Posted on 11/12/2005 3:21:12 PM PST by MSCASEY
JMM Urgent Prayer] November 12, 2005 Dear Friend in Christ,
I am asking you today to pray for an extremely critical situation. More than 60 new believers in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh are being threatened with death if they do not convert back to Hinduism! It is not enough that they escaped the spiritual bondage that has oppressed their people for centuries, but now radical Hindus have threatened to burn alive any Christians who do not return to their former slavery.
Here is what happened: On November 4, a pastor was attacked and severely beaten by a group of militants who threatened his life. Now the same group says they will conduct a puja (ritual) on November 20 to forcefully convert the Christians in his church to Hinduism--and burn alive any who do not renounce their new faith.
The pastor has filed a complaint with local police, but the area is dominated by a large temple to the Hindu god Shiva. Thousands of pilgrims come to the temple, so Hinduism is important to the local economy. It is not clear if the police will take any action to protect the Christians.
What is most important now is that we pray for this situation. I urge you to pray for the protection of the men, women and children in that place who have committed their lives to Christ. Pray that God will surround them with His angels and turn back any violence. Please also pray for their attackers, that their hearts will be softened and that God will work a miracle in their lives.
Imagine what a powerful force for good they could become if they surrendered their lives to the Living God instead of gods that do not hear them!
Please share this request with your church and your friends. This is a spiritual battle, and only through prayer and fasting will the enemy be defeated in this stronghold.
I thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Asia. Thank you, most of all, for standing with us and with our brothers and sisters in Himachal Pradesh during this challenging time.
Yours for the lost of Asia,
Pastor.Johnson Mathews
Thank you so much for sending your letters. And that was a beautiful prayer, it warmed my heart.
Ms. Casey's Daughter
Let me ask do you not feel very blessed to be born in this country?
Ms. Casey's Daughter
Prayers and an email sent.
Ping
ping.
Thank you so very much it is much appreciated.
Ms. Casey's Daughter
A good start for Christian missionaries trying to "convert" Hindus to Christ would be to act like Christ and clean their own house first.
Look at your own country and then ask yourself why any person would convert to Christianity.
And btw, Shiva destroys to create.
Anyone who would threaten to kill people who will not conform to their beliefs does not follow the God I know.
And there are many other countries were the love for the Lord is far stronger than America. But if someone finds and has the love of Jesus in their heart who are you to take that away from them?
And what has this Shiva created? What good has come out of the destruction that has been done in the name of Shiva?
Ms. Casey's Daughter
You have the love of Jesus? I don't remember from the Gospels Jesus acting anything like Christian missionaries of today.
And I'll answer your questions about Shiva when you answer mine. I'm sure you aren't serious. However, I am.
Not according to the Hindus.
I don't remember from the Gospels Jesus acting anything like Christian missionaries of today.
I do not know what Christian missionaries you are speaking of. Please give some examples of what you are speaking about.
The problem I have with them is that almost none are not even willing to take the time to write letters or care about what happens to people that convert.
Being Christian is not about putting your faith in man's religion it is about loving the Lord with all your heart,mind and soul. And accepting the gift that He has given us of salvation.
Many today put their faith in religion or the people in the church, they get very disappointed.
Ms. Casey's Daughter
Wrong. According to "Hindus" there is only one God with many faces. Nothing can exist without God but God's existence is dependent on nothing. Our existence is in God, not so his in us.You have been misinformed.
I do not know what Christian missionaries you are speaking of.
I think you do. Or would if you could accept Krishna as an incarnation of God and not a demon.
I honestly don't what this "gift" of salvation might be. Salvation is more work than anything else. Jesus did not die for my sins. He was crucified because ignorant men did not recognize him. It would be no different today. The ignorant - those who profess to know the truth and love God - would crucify him all over again.
The concept of religion--you know, as something one believes rather than something someone gives lip service to because otherwise he will be burned alive.
Ping for your amusement:-)
Praying Right Now, to our Blessed Father in Heaven.
I'm no Bible scholar, but it seems to me that we are commissioned to go and preach the good news to all. The people having heard it, it is up to them and the Holy Spirit what becomes of them therafter. If the people are too blind to see and too deaf to hear, it is not up to the disciple to fix them. His(our)role is to witness and move on, if need be, rather than to cast pearls before swine and incite violence. Those who knowingly reject Christ will have a far higher power to deal with than humble pastors and missionaries. JMHO.
This is not happening in India its happening in Pakistan (your allies) even as we speak:
http://news.google.co.in/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ie=UTF-8&ncl=http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp%3FARTICLE_ID%3D47380
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/14/wpak114.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/14/ixnewstop.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/14/wpak14.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/11/14/ixportaltop.html
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/051112/w111238.html
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=125098®ion=2
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5FDD9E53-31AA-49F6-8900-34512A624078.htm
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104AP_Pakistan_Churches_Burned.html
http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/13/stories/2005111303821200.htm
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=79877
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2005%5C11%5C14%5Cstory_14-11-2005_pg7_20
http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=89542
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-11-12T223727Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-223255-1.xml
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/newsdetails.php?newsid=701
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-11-12T223727Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-223255-1.xml
Its only Hindus and Indians who get baited everytime:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1521542/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1521386/posts
Sangla hills are mistakenly assumed to be the ones in India (Himachal Pradesh).
Check above post.
Perhaps you should be writing a letter to Pakistan (America's ally). The burning and killing incidents are taking place in Pakistan (even as we speak) not India. I live in India and I know Himachal Pradesh is pretty clam.
BTW see post # 77
and this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=pakistan
http://news.google.co.in/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ie=UTF-8&q=Pakistan+church+&btnG=Search+News
And perhaps you own Indians and the Hindus an apology for your harsh comments.
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