Domenic Marbaniang

How new shall this New Year be If everything will still be the same - A million children wrecked by hunger A million other torn by shame? How happy shall this New Year be With those haunting memories of pain Of women and children torn apart By men pretending to be vilely sane? How different will this New Year be If the world goes on as it does, If it wakes up another morning And is not an ounce different from what it was? We must celebrate this New Year, yes we must do; But how new will this New Year be unless we do something new? Yes, we must celebrate this New Year, yes we must do; But how new will this New Year be - we must make it new!

When situations look tight And wearisome seems the fight When giving up feels just alright Then we find rest and strength in God's unfailing Light! Thankful for a great 2013 -- no goodbyes for we'll carry it into a new year soon!

Published in REVIVE, Dec. 2013 Somebody has said it well, “It is not how you start the race, but how you end the race that wins you the prize.” There are many who start the race very well; there are only a few who become winners.  Paul specified, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it” (1Cor.9:24). In other words, God wants us to run with a single, determined focus – to obtain the prize. “To persist” means “to continue firmly in spite of difficulty , opposition , or failure .” To persist means to keep moving ahead in spite of wind, fire, and rain. To persist means to continue, to be constant, to keep pressing forward. To persist means to never stop. VALUE OF PERSISTENCE Persistence Brings Answers to Prayer The Bible always connects prayer with persistence. Jesus promised, “Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” In the original language, t...

The Levite and the priest were so concerned about church service that they left the wounded man unattended. The Good Samaritan gave all he had to save the man in need. Jesus wants us to know that a heartless man is a neighbor of nobody - a stranger to both God and man. But the Good Samaritan who might have never preached a sermon is the one whose story God Himself shares with us to change our hearts.

THE CROSS Where His body was broken to unite us with God He suffered the most extreme deprivation to grant us sufficiency in Himself He met a finite end to become the root of our infinite destiny He wore the perishable to cloth us with the imperishable He experienced the here to lead us into the beyond Here Plurality was reconciled with Unity Contingency found sufficiency in Necessity Finitude found completion in Infinity Change was absorbed into Immutability Immanence was introduced to Transcendence

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes." (1Cor. 11:26) The Lord's Table points us to: 1. Our Past Roots - The Cross of Christ, His Death and Resurrection 2. Our Present Responsibility - To Proclaim His Death and Resurrection. 3. Christ's Future Return - Till He Comes Back

To provide simple, speedy and inexpensive redressal of consumer disputes  Department of Consumer Affairs  offers several services. If you have any grievance against any Brand, Product or Service Provider please refer the following options to raise your voice and exercise your rights: File a complaint online with Consumer Online Resource & Empowerment Centre (CORE) File an online complaint with National Consumer Helpline (NCH) You can call at the  CORE  toll free number 1800-180-4566 National Consumer Helpline (NCH) also provides a National  Toll Free No-1800-11-4000  (for BSNL/MTNL Users); Other users can dial-  011-27006500  (normal call charges applicable) SMS  to  8800939717  can also be sent mentioning the name and city You can also call on the  State Consumer helpline numbers Consumers can also  lodge complaints  with the  District Consumer Forums ,  State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions ...

Some Principles of Judgment in Relationships 1. Not to make a personal judgment about any person without knowing the person personally. “Do not judge!” (Matt 7:1) We have no reasons to subscribe to any other person’s judgment about any other person. 2. A person is not what he/she was in the past, but what he/she is in the present – we must be reminded of the power of God that can transform a person in the split of a moment; so, the situation of even an hour ago is not proof enough to make a judgment about the present situation. To condemn anyone as a hopeless situation is to deny the love and the power of God. 3. Christ is the Mediator in all relationships for a Christian. The third principle is central to both 1 and 2 as well. I wish to elaborate my thoughts on 3. The Vertical-Horizontal Mediatorship of Christ Christ not only destroyed the wall of separation between God and man, but also brought down the wall of separation between man and man (Eph.2:11-16). Thus, we not only have peac...

-The purpose of the Church is the glory of God (Eph 1:6; 5:27) -The task of the Church is evangelization - making disciples (Matt 28:19,20) -The rule of the Church is love - the command to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves, which is true piety and religion (Matt 22:37-40; James 1:27). The purpose will be fulfilled, the task will be completed, but the rule of love will abide forever. The purpose must not be confused with the task. The task must not be confused with the rule. The Great Commission is to preach the goodnews to all people. The Great Commandment is to love God with our entire being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Social justice, liberation, mercy, and caring for the poor is an expression of who we are; salvation of souls, spiritual transformation, and discipleship is the reason why we are here on earth.

The Hebrew word for "Glory" used in the Old Testament is kabod and it signifies "glory, honour, glorious, abundance, riches honour, splendour, glory, dignity, reputation, reverence". The New Testament Greek word is doxa and signifies "splendour, brightness, magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace, majesty". The Bible talks about the glory of the sun, the moon, and the stars. "There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory." (1Co 15:40-41 NKJ) It mentions a woman's hair as being her glory (1Cor.11:15) and says that the "glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head." (Pro 20:29 NKJ) However, all glory of creation is momentary and fleeting. But, God'...

2 Tim.1:3-7 Fear is the mega killer. Fear cripples, paralyses, torments, kills. Gary Whetstone: False Evidence Appearing Real Roosevelt : The most fearful thing to fear is fear itself. Timothy might have been a timid person (1Cor.16:10-11; 1Tim.4:12) Reasons to be Fearful 1. Background: Acts 16 (Cf. Judges 6. Gideon had the same problem) 2. Age: Timothy was a youth (1Tim.4:12). Such was the problem also of Jeremiah. 3. Loneliness: Timothy was alone in Ephesus. (Cp. Elijah’s loneliness, Moses’ loneliness) 4. Context: Ephesus was a big city. There was the huge Diana’s Temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the world. Timothy was from a small town. Reasons to be Fearless 1. A Legacy of Faith (2Tim.1:4-5). He had the heritage of saints. He was surrounded by a cloud of witnesses (Heb.12:1). 2. Gift of God Inside (2Tim.1:6). 3. Spirit of Power , Love, and Self-Disciplines (2Tim.1:7). Enemies of Courage 1. Immediate Perception. What we see, hear, sense. Threat, Panic. (e.g. The Anakites) Cond...

Faith is “the substance of things hoped for.” (Hebrews 11:1) In other words, the things that we hope for are, at present, composed of and given to us as faith. Therefore, whenever we have faith we also have the things we hope for in the form of faith now.  That is why Jesus said “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk. 11:24). He doesn’t ask them to believe that they will receive it in future but to believe that they have already received it in faith. In other words, if someone has faith in God for something, he already has that thing. I believe this is so because God is not conditioned by time but if something is “yes” in Him then it is eternally “yes” and the same in future, present, and past. Thus, it is not whether that thing will be real to us in the future but whether it is already real in the sight of God that is significant. We may have those things later on, but if God has already said a “yes”, then there is no doubting...

~To God my exceeding joy (Psa 43:4)~ You may not have a big car, but you're on the cruise to heaven; You may not have gold and silver, but you're given the keys of heaven; You may not have a good house, but you're God's House, His Temple; You may not have many friends, but the Best Friend gave His life for you; You may not have flown in an airplane, but you'll ride on the clouds; You may not have crossed your village, but you'll rule over nations; You may not have sung in a choir, but you'll sing with myriads of saints... You may not have a computer, but you've got the Living Word of God; You may not have a cell phone, but your voice reaches heaven (toll free); You may not have many degrees, but you got temperature - the fire of the Spirit; You may not have bread on the table, but you've eaten the Bread of Life... You may not have had anybody who said that they liked you, but you got Someone who hasn't spared anything to say that He loves you.......

EVANGELISM: Jesus said "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible" in connection with the salvation of souls (Mar 10:27)... For God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1Ti 2:4). No excuses allowed! If God has planted an idea of evangelism in your heart, don't stifle it with the thorns of godless excuses. He really wants all people to get saved. Focus on the demands of heaven. EXALTATION (WORSHIP): ~"My soul thirsts for God..." (Psa 42:2)~ If we're really thirsty, we won't stop being thirsty until we've been really satisfied... Some get thirsty when they hear an exciting sermon; then, forget about the thirst as soon as the meeting is over; some get thirsty and come to the river; but, are so afraid, ashamed, and doubtful that they come no further; but, the really thirsty plunge into the fullness of God and are baptised (immersed, filled up to overflowing measure) wi...

~"My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad." (Psalm 34:2)~ TO WORSHIP (Gk. proskuneo, Hb. shachah) means "to bow down with the face to the ground; to prostrate": this is only possible through absolute humility and self-surrender. While the mind is immersed in self-interest and self-conceit, it can never appreciate the sound of praise and worship to God. Only "the humble shall hear.. and be glad!"

~"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:3,4)~ There are about 400 billion stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way. Now, there are 500 billion such galaxies in the universe. Imagine the number of all the stars if we multiply the 400 billion with the 500 billion; it would be 200000 billion stars. Yet, God knows each of the stars by its name - how much more precious is the life of a human created in the very image and likeness of God. And, then we are only about 7 billion people on this planet. We are precious! 1. THE VALUE OF LIFE Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matthew 10:29,30). God cares for the sparrows; how much more He cares for us. He says that even the hair...

This is the Name by which God introduced Himself to Moses. The exact passage is: And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. (Ex.3:13,14) This is the Name by which only God can introduce Himself. If somebody asked me who I am, I might answer by telling that I am the son of so and so, or that my profession is such and such, or that I work at such and such, etc. My identity is dependent on a host of other things. The technical term is "contingency". My identity is contingent upon a number of other factors. However, God's identity is not dependent on anything else. He is who He is! As Ravi Zacharias said, "God is the only being in existence, the reason for whose existen...

IV The Song of the Bride What does He lack that I should seek another? I desire nothing apart from Him. What is that desire that is better than the joy He gives? I find my deepest enjoyment only in Him. My Lover is altogether lovely, Brighter than the morning star, Fairer than the nocturnal moon, Stronger than the sun at noon; My Lover is indescribably lovely – And, see, He has chosen me! When my heart began to wander after the fleeting shadows, Love drew me back to His Arms of peace; When my thoughts were all shaken by fears of tomorrows, I was gently reminded that I am His. I cleave to the One whose breath is my life. He speaks and I’m filled with overwhelming joy. I seek no other, He’s my joy consummate; His love is unsurpassable; His kindness, ultimate! The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the "and" lies our great woe. If we omit the "and" we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which...

Adversary of the Gnostics Significance: Doctrine of Christ’s Incarnation, Union of Natures, and Recapitulation theory of Atonement . The church is one and universal, and it confesses one and the same faith throughout the world. The common faith is confessed at baptism, at which one act the believer receives forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit. “Canon of truth” referred to the “rule of faith”, the content of the apostolic preaching in summary form that served as a norm for interpreting Scripture and determining the apostolic faith. Took church at Rome as the representative church in his argument for apostolic succession (from one teacher to the next; not, from ordainer to ordained). The apostolic faith was preserved at Rome. Affirmed the reality of the physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist against the Gnostic depreciation of material elements. Mary, in reversing the disobedience of Eve, found a place in Irenaeus’s doctrine of recapitulation.

Apologist and Martyr. “For I myself, too, when I was delighting in the doctrines of Plato, and heard the Christians slandered, and saw them fearless of death … perceived that it was impossible that they could be living in wickedness and pleasure” (2Apol.12) Significance • One of the first highly educated Gentiles to use his learning to defend Christianity even before the emperor himself. o His writings use citations from Euripides, Xenophon, and above all Plato to strengthen his case for Christianity. • Opposed rival teacher Marcion who taught that the New Testament contradicted the Old Testament. • Logos-theology: Even before the coming of Christ, the logos was manifested partially in such Greek philosophers as Socrates and Heraclitus, and in such Hebrews as Abraham, Ananias, Azarias, Misael, and Elijah (1st Apology). Plato’s truth was dependent on Moses (chs.59-60). o The seed of God’s logos ( logos spermatikos ) was disseminated to all men in their God-given capacity to respond to t...

Fed to lions during the reign of Trajan (AD 98-117). Wrote 6 letters en route to Rome. Significance: • First to use the word Christianismos (Christianity, Ign.Rom 3:3; Magn.10:3) • Opposed Docetism (Trallians 9;11-2; Smyr.1-3) • First to stress the concept of “monepiscopacy” (or monarchical episcopacy): a single bishop in a given city presides over the 3-fold ministry of (i) bishop (ii) presbyters (iii) deacons o The bishop presides in the place of God (Magn.6:1; Tral.3:1) o Submission to bishop is necessary to achieve henosis (“unity,” Ign.Eph.5:1). o Even when a bishop is youthful as at Magnesia (Magn.3:1) or is silent as at Ephesus (Ign.Eph.5:1) or at Philadelphia (Philad.1:1), they are not to be despised, for silence is a characteristic of God Himself. • First to use the word katholikos (“universal”) of the church (Smyr 8:2) “Set on unity” (Philad.8:1). Urges Polycarp (1:2) “care for unity your concern for there is nothing better”. • First to maintain that either the bishop or h...

1. STRENGTH THROUGH WAITING. PSALM 27:14; ISAIAH 40:31 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! (Psa 27:14 NKJ) But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isa 40:31 NKJ) If you're growing weaker; it means you have not been waiting. If you're afraid; it means you have not been waiting. If you're becoming weary; it means you have not been waiting. 2. SALVATION THROUGH WAITING. PRO 20:22; LAM 3:25-26 Do not say, "I will recompense evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. (Pro 20:22 NKJ) The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD. (Lam 3:25-26 NKJ) If we try to hurry things; we end up aborting things. If we are not experiencing the goodness of God, we have no...

Job wants his friends to bear with him till he has finished speaking; for his complaint is not against man. He asks that if their argument was right why do the wicked live and prosper though they care nothing about God. If someone says that God will punish the children for the father's sin; how reasonable would that be, because they won't mind what happens to others after them. (Ch21) Eliphaz is now very blunt and accusatory. He tells Job that his righteousness mean nothing because Job's wickedness is great. He accuses him of exploiting the poor, showing no compassion to the needy, and oppressing the widows and orphans.He interprets Job's questions as intending to say that God can't see the suffering of man. He calls Job to repentance. (Ch22) Job wishes to see God and talk with Him, because he believes He will hear him (Perhaps, expressing his discouragement as well that his friends couldn't understand him). He has faith in God and is sure that though he c...

"If indeed you magnify yourselves against me, and make my humiliation an argument against me...." (Job 19:5) It is sad to see that the friends who had come to comfort Job start ending up trying to convict and condemn him. The pain is aggravated by their aggressiveness to reproach Job. Job remarks that what they are saying isn't something very new. His friends still can't relate with his pain. He doesn't accept their accusations and says that they all whitewash with lies and are worthless physicians; it would have been better if they would keep silent; why should they be speaking falsely for God. He asks God why He is hiding His face and counting him as His enemy. He feels he is left alone to mourn for himself. (Chs12-14) Eliphaz accuses Job of speaking out of his own sinfulness. He seems to be irritated that Job didn't agree to look inferior than them in knowledge, and retorts "Are you the firstborn of the human race?....What do you know that we do not k...

From A.A.Allen's, The Price of God's Miracle Working Power "Every idle (unprofitable) word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Mat 12:36. Nothing more quickly and thoroughly reveals the lack of real spirituality than does foolish talking, jesting, and IDLE WORDS. There is nothing that will more surely label the shallow Christian as one who has no concern for others, nor any burden for the lost and suffering than his perpetual flow of foolish talking, and nonsensical joking. Although in the eyes of many, this seems to be a small matter, there are few spiritual diseases more devastating, nor more contagious. God classes foolish talking along with some very unattractive companions, -- "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints: neither filthiness, nor FOOLISH TALKING, nor JESTING, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks." Eph 5:3-4. Jesu...

The case of Job and his three friends reveals that even attempts to justify God can end up in bad theology and actions that are gravely displeasing to Him. God is just, of course; but, suffering doesn't always mean "punishment for sin". Jesus made that clear to His disciples when He said that the man who was born blind was born so, not because of his sin or anybody's sin, but in order that God's works may be revealed in him (John 9:3). It would have been better for Job's friends to shut their mouths about what they didn't know instead of imagining stuff and trying to find explanation for something that was difficult in such situations. We are called to mourn with those who mourn (Rom.12:15); that is much better in most cases. Only someone who has gone through the pain that Job went through could grasp the agony that is present in each word he utters. But, it is written for us so that we can understand the patience of Job. Chs 1-11 (First Round) Job is intr...

Lust is not pent up energy that must be released; instead, lust is like a beast that must be starved to death. As the starvation grows acute, the beast will look desperate, but after the final drought of hunger unsatisfied, the beast will be dead -- it may be revived, nevertheless, at the smell of fresh water.... Characteristics of Lust Various (2 Tim.3:6) Harmful (1 Tim. 6:9) Foolish (1 Tim.6:9) Deceitful (Eph.4:22) Fleshly (1Pet.2:11) Worldly (Tit.2:12) Ungodly (Jude 1:18) Thrust of Lust Lusts of Flesh (Eph.2:3) Lust of Heart (Rom.1:24) Lust of Eyes (1John 2:16) Historiography of Lust Lusts of Men (1Pet.4:2) Lusts of your Fathers (John 8:44) Former Lusts (1Pet.1:14) Youthful Lusts (2Tim.2:22) Experience of Lust Temptation of Lust (James 1:14) Drawn away by Lust (James 1:14) Enticed by Lust (James 1:14) Conception of Lust (James 1:15) Looking in order to Lust - Active (Matt.5:28) Burning in Lust (Rom.1:27) Corruption of Lust (2Pet.1:4) Consequence of Lust Blindness (2Pet.1:9) Bondage ...

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Beyond Uncertainty Aphorisms from Volume I Faith in God is of ultimate kind and is, therefore, both unique and absolute. Since it is not concerned with contingent things of this world it is also not like the belief in the contingent things of the world. Belief in God is foundational to our common-sense assumptions about this world as both moral and rational. Anyone who denies God must also deny the existence of absolute morals and absolute truth, for both lose their foundation if their foundation is found within this world itself. It would be like trying to place a ball on that ball itself. The unchanging nature and character of God is the foundation of true morality and His veracity is the foundation of all reasonability and truth. We believe in the present what we hope about the future; the future being invisible at the present. The future possesses the goal and meaning that integrates our present life and gives us a reason to move forward. False hope is hoping in things that are unr...

This short prayer phrase contains a number of powerful facts: 1. "Lead us" - The fact that God doesn't abandon us in the hour of temptation. When He promised to be with us to the end of time, He stays with us even in the very moment of temptation. Unless He is there with us, He cannot lead. The prayer doesn't say "Send us not into temptation." But, it says, "Lead us not into temptation" because, even in the hour of temptation, the Lord is there with us to deliver us from falling. Now, this doesn't mean that it is God who tempts man - no, not at all; because the Bible tells us that He doesn't tempt anyone (James 1:13). But, He allows us to be tempted in order that we might be strong.. but, only that we may be strong. He doesn't want us to fall into the hands of evil in any case. So, He is there to make the way of escape that we may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). 2. "us" - Temptation is common to all men. We do not ...