God is Love – By Derrick Fernando Source:- Qld Sri Lankan Newsletter  Christianity is not about whether we are right or wrong, good or bad but whether we love and have compassion. One day Jesus healed a blind man and the Jews were debating about how he became blind, was it his past sin, a curse, unbelief or his parent’s sin? The man said, I do not know about these debates, but one thing I know; once I was blind and now, I can see! That is all that is required. Seek God’s love and compassion first; then everything else will be all right! The world is full of elitism, rampant individualism, nationalism and militarism. Me, my race, my nationality, my caste, my culture first; everything else is secondary. We can see where the world is heading with this ‘me culture’ penetrating every fabric of our society. When we see ...

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SUNDAY CHOICE – Because of Jesus – By Charles Schokman Image Source : youtube Image Source : pinterest What are the steps to salvation? Many people are looking for “steps to salvation.” People like the idea of an instruction manual with five steps that, if followed, will result in salvation. An example of this is Islam with its Five Pillars. According to Islam, if the Five Pillars are obeyed, salvation will be granted. Because the idea of a step-by-step process to salvation is appealing, many in the Christian community make the mistake of presenting salvation as a result of a step-by-step process. Roman Catholicism has seven sacraments. Various Christian denominations add baptism, public confession, turning from sin, speaking in tongues, etc., as steps to salvation. But the Bible only presents one step to salvation. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ ...

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SUNDAY CHOICE – 10 REASONS TO BELIEVE EASTER REALLY HAPPENED – By Charles Schokman Jesus Christ is arguably the central figure of history. This Easter, 2.4 billion people will celebrate his resurrection. But how do we know if Jesus really did rise from the dead? Christians believe Jesus is not merely a dead hero, but God in flesh and the living Saviour. The apostle Paul wrote, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Jesus’ resurrection really matters. Consider 10 reasons that Easter is not a legend or a fairy tale, but true history. 1. JESUS REALLY DIED Some have suggested that Jesus merely fell unconscious on the cross and later revived in the tomb. But there is no way he could have survived crucifixion. The Romans invented crucifixion not just for torture but for capital punishment. The soldiers attending ...

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The Passion of Christ ….. A unique presentation by the Sri Lanka New South Wales Catholic Association – By Aubrey Joachim Christians the world over commenced one of the most important periods in their spiritual calendar last Sunday. Palm Sunday commemorates the day when Jesus Christ triumphantly entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey to the cheers and welcome of palm waving crowds. Jesus had requested his disciples ahead of time to go into the city of Jerusalem and prepare a place for him to celebrate the Jewish Passover. Specific instructions were given to the disciples with regards the room to be selected and the specific arrangements. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was also to set in train a series of events which would lead to his death on the cross which Christians believe was to save mankind from sin. Commemoration of the Passover is on the Thursday preceding Good ...

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SUNDAY CHOICE – God is the Good Shepherd – By Charles Schokman In the New Testament, Christians are referred to as sheep, and God is the Good Shepherd, and we are the sheep of His pastures. Sheep depend on the shepherds to care, protect, and guide them along life’s journey, bringing them to a safe place to graze. In this season, the sounds of the world are beginning to weigh us down, causing even the strongest ones to grow weary, and if we aren’t mindful, we’ll become downcast. The devil wants to keep us turned upside down in our circumstances. However, in Jesus Christ, we can find rest for our weary souls. If you find yourself in a season of heaviness, lost with feelings of hopelessness, the Lord says, “I want to shepherd the hearts of My people.” We encourage you to stir your faith up in the Lord, allowing the ...

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Christmas – By Persis Ranasinghe Source :  Qld Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – December 2023 Christmas (or Feast of the Nativity) is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. It is also a declared Public Holiday in many parts of the world. This photo represents what Christmas means as a family. Grandmother Persis is explaining to the three year old granddaughter Gabby the significance of the crib. Back then the families had to register a new born baby in their historical tribal town rather than where they lived. This also meant that Joseph and very pregnant Mary had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, as this was the town that Joseph’s family (the royal family of David) originally came from – journey of about 112 kilometres. This journey was ...

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SONGS OF PRAISE – AMAZING GRACE – BY Charles Schokman “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”-                               1 Chronicles 17:16. While this prayer by King David teaches us a lesson of thanksgiving and humility, it is a passage that was used in a popular hymn written by John Newton. Have you ever wondered who wrote some of the most popular hymns? Have you wondered for what purpose they were written? There are hundreds of hymns in the world, some incredibly well-known across numerous countries. The growing popularity of these hymns may make one wonder, how or why they gained so much traction in their journey throughout the world. Let’s dive deeper into the story behind the song of “Amazing Grace.” It was December 1772, in Olney ...

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As Holy Week begins Christianity is hijacked by false prophets. – By Aubrey Joachim With 2.4 Billion followers on the planet – 31% of the global population, Christianity is the most populous religion in the world. Of this number 50% – 1.2 Billion, are Roman Catholic which by itself would be the third largest religious group equal with Hinduism. The foundation of the Christian Faith is that God sent his only son Jesus Christ to earth, taking a human form to save humanity from the consequences of sin. While Christianity itself is just over 2,000 years old with the formal establishment of the Church, the historical lineage of Jesus Christ goes back a further 1,000 years to King David and several other Biblical figures and prophets who preceded Him. Christianity originated in the Middle East from where it spread across the whole planet. Jesus Christ was a Jew having been ...

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“THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE” – By Des Kelly This little girl, singing so sweetly about a subject that, at her obvious age, she would have known very little about, will, in the not too distant future, quite possibly be taught not only about ‘the garden’, but this man called Jesus, who came into this very place, with some of his followers, to pray about what was about to happen to him.  She will learn about the man called Jesus Christ who was God’s Son, sent down to Earth by HIM so that HE (Jesus) would talk to the people about his Father in Heaven and advise then on how they could also enter the Heavenly Realm someday, to share eternal life thereafter. Jesus was on his knees, in the garden, when another of his followers (Disciples) came in, and, for 30 pieces of silver, pointed him out, to the Roman ...

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SUNDAY CHOICE – IS YOUR HEART RIGHT WITH GOD? There are some people who may not appear to us as “good Christians”, based on what our expectation of a good Christian should look like. We can take a look at them, maybe the way they dress, the way they talk, or something about their lifestyle that we are not comfortable with, and find ourselves jumping to conclusions about the state of their hearts. But their hearts might be just right with God! Only God sees every heart. We are all on our personal journeys with Jesus Christ. Maybe they are pleasing God with their humble hearts. Maybe their hearts are filled to overflowing with love for God and love for others. Perhaps the bigger question we should actually ask is this: Is my heart right with God? Listen to what the Bible says:— Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 139:23-24, ...

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