word and well never let go of His promises no matter what we do.
What are the implications of His faithfulness?
His faithfulness implies God’s word will be everlasting and what He has said will come to pass. We as Christians can look forward to the promises in the scriptures for we can be sure that they will come to pass in the appointed time. God’s promises are made evident to us through His scriptures. All the promises of God imply to all of us and we are all part of His great plan and faithfulness. What we do or do not do does not alter the unfailing faithfulness of God. Bible says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” So all the promises that Christ made to His disciples and His church can be trusted by us. We have the hope that He has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us so that we can live with Him forever. It is by His faithfulness and grace that we are all saved..
Now that we know that God’s faithfulness remains true through time, what is our response to this faithfulness. First, we have to trust His word. We have to believe that what He has promised will come to pass in His due time. We have to stop paying attention to our confines of time and space and trust solely in His grace and believe that He in His faithfulness will make all things beautiful in His time. We have wait upon the Lord and hold fast to His promises.
Secondly, we have to reciprocate His faithfulness by being faithfulness by being faithful not just towards God but also towards each other. We have to remain faithful to the commitments we have made to God. As Paul say “It is better to not vow, than to vow and not fulfill it”. We have to present ourselves to others as faithful servants of God despite adverse circumstances, so that the character of Christ can be seen in us.
Lastly we have worship and thank God for His faithfulness. King David’s life can be taken as an example for this. He devoted his life to praising the name of the Lord and proclaiming to others about the unfailing love and faithfulness of God. That is why God was proud to say of David “The man according to my own heart”. So the heart of God desires that we praise him continually for His mercy and grace towards us. Also we have proclaim His love to others. Like David we can say, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His blessings towards me. I will take up the Cup of Salvation and praise the name of the Lord in the congregation of His saints”.
May God’s faithfulness and love be glorified. Amen.
Stephen was on of the most outstanding individuals in the early church that we read about in the book of Acts. He was a radiant, mighty man who appeared as a streak of lightning and disappeared. Stephen was a man filled with the Holy Spirit. ( Acts 6:5)
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity. The Spirit’s first manifestation in the New Testament age was at the baptism of Jesus, Matt 3:16. “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out the water. At that moment heaven opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
Jesus comforted his disciples by assuring them that when he leaves the world, God the Father will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit into the world who will be with them forever, (John 14:16). Jesus promised that the Comforter/Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you, (John 14:26)
There are a number of the fruits of the Spirit , Gal. 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
There are also manifestations of the Spirit as gifts and they are given for the common good, (2 Cor 12:7). “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between Spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one just as he determines.
The Holy Spirit is a person. The Spirit can either be pleased with you or grieved with you. He is the one that keeps you in check. He instructs, guides, teaches, comforts, and admonishes us in our daily living. When the inner prompting of the Spirit is great, heed to the Spirit. When you heed to Spirit in every situation , your life is directed in the path of God. The opposite can happen; the Holy Spirit will admonish up to a point and you do not yield, He will leave.
Stephen was a man full of the Holy Spirit. This means he possessed many of the qualities (fruits and gifts) of the Holy Spirit which made him a man of powerful influence for good in the early church.
We should understand that a Spirit filled life is God’s plan and provision for every Christian. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is not given to a spiritual aristocracy, to the more mature Christian, the minister, pastor, missionary, only, but is for the common good or, in reality, the good of the common Christian. In Acts 2:14 we see that “they were ALL filled with the Holy Spirit ,” on the day of Pentecost. The fulfilling of the Holy Spirit is a promise to “all.” Acts 2:39, and the command to be filled is to every Christian, Eph.5:18.
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISITICS OF A SPIRIT FILLED CHRISTIAN? 1) A Spirit filled Christian makes themselves available to the Lord for whatever service He may appoint. In Acts 6 we read about a problem in the early church and the decision to select men to administer the benevolent fund. That meant distributing and serving food for the needy. Stephen was one of the seven chosen for this ministry. They chose men full of the Spirit and wisdom. Sometimes, when believers are asked to take a role that is not greatly admired, appreciated or recognized by others or if they are not given a prominent position, they won’t take up the challenge. Jesus expects us to do whatever He appoints us to do.
2) A Spirit filled Christian is a channel for the wonder working power of God. In Acts 6:8, we read that Stephen became a mighty preacher and performed miracles in the name of the Lord. Stephen did these things through the Holy Spirit working through him. If a person is “full of the Holy Spirit” there will be a supernatural power and radiance about and around them. Wherever a Spirit filled Christian goes, lives will be touched and souls will be saved.
3) A Spirit filled Christian reacts gracefully under provocation. Acts 6:9-14, Stephen was on trial because of false witnesses and arguments as the people tried to get rid of him. In v.15, we read that “all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Now that is grace under pressure.
4) A Spirit filled Christian is mighty in the scripture. In Acts 7:2-53, we have record of the defense that Stephen made before his accusers and we see that his “sermons” were filled with quotations from the scriptures.
HE KNEW THE SCRIPTURES. An effective witness for the lord must know the scriptures to direct him and assure and convict the unbelievers. HE BELIEVED THE SCRIPTURES. He recounted all the events from Abraham until the present. He believed the historical parts of the old Testament. HE PRESENTED CHRIST IN THE SCRIPTURES. He spoke of the Lord’s incarnation, his sinless nature, his trial and of Calvary. A Spirit filled Christian is one who is full of the word of God. 2 Tim. 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as on approved, a workman who does not be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
5) A Spirit filled Christian is sustained in the hour of trial and adversity. In Acts7:54-59, we read that Stephen was stoned to death after making his defense before the Sanhedrin. What were his reactions in the midst of the tremendous suffering he had to endure? Was he filled with self pity? He did not cry out to his accusers to spare him. He was wonderfully sustained. Acts 7:55-56, “He being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up and saw the glory that awaited him.
6) A Spirit filled Christian is like his Lord and Master. At his death, he looked up and prayed, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.” and then cried out, “Lord do not hold this sin against them.”
Being filled with the Spirit is a wonderful experience. It gives you the power to live a victorious Christian life. To be like Jesus is everyone’s goal and the Spirit empowers a believer to do just that. The fullness of the Spirit, such as speaking in tongues is an experience that is indescribable. When a believer speaks in tongues, he edifies himself and God understands him, 1 Cor 14:4. When a believer prays, there are some things that cannot be expressed in words, so the spirit intercedes in a language unknown and not understood to man (Romans 8:26-27). “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself, intercedes for us with groans and utterances which words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” The various gifts of the Spirit are available to the believer upon asking. In order to be an effective witness for the Lord, the believer must be empowered, (Acts 1:8). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
To be a Spirit filled Christian, the believer must have a desire to live above the nominal (namesake) Christian life. When a believer expresses the need to be filled with one or any of the spiritual gifts, with a contrite and eager heart, there should not be any hindrances for these blessings. I challenge every believer to be filled with the fruits and gifts of the Spirit because that is what God intends for us.
REMBEMBER YOUR CREATOR
IN THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH
| Sam Mathew is 21 years old. He is very active in the Youth activities. While he was in India he was very active in ICPF. Now he is a student of Eastfield College working towards his Radiology Degree. He is member of I. P. C. Hebron, Dallas. |
Any serious thinker contemplating on the future of humanity will encounter serious confusion and pain as they try to visualize the future of our present young generation. This question about the future of youth still remains unresolved and confusing. None seems to be able to get a hold on the reasons for this present madness, lives surrendered to alcohol, drugs, and uncontrolled sexual indulgence.
Youth is the most important stage of life, where hopes and dreams are being formed and again the youth of a nation determines its future. I hope you recall the famous saying of India’s first Prime Minister Javahar Lal Nehru “Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens, today these hands hold their text books but tomorrow it will steer the constitution of India.” But had he been alive today he would have to change his statement into something like “Today they hold Guns and Knives and tomorrow they tear apart India.” Why so much? The moral condition of young people have reached an all time low and it is progressively deteriorating. We are also familiar with yet another saying “Youth is the backbone of a country”. This generation has witnessed many young people who have empowered themselves during their prime time, rising to the zenith of success and yet there were also many thousands of young lives that they have given up their hopes and aspirations, surrendering their lives to failure and doom, which makes this stage all the more crucial. Bible records many examples of both kinds of young people. To such a wandering aimless young man Solomon, the wisest of the wise wrote “ remember your creator in the days of your youth.” (Eeel. 12:1)
It’s high time to turn these folks from their path of self-destruction. It’s not an easy thing to direct a young man’s ways because he has stored up enough ‘reasons’ to reject your counsel. Bible says that we should start this training process at very early stage, way before his behavior an practices becomes solid.
“Let me wait till the harvest” is not a good philosophy when it come to training and raising children. If parents are sensitive to their children and provide timely corrections and edification, then they can be sure that their children will walk in the ways of God. As we live in a perverted world we should know the impact the news media, music, and fashion has on our children and be wise not say “it’s their age”. Let us not forget the fact that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had gone through these stages of life victoriously and He knows the powerful emotional drives of teenage and adult life. He was able to fight the devil as he brought powerful temptations in his life. What was available to Jesus while He was on the face of the earth is available to every child of God who wants to keep his life clean and pure before God.
Dear youth remember that your success in life depends directly on the kind of relationship you have with Jesus Christ. We need to take charge of our lives and quit playing role of a victim, indulging in all kinds of sinful activities. And let us surrender ourselves in the hands of the Lord that He may lift us up in due time. Let’s arise and say” I will go back to my fathers house and my life is very precious to waste like this”. Let’s not run with the crowd in the direction in which they run but let’s take a stand for God. Father is waiting for you to COME BACK.
SEVEN STEPS THAT LED TO PETER'S TRAGIC DOWNFALL!
By: Mathew Joseph, P.E., Dallas
Peter was mightily used by God. He was a man of God. We need to remember that we are all in danger, like Peter, of falling. No one is exempt from the possibility of spiritually falling. What I like about Peter is that he was genuinely human and had many of our own characteristics. He was impulsive and made mistakes and spoke unwisely, just like us! Some other characteristics of Peter are as follows: He was uneducated, rough, clumsy fisherman, and maybe these are the things that attract many of us to Peter.
When we read Luke 22:31-62, we realize two things about Peter: 1. Peter did not expect to deny his Lord. In spite of the Savior’s warning (verse 31 and 34), to deny his Lord was the last thing he would do. In the same way, we do not want to deny our Lord and Savior. 2. Peter’s fall was gradual. Remember in a spiritual fall, no one falls instantly. Backsliding is a process; it takes place in steps, one step at a time, gradually.
Let’s find out what were the steps that led Peter to deny his Lord three times.
The first step was SELF-CONFIDENCE - Verse 33 suggests that he had over-confidence? Even though the Lord warned him, he was very confident and said “Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and in death.” It is always very dangerous to be self confident and over confident and fatal for a Christian to boast of the future. We see this same nature of self-confidence in Peter when he tried to walk on the water. Be careful about self-reliance. You may have gotten admission to a prestigious college and may have graduated from one. You maybe working for the top companies of the world. You may be rich and have all the money. You may have a very high IQ. Be thankful to the Lord, for He is the one who has blessed you with these types of blessings. Be careful of Self-confidence. This was the first step towards spiritual fall in Peter.
he second step was PRAYERLESSNESS - When we read verse 40 and 45 we see that Peter was not praying. Remember, Self-confidence and Prayerlessness usually go together. Why should we pray when we have everything. I did this on my own. Prayer is an admission of weakness and insufficiency. Are you at this stage of Prayerlessness? Are you reading the bible and meditating on the word of God? If you are not you are probably self-confident and self-reliant.
The third step was CARNALITY - Verse 50 and John 18:10 tells us that it was indeed Peter who cut of the soldiers ears. To be carnal is to live and act in the flesh and not in the holy spirit. We are drawn to the carnal things when we are self-confident and we do not have a committed prayer life. At times it is tempting to take matters into our own hands, to force the issue. Instead we must trust God to work out His plan. Think of it this way - If Peter had had His way, Jesus would not have gone to the cross and God’s plan of redemption would have been halted.
The fourth step was PETER FOLLOWED AFAR OFF - When we read verse 33 and verse 54 we see that when Jesus Christ needed Peter’s support the most, he was following afar off. Are you following afar off when the church and the body of Christ needs you the most? These are the days in which the Lord needs His people to be living in close relationship with Him. Are you not taking the prayer meetings and the church fellowship seriously. Quit complaining about other believers and parents for what they have done to you, but look to the author and finisher of your faith. Check yourself and see if you are in the fourth step to your spiritual downfall. You used to have a hunger and thirst for the Lord, but you don’t feel the closeness and love of the Lord. You need to get closer to God by repenting and asking God for forgiveness.
The fifth step was WORLDLINESS - Verse 55 and Psalms 1:1 shows us that blessed are the ones who do not walk , stand, and sit with the ungodly but their delight is in the Lord. Remember, here also, that we are led by our feet to the worldly people. In Psalms 1:1, we see that first of all ,we have to walk towards the ungodly, then we end up standing among them, and finally we make ourselves comfortable and vulnerable by sitting down with them. This is exactly what Peter did when he sat down with the worldly people when he was cold spiritually and tried to warm himself around the fire. Worldliness is anything and everything that leaves the Lord Jesus out. Are you sitting down with the worldly people? Are you warming up to the world’s fire? If you are, then it is a sure sign that you have lost something of the fire of the Lord or the first Love you had for the Lord. If you examine your life, you will see that you have gone through the first four steps and that indeed it has been a gradual process.
The sixth step was INCREASING INSENSITIVITY - By now Peter had become more and more insensitive to the Lord. Remember the Lord had warned Peter of the terrible denial. When you prayerfully read verse 31, 33 and 40, we see that this is what happens when we backslide; we slide more and more down the slippery slope from self-confidence to Prayerlessness, to carnality, to following afar off, to worldliness - and then we become so insensitive that we can actually deny the Lord.
This is a very bad state to be in, not only is one sliding on a steep slippery slope, one is sliding backwards. This means we do not know where we are sliding towards. This is why we need to pray to the Lord Jesus Christ earnestly and more frequently that He will prevent us from ever getting into a position or a place where we become very insensitive to His voice. How many times have the preachers spoken the convicting and piercing word sent by God for your life and you totally disregarded it. You said the message was not for me but for the person sitting next to me. What a sad state to be in, this state of increasing insensitivity. This is the state many people are in today who take the Lord’s supper without having a good relationship with the fellow brethren. These people think by going to another church they can take the Lord’s supper. Remember, God will not be mocked. This is why many people today in our churches are sick, getting into accidents, and having all sorts of problems. Do not get to this point of insensitivity, you will find yourselves in eternal hell.
The seventh step was OPEN DENIAL - When we read verses 56 to 60, we see that Peter denied the Lord Jesus three times. He openly denied the Lord! Are you openly denying the Lord by going against the teachings of the Lord. Are you saying, there is no God, there is no heaven, no hell, no second coming, etc. Oh how true the warning was from the Lord to Peter. Oh Peter, if you would have only listened. Oh brother! Oh sister! Oh youths of the body of Christ, if you would only let the holy spirit talk and speak to you of your present condition and state.
Examine yourselves through the holy spirit and see where you stand in the light of this short message. What state are you in? Remember, backsliding is a gradual process. The key is to understand that it is and to see what state are you in. When you do that, repent and ask forgiveness of the Lord. This is exactly what Peter did. We see this in verse 61 and 62, where Jesus turned to Peter and looked at him. It goes on to say that Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him. I want to tell you, dear brother, dear sister, dear youth, there is still hope for you. All you have to do is look to Jesus, look in His eyes, and remember what the Lord has spoken to you today through this article. Peter wept bitterly showing that he realized his state and repented of his backsliding. Look to Jesus, listen to his word, weep if you the holy spirit leads you to. It’s OK, the Lord will bless you by making you more spiritual and use you mightily for His kingdom. The Lord is looking at you! Have you met his gaze?
And the Lord looked upon Peter:
And as He looked He forgave
There was love, tender, reproachful,
Within the look He gave
That love was too much - it broke his heart,
And Peter went out to weep apart.
And the Lord looked upon Peter:
And called him back to His side,
For he met, when Jesus had risen,
The One whom he had denied.
With faltering lip he did adore,
And loved as he ne’er had loved before
Has the Lord looked upon you?
Have you met His gaze?
Has He looked you through and through?
| This is the first prize winning essay in Level 4 of the 16th annual Competition of the Pentecostal Youth Conference of Dallas. Philip C. Varghese is 14 years old and a student of Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Worth, Texas. He is a member of India Pentecostal Assembly, Dallas. |
In many houses nowadays, I have seen plaques with a famous dream inscribed on it. The dream is about a man who is walking with Jesus on a sandy beach. The man sees two sets of footprints and recognizes them as those of himself and of Jesus. However, soon he comes to a place where he sees only one set of footprint and he asks Jesus why he left him alone to fend for himself. Then Jesus turns to him and explains that far from leaving his child alone, He had actually carried him in his arms because he was going through a rough time in his life. Even though Jesus was God, he had taken time out just for one human being to make sure he is able to overcome the difficult situation he is passing through. We experience that care each moment each day wherever we are in fact, the very reason we are alive can be attributed to God’s keeping power.
God’s care is related to his providence. In the Old testament, we read about his care and protection of the Israelites through their forty year journey to reach the promised land. Each day He went with them as a cloud in the day and as a fire in the night (Ex 13:21). He gave manna to eat and shoes that only wore off when they reached their destination. He gave them the law through Moses, their leader. Finally he gave them victory over their enemies and helped them settle in the promised land. In every situation, God provided for the needs of His people and ensured that they didn’t lack anything. Even in the new Testament Christ speaks of God’s care for his people. In Luke 12:7 we see Jesus reminding his disciples that even the very hair on their head are numbered by a God who does not cease to watch over his people. God watches over the life of His people with his divine care. Christ is the Good Shepherd who knows their needs and provides for them because he is the heavenly father (Matt 6:32). Just as a Father provides for the needs of His children because he loves then and cares for them, even so our heavenly Father provides for us for our physical and material needs through Jesus Christ, His son. The providential nature of God is just one of the aspect of His care for us.
The most importance aspect of God’s care for His people is revealed in John 3:16. Here we see a God who is not just anxious and concerned for the material needs of His people, but more than that worried about the state of their souls, the spiritual part of their being.
Christ’s sacrifice gave an opportunity for everyone to experience the blessings that God has in store for us. Through Christ every person has an opportunity to be adopted by a loving father. In 1 Peter 5:7 we read, we can cast all our cares upon him because He cares for us. This reveals to us God who gave us salvation and is able to take care of us is well able to take care of us is well able to take care of our daily burdens and troubles. In our creator we find love, peace and comfort that make him the ultimate Creator.
Pentecostal Youth Conference of Dallas is celebrating its 16th conference in 1997. At this juncture it is appropriate to look back at the last 16 years of this great conference. The very idea of this conference was born in the hearts of few brothers of this city about 16 years ago. Bros. Babu George, Babu K. Iype, Jose Prakash, Toms Koruthu, Abraham Thomas, and Abraham Mathew. They were some of the brothers who were instrumental in bringing this conference a reality in 1982. The first convener of the conference was Br. Babu George. Even though some of the churches stayed away from this in the beginning, the first conference was a great success. The first one day seminar was attended by more than 250 people and Dr. Ezhamkulam Samkutty was the guest speaker. The first conference was divided into two sessions. The morning sessions was devoted for different activities by the participating churches. In the afternoon session Dr. Samkutty delivered a wonderful message followed by a small video called “Rajamma” the story of a Hindu girl's struggle to become a believer. After the video Dr. Samkutty addressed and answered the questions asked by the audience.
The Convener for the years 1983 and 1984 was Bro. Babu K. Iype. During the year 1983 in addition to the one day seminar, an annual convention was also conducted on Saturday night and Sunday Night in the month of December 1983. Dr. Joseph Padinjarakara (Canada ) was the guest speaker for the seminar and the convention. During the year 1984, the second North American Malayalee Pentecostal Conference was conducted in Dallas. The Youth Conference programs were merged with youth activities of the Malayalee Pentecostal Conference and Bro. Babu K. Iype coordinated the Youth activities for the Conference.
The administrative structure of the P.Y.C.D was changed in 1985 in which a local pastor became the Convener and was assisted by a Youth Coordinator and a Treasurer. During the periods of 1985-1991 the main activities of the P.Y.C.D was limited to a One day seminar, with the exception of few Youth Conventions.
Youth competition was instituted during the year 1992. Rev. Jacob Varghese (Convener), Bro. Jose Koruthu (Youth Coordinator), Bro. Prasad K. Chacko (Treasurer) took the leadership in introducing the city wide competition in spite of objections from some of the churches. The first competition was a great success and the rest is history as we are witnessing today.
For the past few years, annual youth competition and the annual Youth Camps have becomes an integral part of a year long activities of the Youth Conference. P.Y.C.D. is an event where our young people from different churches can join together and do things together for the Glory of God. Churches have to take a positive approach and take an active role in the work of this conference. We should be extra careful when we handle the matters concerning our youths. We should not bring any church politics in to the work of this conference.
Whether we win or lose, we need to teach our children and young people to accept it with grace. The churches also need to understand this fact. Unless we teach our children this lesson we are doing a great injustice to the younger generation. Winning is always good but that is not everything. Being part of this whole process is an outstanding achievement. We can learn this from the Olympics, the Mother of all competition. There is only one 1st place winner on ost of the Olympic events in which many competiteors participate from various nations. When this is decided all nations who didn't placw accept this decission. If a worldly body can do this how much more we need to do as Children of God.
After all we are human beings. If you are a human being then you are not perfect. The opposite is true , if you are perfect, then you are God. I don’t believe any one is going to claim I am God. Therefore lets us not claim perfection but strive for perfection and learn from the mistakes and do better next time. Let us not involve our children in theseconflicts. Teach our children to do their best for the Glory of God nad God will reward them according to His riches in glory in His time.
During the year 1997 in another memorable year for P.Y.C.D because it could go on line with a homepage on the Internet. The Homepage address is: www.dhc.net/~yfocus/dpyf.htm. Latest information about the activities of P.Y.C.D and the information about the Malayalee Churches in the Metroplex are available in the web site. Youth Focus Publications is glad to host the home page of P.Y.C.D.
On behave of Youth Focus we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all winners of the annual youth competition and officials of the 16th Pentecostal Youth Conference of Dallas for a job well done. Its takes considerable time and effort in the parts of the officials to make these kinds of activities a success. They deserve lot of credit and we pray that God bless them and strengthen them more in the days to come.
Let us all work together with one common goal and that is to lift the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in this perishing world. Let us encourage our youths to get involved in the Ministry. May this Pentecostal Youth Conference of Dallas help mold many of our youngsters for the Ministry in the days to come. As one of the founding members of this organization 16 years ago, I am very glad and excited to see the growth of this movement. Let this be a great channel for our youngsters to grow stronger in the Lord in the coming days.
Once again, congratulations and may God bless you all.
GOODNEWS IS ON THE INTERNET
GoodNews Weekly is on the internet. The home page address is: www.goodnews-weekly.com and email address is: goodnews@goodnews-weekly.com. Youth Focus publication is very glad to host the home page for GoodNews. We believe that this is a giant step by goodnews towards the future and encourage the viewing public to make use of it on the Internet.
GOODNEWS WEEKLY ENGLISH SECTION
Bro. Babu K. Iype is coordinating the English Section for the Goodnews weekly in the Dallas-Fortworth Metroplex. If you want to contribute any materials for the English section please contact Bro. Babu K. Iype at 972-618-2348 or email to goodnews@goodnews-weekly.com. On behalf of Goodnews we would like to request everybody's cooperation in this matter.
GOODNEWS WEEKLY - DALLAS CHAPTER
The Dallas Chapter of Goodnews weekly was organized on August 3, 1997 in a meeting conducted at the Hebron Pentecostal Fellowship. The meeting was organized by the Dallas representatives of the Goodnews weekly Bros. Regi Abraham and S. P. James. Goodnews Chairman Bro. V. M. Mathew was the chief guest. In this meeting Bro. V. M. Mathew explained the various works of the Goodnews weekly including the Various charitable works. The following persons were elected as officials of the chapter.
President Rev. Baby Varghese 972-642-0451
Secretary Bro. Abraham P. Abraham 972-446-8991
Treasurer Bro. Babu K. Iype 972-618-2348
Some committee members were also selected. In addition to the above members, two representatives of the weekly are also part of this committee. In this meeting the Dallas chapter decided to sponsor a full time worker for the Goodnews Balalokam. The cost is $75 per month. The chapter also decided to sponsor 5 new houses. The cost of one house is $450. If you like to know more about the various projects of the Dallas Chapter please contact one of the officials above. We would like to encourage everybody to get involved in these projects. May God Bless You all.
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