Final Word

As we are closing the books on PCNAK 2013 and moving on, let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who made it a success once again.

It was not the largest conference. But it was once of the best, based on the response we have received from hundreds of attendees through texts, emails and phone calls.  I am amazed that we did not hear one complaint about the conference from the attendees. (We only have to pay attention to the attendees. We have no obligation to anyone else).

On behalf of the Executive Committee, National Committee and the Local Committee, let me express our gratitude to everyone who joined the prayer line on Sunday evenings, all the churches who stood with us by sending in an offering, all the sponsors, all the attendees and to the people who gave an extra donation to meet the expenses of the conference in the end. Because of our combined efforts, we can close the books on this conference without any extra burdens to anyone.

I have burdened you with a lot of emails during the last 12 months. Please realize that it is because I was committed to finishing this task successfully at any cost. This will be my last email on behalf of PCNAK.

I had started writing a blog as a part of this. It was read about 16000 times. So I plan to continue the blog. It will feature Biblical truths henceforth. Immediately I will continue the last blog on Spiritual Warfare. I have much to say on it after enduring it for two years. Let me share the insights God has given me. You can invite your friends to read them and learn from them by forwarding the emails to whomever you want.

All future emails will be sent on behalf of GONCIL. I haven't paid much attention to GONCIL for a while since the task at hand was too big. Now that it is behind me, I can focus on GONCIL more. (Visit https://www.facebook.com/goncilusa for updates).

Fasting-IV: The Spirit of Jezebel

When Jesus required his followers to fast, it was as a means to have victory in their spiritual warfare. He told them that 'this kind will not go away, except by fasting and praying.'

In the next few blogs, I will write about spiritual warfare and how fasting can be used as a tool for victory in this battle. I have much to share from my experience in this area.

The worst of the spiritual battles we see in The Bible is the Spirit of Jezebel. Let me start there.

Jezebel of history was the wife of King Ahab in ancient Israel. She was the daughter of Ethbaal. Ethbaal means 'being with Baal.' So it is possible that her father was a Sidonian priest king, which was common then. The word Jezebel means 'without dwelling or habitation.' Was she a habitation for a wandering spirit? We do not know. But when one study the depth of evil that possessed her, there is room to think so.

King Ahab had already decided to follow the path of his forefather Jeroboam. He was already exposed to pagan worship. But when he decided to marry Jezebel, that ushered the northern kingdom of Israel into a tail spin.

What Ahab brought to the camp of Israel was not just a person, but a spiritual influence. She is the one who established Baal worship in Israel. What she did was to erect a counter altar to the altar of God almighty. Even the ministry of spiritual giants like Elijah and Elisha could not wipe out that evil influence from the land. It ultimately decimated the northern kingdom. To this day the ten tribes that comprised the northern kingdom of Israel are scattered around the world.

So let me start with a word of caution. If you enter into a treaty with a person who possess a deep seated evil spirit in him or her for temporary gains, you are inviting an influence that will eventually decimate your camp. Watch out with whom you form alliances!

This is what Bible teaches about how the Spirit of Jezebel functions:

1. It will gain upper hand seizing a weakness in a community.
Ahab was a weak king. As soon as Jezebel married him, she realized that and decided to take advantage of it.What she brought to Israel as dowry was 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. the King made an altar for Baal in Samaria and entrenched this evil spirit in the community.

The parallel to this historic lesson is given to us in Revelation 2:18-29. There we can learn how the Spirit of Jezebel functions in a church or a spiritual community like a denomination.

The church of Thyatira was one of the seven prominent churches in Asia Minor. When Holy Spirit said, 'your works, the last are more than the first,' it means it was a growing church. It was known for their 'works, love, service, faith and patience.' the negative remark about this church was that it allowed  'the Spirit of Jezebel to function' in the church. It talks about a person moving in the prophetic had gained upper hand in the church prior to leading the church into apostasy.

Please realize that prophetic office is not the issue. Jesus is building his church on the foundation of Apostles and Prophets (Eph. 4:11). What kind of spirit moves in the prophet is the issue. 1 Kings 18: 19 talks about the 'prophets of Baal' and 'prophets of Asherah.' Thyatira had a 'prophetess'  who was moving in the Spirit of Jezebel.

What the Bible teaches us is that you will see the true color of a person moving in the Spirit of Jezebel after he or she gains the upper hand. And to gain the upper hand, it will latch on to people already in authority.

2. The servants of God becomes the target.
Once the altar of Baal was established, she started targeting the servants of God. 'Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord.' (1 Kings 18:4).

When a person moving in the same spirit is allowed prominence in a church or a in a community, servants of God watch out! You will be hunted. You will be viciously attacked. You will be mercilessly butchered. Nothing brings out the depravity and darkness of the evil side as when it attacks servants of God or entities established to show the goodness of God to others.

It will fight people of God mercilessly.

3. It will not respect limits and will work to gain control at any costs.
Once she gained upper hand, she began to exercise dominion. People had only two choices: obey her edicts or hide! When she screamed threats, even Elijah looked for a hiding place!

The climax came when she killed Naboth when he dared to stand up against the king and her (1 Kings 21).

Even today we see people with the same spirit doing the same things.  They will encroach into your personal affairs. They butt their heads into things that do not concern them. They want to snatch your privacy, your honor, your blessings, your everything- just to show the extend of their influence.

Never forget that Ahab went to Jezebel, not the other way around. She was an invited presence! And she capitalized on it. Pretty soon all the prophets of God who used to boast about their anointing were hiding in caves.

4. It will not back off easily.
This principle becomes clear when you look at what happened on Mount Carmel. The fact that the prophets of Baal and prophets of Asherah were killed by Elijah did not stop her. You would expect her to run back to Sidon. But she did not have to. The person who invited her into Israel was still standing with her. So she dared to declare another threat against Elijah: '"So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."(1 Kings 19:2).

5. The Spirit of Jezebel operating in a christian community.

There are four specific things mentioned about this in revelation 2.

A. 'A prophetess': Became part of the church through a ministry position.
B. It became a contaminating spirit: The imagery presented in revelation 2 is that 'she seduced My servants to commit sexual immorality.' (As far as we know it is figurative speech, speaking about spiritual adultery.')
C. It will violate the directions of God. The issue in Thyatira was encouraging people 'to eat things sacrificed to idols' which was contrary to the teachings in 1 Corinthians.
D. It will refuse to repent. God says, "I gave her time to repent and she did not." People with Jezebel Spirit think they are the ultimate purveyors of truth. Therefore, they will not repent or change their ways. In the end, God will deal with them violently when he unleashes his fury.

6. They will be successful for a season.
1 Kings 19 shows that they can affect even the very elect for a while. The same Elijah who had a major victory on Mount Carmel found himself running the next day. Robert Morris, the Pastor of Gateway Church in Dallas has pointed out four ways in which the Spirit of Jezebel can affect an anointed servant of God.
A. Fear: he arose and ran for his life.
B. Isolation: he himself went a day's journey.
C. Exhaustion: he prayed that he might die.
D. Depression: he ate and drank, and lay down again.

He talks about a season when such a spirit was functioning in his church. He was often overcome by thoughts of quitting, thoughts of depression and desire to die. As a child of God he overcame that season and now Gateway is one of the largest churches in the USA.

THE ANSWER

God shows both in 1 Kings and in Revelation 2 that fate of people moving in the Spirit of Jezebel is sealed. God will judge them just as mercilessly as they have dealt with the people of God. They are guaranteed a violent end. So people of God will have victory in the end.

But God does not leave the Spirit of Jezebel unopposed until then. An Elijah came on the scene to oppose Jezebel. He was least qualified for the job. He was from Tishba (from the bushes). But he knew the word. And he had a personal relationship with God which strengthened him. When Jezebel had him on the run, he still heard God's voice. God gave him counsel to set things in motion which eventually guaranteed the violent end of Jezebel. When Jezebel had him discouraged, God came with bread and water to strengthen him.

So if you step out to oppose the Spirit of Jezebel, be ready. Prepare yourself. It will be a long and strenuous struggle. The Spirit of Jezebel is an entrenched spirit that has found habitation in a person or a church. It will not depart easily. But with prayer and fasting, you can gain the strength for the long haul.

God Made It Possible

Overcoming all accidental and intentional obstacles, the 31st PCNAK has come to a glorious conclusion. The conference was a great success. The speakers were great. The facility was superior. The food was more than people could consume. The atmosphere was godly. The weather totally cooperated. People came in droves. In one word, God's favor upon this conference was really visible.

Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone. My heartfelt thanks to the members of the Executive Committee, National Committee and the Local Committee for working with me, encouraging me and sharing the burden with me.

Special thanks to everyone who prayed for a year. Some of you even fasted along with us. It is as a result of continuous prayers that this conference happened so successfully.. Thank you prayer warriors!

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped us financially. Our story is that many on whom we counted disappeared but many moved only by the love of God stepped in to fill that gap. There was a time when people were predicting that this conference will end with a huge deficit. But in the end, we have concluded it without any debts! We owe all of you children of God much for your generosity. We will continue to pray for God's blessings in your lives.

Special mention should be made of the speakers. All of them were fabulous. The messages were great. Justice was done to the theme. Many of the messages were in depth expositions. Thank you all for blessing this conference with your presence and your ministry!

My wife and her team worked very hard to take care of the guests. The sumptuous menu was her personal choice. They toiled in the kitchen for many hours prior to the conference to give home made snacks to everyone at the end of the day. She took the initiative to do the special session honoring the nurses. It was one of the highlights of the conference  and very moving indeed. Thank you Mercy for all your hard work and prayers! Thank you sisters' team for all your hard work.

Above all, all the glory goes to God who had spoken to us through a prophet in July 2011, preparing us spiritually for the dark days that followed and kept us afloat in the midst of the storms.

Once again, our heart felt thanks to everyone who helped us in any way. My thanks to even the people who tried to create stumbling blocks at every turn, because, if you had not opposed me so vehemently, I would not have prayed so fervently. You made me a prayer warrior! Thank you.

In the future, this email list will be used to share inspiring thoughts from the Bible.

Fasting III: Fasting & Fasting

The title of this blog is not a mistake. It is intentional, as I plan to differentiate between prayers that are acceptable to God and the ones that are not. In fact, I fear God a lot and hope I can instill that fear in people so that they do not take things of God lightly.

We have looked at why Jesus wanted his disciples to fast. It was to gain strength to succeed in spiritual warfare. That may cause some people to look at fasting as a short cut to gain power.

In fact, the history of the religions is a history of people misappropriating it for personal gains.

Earlier, in a blog, I mentioned that Jesus called Pharisees white washed sepulchres because they used to put ashes on their faces when they fasted. We also looked at the Old Testament requirements for fasting by members of the Israelite community. Eventually it became a sham and a show. So God spoke against it through his prophets. The entire chapter of Isaiah 58 is about it. Since it worth noting, I quote it below from NIV.

“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
    Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
² For day after day they seek me out;
    they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
    and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
    and seem eager for God to come near them.
³ ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
    ‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
    and you have not noticed?’

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
    and exploit all your workers.
⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
    and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and expect your voice to be heard on high.
⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹ The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

It shows the blessings of doing the fast right and the kind of fast God hates.

A clear example of the second type is found in Acts 23:12 onward. 

"12The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

Can you imagine people tying fasting to a plot to kill another person? But that is what they did.

Even now people fast for wrong reasons. But if the ultimate goal is to destroy someone in some way, that fast will be mere religious exercise, not a fast that God is pleased with. We may not murder someone today. But when we scheme to destroy others and use spiritual means for that, it is the same as murdering someone. Because in both cases, you are trying to finish off someone you do not like.

Finally, the picture of prayer in the Bible is erecting an altar. The current series I am doing in Gateway on "The Prayers In The Bible," has made it very clear. Erecting a counter altar to the true altar of God is one of the biggest offenses before God. That is why Bible speak so harshly against idol worship.

Look at what God did when someone dared to erect a counter altar to stop people from going to Jerusalem temple:

1By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. 2By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’ ” 3That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”

4When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. 5Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord.

6Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before. (1 Kings 13: 1-6 NIV).

Remember that God had given the kingdom to King Jeroboam.  But God objected strongly to his attempt to erect a counter altar in Samaria. Why? He made a sham of God's business in his intention was to stop people from going to Jerusalem temple!

Yes, all of us have personal freedom. We may use that freedom to erect altars to suit our purposes. But never forget that there is God who judge our motives. He will reward us according to the purity of our hearts, not according to our religious efforts.

Details To Note

Since there is only a month left for the conference, we like to provide the following details. Since our

conference starts on July 4, Thursday, we request you to make an effort to be present from the first session.

TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS:

1. You can fly into Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT. We will pick you up from the airport. The city bus called Bradley Flyer leaves every 30 minutes and the charge is only $1.30.
2. You can fly into LGA or JFK in New York on Thursday morning and we will pick you up from there. Cut off time is Thursday 2 PM.
3. From nearby cities, you can take the Metro North train or Amtrak to Hartford. We can pick you up from the airport, if you give us the arrival time.

SPORTS DAY:

1. Sports Day is Friday, not Saturday.
2. All  sports teams must register by June 15.
3. Competitions are for Basket Ball and Volley Ball.
4. Groups are divided into under 19 and above 19.

SCIENCE MUSEUM:

Right across from the convention center, there is an excellent science museum. We have arranged for a special group visit to it for our children. There is an entrance fee.

PROGRAM CHANGES:

These are the main changes in the program this year.

1. Thursday night meeting will be a combined meeting where we will honor the nation on its independent day and honor our service men and women.
2. Saturday morning will have two main tracks. One, a seminar on Obama Care and how it will impact the Malayali families. Two will a revival meeting.
3. There will be no after hours revival meeting.
4. Samgamams will be on Friday afternoon.
5. There will be a media forum, instead of writers meeting on Friday afternoon. Rev. Zac Poonnen is a globally recognized Christian author from India and he will minister in that session. in addition to writers, we will incorporate musicians, web masters, bloggers and media producers like video makers into this session. Thus the name change.
6. Each of our invited guests will minister in multiple sessions.

See you soon in Hartford!

Updates on Smartphones

Get up to the minute details on your smartphone. Here is how to do it.

1. Download the Churchlink App to your iphone or android phone. 

2. Go to the 'More' button on the bottom corner.

3. Look for 'Church Search.'

4. Enter pcnak 2013

5. Select it.

6. When asked, do you want to make this your favorite, accept.

From then on, when you open the churchlink app, PCNAK 2103 will show up and follow the tabs to find the info you are looking for.

Under 19 Sports

We have good news for all the young people who wanted to be apart of the sports events at PCNAK 2013. The original venue would not allow us to do any under 19 sports events because of the strict rules on NCAA. But now we have found a new sports complex where we can have the under 19 crowd laso play.

So please sign up your basket ball team or volley ball team today. Please contact David Richard at hsow2009@gmail.com.

See you all in Hartford!

On Fasting- II

FAST WITH A GOAL IN MIND

In my previous blog, we saw that the nation of Israel was required to fast one day a year initially and four days a year later. We can call this ritualistic fasting as people are fasting as a part of a community without any personal motives. When Pharisees fasted twice a week, it was also a ritualistic fast. That is why Jesus did not give much credence to it.

Ritualistic fasting is not what Jesus taught. He wanted us to fast individually and collectively for a goal. We can call this  result oriented fasting.

Even though the fast Jesus promoted was for spiritual reasons only,  I believe we can fast for our material needs also.

I know of hundreds of young and older believers who have done this and how God has honored them for it. Many students do this during preparation for final exams or entrance exams. It is a noble thing to do, since you are declaring that "God, I cannot do this without your help. I seek your face for guidance." God can help you in so many ways if you seek Him. Some others do this when preparing for job interviews. I was pleasantly surprised to hear from my daughter after her wedding that both she and her fiance had gone on a 21 day concurrent fast to seek God's blessings for their marriage. So you can go on a full or a partial fast seeking the will of God for any reasons God can honor. Result oriented fasting is scriptural and God will not put you to shame. (Again, my personal guideline in this matter is this: If it is a short fast, go for full fast. If it is a long fast, go for partial fast, if you have to go to work or school while you are fasting. If you are physically up to it, always do the full fast.)

There are many incidents of fasting in the Bible. Since books on that topic is readily available, I do not want to go into the details of it here. Suffice to say here that most of them were result oriented fasting- either to accomplish  a specific goal or seek God's will concerning certain things. Ezra fasted for guidance and protection. Esther fasted for the schemes of the enemy to be destroyed and for the favor of God to be manifested. Moses fasted to linger in the presence of God and to receive the Law. the Antioch church fasted for direction in ministry.

Never give up in the middle of a fast. Esther had to wait until the last minute to see God's breakthrough. Hamans of the world will do everything in their power to destroy you. It may look hopeless at times. The world may conclude that the enemy is winning. But don't worry. Just wait on the Lord. Things will change. Your prayer will confuse the enemy. The evil spirit in them will begin to manifest more and more as it detests the presence of God that begin to emerge and manifest when people of God pray. All the covenants with the evil will begin to crumble. The victory belongs to the children of God.

We as a family have done goal oriented fasting multiple times. From our experience we encourage you to fast and seek the will of God concerning the pressing needs in your life. He will come through for you. No weapon fashioned against you will prosper! Every mountain that stand in your way will be removed!

"As for me, I will call upon God, And the LORD shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.... Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psalms 55:16,17,22).

Join us at least for a day as we do this chain fasting for the blessings of 31st PCNAK.

On Fasting-I

I am grateful that our decision to do a chain fasting starting on May 1 has started a lot of conversations in the community. So we have accomplished one of our goals already. We wanted us to to become a prayer

centered community again- with less emphasis on politics, gossips, misinformation campaigns etc. Let us talk more about things of God and less about other things.

Let me dispel some of the misconceptions initially. Doing a chain fasting is not wrong. It is not artificially prolonging a fast. It is a practical way to get more people involved in a fast. Usually what happens in a chain fast is this. A few people will fast for the entire length of the declared duration and others will join with them for a day or more. Some of the most successful fasts in recent history has been done this way. When late Dr. Bill Bright did a forty day fast in a stadium, it did not mean that everyone in that stadium was fasting for forty days. Jensen Franklin has been doing a 21 day fast for years now. That does not mean that everyone who joined with him from his church or across the world fasted for all 21 days. We have done chain fasting in our church multiple times.

The same will happen in this fast also. Already one of my Pastor friends in India has decided to join with me in this fast for 40 days. Many others are doing this once day a week, as their work schedule permit.

WHAT WE LEARN ABOUT FASTING FROM BIBLE:

Originally the entire population was expected to fast on the Day of Atonement. Later in their history, they increased it to 4 days (Zech. 7:5, 8:19). This was always related to the destruction of their nation. There is an extra fast in Esther, which she requested for a specific reason.

During the time of Jesus, the Pharisees fasted every Monday and Thursday (Luke 18:12). They used to put ashes on their faces during these days. That is why Jesus called them white washed sepulchres.

An exception to the fasting requirement was granted to the newlyweds in Old Testament (Deut. 24:5). Jesus used this clause to defend his disciples (Mat. 9:15) when asked by Pharisees why they did not fast.

Jesus expected his disciples to fast though. In fact, he declared, "this kind does not go away except by prayer and fasting.” (Mat. 17:21). 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF FASTS. 

There is an erroneous concept in our communities that all fasts are the same. It is not. Entering into a fast is a vow taken before God. What is important is to keep your vow before God. "It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it." (Ecc. 5:5). How others look at your fast is immaterial. 

1. Complete fast is when you abstain from everything including drinking water. In the Bible, the only time people did that was in the book of Ezra. (Ezra 8:21). It shows extreme sacrifice. We know the heat of the Middle East. To give up water in that weather is difficult. But Ezra and friends did that, knowing the severity of their challenges, and acknowledging that they had no future except for the intervention of God. Today Muslims do something like this during Ramadan. But we know that they have freedom to eat and drink as much as they want after sunset.

2. Full fast is when people abstain from all food during the duration of the fast. Jesus fasted this way for 40 days. Many of our people have done the same. An older sister of my mother has done this multiple times. If your fast is real full fast, you should drink only water and avoid coffee, tea or sodas.

3. Partial fast is when people decided to fast from certain things during a fast. This is many times looked down upon in Eastern cultures. But, again, what really matters is keeping your vow. If you vow to eat just one meal a day and fast for the rest of the day, it is between you and God. Do not let people who never fast judge you and try to discourage you. YOUR VOW IS YOUR VOW. 

Sometimes people are encouraged to fast in a different way to learn the value of a vow and to introduce them to the concept of fast. Many western churches ask children to do a 'tv fast' where they agree not to watch TV for a certain time period. Again, what is important is to keep your vow.

4. Daniel fast is a type of partial fast which has become very popular in the West. Some people think there is no scriptural backing for it. That only shows their ignorance of the scripture. It is based on two references in the Bible, both in the book of Daniel. hence the name Daniel fast. In Daniel, chapter 1, we see Daniel and his friends deciding on a diet that included just vegetables and water. (Our modern equivalent will be a vegetarian meal with water as the only liquid to drink). We do not know how long this lasted. Again  in Daniel, chapter 10, verse three, we read: " I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over."  Again, Daniel is abstaining from meat and wine. Or, Daniel had vegetarian meals and water for drink.

Many books on this topic are available in the West. I recommend the book written by Jensen Franklin. Or, simply Google 'Daniel Fast' and read the tons of material available online about this.

Our community is not used to Daniel fast. What we do is eat one time a day, if it is necessary. So we do practice partial fast. That is acceptable for us.  What I have decided to do before the Lord during this season is to fast, eating only one time a day, which is a common and accepted way of doing fast in our community.

At the same time if someone say he or she is doing a Daniel fast (another type of partial fast) we will skin them alive. What it shows is our closed mind set- not that one is more right than the other, as both are partial fasts.

Daniel fast allows people with medical conditions also to fast. In my own case, I am a cardiac patient with three stems in my heart. It  forces me to take medication everyday, including aspirin. Today we know that we cannot take many of these medications on an empty stomach. In that case what do you do? Many people use it as an excuse and never fast again. How much better it is to go on a Daniel fast and spend time in the presence of God and seek answers from Him?

For years, I used to go on a full fast one weekend a month. It was during that season that my ministry flourished the most. Many of my friends remember the tremendous revivals that happened in my meetings in Kumband, other cities of Kerala, in Mumbai, Delhi, Hariyana, South Africa, Australia, Europe, Middle East and elsewhere. The secret of those meetings were not my prowess, but the presence of God since I was spending a lot of time in His presence.

We just finished a 21 day fast in Gateway in March.The lingering presence of God during those days has created a hunger and thirst in me to fast as often as I can.The turn around it has caused in Gateway is amazing. If you need proof, you are invited to watch a video that will be posted on Gateway's homepage. (http:www.gatewaynyc.com).

I did not write these things to promote me. Or because I need to justify me before anyone. Let that be far from the truth. But to correct some of the comments I heard and to encourage you to spend time in the presence of God in fasting and prayer. Do it in a way your health and circumstances allow. You will be amazed how it will revolutionize everything about you.

Join us in this fast, as you can. 

Chain Fasting Starts on May 1st

The preparations for the 31st PCNAK Conference in Hartford, CT is progressing at a regular pace. The venue, the speakers, the transportation arrangements, arrangements for food, sports venue etc. are ready. The national committee and the local committee are working hard to make sure you will have a blessed conference.

Already hundreds of people have reached out to us complementing us for the large number of excellent speakers for this year's conference. God will send them with a special anointing and they will be used mightily by God for His glory.

As you already know, when I took over the responsibility for the conference in 2012 July, I foresaw some challenges and had decided that this will be a conference done with prayer power. We have been praying all year long. Now we will take it one step further.

We are starting a chain fasting starting on May 1st. I have decided to fast from May 1st to July 4th, having a  meal one time a day. I invite you to fast with me at least one day during this season.

The story of Esther is probably the best example of the power of fasting in the Bible. When people choose to pray, things happen.

"They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed." (Psalms 34:5)

Get ready for a spirit filled, prayer filled, God's presence filled conference in Hartford, CT.

On a different note, the pre-registration will end on April 30th. If you or any of your friends want to make use of it, please click here.

See you all on July 4th.

Pre registration till April 30

The registration process for the 31st PCNAK Conference is progressing smoothly. We have extended the pre-registration rates till April 30th. Please use this opportunity. Click here to register at discounted rates.

On another note, we have arranged bus service from New York to the convention site. New York participants are requested to meet at the parking lot of Gateway Christian Center. The bus will leave at 2 PM on July 4th Thursday.

Out of town participants who fly into LGA or JFK will be picked up from the airport and given free transit to the conference site. Please make sure your flights arrive no later than 2 PM on Thursday.  After the Sunday service, you will be dropped at the airports.

Sports programs for the youth also are ready. This year we will have tournaments for Basket Ball and Volley Ball. Please contact David Richard at 405-923-3283 for details and to register your team.

There is a special trip to the Science Center across from the Conference site arranged on Saturday morning for parents attending with small children. They will be enriched by the sights and sounds of this seven story science museum.

See you soon in Hartford!

Conference Is Ready

After months of preparations behind the scenes, the 31st PCNAK Conference is ready for you. In the midstof challenges, God has strengthened the hands of the Executives, the National Committee and the Local Committee to work together and put together a conference that I am sure will be a blessing to you. I thank God for a team that has worked together with understanding and unity.

God has shown His favor in this from the beginning by answering our requests. When we were praying for a beautiful and convenient facility to host the conference, God gave the elegant Connecticut Convention Center where we can hold all the functions under one roof. As I have freely admitted, I did not even know of a facility like that. I accept it as a divine provision for us. It also became a point of assurance for me personally that God is with me and my friends  in this and that He will see me through.

Then when we started prayerfully considering speakers for the conference, we made a list of speakers expecting may be half of them to agree to come. To our pleasant surprise almost all of them agreed to come! Again I took it as a divine sign that God's favor is upon this conference. Where there is God's favor, God's provisions will follow.

I am grateful to the members of the National Committee and the Local Committee for working with us to arrange everything for the conference. Let me summarize the things we have done so far:

1. The Facility is ready.
2. The Speakers are ready.
3. The Sports facility for the youth is ready.
4. Transportation arrangements for out of town participants are ready.
5. The Local teams are ready to help with any of your needs.

The song book is getting ready. Please reserve your space for ad today. Contact our Secretary, Br. Rajan Aryapallil for more details.

Thanks to everyone who has used the pre-registration discounts. For your convenience, we have extended it to April 30th. Please make use of it and register today.

Register online today

Free transportation will be given to out of town registrants from La Guardia and JFK airports in New York, if they can get there no later than 2 PM on July 4, Thursday. After the Sunday service, we will drop them to the airport. Please book your tickets accordingly to make use of this money saving opportunity.

Bus transportation from New York is also available for others for a nominal fee. Please contact us for details.

Please contact the following people to register your team for basket ball or volley ball tournaments (if you haven't done so already).

• David Richard : Tel. 405-923-3283. Email: davidrichard@oru.edu 

• Ronnie Samuel: Tel. 678-463-1429. Email: ronnie.samuel@yahoo.com 

ONE SPECIAL REQUEST: I do not like to write negative things. But unfortunately there has been a smear campaign going on for an year with the express intention of destroying PCNAK. They keep spreading lies after lies. Please do not believe them. The executives who are working hard for this conference were elected and appointed by the 30th PCNAK in Hamilton with a huge majority and they have put together a wonderful conference for you.  The pathetic efforts to discredit them and the conference in that process are sad, painful and uncalled for. May God deal with the folks who work full time and even over time to destroy this conference!

With God's help, we are ready for a prayer filled, spirit filled, God's presence filled conference.

See you soon in Hartford!

Promotional Meetings

Promotional meetings are part of the PCNAK calendar. It allows the executives to travel to different cities that are major pockets of Keralite believers, meet with key members and Pastors, encourage them to come for the conference etc. It culminates with a promotional meeting somewhere.

In recent years, attendance to such meetings have been extremely poor. A successful meeting usually has only 15 to 20 people. Some cities have only 5 to 10 people on a given day.

So the real value of the weekend is not really the promotional meeting. It is the opportunity to meet with people and pastors and visiting churches.

Just like in any other year, this year we have seen the same trend. In each of the cities we are doing the promotional meeting, the same thing is happening. We have had the opportunity to meet with many families and many Pastors. We have visited and ministered in many churches.

Last week we were in Philadelphia where we accomplished the same. I personally visited four churches and had the opportunity to personally invite believers to the conference. I missed out on a fifth church where I had made appointment.

We had contacted many of the other churches that we could not visit and they also have extended their right hand of fellowship for the conference.

This pattern will continue until the conference.

Guest Speakers For the Conference

As I woke up early on February 1, my heart had shifted gears knowing that the conference is almost here. Just five months left! Five months of extra hard work, extra hours of prayer and extra thousands of miles on executives' car. But I prayerfully believe that it will culminate in a wonderful conference, come July 4th. Once again, let me reiterate that the PCNAK Conference is not about us. We are just carrying out the responsibilities handed to us by PCNAK General Body in Hamilton, Canada last July.We are grateful for this opportunity to serve you. We are moving right on schedule. All along our goal was to release the name of the speakers at the beginning of February. So here we go. In addition to the speakers listed below, many ministers from our community also will minister in different sessions. Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who stood with me and the national committee, encouraged us, joined us on the national prayer line on Sunday nights and strengthened our hands by registering early. May God bless you all! It is my prayer that thousands of others will join your ranks in the coming months. God will answer our earnest prayers. Let His name be glorified! REV. SAM CHELLADURAI CHENNAI Rev. Sam P. Chelladurai is one of the most respected and influential word-preachers in India. He is a Bible teacher with a heart to touch the lives of people by expounding upon the life-transforming power of God's word. His ministry has effectively changed thousands around the world. After spending about 10 years in the United States of America, studying and later pastoring a church in North Carolina, Pastor Sam felt led by God to come back to India and continue his ministry. In 1985, he took over the leadership of Apostolic Fellowship Tabernacle in Chennai, which today is one of the fastest growing churches in India. He is the Principal of 'The Full Gospel Bible College', which trains young men and women for ministry. He is also the Founder of 'Campaign India', which is designed to take the gospel to the unreached in India. His monthly publication, 'VETRIYUM VAZHVUM' (in Tamil) is a magazine that is being read by thousands of people and his books, CDs and DVDs and tapes are distributed around the world.

REV. TOBY MONTGOMERY CALIFORNIA Rev. Tobey Montgomery is an anointed minister of the Gospel. He has been in the ministry for 24 years, the first seven of which he was solely responsible for the youth ministry of the church. In one year, under his ministry, 250 youths accepted Christ. For 17 years he was senior pastor of The Gate Fellowship in Corona, California, where the membership reached 350.His ministry has included 10 international crusades, 6 to India and 5 to the United Kingdom. Pastor Toby has been a key note speaker in IPC General Convention multiple times and has ministered in campaigns in our community in the USA. Pastor Toby who also served as the President of a College will minister to both youth and adults. .  ZAC POONEN BANGALORE Zac Poonen is the Senior Elder of Christian Fellowship Church in Bangalore, India. He is one of the best known Christian leaders from India, highly regarded and respected across the world for in depth Bible.studies. He has responsibility for a number of churches in India and abroad. He has written more than 25 books and numerous articles in English - which have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages. He was born in an Orthodox family. He was attracted to the gospel message as he entered the Naval Academy in 1955. He finally had the assurance of salvation in 1959. He took water baptism in 1961 and had the first encounter with the Holy Spirit in 1963. Since he was associated with the Brethren church, he had trouble accepting the infilling of the Holy Spirit. But after his wife was filled with the Holy Spirit in 1969, he started praying for the same experience and was filled with the Holy Spirit in 1975, which has empowered him to be fruitful in ministry all these years.    (He is introduced without any ecclesiastical titles at this request). REV. MATHEW BARNETT CALIFORNIA Matthew Barnett, author of the New York Times Best Seller, The Cause within You, and pastor of one of America's fastest growing churches, is one of the most dynamic voices God is using in Christianity today. At the age of 38, he is fulfilling the roles of people who have been in the ministry for years. Son of Pastor Tommy Barnett, best-selling author, church growth pioneer, and pastor of what Time Magazine noted as "One of the three largest churches in America," Pastor Matthew has learned powerful principles of ministry, which have gifted him in founding The Dream Center in Los Angeles. The Dream Center began as a typical local church. With the fresh vision and desire to impact the entire city that God birthed in Matthew's heart, the church grew from 39 members at its conception in September of 1994, to reaching more than 50,000 people each week in the Center's multiple services and 273 ministries and outreaches today. The Dream Center houses close to 500 people who are being rehabilitated for the glory of God. Every week people receive food and many other services are offered to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the community. As of April 2002, there have been over 130 Dream Centers launched around the world.    Pastor Mathew will be the main speaker for the youth.   REV. DR. K. C. JOHN KERALA Dr. K. C. John returned from North America in 1972 to the Indian sub-continent after theological education and pioneered the Gospel Centre Church at Nedumpuram in Kerala. This church today has over 1,600 in attendance every Sunday. Pastor John served as the General President of P. Y. P. A., the largest evangelical youth organization in India, leading it for several years. Later he served as the State Secretary of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC) for Kerala for nine years and now he is the General Secretary of IPC. Pastor John is the founder and chairman of Power Vision TV, India's first indigenous, multilingual, evangelical, Christian television station, with over 50 million in viewership. Dr. K.C. John is one the most well known gospel preachers from India.    REV. R. ABRAHAM DELHI  Rev. R.Abraham along with Rev. V.A. Thampi are the founders of New India Church of God. This movement was started in Kerala in 1976. He went to north India in 1980 in obedience to the call of God. Today NICOG has hundreds of churches across North India as a result of this. As the Ministry was growing, Pastor Abraham felt the need for training young men for the ministry. In 1989 they started the first Bible Institute in the English language in a place called Bahdurgarh in Haryana. In 1996 The Bethesda Bible Institute was started in Bhubaneswar, Orissa in the Oriya language. In 1998 NICOG established a Bible School in Nagpur, Maharashtra in the Hindi language. In 1999 a Bible School was started in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu in the Tamil language. During his extensive travel through the states of India, Pastor Abraham came across poor children starving and neglected. In places like Orissa and Madhya Pradesh some were sold as child laborers. He wanted to do something to help these children. As a result the Bethesda Children's Home was born. In October 2000 the first Bethesda Children's home was established with 29 children in Malanjkhand in Madhya Pradesh. There are now also Children's homes in Orissa and Goa and Nagpur, Maharashtra.   REV. NOBLE P THOMAS KOZHIKODE Rev. Noble P. Thomas is a well- known convention speaker from India. He started his ministry at a young age and gained recognition as an anointed convention speaker very soon. Today he serves as the Senior Pastor of Kings Revival Church in Kozhikode and travels to many nations to minister in gospel campaigns. His messages are underlined by the divine presence of Holy Spirit and a revival fire. His ministry in our conference will be a blessing.

SISTER PADMA MUDALIAR  CHENNAI Sister Padma Mudaliar is the founder of the Oasis Children's Home in Chennai, India. her husband late Rev. Nataraja Mudaliar was a missionary from South Africa to India. Padma began a journey to personally see 1,000,000 people come to know Christ through her testimony. She began preaching anywhere the Lord provided an opportunity. From her passion Oasis Ministries was birthed. She is also training students for ministry in her Bible College and continues her evangelism ministry. Sister Padma is a well known gospel preacher has ministered in many meetings among Keralites both in India and abroad.

New Year Blessings

We wish all of our readers a blessed new year!

One thing we need to pay more attention to is the blessing factor. This is so clear in the Bible.Many things in the Bible does not make sense in the natural- like God loving Jacob more than Esau.

A casual look and you will think Esau was a gentleman whereas Jacob was a scoundrel. How can God reject a gentleman and bless a scoundrel? This concern is behind many of the judgments we pass today. We forget that man looks at the outside and judges while God knows our hearts.

Esau never paid any respect or value to his spiritual heritage. He was never around for evening sacrifices. At that time he was out with his friends hunting. We all know the famous porridge story where he was willing to give up his double portion blessings for a cup of soup.  When he became an adult, the Bible tells us that he married  two (not one) Hittite women as wives, 'which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.' (Gen. 26:25).

I personally believe that was one reason Rebekah decided to make sure Jacob got the blessings from his father and thereby continued the lineage of the family till Messiah came.

When we look at the life of Jacob, we see a person who hung around his parents' tent, was there to witness the worship practices of his father, who always listened to his parents etc. He was a person who valued his heritage, wanted his father's blessings etc.  Isn't that the pattern God had placed in place to bring up children? Then is it any wonder that God rejected Esau and loved Jacob?

Something really caught my attention recently while researching the counter cultural roots of Christianity for a forthcoming book. It has tremendously influenced me and has forced me to rethink some of my positions. In Genesis 24, when Abraham was sending his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, we see this important turn in their conversation.

'And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?" But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there. The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants  I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there."' (Gen. 24:5-8).

In other words, this aging father who desperately wanted to see his son married is telling his servant to make sure that Isaac is never taken back to things he left behind, even if it meant Isaac remained unmarried for the rest of his life! SEPARATION WAS SO IMPORTANT TO ABRAHAM. At that time, Abraham had all of three people worshiping this God who called him out- Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. The future of this new way of true worship depended on Isaac and the wife he chose. That is why Abraham was so adamant.

Jacob was willing to do the same when his turn came. When his mother asked him not to take a wife from surrounding areas and to go back to her people to find a wife, unlike Esau, he agreed. It was on that journey that Jacob had his first encounter with God at Bethel and the rest is history.

Never forget this incredible promise God gave to Jacob that night: " I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you."(Gen. 28:15b). In other words, God took the responsibility for Jacob's success in life!

As you enter into this new year you need only one thing: God's blessings. Do not neglect the blessings factor. It will change everything. It will bring His favor on your life. You will be a success in life. You will be the head, not the tail.

P.S. Only six months left for 31st PCNAK in Hartford, CT. Have you registered yet? Go online and register today to take advantage of the pre-registration discounts.