 Malankara World Journal
Volume 1 No. 31 September 22, 2011
If the Journal is not displayed properly, please click on the link below (or copy and paste) to read from web
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Table of Contents |
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This week, we continue with publishing
a section from the Book of Prayer by Andrew Murray. The topic today
is the Model Prayer, we normally call 'Lord's Prayer.' Isn't it nice
that our savior, who has been sent to redeem us, also gave us a
model prayer, that is the best of its kind? We have the second article in the series on Trinity. Today's section describes the concept of Trinity from the Syrian Orthodox Church point of view. Understanding Trinity is very important. There are two concept that are fundamental to Christianity. One is the concept of Trinity and the other one is the belief that Jesus Christ was crucified, died and resurrected. Like Apostle Paul said, if these are not true, Christianity fails. We will be covering the concept of Trinity in detail in the coming weeks. What do you do when you are in trouble; or face a major crisis in life? Do you throw your hands up and give up? According to Pastor Linton Smith, this is the time to abide in God. He give examples after examples from the Bible to prove his point. We, Malayalees, are famous for our stinging criticism. No one is immune from this. So, today's article by Robert Rings will provide us some tools to handle unwanted criticism. Today's family feature talks about marriage, biblical style. What is the prerequisite for a successful marriage? Read and find out. This Sunday is the second Sunday after the Feast of Sleebo. The Gospel reading is from St. Matthew 16:5-12. Following the encounter with the Pharisees and Sadducees (in Matthew 15), Jesus warned His disciples concerning the 'leaven' of these two sects. Matthew records that coinciding with Jesus warning was the fact that the disciples had forgotten to bring bread on their journey across the Sea of Galilee. Therefore, they misunderstood Jesus’ warning, taking the word 'leaven' literally and thinking that Jesus was chastising them for not bringing food. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. He pointed out the miracles he had done. The disciples then understood that Jesus was speaking of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. What we need to consider is the significance of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. That Jesus used the word leaven to indicate that their teaching spread easily and was dangerous. Do you allow anxiety or fear to keep you from trusting in God's provision for your life? The apostles worried because they forgot to bring bread for their journey. How easy it is to forget what God has already done for us and to doubt what he promises to do for us in the future as well. Scripture tells us that 'perfect love casts out fear' (1 John 4:18). Ask God to flood your heart with his love and to increase your faith in his provident care for you. Several sermons, Gospel analysis and
bible commentaries are given in Malankara World to meditate on
today's scripture. You can find them at: |
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This Sunday in Church
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Second Sunday after the Feast of Sleebo (Holy Cross)
Evening
Morning
Before Holy Qurbana
Holy Qurbana
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We have greatly expanded our Sermon Resources.
The sermon collection now includes general and classical sermons. This will give a broader appeal to the Gospel Reading for the week. We
also added bible commentaries for the bible reading to facilitate study and meditation. Please check it out.
Sermons and Bible Commentaries for the Second Sunday After Sleebo Feast http://www.Malankaraworld.com/Library/Sermons/Sermon-of-the-week_2nd-sunday-after-Sleebo.htm |
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This Week's Features
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| Inspiration for Today | |
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Better a dry crust with peace
and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. Proverbs
17:1
---- "Do Not Weep." Luke 7:13 (Read Luke 7:11-17) There are many 'reasons' to despair. So many difficulties in life have no human solution. Especially when it comes to life and death, we occasionally find ourselves powerless to help others. Jesus, however, offers a different perspective: "Do not weep." His infinite power frees us from tragic human limitations. Furthermore, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). He acts, he intercedes, as Redeemer. "Do not weep," bears the weight of a command. As apocalyptic as suffering and death might appear, ultimately Jesus reveals a life-giving love: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain" (Revelation 21:4). The widow of Nain is about to receive a grace inconceivable to her present sorrow. We, too, should hope in Christ’s kindness towards us and our loved-ones. |
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Glory to Him who is invisible, mysterious and beyond
human comprehension, though and mind. He, Who is self-existent,
self sufficient, Maker and Author of all things
visible and invisible and has no beginning and will
continue with end. The eternal, everlasting and the incomprehensible
one true God, one nature, one authority and
one will of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There is not in Him a name without a Person and no Person is younger or older than the other Person, neither is there any transformation or alteration of one Person is another is greatness and smallness. No name or Person is younger or separated from the Divine Substance. Whenever the Father is mentioned, the Son and the Spirit are of Him, and when the Son is mentioned, the Father and the Spirit are acknowledged in Him, and when the Spirit is mentioned the Father and the Son are included. The Father begets and is not begotton. The Son is begotten and does not beget. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and takes from the Son and is consubstantial and co-essential with the Father. O God, invisible, inscrutable, eternal and immeasurable, You Who reconceivable in the oneness of essence and are apprehensible in three Holy Persons, Who are understood in three characteristic attributes by all rational beings and are acknowledged one God in three worshipped Persons; a perfect Trinity of three perfect Persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; one sublime essence, one eternal nature, one true God. Because You were pleased, O God the Father, to restore man who was created in Your image, and who of His free will slid into idolatry. You sent Your Word and Your Son for our reformation. When He became man without any alteration, He told us plainly and explained to us the ineffability of the Godhead, and announced to us the unknown things and the hidden secrets of Your wisdom in that he knows You and in that he is of You. He also informed us about the third Light of the Godhead Who is the Person of the Holy Spirit, Who proceeds from You, O Father, in an unutterable manner. The Spirit of truth, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of might, the Spirit of knowledge, the perfecter Spirit, the performer Spirit, the nonqualitative Spirit, the nonquantiative Spirit, the affectionate Spirit, the Spirit that guides the teachers; the beneficent Spirit, the powerful Spirit, the Almighty Spirit, the spirit that is simple in His nature and manifold in His operation, who is the fount of divine gifts and is consubstantial with you and with your only Begotten Son, the Spirit Who spoke in the law through the prophets and the disciples, who is near to all and fills all, Who effects sanctification with authority, and not entreatingly, upon those with Whom he is pleased. For You reign over us, o God, the Father and Lord of all, with Your Only Begotten Son, Who quickens all, and Your Spirit the most blessed, worshipped, life-giving and consubstantial with You, now and forever. Amen Source: Pentecost Liturgy of Syrian Orthodox Church (English translation courtesy of Joykutty, Detroit) |
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Lesson
4: After This Manner Pray Or The Model Prayer |
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| [Editor's Note: Here is this week's lesson from the book, 'With Christ in the School of Prayer' by Andrew Murray. This book is a very important reference book on intercessional prayer, something Orthodox Church believes in greatly. Murray skillfully describes the role of the Holy Spirit within the church and exhorts Christians to use the blessings God has given us. This book is a guide to living a life as a temple of the Holy Spirit. If you have missed the earlier lessons, please read them in Malankara World.] | |
So simple that the child can lisp it, so divinely rich that it comprehends all that God can give. Every teacher knows the power of example. He not only tells the child what to do and how to do it, but shows him how it really can be done. In condescension to our weakness, our heavenly Teacher has given us the very words we are to take with us as we draw near to our Father. We have in them a form of prayer in which there breathe the freshness and fullness of the Eternal Life. So simple that the child can lisp it, so divinely rich that it comprehends all that God can give. A form of prayer that becomes the model and inspiration for all other prayer, and yet always draws us back to itself as the deepest utterance of our souls before our God. 'Our Father which art in heaven!' To appreciate this word of adoration aright, I must remember that none of the saints had in Scripture ever ventured to address God as their Father. The invocation places us at once in the centre of the wonderful revelation the Son came to make of His Father as our Father too. It comprehends the mystery of redemption--Christ delivering us from the curse that we might become the children of God. The mystery of regeneration--the Spirit in the new birth giving us the new life. And the mystery of faith--ere yet the redemption is accomplished or understood, the word is given on the lips of the disciples to prepare them for the blessed experience still to come. The knowledge of God's Father-love is the first and simplest, but also the last and highest lesson in the school of prayer. The words are the key to the whole prayer, to all prayer. It takes time, it takes life to study them; it will take eternity to understand them fully. The knowledge of God's Father-love is the first and simplest, but also the last and highest lesson in the school of prayer. It is in the personal relation to the living God, and the personal conscious fellowship of love with Himself, that prayer begins. It is in the knowledge of God's Fatherliness, revealed by the Holy Spirit, that the power of prayer will be found to root and grow. In the infinite tenderness and pity and patience of the infinite Father, in His loving readiness to hear and to help, the life of prayer has its joy. O let us take time, until the Spirit has made these words to us spirit and truth, filling heart and life: 'Our Father which art in heaven.' Then we are indeed within the veil, in the secret place of power where prayer always prevails. In true worship the Father must be first, must be all. 'Hallowed be Thy name.' There is something here that strikes us at once. While we ordinarily first bring our own needs to God in prayer, and then think of what belongs to God and His interests, the Master reverses the order. First, Thy name, Thy kingdom, Thy will; then, give us, forgive us, lead us, deliver us. The lesson is of more importance than we think. In true worship the Father must be first, must be all. The sooner I learn to forget myself in the desire that HE may be glorified, the richer will the blessing be that prayer will bring to myself. No one ever loses by what he sacrifices for the Father. This must influence all our prayer. There are two sorts of prayer: personal and intercessory. The latter ordinarily occupies the lesser part of our time and energy. This may not be. Christ has opened the school of prayer specially to train intercessors for the great work of bringing down, by their faith and prayer, the blessings of His work and love on the world around. There can be no deep growth in prayer unless this be made our aim. Jesus would train us to the blessed life of consecration and service, in which our interests are all subordinate to the Name, and the Kingdom, and the Will of the Father. The little child may ask of the father only what it needs for itself; and yet it soon learns to say, Give some for sister, too. But the grown-up son, who only lives for the father's interest and takes charge of the father's business, asks more largely, and gets all that is asked. And Jesus would train us to the blessed life of consecration and service, in which our interests are all subordinate to the Name, and the Kingdom, and the Will of the Father. O let us live for this, and let, on each act of adoration, Our Father! there follow in the same breath Thy Name, Thy Kingdom, Thy Will;--for this we look up and long. 'Hallowed be Thy name.' What name? This new name of Father. The word Holy is the central word of the Old Testament; the name Father of the New. In this name of Love all the holiness and glory of God are now to be revealed. And how is the name to be hallowed? By God Himself: 'I will hallow My great name which ye have profaned.' The children of the Father are here in the enemy's territory, where the kingdom, which is in heaven, is not yet fully manifested. Our prayer must be that in ourselves, in all God's children, in presence of the world, God Himself would reveal the holiness, the Divine power, the hidden glory of the name of Father. The Spirit of the Father is the Holy Spirit: it is only when we yield ourselves to be led of Him, that the name will be hallowed in our prayers and our lives. Let us learn the prayer: 'Our Father, hallowed be Thy name.' 'Thy kingdom come.' The Father is a King and has a kingdom. The son and heir of a king has no higher ambition than the glory of his father's kingdom. In time of war or danger this becomes his passion; he can think of nothing else. The children of the Father are here in the enemy's territory, where the kingdom, which is in heaven, is not yet fully manifested. As the will is done, the kingdom of heaven comes into the heart. What more natural than that, when they learn to hallow the Father-name, they should long and cry with deep enthusiasm: 'Thy kingdom come.' The coming of the kingdom is the one great event on which the revelation of the Father's glory, the blessedness of His children, the salvation of the world depends. On our prayers too the coming of the kingdom waits. Shall we not join in the deep longing cry of the redeemed: 'Thy kingdom come'? Let us learn it in the school of Jesus. 'Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.' This petition is too frequently applied alone to the suffering of the will of God. In heaven God's will is done, and the Master teaches the child to ask that the will may be done on earth just as in heaven: in the spirit of adoring submission and ready obedience. Because the will of God is the glory of heaven, the doing of it is the blessedness of heaven. As the will is done, the kingdom of heaven comes into the heart. And wherever faith has accepted the Father's love, obedience accepts the Father's will. The surrender to, and the prayer for a life of heaven-like obedience, is the spirit of childlike prayer. Consecration to God and His will gives wonderful liberty in prayer for temporal things: the whole earthly life is given to the Father's loving care. 'Give us this day our daily bread.' When first the child has yielded himself to the Father in the care for His Name, His Kingdom, and His Will, he has full liberty to ask for his daily bread. A master cares for the food of his servant, a general of his soldiers, a father of his child. And will not the Father in heaven care for the child who has in prayer given himself up to His interests? We may indeed in full confidence say: Father, I live for Thy honour and Thy work; I know Thou carest for me. Consecration to God and His will gives wonderful liberty in prayer for temporal things: the whole earthly life is given to the Father's loving care. 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.' As bread is the first need of the body, so forgiveness for the soul. And the provision for the one is as sure as for the other. We are children but sinners too; our right of access to the Father's presence we owe to the precious blood and the forgiveness it has won for us. Let us beware of the prayer for forgiveness becoming a formality: only what is really confessed is really forgiven. ...as forgiven expresses the heavenward, so forgiving the earthward, relation of God's child. Let us in faith accept the forgiveness as promised: as a spiritual reality, an actual transaction between God and us, it is the entrance into all the Father's love and all the privileges of children. Such forgiveness, as a living experience, is impossible without a forgiving spirit to others: as forgiven expresses the heavenward, so forgiving the earthward, relation of God's child. In each prayer to the Father I must be able to say that I know of no one whom I do not heartily love. 'And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' Our daily bread, the pardon of our sins, and then our being kept from all sin and the power of the evil one, in these three petitions all our personal need is comprehended. The prayer for bread and pardon must be accompanied by the surrender to live in all things in holy obedience to the Father's will, and the believing prayer in everything to be kept by the power of the indwelling Spirit from the power of the evil one. ...the Father all to the child, the Father all for the child. Children of God! it is thus Jesus would have us to pray to the Father in heaven. O let His Name, and Kingdom, and Will, have the first place in our love; His providing, and pardoning, and keeping love will be our sure portion. So the prayer will lead us up to the true child-life: the Father all to the child, the Father all for the child. We shall understand how Father and child, the Thine and the Our, are all one, and how the heart that begins its prayer with the God-devoted Thine, will have the power in faith to speak out the Our, too. Such prayer will, indeed, be the fellowship and interchange of love, always bringing us back in trust and worship to Him who is not only the Beginning but the End: 'For Thine Is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory; Forever and Ever, Amen.' Son of the Father, teach us to pray, 'Our Father.' 'LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.' Lord! it is as if we needed days and weeks in Thy school with each separate petition; so deep and full are they. O Thou who art the only-begotten Son, teach us, we beseech Thee, to pray, 'Our Father.' We thank Thee, Lord, for these Living Blessed Words which Thou has given us. We thank Thee for the millions who in them have learnt to know and worship the Father, and for what they have been to us. Lord! it is as if we needed days and weeks in Thy school with each separate petition; so deep and full are they. But we look to Thee to lead us deeper into their meaning: do it, we pray Thee, for Thy Name's sake; Thy name is Son of the Father. Lord! Thou didst once say: 'No man knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son willeth to reveal Him.' And again: 'I made known unto them Thy name, and will make it known, that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them.' Lord Jesus! reveal to us the Father. Then shall we apprehend Thy teaching... Let His name, His infinite Father-love, the love with which He loved Thee, according to Thy prayer, Be In Us. Then shall we say aright, 'Our Father!' Then shall we apprehend Thy teaching, and the first spontaneous breathing of our heart will be: 'Our Father, Thy Name, Thy Kingdom, Thy Will.' And we shall bring our needs and our sins and our temptations to Him in the confidence that the love of such a Father care for all. Blessed Lord! we are Thy scholars, we trust Thee; do teach us to pray, 'Our Father.' Amen. |
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by Linton Smith This week the West Australian reported on the results of the 2006 Census. The report noted that the number of people who call themselves Christians has gone down since 1996 from 71% to 64% and commented that WA has emerged as one of the least religious Sates in the country [WA 28-6-07] What can be done to turn the tide? We often respond by looking to others to fix the problem and then criticize them because they do not. That will not do. It is down to each of us. So our question today is this: What can we do to revive our selves and the church? The answer: We can draw near to God! In his short letter, James writes to a group of Christians who seem to be obsessed with pleasure and making money. They brag and boast and slander others. [Read chapter 4!]. He reminds them that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.. urges them to submit to God and resist the devil.. and then says.. James 4:8 [New King James Version]..
Today I invite you to consider three people who drew near to God.. and see how drawing near to God impacted their lives and the lives of others. Isaiah Drew Near To God One of Judah’s greater kings reigned 52 years. He died in 740 BC. That year Isaiah had a life-changing experience. He tells us about it in..
Under the rule of Uzziah, Judah had become a powerful nation and Uzziah had become famous. Later in his life his fame went to his head and he did something foolish. He went into the Temple to burn incense – something that only priests were permitted to do. He was smitten with leprosy and remained a leper until the day he died. In the year he died the young Isaiah went into the Temple. What was on his mind? The future.. how will Judah fare now without Uzziah? I think we could call it a time of crisis. He drew near to God.. and what a life changing experience it was! He saw the Almighty God.. the Holy God.. and felt totally undone.. sure he must die.. for he - a sinner - had glimpsed the high and holy God.. But one of the seraphim that surrounded God.. flew to him.. and touched his lips with a live coal from the altar.. touched his mouth with it.. and told him his guilt was taken away.. Then Isaiah heard the voice of God.. Whom, shall I send? Who will go for us.. and Isaiah responded.. Here am I. Send me. He went among his people.. a prophet seeking to turn them back to God.. but they would not listen.. I guess we would say he was a failure. But his words have been recorded.. some of the grandest words in the Bible.. and he spoke of the Lord’s Servant who would come.. He spoke of Jesus.. spoke of His suffering.. 700 years before He was born. In a time of crisis he drew near to God. He glimpsed the holiness of God.. felt totally undone.. was forgiven.. and sent out to preach! His own life was changed.. and what he did and said and recorded has had an incredible impact on millions of people. Read the rest of the article including the stories of Ahab in Old Testament and that of Peter in New Testament in Malankara World. |
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By Robert Ringer Following are some miscellaneous excerpts from mostly one-star reviews (the worst rating possible) on Amazon.com that I extracted for this article.
Reviewer #1: Obviously referring to a book that didn't make it in the marketplace, right? Not quite. How about the biggest-selling motivational book of all time, according to The New York Times! That's right, it's Steven Covey's 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. Covey not only has built a career on this book, but a huge company to boot.
Reviewer #2: Another loser, right? Hardly. The reviewer is referring to 'Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive', listed by The New York Times as one of the biggest-selling motivational books of all time. Since writing this book, Harvey Mackay has written many other bestsellers and has gone on to become one of the highest-paid, in-demand speakers in the world.
Reviewer #3: You guessed it -- it's the landmark book 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad,' which has sold millions of copies worldwide. Kiyosaki's book is loaded with great ideas and, as a bonus, is cleverly written and enjoyable to read. And on and on it goes. You can find negative reader reviews for Will Durant, Eric Hoffer, and many other literary giants. And as much as I know this will shock you, you can even find negative reader reviews for books written by (sigh) yours truly. My favorite bad review for one of my books (can't remember which one it was) was from a guy who said that what bothered him most was that I was using my book as a platform for my own opinions. I'm not kidding ... someone actually wrote that. Duh ... helloooo ... the whole purpose of writing a self-development book is for the author to convey his opinions to the reader! Don't get me wrong. People have an absolute right to give their honest opinions about any book they read. I've certainly read many best-sellers that I didn't like. It's just a reminder that you can't please everyone. The small sampling of reviews I've shared with you graphically illustrate that even the most successful among us not only get criticized, but are often disliked by huge numbers of people. Just imagine how hated super-successful people such as Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, and Rush Limbaugh are. If you look at how they made it to the top, I think it's fair to say that none of them would be there if they weren't hated by millions of people. Why so? Because the other side of the hate coin is that there are millions of people who also love them. The only way I know to avoid negative opinions is to say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing. All this should be comforting to you, because it's a reminder that the criticism people aim your way -- which can sometimes include slanderous and defamatory remarks -- is part and parcel to the game of success. And, I would argue, to the broader game of life. Making it to the top doesn't make you less vulnerable to criticism; it makes you more vulnerable. Remember, you cannot force people to like you or your work. You cannot even force them to stop saying bad things about you -- unless you want to spend the rest of your life involved in lawsuits that require you to prove damages. The sad reality is that human beings, to one extent or another, tend to be jealous of the success of others. Accept that reality and simply write it off as a fact of life. The only thing you have the power to change is how you react to criticism. When someone tries to twist your words, change your meanings, or restate your intentions, you may instinctively feel like lashing out and defending yourself. There's a natural inclination to want to prove to the world that what has been said about you is false. Unfortunately, once your emotions reach that point, the slanderer has won. There is a great deal of bitterness in our world due to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and failure, and the neurotic individual often feels that he can vent his frustration only by tearing down others. Don't take the bait. It is within your power to ignore the criticism and ugly remarks of others. If you want to drive your detractors crazy, simply ignore them. I find that the less you talk about someone criticisms, lies, or slanderous comments about you, the more quickly they tend to fade away. The reality is that you are going to be criticized -- and sometimes slandered and lied about -- so best you learn not to allow it to throw you into a state of emotional turmoil when it occurs. Take heart by reminding yourself that it happens to high-profile people all the time. The impact of a negative remark aimed at you will very much depend on how you handle it. The perfect mind-set is: "It's no big deal -- just a part of life." Just don't allow it to become a major part of your life.
[Ed. Note: Robert Ringer is a New York Times #1 bestselling author and host of
the highly acclaimed Liberty Education Interview Series, which features
interviews with top political, economic, and social leaders. Ringer has appeared
on numerous national talk shows and has been the subject of feature articles in
such major publications as Time, People, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune,
Barron's, and The New York Times.] |
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by Greg Laurie Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. —Genesis 2:24 The objective God has in bringing a man and a woman together can be captured in two very important words: Leave and cleave. These come from Genesis 2:24 (kjv), which says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” The word “cleave” means to glue or to cling. So to leave and cleave is to sever and bond, to loosen and secure, or to depart from and attach to. A successful marriage begins with leaving. In effect, you leave all other relationships. The closest relationship outside of marriage is specified in Genesis 2:24, implying that if it is necessary to leave your father and mother, then certainly all lesser ties must be broken, changed, or left behind. This doesn’t mean that when you get married, you are no longer a son or a daughter or a sibling. But what it does mean is that you have a new, primary responsibility, and that is to your spouse. You must still honor your mother and father, but leaving has taken place. Leaving implies giving other relationships a lesser degree of importance. You still can have friends still, but your best friend should be your spouse. Having members of the opposite sex as friends can be problematic at best and potentially destructive at worse. Most adultery happens through close contact and relationship, not mere sexual attraction. So be very careful. Your best friend should be your husband or your wife. In Malachi 2:14, God said of the relationship between a husband and his wife, “Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant.” The word “companion” used here means someone united with another in thoughts, goals, plans, and efforts. Are you united with your spouse in this way? Summary sentence: Leaving and cleaving are key elements to a successful marriage. Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. |
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by Third Age Health Good digestion is an essential component of health and vitality. Many digestive complaints and symptoms appear even in apparently healthy people. They frequently go undiagnosed because these complaints are not “serious”. Symptoms such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, belching, flatulence, food sensitivities, indigestion, malabsorption, irritable bowel syndrome, and the list goes on, are so common that they are seen as normal. But they can have negative effects: Consider that a sluggish bowel can retain pounds of old toxic fecal matter. This leads to a vicious cycle that taxes our defense systems and eventually leads to more serious disease. The following are 10 tips for better digestion (remember to check with your doctor before making any radical changes in your health regimen): 1. Lemons The first top digestion tip, is every morning before breakfast, freshly squeeze the juice of 1 - 2 lemons in 250ml - 500ml of spring or filtered water. This small but effective daily routine will help to cleanse the stomach of left over 'debris' and remove any excess acid. 2. Have A Daily Drink Of Apple Cider Vinegar And Apple Juice Another daily drink taken late morning or sometime before lunch will complement the cleanse in Tip 1 to help your digestion. This can include between one teaspoon and one tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar mixed with 250ml - 500ml apple juice (freshly squeezed is even better). This drink will balance digestive juices, specifically for low or high levels of hydrochloric acid (HCl). 3. Avoid Cold Drinks While Eating Food is digested more efficiently if it's around body temperature; therefore, cold fluid can slow down the digestive processes. If you must drink while eating, try hot water or herbal teas. Caffeine can cause excess production of HCl so should be avoided, as should alcohol. 4. Try Bitter Herbs Have you ever heard of Swedish Bitters? These can usually be obtained online or from good health food stores. The taste of bitter herbs, foods, juices etc, 20 - 30 mins before eating will increase digestive function by encouraging the release of digestive enzymes, juices and acids. 5. Do Self-Massage and Exercise Specific self-massage and exercise techniques used as part of a daily routine will also contribute to better digestion. Example 1- Liver Exercise - This exercise massages the liver and gall bladder, toning and cleansing these organs, helping digestion. It helps cope with abdominal wind and assists digestion. Place the heel of the right hand on the right side of the body under the rib cage, and just above the hip bone. The fingers should point straight across the body. Pressing firmly, move the hand slowly across the body to the middle of the abdomen; you should end up with the heel of the hand over the navel. Repeat this action 10-20 times. Example 2- Stomach Exercise - This exercise is similar to the Liver Exercise, but is applied to the other side of the body. It benefits the digestion, the spleen, and the pancreas, as well as the stomach. Method: Place the heel of the left hand between the rib cage and the left hip, with the fingers pointing across the body. Move the hand firmly and smoothly across to the center of the body, until it is over the navel. Repeat 10-20 times. 6. Take Time For A Short-Term Fast This is one way to allow the digestive system a well-deserved break. However, first-time fasters should try the process for a maximum of 24 hours. Remember always to drink plenty of fruit and vegetable juice during your fast. Plan your fasting for days when you will not be doing lots of hard physical work and can take plenty of rest. 7. Chew Thoroughly One of the most important mechanisms of digestion, yet more often than not, the most forgotten! Chewing is the first stage of digestion. It not only physically breaks down foods, but signals the organs to secrete their digestive juices (pancreatic enzymes, stomach acids, etc.) in order to prepare for the incoming foods. 8. Combining Food Combining food can work well for many people. Combining food involves the three main types of food/fuel i.e. carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, rice), proteins (meats, dairy, nuts, soya) and fats (cooking oils, avocados). Experts think that one should not mix these types of food within one meal. For example, eat either carbohydrates alone or proteins alone, together with (non-starchy) vegetables or salad. 9. Colon And Liver Cleansing Colon cleansing and liver cleansing through the use of herbs, foods and supplements will benefit the whole digestive system. These are two of the most popular approaches to getting started with detox, and detox benefits every part of the body by helping the body remove toxins that otherwise slow down every organ and all body functions. 10. Herbs Listed are herbs that are known to help the process of digestion. These herbs include, but are not limited to, Slippery Elm, Bayberry, Wild Yam, Cardamom, Cloves, Fennel, Ginger and Cinnamon. |
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A preacher was making his rounds on a bicycle, when he came upon a little boy
trying to sell a lawn mower. 'How much do you want for the mower?' asked the
preacher.
'I just want enough money to go out and buy me a bicycle,' said the little boy. After a moment of consideration, the preacher asked, Will you take my bike in trade for it?' The little boy asked if he could try it out first, and, after riding the bike around a little while, said, 'Mister, you've got yourself a deal.' The preacher took the mower and began to crank it. He pulled on the rope a few times with no response from the mower. The preacher called the little boy over and said, 'I can't get this mower to start.' The little boy said, 'That's because you have to cuss at it to get it started.' The preacher said, 'I can't cuss. It's been so long since I became a Christian that I don't even remember how to cuss.' The little boy looked at him happily and said, 'You just keep pulling on that rope. It'll come back to ya.' |
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Malankara World has over 3000 articles and hundreds of
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