Dear Praying friend,
The Maha Kumbh Mela or the Grand Nectar Festival is on. This Hindu festival, which
occurs only once in 12 years, is the first one of this millenium. The previous
forecast was for an attendance of approximately 45 million people, but has newly
been updated to 70 million. Several hundreds of Hindu Sadhus (monks)
descended to the city of Allahabad to grab the best spots along the banks of the
holy Hindu river, Ganges, some as early as November!
In January, millions have reached the banks of the Ganges in Allahabad, some travelling
hundreds and even thousand of miles- hundreds of thousands of young and old,
each of them determined to perform their penance. All for what? The hope of
moksha, the ever illusive salvation, is the driving force. The atmosphere
charged with the shouts of the swarming pilgrims, the reverberating mantras, and
the footsteps of millions of pilgrims will all stop as the hundreds of thousands
will immerse themselves at the auspicious moments’ under the waters of the
‘purifying, holy mother Ganges.’ But, as in ages past, each hopeful
heart will rise out of the watery surface to discover that the guilt of sins
still weighs down on their hearts with equal, if not greater, force. Hope
undelivered is worse still!
At the last Kumbh festival IET had sent
hundreds of its missionaries to the banks of the Ganges river. Several of them
just prayed, several others handed out Gospel literature totaling Rs.300,000
each immersed in reaching out to peace-less passerby. This year the need is much
greater and God’s people have responded positively to the need. However,
we still need over Rs.4.5 million to cover the basic urgent needs. I am asking
all people of God to be on their knees and to pray and support the outreach
during this festival.
The Hindu fanatic groups have warned the Christians,
that if any Christian is planning to come to this festival he should bring his
coffin along. Another Hindu fanatic group last month stoned on of our regional
conferences, and more recently, a Hindu idol was forcibly installed inside a
church of a friend in West India. The danger is too much, but the harvest is
plenty too and my fellow ministers are ready. We are not afraid, but at the same
time we are being very wise and careful. We will go for sure. Will you send
these men and women?
We need money to buy the minimum literature, for
transport, and room and board for the hundreds of IET missionaries who will be
going. Our co-coordinator with his team is based in this city, and has already
made all the required arrangements. Our first truckload of Gospel literature
should have arrived even as I am writing this. We are serious, but as the hour
inches closer, we are in need of more literature, more people to be sent. I am
asking you to pray for and support in this opportunity of a lifetime. I know
that millions will step into the river Ganges with the full hope of forgiveness;
to attain salvation. And I know that each of these millions will travel back the
same road experiencing the utter emptiness and despair of the unfulfilled
promise of salvation. However, many of them will find true joy of Salvation in
Christ through the one Bible or through one John’s Gospel that you will
help buy, or through one missionary you will send. Many, including scores of
Hindu holy men, did experience this true Salvation in the last Kumbh Mela, and I
know that with sufficient tools, this will be even more successful.
The fields are ripe. The laborers are ready. Will you buy one Bible or send one
missionary? Touch the life of several without hope.
May we live our lives in the light of eternity!
All for the sake of the king,
P G Vargis
Is there a breach in your foundation?
|
Dear friends,
Greetings in Jesus'
Name who said,
“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings,
and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock.” (Luke6:47,48).
Foundation is the most important part of anything - building,
education, life, marriage, business, government, health - be it anything. We all
know that, but sadly, most people still place their foundation on sand or clay.
When people come to me for counseling for their problems I feel sad, often
angry, at the way they have knowingly laid a mud-based or clay-based foundation.
Let me tell you a few true stories to enlighten what I am trying to say -
(1) A girl believer got interested in a non-believer boy and exchanged letters.
Later he went away to work in another city and gradually lost touch. But, now,
several years later he is blackmailing her with photocopies of her letters.
(2) A boy who cheated in the exams and now is employed suffers from a guilty
conscience. Moreover, he is facing problems upon problems in the job.
(3) A man who delayed accepted Christ and because he was afraid of rejection from his
family and his society backslided and went back to his old belief system. But
today he is a miserable man; his wife died young, his daughters have gone
astray, and his son is a hopeless alcoholic.
(4) A brother, filled with anger, who dragged his older brother to the court attempting to ruin him came crying to me not long ago. Today both are miserable. They have money, but no peace.
(5) A man who did not take care of his father when he was old is now himself on his
own death bed is now crying not only because of a guilty conscience, but also
because he now has the same sickness his father contracted before his death.
(6) By bribing an official, a father obtained a wrong-date birth certificate for his
son. The son never knew peace; his wife left him, his children walked out when
they were young .. The father died as a broken-hearted man.
(7) A man knowing that a certain pastor had saved up Rs. 1200, in the bank, went and deceived him
with a made-up story of a ‘pressing need’. The pastor loaned him the
Rs. 1200, to be repaid when he received his next paycheck. But, the man never
went back. After six months the pastor got a letter from this man, who had duped
him - ‘I lied to you knowing that you have the money in the bank. I took
that money home. In a few weeks’ time my wife died. After a month my first
daughter became sick, and in another month’s time, died of the same
disease my wife had. Now my second daughter is also having the same sickness and
has become a skeleton. Please pray that God may forgive me. I will return the
money.’
(8) One junior leader of a mission split away with a group of men
and took off to start his own work. His new work was started progressing; more
and more people were joining the mission and church. But soon it was found that
there was deceit and guile in this same group of men. That mission suffered
splits again and again with court cases and physical violence. I can
continue telling story after story from my past 29 years of ministerial
experience. And I can also say the reason - the foundational law of God has been
broken somewhere and now it is having its consequences. Tragically, the Church
has no teaching on this subject - other than saying that the foundation is
Jesus. We have to find the root cause of troubles in the Christian homes. Why
are believer’s children going the wrong direction? Why are pastors having
trouble in their ministry, church, and family? Are we not supposed to be blessed
above every other people on earth? Why is it not happening? Why do the heathen
and non-Christians rule over us? Let’s take stock to find out where
we have erred? Let’s find out where we have broken the foundation that has
brought on the curse of God, or there is a door opened for the devil to attack
us? There is no meaning for prescribing ‘aspirin’ after breaking the
leg. The Bible calls it ‘healing slightly’ (Jer. 8:11). There is no
peace until the root cause is found and the proper treatment is done to bring
whole healing. Applying skin ointment is not enough for a brain tumour. Proper
diagnosing and proper treatment is needed for a complete cure. Recently, I
was talking to my office people about the after-effects of some sins that will
attract a curse lasting for two, three, or more generations. I stated that we
have to be very careful that we form foundations properly so that there
won’t be any breach or curse. In the same evening my wife told me that
she was disturbed by the fact that when we constructed a
living facility for the office staff, we buried the septic tank for the toilets
on government land just outside, just as everyone else was doing. She said
‘Everyone can do it but we cannot.’ This is not only true but
very true. We must not lay a foundation on sand; stolen money, stolen
conscience, stolen property, or any ‘sand’ that can attract a curse
for our children and us. Now the question comes - what should we do if we
find that our forefathers or we have done something by which there is a curse in
the family or in our lives? My advice - (a) Find the facts. (b) Call all the
family members together and explain the whole matter. (c) Ask forgiveness to
God. (d) Ask forgiveness from those we have sinned against. I know that this
is difficult. The devil will intimidate you by listing the consequences of
revealing the sins. Let me tell you that the devil is a liar and he will try to
keep you in bondage to fear and the curse. He will try to keep you from getting
deliverance by loosening the knot our forefathers or we have done. I know a
man very well who has stolen money from the government office. But later, when
he saw the curses falling on his family: his wife becoming terminally ill, his
son becoming paralysed, his daughter being divorced soon after marriage, his
second daughter running away with a man of another religion; he confessed it to
his whole family and distributed double of that money to various Christian
ministries. I know another man who went to his childhood teacher after 38 years
and confessed to him that he wrote the teacher’s name with the name of one
of the schoolgirls on the school wall, ruining both the teacher and the girl. I
know another who went to the house of his father’s servant and his wife to
ask forgiveness for cruelly beating their son (now deceased) only because he was
an untouchable and his servant. I know a lady who went to her neighbour to ask
forgiveness for taking mud from their property without asking them. In the
seven stories I said above, all those who were guilty rectified their sins by
confessing it to God and asking forgiveness to those they had sinned against,
and immediately or gradually came out from the curse. What do you do if
there is a breach in your foundation? You get a good builder and reinforce that
breach. That is exactly what you and I also should do. When we see that the Lord
is showing us a breach, take time to reinforce. Clean up that breach and build
it on the rock. You will save your life, your family, your marriage, your
business, your ministry and so on. Do not think that time will bring healing. No
it will only make it more complicated. What do you do if a snake bites a person
in your family? Wait until the weather clears up in the morning? No, you take
him fast to the hospital. There is danger in delay. Do not delay if there is
poison, a curse or an un-addressed sin in our life. I have been looking for a
man for several years. I stayed with him in Bombay when I came to that big city
searching for a job. He was kind to me; he sheltered me and gave me food for
over 20 days. I then got recruited into the Army, so I gave him some money for
the expenses. He demanded more but I very cleverly presented my account in such
a way to convince him that I couldn’t pay more. I knew that I owed more
money but I did not want to pay it. Some years back I remembered the
foundation I laid on sand. I am looking for this man, Mr D Koshy of Channappeta,
Kerala, who gave me shelter and food. I’m looking for him that I may ask
his forgiveness and repay the money I owe him with interest, because I want to
make sure that my whole life is well laid on the rock and without breach. Let
me tell you what I did a few years back when my whole family was together...
We had a special family prayer, and then I explained about generation curses
and said that I would like to pray a special prayer for each child. I, being the
priest of the family and also a servant of God, together with Lilly, laid my
hands on each child and confessed all the sins I knew my forefathers had done
and broke the curse. Yes, by words of faith and prayer we repented and broke all
generational curses; those brought on before by Lilly, myself, and all of our
forefathers - known and unknown. Then we blessed each one of them as Jacob
blessed his children one by one. Thereafter we had Holy Communion. I will be
doing this again before you receive this magazine when we will all be together.
I will do it again when ever it is possible. It is not that I have to break the
curse again and again but I want to bless them again and again. My friend,
will you take time this month to search for any flaws, sins, curses in you, your
family, or the past generations of your family? If you find any, deal with it.
Deal with it the same way you would deal with a snake found in your bedroom. Get
rid off it forever! Blessing or Curse - it is a choice. Choose life and enjoy
it.
Yours to see that you are blessed from the foundation,
P G Vargis
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Want
to be a partner to reach the unreached among 1 billion people and to see
them evangelized with Gospel of Christ Jesus?
We are here to help
you!
Contact us
at: Indian Evangelical Team 126, Andheri Modh New Delhi - 110
074 India Tel: +91-11-26301915/26301842 Fax:+91-11-26302152 E-mail:
iet @ ietmissions.org
| |