Youth of the Cross

Diocesan Youth Conference 2010 (DYC'10)

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:47:00 +0000

The Marthoma Syrian Church,Primrose Road, Bangalore is hosting the Diocesan Youth Conference from May 13th-16th at the Ecumenical Christian Centre, White Field, Bangalore.
Do remember the conference in your prayers .
For more details contact Arjun Jacob O {+91 9844833305}.
Would be in touch for more correspondence...
Yours in His service.....

Arjun Jacob O

check out this video:

A beautiful hymn

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:31:00 +0000

Jesus bids us shine
With a pure, clear light,
Like a little candle
Burning in the night.
In this world of darkness
So let us shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.

Jesus bids us shine,
First of all for Him;
Well He sees and knows it,
If our light grows dim.
He looks down from Heaven
To see us shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.

Jesus bids us shine,
Then, for all around;
Many kinds of darkness
In the world are found—
Sin and want and sorrow;
So we must shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.

Susan B. Warner

Maramon Convention 2010

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:51:00 +0000

Hey folks!

The Maramon Convention, a great gathering unique to the Mar Thoma Church is being held 14-21 February 2010) at Maramon, near Kozhencherry, Kerala, India. The week long gathering held in a tent situated on a riverbed is in it's 115th year. Attending at least once in a life time will give you something worth remembering, besides the working of the Holy Spirit in you, if you prepare yourself and hear the messages!

There are stalls run by different insitutions of the Mar Thoma Church which present it's activities to those who stop by. Also there are mission stalls, book stalls, food stalls, you name it all!

Maramon convention songs, a new collection of Malayalam hymns each year, is also very popular across Christian denominations. The songs are selected and sung by the Mar Thoma Church's Department of Sacred Music and Communication (DSMC) and it's choir, respectively.

The North America, UK and Europe Diocese has introduced webcasts and video downloads of each session at www.mtconvention.com

Also available are DVDs and audio CDs of each day's messages.

The most important aspect is the sharing of the word. Usually guest speakers from all around the world are invited to speak to God's people. This year 's main speakers are Bishops of the Mar Thoma Church and Reverend Canon Tim Dakin, (General Secretary, CMS, since 2000), Bishop Dr. Robert M Solomon, (Methodist Church, Singapore), Rev. Martin Alphons (USA) and Rev. Vinod Victor, (Trivandrum, Kerala, India).

The morning session (10-12:30 am) begins with half an hour of singing, followed by announcements. Then a Bishop leads the intercessory prayer. Anyone can give their prayer requests, (be it any thing) for intercession at the Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association Stall. It is this very organisation that organises the Maramon Convention. The convention prays together after the requests are presented, led by the bishop.This, then, is followed by the sharing of the word.

The afternoon session follows a similar format, beginning at 2pm and ending at 4 pm (no intercessory prayer this session). The night's session starts with singing at 6:30 and ends at 8 pm. as the tradition goes, women are not allowed to stay or be around the riverbed after 6.30pm!

The convention is also a place where people meet year after year, get together, catch up and socialise. But mainly, it is the heritage of every Mar Thomite and it could be called one of the spiritual pillars which holds the church together. It also gives the church direction and renews its faith and dedication to share the love of our Lord.

This year's theme is LIVING THE GOSPEL.

Have you attended the Maramon Convention? The Bangalore Centre is popping in with a delegation of 25 on Saturday (says a birdie!). It would be great if any of you can share your experience at the convention, below as a comment. It's your space! Let's hear!

Keep this year's Maramon convention in prayer. Let's take this week as a time for renewing and re-examining our lives:

Jesus died and rose again for you. Are you living the gospel?

Yuvajana Sakhyam Registration!

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Dear All,

Greetings in the matchless name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Forwarded is the annual registration renewal form for youth league
membership. Please take a hard copy of this and forward it to all the
Churches of your center. The date for registration is before 1st March
2010. Only members of a Sakha that have received the Registration
certificate and whose name appear in the list submitted to the Kendra
in accordance to 13(b) clause, are eligible to be elected as principal
office bearers, committee members, be a candidate for election, to
propose or second, at the Sakha, regional, Diocesan and Kendra levels
and also to participate in Sakha, Regional, Diocesan and Kendra level
competitions. Looking forward for your active support for promoting
maximum registration.

Thanks and regards,
To VIEW the FORM, CLICK HERE
Prince.

Kalamela 2010 Announcements

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:25:00 +0000

MAR THOMA YUVAJANA SAKHYAM

CHENNAI – BANGALORE DIOCESE

Mar Thoma Bhavan, No 77 6th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai – 600031

Dear Centre President and Secretary,

Greetings to you from the Mar Thoma Yuvajana Sakhyam, Chennai – Bangalore Diocese. We’d like to inform you that the 4th Diocesan Kalamela is planned to be at Hyderabad on the 09^th of Jan, 2010.

The first and second place winners of all the competitions held at the respective Centre Kalamelas will qualify to participate in the Diocesan Kalamela. We request you to provide the list of participants who qualify for this kalamela, from your respective centres.

The day is planned to begin with registration of participants for various events at 8am, and end with prize distribution by 7pm. The details of the events and the rules and guidelines for the various events are attached to this notice. The winner and runners-up of all the events held during the Diocesan Kalamela will go on represent the Diocese in the Kendram Kalamela to be held in the month of 16^th January, 2010, in Kerala.

Yours Sincerely,

For the Diocesan Yuvajana Sakhyam

Prince John

Secretary

Ph: 09445079805

Date: 22-Dec-2009

New year with some basic Christianity

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:22:00 +0000

For the next 60 seconds, set aside whatever you're doing and take this opportunity! Let's see if satan can stop this.
THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.

At the time crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.

Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrist. Not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breath.

Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain so He was forced to alternate between arching His back then using his legs just to continue to breath. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.

Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours.

Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering? A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding.
He was simply pouring water from his wounds.

From common images we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His side. But do we realize His wounds were actually made in his body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even large nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and the spear Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard wripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.

He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds.
The human adult body contains about 3.5 litres (just less than a gallon) of blood.

Jesus poured all 3.5 litres of his blood; He had three nails hammered into his members; a crown of thorns on his head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into his chest.

All these without mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying his own cross for almost 2 kilometres, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where his hands were nailed).

Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you can have free access to God.
So that your sins could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception! Don't ignore this situation. JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU! For you, who now read this e-mail. Do not believe that He only died for others (those who go to church or for pastors, bishops, etc).

He died for you! It is easy to pass jokes or foolish photos by e-mail, but when it comes to God, sometimes you feel ashamed to forward to others because you are worried of what they may think about you.

Accept the reality, the truth that JESUS IS THE ONLY SALVATION FOR THE WORLD.

God has plans for you, show all your friends what He experienced to save you. Now think about this! May God bless your life!

60 seconds with God...

May you stay the Lord's this whole year, living each day for Him.

Happy New year everyone!

Mar Thoma Yuvajana Sakhyam, Chennai-Bangalore Diocese

Christmas and the lamb

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Did Abraham himself not say God would provide a Lamb... to take instead the punishment that should belong to man. And so to humble shepherds was, His Glory first revealed. And with His birth, a covenant made long ago was sealed....

Stolen from the facebook status of Binu Oommen (permission pending, but we believe he wouldn't mind!)

Binu Oommen, often lovingly and otherwise known as Binchach, hails from the Bangalore East Mar Thoma Church. He plays the guitar and sings beautifully, besides 'joking nice jokes'.

Never be anxious

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Sometime back I heard of this interesting example. A small fish lived in a stream in which water was exceedingly decreasing. The fish felt worried that as the water was steadily going down if the stream would dry up altogether all of a sudden. So it complained to God out of anxiety. God asked the fish whether it had enough water to swim. The fish answered that it had; God asked whether there was enough water for the fish to drink. It said there was; Again God asked whether it had enough water to breather and the fish answered that it had. Then God asked the fish, why it was so anxious when it had everything it needed? Many of us are worried in this way. If you set your faith on God, you can live in joy. His mercy will never dry up. It will be poured on us continuously. If you have lost faith in prayer, resume praying. For God’s mercy endures forever!!

image courtesy: Yuso6363

Verse for the week 12 ( v w 12)

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:27:00 +0000

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

— John 3:16 (NIV)

Image courtesy:

petermakire

What You Can Do : A thought

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:18:00 +0000

What You Can Do

READ: Ephesians 3:14-21

[I pray that] He would grant you . . . to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. —Ephesians 3:16

Are you getting what you want out of life? Or do you feel that the economy, your government, your circumstances, or other outside factors are robbing you of value and joy?

Recently, a polling agency asked 1,000 people what they most desired in their lives. One fascinating result was that 90 percent of Bible-believing Christians said that they wanted these outcomes: a close relationship with God, a clear purpose in life, a high degree of integrity, and a deep commitment to the faith.

Notice that these heartfelt desires are all things we as individuals can do something about without outside human help. No government program will assist here, and tough economic times cannot steal these ideals. These life goals are achieved as we allow God’s Word to rule in our hearts and as we receive the Spirit’s strength to build up “the inner man” (Eph. 3:16), resulting in true joy.

In our complicated world, it’s tempting to put our quest for what we desire into the hands of others—to expect an outside entity to fulfill our desires. While we sometimes need help, and we cannot live in isolation, it’s not outside sources that provide true happiness. That comes from within—from letting Christ be at home in our hearts (v.17). — Dave Branon

Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down every idol throne,
Reign supreme and reign alone. —Reed

If a troubled world gets you down, look up to Jesus.

Material Courtesy: Our Daily Bread

http://rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/12/04/devotion.aspx

Image courtesy:

Gerome40

Mistakes or Opportunities? Mary Southerland

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:11:00 +0000

"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 (HCSB)

Friend to Friend

I am sure you have heard the story of Ivory soap, the "soap that floats". However, it was not always that way. Years ago, this soap was just another brand among many until a factory foreman made a mistake. He left a fresh batch of soap in the cooking vat and went to lunch. When he was late getting back and the soap had overcooked, the foreman frantically examined the burned soap. It seemed to clean the same. The only difference he could see was in the weight. The burned soap was just lighter. He could either report the mistake and risk being fired, or he could make the best of it and ship the soap out as if nothing had happened. He shipped it out. The results surprised everyone. Instead of complaints, the company was deluged with orders for this new "floating soap" and the foreman was promoted.

God works the same way, taking our mistakes, our sins and bringing good out of them. Paul said it well in Romans 8:28, "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." (HCSB) If we let Him, God will use the pain of our sin and the results of our mistakes as the foundation upon which he can build a new life and a more effective ministry.

God works through our mistakes, knowing there is strength in pain that can be gained no other way. God does not eliminate mistakes but he does step into the midst of the mistakes we bring to him. At our invitation, God's very presence fills those mistakes with power and fresh hope, redeeming them for new truth and insight. God is not committed to our comfort, but he is committed to our character, to making us more like Jesus, and he will use every part of our life to make it happen. God does not waste a single experience and there are no "scraps" of life to be thrown away! He uses even our mistakes for our good.

1. God uses mistakes to direct us. Some of my biggest mistakes have yielded the most powerful lessons in my life, pointing me in a new direction or revealing an area that needs change. As the writer of Proverbs explains, "Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways." Proverbs 20:30 (NLT)

2. God uses mistakes to inspect us. People are like tea bags. If you want to know what is really inside, just drop them into hot water! How we respond to mistakes, problems and sin tests the strength and reality of our faith. James writes, "Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." James 1:2-3 (NLT)

3. God uses mistakes to correct us. Some lessons simply cannot be learned in the light; they are wrapped in the darkness of pain and defeat. I can remember when our daughter, Danna, was a toddler with a fascination for electric outlets. I repeatedly pointed to each outlet in our home and firmly said, "No! No!" It was not until she stuck an object into one of those outlets, burning her little finger that she learned the lesson and changed her behavior. In fact, she hasn't repeated that mistake in twenty two years! We would be wise to choose the attitude of the psalmist, "It was good that I had to suffer in order to learn your laws. The teachings [that come] from your mouth are worth more to me than thousands in gold or silver." Psalm 119:71-72 (GNT)

4. God uses mistakes to protect us. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents us from being harmed by something more serious. Several years ago, a family friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem and seemed like a huge mistake - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when his former management's illegal actions were eventually discovered. "You planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good..." Genesis 50:20 (Message)

5. God uses mistakes to perfect us. When responded to correctly, mistakes and problems are character builders. Our relationship to God and our character are the only two things we are going to take with us into eternity. The apostle Paul warns, "There's more (trouble) to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we are hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next." Romans 5:3-4 (Message)

God is at work in us - even in our mistakes -- even when we do not recognize Him or understand His process. Someone once said, "Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way."

While living in South Florida, I considered hurricanes to be mistakes of nature. However, I soon discovered that hurricanes are necessary to maintain a balance in the environment. We all know the devastation these monstrous storms can cause, yet scientists tell us that hurricanes are also tremendously valuable because they reduce a large percentage of the oppressive heat that builds up at the equator. In fact, hurricanes are indirectly responsible for much of the rainfall in North and South America. Meteorologists no longer use cloud-seeding techniques to prevent hurricanes from being formed because they are convinced that hurricanes actually do more good than harm.

Take a closer look at your mistakes. Have they become an albatross around your neck, constantly reminding you of your failure and inadequacy? Do past mistakes keep you from stepping out in faith today? It is time to strain each failure through a new God-given perspective for the valuable nuggets of truth and the treasures that the darkness holds.

Isaiah 45:3 promises, "I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."

Let's Pray

Father, I am tired of living in the failure of my mistakes. Today, I admit those wrong choices, ask Your forgiveness and choose to see them through Your eyes. Please help me learn the lessons each mistake holds and keep me strong so that I will not fall into the same old wrong patterns of behavior again. Thank You that even my mistakes are treasures in Your hands.

In Jesus' name, I pray

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

What one mistake has paralyzed your life? No matter where you go or what you do, are you haunted by that wrong decision? Aren't you ready to be free from that prison of defeat? God is ready to set you free. Face and admit your mistake. Ask for God's forgiveness, the forgiveness of anyone you have hurt and then forgive yourself. Learn the lesson and let God use it for good in your life.

Sent in by: Sara Susan Ninan , Mar Thoma Church, Bangalore, Primrose road.

Image courtesy: photocorrinne

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z194/photocorrinne/lifeman.png

Fax

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:44:00 +0000

FAX FROM GOD....

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject:YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

This is God.Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.

I love you.

P.S.

And, remember...

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself !! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have touched their life in ways you will never know!

Now, you have a nice day,

God

Verse for the week 11 ( v w 11)

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:31:00 +0000

Habakkuk 2:20

But the LORD is in his holy temple;

let all the earth be silent before him.

photo courtesy: albinomonkey81

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff124/albinomonkey81/silhouette.jpg

Tech it or leave it - 3 : Sing a song of six ONEs ???

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:24:00 +0000

By Derick Mathew

Sing a song of six ONEs ???

There are a few of us who spend the whole day listening to music, and then there are the rest of us who cannot even imagine let alone spend a whole day with less than 8 hours of music. It has come to be fused that most of what we do and so we end up playing it while we walk, talk, eat, travel, and work using many devices that primarily use the MP3 format. This format gained its importance with the wide spread of the internet on which mp3 files were interchanged so much so that it was soon said that the passage of time saw the term MP3 becoming synonymous to Music.

Mp3 stands for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, (quite a mouthful isn’t it ???????) anyway it has come to be known as MP3 and the world embraced it. And it is with good reason that it was so widely accepted, MP3 is what people call a lossy compression algorithm, A fancy way of saying that it is stored in one way and decoded to be something similar (not “equal”) to the original copy, this means that the quality of the music seemed to be great while the space used to store a song would reduce drastically (An ordinary MP3 file is only about 1/10 -1/11 of the original file size). But as usual there is a trade off that is when space is saved a resulting loss in quality. So it can understood that the quality of an MP3 file would increases as it grew larger in size. The size of the MP3 file varies depending on something called the bit-rate. The normal bit rate of an MP3 file is 128 Kb/s (that is 1048576 zeros and ones every second).

Victor Hugo once said “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” And the MPEG, or Moving Picture Expert Group (You will hear about these guys a couple more times in future articles), must have thought along the same lines when they designed the MP3 format. The MPEG guys used a technique called “Perpetual Noise Shaping” which uses certain traits of the human ears such as :
The human ear can only hear some sounds that lies within a particular frequency range
It takes in some sounds better than other sounds
It takes in the louder of 2 or more sounds that are played together

The MPEG thought of using the Perpetual Noise Shaping by showing only parts of a file by using a mask, i.e. the mask allows encoding of only certain parts of the music files. The mask blocks the frequencies that the human ear cannot pick up [its kinda like ur phone’s signal which is outta range every once in a while :P ].

This write up is just the tip of the iceberg, to read more about the MP3 format check out the Fraunhofer-Gesellshaft Website “http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/EN/bf/amm/products/mp3/mp3history/mp3history01.jsp”.

P.S. Fraunhofer - Gesellshaft is a German company that owns the patent for the MP3 format.

Ranjan, we'll miss you.

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:40:00 +0000

Our prayers are with the family of

Renjan Thomas

of Secunderabad Parish who passed away in a bike accident.

May the Lord grant his family the peace and comfort only He can give

We'll miss you, man.

Mar Thoma Yuvajana Sakhyam members of the Chennai- Bangalore Diocese

picture courtesy: Shanu Thomas, Chetpet, Chennai

God Does Big Things with Small Deeds - by Max Lucado

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:40:00 +0000

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (Zech. 4:10 NLT).

Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane.

On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded.

Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive charge. They were clean and harmless and with one exception, empty. The exception contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it a message had been scrawled in the Czech language. Translated, the note read: “This is all we can do for you now.”

A courageous assembly-line worker was disarming bombs and scribbled the note. He couldn’t end the war, but he could save one plane. He couldn’t do everything, but he could do something. So he did it.

God does big things with small deeds.

Against a towering giant, a brook pebble seems futile. But God used it to topple Goliath. Compared to the tithes of the wealthy, a widow’s coins seem puny. But Jesus used them to inspire us. And in contrast with sophisticated priests and powerful Roman rulers, a cross-suspended carpenter seemed nothing but a waste of life. Few Jewish leaders mourned his death. Only a handful of friends buried his body. The people turned their attention back to the temple. Why not?

What power does a buried rabbi have? We know the answer. Mustard-seed and leaven-lump power. Power to tear away death rags and push away death rocks. Power to change history. In the hands of God, small seeds grow into sheltering trees. Tiny leaven expands into nourishing loaves.

Small deeds can change the world. Sow the mustard seed. Bury the leaven lump. Make the call. Write the check. Organize the committee.

Moses had a staff.
David had a sling.
Samson had a jawbone.
Rahab had a string.
Mary had some ointment.
Aaron had a rod.
Dorcas had a needle.
All were used by God.
What do you have?

God inhabits the tiny seed, empowers the tiny deed. He cures the common life by giving no common life, by offering no common gifts. Don’t discount the smallness of your deeds.

Sent in by: Vinay George, Mar Thoma Church, Primrose Road, Bangalore

Image courtesy: prmonteiro

(http://media.photobucket.com/image/b%2017/prmonteiro/B-17_FAB_72_07.jpg)

Where have you kept your reference line?

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Soumya Mariam Sam

Ebenezer Mar Thoma Church, Jalahalli, Bangalore

When we are doing some measurements, we usually take a reference. For example, from place X, place Y is 2 km and place Z is 14 km. Also, how do we usually say whether something is good or bad? Most of the times it will be relative. We use comparisons in our day-to-day life. Think of a society where slavery is existing, then we'll say it's ok to get a slave to get our work done(Is it right to promote slavery?). Now, what if the reference itself is floating? This is a very dangerous situation and destruction is not far. It can be explained through an example. Imagine you have a beaker of hot water and you had put a frog in that. The frog will immediately understand the danger and will surely jump out. Now you put the frog in a beaker of cold water and try to heat the water, it will understand that something is different in it's environment and will try to adjust to it. But it will never try to jump out and finally it dies. Here the reference point it gradually changing and the victim fails to identify the symptoms of danger. If one keep something in the world as their reference, the reference will keep varying and you will be in no more by the time you realize the danger. As Christians, we are supposed to keep our reference on the word of God. We should have a firm foundation and reference. Then we'll be able to understand quickly when things goes wrong, and will be able to escape from traps of this world.

"On Christ the solid rock i stand, all other ground is sinking sand"

sad news

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:31:00 +0000

Demise of Rev. Mathew Thomas "I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH. HENCEFORTH THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE SHALL GIVE ME AT THAT DAY" (II Timothy 4:7,8)

Dear Sakhyam Friends, I regret to advise of the sudden demise of Rev. Mathew Thomas (35), Thazhathekuttu, Kumbanad P. O., Tiruvalla – 689547, who expired on Friday, 30.10.2009. The funeral will be held on 02.11.2009 at Kumbanad Vattakottal Christ Mar Thoma Church.Dear Achen served first in my centre (Kunnamkulam) in two parishes Chalissery & Mukuthala. He was a very active and energetic youth who was quite friendly. His demise is really a lost for our Church. May his soul rest in peace. On behalf of Immanuel Marthoma Yuvajanasakhyam Fujairah, I extend my heartfelt condolences and remember Leena Kochamma and family Members in our Prayers.Regards Renil RoySecretaryImmanuel MTYSFujairah, UAE

You Can Sleep When The Wind Blows (Refuge from the Storm)

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:33:00 +0000

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows." Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew. SPIRITUAL TRUTH: When you're prepared, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves firmly in the power of God.

verse for the week 10 (v w 10)

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

picture courtesy: eringarc
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb42/eringarc/4-H%20Pictures%20Roman/WOODEN_CHAIR.jpg

Slow Dance

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:55:00 +0000

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever
watched kids

On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to
the rain

Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a
butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading
night?

You better slow down.

Don't dance so
fast

Time is short.

The music won't
last

Do you run through each day

On the
fly?

When you ask How are you?

Do you hear the
reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie in your
bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through
your head?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so
fast

Time is short.

The music won't
last

Ever told your child,

We'll do it
tomorrow?

And in your haste,

Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good
friendship die

Cause you never had time

To call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down..

Don't dance
so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't
last

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You
miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry
through your day,

It is like an unopened gift...

Thrown away.

Life is not a
race

Do take it slower

Hear the
music

Before the song is over.

Poem sent in by : Subin John Mathew, Secunderabad
Picture courtesy: zhana8486
http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz225/zhana8486/greetings/gift.jpg

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noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:50:00 +0000

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Conflict Resolution

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:35:00 +0000

Conflict Resolution

READ: Philippians 4:1-9

I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. —Philippians 4:2

October 15 is observed in many countries as International Conflict Resolution Day. Its purpose is to encourage people to use mediation and arbitration rather than the legal system to settle their differences. Because we as followers of Christ are not immune to conflict, we need to learn how to resolve our disagreements in ways that honor the Lord.

It has been said that “church fights are the worst fights,” perhaps because they break out among people who profess to believe in unity and love. Many Christians have been so hurt by a fellow believer that they walk away from the church and never return.

Euodia and Syntyche are mentioned by name in the Bible and urged to resolve their differences: “Be of the same mind in the Lord” (Phil. 4:2). Instead of leaving them alone to settle their dispute, Paul appealed to a trusted fellow worker to “help these women who labored with me in the gospel” (v.3). In this same context, Paul urged the Philippians to bring their requests to God, noting that prayer brings the peace of God (v.7) and a sense of His abiding presence (v.9).

Fractured relationships in a Christian community are a community responsibility. In the midst of hurts and differences, we can encourage, listen, and pray. — David C. McCasland

For Further Study
For biblical advice on reconciling relationships, read What Do You Do With A Broken Relationship? on the Web at www.discoveryseries.org/q0703

Forgiveness is the glue that repairs broken relationships.

Isn't this what we need today? I know of people who stay away from our churches because of the "politics" that is so prevalent in the working of the church. We need to be meditating on this, like Paul urged the Philippians, centuries ago.
It's a plague that existed in the early churches, and still does. Let's bring a stop to it now.
- Binu George

The full material and podcast available at: http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/10/15/devotion.aspx

Who's parachute do you pack?

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Daily Parachutes

Charles Plum, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, was a jet fighter pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent six years in a Communist prison. He survived that ordeal and now lectures about lessons learned from that experience. One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" "How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did -- if your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform -- a Dixie cup hat, a bib in the back, and bell bottom trousers. I wondered how many times I might have passed him on the Kitty Hawk. I wondered how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you,' or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know. Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute? Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day." Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory -- he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety. His experience reminds us all to prepare ourselves to weather whatever storms lie ahead. SUGGESTION: Recognize and be gracious to people who pack your daily parachutes, and strengthen yourself to prevail through tough times.

Promise for the Day: Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power. Psalm 21:13 (New King James Version)

Condolence: Josy

noreply@blogger.com (youthofthecross) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:29:00 +0000

Dear Friends,

Our fellowship has truly lost one of the finest artists, Josy George Thomas, an active youth member of St. Paul’s Mar Thoma Church, Adyar, Chennai. His departure will be felt and has left a tremendous musical legacy that will live on for a long time.

Josy was a wonderful person, a true God's blessing and an even more beautiful spirit. The "pathways the child followed home" may be gone, but the pathways to beauty, love, and sharing our joys and sorrows, that Josy led us through his inspired vision, will remain. We were so glad to see him performing during our 4th Diocesan conference in Chennai. We will never, forget the wonderful music he gave us and will cherish the memories of the memorable fellowship we shared with him. He meant so much to so many, God only takes the best.

To his family, we share our deepest of sympathy and prayers. We are thankful to have experienced the beauty of their craft, the wisdom of their ways. It is my prayer that his families’ grief is tempered with the joy of having known and loved this beautiful soul who is so beloved around. May they hang on to love of God and lean on his faith and know that someday we all of us will be together again.

We will miss this music man. Thank you, Josy, for your Life, your beautiful, soulful, expressive music and your Love. our prayers of peace go out to your family, friends and we hope you are singing glory of god in heaven with the angels. Your passing is a great loss for all of us who are left behind. Where you lead now, we too shall follow some day.

May your soul rest in peace.

From Chennai - Bangalore Diocesan Youth League.