hope4orphans

APRIL 2010

FEED MY FLOCK



ABIDE WITH ME

— Dr. P.P. Job

This is a prayer to Jesus by every believer. During my son John’s funeral, my friends from Indian military band played the song “Abide with me” when the casket was lowering into the ground. Mahatma Gandhi used to sing this song every evening before he goes to bed. His close friend Rev. C. F. Andrews might have taught this song. In Michael Job Centre, all the daughters sing the same song before they go to bed every day at 9 p.m.
The author of the song Mr. Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847) was an Anglican Pastor. Though he battled tuberculosis all of his life, Lyte was known as a man strong in spirit and faith. It was he who coined the phrase “it is better to wear out than to rust out”.
During his last years, Lyte’s health progressively worsened so that he was forced to seek a warmer climate in Italy. For the last sermon with his parishioners at Lower Brixham, England, on 4th September 1847, it is recorded that he nearly had to crawl to the pulpit. His final words made a deep impact upon his people when he proclaimed, “It is my desire to induce you to prepare for the solemn hour which must come to all, by a timely appreciation and dependence on the death of Christ”.
Mr. Henry Lyte’s inspiration for writing “Abide with Me” came shortly before his final sermon, while reading from the account in Luke 24 of our Lord’s appearance with the two disciples on their seven mile walk from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus on that first Easter evening. How the hearts of those discouraged disciples suddenly burned within them when they realized that they were in the company of the risen, the eternal Son of God! “But they constrained Him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went in to tarry with them.” Luke 24:29.
Avis Christiansen wrote: “Yes, life is like the Emmaus road, and we tread it not alone. For beside us walks the Son of God, to uphold and keep His own. And our hearts within us thrill with joy at His Words of Love and Grace, and the glorious hope that when day is done we shall see His blessed face.”
Relive the thrill expressed by the two Emmaus disciples when their spiritual eyes were opened and they first realized that they were in the presence of their risen Lord. William H. Monk (1823-1889) gave the tune and notes for this song “Abide with Me”.
I would like to print the notes and the text for you to get the tune.





Abide with me—fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens—Lord, with me abide; when other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see— O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
I need Thy presence every passing hour— What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be? Thru cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy word before my dosing eyes. Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies; heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee— In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.


2010 International Conference and Fellowship
of Friends of Martyred & Persecuted Christians, COIMBATORE
2010 International Conference will be held from 25th to 27th June 2010 at Michael Job Centre, Near Sulur Boat Lake, Coimbatore, South India. Registration fee for an Indian delegate is Rs. 1000/- by M.O./Cheque/DD in favour of ‘Love In Action Society’, payable at New Delhi. Address: V-31, Green Park Main, New Delhi – 110 016. This includes food and accommodation. Michael Job Centre is 15 km away from Airport and 25 km away from Coimbatore Railway Station. If you are interested, please send one photo along with registration fee.

FANATIC HINDUS TRIED TO BURN
FIVE CHRISTIANS ALIVE
Fanatic Hindus tried to set Christopher Morris and his daughter Daisy on fire. But the matchbox had also been soaked in the petrol and despite three attempts to strike a match, the matchsticks would not ignite saving the family from being burnt alive.

Attempted Murders
The Punjab police are hiding the fact that Sangh Parivar-led hoodlums in Batala, Punjab tried to burn five Christians alive. The Christians were from two families who live in the Church of North India’s historic Church of the Epiphany compound built in 1865. Batala is a small business town in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. On February 20th, the CNI church was set on fire and all its furniture burnt. Attempts were made to destroy a nearby Salvation Army church, raised in 1958, where the pastor was seriously injured. “We pleaded with the police to help, but they did not,” said the Pastor, Maj. Gurnam Singh.
Even as the larger group of attackers focused on burning the CNI church, a group of men armed with sticks and rods, and came to the CNI Deacon’s house. The deacon, Victor Gill, and his wife Parveen, hid themselves under the bed. The assailants damaged the doors, tried to enter the room forcibly, and told the couple they would be burnt alive if they did not come out. Meanwhile, at a second CNI house, the group overturned a scooter, took out the petrol, and doused teacher Christopher Morris and his daughter Daisy with the fuel while the mother, Usha, cringed in their home. They tried to set the two on fire, but the matchbox had also been soaked in the petrol and despite three attempts to strike a match, the matchsticks would not ignite saving the family from being burnt alive. The police were watching. The fire brigade came later but was blocked by a mob for quite some time.
No police report has been filed on the attempted murders even as the top police and administrative officers enforced a one sided “peace accord” on the local Christian leadership. Christians were instructed not to press for charges immediately so that a number of Christian youth who were arrested – together with a few Hindu men – could be released. The strategy of the assailants was eerily reminiscent of what was practiced and perfected against churches in Orissa in 2008.
Police forcibly cleaned up the Church of the Epiphany. They removed burnt furniture and made the presbyter whitewash the walls to remove traces of fuel oil used in the blaze. This was done before a formal enquiry could be conducted by the government.


Background on Violence
The Christians, all of them of Dalit origin, were trying to enforce a closure or “bandh” in Batala markets to protest a blasphemous picture of Jesus Christ holding a can of beer in one hand, a lit cigarette in another which appeared on roadside banners to celebrate the Hindu “Ram Navmi” festival. The banners were sponsored by a coalition of local political, media and business leaders, together with the trading community which is almost entirely Hindu.
The Sangh Parivar reacted to the Christian protest by mobilizing shopkeepers and youth in attacks that left many injured, two churches damaged, and clergy traumatised. We noted that local shopkeepers routinely enforce closures e.g. a bandh during the last week of February to protest the execution of two Sikhs by the Taliban in Pakistan.
Note: The full fact finding report is available from aicc Delhi office: aiccdelhi@gmail.com


Bibles in Great Demand: CHINA, The Bible Society has reported a growing demand for copies of the Bible in China where an estimated 500,000 people converted to Christianity in 2009 alone. Although some four million Bibles were printed and distributed across China last year, the rapid growth of the church means that the demand for Bibles is now outstripping supply. The official number of Christians in China stands at 28.6 million, but it is believed the true figure could be as high as 90 million if the estimated number of worshippers at unofficial house churches is included.
MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS CLASH: NIGERIA, More than 40 people were killed in a Muslim-Christian clash in a central Nigerian city with a history of volatile relations between the two faith communities. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is about evenly split between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south with minorities of both religions living where the other faith is dominant. Since democracy was restored in 1999, there have been at least 15,000 deaths due to religious, communal or political violence, according to BBC.
BAD YEAR FOR PAKISTAN CHRISTIANS: ISLAMABAD, Last year was the worst period of persecution against Christians in Pakistan in the last decade, with attacks, arrests and detentions that reportedly killed some 130 Christians across the Islamic country, an advocacy group has said. “The wave of blasphemy hysteria in the last year has been leveled at Christians more than any other minority community.”


AWARENESS RALLY IN INDIA
Against Discrimination of Girl Child
Thousands of school girls will participate to walk
on the streets of Coimbatore on Wednesday, 30th June 2010.

Please visit: www.youtube.com/user/drjobsmission
Day-to-day programmes of our daughters are seen in YouTube.



I was very moved to read your excellent article, personal reflections, testimonies about John and Michael (Jojo and Jijo) and the general movement of the ministry - May the Lord strengthen you. -Dr. Alex and Laly, Bihar

Thank you very much for sending me the TFC magazine and your message, it touched my heart.
-Ashang Kasar, Myanmer (Burma)

Thanks again for the great TFC of March. I always enjoy receiving these good publications.
- Rev. Dennis Balcombe, HongKong

We read the TFC Newsletter of March 2010. Really it is heartfelt.
Sometimes back I thought that you should publish such a message in the TFC. Regarding John’s GFE, I knew it but most of the people do not know this fact (Gospel for Emirates). I had once visited GFE in Dubai, sometimes in 2002. He had told me everything as you wrote in the TFC Newsletter.
Only fruits bearing trees are stoned. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Satan cannot digest the great work you are doing in Coimbatore.
You are, like Joseph, a fruitful bough. A fruitful bough by a spring; its branches run over the walls. The archers bitterly attacked him. And shot at him and harassed him. But his bow remained firm. And his arms were agile. From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. (Gen. 49:22-24).
We pray for you and for your ministry. God is merciful to His servants like you and Dr. Mary Job. He will not allow anything detrimental to you. Every-thing is for betterment only.
Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Eph.6:10-17). -Dr. Yohannankutty and Chinnakutty, New Delhi


A NOVEL WAY TO CELEBRATE
BIRTHDAY! WEDDING! WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!
BIRTH OF A CHILD!
With 501 orphaned girls of Martyred and Persecuted Christians

Breakfast Rs. 5000/- Lunch/Dinner - Rs. 10,000/-

This will provide one meal to 501 girls plus 107 staff members. Send in your photograph (hard or soft copy) and cheque one week before the occasion. The photograph will be shown on the large screen in the Dining Hall where all the children gather. The children will sing “Happy Birthday” or “Count your Blessings” with your name and pray for you. You can witness this through a CD of the day’s celebrations which will be sent to you later.

All crossed Cheques/DD’s/MO’s for the Orphan Children
at Coimbatore may be sent in favour of :

Michael Job Orphanage,
Near Sulur Boat Lake , Ravathur P.O.,

Coimbatore - 641103, Tamil Nadu.

E-mail: jjob@pobox.com
web: www.drjobsmission.com

Please visit our web: www.drjobsmission.com for live programme