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Section by writerí s name Contents Section by writers name 5 Friends Suffering Together for the Gospel by Jon Marshall 7 Will of God by Mike Harrison 9 Crazy Faith by Rev. Ivan Veldhuizen 11 Be an Encourager by Launa Stan 12 Leaving the Monastry by C. V. Vadavana 17 Snapshots of India by Meghan Barrett 19 The Man of Peace by Pr. David H Mills 20 Come Here, Kids! by Rev. Barney Kinard 24 Is it Over? by Lija Mary Jacob Visit us: Send us your feedback on the magazine at: The opinions of the advertisers and contributors are not [email protected] necessarily those of the magazine or Sathyam We would love to hear from you! Publications. 2 EDITORIAL MESSAGE A COMPLETE CHRISTIAN FAMILY MAGAZINE Volume 2 Issue 5 May 2011 “Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is the truth hears My voice. “Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” John 18:37-38 (NASB) BOARD OF TRUSTEES: A.V. John K.J. George Joji A. Mathews Marykutty P.J. Dr. C.V. Vadavana EDITORIAL BOARD: Dr. Jonathan Marshall Pastor Mike Harrison P.M. Abraham Dr. Sunny Ezhumattoor Praveena Balasundaram Launa Stan Courtney Mitchell C.M. Jacob Annie Wilson George Kurian Then you will know the truth, and the truth K.K. Santhosh Kumar will set you free. (John 8:32) Christina Valenzuela CHIEF EDITOR: Dr. C.V. Vadavana PUBLISHED BY Marykutty P.J THEOLOGICAL EDITOR P.M. Abraham In Jesus' prayer for His disciples in John 17, He MANAGING EDITOR Sam C. Vadavana EDITOR IN CHARGE Lija Mary Jacob says,”...Sanctify them by the truth; your word is PUBLIC RELATIONS Princy Cherian truth...”.Without knowledge of the word of God, we OPERATIONS MANAGER Abraham Markose RESEARCHER Steffi Joseph would have been in bondage. Had it not been for the INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES visionary perspective of people like John Eliot, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Hudson Taylor, William Carey etc, millions would TEXAS: Mathew Thomas (281 3976923) still have remained in darkness without knowledge of DALLAS: Edwin joseph (972 487 2000) Varghese P.Varghese(651 686 9797) the truth. These great men of God endured much DETROIT: K.C. Johnson (248 528 9128) hardship on account of the translation works. They CHICAGO: Tharu Varghese (630 910 4148) left their homes, came to foreign lands, lived among UNITED ARAB EMIRATES the natives and learned their languages to effectively ABU DHABI: Bejoy Jones George (050 531 3382) translate the word of God. It was their love for God GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Steffi Joseph Sunu Kayaplakal and love for people that enabled these men to PRINTED at Sathyam Press, Thiruvalla undertake such herculean tasks. 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INR USD GBP Yearly 300/- $50/- £ 25/- With love & prayers Subscription Life Time Subscription `10,000/- $ 950/- £ 550/- Dr.C.V.Vadavana (25 years) (Founder & Chairman, Sathyam Service Trust) 3 May 2011 4 May 2011 Jon Marshall Friends Suffering Together for the Gospel: A Monthly Commentary on Philippians his column of Truth Alive will be dedicated to In 1948 Richard Wurmbrand found himself studying the book of Philippians. In each issue a trapped. Only a few years before, this callous Tportion of Philippians will be explained with Romanian atheist had become convinced that Jesus comments about how the text speaks into our lives. Christ truly is Lord of all. For the next few years he This week we introduce the book as a whole. couldn't contain his excitement, telling everyone he saw about this incredible news. God exists and he Philippians is a letter between friends. Its loves you and will forgive you and change you! Not intent is to promote the friendship. As friends, Paul everyone thought the news was incredible. As Mr. talks about his own “affairs” and speaks into their Wurmbrand became Pastor Wurmbrand he “affairs.” Their mutual friend Epaphroditus needed to transformed into public enemy number one in the come back to Philippi early, so Paul tells them about his minds of the first Nazi- then Communist-led return (2:25-30; 4:18). Paul also thanks them for the governments. Regular beatings, arrests, and tortures gift they gave to him. They “partnered” with him in the for both he and his wife (Sabina) at the hands of the gospel by financially supporting him in his Nazis paled in comparison to the brutality and evangelistic ministry; this is strategic, intentional beastly ferocity of the Communists. friendship (4:10-20). And he addresses a couple of mutual friends in the church who are having a hard time On February 29, 1948, while walking to getting along (Euodia and Syntyche; 4:2-3). Along the church, the Communist police kidnapped him. An way he does have some theological/practical direction unmarked van rolled up, four men jumped out, and for them; some people wanted them to pursue Jewish together they threw him in the van. For eight years religious practices which Paul warns them against he endured daily beatings, tortures, starvation, and (3:1-11). brain-washing. He describes some of the tortures he and fellow believers endured in prison: red-hot iron The real camaraderie, the true “partnership”, pokers jammed into the body, starving rats pushed they had, though, was the joy of suffering for Christ. into the cell which you constantly had to fight off or They were “engaged in the same conflict” as Paul. else they'd chew off your flesh, standing day and Suffering and stress sometimes bring such tension in night for two weeks straight, watching your children friendships that a rupture occurs. Paul writes this letter be whipped in front of you until you recant, to a church that is feeling some persecution and shows handcuffs with sharp nails on the inside, hanging signs of stress fractures. He hopes to unite them under upside-down by ropes for a beating. Wurmbrand Christ, seeing their suffering for the blessing of others spent several months in solitary confinement and as the primary posture of following the Lord. frequented the “refrigerator cell” where he'd be Nevertheless, this is probably the most joyful letter nearly frozen to death, then resuscitated, then put Paul writes. He is incredibly happy about this group of back in. His family had no idea if he was alive or believers and hopes, prays, and instructs in such a way dead. Communists regularly sent police to the that their joy would flourish. To many people this family posing as “freed prisoners” who would give would be the most paradoxical (oxymoronic) idea: the “information” about Richard. Their lies were people that suffer the most are also the most joyful. intended to break the family's will so they'd give up May 2011 5 information and recant the faith. A conversation the prison floor. Slowly, he picked up his battered between Richard and Sabina before he was kidnapped body, painfully straightened his clothing and said, gives a picture of how the family saw such torture: as 'Now, brethren, where did I leave off when I was pastors recanted in the face of persecution Sabina said, interrupted?' He continued his gospel message!” “Richard, stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ! They are spitting in His face.” He In Philippians, Paul feels the same sense of replied, “If I do so, you lose your husband.” Sabina shot camaraderie, fellowship, and hope that these men and back, “I don't wish to have a coward as a husband.” women feel. He knows that his suffering (and theirs) inspires boldness, courage, joy, single-mindedness, After eight and a half years Richard was and passion. Many Indian Christians suffer similar released for a few months only to be captured and persecution. They may grow weary under the strain imprisoned again for five and a half more. Forbidden to and desire to give up. Paul puts their suffering in preach to the other prisoners he and fellow brothers perspective, telling them that only through suffering made a deal with the officers: “We'll preach and you can the people around see how Jesus suffered for them. beat us.” Your life becomes a living Gospel. But other “The following scene happened more times than I “believers” in India shun suffering. They compromise can remember. A brother was preaching to the other their faith when problems arise. Paul would encourage prisoners when the guards suddenly burst in, you to pursue boldness and courage because it is only surprising him halfway through a phrase. They in suffering for Christ that you will truly find joy. hauled him down the corridor to their 'beating room.' Philippians 1 was written for a persecuted Eastern After what seemed an endless beating, they brought European Christian family and suffering Indian him back and threw him – bloody and bruised – on church.