One Family's Commitment Continues to Lead Relatives and Neighbors to Jesus

"My wife and I were suffering from seizure.  Shamans, village medicine and doctors could not cure us, till we came to Jesus.  Now those complicated demonstration of evil's power is past" said Bishnu Roka as I asked him why he became a Christian.

    The eldest son of the family, Bishnu, lives in Kaping village about 80 km east from Kathmandu, just about 35 km to China border.  One takes a bus to the main high way toward the border, and gets down walking up about 90 minutes uphill to reach his village. Through his influence, most of his clan members (about 60) have become believers. His two daughters Sunita (just graduated from the high school) and Sona (still a high school student) with the helps from a few others are conducting children's ministry program every Friday afternoon. Not having a parochial school in Nepal, such program is a best source to lead children to Jesus though negligible amount is present SDA Churches in Nepal.

   The Sabbath of October 5, 2013 was a special day for Kaping. I was there on early Friday after riding the bus about 4 hours and walking up the hill. I was there early to see the children's program where about 30 children attend. Action songs, telling memory verse and stories were the main feature of the program. I was pulled in to tell the Bible story. The age 5 to the grown up youth enthusiastically participated the children program which was introduced by Uma Shrestha (then Spicer student) through VBS program some years ago.  Then the next day Sabbath, October 5 Pr. Umesh Kumar Pokharel, the Nepal Section President, and the Pr. Milan Dahal from Banepa conducted briefing in the church to the 19 candidates who wanted to take baptism on their own wish.

    It was raining, yet the believers prepared by the Gospel Worker Bishnu and his daughters through children's ministry for baptism did not want to wait for the fair weather.  So we all walked down to the village river whose water went on to mix with the river that came from Tibet. Surrounded by the beautiful mountain walls and over looked by the Heavenly Father up from the sky, helped by Pr. Milan, Bishnu and his brother, Pr Umesh baptized 19 members of Vishnu's relatives and neighbors.  One of the youngest ones was an orphan girl who was the faithful attendant in the children's program and the church.  She was about 13. The oldest one was over a couple who must have been over 60.  The rain did not prevent from the leading of the Holy Spirit to take steps for Christ.

     Several people like Pr. Naseeb Basnet, Pr. David Kumar Tamsang, Pr. Abirman Puri, Pr. Umesh Pokheral, Pr. Milan Dahal and other visitors played their role to give light to this mountainous   village church.  Though there is as if a rivalry church just a few second down to the SDA Church, and no matter what earthquake took place in the mission, Bishnu has been holding faithfully to the Adventist faith without being shaken, though from time to time other church pastors throw the temptation like, "If you join us behold, we will give you such and such."

    "How do you feel baptizing so many at once after being the president of Nepal Section for the first time?" I asked Pr. Umesh. "I feel good that the Lord has been steering people to make them the part of His family" replied Pr. Umesh.

May the Holy Spirit continue to work in the hearts of Bishnu, his family and congregation to include as many as possible to the kingdom of God.

Bhaju Ram Shrestha

bhajupurna@gmail.com

147,181 sq km Nepal though declared a secular state, does not have legal religious freedom. The church can own no property, school or a church building, yet belief in Jesus Christ is spreading like a wildfire. The Lord has given the transitional time to spread the good News about the salvation. This time might be up when we have new constitution for which the second constitution assembly supposed to be held in November, though the success of it is still in question. The  land  of 660 million gods and goddesses is waiting to see the feet that spread the Good News of His love-not just through preaching but through witnessing by changed lives.

Beyond the last mountain lies the Tibeto-China-just 35 km from the church

Action Songs

Utilizing the half day holiday on Friday, Sunita (standing next to the young boy on the left) with the help of other lead out the children's ministry.

The young orphan Sumitra tells the memory verse while Sunita checks her name. She has no father and mother, lives with her sister-in-law who faithfully comes to the church but her, her husband does not care about the belief

Pr. Umesh and Pr. Milan lead out the words of commitment to God before baptism. It is the inside part of the worship place

Who care about the rain if the Lord rains His Spirit? The happy group ready for the baptism flanked by Pr. Umesh Pokherel on the extreme left

The baptism service: A candidate holds Pr.Umesh who prays, Pr. Milan blessing gesture

Young and old are baptized

 Pr. Umesh Kumar Pokharel, Pr.Milan Dahal, Brother Bishnu Roka

• गृहपृष्ठ
• अर्थ
• राजनीति
• मनोरन्जन
• खेलकुद
• अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय
• शिक्षा
• सुरक्षा गतिविधि
• अन्तर्वार्ता
• ENGLISH

येशूनीति पूवीय दर्शन, क्रिश्चियानिटी पश्चिमको उपज

http://www.enepalikhabar.com/editorial/2013/09/9051

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भजुराम तखाछेँ श्रेष्ठ

आज नेपालको जनजीवनमा क्रिश्‍चियन भन्ने शव्द कुनै नौलो छैन । झन डिसेम्बर २५ तारिखको दिन सार्वजनिक विदा दिँदा गैरक्रिश्चियनले पनि मजाले घाम तापेर बस्न र क्रिश्चियानिटी सम्झन पाएकै छन् । क्रिस्चियनहरूलाई पनि सम्मान भाव जागृत भएकै छ । जनआन्दोलनपछि कानूनी अधिकारै नपाएतापनि क्रिश्‍चियनहरू वढेका छन् भन्ने समाचारले कतिपयको जिज्ञासा बढाएकै थियो । 
मल्लकालिन युगमा प्रवेश पाएको क्रिश्‍चियन धर्मलाई राजा पृथ्वीनारायण शाहले नेपालबाट लखेटेका थिए। क्रिश्‍चियानिटी भन्ने वित्तक्कै ती आदरणीय राजाको कन्चट तातिहाल्थ्यो, त्यसैले उनले क्रिश्‍चियनहरूलाई नेपालमा जग बसाल्न दिएनन्। क्रिश्‍चियानिटीको आध्यात्मिक कारणले भन्दा राजनीतिक कारणले क्रिश्‍चियनहरूप्रति दोषी चस्माले उनले हेरेको नेपालको इतिहास साक्षी छ।
क्रिश्चियनहरूलाई बेलायतीहरू वा उनलाई मन पर्ने शव्द फिरङ्गीहरूसँग जोड्ने भएकोले नै तिनीहरू उनको आँखामा छारो हुन पुगेका थिए। नेपाललाई एकिकरण गर्ने उनको उद्देष्य थियो र त्यस उद्देष्यमा कसैले हस्तक्षेप नगरोस् भन्ने उनको चाहना थियो। क्रिश्चियनहरूले फिरङ्गीहरूसँग मिलेर उनको लक्ष्यलाई बिथोल्लान् भन्ने उनको डर थियो।
हुन त शासकवर्गहरूले क्रिश्चियनहरूलाई दोषी चस्माले हेर्ने कुनै नौलो कुरो होइन। आफूले नै जलाएको रोमलाई आफ्नो छवि सपार्न सम्राट निरोले क्रिश्चियनहरूलाई दोष दिन लगाएर तिनीहरूलाई जिउँदै छाला काढेर रोमको शहरको सडकमा बत्तीको निम्ति जलाएको विश्व इतिहासले बताउँछ।
क्रिश्‍चियानिटी विदेशी धर्म वा पाश्चात्य धर्म हो भनेर मल्लकालिन युगपछि फैलाएको धारणा हाम्रो देशमा अझै पनि आलै छ। यस आलेखको रचयिता आध्यात्मिक चिन्तनको छात्र भएको हुनाले क्रिश्‍चियानिटी र येशूनितिको बीचमा के फरक होला भन्ने सोचबाट प्वाक्क निस्केको केही विचारहरू यस इनेपाली खबरका प्रधान सम्पादकको अनुरोधमा पाठकहरूको बीचमा पोखाउने श्रृखला सुरू गर्न चाहन्छु। कुनै चर्चलाई प्रतिविम्ब नगरिएको, बाइबलका कुनै विज्ञहरूभन्दा टाडा रही रचिएको यस व्यक्तिगत जिज्ञासालाई व्यक्तिगतै रूपमा ढाली राख्‍न पाठक वर्गमा अनुरोध छ।
यस लेखकको चिन्तनमा क्रिश्‍चियानिटी यथार्थमा पश्‍चिमी सभ्यताको उपज हो भने येशूनीति दुई हजार वर्ष पहिले उदाएको पूर्विय देशको तारा हो। क्रिश्‍चियानिटीलाई अनुवाद गरिन्दा इसाई भनिन्छ भने अङ्ग्रेजीमाChristianity भनेर लेखिन्छ। क्राइष्ट र ianity दुई शव्द जोडेर क्रिश्‍चियानिटी हुन्छ भने यानिटीको अर्थ छैन । त्यसैले आगामी वाक्यहरुमा लेखक क्रिश्चियानीति लेख्ने अनुमति चाहन्छ । किनभने नीतिको अर्थ सर्वविदितै छ।
अङ्ग्रेजीमा इथिक भनेको नीतिशास्त्रू हो । क्रिश्‍चियानीति भन्ने वित्तिक्कै नेपाल लगायत सारा संसारका मानिसहरूको मनमा पाश्‍चात्य धर्म भन्ने मनमा बुनेको हुन्छ। पाश्चात्य इतिहासमा हेरियो भने त्यसलाई सतप्रतिसत होइन भन्न मिल्दैन। किनभने पूर्वी देश इस्रायलबाट फैलिएको यस धर्म प्रथम् पश्‍चिम देश रोममा हजारौँ इसाईहरूलाई शहिद बनाएपछि तिनीहरूलाई नाश गर्न नसकेको कारण तेस्रो शताव्दीमा त्यस देशले यस धर्मलाई राष्ट्रिय धर्म भनेर अँगाल्यो। तत्कालन अवस्थामा त्यस देशमा रोमी देवता देवीहरूको बाहुल्यता थियो, तर त्यस नौलो धर्मले तिनीहरूलाई ओझेलमा पार्‍यो र पछि ती देवीदेवताहरूलाई म्युजियममा सीमित पारियो। भर्खरै पलाएको इसाई धर्म भएतापनि हजारौँको संख्यामा वढि विभिन्न गुटहरूमा बाँडिएको त्यस धर्मलाई रोमको सम्राट कन्सटेन्टिनले त्यस धर्मका गुरूहरूको गोलमेच संमेलन गरि इसाई धर्मको ठेक्का आफ्नो हातमा लिए। आफू राजनीतिक व्यक्तित्व भएको कारण उनले एक जना सर्वमान्य भनेर गुरूको स्थापना गरे जसलाई पोप भनिन्छ। त्यही पोपको मातहतमा इसाई धर्म प्रचारप्रसार भएकोले इसाई धर्म पाश्‍चात्य धर्म भनेर सम्बोधन हुन पुगेको हो।
विश्वका इसाईहरू दुई प्रमुख खेमामा बाँडिएका छन्, रोमन क्याथोलिक र प्रोटेस्टेन्ट। क्याथोलकको अर्थ जगत् वा सार्वलौकिकू हो। यदि कुनै पनि धर्म वा वाद सर्वव्यापी छ भने त्यसलाई क्याथोलिक भन्नुमा केही आपत्ति हुँदैन। तर रोमन भन्ने शव्द जोडिदा पोपलाई मान्ने विश्‍वासीहरूलाई रोमन क्याथोलिक भन्ने जनाउँछ। धर्मकर्म गरेर र पोपलाई मानेर होइन येशूलाई सीधा विश्‍वास गरे मुक्ति पाइन्छ भनेर रोमन क्याथोलिक भिक्षु मार्टिन लुथर लगायत पोपसँग असहमत जनाउने पन्ध्रौं शताव्दीताकाका सयौँ इसाई धर्मगुरूहरू छुट्टिन पुग्दा तिनीहरूलाई प्रोटेस्टन्ट वा सुधारवादी इसाईहरू भन्न पुगियो। तर यो पनि पश्‍चिमी इसाई धर्मको उपज नै हो। यथार्थमा भन्ने हो भने यदि कुनै नास्तिक देशको खोजी गर्नुछ भने पश्चिम देशमा जानुपर्छ। येशूलाई क्रुसमा टाङ्ग्नेदेखि लिएर येशूको खिलाफमा विभिन्न पुस्तक र फिलिमहरू निकालेर उनलाई थान्को लगाउन चाहने विज्ञ भनाउँदाहरू पश्‍चिमी देशमै पाइन्छन् ।
तर गजबको कुरो के छ भने ठेट वा सही इसाई धर्म वा आस्था पश्‍चिमी सभ्यताको उपज नभएर मध्यपूर्व एशिया इस्रायलमा जन्मेका येशू ख्रीष्टबाट प्रादुर्भाव भएको हो। उनी जन्मिदा पूर्व देशका तारा खोइ भनेर ज्ञानी मानिसहरू खोज्दै इस्राएलमा आएका थिए। जब येशू वढे र हुर्के, उनी आफ्नो क्षेत्र इस्राएलभन्दा बाहिर गएनन् । एक पटक आफ्नो देशको सिमाना नाघेर गएको भनेर इसाई धर्मशास्त्र बाइबलले देखाउँछ। उनको जीवनीको वृतान्त र शिक्षादिक्षा केवल १०० पानाहरूमा मात्र सीमित छ भनिन्छ। वर्तमान इसाई क्षेत्रले मानेका कतिपय संस्कार, संस्कृति, डगमा वा धार्मिक सिध्दान्तहरू येशूको निम्ति नौलो नै थिए। क्रिश्‍चियानीति धर्मसँग जोडिएको छ भने येशूनीति मानिससँग जोडिएको छ।
येशूको निम्ति धर्मभन्दा मानिस ठूलो थियो। उनी कुनै धर्म स्थापना गर्न आएका थिएनन् तर मानिसको मोल धर्मभन्दा पनि ठूलो छ भनेर प्रमाणित गर्न आएका थिए । येशू ख्रीष्ट पापीको लागि आए, जसले उनलाई विश्‍वास गर्छ त्यसले तत्काल नै सही मुक्तिको स्वाद पाउँछ भनेर इसाई शास्त्र बाइबलले बताउँछ। आफ्नो अगाडि भएको भाईलाई माया नगर्नेले नदेखेको परमेश्वरलाई कसरी विश्‍वास गर्नसक्छ भनेर त्यस ग्रन्थले चुनौती दिन्छ। अन्याय सहनु पाप हो भनेर पश्चिम देशका क्रिश्चियन राजा र अगुवाहरूले दसौँ शताव्दीमा क्रुसेड गरेर इस्राएलमा रहेका कतिपय गैरइसाईहरूसँग युद्ध गर्दै तिनीहरूलाई हत्या गरेका थिए। तर यदि अन्याय सहनु पाप हो भने येशूले पाप गरेका थिए भने पनि हुन्छ किनभने उनले विनाकारण पश्चिमी देश रोमको बडा हाकिमको हातबाट मृत्युदण्ड भोगेका थिए । तर उनको नीति अन्याय सहनु पाप हो नभएर अन्याय नसहनुको नाउँमा अन्याय गर्नु नै पाप।
डाँडामा येशूले दिएको उपदेशलाई महात्मा गान्धीले नियमित पाठ गर्दथे भनिन्छ। एउटा गालामा हिर्काउँदा अर्को गाला पनि थापिदे भन्ने येशूको वचनबाट प्रभावित भएर उनले बेलायतसँग विनाहतियार भिँड्ने शक्ति आर्जन गरेका थिए । त्यसकारण इसाई धर्म पाश्‍चात्य धर्म हो भन्नु जायज देखिन्दैन । कसैले भन्छ भने यो पूर्वाग्रह र अल्पज्ञानको उपज हो भन्नुमा अत्युक्ति नहोला।
(आगामी श्रृखलाहरूमा येशूनीति सम्वन्धी जानकारी अगाडि बढाउन यो लेखक कोशिश गर्नेछ।)

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God's Amazing Move

"Save the baby" a voice surged through me as I beheld in terror,  my 9 months old half brother was ready to be butchered by my schizophrenic step mother. I jumped and grabbed the baby and saved him from the wild step mother. I was all alone with the mad step mother in a small room in Kathmandu. I took the baby and crouched in the corner of the room that was in Kathmandu, while she cast her fierce face on me but did not harm me. Of course, I was only 5. That same voice told me, "Bhaju, what are you doing here in the Buddhist monastery?" while I was attending the church on Sabbath and learning the teaching of Buddha on Sundays in my village, Dhuilihel.  That same voice told me in 1969, "Accept Me, I will take care of you the rest of your life." while I was in the valley of decision to accept Jesus or not.  The same voice that tells "This is the way walk in it" one day told me, "You start a Bible study in the Central Church of Kathmandu." "Lord, it is not my job, let the pastors of the church do it, let Nepal Field do it (Of course Nepal Field is wounded now), You know I don't have time. Anyway who will come?" I argued back as a little child does to his father. 

   Finally, the Voice became louder especially in the present pot holes circumstances in our church, along with Pr. Umesh skeptically I announced last Sabbath, "If anyone wants to come to interactive Bible study, please come to the church between 5-5:30 PM on this Tuesday (March 5, 2013). I will lead the study, since we don't have a Bible college, but at least we can share the Bible knowledge". I knew it means committing myself over two hours of public bus ride. I knew it means traveling over 14 km after my work, I also knew that it means along with other evenings, I was going to give up doing other important things in Tuesday evening.

     When that Tuesday came, reluctantly I went to the church thinking I would be happy to see even if there were enough quorums that Jesus prescribed, "Two or three".  When I was there I was flabbergasted to see about a dozen people, men, women, children and students waiting for me and at the end of hour there were nearly two dozen in spite of no electricity. As we discussed the expectations of the study session,  one believer said, "I have been in the church for over 4 years, and I don't know what the Bible is". Joined by Pr. Umesh, I felt overwhelmed at the interest to study God's word seriously. In fact they rightly complained saying one evening a week was not enough.

  At the end of our fruitful hour that passed so quickly without our notice, we also decided to have a special prayer night this Saturday evening- to pray for Maya Tamang (featured in my blog entitled, "Wrestling with demons") who has been getting reoccurrence of possession after she decided to take baptism, for other members, for the country and specially also for our wounded church,

    God is Wonderful. He uses amazing tact to show He cares, He loves and interested in let Him be known more by those who want to know Him.

    Won't you join with me in praying for our saints in Nepal, who are hungry for God's words as we move on with systematic study?

With a vision to have this study group grow and eventually inspire to have  a seminar,

Bhaju Ram Shrestha

March 7,2013

bhajupurna@gmail.com

                                                            The Hungry Hearts

                                            LEST I FORGET

I would like to share my story that was published in Guide magazine on September 12, 1972. I am sharing  for the 40th year of my anniversary of my baptism into the Seventh Day Adventist Church, where I am learning that being a Seventh Day Adventist has nothing to do with anyone including me, which is the  message that has been passed to me through visible,  invisible and unrecognized pioneers from age to age.  The story  entitled, "Bhaju's Long Search" has been coined by the late Goldie Down who was the active contributor for the Guide magazine. My search for God was found in Jesus, yet my long search continues, this time my search for Jesus in a man or woman or a child. I continue to seek the one whose mind is being transplanted by the mind of Jesus,(Philippians 2:5-11)., who did not care whatever people think of Him as long as He could project God. He did not care for His own reputation or seek His prestige or even honor in the then existing society. He came to win the heart not the pocket. He was not after the attraction but affection even that means stooping down low as even to wash the feet of own betrayer. He defined what is a true love through His example. He showed that the climbing the Mount Everest is not that brave act as to dare to worship the only Creator for He was taken to the highest mountain to disturb His loyalty to the Heavenly Father.

   Today I stand at the threshold of eternity to find out the difference between Christianity and Jesusnity (nity means ethic according to Sanskrit language). Christian is the one who follows Christ and people tend to follow Christians who too are human being with imperfect disposition, but Jesusnity is the one who follows Jesus and Jesus only, who had the perfect disposition, the Model Man. He gives me vision to live for. He uses me to chisel out the materials for His hungry sons and daughters while I survive by faith rather than fate to surface my work.

  The reason for sharing my article is to let you know that I have not forgotten my past which was the foundation of present, which is the foundation of the future. I trust that you will continue to pray for my solitude journey toward eternity where Jesus resides as the true King of heart. 

Love and prayer,

Bhaju Ram Shrestha dJC

January 2013