The other side of Christmas

Finally Christmas season has come where every young and old enjoys this seasons of greetings. I am constrained to share a few thoughts which we seldom realize or question ourselves during this season. It may sound silly for some people but the other side of Christmas is practical and we need to ponder over it. Christmas is the season to share our love, concerns, care, peace, joy, etc. etc every good tiding. Let us see what happens on the other side of Christmas.

1.      Widows, widowers, orphans: During this festive season their only wish is “IF”. They wish for if their husband is there to comfort them, their wife is there to prepare best meal for them, their parents were there to buy them new cloths. They do not expect big things either. What do we do for them during this season? Yes, surely we cannot replace their loved ones yet we can still show our love to them. My dear wealthy people this is just for your information that these poor kids they admire the colorful package of gifts that you exchange among you, and most of all your beautiful decorated house, walls, trees within your campus. They don’t expect expensive gifts. Church, what do we really do for these people? Jesus mission is for the upliftment of the poor and down trodden but the paradox is on his (Jesus) birthday we fail to recognize the needs of the needy.

2.      Hospitals, Jail, Orphanage etc.: There are so many people who spend their Christmas in despair. They too wanted to enjoy but the circumstances do not permit. How many of us give thoughts to visit these people. There are some people and organizations that do commendable jobs and I appreciate for that, but in common it is seldom practiced. During Christmas many people especially youths and children go around caroling and raise funds. One day I asked to a certain group what was the purpose of raising fund, then they replied that it is for their picnic. “Oh my God” I wonder, if at all fund raising is necessary why don’t we raise fund and comfort these people in hospitals, jails and share the love of God? These are the people who need someone to come to their places, they cannot come to us. Jesus came to heal the sick, to give comfort to the destitute, to release the captives. What are we doing on his birthday?

3.      Poor neighbors and poor people in the church: God purposefully let coexist of both rich and poor in the society and it is God’s politics that the rich people can receive God’s blessing by helping the poor and needy (Mat. 19:21). Once I met one aunty who was collecting the used cloths from the relatives to give to some people. I appreciate her altruistic work but I asked her why not new cloths or at least good ones because some cloths were beyond repairable, she said “itu bi taikhan nimite khub ase” (This is good enough for them). My question is “is it taboo for the poor children to wear new cloths?” Just imagine the cost of the fire crackers (bomb) that you spend just to burst in the air. Yes it’s your money your wish, but have you ever give thoughts what kind of cloths is your neighbors children are wearing. Church, what have we done for the poor people in the church? Unfortunately they are the one who gets least share even during Christmas feast. No one bothers about their presence and absence rather we have more concern about the rich and influential people whether they are enjoying or not, what an irony it is?

4.      Servants and helpers at home: Jesus came to this earth to release the captives and freed the bondage of slavery. Christmas message is the message of liberty (Luke 4:18). On the other hand Christmas is the most hectic and most boredom seasons for the servants at home, why? You gather your family, friends, and loved ones and enjoy the feast but you never give thoughts that your servants are being pressurized. Yes, I do not demand for equal status but at least on this occasion why don’t you give a try to see how is your preparation taste like? Giving some rest to your servants on Christmas will be a great sermon on your part.

5.      Pollution: The fireworks, crackers, bomb gives much pollution. We do not see and touch the air therefore we do not realize how much we inhale it. It is a great threat not only for the human beings but all livestock’s and plants too. God assigned us to be the good stewards towards His creation (Gen. 1:26-30) but we instead of guarding them we are destroying them.

6.      Tragedy: Every year on the eve of Christmas accident takes place and most of the cases are recorded of rash driving with the influences of alcohol. Jesus came to give life but we took life, what is it? The worst tragedy is again loosing of souls especially youth. Many youth during this season get involves in unwanted activities, immoralities and go astray from God. The paradox here is Jesus came to save the lost souls but we lost the saved souls. My dear church leaders why don’t you do something to save both lives and souls of this generation.

The message of Christmas is expected to be full of love, joy, peace, etc. The sermon delivered in the church alone is not a Christmas message but we as Christians our life itself is a message. If we are for Christ where is the message of Christ in us? Just remember the other side of Christmas is always bitter. Let us not think only for ourselves but see what is going on besides us. Had Jesus not been born the world would have been still under the bondage of darkness but is he who changed the world history, let us be the agent of change. 

Strongest weakness, wisest foolishness, most determined undermined

1.      God gives strength to Samson

From the book of Judges throughout chapter 13 to 16 we can see the life of Samson whom God raised him to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of Philistine. He was raised as the Nazirite. Samson is believed to be the strongest man ever whom God had special anointing.

Samson's weakness and strength at Gaza 16:1-3

Gaza lay on the sunny Mediterranean coast in the heart of Philistine territory. It was probably a popular vacation site for compromising Israelites as well as the Philistines. Perhaps Samson went there to enjoy the amusements that flourish in such places and to show off his physique on the "muscle beach" of his day. As the judge assigned to destroy the Philistines, his presence there for recreational purposes was inappropriate to say the least. It also reveals his great self-confidence since after 20 years of judging Israel he was undoubtedly a wanted man in Philistia. In contrast, Samuel, who was only a few years younger than Samson, was at this time ministering as a faithful circuit-riding judge in Israel's heartland (1 Sam. 7:15-17). Samson's weakness for women stands out in the record of his evening with the Gaza prostitute (v. 1). This was unquestionably inappropriate behavior for a Nazirite whom God had called to deliver Israel from the very enemy he was romancing. Any reference to the leading of the Lord is notably absent here (cf. 14:4). Samson's weakness contrasts with his strength throughout this chapter. Here we see his moral and spiritual weakness.

Samson and Delilah 16:4-21

The first three verses present Samson sowing "wild oats." Verses 4-21 picture him reaping a bitter harvest (cf. Gal. 6:7). Samson allowed a woman to seduce him again. She lived in the Sorek Valley between Samson's home area of Zorah and Eshtaol and the Philistine town of Timnah. The place itself was a compromise between Israelite and Philistine territory. Delilah is evidently Jewish and probably means "devotee" or "worshipper." However she seems to have been a Philistine, possibly a temple prostitute. Her devotion to the Philistines is obvious in the text, and her devotion to their gods may well have motivated her actions in this instance. Evidently she and her family had chosen to live among the attractive and advanced enemies of God's people.

 "It is strange that Samson's three loves should have been numbered amongst his inveterate enemies, the Philistines.” Samson posed a great threat to the Philistines. The leading lords of the Philistines initiated the plan to capture him, and they offered a reward that would have made Delilah rich (v. 5). "Eleven hundred . . . of silver" was a fortune since a person could live comfortably on "10 . . . of silver" a year (17:10). Samson may not have possessed an abnormally muscular physique since the Philistines did not know where he got his great strength.

"The Philistine princes thought that Samson's supernatural strength arose from something external, which he wore or carried about with him as an amulet."

Moral compromise always makes one vulnerable to temptation. We see this in Samson's case and in Delilah's in these verses. Temptation usually comes in attractive packages. The wrong companions can lead us into temptation (cf. 1 Cor. 15:33). Temptation is persistent (cf. Matt. 4). Yielding to temptation starts us on a toboggan slide. We find ourselves going faster and faster downhill, and soon we can get off only with great personal pain.

2.      Solomon's wisdom from God (1 Kings 3 and 2 Chronicles)

This chapter emphasizes one of the chief blessings God bestowed on Solomon for his commitment and submission to Yahweh. By giving Solomon unusual wisdom God also blessed the nation he served as king.

God promised to bless Solomon for putting His interests before Solomon's (cf. Matt.

6:33). He gave him much more than he asked (v. 13). This incident demonstrates that God did indeed give Solomon the unusual wisdom He had promised (v. 28).

Solomon’s foolishness (1 Kings 11)

The other side of Solomon life is quite contrast to the wisdom which God gave him. He failed to maintain the decree of the Lord and married foreign wives. Solomon had sown some seeds of departure from God and His Word early in his reign. They bore bitter fruit as he grew older.

Solomon did not abandon Yahweh, but he worshipped the gods of the nations along with Him (syncretism; vv. 4, 6). His sin was that his heart (affections) went after false gods (v. 4). He did not follow Yahweh fully (exclusively, v. 6; cf. Exod. 20:3; Deut. 30:15-20). Solomon was noteworthy for his love for God when he began reigning (3:3), but at the end of his reign love for women characterized him. Solomon's sin in going after other gods was the quintessence of covenant infidelity. David had sinned against God deliberately (2 Sam. 11), but his heart remained devoted to Yahweh. His sin was not as serious as Solomon's was (cf. Deut. 6:5). The one tribe Solomon's heir would retain was Judah. Judah had absorbed the tribe of

Simeon almost entirely by this time, though some Israelites from Simeon had moved north (2 Chron. 15:9; 34:6).

3.      Determination of Peter’s faith

Among the disciples, Simon Peter is considered to be one of the most determined. He is the first disciples to call Jesus as Lord when they had experienced the mystery fishing (Luke 5:8).

When there were many different opinions about who Jesus was, some says he is Herod Antipas, some believed He was the resurrected John the Baptist (14:2). Others believed He was the fulfillment of the Elijah prophecy, namely, the forerunner of the Messiah (Mal. 4:5-6; cf. Matt. 3:1-3; 11:9-10; 17:10-13). Some concluded that Jesus was the resurrected Jeremiah probably because of similarities between the men and their ministries. Among the disciples too there was confusion but Peter was the only one who boldly answered “You are the Christ, the son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). This is a more definite identification of Jesus as deity than "God's Son" or "a son of God" (14:33). That title leaves a question open about the sense in which Jesus was God's Son.

Peter's denials of Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:55-62; John 18:15-18,

25-27)

All four evangelists recorded three denials, but the details differ slightly. From Matthew’s account we see that:

1.      26:69-70 Peter was warming himself near the fire in the center of the courtyard (Mark 14:65; Luke 22:55; John 18:18). The servant girl's words expressed both curiosity and accusation. She referred to Jesus derogatorily as "the Galilean" (cf. Mark 14:67). Residents of Judea, and especially Jerusalem, regarded Galileans as inferior to themselves because the area was mainly rural. Evidently several people overheard her comment and may have joined in her questioning. Peter replied with words similar to a formal legal oath.

2.      26:71-72 Peter withdrew to the gateway leading from the street into the courtyard perhaps because that area was darker and there were fewer people there. There another girl pointed him out to others standing about as one who had been with Jesus "of Nazareth," another derogatory slur in view of the bad reputation of Nazareth. Peter denied her accusation this time with an oath. Matthew did not mean that Peter used profanity, but he invoked a curse on himself if he was lying. He appealed to something sacred to confirm his truthfulness (cf. 5:33-34; 23:16-22).

3.      26:73-75 A third person, one of the high priest's servants who was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off in Gethsemane (John 18:26), approached Peter with some bystanders about an hour later (Luke 22:59). They accusingly asked Peter again if he was not one of Jesus' disciples since he was a Galilean. Galileans had an accent that set them off as distinctive. This shows how thoroughly residents of Jerusalem connected Jesus' ministry with Galilee since it was the site of most of His activity. Most if not all of His disciples were Galileans.  Peter denied that he knew Jesus a third time using more oaths to confirm his testimony. Immediately a rooster crowed. Peter heard it and remembered Jesus' prediction that he would deny Jesus before the cock crowed (v. 34). Peter left the courtyard and wept bitterly over his cowardice and failure. This is Matthew's last reference to Peter. At this point of time how Peter undermined his faith is rather a fatality.

From the above discussions we see three different personalities. Considering these people how strong, wise, and determined they are yet they have their weaknesses as well. If these people whom God has chosen had their weakness how weak we are to be is the big question here. This discussion is not to justify our weakness but to rediscover ourselves in our daily walk with God. There are so many valid ways to lead us astray and there comes the temptations but God is faithful and He opens a way to escape from them (1 Cor. 10:13). 

LITTLE IS MUCH

LITTLE IS MUCH

As I woke up this morning, a song “Little is much” came to my mind time and again. Therefore I have decided to share a little thought on the topic “Little is much.”

Yes many a times we felt so insecure of ourselves or not content with what we have, we fail to trust in God in spite of knowing the fact that He can do great things in our lives. There is enough evidence in the Bible where God used the least in a mighty way. For instance, Moses and Aaron had nothing with them except Aaron staff when they approached Pharaoh, but we see that with that staff God performed miracles (Exodus 7:8-13). David was just a boy when he fought Goliath, all he had is just five smooth stones and a sling in his hand (1 Sam. 17: 40) but he struck down Goliath. When Jesus feeds 5000 people all they had was just  five loaves and two fish (Jn.6:1-15). A widow dropped two small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny but the Lord accepted her offering (Mark 12: 41-44). There are many more such testimonies in the Bible.

I am sure we will excel in our work if we do things according to the will of God with what we have. God does not look at the quantity of what we have or the ability of men but He always look into our heart. Once a Pastor delivered message from Mark 12:41 – 44 regarding the offering of a widow and said that God did not accept the offerings those who brought in a huge quantity but accept the least one. As a result from that day onward all the church members begin to bring their tithes and other offerings at the least. I don’t know whether the preacher failed to convey it properly or the church members failed to comprehend the real message but sometimes it happen. A story about the widow offering says that she gave away all that she had. NIV translation says she put everything – all she had to ‘live on’ which means she is not only having that coins to ‘live in’ but she had no other source even in future. God accepted her offering because she gave it away with full heartedly. No matter how big or small is our gift God does not ask what we don’t have (2Cor. 8:12) but he cherished what we give from our heart.

Likewise, not only in offering but in every aspect of our lives all we need to do is just surrender ourselves to God and He will use us mightily even as He uses His people in the Bible. I love the line in the song Little is much where it says “Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth or fame, there is a crown and you can win it, if you go in Jesus name.” When Jesus fed 5000 people the duty of the disciples is just to bring those five loaves and two fish, also when Jesus turned water into wind on the wedding at Cana his disciples’ duty is just to bring water and the rest of the great miracles were done by Jesus. All we need to do is just surrender to Jesus with what we have or what we can, then he will do the rest. Great things can happen in our lives if we surrender it to the Lord because little is much when God is in it.

Wake up Call

Isaiah 51:9 “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?”

Isaiah 51:17  “Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.”

Isaiah 52:1 “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.”

Author of the book of Isaiah

The book of Isaiah is claims to have come from Isaiah (1:1; 2:1; 7:3; 13:1; 20:2; 37:2, 6, 21; 38:1, 4, 21; 39:3, 5, 8). The name of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, is the only one connected with the book in any of the Hebrew manuscripts or ancient versions. Isaiah ministered during the reigns of four Judean kings (1:1): Uzziah (792-740 B.C.), Jotham (750-732 B.C.), Ahaz (735-715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.). The prophet began his ministry in the year that King Uzziah (or Azariah) died, namely, 740 or 739 B.C. (6:1).

Context

Isaiah exercised his prophetic ministry at a time of unique significance, a time in which it was of utmost importance to realize that salvation could not be obtained by reliance upon man but only from God Himself. For Israel it was the central or pivotal point of history between Moses and Christ. The old world was passing and an entirely new order of things was beginning to make its appearance. Where would Israel stand in that new world? Would she be the true theocracy, the light to lighten the Gentiles, or would she fall into the shadow by turning for help to the nations which were about her?"

Purpose

Isaiah ministered and wrote to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. His task was to explain to these chosen people that the old world order was passing away and that the new order, controlled by Gentile world empires that sought to swallow Judah up, required a new commitment to trust and obey Yahweh as His servant. The Assyrian threat called for this new dedication. This was a theological even more than a historical and political crisis for Judah. It raised many questions that Isaiah addressed.

"Is God truly the Sovereign of history if the godless nations are stronger than God's nation? Does might make right? What is the role of God's people in the world? Does divine judgment mean divine rejection? What is the nature of trust? What is the future of the Davidic monarchy?"

"The purpose of Isaiah is to display God's glory and holiness through His judgment of sin and His deliverance and blessing of a righteous remnant."

Concerning God’s atonement for Israel there are three wake up calls which we can see from Chapter 51:9 – 52:1.

First call: A call for deliverance

Isaiah 51:9 “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?”

Israel's call for God to awake assumes that He had not been active in helping His people recently. Isaiah, speaking for the Israelites, described the Lord's delivering power in action for His people as His arm (cf. v. 5; 53:1). His arm had defeated the Egyptians and Pharaoh in the Exodus in the past, here described respectively as Rahab literally known as proud one, (cf. Is. 30:7; Ps. 87:4) and the dragon the monster (cf. Ezek. 29:3). Rahab and the dragon were also part of the mythological lore of the ancient Near East. By using these names, Isaiah was undoubtedly stressing Yahweh's ability to overcome all the pagan gods and every other power opposing their salvation.

Second call: A call from drunkenness

Isaiah 51:17  “Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.”

God now turned the tables on His people and called on them to awake. They needed to wake up to the fact that He would comfort them and punish their oppressors (cf. 40:2; Lam. 1- 2). The fact that the Babylonian captivity continues to lie unmentioned specifically in the text strengthens the impression that God had more than that historic deliverance in view in what He promised. A greater future redemption is also in view, namely, the one that the Servant would affect. 51:17 Jerusalem had drunk a powerful liquid at the hand of her God. He had given her punishment to drink for her sins (cf. Mark 10:38). She now lay in a state of stupor but needed to arise because the Lord had a future for her.

Third call: A call to released Zion

Isaiah 52:1 “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.”

God called Israel to awake and to be strong (in the strength that God provides). The Israelites did not need to call on Him to awake and to be strong, as they had done (51:9). He was ready to save them. But were they ready to trust Him for their salvation (cf. 40:27-31). The Lord called the people of Zion to put on the beautiful garments of salvation that God would provide for them. God saw His people as composing a holy city, and they needed to view themselves that way too, as holy people (cf. 4:2- 6; 1 Cor. 1:2). The Lord would forbid any uncommitted and unclean people from having a part in His future for them. "Notwithstanding the priestly house of Aaron and the royal house of David, the ideal of a royal, priestly people (Ex. 19:4-6) had never been realized, but while Zion slept a marvel occurred so that on waking she finds new garments laid out, expressive of a new status of holiness.

Application

The presence and repetition of the call to awake (51:9, 17; 52:1) identifies this unit of prophetic material as one. The Israelites were to wake up to the power of God that had not changed (51:9-16) and to the purpose of God, namely, His plan for their life (51:17- 23). They should also wake up to the peace of God since He would not abandon them (52:1-12). The question of whether God can and will save His people from their enemies (51:9-16) is answered that He will cause Israel's enemies to suffer (51:17-23) and that He will deliver Israel from her enemies (52:1-12). Our sovereign God who is unchanging and He is always ready to redeem and deliver His people from the clutches of sin. What enslaves us today? There could be many possible reasons why we need to wake up. No matter what the circumstance is, our sovereign God is always faithful and He is always ready to come to our rescue. God called His people to prepare to receive the salvation that He would provide for them. They would have to lay hold of it by faith for it to benefit them. It is also command not only to wake up but to dress up! It is not enough for us to put off our stupor (51:17-23); we must also put on glorious garments." He is knocking at our door (Rev.3:20), why don’t we respond Him now. We need to wake up.

Do we need another Josiah?

Brief historical background

After the division of Israel kingdom into northern and southern kingdom (Israel and Judah), the Israelites went astray from God beginning from the reign of Rehoboam to Ahaz (922-715 B.C) more than 200 years. But when Hezekiah came to rule over Judah he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done (2 Kings 18:3).

After the death of Hezekiah his son Manasseh came to power but he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole. His evil work provoked God to anger (2 Kings21:1-18). He reigned for fifty-five years. After his death, his son Amon reigned for two years but he too did evil (2 Kings 21:19-25). Josiah became king when he was just eight years old but reformation took place only after the 18^th year of his reign, which means till that time Israelites were worshipping idols. Manasseh reign 55 yrs + Amon 2yrs + Josiah found the book of Law in the 18^th yrs of his reign (55+2+18=75 yrs). After the death of Hezekiah another 75 years Israelites went astray.  

Josiah method of reformation

During the eighteenth years of Josiah’s reign the book of law was found in the temple of the Lord by Hilkiah the high priest, he gave it to Shaphan the secretary and Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. When the king heard it he torn his robes and seek for God’s favor (2 Kings 22:3-11). The king’s responsive to the word of God does not end the story but he brought reformation and renews the covenant with God. Let us look at some of the methods of Josiah in the process of reformation from 2Kings 23.

1.       At the outset the King did not take decision himself but consulted the elders and mass participation was held in the temple of the Lord (vv.1-3). The king humbled himself, seeking to do the will of God. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. How the king moved the people? He did not simply order or made decision from his luxurious Palace. He left his palace and went up to the temple. He is a man of both word and action. When the leaders humbled themselves and seek to do the will of God their people will surely follow them.

2.      The king smashed down Baal, Asherah, and Ashtoreth (v.4 & 13): These gods are known to be the fertility gods of Canaanites. What does these gods mean to us? People are too materialistic; the contemporary idols are wealth, fame, pride, position, selfish, nepotism etc. Whether we like it or not these things are prevailing in our society. Who will destroy them?

3.      The king desecrated Topheth (v.10): Topheth is ascribed to human sacrifice. No doubt that we don’t practice human sacrifice yet, killings, extortions, prevails. There are assassinations of the basic rights of others by way of unfair means, and many isms. Do not respect the moral values of others, discriminate down trodden, unequal distributions of share, and many more which equalizes the human sacrifices.

4.      The king did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings (v.5): Those days the pagan priests were appointed by the kings so that they can perform burnt offering in favor of the kings not God. Today many church leaders’ falls prey in the hands of rich and influential people. Priorities are given to them and there is no justice in the church. Giving much importance to those in the power. Follow their decree rather than what the Bible or God says.

5.      The king tore down the quarters of the shrine-prostitutes (v.7): Sexual immorality is one of the common practiced to this day. It is totally against the will of God and highly condemnable. We talk so much of abstinence, but do our society today free from sexual immorality. In contrary most leaders are the victims of sexual immorality.

6.      The king burnt all the idols and shrines from the Kidron valley and brought the ashes to Bethel (v.4). ‘Bethel’ in Hebrew is “House of the Lord”, which means all the cleansing is done in the House of the Lord only. The Church should be the place to cleanse all sorts of social evils.

7.      The king ordered the people to celebrate Passover (v.21-23) which was stopped ever since from judges to the kings. Israelites were observing Passover for the deliverance when the angel of death passed over Israelite homes in Egypt. This is the annual festival to commemorate the deliverance from Egypt. Today are we free from all kinds of evil? Can anyone boldly say we are corruption free society? Is there any reason for us to celebrate? They have a reason to celebrate because they did what is right in the eyes of God. We celebrate so many festivals but ironically during festivals we do all kinds of evil. King Josiah ordered his people to rejoice because they have cleansed all the evil things in the society. They removed the idols and pledged to do the will of God.

Josiah took so seriously its injunctions and threats that he initiated the most sweeping reforms in the Hebrew history – indeed, a veritable revolution – which lasted until his death. Josiah’s reforms often interpreted solely in religious terms. They were more than the re-establishment of the supremacy of Yaweh worship and the uprooting of idolatrous practices in Jerusalem and all over Judah. Josiah did not only demolish the Assyrian altars but also dared to carry his crusade into northern Israel (vv.15 &19).

Josiah like leadership is needed in our society today. Many leaders can speak better but cannot do well. Beginning from individual to family and to society at large we find corruption everywhere. People are crying for justice, and peace. Some are struggling for square meal a day. There is a huge gap between haves and haves not. Who is going to fill the gap? Where are our leaders? Can anyone come to rescue? How long are we going to suffer?

Should we expect another Josiah to bring reformation in our society? After a gap of 75 years Josiah reformed the society, reaffirm the covenant with God. Dear friends how long have we been away from God? We proclaim Nagaland for Christ but how far is it true in reality? We really need reformation. Let us reaffirm our commitment. Let us not wait for another Josiah but let us be the agent of change. Josiah is you and me. 

Effective Gospel Communication

1.      Introduction

            For the effective presentation of gospel it is imperative for a gospel messenger to have communication skills and skills of adaptability since the major task of the Christian mission is communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unreached. Communication as we know is ‘not only verbal, but holistic, that is, by life, words and deed’.[1] or which we need to learn the cultural context by understanding their social life, economic stability, religion or beliefs. It is in this learning that we come to identify with the people and their ways and gradually built trust. Lacking of proper communication may hamper to penetrate the gospel to a certain areas if the gospel is not well fitted within the context of that culture. Therefore we must understand what culture is all about and see how the gospel can be meaningfully interpreted and communicated within that cultural frame.

2.      What is Communication?

The word communication derived from the Latin word ‘communis’ and it includes the concept of relationships.[2]Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or exchange of information. Communication is not something accidental and supplementary for human beings but it exists along with the creation as we see from the creation account in the Bible where everything has been formed through the word of God. Communication is a complex subject where definition is difficult. This is further complicated by the different backgrounds and persuasions evident among writers on the subject. So, in spite of the fact that the communication process is utterly fundamental to all our psychological and social processes, our understanding of the communication process is limited.[3]However we can assume that communication is a process from the perspective of the communicator and receptor that moves through a life process. Paul G. Hiebert points out that “Two-way communication is particularly important in missions”.[4] Communication is fundamental to man because human being is the only creature on earth who can put communication in the form of symbols which have no relationship to their referents aside from that which he assigns to them. Moreover, transcending time and space, he can transfer information to others in remote places or to those who will yet be born.[5]

3.      Tools of Communication

 Missionary evangelist may import new media and introduce innovations in media use, but it will be wise to give attention to indigenous media first. These may range from simple chalkboards to television sets. Local availability and usage should be carefully studied. Then the process of media selection can begin.[6]

Different kinds of tools can be used in communicating the gospel, however the potential media for gospel communication can be classified into three main divisions:

a.      Printed media such as News papers, Magazines, Journals, Books, Pamphlets and tracts, Mailing, Billboards etc.

b.      Electronic media such as Radio, Television, Movies, Slides, Records, Cassette tape  

etc.

c. Other media includes Drama, puppets, street plays, theatre show, concerts etc.

 Once we have identified and characterized our target audience, it is natural to ask how we will communicate the message to them contextually. The key to successful gospel communication is to utilize as much varieties possible, with special attention to biblical principles, the gift of the missionary-evangelist, and the preferences of the audience. Much Christian communication is, and should be, spontaneous. But there is much communication that should be carefully planned.[7]

4.      Different types of Communication

a.      Intrapersonal Communication

Intrapersonal is a reflection of inner augmentation and other intellectual exercises of a person that send and receives any messages that do not get outside of our bodies. Intrapersonal communication is of course, the primary and foundation step towards subsequent interpersonal and group communication. Intrapersonal communication has three basic functions – evaluation, resolution, and adjustment.

b.      Interpersonal Communication

Communication between two people is called interpersonal communication. It is difficult to understand each other however through interpersonal communication adequate understanding is possible and communication can be satisfactory as long as both persons recognize that a margin of misunderstanding may exist. For the effective communication it is suggest to listen more, rather than speak more.

c.       Group Communication

Human relationship does not develop as we simply assume, but we should realize how much human relation does associate with problems when it moves from intrapersonal and interpersonal to group communication. The multitude of problems accompanying increase in group should be consider seriously by local churches that are intent upon building huge and unwieldy memberships.[8]

5.      Levels of Communication

a.      Verbal communication

Verbal communication skills may be developed in many directions, and in this the communicator can develop the art of delivery such as spoken language. Although language may not be the most prominent characteristic of a person, it is one of the most revealing. Until verbal communication is established - knowledge of other people is limited and one sided. Language open up their other side, their thoughts, their interests, their views of life is effect themselves. Speaking language consists of audible symbols expressed by the speaker and these symbols vary according to our understanding and familiarity with the specific language.[9]

b.      Nonverbal Communication 

We assume that communication as being only verbal, whether in written or spoken symbols however communication also occurs in nonverbal, inaudible context which is also called silent language. Certain body movements correspond with audible speech messages. In some cases, the associated body movement may replace speech altogether.[10] Nonverbal communications also includes distributions of pamphlets and tracks, audio visual aids, our way of living, body movement etc. which has lot of impact. Non-Christians usually respond more readily to Christian action than to Christian verbalism. Nonverbal extends beyond a man’s character to include his attitude and even his appearance. Therefore Christian ought to be aware of the nature and function of metacommunication.[11]

6.      Aspects of Cross-Culture Communication

Context is the most important cultural dimension and also immensely difficult to define. The idea of context in culture was an idea put forth by an anthropologist by the name of Edward T Hall. Hall breaks up culture into two main groups: High and Low context cultures. He refers to context as the stimuli, environment or ambiance surrounding the environment. Depending on how a culture relies on the points to communicate their meaning, will place them in either High or Low context cultures. For example, Hall goes on to explain that low-context cultures assume that the individuals know very little about what they are being told, and therefore must be given a lot of background information. High-Context cultures assume the individual is knowledgeable about the subject and has to be given very little background information.[12]

7.      Barriers in communicating the gospel

a.       Christian Mission refers to propagation of the gospel, expansion of the reign of God, conversion of the non Christians and founding of new church. Many of the missionary organizations and churches are involved in carrying out the mission of the church rather than gospel,[13] thereby the gospel cannot be fitted properly within the cultural context.

b.      We are convinced that the gospel of Jesus Christ saves, liberates, and in the life to come, but the major problem faced by the missionaries is that the hearers are not always convinced. To communicate the people of different culture is fraught with difficulties.[14]

c.       The failure to differentiate between the gospel and human cultures has been one of the greatest weaknesses of modern Christian missions. Missionaries too often have equated the Good News with their own cultural background. This has led them to condemn most native customs and impose their own converts. Consequently the gospel has been seen as foreign in general and western in particular.

d.      Superior complexity, dim view of the pagan religions, exporting denominationalism along with the Gospel etc., create the barriers in communicating the gospels. People reject gospel not because they reject the Lordship of Christ but because conversion often has meant a denial of their cultural heritage and social ties.[15]

e.       The barriers in communicating the Gospel includes Religious barrier, Ethnic Barrier, Linguistic barrier, Regional barrier, Economic Barrier, etc.

8.      Communicating gospel with effective method

God achieved his communication goals through love. He is true lover and he demonstrated that to be true lover is to have as our primary concern for the receptors without considering the cost to ourselves since God’s love itself is receptor-oriented communication. Such an approach demands a high respect for the receptors, a trust in them as persons created in the image of God, and even making ourselves vulnerable in communication. It also means entering totally into the context of the audience, using their language and frame of reference. Many Christians believe that preaching is God’s ordained means of communicating the gospel to others. Furthermore, we often believe that the sermon is an effective method of bringing about change in the people’s lives, but sadly it was not so. This does not meant to undermined the importance of preaching sermon because preaching also useful for a certain purposes however so long as communication is concern we need to consider question such as: Have we devoted enough time to reflection on what the gospel is for the context we are communicating to? Have we devoted all our efforts on refining the packaging without examining the products? Should Christian programs and literature not concentrate more on sharing what Christians do in the local contexts in obedience to Christ rather than producing abstract universal message about what we believe? Should communication ministries be more integrally related with the witness of the church in a given context?[16]

9.      Paul method of communicating the gospel

The entire second half of the book of Acts is dedicated to Paul’s catalytic role in the advance of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Luke portrays Paul of Tarsus as a missionary of extra ordinary flexibility and cultural sensitivity. On the one hand he regularly associates with gentiles, shares meal with them, even stays in Gentiles homes, all without difference to boundary-making Jewish food laws, (Acts 11:26;16:15,34,40;17:4-7) on the other hand, for the sake of his missionary work among Jews, Paul has his coworker Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3) and later he consents to undergo the Jewish rite of purification in the temple at Jerusalem (Acts 21:23-24,26) for our immediate purpose, however it is Paul’s missionary preaching that is most significant.[17]

            Paul’s evangelistic encounter at Pisdian Antioach shows about the process of contextualizing the gospel in Acts through apostolic gospel, the word of salvation (Acts 13:26) which centers on the death and resurrection of Christ as the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Paul’s missionary sermon in Acts 13 is a masterpiece of contextualization for a synagogue gathering. When preaching to Jews, Paul incorporates his audiences’ history, its expectations, its scriptures and its culturally accepted methods of interpretation in order to persuasively proclaim the good news. Even the climatic announcement of Jesus’ resurrection is put forward as the realization of the Davidic promise to Israel. There is continuity in the narrative thread that moves from God’s saving activity in the story of John and Jesus and Gentiles all of which are related to scripture and to God’s promise.

            Paul’s gospel message is not simply contextually appropriate, it also challenges its Jewish hearers’ entire way of seeing the world. It seeks to reshape their understanding of their national history and their scriptures in light of the new story of the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth. The gospel confronts its Jewish audience with a new Christian vision and the need for profound change.[18]

10.  Culture response to Gospel

The question of the relationship of the gospel to culture is cultural to evangelism and missions. The Gospel is the message of God to be communicated to human beings in human language. Evangelism is basically God’s work, yet it is man’s response to God’s saving grace. The gospel is communicated to people and through people. Therefore people are important and cultural factors have to be taken seriously because they cannot be separated from their culture.[19]

Every human being is to a large extent a product of cultural values. God created human being as learning being and let live within the culture of its own set up. No one can deny the fact that he/she is attached to the culture and as such none can escape the way culture impacts communication. Culture keep changing according to the time and places, it is dynamic and not static. Human beings are part of the cultural fabric that affects every person. For which the gospel is needed to interpret culturally appropriate so that people response to it.

11.    Outcome of communication of the gospel

The strong recommended work for communicating gospel cross-culturally is to set up indigenous principles and encouraging local believers to be able to form and manage self-propagation, self-supporting, self governing and self theologizing.[20] When William Carey came to India his goal is to set up an indigenous church by means of native preacher and by providing the scripture in the native tongue.[21]  Three questions are paramount in evaluating how well the gospel is being communicated: (1) Is the message actually getting through to the intended audience? (2) Is the message we intend the message that is actually being received? (3) Are the methods and media serving their intended ends, and not becoming ends in themselves? The means of answering these questions range from personal conversation and observation to thorough community surveys employing advanced statistical methods. The means should fit the size and nature of the recipients. Increasingly, the messengers of Christ are becoming concerned with the quality of Christian communication. But quality means far more than employing the best talent and the most up-to-date technology. It also has reference to the content of the message, the method of its presentation, and the kind of media chosen to convey it.[22]

12.  Conclusion

            As a member of the body of Christ, God has given us specific task to spread His word to every nation and save His every creation, however the question is how are we going to deal? Every society has its culture and is unique in its form and different from one another.

We really need to understand the cultural context, it is essential so that society can be transformed. If the cross cultural missionary fails to respect the other culture where is the place for the Gospel? Interpretation of the Bible within the context will have a great impact in communicating the Gospel. Culture itself is Divine design. Cultural awareness expands our narrow perspective and makes us capable of effectively communicating the Gospel. Much have been discussed above, for which I would like to summarize that, as cross-cultural missionary we should be sensitive enough to different cultures and in order to penetrate the gospel to the new cultural context we need to well equipped with skills of communication. Communication as we know is the only way to understand others. Using of same mode of communication does not fit to all the culture equally. Therefore one should know how to use the different tools, ways and means of communication according to the mindset of the people and their world view. Ways of expressing ideas, ways of acting, ways of interacting, ways if channeling the message, ways of deciding will have a great positive impact in communicating the gospel effectively.

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[1]  F. Hrangkhuma, Tribes in Transition: Indian Christians Reflect on the Original Inhabitants of the Land (Bangalore: SAIACS, 2004), 11.

[2] Viggo Sogaard, Media in Church and Mission (Bangalore: Theological Book Trust, 1998), 51.

[3] Ibid, 29.

[4] Paul G. Hiebert, Anthropological Insights for Missionaries (Grand Rapid: Bakers Book House Company, 1985), 165.

[5] David J. Hesselgrave, Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally, 2^nd ed. ( Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978 ), 22.

[6] David J. Hesselgrave, Planting Churches Cross-culturally, (Michigan: Bakers Books, 2000), 166.

[7] Ibid,. 165.

[8] Raynold W. McLaughlin, Communication for the Church, (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1968 ), 62-67.

[9] Sherwood G. Lingenfelter and Marvin K. Mayers, Ministering Cross-Culturally (Michigan: Bakers Book House, 1986), 27.

[10] A. Scott Morew, Gary R. Corwin et.al, Introducing World Mission, A Biblical, Historical and Practical Survey (Grand Rapid: Bakers Academy, 2004), 88.

[11] Raynold W. McLaughlin, Communication for the Church, (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1968 ), 68.

[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-cultural_communication#Aspects_of_Cross_Cultural_Communication

[13] John Joshua Raja and Samson Prabhakar, Introduction to Communication and Media Studies (BTESSC/SATHRI, 2006), 191.

[14] Hrangkhuma, Tribes in Transition, 11.

[15] Hiebert, Anthropological Insights for Missionaries, 54.

[16] Viggo Sogaard, Media in Church and Mission, 16-17.

[17] Dean Flamming, Contextualization in the New Testament, pattern for Theology and Mission (Intervarsity Press, 2005), 56.

[18] Flamming, Contextualization in the New Testament, pattern for Theology and Mission, 65-66.

[19] S.D Ponraj, An Introduction to Missionary Anthropology, (Mission Educational book series No.5, 1993), 59.

[20] Dennis Teague, Culture: The Missing Link in Mission (Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature Inc.,1996), 482.

[21] Ibid., 491.

[22] David J. Hesselgrave, Planting Churches Cross-culturally, 166.