Day 40- Practice the Presence

St Joseph 's  Cathedral

I  have come to the  ultimate post  of  my 40 day pilgrimage.
Sometimes  I  felt    God  breathing down my back.
Sometimes  He  appeared  to be  distant , yet  very much present.
He  has  made  Himself known in sunshine  and   the  rain.
In noise and in silence.
I have  heard  Him knocking at  the   door of  my  heart.
And  when I opened the door, we supped  together.
I have felt His presence as an individual and as  a part  of  a community.

This  is  the  end  of  my  40 day excursion my my  life 's  odyssey continues in which I hope I shall practise  the  presence  of  Christ in the mundane or  humdrum and  the  exciting and ethereal experiences.

"...we should establish ourselves in a sense of  God 's presence by continually conversing with Him.
...it is a  shameful thing to quit His conversation to think of trifles  and  fooleries.
That we  should feed  and  nourish our  souls  with  high  notions of  God,  which would yield us great joy in being devoted  to Him."
(Brother  Lawrence - I edited  the  quote)


Psalm 139;7-10
Where can I go from Your Spirit
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
^(BIBLE)

 

Day 39-Let My Life Show It

Winter Timber painted  by David Hockney (2009)

God
help me to love you
the way You
deserve
to be loved -
with doing,
not dreaming;
with obedience,
not oratories;
on my feet,
not just my knees.

-Susan Locke

Day 38- Our William Carey

                                         (Google  photos)

26 For [r]consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to [s]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may...

nullify the things that are, 29 so that no [t]man may boast before God. 30 But [u]by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, [v]and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Cor. 1 (BIBLE)
Many people come to our mid-week Bible teaching on Wednesday evenings . Illiterate , semi-literate, college graduates and university professors come together.   Yesterday, a cobbler   from the side walk came. He  has put  his trust  in  Christ. and  wants to  know  him  more  closely. He sat shyly at the back. Pastor, Dr Herbert made him sit in front and told him about William Carey a  cobbler from Nottinghamshire,  who transformed India. Dr Herbert christened this man, William Carey

 

The  humble  man  sat  up  straighter  after that and  had  a  twinkle in his  eye as he  greeted  everyone  with  a Jai  Yeshu (Praise  Jesus) after  the  meeting.

 

This  is  experiencing  God as Christ  made Him known , among  the poor,  down trodden and also  the  privileged.People  from  all  levels  of  society  were  drawn to  him.

 

God  sometimes  uses  the  weakest  forms  of  life  to display  His  strength , power  and  wisdom.

Day 37- Mirrors

Indianapolis-born and New York City-based photographer Daniel Kukla spent last March living in Joshua Tree National Park in southern California as part of an artist’s residency. While hiking and driving, he would catch glimpses of the border where the Sonoran Desert met the high Mojave. In the ecological sciences, the border space created by the meeting of distinct ecosystems is referred to as the edge effect. To document this unique confluence of terrains, Kukla took a large mirror and painter’s easel into the wilderness and captured opposing elements within the environment. Using a single visual plane, this series of images unifies the play of temporal phenomena, contrasts of color and texture, and natural interactions of the environment itself.
His photo project has been published in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and National Geographic and many more.
www.amuzingplanet.com

 

 

 

Daniel 's creativity and expertise  is  clearly reflected in  these  magic  mirrors. My  favourite  is  the  last  one  with  the   stars  shining  in   the  deep   dark  night  sky. The  stars  look  like  pearls  sewn on velvet cloth.
Which is   yours?

In  1  Cor. 13;12  the  Bible  says that "Now we  see  in  a  mirror dimly, but then face to  face, now I know  in part, but then I shall  know  fully just  as  I  also have  been fully   known.

My  experience  of God is  sufficient  for  this   earthly life ,  but  it  is  not  complete. Its  like  peering into a dark , milky mirror compared  to what I will  find  in heaven.  Then I  will  know God as  He  knows  me   now,  completely.
 All  mysteries  and questions  will  be  solved.

Till  then...
Mirrored here may our  lives , tell His  story.

Day 36- Invisible

Today' s  post  has  been  taken  from  the  online  devotional Our  Daily Journey.The  story of Queen Esther  really  fascinates  me.  Its  about  God  working  behind the  scenes.
His face  is  hidden
His  hand  is  invisible
Yet   He  is  very  much  active  and  present  in  the  lives  of  His   chosen people, in  this  case,  the   Israelites  in captivity in a hostile  country.
I  have  lived in  and faced  hostile  situations , in  which it  was  hard  to  believe  that  I was  on  the winning  side,  but  as  things  heated  up,  God provided the  victory.And  I  want  to  testify  that I  have experienced  God  in  the   most  apprehensive  and  antagonistic state of  affairs

Invisible Hand of God



Esther 2:1-11, 16-18

The king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti (v.17).

While her mother-in-law was out of town, my friend was given the keys to her luxurious car. Later, my friend said to me, “The leather seat seems to be made just for your body shape. And the car cruises silently along the highway. Wow, such luxury is intoxicating.”

Indeed, power, wealth, fame, and pleasure can be intoxicating. With that said, I wonder what it was like to be Esther—an orphan Jewish girl living as an exile— plucked from rags to riches? She received pampering beauty treatments, had seven maids standing by, and she stayed in the best place in the harem (Esther 2:9).

The Bible is surprisingly silent about Esther’s character, however. Unlike Daniel (Daniel 1:4), for instance, nothing about her devotion to God or character was mentioned. We only know that she was physically very beautiful (Esther 2:7,15). This is most unusual, for if the Bible tells us anything, it tells us to judge a person in terms of their character—not according to their good looks.

Yet, many of us are easily inclined to view Mordecai and Esther as godly. The question is why? Why are we happy to see Esther on the throne, even though she’s the winner of a contest . . . which included sleeping with the king?

Something is drastically wrong with God’s people as represented in the book of Esther. One Bible teacher suggests: “God is not mentioned in Esther, because God is not thought of in Esther.” As we read through the book, however, we sense that His invisible hand is working through events and people to preserve His chosen nation. He’s faithful even when His people are unfaithful.

Let’s walk faithfully with our great God who providentially cares for His people—even in the midst of intoxicating pleasures that threaten to distract us.

—Poh Fang Chia


Read Psalm 101 to see how one man—who was powerful, wealthy, and famous—committed himself to walking faithfully with God.

Day 35- Oil For the Bones

 

Taking  a  moment   to  smile  with  God.

 I can   experience   God  in laughter'

He  certainly  has funny  ways  of  dealing  with  things  sometimes.

The  joy  of   the  Lord  is  my  strength. When I  feel  tired  and  burdened I sit  a while and  share  a  smile  or  two with  someone. 

 Its  soul medicine.

The  only   TV  show I  watch regularly is   a  wholesome comic  family drama - with   loony   characters,  just  looking  at  them  makes  one  laugh.

America 's  Funniest  Videos  is  good too.

The  song  from  the  movie The  Sound  of  Music -

My  Favourite  Things, is  also  along  these  lines.

These  cartoons   were  emailed to  my  by   my   friend  Sita  Henderson.

Thanks  Sita.

A joyful heart ^[i]is good medicine,

But a broken spirit dries up the bones

Proverbs 17:22 NASB (BIBLE)

From  this  scripture I can  infer that a merry  heart is like  medicine for  my  aching bones.

And  mind  you  it  the   cheapest  medicine too.

 

Day 34- Pause

For  the  past  few  days  I  had to  pause in my  40  day  journey because  of  computer problems. I  am  still  learning   the  new  operating system,  so  I   am  slow. But  I  am  getting  there.

But  it  all  happened  for  the  best. That 's  why  I  put  up  this  poster  I  found on  Facebook.
Sometimes our plans  don' t  work out.
God  has  better  ones.
Our  prayers are not answers
Maybe  we  are  asking  for  a  stone,
God  wants  to give  us  bread.
Sometimes our safe  walls  and  defences  fall  down
God  is   enlarging  our  space (tent)
Our  friends  suddenly  disappear when  we  need  them  most,
And  swimming alone in the dark
We  find God 's  everlasting arms supporting us.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose
Romans 8:28 NIV (BIBLE)

Day 33- Discovery

I  am  discovering  many  things.
Sunsets  are   for free.
Traffic  hams  clear  up.
People  keep  their  promises.
Forgiving   others  makes  you   feel  light.
Hearing  the  other  half  of  the  story  surprises  you.
Misunderstandings   and  conflicts  can  be  cleared  up  with dialogue.
The  cool   season  arrives   after  the  heat  melts   away.

For  all  these  things  and  more  I  bow  my  knee in  praise  before  the  Source  of   all  good  things.
 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
^{James  1;17 NASB (BIBLE)}

Day 32- Agnes Dei

Agnes  Dei (1635-40)

Fransisco de  Zurbaran

A new spring lamb with its feet trussed is up for the slaughter. Agnes Dei or “Lamb of God” is a powerful reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice for humanity. The composition is austere, aided by the single source of light and deep chiaroscuro (contrast between light and dark), evoking a sense of spiritual piety

I received  this  painting in  my  inbox  today and    sat  looking  at   it  for  a  few  minutes thinking  about  Jesus  the  perfect  Lanb  of  God  slain before  the foundations  of  the  earth.

The Renaissance  masters  made  scriptural truths  come  alive   with  the  stroke  of  their   brushes.These  religious  paintings  were  all  the  more  meaningful and  significant  in that  day and  age  as  the Bible  was  virtually  inaccessible  to  the laity ,  the  clergy  being  its  tenacious  custodians.

Latin  was the  language of    Catholic  Christianity  and the   common man bowed  his  head  before  it, worshipping  God with  words  they barely could understand.

Now  , if I was  living  in the Renaissance period , dwelling  in small hamlet  in Europe and  one  day had  an  opportunity  to  see this masterpiece  in an imposing cathedral in a  city-  what  would this  painting do to  me?

I would  probably  know  Agnes  Dei   from  the  Gregorian Chant

sung  by  a  monastic  choir  in  the  parish church.

I  would turn   to  the  painting  with  that  music  throbbing  in my heart.

Look  at  the  lamb, spotless, unblemished,  perfect.

Lying  in peaceful submission on the  altar of its  sacrifice. Its  legs  trussed  up. It  is  not   struggling or  bleating or   pleading for  mercy.

And  I  would  recall  the  words  of  Jesus uttered  in the  Garden of Gethsemane, His  last  resting place  before  his  journey towards the  cross.

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Matthew 26;39 NASB (BIBLE)

Listen  to  a  monastic choir  sing

the Agnus  Dei  from  the  Gregorian  Chant

Day 31- Seeking God

In  my Day 24  post  last  Sunday I shared   about  a  hapless , sick  woman  called  Simla  who  came  to  the  evening service  and  requested  prayer  for  her  multiple  medical  problems. She  was  so  weak  she   could not walk  up  to  the  front  of  the  church  and   stand  in  the  prayer  line. Glory  be  to God ,  she  came  again  tonight  and  was  well   enough  to  walk  up  front  ,  she  testified that  she   is  feeling  stronger.

My  cup of  joy    just  ran  over  when I  saw her. God  is  merciful.

A  man  brought  his  daughter in law and  two  tiny  grand children  to  church today. He  asked  prayer  for  his  son  who  constantly  fights   with  his  wife   (the  DIL) and   ill treats  her. The  poor  woman  sat  on  a  bench  looking   so  scared  and  nervous with  her  children  next  to her.
Her  name  is  Gulshan and  her  husband' s  name   is Bhaiyya. Please  join  us  in praying   for  this  couple.  May  their    marriage  conflicts and  fights be  resolved   and   they  may  live  peacefully  together.  Most  of  all  the  light  of  Christ  may  shine  in  their  home.

The   Lord Jesus  Christ   said,
Come to me all  you  who are  weary and  burdened, and  I   will  give  you  rest. Matthew  11;28  (BIBLE)

Day 30- Lesson Learnt From An ATM Machine

Last   month  I  discovered  that my  ATM debit  card  which  can  also  be  used as   a  Master   and  VISA  card  had  expired.  Since  I had  not  used it  for  a  long  time  ,  there   was  a  lengthy  procedure  to  go   through to get  a  new  one. After  fulfilling  all  the  requirements  I  finally  got  a  new  card. With  it  I  got  an envelop  which contained  my   secret PIN  number.

There  was  a  black patch  on  the  envelop with  instructions not  to scratch  the  patch. But  I  did  exactly   that .  I   rubbed  the  black  inky   part  and  in doing   so  I  smudged  the  PIN  number which  I  could  barely  read.

Now  it  turned into a  intriguing  card  game  somewhat  like  online  Solitaire. I  had  a  choice  of   numbers  .  After  punching   in  3   combinations,  the  ATM  locked me  out, saying  my  transaction  was  denied..  I  had  to  wait  24  hours  for  another  attempt. Machines   do  that   to  prevent  hacking and   use  of  stolen  cards.

24  hours  ended   this  evening  , so  I  went  to  back   for  another  attempt.   I  punched  in  a  number  and  lo and  behold  ,  it  worked . The number I  guessed  was correct. As   I  retrieved   my  cash, I  wiped  my  brow.

Lesson  learnt...You  cannot  play  casino  games  with  an  ATM   machine.Approach it  the  correct  PIN  number otherwise  get  locked out.

I   must have  a  PIN   to  access  God and   this  PIN    is  no  secret.  He  is  Jesus  Christ .I have free  access to  God  the Father  at any  time  of  the  day  or  night  through Jesus.He unlocked  the  gates  the  heaven for  me  when  I  invited  Him  into  my  heart.

People  are  trying  to  enter  God' s  presence with  their  own  smudged  PIN  codes. They  are  trying  various   combinations. Jesus  said ,"I  am  the  door, no one can  come  to  the   Father  but  through me."

Jesus  said," I am  the way  ,  the  truth and  the  life, no man  cometh unto the  Father  but  by me."  John  14;6 KJV (BIBLE)

"For  through  him (Jesus   Christ) we  have   access  by the One  Spirit unto the Father." Ephesians  2;18 KJV (BIBLE)

Day 29- Honesty begins at Home

Today  is  the   29th day  of  my  forty  day  pilgrimage with  the  deliberate  intention  of  sharing  how  I  experience   God' s  presence   and  intervention in  my  life.

A  father told  me  the  story  of  his  13  year  old   daughter 's  honesty that  touched  my   heart and   also testified  how  God 's  Spirit is  moving  upon  the  earth

This  man   is  a  driver  in  an  educational  institution  and  earns  a  very low  salary, just  enough to  make  ends  meet. He  went  to  the  vegetable  market  the  other  evening  with  his  family and   found  an  expensive   cell  phone  lying  on the  ground  near  a  stall. He  glanced  here  and there , nobody was  looking  for  it , so it  seemed  pretty  easy  to  pick  it up  and  bring  it  home. After  all his old   cell phone was  falling apart  and  here  was  a  new  Nokia.

When  he  showed  it  to  his   family , his  13  year  old  daughter  immediately  took  it  from  him.
"Papa", she  said,""We  must  return  this  phone  to  its  owner. He   will  call  this  number  after  a while.He has  not   only lost  his  phone  but  all  his   contact  numbers  which  he has  stored  in  it.  How  difficult  it  will be  for  him  to  get  them  back. Just  imagine if  this  had   happened  to us.."
Nobody  could  refute  that.

And  sure  enough  the  phone  rang , and  the  young  girl  answered  it  immediately.
"Don 't worry sir, 'she  said , 'I  have  your  lost  phone. Here  is  my  address. Please  come and  take  it  from me. When   you  are  near  my  street  , call   again  and  I  will  stand  outside  my  house and  wave,  so you  can  identify  me  easily."

A man  showed  up  at their  doorstep after  a  short  intervall.  He  was  a   lawyer. Receiving his  phone  from  the  teenager,  he  offered  her  a reward  of   a  hundred  rupees. This  amount  meant  a  lot  to  the  child  because  she  hardly  ever  got   any  pocket  money.

"No sir," said  the    girl,  "Keep  the  money. It  is  not a  good  habit  to  give   money to  children." The  affluent  lawyer  was  greatly   humbled  and  left  with  a  grateful and  admiring  heart. The  father told  his  story with great  pride  and  I applauded  .

It  is  hard  to  be   honest  when one  is  so  poor. One  will  dive  for  a    coin glinting   in the  dirt. In  our  world  ridden  with  scams,  cheating and  robbery  it  is  amazing  to see  a child  display  such  strength of  character.A  glimpse of  the  new  millennium society where  all  things  will  be  made  new.

.Isaiah 11:6

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
KJV (BIBLE)

Day 28- The Real Jesus

Let  me  share  with  you  a  devotional  by  Max  Lucado which reminds  me  that  my  Saviour lived  a  life   just   like me. He  faced  the  twists  and  turns   and  rough  edges  of  life   just  as I  do.
He was not  cushioned  in  comfort  like  a  prince  .
Neither  was he sequestered  in  solitude  like  a  hermit.
Being  very God ,  he was  completely human.
Defies  human comprehension.
But it  draws  me  closer to Him.
Here is  Lucado 's article

Completely Human


When a bookstore owner told me a woman had stomped into his shop, angry, slamming one of my books on the counter, I knew exactly what he was talking about. I wrote that Jesus may have had pimples. He may have had bony knees. But I said, “One thing’s for sure, he was, while completely divine, completely human.”

There’s something safe about a God who never had calluses. There’s something majestic about a God who never scraped his elbow. But there’s also something cold about a God who cannot relate to what you and I feel.

Rejection? He felt it. Temptation? He knew it. Loneliness? He experienced it. Death? He tasted it. And stress? He could write a best-selling book about it.

Why did he do it? One reason. So that when you hurt, you’ll go to him and let him heal you!

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15.”

From In the Eye of the Storm
Check out Max’s guest blog at Ministry Matters!

Day 27- Mind Wash

Sometimes  as  the day  progresses  my  mind  becomes   weighed  down  by  burdens,  blunders,  irritations  and  frustrations  that  I  encounter  along   the  way.

This  rolling  stone  does  gather  moss  as  she  rolls  downhill. And  the moss  and  mud  needs to  be   washed   away before  she  rests  in  the  valley of  peace.

Today  the  Lord  provided   such  a  shampoo   after  a  mossy  morning. I  had  just finished  my  lunch  of   dal, rice  and  vegetables  when my  cell  phone rang. It  was my   cousin inviting me  to her  Mom 's  (my aunt Joy 's)  82nd  birthday  celebration. That  filled me with  such  joyful  anticipation  that I  forgot   all  the  irritations of the  morning. Now I  am  looking  forward  to  an evening  with  my  cousins  and   aunt. 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Phillipians 4; 4-9 NIV (BIBLE)

Day 26- Let Your Kingdom Come

Let  Your   kingdom  Come 
Let  Your  will  be  done  in  India  as  it is   above

(Please   click on  the   photo  to  enlarge  it)

Today  India  remembers  Mahatma  Gandhi on  his 

birth  anniversary. It  is  a  national holiday.

Around  the world it  is  observed  as  International

Non Violence  Day.

Many  Christians  have  set  this day  aside  to fast  an d pray  for our  country.

In my  church  we  had  a  day  long  children 's  program in

which  about  200  children  participated.

I want  to  share  some  colourful  photos 

gathered  from  the  web.

Dat 25- Gauges

A  song   called   "Gauges  " is   echoing  in  my  mind.  I  wonder if  I  can  find  it  on  YouTube,  I  don 't  even   remember  the  name  of  the band.It  talks  about  our  emotions  being  our  gauges which  tell us  what is   going  on inside  of  us. Some  days  I  have    real  roller  coaster  rides. I 'd  rather  run   on  a  level  train  track  than  a  roller  coaster - but   its   all  a  part  of  being  human- created  in God 's  image. God  feels  joy,  sadness,  anger  and  remorse  and so on - it  will  become  a  very  long  Bible  study  if  we  get  in to that.

Corrie  Ten  Boom  said, ' Sometimes  I  am  a  thermometer-with all  the  needs  around  me, I go down.

But  we  must  be  thermostats  not  thermometers. A  thermostat  feels  the  coldness and  immediately  restores  the  missing   heat by bringing  the   room  in  contact with  the  heater.That  is  what we  must  do".

The  world  in   which I  live  is  very needy. O Lord  keep   me   close  to  your  heart that  although  I  am  alert  to  the needs  around me I will  not  be  depressed  by  what  I  see, for You  are   able  to  make  me   act  and help.

...Your  heavenly Father  knoweth that  you  have   need  of all these  things.
Matthew  6;32 KJB (BIBLE)

Day 24 - An encounter with God

Every  Sunday  people  testify  how  God   is  working  in  their  lives.Today five  young  people  declared  their  faith in  Christ. Their  faces  reflected  such  happiness  and  joy.

Others  came  seeking  God,  desiring  deliverance  from pain ,  suffering  and  bondage.Asking  for  prayer  is  their  first step  of  faith.

Simla ,  a  young   woman asked for  prayer  tonight. She   is  among  the  poorest  of   the  poor.  Disease   has  ravaged  her thin  emaciated
body. She  has   a  myriad  of  medical  problems which  she  was  unable  to  describe   properly. Five  years  ago  her  husband  threw  her  out of the  house. She  is  living  with  her  parents  who  treat her like  a  leper. It  is  bad  luck  and   a  curse  to  have a  married daughter  return  to the  house  of her  birth. They  are   illiterate  poverty crushed  people unable  to  bear  the  extra  burden of  a  sick  daughter and  prisoners  of  superstition  and  false  beliefs.

Simla  came  to  the house  of  God  with  hope  in  her  heart .  Pray  with  us   for  this   poor  oppressed  woman.

"All  who are  oppressed  may  come to  Him. He  is  a refuge  to them  in  their times  of  trouble. All  those  who know your  mercy, Lord will  count  on  you  for  help. For  you  have  never  forsaken those  who  trust  in  you."
Psalm 9;9.10 TLB (BIBLE)

Day 23- Made For Him

In  Russia many  people lived in  an apartment  house. The basement  of the  building  was  filled  with  the  junk of   all  the  families.Amongst the  junk was a  beautiful  harp, which nobody had  been able to fix.

One  snowy night a  tramp  asked if  he    could sleep in the  building. The people cleared  a space for him in  a  corner  of  the basement, and he was happy to  stay there.

In a while  the people heard   beautiful music  coming from  the  basement.The owner of the harp rushed  downstairs and found the tramp playing it.
"But how could you repair it? We couldn 't." he said.

The tramp smiled  and  replied,"I made  this harp years ago and when you make  something you can also repair it."

(A story told  by  Corrie Ten Boom)


"All  things  were  made  by Him and  without Him  was not  anything  made that was  made." John 1 ;3 KJV (BIBLE)

Only God  can  fix  and  repair  me, proving His  presence  in my life.

Enjoy this beautiful harp  music

Day 22- Lights Out

Power  rostering  is  a  daily affair  in  our  country. The power  sector  is  unable  to  meet  the  demands  of  the    burgeoning  population, and booming  industrialisation. Several  weeks  ago  due  to  over drawing  the  whole  northern  grid  gave  out and  several states   were  without  electricity  for  a  couple  of   days.  We  were  fortunate   to just  be without  power  for  12  or  13   hours  only.

A  3 hour  power  outage is  a  daily  occurrence  here . We  have  resigned   ourselves  to  it and  sort  of  plan  our  activities  around  it,  but  often  the  lights  go  off without warning  at   any  time  of the  day  or  night which   is  very  frustrating. Anyone  who  can   afford  it   owns  a  battery operated  inverter  (generator) which  can  run  your  ceiling  fan  and  light   for  a  few  hours , depending  on  the  strength of  the  battery. But  you   can 't  run  your  fridge, heaters, ovens or air conditioners  on it...these  can  be  operated by   diesel or petrol run  generators, which   only  the rich can afford. I  have   a    battery inverter  without which I  could not survive.

Alternative  energy  resources   like solar  panels are  few  and  far  between because    they  are  very expensive  to  install. Some government  projects and  NGOs  have  sponsored  them  in  rural areas.

Today  we  were   having   some plumbing work  done in our  church and  the   men  were  working after  dark.  When the lights  went  out plunging  everything in darkness I saw  tiny flashes of  light like   fireflies  zig zagging  in the  work area. Later  on when I asked  the  plumbers  what  were they  doing  in the  dark,  they  said  they  were working with the  lights  from their  mobile (cell)  phones. (So now  you  have   another use for  your  cell  phone).

Life  doesn' t  stop in  India,  lights  or  no  lights and  no  one  complains We  get  irritated , groan  and   click   our  tongues  and  carry on.

The  purpose  of   this  post  is  to  say how  great  it  will  be  in  the  new   Jerusalem the  new  heavenly  city  in which those  who belong to  Christ  will  live.  There   the  light will  never go  out  and  no external light  source   will be required because  the Lamb ( Jesus Christ)  is  the  light.
His presence is  Light. We  will  live in the  radiance  of His glory...no  shadows there.

O Lord  let your  presence light up  my  life  today and forever.
²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Revalation  21;23 NIV (BIBLE)

Day 21- India Prays

The  Lord blessed me   with  a  great  day ,  no  stress  or tension. I  shared  happiness  and  hospitality  with  many.

He  led  me  beside waters.
 On  days  like  these  I  feel   God  is giving  me  a  day 's  vacation  in   the  original Garden of  Eden. (smile).
Even the  extra  power  cut   and  slight   cold   doesn' t bother  me

Thank  you  for praying  for  Tara about  whom I  wrote  on Day 17
I met  her  last  night  at  the  mid week  Bible  study and  she  told  me  that  her  husband  had  arrived   yesterday for  a  short   holiday  and  he  even  dropped  her  off  at  church  for  the  Bible  study!!!
How  great  is our  God.

Oct. 2nd is  Gandhi 's birth  anniversary. Christians have  reserved   this national holiday  to fast  and pray  for our land.

Friends  around  the   world can  join  us. You can  visit  their  web site  or  like  them on  Facebook - search for  India Prays. Here is  their  latest  posting on Facebook.

India is still an under-developed country. We see poverty and the life conditions of fellow humans; begging, illiteracy, unemployment, short-sightedness, hunger, diseases, child labour..., women abuse, high rate of infant and maternal mortality, life expectancy, crime, injustice, oppression, desperation, discrimination etc.


How do we tackle this challenge? It is the duty of everyone and of the governments to alleviate and erase it. A number of legislation are made to empower the poor. It requires effective implementation.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31:8,9).

Pray that:

+ As Individuals, we will be selfless, considerate and creative in sharing our lives and resources with the needy

+ Indians will see the value of each small step and not be immobilised by the great extent of needs

+ Good and just leaders rise up across India, who fully understand the heart of God for those who are oppressed