Monday, April 28, 2008

Are you Satisfied with Ordinary Church Services?


Today I want to bring to your attention to something which I feel is very important for people to understand and needs to do something about it. My question is - are you satisfied with ordinary church Services? Now you may be attending any church but the question is do you feel the presence of God in your Services. Is the anointing of Holy Spirit flowing in your church? Are you witness of supernatural things in your church. When was the last time a miracle happened in your church?


Now if you can answer YES to few of the questions above then you don't need to read this blog. But if the answer to most of the questions above is NO then read this.


Recently one of my friend gave a testimony. He said he was feeling very much discouraged and someone told him to go to a church where a revival is going on. He went there and during the service he felt like someone asking him to kneel down. He resisted for sometime and finally he did. Then he started crying and he felt a big burden removed from his life. He prayed and a big transformation happened in his life. Now I feel thats the work of the Holy Spirit.

In John 16:8 Jesus said about Holy Spirit like this:- "And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment." I think that if these three things are not happening then there is something wrong. One of the primary work of Holy Spirit is to convict us about our Sins. But many times we see that people have misunderstood the work of the Holy Spirit to some other things. I know that Holy Spirit does lot of things but one of the primary work is to convict people of their Sin.

Every move of God or Revival started with people confessing their sin. But now a days we see that churches don't preach against Sin but preach only blessings. Every time people gather for fellowship the God's power and glory should be reflected. If that's not happening then we need to seek God's face and cry.

We should not be satisfied with ordinary usual Church Services. We should seek God's face to see the move of God in our gatherings.

May God Bless You!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Fellowship in Computer Age- Are we losing it?



We are living in times when everything is becoming High Tech. Well, I am not against it. But anything not used properly will have its own bad effect on human beings.

One area in which people have brought technology too much is the area of spirituality.



People just prayer over phone when they can physically meet people and pray. Church leaders who stay within the range of few miles use technology to take important decision regarding God's kingdom and work when they should actually get together and pray together and discuss and take decisions. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with doing it once in a while. But it should not become an habit and way of life later.



At times we see too much dependency on technology which is taking away some of the good things we badly need.



I am thinking of moving away as far as possible from technology and modern day inventions wherever its not needed. They are making the life more complex. That's my thought. Slowly people are moving into a virtual world where the essence of fellowship is getting lost. There are advantages of meeting people face to face. Relationships are build and a persons outlook is shaped. A bond is developed by fellowship. But slowly many things in spiritual world is being copied from professional world and it will simply not work. The professional world works on the simple concept of profit and gain but the real spiritual world works on loss and sacrifice.

First century church gave importance to Fellowship. They consistently met together for fellowship and worship. To them, fellowship was much more than just getting together. It was a common concern expressed also in practical acts of giving and sacrifices (see Acts 2:44-45; 4:32, 34-35). If we try to move away from this vital concept then there is a big danger that we all will end up in a virtual world with the dynamics of fellowship also becoming virtual.



But this is my advice from Hebrews 10:23-25

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (NLT)



Take time out of your busy schedule to meet people for time of Prayer and Bible Study. Don't spend your life just in front of computer. Strike a balance in your life. Don't forsake the habit of reading from Bible and taking notes on a notebook with reading from your PDA or Computer. Try to be a real person and not just a person who is in his own world. I know this thought is challenging in today's world. But just see for yourself and you will find the difference. You will find yourself more refreshed and encouraged.



Don't allow this practice of fellowship which the first century disciples practised to be lost in your life, family and church(Very Important).



May God Bless You!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Church of Oprah Winfrey

I got to see another interesting thing last day. Thought of sharing it with you all. There is a new age movement (I will call it as a cult) coming up with the blessing of Oprah Winfrey. Watch this video first.



Now when we see all these things, the faith of a person who believes in the Bible reaches a new height because these all are fulfillment of prophecies written in the Bible.

I don't know much about Oprah since I don't watch her programs but I am sure that she has a big influence among people and there are many people even Christians who admire her. I can give you some links to learn more about this which will help you all in understanding how serious it is.
http://www.carringtonsteele.citymax.com/page/page/5663569.htm

http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=artNewAge.article_1

Then of course you can do a Google search and you will get lot of information. I will recommend that people see it and understand another scheme of devil to deceive people and to make them believe his lie.

2 Timothy 3:1-6
" 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."

May God Bless You!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Is John Hagee promoting Heresy?

John Hagee, the Pentecostal “pastor” of the 18,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, issued a book titled, In Defense of Israel.

Go to link http://www.amazon.com/review/R18MVV813B5WSX/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm to see the promo.

His claims are;- This book will expose the sins of the fathers and the vicious abuse of the Jewish people. In Defense of Israel will shake Christian theology. It scripturally proves that the Jewish people as a whole did not reject Jesus as Messiah. It will also prove that Jesus did not come to earth to be the Messiah. It will prove that there was a Calvary conspiracy between Rome, the high priest, and Herod to execute Jesus as an insurrectionist too dangerous to live. Since Jesus refused by word and deed to claim to be the Messiah, how can the Jews be blamed for rejecting what was never offered?

Now if you are a thinking Christian concerned with heresy and false teachings coming up then you must read about it and find for yourself whats the truth behind it.
You can do a search and you will get lot of information about it.

1 John 4 :1 "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
2 Peter 2:1-3 :- "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."

Now be sure that there will be lot of false teachers and heresy coming up in the last days. Many will have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 tim 4:5). So make sure you test every teaching and doctrine in the light of the word of God.

Note:- Since you are a matured Christian I am not going to give any conclusion in John Hagee matter but its up to you to see it if you want. But if we really want to follow Christ then we must take a stand against false teachings.

May God Bless You!

New Generation Churches

  New Generation Churches (NGCs) refer to contemporary Christian movements or denominations that diverge from traditional, historic church ...