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Inside Hinduism: A Story of Freedom

We went to their house for dinner so they could help two short-term workers be better prepared to learn and serve in their country of origin.  We were expecting cultural revelations, but we came away with a story of God’s greatness. 

Maneesha is a beautiful Mauritian woman, with a devoted husband and gorgeous baby girl.  But her life has not always been easy.  Growing up, her father was a witch doctor, a man whose life was destined to be changed.  One day, Maneesha’s brother grew sick with a strange illness which lasted a long time.  Each time the boy reached for his school bag, he would fall down as though dead.  This didn’t happen once in a while, but for 4-5 years.  During that time, Maneesha herself became ill with half her face in perpetual pain.  Illness haunted the boy, then Maneesha, then her aunt, and finally Maneesha’s father. 

Desperate, they visited doctor after doctor – good ones, renowned for their skill.  Then the visits to the witch doctors started.  “It was scary,” Maneesha said, her eyes burning brightly.  “We would watch as animals were sacrificed, their blood spilt.  But nothing changed.  We remained sick.”

Then her father met a man of God, who came to their home to pray.  Maneesha’s father would not give in easily and their conversation turned to debate.  But then something happened.  “Okay,” her father said.  “I give in.  I will follow Jesus.”

From that day forward the family was healed, and together, they turned to Jesus. 

This is Maneesha’s story, but by God’s grace, it could also be the story of many others trapped in darkness and despair, bound to lifeless, impotent, immobile idols which do nothing to bring hope and salvation and joy.  They need Jesus, the life-giver, healer, protector, saviour. 

Will you be a part of bringing change to the Maneesha’s of the world?

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Inside Hinduism: Sights and Smells

“I am a Hindu,” writes Yann Martel in his book, Life of Pi, ”because of sculptured cones of red kumkum powder and baskets of yellow turmeric nuggets, because of garlands of flowers and pieces of broken coconut, because of the clanging of bells to announce one’s arrival to God, because of the… beating of drums… because of the fragrance of incense… because of foreheads carrying, variously signified, the same word – faith. I became loyal to these sense impressions even before I knew what they meant or what they were for… I am aware of Presence, not personal the way we usually feel presence, but something larger.  My heart still skips a beat when I catch sight of the murti, of God Residing, in the inner sanctum of a temple… My hands naturally come together in reverent worship. I hunger for prasad, that sugary offering to God that comes back to us as a sanctified treat.”

This is one of the best descriptions of Hinduism I have come across.  We can understand the philosophy of a religion, but unless we grasp the heart of it – the colour and the texture of it, the taste and the smell of it, the sound and the inner heartbeat of it, we won’t be able to fully engage with those whose very cultural identity is wrapped up with their religion.  For the vast majority, to be Indian or Nepali or Balinese is to be Hindu.  To be Hindu is to be Indian or… to see India as your motherland.  And they are Hindu because they were born Hindus.  As children they rang bells to summon the gods, tasted the sweetness of prasad, they were smeared with vermilion, and entered into their identity and their community of being Hindu. 

There are one billion of these humans who do not know Jesus!  Will you enter their world for the sake of their destinies?

  

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Next blog:  Inside Hinduism: A Story of Freedom



Inside Hinduism: What is it?

It’s incredible to think that 15% of the world’s population practice Hinduism.  That’s more than one billion people, most of whom live in Asia.  But what is Hinduism?  What do Hindus really believe?  To bring Hinduism into sharper focus, let’s do a brief compare/contrast between those who are followers of Hinduism and those who follow Jesus.

Hinduism believes that all religions are valid ways to God.  So whether you worship Krishna or Kali, Buddha or Jesus, they are all paths to salvation.  But Jesus was clear.  “I am the way, the truth, life,” He said.  “No-one comes to the Father but through me.”  According to Christianity, Jesus is the only way.

Hindus believe in reincarnation, a cycle of rebirths where they advance through birth after birth, life after life, until all karmas have been worked out, and liberation from this cycle (moksha), has been achieved.  Followers of Jesus believe that we live one life.  Heb. 9:27 states, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement…”

Hinduism sees moksha (liberation from the cycle of reincarnation) as the aim.  When moksha is realised, people themselves become gods.  They gain moksha by earning good karma through good works, following a guru, practicing yoga, performing ceremonial deeds, etc.  It is by their own effort.  But the Bible makes it clear that people are in need of salvation because they are sinful and have broken relationship with God.  They only way for this broken relationship to be fixed is through faith in Jesus.  It is through His redemptive work on the cross. 

The gods within Hinduism do not forgive sins and are not interested in saving their followers.  If a wrong is done, the sinner pays for their wrong-doing in the next life.  The only escape is for their good karma to outweigh their bad karma.  But God revealed in Jesus Christ is a God of love and mercy, ready to forgive those truly sorry for their wrong-doing. To satisfy his justice, a price had to be paid for these wrongs, but moved by mercy, Jesus paid this price for us.

Hinduism is a religion of many gods - 330 million at last count! Brahmā: the creator, Śiva: the destroyer, and Viṣṇu: the preserver, are the three highest gods.  Followers of Jesus worship one God and Jesus is his name!

Hinduism is the epitome of relativism, stating that there is no absolute truth; it depends on the individual.  However, Jesus said God’s Word is the truth (Jn. 17:17).  It is the external standard by which followers of Jesus live.

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Most Endangered Peoples in Poland

It’s a land of large cathedrals and prayer candles, statues of Mary and revered priests.  If being a Christian is based on culture or tradition, then Poland may be the most Christian culture in the world.  But if being a Christian is based on a heart choice to love God and follow Christ and His teaching, then Poland is one of the most forgotten nations of the world.  Almost 95% of all the municipalities in Poland do NOT HAVE EVEN A SINGLE evangelical church.

http://pioneerspoland.org/html/the_need.html 

 

With passion in her voice, one woman who is giving her life for the people of Poland comments, “If we are brave enough to allow Christ to show us the reality beyond the illusion of empty religion and prosperity, then we will be broken by His love for this country.”   

 

She continues, “For too long we have been deceived into thinking that those who show outward signs of religion and share a history similar to our own do not need to hear about Christ.  This misconception has led us into a blissful unawareness of the spiritual battle that rages throughout Europe. At first glance Poles look… deeply devoted to faith and family. Looking closer it becomes apparent that God’s presence is missing from their lives... Adherence to empty religion has no transforming power. It is only an illusion.” 

 

“Most Poles admit that they go to church because our culture tells them they have to,” tells one Polish man.  “When they do something wrong, they go to confession.  The priest offers forgiveness in exchange for acts of penance. Temporary forgiveness is theirs until the next time they mess up.  They end up stuck in an endless cycle, never experiencing the true grace or forgiveness.” 

 

One young Polish woman observes, “We are taught from a young age that we are defined by religious traditions whether or not we understand or agree with them.  Questioning the authority and teachings of the church is a sin.  As a result people are turning away from the church in search of the truth…”

There is no limit to what gifts and abilities can be used in Poland… only authentic relationship with Christ lived out in every day circumstances. 

You can be a part of shaping lives in Poland.  Will you help them experience the truth behind the illusion?

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Most Endangered Peoples

They are the most endangered peoples of the world.

 

http://dom.imb.org/the%20unfinished%20task.htm

Visit ‘The Unfinished Task’ link above. The figures change at an alarming rate – every 30 seconds another 43 people are born into people groups who currently have no access to the gospel.  Eighty-six people per minute!  The mathematics is frightening.  Peoples in danger – in danger of living and dying without Christ, endangered because they haven’t even had a chance to hear.  Frightening but not hopeless.

I think of Nazma and Rozi, Sudha's husband and Ruksana’s eldest brother. And little Anjali and the rapidly growing Nargiz.  I want to hang out with them forever!  I want them there, worshipping Jesus with us.  And worshipping Jesus now.

If it is true that Jesus is the one and only God, the only one worthy of being worshipped, if He is with us, giving us all authority to bring salvation to everyone who will believe, then what in the world are we doing about those who have never even heard of him?

“There can be no weary resignation, no cowardly retreat, and no merciless contentment among Christ’s people while he is disowned among thousands of unreached peoples.  Every Christian (who loves people and honours Christ) must care about this.” John Piper. 

He goes onto say, “any good-hearted goal, without the desire to give people eternal joy in God, is condemnation with a kind face.” 

Because if they don’t hear they are condemned, kind face or not, they are in danger.

The call has been given, the gauntlet thrown down.  Will we, the Church of Jesus Christ, rise up for the most endangered of the world?

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Prayer that Changed the History of a Family

God is moving today through the prayers of His people. 

I remember a time when God broke through in wonder and changed the history of a man – and a community – by extending His hand in healing.  A modern day version of Acts 4:30!

This man had been sick for some time with an open ulcer on his leg and eventually the infection became septic.  He was dying.  As he lay in bed, unable to eat or mobilise, the doctor told his family to say their goodbyes.  In desperation, his wife turned to a Christian friend.  “You’ll come and pray?” she begged.  “Of course,” my friend responded.  “Of course.” 

The hospital was far away but the two-room home (situated below a slum-school she and her husband ran) was nearby.  It was late morning and the heat already had the day in its grip.  Snaking through the traffic, horns beeping, cycles and buses, cars and auto rickshaws, all weaving around each other, two women prayed for God to save this man’s life. 

Joined by three other local woman, none of whom were believers, the women made their way to the school.  Initial greetings made, chai offered and drunk, the sick man’s wife urgently asked again, “You’ve come to pray, right?”  

“Yes, that’s why we’ve come.  When we have prayed before, we prayed in Jesus’ name.  We will do that again today.  We are not praying in the name of the gods found on these posters on the wall,” she said, pointing around her.  “We are praying in Jesus’ name alone, and our hearts need to be joined together in that.  Will you pray in Jesus’ name alone?” she asked.

“Yes, yes,” they all agreed.  And so they prayed.  They prayed that this woman’s dying husband would be healed, that he would live, that he would meet Jesus through it. 

The prayer complete, the two visiting women got up and soon left… no immediate response, at least not that they knew of.

The next day my friend received a phone call.  Gushing with joy, the sick man’s wife told her, “After you left I went to the hospital to visit my husband.  When I arrived he was sitting up and eating plate after plate of rice and dal.  He had even gone to the bathroom by himself!  He is healed!”

Two women, praying in the name of Jesus for Him to move in wonder.  It’s happened before.  It can happen again. 

Will you be a part of changing history?

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