First Tamil Church of Atlanta

New Series on Faith

2011-08-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

Come listen and be blessed with this new series on Faith. Hebrews 11 explains in detail on the core operation of Faith. Invite your friends and family, your neighbors and benefit from this teaching. The Faith series starts from the first week in August 2011.

FTC new location information (April 2010)

2010-06-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

If you havent heard about it, we have moved to a new location in April 2010!

Yea! we have moved into our home church facilities at Crabapple First Baptist Church located at

12760 Birmingham Hwy.,Alpharetta, GA, 30004 (map it here)

visit our brand new website www.ftcatlanta.org for more information.

See you at Church

God Bless You!

Social Networking at FTC Atlanta

2010-02-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

We are On Facebook - come become a fan at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alpharetta-GA/FTC-Atlanta-First-Tamil-Church-of-Atlanta/286039172316?ref=ts

We are also on Twitter - come follow us at

http://twitter.com/FTCAtlanta

And Join us at Orkut -

http://www.orkut.com/Main#Community?cmm=90483844

And LinkedIn -

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=2744963&discussionID=13609718&goback=%2Eanh_2744963

What is Advent?

2009-11-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

The word 'advent' is Latin for 'a coming or arrival'. The idea behind it is that God came to earthly life and lived among us, which is news to stop the presses for. It's something to celebrate, rejoice, because just by being in it, God was giving the supreme blessing to the created world. But this birth led to an execution of this same God, by us on behalf of us, and then the greatest news that death will not end it all. So it's not something you just go rushing into. We need to take stock of what that baby Jesus was here for. When we go all goo-goo over the baby and the birth, the adult Jesus and His execution are also in sight.

Advent is a season of preparation. So's Lent, but it is a different kind of preparation. In Lent, each of us prepares for what happened on Good Friday (execution) and Easter ( resurrection). Lent is very adult and serious, because it leads to a death; originally, Lent readied new Christian adults for baptism. In Advent, we thank God for Christ's first coming, prepare for his final coming at the end of time, and celebrate Christ's presence among us today through the Spirit. God loved us and wanted to share that love. But this existence isn't well-suited for a god; it's too broken, evil, painful, unjust. So, to rescue the created world from this evil, God chose to come here and walk the earth, to grow up, to live the truth, and to die. The only way to start such a thing is as a baby, and the only way to be a baby is to be born. Hence Christmas. Because Christmas is centered in the new hope brought by a baby, it's a very child-oriented holiday. Because Advent leads us up to that baby, Advent is also child-oriented.

There's a time to get ready by focusing on your own sinfulness and wrongdoing, a time for personal transformation and following Christ to the cross. That's Lent. There's a time to get ready by rejoicing that our God is not far away and unfamiliar with the struggles of human life, that Christ is here right now among His followers, that God has already begun to bring in the Kingdom, and that Christ will come again to make it clear who really runs the place. That's Advent. "Lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the age", says Jesus.

How Can I Be Saved?

2009-11-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

by Robert Velarde

The Wonder of God's Plan
Do you sometimes wonder whether or not things are right in the world? In observing all the evil and suffering around us, do you sometimes ask if there is something wrong with the human condition? For centuries various philosophies and religions have attempted to answer these and other questions, often coming to very different conclusions.

While we don't have the space to explore every worldview or belief system in detail , a summary of some key perspectives will help us set the stage for the message of Christianity, God's plan and its personal relevance to everyone.

What Other Worldviews Offer
Atheism claims that there is no God. Everything is a product of chance and time--even people. Only the material world exists. Good and evil are subjective and, in the end, there is no overarching purpose or design to life or history.

Pantheism holds that everything is divine. "God" is an impersonal force that permeates everything, even rocks. In this view, good and evil are really the same, human beings are divine and our problem has to do with enlightenment not sin.

Deism states that God exists, but is removed from the day-to-day activities of His creation. Like a watchmaker, He made and wound up the universe but has now left it on its own. The god of deism has no interest in performing miracles, intervening in human affairs or in offering love or redemption.

There are other worldviews, too, including variations of each of the above, but atheism, pantheism and deism will suffice as brief examples of key differences in worldviews and the approach to the situation we find ourselves in.

Theism and Christianity
In contrast to atheism, pantheism and deism, theism holds that a personal God exists. He created the universe and is not part of it, but is active in it. Christian theism adds a key component of belief in the person of Christ (Jesus).

The central message of Christianity is in one sense quite simple. It is the straightforward story of a world gone wrong and set right by God. But in another sense the message is complex, touching many topics including origins, human nature, the existence of God, suffering, redemption and more.

Our Situation
Christianity outlines God's plan for His world. It is the story of creation, fall, redemption and restoration. Creation refers to God as Creator. He made the universe and all that is in it. The first words of the Bible echo this reality: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1, NIV).

Originally, all that God made was good, including human beings. Our relationship with God functioned as He intended it to function – in harmony. But after what Christians term the Fall, some things went very wrong, breaking our relationship with God and resulting in a threefold strife between us and God, between one another and within ourselves.

Our primary problem, then, is separation from God. This separation and what it has done to our nature results in the other two problems – our relationships with others and our internal struggles.

But there's more to the situation. Not only are we separated from God, resulting in strife with others and within ourselves, in a significant sense our very nature is polluted, causing us to behave in ways that go against God's standards of holiness. This does not mean that everything we do is filled with evil and depravity, but that our nature is now corrupted – a fallen and broken shadow of what it once was. In a sense, it is as though we were meant to be kings and queens, but are now deposed royalty, kicked out of our true kingdom.

We still bear some marks of our former selves including retaining some of the glory God made us with, imagination, creativity, intelligence and more. But something significant is missing. An emptiness is in everyone. Blaise Pascal remarked that "this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself," while Augustine wrote, "our hearts find no peace until they rest" in God.. This brings us to God's solution to our predicament.

God's Solution
What is the solution to our problems? Christianity argues that it is personal transformation. To use more technical terminology, we are in need of redemption and regeneration that can come about only through conversion through a relationship with Christ based on an understanding of what He has done for us. But what does all this mean?

Redemption has to do with restoring our relationship with God, not by our efforts, but by our faith in what Christ has done for us. Regeneration is the new birth Christians experience as a result of repentance – turning away from wrong behavior in our lives and instead turning to Christ in sincere humility. Conversion encompasses repentance, resulting in our new birth and the restoration of our relationship with God.

Our "relationship with Christ" is key in that it is relational and personal, but it has a basis in the reality of what Christ has done for us via His death and resurrection (the Atonement).

The Wonder of God's Plan
The wonder of God's plan is that He has reached out to us in love, offering everyone an opportunity to personally respond through Christ. He offers His unmerited favor, or grace, if we will only accept it. We can't earn it ourselves or find some loophole that will allow us to restore our relationship with God on our own or through other means. The only way is through the cross of Christ (John 14:6).

Other worldviews fail to correctly address our primary problem – our broken relationship with God – and the solution. Atheism denies God's existence, leaving us with an ultimately meaningless existence without moral standards. Pantheism denies the reality of good and evil, arguing that we are really god and all we truly need is enlightenment. Deism leaves us with the despair of atheism in that God may as well be dead or nonexistent because he is not involved personally in his creation. None of these worldviews solve our primary problems and needs. Christianity, on the other hand, offers an accurate diagnosis and remedy to our condition.
As you can see, the message of Christianity is in one sense simple – the straightforward story of a world gone wrong and set right by God – but in another sense complex.

The remainder of this series of articles will explore in more detail our condition and need, what Christ has done for us, first steps in the Christian life and helpful suggestions for finding the "right" church.For more information or reading materials, call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

Robert Velarde is author of Conversations with C.S. Lewis (InterVarsity Press), The Heart of Narnia (NavPress), and Inside The Screwtape Letters (Baker Books). He studied philosophy of religion and apologetics at Denver Seminary and is pursuing graduate studies in philosophy at Southern Evangelical Seminary.

Copyright 2008 Robert Velarde. All rights reserved.
Link: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/becoming_a_christian/how_can_i_be_saved.aspx

Terrorist Groups Operating in Churches

2009-10-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

The latest reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They hve been identified as: Bin Sleepin'; Bin Arguin'; Bin Fightin'; Bin Complaining'; and Bin Missin'. Their leader Osama Bin Lucifer, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy.

However, there have been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by the name Bin Pray' which actually is known to be the only effective counter terrorist force in the church. Unlike other terrorist cells, te Bin Prayin' team does not blend in with whoever or whatever comes along.

Bin Prayin' does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed tha the Bin Prayin' cell group has different characteristics than the others. They hve Bin Watchin', Bin Waitin', Bin Fastin', and Bin Longin' for their Master, Jesus Christ, to return.

So What cell group do you belong to?
AND GUESS WHAT - NO CHURCH IS EXEMPT!
However, you can spot them if you Bin Lookin' and not fall prey if you've Bin Prayin.

(This little message was shared by an Anonymous person to my Professor Dr. McCall and I found it very interesting yet true - so wanted to share it with you)

God Bless You

Prophets, Prophecy & Clouds of Ignorance - God's will and mockery

2009-09-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

When somebody comes to you and says this is not God's will for you in your life, or says what you have right now is not going to flourish and thats what God is telling me - what will you do? Ok now let me put it the other way, I had a preacher come to me and say your church will not grow. Now what do you think I should do?

The answer is pretty simple. But, before that I want to let you know a little fact, in the earlier days when we had Prophets: some that comes to my mind right now are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Zechariah. Well there are many more Prophets - but what was their work? Dictionarys term it as "a person who speaks for God or a deity, or by divine inspiration". And infact Prophets were servants of God who God prepared for some particular tasks and they spoke for God bringing God's news and sometimes it was good and some times bad.

Now, you will need to understand - Prophets were not fortune tellers! They did not go out randomly meet people and tell them this is the Word of God for you. Today in underdeveloped & developing countries like India, some Asian, African and Latin American countries where fortune telling and cultic worships some so-called Christian preachers and leaders merge this type of activity into their so-called ministry. Thereby confusing the growing and struggling Christian and shaking their basic trust in God. They work on a formula of terror and profit by scaring the growing beleiver.

There is really no instituion to check on these people who spread a cloud of ignorance among the people. But we can be vigil. Just like the Bible says, "be as sharp as a serpent" when needed and not fall prey into the words of these so-called preachers and leaders.

Ok, coming back to my question and yours. What do you need to do when you listen to somebody saying there is a curse on you, there is going to be a failure in your life, your business will not succeed, this is not God's will for you? Just ignore it and say that you have a personal relationship with God and God will take care, and there is nothing to worry.

So what did I do, God gave me the wisdom to be Christian enough. I just politely had to say, well you can just pray for us and and to ignore that person of everything he spoke.

My friends, if you are firm in the Word, nobody can fool you around and take you for a ride. Dont give devil a chance, there are going to be a lots of wolfs in sheeps clothing so beware. Be equiped with words from the Bible and build your life on the rock (Jesus Christ) and the Words of wisdom from the Holy Book.

Remember, Gods plans for you are revealed to you because he cares for you - God does not need a postman to deliver your life's will. So start believing that God is a good God and He always has Blessing and not curse upon you and your family.

God Bless You

Sam Raj

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2009-08-27T19:53:00.001-07:00

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Mission Church

2009-06-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

There may be varying opinions about the multiple tasks and functions of the church, but the following represents what would be its four highest priorities:
(1) To proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and make disciples of all kinds of people. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19-20). "And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).

The passages above, often referred to as the Great Commission, were among Jesus' final admonitions to His disciples before He ascended to Heaven. Mark's gospel refers to Christ's command for his followers to "go preach the gospel to the world," while Matthew's reflects His emphasis for the church "to go and make disciples of all nations." The combination of these two elements, evangelism and discipleship, are generally considered as Christ's primary mission for His church. "Evangelism" is the ministry of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ that will bring men's souls into fellowship with God, while "discipleship" is the training of believers to become disciplined followers of Jesus and His principles.

The mission of the church is, in reality, a continuation of Christ's earthly ministry (John 14:12). Jesus viewed that redeeming men's souls was His whole purpose for coming to the earth. "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost" (Matt. 18:11). And in turn, He imparted this same objective to His disciples. He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). The Apostle Paul later confirmed that the ministry of bringing people to God has been imparted to all those who have been brought to Him (the church). He wrote, "God... has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18). It is the purpose of every believer, not only pastors and clergymen, to bring souls to Jesus Christ.

Perhaps the statement which best summarizes this mission of Christ and His church, was given as Jesus read from Isaiah's prophecy in Nazareth's synagogue on the Sabbath day. He said, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the LORD" (Luke 4:18-19).

(2) To serve as a community of worship and fellowship — to manifest the presence and love of Jesus. "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20).

God originally made man for His own pleasure, to enjoy his fellowship and worship (Rev. 4:11, John 4:23). Thus, a part of the Lord's purpose of the church, besides bringing people to God, is to gather His people together and facilitate a corporate environment of worship, to express our love toward Him and one another. Jesus described these as the two highest ideals of Christianity. "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31).

The Lord is greatly pleased to receive the corporate love and worship of His children who are joined together in unity and love toward one another (Eph. 4:1-4, 1 John 1:7). His presence is manifested in such an environment, and authenticates our Christian witness in the eyes of the world. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

Sunday church services were originally modeled from Lord's Day gatherings of the early church which included the agape "love feast" (Acts 20:7). They would share a common meal together (Acts 2:46) and then partake in the Lord's Supper — in recognition of the Lord's sacrificial body, and in recognition of His beloved body, the church. It was a gathering of love to the Lord and toward one another.

(3) To mature believers and prepare them to perform works of ministry. "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ..." (Eph. 4:11-12).

Another important mission of the church, by means of its ministers, is to strengthen the body of believers and equip them for works of ministry. The church should be an atmosphere of spiritual edification, where God's Word is taught, where believers are grounded, discipled and led toward maturity. This not only serves to anchor their faith in Christ, but prepares them for service. According to God's plan, each member of the body of Christ is called to serve in some aspect of ministry (Rom. 12:6, 1 Cor. 12:14-31), especially as it pertains toward bringing souls to Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

Even the laity is charged to encourage and spur their brethren on toward works of ministry, and according to scripture, this is one of the primary reasons of our church attendance. "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24-25).

(4) To represent the interests of the Kingdom of God in the world, and to influence our society with the ideals of the Lord. "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matt. 5:13-14).
Jesus used salt and light as metaphors of the influential characteristics of His church in the world. Historically, salt has always been a valuable commodity used, among other things, as an antiseptic to withdraw infection. Light, of course, dispels darkness and is an essential element of life.

Likewise, the presence of the church in the world is Christ's antiseptic to sin, an influence of God's righteousness that tends to displace the infection of evil. The church is intended to represent His interests in the affairs of society. It was never intended to be passive, nor to be confined within four walls of a building, but to be involved as a catalyst of God's high ideals in the world around us.

Christ has intended for His church to let its light shine to the world — to love, to care for, and to meet needs of humanity, while upholding the redemptive truths and righteousness of Jesus Christ. "And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful" (Titus 3:14). Jesus told His church, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

Living like Jesus

2009-06-17T22:02:00.001-07:00

Living like Jesus is what we all need to strive for but is it really possible? I know the Bible says, that Jesus was pure without sin or any blemish. And its really impossible for us to literally become like Jesus.

So does God spot you if you are not like Jesus, well in that case each and everybody on this planet will be spotted. So whats the point now?

Well, the point is, we all strive to follow Jesus and live a life of how Jesus has called us to live. And how God intended for our life to be. Jesus infact made our life simple by sacrificing Himself on the cross so that we dont have to go through the laws of God. So stop worrying and feelling guilty, so live life like a king and a queen because the Bible says you are one!

Always meditate in the Bible and seek the help of the Holy Spirit to be in union with God and His mission. The God Almighty will guide you and lead you and make your life purposeful.

Holy Spirit filled Church? Really!!!

2009-06-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard somebody saying, our Church is the only one filled with the Holy Spirit? Have you ever wondered what it means? Does this mean the Holy Spirit is not in any other Churches?

Wrongly mistaken, people since the dawn of the Christian Church have been debating on the Holy Spirit and the Trinity. But be aware! of the many among the few that claim that only their Church is filled with the Holy Spirit and is the only place where you can feel the presence of God. Because, the Bible says where there are 2 or more gathered God is in the midst. And the Holy Spirit will fill you, lead you, lift you, guide you and teach you, etc... if you ask Him.

Few have mis-interpreted and have been doing so for ages about how you could be a born again believer. With them, its always tied to the Pentecostal way of worship but you can be in an Anglican Church or an Episcopal worship and sit still and feel the Holy Spirit!

So nobody can claim ownership on God, because God is everybody's own and we all belong to God. And the next time you hear somebody claiming only they are the way! Be Aware!

Christ is the only WAY! and whoever believes in Him is saved - don't complicate yourself and get confused over confusion's theories. Look to the Bible and pray!

Many more Churches!

2009-06-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

Why in the world do we need so many Churches? seems to be question for so many. Churches have in so many ways lost the 'Kingdom Focus' and try to be business vendors, trying to view one another as competitors. Thats because the leaders do not really know what is the purpose of the Church and why we come into this role.

The New Testament preserves letters written to the churches as encouragement for their spiritual growth since they lived in a world often hostile to the values of the gospel. But inorder to take the message of Christ to each and every corner of this world in putting action to the message of Jesus - Church is necessary and there should be several more inorder to win people for Christ.

First Tamil Church Atlanta, in association with Bridgeway Church, the Roswell Association, SBC, GBC and other friendly Christ centered Christian institutions is commited to plant more Churches in Atlanta and Georgia. The question is will it still be enough?

Thats why Christ has called each and every one of us to go out and preach the gospel! Go be a living Church.

Servant Leadership - the way of Christ

2009-06-15T23:48:00.001-07:00

My Dear Friends,

Greetings in Jesus name, because of Jesus we are here living the life of blessings and free of all curses and sins. Jesus taught us to be servant leaders, and thats what I learnt from Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity International. And the example of Jesus transformed Millard and the millions of people through him which was a way to establish Christs love throughout the earth.

And I want to follow our Saviour Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and serve the Church and be a part of the Kingdom work of Jesus Christ.

I dont beleive in saying, this Pastor, leads this Church! Because Christ should be our only Leader and ministers and preachers should be servants through Him. So I am serving in Jesus name and would love for you to be a part of this servant leadership.

And God builds the Church.

Sam

About the Pastor

2009-06-15T23:15:00.001-07:00

(In the Picture, from left -- Linda Fuller, President Jimmy Carter, Roslyn Carter, Millard Fuller and Sam Raj)

Samuel Raj was born in Chennai, India to missionary parents who still work among the slums and fishermen villages in Tamil Nadu. Sam was called to ministry when he was the 5th Youth Ambassdor for India in 1999. During the Youth Ambassadorship Sam represented India in the United States, Canada, El Salvador, Cost Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras. He also had the previlage of dialoguing with the President of Honduras, the President of Costa Rica, the members of the legislature in these Central American countries and has spoken few those legislatures and a few other States in the US including Hawaii.

Though Sam decided to be an Ambassador for Christ rather than being an Ambassodor to one nation, the tussel with God on not serving in the front lines in ministry has always been there. Thats when Sam joined Habitat for Humanity International in its headquarters in Americus, Georgia in 2001. Habitat is usally associated with the former President Jimmy Carter. There he has served in the IT/Web department and later in the Disaster Response Office as the Technical Researcher.

Sam also founded The Daily Bread Communications company to serve as the IT provider to many ministries and coporates around the world some of them include CSI Madras Diocesse, Assembles of God (Pastor Mohan's Church in Chinnamalai), Boston Harbour, CallForever Telecoms, Vidhya Sagar Educational Institutions, Indian Hockey Federations, etc...

In 2006 Sam was appointed as the Director of IT at the Fuller Center for Housing founded by Millard Fuller. Though everything that Sam did was blessed, his calling was to serve directly in the Kingdom building and be involved in ministry. Finally, listening to God's will, Sam resigned from the Fuller Center in June 2008 and came into full time ministry.

In August 2009 Sam joined Druid Hills Baptist Church as a Minister in training and is also a student at McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University Atlanta - Chamblee. At Mercer, Sam studies Theology, the History of the Church, Missions, Evangelism, Spiritual Formations, Old & New Testament, Ethics, Preaching, Mentoring, Public Policies in Public Orgs, Pastoral Care and the Ancient languages of Hebrew & Greek.

The education that Sam pursues is research oriented and with the grace of God these tools have been useful in preparing sermons and speaches. Sam is invited by several denominations to speak at their Churches and he glorifies God in doing so.

In 2009 Sam joined the First Tamil Church of Atlanta to serve as its Pastor. He is happily married to his sweetheart Sharmi, who is a Doctoral student of Disaster Management. They are blessed with the adorable Hanna Karen who would make friends in a jiff.

Come listen to Sam's testimony and life story to learn how God has been miraculously work in his life ever since.

Visit his website to know more http://www.samuelrajmoses.org/

Welcome to The First Tamil Church Atlanta

2009-06-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

I warmly welcome you to the 'First Tamil Church Atlanta' located. Started in the year 1994, the Church set the foundation for a Tamil speaking Christian fellowship sponsored by the Language Missions Board, the North American Mission Board and the Georgia Baptist Convention. During these 15 years the Church strives to uphold the fellowship of Christ by embracing fellows Christians to gather together in fellowship and in worshiping the Lord.

In March 2009 the Church confirming the founding principles re-initiated as The First Tamil Church of Atlanta with servant leadership by Rev. Sam Raj.

Welcome to FTC Atlanta.

4755 Kimball Bridge Rd., Alpharetta, GA 30005 (Click Here for Directions)