August 2012

India

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morning bathing at the river as pictured on the opposite page, most Hindus observe religious rituals at home. Devout Hindus perform daily rituals at a family shrine such as worshipping puja and fire sacrifice called Yajna. This typically includes lighting a lamp and offering foodstuffs before the images

of deities, recitation from religious scripts like Vedas and Puranas and singing hymns in praise of their gods. Some Hindus pray personal prayers for 3 to 4 hours a day.

Religious acts presuppose some degree of impurity or defilement for the person and purification is usually with water as pictured on the opposite page.

Hindus believe that charity and good works will accumulate over time and reduce their sufferings in the next world.

They also believe in the shedding of the blood of animals as a sacrifice for their sin. For example, in Nepal the Hindu goddess Gadhimai, is honoured every 5 years with the slaughter of 250,000 animals with thousands of terrified buffaloes waiting for their heads to be cut off.

A Hindu woman worships a cow because Hindus believe gods live inside the cow as pictured below.

To know India is to know something of its religions with 970 million Hindus, 161.5 million Muslims and 27.7 million Christians.Hindus are in the majority and after

It is interesting to note that Hindus, Muslims and the Old Testament have water and the shedding of the blood of animals to deal with their sin...

then when you come to the New Testament we have blood and water too.

"... and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

... and water for baptism.

They do not know that God Himself, in

the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, died for their sins and there is no need to sacrifice animals any longer.

They do not know Hebrews 10:10-12 "... we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all ... but this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins."

They do not know " that Christ died for our (their) sins." 1 Corinthians 15:3

We must tell them.

India, Hindu man during early morning prayers in the Ganges River.

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In India there are 27.7 million Christians 2.3%

Our work in India isn't over...it's just begun!

9 million people have come to know Christ died for their sin and haveregistered decisions for Christ or have requested to know more because an Every Home for Christ worker knocked on their door and gave them a gospel leaflet or booklet.

Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:37-38

AHMEDABAD—GUJARAT SHILLONGIndia EHC’s vision of systematic home-to-home gospel literature distribution has been enthusiastically embraced by many churches. While people here appreciate the Every Home for Christ work, in itself is it is difficult, but by the grace of God we continue on!

In 2011 the outreach in Nadiad City utilized 30 volunteers, mostly retired from the workforce, who shared 13 different gospel booklets to 100,200 homes. A total of 1,783 responses were received, and all expressed an eagerness to know more about Christ. During the outreach, 13 disabled people were reached, many interested in expanding their knowledge of the Gospel. Despite unbearable heat, God protected all the workers.

One volunteer named Regina Christian said, “Nine of my friends and myself had been praying for Nadiad City. We knew that other Christians around the city also were praying. At just the right time, India EHC came to our city. We thank God for the opportunity to work with Every Home for Christ!”

We are so happy that our prayers were answered and the Gospel has come here.

Please pray for EHC in India.

From India EHC. For the first time, home-to-home gospel literature distribution took place here and thousands of families were given the Good News of salvation. Not only were homes reached, but also schools, colleges, hospitals and jails. The outreach began with an entire week of prayer-walking around the area, praying for the tearing down of strongholds along the way.

One young girl reached in a hospital was mentally disturbed. As Hindus, her parents believed they should offer prayers and sacrifices regularly. They visited many temples, offered sacrifices and spent a lot of money, but everything had failed to bring a sound mind to their daughter. The EHC workers visited her and suggested “The Jesus of the Christians” could help her. The workers prayed for God’s mercy on the girl and for His healing in her life. To the family’s utter surprise, the next day she was released from the hospital and taken home to recover with her family. She is a living testimony of God’s faithfulness in the village, all stemming from the EHC workers going door - to - door. Please continue to pray for Every Home for Christ in India, that the message of Christ would go to every home.

To help please see the enclosed Reply Gift Slip.

Every HomeGlobal Concern

Helping the poor, healing the sick, educating for a better life

Every HomeGlobal Concern

Helping the poor, healing the sick, educating for a better life

Justin and Kathrine in India

India from the desk of

Katherine Franks

My recent trip to India was as encouraging as it was confronting!

I am tempted to think, with the rising economy there, that our assistance may not be needed... then I get there.... beggars with their hands outstretched, men with no legs being pushed on a cart sleeping under a bridge, a woman I meet raped at 15 kept hidden for 9 months then her baby snatched off her to ‘save the shame’ for the family, a hand which taps at the car window and eyes that plead for help as pictured here ...of course that’s the contradiction, this all happens on the window of big fancy cars, outside new housing developments with indoor pools, those being begged from are frequenting the new mall and ice-cream cafes... the contrast really is hard to get my head around. So I have to stop trying, and simply accept that “this is life”, but... does it have to be?

I cannot give up on the poor, just as I am sure you cannot either. Just because the wealth is increasing for many... the poor of India are just as tangible to me and their needs as real as ever...

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My time in India and especially the “Love Anuppampattu” village is always wonderful. This year I was invited to many women’s homes, and greeted with tears of gratitude and thanks, which I pass onto you.

Another woman that left a strong impression on me was Kumari. She has recently joined our Love Anuppampattu Tailoring Centre, where for the next 6 months she will learn how to sew products that will sell, and do embroidery along with other poor women in the area. This project continues to be a success thanks to your donations.

While I was there the women were asking me if we could run bag-making courses to further their skill base, and they could then sell them in the markets in India (and hopefully here!). I looked into this further and discovered Kumari makes these beautiful bags that I purchased from her.

One home which struck me, was one that we assisted in building. This lady was so, so thankful as her home was ruined by a flood and without our help her family would be on the street. Her husband works in our school, her children study there and she is training in our tailoring centre, so we are aiming to change the poverty status of the entire family. What you see in these photos is the entire home and all that they own that she had tears of joy over... probably not much bigger than most of our sheds, and certainly the mat that is put on the floor each night to sleep on is not as comfortable as the bed I get to sleep in each night. But she is grateful, and genuinely grateful.

I know it can be hard giving money and wondering if it really helps, and I guess I am privileged to see that it does and every bit does really help someone in need...

Apart from the skill of bag making, and the skill she is currently learning through our community development centre in tailoring, Kumari has no other skills to help her earn an income, or any education. Kumari’s dream is to work both as a tailor and in making these bags to sell. Her husband earns a meagre wage as a daily labourer whenever there is work. She has 2 children, one of whom studies in our Love Anuppampattu Primary School; again we are targeting inter-generational poverty through giving Kumari's children an education, and herself income generating skills. We have been so impressed seeing the women having previously been trained, utilizing their tailoring skills to earn income and get their family out of poverty, that we would love to assist further and have Kumari train other women in bag-making.

If you are interested in supporting this new initiative, please donate to our “Love Anuppampattu Community Development Project” so we can expand the work there!

If you are interested in purchasing any bags from Kumari, please email me directly at kat@everyhome.org.au and I will see what I can do!

We do have some bags at the office for $21 or $14

Thank you so very much.

Katherine Franks

Bikeathon

15th-22nd September; if you would like to join this cycling event around South East Queensland starting and finishing in Brisbane, to help the poor, email ehc@everyhome.org.au

Or you can join the Break the Cycle Cambodia 14th - 25th November. Email ehc@everyhome.org.au

Is this the most loving way to do life?

The Bible is full of what God says about us helping the "poor" and those who cannot help themselves but God doesn't only ask us to help; He asks us to love those in need as much as we love ourselves.

MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD

by Dick Eastman

The world’s best athletes have gathered in London to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics. All of the contenders have a common goal in mind: to win an Olympic gold medal.

The gold medal is the greatest prize an Olympic athlete can bring home. It sets the winner apart from all others and earns the athlete a permanent place in sports history.

Winning a gold medal can also open doors

to success beyond the Olympic Games. Today, a gold medal in the hand is also worth gold in the bank for athletes who agree to give commercial endorsements.

It’s interesting that the apostle Paul uses imagery from the Olympic Games some

Matthew 22:39 says "Love your neighbour as yourself."

In 1 Corinthians 12 & 13 we find how important we are to God and why God gives us different kinds of gifts to do His will and how His work is crippled without your involvement.

There are many gifts God has given to His children to accomplish His Will in the world and in this you are vital.

There are many "parts" and you have an important part, you have a gift that God can use as 1 Corinthians 12:1 - 11 puts it. Maybe you don't have the gift of healing or miraculous powers but I am sure everyone has the gift of 1 Corinthians 12:28, to be "able to help others."

Without every believer helping others, the work of God is crippled.

Maybe God has trusted you with money and the work of God is crippled without money.

Every believer is vital in helping others to accomplish God's purposes in the world and that is why he has put "love" in our heart.

Jesus said “Love one another. As I have loved you...by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

It has been those who have loved enough to help others and who have given so very generously that have made Every Home for Christ a reality in taking the Gospel and helping the poor in parts of the earth that were forgotten by everyone else.

Thank you for allowing God to work out His purposes in your life to help others.

Please see the enclosed Reply Gift Slip for opportunities to love and help

2,000 years ago to describe the training, struggles, and endurance necessary for victory in the Christian life.

Running the race requires discipline in training. If we “break training” by slacking off in prayer, Bible reading, or following God through everyday struggles, we will become weak. Paul said, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8 nasb). The writer of Hebrews adds, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2 kjv).

Paul’s greatest encouragement is to run the race of faith with the attitude of a winner. “Run in such a way that you may win,” he admonished. (1 Corinthians 9:24 nasb)

But what is the prize we are running for? Paul answers, “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Corinthians 9:25 nasb).

In Paul’s day, the winning athlete received a coveted wreath, but I’m certain that the “imperishable” prize that Paul references is far more valuable and everlasting than Olympic gold.

Consider the crowns Paul and the other apostles tell us God has reserved for His children. Peter said, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4 nasb). James speaks of the crown of life: “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12 nasb). Paul

describes yet another crown: “… there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8 nasb). Personally, I have long believed that any jewels that may appear in our crowns will represent the souls we have helped bring to Christ, whether through our personal witness, our prayers, or even our sowing financially into the harvest. In this way we play a vital part in helping win souls (“eternal worshipers”) for Jesus.

The greatest thing about ultimately receiving these amazing crowns is what we will be able to do with them when we enter the Lord’s presence. As inhabitants of heaven give God glory (see Revelation 4), notice what the 24 elders do with their crowns: “And when the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created’” (Revelation 4:9-11 nasb).

Of course, any heavenly rewards or crowns we may someday receive are only made possible through Christ. As believers, our ultimate goal in winning the gold is not to keep it for ourselves, but to give it all to Jesus. This ultimate goal is, indeed, far more precious than gold. Beloved, it may be sooner than we think that we will stand together casting our crowns before our wonderful Lord. And my prayer is that each of these crowns will be filled with precious jewels representing a glorious harvest that we helped gather unto Jesus during our earthly journeys.

Every Home for Christ / Every Home Global Concern Australia: PO Box 168 Penshurst NSW 2222 Telephone: (02) 9570 8211 Facsimile: (02) 9570 4738

New Zealand: PO Box 31-260 Milford North Shore City 0741 Telephone: Free call 0800 900 200 Facsimile: 0061 2 9570 4738www.everyhome.org.au ehc@everyhome.org.au