Friends Focus April 2016 Friends Focus April 2016

52 Pages·2016·2.91 MB·English

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We must be holy, because this is the only sound evidence that we
have a saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. – J.C. Ryle
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without
holiness no-one will see the Lord. – Heb. 12:14
Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in
accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting
and following the will of God. – Mother Teresa
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live in holy life.
– 1 Thes. 4:7
Compassion is not complete in itself, but must be accompanied by
inflexible justice and wrath against sin and a desire for holiness.
– Billy Graham.
FRIENDS FOCUS is the official organ
of Friends Missionary Prayer Band
(FMPB).
A monthly blossom of FMPB
......................................................... FMPB is an indigenous Missionary
Publisher & Editor
Movement presenting the Gospel of
Rev. D. Simon Ponniah
the Lord Jesus Christ to unreached
SUBSCRIPTION INDIA FOREIGN
people groups in India.
Annual Rs.100 Rs.600
Life Rs.1500 Rs.5,000
FMPB serves as an arm of the Church
H.Q: 29, High School Road, Ambattur,
to plant Churches across the country.
Chennai - 600 053
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Cell: 9444394342 FMPB does saturation evangelism
E-mail: [email protected] among various people groups.
Web site: www.fmpb.co.in
Layout and Preparation: FMPB invites Churches, institutions,
Communication Dept., fmpb
families and individuals to pray and
For remarks, recommendations and requests
[email protected] support its work.
Friends Focus April 2016 3
Loving greetings in our Lord’s experience of God’s forgiveness
name to each one of you! and deliverance from our former
ways. For those still wallowing
In obedience to God’s will
in guilt, shame and despair,
expressed through his people,
God assures us that He is ready
I have accepted this new
to forgive unconditionally and
responsibility entrusted to me.
accept us. We however need to
Many of you have been calling
allow God to do this. Though
me over the phone, sending
we may still have to face the
messages and emails to say,
temporal consequences of our
“We are praying for you”. This
sins the Word of God assures
has given me great strength and
us in several places that God
courage. I sincerely count on
cancels the eternal consequences
your prayers.
of our sins.
Let me share from one of my
Not only does God forgive and
recent meditations on the Psalms.
accept us but he also delivers us
Verses 1 -4 of Psalm 65 speak of
from things that have a hold over
a God who forgives and accepts
our lives and are displeasing to
us. Verses 5 – 8 speak of a God
him. This calls for total yielding
who delivers or saves us by his
to God to work out his purposes
awesome deeds and in verses 9 –
in us.
13 God comes across as one who
prospers us or makes us fruitful. Never see fruitfulness in isolation.
Fruitfulness is the outcome of our Real and lasting fruitfulness
4 Friends Focus April 2016
comes in the context of a forgiven giving in the midst of poverty
and yielded life. A yielded life and want!
is a holy life. In Biblical context
We have been promoting the
this means a life that is both pure
1000 hours prayer initiative
and set apart for God- a life that
during the 40 days of lent. This
stands in stark contrast to one
aims at ensuring prayers 24 hours
that conforms to the ways of the
a day, all the 40 days which adds
world. Without this, what we
up to approximately 1000 hours
see as fruitfulness will only be
of prayer. This was observed in
shallow, transient and deceptive.
every region both in our mission
God helped us to celebrate 25 fields and mobilization areas.
years of His faithfulness in our Besides these our prayer group
ministry among the Santhals in leaders organized this prayer in
Jharkhand. The celebrations from about 25 churches.
the 4th to 6th of March in one
Preparations are underway for
of our mission fields there saw a
the Annual Tamil Nadu State
gathering of 18,000 of our Santhal
Conference from the 19th to
believers and besides being
22nd of May at Bethel, Danishpet
an occasion of thanksgiving it
near Salem. The Conference
amply demonstrated how even
proceedings will be centered on
a nascent church can not only
the theme of “Holiness”.
stand on its own legs but can
also take on the responsibility
May God help us to be faithful
of proclaiming the Gospel far
to Him and grow more and more
and wide. The Santhal Church
into His likeness.
came forward to sponsor 10 cross
cultural missionaries through Your dear brother in the Lord
FMPB and the dedication
ceremony of these brothers
and sisters was held as part
of the celebrations. The entire
expenditure of approximately 25
Sudarshan Thomas
lakh rupees for the celebrations
was borne by the Santhal Church.
General Secretary – Designate
What an example of sacrificial
Friends Focus April 2016 5
Individuals
needed
for God
Rev. G. Kingsly
W
henever darkness engulfs history of Joseph was a prisoner. Pharaoh had
Christianity the question that is raised a dream which no one could give
is whether there will be slackening in interpretation, but Joseph did. This
the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth was not an answer alone to the King’s
or whether there is lack of commitment dream, but fulfillment of the beginning
on the part of God’s men and women, of the prophecy which God had made
i.e. missionaries. with Abraham as seen in Gen. 15:13.
The Lord said to him, “Your descendants
We need not develop cold feet over
will be slaves in foreign land and will be
such crises. In order to fulfill His will,
cruelly treated for four hundred years,
God has been developing individuals.
I will punish the nation that enslaves
Let us pray so that God shall make
them and when they leave the land, they
inevitable individuals in our nation as
will take great wealth with them”. The
well as Christian community. Let us
need of the hour is that individuals like
proceed onwards with faith.
Joseph need to be raised from churches
Let us meditate on some individuals and Christian society. Let us continue
and their testimonies from Bible whom to pray for the same.
God had raised.
Spiritual characters in Joseph
Joseph
Holiness: Joseph was a handsome
While Joseph was imprisoned in prison
man embedded with wisdom and
for two years, the wine steward said,
knowledge and he realized the presence
‘A young Hebrew was there … things
of God in him. Since birth, Joseph faced
turned out just as he said (Gen.
many temptations, persecutions and
41:12/13).
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hindrances. Before being elevated to Joseph said to him brothers, “Do not be
one of the highest positions, he had upset or blame yourselves because you
to face the challenge of the stiffest sold me here. It was really God who sent
temptation from the wife of Pharaoh. Yet me ahead of you to save people’s lives”
he could overcome the great temptation (Gen. 45:5). This passage explains the
because he had learnt the lesson that spiritual maturity of Joseph. Joseph
God did see him in his personal life. said, “You plotted evil against me, but
He understood that to sin was to act God turned it into good, in order to
against God. Being promoted to higher preserve the lives of many people”.
echelon was not a license to sin. Such
Persons who lead holy life in the eyes of
spiritual thoughts enabled Joseph to
God and execute God’s plans with fear
overcome the temptation. In spite of
of God may experience obstacles, may
the opportunities that come in the way
face trials and tribulations and delay; but
of our youngsters, the latter ought to
such people are sure to experience and
sit and meditate personally so that they
enjoy the blessings from God. Let us
shall inculcate fear of God in them to
pray and yearn that many such Josephs
receive great blessings from above.
arise from our families and churches.
Brotherhood; Since his birth Joseph
was hated, forsaken and troubled by Mercy’s Holiness
his brothers.
A terrorist organization attacked a small
Gen. 37:4 – They would not speak to village in Nigeria in 2014 where Mercy
him in a friendly manner. Gen. 37:8 lived. The houses were razed down
– They hated him even more. Gen. and smothered. Mercy along with four
37:11 – They were jealous of him. girls were abducted. The four girls were
forcibly converted into their religion. But
Joseph obeyed his parents, carried
Mercy was steadfast in her faith saying
food without any bitterness against
that she would not forsake her faith.
his brothers while they were taking
She patiently endured many troubles.
care of the flock and enquired about
them. But they on their part without Her prayers were heard after five weeks.
any humaneness dropped him in a dry Government forces bombarded the
well and later sold him. During all the building in which terrorists were hiding
ill-treatments meted out to him by his and all of them died. Mercy escaped
brothers, he neither struggled against with minor injuries. She leads a new
them nor accused them. After 13 years, and witnessing life. Let us pray for the
he became the chief of Egypt next to Christians persecuted worldwide. Let us
the king. When his brothers were on be awe-struck with prayers.
a sojourn to Egypt to buy food, Joseph
did not hate him nor did he avenge.
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Firmness of David Israelites. Goliath challenged the
Israelites. He made scathing attack on
God had rejected Saul as king of
God and Israelites. Vile and danger
Israel (1 Sam. 16:1) and an evil spirit
were imminent. When David had been
tormented him. Crisis of Saul became a
to that place to look for his brothers,
national issue. Before a search to find
he heard the scornful words of Goliath.
a suitable person to play on the harp,
He became steadfast in his faith on
one of his attendants said, “Jesse has
God. His faith on God became firm. It
a son who is a good musician. He is
became a battle by God. The problem
a brave and handsome man, a good
faced for 40 days was all over in just
soldier and an able speaker. The Lord
four minutes. There are many youths
is with him”.
in our churches and Christian society
When Israel became worsened due who defy God. If such scenario has
to Saul, God selected David who was to cease and change, committed and
ignored by his family. God through anointed youths need to arise from
Samuel anointed David and he was the church.
looking after the cattle. David was
selected and chosen by God and God
Resolve of Mariam & Masia
helped him reign over united Israel for
over 40 years. He was very closer to Young girls Mariam (27) and Masia (30)
the heart of God – a certificate given by born and brought up in Iran in another
God. These are all due to the spiritual religion were imprisoned for having
characteristic features of an individual, accepted the lordship of Jesus Christ.
i.e. David. Charges like sedition, blasphemy and
proclamation of Gospel were framed
After being anointed by Samuel, David
against them and were tortured. Though
was looking after the flock. He did
they were ordered to forsake their faith,
not waste even a single minute. He
they were steadfast in their faith. Hence
played on the harp, composed songs
they were jailed. During their stay in
and thereby glorified God. Rather than
the jail for 259 days, they shared the
using their talents and time to make
eternal love of Jesus Christ to fellow-
personal gains and publicity, today’s
women prisoners and guided many
Christian youths need to utilize their
women towards Jesus Christ. After
talents for the expansion of God’s
their incarceration for 259 days, they
Kingdom on earth.
were released. Pray that such women
Firmness: The Philistines gathered are raised up our church and society.
their army to have a fight against
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Prayer warrior Daniel they could not because Daniel was
reliable and did not do anything wrong
Israelites were captured by Nebu-
or dishonest. They decided to find fault
chadnezzar and were imprisoned
with his religion. An edict was issued
as slaves for 70 years. During this
which said that for thirty days no one be
turbulent period, God raised prayer
permitted to request anything from any
warrior Daniel. Through his steadfast
God or from any man except the king.
faith and prayer he was elevated to one
When Daniel learnt that the order had
of the highest offices. Yet he always
been signed, he went home. He went
prayed to God as usual.
upstairs, knelt down, opened windows
During the banquet of Belshazzar, and prayed to God three times a day.
the king and his noblemen drank Daniel did not reduce his prayer time
wine together. Gold and silver cups though he knew that danger was lurking
and bowls that were brought by his at him. He was punished by the king
father Nebuchadnezzar were used to and God protected Daniel.
drink wine. Suddenly, a human hand
Such prayer warriors need to spring up
appeared and began writing on the
from our society and churches. Let us
plaster wall of the palace. The King
fervently pray for the same.
turned pale and was so frightened that
his knees began to shake. No one
could read the writing. The queen said,
“There is a man in your Kingdom who Women’s Meeting
has the spirit of holy God in him … he
has the unusual ability in interpreting Date: 23.04.2016,
dreams, solving riddles and explaining
Saturday
mysteries (Daniel 5:11, 12). Daniel
morning 10 to evening 4
cleared the riddle and Belshazzar was
Venue:
murdered the same night. Daniel was
Jawaharlal Nehru
made the third in power in the kingdom.
Kalyana Mandabam,
Daniel – Prayer warrior
Oorgaum, KGF, (Near five lights)
Darius chose Daniel and two others
Speaker:
to supervise the governors and to
Mrs. Veronica Clement
look after the king’s interests. The
king considered putting him in charge Field sharing:
of the whole empire. Then the other Mrs. Jeya Gowri Sibi
supervisors and the governors tried to
find something wrong with Daniel and
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Report on the Dedication Service of
the new General Secretary, FMPB
The Lord enabled the FMPB
movement to select and anoint Rev. Sudarshan Thomas as the General
Secretary- Designate on 1st March 2016 at the Dedication service held at
the Emmanuel Methodist Church, Chennai. Some of you had joined us this
important event and we thank you for this.
It was a very solemn and joyful occasion, as leaders from various churches
and mission bodies came together for this historic event, in the presence of Dr.
Sam Kamalesan, Bro. Patrick Joshua, the Most Rev. Bishop Ezra Sargunam,
Dr. Paul Dinakaran, Rev. Dr Wati Langumar (IMA), Rev. Dr Rajasingh Elias
(IEM), Rev. Suresh Rajan (NMS), Mr. Cherian, World Vision, Mr. Alex
Mathew, Wycliffe India and FMPB leaders from various parts of India.
Dr. Sam Kamalesan shared God's word on this important occasion,
emphasizing on 'Servant leadership'. Bro Patrick Joshua offered the dedication
prayer of Rev. Sudarshan Thomas and Dr. Paul Dinakaran from Jesus Calls
Ministries sang a lovely song and offered the prayer of consecration.
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