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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

                                                                                

Goats and Gospel

A submission story:

Bhaju Ram Shrestha

"Oh, gods, we have done everything to prevent our goats getting sick. We have gone to the veterinaries, to shamans and what not. Our goats suddenly get sick and they die. As a last resort, we are calling  you all the way from Kathmandu to pray for our goats and ward off the evil spirit" the lady of the house pleaded by folding her hands.  Her husband and his brother together own about 50 goats for their income.  All of them were Hindu family except the lady who claims to be a Christian.  Raja Ram was the elder brother who requested us through one of our church members in Kathmandu to go to his village and pray for the goats.

So four of us from upon the direction of Pr. Umesh Pokherel of Gathaghar Church-two ladies, Durga and Indira and Mr. Sharma (80) and I went to the village that was over 50 miles from Kathmandu that took us about 3 hours.  When we arrived in the nice village I saw many healthy goats, sick goats and a couple of sick kids who were sleeping under the basket. After the lady's plea we tried to console them through the Bible. I read Psalms 24 and the promise from James. Other urged them to believe in Jesus, so that the evil spirit would go away. Mr. Sharma pointed the story of King Hezekiah and in fact he urged the younger brother to read. Perhaps that was the first time in his life that he read the Bible.  They all gave the words that believed in God and eventually they would spread their interest in Bible and join the church.  We did not have a Bible to give to them; however, we left the illustrated Bible that we published and the Steps to Christ. Both were in Nepali language. After sharing our faith, I poured the olive oil on the head of a sick kid as if I were a priest ready to sacrifice the goat. Each of us took the turn to pray and pleaded the Lord to make the goats healthy, drive the evil spirit away from the premises so that the owners would glorify God who owns everything.

     After the prayer the household gathered together in a room where I presented the power point on why we suffer.  It was my intention to direct the villagers' mind to Jesus through whom God showers the love, and He does not cause evil as all the major religions depicts.

     Within a couple of hours we finished our mission assignment and headed toward Kathmandu.

    Please pray for those goats in Sanga chowk which is in Sindupalanchok district that borders China.  Please pray that through the healing of the goats, the owners would glorify God and turn their eyes on Jesus.  In the book of Joel the plague of locusts was upon the land of Israel so that the chosen people would turn to God. Likewise according to John 3:16, God has chosen everyone for eternal life provided he or she chooses Him.

    It was the wonderful experience on last Sunday (Dec 9, 2012) that we had heeding the Macedonian calls from the goats.

Indira shows the Illus Bible

 The owner reads the Bible

 I Pray fort the goats and the owners

 

The Goat saving party

Wrestling With the Power of Darkness:

Not a Fiction
(Not for publication because of the sensitive information)

Nepal, the Land of 660 million gods and goddesses, is a unique planet within the planet earth. Every Nepalese is regarded as a god or goddess, animals too are not left out, This is the place, the voice that echoed in Eden Garden, “You shall be like gods” (My theology does not say God), have been successfully spread in the mountain garden of Nepal.  Truth is truth, whether dark or light.  Though according to John 3:16, God loves Nepal too, it has been my personal conclusion that Lucifer has made his capital here.  Not only us, the power of darkness also struggle with each other.” From childhood I witnessed such darkness, for example: masked dancers putting their fingers through the piglets body to take out their hearts to eat raw, the power of a man who carried idol for in order for him to walk toward the temple hundreds of people had to push him, necromancer performing his feat, a holy man healing people right in front of my eyes, naked sadhus smoking hashish invoking the power of Shiva, and me living with a step mother who was schizophrenic but having a super power to break her chain and stock in spite of witch doctors, shaman, divines tried to fight demons with her. As early as I was five when I had to rescue my few months old step brother when his mother tried to butcher her own child. I was kept locked with her in a small room.  Due to famine of mental hospital in Nepal (even now only one in entire country in spite of one out of 4 are mentally disturbed population according to the survey), my step mother was not cured by any drum beating shamans, and she was put in a prison where she died. Before she died I had to visit her every day to give her food, and I used to see her naked in an isolated room in the prison.

      Little did I know that the Lord was preparing me to let me understand the Great Controversy between Jesus and Satan in a larger scale through concentrated action pact incidents.

  October 8, 2012 was a normal Sabbath worship day in Gathaghar main SDA Church just a few miles from Kathmandu. Brother Gavin Simpson from Maryland was the visiting speaker that day. It was during Sabbath School program that he witnessed a scene as never before in his life no matter where he had been. A woman in congregation started to go into convulsion. She started to shake, became stiff showing her fearful eyes and putting up her fearful face. The ladies immediately surrounded her, held her powerful limbs as many of us prayed asking Jesus to chase the demons from her. I personally put the Bible on her head and prayed. It was about 30 minutes of intensive prayer of all of us that she came to normal position. But immediately the demons seem to enter into 15 year old gentle girl. She was lifted by over half a dozen ladies and took her down to the room to pray for her. Brother Gavin was so stunned that he knelt and prayed outside of the room.  We had ex-witch doctor who became Adventist who started to pray and grab her head and chin, which I had to force to release his grip, he prayed, spoke in tongues, read the Bible, and put it on her head and chest. All the while the girl was in such a feat that she started to tear the Bible with her mouth, her body was so strong that all of us about half a dozen tried to hold her down not to harm herself and any of us. She bit my knee. After 90 minutes of struggle with the demons within her through pleads  and songs, she came to be normal, and she did not have any clue what went on during that 90 minutes.  It was too much for Brother Gavin to understand the reality of demons power. After everything calm down, the service was resumed when he presented a powerful message on Rev 12 proving through history and the scripture how the devil particularly  is making war with the Remnant Church.

    Then a week passed, but on Sunday Oct 13, Brother Gavin was to witness another feat after him requesting us to see that girl. Pr. Umesh Pokherel of Gathaghar Church arranged the girl to be in the Gospel Worker’s home nearby church. Brother Gavin and I went to see her. She was perfectly normal as she described her episode. As early as age of 5 she was working as a house girl in a neighbor’s family who had a shop. The girl’s aunt too had a small shop, but it flourished more than the family’s where she worked. The family asked her to bring hair or cloth piece from her aunt. Instead from her aunt, she took the thrown out piece of cloth around the water spring and gave to the family. The family later gave her a handful of rice to spread in the shop of her aunt who became sick. They found grain of rice spread in their room. Upon inquiry and torture from her mother, the girl, by the way her name is Maya Tamang revealed how the grains of rice  were spread on the floor. Police case took place and the villagers wanted to chase the family who bewitched away from the village, but the negotiation took place through the police intervention. However, after they came out from the police station the culprit family cursed Maya saying within 8 years she would die, and they would not leave her alone. It had been 6 years, and she has 2 more years go live. Maya does not have a father who too suffered the same fate. Her only brother beat her mercilessly and her mother is too helpless and poor to do anything. Maya tries to run away and hide from her brother(18)  whenever he comes home from the hostel. Maya said, she believed in Jesus, she liked to read the Bible, but often she experienced darkness covering her making her unconscious.  She had been taken to the hospitals, shamans and necromancers, and nothing have helped her and she believed only Jesus can cure her. She was to finish her grade ten but due to this, she slid down to grade 7.

        After she narrated her story, we all knelt down to pray, even she agreed to pray. But as soon as prayer started to go up, she went into convulsion. Her hands and legs became stiff, she started to shout, half a dozen of us including 6 feet tall strong Gavin tried to hold her down. She demonstrated super strength, tore the Bible with her mouth, scratched brother Gavin who was praying as never before now acting as exorcist, I put oil on her head and we all started to pray and sing.  Her face looked like snake’s fang.  All of us were asking the Lord to remove demons from her. I anointed her head with the olive oil, which I usually do when I pray for the sick. After 45 minutes of intensive prayer and singing, she came back to normal. When she was asked whether she knew anything, she admitted that she did not. As of writing of this episode, she still continues to suffer from the demonic possession. .Brother Gavin is trying to be a good Samaritan for Maya in trying to save  her from the grip of death but the power of the One who told the story of good Samaritan is more longed by all of us.

If this were the case in America, 9/11 would have been called, of course in Nepal such service is a myth. We are thankful that we can claim John 3/16 to solve the demonic problem.    The amazing thing is this hundreds of men and women with such cases were healed coming to the church regardless of denominations resulting many joining the church and alarming the Hindu fundamentalists.  One doctor of the doctors from a reputed hospital laments on their inability to cure such case this way, “Maybe we could ask the Christian proselytizers to give us some pointers on how to move forward. They have the required qualities and a track record of being able to deliver their target objectives (mental health cure).
I am certain they would be happy to help us, if we ask them.’
Dr Lakhey is the Professor of Orthopedics and an Orthopedic Surgeon at the Kathmandu Medical College
March 19, 2012 ekantipur (The full article can be read in the earlier blog)

Nepal is a place where myth is alive. We like to see socially, spiritually , politically, economically, mentally  catch up with the 21^st century, though we know that this century is moving into deep quagmire, It is a place where we come to realization what Paul said, “We do not fight with the flesh and blood but the cosmic power of darkness.” Eph 6:12.Yet he knew that people even believers can be bewitched (Gal 3:1)  It is also a place where innocent women are tried by communities as witches making the Salem's witch trial just lost in the pages of American history books.    Nepal is also a place where a true believer is more busy fighting with such power than with any leader irregardless  who traps people with the borrowed promises. Pray and don’t play with the devil have been our day to day challenge. Won’t you pray for us in Nepal?

Possessed gods, no one dare to fool with them as they dance in trance

A perfect normal girl as she narrates her story

She goes into convulsion  in the church

Holding her down as Brother Gavin Simpson prays

She demonstrates super human strength as she gets relapses

This is the previous case that happened in May 2012. This woman in the middle started to attend the church, she went to the same traumatic experience in the church, where she was prayed for. Then we went to her house to pray. She got well, but stopped coming to the church in spite of repeated visits of church members. I personally found out that people use our church for mental asylum. When they get cured, they stopped coming to the church. In Jesus' law it is okay, but as we continue hope the problem does not reoccur. 

Bhaju Ram Shrestha

bhajupurna@gmail.com

p.s. If you would like to continue to get such human interest stories of us who are ordinary people but running along with the Extra Ordinary God  so that you can join with us as a prayer partner and follow the plea of Apostle Paul who said, "Bear one another's burden" (Gal 6:2), please let me know. The Central Adventist Church under Pastor Umesh Kumar Pokherel in Gathaghar, adjacent to the capital is growing beyond a few of us could handle. Quite a few members are those who have been released by the power of darkness. It h as two other satellite congregations where too the members experienced the power of Living God more than the living Satan, yet unfortunately we have to live within Lucifer's territory  till Jesus comes.

Lament of Psychiatric in Nepal:

An alternative to mental health care
E kantipur MAR 19 - 2012
Many of my patients come to see me with complaints of pains and aches in their bodies. Careful history-taking, examinations, along with other necessary investigations usually help me come to a diagnosis. But then there are those patients who have vague, non-localised pains, and who don’t fit into any organic diagnosis. In these cases, I refer them to my psychiatrist colleagues for an opinion. Invariably, these patients are labeled as suffering from depression and go on to receive psychiatric treatment. Mildly depressed individuals do well with counseling and medication, but the moderate and more severely depressed individuals generally need longer and more intensive treatment.
There are often patients who require regular counseling, apart from being prescribed medication. Unfortunately, many of them live far away from urban areas and do not have easy access to psychiatrists, compelling them to give up on their treatment after a couple of sessions; logistically and financially, it is not possible for them to continue. In Nepal psychiatrists are a rather rare breed of specialists—there are just a little over 50 catering to patients in the entire country. The patient load is such that they just don’t have the time to counsel at length the way they would prefer.
Poverty and lack of education among the vast majority of our patients are also reasons why they may not receive any reassuring counseling from family members and proper treatment. This is why Mr KBC from Ramechhap district, who initially came to see me for vague body pains, could not follow up his treatment with a psychiatrist. In the UK, social workers reach out to the needy in their own communities and help them along in their treatment when they fail to come back for a follow-up. The Nepali state has no such provisions. In KBC’s case, as professional counseling was not possible and his family was not of much help either, he turned to religion for relief. Although he’d been born a Hindu, there wasn’t a single temple in his VDC or priests to counsel him in his time of need, which led him to seek support from a church in his village, one that had opened its doors 10 years ago with donations from foreign sources.
This highly-organised Christian institution gave him the support and counseling he desperately needed. He converted to Christianity, as have 300 others in the last 10 years from the adjacent three VDCs with a collective population of 30,000. KBC became better and left medication. He eventually relapsed, however, and returned to us and was promptly referred to a psychiatrist.
Depression is a huge problem in our country, as it is all over the world. From the seventh position a little more than a decade ago, in 2020 it is expected to climb to the position of second leading contributor to global burden of disease in the world. Our history of violent conflict in the recent past, widespread poverty. and societal inequalities—these could all be responsible for the high prevalence of depression. The prevalence, based on a small community survey done in Kathmandu 25-30 years ago was 15 percent, but this figure may be much higher today. And possibly as an outcome of the government’s inability to provide us with solutions to the many mental health problems existing in Nepali society, we are now witnessing the proliferation of churches all over the country as a result of steady inflow of foreign money from Christian donor agencies. These churches have taken up the role of counseling these poor patients who have been failed by their state and their own society.
Christian organisations have a history of providing good education (St Xavier’s school, for example) and health services (Shanta Bhawan ie the current
Patan Hospital, for instance), and have now extended their support to the mental health arena too. These churches do well because they are usually dedicated, extremely well-organised, well-versed in local societal problems and very result-oriented: traits I would actually like to see in our state actors if health care in our country is to be taken forwards.
Nepal is chock-full of complainers. We complain all the time of the perpetual problems of bad governance, poverty, injustice and inequality, but when it comes to putting in the effort to find a way out, we become passive. If our political leaders have consistently failed to place us in the path of peace, stability and prosperity, it would be logical to seek alternatives ourselves. Maybe we could ask the Christian proselytisers to give us some pointers on how to move forward. They have the required qualities and a track record of being able to deliver their target objectives.
I am certain they would be happy to help us, if we ask them.
Dr Lakhey is the Professor of Orthopaedics and an Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Kathmandu Medical CollegeMarch 19, 2012 ekantipur 

Grow or Row

"Growing in Christ" or Rowing with Satan

The Nepali version of last quarter of 2012 Sabbath School lesson has been unique one because it was translated in three continents-North America, atmospheric heaven (over 35,000 feet from New York to Delhi flight) and in Nepal (Asia). Written by Kwabena Donkor, the director of GC Biblical Research Center, the title of the lesson is "Growing in Christ". It is a call to grow in Christ, in spite of the row that is being created by Satan. This lesson touches some of the core doctrines of SDA Church but mainly focuses on the great controversy. It does not hesitate to point out that the Church is one of the stages where great controversy between Jesus and Satan takes place and each member is taking a decisive role on which side he or she is on without giving a choice of middle ground. Do we want to grow in Christ till we reach the stature as He planned or spend our precious life in getting busy with the row that takes place within the church or the church family? The answer to it is left to us. Man, salvation, God depicted in the Book of Revelation, power of evil power, God's law, life of a true Christian, last days events and all things will become new are some of the topics that this lesson dwells. The pictures of front and the back cover pages are the pictures of Niagara Fall which I took to give the message that no matter how much water fall we get (in the Bible water represents people, therefore no matter how much people fall on us), like the rock and plants underneath the fall we should stand firm in Him and not hesitate to grow. Since I do not have a copyright to put the global SS lesson picture for its cover, therefore I exercise the liberty to put the cover page that best suits the lesson. Though the picture of Jesus is the appropriate one, but because Nepal is an image worshiping society and it is easier to worship an image than the idea behind its image. I tend to avoid putting Jesus' imaginary image on the SS lesson. I do trust no matter in what language the lesson is being studied each reader will be helped to form a spiritual "Intellectual character (Ron Richhart) that the General Conference of Seventh Day Adventist wishes upon its member. We all need Christ's intelligent peace (EGW) and there is hardly any other alternative to the study of God's word for that peace.

    While working on the translation of this lesson, I had a privilege to meet the hard working Sabbath School Team in General Conference. It was quite transpiring meet Elder Goldstein, publication manager Lea Greve and Favlo Fowler. Of course I would have loved to meet other team members but due to the pressing of time I could not meet them. I am thankful for their moral support. It is the finest task the Lord has been placing on me for the last seven years in other to compensate the loss of my wife. Setting aside what I want to do but doing what the Lord wants me to do, the translating task of SS lesson or Bible study has been the most glowing aspect of my solicitude life.

     Though anyone is welcome to contribute for this ministry to grow, I am thankful for a friend who has been putting his effort to gather fund to print the 500 copies of lesson, Pr. Umesh who dispatches the lesson and Sujit Shah to get the lesson ready for the press.

   Above all God be praised for constraining the producers to bring out the lesson so that along with the Bible, it can help to form the image of Jesus in each recipient and reader of the Sabbath School lesson, for which Paul struggled two thousand years ago (Gal 4:19).

    I wish you a happy solitude life with the Bible Study.

Bhaju Ram Shrestha bhajupurna@gmail.com

Cover and back page

Pr. Umesh and Pr. Naseeb Unveils

With Lea and Elder Goldstein

With Brother Favlo Fowler