Be My Baby!

Many years ago, a young wife was forced by her husband to abort the baby growing in her womb, because the baby was a girl! The young but brave mother courageously opposed the murder –plan of her husband and let the daughter live. Today joyful tears are ever in this brave mom’s eyes every passing day, as she sees the life of her talented daughter! She fought abortion and let her baby daughter live! “Let Live” children-both boys and girls because they are the gift of God!

 If one does not have the guts of this mom to fight 'killing' a baby, the best alternative is to give birth to the “unwanted” baby and give to a couple who wants a baby for adoption! The Bible has stories of adoption.  Moses, the liberation leader was saved by the daughter of Pharaoh who adopted him. Esther, the queen who brought salvation to the Jews was an adopted daughter of Mordecai. Joseph, the foster father had to have a big heart to include baby Jesus, the Lord and Saviour of the world, into his family. What a role these parents have played in bringing  leaders into the world! We, the believers of Jesus are his adopted children. Are n't we! (Ephesians 1:4-6)!

A biological parenthood is one of the many blessings promised in the Scriptures for sure! But not all inherit "all" the physical blessings that have been promised in the Scriptures! A progressive study of the whole of the Bible will say that there is no importance given to biological parenthood in the New Testament! A righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless! Amy Carmichael and Teresa of Kolkata were called “Amma” without they being biological mothers! They were “mothers’ to a multitude of children! So childlessness can also be replaced by adoption where there is a greater opportunity to show the love of Christ to needy children!

Someone said, “An adopted child grows in mommy’s  heart (daddy’s too), not her tummy!” A baby is a miraculous gift from God, no matter how one receives it.  Some are given the ability to bear them, others the ability to rear them. God of the Bible has not asked us to fill the earth with children who resemble OUR images, but he has asked us to fill it with children who are raised to reflect HIS image! So, in an adoption we are facilitated to produce "God-like" children in the place of “our own physical” children! Is that not a privilege?

Every child needs a home and love and privileges like any other child. Why are there abortions? Why are babies thrown into garbage? Why are there children roaming in the streets and slums, not going to schools? As for me, to work for prevention of  such child abuses is divine! Because God has a purpose for every life formed in a womb!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be!" (Psalm 139:13-16).

Who is the deserving kid out there, to whom I can say, “Be My Baby Forever?"

சுந்தரவனக் காடுகள் இயேசுவுக்காக!

சுந்தரவனக் காடுகள் இந்திய தேசத்தில் மேற்கு வங்காளத்தில் கங்கை நதி, வங்காள விரிகுடாவில் கலக்கும் இடத்திலுள்ள தீவுகளில் அமைந்துள்ளது. சுந்தரவனம் என்றால் அழகான காடுகள் என்று அர்த்தம். இங்கு மொத்தம் 54 தீவுகள் உள்ளன. இத்தீவுகளின் ஆரம்ப எல்லைகள், கல்கத்தா பட்டணத்திலிருந்து ஏறத்தாழ நான்கு மணி நேர‌, பிரயாணத் தூரத்தில் உள்ளன. அங்கிருந்து தீவுகளுக்கு படகுகள், பரிசல்கள் மூலம் செல்லலாம். மேலும் பொதுவாக மக்கள் அங்கு நீண்ட தூரத்திற்கும் படத்தில் உள்ளது போன்ற‌ மூன்று சக்கர வண்டிகளைப் பயன்படுத்துகின்றனர்.

கஷ்டமான பிரயாணம் காரணமாக, அரசாங்கமோ, தொண்டு நிறுவனங்களோ சுந்தரவனத்தின் உட்காடுகளில் அடிப்படை வசதிகளான மின்சாரம், கல்வி, மருத்துவம் போன்ற வசதிகளை செய்து தரவில்லை. 'ஹைலா சூறாவளி' போன்ற இயற்கையின் சீற்றங்களினால் இத்தீவுகள் அடிக்கடி பாதிக்கப்படுகின்றது. புலி மற்றும் முதலைகளின் தாக்குதலால் மனிதர் மடிவது சில தீவுகளில் சகஜமானதாகும். இப்படிப்பட்ட பல காரணங்களால் மிஷனெரி நிறுவனங்களும் உட்காடுகளுக்கு செல்ல தயக்கப்படுகின்றன. கேரிஸ் சேவா மண்டல் என்னும்  மிஷனெரி நிறுவனம் தேவையுள்ள இப்படிப்பட்ட உட்ப‌குதிகளில் தான் பணி செய்து வருகின்றது.

கேரிஸ் சேவா மண்டலத்தின் தற்போதையப் பணிகள்

 கேரிஸ் தலைமைத்துவ சிறப்பு பயிற்சி நிலையம்

பத்தாண்டுகள் மேற்கு வங்காளத்தில் முன்பு ஊழியம் செய்த அனுபவத்தின் அடிப்படையில், உள்ளூர் ஊழியர்களை உருவாக்குவதே சுந்தரவனத்தில் சிறப்பான முடிவுகளைத் தரும் என்று நம்புகிறோம். எனவே கேரிஸ் தலைமைத்துவ சிறப்பு பயிற்சி நிலையத்தின் மூலம் தற்போது புதிய விசுவாசிகளை, நானும், எனது கணவர் பாஸ்டர் சுரேஸ் ராஜனும், மற்றும் கல்கத்தாவை சேர்ந்த பாஸ்டர் நோயல் பிரபுராஜுமாக சேர்ந்து, முப்பது பேருக்கு, மாதம் ஒரு முறை மூன்று முழுமையான நாட்கள் பயிற்சி என்ற வீதத்தில் பயிற்றுவித்து வருகிறோம். ஒவ்வொரு மாதமும் பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் ஒரு புத்தகமும், புதிய ஏற்பாட்டில் ஒரு புத்தகமுமாக இரண்டு புத்தகங்களில் வினாடி‍வினா போட்டிக்காக இவர்கள் ஆர்வமுடன் ஆயத்தமாகின்றனர். இவர்கள் வேதத்தைக் கற்றுக் கொள்ளும் வாஞ்சையானது வேதத்தில் பெரோயாப் பட்டணத்தாருக்கு இணையானதாகும் (அப்போஸ்தலர் 17:11). இவர்களில் பலர் ஏற்கனவே இல்லத் திருச்சபைகளை நடத்துபவர்கள் ஆவர். 

கேரிஸ் பள்ளிகள் 

தலித் மக்கள் அதிகம் உள்ள  மிகவும் பிற்பட்ட கிராமங்களில் நலிவுற்ற நிலையில் இருக்கும் பள்ளிகளை தத்து எடுக்கும் பணியையும் கேரிஸ் செய்து வருகின்றது. சம்பளம் ஏதுமின்றி பணி செய்யும் ஆசிரியப் பெருமக்களுக்கு ஊக்கத்தொகை கொடுப்பது, பாழடைந்த பள்ளி கட்டிடங்களை சீர்படுத்துவது என்று செய்ய வேண்டிய பணிகள் ஏராளம்.

கேரிஸ் திருச்சபைகள்

தற்போது மூன்று இடங்களில் விசுவாசிக‌ள் வீட்டுத் திண்ணைகளிலும், மரத்தடிகளிலும் இருந்து ஆராதனை செய்து வருகின்றனர். கிறிஸ்துவின் மீதுள்ள அன்பின் காரணமாக இம்மூன்று இடங்களிலும் விசுவாசிகள் தங்கள் நிலங்களை ஆலயக் கட்டுமானப் பணிக்காக கொடுத்திருக்கிருக்கிறார்கள். வசதியற்ற வீடுகளில் வாழும் இவர்களுக்கு வசதியான ஆலயக் கட்டிடம் கட்டித் தர வேண்டும் என்பது நம் வாஞ்சையாகும்.

சுந்தரவனக் காடுகளை இயேசுவுக்கு சொந்தமாக்கும் பணியில் நீங்களும்  எங்களுடன் கைகோர்க்கலாம்!
1. மேற்சொன்ன மூன்று பணிகளுக்காகவும் தினமும் ஜெபியுங்கள்.

2. எங்களோடு இப்பணித்தளங்களுக்குப் பயணம் செய்து இப்பணியை ஊக்குவியுங்கள்.

3. மாதந்தோறும் உதாரத்துவமாக காணிக்கைத் தந்து இந்த ஊழியங்களைத் தாங்குங்கள்.

மேலும் விவரங்களுக்கு, graceidarjan@yahoo.com என்ற முகவரிக்கு எழுதுங்கள்!

Family First!

I read the following note which reminded me of a dire need for our present day society: "Everyone talks about leaving a better planet for our children? Why doesn't any one try to leave better children for our planet?" Abraham comes to my mind in this regard whom I admire as a model of family-values more than a model of faith! See what God testifies about Abraham in Genesis 18:19, even before the birth of his promised son, Isaac. He says: “For I have chosen him (Abraham), so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." Can God testify about us, the God-chosen parents, the same way?

Abraham - A Model in Parenting
Isaac and the rest of the household saw a model of righteousness and justice in Abraham. Than any monetary assets, modelling of values by parents remain in kid's lives forever, though/if not immediately. Also according to this verse, the promises of God to Abraham is seen here to fulfill only after God found Abraham eligible of fulfilling his "family-role" of passing Godly values to the next generation. Passing of Godly values to our kids is one truth told in many places in the Bible!

Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 offers practical tips of how parents can pass Godly values: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates." How much of this command happens in our homes today? What are some creative ways through which we can impress God’s commands to our children today? To me, Abraham is a model in parenting than anything else!

Abraham - A Model in Family-Values
Look at this aspect in Abraham’s life where he was truly righteous and just! Haran was the brother of Abraham. After the death of Haran, we find Abraham including Lot, the son of Haran as a member of his own family. God blessed Abraham and Lot to that extent that there was a time that the earth could not hold both of their wealth. So when it came to parting of land, we see Abraham’s generosity in asking Lot for his first choice. Lot chose Sodom and Gomorrah which looked good to his eyes, but happened to be wicked places. God decided to destroy these cities (Genesis 13:6-12). Even at this juncture, it was Abraham who pleaded for the lives of his nephew and his family. So Lot's clan was saved from perishing (Genesis 18:20-33)). We see Abraham loving his nephew amazingly in every regard!

In today’s nuclear family set up, love for kith and kin is narrowing down. How much of ‘giving up of privileges’ happen in our families? And do we pray for their lives to be saved from perishing? To me, Abraham is a model of a man of family-values, than anything else!

Parenting, Passing of Godly values are some Pressing needs for our Planet. What should come first in our lives today? I would say, for God's sake, "Family First!"

Check Out for Dead Flies!

Aaron comes from a family of ministers to God. His siblings Moses and Miriam were renowned spiritual leaders. All the sons of Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar were priests. In the earlier part of his life his call was to be a mouth piece to his younger brother Moses. Leader wise Moses was like God to him (Exodus 4:14-16). I admire the practical humility with which Aaron operated as a second leader. With Moses and his faltering lips (6:12) and with Aaron and his eloquent speaking skills, a tremendous cooperation would have been on exercise when the brothers functioned as leaders. No wonder unity among brethren was compared to precious oil running down Aaron’s beard in Psalm 133:2. For these unique qualities of Aaron, we see in Psalm 115:12, the Lord blessed the house of Aaron. Bible history says that there were eighty three high priests in the family line of Aaron. To name a few descendants: there was Phinehas, a spiritual zealot, Zadok, an awesome priest, Ezra a spiritual reformer and John the Baptist.

Yet there was a dead fly in the perfumed life of Aaron. During a prolonged absence of Moses, Aaron made a golden calf for worship, yielding to the peer pressure of the crowd. This led to sins of idolatry, immorality and shame to a wider community of the Israelites (Exodus 32:1-6). Like father were his sons Nadab and Abihu who brought sin to the community. These two sons had death as a punishment for this sin (Numbers 3:4)! We find multiple mentions of this “dead fly” in the rest of the history of Israel. In 1 Kings 12:26-30, we find notorious Jeroboam another “dead fly” who made golden calves following Aaron, for people to worship. From Jeroboam many Kings in Israel carried the dead fly odour to future generations.

Aaron was one who was called by God to be a priest. We now know that the call to be a priest cannot be taken lightly. The way and manner Aaron was fallible points us to an infallible “High Priest”- Jesus! (Hebrews 5: 1-5). Now the Bible also tells us that every believer of Jesus is a priest! (1 Peter 2:9) When Aaron reflected godly characters, his life was like a perfume. Blessings were his share. Dead flies in a perfume give a bad smell (Ecclesiastes 10:1).  For Aaron, it was yielding to Satan which was like a dead fly in the perfume. The resultant bad odour also got smeared through the generations after him.

It is time for us to check out for dead flies in our life. A God who can turn water into wine, replace a heart of flesh in the place of a heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26) can work on a “bad” smelling perfume and make it a “sweet” smelling perfume! Living a life as fragrant as a perfume all through, has challenges like how Aaron had! So what I can do is to look to Jesus, the perfect priest for His grace. It is “He” who enables me to smell like a sweet smelling perfume!

Let Your Kingdom be Established, Lord!

The Team On-Board

Dancing to the Tribal Tune

The May-Mission trip to the Sunderban islands was a blessed one with the addition of members in our visiting team! We had Pastor Samuel Masih, his wife Sangeetha and their son Jireh and Deep Woods. We visited two House Churches in the islands. The second one, a tribal church was an enthusiastic group. They enjoyed dancing for tribal tunes. In both these places the islanders have donated lands for constructing churches. Thanks to people who have got an inspiration to help the church building projects.

A Roof on Top-You Don't Get it Always!

Pastor Noel during the travel to these churches on seeing one prime place sighed, “If only we can build a training centre in this place!” God had his own way of encouraging the team. The next day we received a phone call asking the team to come and get documents for a particular land. My husband who took the initiative to visit that place was dumbfounded when he knew that it was the same place Pastor Noel wished for! What a mighty God we serve!

CILE’s Bible Training went for three days, 16-18 May. The trainees impressed us  by the way of their curiosity to learn the Scriptures. In every training session they prepare for Bible Quizzes in two books of the Bible. This month while they were preparing from the books of Exodus and Acts in the first day evening, there was a power-cut. However, this did not stop them from learning. They sat as groups and used the feeble lights from their cell-phones and continued with their Scripture learning! These Bengalis reminded me of the Bereans of the early church! (Acts 17:11) Now they have taken post-residential assignments and are preparing for Bible Quizzes in another two books (Deuteronomy and Gospel of John) of the Bible. Keep this lay leaders' training in your prayers.

"Your Word is a Lamp to my Feet"

Looking for a Bright Future!

Charis Seva Mandal (CSM) is working on a budget for renovating this rundown school in the islands. Thanks for all who help and to those who have opted to help. The children and the school community will remain thankful to all the “Helping Hands” in the school project.

CSM needs your prayers for it to function effectively in its administrative and accountability structures. Together let us build His Kingdom  for His Glory! Amen!

Note: We have given this ministry in Sundarbans to the Methodist Church in India. Pray that the flame of the gospel continue to burn through the efforts of MCI. 

"Family Priests" - Needed!

Families are in a mess today. What is a remedy for such messes? And who could do that? I am trying to answer this from the Bible here. In the times before the priestly laws were given to Moses, fathers in the families acted like priests. We see Abraham performing sacrifices as the head of the family, and so were the patriarchs of those times.  Job who dates back to the patriarchal days acted as a family priest too (Job 1:5). So also we find Jacob who functioned as a family priest. 

Jacob's Priesthood

From the beginning he proved the meaning of his name- ‘a deceiver’. He gave the Lord a vow at Bethel, when he ran away empty handed from his parent’s place to escape from his brother’s fury (Genesis 28:20-22). Jacob was not in fellowship with God for a long time after his ‘Bethel’ experience. He got married to "wives" and ended up into a lot of problems. This was because he strayed away from God’s order for marriage which has always been “one Adam and one Eve” and not any other! Jacob became the father of twelve boys and one girl. He accumulated a lot of wealth too and he left his father-in-law’s place as a ‘seemingly’ blessed man!

Now this family which was out of God’s order had problems of all sorts. There was favoritism in the treatment of the wives and children of Jacob. His wives were deceitful and cunning. Rachael, one of his wives even stole her own father’s idols!  His sons took revenge of the situation when their sister, Dinah was raped. They murdered, stole and looted. Jacob began to sense trouble now! (34:30).  It was then the word of God came to this family. God reminded Jacob of Bethel and his fleeing story from Esau (35:1.) Jacob now does a good thing: he executes his responsibility as a family priest and made the family get rid of their idols and sins. The family obeyed to his word and built an altar at Bethel and named it ‘El Bethel’ and acknowledged the true God. The family then enjoyed peace and no enemies pursued them (35:5)

Earlier at Peniel, Jacob had a personal encounter with God and got his status changed from a deceiver. His name changed to be Israel thereafter (32:22-32). No wonder, the twelve sons of Israel became the twelve tribes of the nation which came out of this family later. Kings and priests were born out of this family. The Saviour of the world, Jesus was born in flesh in this line. And, the renowned Apostle Paul was born in this family too.

One thing though: because Jacob did not do his family altar regularly, he struggled with family issues even after the family's "El-Bethel" experience like: Reuben, his eldest son had a relationship with his father’s concubine.His older sons  plotted to do away with Joseph, his younger son.

Job's Priesthood
Family priesthood and revivals has to be a 'regular' custom as it was in the case of Job. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. This was Job's regular custom. (Job 1:5 [NIV]) , Though he lost them all in a day to death, the truth we learn is that when Job got all of his blessings doubled. He did not lose his children at all because in eternity their count was doubled! (ten earlier and ten later).

Priestess!
 A typical family priest could be even a mother or a grandmother like in the case of Timothy, where his mom and grand-mom took a lead (2 Timothy 1:5, 3:14-15). He/She should have an influence to bring about a spiritual revival in the family.A ‘regular’ altar following the model of Job is needed. This would require parents/grand parents praying ‘regularly’ for their children and with their children. A family that prays together stays together! Any amount of mess in a family life can be set right for all those who heed to the Word of God! 

Am I a Backslider?

Peter, a fisherman left his profession and became a disciple of Jesus Christ. He was called to be a fisher of men. Peter was a hyper in words and deeds. He competed with Jesus and even attempted to walk in the sea.  But when Jesus was arrested, he denied his association with his master altogether. He even cursed in that situation. He was like any other human who backslided in his faith. Thereafter in John chapter 21 we find Jesus pouring out his love to get back his backslidden friend.

Fisher

Jesus after his resurrection had asked his disciples to wait for him in Galilee. Peter did not obey to the words of his master. Still worse, he convinced six more disciples to join him to go back to his old fishing profession. The team tried the whole night to fish but ended in failure. Jesus appeared in the sea shore in the morning. On seeing Jesus, I think Peter in his desperation to catch fish all night, had a flash back of his first encounter with Jesus. In a similar situation he and his friends had obeyed Jesus and had caught so much fish that the net was about to tear. Now again they obeyed to the command of Jesus and caught 153 large fishes! I think Peter again has a flash back of how Jesus had called Peter to be a fisher of men.

Why then has Peter moved away from that call? Was it because of a low self-esteem which arose out of a guilt feeling after his public denial of Jesus Christ? Hyper-Peter again jumps into the water. What did Jesus say during a similar act of his earlier? “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). I think he now realized his fault of going away from his faith for his master and also his call to be a fisher of men. God reminds backslidden believers even today through their failures, incidents of the past and many more ways. He gently reminds us of our primary call to be a fisher of men. His great commission for all his followers is to reach the nations with the gospel of Christ (Matthew 28:16-20).

Shepherd

It is interesting to see the concern of Jesus waiting to serve steaming breakfast to his disciples at the shore. “Come and dine” he called them (v.12).  Jesus kindly dealt with Peter first through a miracle then by feeding him and his friends. As Peter was slowly getting relieved from his guilt feeling, Jesus put his question straight: “Do you love me more than these? (the other disciples)” he asked.  Why did Jesus make a comparison here? This was probably because of the high claim of Peter earlier. In John 13:37 he was the one who said, “I’ll lay down my life for you.”  One another occasion Peter had said, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” (Matthew 26:33) Peter replied sheepishly now that he loved Jesus. Jesus repeated his question thrice to confirm this. Two times he asked Peter to feed his sheep and once to feed his lambs. God wanted Peter to physically and spiritually feed the needy people, just like how he did with him. Sheep are known for their stupidity. Again by mentioning about lambs, I think he shares his concern about small children and spiritual babes in the growing.  It becomes clear for us now that we as followers of Christ also need to feed the needy people around us both physically and spiritually.

Disciple

Who is a disciple? We find Jesus preparing the mind of Peter to face a difficult future because of him being a follower of Jesus. After saying that his sufferings during his death would ultimately be a glorifying experience, he says to Peter, “Follow me.” (v. 19) We find a typical Peter even now. He points his finger to John and asks Jesus, “What about him?” He probably thought John might have an easy future. Jesus chides Peter and plainly says, “What is that to you?  You must follow me.” Peter had his lesson on that day which helped him all through his life. He underwent suffering being a follower of Jesus and died as a martyr in a cross hanging upside down.  By not denying Jesus, he glorified God.

Every Christian must live the life of a disciple. Life is not a ‘bed of roses’ for a believer. Acts 14:22 says that only through many hardships one enters the kingdom of God. Jesus calls a backslidden believer even today with the same concern“Do you love me still?” What could be the reply and related responses be?