The weight of the Old testament.

One day I asked God why the Old Testament was so much bigger than the New Testament. If the Old Testament could be the same size as the New Testament, I reasoned, the Bible would be easier to carry around, more people would take the time to read it and there would be less scriptures to memorize. 

As He usually does when I approach Him with a questions, God smiled. I knew at once that he had a good answer for me, and He spoke.  

“You really want to know why the Old Testament is so big? It is because that’s how long it took me to get my message through to my people. To penetrate their hardened hearts, to capture the attention of their distracted and divided minds. It took me thousands of years to teach and re-teach them what they needed to learn. Often I had to take them through bitter experiences to make a simple point. Take for instance my plan to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Such a simple operation the way I had it planned. If only my people would have cooperated with me, the journey could have been completed in a few weeks. But no, they had to make it painful for themselves and the next generation and drag out the wonderful plans I had for their future in the Promised Land. Think about how many hundreds of pages in the Old Testament that one episode alone could have saved.”

And he continued, “I sent prophets after prophets to correct them and to set them on the right course, but they refused to listen. They never learned a single lesson the easy way. They mistreated the prophets I sent them and even killed some of them. I could have given up on them and ended it all right there and then, and there would be no need for a Bible at all. But I continued to be patient with them for the sake of a few who were faithful and for the great love I had for my people.So you see, I really could have accomplished my plan of salvation in a handful of books, if it wasn’t for the stubbornness of the people I was dealing with. So when you carry the heavy weight of the Bible around, do not blame me, blame the people of the Old Testament. Had they listened and obeyed the first time, the stories and experiences you see repeating over and over in the Old Testament would not have been necessary.”

So at last, I thought to myself, I have the answer and I have someone to blame for the heavy weight of the Bible. It is the fault of those thick headed Israelites. But just as I entertained that thought, the Holy Spirit intervened and posed a question. “Before you judge the Israelites, ask yourself what your own conduct and life was like before you gave your life to Christ about 11 years ago?”. That question stopped me in my tracks. I did a quick recollection and to my utter shock I saw that the Israelite of the Old Testament was only an archetype of my own self. I too had been selfish, stubborn, slow-to-learn, rebellious, sin-loving and unfaithful man.  I remembered how many people God sent my way to warn me and correct me but I would not listen. How many adverse situations God allowed me to face and the consequent losses to myself and my loved ones, to the point that one day He decided he had had enough with me and decided to uproot me from the land in which He had settled me for almost 20 years and send me to a distant land called Dubai where I knew nobody. Only then had I finally relented and surrendered completely to his Kingship and Lordship over my life.

The Holy Spirit helped me realize that the “Old Testament” of my own life was just as long and heavy as that of the Bible and I was entirely responsible for the length and weight of it, not any Israelite. If anything, the Israelite's only foreshadowed me and the stories of the Old Testament simply pointed to my own life in the wilderness, yet to unfold in the distant future. I felt ashamed that I even thought of pinning the blame on the Israelites, when the Old Testament represents my own life in the darkness on which Jesus would shine his eternal light.

Now every time I carry the heavy Bible I hold only myself responsible for its length and its weight. The heavy portion - the Old Testament- represents my own rebelliousness and my stubbornness. The light portion - the New Testament- represents God’s salvation and infinite mercy. 

Jaime Demelo 

HSI Media 

" Poisoned Apples "

Write an article for a movie review magazine, giving your critical opinion on a movie you saw when you were younger and have re watched recently.

Poisoned apples, missing glass slipper and princes in disguise; these fairytale themes were the outline of my five year old life. Being a little girl, I enjoyed living in a dream world with my “princess friends”. My inspiration poured out of movies such as Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and so on.

Two months ago, I visited a video library back in my hometown after several years of living in the city. A wave of memories washed over me as I passed the “Children’s section”. Eager to reminisce in the joys of my past, I picked up one of my all time favorite movies “Snow White”.

Watching the movie again, I expected it to be laughs and fun, but in turn I was left speechless, unable to digest the Grimm fairytale before my eyes. As a child watching the animation of “Snow White”, my main focus was the little dwarves and the (rather premature) romance between Snow White and her prince. Having an innocent, uneducated mind of ignorance, that’s the most you would expect from a child.

However, 10 years later after phases of interest in symbolism, my eyes were open to a completely different story behind the story... Now you may accuse me of reading too much into a fairytale, but I do believe that “Snow White” was much more than a children’s story; in fact I believe Snow White was an allegory.

Let’s begin with some background information; Walt Disney was a Christian man who believed in the use of symbolism. He would occasionally put symbols into his animation to either encourage a belief or raise awareness of a situation. He couldn’t possibly have gotten into trouble for this for his silent messages were always hidden behind the happy faces of his cartoons. You may be wondering what I’m going on about, but think about it; could the rescue of Geppetto from the whale be a reference to Jonah in the Bible, or purely coincidence? In the movie Lion King, was Scar’s promise to the hyenas (and their Gestapo-like march in the song “Be Prepared”) a connection to the rule of Hitler in Germany, or was it just an evil plot conjured by another villain?

Going back to Snow White; much of the symbolism in this movie is based on Christianity, even paralleling some stories from the Bible. Let’s begin with the three colors she is associated with- White, Red and Black. These are the three colors of the life cycle. I have chosen to relate Snow White to Jesus’ life. White being the colour of birth and his pure nature, Red being the color of his life and passion, Black used to refer to his death and the cruelty against him.

The next significant thing I noticed in the movie was the names and number of dwarves. There are 7 dwarves, possibly representing the seven days of the week, or the time in which God made the earth (including his final day of rest). These dwarves in the original fairytale had no names; the names were added for the Disney version. These names show the seven moods of man, such as grumpy, dopey, happy etc.

Snow White encourages work and wash with her constant smile as she sings her way through her chores. On one occasion, she convinces all the dwarves that they must wash properly in order to be clean and healthy. After this “washing” the dwarves seem to have changed, seeing life in a brighter light and enjoying every moment together. This is a clear message of baptism, a life-changing experience involving cleansing through water.

Altering the plot of the Grimm brothers’ tale, the evil stepmother only visited Snow White once, offering her a poisoned apple. If we remember back to the Old Testament, the downfall of Eve was a bite from the apple of a forbidden tree. This can be seen very clearly as Snow White falls into a deep trance after eating a bite of the poisoned apple. There is an obvious link between the story and the Christian religion.

Towards the end of the movie, death and resurrection is displayed in its mild form. Snow white falls into a deep sleep leaving her dwarves mourning her loss. After a period of waiting, the prince comes along and wakes her. Thinking back to the time of Jesus, he too rose again after a period of waiting (3 days to be exact, this number is related to the primary colors of the tale).

This movie has left me amazed with the fact that children’s movies may not always be what they seem. Watching it again, I was no longer following the plot, but I understood the humor, grasped more of the dialogue and searched for a deeper meaning that Walt Disney may have been trying to send.

Again, you may accuse me of reading too much into a fairytale, but I do believe that “Snow White” was much more than a children’s story; in fact I believe Snow White was an allegory.




Amy Abraham


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Amy Abraham is a 11th grader who studies at the Hebron School, Ooty, India.

                 

Christmas Fear factor?

 

"If you know the movie is scary, why watch it?" we questioned our teens who had nightmares afterward. "You don't understand! It's fun!" they said. 

Many adults have long given up the notion of being frightened as a way of entertainment. We have vowed never to get on any rides in the amusement park that will raise our blood pressure or churn our stomachs. 

Unfortunately, many of us have also mellowed spiritually. We prefer not to be emotional or passionate about any thing. Even Christmas has become just another holiday tradition — mildly fun, but hardly exciting. 

For the shepherds, that very first Christmas was an action-packed thriller, filled with all sorts of fear factors. 

Would they still live after witnessing the angels and the glory of God? Humans were not normally allowed into the presence of God's glory! 

How would the Messiah's family receive them? After all, they were only lowly shepherds!

What would others think of them and their story of angels? 

Their story hardly seemed believable.

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!" (Luke 2:8-10)

Has the Christmas story become dull?

 

Admittedly, for many of us the Christmas story has become predictably dull. Yes, we know the where and how of Jesus' birth, we know the plot but long have forgotten the purpose of the Nativity, and many even contend that we cannot know the date of the Lord's birth with certainty so why even bother with celebrating it on a certain day? For us, there are no more fear factors — only tradition, routine, and detached discussion. 

What would make this Christmas a little bit more thrilling like that holy night the shepherds first met God's Messiah and their Savior? 

What would open our hearts to the Lord's glory like the shepherds experienced the heavenly host in all of their heavenly glory? 

What risk are we willing to take at Christmas to share in the joy of Jesus' birth like the shepherds? 

Maybe we've forgotten that it's fun ... and thrilling ... and glorious ... joyous ... and holy! 

News Flash: There's just 25 days to Christmas!! He was born so that Man no more may Die. Start rejoicing. 

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A Day of Thanksgiving!

Before I start with todays article, heres a story that will help set the pace.

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As the holiday season approaches I get excited! The thrill of families coming together, enjoying great food, cooler weather, long held traditions, and, of course, great food, is the recipe for my perfect time of year. There are so many traditions and rituals taking place during the holidays it can be difficult to tell one year from the next. The same family members eat the same meals, discussing the same issues, around the same table. 

Only when something changes or a new tradition is born does the year stick out clear in my memory. A year I will never forget was not long ago when a new tradition was started. On Thanksgiving Day as I gathered around the dinner table, it was suggested that we each share the things we are thankful for. I had seen other families practice similar traditions, but this was the first time I was asked to share my list of blessings aloud.

As I went to work compiling my list of things to be thankful for, I started to feel a little embarrassed. How is it that all the Thanksgiving Day’s of my past had come and I had forgotten to actually give thanks? Then I realized just how long of a list I was going to have! A scripture came to mind …

Call out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Be glad as you serve the Lord. Come before Him with songs of joy. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His field. Go into His gates giving thanks and into His holy place with praise. Give thanks to Him. Honor His name. For the Lord is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever. And He is faithful to all people and to all their children-to-come (Psalm 100).

What better time to remember our blessings than on a holiday that was meant for giving thanks.

I’ll never forget the feelings of thankfulness I felt on that day. A great tradition had been born.

It can be difficult at times for us to see God’s blessings; the holidays are not always full of good memories. People are forced to deal with tragedies and struggles even on holidays. In difficult times it’s important to remember that “the Lord is God ... We are His people and the sheep of his field.” We can be assured of God’s love for us and find comfort in his blessing. 

In hard times or times of blessing, we are never without thankfulness. We all need an occasional reminder to stop and thank God for his goodness. What better time to remember our blessings than on a holiday that was meant for giving thanks.

- Author Unknown

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From the beginning, this American holiday was not about food and football, as much as it was about reserving a day to celebrate the spirit of thankfulness. It was, and still is, a national reminder to be grateful, and, yes, a calling to reconnect with grace.

Although defined by many as an emotion, I believe thankfulness is a choice — a life choice. Followers of Jesus choose gratitude because they have experienced an undeserved and unexpected outpouring of grace.

As you go through today,  Take a walk and thank God for his grace.
Think about the gifts God has given you in spite of, and in the midst of, your pain and grief, your frustrations and failures, and your mess-ups and bad choices. Your impossible times are more than enough reason for the Thanksgiving season.
Thank HIM for growth and change and understanding that has come through watching others show grace and faith in the middle of adversity.
Thank God for the good you have experienced, especially the good you didn't earn or deserve.
Look for the fingerprints of God in the strangest places and share the spirit of thanksgiving with at least one other person.
Do something that encourages others to be grateful. It's infectious.
Write an unexpected "Thank You" note, or send an email. Unwrap the gift of grace and find the power to choose thanksgiving.

Give thanks, with a greatful heart
Give thanks, to the Holy one..
Give thanks, cos he has Given
Jesus Christ his son..

~GIVE THANKS!~




Olivia Pereira
HSI Media
olivia.hsimt@gmail.com

Small things..Big Value.

This article probably is best described as a sudden realization that came to my own mind. Over the past weeks, the blog featured articles along the lines of making a difference in the world as we know it- there was the article on thinking differently, of God using us no matter our background, of us being the difference and so on. Somewhere down the line I think, I may have missed the "smaller" picture. You will understand what I mean by the end of today’s article, and I hope that you to find as much of a joy in the smaller things there is to Life, as in the big things.

Big things in your time O Lord. And not in mine!

- Olivia

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Is it possible that we have misunderstood, or ignored, the value of small? Jesus saw something in smallness that we may overlook.

Consider these statements:

"'When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me'" (Matthew 25:39-40).

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (Matthew 25:44-46).

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all — he is the greatest" (Luke 9:47-49).

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:19-20).

Jesus saw the value of small. We must learn to pay attention to the small stuff.

We tend to focus on big. Big cars. Big houses. Big churches. Big budgets. Big signs. Big events. Big bank accounts. Big projects. Big attendance. Big numbers. Big buildings.

From the outside looking in, would it appear that we believe that big equals better?

Jesus did not seem to be implying that big is necessarily bad. He also encouraged us to have enough faith to do big things. He emphasized having a faith that will move mountains, faith to walk on water, and that the disciple's faith would enable them to do even greater things than they had seen Him do.

However, we must not forget that those big things begin with something small: faith the size of a mustard seed, taking one step outside of the boat, serving one another, and washing feet. Jesus pointed to children as our example of what "the kingdom is like." He spoke of being the least in the kingdom. He reminds of the importance of simply offering someone a cup of water.

Perhaps we should consider our plans and re-evaluate our approach to life and to ministry. We would do well not to allow ourselves to be so enamoured by the big that we miss the value of the small. It may very well be that the greatest impact you will have this week in the life of another human being will come from doing something small. One conversation. A word of gratitude. A kind comment. A one-on-one conversation. A moment of listening. A small group study. Two or three gathered to pray. A single thoughtful act. A good application of the Scripture. A phone call. A text message. An email. A gentle touch. A note of encouragement. A small gift. An hour of your time.

Just this week, pay attention to small. Let God turn it into something big ... but only if He wants it to be big.

Living in a world of Faithlessness..

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing -Psalm 145:13-16

A man and a woman stand in the front of a church building and promise to love one another “until death separates us.” Troubles come. The joy fades. Temptation gets the best of them. One of them gives in. “I could not help it. It just happened.” They file for divorce. What happened to faithfulness?

The job offer comes with the promise of a hefty salary, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to advance. The economy slides into a slump, a recession, and things change. First come the rumors of about layoffs. Then, come the layoffs. The perks are gone. The retirement is gone. The security is gone. The future is dark. What happened to faithfulness?

The church felt like home. It seemed to be a good fit. People were coming. Numbers were increasing. People were being encouraged. Plans were being made. Life was good. Then, something changed. Plans were changed. Promises were broken. Hearts were broken. Relationships were broken. What happened to faithfulness?

Look to the Lord!

 

There was a day when a man’s word was his bond. A handshake was good enough. A promise was kept. Vows were sacred. How elected figures talked in public was how they lived in private. When politicians made promises they tried to keep them. Something changed. What happened to the faithfulness?

Does faithfulness still exist?

Has faithfulness disappeared?

Perhaps we are looking for faithfulness in the wrong place? As Psalm 145:13-16 indicates, it is the Lord who is faithful. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His dominion endures. He is faithful. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. He satisfies the desires of every living thing.

If the political speeches leave you empty, if personal integrity seems to be missing, and if you are weary of the endless contracts and paper work required to provide proof that the person with whom you are doing business will keep a promise causes you to ask what happened to faithfulness, then look to the Lord.

Look to the Lord, He is faithful. Look to the Lord, He will keep His word. Look to the Lord, His Kingdom will last and His dominion will endure. You can trust Him. You can depend on Him. You can rest in Him. You can rely on Him. He will not betray you, forget you, or reject you. He is faithful.

The Lord is faithful.





Olivia Pereira
HSI Media
olivia.hsimt@gmail.com

Refiner and Purifier

 

Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver...'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God ...

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: ' He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, ' Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

- Author Unknown

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If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.




Olivia Pereira
HSI Media
olivia.hsmt@gmail.com
 

A look in the Mirror

A woman rushes to see her doctor, looking very much worried and all strung out.

She rattles off, "Doctor, take a look at me. When I woke up this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my hair all wiry and frazzled up, my skin was all wrinkled and pasty, my eyes were blood-shot and bugging out, and I had this corpse-like look on my face! What's wrong with me, Doctor?"

The doctor looks her over for a couple of minutes, then calmly says, "Well, I can tell you one thing ... there's nothing wrong with your eyesight!"

The mirror of the Word of God will reveal our spiritual flaws.

As that joke makes clear, looking in a mirror won't correct any problems you have, but it may make it clear that there is a problem! That is exactly the point James makes to early Christian believers:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25)

Looking into the mirror of the Word of God will reveal our spiritual flaws that need to be corrected — and sometimes this mirror will reveal an ugly sight! However, unless we take steps to apply God's Word and change what we see, we haven't accomplished any good. With the Holy Spirit's power, God's word will not only convict and convince us of our need for change and action, the Spirit will also empower us to that needed change and action. Let's not just take a glance in the mirror, but use it to alter our lives to honour God!

Have you looked in that mirror lately?

Written by Alan Smith
(http://www.heartlight.org/)

No sickness is to BIG for our GOD!

Freeda's testimony- Healed from Breast Cancer.

As you all know, this week has been dedicated to show support for the Global Breast Cancer Campaigns happening all around the world. In keeping with the same, we give to you Freeda's testimony, of how she was healed from breast cancer.

Freeda has been a member of the HSI for a good number of months now, and testified to what God had done in her life at one of our HSI meetings in Jebel Ali.

Our God is a God of big things! and this shows us how, even an illness such as cancer- which is known to be almost incurable, cannot stop our God from working in our lives if, we only have what it takes- FAITH.

Praise God! for all the wonderful things He is doing in your life right now, and for all the many problems that you are confronted with daily.

In Faith, no war is lost :)

Olivia Pereira

HSI Media

Olivia.hsimt@gmail.com

 

In case you are having any streaming issues, please see below:
Direct link to Freeda's testimony:         http://www.youtube.com/user/hsiglobal#p/a/u/4/C3FcyN-Am_8
Direct link tothe HSI Youtube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/hsiglobal#g/a