Monthly Archives: February 2010

He serves a Hindu deity that he believes lives on

UJJAIN, India (BP)–At home, Prem serves customers in the antique shop he runs in Mumbai (Bombay). At the grand Hindu festival Kumbh Mela in the city of Ujjain, Prem serves his god.

It’s no burden, insists the intelligent, well-spoken 21-year-old.

“He has given us a chance to serve,” Prem explains, pointing to his god’s temple, one of many overlooking the river in Ujjain. “It’s not what we have done. It’s what he has done.”

Prem’s god — a latter-day incarnation of the Hindu deity Shiva — is a deceased guru his grandparents knew and served personally. This holy man, they taught, meditated for 12 years in the water, 12 years in a cold land and 12 years in the baking desert. He lived well past the age of 100.

He lives on, Prem believes, in the hearts of his followers.

At the Kumbh Mela camp in Ujjain dedicated to his god, Prem rises each day at 5:30 a.m. He brushes his teeth, then “awakens” the idol representing his deity. He brings it to the sacred river, dips it five times and returns to camp, where he and other devotees chant to the god.

Then he serves food to wandering holy men who visit the camp, feeds the poor — and finally feeds his fellow disciples.

“Each of us has some work,” Prem says. “It lessens our sins.”

Later he returns to the river for another “bath with the god,” then returns to camp to relax or play cricket. In the evening, the god sleeps. Prem and the others sing a lullaby to the idol and serve him milk, then eat and prepare for the night’s rest.

Why does Prem believe in this god?

“Because he is there,” Prem replies, eyes shining. “Whenever I’m in trouble he helps me. He comes when I call his name. You have to believe. If you have faith, he will come and help you. If you take one step toward him, he will take 10 steps to you. He doesn’t force you to come. He says, ‘Everyone in the world is my child.’”

He reflects for a moment, then adds, “You need a pure heart when you believe.” Prem certainly believes, and he wants his heart to be pure.

He seems close to the Kingdom of God — but as far away as eternity.
–30–

Posted on Dec 8, 2004 | by Erich Bridges, a senior writer for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board.

Week of February 7-2010

Feb. 7 : Open Their Eyes. “Almighty God, as we look out over 1.5 billion people represented in the South Asian peoples affinity group, we see people from every nation, tribe, people and language who do not know You. Oh Father, many of them have never even heard your name – the name of ‘Jesus,’ at which every knee will bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord! Forgive us, O Lord. Break our hearts for the millions of Hindus in India and Nepal who are lying prostrate before golden images that can neither see nor hear. Open our eyes with compassion to see the burka-clad Muslim women of Pakistan and Bangladesh whose eyes have been veiled from the Truth. Let us behold the Jains who abhor violence, but who have never encountered Your Son, the Prince of Peace. Oh Father, we fall on our knees before You and we see the Buddhists of Bhutan and Sri Lanka who are adhering to the teachings of Buddha, but who have never met the greatest Teacher of all time, and the colorful Sikhs of the Punjab who seek to follow their holy scriptures, but who have never read ‘The Book of Life.’ Creator God, as we look around, we see the Maldives – such beautiful islands that You have created for man to enjoy – and yet the Maldivians don’t know You, their Creator. Merciful Father, we lift these dear souls to You and ask that you release them from the bondage of sin. Open their eyes. Open their hearts. Let them see You!”

Feb. 8 : Holy Spirit Moving. N and J are getting responses to their Urdu-language radio broadcasts. Some are from people of various South Asian faiths, asking for prayer for various needs. Others are from people who are angry that Christians are even speaking about Jesus on the radio – and this is in Canada! It means that the Holy Spirit is moving and the evil one does not like the Gospel getting to these people. Continue to ask the Father to draw many of the lost to His Son, Jesus.

Feb. 9 : Strike Season. “We have entered the ‘season of strikes’ in Nepal. Winter brings a multitude of ‘bhandas’ (pronounced BON-dahs), or strikes, which are closings of roads and businesses called for by different political groups in order to force the government to meet their demands. These strikes are detrimental to many. They often cause shortages of fuel and basic food stuffs. Please pray that the strikes will not hinder our work, but instead, that God will multiply our efforts at this time. Thank you for your fervent prayers.”

Feb. 10 : Clear Roads. “Please pray for the upcoming church-planting training among the Magar people in the south. It is only in the planning stage at this point, but God is faithful. Please pray that we will follow His direction in all the details, and that there will not be strikes, which stop travel on roads, during the time we need to travel to and from the training.”

Feb. 11 : Spiritual Milk. In October, you prayed for four women who had given their hearts to Jesus. These women are growing in their faith and boldly sharing with other women around them. Give thanks to God that several more women have given their lives to following Jesus. Please continue to pray for the new women believers as they drink the milk they need spiritually and share with others of their newfound faith. Also, please keep praying for the disciple leaders to have wisdom as they study the foundations of the faith together with the new women disciples. Praise God that His hand is at work in the medical community of Karachi!

Feb. 12 : Transformed Buddhist. Please continue your prayers for the house churches in Sri Lanka. The churches of R, B and P are led by J. You may have prayed for J before, as he was a strong Buddhist who was an alcoholic. After putting his faith in Jesus following the tsunami, God turned him into a church planter. He now leads these three churches and helps train others to make disciples. He also shares his faith boldly and willingly, even in the midst of persecution. J is trying to train three leaders to carry on the work in these three churches so that he can move on to other areas. Please also pray for J’s wife, D, and for her mother to receive Christ as their Savior.

Feb. 13 : Seeds Planted. In November, you prayed as newly appointed and trained cross-cultural workers spent the day in Washington, D.C., looking for South Asians with whom they could share the Gospel. Thank you for praying! The day was rainy and cold, and being the day after Thanksgiving, many places of business were closed. Initial attempts to locate South Asians were difficult. However, persistence paid off, and some of the Christians found families of South Asians in our capital’s museums and monuments, taking advantage of smaller crowds due to the holiday. Pray that the Gospel seeds planted that day will take root and produce a harvest among those families.