Spring arrives! The forest in the woodlands will soon erupt with the sounds of newborn fawns and small mammals. In our backyard the birds have premed their nest as baby birds hatch, soon to fill the air with chirps and bird songs.
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New life is the sign accompanying Spring here in India. In the north east where we gather with friends enjoying Indian tea, we were stirred into enthusiastic conversation about the new life in the Bible studies and the churches. The kind of life that happens by being born again. That sweet fellowship flourishes among the believers and joy fills the room. The transformation of such believers delivered from darkness know now that they live in His glorious light and life.
A Hindu priest positioned in the temple to execute a macabre act of child sacrifice…his own daughter who was seven years old. Her father was a Hindu priest and he told her there was a special service that night at the temple so he went and bought her a new dress for the occasion. Little did she know that her father‘s plan was to sacrifice her that night to the Hindu gods. When they arrived at the temple the little girl said, "Father, where are all the people?" and he said, "We are early." He took her in and there were only other Hindu priests and they went to the altar and he told her to put her head down and began to get ready to cut her head off with a big sword. She saw the sword and started to cry and pray, "Dear Jesus, save me!" When she prayed all the articles of worship and the incense holders fell on the floor. They put them back in place and as they proceeded a second time, it happened again as she prayed a second time, "Jesus save me!" The priests stopped the sacrifice ritual. The other priest told the father, this is a bad omen, and they could not sacrifice her. Her father was very angry and ended up cutting his own flesh to give blood to the gods. He continued in his anger and took her home and locked her in her bedroom for two days with no water or food. She had heard from a friend at school that Jesus is the loving powerful Lord who answers prayer. Today she is a beautiful believer and is loved and has a prayer ministry praying for the sick to be healed.
The woman next to me is that "little girl", she expressed to our team that she could not let me go but wanted me to stay with her.
In our friend's home, just as dinner was being prepared for us, I saw a quiet man standing aloof, so I went over to say hello. He was polite but reticent to speak. Then very slowly he began to tell me his testimony. His joy was now all over his face and he was saying “Yes, yes! I too know! Very, very happy I have joy now. It's Jesus I have now.”
This man was a high cast Brahman and in that status receives praise and privileges in this Indian culture. But he chose to give it all away and put it aside for Christ as his Lord and Savior. He has walked away and is denying himself of all that could be his to follow Jesus. As the Bible says, "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and He will lift you up.” James 4:19
This believer who came out of darkness and evil because he saw the love of God extended to him through believers in Christ. Please pray for India, there are over 1 billion people who do not know the love of God in Jesus Christ.
