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 Contents

1. The World Around Us Is Changing 1

2. Winds of Change Blowing Across Christendom 5

3. What are Ancient Landmarks? 7

4. Our Ancient Landmarks 12

5. Ancient Landmarks for the Workplace 19

6. Call for Commitment 27

Ancient Landmarks

1
The World Around Us Is Changing
“Ancient Landmarks” is a message that I have been carrying in
my heart for some time, which I now share with you through
this book. This is probably the kind of message that I would
preach as one of my final messages when passing on the baton
to the next generation that would continue the race from where
I leave. This message primarily addresses the urban church in a
cosmopolitan city like Bangalore, and may not be immediately
relevant for readers in small towns or villages in India.

Changes in the way we live

If we draw a comparison between us adults (those 25+) and
the millennial generation (those born between 1984 and 2001),
there are many things that we can list that contrast the worlds
which we grew up in.

• We had one black-and-white TV and one channel—

Doordarshan. The millennials grew up with Pogo, NBC, MTV,
Star World, and so on. The world of media is changing. The
millennials thrive on media.
• We grew up with spools and records. They grew up with DVDs,
MP4 players, and iPods. Most of them have never even seen a
record.
• We grew up with Ambassadors, Premier Padminis, Marutis,
Tata, Birla, and so on. They grew up with Hondas, Toyotas,
BMWs, Microsoft, IBM, Google, and so on.
• We grew up with Thumbs up, Bajal, and Fanta. They grew up
with Coke, Diet Coke, and Pepsi.

1
 The World Around Us Is Changing

• We had coffee at the local “Meals Ready” Kamat restaurant.

They have coffee at Café Coffee Day.
• If we had one dial phone at home, it was a big thing. Neighbors
sometimes visited us to make phone calls. They are growing up
with PDAs, SMS, and so on. Most of them have never dialed
a phone and may never do!
• I never worked on a computer until college, and made my first
PowerPoint presentation with great difficulty when I was in my
20s. Joshua, my son, did animated presentations in PowerPoint
when he was a 10-year-old, downloading music onto his MP4
player, searching on Google, and doing research on Wikipedia.
Ruth, my daughter, who was a seven-year-old back then, was
not too far behind, learning from her brother!
• When we played, our friends were the kids on our streets.
Today’s teens live in a global community connected by
instant messaging, blogs, online communities like Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, and other social networking sites. They
can play games or chat with friends halfway across the world!

The world that our teenagers and kids are growing up

in—the world in which we are in now—is vastly different from
the world which we grew up in. Teenagers and kids are the
natives—they grew up or are growing up in this new world! We
are immigrants in this new world.

Changes in our city

Wages
Earlier, after five and a half years of intense study and possibly,
a few more years of specialization, a doctor earned a starting
salary of perhaps Rs.3,000. Now, a college dropout working in a
call center could earn close to Rs.15,000!

2
Ancient Landmarks

Supermarkets to shopping malls

When we were growing up, we normally did our shopping at the
local supermarket or shopping complex that did not have much
to talk about. No air-conditioning, elevators, or escalators. Today,
our city has air-conditioned, multi-storied shopping malls with
international brands being readily available.

In addition to these, we see numerous changes in lifestyle,

perspectives on life, and so on.

Changes in worldview: Modernism and post-modernism

Sociologists tell us that in the last 40 years, more so in the recent
decade, the culture or worldview globally is steadily shifting or
has shifted from a “modern” to a “post-modern” thought. Most
of us grew up in a modern world. Our teenagers and kids are
growing up in a “post-modern” worldview.

Modernism
Modernism began with enlightenment. Scientific method
was the norm. It was understood that through science and
intellectual integrity, world problems could be solved. Truth
was objective. Truth was self-evident. Things were black and
white. The downside to modernism was individualism and self-
centeredness.

Post-modernism
Relativity, and not reason, is the norm. “There are no facts, only
interpretations” (Friedrich Nietzsche). Morality is a relative
thing. You make up your own moral standards that you wish to
live by. You are free to express, and no one can tell you that you
are wrong. Personal experience overrides the power of empirical
evidence and objective truth. Tolerance is the way even when
truth is compromised. God is whoever you want Him to be.

3
 The World Around Us Is Changing

Our teenagers and kids are growing up in a challenging

world. They are presented with so many options to choose from,
even for the most important things in life such as, beliefs, values,
and lifestyles.

4
Ancient Landmarks

2
Winds of Change Blowing Across
Christendom
Changes in the way that we do church
We have seen several shifts in Christendom. For example,
we have gone from churches meeting in stained glass, steeple
buildings to air-conditioned auditoriums, convention centers,
and so on. In the songs that we sing, we have transitioned from
hymns to choruses to contemporary songs of praise and worship.
We have also gone from using hymnbooks to chorus sheets to
overhead projectors to LCD projectors on large screens to LCD
walls. Presentations in services have now extended from dramas
/ skits / musicals to videos and short films.

Changes in the message being preached

On the positive side, we have seen an increasing understanding
of the Word of God. Starting from the Reformation of the 1400s
with Martin Luther, we have come a long way, especially in the
last 50 years. The Word of God is being made relevant to all
walks of life. And yet, there are dangerous things happening
in pulpits around the world. Pastors and preachers, in an effort
to attract and keep large crowds, have gone from preaching the
uncompromised Word of God to post-modern philosophy, feel-
good messages, motivational pump-you-up speeches that are
nothing more than Sunday morning psycho-babble, and so on.
The Word in such pulpits is no longer a double-edged sword,
a hammer, or a fire, but a soothing massage to the soul and a
comfortable couch to lie on! They refuse to confront sin or lead

5
 Winds of Change Blowing Across Christendom

people to confession of sin. They do not want to talk about the

reality of heaven or hell! These are not the kind of messages that
they would preach, lest the numbers dwindle.

Changes in the delivery of the message

In the information age that we are in, two things characterize the
millennial generation and the people in general.

• They no longer want to only listen; they want to have all their
senses involved. They do not want a sermon but want an
experience that results in transformation.
• Ironically, with increasing information, we see a shortening
of the attention span!

On the positive side, we see an increasing number of

churches and preachers delivering timeless truths in a way that
engages all the senses and creates an experience that transforms.
Technology and creativity play a big role in this. All of this
is good. And yet, on the other hand, the focus seems to have
shifted so much to doing and presenting things creatively that
we have lost some of the ancient landmarks of “Holy Spirit
power” and the God-ordained approach of miracles, signs, and
wonders—the demonstration of the supernatural. We end up
with services that entertain the soul that thousands come to enjoy
but deprive them of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit
that transforms, heals, and delivers. We risk having our pulpits
dominated by event managers, entertainers, orators, dramatists,
and performers instead of anointed apostles, prophets, pastors,
teachers, and evangelists.

6
Ancient Landmarks

3
What Are Ancient Landmarks?
Proverbs 22:28
Do not remove the ancient landmark (boundary lines) which your
fathers have set.

Proverbs 23:10
Do not remove the ancient landmark,
Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;

According to John Gill’s Exposition of the entire Bible, “the

ancient landmark” refers to “the ancient border” or “boundary”
(n); by which lands, estates, and inheritances, were marked,
bounded, and distinguished; set by ancestors in agreement
with their neighbors; which to remove was contrary to a law,
and a curse is denounced upon those that did it, and was always
reckoned a very heinous crime in early times; this was so sacred
a thing among the Romans that they had a deity that presided
over those bounds, and had its name from them.
Deuteronomy 19:14
“You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of
old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that
the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

Deuteronomy 27:17
‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

Hosea 5:10
“The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark;
I will pour out My wrath on them like water.

7
 What Are Ancient Landmarks?

The leaders themselves were guilty of moving the ancient

landmarks and they earned the judgment of God. While we know
that the term “ancient landmarks” and the Scripture passages
quoted earlier deal with literal boundaries on property, I would
like to translate this to spiritual things and use this as a backdrop
for this book.

Ancient landmarks are boundaries set by previous

generations that indicate

• safe areas to walk in and forbidden areas not to walk in and

• possible deception that would take you into forbidden areas.

In a changing world, we must remember that there are

ancient landmarks that we must not move. There are sacred
boundaries that we must not cross. There are godly traditions
that we must not lose.

Godly traditions that we must not lose

While it is true that there are man-made traditions that are
useless and must be broken, there are godly, biblical traditions
that must be maintained. These are timeless.

Man-made traditions
We are free to discard man-made traditions that bring no benefit
to our walk with God. Man-made traditions nullify the Word
of God in our lives and lead us into a place of deception and
bondage.
Mark 7:13
making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you
have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Colossians 2:8
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit,

8
Ancient Landmarks

according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of

the world, and not according to Christ.

Godly traditions
However, we must also understand that there are godly traditions
that we must retain.
1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and
keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.

2 Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were
taught, whether by word or our epistle.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not
according to the tradition which he received from us.

Being relevant
Having understood that there are ancient landmarks that must
be maintained, sacred boundaries that we must not cross,
godly traditions that we must not lose, we now arrive at a very
interesting issue—relevance.

How can we be relevant in a changing culture, in a new

world and yet, maintain ancient landmarks
As Christian adults, we struggle with the culture of the new
world that we find ourselves in. Added to the fact that we grew
up in a world with a drastically different worldview and culture,
we now do not know how to apply Scriptures such as follows:
• What does it mean to be in the world and yet be “not of the
world” (John 17:14-18)?

9
 What Are Ancient Landmarks?

• How do we stay relevant to the world and yet, “not be

conformed to the world” (Romans 12:1,2)?
• How do we connect with the world and yet, not have friendship
with the world (James 4:4)?
• How do we enjoy everyday life and still protect ourselves so
as to not love the world (1 John 2:15-17)?

These are some issues that we struggle with.

We know that we cannot stay out of the world because we

have been sent into the world. What do we do with the culture
of the new world that we find ourselves in? How do we respond
to the world? What do we teach our teenagers and kids as they
grow up in a new world with a culture that is changing and one
we are not so familiar with?

• If we disconnect from the culture of the new world, we will

not be able to influence, improve, or transform it.
• If we fully adapt to the culture of the new world, we will not
be able to change what is wrong in it.
• We must explore, understand, and employ the changing culture
of the new world to explain and establish timeless truths and
principles.

A culture is neither good nor bad. Rather, every culture

contains good and bad elements that must be discerned and
wisely dealt with. Here is what Paul said as he communicated
the heart of God.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to
all, that I might win the more;
20
and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those
who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who
are under the law;

10
Ancient Landmarks

21
to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law
toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who
are without law;
22
to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have
become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23
Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

The Scriptures quoted from 1 Corinthians 9 are probably

the most important passages that teach us about being relevant
to our audience—becoming all things to all men. Becoming like
unto those we are ministering to. If Paul found it necessary in his
time, I am sure we must do so too!
1 Corinthians 10:32,33
32
Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church
of God,
33
just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit,
but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 10:32,33 must be understood in the light of

what the apostle Paul discussed earlier in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
Paul’s reason to please all men in all things was not for personal
gain or to draw people to himself but to lead them to faith in
Christ.
Relevance is using what is cultural to say what is timeless.
We must use what is cultural to say what is timeless – Reggie
Joiner, Founder of FamilyWise.
The world is changing. What worked yesterday may not
work today! We need to adapt to the new world. We need to
present eternal truths using symbols and language that are part
of the culture of the new world. And yet, there are dangers in
doing so, which we must be aware of. We cannot take things
randomly from culture and use them to communicate timeless
truths. We cannot compromise on ancient landmarks in our
effort to use, engage, and employ the culture of the new world.
11
 4
Our Ancient Landmarks
I would like to address some of the winds of change that have
been blowing through several important areas of life and remind
us of our ancient landmarks in these areas.

• Personal life and character

• Marriage and family
• The workplace
• Church life
• Ministry

There are some winds that are blowing that we need to

adjust and adapt our sails to and go where the wind is blowing,
lest we get left behind and become disconnected from the
present new world. And then, there are some winds of change
that are blowing in a direction that would make us cross sacred
boundaries and lose godly traditions. We must learn to navigate
through these winds of change using the ancient landmarks to
anchor us through the storms.

It is not my intent to address all areas of change and all

areas of life in this book. My intention is to transmit enough
wisdom and understanding so that we will know how to respond
to the winds of change that are blowing or that may come upon
us in the years ahead. I want us to be able to stay within the
ancient landmarks—not cross sacred boundaries and lose godly
traditions.

12
Ancient Landmarks

Not only do I desire for us to have the ability to properly

respond to change, but I also wish to challenge us to carry these
ancient landmarks into our world so that we can change those
areas of our world that are disintegrating because of the winds
of change. Imagine a people who live by ancient landmarks,
sacred boundaries, and godly traditions in the realm of business,
government, education, sports, media, entertainment, fashion,
and everywhere else. We will truly be salt and light in our world!
My call here is simply this—STAY WITH THE BIBLE.
The Bible IS our Ancient Landmark!
Truth is not relative. Truth is absolute. God’s Word is truth
(John 17:17). God’s instructions to us are not relative. They are
absolute. We do not get to vote on what God meant! God said
what He meant and meant what He said. We follow what He
said.

Ancient landmarks for personal life and character

Holiness
1 Peter 1:14-16
14
as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts,
as in your ignorance;
15
but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16
because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will
see the Lord:

To be holy is to be “set apart for God.” It means that I

belong to God. So, everything I say and do must represent God,
must be godly, and manifest godliness.

We must judge the things that we say, do, wear, and so

on by this standard. And yet, our standards of holiness are not

13
 Our Ancient Landmarks

intended to isolate us from people who do not have the same

standards. We need to be able to relate to them without being
influenced by them.

Remember that Jesus was extremely comfortable sitting

and eating with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:11). This
means that I can wear what they wear to some extent, smell like
them, look like them, and yet, not lose out on personal standards
of holiness before God.

Holiness is an ancient landmark regardless of which part of

the world we live in and regardless of which culture we adhere to!

God’s standards for holiness are absolute. They are the

same for all His children regardless of whichever part of the
world that we live in and the culture that we operate in. As
believers, we cannot define our own moral standards. They have
been defined for us in the Word of God. We must be wary of the
post-modern philosophy of moral relativism that has crept into
the church to the point where some preach and teach that we
define our own moral standards and that standards of holiness
differ from culture to culture. This cannot be! The Bible reads
the same in any part of the world and God says the same thing
to all His children!

Women, please remember that the way you dress must

demonstrate two important things—modesty and godliness.
1 Timothy 2:9,10
9
in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest
apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold
or pearls or costly clothing,
10
but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

I realize that some may argue that modesty in dressing is

defined differently in different cultures. They would say what

14
Ancient Landmarks

one culture considers immodest would be perfectly fine in

another culture. My response would be two-pronged. First, the
Scriptures call for women to focus on beautifying and showing
off “the hidden person of the heart” (1 Peter 3:4a), which is very
precious in the sight of God. So, regardless of culture, this is
what a believing woman’s focus must be. Secondly, be modest
within the context of the culture that you are living in.

Integrity
Proverbs 10:9
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.

We cannot compromise on integrity and honesty in any

area of our lives. This is a boundary we do not move regardless
of how demanding the circumstances may be.

Hard work
Proverbs 10:4
He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

We sometimes, get enamored by the instant successes that

people have. Mark Zuckerberg, a 23-year-old Harvard dropout,
founder of Facebook.com, known as the star of the second web
boom, is worth over 15 million and more at the time of writing
this book. With just one good idea and in just about four years,
he had experienced almost instant success!

Hearing and seeing stories of instant successes sometimes

sways us into a position where we go looking for an easy way
out. Hard work does not seem relevant anymore. But the “ancient
landmark” says that you become poor if you have a slack hand.
It is the diligent that see success.

15
 Our Ancient Landmarks

Do you know that it is said that Azim Premji, chairman

of Wipro, works for an average of 80 hours a week? When
considering anyone to be a part of his team, one of his questions
is, “How many hours a week do you put in?” Anyone desiring
to work directly with the chairman must be willing to work 60-
70 hours a week! I am not encouraging all of us to go overboard
with our work, but I want us to understand that success is not
cheap!

Priorities
Our priorities are constantly challenged in a world where the
view is that everything is relative and subject to interpretation.

Mark 12:29-31 and Matthew 6:33 still read the same, and
are the ancient landmarks for priorities that we must maintain
in life.
Mark 12:29-31
29
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear,
O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30
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.
31
And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you.

For us, as believers, our love for God and pursuing

Kingdom purposes top the list even above personal comforts,
personal ambitions, and so on. In a world where a man’s worth
is measured purely by what he owns, we understand that who we
are is more important than the things we have!

16
Ancient Landmarks

Luke 12:15
And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s
life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Testimony
We need to maintain our testimonies, always. Our testimonies
are what our lives—our actions, attitudes, and behaviors—are
speaking to those around us, even when we do not speak a word.
We must make every effort to maintain a testimony that is above
reproach—live a life that no one can find fault with. The way
that we live must show the praises of the One whom we follow
(1 Peter 2:9).

Ancient landmarks for marriage and family

Marriage
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators
and adulterers God will judge.

As believers, we understand that marriage is an institution

ordained by God. It is a life-long covenant. This is an ancient
landmark that we do not move. For those dating, remember
that you are not married until you are married! You cannot
exercise the privileges of the married before stepping into the
responsibility of marriage. For those married, remember that
your marriage was designed for two and only two. Maintain the
inner circle.

Family
The family is God’s design. When you are ministering to your
family, you are fulfilling a God-appointed ministry, very similar
to any other God-ordained ministry (preaching, prophesying,
or working miracles). Therefore, ministry to one’s family is an

17
 Our Ancient Landmarks

ancient landmark that we do not do away with. We make it a

priority to invest in our families.

While we believe in the larger community that we, as

believers, are part of (the local church), which is also designed
by God, we must be careful to know where the lines are drawn.
We cannot allow the family to dissolve into the larger church
community.

Honoring parents
Proverbs 1:8,9
8
My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9
For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

To honor, respect, and serve our parents may seem old-

fashioned. As believers, we are instructed in God’s Word to
honor our parents (Ephesians 6:1-3). This is a godly tradition
that we must not discard.

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Ancient Landmarks

5
Ancient Landmarks for the
Workplace
The same ancient landmarks that we discussed for personal life
and character also apply to the workplace. Carry these ancient
landmarks into your professional world. Do not allow the culture
of the new world to cause you to compromise these ancient
landmarks.

Freedom
Today, we use all kinds of methods and nomenclature in the
workplace to make employees feel part of the organization—
and not just as “workers.” We want people to be free and still
perform. And many times, employees misunderstand freedom to
mean lack of discipline.

Freedom is not lack of discipline. Freedom is not lack of

accountability. It is not about deciding when you should come
and go from the office, how much you pay yourself, how much
you spend on personal expenses and bill it to the company, it
is not about you deciding on which hotel you want to stay—
none of these represent freedom in the workplace. Any good
organization needs boundaries and guidelines for all these areas,
otherwise, there would be chaos. True freedom in the workplace
is about having enough room for you to use all your capabilities
to create greater value for your organization without unnecessary
constraints or interferences. It is about having the privilege to
share creative ideas, set goals, and determine ways of meeting
those goals.

19
 Ancient Landmarks for the Workplace

Ephesians 6:7
with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Moral relativism and situational ethics

Business and personal values are being challenged in the
workplace by a post-modern worldview that believes in moral
relativism and situational ethics. Right and wrong, black and
white have disintegrated into shades of gray. Values, ethics,
and integrity are compromised for profit, right connections, and
quick successes.
The ancient landmark still reads,
Proverbs 10:9
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.

Professionals, we must influence our world and not merely

be influenced by it. I wish to challenge you. Make a difference;
do not merely make a living!

Ancient landmarks for church life

Music
Contemporary music is not wrong. It is great to have godly
songs with music that the new generation connects with. And
yet, we must be careful about songs that elevate the music above
experiencing God.
Deuteronomy 31:19
“Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to
the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a
witness for Me against the children of Israel.

One of the reasons why God wanted songs to be written

is to teach His people and put His Word in their mouths as a
constant reminder of Him and what He has done. We need to

20
Ancient Landmarks

evaluate contemporary songs from this ancient landmark. Does

a song help achieve God’s intent?

Also, let us not neglect the grand old hymns of the faith.
These are hymns full of theology expressing the faith.
Ephesians 5:19
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

We need everything—psalms, hymns, and Gospel songs—

as expressions of our making melody to the Lord!

Discipline
Most pastors, today, are afraid to use the shepherd’s rod. Every
shepherd not only leads his sheep to green pastures and beside
quiet waters, but also needs a rod and staff to guide and protect
his sheep.

In the medical world, we have what is called “palliative

care” for those who are terminally ill. The idea is to make their
final days as comfortable as possible. This is great for those who
are suffering physically. However, the Church cannot provide
palliative care for those in sin and on the verge of falling short of
the grace of God (Hebrews 12:15). There is no use if we make
them comfortable here on earth only to help them spend eternity
in hell. I would rather that we take out the knife and help them go
through the uncomfortable process of “cutting off” the right eye
or the right hand that is causing them to sin (Matthew 5:29,30).
Church, allow your pastor to be a real shepherd. Allow him to
use his rod and staff, for without that, he will not be able to
guide, correct, and protect the sheep.
1 Corinthians 4:21
What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a
spirit of gentleness?

21
 Ancient Landmarks for the Workplace

We believe in abundance of grace, but we also believe in

godly discipline. Let us not sacrifice adherence to godly living in
the name of grace. Neither should we go overboard on discipline
and forget that without the grace of God, none of us would ever
make it!

Submission to leadership
In the post-modern world, “respect,” “honor,” “submission,” and
“obedience” are treated as bad words! And this attitude has crept
into the church.

Here is the ancient landmark.

Hebrews 13:17
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out
for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy
and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Ancient landmarks for ministry

Clothing
We have gone a long way from preachers with priestly robes to
wearing suits or casual clothes behind the pulpit. Do not judge
preachers just by their clothing. They could be sheep in wolves’
clothing! What is important is their life, character, the integrity
of their message, and the anointing that they release! There is
nothing wrong in casual clothing so long as we maintain ancient
landmarks in ministry!

Manners
I am concerned with what I see in certain areas of Christendom
today. In an effort to be cool and casual, preachers and ministers
actually belittle moral standards in ministry. Can you imagine a
preacher standing in the pulpit and talking about how many times
he has sex with his wife each week just to look cool before his

22
Ancient Landmarks

congregation! In an effort to be cool, we have lost the sacredness

of the pulpit to loose language, cheap jokes, and a lot of other
weak things.

A man who has been divorced four times from the time he
first began his ministry and who is presently in his fifth marriage,
continues as a pastor and preacher with a television ministry.
Why do we tolerate this?

The ancient landmark for those in ministry and spiritual

leadership is this.
1 Timothy 3:1-5
1
This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he
desires a good work.
2
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate,
sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
3
not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not
quarrelsome, not covetous;
4
one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission
with all reverence
5
(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he
take care of the church of God?);

It seems like in Christendom, we have become negligent

of these standards that are God-given prerequisites to those in
ministry. It is true that ministers are mere mortals and yet, God
has set the standards that He expects of us. These are ancient
landmarks that we cannot violate!

Message
A solemn warning from the apostle Paul.

Paul said, “For we are not, as so many, peddling the word

of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the
sight of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:17).

23
 Ancient Landmarks for the Workplace

What does it mean to peddle the Word of God? It means

to mix the Word, to adulterate it with moral relativism (no
absolutes), post-modern philosophy, humanism, and other “feel-
good” ideas to make it palatable to our audiences! And this
seems to be happening in pulpits around the world. It is not that
some preachers are not using the Bible and quoting Scripture.
But, in an effort to be relevant to the new world, some end up
peddling the Word to an audience that wants to hear us tell them
the things they want to hear!
2 Timothy 4:2-4
2
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince,
rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will
heap up for themselves teachers;
4
and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside
to fables.

We cannot evaluate the validity of a message by the number

of people who subscribe to it. Any good orator can draw a crowd.
The only way to judge a message is to evaluate it in the light of
the uncompromised Word of God.

Jesus did not soft-pedal the Kingdom message. His altar call
was, “…take up your cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
John 6:66,67
66
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with
Him no more.
67
Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

Many people left Jesus until only the 12 disciples remained,

and Jesus asked them if they would go away too.

You would have thought Jesus failed in the message that He

preached because His audience deserted Him after He preached.

24
Ancient Landmarks

(You cannot judge a message by the negative reactions of people

either—what if they just do not like to be told the truth?) And
yet, we know that crowds came after Him because His Word was
the pure Word of the Father and He did the works of the Father!
In our message, we must maintain the ancient landmark of
preaching the uncompromised, unadulterated Word of God!

Methods
The ancient landmark for method in ministry is to preach the
Gospel with signs, wonders, and miracles in the power of the
Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus did and this is what He taught us
to do. The four accounts of the Gospel contain more accounts of
Jesus working miracles than speaking parables.
In fact, Jesus said,
John 10:37,38
37
If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;
38
but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you
may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”

Paul said,
1 Corinthians 2:4,5
4
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words
of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5
that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

This is our ancient landmark, and this is what we need to

use to measure contemporary preaching. Do not allow skillful
oratory and grand multimedia presentation fool you into
thinking that this is all there is to ministering God’s Word. Jesus
is our standard! He said that the preaching of the Word must
be accompanied by miracles and supernatural signs. This is
the best “transformational experience” that we can give people
when they come to church—to encounter the supernatural in
demonstration!

25
 Ancient Landmarks for the Workplace

This is the direction that we, as a church, must move into. This
is where we must go!

While it is not wrong to employ technology and creative

ways of communicating timeless truths, my concern is that,
somewhere along the way, we are losing focus on the Kingdom,
with no depth in God and instead, moving into frivolous
marketing and sleazy salesmanship to attract and keep the
crowds. We are becoming persona-centric rather than being
focused on the Author and Finisher of our faith.

We must be rigidly righteous in our motives and methods

in ministry. “We give no offense in anything, that our ministry
may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as
ministers of God” (2 Corinthians 6:3,4).

As ministers of God, let us remain true to our calling—

to preach the Word in the power of God’s Holy Spirit with
supernatural demonstrations. Anything else that we employ is
only to help us build a bridge to people’s hearts and must not
supplant ancient landmarks.

APC Pastors and Ministry Leaders are committed to

presenting the complete, uncompromised Word of God in the
anointing and demonstration of His Holy Spirit. We believe
that good music, creative presentations, brilliant apologetics,
contemporary ministry techniques, or latest technology can never
substitute the God-ordained approach of proclaiming the Word
in the power of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders, miracles,
and gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4,5; Hebrews 2:3,4).

Our theme is Jesus, our content is the Word, our method

is Holy Spirit power, our passion is people, and our goal is
Christlike maturity.

26
Ancient Landmarks

6
Call for Commitment
• Commit yourself to living by the ancient landmarks.
• Commit yourself to having your foundations deep in God and
His Word. God and His Word are timeless. God’s Word must be
the scale by which you weigh everything and see if something
is really worth investing your life in; the ruler by which you
work out your metrics to see if something really measures up
to godly standards; the lens through which you see in order
to discern what is right and wrong. Do not allow the winds
of change that are blowing to cause you to compromise the
ancient landmarks.
• Remember that there are sacred boundaries that must not be
crossed. There are godly traditions that must be continued.
• Commit yourself to carrying these ancient landmarks into
“your” world.
• Adapt and adjust to the winds of change that are useful. In all
other areas, live by the ancient landmark!
• Accurately transmit the ancient landmarks.

To the present generation, I urge you, commit yourself

to living, speaking, and behaving in a manner that accurately
represents what Christian life is all about. The life that we live is
the message that we transmit to the succeeding generation. This
present generation must ensure that the succeeding generation
continues to build within the ancient landmarks. The Law of
Genesis states that we reproduce after our own kind—we
reproduce what we are.

27
 Call for Commitment

I wish I could speak to the next generation and teach them

how to sift through all the information that is bombarding
their minds, to discern right from wrong. I wish I could speak
to the next generation and teach them how to stay within the
ancient landmarks. I wish I could speak to the next generation
and teach them how to receive the torch correctly—without the
voice of rebellion (not making the same mistake that Absalom
made) and without the voice of immaturity (not making the
same mistake that Rehoboam made). But then, their responses
are something we can shape through our examples, if we, this
present generation, will live within the ancient landmarks!

Go higher and deeper in God, but do not violate the ancient

landmarks that have been set!

28
Do You Know the GOD Who Loves You?
About 2000 years ago, God came into this world as a man. His name
is Jesus. He lived a perfectly sinless life. Since Jesus was God in flesh,
everything He said and did reveal God to us. The words He spoke were
the very words of God. The things He did were the actions of God.
Jesus did many miracles on the earth. He healed the sick and suffering.
He opened blind eyes, unstopped deaf ears, made the lame to walk
and healed every kind of sickness and disease. He fed the hungry by
miraculously multiplying a few loaves of bread, calmed the storm and
did many other wonderful things.
All these actions reveal to us that God is a good God who
wants people to be well, whole, healthy and happy. God wants to
meet the needs of people.
So why then would God decide to become a man and step into
our world? Why did Jesus come?
All of us have sinned and done things that are unacceptable before
the God who created us. Sin has its consequences. Sin is like a great
unsurpassable wall between God and us. Sin separates us from God. It
prevents us from knowing and having a meaningful relationship with
the One who created us. Therefore, many of us try to fill this void with
other things.
Another consequence of our sins is eternal separation from God.
In God’s court, the penalty for sin is death. Death is eternal separation
from God in hell.
But the good news is that we can be free from sin and be restored
to God. The Bible says, “For the wages [payment] of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans
6:23). Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world when He died on the
cross. Then, three days later He rose again, showed Himself alive to
many and then went back into heaven.
God is a God of love and mercy. He does not wish that any person
be lost in hell. And so, He came to provide a way for the entire human
race to be free from sin and its lasting consequences. He came to save
sinners—to rescue people like you and me from sin and eternal death.
To receive this free forgiveness of sins, the Bible tells us that we
have to do just one thing—accept what the Lord Jesus Christ did on
the cross and to believe in Him wholeheartedly.
“… through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive
forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43).
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in
your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”
(Romans 10:9).
You too can receive forgiveness and cleansing for your sins if you
will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The following is a simple prayer to help you decide to believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for you on the cross. This
prayer will help you express your acceptance of what Jesus has done
for you and receive forgiveness and cleansing for your sins. This prayer
is only a guideline. You can also pray in your own words.
Dear Lord Jesus, today, I have understood what You did for me
on the cross. You died for me, you shed Your precious blood and paid
the penalty for my sins so that I could be forgiven. The Bible tells me
that whoever believes in You will receive forgiveness for their sins.
Today, I decide to believe in You and to accept what You did for
me by dying for me on the cross and rising again from the dead. I know
I cannot save myself by my own good works, and neither can any other
human save me. I cannot earn forgiveness for my sins.
Today, I believe in my heart and say with my mouth that You died
for me, You paid the penalty for my sins, You rose again from the dead,
and by faith in You, I receive forgiveness and cleansing for my sins.
Thank You, Jesus. Help me to love You, to know You more and
to be faithful to You.
Amen.
 About All Peoples Church
Our vision at All Peoples Church is to be salt and light in the city of
Bangalore, a voice to the nation and to the nations.
All Peoples Church is a Jesus loving, Word focused, Spirit filled,
family church, an equipping center, a missions base and a world outreach.

• As a family church, we grow together as a community in

Christ-centered fellowship, caring and serving each other in love
as the assembly of God.
• As an equipping center, we empower and equip every believer
to live victoriously, mature into Christlikeness and fulfill God’s
purposes for their lives.
• As a missions base, we engage in meaningful ministry to bless
our city, nation and the nations with the full Gospel of Jesus Christ
through the Word of God and supernatural demonstrations of the
power of the Holy Spirit.
• As a world outreach, we serve locally and globally by nurturing
godly leaders and Spirit-filled churches who can impact their regions
for the Kingdom of God.
At APC, we are committed to presenting the complete,
uncompromised Word of God in the anointing and demonstration of His
Holy Spirit. We believe that good music, creative presentations, brilliant
apologetics, contemporary ministry techniques, the latest technology and
so on, can never substitute the God-ordained approach of proclaiming
the Word in the power of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders, miracles
and gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4,5; Hebrews 2:3,4). Our
theme is Jesus, our content is the Word, our method is the Holy Spirit’s
power, our passion is people and our goal is Christ-like maturity.

With our main base in Bangalore, All Peoples Church has several
other church locations in India. To get a current listing and contact
information of All Peoples Church locations, please visit our website
at apcwo.org/locations or send an email to contact@apcwo.org.
 Free Publications
A Church in Revival Offenses-Don’t Take Them
A Real Place Called Heaven Open Heavens
A Time for Every Purpose Our Redemption
Ancient Landmarks Receiving God’s Guidance
Baptism in the Holy Spirit Revivals, Visitations and Moves of God
Being Spiritually Minded and Earthly Wise Shhh! No Gossip!
Biblical Attitude Towards Work Speak Your Faith
Breaking Personal and Generational Bondages The Conquest of the Mind
Change The Father’s Love
Code of Honor The House of God
Divine Favor The Kingdom of God
Divine Order in the Citywide Church The Mighty Name of Jesus
Don’t Compromise Your Calling The Night Seasons of Life
Don’t Lose Hope The Power of Commitment
Equipping the Saints The Presence of God
Foundations (Track 1) The Redemptive Heart of God
Fulfilling God’s Purpose for Your Life The Refiner’s Fire
Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Spirit of Wisdom, Revelation and
Giving Birth to the Purposes of God Power
God Is a Good God The Wonderful Benefits of Speaking in
Tongues
God’s Word—The Miracle Seed
Timeless Principles for the Workplace
How to Help Your Pastor
Understanding the Prophetic
Integrity
Water Baptism
Kingdom Builders
We Are Different
Laying the Axe to the Root
Who We Are in Christ
Living Life Without Strife
Women in the Workplace
Marriage and Family
Work Its Original Design
Ministering Healing and Deliverance

New books are released regularly. Please visit apcwo.org/books to

download free APC Christian books in PDF, audio and other formats.
Many of these books are also available in other languages. Also visit
apcwo.org/sermons for free audio and video sermons, sermon notes
and many free other resources.
 Chrysalis Counseling
Chrysalis Counseling offers personal counseling to help people face
and overcome life’s challenges. Chrysalis Counseling is a team of
professionally trained and experienced Christian counselors.

Our Services are for all age groups and address a wide range of
life’s challenges.

Adolescents Behavioral Disorders

Personal Adjustments Personality Disorders
Relational Challenges Psychological / Emotional
Academic Underachievement Problems
Work-related Issues Stress / Trauma
Family / Couples: Premarital, Alcohol / Drug Abuse
Marital Spiritual Issues
Parents / Children / Sibling / Life Coaching
Peer
Fees for Chrysalis Counseling services are affordable and accessible.
To schedule an appointment with one of our trained counselors:
Website: chrysalislife.org
Phone: +91-80-25452617 or toll-free (within India) 1-800-300-00998
Email: counselor@chrysalislife.org
Chrysalis Counseling is a ministry of All Peoples Church & World
Outreach.
 Partner with All Peoples Church
All Peoples Church ministers beyond its own borders as a local church
by reaching out across India, especially North India, with a special focus
on (A) Strengthening Leaders, (B) Equipping young people for ministry
and (C) Building up the Body of Christ. Several training seminars for
young people and ‘Christian Leaders’ Conference’ are held throughout
the year. In addition, several thousands of copies of publications are
distributed free of cost in English and other Indian languages with the
purpose of equipping believers in the Word and in the Spirit.
We invite you to partner with us financially by sending either a
one-time gift or a monthly financial gift. Any amount that you can send
to help us in this work across our nation will be greatly appreciated.

You can send your gift by cheque / bank draft payable to “All
Peoples Church” to our office address. Else, you can remit your
contribution directly by bank transfer using our bank account details.

Account Name: All Peoples Church

Account Number: 0057213809
IFSC Code: CITI0000004
Bank: Citibank N.A., No. 5, M.G. Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001

Kindly note: All Peoples Church can only accept bank contributions
from an India based bank account. When making your contribution,
if desired, you can indicate the specific APC ministry area where you
would like your contribution to be used. For additional details, please
visit apcwo.org/give.

Also, please remember to pray for us and our ministry whenever you can.
Thank You and God Bless!
 ALL PEOPLES CHURCH BIBLE COLLEGE
apcbiblecollege.org

All Peoples Church Bible College and Ministry Training Center in Bangalore,
India, provides Spirit-filled, anointed, hands-on training and equipping for
ministering in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit along with a
doctrinally sound and intellectually stimulating study of God’s Word. We
believe in developing the whole person for ministry emphasizing godly
character, deep roots in the Word of God and powerful demonstrations of signs,
wonders and miracles, all flowing out of an intimate relationship with the Lord.

At All Peoples Church Bible College (APC-BC), in addition to sound

teaching, we emphasize the love of God in demonstration, the anointing and
presence of the Holy Spirit and the supernatural work of God. Several young
men and women have been trained and sent out to fulfill God’s call over their
lives.

We offer three programs.

• One-year Certificate in Theology and Christian Ministry (C.Th.)
• Two-year Diploma in Theology and Christian Ministry (Dip.Th.)
• Three-year Bachelor's in Theology and Christian Ministry (B.Th.)

Classes are held each weekday, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m.-12 noon,
Indian Time (UTC+5:30). We offer three learning options.

• On-Campus: Attend in-person classes at the campus

• Online: Attend live lectures online
• E -Learning : Self-paced lear ning t hrough t he online por t al
apcbiblecollege.org/elearn

To apply online, and for more information about the college, curriculum,
eligibility criteria, tuition costs and to download the application form, please
visit apcbiblecollege.org.