Perils of Text Messaging for a Christian

Prelude : A brother in Christ has a telephone booth near my house. Many young girls and boys who live in our apartments come to his phone-booth to make phone calls without the knowledge of their parents. They also recharge their mobile phones to avail free text message services. This brother in Christ had a conversation with me and as he knows that I prepare literature tracts, he asked me to prepare a tract which he could distribute to the youngsters and their parents. That conversation is the trigger behind this article.

Perils of Text Messaging

Back during my college days (bachelors), there were no mobile phones. Our common mode of communication were yahoo messenger, emails and even land line phones. When a few of us planned for a get together in any common place, we would just fix a place and a time and we would all meet at the same place at the planned time. We never had any problems in locating each other and I still have fond memories of those days. But then Mobile phones entered our lives and made things very simple for us. Now when we plan to meet someone, we find it impossible to meet the person without the help of mobile phones. There are many uses of mobile phones and there are ofcourse many problems caused by mobile phones. Mobile Phones have been responsible in helping two people to get to know each other; at the same time mobile phones have been responsible for breaking relationships too. This article is written with a purpose to keep our emotions in check and also to help us to use our mobile phones in a wise manner so that we don’t end up tainting our relationships.

Mobile Phones is the greatest poison that can kill two people especially when they are unmarried and of the opposite sex  - A forwarded text message

When I read the above sentence, I first disagreed with the message; but then understood that the message indeed has some truth in it. If the mobile phone is not properly utilized, it can indeed turn into poison and it can hamper relationships. So what are the means by which we can use mobile phones in a better way?

Read on… The following points are applicable to both the sexes.

1)      It is advisable to use mobile phones under the supervision of parents till we finish schooling. Parents should give space to their children and children should also be transparent with their parents on whom they talk with and what they message them.

2)      Phone calls and text messages from strangers should be ignored. Sometimes we might have the curiosity to find out the person, how he/she would look like. But it is good to curb the desire and ignore the person

3)      Avoid sex-ting. Sexting has now become a great entertainment for many men and women. They exchange sex messages through texting and they also feel that it is harmless as they are not actually committing real life sex.

4)      Girls are more vulnerable when they message in the night when they lie down in bed. Most guys use this time to lure the girls to fall for their sexual trap.

5)      Girls also feel good when someone praises their looks and when someone pampers them with romantic words. They often fall for the bait. Similarly Boys also fall for flirting words from girls.  So it is better to draw the line for the words that we use while texting.

6)      Some people use Bible verses as forwarded text messages to create an impression in the minds of people. Then they start getting personal. Any spiritual person will initially trust someone who sends them biblical verses. Nowadays many womanizers are using this technique. Beware of such people.

7)      Don’t become a mobile-phone addict. Test yourself by trying to live without your mobile phone for a day at least.

8)      Use your mobile phones in a useful way and please don't spoil your own life by falling into traps. 

A Mobile Phone is a wonderful Slave; but a very dangerous Master.

-Prason

James writes his letter in Facebook.

This is the author's imagination of how James would have written his Biblical Letter, if he was on facebook. The reactions of the readers are also given below.

Most of the time, we are also like these readers. We love the message when it is sugar coated. But when Hard hitting words are mixed in the message, we reject the message. Are we hardening our hearts everyday?

-Prason

Note : 

1) Thought of the book of James was shared by brother Vijay Kumar.

2) The concept for using FB was birthed by brother Francis Somerwell.

Mormons (Latter Day Saints) - Cult Group

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) is a big cult group that is taking the world by storm. Beware of their Un-Biblical teachings.

Some of their teachings are given below

• Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both.
• God used to be a man on another planet, before he created earth.
• Book of Mormons is a scripture book  of the Mormons. According to the book, Jesus visited America after he was resurrected.
• God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children
• Mormons believe that God the father, Jesus and The Holy spirit are three separate beings. They do not believe in Trinity.
• In LDS doctrine there are three heavens: the Celestial Kingdom, Terrestrial Kingdom, and Telestial Kingdom. The Celestial is the highest, where God and the ones who followed his law reside. The Terrestrial is the middle, where people who followed the Law of Moses reside. The Telestial is the lowest, where the ones who followed carnal law reside.
• In LDS theology you can be forgiven for any sin, save two. First, denying the Holy Spirit, and second, murder.
• Mormons believe that God created multiple worlds and each world has people living on it. They also believe that multiple Gods exist but each has their own universe. We are only subject to our God and if we obtain the highest level of heaven we can become gods ourselves.

Mormons usually visit houses in pairs, to preach their cultish theology. 

They will be in White shirts, Tie and Black/Navy Blue Trousers. They will also have a badge on the shirts with their names. They will also carry  their scripture book - "The Book of Mormons".

They have entered Chennai (India) in a big way and they make their house visits, mainly on weekends. When you see one of them, please share the gospel with them. Before you start a conversation with them, please allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth so that you will have the right words to speak to them.

- Prason 

(This article was written after conducting research on Mormonism, Listverse articles, Carm documents and also after having discussions with Mormon evangelists in Chennai)

Seventh Day Adventist - Cult Group

The Seventh-day Adventist Church SDA is a CULT group which was formed from the Millerite movement in 1840 in New York.

Miller predicted on the basis of Daniel 8:14–16 and the "day-year principle" that Jesus Christ would return to Earth between the Spring of 1843 and the Spring of 1844. In the summer of 1844, Millerite Adventists came to believe that Jesus would return on October 22, 1844, understood to be the Biblical Day of Atonement for that year. When this did not happen, most of his followers disbanded and returned to their original churches.

The SDA movement started on a false prophesy.

The following are some of the beliefs of SDA

• The SDA movement introduced that Saturday should be adopted as Sabbath in 1849. They still stress on Saturday Sabbath ( A Ritual for the Jews) based on Old Covenant Mosaic Law. They have not understood that Jesus is our sabbath. They believe that only those who observe the saturday sabbath will inherit heaven ( Fundamental Beliefs:25-28)
• SDAs believe that Hell doesn't exist. According to them Sinners will cease to exist when they die (The Jehovah's witness also believe in non existence of Physical Hell)
• SDA claim that they are the only true remnant church and no other church will inherit Heaven.
• Jesus was the Arch-Angel Michael before he became a man (Again SDAs and Jehovah's Witness go hand-in-hand on this regard)
• SDA also believe that Jesus has already began his investigative judgment from 1843 AD onwards.

Beware of Seventh Day Adventists. They do not preach the Jesus of Nazareth. They preach another Jesus.

-Prason

What Brings you to Christ

Few years ago, we were sitting on Marina beach (Chennai), where many sellers were approaching us selling Sundal (boiled lintels), pop corns etc. There were toy items which attract the kids and these hockers will not leave the place, until the kids pester the parents to buy. Many hockers’ sales are done to get rid of them.

Among them there was a woman wearing white sari came with a tract, keep saying, "if you want a job, if you want a house - come to Jesus........if you want a job, if you want a house - come to Jesus....."

It surprised me, are they selling Jesus? When I enquired out of curiosity the women persistently assuring me that if you want a house come to Jesus. No mentioning of the love of Jesus, Sacrifice of Him and His longing for us to have fellowship with Him..... I knew people can only sell what they have with them!

I also came to know another person, who was in love with a girl who was a committed Christian a good-looking one. He proposed to her. The girl replied "I am a Christian and Christ means everything and it is not possible to marry a non-believer". Then the instant answer is, "then I will become a Christian!” I had to laugh.

Has Christ become so cheap? He gave everything free but we cannot to take Him for granted and we cannot barter with him. Then I started to ask several questions to determine the types of Christians we have irrespective of our denominations!

Reason why we accepted Christ

Reason why we pray

Reason why we read bible

Reason why we go to church

Reason why we attend fellowship

Some accept Christ for forgiveness of Sin

Some accept to escape from Hell

Some accept to get a job

Some accept to get wealthy

Some accept to get married

Knowing Jesus is good

Knowing His will be better

Knowing what He wants to do through us is even better

There will be great regrets in Heaven; the worst thing is that, how much I have failed to know Him better when I lived on Earth.

When the saints will go marching by (Rev14:1), our hearts will ponder to be among the number. There we will sit and regret for losing a chance to be ruling with Jesus.

The attitude of getting to know Jesus is important. Someone once said I come to Jesus as I am; not expecting anything from Him, Just to be drenched in the Love of Christ!

Conditional acceptance is like walking on the thin iceberg, once your dependability breaks you sink. This is the reason many falls away or backslides.

Above reasons are like the seed. The seed you sow will grow in you.

How would Jesus React?

 I was reading through the gospels and that led me to meditate on the discussion style of Jesus.

If we closely follow the discussion style adopted by Jesus , we would see that he reacted in three different ways to three different groups of people.

If we adopt His style of reacting, it would help us a lot in our day-to-day life and also in our facebook discussions.Now let us see the different reaction styles of Jesus

1) Reaction to Sinners and Non believers.

• When Jesus met Sinners ( fraudulent-tax-collectors and prostitutes), he never condemned them. He enquired about them. He showed Love to them. (The woman in the well ~ John 4:1-42)
• He did not allow other so-called-religious people to question them. ( The woman caught in adultery ~ John 8 :1-11)
• His love and his affection won them. He was always ready to accept them and forgive them and give them a new life.

2) Reaction to Personal Insults.

• When Jesus was personally insulted as one who is doing miracles with an evil spirit, he never sought for revenge. He just told them that He was being guided by the father in heaven. He never attacked them back
• When Jesus was betrayed by Judas and when he went through suffering, people slapped him, hit him with rods, spat at him and even scourged him. But he did not hit them back. He never seeked revenge. He died for their sins too
• When Jesus was at the cross, some people called to him "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross". Jesus was just silent. He did not say " Wait and see after three days, I will rise again"
• He just ignored personal insults.

3) Reaction against False Preachers

• Jesus became violent when ever his father's name was taken in vain.
• He drove away the money changers (John 2) at the beginning of his ministry. He again drove them away ~one day after palm sunday. He hated people doing business using God's name
• He went on a rampage against the Pharisees and scribes who twisted the word of God for their personal profit. ( Matthew 23). He warned his disciples to be careful of the leaven of the false teachers.

How do we react to situtations like this?

• Most of the time, we throw stones at non-believers when they are caught in sin (Nithyananda is a classic example)
• Most of the time, we take revenge when someone insults us.
• Most of the time, we blindly follow false teachers and their teachings.

The three reaction styles of Jesus are now adopted in various contexts in lot of business houses and corporates. Corporate houses have found the secret. But many Christians have not found the secret yet. It is tough to react like Jesus. But when we become His children, He will guide us and He will help us to behave like him. Let us give our lives to Jesus.

Shielded in God's Love

- Prason

Not all Miracles are from God

 The Three Major areas through which the Devil deceive people are

1) Prophesy in the name of Jesus. 

2) Driving out demons in the name of Jesus.

3) Miracles in the name of Jesus.

The Devil uses the deceived  Servants of God in these three areas.

This is recorded in Matthew 7:22

(Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’)

God tells us to Test all Prophecies, exorcisms, Miracles to see whether they are from and of God ( 1 John 4:1). Let us not run behind Men who advertise themselves as Men with Healing Gifts, Prophetic gifts and Miracle gifts. Let us be very careful like the Bereans. Not all who do miracles using the name of Jesus are Servants of Jesus. Even the Devil can masquerade himself as an angel of light.

I would dissassociate and expose anyone who teaches and preaches a different doctrine contradictory to the Scripture, even if he performs miracles everyday ~ Martin Luther

The Bible strongly advocates not to receive any prophecy without JUDGING the prophecy. (1 Cor 14:29). Let us not accept any prophecy without weighing it . (judging it and testing it with scriptures.)

Devil can prophecy; He can even act as though he is driving out demons and performing miracles. But He can never offer the real Salvation. Many present day Great Miracle workers in the eyes of men are nothing but workers of evil. Jesus already warned about them in Matthew 7:23

Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Jesus is very clear in saying that HE NEVER KNEW THEM at all. The miracle workers were themselves deceived.

So if you are a preacher operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, please check with God whether you posses the Holy Spirit or whether you are possesed by alternative spirits.There are real Prophets of God, There are real Healing Ministers of God and there are real Miracle workers of God. They give glory to God. When people praise them and give them the Glory, they would tear their shirts like Paul.

We have direct access to our Father in Heaven.Run behind Jesus; Not behind Deceivers.

- Voice in the Desert

Jehovah's Witness - Cult group

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (1 Timothy 4:1)

Paul warned his spiritual son Timothy not to be deceived by deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Today we are going to see the deceptive cult group Jehovah's witness and their Top beliefs

1) JW do not believe in Trinity

• YaHWeH is the Supreme being
• Jesus Christ is Son of God - But a spirit separate from Jehovah and he is not a part of trinity
• The Holy Spirit is a force used by God to interact with the world. He is not a part of trnity

2) The second coming of Jesus happened in 1914 and it was a secret invisible coming of Jesus. A battle happened between Jesus and Satan and Satan was expelled to earth. The first world war was the visible sign of Satan's expulsion

3) There is no HELL and the concept of Hell was created by Satan. Only 144,000 JWs will inherit Heaven. The rest will cease to exist when they die.

4) Before Jesus Christ took human form, he existed as Arch- Angel Michael

5) Jesus did not resurrect in Body form. Only his spirit was resurrected.

JW emerged from BIBLE STUDENTS GROUP founded by Charles Russel and fomed the Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society under the leadership of Joseph Franklin Rutherford.

Beware of this cult group. They visit Christian houses and try to convert Christians with their theology. 

Now- a- days many Christians are aware of JW and JW are not entertained in many Christian houses. So JW are masquerading themselves in the following names

1) Bible Students Group

2) Covai Bereans

3) Chennai Bible Students

3) International Bible Students (IBS)

4) Associated Bible Students (ABS)

5) Independant Bible Students 

They differ slightly in certain doctrines,but they are united in not believing in Trinity. They do door-to-door evangelism. Even if you snub them, they will smile externally. Ask them the above 5 questions before they could impregnate our thoughts with their deceptive ideas.

Jesus Christ shed his blood for them too. Reach them with the Gospel.

-Voice in the desert

NB: Please share this and enlighten our Christian friends to stay away from deception

Am I using God's name in vain?

1) Do I offer prayers with flowery words to win the approval of men around me? Do I pray to create an impression in front of others?

If the answer is Yes, I am taking God's name in vain

2) Do I raise my hands, cry out loud to God and pray in a Charismatic Church; yet find it difficult to do the same in a Traditional church? Am I worried about not being approved by people around me?

If the answer is Yes, I am a Hypocrite and Yes, I am taking God's name in Vain

3) Do I say ,"God spoke to me" even when I know that God did not speak to me? Do I say this because everyone in my Church say the same thing?

If the answer is Yes, I am taking God's name in Vain

4) Do I add scripture verses in my status message just to create an impression among Believers? Do I use God's word to make myself look Holy?

If the answer is Yes, I am taking God's name in Vain

5) Do I say "Praise the Lord" when I greet some fellow believer; but still have hatred/jealousy/anger against that believer?

If the answer is Yes, I am taking God's name in Vain

6) I don't have a personal relationship with my God; but I run to him only when I am in some need. Once my troubles are sorted, I get back to square one.

If the above statement is true, I am taking God's name in Vain.

7) I speak very Holy words inside the church. I also think that I speak in Tongues. At the same time, once I step out of the church, I slander, use foul words and gossip about my brethren!

If the above statement is true, I am taking God's name in Vain

8) Do I send scripture verses as text messages to members of the opposite sex to make them fall for me?

If the answer is Yes, I am taking God's name in Vain.

9) Do I blindly quote Bible verses out-of-context ? I quote those verses because my pastor said so and I know that my pastor is right. Hence I need not cross check the Bible!

If the answer is Yes, Then I am taking God's name in Vain

10) I use the word Jesus Christ as a part of figurative swearing 

If the answer is Yes, Then I am taking God's name in Vain.

**********************

Under the Old Covenant, anyone who takes the Lord's name in vain would be stoned to death. But now we are living under the Grace. We should be thankful to God that we are not anymore bound by the Law. We should be more happy because we are covered by Grace. Let us make sure that we don't take this wonderful Grace for Granted. If we have taken Our Lord for granted, it is time to confess and fall at his feet. He is more than ready to accept us and forgive our sins and even forget them

May Jesus Bless you.

Shielded in God's Love

Prason