July 16-31, 2012

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Vol. XIV No.8 July 16-31, 2012 Published from Delhi Post Box No : 10708, Delhi-110085

Newspaper with a Biblical perspective Since 1999

Aamir Khan’s serial

Satyamev Jayate:A trend setter?

New Delhi: The ‘Satyamev Jayate’ show seems to have struck a chord in the hearts of the people if reports are to be believed. Female foeticide, dowry system and manual scavenging, neglect of the old are issues constantly being debated by television channels.

So what is new about this show by actor Aamir Khan. His charisma could be one reason for its popularity. He has been able to rope in some social activists , judges and spirited public men who in

turn spoke harsh truths and exposed the evils that prevailed in our tradition ridden societies.

His initiative seems much better than that of self-righteous anticorruption campaigners whose motives have become suspect over a period of time.

Also the façade of self-righteousness under which many outmoded and evil customs flourish should be exposed for the good of the society and for educating the ignorant masses.

The popularity of the

By MPK Kutty

show indicates that similar programmes aimed at social reforms could have a great impact if properly handled. Unfortunately the channels , with an eye on profits , seek to tickle the palate of the public by cheap entertainment. The big business gets a boost by channels promoting the consumerist culture.

The media , instead of serving the real interests of the public seek to affect their styles and fashions thereby only making them buy things which they can do without.

Turn on page 6

Guwahati incident a Hamid Ansari is real shame: UPA candidate for Vice President’s post What happened to our youngsters?

New Delhi: July 14, After the UPA meeting, chairperson Sonia Gandhi today announced that Hamid Ansari will run for a second consecutive term for vice-president.

LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, said that their party will extend support to UPA’s candidate, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav remained noncommittal and Trinamool Congress said it will soon take a decision on the issue.

“I appeal to all members of Parliament to support Ansari’s candidature. His capability has been established beyond doubt in his first tenure as Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha,” Pawar said.

Home Minister P Chidambaram said “all leaders” present at the UPA meeting “accepted” the candidature of Ansari.

“The Prime Minister spoke to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati and both welcomed the UPA decision, he added. Dr. Singh also spoke to CPI (M) leader Prakash Karat.

Chidambaram said the PM also talked to BJP leader L K Advani before the meeting to indicate that there was “overwhelming”

support for Ansari’s candidature.

The Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi spoke to Ansari and offered him congratulations, Chidambaram said. The Vice President accepted his nomination.

Hamid Ansari is soon set to create a record as only the second Indian to get a consecutive term as Vice President.

75-year-old Ansari, a career diplomat who has also served as Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, will emulate the late philosopher-statesman S Radhakrishnan, who got two terms as vicepresident between 1952 and 1962. Ansari was Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities when he was nominated for the Vice-Presidential poll in 2007.

Guwahati: It is difficult to count the number of things that are unspeakably wrong and shameful about the incident of molestation – in full public glare – of a minor girl outside a bar in Guwahati on 9th July, Monday night.

The girl, a class 11 student, was set upon by a group of young men when she was about to return home from a party in a city bar. Evidently, the girl had had an altercation with one of the men who had passed an obscene remark at her.

As a huge mob watched without making the slightest attempt to intervene, the 20-orso men groped her, ripped off some of her clothes, beat her – and teased and taunted her for drinking. From eyewitness accounts, it appears that the mob molested her for about half an hour; some passersby appear to have joined in groping her.

All this is on record because a television news crew arrived at the scene – and recorded the shocking scenes, evidently with the endorsement of the “Guwahati gang”.

The molesters can be seen parading their prey in front of the camera and forcing her to show her face, evidently to subject her to some form of ritual humiliation.

The incident had carried on for around

half an hour before police rescued the girl.

And despite 11 of the molesters being identified as a result of the video, the police took 48 hours to make any arrests, and even since then only three people have been arrested so far. They have been charged with outraging the modesty of a girl.

Political leaders from across the spectrum condemned the attack and demanded that those guilty receive the strongest punishment possible. Expressing outrage over the incident, Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury in her comments to NDTV, questioned what the incident said about Indian society saying, “Do we need policemen at every corner to ensure that Turn on page 2

Be Aware! Be Concern!! Read PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

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PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Inauguration of Destitute Shelter

The three-day healing crusade organised by the Deepak Nabam Ministry in Senki Park Prayer Centre was concluded on 17th June 2012 with inauguration of the Destitute Shelter cum Prayer Hall by Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Takam Sanjay, as Chief Guest and Itanagar MLA Techi Kaso, as Guest of Honour in the presence of the officials and general public.

Speaking on the inaugural function Shri Takam Sanjay highlighted individual and social responsibilities to promote peace and development in society. With deep sense of concern at the present rate of corruption he reiterated the urgent call of the duties and their fulfillment by every individual. While lauding Pastor Deepak’s Ministry to serve the needy and the destitute, he expressed his desire to support such gesture also in the days to come. He urged the people to forget about the ethnic differences and instead stand up for building social unity.

Shri Techi Kaso testified to his faith and struggle in the fear of God thereby sharing the message of love and forgiveness. He said that a man of faith will be

grateful to God and acknowledge His provisions to meet all our needs instead of complaining. He said that pastor Deepak has initiated a noble venture which deserves support and appreciation from the government and the society.

Pastor M K Babu (New Delhi), the resource person shared from the Word of God and said that Christianity throughout history had always spread good aroma in every society. He urged that a Christian should live for others and to be an exemplary in society. He also remarked that there was no practical contradiction between culture and Christianity as long as the right part is retained and obsolete part being discarded.

Pastor Deepak Nabam delivered a brief account of the Ministry to serve the depressed, rejected and hopeless in the society. He appealed to the people not to take him for a religious preacher but a co-partner in serving the suffering humanity.

The function was attended by the believers and general public from across the state.

July 16-31, 2012

NDA names Jaswant Singh as VP candidate

After much speculation, the NDA named BJP veteran Jaswant Singh as its candidate for the Vice Presidential election next month. Jaswant Singh will now be fighting against Hamid Ansari, UPA’s vice-presidential candidate.

While announcing the name, senior BJP leader LK Advani said, “We have reservations against Hamid Ansari for the way he adjourned Rajya Sabha during the Lokpal debate.” Advani added that the BJP felt Yashwant Singh was the perfect candidate to be the Vice President of India. Advani also alleged that UPA did not consult them on the Vice Presidential election, and had declared Ansari’s name without any prior discussion.

Speaking after the announcement was made meanwhile, Jaswant Singh said he was honored to have been nominated. “I thank all the leaders, I am honoured,” he said.

News From page 1

Guwahati incident... women can walk around unharmed?

What about the parents of these men?

Are they going to talk to these men and tell them that what they did was wrong?”

Chowdhury also said that the men who participated in the brazen attack should be given a ‘dose of old fashioned punishment’ and said that they ought to be publicly shamed. “Their friends should stop talking to them, they shouldn’t be called to other people’s houses… the fact that none of these will happen shows that society condones and even celebrates such behavior”, she said.

Meanwhile BJP leader and leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, also tweeted about the incident. “I have seen the visuals. This has not happened in Guwahati for the first time. I have just spoken to our MP from Guwahati Mrs Bijoya Chakravarty. She has just reached Guwahati and met the DG Police. We will not let this go unpunished”, she said.

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Good news for all the SMS addicts!

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on13th July, Friday, set aside the cap of 200 SMSes per day sent through a mobile phone SIM for personal communications but upheld the curb on unwanted commercial SMSes saying they infringed the “equally” important right to privacy of “unwilling recipients”.

The Telecom Watchdog’s petition had sought quashing of a TRAI regulation, which provides that only up to 200 short messages could be sent through a single SIM in a day.

The court, in its 30-page judgement, rejected the plea that unsolicited commercial communications enjoyed the immunity under the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression.

“Examined in the light of the aforesaid legal position, it appears to us that UCCs are normally commercial advertisement meant for furtherance of trade and commerce and not sent with the objective of propagation of ideals, social, political or economic or in furtherance of literature or human thought.

“Therefore, prima facie such UCCs would not even amount to freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution and, therefore, provision can be made by placing restrictions on such UCCs,” it said.

The court said even if it is assumed that commercial SMSs fell under the right to freedom of speech and expression, it can be subjected to “reasonable restrictions” as enshrined in the Constitution and “imposing a cap on the maximum number of UCCs may pass the test of reasonable restrictions.”

“While adjudging the reasonableness of restrictions, another factor which is to be kept in mind is the balancing of the right to freedom of expression of the persons exercising such right on the one hand and the rights of other persons which would include right to privacy as well as right to live nuisance free life,” it said.

The high court said the state has a “compelling interest” in regulating the right to speech when it comes in conflict with the right to privacy of other citizens.

Referring to an apex court judgement, the bench said while one has a right to speech, the others too have the right to listen or decline to listen.

“We can also appreciate the anxiety of the TRAI which has, in true spirit, accepted and realise the unbalancing and obnoxious levels of UCCs. However, while, the aforesaid provisions have been made, keeping in mind this objective and examining the issue from this angle, the moot question is as to whether while doing so, the TRAI could trample upon the rights of others, not indulging in voice calls/ SMSs for commercial purposes in mind but only with the objective of dissemination of information,” it said.

The court, however, rapped the telecom regulator saying while putting a curb on UCCs, “the TRAI has painted the second category (personal and private communications) also with the same brush and imposition of such a condition qua others is not related to the purpose mentioned in Article 19(2).

“This restriction, in the present from without any provision of proper regulation in our view, offends the fundamental rights of the users enshrined under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.”

July 16-31, 2012

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Slap murder charge for female foeticide: Khap Mahapanchayat Jind : A Khap Mahapanchayat, attended by leaders of over 300 khaps from Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh here, took a stern stand against female foeticide and demanded that murder charges be slapped against those who indulge into the “heinous act”.

The Mahapanchayat, which for the first time saw a large number of women participants, was held in Bibipur village. It was also decided in the Mahapanchayat that a campaign would be launched against the rampant social evil.

The Mahapanchayat or a conglomeration of various caste councils was

held to create awareness among people against the social malady. Kuldeep Singh, a Khap leader presided over the gathering.

It was pointed out that due to female foeticide the population of girls has decreased; therefore, effective steps should be taken to prevent this social ill. The meeting, which was held in a Haryana village, also holds significance due to its location as the state is infamous for its skewed sex ratio.

The Khap leaders also stressed on the need for creating social awareness against female foeticide. With women of the village leading the campaign, the Gram Sabha of the village had invited leaders of over 300 Khaps to seek their support for the campaign.

Prayer and bell ringing to kick off Olympics Churches across the UK are being called to pray and ring their bells on the first day of the Olympics.

The London Organising Committee is asking people to ring bells for three minutes, starting at 8:12am on 27 July.

churches have taken time to pray for the Games and those involved, as well as for their own communities.

Church leaders are encouraging everyone to get involved in this unique event.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for ChurchLOCOG is encouraging “any bell, anyone, es to make some noise to show that we supanytime”. port the Olympics and the hard work that all of the athletes have put in. I would urge More Than Gold, the group spearheading bell ringing teams in our churches to join in church outreach during the 2012 Games, this peal and for as many of us as possible is asking churches everywhere to ring their to get together to pray for the 2012 Olymbells and pray “for God’s Kingdom to come pics,” said the Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt Rev Colin Fletcher. and for a turning to come in our nations”.

The head of mission for the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Rev Ian Bunce, said: “This is an opportunity to be part of a prophetic act, a turning point which will shape the future of our nation. Let’s make a noise, Batons containing prayers have been hand- talk about God, pray for peace, pray for rec- Lt Colonel Ivor Telfer, of ed over from community to community onciliation and commit to love God’s world The Salvation Army, said: “London 2012 has presented the churches and the nation and as the torch and the prayer relay have and his people.” with a wonderful opportunity for positive travelled through each area, individuals and It will also be an opportunity to celebrate the end of More Than Gold’s 70-day prayer relay, which accompanied the Olympic torch relay.

community engagement. The Salvation Army is delighted to join with this initiative to pray for success and safety for all involved.”

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July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Village Panchayat Parliament of young religious formed issues diktats against women These kind of diktats have no place in a democratic society: Chidambaram The panchayat in Asara village in Baghpat’s Ramala in Uttar Pradesh met on 11th July, Wednesday and issued a slew of new rules that the media are calling ‘Taliban style diktats’. The new rules include a ban on love marriages, not allowing women to use mobile phones, as well as a blanket prohibition on women under 40 years of age from leaving the house unaccompanied in the evening. Young boys, meanwhile, cannot wear headphones.

The new rules also specify that the women of the village cannot leave home without their heads covered. In the only positive diktat the panchayat has also said that it will make the practice of dowry a punishable offence.

Located barely 50 km from Delhi and located in Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh’s constituency, the village has now hit the headlines and police officials say they will conduct a probe into the matter. Police officials said that no arrest had been made in connection with this case and they would wait until further investigations were completed.

In response to the issue the Home Minister

P Chidambaram deprecated the issuing of diktats against women and said that he expected the Uttar Pradesh government to take action against those who try to enforce such “illegal” orders.

“These kind of diktats by khap panchayats, fatwas, dress codes, according to me, they have no place in a democratic society. If such a diktat is being issued in Bhagpat, I would expect the state government to instruct the police authorities to ensure that nobody comes to harm for violating that diktat,” Chidambaram told reporters in Chandigarh.

“That diktat has no legal authority and if anybody takes any action against a boy or girl saying that you are violating the diktat, action should be taken against the person who is trying to enforce these illegal codes of conduct. I would expect the state government to take action,” he added.

“There are laws relating to obscenity. Those laws have to be obeyed. I don’t think anyone can say what a boy-girl should wear and how they should talk to each other,” the Home Minister said.

New Delhi: The first national convention of the young religious ended with the formation of a “parliament” to revolutionize consecrated life for 2020.

The parliament of over 200 people would mobilize young men and women in their regions and prepare them to meet the challenges of the modern world.

“These young religious will discuss and interact with each other about the issues affecting the consecrated life and their mission to the society,” said Brother Mani Mekkunnel, national secretary of the Conference of Religious India (CRI) said.

He said “the convention was part of a national strategy for change and it is a unique movement being initiated for the whole country in terms of consecrated life.”

The July 9-12 convention, organized by CRI, was held at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in New Delhi with the theme “Lead-

NHRC wants Prevention of Torture Bill passed without further delay

The Prevention of Torture Bill must be immediately passed to ensure that extracting information through torture is declared illegal, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said.

Speaking at a conference in Delhi, NHRC Chairperson KG Balakrishnan said the Parliament needs to pass the bill urgently so that the culture of extracting information through torture is made illegal and the guilty are punished by law.

“Torture is a serious problem for India. Basic human rights are violated when torture is inflicted.

It is not just physical pain, but mental which traumatises the individual and is an assault on his right to life,” he was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

The bill, which defines torture as “grievous hurt to any person or danger to life, limb or health (whether mental or physical) of any person”, was passed by the lower house of the Indian Parliament in 2010.

The preamble of the bill states that the purpose of the bill is “to provide punishment for torture inflicted by public servants or any persons inflicting torture with the consent or acquiescence of any public servant, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.”

Between 2001 and 2010, NHRC reported 14,231 cases of deaths in police and prison custody (1,504 and 12,727, respectively).

According to the information made available to the AHRC, in only 18 cases nationwide were police officers guilty of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment acted against.

The Working Group on Human Rights (WGHR) in India and the UN which submitted a report for India’s UPR says torture is the most widespread in India’s conflict areas and leads to physical, mental disability and impotency.

“Common methods of torture in Kashmir and the North-East are placement of iron rod on the

legs on which many people sit; placement of burning stove between the legs and administration of electric shocks to genitals.

A Commission of the ICRC confirmed the use of torture in Kashmir,” WGHR report says.

While India is signatory to the Convention Against Torture (CAT), it is yet to ratify the instrument.

Last month, at a programme to mark the ‘International Day in Support of Victims of Torture’, Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, recognized the bill as a step forward in effort against violation of human rights and human dignity.

Speaking on the same, National Commission for Minorities

ership for Consecrated Life 2020.”

The meeting concluded similar conventions CRI organized at its 12 regions across the country during the past two years to prepare future leaders to face the challenges of the modern world.

Brother Mekkunnel said the young religious would have to undergo a paradigm shift in their thinking and approach toward religious life.

For that the participants finalized 12 goals, including good governance, making use of media in their day-to-day life to communicate with people, learn modern technology and partnership and networking for evangelical effectiveness. The participants discussed strategies to achieve the goals by 2020.

The participants were in the age group of 30-35 years from more than 100 congregations.

Source : UCAN

Chairman Wajahat Habibullah favoured changes in the statutes to bring about police reforms.

“We have to work towards police reforms. There is a change in the attitude in the police but the structure is still the same,” he said.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has documented many cases from India in the past eight years that collectively show consistent and widespread use of torture to intimidate and extract information or a confession. “ All police stations in the country practice this crude and unscientific method of interrogation and punishment. Most police officers believe that torturing suspects is a legal and morally acceptable means with which to investigate crime,” AHRC said in a report last month.

The government of India reportedly does not have data concerning the number of officers who routinely resort to torture and under what circumstances such abuse occurs.

Free Bibles for Olympic athletes The Bible Society is readying thousands of copies of the Bible for distribution among athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Olympic Village Religious Services Centre will be handing out 3,000 copies of commemorative English-language Scriptures.

Another 1,000 copies of Bibles and New Testaments will be available in other languages through partnerships with national Bible Societies around the world.

David Willson, chief executive of More Than Gold, said: “At past Olympics and other major sports events I’ve seen athletes deeply grateful for the free gift of a Bible. Bible Society are to be highly commended for their support in making such gifts possible.”

There are two Bibles being distributed in the English language The Sports Good News Bible and The Sports Good News Gospel of Luke.

Both contain specially commissioned articles written to help sportspeople consider the relationships between sport and faith.

Turn on page 6

July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Minister celebrates birthday weighing in blood

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Spearheading a revolution with handful of rice

Surat: A minister in Gujarat has taken Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, India’s revolutionary freedom fighter, literally.

Narottam Patel, who handles food, civil supplies and consumer affairs ministry, celebrated his 77th birthday weighing on a scale with blood equaling his weight.

His supporters collected 70 liters of blood to balance Patel’s frame on a huge scale bedecked with flowers and garlands. Patel sat one side of the weighing machine while his supporters kept three ice boxes with pouches of the blood on the other side. Patel later told reporters that he felt honored by the bizarre celebration. To justify the strange ceremony, he quoted Bose’s famous words during India’s independence struggle. Bose, who founded the Indian National Army to fight the British colonists, had promised Indians freedom if they would give him blood.

“Now that (my supporters) have given me their blood, I will fight for them,” Patel said. Patel’s supporters conducted

blood donation camps across Surat, India’s diamond town, to collect the blood.

The blood was later given to various blood blanks in the city.

In a similar incident two years ago, supporters of R C Faldu, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Gujarat, weighed him in blood.

Such celebrations take place when India struggles to meet its requirement for safe blood. According to the National Aids Control Organization’s latest assessment, only 80 percent of estimated 10 million units of safe blood India requires is available in the country. According to Rajesh Bhatia, regional advisor to the World Health Organization on blood safety, almost 47 percent of blood collected in India is through replacement donors or people who give blood only when required by their family or friends.

A unit is 450 ml blood that the body regenerates in three days. The donor should be above 45 kg and free from HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Bhatia explained.

Aizawl: Every drop makes an ocean. That adage perhaps never held as true as in the case of a Christian community in Mizoram, one of the poorest states of India. A small community in Mizoram despite having not much to depend on for them has been faithfully paying their tithes – “a handful rice.”

The Bible urges the faithful to pay their tithes - one-tenth of their produce. This community in the northeast not only supports itself financially, but has also managed to send out hundreds of missionaries.

Behind their success is a simple practice called “a handful of rice.”

Lalua lives in a tiny, remote village in Mizoram. Her family sustains on a meager income of less than rupees 50 a day. Despite abject poverty, simple women like Lalua are spearheading a revolution that’s sweeping the world of missions.

“Buhfai tham” is a practice where each Mizo family puts aside a handful of rice every time they cook a meal. Later, they gather it and offer it to the church.The church, in turn, sells the rice and generates income to support its work. “Rice has been the staple food of the people of Mizoram.

You are giving what is basic, essential, and fundamental to your life. You are sharing that with God,” explained Dr. Roger Gaikwad, with Aizawl Theological College.

New Delhi: Delhi tops the list of states where the highest number of crimes against children were committed in 2011 while Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of rape and murder cases of children respectively.

A total of 33,098 cases of crime against children were reported in the country in 2011 as compared to 26,694 cases in 2010, suggesting an increase of 24 percent.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the rate of crime against children was highest in Delhi (25.4 percent) followed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands (20.3 percent), Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh (7 percent each), Madhya Pradesh (6 percent) and Goa (5.1 percent) as compared to the national average of 2.7 percent.

A total of 1,514 cases of murder of children, including infanticides, were reported in the country in 2011 against 1,508 cases in 2010. Uttar Pradesh has reported the highest number of such cases (326), accounting

for 22.9 percent of the total murder cases reported in the country.

Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Puducherry did not report any case of child murder in 2011.

A total of 7,112 cases of child rape were reported in the country in 2011 as compared to 5,484 in 2010, accounting for an increase of 29.7 percent.

Madhya Pradesh has reported the highest number of rape cases (1,262) followed

by Uttar Pradesh (1,088) and Maharashtra (818). These three states altogether accounted for 44.5 percent of the total child rape cases reported in the country.

A total of 15,282 cases of kidnapping and abduction of children were reported in 2011 as compared to 10,670 cases in the previous year accounting for a significant increase of 43.2 percent.

Uttar Pradesh (3,739) followed by Delhi (3,528) have accounted for 24.5 percent and 23.1 per cent respectively of the total

cases reported in the country.

Twenty-seven cases of ‘buying of girls’ and 113 cases of ‘selling of girls’ for prostitution were reported in the country during 2011 against 78 and 130 such cases respectively in 2010.

Maharashtra (20 cases) has accounted for 74 percent of total such cases in 2011.

Crime against children highest in Delhi

With the passage of time, people have given more than rice. Vegetables, firewood, cereals, and their regular tithes are also given, empowering the church to be selfsufficient.

“Mizoram state is the most backward state in India. And we are the poorest of the poor, but still we can raise funds for the ministry of the Lord,” said Rev. Zosangliana Colney, leader of Mizoram Presbyterian Church.

With 1,800 missionaries in India and many overseas, the Mizoram church is known as a missionary church around the world. This success is attributed to their selfless and creative giving.

“It is not our richness or our poverty that makes us serve the Lord, but our willingness,” Colney said.

“So we Mizo people say, ‘As long as we have something to eat every day, we have something to give to God every day.’”

Source : CBN.com

A total of 132 cases of foeticide were reported in the country during the year as compared to 111 cases in 2010 indicating a rise of 18.9 percent in such cases.

Madhya Pradesh has reported 38 case of foeticide followed by Chhattisgarh (21 cases), Punjab (15 cases), Rajasthan (13 cases) and Uttar Pradesh (12 cases).

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July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY News From page 1

Aamir Khan has shown some courage by allowing participants to speak out strongly about some strongly entrenched biases in society.

There are several social evils which still enjoy wide approval in society and it is necessary to battle against them in the way shown by the actor.

For instance caste system and its entrenched injustice had played havoc with democratic rights and equality of man. A national leader like Gandhiji or a crusader like Dr Ambedkar could not eliminate it from the soil. Probably it is time to speak up on this count too.

Sensitizing officials and the public against corruption at vari-

ous levels will be another matter that can be taken up effectively through television. But all these must be done with certain honesty and transparency so as to win the confidence of the people.

Some of the channels had been so one-sided during the anti-corruption campaign that one wondered whether they were reporting an event or giving leadership to the campaign with ulterior motives. And it is quite likely that while going all-out against the government, their own credibility came to be suspected. It boomeranged and harmed the very interests of those in whose favour the channels had intervened!

News from page 4

Free Bibles for Olympic ....

Advt.

Satyamev Jayate: A trend setter?

Information about Road safety Do’s and Don’ts for Two Wheelers Do’s • Always wear a full mask good quality helmet & fasten it tightly • Always check the inflation of both front and rear tires • Always ensure the front and rear lights are functional • Always give proper indications before turning • Always use front and rear brakes simultaneously • Keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead

Don’ts Bible Society Group Chief Executive, James Catford, said, “The achievements we gain on the outside are driven by the people we are on the inside – that’s what we discover in the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus written by Luke and found within the Christian Scriptures.”

The Bible Society has launched a special appeal to help meet demand.

Matthew van Duyvenbode, Head

of Advocacy at Bible Society says: “The Bible offers words of deep consolation, inspiration and challenge, themes which resonate with athletes from around the world.

“Having the opportunity to offer the scriptures in a format accessible for sports people is a strong statement that the Bible belongs at the heart of every aspect of life.”

• Never drive in a zigzag manner • Never overtake from the blind corners of a vehicle or from the left side • Never apply brakes suddenly • Never carry heavy loads or more than one person • Never use cell phone while driving

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

There is no substitute for our time with God

Guwahati: A Nation EDITORIAL Shamed!

Just a few days ago, India watched with utter horror and shame a video footage of the public humiliation of a teenage girl in Guwahati, Assam.

A 17-year-old girl, who emerged from a hotel after attending a birthday party of her friend, was beaten up by an unruly mob of young men. They attempted to strip her. In the process, she was molested and traumatised.

The crowd performed this heinous act in front of a television camera.

Although the footage has exposed some young men involved, some feel that the video journalist had a role to play in the crime. This is because he did not report to the police the incident even though he was an eyewitness.

This is not the first time that young women were subjected to the wrath of self-appointed moral policemen of India. Young women in Mangalore were beaten up and molested by activists of Sri Ram Sena, another lawless moral brigade. To whichever gang they belong to, these goons believe that only men and boys have the right to enter a hotel or a pub.

They are never enraged by the what men do. According to them, women alone are supposed to be pure, chaste and sober. And in what manner do these thugs uphold the so-called “Indian culture” and virtues? By publicly stripping a teenager! Can morality be upheld by an immoral and criminal act? The shameful means adopted by these men destroy their tall claims of morality. These men who are relics from a byegone era should be booked and punished in an exemplary manner.

Should a young woman be required to stay away from birthday parties?

Every person in India has the right to be anywhere at any time, within the framework of the law of the land. We do not know whether participants in the party partook of alcoholic beverages in the party. If legal minors were served alcoholic beverages, there are sufficient laws and law-enforcement agencies to investigate the matter. No group should take up law into their own hands.

This incident involving a legal minor should highlight the role of parents in the lives of teenagers. Are parents taking their role too lightly?

Are they letting their teenaged sons and daughters wander unsupervised and ill-protected into dangerous territories? Where was the girl’s father?

Why wasn’t he there to pick her up from the hotel after the birthday party late that evening? Did the girl let her parents know that she would be returning late from a birthday party held in a bar-attached hotel? We are sure that this incident would have been avoided had her parents taken a more pro-active role in the girl’s life.

Let’s be realistic. We are not living in a land that honours women/girls although we claim the opposite. This is a land that mourns the birth of a girl child – that is, if the girl child survives the Indian urge for selective foeticide. And after she is born, she is discriminated against in every sphere of life, whether it be nutrition, education, employment, ownership of property or representation in the Indian Parliament. At every stage of her life, she has to wage a battle to keep her honour. In the streets, they are stripped everyday – in the minds of wile men. Those who strip a woman in their minds are no better than those who strip a woman in reality. Girls are stolen, bought and sold. They are caged like animals in our burgeoning cities. Religions too have abandoned women.

No Indian religion offers salvation to women unless they are reincarnated as men. India is not a safe place for young girls/women. We can all hope for change. But the change is no where in sight. Until then, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

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July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Pastor M.K.Babu

Undoubtedly, we admit that we have turned our world out to be a world of substitutes.

Junk foods and supplements like vitamins, steroids, vitalizers and taste makers have replaced natural, healthy foods. Family relationships and fellowships have reduced to a minimum of emails and phone calls, thanks to communications technology. The world is on our finger tips! In fact, the globe has not diminished to a village rather our world has shrunk to the size of our home. ‘Day’ in names of father, mother and family has replaced the 24x7 warmth of a loving and living family. Godly and natural entertainment that keeps us healthy is substituted with visual media and the nasty garbage available in the entertainment world. Plastic money has taken the place of currency notes. So also, loans and mortgages have taken the place of savings. In fact, we adhere to all these substitutes in order to save time and avoid troubles.

Unfortunately, we lost the real taste and joy of life by with these substitutes. The technology is good but that made our relationship with each other mechanical and very much formal. The warmth when we see each other and sit together has been stolen by all these substitutes. How horrible it is some people never tasted the God-instituted joy of life.

Treacherously, the ‘substitute’ has taken over the spiritual area of our life too. Prayer partners and prayer towers that offer readymade prayers have become substitute for our personal prayer time. Devotions and teachings readily available to “add to the cart” have taken the place of our time of meditation. Born-again experience and the sanctification work of the Holy Spirit is substituted by a regular attendance in a church and an outwardly clean life. Expectant tithing and offerings have taken the place of love for and obedience to God’s commandments.

Screaming, clapping, jumping, dancing, falling and rolling have become substitutes for operating the gifts of the Holy Spirit!

Sending a check against a guarantee of prosperity has taken place of unconditional sacrificial giving. Supporting on request by someone in the mission field has taken the place of real burden for the perishing souls and yearning for the advancement of the

A word with you

Kingdom of God. This is nothing but hypocrisy; it demands repentance. Will any of us hire someone to speak everyday with our earthly father in order to express our affection and maintain our relationship with him? Not at all! Then how can we do that with our heavenly Father?

Will a regular visit to a bath room – without actually taking a shower - remove dirt from our body? God has not introduced and instituted a substitute way to fellowship with Him. He made everything needed perfectly in order to have fellowship with us. Without a devoted time and a committed life in His presence none of us is going to have fellowship with Him. There are only two ways to live our lives on the face of the earth. Either live with God or without Him. There is no middle path. Our apathy towards developing and maintaining a relationship with God will result in a godless life.

Our role model the Son God Jesus Christ demonstrated how to have fellowship with God. He used to spend time with the Father alone in the morning. “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there”. Mar 1:35. He used to pray alone in the evening. “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone”. Mat 14:23. He even spent the whole night in prayer. “It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God”. Luk 6:12 . If we consider the prayer just a matter of supplication then Jesus Christ didn’t have to pray. Because He is the Provider. Prayer time is much more than asking for our needs.

It is the time of fellowship of the creation with the Creator or a son with his father.

Even in the time of trouble Jesus Christ sought none other than God in prayer. We can see Him in the Gethsemane earnestly praying to His Father.

We are the purchase of God by the blood of Jesus Christ in order to become a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful privilege we have to live in His presence all the time. Let it become the lifestyle to live in His presence all the time.

God bless you.

Patrons : Rev. Dr. Valson Thambu

: M P K Kutty Chief Editor : Rev. M.K. Babu E-mail :mk@praisethealmighty.com Sub-Editor : Annie M. Babu E-mail :anniemkbabu@gmail.com Associate Editor : Philip P Eapen E-mail :ppe@praisethealmighty.com Correspondent : Samuel Soren E-mail :sorensam@gmail.com Mobile :0971 610 7744 Circulation : Madan Mohan Mobile : 991 085 2894 Please send Letters to the Editor and articles to: Info@praisethealmighty.com,

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Phone: 011 27041259, 971 610 7744

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July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Trust and Obey Dr. C.S. Blesson.

This young man was disappointed, frustrated and tired. He toiled all night long and got nothing. It is not that he did not know what he was doing; he was doing what he knew well, very well. He was an expert in his trade and knew exactly what to do, where to do, when to do and how to do. Despite all his knowledge, experience and planning it all came to nothing. He had all the gadgets he needed. Yet, in the morning he was sitting by the shore and was washing his empty nets for he was a fisherman. His name was Simon. Yes I am talking about Simon Peter.

On that morning, Jesus came walking by the shore teaching people. As the numbers increased, Jesus was looking for a nice place to sit and teach the people. He found it! It was Simon’s boat. Jesus asked Simon to move the boat a little further and sat on it and started teaching.

What would we do if we were in Simon’s place? Will we have the patience to help someone after having a frustrating and sleepless night? Simon had a good quality, even during his toughest moment, he did not fail to open and give whatever he had to Jesus.

He let Jesus enter into his boat.

Simon did not grumble or murmur when Jesus entered his boat.

He must have been washing his nets and simultaneously listening to Jesus. He just kept quiet and moved the boat for him.

When tough time comes we grumble, blame everyone and try to be mean to people around just to prove the point that we are unhappy. Sometimes we not only make our lives unpleasant but also make everyone else’s life miserable. Simon never opened his mouth but was waiting patiently for Jesus to finish! Are we patient? Do we help others when we ourselves are not feeling like doing very well? Or do we moan and rattle everyone around us

and give everyone a tough time?

Despite having a spectrum of ways to respond to Jesus, Simon chose to respond by obeying Jesus. Do we let Jesus come among our midst just like Simon did?

Jesus asked Simon to move the boat deeper and cast the net once again. That is when Simon told his whole story. It was already day time and conventional wisdom said that one will get nothing if one were to cast fishing net during day. Simon’s experience also told him that it was not going to work but Jesus told him to cast his net! Simon told Jesus ‘… because you say so, I will let down

my nets’ and obeyed Jesus. Yes, he obeyed! It would have been very easy for him to question Jesus asking what a carpenter knew about fishing.

As the story goes, they caught so many fishes that their nets began to break. They had to signal and call others to bring up the catch.

Not just Simon’s boat but another boat was also filled and Simon realized the sovereignty of the Son of God! He fell down and realized that he is facing someone more than a carpenter or a prophet.

He was seeing the handiwork of the Creator. He could see and experience a great miracle and see God’s power being demonstrated in front of his eyes. All he did was that he trusted the words of Jesus and obeyed Him. Friends! Are we willing to trust and obey the Lord? We don’t need supernatural things and miracles when everything is going fine. It is very easy to follow God when everything is going good. When we trust and obey God during tough times, we can experience the divine provision and see the splendor of His majesty. Jesus called Simon, Peter and gave him a higher calling. Will you yield yourself to God? God is willing to do a miracle! Just Trust and Obey!

Come and join with us in a vibrant and Spirit-filled worship service. Enjoy the mighty presence of God and His power

Full Life Assemblies of God Church 11747, 3rd Floor, Sat Nagar, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005, Landmark : Sindhi Ghodiwala Gali

Sunday Worship time : First Service : 6.00 am to 8.00 am (Hindi) * Second Service : 8.15 am to 10:15 am (Hindi) Third Service : 10.30 am to 12.30 pm (Tamil) * Evening Service : 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm (English) Contact Person : Pastor Solomon Kings Mobile : 999-930-5139, 971-168-9837, 981-127-3880 Website : www.delhiag.in

July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

9

The lame man who had no friends Beena Didi

Dear child, the cold winter in Delhi is getting over. Winter is a terrible time for poor homeless people. The people who most suffer are the sick and old among them. But God wants us to care for them.

When Jesus was in the world He always cared and helped such poor, needy and sick people. Here is one such incident where Jesus helps an old sick man who had no friend.

It was a holiday in the city of Jerusalem, which is a day for resting and visiting friends. Many people said, “Let’s go to the pool of Bethesda and visit our friends who are sick.” Sick people used to stay near the pool. It was believed that when the angel of the Lord stirs the water whoever jumps into the pool would get healed.

Jesus also went to the pool. When He got there, He saw a big crowd of sick people and visitors. Some of the sick people were blind. Others were lame and crippled. Some were so sick that they couldn’t even move. All of them stayed close to the pool. They were all waiting to get into the water when it bubbled.

At the pool Jesus saw a sick man who had no friends. The man had been sick for a long, long time. Besides, he didn’t have any friends or brothers or sisters who could help him into the water when it bubbled. All he could do was lie there on his blanket, day after day, wishing that someone would help him.

Worst of all, the man felt bad when he thought of the many wrong things he had done before he got sick. Maybe he thought God was punishing him. Jesus stopped and talked to the man. “Do you want to get well?” Jesus asked him.

“Sir, how can I get well?” the man answered. “I don’t have any friends to help me into the pool. And when the water starts to bubble, somebody else always

gets ahead of me.” The man was very desperate about his condition.

Jesus looked at the man and said with a strong voice: “Get up, pick up your blanket, and walk.” Nobody has spoken to the sick man like this before. He was surprised, and looked at Jesus with wonder.

As soon as Jesus said this, the man’s sick body became well. He felt strong all over. Up from the ground he jumped.

And, picking up his blanket, he began to walk. He could hardly believe what had happened! He was so happy that he began to run around the whole place.

Later on, Jesus saw the man again.

“Now that you are well,” Jesus said to him, “don’t do bad things again. Use your healthy body to thank God and to be kind to other people.” Jesus healed the man and helped him to live a normal life.

The man was glad to be well. He was happy that Jesus was his Friend.

From then on he wanted to do only good things. He also decided to help others who are suffering.

Dear child, like Jesus who helped the sick man who had no friend, we also should help others who are sick or in need.

Let us pray: “Dear Jesus, help me to help the sick and suffering people in whatever way I can. Amen.” May God bless you!

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July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Challenges to the evangelist

By MPK Kutty

‘The Gospel is much more powerful weapon for the renewal of society than is our Marxist philosophy , but all the same it is we who will finally beat you…’ That was a challenge thrown by communists in their heyday. “ We are realists , and seeing that we are determined to achieve our objective, we know how to obtain our means…How can anybody believe in the supreme value of the Gospel if you do not practice it , if you do not spread it and if you sacrifice neither time nor money for it? We believe

writings of Jean-Paul Sartre, Her- is separated from nature and there bert Marcuse and others have influ- are the ecological degradation. All enced the thinking of those in the these need healing.

West more than many realize.

The Biblical view of man (Mark 7:21) clearly lays down the roots of all problems. And in a penetrating New challenges Marx, Freud and Darwin had in- analysis Christ has pointed out that fluenced the thinking of man and ‘the heart of the human problem is it is true Christianity has failed to the problem of the human heart.’ counter such influences .Today’s The fallen nature of man provides society described as post-Christian the best possible explanation why or post-modern presents new chal- our world is in a mess.

in our communist message and we are ready to sacrifice everything and even our life…’

Until Christians take seriously the Master’s command to take up the cross daily and follow Him, that challenge will not be met.

This is the age of hidden persuaders: society as a whole is being profoundly influenced by values and philosophies of life which can radically change people and nations in remarkably short space of time.

Just to take some examples from history: the philosophy of Nietzhe influenced Hitler and the Nazi movement, Marx and Lenin brought into being the communist revolution which has swallowed up a third of the world in 60 years.

The thoughts of Mao tse Tung have changed the face of the East. The

Of course, after St Paul of the Gospel we have Luther, Calvin , Tyndale, Latimer and Cranmer at the time of Reformation. Wesley and Whitefield in the eighteenth century, Shaftsbury, Wilberforce, Booth, Hannah More and Jospehine Butler in the nineteenth century who saw the foolishness of preaching without making efforts to meet the real needs of the people.

Today we are confronted with apathy and violence which characterise today’s world. As Christians we must speak in this context into our twenty first century post-Christian world.

Man’s problems continue to be the same: he is separated from God; he is separated from himself creating psychological problems, and he is separated from other men leading to sociological issues. He

lenges by the New Age philosophy and other syncretic movements.

Then like Jeremiah, there is need to warn man of God’s wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. The only reason why men are in the place they find themselves now is that they have turned away from the revelations of God and as such they are under the judgment of God. ‘Mere external religion means nothing to Me,’ thunders God through the weeping prophet. The Church today has Without Bible been infiltrated by the relativism of But the man without the Bible the Hegelian concept of synthesis might not accept the authority of J I Parker’s definition of evanthe Bible and the kind of relief he is gelism as ‘presenting Christ Jesus seeking is somewhat psychological rather than moral. But it is to such to sinful men in order that, through people St Paul spoke of the rev- the power of the Holy Spirit , they elations in nature. ‘For the wrath may come to put their trust in God of God is revealed from heaven through Him.’ against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the Holy Spirit truth in unrighteousness.’(Romans It is useless to attempt to witness 1: 18) It was Immanuel Kant who to Christ, in obedience to His comspoke of the two wonders that cap- mand, without the power of His tivated him: the moral law within Spirit. Any one can preach but only and the starry sky above. The or- God can change lives. dinary man has been given enough intelligence to draw proper con- Today the world is looking for reclusions from what he sees as the ality. Unless we have a clear inward wonders of creation. From that he experience of the living Christ, can very well understand the Glory know His transforming power, and of the Creator and His immense have experienced something of the power. joy and love of the Holy Spirit, our Instead of acknowledging such a words would be empty, our efforts God or being thankful to Him, man in vain. became vain in their imaginations ‘If you know Christ, if ever and their foolish hearts were dark- Christ has been strength to your ened. Instead of worshipping the weakness, comfort to your sorrow, living God, the Creator, they made light to your darkness, ‘God’s presimages of creatures and began to ence and His very self and essence worship them. Man is thus guilty all- divine’ in hours when heart and of suppressing the Truth in unright- flesh were failing you, and grim unanswered questions stood knockeousness.

The man without the Bible is ing at your door,--if He, the Sun of guilty of suppressing more truth righteousness , has risen upon you about man. Man is a moral being, with healing in His wings, you hold he needs love, is assailed by fears in your possession the very tidings of death. He longs for beauty and for which this world in its pathetlooks for meaning and significance. ic plight is waiting,’ wrote James The Gospel contains answers to Stewart. And to keep silent about man’s dilemmas and needs and the discovery of such a redeemer so one need not be apologetic or goes against the rules of the Kingashamed about it. Paul the scholar dom of God. and preacher was not ashamed in presenting the Gospel to the educated Greeks and Romans.

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

PTA-ML/2012/01 Match for born-again believer girl, oct 1979, 5”4”good looking, M.Com, B. Lib, Working in pvt. School Teacher.

Contact: 07837180500, 01726536671 PTA-ML/2012/02 PROPOSALS invited from the parents of girls 27 year, M.A. Pub. Adm. and MBA in HR, Software diploma, looking for well educated well sttled partner.

E-mail: vandanagachli05@gmail.com, Contact: 998835028, 01887-226028

5’5”, fair, pursuing BA studies. Also working in pharma company as an Office Administrator in Delhi drawing Rs. 15000/- p.m. Staying in government acco-mmodation in west Delhi. Only Delhiites preferred. Contact : Mr.Ivan Ismail (father) 91-9350875556

elcsociety.org Mobile: 09717435775

PTA-ML/2012/10

PTA-ML/2012/18 Proposals are invited by the Pentecostal Christian Missionary family in Panchkula , for their daughter, 26 years, M.A., B.Ed., working with DPS Panchkula. Defence personnel in officer rank is only preferred. Contact : +91 981-473-3514

Marriage proposals invited from ministry minded Malayali girls in north India for a pastor in Delhi. 26 years / 5’7’ / fair / M.Div. (SABC0 / parents in ministry. Please contact PTA-ML/2012/03 Delhi settled South Indian Malayalee Pen- :9211330669. E-mail : shibu27km@ tecostal parents invited proposals for their rediffmail.com Son (30/5.7”, born again) presently working as Delhi Air Port Cargo Division Executive, from the parents of Malayalee Pentecostal girl, born again, God fearing, educated, preferably working in Delhi or willing to relocate Delhi. Contact: 9818788150

PTA-ML/2012/04 Pentecostal parents invite proposals for their daughter, born-again, 27 yrs, 5;3”, M.Sc. in Bio-technology, pursuing B.Ed. Pentecostal north Indian born-again, God fearing spiritual boy preferred. Contact : 9812221389, 9541512909 PTA-ML/2012/05

Pentecostal Parents invte proposals for their son 32 yrs, 5’.5”, BSC, PGDCA, Delhi Settled looking for Keralite Girl (Pentecost) from any location. Job profile Working as Sr Executive in Pvt Ltd comapny Contact: 9910827468, E-mail:anumvk@gmail.com

PTA-ML/2012/06 Wanted groom born again baptized, Spirit filled pentecostal girl born and brought up in Delhi. Age 26, tgt (English) Teacher. M.A. (English) B.ed.

Contact:8447726264 PTA-ML/2012/07 North Indian Pentecostal parents invite proposals for their son, 24 yrs, pastoring a church in Delhi. Girl involved ministry and have great commitment is preferred. Contact : 9818916878 PTA-ML/2012/08

Marriage proposals invited from educated boys in Christian ministry (preferably in church planting) for a Delhiite girl of mission minded family. 23 years /Spirit filled / 5’1” / fair / B.Com + DTP + Tally / ministry trained. Working as an administrative assistant in a Christian organisation. Keralites born and brought in north India is also preferred. Contact : 9211330669. Email : shibu27km@rediffmail.com PTA-ML/2012/09 Protestant Christian pa-rents invite proposals for their daughter, 30 yrs,

July 16-31, 2012

PTA-ML/2012/17 Haryanvi Pentecostal parents invite proposals fo their son, 24 yrs, 5’8’’ pastoring a fast growing church in Panipat Haryana. Girl to be committed for the ministy. Contact:09467519320

PTA-ML/2012/19 Proposals are invited for the Pentecostal Christian Missionary Boy (Christian Nadar) Settled in Delhi, (33, 5ft 8 inches, Handsome, M.Th; PhD from AAHE Bangalore). Currently working as the Managing Director of ECS Ministries & Theological Professor from missionary oriented, suitable educated young beautiful spinsters, intense to involve in the ministry along with profession, preferPTA-ML/2012/12 ably from Delhi or willing to relocate Marriage Proposals invited for a north Delhi. Email: eccf@elcsociety.org our Indian Methodist Girt, Fair good look- ministry website: www.elcsociety.org or ing 30 years, 5’5” Nursery Trained call 09717435775, 09868494897 Teacher, Working, Settelled in Delhi prefered north Indian boys. Con- PTA-ML/2012/20 tact:9899000788 E-mail: m.mayadas@ Marriage proposals invited for suitable match for North Indian Protestant girl gmail.com 46,years,High school armed force,not PTA-ML/2012/13 working, Height 5”0” (152 cm) very fair Marriage proposals invited for Guja- Looking for a well settled,God fearing rati speaking Christian boy, B.Com, Christian man. Email Id: pinkyrikhey@ MBA (Finance), CFA (group C), 5’5”, gmail.com mobile no. 09910449180 PTA-ML/2012/11 Marriage proposals invited for Suitable match for North Indian Protestant Christian girl, 28 yrs. B.A. ; B.Ed working as Teacher in a school at Delhi. Convent educated, Fair, 5ft 2 inches. Looking for a well settled, God fearing Christian boy E-mail – glad_george001@yahoo. co.in Tel – 0120-3994055 / 08057905002 / 09311447557

29 years, Worked as an Accountant in Tanzania. Interested parents from similar background may please contact : 7600143364.

PTA-ML/2012/21 Marriage proposals invited for a north Indian Delhi settled Pentecostal girl from Christian background 26 years,5.5,good looking B.A, B.Th.workPTA-ML/2012/14 ing in mission school as a teacher. LookProposals are invited for our Daughter, ing for a spritual & working life partner.

Syrian Christian Pentecostal, (27, 5ft 2 Contact: E-mail: ashishparkers@rediffinches) fair, B.Com HONS, MBA from mail.com or call : 08130946000 IIM Indore. Presently working as Finance Director of an Engineering Col- PTA-ML/2012/22 lege and a group of Schools from well Keralite parents invite Proposals for educated young men preferably from their daughter. Born and brought Delhi, or willing to relocate to Delhi. up in New Delhi, Born again. DOB 11/07/1984 (28 yrs), Ornaments wearContact: 011-29552952, 09810184281 ing. Height 5.1 MBA, working in Multi PTA-ML/2012/15 National Company, Preferred profesInvited Marriage proposal for 27 old sionally qualified match from North Keralite girl 27 yrs, 156 cm tall ,fair, India. Contact no.07508680342 / slim, working in AIIMS as staff nurse.

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PTA-ML/2012/23 Contact:betcyliz74@gmail.com Christian Pentecost working girl, BA, PTA-ML/2012/16 24 years, 152cm, working invites proBorn Again South Indian Delhi settled posals from Christian pentecost/protesinvites proposal for the missionary boy tant working boys of UP parents settled (33/174, Handsome, M.A.; M.Sc.; B.D.; in Delhi. Please contact: 9210489214 M.Th; PhD*), from the parents of South E-mail: arti6560@gmail.com Indian educated girl, desiring to work in themission along with profession. Send PTA-ML/2012/24 the details to E-Mail:administrator@ Father Seeking alliance for 33 years

11

old punjabi Arora born again Christian Girl Msc. BEd working as a govt. teacher in Punjab. contacts: 9417812811,9988550684 PTA-ML/2012/25 North Indian Protestant Christian Parents from Faridabad invite proposals fro their Son, 28 years 5’5” Complexion-Wheatish, Doctor (BDS), working as Deputy Medical Suprintendant in Mission Hospital, Jhansi.

Contact:09873885469, 09999502357, Email:achiever.amit@yahoo.co.in PTA-ML/2012/26 Malayalee Pentecostal parents invite proposals for their daughter, 31 years, 165 cm, GNM/Staff Nurse at Batra Hospital, New Delhi. Contact Mother: Susammma Delhi 9911496411 PTA-ML/2012/26 Marriage proposa seeking alliance for postor’s daughter kerala born, settled in U.P, B.Sc, nurse. 5 ft, 24 years fair, goodlooking from malayali parents of boys brought up in north india, born again, Holy Spiritfilled, employed.

Contact:0750027631, E-mail:laurance2008@gmail.com PTA-ML/2012/27 Proposals invited for Born Again christian girl 26 years, BA 1st year working as DBS (Domestic Breeding Checker) in health dept. M.C.D Comlextion wheatish 5”2” looking for a well settled, God fearing, loving and caring Christian Boy Delhiites, preferred. Please contact: 08860053152 PTA-ML/2012/28 Punjabi Gaba Pentecostal Parents invites proposals (Pentecostals Only) for their daughter, born again and baptized, 24 years 5’5”, Complexion wheatish, BA Economics+JBT & one year Diploma in computer Software. And presently pursuing MA in English.

E-mail:telmimkjoshi@gmail.com Contacts:09416636175, 01275-244018 PTA-ML/2012/30 Proposal inited for our daughter M.Com, B.Ed, 28 years, 5’3” good-looking for a North Indian, Pentecostal boy in job or ministry minded, preferably from NCR. Contact:9810489892, E-mail:iqbalmasih@gmail.com PTA-ML/2012/31 Proposals invited for Agarwall (Gupta) Christian, born again boy from Hisar (Haryana), 31 years, completed three years Bible college training. Girl should be born again, God fearing and helps in the ministry related work. Caste no bar. Interested persons may kindly contact: E-mail: chetnaruby@gmail.com or ruby_chetna@rediffmail.com or at 09729372123.

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July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Violence and ‘Clean chits’: Sangma Backs BJP on Kandhamal

Electoral politics is a strange game. We can observe that with the present weaknesses of electoral system many alliances are made up, which do not have much ideological basis. Amongst many flaws of the present system is the system of first past the poll.

This prevents the true representation of people in the elected bodies. Many a times, the players on the political chess board, highlight and undermine facts depending on their political contingencies keeping in mind the need to keep their allies in good humor. One does not know whether these players of politics are ignorant about facts or choose to say things which are needed for their political victory or survival. Examples galore!

Recently the candidate of President’s post, P.A. Sangma (June 25, 2012) when asked about Sangh’s alleged role in Kandhamal killings and Pastor Graham Stains murder said that there is no proof to suggest of their (SanghBJP) involvement in these killings. He was also asked about anti-Christian stance of Sangh Parivar and Jayalalita. One does not know how much track Sangama is keeping of the happenings in the Adivasi areas; where anti-Christian violence has come up as a major phenomenon. Be it the Adivasi areas of Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra or Orissa, the Christians in the Adivasi areas and the priests and nuns working in these areas have been the victim of violence unleashed in these areas.

Also one cannot forget Jayalali-

tha’s anti conversion bill and its withdrawal in due course.

The most heinous of these crimes was the burning alive of Pastor Graham Stewards Stains on the night of 23rd January 1999, in Keonjhar in Manoharpur district of Orissa. Pastor Stains and his two innocent sons Timothy and Philip (Age 10 and 6 respectively) were sleeping in a jeep, after the function in a village. They were burnt alive by Dara Singh of Bajrang Dal. Right next day the then Home minister Lal Krishna Advani said that Bajrnag Dal cannot do so, he knows them very well. Meanwhile a team of three central ministers, Murli Manohar Joshi, George Fernandez and Navin Pattnaik visited Keonjhar and proclaimed that international forces have done the act of burning as they want to destabilize the NDA Government.

Advani appointed Wadhva Commission. The commission in its report confirmed that the murder was done by Dara Singh alias Ravinder Kumar Pal who had instigated the local people.

Dara Singh propagated that Pastor is anti-Hindu, he is converting the people to Christianity and his work for leprosy patients is just a cover. Dara Singh was active in the local programs organized by Bajrang Dal and Sangh Privar associates. Wadhva Commission did point out that there was no statistical significant increase in Christian population in the area where Pastor Stains was working. In 1991 it was 0.299% and in 1999 it became 0.307% The

Ram Puniyani

murder of Pastor Stains was part of the phenomenon of anti-Christian violence which has been unleashed from last nearly two decades. The major role in this is the anti-Christian propaganda done by Sangh Parivar, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and Bajrang Dal. BJP’s local leaders are also fairly active in these anti-Christian activities. There is a great amount of overlap in the functions of these, progeny of RSS. In Orissa many a BJP MLA-leaders were very active in the process.

The anti-Christian violence has been investigated by various citizens’ tribunals and committees.

In Gujarat “Untold Story of Hindukaran in Gujarat’ by a citizens committee in 2006, in Orissa by the Indian People’s tribunal headed by Justice (Retd) K.K.Usha in 2006 and last one the National People’s tribunal (2010) headed

by Justice A.P. Shah went into the Kandhamal violence. All reports showed that it is the hate propaganda unleashed by these communal organizations which is the base of violence in Adivasi areas.

Interesting observation is that for the same type of activities the Christian missionaries in cities are not attacked by these groups.

Moreover many a times the children of the practitioners of this politics do study in the schools run by Christian missionaries in the cities.

In case of Kandhmal, the story was the worst off and the tribunal named many a BJP leaders was playing a major role in the

anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal. The national people’ tribunal in its report pointed out ““The role of Hindutva organisations in fuelling and orchestrating the carnage has been officially acknowledged. In response to a question posed in the Legislative Assembly, the chief minister of Orissa – Naveen Patnaik – candidly admitted, through a written response, that it has been found from the investigation that “members of the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal” were involved in the violence. The Chief Minister also disclosed that police had arrested 85 people from the RSS, 321 members of the VHP and 118 Bajrang Dal members in the attacks. He said that only 27 members from these groups were still in jail. This is just one of the observations. As such most of the committees which investigated these acts of violence opined in a similar fashion.

Sangma is not the first one to mislead the people on such issues. When Mayawati was in al-

liance with BJP, she came in to campaign for Modi in Gujarat elections and squarely blamed the Muslims for the carnage. Sangma adorns the cross of his religion and invoked that the principle of forgiveness is the essence of Christianity. Very true, that’s what Galdys Stains, the widow of the slain Pastor did. But in the overall case of violence forgiveness comes when the culprits express remorse for their acts and seek the pardon. In the cases of communal violence, the perpetrators are emboldened and become politically stronger after the act of violence, and generally blame the victims for the violence. How to apply the principle of forgiveness to those who uphold their crime?

And in this case the people who can forgive these cruel acts are the victims or the survivors of the victims and no one else.

It’s not a coincidence that Sangama has formulated this ‘Sangh Parivar has no role in Kandhmal carnage after his being backed by BJP in the Presidential election!

35 Reasons Not To Sin

by Jim Elliff

Because a little sin leads to more sin.

Because my sin invites the discipline of God. Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.

Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.

Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.

Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.

Because I am doing what I do not have to do.

Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.

Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.

Because my sin saddens the godly.

Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.

Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.

Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.

Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.

Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.

Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.

Because my sin may influence others to sin.

Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.

Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.

Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.

Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.

Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.

Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.

Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.

Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.

Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.

Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.

Because my sin is adultery with the world.

Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.

Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.

Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.

Because to sin is not to love Christ.

Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.

Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it’s own.

Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Forgiveness is the bigger miracle

13

John Dayal

New Delhi: Sanal Edamuruku, or for that matter Rationalists International, were not names the Indian Catholic Church was familiar with before it ran into them in Mumbai, triggering a controversy that has crossed national borders and is making news in the US and the UK.

the same phenomenon which made several idols of the Hindu Lord Ganesh apparently “drink” milk resulting in mass hysteria some years ago.

However, Edamuruku went on to say that the Church had manufactured the miracle and was exploiting the faithful for financial This is a purely Catholic controversy and gain. does not touch other denominations in India — the Episcopal, Evangelical and Pen- The laity and clergy of the Archdiocese of tecostal Independent churches, who for the Bombay cried foul, describing Edamumoment are struggling with their own con- ruku’s findings as an insult to their faith. troversies of corruption, moral turpitude, land alienation and fundamentalism.

Father Augustine Palett, the priest at Our Lady of Velankanni church, and the AssoEdamuruku, of the Rationalists Interna- ciation of Concerned Catholics demanded tional movement, has been a fixture on that Edamuruku apologize. the more sensational Indian print and TV news channels with his exposes on god- Mumbai Auxiliary Bishop Agnelo Gracias men of which India has an unaccounted sought to restore some sanity saying the large number. In the past, he has taken on Church is“always cautious in attributing some of the most venerable names in this supernatural causes” to such phenomena field and has survived. He can, in fact, be and are always striving “to find ‘scientific’ thought of as an extremist and fundamen- explanations.” talist himself in his beliefs, as are the subjects of his enquiries.

A criminal case was nonetheless filed against Edamuruku and police have been On March 10 this year, Edamuruku was going to his home in Delhi to arrest him. asked by India’s TV-9 channel to investigate a crucifix at the Mumbai Church of However, Edamuruku has not been home, Our Lady of Velankanni which had started and has mobilized a powerful international attracting large crowds of believers because rationalist community to his assistance. of droplets of water which were dripping Not surprisingly, extremist groups in the from the feet of Jesus.

Hindutva brigade have extended him support, presumably arguing that an enemy’s Mumbai, like Kerala, Goa and Mangalore, enemy is a friend, but conveniently forgethas a pretty large concentration of Catho- ting that they too were baying for his blood lics, most of them by all accounts active not too long ago. members of the Church. People, and not all of them Catholics or even Christians, col- As someone who is in touch both with the lected the droplets as “holy water.”

Mumbai church, especially leaders in the laity, and Sanal Edmaruku, I am pleading Edamuruku in his widely publicized find- for the return of a sense of proportion in ings claimed the source of the crucifix water this issue. was a drainage system near a washing room that was leaking water through the cruci- It would seem this is a clash of two funfix’s nail holes via capillary action. This was damentalist groups. It also comes in the

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context of a satellite TV and internet social media environment in which many prominent Hindu temples, seminaries and their leaders have been exposed, often in what are called “sating operations”. Several godmen have been caught in compromising situations with women, sometimes gullible devotees, or audits have exposed their illegal wealth. Many “miracles” and miracle cures” have also been ridiculed in the media.

Unlike the violence and hate campaigns unleashed on the Christian community by Hindutva Parivar strategists and cadres in many states, and by Muslims Mullahs in the Kashmir valley and a few other areas in East and South India, Edamuruku’s position is neither “persecution” nor “communalism” as we understand those terms.

A section of the Catholic community is embarrassed and therefore enraged. Edamuruku is an extremist in his own way, especially in the manner in which he believes in his rationalist theories and in his often arrogant and abrasive manner of pursuing his point of view. To that extent, he is a bit of a social maverick. But he is “catholic” in his approach, and confronts all mythology and superstition irrespective of which group propagates it, or how powerful those who believe in superstitions and miracles are.

The Faithful of Mumbai think they are defending their faith when they go on hunger strikes against books of fiction or films from Hollywood and Bollywood. But in reality, they are defending their own positions and constituencies and do not want them to be exposed to sunlight.

Christ does not have to drip water from crucifixes to prove the love he has for each one of us. His healing is deeper and needs no instruments. I have experienced this in my own life.

Catholics in Mumbai possibly realize the controversy is not winning the Church any new friends, nor is it adding to its luster.

Its impact on faith formation in the archdiocese is also a matter of conjecture. It is time the Church leadership really forgave It must be remembered that people from Edamuruku and his faith in Physics and presidents down have had no hesitation in Chemistry. admitting their loyalty to various god men, and yet rationalists have exposed these He has learnt his own lesson – not to mock same people as charlatans. at genuine faith of the people, and not confuse a passing popular fancy for a “miracle,” I believe Christ is absolutely capable of dehowever untenable, to say the community fending Himself, if perhaps not the Church is being taken for a ride by the Church. in India. These statements by Edamuruku or the probe by his Rationalists must not be The police case against Sanal Edmaruku taken as an attack on the Church, or on the should be withdrawn as a sign that a macommunity. It certainly is not an attack on ture Church in India needs no props for the the Christian faith. depth of its faith in God.

for further details:

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14

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

A bulb in Britain is believed to have been glowing for 100 years

July 16-31, 2012

Alzheimer’s can be predicted 25 years early: Scientist

London: Defying the 1,000-hour life expectancy of a light-bulb, the one shining in a Briton’s porch is believed to have been glowing for last 100 years.

The 230-volt, 55-watt DC Osram bulb was reportedly made in July 1912, just months after the Titanic sank.

“At this rate, it’ll burn for ever!,” said 74-year-old Owner Roger Dyball about the bulb which still lights his porch in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

The bulb had already been in place at Dyball’s home near Lowestoft, in Suffolk, when he and his wife Patricia moved in 45 years ago, The Sun reported.

“We found it with its original fittings when we moved here in 1967 and it has never gone out,” said Dyball. Dyball was so intrigued by the bulb manufactured in Wembley, North London that he wrote a letter to company Osram-GEC’s London head office with its serial number and other details.

Osram worked out its date of manufacture and gave him a special certificate. In a reply, dating back to January 30, 1968, the company said the bulb was manufac-

tured sometime in July 1912.

Britain’s oldest working bulb was found at Margate, Kent, in 2008. Experts estimated it was made in 1895 — 15 years after US genius Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.

Modern bulbs last an average 1,000 hours before conking out.

London: Scientists have found five key signs of Alzheimer’s that can be detected up to 25 years before the onset of the degenerative disease, a finding which they say could lead to its early diagnosis and treatment.

A team at Washington University School of Medicine who looked at families with a genetic risk of the disease assembled a “timeline” of the unseen progress of Alzheimer’s much before the symptoms appear, researchers said.

Experts believe the ability to detect Alzheimer’s early would give the best chance of a successful treatment, the BBC News reported.

The study involved 128 people from the UK, US and Australia, who had a 50 percent chance of inheriting one of three mutations certain to cause early Alzheimer’s, which often develops in people during their 30s and 40s.

This is much earlier than the more common form of the decease which generally affects people in their 60s. Those who carry the mutations will go on to develop the disease.

The researchers took into account the age of the participants’ parents when they developed the disease – and therefore how

The Singapore government announced that it will soften some of its death penalty laws, particularly those related to drug offenses, but insisted that capital punishment will stand in the country. Some human rights groups say the changes do not go far enough.

“The death penalty has been an important part of our criminal justice system for a very long time, similar to the position in a number of other countries,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean.

“Singaporeans understand that the death penalty has been an effective deterrent and an appropriate punishment for very serious offenses, and largely support it. As part of our penal framework, it has contributed to keeping crime and the drug situation under control,” he added, revealing that a review of the death penalty system had been going on since July 2011.

Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs K. Shanmugam, who also spoke for Parliament, announced that “justice can be tempered with mercy and where appropriate, offenders should

be given a second chance.”

In Singapore, anyone caught dealing drugs above the stipulated thresholds is liable for capital punishment.

While the death penalty for dealing drugs still stands, it has been loosened so that local courts are given discretion in handling certain cases.

For instance, drug traffickers who have only been couriers and nothing else stand the chance of avoiding the death penalty, but also need to have fully cooperated with the Central Narcotics Bureau. People with mental disabilities deemed to have been unable to understand the severity of their crimes can also be given a pass, ChannelNewsAsia. com reported.

Teo explained that it will be up to the courts if people who fall under such categories will be given the death penalty or of they will be spared and given a life sentence instead. He warned, however, that this does not mean that the government will be any less aggressive when it comes to taking down the drug business.

On the subject of murder, Shanmugam stated that the mandatory death penalty will be upheld for

anyone found guilty of intentional killing.

“This change will ensure that our sentencing framework properly balances the various objectives: justice to the victim, justice to society, justice to the accused, and mercy in appropriate cases,” Shanmugam said. “This is a matter of judgment and the approach being taken is not without risks, but we believe this is a step we can take.”

Records show that there are currently 35 persons awaiting capital punishment in Singapore, with 28

many years it was likely to be before they too showed symptoms. Scientists underwent blood and spinal fluid tests as well as brain scans and mental ability assessments.

The earliest change – a drop in spinal fluid levels of the key ingredient of Alzheimer’s brain plaques – can be detected 25 years before the anticipated age of disease onset, they suggest.

Raised levels of tau, a structural protein in brain cells can be seen in spinal fluid at 15 years, and shrinkage can also be detected within parts of the brain. Scientists suggest that changes in the brain’s use of the sugar glucose and slight memory problems become apparent 10 years before symptoms would appear.

Researchers also tested other members of the families without the inherited mutations – and found no changes in the markers they tested for.

“This important research highlights that key changes in the brain, linked to the inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease, happen decades before symptoms show, which may have major implications for diagnosis and treatment in the future, ” Prof Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said.

convicted for drug offenses and seven for murder.

The Association of Criminal Lawyers of Singapore and the Law Society of Singapore have described the changes as a “milestone” in the country’s legal history, and said that the government has made the right decision to give the courts more discretion.

According to statistics published earlier this year, Singapore’s crime rate dropped to 7 percent in 2011, the lowest it has ever been in 20 years.

Singapore Relaxes Death Penalty Laws

July 16-31, 2012

PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY

Life has Immense Possibilities

15

Bright Sam

Nature presents immense possibilities to everyone. Researchers in Quantum Physics have come to the conclusion that nature keeps its options open. Particles in subatomic world behave in strange ways. The laws of physics that we see around us - that is, in macrocosm - do not apply in microcosm. Complex experiments where a photon is shot through double slits resulted in wave like resonance on the screen.

That meant that the photon passed through both the slits at the same time and interfered with itself to make the resonance pattern. But when detectors were placed to identify the particular slit through which the photon passed, only one detec-

er can nurture it, prune it and help the plant to bloom and bear fruits.

But he does it in one particular way out of thousands of possible ways.

Similarly, when a child is conceived or when it is born, it has a world of possibilities in front of it. But the parents bring it up in a particular way, teaching the child to walk, talk and to respond according to their traditional/ cultural background, education and social upbringing.

But, notice that they teach the child their particular language with its regional accent, intonation and usages. This particular language and its way of speaking is just one option out of thousands of possible languages and its dialects the child

the things that happen in our lives on a particular day are just one set of possible incidents out of thousands of possible incidents in our lives for that day. We just chose those incidents by making decisions and acting according to them which caused the particular incidents to happen.

Just think about it. At this moment you are here and reading this article.

But at this very moment you could have been in any of the thousands of different place doing any of thousands of other things. But you have chosen to do this activity at this moment. That is you have defined and reduced your life to go through this ‘path’ at this moment in life. Think about tomorrow and the rest of your

tor indicated that the photon passed through that particular slit, but then there was no resonance; it was just one hit of a single photon on the screen. So, the photon was passing though all the possible routes at the same time, until it’s route is detected by a particular detector. Then the photon defined its path to that particular one. How can the photon know that there is a detector on the route, and it should go through that slit?

It is beyond human understanding how a subatomic particle achieves this feat. But the underlying message is that nature keeps its options open until someone ‘detects’ it.

God has set this principle in His creation. God created the plants and animals with infinite possibilities.

A plant can grow in many different shapes according to the nature of soil, availability of water, rain and sunshine, and a lot of other factors, which we are yet to discover. A seed has infinite potential. It remains at rest until someone ‘detects’ it and plants it in good soil. Then it starts to germinate and sprouts and grows in one way out of the innumerable possible ways to grow. The garden-

could have learned. But the parents chose this ‘path’ for their child, and that path is planned and defined in its life, which will lead to a particular destiny for the child. Apart from the parents, the child is taught by its teachers and influenced by others in the family and in the society.

Every moment he/ she is being lead and influenced by the surroundings, which defines a particular ‘path’ in life for his/ her life. In the family, in school or in the playground a child grows each day in a particular path of life. Remember, that particular path is just one out of infinite possible paths. But for that child, his/ her parents, teachers, others and the entire circumstances in the society have chosen or planned or defined (or ‘detected’) a particular path, and the child grows (travels) in that path only.

Every morning when we get up God gives us a new day, which is of immense possibilities. What we do each moment, the dress we choose to wear, the food that we eat, the places that we go, the people we meet, the things we do, etc., are all choices that we make. Here also, all

life. The paths ahead of you are innumerable. But every choice will have its consequences. I am sure you will choose the paths which will result in the most favourable consequences.

When he plants a seed the gardener has a plan and purpose for the plant. He waters it, prunes it and waits for it to bloom and bear fruits.

When a child is born, its parents have many plans and dreams about him/ her. They teach the child and correct and discipline him/ her so that he/ she will travel through the best ‘path’ of life and reach the best possible destiny. Similarly, when God saves us and makes us His children, He teaches us, corrects and disciplines us so that we make the right decisions in life every moment in order to travel through the best ‘path’ in life to the desired destiny.

God has a purpose for every one of his children in this life. He wants His children to love Him more and to know Him more and have continuous fellowship with Him. Paul says, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for

whose sake I have lost all things” (Philippians 3:8). Again Paul says in his letter to Ephesians: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (3:17-19). After becoming God’s children, we have to be rooted and established in love and should grow in the knowledge of the Lord, so that we may comprehend the fullness of God and His grace. This fact is illustrated by Paul as a mother bearing her child: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). Our destiny is clear in this life. It is to be like Christ; in other words, Christ should be formed in us.

But our real destiny doesn’t end with our physical life on earth. It goes beyond death. The choices that we make and the paths we take should lead us to that eternal destiny. Paul makes his choice in life clear, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11). This is the beginning of our real destiny – the resurrection from the dead. Whatever we do in life, the decisions we make, the paths we take all should lead to that eternal destiny. Like the photon which allows it to be detected by a particular detector, which defines its path, we should define and plan our ‘paths’ every moment so that we can pass through the right ‘paths’ to be detected at the destined place, which is the resurrection of the dead and the ensuing eternal life. Only by following Christ, and becoming like Him in every aspect of our lives, we can attain the resurrection of the dead and enter eternal life, which is the best possible path and destiny out of millions of other possible paths and destinies.

16

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Vol. XIV No.8 July 16-31, 2012 Published from Delhi Post Box No : 10708, Delhi-110085

Newspaper with a Biblical perspective Since 1999

A breakthrough in Hindi media evangelism!

A long time prayer of all gospel lovers was answered on 9th July 2012 when at the press of a button Shubhsandesh TV – a 24X7 Hindi satellite TV channel – was launched by Rev. Dr. R. B. Lal (ViceChancellor of Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences, Allahabad) at the Taj Ambassador, New Delhi in the presence of various dignitaries and scores of Christian leaders from Delhi and beyond. Representatives of almost all major church organizations and denominations heartily applauded this unfolding of a new chapter in the mission endeavours amongst the Hindi speaking millions.

Amidst the barrage of religious channels on TV, every true believer was saddened by the lack of a 24-hour Hindi gospel TV

channel to take the gospel in the ‘Indian cup’ to all Indians. Shubhsandesh TV is an offering of Goodnews Channel Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, which has been successfully airing Subhavaartha TV in Telugu for the last five years. At present this company produces around 600 programmes a month in 6 major Indian languages and puts them on air in more than 10 different leading secular TV channels watched by millions of people not just in India but all across the Middle East, Far East& South Asia. God used the father-son duo of Mr. D. Nehru Dhyriam and his son, N. Ashwin Dev Dhyriam, to make this ground breaking beginning in evangelization of the Hindi speaking populace of North India as well as the Indian diaspora. Mr. Nehru, with

tears of joy, shared a touching story of how from humble beginnings God brought him a long way and enabled him to see the launch of the second round-the-clock TV channel from his stable! In particular, the vision for the Hindi channel saw the light of the day only after a lot of running from pillar to post and after a string of ups and downs!

Shubhsandesh TV will bring not only the best gospel messages in Hindi, but also a bouquet of music, songs, kids events, recreational programmes, educational and health awareness programmes and so on!

All the programs will be very relevant to the present needs of the people and address all rungs of the society. It will be available on all major DTH platforms. The channel, uplinked to INTELSAT-IS-10 satellite, will have a footprint in Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East covering more than 120 nations of the world! With so much already done, we can only anticipate the great impact this beginning is going to make in the days to come. At the end of the inauguration event of the channel in Delhi, Mr. Nehru Dhyriam and Ashwin Dhyriam made a passionate appeal to all well wishers to uphold this channel in their valuable prayers. Great things can be achieved through prayers and they can be sustained only through prayers!

Brazilians march for Jesus A massive Christian rally has been held in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.

According to the BBC, more than a million Christians took part in the “March for Jesus”.

The event was billed as the “largest Christian event in the world”.

Gospel music played as the throngs of people made their way through the city’s main streets.

The event has taken place in the city each year since 1993 and is partly a response to the huge Gay Pride event that takes place in Sao Paulo.

Brazil is largely Roman Catholic but evangelical churches in the country have experienced rapid growth in recent years.

Recent studies predict that evangelicals could make up half of Brazil’s population by 2020.

REAL CHALLENGE LEADERS ARISE Making effective ser vant leaders

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Now you can complete the 21-day RCLA leadership training programme in one-shot.

The training programme commence on

5th November, 2012

Conclude on

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30th November, 2012 Graduation Service on

1st December, 2012 Resource person: Pastor M K Babu

Pastors and elders who covet to be effective servant leaders.

Please contact for details: Phone: 011-27041259, Cell: 971-610-7744 E-mail : reachleaders@gmail.com Please note: We may not agree with ideas, doctrines or statements in the news / articles which is published in this newspaper. It is there to provide diverse opinions / views, for study, awareness or in the interest of freedom of expression. We are not liable for any claims made in the advertisements / matrimonial etc., readers are advised to exercise their own discretion.

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