The world is an alien place for believers and as such they face troubles, turmoil, and at times tribulations too. Spiritual progress is always an up-hill task for believers. Although believers can at times feel troubled in spirit, they need to avoid reaching that stage of extremity. As believers, they have the privilege of taking shelter in the Lord’s loving concern and care. However, in the midst of an agitated life situation, they are liable to overlook this special privilege and then tend to suffer unnecessarily. Read the rest of this entry ?
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith (Phil 3: 9)
Righteousness only through faith in Christ
Though an average believer is quite aware of this fact, very few have an emotional understanding of it and practise it. Many Christians do not understand what “the just shall live by faith means.” I have heard very powerful sermons on this scripture in my younger days. I suspect that neither the pastor nor his sheep had any inkling of what it really is. That is why I used the phrase “emotional understanding”.
In churches where God has provided micro ministries, anointed teachers can teach people in a way that everyone understands a subject. To be in a church like that is a privilege and in such an environment, it is possible for all members to learn many important truths. EBA is a church like this, and it is possible for everyone here to understand this teaching. When a person understands that the just shall live by faith, they will either leave the church or get wonderfully integrated into the church as true members.
Faith in Christ is not to become a mere slogan that comes easy to the lips.
And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ (Acts 11:13-14)
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. (Acts 16:31-32)
I do not think that infants could have been included in the word ‘household’ in the contexts of these verses.
I was able to visit Grace Community Church. During the visit to LA, I met an Indian friend who attends this church, so I made a small study on the church with his help.
When I look back, I realize that I have lived a life so rich, so varied, and so pleasant, of course with occasional unpleasantness. I am filled with gratitude for the abundant mercy of God and praise Him. I am now quite busy giving the final touches to my various teachings, which I must do prior to meeting the Lord, who will also, I am sure, be equally eager to meet me because this has been a life given by Him to me.
Strangely, I understand that I am old only when I look at my face in the mirror.
Over the years, we have added some original words and phrases to our vocabulary in EBA for better understanding of doctrinal truths. Vocabulary develops as thoughts and subjects develop. We need not be apologetic about it. In the Oxford and Webster’s dictionaries, thousands of new words are added year after year. Such additions are considered to be the crown and glory of any etymological book. If others are interested in knowing what our special phrases mean, we shall gladly explain. We are at liberty to use little phrases, anecdotes, or parables in order to explain biblical doctrine.
I wish here to explain the the terms ‘macro ministry’ and ‘micro ministry’ that I sometimes use.
Some people mistake it for meddling with the word of God, which is of course forbidden. Some feel that it discourages those who rely on these versions, who are not comfortable with English, especially because they are so familiar with some of the verses that one wants to change. In answer to this criticism, since I am the culprit with regard to this, I venture to answer this criticism.
Let me first cite some more of their arguments against me before I present my own apologetics. The early missionaries who did the translations were from Great Britain, Scandinavian countries and Germany. They took so much of trouble learning an Indian language and then translating the Bible from beginning to end. They had to perspire blood, as it were, to do such a herculean task. Had they not done this, the Indian people would have been in utter darkness. To destroy a thing is very easy but to build it is very difficult. It is easy to criticize a translation – but can I do that task?
Question: I have problems in reading and understanding the book of Revelation. I know there are four schools of thought about the way it is interpreted. Various churches have their own ideas about it. I cannot love this book just because it talks about the Rapture and the like; it is God’s business anyhow; how can anyone interfere in His plan? Some leading theologians think that there may not be even such a thing as the Rapture. I have heard that Martin Luther did not believe in the book of Revelation, and so the Lutheran Church assigns only a low profile to this book. Please enlighten us in this matter.
I think this is a good question to answer because other members are also quite likely to have thoughts along these lines. It is good for this church to be well informed about this matter.
[Feeling that Tamil hymns and lyrics, generally, do not have the depth that English hymns have, GB has, for the EBA church hymnal, identified some good hymns, translated many hymns and choruses from English, and composed some lyrics. He has recorded the accompaniment for all the songs in the hymnal, and these are available in MP3 format. All recordings have been done at home using very simple equipment. These songs may not be copied without permission.]
Song composed by Gnana Bhaktamitran.
(Hymn 129 in our hymnal)
Here is a recording of this song Sabaiyum Peruganum sung by Prathiba and Amala and accompanied by GB himself.
[Feeling that Tamil hymns and lyrics, generally, do not have the depth that English hymns have, GB has, for the EBA church hymnal, identified some good hymns, translated many hymns and choruses from English, and composed some lyrics. He has recorded the accompaniment for all the songs in the hymnal, and these are available in MP3 format. All recordings have been done at home using very simple equipment. These songs may not be copied without 
