VOL. 14 ISSUE A3 MONTH-MARCH YEAR-2005
THE SUFFERING SERVANT OF THE LORD- THE PROMISED MESSIAH :: THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS :: PERSONALITY PROFILE - PETER :: 365-DAY BIBLE READING PLAN - MARCH:: BIBLE QUIZ XIIb):: LIVING WITNESSES OF GOD IN JEEVAN DHAM :: EASTER WISHES


THE SUFFERING SERVANT OF THE LORD- THE PROMISED MESSIAH

    Embedded in the Book of Isaiah are four Lyrical passages, the "Songs of the Servant of Yahweh", 42:1-4 (possibly 5-9); 49:1-6, 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12. They depict a perfect servant of Yahweh- re-gatherer of his people and light of the nations- one who preaches the true faith, who expiates the people’s sins by his own death and is glorified by God. Although the identity of the servant was much disputed, yet the earliest Christian preaching identified Jesus as the perfect Servant foretold by Isaiah(Mt. 12:17-21; Jn. 1:29). These texts were the very ones which Jesus emphasised, applying them to himself and His mission (Lk. 22:19-20, 37). The description of the servant’s suffering starts with the third Song (50:5-6) and is further developed in the Fourth Song (cf.Mt. 8:17; 26:63, 67; 27:14, 29-31,60). As we get near to the Holy Week let us meditate on the Passion of Christ, Our Saviour, through the Fourth Song of the Servant.
“See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him —so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals— (Mt. 27:29-31; Jn.19:5) so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Mt. 27:14) By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, (Mt.27:60) although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.”(Is. 52:13-53:11)

 

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS   

The Way of the Cross is an effective way to reflect upon the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. The Season of Lent is a natural time for this devotion. The fourteen Stations of the Cross are as follows:
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus carries His Cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets His afflicted Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His Cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Women of Jerusalem lament over Jesus
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
11. Jesus is nailed to the Cross
12. Jesus dies on the Cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the Cross
14. Jesus is laid in the Sepulchre
Let us Pray:
     Mary, my Mother, you were the first to live the Way of the Cross. You felt every pain and every humiliation. You were unafraid of the ridicule heaped upon you by the crowds. Your eyes were ever on Jesus and His Pain. Is that the secret of your miraculous strength? How did your loving heart bear such a burden and such a weight? As you watched Him stumble and fall, were you tortured by the memory of all the yesterdays – His birth, His hidden life and His ministry? As you watched His tender hands and legs being nailed to the cross, your tears in silence revealed the pain you felt in your heart. You were so desirous of everyone loving Him. What a heartache it was to see so many hate Him – hate with a diabolical fury. You kept silent enduring the intense pain within you. You had kept every truth about your beloved Son, about his invaluable sacrifice for the sinful world, hidden deep within your heart and had accepted it as a humble handmaid of the Lord. A sword pierced your sorrowful heart as you saw Your own son lying lifeless on your lap filled with deep wounds and bathed in His most Precious Blood. Nobody comforted you at that moment.
     Grant that my heart, like yours, may be pierced through by the sight of His sorrow and misery and that I may determine never to offend Him again. What a price He paid to cover my sins, to open the gates of heaven for me and to fill my soul with His own Spirit. Sweet Mother, obtain for me the grace to be Jesus to my neighbour and to see my neighbour in Jesus. Amen.


PERSONALITY PROFILE

PETER THE APOSTLE

     Jesus’ first words to Simon Peter were, “Follow me and I will make you into fishers of people” (Mark 1:17). His last words to him were, “Follow me.”(John 21:22) every step of the way between those two challenges, Peter never failed to follow - even though he often stumbled. When Jesus entered Peter’s life, this plain fisherman became a new person with new goals and new priorities. He did not become a perfect person, however, and he never stopped being Simon Peter. We may wonder what Jesus saw in Simon that made him greet this potential disciple with a new name: Peter- the “rock”. Impulsive Peter certainly didn’t act like a rock much of the time. But when Jesus chose His followers, He wasn’t looking for models; He was looking for real people. He chose people who could be changed by His love, and then He sent them out to communicate that His acceptance was available to anyone – even to those who often fail.
     Jesus accepted Peter, and, in spite of his failures, Peter went on to do great things for God. Are you willing to keep following Jesus, even when you fail?

Strengths and Accomplishments:
Became the recognized leader among Jesus’ disciples - one of the inner group of three.
Was the first great voice of the gospel during and after Pentecost.
Wrote 1 and 2 Peter.

Weaknesses and mistakes:
Often spoke without thinking, was brash and impulsive.
During Jesus’ trial, denied three times that he even knew Jesus.
Later found it hard to treat Gentile Christians as equals.

Lessons from his life:
Enthusaiasms have to be backed up by faith and understanding, or it fails.
God’s faithfulness can compensate for our greatest unfaithfulness.
It is better to be a follower who sometimes fails than one who fails to follow.

Key verse:
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rockI will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)

Mentioned in : Peter’s story is told in the Gospels and the book of Acts. He is mentioned in Galatians 1:18 and 2:7-14; and he wrote 1 and 2 Peter.

Vital Statistics:
Relatives: Father: John, Brother: Andrew
Occupation: Fisherman
Contemporaries: Jesus, Pilate, Herod

365-DAY BIBLE READING PLAN

BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH:

60.. Day 1 ..... Deut. 28-29 61.. Day 2 ..... Deut. 30-31 62.. Day 3 ..... Deut. 32-33 63.. Day 4 ..... Deut. 34
64.. Day 5 ..... Joshua 1-5 65.. Day 6 ..... Joshua 6-10 66.. Day 7 ..... Joshua 11-13 67.. Day 8 ..... Joshua 14-17
68.. Day 9 ..... Joshua 18-20 69.. Day 10 .... Joshua 21-22 70.. Day 11 ....Joshua 23-24 71.. Day 12 .... Judges 1-3
72.. Day 13 .... Judges 4-5 73.. Day 14 .... Judges 6-8 74.. Day 15 .... Judges 9-10 75.. Day 16 .... Judges 11-13
76.. Day 17 .... Judges 14-16 77.. Day 18 .... Judges 17-19 78.. Day 19 .... Judges 20-21 79.. Day 20 .... Ruth 1-4
80.. Day 21 .... 1 Samuel 1-3 81.. Day 22 .... 1 Samuel 4-7 82.. Day 23 .... 1 Samuel 8-12 83.. Day 24 .... 1 Samuel 13-14
84.. Day 25 .... 1 Samuel 15-16 85.. Day 26 .... 1 Samuel 17-18 86.. Day 27 .... 1 Samuel 19-21 87.. Day 28 .... 1 Samuel 22-24
88.. Day 29 .... 1 Samuel 25-27 89.. Day 30 .... 1 Samuel 28-31 90.. Day 31 .... 2 Samuel 1-3  



 

BIBLE QUIZ
XIIb) A DISCIPLESHIP MANUAL

A Manual For Discipleship is a verse-by-verse study of the gospel of Matthew that will challenge you to answer Christ’s call to become a disciple and explain why it is so important that you do so. Each chapter of the Gospel of Matthew can be outlined accordingly from the viewpoint of discipleship. Following the previous portions of the gospel, just like the last Bible Quiz, below are given the headings made from this viewpoint for Book Three (Chs.11-13) and Book Four (Chs.14-18) in a random order. You have to read these Chapters carefully, match these headings in SetA with their Chapter wise divisions given in Set B.

Set A
1. Disciples, Expect the unexpected
2. Disciples, Know genuine conversion
3. Disciples, Be transformed by the Transfiguration
4. Disciples, Getting ready for grief
5. Disciples, Rest in Jesus
6. Disciples, Remember, You are in a War
7. Disciples, Who do you say that I am?
8. Disciples, Understand the Mystery of Heaven
9. Disciples, Children are the greatest
10.Disciples, Know the trouble with traditionalism
Set B
a) Matt.11, b) Matt.13:1-23, c) Matt. 15:1-20, d) Matt.12, e) Matt.18,
f)Matt.16, g) Matt.15:21-39 , h)Matt.14, i) Matt.17, j) Matt.13:24-52
Answers to Last month’s Quiz
XII.A DISCIPLESHIP MANUAL
4. Disciples, be prepared and be baptized-b)
9. Disciples, beware Temptation-h)
5. Disciples, follow Jesus-f)
8. Disciples, Be Blessed-c)
1. Disciples, You are Salt and Light-i)
7. Disciples, You must exceed Religion-e)
2. Disciples, Know He is willing and able to work in you-a)
3. Disciples, are you willing to be used?-g)
6. Instructions - Know the Harvest Mission Strategy-d)

Send Your Answers to:
JEEVAN DHAM, H.No. 696/ Sec-22, Faridabad-121005, Haryana.

Rules to be followed:
1. Answers may be sent by post or e-mail latest by the end of the month. Answers received after that will not be considered.
2. You should clearly specify your name and postal address. Mention the quiz number and title before the answers written in order.
3. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of three consecutive quizzes.
4. Answers and winners of each quiz will be published in the subsequent issue of the newsletter.

Thanks for taking the Quiz! Good Luck!

 



A) BLADDER STONES ELIMINATED MIRACULOUSLY!

Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
I, Ram Katori (aged 22 years), have been attending the prayer service in Jeevan Dham for the past one month. The prime reason for coming here was to get healing because I had been suffering due to stones in my urinary bladder for the past 7 years. The stones could be removed only by an operation. I spent thousands of rupees on treatment but never went for an operation, as I was frightened. The pain never subsided and my life became miserable.
Two months back one of my relatives in Mathura told me about this healing prayer service held here every Sunday. I came with them to Faridabad and started attending the prayer service. On the first day itself, I got a little respite from my pain. I went to Jeevan Dham, Sec-22 too on Fridays for the morning prayer. I also consulted some doctors here and had the date of my operation fixed on Friday before last. It happened that the Sunday before last, the lady announced on the stage that God was healing a person is suffering from stones (in the kidney or bladder). I realized later that the person she mentioned was no one else but myself for I felt an increasing pain and pressure to pass urine within a few minutes. I went to the toilet and to my amazement a cluster of small stones came out along with the urine. It was the true and Holy Word of God that worked in me and did away with the stones which were annoying me all these 7 years. On the scheduled day of operation I went to Jeevan Dham rather than going to the hospital and attended the morning prayer. After the prayer service the lady announced that God is blessing a lady wearing a maroon striped-shawl. She spotted me out very soon because I was wearing the same shawl which she had seen in the vision. I stood up and thanked God but still could not give away my wonderful testimony amidst the crowd. However, today I have come here to give my witness in front of all because I believe that nobody else but the almighty God has cured me of all my ailments. Now I can eat any food without feeling any pain or discomfort.
Ram Katori, Mathura

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress; He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction."(Psalms 107:19-20)

B) THROUGH THE POWER OF HIS WORD, GOD RESTORED THE EYESIGHT OF MORE THAN 35 PERSONS WITHIN ONE SUNDAY

C) AN AMAZING WITNESS: OBTAINED THE SENSE TO TASTE AND SMELL!
Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
     I, Rajbala (aged 44 years), had never tasted or smelt anything all my life, for I lacked these two vital senses by birth. I could never say whether anything tasted sweet, sour, salty or spicy. I was unable to make out if food went bad and unfit for human consumption. I just ate food sans taste. But the merciful God showered His wonderful blessings on me two weeks back when He gave me the gift to smell and taste. This was confirmed on that Sunday by the announcement made during the prayer service by the lady on the stage. I started a new life since that day onwards. Today, when I came on the stage, I got the stinking smell coming from the open wound of the man who gave his testimony just before me on the stage. The tumour on his back filled with pus, which troubled him for several years, broke open by itself through God’s grace while he was hearing the powerful Word of God. He came today for the first time and was totally relieved from all pains and worries as the Divine Word touched him.
      The Loving God had given me a new life three years ago when my neighbours brought me here for the first time. Due to wrong medical treatment, I had become almost blind and lost my memory and mental balance. I had become irritated and restless. More than thirty thousand rupees were spent on my treatment but nothing improved my worsening condition. I was totally allergic to loud voices or music and had to run away from places which were crowded with people or vehicles et al. The first Sunday I came here I felt like running away when I saw the crowd and heard them praising. But later, through God’s grace I got the peace of mind and felt comfortable. By the third Sunday, the Almighty God healed me totally and restored my mental and physical health. Since then I have been attending the prayer service regularly. Glory and praise be to God who gave me a new life twice and strengthened my faith and the faith of all His believers present here today. Praise the Lord!
Rajbala, Faridabad

"My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth...The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. "(Psalms 121:2,5)

EASTER WISHES


HAPPY EASTER!
May the Joy and Peace of the Risen LORD be always with you.
Alleluia!
- EDITOR










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Scriptural references in DIVYA JYOTI are from the New Revised Standard Version (© Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)1989
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