For my Good Friend Michael: Bach Cello Suite Nr 1

My brother Michael sent me this link http://antresolcafe.posterous.com/robert-gupta-music-is-medicine-music-is-sanit-5

A talk I can so relate to thanks Michael. Yet while I appreciated the violin that borrowed from the cello players, I can’t help but feeling that this is a piece that should be heard on the cello as well for the full dynamics.It is one of these pieces that made me realize how much I still want to learn the cello myself one day.

Love John

Matthew 16 Commentary – The Cost of the Kingdom – BibleGateway.com

Sometimes you need some encouragement, I just found it.

Jesus Is Worth Any Price We Must Pay to Follow Him (16:25-27)

Losing one’s life in this age would be a small price to preserve it in the eternal age to come (compare 2 Baruch 51:15-16; m. ‘Abot 4:17). We must decide whether we “want” to come after Jesus (Mt 16:24; NIV would) or “want” (the same Greek term; NIV wants) to save our lives (v. 25); we cannot have it both ways. The cross means death, and nothing less (10:38-39; Jn 12:25).

Yet the only way to ultimately preserve one’s life is to relinquish it in faith that the Son of Man will someday come with his angels to execute judgment (Mt 16:27; compare 25:31; 2 Thess 1:7-8; Dan 7:9-14) according to each person’s works (for example, Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; Rom 2:6; 2 Cor 11:15; Rev 22:12). Those who expected a period of great suffering before the time of the kingdom, as most Jewish people did, would hear in such words a radical call to perseverance (Mt 24:9-13).

In the end God will reward us for what we have done, and eternal life matters more than our temporary lives in this age. I once shared Christ with an associate who cared deeply about his friends, prompting him to consider that eternal life is a gift of far greater significance than any other he could offer them, but he could not give what he did not have himself. God’s Spirit prompted him to forsake status and worldly plans, and he became a committed Christian who has touched countless lives since that day. John dared to believe that God’s eternal riches outweigh any cost in the present, so he became a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Yet how few disciples we have; except for going to church and paying tithes, many Christians today do with their time and money much the same as what morally upright non-Christians do.

via Matthew 16 Commentary – The Cost of the Kingdom – BibleGateway.com.

An Interview with Pastor Ravi Daniel in Paskistan

Introduction

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:13)

All men will hate you; that is not a pleasurable foresight for anyone that is considering to become a follower of Jesus. At the same time for many in the western countries, “hate you” will have a different meaning. Many will think probably of how some people dislike Christianity or about Atheists making claims about the irrationality of people. There are others however in environments where being a Christian or converting to Christianity can have a severe price tag: being excluded from the family bond, communities, persecution and sometimes even death. In these environments, which at times remind us of the persecution of of the early Christians, the distinction between a belief and a conviction becomes clear. That is belief understood here as something that may change as new information becomes available and a conviction as something you are willing to die for. One of the environments in which this is an actual topic is Pakistan.

In Pakistan, Christians are the second largest minority group after the Hindus. Since 1971 Pakistan has developed itself more and more as an Islamic state. Christianity is under severe pressures. An while it is strictly speaking not prohibited under law to convert to Christianity, cultural and social pressures out a considerable price tag on being a Christian whilst conversion could even lead to the death penalty. My eyes were opened to some extent through the news articles received through “Assist New Service” but more recently upon visiting the website of the Peace and Ministries in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Going over the website I was amazed to see the “security team” associated with this ministry. When was the last time you encountered a security guard in your church? Laws in Pakistan, more particularly the so-called blasphemy laws make it particularly easy to persecute non-Muslims and if the news articles of Assist News are right, persecution is part of the price that comes with Christianity. Christians in Pakistan are subject to persecution, intimidation, harassment and  discrimination. And while there is news coverage about it on a regular basis through Assist News, we can probably all remember the news coverage of the August  2009 ‘Gojra riots’  that got a number of Christians killed while television news showed burning houses and a church, streets with blackened furniture and people shooing to each other from the rooftops.

It is exactly in such an environment that Pastor Ravi Daniel maintains his ministry through the Peace and Unity Ministries. It is one thing as a westerner like myself to claim that I gave my life to Christ, bit for the Christian people it is a highly personal, acute and relevant matter as literally their faith could cost them their livelihoods and lives. Meeting Pastor Ravi Daniel online some time ago gave me a completely new perspective on the whole matter of giving your life to Christ.

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:34)

What is probably most amazing is that while in all our human judgmental attitude it would be so easy to let oneself end up finger pointing, blaming, shaming and forget about the teachings of Jesus himself.

³⁴Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:34-40)²⁷“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27-28)

Despite the circumstances and persecutions I have not ever heard Pastor Ravi Daniel say anything demeaning about what we here in New Zealand would classify as persecutors. The previous two Bible quotes from Matthew and Luke set of against the circumstances for Christians in Pakistan can only make you rethink the two most important commandment and flowing from that the teaching to love your enemy. In fact despite the circumstances Pastor Ravi does not seems to think in such terms as enemies. What a lesson on spirituality one is offered here. Enough now; let’s have Pastor Ravi Daniel do the talking.

Interview with Pastor Ravi Daniel

Q:  Pastor Ravi Daniel, you live in a hostile environment for Christians. Tell us more about your story: how did you become a Christian?

A: I am born in a Christian Family so from my birth I am Christian.  I am a  Chairman of Christian Ministries and we are working in Pakistan for Peace and Unity and we are working in unreached areas .We reached the unreached areas of Pakistan and help the people.

Question:Tell us please: what is it like to be a Christian in Pakistan?

Answer:  Actually Christian is very very poor in Pakistan , there are many Christians villages are very poor and condition of villages is very bad. And in Pakistan Christians not have a spiritual Growth we want a spiritual Growth in Pakistani Christians. We want spreading God messages through Gospel  Songs and Bible. Today the Christians is poor and needy.

Question: I read a lot about persecution of Christians in Pakistan. It struck me that your Ministry actually has a security management function. How real is the threat or risk to safety and security in Pakistan?

Answer :  Dear Friends in Christ actually last year Muslims attacks on two villages of Christians names Gojra and Korian village .They used  a Chemicals and Fire the Christians houses and Churches and Schools and Christians are destroyed by bad Chemical and Fire and many Christians homes are Fire in this incident. So we can prepare a Security team for protection of  Christians in Pakistan and Christians Events in Pakistan we secure a Crusades of Christians, prayer meetings, Seminars and Schools and Churches through our Security team. We have  small security team and we need all world Christians people help and support and prayer. We need security team salaries for support families of security team , Food, Uniform , water , Office and Conveyance Facility.
Because this Security team protect Crusades , seminars , Churches , Schools , etc.

Question: You are now a pastor at the Peace and Unity Ministry. Tell us a bit more about your walk in becoming a pastor. What is the story regarding your involvement in the Peace and Unity Ministry in Pakistan?

Answer:  Dear Friends in Christ the Founder of Peace and Unity in Christ Ministries is my Father and they Struggle for Christians in Pakistan and currently the leading command of Peace and Unity is my hand and I lead the ministry and as a Pastor I am working on spreading and preaching God message to all world ,God give me a prayer power a healing power I used this power and in Pakistan our team reached many villages of Pakistan and God used me and I am a servant of God .We have a more than 1850 house Churches and we have a vision of 10 thousand house Churches. And In Involvement of Peace and Unity Ministry that’ a great job in the way of “Jesus Christ”

Question: I read about the hostile environment for Christians in Pakistan but at the same time I am amazed to see how many people actually walk away from Islam and convert to Christianity. What are the key matters, ideas, concepts that attract Muslims to become a Christian and pay the price for such a conversion? E.g. what makes Muslims convinced that Jesus is indeed “the way, the truth, the life” and that he is indeed “the Word in the flesh”? as opposed to ‘just another prophet.’

Answer:  Dear Friends in Christ we know “Jesus Christ ” is a way of Life. Through our God miracle , prayers , and Great power of God. And the matters , ideas , concepts to attract Muslims is prayer meetings , Crusades , Seminars , Christ Events , to help also Muslims. And sorry I am not give a long answer of this question some thing hide is better. Sorry.

I don’t think there is any apology needed here. I understand the situation.
Question: Tell us more please about the Peace and Unity Ministry:

• Mission, vision, Purpose
• Ministries
• Other people involved, Projects
• How is the church supported
• What can people do to help
• How will people know what happens to their financial support after they make donations

Answer: Aims of Ministries :

1. To raise the prayer warriors groups. We have one group of Prayer Warrior in every House Church.
2. Vision is to train children, young men, and women for leadership in Gospel work, to make disciples and send them out every where to preach and teach the word of God. Vision is to go for preaching in those places where there is no evangelism.
3. To Provide a Bible study to young Boys , Girls .And prepare the Preacher of Bible and spread the message of God to all over Pakistan.And arrange the seminars ,meetings and Crusades, and door to door prayer and Building of House Churches in Pakistan. And Spread the Evangelism in all Pakistan.
4. To reached the out reached People of Christ with message of Christ.
5. Protect the Christian and Christianity in Pakistan.
6. The Message of Peace and Unity give to People.
7. And feed the poor and needy people and Children .
8. Help the poor Widows and Orphans in Pakistan.
9. Working in villages and preach the message of God door to door.
10. To Create a great understanding between different religious through great and lovely behavior.
11. To Protect Christians of Pakistan.
12. To Spread the Gospel through  Choir through Music .

Who we are eace and Unity in Christ Ministries working in Pakistan since 1990 .And Mr.Daniel Masih start his work with poor worker of Christ.
There are many worker of God involed in this Ministry. And Peace and Unity in Christ Ministry spread the message of God and peace and unity message. Mr.Daniel Masih build a Big security team in Pakistan they have a 30members and this Security team main purposes is that provide security to Christ Crusades, Seminars and meetings etc. And Basically Peace and Unity in Christ Ministries is a Poor worker team who want working for Jesus Christ and Christianity. And also Peace and Unity in Christ Ministry run a small Bible Study School and in this School many young boys and girl are students.In this School Peace and Unity Ministry Provide Study of Bible the “Message of God”. And we know “Every thing is Possible in the name of God” And we believed one day God Build a Big Bible Study School in Faisalabad .
Praise the God.

Unity and Peace

Our Lord Jesus Christ commands this to the Church.  The Church must be one, as the Body of Christ (Jn.17: 21; Eph.2: 10, 18-21).  Members should not take fellow members to court.  The Church should settle all misunderstandings biblically.  Court cases are disallowed (1Cor.6: 1 – 7).  We are commanded to preach the Gospel and not to judge one another.  There are more things that unite us than those that divide us – one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one Father (Eph.4: 4-6).  Christianity is all about love, and love covers a multitude of differences.

1. To establish Christian Television and Radio Stations.
2. To  assemble gifted and anointed ministers into the end-time Jesus Army, which will storm the gates of hell and set the captives free with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ..
3. To provide an enabling environment for gifted members to develop their gifts maximally for the Lord’s service.
4. To enable members achieve their full potential for the ministry
5. To propagate the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by all scriptural means.
6. To establish Christian hospitals and health centers
7. To establish Christian schools, colleges and universities
8. To make such financial investments as will not conflict with scriptural principles, for the purpose of funding the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
9. To establish Bible institutes
10. To establish Printing Presses, Publication centers, Christian Bookshops, etc.
11. To support, as much as possible, all proven ministers of the Gospel, be they evangelists, pastors, prophets, apostles, teachers, financially, materially, morally, and emotionally
12. To promote peace, harmony, love and unity in the Body of Christ, in accordance with our Lord’s Prayer in John 17:11,21,22,23
13. To be totally interdenominational in concept and in practice
14. To work closely with other Bible believing churches and ministries
15. Bible Study School Planting
16. Help Orphan Children in Pakistan with Food , Water , Shoes , Books , Clothes etc

” To all my dear  Friends in Christ in Clear and True words nobody support our Work our all Projects needs a Finance for work.

Not any Church Support our Work we need your help and support we want a Big Church Planting in Pakistan and we have no Conveyance Facility for our Pastors team  , security team and Choir we want your help and support for our hearts we need your Financial and prayer help please think from your heart.  We want all Christ people help for our work we need Financial help for work because all people know without your Financial h
help that’s all things , missions , plans ,projects not possible . And also people help through Musical Instruments for our Gospel Choir.
Also people help through Medicine need of free Medical Camps. Think your small help make a big change , your help many children, Orphans , poor and needy Children and poor and needy Children. Think through your help we can give a Food ,water , shelter , Clothes to poor and needy Children. People send us your donations , help , and support through western Union Money Transfer or send your gifts on this address.
Pastor Ravi Daniel
Barkat Pura st # 2 House P-964 Main Road Faisalabad Pakistan.
P.O Box 38090
E-mail : ravi2daniel@gmail.com
ravi_daniel@ymail.com
Contact # 00923157032005

If some people want send money through Western Union or PAYPAL. And after sending money you can send me MTCN number through my E-mail or Cell Phone number.

Web Page Address: http://www.emmanuelsblessings.com/Ministries/PAKISTAN/Pastor_Ravi_Daniel/Peace_and_Unity_in_Christ_Minitries_Pakistan.htm

we give a total and pure proof to people who send donation for work through our missions reports and pictures on our web page and also we send pictures and reports to people E-mails address.

And also people take proof our work through open our web page see pictures and reports of Work.

Question: In a recent conversation you mentioned that the church is in need of musical instruments. What instruments are you specifically looking for and where can people send these instruments to should they decide to donate (unused) instruments.

Answer:  Yes we also need a Conveyance Faciliity and Musical Instruments for Gospel Choir we need a Bass Guitar , Piano , Drum Set ,  Electronic Pad , Key board , Cango , Tabla , Wayln , etc any Musical Instruments  you can also send in this address :

Pastor Ravi Daniel
Barkat Pura st # 2 House P-964 Main Road Faisalabad Pakistan.
P.O Box 38090
E-mail : ravi2daniel@gmail.com
ravi_daniel@ymail.com

Ph #  00923157032005

Question: If there was one message you could convey to those people out there reading this interview, what would that message be.

Answer:   I just convey the message to my Christ people please wake Up and help your Christ people .Think about God sacrifice and help God people of Pakistan. Jesus Christ give his blood and life for our sins. Your small help make big change. Freely you have received, freely give ” (Matthew 10:8)
“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
( Jeremiah 3:15 KJV)  Pakistan needs Jesus and it was among the Christian that I found air I could breathe and peace that was real.

Dear brother John I will give you an all question answer we prayer for you and your family  and we believed that through this Article many people of Christ help our team to help poor Christ people.

I suggest we all have a good look at the website of the ministry at http://www.emmanuelsblessings.com/Ministries/PAKISTAN/Pastor_Ravi_Daniel/Peace_and_Unity_in_Christ_Minitries_Pakistan.htm

An Additional Appeal

While preparing this article I received this additional appeal.

United Ministries Pakistan

Blessings and Greetings in the Mighty Name of Lord Jesus Christ,

Praise the Lord for all those blessings which He is giving us in our outreach evangelism ministry work.  We are regularly discovering new outreach areas and winning new souls for Lord Jesus Christ. I am very happy to let you know that those believers are very much strong in their faith who received Urdu Bibles from us and now they are coming regularly in prayer meetings and also taking part in fellowship meetings. In our Bible distribution mission we visited door to door and distributed Bibles to new believers and at the same time we prayed for new believer’s home and for their family members and also Lord did many miracles in our door to door Bible distribution mission.  Many sick people got healed when we prayed for them in our door to door Bible distribution mission. I and my whole team members received great blessings from Lord Jesus Christ through Bible distribution work.

Now we want to start our Bible distribution mission again. We are working in more then 60 outreach villages and un-reached areas. We want to distribute Urdu (Urdu is National Language of Pakistan) Bibles to new believers who don’t have their own Bibles.  Our outreach evangelism team members visited in outreach areas and surveyed for those believers who don’t have their own Bibles.  At this moment we need 4000 Urdu Bibles for our outreach areas new believers. Those believers are really poor people and they are not able to buy their own Bible. We promised with them that we will provide Bibles free of cost to new believers as early as possible.  Being a Christian everyone should have Bible so they could read it every day and could know about Christianity and its belief.  New Believers are waiting for their own Bibles.  We are in urgent need of 4000 Urdu Bible for outreach areas new believers. One Urdu Bible price is $4.  You can contribute as much as you can easily.

4000 Bibles    $16000
3000 Bibles     $12000
2000 Bibles     $8000
1000 Bibles     $4000
500 Bibles       $2000
250 Bibles       $1000
100 Bibles       $400
50 Bibles         $200
10 Bibles         $40

Your donation and love can bring many people in the Kingdom of God. And please share this with other your brothers and sisters and friends in Christ. Invest your money where you will find a great reward and infinite profit from God here and in the heaven. We will send you Bible distribution report with pictures. We are continuously praying for you and your work.  Kindly reply me soon.

God bless you richly,

Pastor Ravi Daniel
all our team
from Pakistan.
Phone # 0092-3157032005.
We hope you send your response very soon
Praise the God
Thanks.

Thank you for all your support, donations, prayers and may this be a reason to reflect on what it really means to carry your cross.

Photo journal: Butterfly Resqued from the Cold

As it has been cold we noticed that the last caterpillars seemed a bit lifeless so we took them in and placed them in our warm home. Three turned out to be beautiful butterflies. The last one, almost as to show his appreciation came out of its cocoon when we were not watching. So here I was on a quiet early morning to find a butterfly land next to the computer on some books only to find it come to ‘papa’ and hang out on my arm for some time. It was a great moment I shared with our adopted butterfly that spend most of the day flying around the house until the sun came through and it was time to go out and have fun. It was a bit hard though trying to get a sharp picture with one hand and pointing towards yourself almost.

Vicki Trustrum back for a visit in Christchurch

Vicky is a well known former member of the Spreydon Baptist Church here in Christchurch, now over from Germany where she is part of the Jacob’s Well Ministries. Vicky will be giving two seminars (see poster): father heart seminar and a prophetic seminar. Below Vicky’s story in relation to the Father Heart concept (source http://vaterherz.org/index.php?page=journey-into-the-fatherheart)

Journey into the Fatherheart of God.

Where, how, when and what have I experienced in the Father’s love?

Since the mid 80’s I have had an interest in the Father heart of God. As I was on the Pastoral team of my church in New Zealand, I introduced many of the “Father” songs out of the Vineyard movement USA. At that time I understood it in my head but the revelation was not yet in my heart of the significance of this love relationship with the Father. The revelation came as a process of discovery, a journey into the Father’s heart.

Naturally when we receive Christ as Saviour, Lord & Master, we are in the Father’s heart. But, we have to realise this truth in our lives. And that comes through revelation and not theory. This process of revelation happened through many visits to the Ichthys Church in Hannover where I have a few friends in the leadership there. I was invited to various “Refreshing days, but the first “Aha” experience was in 2003 by a “Father heart day” for Leaders in the region. I had been visiting the church often since 1997, but this visit was special because my heart was ready to receive the revelation of the Father heart. From then on a hunger grew in me for more of the Father’s love, hence more of Him. When others were being invited from my church to Intensive Weeks in the Father’s presence or to a national “Daughters and Sons” meeting organised through the Ichthys, I found myself longing to be invited and praying “Lord when will I be invited?”. The hunger was intense. And every visit, every step brought more light into my heart and a new softness.

Then in 2006 I was invited to the Daughters & Sons Meeting, which is a 3 day get together from people from all over Germany. I was touched by the Father’s love through others, but also in times alone, by His intense love for me which brought me to tears each time. It wasn’t a Saul of Tarsis expeience, but for me none the less profound. It wasn’t one particular meeting or experience but all of the visits and meetings that came together like a jigsaw puzzle of “Divine Moments” where the Father drew me, touched me and healed my heart. I have served the LORD for many years but much of it was out of duty and not out of delight, Living in the Father’s heart means ministry is becoming more and more a delight and out of the right attitude as a daughter and not an orphan or slave. Doing the Father heart school has enhanced the depth of this relationship and the Biblical foundations as well. Old and New Testament speak so much about our Heavenly Father it is all part of the journey.

What did it do to my heart?

My heart is much softer, this too is a process. And the hunger is still there, if not more so. The surprise has been, on one or two occasions where healing and the breaking down of walls has taken place. Walls that I didnt even realise were there in my heart until the Father’s love broke through.

Is/Are there some key scriptures out of this experience?

John 14:6 I have often used this scripture as an argument that Jesus is the only way to be saved. But suddenly the revelation was there, He is not the goal! The Father is, and He is the way to the Father.

Romans 8:15 The revelation came, I am not a slave but a daughter. A daughter of the King and therefore an hier to all that is His. Not only the joy of being a daughter but the delight in being able to say “Abba”, “Daddy” or what I prefer – “Papa”. I am Papa’s girl, how cool is that! This revelation took striving out of my realtionship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it brought a peace and contentment in being a daughter in yet a hunger to go deeper in the realtionship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This revelation has not only affected my relating to the Father, but also to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is not either the Father or the Son or the Holy Spirit, but through the Father the complimenting of each realtionship.

Times and Dates

• 26 June 2010: Father Heart Seminar
• 7 August 2010: Prophetic Seminar

hosted by Harmony Church