Good Morning,
Praise the Lord. He is upon His throne. All honor, glory, and praises belong to Him. The Lord blessed us with a glorious day yesterday. It was a great blessing to be in the House of the Lord with His people, praising and worship. We are strengthened, cleansed, and renewed by worshipping Him.
The people of the Lord in Phulbani, Orissa, the epicenter of the violence and persecution, could not gather in the Church buildings yesterday as many of them have been gutted, burned down, and destroyed. They gathered at the shelters for worship and prayer.
The Old Testament reading for yesterday was taken from Exodus 3. It is the account of Moses as he encountered the Lord at the burning bush. Moses was tending the sheep belonging to his father-in-law. It was a desert experience near Mt. Horeb. We see how the Lord came to him amidst the ordinary and the mundane. Suddenly the bush was aflame, but not consumed. The Lord got Moses' attention!
Often the Lord comes to us as we attend to our daily tasks, the daily grind. In Luke 5 the Lord Jesus came to the disciples as they were doing the same old, same old - fishing. It is entirely possible for the workplace to become holy ground as the Lord shows up there.
For 40 years Moses had lived in Pharaoh's palace. One day, as he was surveying the land, he took matters into his own hands. He blew it, and ran away to the land of Midian. For 40 years he was a fugitive, a pauper, and a laborer, tending his father-in-law's sheep. It is interesting that Moses was (here) surrounded by the desert, as everyone goes through desert experiences in their lives.
Desert experiences can become life-changing experiences, when they are sanctified and beautified by the presence of the Lord. Often, when we are in the desert, we learn the deep things of the Lord. The Lord uses ordinary settings and ordinary people to demonstrate his extraordinary power.
As the drama in the desert unfolded, the Lord showed Moses that He had heard the cry of His people in Egypt, seen their affliction, and knew their sorrows. He had come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
As we are praying for the suffering Christians of Orissa, we are comforted to know that our Lord sees their affliction, hears their cry, and knows their sorrows. He calls each Moses of today to partner with Him in the mission of deliverance. I have been in touch with friends and family in Orissa every day. The situation is still precarious, dangerous, and out-of-control. The violence is spreading toward other parts of Orissa. Thousands of houses belonging to Christians have been burned down and their property destroyed.
I spoke to my Mom this morning. She gathered her courage and went out to see the house and survey the damage. She is crushed and broken. As I have previously said, the house was a center for ministry and sharing Christ's love. I am enclosing a note from a couple who stayed there years ago as they went on a short-term mission to Orissa. While there the Lord spoke to their hearts, revealing to them that He wanted them to go into full-time missions. When Grant and Gail went to India they were newlyweds. Grant was then a financial officer with GM, and now he is a financial officer with Operation Mobilization - living and working in Atlanta.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and love. The morning on which I heard about the destruction of our home, I was both sad and angry. That morning someone who had read about the loss, came bearing an envelope. Its contents, he said, were for seed money to help rebuild the house. It contained $1000 cash. I had not seen this man or heard from him for the last two years, but the Lord touched his heart. Praise the Lord for the way He comes to us with His miracles and His mercies time after time. "His mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness."
Last evening I conducted a funeral service for a 98-year-old woman. She had requested that I do her service. It was a blessing to be a part of the celebration of her life. She had celebrated 80 Mother's Days, and had seen her grandchildren become grandparents.
Please continue to share the needs of Orissa Christians with your circle of friends and your pastors. May Jesus be praised.
Brown
"Dear Brother Brown,
I am so saddened to hear more bad news about what the radicals have done to your family's home. It is so senseless. Somehow, trust that God is still on the throne. We are praying and asking the Lord for a stop to this senselessness. Also, praying that He will continue to protect your family from physical harm. That place has been such a refuge of light in the darkness that surrounds for so many of us who have had the privilege of staying with your family. May you all sense God's presence in powerful ways today. Your steadfastness is such an encouragement to me.
Blessings as you trust Him,
Grant"
Home / blogs / Dr. Sajan's blog / Maoist warn of more attacks-GCIC calls for peace
Maoists warn of more attacks
New Delhi, PTI:
Claiming responsibility for the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati in Orissa, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) on Monday warned the saffron oufit of "more such punishments if it continued violence against religious minorities in the country".
The CPI (Maoist) has decided to punish "anti-people, fanatical leaders like Saraswati" in the wake of "endless persecution" of religious minorities in the country, a party release said here.
The statement alleged that Saraswati was a "rabid anti-Christian ideologue and persecutor of innocent Christians and was responsible for the burning down of over 400 churches in Khandamal district alone".
It warned the saffron outfit of "more such punishments if it continued violence against religious minorities in the country".
"The Sangh Parivar leaders like Pravin Togadia have been trying to divert people's attention by uttering lies that it is not Maoists but Christian organisations that had carried out the attack on the VHP leader," the CPI (Maoist) said.
Appealing to secular and democratic forces to condemn the Sangh Parivar, it said "it is not SIMI that is to be outlawed but Hindu fanatical groups like VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, BJP, Hindu Munnani and so on."
Slamming the Congress leadership, the release said it was strange that it did not see any threat from "overtly communal, criminal acts of the VHP and the Sangh Parivar".
Publication Date 1/9/2008 8:02:41 PM(IST)
Bhubaneswar: A face that will haunt her -- and India -- for a long time. Namrata was attacked by alleged VHP men at Raikia in Orissa''s Kandhamal district. She, along with her family, fled to the village to seek refuge from the ramapaging miscreants.
Scars of violence in Orissa: Namrata returns to a relief camp from nearby jungles
TODAY'S TOP STORIES
Orissa: Normalcy returns, but scars remain
The man who would be the next RBI Governor
Seven injured in fire at Hyundai car factory
Chennai: Fire service personnel fear possibility of casualty in fire
Tumour removed successfully from one-month-old baby
Japanese PM Yasuo Fukuda resigns
Bihar's Pain, Orissa's Agony: Anarchy and Chaos in East India
No relaxation in curfew in Srinagar, other towns
Believe the athletes, Bindra to Sports Ministry
Five injured in Kashmir blast
FROM THE SECTION
No relaxation in curfew in Srinagar, other towns
Five injured in Kashmir blast
Bihar's Pain, Orissa's Agony: Anarchy and Chaos in East India
Orissa: Normalcy returns, but scars remain
Haneef to seek compensation from Australia
VHP expresses grief on Birla's death
CESU Planning to fracchise SHG
Woman among two injured in south Kashmir blast
OSDMA to install 21 Ham radios in Orissa
Orissa to adopt new drugs procurement policies
Meanwhile, normalcy has gradually returned to Kandhamal with no major violent incidents being reported so far.
Many people, who fled to forests fearing attacks, have been returning to relief camps, sources said.
Christian villagers take shelter at a relief camp at Naugaon, a village in Kandhamal
1000 houses and 100 places of worship burnt
Claiming that the situation in Kandhamal was well under control, the Orissa government on Monday said at least 1000 houses and 100 places of worship were burnt in the communal riots after Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati's killing on August 23.
'Situation under control'
While 1000 houses were burnt in the worst hit Kandhamal district, 15 houses had been set ablaze in Gajapati district, said Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy after a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
185 people arrested in Kandhamal
All the torching of places of worship were reported from Kandhamal district, where over 185 people were arrested on charges of rioting and arson. A total of 210 people were injured in the riot in Kandhamal, Tripathy said.
Though Tripathy did not mention how may were killed during the riot, official sources put the figure at 100 on Monday, with the recovery of two bodies in Kandhamal district. Besides Kandhamal, Tripathy said, people were provided with food in Rayagada and Gajapati districts.
Survivors flock to relief camps
While 12,539 people were fed in 10 relief camps, 783 people got the facilities in two relief camps in Rayagada district.
Tripathy said relief camps were located at Chakapada, Raikia, Baliguda, K Nuagaon, Tikabali, Phiringia, Phlbani, Tumudibandha and Daringbadi blocks in Kandhamal district.
Praise the Lord. He is upon His throne. All honor, glory, and praises belong to Him. The Lord blessed us with a glorious day yesterday. It was a great blessing to be in the House of the Lord with His people, praising and worship. We are strengthened, cleansed, and renewed by worshipping Him.
The people of the Lord in Phulbani, Orissa, the epicenter of the violence and persecution, could not gather in the Church buildings yesterday as many of them have been gutted, burned down, and destroyed. They gathered at the shelters for worship and prayer.
The Old Testament reading for yesterday was taken from Exodus 3. It is the account of Moses as he encountered the Lord at the burning bush. Moses was tending the sheep belonging to his father-in-law. It was a desert experience near Mt. Horeb. We see how the Lord came to him amidst the ordinary and the mundane. Suddenly the bush was aflame, but not consumed. The Lord got Moses' attention!
Often the Lord comes to us as we attend to our daily tasks, the daily grind. In Luke 5 the Lord Jesus came to the disciples as they were doing the same old, same old - fishing. It is entirely possible for the workplace to become holy ground as the Lord shows up there.
For 40 years Moses had lived in Pharaoh's palace. One day, as he was surveying the land, he took matters into his own hands. He blew it, and ran away to the land of Midian. For 40 years he was a fugitive, a pauper, and a laborer, tending his father-in-law's sheep. It is interesting that Moses was (here) surrounded by the desert, as everyone goes through desert experiences in their lives.
Desert experiences can become life-changing experiences, when they are sanctified and beautified by the presence of the Lord. Often, when we are in the desert, we learn the deep things of the Lord. The Lord uses ordinary settings and ordinary people to demonstrate his extraordinary power.
As the drama in the desert unfolded, the Lord showed Moses that He had heard the cry of His people in Egypt, seen their affliction, and knew their sorrows. He had come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
As we are praying for the suffering Christians of Orissa, we are comforted to know that our Lord sees their affliction, hears their cry, and knows their sorrows. He calls each Moses of today to partner with Him in the mission of deliverance. I have been in touch with friends and family in Orissa every day. The situation is still precarious, dangerous, and out-of-control. The violence is spreading toward other parts of Orissa. Thousands of houses belonging to Christians have been burned down and their property destroyed.
I spoke to my Mom this morning. She gathered her courage and went out to see the house and survey the damage. She is crushed and broken. As I have previously said, the house was a center for ministry and sharing Christ's love. I am enclosing a note from a couple who stayed there years ago as they went on a short-term mission to Orissa. While there the Lord spoke to their hearts, revealing to them that He wanted them to go into full-time missions. When Grant and Gail went to India they were newlyweds. Grant was then a financial officer with GM, and now he is a financial officer with Operation Mobilization - living and working in Atlanta.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and love. The morning on which I heard about the destruction of our home, I was both sad and angry. That morning someone who had read about the loss, came bearing an envelope. Its contents, he said, were for seed money to help rebuild the house. It contained $1000 cash. I had not seen this man or heard from him for the last two years, but the Lord touched his heart. Praise the Lord for the way He comes to us with His miracles and His mercies time after time. "His mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness."
Last evening I conducted a funeral service for a 98-year-old woman. She had requested that I do her service. It was a blessing to be a part of the celebration of her life. She had celebrated 80 Mother's Days, and had seen her grandchildren become grandparents.
Please continue to share the needs of Orissa Christians with your circle of friends and your pastors. May Jesus be praised.
Brown
"Dear Brother Brown,
I am so saddened to hear more bad news about what the radicals have done to your family's home. It is so senseless. Somehow, trust that God is still on the throne. We are praying and asking the Lord for a stop to this senselessness. Also, praying that He will continue to protect your family from physical harm. That place has been such a refuge of light in the darkness that surrounds for so many of us who have had the privilege of staying with your family. May you all sense God's presence in powerful ways today. Your steadfastness is such an encouragement to me.
Blessings as you trust Him,
Grant"
Home / blogs / Dr. Sajan's blog / Maoist warn of more attacks-GCIC calls for peace
Maoists warn of more attacks
New Delhi, PTI:
Claiming responsibility for the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati in Orissa, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) on Monday warned the saffron oufit of "more such punishments if it continued violence against religious minorities in the country".
The CPI (Maoist) has decided to punish "anti-people, fanatical leaders like Saraswati" in the wake of "endless persecution" of religious minorities in the country, a party release said here.
The statement alleged that Saraswati was a "rabid anti-Christian ideologue and persecutor of innocent Christians and was responsible for the burning down of over 400 churches in Khandamal district alone".
It warned the saffron outfit of "more such punishments if it continued violence against religious minorities in the country".
"The Sangh Parivar leaders like Pravin Togadia have been trying to divert people's attention by uttering lies that it is not Maoists but Christian organisations that had carried out the attack on the VHP leader," the CPI (Maoist) said.
Appealing to secular and democratic forces to condemn the Sangh Parivar, it said "it is not SIMI that is to be outlawed but Hindu fanatical groups like VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, BJP, Hindu Munnani and so on."
Slamming the Congress leadership, the release said it was strange that it did not see any threat from "overtly communal, criminal acts of the VHP and the Sangh Parivar".
Publication Date 1/9/2008 8:02:41 PM(IST)
Bhubaneswar: A face that will haunt her -- and India -- for a long time. Namrata was attacked by alleged VHP men at Raikia in Orissa''s Kandhamal district. She, along with her family, fled to the village to seek refuge from the ramapaging miscreants.
Scars of violence in Orissa: Namrata returns to a relief camp from nearby jungles
TODAY'S TOP STORIES
Orissa: Normalcy returns, but scars remain
The man who would be the next RBI Governor
Seven injured in fire at Hyundai car factory
Chennai: Fire service personnel fear possibility of casualty in fire
Tumour removed successfully from one-month-old baby
Japanese PM Yasuo Fukuda resigns
Bihar's Pain, Orissa's Agony: Anarchy and Chaos in East India
No relaxation in curfew in Srinagar, other towns
Believe the athletes, Bindra to Sports Ministry
Five injured in Kashmir blast
FROM THE SECTION
No relaxation in curfew in Srinagar, other towns
Five injured in Kashmir blast
Bihar's Pain, Orissa's Agony: Anarchy and Chaos in East India
Orissa: Normalcy returns, but scars remain
Haneef to seek compensation from Australia
VHP expresses grief on Birla's death
CESU Planning to fracchise SHG
Woman among two injured in south Kashmir blast
OSDMA to install 21 Ham radios in Orissa
Orissa to adopt new drugs procurement policies
Meanwhile, normalcy has gradually returned to Kandhamal with no major violent incidents being reported so far.
Many people, who fled to forests fearing attacks, have been returning to relief camps, sources said.
Christian villagers take shelter at a relief camp at Naugaon, a village in Kandhamal
1000 houses and 100 places of worship burnt
Claiming that the situation in Kandhamal was well under control, the Orissa government on Monday said at least 1000 houses and 100 places of worship were burnt in the communal riots after Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati's killing on August 23.
'Situation under control'
While 1000 houses were burnt in the worst hit Kandhamal district, 15 houses had been set ablaze in Gajapati district, said Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy after a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
185 people arrested in Kandhamal
All the torching of places of worship were reported from Kandhamal district, where over 185 people were arrested on charges of rioting and arson. A total of 210 people were injured in the riot in Kandhamal, Tripathy said.
Though Tripathy did not mention how may were killed during the riot, official sources put the figure at 100 on Monday, with the recovery of two bodies in Kandhamal district. Besides Kandhamal, Tripathy said, people were provided with food in Rayagada and Gajapati districts.
Survivors flock to relief camps
While 12,539 people were fed in 10 relief camps, 783 people got the facilities in two relief camps in Rayagada district.
Tripathy said relief camps were located at Chakapada, Raikia, Baliguda, K Nuagaon, Tikabali, Phiringia, Phlbani, Tumudibandha and Daringbadi blocks in Kandhamal district.
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