Praise the lord my dear friends !!!
Well its usually very easy for me to write a mail ... but this mail is pretty different ( the first part ) i write as a personal mail frm me !!! ...... as u all know i lost my dad 3 weeks ago !! every things happened so sudden .. its was a big blow for me !! ( and guess one day every one will have to face this whether they like it or not ) ..... it made me think BIG time !!! ............. what is it that i have done for the lord ...... 8 yrs in the renewal .... have i prepared to face eternity !! ........ how have i contributed in the renewal ........ how many souls have i brought to Christ ...why is the fire burnt down ......... why is there nothing happening ....... so few people in our pray meeting . why is it that we start of with a project ( eg skit ) on full JOOSH!!! .. and then the fire dies down suddenly !! .... why ...why why ... and i was very disgusted the entire week .... i was questioning the functioning of the youth cell and the pray grp as a whole ...... i also shared my views with few of our uth ...
and this Sunday evening i go the answer......
this Sunday we met after the 5:30 mass like we usually do !! all the guys ( me sobin , ali, david savio Schubert .. gizel joined us later ) went to ramdev .. have a cup of tea!! .........an i really wanted to bring out this thing that was inside of me ........... but i said what the heck ... things will always be the way they always were ..... fortunately ..... one of us came up with this topic .... as to what are we doing ........ ( when he open his mouth her really didn't know .... that his question was planted in him by the Lord ... the lord knocking on our hearts )...
We then went back to church and had a serious discussion as to what are we doing ..... why is it that we are not able to reach out ........ why is it that there is no bonding between our uth members internally ....why is it that work falls on only a few ppl in the grp ...... Is it because you keep your career first !!....family second ......... and then prayer grp last?? ..... ...... why is there no personal commitment to the pray grp ??..... i personally came to a point -- > why should i be at the prayer meeting if i am not gaining any thing ( which was completely wrong on my part )......... and i guess some of us also feel the same way as i do .... but ..... but are still staying on ..... hoping that one fine day the pray group will be packed wit alot of ppl .....trust me that will not happen if we go in like this !!!! ...........
Then suddenly as if God spoke thought one of our member ..... the word spoken was .... Are we growing ......... which place is the lord in our lives ........ are we holy joes ( including me ) on Thursdays and sinners the rest of the week ....... how can we reach out if we are not grown ...?....
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NOW!! for us to grow ........ we all know that for us to grow we need to make sacrifices !!! .... sacrifices that we are so attached to !! ........ not a temporary sacrifice but a life time sacrifice ....... because if u compare this life time to eternity its just a drop in the ocean .. i repeat .... a drop in the ocean .... Are we willing to make this sacrifice ....!!!
The sacrifice put forth to us was would you give up the television .... for the rest of your life ......... !! thats a big call ..... but if u see it in the light of the CROSS its nothing ...... if you cant give up a simple thing as making a decision to give up watching television 4 the rest of ur life !! .... a 21 inch black box ..... then then u can forget abt the Call in YOUR life ....
this evening ..... 17th feb 2008 ..... few of us had made this decision to give up the television for the rest of their lives .....
.. You might be asking why suddenly television !!! ... well....thats one area ( media type ) that the Satan is using to destroy us !!! ....... personally !!! i have become an addict to it .... and many of us are on the same boat ......... some times we will say ... ok .... i give up watching TV .... but i will watch only GOD TV now ....
Well !!!!!! You'll have to give up that tooo ...remove the cable plug from ur TV ( forever ) .....
Just as Able brought the first fruits of his harvest !!! and burnt it up ..as a offering ... and God was pleased with his offering ........ the word of God say " those who sow to please the sinful nature ( through media ) .... from that nature will reap destruction .... but those who sow to please the spirit from the spirit will reap eternal life " ....... but when u decide to give up don't look back ..... and you will reap the greatest harvest you could ever imagine !!! ..... as One of our members was sharing for the last 8 yrs he didnt have a televion set in his house ...he grew strong in the word and as a person ..... but as soon as the TV was brought to his house ..... he fell ....
My dear frnds a i write this mail as a sinner ..... but ready for change ...ready for sacrifices ..... may be for some of us .. it wud be giving up talking long time on the phone.... giving up "forever" listening to secular music ..... giving up messenger chatting ( for me :-) ) ..you know what is driving u to sin.... we just don't want to admit it !! ......... give it up !!! ... your rewards would be great .........
remember for every gain there is pain .... Our lord "gave up" every thing ...His Life ... so that we could gain salvation ....
so if we want to see vibrant prayer grp.... .... there would have to be a heavy sacrifice ... even heavier sacrifice .... cause now we are sacrificing for others ........the 700 families in our Parish.
the group has decided to have every alternate satudays night vigils and alternate sundays meeting ....... there would also be fasting on Wednesday ( can skip one meal ... lunch preferred ) ......... among the uth present this Sunday we have decide to get up ever day in the morning to have daily time of pray..... that is the only weapon .... to fight this world of temptations ................. ALL THIS starting Monday 18th feb............. there no compulsion here ... it all comes from the desire of your heart ........
I write this mail in complete humility and sincerity from the bottom of my heart . Please do not take this mail negatively ..
.. i know the lord will speak to you .... to give-up. some thing forever ..... and HE will bless u with the riches in heaven
your brother in Christ
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