Brown's Daily Word 1-28-08

Good Morning,
Praise the Lord. He is the Christ in every crisis. He is the Lord in every situation. He is Mighty and Merciful. He made the Lord God, who is invisible and Eternal, visible. He is at work in time and space.
The world in which we live is one of tremendous contrasts and contradictions. No wonder we are baffled by it! For every step forward toward peace there seems to be a terrorist a round the bend. The astonishing beauty of nature is set against the ugliness of war, disease and famine. The same sky that one day is a painted picture of the colors of the sunset is also the scene of a destructive hurricane. It’s a fair question to ask God, "Why?" Mankind is clearly the culprit for some of life’s misfortunes, brought about by our own bad choices, neglect, greed and irresponsible behavior. Yet, beyond this there are circumstances not in our control, leaving us helpless.
The story of Christ stilling the storm is rich in meaning for helping us to make sense of this life with Jesus as our Savior and Companion. Here we meet the unpredictable and learn how to cope with it. Those who have witnessed a storm on the Sea of Galilee tell how the geography contributes to its violence. The inland lake is over 600 feet below sea level and surrounded by hills and mountains. Particularly in the evening, winds are funneled down the sides of the slopes onto the lake. Without a moment’s warning, the wind whips up a sudden storm which, equally suddenly, may calm down. What can we learn from this life-parable?
Surely it teaches that Jesus does not promise a trouble-free life. It’s not that tribulation may come, nor even that it will come, but that it must come Jesus told His followers, "The Son of Man must suffer ... If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:22,23). Trouble is not merely a ’possibility’; it’s part and parcel of our Christian pilgrimage. It is something we must learn to confront. When the storms of life come, it’s easy for a person’s Christian commitment to waver and to accuse God of being the cause of all the troubles. The story of the storm on Galilee was preserved to tell the disciples of Jesus, of whatever generation, whether of the 1st or the 21st century, that being with Jesus won’t guarantee a life of plain sailing, free from trials and tribulations.
Christians are as vulnerable as anyone else, and they are not isolated from the fragility of nature, physical or mental illness, and sudden bereavement. It is certain that there is no automatic immunity for the believer. Some of these unpleasant things happen to Christians of great faith. I don’t understand why they happen but I know that they do. Often, in the goodness and providence of God we are spared, but we cannot take it for granted that we will be spared. Notice it was Jesus who said, "Let’s go over to the other side of the lake." He could have gone by land but chose to go by water. In doing so, he was inviting the disciples to follow Him, and to take the risk "of those who go down to the sea in ships." We, as modern day disciples, must follow where He leads, even when He leads us into dangers and difficulties. There’s no land bridge into heaven; the sea of life must be crossed.
Jesus and the disciples were at the end of a busy day and looking forward to some rest when they encountered the unexpected hazard of the storm. The word translated "storm" generally means "an earthquake" - some mighty force that had stirred up the placid lake into a violent frenzy. We are told, "they were in great danger." A commentator suggests that the storm was an attack of the powers of darkness to snuff out Jesus before His life’s work was done. Who knows? It certainly indicates an occurrence out of the ordinary .
The disciples were on a steep learning curve as to the reality of Jesus. He had generally held back from demonstrating His divine nature and power because He had yet to come to the crux of His mission in the Cross and Resurrection, which were to be the grounds for believing faith. But here was an opportunity for them and for us to take a step forward in the life of faith. This incident is evidence that Jesus has power over the forces of nature. This should not surprise us when we remember what Scripture tells us. The opening verses of John’s Gospel states: "Through him all things were made" (1:3); He is the Creator God. The apostle Paul confirms Christ’s supremacy in creation: "For by him all things were created ... by him and for him ... and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:15-17).
The story of the stilling of the storm is only one example of how He can work out solutions to the needs of His people. It’s true that this one had the happiest of endings but if we read the account of the Early Church we find cases where the divine answer was not miraculous. Some of the choicest of saints were recorded as being ill and they stayed ill. Some were imprisoned and executed for the sake of the Gospel. There’s also the famous account of a great storm that raged for fourteen days and ended with Paul being shipwrecked.
Jesus may not give the kind of victory we expect, but He will always overcome trouble in some way if we ask Him. His answer in trying circumstances may be relief; but it may equally be endurance. His answer in illness may be health; but it may be courage instead. He may plan a rescue from the jaws of death, or permit bereavement and give new hope with it. He calls on us to trust in His providential grace and find, as the apostle Paul did, that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
No doubt Jesus was tired after a long day of ministry to the "large crowd" so that "as they sailed he fell asleep." The disciples were spellbound as Jesus showed He was master of the situation. He was so much in control that even at the height of the storm He could be in peaceful sleep. Contrast with Jesus' calm the panic shown by the disciples, even though some of them were experienced fishermen. The awe of the disciples was beyond words. "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Some have wondered whether the recorded words of Jesus, "Peace be still," although addressed to the waves, could also have been directed to the frantic disciples. Jesus, the God of Creation, who could calm the elements, was equally able to bring peace to the troubled passengers on the boat.
That same power is still available to the "ship" known as the church. The disciples "went and woke Jesus, ’Master, Master, we’re going to drown!" They were at their wit’s end, but not at faith’s end. We have the same Savior to turn to when life turns against us. It helps to have a powerful father. The disciples didn’t stand on ceremony - they were desperate.
The story tells us that Jesus awoke and brought calm in the most dramatic way. He used the situation as the opportunity to teach the disciples what it means to be in relationship with Him. "Where is your faith?" he asks. Only three words from the lips of Jesus were required, "Quiet! Be still!" They were enough to bring the raging sea to a dead calm. In response to Jesus asking them about faith, the disciples responded with another question, "Who is this?" He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." This is what Jesus was after. The key words are "Who is this?" The incident of the stilling of the storm was part of the process of answering the question, "Who is this?" The disciples still had much to learn about Jesus and His mission to become the Savior of the world but it was an important step in their spiritual pilgrimage. The question, "Who is this?" was being continually answered by Jesus as He gave them further insights through His words and actions leading up to His Passion and Resurrection. The process of understanding for disciples of all ages is to lead to a transfer of faith away from self and direct it to the Lord. The purpose of this story for today is for us to think seriously on the question, "Who is this?", and to know for ourselves that Jesus is truly God with the power to save, and to trust more and more of our lives to Him. Yes, He is able to help us to "ride the waves of life."

In Christ,
Brown


News From Orissa , India
Wednesday January 23, 2008
INDIA: HINDU NATIONALISTS PLAN TO REVIVE TENSIONS IN ORISSA STATE
Christians told to convert or die after Christmas attacks; extremists plot ‘Mission 2008.’
NEW DELHI, January 23 (Compass Direct News) – Amid reports of forced conversion of Christians to Hinduism following an unprecedented spate of violence over Christmas in Orissa state’s Kandhamal district, federal intelligence sources have warned churches of the likelihood of more attacks.


The intelligence department intercepted a letter by an extremist of a Hindu nationalist (Hindutva) group stating members will renew efforts to spark tensions in Kandhamal district and neighboring Chhattisgarh state, said Father Babu Joseph, spokesman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).


According to a fact-finding team of the Orissa state chapter of the All India Christian Council, the violence killed at least four Christians and burned 730 houses and 95 churches in the days following last Christmas Eve. Hundreds of displaced Christians in Kandhamal are in various relief camps set up by the state government, where at least two people have died recently due to ailments.


Joseph told Compass that the letter, written by an extremist of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Murari Lal, and sent to his colleague, Saudan Singh, reveals that the Hindutva group has planned an effort to create more tensions for Christians called “Mission 2008.”


Church leaders, added Joseph, have been asked to remain alert.


Lal, who was identified as an RSS worker in Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh state, named and praised several Hindutva outfits for their “good work” in the letter.

“Our Mission 2008 and its confidential meeting took place successfully,” the letter says, according to the Daily News and Analysis (DNA) newspaper. Our hope is to create Gujarat [state] type communal frenzy in Orissa.”


Gujarat is seen as the Hindu extremist Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “laboratory of Hindutva.” In 2002, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP colleagues allegedly allowed Hindu extremists to carry out anti-Muslim violence in which at least 2,000 people, mainly Muslims, were killed.


“We have begun a program to create communal tension by using the cow issue,” adds the letter, originally written in Hindi language. As cows are considered sacred by Hindus, extremists portray Christians and Muslims as “cow eaters,” besides accusing them of conversions and terrorism.


“In Jashpur and Sarguja districts [of Chhattisgarh state],” the letter says, “we have created a very good environment against Muslims and Christians. Adivasis [tribal people] have also started a front against foreign missionaries … This time even the Congress [Party] is supporting us.”


The letter also says there is a need to install statues of Hindu gods Hanuman and Shankar, which tribal people “recognize faster.”


“We need to install the statues as early as possible to make adivasis Hindus,” it says.


Tribal people or aboriginals in India are not Hindu. Most tribal people groups have their own faiths, mainly animistic.


RSS leader Ram Madhav, however, claimed in DNA that his organization had no role in the violence. “The RSS does not support any violence,” he said.


Christians fear the incidence of persecution will increase this year as legislative elections are expected in 10 states, including three states ruled by the BJP – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan (See Compass Direct News, “Christians Fear More Violence in Election Year,” January 15).


Convert or Die

Although the spate of violence began in Kandhamal on December 24 and subsided in about a week, special armed forces continued to be deployed in affected areas at press time.


The Times of India newspaper reported on Tuesday (January 22) that the 700 officers of Central Reserve Police Force deployed during the week of violence would remain in Kandhamal till March 15.


Despite the presence of federal armed forces and local police, however, reports surfaced of forced conversion of Christians to Hinduism.


A local Christian source from the Indian Evangelical Team ministry told Compass on condition of anonymity that such conversions have taken place in at least four villages after the initial violence.


“In Jargi village, 41 out of the 45 families from my church became Hindu due to pressure and threats,” said the local source. “Extremist elements forced the Christians to break their church with their own hands, and now a temple will be constructed at the site.”


In Mardudi village, pastor Dibakar Digal and his wife were forced to drink cow urine and apply vermillion on their foreheads, declaring themselves Hindu. They were threatened that if they did not convert, they would be killed.


While 18 Christian families were converted in a similar fashion in Kambarkia village, nine families were converted in the same way in Dandikia village.


UCA News (UCAN) also reported on Tuesday (January 22) that Orissa Christians had been given a “convert or die” ultimatum.


“There was no other way than to convert to Hinduism,” a Christian youth, Sumant Digal, from Gochhapada village, told UCAN. Extremists had threatened to kill him and torch his house if he did not become a Hindu.


“Several people told UCA News in mid-January that although the violence had subsided, Hindu fanatics continued to threaten Christians in interior villages,” stated the UCAN report. “The radicals want Christians to convert to Hinduism or leave the area, and they threaten to kill those who do not comply.”


The Catholic news agency quoted another Christian, Pusali Digal, from Jemapadar village, as saying, “Reconvert or die, or leave the place, was the option given to me and my family.”


Deaths in Relief Camps

Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the Global Council of Indian Christians, told Compass that two Christians died due to unknown ailments in Kandhamal relief camps.


Pastor Hari Digal died in the Baliguda relief camp on Monday (January 21), and a church elder, Kujura Digal, died in a camp in Barakhama two days earlier, said George, who was in Kandhamal at press time.


Houses of both Christians had been destroyed in the violence.


“The two Christians could not bear the trauma of being attacked and the loss of their houses,” said George, adding that he had urged the state government to improve facilities at the relief camps.


Violence Preplanned, Organized

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM), which sent a team of two representatives to Kandhamal district, said on January 17 that the violence was “organized and preplanned.”


Additionally, the New Indian Express newspaper reported that the NCM team “maintained that the large-scale violence was because of the inaction of the administration.”


But Hindutva groups, mainly the Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP), dismissed the NCM report, saying it was “one-sided,” added the newspaper. The VHP is connected with the RSS, which allegedly planned and organized the Christmas violence.


Earlier, a fact-finding team led by Dr. John Dayal, member of the National Integration Council and a Christian leader, had also said the violence was carried out in a planned manner. (See Compass Direct News, “Fact-Finding Mission Suggests India Violence Was Preplanned,” January 4.)


The NCM team also criticized the state government for not giving sufficient compensation to the victims of the violence. In apparent response to the NCM report, the state government increased compensation to be given to victims.


Financial assistance for reconstruction of destroyed houses has been revised from 40,000 rupees (US$1,009) to 50,000 rupees (US$1,261), while 200,000 rupees (US$5,044) each will be provided for schools, hospitals and hostels damaged in the violence, the New Indian Express reported today.


END


"I wanted to write everybody to share what God is foing. First, my dad is doing very well in his healing process. God is so good. Not only is He healing my dad but He is giving him the strength in spirit, soul and body. God is also really watching over my mom and holding her in His hands also. Second, God is truly moving in both my daughters, Misty and Danielle. Thru man's eyes it may look like He isn't doing anything and that the enemy is having a hay day. However, I know better. I see God moving and drawing both of them back to Himself. I have faith in knowing that He knows exactly what He is doing and what He is after in both of them and knows just how to get it. Third, my sister and her daughter and son experienced a loss in their lives this past week when a very close relative took his own life. At the same time, a new life entered this world as my nephew and his girlfriend had a healthy baby daughter. We don't understand on this side of heaven why things happen but God in His mercy and compassion does. Fourth, Marcos is doing wonderful. God has really been moving in an awesome way in his life. I shared with Marcos last night what God showed me in my conversation with my wonderful Father. We are all going thru the refiners fire and being transformed into the likeness of our Lord Jesus. Just like Shadrak, Meschak and Abednego (probably spelled wrong), we need only to keep our focus on our wonderful Lord and Savior who is with us and we only need to trust Him, lean on Him, depend on Him and BELIEVE He is able to do above and beyond all that we could ever ask or think. It is hard at times to sit back and watch someone you love hurting and suffering, and in my many years of gaining experience at becoming a professional co-dependent, I want to jump right in and relieve the pain and hurt. God has been very merciful in His grace upon me to keep me from doing that. He is teaching me to discern what I am to do. He has given me such peace and reassurance in knowing that He knows where each person is at and is always faithful to meet each of us at that point. We can all be going thru different circumstances and need something different from God and He is able to meet each of our needs, as different as they are, all at the same time. Is He not awesome? All we have to do is reach up and He will then reach down the rest of the way. Lastly, I will be going into the hospital on Friday for surgery and would ask that you all stand in prayer that God directs the hands of the surgeon and I have a quick recovery. I am trusting and believing that it will not be so much recovery as a time to spend with my Father. To be renewed, refined and refreshed in my spirit, soul and body. Marcos wants to be with me on Friday to give me and be to me what a husband is to a wife, however if he is unable to my Jesus will be holding my hand and walking me thru. I only want to honor God and for Him alone to be glorified thru me.
May all of you being richly blessed thru our awesome Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our God is ever so faithful and I love Him so much."
Sandy