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CSI Good News
(Church of South India Good News)
Vol. 6 / Issue 17 / June 3 2004
Contents of this issue
Editorial
Why Quran is not the Word of God? Part 7
CSI Congregations list updated
OFFICIAL 18th Annual CSI Family & Youth Conference in New Jersey
KUVBS (Kuwait United Vacation School) - 2004
Reader's Mail
News Items (Common to all issues) :
Through the Valley of Death & other Books
Download Articles in Handheld Computers
Kids Page - Free Tutorials
Hindi / Malayalam/Tamil Bible Online
Your Spam Folder
Your Feedback
Editorial
By Sherly Isaac
Today our churches are deteriorating. The standard of our churches are continually declining. Those things which we call as illegal activity or crime is now being openly committed by pastors and even Bishops of our churches. Did Jesus intend to have this type of church filled with criminals, and beaten down people? If Jesus comes back today, will He be able to take them with Him? I think not.
Bible says in Eph 5:25-27, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."
The above verse talks about the love of God for His bride that is Church. Jesus gave His life so that He could sanctify and cleanse His bride and present her to Himself a glorious church, spotless, holy, without blemish and wrinkle free. Do our Churches have these qualities? In my whole life I have never seen in any marriage a beaten down bride wearing filthy dress, hairs pulled out, without any proper makeup or without any preparation. If a bride needs to pay this much attention so that on her wedding she would look beautiful and adorable, how much more preparation would be needed for Christ's bride? But today our churches have taken it very lightly. They think that no matter what their performance may be, they could somehow be His bride on the great wedding day.
The other day I was watching news on TV. They showed some gay people who were wearing tricolor bands as a mark of protest and were protesting inside the church demanding equal status or rights in Church. Instead of leaving their sin they want to live with sin and at the same time they want equal rights in the congregation. How pathetic it is!
This is the story of laymen but the most amazing thing is that many Pastors and Bishops are also indulging in criminal activities. There is a group called UCMC-NA (UNION of the CSI Malayalam Congregations of North America). Just two years back this group was formed by one Bishop, three or four pastors and a handful of CSI (Church of South India) members. What these people did was most deplorable. They tried to hijack the whole Church of South India which is the largest church in India, which was founded almost sixty years back. Church of South India has more than 3.8 million members around the world and 14,000 congregations in 21 dioceses. These few people of UCMC registered the logo and the name of the CSI Church with the trademark office and they pretended as if they are the main CSI Church thereby trying to steal the name and logo of the established Church. Those who raised their voice against UCMC, are being threatened.
Did Jesus really intend to have this type of Church where people are indulging in illegal activities? No, Jesus is coming to take His beautiful, glorious, holy and spotless bride. Will you find yourself worthy to stand with Him in the wedding of the Lamb? If your answer is no, you need to repent from your sins and turn to God so that He could cleanse you and make you whole.
Why Quran is not the Word of God? Part 7
By Sherly Isaac
Last week we meditated on the purpose of scripture writings. We looked in detail that Bible was written to correct the sinful human beings and to bring them in their original position from where they fell. But there is no forgiveness of sin, salvation of soul, fellowship with God or eternal life ever offered in Quran or in Hadith
Is Quran infallible?:
Muslim scholars have argued that, Word of God should not contain any error thus Quran is infallible and does not contain any error. But it is not true. Quran contains major mistakes which makes Quran's validity in question.
Some of the contradiction in Quran:
Quran sometimes condemns sin but on the other side gives green flag to commit wrong things.
Quran says in Surah 17:32-34. "Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him nor exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfil (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning)."
But in Quran itself you can find that adultery is permitted as we read in Surah 2:230. "So if a husband divorces his wife (irrevocably), He cannot, after that, re-marry her until after she has married another husband and He has divorced her. In that case there is no blame on either of them if they re-unite, provided they feel that they can keep the limits ordained by Allah. Such are the limits ordained by Allah, which He makes plain to those who understand."
We see that Muhammad was willing to marry his adopted son's wife. So Allah permitted him by changing the rules as we read in Surah 33:50, "O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee; and daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts, and daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts, who migrated (from Makka) with thee; and any believing woman who dedicates her soul to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her;- this only for thee, and not for the Believers (at large); We know what We have appointed for them as to their wives and the captives whom their right hands possess;- in order that there should be no difficulty for thee. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Killing innocent people is permitted in Surah 4:89. They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks;-
Quran tells us that Mary the mother of Jesus was sister of Aaron as we read in Surah 19:28. "O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!" If we read further we can understand that it was spoken about Jesus' mother Mary Surah 19:34. Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.. And Surah 66:12 says, "And Mary, daughter of Imran, whose body was chaste, therefore We breathed therein something of Our spirit. And she put faith in the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was of the obedient."
Aaron who was the brother of Moses was not the sister of Mary because Mary came many thousands of years later and she was also not the daughter of Imran.
Some Surahs tell us that Jesus died but some deny the death of Jesus on the cross. We read in Surah 19:33. "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! But in Surah 4:157. "That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah.;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not."
By all these things you can understand that Quran has so many misconception and mistakes which should not be there if it came directly from God or if it was word of God. Unlike Quran, Bible does not contain such mistakes though Bible was written by 40 different prophets and apostles during different time period. Bible's message is consistant and it never contradicts the theme and message of the Bible.
CSI Congregations list updated
We have updated the information of various churches at:
http://csinewsletter.com/congregations.asp
Please take a look and see if we have missed anything. Any new links need to be added/updated.
OFFICIAL 18th Annual CSI Family & Youth Conference in New Jersey
Official 18th Annual CSI Family & Youth Conference of North America will be conducted from July 1 to 4, 2004 in New Jersey under the direction of the Council of CSI Congregations in North America.
From: July 1-4, 2004
Theme: "That they all may be one" John 17:22
Place: Dolce Hamilton Park Executive Conference Center
Morristown, New Jersey
Leaders: Moderator, Church of South India
The Rev. Dr. Martin Alphonse
The Rev. Dr. Valson Thampu
The Rev. Eric Bryant
Mr. Prabhu Singh
For more information please visit:
http://csinewsletter.com/18th-conference.htm
Conference Convener:
Rev. Dr. Jacob David
(201) 935-2011 - JacobDavid@juno.com
And to register online
visit: http://www.csiconference.com
Email inquires to: info@csiconference.com
KUVBS (Kuwait United Vacation School) - 2004
(C.S.I & Mar Thoma )
Theme : "YOU ARE MY FRIENDS " (John(15:14) )
The C.S.I and Mar Thoma parishes in Kuwait, have decided to conduct jointly this year’s KUVBS(Kuwait United Vacation School) – 2004. All children between the age group of 5 – 17 years (Beginners to Senior II) are eligible to attend.
Venue : National Evangelical Church, Kuwait
Date : June 11th – 25th, 2004 (except Sundays)
Final Day on July 02nd, ž2004
Time : 3:30pm – 6:30pm
Director : Rev. Biju George
(Trivandrum)
Reader's Mail
I enjoyed reading the article and the editorial in CSI internet Newsletter. I am getting it regularly.
IICM
Through the Valley of Death & other Books
As many of you know that in the year 2005, our dad was very sick even unto death. God miraculously healed him. We have compiled it in a book form. I sure believe that it will inspire you and encourage you greatly.
This book is available for purchase at JasmineCorp Store
Also read these two books by Sherly Isaac "Allah and Elohim - Are they the same God" Available at JasmineCorp Store, and "Is Jesus God?" Available at JasmineCorp Store,
Both books compares the Bible and the Quran and read eye opening facts about Jesus, God of the Bible, Allah and Islamic faith. I am sure that you want to read this.
Download Articles in Handheld Computers
You can now download articles in Palm Doc format for your palm handheld computer. It will work with any devise that has Palm OS and Palm Doc Reader installed. To download click on the link named "Palm Doc Format" i.e. at the top of this page by the side of each articles.
Kids Page - Free Tutorials
Now you can learn Graphics and web designing online at Kid's page. These tutorials are free for kids who subscribe for CSI Kids Newsletter. Currently tutorials for Paint Shop Pro, HTML and Dreamweaver are available.
So please enroll your kids by going to http://kids.csinewsletter.org/member/join.asp
And visit CSI Kid's page at http://kids.csinewsletter.org
Hindi / Malayalam/Tamil Bible Online
Now you can read Bible in Hindi online at http://www.hindibible.org
in Malayalam online at http://www.malayalambible.org
in Tamil online at http://www.hindibible.org?ver=tamil
Your Spam Folder
If you are getting this newsletter in your bulk/junk/Spam folder please hit the "not junk" or "not spam" button so that you could receive it in your mailbox. Also adding news@csinewsletter.com email address into your contact list can avoid this email from ending up in your bulk folder.
Your Feedback
Your feedback and comments are Welcome. Please send your Parish news & articles to Editor (Sherly N. Isaac) at this address News@csinewsletter.comThe messages submitted will be checked whether they are correct according to the word of God. Editor reserves the right to accept, reject or edit the messages. The writers are responsible for the contents of their writings.
 
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