What the Lord Requires of you

God has given us another year to live for him and to fulfil his purpose in our lives. "As to what we are going to do with this year" may be the question arising with in us. In the scripture (Mic 6:8) the lord reminds us that He has shown us what is good and what He requires from us. We read that his commandments are not grievous or burdensome as some of us may think. Perhaps our unwilling spirit may have given us the picture of his commandements being hard and burdensome. His yoke is easy and burden is light. If we are willing and obedient,we shall eat the good of the land(Isa 1:19).Many are the blessings that the lord has in store for us this year. But that we might be the receipients of these blessings, the Lord says that He requires only three things from us- that we might (i) do Justly (ii) love mercy and (iii) Walk humbly with our God (Mic 6:8) Through the times people have tried all kinds of ways to please God. But the lord has made clear the desires of his heart in his word. It is in complying with his desires we please Him.

As the unseen hand of God takes us through another new year, may grace be ours to love the Lord,follow him all the way,seeking earnestly to fullfil His purpose concerning our lives.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

December 25th is come, ushering in Christmas in its stride. In many countries, 25th December is observed as the anniversary of our Lord's birthday. Christmas season often lasts two to three weeks. It is a time of joy, peace, good-will and hospitality. There are the family re-unions, gifts, decorations, Christmas trees, burning of candles, parties, abundance of sweets, pantomimes for children and Santa Claus.

What is the mighty plan of God in sending Jesus into this world? - Salvation and peace for mankind. The following verses from the New Testament may be seen:

(i) "We see Jesus............crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (Heb. 2:9);

(ii) "Thou shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."(Matt. 1:21) ;

(iii) "Unto you is born.........a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2 : 11); and

(iv) "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke
2:14).

To many Christians, Christmas is a day of revelry, dissipation and licentiousness. How often have we seen men and women, young and old, carousing in a drunken orgy! We have seen, too, men wallowing in the dust on Christmas eve, women voluptuously clad and stalking in complete abandon! Can anyone imagine for a moment that God will ever be in their midst? God's commandments are unequivocal: "Ye shall be holy; for I am holy." (Lev. 11:44) "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." (Heb. 12:14) "Be ye separate.....and touch not the unclean thing." (2 Cor. 6:17). Why do they desecrate the name of our Lord? The answer is very simple: "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Rom. 3:18). Of such people, it may be said in truth:--When they know God, they glorify him not as God, neither are they thankful......their foolish heart is darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. (Rom. 1:21, 22).

To the children of God, December, 25 has only a symbolic value. They believe that Christ is already born into their hearts and is growing up daily to full stature. Christmas Day is, therefore, observed by them as a day of thankfulness, of prayer, of good cheer, love, hope and peace. It is a day encircling their little world, endearing them to all their home joys, affection, love and hope. Nearer and dearer to their hearts, however, is the Christmas Spirit--the spirit of good cheer, generosity, active usefulness, hospitality, tolerance, humility, forbearance and kindness. No rancour, no heart burning, no petty jealousy ruffles the even tenor of their lives.

Dear Reader, it is in this Christmas Spirit Voice of Pentecost salutes you this day. May our beloved Lord enable you to enjoy this blessedness in its fullness! Amen.

CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CHRIST

Christians everywhere are busy this month making wide and multifarious preparations to celebrate "Christmas". Now their minds are filled with a festive spirit.
They arrange Carol singing items, both in the churches and outside. They are busy enacting "Christmas plays ". They do their best to make the "Christmas tree" glitter with multiple presents and the "Santa-Claus" to be arrayed in Rose and fat. They send cards of greetings to their kith and kin, both far and near. They also spend a good amount of time in preparing tasty, delicious dishes. This is true with all normal church-going public.
But what about those "cultured" Christians who are supposed to be the "elite" of the church-going world? They go a step further, for they can't even imagine a Christmas without dance and drink. No matter how much immorality it breeds -- it doesn’t matter even if those dances kindle and awake the base instincts and lust -- it doesn’t matter even if the ladies who dance are more undressed than dressed. They must have a dance and they call it "CHRISTMAS DANCE"! This is quite in order with their “Christmas spirit". Their Christmas tradition demands a "CHRISTMAS DRINK" for, this is Christmas. It's after all only once a year; you must make merry and enjoy yourself for even in the churches they sing "Joy to the world".

The Central Theme Set Aside
But my dear friend, may I venture to remark that they have forgotten one important person, yea, and the most important person while celebrating Christmas. Yes, amidst their festive pomp and blare, they have forgotten to remember the lowly CHRIST OF THE CATTLE SHED. They have failed to honour the humble Babe of Bethlehem, Whose birthday they claim to celebrate.

His Standard Fails To Suit Their Conveniences
He is too poor to be remembered and honoured by these "money-mad" modern Christians.
He is too humble to be recognized, respected and adored by these 'elite' and "cultured" Christians, who make such show of Christmas.
His place of birth is too lowly for these showy and proud Christians. That is why they have built such palatial church buildings and "sky-scraping" towers in the name of the One Who was born in the inn.
The rags with which He is wrapped are too ugly, filthy and mean for these Christians of "high estate" who are arrayed in butterfly colours, studded with costly apparels and jewels.
The humble fashion and the lowly manger in which He was laid is too awkward and out of date for their ‘stiff-collared’, ‘long-robed’ and ‘theology-soaked’ priests who take great delight in being called Reverends and Right-Reverends, while they claim to serve a Master Who is called a man of no letters.
Thus we find the modern Christendom, instead of humbling down to suit the standards of Christ, they try to alter His standards to suit their conveniences and comforts. Thus they have changed the religion of the cattle shed out of recognition.

Scandalous abuse of Christmas
Jesus is born as the Mighty Saviour (Thou shalt call His Name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins – Matt.1:21). But these so-called Christians by their abusive methods of celebrating Christmas make the very meaning of the birth of Jesus as the Saviour, a farce. Why? It is on that day a great deal of tendencies which promote pride, show of wealth, beauty, style, fashion and things that pertain to immorality and other sins, are given free vent and expression. Thus in the name of celebrating Christmas they are disgracing Christ and trying to defeat the very purpose of His birth.

Is the purpose of His birth realized in your life?
Dear friend, Jesus said "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly”(Jn.10: 10).
To receive this abundant life from Jesus is the greatest privilege of a person who believes in Christ. If a person is filled with this abundant life, he can lead a life above sin and the powers of darkness. It is a life completely free from the clutches of sin, sorrow, sickness and peacelessness. This life is really wonderful, for it is filled with love, peace and joy of the Holy Ghost. This life can be yours if you would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, confess all your sins to Him with a repentant heart, take Him as your personal Saviour and Master and obey His commands. To such He gives his Holy Spirit, which is the abundant life through Jesus Christ (Jn.7: 39).

capital punishment?

' Does the Bible speak about capital punishment? and should Christians take a stand for or against it?
The Word of God speaks clearly regarding capital punishment (the death penalty); and we should definitely stand with the Word of God.

Some Christians make the false assumption that because we have been redeemed from the law of Moses, we should do away with the death penalty. Others think that because we are to love our enemies, we should not support the execution of criminals. Both arguments result from a misunderstanding of Scripture. Christians who live by the higher "lawof Christ" are not under the law of sin and death. Those who love their neighbor fulfil the law naturally and therefore are not under the dominion of the law. They may not even know the law (Rom 13:8-10; Gal 5:14).

However, the law is necessary for the unrighteous. "But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for the righteous, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching" (lTim 1:8-10 ). Governments must strictly enforce the law or society will soon disintegrate in chaos and destroy itself in bedlam.

"'I'he soul that sinneth, it shall die." "The wages of sin is death." "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Such verses reveal to us the basic truth that the end result of sin is death. God created man to live forever, but He told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." God still loved Adam and Eve and killed an innocent animal to cover their shame, but He put them out of the Garden so that they could not eat of the tree of life and live forever (in sin). As a result of their sin, death has come upon all of creation. To redeem lost sinners Jesus had to pay by dying for our sins that we might live eternally.
Before the law, "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"(Gen 6:5). So God had to destroy almost everyone. After the flood, God insti¬tuted capital punishment (long before the law of Moses). "Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man.... Whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man" (Gen 9:5).
Some claim that punishment does not defer crime, but that is not true. The Bible says, "When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong" (Eccl 8:11 NIV). When people do not see the seriousness of sin, they continue in ever greater sin. In some countries drug dealers are swiftly executed. To no one's surprise, those countries have virtually no drug problem. And, praise be to God, some of the worst criminals have sincerely repented and turned to Christ before being executed.
Paul acknowledged that God had appointed government to execute jus¬tice. "Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer" (Rom 13:3-4 . The government authorities are ordained to be agents of the wrath of God against sin. Even by his own testimony, Paul condoned the death sentence: "For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying" (Acts 25:11).

There is no connection between these cases at all. Capital punishment refers to the God-given authority of a government to execute dangerous criminals. On the other hand, abortion is the killing of an innocent, defenseless child. These are two very different issues entirely. Killing in self-defense(as in war), and the execution of murderers has always been considered just. But the shedding of innocent blood is totally unjust, and is an act worthy of death. Abortion is the killing of the most innocent and utterly helpless of all persons. It is a base and .
vile crime and it is very often a sin committed to conceal a previous sin of immorality. In God's sight both the sin of adultery and of abortion are worthy of death. Abortion is murder, "and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1Jn 3:15).

The Bible teaches that the unborn child is known and cared for by God (Psa 139:13-16). The Bible also tells us of how God chooses His servants, like Samson, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Paul, and others from their mothers' wombs. The slaughter of innocent, unborn children is not a God-given right, but rather, a diabolical perversity. The judgment of God will surely fall upon those who commit such things: "Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth" (Amos 9:8). "Put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you." "Purge...the guilt of shedding innocent blood" (Deu 21:9; 19:13). The reproducing of children is one of the highest and most God-like powers given to mankind. We dare not corrupt such a sacred, divine mandate. Without sincere repentance, those who do so will have no place in the kingdom of God.