The CALL - Jan to March 2009
As we look at the world events of the gone by year it seems that the world is heading towards unsure times & still more an unsure destiny. The economic recession in the U.S. affected other countries as the stock markets fell drastically in Frankfurt, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Paris, London, and other major cities in Europe and Asia, like never before. Year 2008, was a year of economic instability; terrorism had become a daily event; suicide bombings made news every month around the globe and it was intense in countries like Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Israel. In May 2008, cyclone in Myanmar killed 78,000 people and 68,000 died in the earthquake in China. So too in Bihar, India the river Kosi breached its banks and swallowed up more than a million lives. Churches were vandalized and Christian believers & ministers tortured and killed in hundreds in Orissa, India. As we witness all these, the words from Matthew 24: 3-8 stand out in our minds and we know that we are in the end times.
Amidst all these the Church at large is called to take heed to the call from the Lord to “teach, rebuke, correct & train” (2 Tim 3:16, TNIV) her believers according to the Scriptures, equipping all God’s people (2 Tim 3:17, TNIV) to venture forth into new avenues taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.
The Lord has given us, Ruth 2: 12b “May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” as promise for the year 2009. We invite you to join the GEMS family together in prayer and active participation as we toil for the Lord in bringing people under His wings.
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: D. Augustine Jebakumar
New Gen Thinking: Beware the Snare in Games - Arun Venkit
Young & Full of Life: I want to tell my friend about Jesus, BUT.... - Annie Livingston
Get Equipped: In the Defence of Faith - J. Mariyosh
Children's Chronicles: Tale of Tails - Vidhya Arun
The Magnifying Glass: Deborah Bible Training Centre
Tentmaking: Can I be a Corporate Missionary? - Rajesh Duthie
Red Hot: Missionary Retirement - Jeyasingh David
Missionary Pioneers: A True Life Missionary Story
Missionary Pioneers: A True Life Missionary Story
News & Views: Dating-To do or not to do! - Paul Winston Bance
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The CALL - April to June 2009
EDITORIAL
We live in a time when people are oriented towards believing that there is no absolute truth. We are living amidst a generation devoid of conscience as it believes and practices the words of Adolf Hitler who said, “Conscience is a Jewish invention”. Wherein the Bible commends everyone to have a good & pure conscience (I Timothy 1:5, 19; 3:9). This deception is even more subtle in Christendom that many think that the teaching of moral values can be done without the use of the name of Jesus Christ. This is because of influence of secularism in the church. ‘When God is not spelt JESUS’ profoundly talks about this. And the calling is on each one of us to reach everyone with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
On one side when war criminals and extremist group leaders are being tried in countries like Cambodia, Darfur and Peru, on the other side terrorism and extremism is showing its ugly faces in countries like Srilanka, Pakistan & Bangladesh. Even as we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, we proclaim PEACE and it is the cross that can bridge all divisions.
As the 15th Lok Sabha Elections are starting from 16th April covering 571 constituencies from 58 States & Union territories of India, let us unite our hearts in prayer that a government pleasing to the Lord & fulfilling His purpose be formed. The Lord who has called us out of the world (John 17:6, 16) has also chose us to be the salt & light of this world (Matthew 5:13, 14) and this means that we should be catalysts in bringing changes in the society. This is possible only if every Christian starts to live the life he has been called upon to live according to the Bible and makes his presence known from the pavement to the parliament.
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Can't say NO! Every man has a Call! - D. Augustine Jebakumar
New Gen Thinking: Marketing God - Dani P. Rajiah
Young & Full of Life: What keeps you awake at night? - Angeline Mariyosh
Get Equipped: Who is Isa? What is Islam? - J. Mariyosh
Children's Chronicles: If God can use a donkey, God can use [insert your name] - Anne
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS Institute of Future Technology
Tentmaking: Staring Trouble? - Arun Venkit
Red Hot: When God is not spelt JESUS - Vicky Gibson
History Makers: George Washington - Colette Bennion
Standing @ the GAP: Let us walk into nations - Rajesh Duthie
News & Views: Pass the poison, please! - Abraham Israel Moses
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The CALL - July to Sep 2009
EDITORIAL
Even as India bursts into its 62nd year of Independence, the nation needs to remember the Christian missionaries who contributed to the development of the nation in the fields of education, medicine, language, literature and social reformation. Many Christians were also involved in the freedom movement which included K.T. Paul, V. Chakkarai & his colleagues, Bishop Paul Appaswamy, Bishop Waskom Pickett, E. Stanley Jones and Bishop V.S. Azariah. The father of our nation, Gandhi wrote in 1920, “I revere the Bible. Christ’s Sermon on the Mount fills me with bliss even today. Its sweet verses have even today the power to quench my agony of the soul…” Writing in The Harijan in January 1939, he said, “Though I cannot claim to be a Christian in the sectarian sense, the example of Jesus’ suffering is a factor in the composition of my undying faith in non-violence which rules all my actions, worldly and temporal.” The Bible and many Christians like Charlie Andrews and Sushil Kumar Rudra influenced Gandhi deeply. As Indian Christians the baton has passed on to us to carry on the good works done by the early missionaries who went ahead of us, so that “people may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven” (Mt 5:16). We are also called to be “Influencers” wherever we are placed; as teachers, medical professionals, lawyers, engineers, government officials, businessmen, sportsmen so that this nation may come to know its Savior Jesus Christ.
The United States of America celebrated the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon on 16th July. The world needs remember that when the astronauts of Apollo 8, in that first manned space voyage, as they got a glimpse of the beauty of the earth from space, the only words that they could utter at such a moment were, “In the beginning God…..”. Let us not fail to include God in our educational institutions, courts and workplaces and, “in all our ways let us acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight.” (Pro 3:6). The courts of justice in India, by legalizing homosexuality thinks that they are being more tolerant, open and liberal in their attitude and approach, not knowing that such acts degrades the moral conscience of the society and leads its people to sin. Let us stand on God’s side and save our nation from damnation. Because only “righteousness exalts a nation…” (Pro 14:34).
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: The Kingdom Centered Life - D. Augustine Jebakumar
New Gen Thinking: Christian TV Is it what it ought to be? - M. Bright Kennedy
Young & Full of Life: The Sound of Music - Vidhya Arun
Get Equipped: The road beyond the Vatican- J. Mariyosh
Children's Chronicles: Jesus, my best friend - Christy Bance
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS Department of R&D
Tentmaking: Being good at Plan B - Arun Venkit
Red Hot: Where is God in the recession? - S. Sam Christopher Oswin
History Makers: Doubting Disillusioned Thomas
News & Views: Legalizing Homosexuality
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The CALL - Oct to Dec 2009
EDITORIAL
India sadly remembered the 1st anniversary of 26/11 – the Mumbai terror attacks. The world is relieving the effects of the pandemic, Swine flu. The economic recession has not even left the commercial hub of the UAE, Dubai and even many Indians have lost their jobs. Inequality between the first and third world countries becomes obvious in the way these issues are handled. When the US, UK and other developed nations were piling up anti-viral drugs, many African & Asian countries could not handle the situation and are struggling to keep pace with the ground reality. Wars, pestilences, natural calamities are tearing the world apart.
The pages of history are full of stories of the powerful suppressing the weak and the oppressed rising against the oppressor. The world politics functions on the principle of survival of the fittest. But an almighty God, who is self-sufficient, gave Himself by sending His Son Jesus Christ to redeem the weak. This is the story of Christmas. We are also called to give all that we are and all that we have to redeem the weak, the poor and the downtrodden economically, physically, mentally and spiritually. Let us give ourselves to others as Christ gave Himself a ransom to all! (1 Tim 2:6)
GEMS celebrated 30 years of completion of its Educational services and 38 years of Humanitarian services. On this occasion the Lord helped us to dedicate an auditorium for His glory that could seat 5000 people. Deliverance meetings will continue to happen on every second Saturday of a month throughout the year. God has been faithful and led us so far. Pray that this God initiated mission continue to fulfill God’s purpose.
We wish you a meaningful Christmas and a blessed New Year!
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: O Little town of Bethlehem.... - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: God's Suicide Bomber - John Prasanth Rajan
Get Equipped: The Six Blind Men - Willeke KleinJan
Children's Chronicles: The Tail Star - Angela Danie
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS Day Care Center
Tentmaking: Are you Game? Play Evangelism! - Vidhya Arun
Red Hot: The Newest Plague: Swine Flu - Lois Sampath
History Makers: The History that Jesus made - Arun Venkit
Standing @ the GAP: Tears of the Ganga - Gideon M. Durai
News & Views: Is Music Neutral? - Judith van Dijken
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The CALL - Jan to March 2010
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: D. Augustine Jebakumar
New Gen Thinking: James Bond and JESUS in the Same Frame! Sauve? - P J Kirubagaran
Young & Full of Life: A Day to Remember - J. Mariyosh
Get Equipped: Help! I am hooked to PORN! - Paul Winston Bance
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS Homes
Tentmaking: Are you Game? Play Evangelism! - Annie & Raphael
Red Hot: The Lure of Middle Age - Jeyasingh David
History Makers: The saffron clad apostle and apologist of India - Jonathan Vinod Kumar
Standing @ The GAP: India's Newest Threat: Regionalism - Daniel Johnson
News & Views: Can I Party? - Annie Livingstone
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The CALL - April to June 2010
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Sir, We wish to see Jesus! - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: My knight in Shining Armor - Vidhya Arun
Get Equipped: Piercing the fence of the Urban Recluse - Joseph Abraham
Children's Chronicles: CAPTAIN BLOOD! My Superhero - Uncle John
Tentmaking: Plucking Grapes from the Office Grapevine - Bobby Leonard
Red Hot: Godmen UNMASKED - Clement Barnabas
History Makers: The First Protestant - J. Mariyosh
Standing @ The GAP: Bonded to Labor! Freed to Life
News & Views: Is Piercing my body, a sin? - Prason & Is Tatoo too much....? - Dr. Antony Arokiadass
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The CALL - July to Dec 2010
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Let us not give up meeting together - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Christmas Message: No More Me! - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: Young Spenders - Annie Livingstone
Children's Chronicles: The Smile - Angela Danie
Tentmaking: Liar! Liar! Gospel Liar! - Arun Venkit
Red Hot: Maoism-A Movement Soaked in Blood - Sam Christopher Oswin
History Makers: The cobbler who obeyed God's commission - Minu Aaron
Standing @ The GAP: Unguarded borders! Unprotected lives! - Mariyosh J
News & Views: Celebrations: Pompous or Pious? - Priscilla Jesudian
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The CALL - Jan to Mar 2011
EDITORIAL
New Year greetings to the readers of The CALL! It is amazing to see the way the Lord is using this magazine as it is ordained to be. In the last issue we published an article on Human Trafficking with special reference to Nepal. Right two weeks after its publication at least there were three reports in the newspapers of traffickers being caught & detained in the Indian side border of Nepal. You can read the reports in the blog of The CALL.
The sole aim of The CALL is to stir the hearts & minds of the people and engage them with Biblical perspective to all life’s issues, so as to create a Biblical worldview in them and make them Christ’s disciples, who become proactive Christians engaging in meaningful prayer & thoughtful action. As you know the world is wicked and the devil is using all mediums & especially the media to trap people, children, young & old alike. The CALL is published with a view to draw in that audience who are carried away by other secular magazines. Because of the popular opinion & notion that a missions’ magazine would only consist only of mission news & appeal for funds, the younger generation does not widely read such magazines. We want to make a difference and boldly address all issues of temptation & sin, so as to deliver them from the clutches of the devil, give them the hope in Christ and make them as useful vessels for God.
Even as you are reading, Christians are being persecuted for their faith in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Vietnam, Ethiopia and Eritrea. We implore the readers to pray for the persecuted & the persecutors as Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-46 “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..... If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?”
The first week of this year witnessed the mysterious deaths of birds & fishes in Arkansas (US), Sweden, Japan, Thailand & Brazil. It is very much in line with the prophecy over Israel in Hosea 4:3 & the whole earth in Zephaniah 1:3. Let us return to the living God and turn people towards Him as we are one more year closer to the coming of Lord Jesus Christ!
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Yes! We can with Christ! - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: You broke my heart! - Callie Ariel
Children's Chronicles: The Baby Chipmunk - Amiee Wood
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS STORM - The Team
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS STORM - The Team
Tentmaking: PROFIT & Professionals-A force to transform the workplace! - D. Augustine Jebakumar
History Makers: Saver turned Slave trader - Peter Jayaraj
Standing @ The GAP: Redeeming Rahabs - Angeline Mariyosh
Standing @ The GAP: Redeeming Rahabs - Angeline Mariyosh
Get Equipped: Helping Mephiboseths - Victor Alfred
Red Hot: Wholesome Education: Need of the hour - Sam Christopher Oswin
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The CALL - April to June 2011
EDITORIAL
This issue will take the reader through a journey, where every reader will find himself/herself among the lines of the articles. Articles that will make you cry, comforted and challenged. So, we invite the reader to take this journey, reading through every article. We enjoyed working on making this magazine and we hope that you would enjoy not only reading it, but also pass it on to others. The lead column ‘From Bihar with Love’ talks about the hurts that we incur in our lives through others and it calls us to commit ourselves to God to be comforted by Him. Other articles urge us to go ahead and comfort others who are hurting; show the way to do it at our workplaces, in our neighbourhood or in a far away mission.
A new column adorns this issue, MK Memoirs – the column by MKs and for MKs, where every missionary kid would have an opportunity to see themselves in it or to relive their past. It would also inspire other readers to pray for MKs and to stand with them in their times of need. We also urge MKs from across the globe to contribute for this column, by sending in their memoirs – as articles, poems, paintings, anecdotes, etc.
At The CALL, it has been our aim to present biblical perspectives to contemporary and relevant issues. The article ‘ISM that Terrorizes’ is a Christian response to the worldwide evil, Terrorism. The recent post in the blog of The CALL on the titles ‘Prevaricated publication of a popular paper on pornography’ that exhorted the readers to not be deceived with articles in newspapers and magazines with one-sided revelations, written only to increase their TRP & GRP ratings and the other on ‘What’s wrong with our education system?’, is continuing to receive wide acclamation, as they proved to be eye-openers.
We also tried our hands in producing a few videos on the themes of the articles to create cognizance for The CALL. You can watch them in the face book page of The CALL and share them with your contacts and friends in social media.
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: On the Jericho Road - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: In the Road of Life - Annie Livingston
Get Equipped: Help I am an ADDICT - Mariyosh J
Children's Chronicles: Little John & the Piano - Jessintha Raja
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS Children Ministries - The Team
Tentmaking: Your sphere of influence - Bobby Leonard
Red Hot: 'ISM' that Terrorizes - Sam Christopher Oswin
History Makers: Businessman who became a do-gooder - Anand Jeyasingh
MK Memoirs: Away and Alone - Angeline Mariyosh
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The CALL - July to Sep 2011
The Venetian Mask that adorns the cover is one of those masks worn by Venetians during the Carnevale (Carnival of Venice) as a device for hiding the wearer's identity and social status. The mask would permit the wearer to act more freely in cases where he or she wanted to interact with other members of the society outside the bounds of identity and everyday convention. It was useful for a variety of purposes, some of them illicit or criminal. Social media and the social networking services like facebook, orkut, second life, etc. are in a way being used like the Venetian Mask by those who seek to indulge by posing a different identity believing that they can hide their own self behind the social media mask. The article ‘I am on facebook’ throws enough light on this subject.
The words that C.S. Lewis penned in his masterpiece work Screwtape Letters which he articulates through the Senior Tempter Screwtape in the letters to his nephew Wormwood rightly presents this issue, “All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the Pleasures which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden. An ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula.” And many Christian believers and even ministers having fallen prey to the Devil’s formula live a life with dual identity and as C.S. Lewis says in this book, “feel, instead of shame, a continual undercurrent of self-satisfaction”. We encourage the readers to not only read the article ‘The chronicles of the atheist turned apologist’ but also to seek to live a life with Christ-centred identity. ‘Missionaries of the kingdom below’ is an attempt to present the present deceptions in a lucid manner, in the style ofScrewtape Letters and we hope that it would be an engaging experience for our readers leading towards truthful self-introspection, creating a Christian worldview in regards to the presented issues.
But, even as we engage in a self-introspective reading let us not forget our responsibility towards those living in the world and in the womb, which is the theme of ‘Let them LIVE!’and ‘Why migrate?’
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: More than Greedy - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: I am on facebook - Rollet Grace
Children's Chronicles: True Pal - Angeline Mariyosh
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS Training Department - Paul Winston Bance
Tentmaking: Why migrate? - Mariyosh J
Red Hot: Missionaries of the kingdom below - Arun Venkit
History Makers: The chronicles of the Atheist turned Apologist - Anand Jeyasingh
Standing @ The GAP: Let them LIVE! - Stanly & Preena Stanly
MK Memoirs: A specialized gang called MKs - Annie Livingston
News & Views: Evolution-Believe it or not! - Dexter Meeks
GEMS LiNk: News Updates
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The CALL - Oct to Dec 2011
EDITORIAL
It is Christmas time and as we celebrate Christ’s birth, it is very crucial that we not be carried away by a self-centred celebration. This issue of The CALL is packed with articles, stories and real life inspirations that remind us of that truth.
Children, this Christmas The CALL brings a cherish-able story for you once again by Angela aunty, who has treated you with stories every Christmas in The CALL.
As you see in the World Clock 2011, until the time of design there have been 56, 333, 342 deaths in the world in this year alone which includes 809,368 deaths by suicide and 39, 874, 011 abortions and counting (not included in the total death count). In the last issue we wrote about abortion in the article titled ‘Let them LIVE!’ and the next issue will feature an exclusive article on ‘Suicides’. There are lot of people in your office and neighbourhood who are contemplating suicide, who need HELP, who need JESUS! The article ‘Help for today! Hope for tomorrow!!’ will equip you to be a better counsellor in helping such hurting people.
The article in the ‘Tentmaking’ column narrates the sad incident of the suicide of Bangalorian Santosh Sarade, a 31-year old software engineer and shows us the urgency of workplace evangelism and commissions every Christian professional to take the gospel to our friends & colleagues at our workplaces.
The article on Chetan Bhagat is a insightful writing on the subtle immorality seen in Chetan’s writings that is now dictating the life standards of a very large mass of English knowing Indian esp the youth.
Even as you sing Handel’s “Joy to the World” or “King of kings forever” this Christmas, let your celebrations too be Christ-centred as were his compositions.
Share your joy to others and your blessings to the poor and include your children too in it. We wish you a Christ-centred and meaningful Christmas and blessed New Year!
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: The strange fire - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Christmas Message: Quick Noodle Christmas - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Christmas Message: Quick Noodle Christmas - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: I am a Christian & I follow Tom Cruise - Amiee Wood
Get Equipped: Help for today! Hope for tomorrow!!-Biblical Counseling - Preena Stanly
Children's Chronicles: A Cherished Christmas - Angela Danie
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS Medical Ministries - Ashok & Suresh
Tentmaking: You are the Dynamite: Reasons for workplace evangelism - Mariyosh J
History Makers: The Christ centered composer - Anand Jeyasingh
Publish Your Work: Choosing the best Christmas gift - Esther Prakash
Publish Your Work: Choosing the best Christmas gift - Esther Prakash
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EDITORIAL
The bygone year was indeed an eventful year or rightly put events that revolutionized the world. Several political revolutions that sprung up in the Arab world that came to be called as “Arab Spring”, resulted in the rulers being forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Civil uprisings and major protests were also seen in Bahrain, Syria, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Oman and minor protests in five other Arab nations.
2011 also witnessed an economic revolution that affected the financial capital of the world, Wall Street, New York. The ‘Occupy Wall Street’ (OWS) protest was staged against the social and economic inequality, greed, corruption, etc. The editor and co-founder of Adbusters who initiated OWS said, “Anna Hazare is one of our heroes and mentors.” And the social & political revolution in India led by him to enact a stringent anti-corruption law in India as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill saw a huge response.
That was not the end of revolutions. The media revolution affected the world when CNN International rated the song ‘Why this kolaveri di?’ as the world’s top song of 2011. And Indian author Chetan Bhagat was rated one among the world’s most influential by TIME magazine.
The church also gets caught and swayed away by these and not knowing that “it” is the answer, goes on to choose what it “feels” as right and also becomes “fans” of such frenzy! The saddest of all is the state of the youth and the cover story “What are you hooked on?” investigates and presents the truth. The church needs a revival so that it can become that answer; as all these revolutions cannot be a solution to the inner longing, hopelessness, depravity, peacelessness, security, etc. but JESUS and His church is! And this can happen only if the church of Christ readies itself for a revival, knowing that the Lord who has promised success is calling us to “Arise and Build”!
Two articles feature two writers, Chetan Bhagat and John Bunyan whose works have been made into movies. John Bunyan is spoken about and the movie on his book ‘The Pilgrims Progress’ is re-made even after four centuries, whereas even the movie makers who made a movie on Chetan’s work do not want to credit him! What’s the difference? Only truth stays forever! Read the articles for more insight. “Of course the world needs revolution, revolution without ‘Masala’” enounces the video on Chetan Bhagat created by The CALL team. Visit the YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/gemsthecall to watch the video.
‘Muddy handprints of a little girl’ is the retelling of a heart-breaking incident in the life of a kid which resounds the call to Stand @ the GAP for the negative influence of media and the hurting children.
Let this issue reshape your thinking, echo God’s call in your life and inspire you towards divine and meaningful purpose!
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Arise and Build - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: What are you hooked on? - Mariyosh
Young & Full of Life: What are you hooked on? - Mariyosh
Children's Chronicles: Noah and the tests - Annie Livingston
The Magnifying Glass: Lift up your eyes to the hills: Rohtas - Saravanan
Tentmaking: Your people in my heart - Peter & Sumithra
Red Hot: Dear Chetan - Callie Ariel
Red Hot: Dear Chetan - Callie Ariel
History Makers: The ever appealing allegorist - Anand Jeyasingh
MK Memoirs: Japan, Here I come! - Silas Cole
Standing @ the GAP: Muddy handprints of a little girl - Angeline Mariyosh
GEMS LiNk: News Updates
MK Memoirs: Japan, Here I come! - Silas Cole
Standing @ the GAP: Muddy handprints of a little girl - Angeline Mariyosh
GEMS LiNk: News Updates
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EDITORIAL
Just
before leaving to Bihar after the vacations I visited a Juvenile Home in my
hometown in the South and spoke with the 23 inmates who were of 10 to 17 years
of age, arrested for various crimes. There was this one boy in the Home who was
just 12 years old. He hailed from Bihar and as soon as he heard that I was
going back to Bihar he held my hands and cried pleading me to help find his
parents. When I conversed with him I came to know that he ran away from his
home because his parents and elder brother fought very often. Dysfunctional
families are growing and uncared children and teens go wayward. Deprived of
love they long and search for it from others and get trapped in an imaginary
and unreal world, not knowing the difference between “love”, “infatuation” and
“lust”.
The
insightful article “Before Falling In Love” is a response to the cries of such
teens and youngsters who have strode that pitiful path and ended up in tarnishing
their teenage and youth. Realizing that it is also the responsibility of the
parents to properly parent their children, the article on Parenting in the ‘Get
Equipped’ column focuses on helping parents to know how their children act at
different stages of life and equips them to be God ordained parents in the
lives of their children.
The
Children’s Chronicles column also brings the story of a failing and abused boy
who needed help. While the story “Make a Difference” portrays how a friend of
this boy made a difference in his life for the better, ‘MK Memoirs’ carries the
true story of a GEMS MK who shares his very personal story with us and I am
very sure it will inspire every MK and every youth to live for God no matter
what deprivation or struggle one goes through. It’s also an example of how God
can take one from the crossroad to conviction and to follow in the footsteps of
his parents and forerunners, who chose to sacrifice and to give up all that
they had, to be a God’s Missionary!
The
Seventeenth SAARC summit was held under the theme “Building Bridges” and this
leaves us with the responsibility to take certain concrete steps to build
bridges to reach out to the SAARC nations with the love of Christ and the
featured article in FBWL proposes this answering to the question “Who is my
neighbour?” Reminding every Christian at the workplace that the ACT of sharing
the gospel is for all, the article in ‘Tentmaking’ prescribes with the gears to
gear up for workplace evangelism.
While
the silver screen and the big screen has coupled up once again (big stunt to
rise TRPs though) as in the case of Satyameva
Jayate, the TV talk show on social issues, the producer and host Aamir Khan
however real and convincing he might be seen on the show, he fails to realize
that “life speaks louder than shows”. Apart from divorcing his first wife, the
child born to Aamir Khan and his second wife Kiran Rao was through “Surrogacy”
and the article “Rent-A-Womb” explores and exposes
the realities behind this issue and creates a credible Christian perspective to
the whole issue.
Whilst
we live in a time when evil is packed and presented appealingly, Christians and
Christian ministers are failing to live up to the standard of the Bible, pleasing
to God. We hope that through The CALL we will continue to “awake” and “arise”
the readers! (Ephesians 5:14 ESV).
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Who is my Neighbour? - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: Before falling in LOVE - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: Before falling in LOVE - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Children's Chronicles: Make a Difference - Pavithra Joseph
The Magnifying Glass: The story of a church - MJ Mathews & Gladwyn
Tentmaking: P.R.O.F.I.T-A mantra for workplace evangelism - Mariyosh J
Get Equipped: Parenting: God's trust on us - Christy Bance
Get Equipped: Parenting: God's trust on us - Christy Bance
MK Memoirs: Back to the place where I began - Ashish Daniel
News & Views: Rent-A-Womb - Stanly & Preena Stanly
News & Views: Rent-A-Womb - Stanly & Preena Stanly
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The CALL - July to Sep 2012
Ah! If you are holding this
magazine in your hands then all my efforts to stop this has gone in vain. May
be you should at least have a look at all that I tried to contain this. (May be
this time I might succeed!) You can see my hard efforts at http://thecall.gemsbihar.org/2012/09/ha-ha-ha-ha.html and find
me under my vicious laugh “Ha... Ha... Ha.... Ha...”
Editorial
When Hobart Mauer, the onetime
president of American Psychological Association wrote, "For several
decades we psychologists looked upon the whole matter of sin and moral
accountability as a great incubus and acclaimed our liberation from it as epoch
making. But at length we have discovered that to be free in this sense, that
is, to have the excuse of being sick rather than sinful, is to court the danger
of also becoming lost… In becoming amoral, ethically neutral and free, we have
cut the very roots of our being, lost our deepest sense of selfhood and
identity, and with neurotics, themselves, we find ourselves asking, "Who
am I, what is my deepest destiny, what does living mean?" it appeared that he had come closer
to the realization of the truth; but he did not commit himself to the truth for
transformation. Very shortly he committed suicide. Atheism and
Psychology could not save him.
The article “Lending hands to help people LIVE” would equip to help
such people suffering with suicidal thoughts, clearly stating the hope that is
in Christ Jesus. When literally Google is everywhere its influence through its
campaign to support Homosexuality and its rights at the workplace, is on the
rise, the perceptive article in the Tentmaking column would help Christians at
the workplace to stand for the Truth.
As the Olympics gold medallist Charlie Houchin said in the London
Olympics that that it was his faith in Christ that made the victory sweet, the
article “Knocking down the Tempter” shows the way to be victorious over
temptations.
Even as you read this issue of The CALL our prayer is that you who have
started in Spirit may not finish in the flesh, as the lead article urges.
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Are you finishing in the flesh? - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: Knocking Down the Tempter - Mariyosh J
Young & Full of Life: Knocking Down the Tempter - Mariyosh J
Children's Chronicles: The Best way to grow fast - Esther Prakash
Tentmaking: Stand Up for Jesus at your workplace - Peter & Sumithra
Get Equipped: Lending hands to help people LIVE! - Stanly & Preena
The Magnifying Glass: Reaching out to Redeem Youths in Ranchi - Anand Daniel & Dency Monila
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___________________________________________
Dear Reader,
Even as I sat to write this editorial I was shocked to read the news of the Connecticut school shooting which killed 26 people of whom 20 are children. Is just “gun control” the solution? What about the knife attack on school children in China’s Henan province the same day (Friday 14 Dec) which left 22 children wounded. Just as our hearts are broken on account of these, let it heed to Jesus’ cry, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them” (Matthew 19:14). Misplaced priorities and inexpedient policies; instead of controlling guns, the Bible & Scripture classes are controlled! I remember reading a post in facebook, “Bibles are allowed in prisons and banned in schools. If Bibles would be given & taught to children at schools they will not end up in prisons.”
And since the world’s third most populated country is Facebook, what one shares on it and on other social media reflects ones character. The youth write up “A Tweeter is known by his Tweet” aims at nailing this thought. Let not shopping, Santa Claus and the similarities steal us away from the very reason of this season, as the Calltoon* in the Cover suggests! Seeing “OMG” this was prominent in my mind – “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40 NIV). When the Lord is making stones speak, let not our hearts be hardened to not proclaim the Truth in this festive season. Let the passion of the lepers persuade us too, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves.” (2 Kings 7:9 NIV)
Let’s make use of this Christmas to “Be an Angel” in the lives of others starting from our families to our workplaces. “It’s your turn to pass it on” is a compelling story filled with ideas on how you can meaningfully to the act of passing Jesus and His joy on. Not being fussy with the little material things about dresses and decorations, “Overcoming family conflicts”, celebrate this Christmas with your needy neighbours, your housemaid, apartment guards and so on reflecting “The utmost necessity in this festivity” – humility!
Entering into a New Year the hunt to receive promises from every possible and probable prophet and priest would be on the rise, let’s not forget the “responsibility that keeps increasing in our lives” as promises increase which the Featured article, “Responsibility follows Promise!” puts forth.
Wishing you a meaningful Christmas and purpose driven New Year!
* ‘Calltoon’ is a series of sketches produced by The CALL
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Responsibility follows Promise! - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Christmas Message: The utmost necesity in this festivity! - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: A Tweeter is known by his Tweet - Mariyosh J
Christmas Message: The utmost necesity in this festivity! - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & Full of Life: A Tweeter is known by his Tweet - Mariyosh J
Children's Chronicles: Be an Angel! - Sheela Duthie
The Magnifying Glass: A light that shines in the darkness-The story of Auradandi - Mariyosh J & Gideon M Durai
Get Equipped: Our Christmas is Crumbling-Overcoming Family Conflicts - Paul Bance & Christy Bance
History Makers: Widowed, yet not wearied, but with a Vision & Mission - Angeline Mariyosh
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___________________________________________
The CALL - Jan to March 2013
In the event of preparing
this issue and writing this editorial every time I read on the Delhi gang rape,
the brutality of the incident moistened my eyes. Are candle light marches and
public protests sufficient? Will that be the solution to this every increasing
menace? Is hanging the Delhi gang rape accused adequate? What about the evil in
everyone’s heart as this issue’s Cover Calltoon* portrays?
While repentance, change of heart
& behaviour would be the rightful response, it is also the responsibility
of every parent to teach their boys to respect every girl and every woman. Many
times parents and the church shun from addressing the curiosity of their
children and youth toward sex and alike issues, not realizing that they end up
learning everything wrong and perverted from their peers and wrongful sources.
‘Helping Amanats, Nirbhayas and Daminis have a safer world’ is written
to equip the readers to help those who have suffered at such evil hands and
parents & teachers should teach these to their children and students.
It is not just sufficient that we
do not do evil, but need to know to do the right thing as the youth article ‘Young
and Important’ suggests. And for that one needs to develop godly characters
as put forth by the lead article ‘Becoming the Beatitude’. ‘Can Guns
Really Save Us?’ answering the posed question purports the reader toward
pivotal prayer and meaningful action.
The articles in the Children’s
Chronicles, MK Memoirs and Tentmaking are full of real stories of girls and
women talking about their everyday struggles at the school, college and
workplace. Let us not be hypocritical as that of most of the media channels
that telecast breaking news and debates on woman dignity and screen
advertisements with obscene imagery and portrayal of women, during the break.
Let’s pledge and provide safety,
space and show respect to them everywhere.
Mariyosh J
Chief Editor, The CALL
* ‘Calltoon’ is a series of
sketches produced by The CALL
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Becoming the Beatitudes - Reena Goforth
Standing @ The GAP: Can Guns Really Save Us? - Sumithra
Children's Chronicles: I wish I were a Boy! - Angeline Mariyosh
Tentmaking: Set her Free - Sumithra
MK Memoirs: From the school of life to the school where I studied - Angelene Gracia
Get Equipped: Helping Amanats, Nirbhayas and Daminis have a safer world - Preena Stanly
Young & Full of Life: Young and Important - Callie Ariel
The Magnifying Glass: Empowering Girls & Women in Bihar & Beyond
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___________________________________________
The CALL - April to June 2013
If I say “Science has made living
easy”, it won’t sound exaggerating; as the modern advancements of Science &
Technology has made communication quicker, transportation faster and living cozier.
But as C.S. Lewis rightly says, “Science works by experiments. It watches how
things behave. Every scientific statement in the long run, however
complicated it looks, really means something like, 'I pointed the telescope to
such and such a part of the sky at 2:20 a.m. on January 15th and saw
so-and-so.’”. He also notes in the book ‘The Magician’s Twin’ that it is a
misguided effort to apply science to areas outside its proper bounds.
The Bible points toward us a very
right question, “You know how to
interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to
interpret the present time?” Science does makes interpretations, but not
life interpretations and even more cannot satisfactorily answer the big life
questions of origin, meaning, morality & destiny.
It is even more alarming to see
the moral decline in those committed to Scientific & Technological
advancements. Take for instance the Ranbaxy Drug Scandal of “selling
adulterated drugs with intent to defraud, failing to report that its drugs
didn't meet specifications, and making intentionally false statements to the
government”*; found guilty, Ranbaxy has agreed to pay $500 million
in fines as the 9-year long investigation came to an end this May 13th.
Ranbaxy also "acknowledged that it failed to conduct proper safety and
quality tests of several drugs manufactured at the Indian plants, including
generic versions of many common medicines, like gabapentin, which treats
epilepsy and nerve pain, and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin."+ The
article “The Pharmaceutical
Industry–Saving lives or Saving dollars?” pitches on this issue answering moral and
ethical questions.
This issue of The CALL is focused on Science
& Technology and tries to answer a few major concerns. The article “Is Stem cells research a ray of hope? A
biblical perspective!”, is an expert writing presenting the Biblical case
for and against Stem cells research.
Advancements in Information & Technology have
shrunk the world and have made all information available on our finger tips. Advantageous
though, IT industry has also caused for increased immorality. “Blessing or Curse – Just a click Away!”
warns the reader on the pitfalls and addresses various issues in the
perspective of career and consumerism.
“Life lessons from
Chemistry” are
snippets of thoughts that will take you to the lab to learn life lessons from
Water, Sodium & more. There is a treat for children too in “Up, Up & Up” where you will read
the dream of a boy and his pursuit of Astronomy!
When we live in such a time where selfishness
is considered supreme and where money matters more than moral values, it is
necessary for every Christian to be a messenger of God at the workplace as the
article “Missionary in the Marketplace”
in the Tentmaking column suggests. The lead article “The Love of the World” sums it all up beautifully – “the
intoxication of wealth & the magic of the world will aspire to draw us into
its vortex”. Let us be vigilant “to know how to discern and interpret and apply
the proof to this present time” and “judge
what is just and personally decide what is right” (Luke
12:56,57 AMP).
Stay tuned with The CALL, as more articles on
Science & Technology with issues addressing Ornithology, Food Industry
& more are to be published in yet another release very soon.
* CNN Money, ‘Dirty Medicine’,
May 15, 2013
+ Knight Science Journalism at
MIT, ‘Fortune: Katherine Eban's stunning investigation of huge generic drug
maker’, May 16, 2013
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: The Love of the World - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Science & Scripture: Life lessons from Chemistry: A Christian is called to be a buffer & not to be neutral - Ruby Manoharan
Science & Scripture: Blessing or Curs-Just a Click Away - Peter & Sumithra
Science & Scripture: Life lessons from Chemistry: A message from the formation of water - Ruby Manoharan
Children's Chronicles: Up, Up & Up - Mariyosh J
Science & Scripture: Is Stem cells research a ray of hope? - A Biblical perspective! - Reena Goforth
Science & Scripture: Life lessons from Chemistry: A message from Sodium - Ruby Manoharan
Science & Scripture: The Pharmaceutical Industry-Saving lives or Saving dollars? - Lidiya Princy
Science & Scripture: Life lessons from Chemistry: Le-Chatlier's Principle of Christian Life - Ruby Manoharan
Tentmaking: Missionary in the Marketplace - Giftson Selladurai
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___________________________________________
The CALL - July to Sep 2013
Travelling in a train from Patna
recently, I happened to hear the conversation of two young girls, studying Law in
a College in Patna. I was shocked to hear one of the girls publically use cuss
words to express her anger over another college mate. We could see young people
not being shameful of such profanity in the public space. Facebook, Twitter,
Tumblr and all such Social Media are flooded with such expressions. And we
cannot blame the media alone for the deterioration of values in the lives of
young people; equally are responsible the parents and caretakers and elders.
The mother of C.S. Lewis was a
very devout Christian who made efforts to influence his beliefs; because she
died in his early youth, her influence waned and Lewis was subject to the
musings and mutterings of his friends who were decidedly agnostic &
atheistic. And only in later years that he first came to a belief in God.
But many a times even our
presence is seemingly an absence as we fail to make any difference. It is high
time that we don’t just brush these issues under the carpet or just set high
standards for our teens and fail to live by them in our lives.
This issue of The CALL addresses such issues of the
teens & youths and brings in a Biblical perspective. “I am Young”, “Boundary
Conflicts” and “Sexual Addiction”
are well researched articles that practically and Biblically treat the issues
of teens and youths.
We also have a few of our leaders
who openly share theirs & their friends’ struggles of teen/youth days in
the writings “My Struggles...”, “Love Letter” and “I Quit” and the young readers will not only be able to relate with
them, they will also learn the way out.
The story in the MK Memoirs column is compelling
evidence on the effect of the role of mentors in the life of a Missionary Kid
as a teen/youth. Having said that, I
remember a line from the Christian movie “Courageous” that features the story
of five families – “to break the chain of
destructive patterns in my family’s history”. Let us identify such destructive patterns in
our family’s history and also help the teens & youths in our care &
proximity to identify them and break them in Jesus’ name and restore the “principles of the fear of God” in our
lives as the lead article suggests.
It is our prayer that this issue
of The CALL would not just be an educative material but that it would bring
about real transformation in the lives of the readers and would add Biblical
values to their life.
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: The Underlying Principles on the Fear of God - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Young & full of life: I am Young - Sumithra Jayaraj
Director's Desk: My Struggles & Steps to Success over Sinful Temptations - Ashok Kumar
A to Z of Reading the Bible: Prince Samraj
Love Letter: Rajesh Duthie
Poem: Back from Being Backslidden - Mariyosh J
Bounday Conflicts-A Cause for Teenage Issues - Philip Pereira
Bounday Conflicts-A Cause for Teenage Issues - Philip Pereira
Get Equipped: Freedom from Sexual Addiction-A Psychological & Biblical Perspective - Sai Bharathan
I Quit: Mariyosh J
Poem: Come let's play cricket - Joiel Akilan
MK Memoirs: From "never" to "ever" a Missionary - Surender Paul
MK Memoirs: From "never" to "ever" a Missionary - Surender Paul
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___________________________________________
The CALL - Oct to Dec 2013
One weekend as my wife
and I sat to watch an animated movie, we were alarmed at the story and content
of that cartoon movie. It was a story of Vampires! Review on this movie in the
internet reads, this movie’s “buoyant, giddy tone may please children” and that “this movie is about enjoying a fun
journey with great characters”! Following
its premiere popular companies released Video & Mobile games and Mobile
Digital Storybooks based on this movie. In the name and disguise of games, animation
and cartoon the Devil is gaining access, attacking and corrupting the minds of
children.
Our easygoingness is
easing the Enemy in easily enslaving & engineering the emotions & will
of children to execute his evil designs. Parents and guardians need to be
cautious on what the children are exposed to.
‘Advantages
of Disadvantages...’ deals with similar issues – where in
the “camouflage of love” parents end up spoiling their children; and this
article admonishes parents who in their busyness, with no time for children
look for easy way outs. Togetherness with the parents is replaced with Teddy
Bears; Buddy-ing with the loved ones is exchanged for Barbie Dolls; Caring by
the family is substituted by Cartoons!
Adverse effects of
these are when we become insensitive to the inner cries of our children and the
article ‘The Hidden Turmoil’ boldly
and at the same time with a burdened heart addresses this issue of Child Sexual
Abuse (CSA). It was shocking and heartbreaking to hear Cindrella Prakash, a
Christian, share in one of Satyameva
Jayate shows on her childhood nightmare experience of CSA. But the good
news is, following this interview Cindrella is being invited by many churches
and schools to conduct workshops on CSA and share the message as she narrates,
“I went through it... and now I am fine... and Jesus brought me out of it”+.
While ‘I am Ravi’ narrates the pathetic story
yet the reality of many children found in the roadside Dhabas, many GEMS MKs present their views on various Children
Issues in this magazine through their sketches and poems. When children could
see such issues distinctly why not the decision makers? As the Cover puts
forth, “Are we giving simple solutions to
serious issues and are we relevant and really concerned?”
The ‘Director’s Desk’ presents Biblical
parenting in a very lucid manner with the aim that Christ may be formed in
every child! ‘Slow, but Sincere’ is
an expert article specially meant for teachers and parents to identify &
help children who are slow learners and ‘Let
the little children come to Me’ shows
the responsibilities and creative ways in which parents, elders and the church
can lead children to Christ.
Let us cast off all ‘Hidden Pride’ as the lead article
exhorts and let’s “become like children” (Matt 18:3) in nature and strive never
to become a stumbling block to children (Mark 9:42) because He warns,
“Whoever causes one of
these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a
millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the
sea.” (Matt 18:6,7)
___________________________________________________________________________+
http://www.satyamevjayate.in/child-sexual-abuse/information-activist.aspx
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Hidden Pride - D. Augustine Jebakumar
On Christmas: True Joy - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Director's Desk: Christ in my Child - Ashok Kumar
I am Ravi: - Mariyosh J
Advantages of Disadvantages & Disadvantages of Advantages - Philip Pereira
It's Puzzle Time: Angeline Mariyosh
Standing @ the GAP: The Hidden Turmoil - Reena Goforth
Standing @ the GAP: The Hidden Turmoil - Reena Goforth
Slow, but Sincere-Identifying & Dealing with Slow Learners: Angeline Mariyosh
Get Equipped: Let the little children come to Me - Jebarani Regina
Poem: A Dream Comes True - Aminna Duthie
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___________________________________________
The CALL - Jan to March 2014
While this issue of The CALL was
getting ready, it was alarming to know that the founder of the world’s largest
Pentecostal church, David Yonggi Cho was sentenced to three years in prison and
fined nearly 5 million dollars for embezzling church funds and for tax evasion.
When the whole of Christendom is being swayed by Prosperity Preaching, this is
for sure a wakeup call. This is not just a case of misappropriation of funds,
but misinterpretation of Scriptures and not just evasion of tax, but of truth
& social responsibility. “Poverty:
Is Prosperity Preaching the Answer?” is an attempt to answer the moral
& social perspectives of this issue.
This issue of The CALL addresses
a few such Social Issues and tries to present the prospects in Biblical
perspectives. The early church was so much socially concerned that when Agabus
predicted by the Spirit of God that a severe famine was about to come over the
whole inhabited world, the
believers at Antioch sent financial aid to those living in Judea. (Acts
11:28-30). The unselfish, socially minded and acted believers were the ones who
for the first time were called as “Christians”. Even these days “predictions by
prophets” are widely heard, alas, those are only used to fill their own pockets
with offerings.
Social responsibility is just not only about something
to be done to someone afar off; it is a call to “change” that needs to start
from every individual and families. What else is better to live that change
than in a Wedding that suffers so many social evils like Dowry, Casteism, etc. “Grand, Gaudy or Godly Indian Wedding?”
dwells on it.
Change is not alone an individual obligation,
but institutional too. Taking on this position, “Church: Answer or Accessory to Casteism or Racism?” looks at this
crucial matter in the light of biblical principles & historical practices. Gender
bias is another such discrimination that has led forth to the recent campaign
“Ban Bossy” and the article ““Ban Bossy”
– Can it Cure Sexism, a Social Disease” analyzes this campaign critically
and biblically.
When India is preparing to elect its next
Government and as political parties try to cash on casteism and fanaticism and
woo the voters by their manifestos and speeches, the lead article “Manifesto of Compromise” rightly
points out and warns of such spirit of compromises in the Christian world too. Addressing
one such compromise is the article, “Eradicating
Bribery & Corruption: Will the Church Bell the Cat?”; which provokes point
blank & honest responses.
2014 marks the anniversaries of several massacres
and genocides that I would rather call it an ‘Anniversary of Annihilation’; 70
years have passed by since the Holocaust ended, 40th year of Khmer Rouge’s
‘Killing Fields’ that massacred Cambodians, 25 years since the Tiananmen Square
Massacre, 20th year of Rwandan Genocide, 5th year of Sri Lankan Genocide. Revenge
is never the solution but Reconciliation is! “Kindness is a Boomerang” is not only an article for children but
is the value that needs to be lived which propels us to ACT and not evade
saying, “it’s not Spiritual” or “it’s not Scriptural” or “it’s not Structural
in my call” as “Called Unto Action”
points.
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Manifesto of Compromise - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Director's Desk: Called Unto Action - Ashok Kumar
Church: Answer or Accessory to Casteism or Racism - Mariyosh J
Grand, Gaudy or Godly Indian Wedding - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Children's Chronicles: Kindness is a Boomerang - Angeline Mariyosh
Children's Chronicles: Kindness is a Boomerang - Angeline Mariyosh
"Ban Bossy" - Can it Cure Sexism, a Social Disease? - Sumithra Jayaraj
Poverty: Is Prosperity Preaching the Answer? - Johnson Kanagaraj
Eradicating Bribery & Corruption: Will the Church Bell the Cat? - JJ Ratnakumar
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___________________________________________
The CALL - April to June 2014
Editorial
“I
am late to school, it is post-lunch and I know that I won’t be permitted. But I
have to go. I can’t keep it with myself” with these thoughts I cycled and as I
entered the school my Headmistress was for sure confused either at the
first-time-ever smile on my face or at what I said, “Ma’am, I am saved”. These were
the only words that came out of my mouth as I rushed to my class of eleventh
standard. I was bubbling with joy of being born again as I had given my life to
Jesus Christ. Coming to know of the saving power of Christ through my classmate
began the journey of making Jesus known to other students. I am so excited as
we bring out this ‘Students Special’
issue of The CALL.
‘Success Statutes
for Students’ presents
the pointers to help every student who has started the year with lot of hope
and ambition to finish it successfully. This issue is filled with many real
life stories of students of various backgrounds and age groups, catering to a
wider audience. Two missionary kids share their life’s experiences of being a
MK and a Student in ‘I am God’s Own
Tribe’ and the choices that they made and the difference those choices made
in theirs and others lives.
The
Cover Story ‘From Circus to Classroom’
presents the story, the search and struggles in the life of a Nepali boy who
found Christ and his life’s purpose and became a student of the Bible to learn
to proclaim the Gospel. The article in the Magnifying Glass column portrays how
Timothys like him are trained and prepared to transform the society through the
Gospel of Jesus Christ at GEMS Timothy
Bible College.
‘Showing the
Saviour to Students of the Spiritual Capital’ showcases the life of a couple who came to know Jesus,
coming from a different faith, during their school & youth days and how
they committed to be missionaries and serve among students and raise leaders
for nation building. ‘Student Worker to
Student of Theology’ presents the need for every believer and Christian
worker to equip themselves and shows practical ways to become an
obedient Student of the Word to become
an effective Teacher.
‘Rescuing, Respecting & Rising Up Girls’ is
a research article that probes the reasons for the rise in crimes against
girls, studying spiritual, political, anthropological and historical causes and
presents the answer that “God is calling for committed students as missionaries who would pursue God’s
purpose”. This article goes on to say that “Over the centuries whenever God
called, people sensitive to His voice & discerning the times responded.” But
all over the world there is a decline in this response. The lead article rightly
and Biblically shows the way in reminding the students and the parents saying, ‘Remember Your Vows’.
According
to the 2011 Census Data, in India there are 315 million students; that is India has the most students in the
world. While 97,120 students went to the US & 29,713 students to UK from
India for their Higher Education, 26,779 students came to India to pursue
higher education in 2012 and the most number of students are from Nepal,
Bhutan, Iran, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka & Iraq*. This trend presents a great opportunity to reach out
to the Diaspora Indian students and the International students in India, with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Respond.
Rise up. Remember to fulfil your vows!
Response
prompting reading,
Mariyosh J
Chief Editor, The CALL
_________________________________________________________________
*
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Remember Your Vows - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Director's Desk: Success Statutes for Students - Ashok Kumar
Cover Story: From Circus to Classroom - Raju Shraest
Magnifying Glass: GEMS Timothy Bible College
Standing @ the GAP: Rescuing, Respecting & Rising Up Girls - Mariyosh J & Angeline Mariyosh
Standing @ the GAP: Rescuing, Respecting & Rising Up Girls - Mariyosh J & Angeline Mariyosh
MK Memoirs: I am God's Own Tribe - Emmanuel Joel & Jemimah Debi
Showing the Saviour to Students of the Spiritual Capital - Paul Abraham & Eswari
Student Worker to Student of Theology - Paul Winston Bance
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___________________________________________
The CALL - July to Sep 2014
Editorial
“Jumping Zapak Jumpak Jumpak...” singing came in to my office this seven year old kid, making me realize the effect of IPL Cricket on even small children. In India, Cinema and Cricket are a craze and Cricket is adored as a religion in this country and cricket stars are worshipped as gods! This brings us to a place where it becomes necessary for us to know the Biblical perspective to Sports and that’s why this issue – Sports Special!
The featured article is an interview with Brother Augustine Jebakumar on his personal engagements and his opinions on Sports as an Inspiration to Career to IPL and more.
You will read about the life, struggles and victories beyond the ground of players in these pages. While ‘Withering or Witnessing Sportsmen’ shows from the personal lives of sports people the consequences of the choices they made, ‘Salt in Sports’ presents the Biblical principles that will enable every person to make right, worthy and honourable choices.
The Cover Story ‘Wished to breathe my last in the Ground...’ is on the life of a GEMS missionary who shares inspirations from David Beckham and many others to his experiences of playing with Graham Staines; the definitive change in his life battling through Cancer and his journey towards identifying his call in Christ are remarkable.
This issue’s MK Memoirs ‘Sports – An Inspiration’ presents a GEMS MK’s thoughts on the lessons that he learnt from certain Cricket, Boxing & Tennis players that motivated him in his life’s journey. Drawing from a moment of this year’s T20 World Cup ‘To See Someone Smile & Succeed!’ shows the way to achieve true greatness.
The release of this issue of The CALL fell in place with the very first episode of the new season of the TV Show Satyameva Jeyate, ‘A Ball Can Change The World’, that was focused on Sports. It was amazing to see how Sports is changing the life of so many underprivileged children and youths. But the pathetic confessions of some of the popular international players, “I was, I am and I always will be a drug addict”, “I don't wanna die. I’m on the verge of dying, because I’m a vicious alcoholic” makes one realize that Sports alone and just the lives of successful players cannot be modelled for deeper, long lasting changes in the life of an individual or a community.
Broken lives and shattered communities around the world pose this challenge before us. When for the world, for most people, Sports is a recreation, here is a couple that uses Sports to reach out to the refugees who escape the brutality of ISIS/ISIL. ‘Reaching Out to the Refugees through Sports’ is a gripping interview with this German couple; a testament to the difference God’s people can make in this troubled world, using Sports as a medium.
Taking this one step further the Tentmaking article ‘Sports Field is my Mission Field’ encourages every sports person to be a witness in and through their Sports field.
Seeing the BBC live telecast from Pretoria of the closing arguments of South African sprint runner Oscar Pistorius’ trial, I felt very sad for him; a man who braved his disability and won several medals at international championships was on trial for suspected homicide. The tattoo on his left shoulder is the words of 1 Corinthians 9:26, “I do not run like a man running aimlessly.” In this same South Africa more than a century back, Gandhi helped establish three football clubs in Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg known as ‘Passive Resisters Soccer Club’ to propagate his non-violence movement.
These call for Christians in and in-terested in Sports to use Sports not only as recreation or for personal recognition, but to touch and change lives; for Christian sportsmen and women to witness, as rightly put by South Africa’s newly appointed cricket coach Gary Kirsten (who coached Indian team to become world’s number one ranked Test team), “one has tremendous opportunity to lead by example and I hope that my Christian values will have an influence over many.”
Sportive reading,
Mariyosh J
Chief Editor, The CALL
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Jebakumar on Sports - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Director's Desk: Salt in Sports! - Ashok Kumar
Cover Story: Wished to breathe my last in the Ground... - Immanuel Jayakumar
News & Views: To See Someone Smile & Succeed - Mariyosh J
Red Hot: Withering or Witnessing Sportsmen? - Rufus David
News & Views: To See Someone Smile & Succeed - Mariyosh J
Red Hot: Withering or Witnessing Sportsmen? - Rufus David
MK Memoirs: Sports-An Inspiration - Emmanuel Joel
Tentmaking: Sports Field is My Mission Field - Sumithra Jayaraj
Standing @ the GAP: Reaching Out to the Refugees through Sports - Phil & Hannah
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___________________________________________
The CALL - Oct to Dec 2014
According to Wycliffe Global
Alliance, at least one book of the Bible exists in almost 2,900 languages
(Complete Bible: 531; NT & some portions: 1329; One or more books: 1023)
and there is known active translation and/or linguistic development happening
in 2,195 languages across more than 130 countries. But the two consultations of
FOBA-Forum of Bible Agencies that I participated, on Scripture Engagement made
me aware of the real issue – access
to the Bible is much better than it has been throughout history, the problem is
lack in engaging with it.
This Scripture Special issue
of The CALL comes out in a highly heated and controversial atmosphere as
India’s current External Affairs Minister presses for making Bhagwad Gita as
the national scripture or book.
Religious scriptures are
considered miraculous and able to be appropriated only when read in a
particular language or only when interpreted by a group of sacred class of
people. But Bible being God’s word to all
mankind is for all language, ethnicity, ages & age group!
The Bible is the most translated,
most printed, most distributed, most read and the most number of books written
are about the Bible and based on its inspiration. Not stopping there as Dr.
Vishal Mangalwadi proposes in his book ‘The
Book That Made Your World’, the Bible is the key that unlocked the Western
mind & cultivated human dignity, compassion, strong families and triggered
the passion for scientific, medical & technological advancement. The Bible
not only created the West, but modern India! Dr. Babu Verghese’s massive
research book ‘Let there be India: Impact
of the Bible on Nation Building’ is a proof to how Bible created all
the modern Indian languages, and impacted literature, journalism, education and
culture.
The pages of this issue of The
CALL attempt to answer tough questions like ‘Is God cruel?’ that come
up when certain passages of the Bible esp. the OT are read. ‘Word
View or World View?’ answers the questions whether the Bible is the
Word of God or man, is it fact or fiction and more.
‘The Twists in the Truth’
and ‘The
Problem with the Bible Seminary’ are two point blank articles. Brother
Augustine Jebakumar answers questions on Prosperity Doctrine, Hyper Grace and
on how does the Bible get meddled & misinterpreted and Dr. Vishal awakens us
towards the reasons to the sinking of the University & students into
intellectual and moral darkness.
‘Measure Your Growth’ is
a treat for Children and ‘Fed in His Word’ narrates the
experiences of a MK. The Tentmaking article ‘Word for Workplace’
presents sample studies from the Bible, appropriated for workplace scenarios.
Jesus said, “You search the
Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they
which testify of Me.” (John 5:39). ‘Searching the Scriptures...’ argues
and presents how man’s intellectual, religious, spiritual search for truth
leads one to the Bible. Meaningfully presenting the Christmas message ‘The
Fifth Gospel’ says, “The indispensable gift from God, next only to His
Son and His Spirit, are the Scriptures.” It’s exhortation to know the Word more
diligently, to grow steadily to glow brightly to express Christ surely is very
apt for this and all seasons.
Bible Software. Bible Apps.
Audio/Audio-Visual Bible. Verses on Whats App and SMS. Online/PDF/Mobile/Tab
Bible. Let not the adage ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’ become
true to our situation of constant exposure to the Bible scriptures &
messages and let’s take every opportunity to internalize and live the truths of
the Bible!
Scriptural reading!
Mariyosh J
Chief Editor,
The CALL
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: The Twists in the Truth: An Interview - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Director's Desk: The Fifth Gospel - Ashok Kumar
News & Views: Searching the Scriptures - Christopher
Get Equipped: Is God Cruel? - T. Emerson
Familiarity Breeds Contempt or...? - Mariyosh J
Word View or World View? - Philip Pereira
Children's Chronicles: Measure Your Growth - Christial Christopher
News & Views: Searching the Scriptures - Christopher
Get Equipped: Is God Cruel? - T. Emerson
Familiarity Breeds Contempt or...? - Mariyosh J
Word View or World View? - Philip Pereira
Children's Chronicles: Measure Your Growth - Christial Christopher
MK Memoirs: Fed in His Word - Angeline Mariyosh
Red Hot: The Problem with the Bible Seminary - Vishal Mangalwadi
Tentmaking: Word for Workplace - Peter & Sumithra
Red Hot: The Problem with the Bible Seminary - Vishal Mangalwadi
Tentmaking: Word for Workplace - Peter & Sumithra
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___________________________________________
The CALL - VOL 7 - Year 2015 - Issue 1
Administration Special
Administration Special
Administration Special – the idea for this issue came up when the Prime Minister of India announced 25th of December as Good Governance Day. Though there were lots of hues and cries from some political parties and groups for trying to reduce the importance of Christmas, there were others who share this opinion that the birth of Jesus Christ quite well signifies good governance. Prophesying on the birth of the Messiah Isaiah says, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (9:6)
Drawing on this inspiration this issue of The CALL presents various perspectives on the themes of Administration or Governance. Here we talk about Church, Corporate & Country governance. Why is this so important a subject to address? The recent judgment on India’s biggest corporate frauds, the Satyam Computers scam, allegedly worth over $1.5 billion sentencing its founder Ramalinga Raju to seven years imprisonment, serves as a warning.
The recurring themes in Narayan Murthy’s book ‘A Better India: A Better World’, the founder of Infosys, talks about good corporate and public governance, where he advocates transparency, integrity, credibility, trustworthiness, making sacrifices, good value system, clear conscience and character. What do you think is the source of these? Talking in this line, the article ‘Government on His Shoulders’ prescribes the Seven Indicators of Scripture based Administration. The MK Memoirs column brings out the personal experiences and expressions of a GEMS MK from his corporate and mission work in the article ‘MK in Mission’.
‘God’s Cabinet’ looks at the various ministries of a nation’s government in the light of the Scriptures that promises change and good governance. The article on ‘Biblical Governance’ shows the transition from theocracy to monarchy and gives the call to involve in nation building.
While we live in hostile times it is essential that we consider the question the lead article poses ‘Are Christians Anti-Patriotic?’ and heed to the author’s counsel that “it is imperative that we, as Christians, live as responsible and caring citizens in this nation”. To be responsible and caring requires, many a times, to be daring. ‘Risk Takers or Care Takers or Under Takers?’ is a trumpet call waking up sleeping giants of mediocrity and administration red tapes.
When we are faced with failing politicians, corrupt bureaucrats, greedy & manipulative managers there is very little chance for good governance and development. Quoting Murthy again from his book (pg. 191), “The rule of law can only defeat the perverse mind. It cannot defeat the perversity of the heart”. Hence we are posed with the question, is there any hope for change?
The life of one another person who shares two things in common with Ramalinga Raju gives us hope. Raju is a management graduate from Ohio University and the Ohio student protests were what culminated in Watergate Scandal, a major political scandal, which led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration. This led to the resignation of the US President Richard Nixon which indicted seven of his aides including Charles Colson who served as a Special Counsel to the President. As Colson was facing arrest he received a copy of C.S. Lewis’ book ‘Mere Christianity’ after reading which Colson committed his life to Christ and later founded ‘Prison Fellowship’. Colson writes in his book ‘God and Government’, “If Christians today understood this distinction between the role of the private Christian citizen and the Christian in government, they might sound less like medieval crusaders. If secularists understood correctly the nature of Christian public duty they would not fear, but welcome responsible Christian political involvement.”
‘Is Politics or Public Administration meant for Christians?’ not only answers this question satisfactorily but makes the case for Christians to consider this call, to witness and to be the right kind of leaven.
This is a voice and we wish and pray for many echoes to follow and raise God’s echelons!
Change Driven Reading!
Mariyosh J
Chief Editor, The CALL
CONTENTS
From Bihar With Love: Are Christians Anti-Patriotic? - D. Augustine Jebakumar
Director's Desk: Government on His Shoulders - Ashok Kumar
New Gen Thinking: God's Cabinet - Mariyosh J
Get Equipped: Biblical Governance - Christopher Murugan
MK Memoirs: MK in Mission - Goforth Jebakumar
Standing @ the GAP: Risk Takers or Care Takers or Under Takers? - Thangavelu Palanivelu & Mariyosh J
New Gen Thinking: God's Cabinet - Mariyosh J
Get Equipped: Biblical Governance - Christopher Murugan
MK Memoirs: MK in Mission - Goforth Jebakumar
Standing @ the GAP: Risk Takers or Care Takers or Under Takers? - Thangavelu Palanivelu & Mariyosh J
Tentmaking: Is Politics or Public Administration meant for Christians? - Philip Pereira
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___________________________________________
The CALL - VOL 7 - Year 2015 - Issue 2 (Arts Special)
The fallen ‘angel’ picture has created quite a controversy in the past weeks with the heights of ignorance reaching its peak of people believing it to be real! It is an art work, a sculpture of the Chinese conceptual artists Sun Yuan & Peng Yu. Taking “Art” to be “fallen” and “unchristian” the church has largely come to either disassociate itself with arts or to limit it. The cause to bring back arts into the Christian thinking with biblical perspectives and to see the call of the church in this form is the case for this issue “Arts Special”.
Art is everywhere; walking through the Phoenix Market City in Chennai or the Marina Bay, Singapore or the IGI Airport, New Delhi, the shopper or the casual stroller or the traveller definitely stumbles upon the art forms installed here. But art is not limited to modernity or urbanity and this is evidenced through the tribal art forms of Bihar and Jharkhand that adorn the Cover of this issue. And the Bible celebrates the arts of ordinary people; the first recorded song writer of the Bible, Moses was a slave, the greatest hymnist David was a shepherd.
This issue of The CALL carries works on literature, performing arts, visual, media and culinary arts. Among its literary works this issue brings two poems, ‘Walking Thru Darkness’ and ‘Paid to be Away’. ‘The Song that turned my Life’ is a testimonial to how Scripture based songs can touch & transform people. A new feature in this issue is the Book Review on the Bihar-Bangalore connection book, ‘Booker Prize Winner ‘The White Tiger’’.
The Greek word for ‘Hypocrite’ is the technical term for the performance artist, a stage actor. The lead article ‘Practice What You Preach (and Sing)’ narrates two incidents from the life of Brother Augustine Jebakumar and shows how what we teach or preach or sing need to align with our life.
A treat for children is the Comic Strip in the Children’s Chronicles column, ‘Pyari’s Secret’. The Magnifying Glass column article ‘Reaching Children, Creatively’ features the use of arts in the ministry among children by GEMS.
‘The Greatest Literature’ recounts the reminiscence of an English teacher and ‘English Literature & my Bible Study’ of a University Verbal Faculty. There are also treats to the taste buds in the Culinary Arts section, but with a difference – the taste of eternal life in three narrations!
For people in arts it is easy to be carried away by the satisfaction of producing an art or by the appreciation it brings. The Scribe Baruch & Prophet Jeremiah belonged to the few who harkened to the word of God. While the entire book of Jeremiah is prophecies concerning Judah, in the 45th chapter we see a prophecy directly concerning Jeremiah’s Scribe, Baruch. This is the word of God to Baruch, “And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them…” (45:5).
The MK Memoir article of a GEMS MK ‘Student of Literature & the Scripture’ ends rightly with these words, “…make me an instrument, for your glory alone” and this needs to be the aspiration of every Christian in arts, “Arts for the glory of God”.
The Director’s Desk encourages the readers in ‘Heart of Art’ to “develop and apply the God given potentials with creativity and innovation through empowerment” and brings in balanced biblical perspectives to the arts of mentoring, giving, preaching, witnessing, leading and administering so that the Lord may build you as an “instrument for His noble purposes” (2 Tim 2:21).
Art is Creativity and God is the source of creativity. The art of God starts with the Creation and culminates at the Calvary and the Cross reconciles this torn world and troubled lives to God. Francis A. Schaeffer summarises beautifully in ‘Arts & the Bible’, “A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God, not just as tracts, but as things of beauty to the praise of God. An art work can be a doxology in itself.”
A(rt)ction driven reading!
Mariyosh J
Chief Editor, The CALL
From Bihar With Love: Practice What You Preach (and Sing) – Augustine Jebakumar
MK Memoirs: Student of Literature & the Scripture – Blessy Cornelius
Life Sharing: The Song That Turned My Life – Mariyosh J
Poems:
Walking Thru Darkness... – Sheela Duthie
Paid to be Away! – Preena Stanly
News & Views: The Greatest Literature – Esther Dara
Book Review: Booker Prize Winner ‘The White Tiger’ – Angeline & Mariyosh
Get Equipped: English Literature & My Bible Study – Roland Rencewigg
Children’s Chronicles: Pyari’s Secret – Angeline Mariyosh
The Magnifying Glass: Reaching Children, Creatively – Joseph V
Culinary Arts:
Hotel Welcome to Welcoming Jesus
Even A Spoon For The Saviour
One who sold Channa, now blessed people with Heavenly Mannna
Director’s Desk: Heart of Art – Ashok Kumar
The fallen ‘angel’ picture has created quite a controversy in the past weeks with the heights of ignorance reaching its peak of people believing it to be real! It is an art work, a sculpture of the Chinese conceptual artists Sun Yuan & Peng Yu. Taking “Art” to be “fallen” and “unchristian” the church has largely come to either disassociate itself with arts or to limit it. The cause to bring back arts into the Christian thinking with biblical perspectives and to see the call of the church in this form is the case for this issue “Arts Special”.
Art is everywhere; walking through the Phoenix Market City in Chennai or the Marina Bay, Singapore or the IGI Airport, New Delhi, the shopper or the casual stroller or the traveller definitely stumbles upon the art forms installed here. But art is not limited to modernity or urbanity and this is evidenced through the tribal art forms of Bihar and Jharkhand that adorn the Cover of this issue. And the Bible celebrates the arts of ordinary people; the first recorded song writer of the Bible, Moses was a slave, the greatest hymnist David was a shepherd.
This issue of The CALL carries works on literature, performing arts, visual, media and culinary arts. Among its literary works this issue brings two poems, ‘Walking Thru Darkness’ and ‘Paid to be Away’. ‘The Song that turned my Life’ is a testimonial to how Scripture based songs can touch & transform people. A new feature in this issue is the Book Review on the Bihar-Bangalore connection book, ‘Booker Prize Winner ‘The White Tiger’’.
The Greek word for ‘Hypocrite’ is the technical term for the performance artist, a stage actor. The lead article ‘Practice What You Preach (and Sing)’ narrates two incidents from the life of Brother Augustine Jebakumar and shows how what we teach or preach or sing need to align with our life.
A treat for children is the Comic Strip in the Children’s Chronicles column, ‘Pyari’s Secret’. The Magnifying Glass column article ‘Reaching Children, Creatively’ features the use of arts in the ministry among children by GEMS.
‘The Greatest Literature’ recounts the reminiscence of an English teacher and ‘English Literature & my Bible Study’ of a University Verbal Faculty. There are also treats to the taste buds in the Culinary Arts section, but with a difference – the taste of eternal life in three narrations!
For people in arts it is easy to be carried away by the satisfaction of producing an art or by the appreciation it brings. The Scribe Baruch & Prophet Jeremiah belonged to the few who harkened to the word of God. While the entire book of Jeremiah is prophecies concerning Judah, in the 45th chapter we see a prophecy directly concerning Jeremiah’s Scribe, Baruch. This is the word of God to Baruch, “And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them…” (45:5).
The MK Memoir article of a GEMS MK ‘Student of Literature & the Scripture’ ends rightly with these words, “…make me an instrument, for your glory alone” and this needs to be the aspiration of every Christian in arts, “Arts for the glory of God”.
The Director’s Desk encourages the readers in ‘Heart of Art’ to “develop and apply the God given potentials with creativity and innovation through empowerment” and brings in balanced biblical perspectives to the arts of mentoring, giving, preaching, witnessing, leading and administering so that the Lord may build you as an “instrument for His noble purposes” (2 Tim 2:21).
Art is Creativity and God is the source of creativity. The art of God starts with the Creation and culminates at the Calvary and the Cross reconciles this torn world and troubled lives to God. Francis A. Schaeffer summarises beautifully in ‘Arts & the Bible’, “A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God, not just as tracts, but as things of beauty to the praise of God. An art work can be a doxology in itself.”
A(rt)ction driven reading!
Mariyosh J
Chief Editor, The CALL
CONTENTS
MK Memoirs: Student of Literature & the Scripture – Blessy Cornelius
Life Sharing: The Song That Turned My Life – Mariyosh J
Poems:
Walking Thru Darkness... – Sheela Duthie
Paid to be Away! – Preena Stanly
News & Views: The Greatest Literature – Esther Dara
Book Review: Booker Prize Winner ‘The White Tiger’ – Angeline & Mariyosh
Get Equipped: English Literature & My Bible Study – Roland Rencewigg
Children’s Chronicles: Pyari’s Secret – Angeline Mariyosh
The Magnifying Glass: Reaching Children, Creatively – Joseph V
Culinary Arts:
Hotel Welcome to Welcoming Jesus
Even A Spoon For The Saviour
One who sold Channa, now blessed people with Heavenly Mannna
Director’s Desk: Heart of Art – Ashok Kumar
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___________________________________________
The CALL - VOL 7 - Year 2015 - Issue 3 (Afflictions Special)
The day before the
surgery at CMC lying on the bed I was processing in my mind the words of the surgeons,
“there are chances of losing or change of voice”. Though been on the surgeon’s
table thrice before, there was no doubt, no fear in my heart but only the
assuring presence of God and these words kept resonating within me, “we know
that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are the called according to His purpose.”
Afflictions can deter &
weary us, if not for the promises, purposes & presence of God. It can turn
one’s attitude & actions for the worst or to appreciate the preciousness of
life and the divine precepts to preserve & practice sacredness in every
area of life. In these pages of the ‘Afflictions Special’ of The CALL you will encounter the lives of
people who have suffered loss, gone through physical & mental pain; as one
of the poem in this issue says you will “not only read the joys, but also the
tears; not only success, but also sufferings”.
Kahlil Gibran said, “Out
of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are
seared with scars.” ‘First Seed’ is
the narration of a missionary couple on the loss they suffered and culminates
with how God used their testimony to help a family, suffering a similar loss,
to reconcile with Him. ‘In His Call’
narrates the incidents in the life of a couple from Jaffna of how they found
peace & purpose in Jesus Christ. ‘Afflicted,
not Abandoned’ is another story of a couple, in the Tentmaking column, that defines how affliction brings new meaning
to career & success.
Hearing Theodore’s
story I wanted it to be published in this issue. When I approached him it
wasn’t easy on him to recollect the past, the details of the accident and the
aftermath. As he narrates his story in ‘There
is more to this Form’ in the MK
Memoirs, I believe this will not only challenge the MKs but also everyone
who is in the same path of physical pain. It is possible to ignore the
afflictions of small children, but deeply rooted unhealed scars can affect
their character & personality. ‘Be
My Friend’ in the Children’s
Chronicles is a cartoon story of a small girl who is desperate to make
friends.
Director’s
Desk aptly calls
afflictions as the ‘Gifted Hour of Trial’
and brings seven keys to face the same. ‘In
their Shoes’, the Get Equipped
article soundly addresses the needed subject of ‘Counseling the Afflicted’. In
this year alone GEMS has witnessed major persecutions in eight fields; some are
recounted here and the News & Views
article practically shows the way in ‘Facing
& Handling Persecutions’.
Times of crisis also
bring the best from worst situations, like the hashtag #portesouvertes (“open
doors”) used by Parisians who offered shelter to those afraid to travel home
after the terrorist attacks; and the way in which strangers came together and
helped each other during the Chennai Rains. “Is your dependence merely on
knowledge and experience or do you seek the wisdom from above?” is the
pondering question from the lead article ‘In
Crisis’ which goes on to show how a spiritual leader will handle crisis.
The image on the cover
is from a skit of the ‘Make in India (for all seasons)’ Convention echoing the
words of Paul that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. The image
of the ultimate expression of God’s love is the suffering of Christ on the
cross demonstrating through our sufferings that ‘He has been there before and
is with us’; that people are not alone to deal with their dukha or karma or mueana but He is able to sympathize with
our weaknesses (Heb 4:15), because He himself was tested & suffered (Heb
2:18).
Let me close with the
closing lines of a poem in this issue, “Every time the situation didn’t change;
rather it changed my attitude towards God and His ways!”
Uplifting
Reading!
Mariyosh
Joseph
Chief Editor
CONTENTS
·
From
Bihar With Love: In Crisis – Augustine Jebakumar
·
Director’s
Desk: Gifted Hour of Trial – Ashok Kumar
·
Poem:
The Unexpected… The Unpredicted – Sheela Duthie
·
Life
Sharing: First Seed – Anita Franklin
·
Children’s
Chronicles: Be My Friend – Angeline Mariyosh
·
Tentmaking:
Afflicted, not Abandoned – Bernardshaw Thiraviam
·
Standing
@ the GAP: In His Call – Paramasamy Johnson
·
Poem:
Let the people not only read… - Ruby Manoharan
·
MK
Memoirs: There is More to this Form – Theodore Anil
·
Get
Equipped: In their Shoes-Counseling the Afflicted – Angeline Mariyosh
·
Transforming
Peoples to Transform Nations:
Persecutors Participate Along with Believers in Area Convention
Persecuted One After the Other in Madhya Pradesh
·
News
& Views: Facing and Handling Persecutions – Peter Jayaraj
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___________________________________________
The CALL - VOL 8 - Year 2016 - Issue 1 (Missio Dei Special)
“Where there has been acceptance of the gospel through preaching, my complaint is that there has been some motive” writes Arun Shourie in his book ‘Missionaries in India’. I wish he understands the motive behind missions, the love of God! God’s love is the motive of missions and that’s why it is ‘Missio Dei’, the mission of God. Unless one experiences the love of Christ in his life, he cannot be a true missionary; the love that sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
Missions is the grateful expression of a disciple lived out in complete submission to the One who saved and called Him to carry His message of love, forgiveness, salvation and hope. The picture and verse on the Cover signify this truth, that when we were gone astray, He opened the eternal way, by bearing our sins and with this thankfulness we show forth His praise to all generations. The article from the Director’s Desk, ‘The Missionary Call’ presents this as the threefold love, love for God, love for Neighbour and love for the Lost.
God seeks not only the able, but the available and equips them to be capable to fulfill His mission. Two Get Equipped articles, each focus on Training and Cultural Anthropology in Missions. It is the call for every believer to take the gospel to the ends of the world and to provide such an opportunity to train laymen and women for missions, GEMS started a new program, Missionary Preparatory Training Course (MPTC) and the Magnifying Glass column is focused on this initiative.
The Tentmaking column poses the question “Are we serious enough with the Mission at the Marketplace?” sounding the clarion call that “it’s time for the Christians at marketplace to live out as Salt and Light leading the professionals to taste the love of our Lord Jesus and to bring them to the light of salvation.” Deploring the deplorability of “Christian ministry (that) present God as the ultimate capitalist whose paramount attention is on successful living evidenced by financial prosperity”, the New Gen Thinking column article, ‘Call Centers for Christ’ addresses the practicalities of workplace evangelism and presents the big need to reach out to the BPO industry.
The Children’s Chronicles column ‘Use Me’ will be doubly exciting for children; it is cartoon with coloring pages. When their exams get over, parents, teachers and wardens can teach the children the truth of the story that God has called children too to partake in His mission and let them have the fun of coloring.
The field focus of this issue is on the Rohtas Hills and one article talks about the Oraon people of the hills giving an anthropological and apologetic view and another article brings out a beautiful testimony of a tribal woman who left witchcraft to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Missions is about God; and He uses people to fulfill His vision and it is imperative that the carriers of the gospel are cared for. ‘Caring for God’s Servants’ is a Standing @ the GAP article that shows the need and the nitty-gritty of Member Care from recruitment through retirement.
Just eleven days after her husband Graham Staines, the missionary in Orissa who was burnt alive with his two little sons, Gladys answered to an interview on what would she say to young people considering missions, “once you are sure of that (your call from God) then just be prepared for whatever, even if it costs you loss. We must learn not to hang on to our own lives; we must learn to allow God to use us… So if the Lord has called them and they are sure of their call, then... don't stay at home.”
The fulfillment of the purpose of this issue is perfectly presented in these words of the lead article ‘Embracing God’s Global Vision’, “If the youth catch the vision of the nations and if missions becomes the talk of the church and at every meal in houses then an entire new society will be born and the family and church will fulfill this heavenly vision.”
Missional Reading!
Mariyosh Joseph
Chief Editor
CONTENTS
· From Bihar With Love: Embracing God's Global Vision – Augustine Jebakumar
· Director’s Desk: The Missionary Call – Ashok Kumar
· Poem: Channel of His Blessings to Nations – Sheela Duthie
· Get Equipped: Making Fishers of Men – T. Emerson
· Magnifying Glass: Missionary Preparatory Training Course – Isaac Jayakumar
· Poem: His Missionary – Mariyosh Joseph
· Tentmaking: Missiona at the Marketplace – Sumithra Jayaraj
· New Gen Thinking: Call Centers for Christ – Sai Bharathan
· Children's Chronicles: Use Me – Angeline Mariyosh
· Poem: On the Roadway of Missions – Preena Stanly
· Get Equipped: Role of Cultural Anthropology in Missions – Vincent Jeyaraj
· Transforming Peoples to Transform Nations:
Oraon People of the Rohtas Hills – Martin
From Sorcery to the Saviour – Mariyosh
· Standing @ the GAP: Caring for God's Servants – Lois Sampath
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___________________________________________
The CALL - VOL 8 - Year 2016 - Issue 2 (Media Special)
A young boy was brought to be counseled. Surprisingly,
he not only knew and accepted Christ solely
through the Internet (he is from a place that is hostile to the gospel); he had
also grown much in the knowledge of the Bible. But the sad thing was internet
had taught him a very wrong eschatology.
The greatest challenge today to Christian media is the
standards of world media as (in the words of Malcolm Muggeridge) “their light
is darkness, their facts are fancy, their documentation is myth”. This Media Special issue of The CALL is an
attempt to bring a biblical perspective to media and in this issue you will
read articles on social and digital media, broadcast media and print media.
Majority of this world’s population is now identified
as either digital migrants or the digital natives. ‘Facebook Vs Face the Book’ throws light on this issue and gives a
balanced biblical view to use and to conquer social media for Christ.
Christianity has a long and rich tradition of music
from the Bible and history, but sadly a lot of Christian music has become a
“performance or entertainment” rather than a message with all the attention on
the musician or the music. The News &
Views article ‘Biblical Perspective
to Christian Music’ not only deals with this issue but the author shares
his own testimony of how he left the cinema music industry and became a
missionary. Likewise the Red Hot column
carries an interview with Brother Raju a song writer & Worship leader, who
answers honestly questions on the deplorability of Worship being used as a
platform for personal fame.
Cyber bullying and facebook depression are on the rise
and quiet often children get abused online by strangers. Recently Godfruits ran an article on how three
teens died in mysterious ways and the investigation led to an App that they
downloaded; which allows users to stay anonymous with features of instant
messaging and sending pictures & videos. These children participated in a
challenge through this app which led them to their death. This is the danger
when the virtual meets the real. The article for youths, ‘Web-O-Sphere’ warns on the dangers of indulgence in social media
and lays the rules & checklist to safeguard oneself from becoming prey and
polluted.
In MK Memoirs
column article ‘From Missionary Family
to Mass Media’, a missionary’s daughter shares how God’s providence took
her to the Mass Media and on the need for Christians to be there to change the
trend of news & programs for
viewership to present truth.
Born as digital natives, this generation of children
are not only comfortable with gadgets but crave & cling to them. ‘Danny and his Xbox’ in the Children’s Chronicles column narrates
the story of a boy whose gaming becomes an addiction to the point of giving him
nightmares. While this warns children on the effects of gaming addiction, the Standing @ the GAP column article ‘Clean as Comics and Cartoons?’ raises
the mounting concern over the contents of seemingly harmless animation movies,
comic books and character depictions and sounds the trumpet for parents and
elders to watch out for the content children are exposed to.
In the Movie
Review of ‘Life of Pi’ Dr Vishal
Mangalwadi presents the postmodern challenge where “truth” has been reduced to
“story” and how it no longer matters which story is true, but only what one
chooses to believe; and its effect on the presentation of the Gospel.
The Tentmaking
column carries a PROFITeer’s testimony, ‘Creativity
for the Creator’, of how one’s creative talent when correctly identified
and nurtured can be greatly used for God’s glory and His purposes. The
Magnifying Glass column chronicles the origin and developments of GEMS Media Ministries.
“The danger comes” says the General Secretary Brother Augustine
Jebakumar, “when man lacks discernment about two important aspects: the source
of the message and the intention behind it.” Feeding and fueling narcissism are
the various forms of social media. And scientists have found a new unit to
measure narcissism, N=S/h, Selfie per hour! This generation has moved from ‘I
think, therefore I am’ to ‘I shop, therefore I am’ to now ‘I pose (& post),
therefore I am’!
In his foreword to Muggeridge’s book ‘Christ and the
Media’ Billy Graham nails it when he says, “The problem of the media is but a
symptom of a deeper problem – the problem of the human heart, alienated from
God.” One of the greatest challenges is for this Selfie Generation to find the
value of their true self in the Saviour, “who, though he was in the form of God...
emptied himself, taking the form of a slave… And being found in human form, he
humbled himself” (Philippians 2:6-8).
Let this image obsessed tinsel world meet with the
Imago Dei!
Mariyosh Joseph
Chief Editor
Contents
From
Bihar With Love: Jebakumar on Media – D. Augustine
Jebakumar
Executive
Director’s Desk: Facebook Vs Face the Book – C. Ashok
Kumar
News
& Views: Biblical Perspective to Christian
Music – Prabha Karan
Young
& Full of Life: Web-O-Sphere – The Breathing
Place of The Present Generation – Ashish Daniel
MK
Memoirs: From Missionary Family to Mass Media –
Rollet Grace
Children’s
Chronicles: Danny and his Xbox – Evangeline Joseph
Red
Hot: Raju on Worship and Music – Raju
The Magnifying
Glass: GEMS Media Ministries – Gideon M Durai
Tentmaking: Creative for the Creator – Bobby Leonard
Movie
Review: Life of Pi – Vishal Mangalwadi
Standing
@ the GAP: Clean as Comics and Cartoons? – Mounting
Concern – Mariyosh Joseph
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___________________________________________
The CALL - VOL 8 - Year 2016 - Issue 3 (Mentoring Special)
The words that my mentor spoke into my
life, when I left for Bihar 16 years back, has been a guiding light through my
young years. He reminded me the words that Paul exhorted his young assistant
Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example…” (2 Timothy 4:12)
This Mentoring
Special issue is for teachers, parents, children, youths, missionaries,
pastors, leaders and working professionals. This is both a mentorship manual
and an enjoyable material for the casual reader.
“Teaching helps to understand what to
think, but mentoring trains to know how to think” reads the article ‘Have your Paul & Know your Timothy’
pointing out to the purpose of mentoring and encourages everyone to mentor and
to be mentored with five principles. ‘To
Go Beyond Oneself’ in the Red Hot
column takes this truth further by showing what selfless mentoring looks like.
‘Why
We Do Not Mentor?’ dwells into the reasons behind failures
in mentoring and recommends corrective measures to handle the dearth of leadership.
‘Proven
Gold’ in Calltoon
and ‘Frustrated Ryan’ in the Children’s Chronicles columns bring a
double treat for children and teens with interesting and inspiring stories. In ‘His Hand, Upon Me’ a GEMS MK shares
how God’s word and His grace acts in his life to mould him towards God-ordained
destiny.
‘Parental
Mentoring of Children’ in the Get Equipped column practically teaches the principles to follow at
home. ‘Mentoring Girls to Become
Deborahs’ chronicles the work of GEMS in training young girls through DBTC
(Deborah Bible Training Center).
Reminding the call of God to be His
witness at the workplace, the Tentmaking
article ‘The Mantle & The
Marketplace’ prescribes the ABC’s of mentoring to sustain and develop the
momentum of ministry at the marketplace.
“Mentoring is not only about developing
people to take up the leadership position, but imparting the vision” prompts
the lead article ‘Pass the Baton’ which
presents the practices of leaders in the Bible in mentoring people to carry
forward the vision and mission.
The Chairman & CEO of PepsiCo India
Shivkumar in a recent interview on dealing with the Millennials (whom he says
are 2/3rds of the country) is vocal about this different generation – they do
not believe in hierarchy & top-down leadership, they want to race against
time and they believe in progress, the values of the organization & open
communication.
It is this generation that God is calling
us to mentor and to raise as mentors.
The quote on the cover by Janet Thompson
says, “Mentoring is: Sharing Life's Experiences and God's Faithfulness”. The
Message version of 2 Timothy 4:12 ends, “Teach
believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by
integrity.” Let’s mentor through our life and be mentored to reflect God's
Faithfulness.
Mem(nt)orable Reading!
Mariyosh Joseph
Chief
Editor, The CALL
Contents – Mentoring Special
From Bihar With Love: Pass the Baton – D. Augustine Jebakumar
Executive Director’s Desk: Have Your Paul & Know Your Timothy – Ashok Kumar
Red Hot: To Go Beyond Oneself – Jeyasingh David
MK Memoirs: His Hand, Upon Me – Jeremiah
News & Views: Why We Do Not Mentor – T. Emerson
Calltoon: Proven Gold – Angeline Mariyosh
Get Equipped: Parental Mentoring of Children – Sheela Duthie
Children’s Chronicles: Frustrated Ryan – Esther Dara
The Magnifying Glass: Mentoring Girls to Become Deborahs – Chitra
Krishnamoorthy
Tentmaking: The Mantle & the Marketplace – Sumithra Jayaraj
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___________________________________________
The CALL - VOL 8 - Year 2016 - Issue 4 (Medical Special)
The
memorial at Einsiedeln, Switzerland applauds Theophrastus
Paracelsus, the 15th century physician & philosopher as, “erneuerer
der medizin, vater der chemotherapie… eigenwilliger denker und demutiger
christ, freund der armen” (the regenerator of medicine, the father of
chemotherapy… the self-sufficient thinker and humble christ, friend of the poor).
The field of medicine is such that it raises its practitioners to such
admiration. This Medical Special
issue of The CALL is an attempt to present the true calling and purpose of the
medical field.
Exhorting that the call to heal the sick
is a call from the Master, ‘Caring is
our Calling’ shows how the church and missions have been pioneers in global
healthcare and sounds the clarion call to venture into new and needed avenues
in healthcare. A resurgence to this end is needed and this is possible only
when we commit towards an ‘Overflowing
Life’ as the lead article suggests so that there may be healing of nations.
The News
& Views article ‘Sin, Sickness
& Suffering’ answers the cause and connection of these baffling issues and
helps understand trials and God’s silence meaningfully. When our sense of value
is often tied to our job or possessions, people who are confined become
non-performers and are pushed into feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
The Get Equipped article ‘Giving Hope: Counselling the Sick’
exhorts to encourage such to help them understand their worth in Christ and
teaches the Do’s and Don’ts of counselling at such times.
‘I
Want to be a Missionary Doctor’ and ‘For His Purpose’ in the MK
Memoirs column are inspiring testimonies of two GEMS MKs who surrendered to
God’s will and persevered through to realize the passion to become a missionary
doctor.
The Red
Hot article ‘Changing Face and
Challenges of Healthcare’ throws light on the changes and contemporary
challenges in healthcare and sounds the alarm that “Healthcare has become more
profit driven from being service driven.” The article also presents the needed
areas to focus and develop so that healthcare may not just become profit-based
and practice-based, but patient-care-centered.
It is this vision of patient care that
drives ‘GEMS Medical Ministries’ and
the Magnifying Glass column shows how
it accomplishes this vision to transform people by meeting their physical,
mental and spiritual needs. Medical mission is pivotal to the ministries of
GEMS as the founding of GEMS in itself is the fruit of prayers of two medical missionaries Caroline
Paint and Sylvia Beadwell who served in Bihar in the late 60s & early 70s. We
also remember and salute the contributions of Olive Jarvis & Joy Bath the
pioneers of medical ministries at Dehri-On-Sone and Susie Rollet who sacrificed
her life on the Rohtas hills while serving the Lord for the medical cause.
Heaven
celebrates the sacrifices of such and GEMS medical missionary Arlene gave her
life while serving on the Rohtas hills. When medical practitioners, in these
tough places are victims themselves it’s an urgent reminder of the priority of
medical care for every missionary. Hence ‘Missionaries
Health Services’ is an initiative towards meeting possible total medical
care assistance to missionaries across India and beyond.
Young medical
missionary, General Surgeon Prerit Thomas Jacob who served at Evangelical
Hospital in Orissa, who went to be with the Lord this January 2017 wrote &
sang, “Help me to choose, what I cannot lose… Help me to fight till the break
of daylight… For the sake of the Call”. This is a high call!
Answering
this call, during the second world war the Army Medic Desmond in the heat of the
battle on the Hackshaw Ridge, though tired and battered himself kept crying,
“Please Lord! Help me get one more… help me get one more” and he carried 75
wounded men to safety! He remained characteristically modest, giving all
credits to God for this accomplishment.
Renowned and accomplished neurosurgeon,
author & politician Ben Carson writes in Gifted Hands, “I became acutely aware of an unusual ability - a
divine gift, I believe - of extraordinary eye and hand coordination. It’s my
belief that God gives us all gifts, special abilities that we have the
privilege of developing to help us serve Him and humanity.” And he says that
knowing God that He sent His Son to die for our sins is very empowering and
knowing that He loves me, gives me encouragement and confidence to move
forward.
Empowered by His love and encouraged with
His presence let us serve humanity; raise up generations to answer this call and
bring healing to the nations (Rev 22:2).
Healthy Reading,
Mariyosh Joseph
Chief
Editor
Contents – Medical Special
From Bihar With Love: Overflowing Life – D. Augustine Jebakumar
Executive Director’s Desk: Caring is Our Calling – Ashok Kumar
News & Views: Sin, Sickness & Suffering – Stanly Gladson Daniel
Get Equipped: Giving Hope: Counselling the Sick – Preena Lynette
MK Memoirs: I Want to be a Missionary Doctor – Joy Elizabeth
Red Hot: Changing Face & Changes of Healthcare – Antony
Arockiadass
MK Memoirs: For His Purpose – Beulah Grace
The Magnifying Glass: Missionaries Health Services – Rajesh Duthie
The Magnifying Glass: GEMS Medical Ministries
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___________________________________________
The CALL - VOL 9 - Year 2017 - Issue 1 (Unity Special)
While on one hand
we see nation against nation, community against community, family against
family, man against man; on the other we see baseless arguments like that of
Rajiv Malhotra (in his book ‘Breaking India’) that Christian work feeds and
flourishes on the disunity within Indian communities. A lack of proper
understanding of the Bible on unity is the reason.
Since there is no
provision or possibility of uniting people without any differences and
discrimination within any other framework and religious system, he attempts to degrade
and dismantle the only Faith that can give equal rights to all people
irrespective of their colour, language, geography. And the last book of the
Bible shows us a glimpse of what it will be like when Christ returns and in His kingdom, “After this I
looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and
peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…”
(Revelation 7:9 NRSV).
The world’s
pursuit of unity yields not much results because of its failure in not pursuing
the Truth as C.S. Lewis aptly words it, “Seek Unity and you will find neither
Unity nor Truth. Seek the light of truth, and you will find Unity and Truth”.
The oxymoron phrase ‘Unity in Diversity’ makes sense and the meaningful and
possible coexistence of unitas and varietas becomes achievable only when
there is the pursuit of veritas
(Truth). Devoid of Truth, the world’s sophomoric attempt at unity meets only
with more disunity.
In his article ‘To the Unity of the Faith’ the General
Secretary compares the church, church leaders and ministers of the first
century and present times and shows the dilution of truth in life and in
proclamation. This is a clarion call to stand on the truth without compromising
the Word.
The article from
the Associate General Secretary’s Desk, ‘Clarity
in Unity’ presents four foundational principles of Unity to help understand
that unity is not uniformity rather a process of maturity.
Unity and Love as
abstracts cannot be understood unless we come to the Personhood of the
Trinity. The more we learn and grow in
the knowledge of our Triune God, the more we grow in unity. The Get Equipped article ‘Trinity: Understanding the Three in One’
is biblically sound and encourages the reader to grow in unity and to practice
godly love that exists within the Trinity.
Unity in essence
needs to be experienced within a person (aligning oneself with God’s word),
with people and in God’s purpose. The New
Gen Thinking article ‘Walls: Build
or Break?’ expounds on these and brings unity lessons from walls of
historical significance. The ‘Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares’ sculpture in
the UN Art Collection and the inscriptions on the Isaiah Wall across the UN
building, “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4b), is complete, meaningful and possible
only when people walk in Truth, in God’s paths and when God shall judge among
the nations (Isaiah 2:3,4a).
The Children’s Chronicles story ‘Raju’s Projects’ is a definite treat
for children which shows how when small children come together they can make a
big difference in someone’s life.
‘Till Death Do Us Part’ is an excellent article for married couples and for
those preparing for marriage which points out to the importance of commitment
and not compulsion to be the anchor of marriage life.
The Tentmaking article ‘Dichotomy in Calling: Unifying Skills & Spiritual Gifts to Serve’
removes the dichotomy of secular and sacred and helps the reader to understand
work as a calling from God and to unify and use one’s skills, abilities, gifts
for God’s glory and for His purpose.
This year, 2017
marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. “To gather with
God's people in united adoration of the Father is as necessary to the Christian
life as prayer” remarked Martin Luther. This is a stark reminder for the need
of unity within the church community. We are called to build the kingdom of God
and not our own kingdoms.
We need yet
another reformation, that will bring unity with the clarity that we are not
called to compete with each other but to complement our graces and gifts; not
to fight on fundamental doctrines and yet not compromise on sound doctrines; not
to become self and church-obsessed, but to be kingdom-minded.
Unifying Reading,
Mariyosh Joseph
Chief Editor, The CALL
Contents – Unity Special
From Bihar With Love: To the Unity of the Faith – D. Augustine Jebakumar
AGS Desk: Clarity in Unity – Ashok Kumar
Poem: Stay with the Flock – Esther Dara
Children’s Chronicles: Raju’s Projects – Angeline Mariyosh
Get Equipped: Trinity: Understanding the Three in One – Christopher
Murugan
New Gen Thinking: Walls: Build or Break? – Mariyosh Joseph
Standing @ the GAP: Till Death Do Us Part – Packiyarani Stephen
Tentmaking: Dichotomy in Calling: Unifying Skills & Spiritual
Gifts to Serve – Sumithra Jayaraj
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___________________________________________
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