London Convention 08 Songs

Praise the Lord

Dear brothers and sisters,

Download the songs of London Convention 2008 from the first link. You may need to install winrar before unzipping the file (second link.

Regards,
Dilu.

Link for Songs: http://rapidshare.com/files/143571167/London_Convention_08.rar.html

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Because of unbelief

“So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief”. (Hebrews. 3:19).

God heard the cry of His people. He promised to deliver them from Pharaoh’s slavery and give them a land that will flow with milk and honey. They have seen and felt, not one sign but ten, that the Lord God Jehovah lives and thus they were delivered as promised and started their journey to the land that is unseen. That day the hands of the Lord broke the chains of slavery. There was no map to guide them through the wilderness. And the Lord went before them as a pillar of cloud to lead the way by day and by night the pillar of fire. Thus Israelites, led by Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, reached at the edge of the Sea of Reeds and camped there.

In spite of His wonders, the children of God suspected His power. When they saw the Pharaoh’s army behind them, their beliefs faded. They thought it was a suicide for them to leave Egypt; either the army or the sea would ravage them. They might have asked, “Wasn’t there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here, to die in the desert?” “Don't be afraid!” replied the Mosses, “Be brave, and you will see the Lord save you today. These Egyptians will never bother you again. The Lord will fight for you, and you won't have to do a thing”. As Moses said, the Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob kept his word: the children of Israel found dry ground, but the Egyptians were stuck in the mud and sea receded and drowned them. There after they went many days through desert without water. Again they started to doubt God but He provided them with water in desert. Not too late they started grumbling about food. God gave them Manna for them not to starve to death. The muttering of Israelites didn’t stop with that, they cried for meat. Yet, despite of the fact that these ungrateful people deserved death, God chose to extend them yet another mercy. God fed them with quail for evening meal. They even made golden oxen to worship. This was how they repaid the God who did all those blessings despite of their faithlessness. God was waiting to see for how long would they disobey Him and how long would they turn their backs against Him. The merciful god pardoned their sins but added that, that generation would not enter the promise land because of their unbelief.

When God is within us we will glow like a star. However, the heathens around us would be in darkness. With out sanctification and separation, their darkness may cover the glory of God in us and create vagueness around us. Then as the children of Israel, we may also be worried about our obscure future. Nonetheless, as a Christian, we should believe that the lord our God who has saved us will fight the battle for us and will guide us through right path and lead us to the eternal life if we believe and surrender to His will. Consequently, if we start to suspect His promises and worry too much about our material gains and future, God may refuse us His eternal glory as he did to the generation of Moses. Therefore, as a child of God we should glow in belief, attract the others to faith and follow His will.

Because of unbelief we may be thrown out of glory. Its not how we start, it is how well we end our race! Steadfast unto the end (Hebrews. 3:14). So beware dear friends. “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”. (Hebrews. 3:13).

“But the fearful, and unbelieving...shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:which is the second death” (Revelation. 21:8).

Unending love through spotless faith…

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm. 27:1)

David has discovered the liberating effect that entrusting ones life into God’s hands can bring. He is afraid of nothing, because he knows that God is his stronghold. Paul knew the same thing: he organised a picnic in the middle of a shipwreck (Acts. 27: 32-37). The apostles knew this too: they stood intrepidly before the great heathens of their day with their simple message of faith in Christ (Acts. 5:29-33). In Old Testament period also this happened. The three lads knew this. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego daringly replied to the king: “if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand.(Daniel. 3:17).

Do we have the same liberating faith in God’s sovereignty, love and care?

When we feel unsafe, our natural instinct is to run to wherever we call home. For David home is the tabernacle where God lived in the middle of His people. The key to his confidence is that he desires God. He wants to be with God more than anything else in the world. Like Mary, David wants to be with Him (Luke. 10:38-42). David is in love with Him, and of many things he could ask for.

David’s faith was full and immaculate, not suspicious. This made him say that, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”. So should we be. It’s not some kind of religious fervour that we can work up in ourselves. It’s the result of understanding the truth and being ruthless with the alternatives. How do we prioritise things? Which of these options would we prefer when we have a problem: to talk to God in prayer, to read the Bible, to be with servants of god, to be with other believers, to talk on friends on phone, to watch TV, to be with unbelievers, to enjoy life on earth? Always keep in mind that “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm. 16:11).

God’s salvation is for all

“… Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation… At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.” (Daniel 4:33,34,36)

Daniel 4:1 articulates how powerful king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was! He was the king unto all people, to all nations and all languages that dwelt in all earth. He was mighty among the kings and was flourishing in his palace. However, Daniel enunciates (4:3) that how much more great are the signs of our God! How mighty are His wonders, His kingdom is everlasting and His dominion is from generation to generation!

The mighty king of the world, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream which made him frenzied. There before the king stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky so that it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. A holy one, came down from heaven called in a loud voice: ‘Hew down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. He demanded his eloquent magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and the soothsayers to elucidate his vision. Nonetheless, nobody was able reveal the truth implied in his dream. Though the king was presumptuously audacious, he was perspicacious to call Daniel (Belteshazzar), who had the spirit of Holy Gods in him, to interpret his dream.

Daniel, eloquently spoke to king and intrepidly stated that the tree that was referred in the dream was the king himself and he had become great and strong; his greatness had grown until it reaches the sky, and his dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. He continued by saying that this was the decree the Most High had issued against the king; and he would be driven away from people and would live with the wild animals; he should eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Thus seven years would pass by for him until he acknowledges that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives anything to anyone he wishes.

Twelve months later the dream was fulfilled. Exactly all the evil happened to the king as Daniel explicated. Years passed and at the end of that time, Nebuchadnezzar, realised the truth of Daniel’s words and raised his eyes toward heaven,

The Bible says, and then Nebuchadnezzar praised the Most High and honoured and glorified him who lives forever. “His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: What have you done?” and his sanity was restored.

God’s salvation is for all: Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:11). When you are in midst of trials and tribulations, cry unto Him for you should be saved. Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. (Psalm. 69:1,2,16,17)

God speaks through His saints

We do hear lot of words each day; nonetheless, we hardly bother most of them. We listen some and answer or counter them and not many might be encrypted to our mind for later action. However a very few would be encrypted, saved and reverberated in our mind which eventually would bring peace and salvation to us; our beloved late Pastor T.U. Thomas' testimony is one among those.

"Praise be to God! I was born in a Christian Jacobite family. When I was six or seven years old, a great desire for a holy life arose in me. I felt that family life would not be helpful to live a perfect holy life. Hence I decided to become a priest and to live in celibacy throughout my life. When I was about 10 years old, I started learning the
Syrian language as a preparation for the priesthood. But the feuds within the church discouraged me so much that I came to the conclusion that by being a priest in the Jaco-bite church, I would not be able to achieve the goal of living a holy life.

After some time I happened to learn about the Roman Catholic church. Their exclusive doctrines like Papal supremacy, purgatory, bodily ascension of Mother Mary fascinated me so much that I decided to become a priest in the Roman Catholic church. In that church there are many priestly orders such as "Franciscan Priesthood", "Carmelite Priesthood", ''Society of Jesus", ' Jesuit Priesthood" and so on. I found that out of them all, the Carmelite Priesthood was the most sacrificial and modest one. Hence I wanted to join the seminary at Mannam near Kottayam in Kerala. It was the providential care of my Jesus that I happened to stay in the seminary of the Carmalites for a few days before joining the priesthood. To my utter shock and amazement, the things that I found taking place inside the seminary made me flee from there.

Finally, I thought that it was better to become an atheist communist rather than a priest or believer in religion. Then I fell into all sorts of abominable sins that a youngster could indulge in. Nevertheless, no worldly pleasure or sin could give me the peace or happiness that my soul longed for I was desperate.

One day, when I was in that state, I was praying to the Lord Almighty to reveal the true way for a holy life. All of a sudden, a glorious light shone in the room where I
was and I could see Jesus with a crown of thorns on His head. But what struck me was that He had two drops of tears in His eyes which I had never seen so far in any crucifix
or picture. At first I thought that Christ was crying because of the pain of the piercing thorns. Then I heard a voice from heaven, "My son, the pain of the thorns on my head is not so great as the pain I endure because of your sins" This voice made me realize that I was a desperate sinner. I crumbled down and could not but shout and cry for all the sins that I had committed. At that moment I felt the warm blood of Christ coming down to wash my filthy heart and to make it as white as snow. In a few seconds I felt, as if a mountain was taken off my head and I was relieved of even the smallest burden in my heart. In great relief I got up on my knees and when I looked up, I again saw Jesus standing before me. A great heavenly love saturated my heart and I thought of jumping up and embracing my Jesus as a child would his father. I really thought Christ was standing before me in His physical body. The moment I jumped to embrace and kiss Jesus, I felt Him kissing me and the love of God and the power of God began to flow through me--an experience which is beyond all explanation. The Holy Spirit operated in me mightily and I began to rejoice and speak in tongues. That was the night when day dawned in my life. There was a radical change in my character and behaviour. My only desire thereafter was to serve the Lord in holiness and humility.

In various ways the Lord revealed the true water baptism to me, which is to be given by dedicated and anointed servants of God. I searched through the entire Bible but could not find even a single instance in which an infant was baptized. I obeyed the Lord in water baptism. And this was the cause for my spiritual progress. The Lord further revealed to me that I should join the saints who have forsaken their all and live by faith.
And in a particular vision, the Lord showed me the servants of God of the Ceylon Pentecostal Mission and guided me to their fellowship. My life was filled with His love and every moment my insatiable thirst was to serve Him.
I would like to explain how the Lord called me and separated me for His glorious ministry. One day I asked the Lord to give me a guarantee on the following points, so I could serve Him forsaking my all :
1. Once I come for the ministry, even the thought of looking or going back should not arise.
2. I should always do His will.
3. I should always be found living in His holy presence.

I wrote down these conditions in my diary and told the Lord, "Till you give me a guarantee, I will wait upon you, even if I have to wait for sixty years; yet I will live in celibacy, serving you as a believer". Days passed by; I myself wondered how the Lord could give me a guarantee for all that I had asked Him for. One particular night at about 12 '0' clock, I saw heaven opened and a snow-white paper coming down to me. All the three conditions were written in that paper. I heard a voice say, "Sign it". Then in that vision, I saw my right hand moving to sign in the lower right hand side corner of the paper. Instantly I saw the Lord's hand signing the paper on the left hand side and the paper rolled itself and came down to my bosom. I was even more excited to see that a duplicate copy of the same paper was rolled and taken up to heaven. From this it was crystal clear to me that the Lord had wonderfully given me the guarantee and that an agreement was signed between us. Immediately, I surrendered myself for His glorious ministry and I saw all the hosts of angels rejoicing and singing in heaven. I resigned my job and joined the fellowship of the saints. Hitherto, the Lord has been Healer and by His immense mercy He gives me the grace to live a holy life in this young age.
Dear friend, if you are sincerely seeking the truth repent and confess your sins and take right water baptism and join the true fellowship of the saints. Our Jesus is coming soon! May the Lord help you to be ready for His soon coming!"

Bro. T. U. Thomas
Paris Faith Home

Foot Prints of God, the Almighty

The unique death of Christ

Again Good Friday! Remembrance of Christ’s passion and crucifixion! Every year when we say we remember this day, but we actually don’t. We may go to church, attend the stations of cross or liturgy or Good Friday special mass. Did we ever try to know the actual meaning of death of Christ in its full depth and all perspectives? No, I know you dint, neither did I! Shame on us, the so called Christians!

Here I’m trying to share a few thoughts what I read, heard and think about the death of Christ, the redeemer.

I’ll say the death of Christ was unique, in all respects. No one ever had a death like that. Have you ever heard about any one who was totally aware of the mode and time of his death? With euthanasia, we could choose the mode and time of our death, but we're not masters of our spirits, able to dismiss them and expire. Jesus had that power, and he dismissed his own spirit.

Sometimes the spirit leaves peacefully while the person is asleep. It is quite usual that people who are facing death may show some agony. Sometimes spirit is violently removed, and there's a harrowing battle as the sufferer struggles frantically to hold onto life. John 19:30 (King James Version) says “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” Even as he hung suspended by Roman nails between earth and heaven, he was in control, bringing his life mission to its ultimate climax. In that way it was unique.

With the Old Testament sacrificial system in mind, we can see that Jesus Christ offered not a lamb or a bull but himself in sacrifice to God. Hebrews 9:14 makes it clear to us: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Jesus offered to God his own body - his own life - for our sins. In doing so, he demonstrated his complete obedience to God as his Holy Father, and the complete worthiness of God as the object of his worship. In this respect also his death was unique.

Then comes the mighty act of the God, the almighty! Praise the Lord!

Matthew 27:51-52 “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose”

Now, by virtue of the atoning death of Jesus, his people's sins are forgiven and they are granted direct access into God's holy presence. (refer Jeremiah 31) The enormous, thickly lined curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place was torn in two, symbolising that through the death of Jesus the way into God's immediate presence was open to all, regardless of the distinctions often made between clergy and laity, Jew and Gentile, master and servant, man and woman. All people now had equal access to God and to his salvation, and equal opportunity for worship and service.
The coming of Immanuel has already testified to God's intention to bring that fellowship to full realization. Now, by the rending of the veil, God demonstrates that through Christ's coming and death, the people of God are ushered into the most intimate imaginable fellowship with him. Through his teachings of three and a half years, Jesus himself clarified that the ceremonial deeds in the Old Testament had become obsolete through His coming. In another words, it is a visible demonstration that the temple ritual is no longer needed. Again we can say that His death was unique.

And then the earth shook and rocks were split in pieces! The nature responded to the death of its creator. Burial chambers broke open! Then something occurred that no earthquake could achieve: the bodies of many dead people returned to life! The death of Jesus Christ triggered the resurrection of God's people, and his resurrection guarantees our future resurrection when he returns to earth. There was no other death like it, before or since; in this regard also the death of Jesus was unique.

Jesus left no unfinished work; he accomplished everything he came to do. He completed his monumental mission. Hebrews 2:9 says with majestic simplicity, "In that death, by God's grace, he fully experienced death in every person's place".

Jesus not only died - he died in our place. He died so we could have life. He suffered so you could find peace. He endured the darkness of Calvary so you could experience the light of the Good News. He endured the curse so we could enjoy the blessing. He was alienated from God so we could be reconciled to God.

"There is one God and one mediator between God and men," says Paul to Timothy, "the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

1 John 2: 15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Thank God for Jesus, and his great love for us! That's the good news of Easter!

Are you washed in the blood?

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Refrain

Words & Mu­sic: Eli­sha A. Hoff­man

Offer of Salvation: Revelation 3:20

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

(King James Version)

Introduction

The Spiritual view (also called Idealist by some writers) does not see the book of Revelation as predicting specific events in history. Rather it sees the visions as expressing eternal spiritual truths that find expression throughout history. Among the verses commonly used by evangelists, Revelation 3:20 is the most important as it indirectly speaks the Christian hope, faith and belief. This text has often been taken as a text offering salvation to a lost sinner.

The second and third chapters of Revelation are seven letters to seven churches. True churches are not buildings, but regenerate people who worship and serve God together. There is not even one unbeliever present in the Body of Christ.

We Open the Door by Repenting

If we read this one verse divorced totally from the context, we might be tempted to think it is a salvation verse. However, we would then still want to ask, how do I open the door? The context answers our question. The preceding verse says, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”

The way to open the door to Jesus Christ is to be zealous for good deeds and to repent of bad deeds. Their works were nauseating to the Lord (verses 15-16). If they wanted the Lord to come and share a meal with them, then they needed to straighten up their lives.

Those who suggest that this verse indicates we must invite Jesus into our lives to have eternal life do so by ignoring the context. If this is a salvation verse, then it teaches salvation by works!

The Meal Is a Symbol of Fellowship

In all cultures meals are a time of fellowship. Thus for the Lord Jesus to tell this church that He wishes to dine with them is a call to fellowship with Him. Fellowship with God is only possible if we are honest and open with Him (1 John 1:9). These believers thought they were doing well spiritually (“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing…” verse 17). In reality, they were out of fellowship with God and thus needed to repent to get right with God.

Biblical Examples Never Include Asking Jesus In

There are scores of evangelistic encounters recorded in the Scriptures. Not one involves an invitation to invite Jesus in, open the door, etc. Think about the Lord Jesus talking with Nicodemus and with the woman at the well. Or Peter talking with Cornelius and his household. Or Paul evangelizing the Philippian jailer.

Surely if Revelation 3:20 were an evangelistic verse, we would find biblical examples where this idea occurs. There are none.

Just Tell Them to Believe in Jesus Christ

It may not be fancy; but it is biblical. Call people to believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life. Tell them that He guarantees eternal life to all who simply believe in Him for it. Verses like John 6:47, “He who believes in Me has everlasting life,” make this clear. The only condition is believing in Christ for the free gift of eternal life.

Use Revelation 3:20 as it was intended: to call believers back to fellowship with God.

Praise be to God. Amen!

Glory to God

I start in the name of father, son and the holy spirit...Amen