The Real Deal

I am happy once again to be back with my family here at Alpha Bible Church.  I want to thank Pastor Cherian, Pastor Kartik and Pastor Davis for inviting me to share with you again. I hope that something I say will be an encouragement to you.

In America, we have an expression.  When something is genuine, we call it the real deal.  None of us like something that is counterfeit.  We want the genuine article.  Something that is real.  Something that is true.

I hope that all of you desire a true relationship with God and will not be satisfied with anything less.  Paul pleaded in Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection”.  I love to hear testimonies of people who have had genuine encounters with the Lord Jesus.  It encourages my faith to confirm that God is active and moving in our world today. 

I recently read a book given to me by a pastor friend in Mumbai.  It is the testimony of Pandit Dharm Prakash Sharma. He calls his book  “my encounter with truth”.  I want to share some of his story with you.

To reinforce the word “truth”, the front of the book has an illustration of the Indian parliament building. In the building is the inscription: “Truth Shall Prevail”.  He added that the founders of India believed in an absolute truth.  Truth comes only from God. I say Amen to that.  I pray that the Indian nation and Indian people continue to pursue the truth.

Dharm Prakash was born in a British jail as his parents were freedom fighters with Ghandi.  In fact Ghandi had arranged his parents’ marriage.  They were high caste Hindus, but they were willing to associate with and help low caste people. They had a heart for God and for India. His parents felt Dharm was a special gift from God.

From an early age, Dharm Prakash had miraculous experiences, including a supernatural rescue from the jaws of an alligator.  He had several experiences where he saw a heavenly light and heard the voice of Jesus. He married a Christian woman because he had a series of distinct dreams of a particular woman. When he first saw her and recognized her as his dream girl, he immediately proposed marriage.  Of course she thought he was crazy.  But not long afterward, she felt God’s leading to become his wife. Yet he hated Christianity and burned the Bible. 

His attitude started to change when he learned that Ghandi admired Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. So Dharm read this famous sermon for himself and was deeply impacted.  Again, he heard the voice of Jesus.  He resolved to find a Christian who could tell him how to find Jesus.  He went to a Christian professor whom he respected.  He asked his professor how to know Jesus.  The professor offered him a class on Christian philosophy.  Dharm did not want philosophy.  He knew that Jesus was real.  He wanted to know how to meet Jesus.

So the professor referred him to a bishop.  The bishop could only tell him to be baptized and join the church.  Dharm Prakash knew this advice was not the real deal.  He knew the church guy was not helpful.  He wanted to meet the source of the voice, which had spoken to him.

Ultimately, through the example of his Christian wife and council from two other former Hindu Christians, Dharm Prakash received Christ as his savior.  He was convinced that he had found the Real Deal.

Just as we hunger for the Real Deal, we all know people who have settled for less.  I wondered how this bishop could be so spiritually dull that he could not sense the true hunger of Dharm Prakash? In fact, some nominal Christians think that we are crazy or cultists if we testify of a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Yet, like Dharm Prakash, once we have experienced Jesus in the power of the resurrection, we do not worry what others think.  We know that Jesus is the Real Deal.

John 14:6  Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.

In John 18:37b, Jesus answered Pilate: Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

John 18:38 Pilate asked him, "What is 'truth'?"

It seems that Pilate had a cynical view.  Pilate was no different than many people today. 

Let me share one more short book report with you.  I recently read a book called “How Should We Then Live” by Francis Schaeffer.  Schaeffer examined the results of a person’s “Worldview”.

Your worldview is a powerful concept.  Not all people view the world in the same way.  Every thing you see and hear and experience is filtered by your particular view of the “world”. 

Francis Schaeffer observed two basic worldviews:

- Some people believe that God created the world and is directing history.  These people accept that God’s Word creates a standard by which we can live. This worldview tends toward optimism and hope for the future. 

- Many other people believe that mankind arrived here on earth by accident but that we have a rational mind that hopefully can figure out how to build a good society.  But ultimately there is no basis for deciding what is true.  God is not a real part of their life and God’s Word plays no part in their life decision.  This view tends toward violence based on the belief that only the strong survive.

Francis Schaeffer pointed out that societies where the Biblical worldview is dominant are creative and productive.  These are the people who developed science.  They sought to understand the truth, yet believed that God created the natural world that they sought to understand.  They rejected the worldview of Aristotle that could not be proven.  They insisted on proving what is true.

Societies that do not trust in a divine dimension to life tend toward hopelessness and depression.  Schaeffer noted that the quality of art, music, architecture and other elements of a culture tend to degrade where the rational worldview is dominant. Pontius Pilate had the rational or secular humanist viewpoint. He could not understand truth. He just understood he was accountable to Caesar. This struggle between those that hope in God and those that hope in man has gone on a long time.

This concept of worldview explains situations where I find I cannot reason with a person.  I have realized that their basic worldview causes them to see situations completely differently than I do.  What I think is a good argument is completely rejected because it violates their worldview.  Jesus described this situation in Matthew 13:14-15.

Mat 13:14  in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Mat 13:15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

So what is your worldview? Are you here this morning seeking a relationship with the living God? Or are you seeking a better philosophy by which to live your life?  A Christianity without Christ will not save you.

Hebrews 11:6  without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

So I encourage you this morning. God wants to be found of you. Be like Dharm Prakash and insist on the Real Deal. God rewarded the sincere search of Dharm Prakash.  He will reward you if you seek him with all your heart.  

References:

The book “my encounter with truth” can be ordered from http://www.cbmwonline.org/Detail.aspx?ProdID=2035

The life of Dharm Prakash is dramatized in this movie - http://khojmovie.in/

What Women Are Useful For

While observing an inspection operation, these two women walked by with loads of bricks on their heads.  They were helping to build a new office area within the shop.  I asked the photographer to snap this picture for me. 

One of my Indian associates commented something to the effect that 'women are useful' for such things.  I wish I could remember the whole quote, but his statement sounded a bit strange to my Western ear. 

I later related the incident to a new Indian friend, whom I met at church.  George didn't seem too enthusiastic about the generalization I was trying to draw.  He noted that women are doing all manner of jobs today in India.  Yet, I understand that there is a whole caste of women who earn their livings by carrying heavy loads on their heads.   They must have very strong necks.

I suppose therefore that if companies chose to use alternate methods of moving material, which I would consider more efficient, then unemployment would result.  We Americans are constantly amazed at how attractively Indian women maintain their appearance even when living in what westerners consider primitive conditions. Their colorful outfits somehow appear to stay clean even in these harsh jobs.  The beauty that God has vested in these ladies shows through the heavy labor.

Learning Hindi & Devanagari Script

While waiting at the Vadodara airport for my associate to arrive from Mumbai, I enjoyed socializing a bit with the other folks who were waiting. Most knew no English. When I started doing my Hindi script (Devanagari) lessons, about 8 school kids gathered around to help me. They loved reading the flash cards on my iPhone. They all read out the characters together as if we were in school.

This little girl in front of me, named Jenni, had bracelets on each appendage, a jewel in her nose and gilt thread in her dress. Her mom was decked out pretty well herself. Jenni's aunt (on right) spoke English and was friendly. Her grandfather was proud and granted permission for me to take a photo.

Here is one of the flash cards on my iPhone, which  the kids enjoyed reading.

A man stopped by to help me learn the Hindi word for Arrival = Agaman = A ga ma na = आ ग म न = आगमन - just like sign at airport below. The top script is Gujarati.  It is rather similar to Devanagari.

OK. The plane has arrived and passengers are starting to exit the airport.

Making Supplications with Thanksgiving

Pictured here is Dan Cramer, the pastor of Zion Christian Church of Pittsburgh, PA, and his wife Charlene.  Dan often encourages me with his Sunday messages.  The Sunday before I left for India (July 24), Dan commented that often when we go to God in prayer, we come with our list of grievances.  Better, Dan said, that we make our supplications with Thanksgiving. 
On Friday, this word encouraged my heart.  My travel to India got off to a bad start and I had a few grievances on my mind.

I was scheduled to leave Pittsburgh Friday afternoon at 3:36 pm and after a 3 hour layover in Newark, to continue on to Mumbai in the long-haul, 15 hour Continental flight.  Due to tornado warnings, my flight was postponed.  I figured, no problem.  I have a 3 hour layover in Newark.  We were actually loaded onto the plane and told we were 3rd for takeoff, but then Newark refused permission for us to take off and we returned to the terminal.  I would be comfortable physically, but I was getting anxious.  When my delay hit the 2 hour mark, I started calling my travel agent to find out what to do.  She determined that the flight out of Newark was showing on time  so I would probably miss it.  I had a non-cancelable ticket, so I needed to wait and be told by Continental what to do.  If they did cancel my flight and refund my ticket, I would need to rebook all over again, probably at a higher price. I may not get to India for a week or more.

I could not face waiting in a long line where each person took 10 minutes to resolve, so I waited for 2 or 3 hours nearby.  Two other flights to Newark were canceled.  Mine still lingered.  Finally after 5 hours, we were told to board.  I butted in line finally and asked what would happen if I went to Newark.  I was offered to have my bags taken off, but they couldn't guarantee me a flight out of Newark until Monday.  Some others were in the same situation and had decided to take a chance.  I took a chance too and took off for Newark.  After all, Continental didn't want me there on their doorstep.  They would want to move me along.

When I landed, I was faced with another two hour line for rebooking.  I couldn't face that, and I knew that the first flight out the next day was late afternoon, so I went to the Holiday Inn to claim the reservation that my travel agent made for me. (It was a good thing I had a reservation - many other refugees were being refused a room at that point). 

I didn't sleep that night because I was anxious about whether I had made the right decision and why didn't I wait in the terminal?  As I tried to sleep, I kept thanking God for how He was going to work this together for good. 

After a sleepless night, I went back to the terminal to find long lines snaking every where.  I didn't know what line to get in.  I kept remembering Pastor Dan's exhortation and as I prayed, I thanked God for what He was going to do to straighten out this mess for me. 

I waited through a line for 40 minutes and found a very good agent who worked for about 15 minutes and found me a flight through Frankfort on Lufthansa that evening. But now, I couldn't get back in the secure area because the flight didn't take off for several hours.  The Lufthansa desk was not yet open, so I had breakfast at food court.

By now, I realized that I had a priority ticket so I asked the first class agent if I could get into the pharmacy to get some prescription medication.  He wrote a pass to get me in to the secure area.  I soon found that the pharmacy did not have a pharmacist and I could not fill my prescription. But since I was already inside the security boundary, I went to the Continental Presidents Club and the lady there was really terrific.  She found me a better connection through Frankfort on Continental and arranged to have my luggage pulled out so I could get my pills and razor. The receptionist at the club mentioned that Newark is the most delayed airport in the country. 

The President's Club was a wonderful place to hang out.  Free cheese and crackers, Internet, etc. They even had a shower so I could freshen up.  This took all the pain out of my delay.  In fact, it rather broke up the trip and I arrived in Mumbai late Sunday night and enjoyed a couple nights in the Hyatt Regency there.

I could say more, but I have already rambled on too much.  In spite of my anxiety, all my decisions turned out to be right.

The obvious conclusion is that Dan Cramer's advice was sound.  I called upon God with the right attitude and God responded with so many blessings that my cup just ran over!

God's Leading to an English Speaking Fellowship in India

I arrived in Vadodara, Gujarat, India (aka Baroda) on Tuesday, August 2 and started at L&T Ranoli Works on Wednesday, August 3.  My most urgent concern was to get a SIM card for my new, unlocked iPhone 4.  Ashish Wala drove me to the Vodaphone store in Fatehganj section of town where we presented a long list of documentation including copies of my passport, my visa, my PA drivers license and a passport sized photo of myself and a reference from Kishor Chaudhari, a high level manager from Mumbai.  After an hour of waiting and talking to the Vodaphone folks, we were only partially satisfied.  I had a SIM chip in my iPhone, but no data service and a USB modem stick without a SIM card.  I needed to return Thursday with another passport sized photo and a local reference.  Ashish agreed to do that.  We spent another hour on Thursday, but I had a working iPhone and USB modem that was promised to be activated in 20 minutes or so.  I came out a bit frustrated, but I wanted to walk down the street to the Methodist church I had noticed.  Ashish was calling me back and suggesting that he drive me the 1/2 block to the red church.  While I hesitated, I looked up and saw a large banner identifying "Alpha Bible Church of Baroda" along with schedules and contact phone numbers.  I placed my first phone call on my Vodaphone service to the phone number on the banner.  The phone was answered by Kartik, one of the ministers in the church.  I explained to Kartik that I had asked all my friends to pray that I find a good English speaking fellowship in Vadodara and that obviously He had expeditiously answered that prayer. I wanted to come to his church.  Two young men on bicycles, Luke and Resnika, stopped and greeted me, saying they were members of the church.  Shortly after Ashish dropped me at the hotel, Pastor Davis called me.  So you see, as I have come to expect from the Lord, He answered prayer and led me to a good fellowship where I can communicate in English.  

This photograph shows Alpha Bible Church, which occupies the second level of the concrete building in the center of the photo.  The banner goes all the was across and is yellow on each end. At the extreme right of the photograph is the red sign on the Vodaphone store where I got my phone & data service.  At the left is the "red church', a long-established, Centenary Methodist Church.

Pastor Davis grew up here in Vadodara along with his four brothers and one sister.  His parents come from Kerala and have pioneered a work here in northern India.