Are we a true Christians?

Are we a true Christians? 13 MAY NPN

Are we really the so-called Christians? To start with, we are the only state in India where 100% of the people are Christians. So we feel very proud of that right? But for all the true followers of Christianity I think we are just an insult to it. We say we are united but we are the only ones killing our own race. The recent killings and corruptions are all signs of our faith (Christianity) being destroyed. I don’t know the entire verses of the Bible but I know it’s written in the Bible to love our enemies. Leave aside our enemies because we don’t even love our own brothers. I may be just a youth with my own opinion, but being a part of this beautiful land and seeing it getting battered not by others but ‘Nagas’, I feel sorry for even calling myself a true Christian. Our people need a second evangelical movement and this has to be done soon before we start licking our own wounds. limasungba, glittterati.boy@gmail.com

The power that can save the world is the Gospel

25 APRL NPN

Many of the elderly men and women were converted into Christianity. Whether converted from animistic religion or born and brought up from Christian family, we all are called to be saved. The purpose of our calling is salvation. Salvation from what? Salvation is from sin. “And he shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins”. (Mat. 1: 21). Salvation is forgiveness of sin and sin is cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and he whose sin is forgiven is born of the Holy Spirit and saved and born again life is a new life in the power of the Spirit of Christ.

So such a man or woman is saved from evils and being evil-doer. So a saved or born again life and an unsaved or unborn again life are quite opposite. Whoever willingly indulges in sinful activities is because he is not yet saved or born again. A saved or born again believer becomes a new creature. (2 Cor. 5: 17). He who abides in Christ is separated from sin (I John 3: 6). “He that committeth sin is of the devil”. (I John 3: 8).

Let us examine ourselves. Who are stealing? Who are killing?

Who are fighting against own brothers? Who are abducting men?

Who are living on parasites taxation? Who are threatening and intimidating? Who are immoral and adulterous? Who are arrogant? Who have full of hatred and bitterness? Who are deceiving innocent people? Who are encroachers of others’ land? Who are drunkards and drug addicts? Who are trouble makers? Who are seeking to sit in high places for own glory? Who are mocking at God? Who are all for self-centeredness? Who are sowing the seed of isms? Aren’t all these professed believers of Christ? According to the word of God, such men and women are not yet saved or born again. Such men and women do not know peace, joy and courage in Christ. They need to be saved or born again. Our Churches are filled with such carnal believers. That is why our land is filled with violence, uncivilised and savage activities which are intolerable and unbearable to the public. But all can be saved by the power of the Gospel.

The need of the day is repentance, faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to him. Let us repent and turn from our sins and be obedient to God. If all mankind in the world can be saved through the Gospel, why not all of the Nagas, you and me?

Rev. L. Suohie Mhasi.

The embattled Christian community

The embattled Christian community is having a torrid time so far harassment, intimidation and persecution of a sort in some states of Northern India by Hindutva forces causing much grief and anxiety to members of the faith. The Constitution of India and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 give inalienable human rights to people to practice their faith and belief-system. The demographically small Christian communities which may be just 2.4% of the total population feel helpless and lost as physical violence and torching of their churches make them hang their head in shame. Be that as it may, it must be noted that Christians have been very apolitical and very peaceful community who have been loyal citizens of the land. So in this context, this sudden rash and spate of mindless violence and vendetta on the false alibi, that they are converting people by fraudulent means. The affiliates of the Saffron group – Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal who acts as storm troopers forget the fact that despite being 2.4% of the total population nearly 25% medical, educational needs of the nation is being done by them with all humility and dedication. Many instances have been recorded in states of Orissa, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal etc., where Christians have to suffer physical assaults and destruction of their Churches and educational and allied properties. Not too long we had the case of Graham Stains and his two minor sons Paul and Timothy being torched alive, yet his widow forgave the people who perpetrated this gruesome act of cruelty. It is well-known fact that Christianity is a religion of love and service, and Christians are enjoined by the teachings of their master Lord Jesus Christ to be forbearing and turn the other cheek when they are attacked without rhyme and reason. And many of them have done, and many Christians have become martyrs of their faith. Today the world has become a global village, all the religions of the world are trying to have inter-religious dialogue and the concept of interdependence is gathering momentum and substance. So when the world is changing so rapidly and we have become members of global village why this back to days religious conflict, persecution, hatred and mindless killing take place. All the Freedom of Religion Bill – a misnomer to say the least, which have been passed in many states like Orissa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh etc have been passed by respective Legislative Assemblies of the respective states is just an effort to demean, humiliate and emasculate the small vibrant Christian community on the pretext that they are converting people to Christianity by giving people false hopes and wrongful help. Had it been so the Indian Christian community would have crossed the double digit figure long ago. False perception of Indian culture and religious heritage which emphasizes exclusivity is nothing short of a recipe to invite disaster for the nation. All religions of the world are found in India, and we have to have inclusive perspective and learn to live as brothers and sisters of the same nation. Therein lies our hope and future destiny. I would fervently offer my pleas for better understanding from those misguided brothers and sisters who believe in religious animosities, hatred and physical violence. And my desire to put my thoughts in writing is to sensitize and enlighten my fellow friends, brothers and sisters that we all must subscribe to philosophy of tolerance and love. One must follow ones own religion and which is a fundamental right granted by the Constitution of India, yet at the same time common citizenship enjoins upon each and every person to learn to live in co-existence with others. We have multiple identities – religious, social, political, cultural and yet there is in the end an Indian identity. V. R Whiso.

The Nobility of wrath

The Nobility of wrath 31 Jan.08 NPN

Mark 3:1-6 gives us a glimpse of the nobility of wrath. Jesus entered the Synagogue on Sabbath day and healed a man which had a withered hand. And of course, Jesus’ enemies – the “religious”!- were there to see if He would heal the poor crippled on Sabbath day. The account tells us that Jesus “Looked around about on them (The Pharisees) with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts” (V.5) Yes, my dear religious Church folks, the “Loving Savior”, the “Meek and the lowly heart”, the one who, “As a lamb before His sheerer is dumb, opened not His mouth” in stern rebuke against His enemies (See Isaiah 53:7), is the same one whose anger indicated His hatred for and vehement disapproval of all unrighteousness and injustice (See Hebrews 1:9). The Lord of Love” was angry! This account cannot be explained away. The word translated “Anger” is the regular New Testament word for “anger” or “wrath”- orge (or-gay) meaning (Justiable violent passion, abhorrence, indignation, vengeance”) we might call Jesus’ anger as it is said, “Right Wrath,” which is also said no less noble than “Right Love” Wrath is just as noble as love. In fact, each one necessitates or requires the other. Christ’s loving offer of healing was followed by His anger against human heartedness and unfaithfulness. We can see Jesus’ ire when He directed a question at the “Religious” in their Pharisaic hypocrisy” Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or do evil? To save life or to kill?” (V.4) Jesus eventually gave a tender appeal to the city Jerusalem, which would not recognize her king; but it was obvious that His anger against the “religious” could not be quenched, and God’s judgment eventually destroyed Jerusalem. May we well remember the striking Biblical account of Jesus cleansing of the Temple (Mark 11:15-19) His eyes were blazing, and with a whip of cards in His hands, He drove the money exchangers out and also drove out the crooks that sold doves and he even drove out those who bought in the Temple. Yes, Jesus did that! Our Lord’s very holy love of purity, His unending love of righteousness, necessitated a Divine hatred of Sin. Active affection for the good involved a positive, active detestation of the evil. And in so much as His holy heart was forever tender towards the things that are worthy, righteous and pure. His heart was unavoidably hard and vehemently calloused toward all sin, unlovingness, and wrong. Now we must consider, indeed there is a “Righteous anger” but we must resist unrighteous anger (See Galatians 5:20, Colossians 3:8) I think we all have failed in doing this! But it is thoroughly Christ like to be angry at sin and evil (See Exodus 32:19, I Samuel 11:6, II Samuel 12:5, Nehemiah 5:6) You see, having indignation at the sins of one’s generation is good evidence of the believer placing himself or herself on the right side of Almighty God against unrighteousness and evil (See Exodus 3:19, I Samuel 11:6, Psalm 94:16, Jeremiah 6:11, Acts 17:16) Righteous Wraths is noble because it is necessary according to the standard of God’s holiness. Indeed the sin of our present generation is “Trying to maintain ourselves in a world of gross sin by a mere neglect of its evil while we seek its good”. In other words, just ignore evil and pursue good things people say. No! it is not enough to simply “ignore evil “Our struggle toward what we seek in God involves a definite struggle from and against what we shun. If you don’t struggle against sin you won’t rise up in God. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:21, “Be not overcome of Evil but over come evil with good”. “How” you might ask, “Can we do this?” Draw near to God! Resist the devil! It is stupid to submit to evil or sin when we don’t have to, so we see that we must definitely fight sin, and to fight sin we must hate sin. An attempt to escape from evil or sin by just denying its existence, simply ignoring it, or cultivating a mere passive stance against it, is plain of cowardliness. Plain and simple! It is rebellion! The Christian way is to hate sin! So it is not wrong to hate evil or sin, more than that, we must hate Sin. Are we better than God the Father? The Son? The Holy Spirit? In the heart of God, Father, son, Holy Spirit- we find their intense hatred right beside their infinite love. Did you know that the same disciple who spoke of the love that freely gave Jesus Christ to die spoke also of “The fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God?” The God of love is the same God whom the Prophet said was of “Purer eyes than to be hold iniquity” and who “cannot look on sin with any degree of allowance” Read God’s word! There are times in the life of a man and woman when this truth about God’s anger need to be revived and refreshed in the mind and heart, for it is important to recognize God as He really and fully is. THIS IS THE GENERATION TO HATE SIN. My dear readers, right now, TODAY. Sin and evil are literally killing this whole generation- right before our very eyes. What are you, professed believers in Christ, going to do? What will you do? What are you going to do? All around the world, countless souls are slipping and sliding right into the very habitations of hell!! Do you care at all? This is the time and generation in which we all need to learn about and practice afresh and anew the nobility of wrath. But it is alarming how many professed Christians detest sound instructions! Yet, shall we not be like the Psalmist who cried, “Hot indignation hath taken hold upon me, because of the wicked that forsake thy law” (Psalm 119:53)? Aren’t you concerned Christian friends, to see so many backslidings among the professed Christians? Doesn’t it bother you to see the ranks of evil men and women expand their evil, sinful influences of all around this already dark world? Does not your spirit rise against the sophistries (false, deceitful arguments) of every kind? Does not the Bible tell us, “Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27)? And does not the Bible tell us, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” (V 30)? We grieve the Holy Spirit by resisting the Holy Spirit; this in turn, leads to quenching the Holy Spirit, which is a greater grief; and finally it leads to despising the Holy Spirit, which is a terrible sin. Will you resist the Holy Spirit if He comes upon you to fill you with righteous anger? Oh, foolish generation of spirit haters, how shall you escape the wrath of God? Why did Jesus die? Because He hates sin and loves the sinners. He bore the sins of the fallen world because He “so loved the world.” He slew death by embracing death. And so His Hatred and love worked together. But our hatred for sin must always be there, acting as the background and buttress (support) of our love of the good. A true Christian must, I repeat must have a holy hatred for sin and a constantly working resistance of evil and sin, and must also maintain a reverence for purity and exercise an undying effort towards it. HATE the evil, and love the good. Seek – strike – destroy!! Go forth in a campaign against the adversaries of truth, beauty, purity, seek out, strike at, and utterly destroy all evil and sinful strongholds in your life. Have an uncompromisingly cold heart towards wrong and a hated heart towards right. Friend, do you look upon sin without abhorrence? Or do you love the noble and hate iniquity? Godly hate will drive a wonderful wedge between you and sin. Do you welcome the virtue of Christ’s passionate anger to come and separate you from the enemy of your soul? This is a very personal, very important one. Where do you stand today with God? Dr.T.Aonok Outreach Challenge Ministries, Psalm One Cottage, Signal Basti, Dimapur, Nagaland, e-mail: onok_psalm@yahoo.com

Christianity first dawned in Molungkimong-

The DIPR news titled ‘Molung-yimsen VC members meet governor’ which appeared in the local papers dated January 19 states “Molungyimsen village was the first centre of the advent of Christianity in the state of Nagaland, where Rev. W.E Clark first began his mission in 1872′. This is misleading information and can easily misconstrued by the readers on the true historical facts about the advent of Christianity in a local daily. In the year 1872, Rev. W.E Clark baptized the first 24 converts (November 11 and sub-sequently in December 23) in Molungkimong and hence then this village and not Molungyimsen is the pioneering village for the spread of Christianity in Nagaland. To clear any misapprehended facts, it should be known that in 1872, there was no Molungyimsen because this village was formed only in 1876, which was led by Rev. W.E Clark from the village of Molungkimong after some misunderstanding arose among the villagers. These are historical events which cannot be reworked or tainted by a mere print on a sheet of paper or recital for a vested interest. Further more when ever such chronological facts need to be publicized, individuals as well as organizations or institutes should be sensitive enough to present true facts and not the distorted versions. Such distortions mislead the readers as well as hurt the sentiments of the particular village where so the historical event took place. The facts presented above has been written with reference from the decision passed by ABAM (Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang) on November 4-6, 1980, from the book ‘A Corner in India’ authored by M.M Clark, wife of Rev. W.E Clark and Molungkimong, the eternal witness of a village that saw history in its soil.   Alem Longchar Oim Longchar Lisen Tsudir Duncan basti, Dimapur.