10 Volume 6 Issue 8 August 2016 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (India) Psalm 122:6 Friends Focus August 2016 1 Front Line... On 15th of this month we are celebrating the 70th Independence Day of our motherland. There were many who sacrificed their yesterday for our today. Ordinary men and women with love and passion filled their hearts for their motherland shook the foundation of an empire on which the sun never set. India has grown leap and bound in its 70 years of independence from the bondage of the British empire. The country which produced nothing then, reaches the space now. India is growing in its economic power and today become the fastest growing economy in the world. It is the most populous democracy in the world. Lot of social churning takes place and the marginalized and downtrodden communities are striving for their place in the country. We have to praise God for all who made a difference in the growth of this great nation. Paradoxically there is another India which is still craving for its share in the society. Bonded labour, child labour, malnutrition, poverty, child marriage, alcoholism, domestic violence, violence against the women and the weaker sections of the society, discord in the society, extremism, terrorism and many other social evils are plagued the nation. India is not able to be proud about its achievement on Human Development Index. It is hovering around 130 for few years now out of 188 nations. India is having the largest illiterate population. ¼ of its people are living below poverty line. The large population of this nation is yet to hear about the Saviour and His gift of salvation by grace through faith. In the month of India’s independence let us reiterate our commitment to pray that the country may be delivered from the ills afflicting this nation. God has given us a powerful weapon in the form of prayer to deliver this nation from the challenges it is facing. Let us pray for an India which is prosperous and knowing Christ. 2Ch 7:14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (NKJV) Wish you a happy Independence Day 2 Friends Focus August 2016 Independence doesn’t mean you decide the way you want. FRIENDS FOCUS is the official organ - Stephen Breyer of Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB). Who through faith are shielded FMPB is an indigenous Missionary Movement presenting the Gospel of by God’s power until the coming the Lord Jesus Christ to unreached of the salvation that is ready to people groups in India. be revealed in the last time FMPB serves as an arm of the Church - 1 Peter 1:5 to plant Churches across the country. FMPB does saturation evangelism The most dangerous thing in the among various people groups. world is the sin of self reliance FMPB invites Churches, institutions, and the stupor of worldliness families and individuals to pray and support its work. - John Piper For remarks, recommendations and requests [email protected] He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever holy and awesome is his name A monthly blossom of FMPB - Psalm 111:9 Publisher & Editor Rev. D. Simon Ponniah The four cornerstones of SUBSCRIPTION INDIA FOREIGN character on which the structure Annual Rs.100 Rs.600 of this nation was built are: Life Rs.1500 Rs.5,000 Initiative, Imagination, H.Q: 29, High School Road, Ambattur, Chennai - 600 053 Individuality and Independence. Tel: +91-44-2657 0404 Fax: 2657 3353 - Eddle Rickenbacker. Cell: 9444394342 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.fmpb.co.in So if the Son sets you free, Layout and Preparation: Communication Dept., fmpb you will be free indeed - John 8:36 Friends Focus August 2016 3 G e n e r a l m F r o D e s k . . . S e c r e t a r y ' s D ear Brothers, Sisters and little ones, Thirdly, Christ commands us to God has chosen us so that we may go love one another (15:12). This is and bear fruit-fruit that will last. (John strategically emphasized at the end of 15:16a). Just as right conditions are this passage in verse 17. Loving Christ needed for a tree to bear fruit, our and remaining in His love (15:9) is the lives and ministry can be fruitful only basis of our loving another. We are when the right conditions described in called to love one another irrespective John 15:1-17are fulfilled. These are: of whether the other person does what Remaining in Christ, submitting oneself I like, agrees with what I say or is a to pruning and loving one another. good or bad person. We love one another because Christ has loved us Remaining in Christ is trusting Him and and accepted us irrespective of who loving Him (15: 8, 9) Loving Christ or we are and what we have done. remaining in His love is possible by obeying God’s commands (15: 10). Let us fulfil these three conditions and Jesus categorically says that unless God will definitely make our lives and we remain in Him we cannot bear ministry fruitful. any fruit (15. 4) The importance of Even when we lead fruitful lives, we Mentoring: need to submit ourselves to pruning A two day seminar was held at Jhansi so that we may bear more fruit (15: for our senior missionaries on June 30 2). This means allowing ourselves to and July 1 to teach the why and how of be shaped, trained and moulded in all mentoring. Rev. Kenneddy Danabalan, areas of our lives. General Director of EFICOR and Rev. 4 Friends Focus August 2016 C.B. Samuel, the former General to ensure revival and renewal of Director of EFICOR were the resource our integrated congregations in persons. This convinced us of the Gujarat and to reach out the vast need to mentor or train missionaries, multitudes yet to be reached a evangelists and church elders to Joint Cooperation Committee was take up leadership at all levels the constituted and to make a beginning. way Jesus trained and prepared His One day conference for the pastors disciples to carry on the ministry after of the integrated churches and our He left. This was followed by the missionaries has been planned on meeting of these senior missionaries August 27 in Pippalvada. We are with the President to plan and discuss thankful to the Bishop for his full the ministry ahead. support to this partnership. Please pray for the success of this initiative. Gujarat Visit: Three day fasting and prayer: I undertook a six day tour of Gujarat visiting Peth, Randha, Jhavda, A nation-wide three day fasting and Pippalvada, Vyara, Ahmedabad, prayer at several centres both in our Netrang and Selamba. All our mobilization and mission field areas missionaries serving in Gujarat met has been planned on 12, 13 and 14 at our training centre at Fokdi on July of August to pray for our nation. You 19 to plan for making our ministry are encouraged to participate at the more fruitful in Gujarat. They left centre nearest to you or organize one with definite goals and strategies to in your area. achieve these goals. They have also planned for periodic focussed prayers May God bless all your efforts for as clusters of mission fields to ensure the cause of his kingdom more and that their planning succeeds. more fruitful! Meeting with the Bishop of Yours in Christ, CNI Gujarat Diocese: Along with the senior missionaries in Gujarat I had a meeting with Rt. Rev. Silvans Christian, Bishop of CNI-Gujarat Diocese to review our mutual cooperation and partnership. Sudarshan Thomas To continue our cooperation and Friends Focus August 2016 5 B i b l e S t u d y b y M r . J o h n S a m u e l FdMu rPi nBg PTraems iidl eNnat d u A n n u a l C a m p Prayer is the strong pillar on which the edifice of Friends Missionary Prayer Band has been constructed. When we fast and pray, the Lord God responds to our prayers. We undertake fasting prayers on Wednesdays. We pray daily. Jesus Christ says in Luke 10:02, “There is a Some of us opine, “I pray daily, large harvest, but few workers to I attend spiritual meetings, hence gather it in. Pray to the owner I lead a life of holiness”. It is of the harvest that He will send not enough. Do we read and out workers to gather in His meditate the Bible? harvest”. To remind this verse, we may set up the alarm in our For today’s meditation, I have wrist watch at 10:02, so that we selected Colossians chapter 3. can pray wherever we are and God tells us through this passage we can spend 15 to 30 minutes that we ought to consecrate our a night at this scheduled time. lives. Two points are mentioned The setting up of alarm at 10:2 here: One, how you should be; will remind us the verse of Luke two, how not you be. Before we 10:2. We can pray to God to go to sleep at night, we read a send more missionaries, pray part of a Psalm or a few verses for the ministries of FMPB. Most from the Bible and thus we feel of us are very good in praying, contented that God is with us but we do not spend much time and He blesses us. Surely God’s in meditating the Word of God. blessing is with us. But have we We need to meditate the Bible ever meditated on how to live along with our family members. and how not to live? 6 Friends Focus August 2016 achievements are unparalleled. Let us go into the first two Jesus Christ says, “set your verses of third chapter of eyes on heavenly things”. Colossians. Seek after them alone, nothing “You have been raised with else. Christians along with Christ, set your hearts on things prayers should set their eyes above, where Christ is, seated at and thoughts on heavenly and the right hand of God. Set your greater things. minds on things above, not on Verses 3 & 4 say, “For you died, earthly things” - Col. 3:1,2. and your life is now hidden with The above mentioned passage Christ in God. When Christ, says that if we have been raised who is your life, appears, then to life with Christ, or, if the you also will appear with Him resurrected Lord is with you, in glory”. how ought you live? If we are We have the faith and confidence raised with Christ to life, we that if Jesus Christ appears at have to set our hearts in heaven. this moment, we too will be with What do you understand by Him. Our names are written in the term, “set your hearts in Heaven. Since our names are heaven”? inscribed in Heaven and since Each year Nobel prizes are we too will be with Him on awarded to eminent persons His Second Coming, it does not in different fields. Two years mean that we can live as we like ago, Nobel Prize for Peace was it; rather it should be like God’s awarded to 17 year old Muslim will, this is what Jesus Christ girl Malala. She said, “Most of expects. the women in our community could not study. It is my desire Verses 5 to 11 say how that the literacy rate in my we should not be. community should be 100%. To Do not loiter in worldly pleasures. achieve that, I am prepared to Give up your dirty life. Many do anything”. People retorted to youths spend their prime and her, “Why should women study? precious time on television, Women are here to do domestic mobile phones and other social chores only” And Malala was media. We need to teach our shot for her perceptions on children quoting from the Bible women; but she survived. Nobel that if they indulge in things Prize is awarded to those whose Friends Focus August 2016 7 that are not acceptable to Jesus committed an offence against Christ; they (the children) cannot us, how we can forgive him. go to Heaven. Anger leads to The Bible teaches that if we are cruelty. How do we differentiate raised along with Jesus Christ, between anger and cruelty? we have to fulfill the teachings Synonym of anger is rage or of Jesus Christ. For having violent displeasure. Cruelty received any help or other things, refers to being merciless or being we immediately say ‘thanks’ to in a state of brutal manner. How him / her. We thank God. But is our state of mind? angry or we forget to offer our thanks to cruel? We need to give up both. others. Verses 12 to 17 say how We need to share the Good News we should live. with others wherever we are. We have to teach the same to Members of fair sex adorn our children. Teaching of Good themselves with jewelleries News should be the focal point and cosmetics so as to present of our life. We should conduct themselves beautiful. We need to beautify ourselves with prayer meetings in houses and compassion and consideration. teach the gathering about Truth. Just like the Good Samaritan, we If you adorn yourself with these have to decorate ourselves with qualities, you will not only look compassion and sympathy. We beautiful but also yours will be have to be humble. Jesus Christ is a life of joy and happiness. the embodiment of humbleness. Pope Pius once asked a He told His disciples, “I have to wash your legs”. Gentleness congregation what one should and tolerance should fill up our do to change the world. The whole body. The Lord’s prayer congregation members offered teaches us, “Forgive us our sins many suggestions. Pope Pius as we forgive those who sin answered, “If there are committed against us”. How many people men and women obedient to the do we forgive? If we do not Holy Bible, such people alone forgive, God will never forgive can change the world”. This is our sins. On most occasions, it is our challenge too. Whatever we very difficult and embarrassing commit, we have to follow as per to forgive others. We certainly the directions of the Bible. Then argue that since this person has only will India change. 8 Friends Focus August 2016 Independence Day Bro. David Benny On the midnight of 15 August 1947, in his historic speech of 'Tryst with Destiny' Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said "A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance... The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over..." One of the rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution which prevents tears and suffering is the right to Freedom of Religion. Article 25 to 28 of the constitution of India guarantees the right to Freedom of religion. Articles in Constitution: AArrttiiccllee 2255.. FFrreeeeddoomm ooff ccoonnsscciieennccee aanndd frfereee p prorfoefsessisoino,n p, rparcaticcteic aen adn pdr oppraogpaatgioant ioonf o f re ligion. religion. AArrttiiccllee 2266.. FFrreeeeddoomm ttoo mmaannaaggee rreelilgigioiouuss a affaffiarsir.s . AArrttiiccllee 2277. .F Frereeeddoomm aass toto p paayymmeenntt ooff tataxxeess foforr pprroommoottiioonn ooff aannyy ppaarrttiiccuullaarr rreelliiggiioonn.. AArrttiiccllee 2288.. FFrreeeeddoomm aass toto a tatettnednadnacnec aet aret lirgeioliugsio iunss triuncsttirouncst ioorn r eolrig iroeulisg iwoourss hwipo rins h ip i n c ertain edceurctaatinio ne diuncsatittiuotnio innss.titutions. The provisions relating to “Right to Freedom of Religion” of the Articles 25 & 28 of the Constitution of India make India a secular state. To make assurance Friends Focus August 2016 9 doubly sure, the 42nd amendment of the constitution in 1976 inserted the term “secular” in the preamble of the constitution. A secular state does not seek to regulate human’s relations with God or his spiritual aspirations. Secularism is concerned with the regulation of men’s social relations. India does not accept any religion as state religion. India maintains absolute neutrality and impartiality towards all religions. All these go to show that Indian secularism is flawless and that rights of the minority is fully protected in India. While every individual citizen in India has full freedom of religion, the net position thus is, the constant false propaganda of the forced conversions by some elements in the country has dented the harmonious living culture, mutual respect to one another and created an atmosphere of suspicion about the good work done by the missionaries in the field of missions, education and health all these decades. It has created doubts regarding the patriotism of the minorities who have chosen this nation as their motherland and celebrate independence as passionately as other citizens. With false allegations there is an outbreak of anti-minority groups violence in India today. The violence has begun to spread everywhere with radicals enjoying near complete impunity for their actions with lack of proper Government response. Even local police officials took no action against the aggressors in many of the incidents. In these situations one must remember that it is absolutely impossible to forcibly convert any person against his will. No Christian missionary has ever been accused of resorting to physical threats while propagating the religion. On the other hand Ghar Wapsi programmes are being carried out in Jharkhand, Bihar and other states, allegedly by terrorising impoverished communities. Innocent people should be protected by law and officials should investigate their claims fairly. The greatest protests came from within the nation since last anniversary of independence was celebrated. Many minority people were killed, religious groups were threatened and harassed. 3 people were killed for eating a certain type of food, one of them on mere rumours. Writers were murdered just because they expressed their ideas against a certain group of people, many activists and social workers are facing death threats just because they do not agree with the thoughts of a certain group of people. When people saw this happening, when they saw that the government is making no effort to stop this dangerous trend, they rose in protest. Many writers returned their awards, even some top film actors raised serious concerns about intolerance. Students in Delhi voiced their protests, civilians also joined the company. They want everyone to understand and make others understand that in a democratic country like ours one must prove themselves rationally while violence is a crime and cowardice. 10 Friends Focus August 2016