Welcome to "The Nathan Report" and are glad to announce the 17th Church
anniversary special service today.
"Let us go across all the nation and proclaim the name
of Jesus!" A beautiful day of winter with amazing moods as today we
have a special service as our church “The River of Life Assembly” as completed
17 years. We have been very blessed as Lord has helped us with expansions in
many ways. There has been a blessing of increase in number of the congregation,
partners, church expansion and moreover support of Church.
We have three testimonies of three different pastors from
our partner churches.
Testimony 1: "I am the son of pastor who served the
Lord for 47 years and now went to be with the Lord. My mother started a great
revival in our town and she now also has went to be with the Lord now. On 2010,
December 27, I moved to Bangalore. On February 20, 2011, I started a church. I
and Vivek have studied together, we were batch mates. When he once visited us,
and realized our needs. We are thankful for the River of Life Assembly (ROLA),
who supported us.
Testimony 2: "We started a church 7 years back in Nasik
road. Recently we began another church in panchwati. We have received support
from ROLA. Before we started, there were so many questions. Now we have been
blessed to be constant and the church is moving towards God."
Testimony 3: "Whatever I am today as a pastor and
representing the leader of Church, I would like to say “Thank You ROLA".
Thank you for granting things of necessity. In November once Sunday I was
conducting our service and everything was going well. Suddenly a group of
people entered with sticks and swords inside the church. When people came
inside, the congregation got scared and started running away. Two members of
the church along with my family were left. They hit the fan and then tried to
break to roof and shouted "Don't convert people". I told them Jesus
came not to convert people but to give life. They tried to hit me and my
children started crying. I told them, we don't tell people to change their
religion. We share Jesus to them. After listening to our voice few people came
and that group left warning us to shut down this church. I locked the church
and left for home scared. God spoke to me, "Don't be scared, for I am with
you." Next Sunday I again went to church, and started worship, but this time
we worshipped near the door. And again these people came. I got scared and my
heart began beating hard, however I closed my eyes and continued to worship.
Next Sunday we didn't even opened the church. I had to leave for Mumbai and I
told my wife not to open the Church and tell people I am out of station. My
wife prayed the night before and God spoke to her and next day she opened the
church without informing me. She went and people went and they worshipped and
nothing happened. We thank you that God has delivered from all the
troubles.
If you want to glorify God, then do these few
things...
1- Pray.
2- Give.
3- Go on a mission and serve God.
Our God is a good God and His mercy endures forever! As we
all know, this Church began 17 years, we are glad that this is a mission centered
church.
Today we will be reading about, "Miracles in the
Mission".
Even after 17 years, God will do miracles. Things may look
very hard, Challenging, impossible, but the promise of God will never fail and
He will perform miracles. The Way G0d helped Paul, He will help you.
Acts 19:11 onwards ... “And God wrought special miracles by the hands
of Paul: insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body
handkerchiefs or aprons, and the evil spirits went out.”
Let us look at the Pauline epistles, the way Paul describes.
Also if we look in the Old Testament, we will see miracles. God did miracle in
the life of Noses, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel and many places. Everywhere God is
faithful.
In all Gospels, Jesus was traveling from person to person
and from place to place to save people. During his ministry, there are 37
miracles recorded. Jesus is same yesterday today and forever.
Many people in entire bible who were in trouble, God stepped
into their lives. Many times we ask, why God isn't blessing me, why God isn't
eloping me. Dear church, don't quit, before Miracle happens. We have lost
patience in our life and now we want everything the way we want. Let us wait
patiently church. Time all come when Hod will step into your life and a miracle
will happen. Paul says on miracles, that one thing he knows, "To know God,
Philippians 3:10, “that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death."
Deuteronomy 33:26, “There is none like unto God, O Jeshurun, Who rideth upon
the heavens for thy help, And in his Excellency on the skies.”
Daniel 11:32, “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he
pervert by flatteries; but the people that know their God shall be strong, and
do exploits.”
1 Samuel 17:2, “And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together,
and encamped in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the
Philistines.”
1 Samuel 17:37, And David said, Jehovah that delivered me out of the paw
of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand
of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and Jehovah shall be with
thee.”
1 Samuel 17:45-47, "Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me
with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the
name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast
defied. This day will Jehovah deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee,
and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of
the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts
of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and
that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not with sword and spear:
for the battle is Jehovah’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
A shepherd lad, come the same morning from keeping sheep,
had more courage than all the mighty men of Israel. Thus God often sends good
words to his Israel, and does great things for them, by the weak and foolish
things of the world. As he had answered his brother's passion with meekness, so
David answered Saul's fear with faith. When David kept sheep, he proved himself
very careful and tender of his flock. This reminds us of Christ, the good
Shepherd, who not only ventured, but laid down his life for the sheep. Our
experience ought to encourage us to trust in God, and be bold in the way of
duty. He that has delivered, does and will continue to do so. David gained
leave to fight the Philistine. Not being used to such armour as Saul put upon
him, he was not satisfied to go in that manner; this was from the Lord, that it
might more plainly appear he fought and conquered in faith, and that the
victory was from Him who works by the feeblest and most despised means and
instruments. It is not to be inquired how excellent any thing is, but how
proper. Let Saul's coat be ever so rich, and his armour ever so strong, what is
David the better if they fit him not? But faith, prayer, truth, and
righteousness; the whole armour of God, and the mind that was in Christ; are
equally needful for all the servants of the Lord, whatever may be their work.
The security and presumption of fools destroy them. Nothing can excel the humility,
faith, and piety which appear in David's words. He expressed his assured
expectation of success; he gloried in his mean appearance and arms, that the
victory might be ascribed to the Lord alone.
When you know your God, you no need someone. And you
will
Paul's Missionary Journey.
Paul was a prayerful man of God. We need to be prayerful
likewise. At times to sit for a long prayer, we find it difficult. We find
difficulty in sitting at the feet of God. God wants to talk to is, but we are
busy. We think in very worldly ways, but God is waiting for us. All he requires
our commitment in prayers. In Paul's missionary journey, he was committed to
pray.
Acts 12:5, “Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was
made earnestly of the church unto God for him.”
When Peter was arrested, the church started prayers and the
doors were open. Pauls taught us with his way of prayerfulness. Let us commit
ourselves to come to our knees and pray to the one who gave us this life.
Even Jesus prayed in various places and even on the cross
where e took his last breath before being resurrected.
Paul teaches to the Church of the Corinthians...
1- Know your
God
2- Commitment
in prayers.
3- In the midst
of challenges/persecution/crises, faith in God brings miracles (walk by faith).
The righteous will live by faith. Jesus said, walk by faith
not by sight. The way of faith starts with prayers.
Joshua 2:5, “And Joshua said unto the people, sanctify yourselves; for
tomorrow Jehovah will do wonders among you.”
John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.”
4- God says,
"Sanctify yourself!" If you sanctify today, you will see the miracles
in your life.
5- To see the
miracles in the mission is to give to the Lord.
Bible says, you give and I will open the windows of heaven
and you will see miracles. Paul wrote that “by the grace of God I
am what I am.” To this we could also add that by the grace of God “I have what
I have,” and by the grace of God “I do what I do.” It is really “all because of
God’s amazing grace!” And when we believe in God and allow him to control
ourselves by ’knowing Him’, ‘Praying to Him’, ‘In Faith’, ‘Sanctifying
ourselves’ and ‘In giving’, we certainly will see miracles in our mission.
We
pray all of you stay blessed and healthy. See you all next week. God Bless!
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