Travel Time

I will be traveling through the US for a month till the 20th of March. Although it is a good time to see friends and renew friendships as I travel, it is difficult to leave the family behind. I miss them terribly and wish I could take them with me, although I know that's not possible at this time. Other things that I leave behind are the church and seminary.

During my time here, I hope to meet with friends and family and wherever possible, share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Lots of flights, rental cars and the constant time change going back and forth from east to west. Please do keep me in your prayers for the next few weeks.

Here's my excuse

For several months now, my blogging has been on hold for quite a good reason. This is my fourth year working on a doctoral program with the University of South Africa. The time has come to finish my Dissertation. I am only 1/3 of the way on my writing. All the foundational work has been done, and it is just a matter of separating the time to write.

For those who might be interested, I'm working on the D.Th. degree in Old Testament. My focus is on the Pentateuch, specifically, I'm researching the five times that Jacob the patriarch has set up altars and worshiped. The title of my dissertation will be Canaanite Influence on Israelite Worship. I hope to finish by the end of February. Maybe afterwards, I'll resume my regular blogging.

Independence Day 2007

Just two weeks ago, on 15 August 2007, each of our Carecells from our church went on a special mission to bless the community. Some of them visited the nearby homes and gave away plants, plaques, and other gifts. As they went from house to house, the aim was only to bless them, not to share anything about the church, or the gospel unless they ask us. The response was phenomenal. All the groups came back excited with the response from the people. Our youth Carecell went to one of the local government hospitals and gave away packets of items that they would need while being admitted (the hospital does not provide anything for personal use except the bed - if they have one to spare). After they gave away the packets, a few of them heard that they were coming from a church. Word spread, and these kids were surrounded by crowds of people asking for prayer. They also came back excited by what God is doing.
Thanks for your prayers.

Compassion for Children

Recently we visited two towns in Kerala where we run special programs for underprivileged children. These two are sponsored by Compassion International, and managed by Faith Theological Seminary. One has 250 children and the other helps 400. Both of these units are managed by graduates of Faith Theological Seminary. This program has a great effect on the education of these children. Since they come from poor backgrounds, their parents do not have the awareness to look after their education. Through this ministry, the families are also blessed as they come to a greater spiritual understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for these two Compassion units.

Recently, a new Compassion program has been approved for us in Halol, Gujarat state. The planning and construction is just going on now, and they will begin to admit students within a few months. Thanks for your prayers for the future of these children.

Adimali, Kerala, India

8th Anniversary of Lifetime Fellowship

Last Sunday (15 July 2007) was the 8th Anniversary celebration of Lifetime Fellowship. The celebration was a great blessing. We had about 250 people in attendance which includes both our 9am and 11am services. One of our friends, Sam T. Varghese, pastor of Life Fellowship in Trivandrum came and spoke to the people. It was a great time of casting vision and prayer as we look forward to the coming years.

Although the Sunday services started in 1999, the actual foundations began to be laid from 1997 onwards. We began with small groups in various colleges surrounding the city of Adoor. It was in 1999 that we began Sunday services. In 2001, we had a group of 30 college students gathering for worship each Sunday. It was then that we began to reach out to the local community with the Gospel using a Cell Group structure that we call Carecells. Finally, after six years of struggling with Carecells, and restarting four times, we finally multiplied our first cell. This was our prayer and focus since 2001.

I believe that our cells are healthier now than ever before. The leaders and people have caught the vision and are actively evangelizing in their neighborhoods. The attendance for each cell is increasing. Finally, some of the people in the church that refrained from attending cells are beginning to realize its benefits and they are also starting to attend.

The Cells are the key to evangelizing India. I am convinced that without it, we will not be able to penetrate the one Billion people that God has given to us. So continue to pray for us, especially for our Carecells.

Waiting to hear your response.
Alexi

A Season of Changes

After my mother passed away, we all experienced a season of changes. Of course, that is expected, but this is my first experience of such drastic changes. We had planned before my mother's death to move to the town where my wife and I work, but a few weeks after my mother's death, my father changed his plans and decided to stay alone, and not come with us. This move has become ever more challenging because of his decision, but we had no choice. We were really wanting to take care of him till his passing also, as we did for my mother, but that may no longer be the case.


Our plans and expectations never work out as we desire, but God's ultimate plan begins to unfold as we take each step. Thanks to all my 360 friends for all your prayers.

She has gone to a better place

After two years of fighting cancer, my mother passed away on 26 March 2007.

She died peacefully in the hospital room while we were praying. The funeral will be

held in our home in Pathanapuram on Wednesday at 9am.

Mummy had a heart for God, and always shared that with others. While in New York, she

began a prayer group for ladies from numerous churches, and that prayer group still

continues. After coming to India, she was always involved in prayers. She was

constantly reading the Bible and other literature, regularly taking notes on everything

she read. Her father (my grandfather) had an impact on me and gave me a love for the

Scriptures, and she impacted us with her prayer life. She was always supportive of us

in the ministry.

She has gone to a better place, to be with Jesus. Thank you for your prayers.

Blessings,
Alexi, Annie, Nathan, Sharon

A Request for Prayer

A few years ago, my mother was diagnosed with cancer after an operation. During one of her chemo treatments, she fell down the stairs at the hospital and broke a bone in her leg. Of course, that made things so much more difficult to handle - the chemo treatments were bad enough. After her treatments were finished, the cancer had gone into remission, and she began to improve gradually.

Last week, two tumors were found in her pelvic area. The tumors were squeezing her colon and caused her constipation for almost three weeks. She has been suffering with lots of pain recently. The doctors say they are 99% sure the cancer is back. Only one more test remains to make that final confirmation. The hospital is four hours away from where we live, and the travel is difficult.

Pleas pray:
1. For complete healing
2. Emotional and physical stamina to handle whatever that comes up
3. For the rest of us as we struggle to keep up with our daily activities in the midst of this chrisis.

God is faithful.

Meet Me at the Cross

The story was told by Ernest Hemingway about a Spanish father and his teenage son. The relationship between the father and son was never smooth. In fact, the father considered the son as a rebellious one. After some time, his son, Paco (a common name for Spanish people), ran away form home. His father began searching earnestly to find his son. All his efforts seemed to be of no benefit. Finally, as a last hope, he sent an advertisement to the city newspaper, hoping that his son would respond to his father’s plea.

This was the content of the advertisement:

Dear Paco,

Please meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon. All is forgiven.

Love,

Father

Hemingway tells that on the next day at noon, there were 800 Pacos waiting in front of the newspaper office. They were all wanting to get forgiveness from their fathers. What a tragic image of the nature of people. We all face difficulties and burdens in our lives. For many, the solution of choice is to run. Often we run from people, circumstances, and responsibilities. Many are running, and they don’t realize it. They think that if they keep running, things will be resolved.

Just as the Spanish father put the advertisement in the paper, the heavenly Father spoke through the “Law and the Prophets” (Old Testament-Bible). Yet, when the people would still not listen, he sent his only Son to personally bring us the message. On Christmas day, two thousand years ago, Jesus came into the world to not only bring us the message of forgiveness, but also to provide the way for us. What an awesome thought to know that we have a Father in Heaven who is willing to give up everything, for us to know that he loves us and that he wants us to be in union with him.

This Christmas season, the message is clear - the heavenly Father says “please meet me at the cross. All is forgiven. Take it! That forgiveness is yours.

-The story compiled from the site www.gospelcom.net

Hunger and Temptation

I was on my way back from Delhi by train. The compartment was crowded, and I was sick! “Only one cup of coffee.” What surprising temptations can be brought about by a cup of coffee! The man sitting next to me has turned the other way and is shoving me further with his back so he can stuff his face with Dosa and Iddly. I’ve had it! I can’t take it any more. I climbed up to the top berth so that I can be free from the temptations of food, which my body has decided to reject, and punish me if I eat or drink.
The sunlight has finally come through the windows. This is my second day on the train with nothing to eat or drink. Only one more day before I reach my destination. The train comes to a halt, and this seems to be the “breakfast stop.” It seems that everyone is eating great delicious food and drinking tea or coffee. My stomach is churning within me, and seeing all this food just stimulates it further. Since I am sick, I cannot keep any food or drink inside of me. Any amount of food or drink warrants a trip to the bathroom. The combination of the hunger pain and the sight and smell of all this food nudges me on to compromise. “Just one bite” I say to myself.
The Bible says “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). Many things seem to be appropriate to us in our own situations. Everything in us may cry out for that one thing. We may see no wrong in what we do or desire to do. “After all, God knows that I need this” we say. Our friends, relatives, and co-workers all may encourage us in certain directions. Even all of the society may accept and acknowledge those matters. Yet, we must stand up for what we know is right. We only see the temporary and immediate situation. Our perception is vague an limited in scope. Since we cannot see the “full picture,” we do not realize the final outcome of our actions. Often, the final outcome is a destructive force in our lives.
The Bible says “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.... and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5,6). The only way we can be free from leaning on our own understanding and falling into temptation is to trust in the Lord with all our hearts. Even when our mind and body disagree.

I look forward to your comments!

Beyond the Simple

When our children were small, we decided to make a change in the way our children prayed their evening prayers. Previously, their prayers were full of requests. They would pray “help Daddy, help Mummy, help Grandpa, help Grandma,” etc. We decided that this was too vague, and wanted to instill thankfulness in their hearts. By introducing thankfulness, we would then be able to easily lead them to praise at a later time. Then, their prayers changed to “thank you for Mummy,” etc. One day, as my son continued his prayer, he said: Thank you Jesus for toys, for our Pastor, for socks,” etc. This time, he just happened to put our pastor at the same level with his socks and toys.

At that moment, I laughed at his simple treatment of the things in life. It is good for us to thank God for every detail of our lives. He takes care of the details of our lives because of his love and care for us. Yet, we can look beyond the simple things in life and look to something great and awesome he has given us: The Kingdom of God. The Bible says that the Kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The world is constantly looking for righteousness, peace, and joy in every place but the Kingdom of God. When these things are a part of our lives because of the Kingdom, they will remain with us. The joy, peace, and righteousness that the world gives us will vacillate depending on the circumstances, but the Kingdom of God will always continue. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is consuming fire’” (Hebrews 12: 28, 29). The context explains that the things that can be shaken are the created things-the temporal things. But, the unshakable thing is the Kingdom-that we can be really thankful for. Since the Kingdom of God will last, our righteousness, peace, and joy will last.

Yes, let us be thankful for the little things in life-remembering that they are temporal. Look beyond those simple things to the unshakable Kingdom that we are receiving. There, we have righteousness, peace, joy, and the power of God which cannot be shaken. Thank you Jesus.

I look forward to your comments!

Unborn Orphans!

An adoption agency is trying to find parents for frozen embryos. A report in ReligionToday.com said that an estimated 150,000 frozen embryos are being stored in laboratories and clinics in the United States. During in-vitro fertility treatments, as many as 30 eggs are fertilized, and usually 20 or more remain unused after the treatments are over. Sometimes, the same couple may use some that are left over at another time. Most of them are left inactive in the frozen state. Ron Stoddart, the director of Christtian Adoption and Family Services is currently on a quest for couples who would be willing to adopt these frozen embryos. He said, “embryos are ‘pre-born babies’ that should be protected and treated with the same dignity as a child being carried by a mother.”

As I read this report, my mind flooded with thoughts of the many thousands who are not given the opportunity to be born and experience life like the rest of us. Actually, they are not less human than I. When I was born, there was nothing especially inherent in me to guarantee birth, and the opportunities that follow. Unfortunately, this is the plight of these 150, 000 and more. They have no chance, no opportunity, and most of all, they have no one to call them their own. No one is there to stand up for their rights. In some ways, they are “unborn orphans.” We must recognize that they, like everyone else, are created in the image of God.

If those thousands could hear, I would read to them Ephesians 1:4,5. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Because of His love for us, He chose us before we were conceived, to be holy and blameless in His sight. These thousands who do not have an opportunity to live, were also chosen by Him. Also because of His love, he predestined us to be adopted as His children through Jesus. Those who have no one to claim them as their own can be assured that Jesus values them enough to be adopted by Him. All these have been done by Jesus in accordance with his pleasure and will. It is not by compulsion or force that He has chosen us. This verse says that Jesus is pleased to call us his child.

There are many who are “orphaned” in various ways. Some are aborted or discarded as waste. Others are orphaned by the death of their parents, and some by rejection – which is probably the most common. The message for all is “Jesus is pleased to call you His child.”

Who Wants to be a Servant Anyway?

“Hey, kid, help me with this, will you?” The voice came from the man who was repairing his car on the street. Although I grew up in that neighborhood, I did not know many of the people who lived there. This man was one of those I never met. In fact, not many people knew him, nor wanted to know him. He was a peculiar fellow, not always clean and not always friendly. Yet when he asked me to help him, I felt compelled to do so. As I walked up to the car that he was working on, I knew that this is not the type of person that my parents would want me to associate with. I felt a certain boldness and walked up to him anyway.

As I helped him with the task, we began to talk about many things. Although I was much younger than he, I noticed a willingness in him to open up and talk about things that you wouldn’t share with a stranger. He told me about the struggles that he faced at work, and with his family. We discussed about the neighborhood and the problems we faced with crime at night. As we continued to work and talk, I noticed a relationship being built with him.

After that incident, we greeted each other whenever we met. We were no longer strangers or just mere acquaintances. We were now “friends” to a certain level of the word. In his book, The Cell Church: Preparing Your Church for the Coming Harvest, Larry Stockstill speaks of a “partnership” that develops with those you serve. He mentions Jesus’ statement to Peter “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8). Stockstill says that Jesus was essentially saying “If I don’t serve you, we are not partners.”

Too often, people refrain from relating with the community. Our purpose is not to survive in their midst as a “peculiar people.” Rather we are to lend a hand, work with them, and be a part of the community. We must be willing to give of our time, energy and money to those who are in need. We can look at others with the same humility that Jesus exemplified when he bent down to wash the feet of his disciples. Let’s open our eyes and look at those around us. What is their pain, what are their needs? How can you offer yourself to serve those around you? When we are able to do this, we are certainly on the road to developing a compassion like that of Jesus.

Is The Internet The Villan?

A friend of mine who is a senior pastor shared with me his concern

about some of the young people in his church. He visited some of
their web sites and blogs and was shocked to read what they were
writing. Their ideas, perception of the world, parents, school,
friends, etc. are of a nature that one would not expect.

Really they are good kids, but you would never imagine that they would
ever express themselves in such a shocking manner!

What is the problem? Is the internet the villan that destroys our
young people? They certainly have many temptations from friends,
magazines, movies, and numerous other sources. But the internet seems
the most far - reaching and vast of all available media. It gives so
many opportunities for good and evil. James writes: "but each one is
tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when
it is full grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:14,15). It is clear
from this verse that the ultimate responsibility for our actions lies
with us.

Teaching on the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership, John Maxwel quotes
a statement from Bill Perkins' book, Awaken The Leader Within You:
"When Jesus taught us to ask God not to lead us into temptation, he
was not suggesting that God would ever lead us into sin. Nor did he
mean that temptation can be avoided altogether. Instead, I interpret
his words to mean that we should ask God to prevent us from having the
inclination and opportunity to sin at the same time" What a great
concept. Everyone has the inclination because of the human nature
within us. Although we may not have direct control over it, we can
build up the "inner man" through prayer and meditation on the Word of
God. As we do that, we can first minimize the opportunities for
temptations, and then overcome the effects of the ones that remain.

So who is the real villan?

Has Life Begun?

Finally it is here, the completion of 40 years of life God has given me. Does it feel like life has begun? (There is a saying that life begins at 40 - for those who don't know.) Everything seems the same so far, except that I woke up before my alarm.

For the last two years, I've had a lot of expectations regarding this phase of my life. My most significant request to the Lord was that I would have the privilege of focusing most of my time and energy on the things that I'm "made for." What am I made for? Turning people to Christ, discipling them and making them soul-winners. I want to train others to reproduce this process many times over throughout their lives. I guess it’s a simple request.

God has been gracious to me during my brief life-span. Early in my teenage years, He took a hold of me. The verse that inspired me from that time on was Jeremiah 20:9b "...his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." He called me to be in his glorious ministry, and to come along and be a part of that call he's given me my wife Annie(Joy), and my children Nathan and Sharon.

OK, God, another 40 more!

Alexi E. George

20 June 2006

Broken Dreams

Traveling across our state, Kerala, we see many eye-catching sights along the way. One of the most daunting sites is the many unfinished foundations. Obviously someone had set out to build their dream house, but couldn't finish. Now, it has all sorts of things growing, including grass, shrubs, and some have small trees growing too.

Through the growth, you can see the foundation and the layout that was planned for the house. Someone had a dream. Money was spent to purchase the land, family members gathered to draw up a plan: The living room here, bedrooms on this side, kitchen and dining area next to each other, etc. Each family member had an idea to contribute, and their ideas converged to form the final plan.

But something went wrong. Certainly it was unexpected, but the unexpected often seems to come when there are big risks involved. Unexpected situations have a drastic effect on our focus. We begin the task with lots of planning and determination, only to back off with fear and give up all our hopes. The Psalmist faced a similar situation when he said: "The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea - the Lord on high is mighty" (Psalm 93:3-4). The all-consuming, overpowering waves represented his unexpected situations which have a severe debilitating effect on our lives. But the Psalmist realized that the Lord, who is mighty, is mightier than the waves. Consider the reality: the waves are mighty, but our Lord is mightier. Your broken dreams may seem to consume you, but our God is mightier than your brokenness.

Agents of Comfort

We would all love to live a life completely free from problems. But we know the reality: by the time we solve one problem, another one is brewing and ready.

Then the big question: Why? The apostle Paul writes in 2Corinthians 1:4b “…so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” God’s aim is to develop us so that we can be a comfort to others. Our problems are in the overall plan of God for our lives.

How does this happen? Paul goes on to say that “…just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” Just as Christ was patient and obedient to the Father in His sufferings, we are to patiently endure. Not only because of his example, but because it is in the overall plan of God for us. As we suffer, he comforts us. The more sufferings we endure, he fills us with more comfort. As we are continually filled with his comfort, we begin to overflow with comfort. We become the agents of God’s comfort in a hurting world.

Some become bitter as a result of their sufferings. The desired result of “overflowing with comfort” does not seem so common for many. What is the determining factor? I believe when we have the proper perspective that we are “sharing” in our sufferings, the desired outcome will be seen in our lives. Paul said “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation.”

So be patient in suffering. Reduce the complaining and grumbling. Submit to the One who suffered so much for us. He will develop us to be agents of God’s comfort in a hurting world.