Tuesday 24 November 2009

KA NOPNA TOUPA

Tuk leh khal phalbi hun hongtung zel
Mualdawn Leenmui hongkai zaam zilzial e
Kumkhat leh kumkhat ki danna
Zoulawktate hongkhuan chiang
Lungzuan huai Zogam mual leh guam.

Kum leh kha leh khua hun ki dang zong
Toupa na khalim sung nuam sa ing
Lawmte toh na min phatkhawm a
Nunnop zil a leenlai ni
Toupa nang ka nopna na hi.

Chorus:

Kalvari na thuakna kei a dingin ka damna
Singlam teh gualzohna ka kisaktheihna na hi
Toupa toh tonpeuh leng buaina khempeuh veng ta ve
Toupa Nang Ka Nopna Nahi.

Theibang senlai tun leh zua ang ah
Chiin leh tuai ngaihtoh laitual lenna
Nikhat ni chiang Toupa sung
Phamsa it teng kimu ding
Tuani chiang kikhen nawnlou ding.

(hiai laa Luandeihlun in Zomi Idol 2008 hun a asak, personal copy maimai ahi.)

Friday 20 November 2009

The Seven Miracles of Christmas - Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.

Outline of The Seven Miracles of Christmas
There is the: Annunciation, Conception, Explanation, Incarnation, Declaration, Conversation, Visitation. Lets look at each one individually.

Annunciation Luke 1:26-30
The word annunciation is not commonly used in America today. The word means, making and announcement or proclamation. The announcement in focus here is the one made by the angel Gabriel indicating that the Virgin Mary is Gods choice of all the women upon earth to be the mother of the Messiah. Lets take a closer look at the passage.

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God." Luke 1:26-30

Verse 26 tells us the timing of the announcement. The Angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary in the 6th month of her cousin Elizabeths pregnancy. Gabriel had previously appeared to Zacharias telling him that Elizabeth would conceive in her old age and bear John the Baptist who would pave the way for the Messiah. But, previous to those two appearances, just six month apart, it had been nearly 500 years since the last recorded mission God has sent the Angel Gabriel to discharge. Daniel 9:21-27 records Gabriels prophetic revelation concerning the time of the Messiahs coming.

Lets examine Gabriels message to Mary found in Luke 1:28.

Hail The word was a common greeting, which meant, Peace be to thee or may you enjoy all possible blessings!
Thou art highly favored This phrase clearly indicates that Mary was being chosen in preference to all the women upon earth, to be the mother of the Messiah. However, it is not appropriate to refer to her as the mother of God, for that is blasphemy.

The Lord is with thee This indicates that the Lord is about to bestow unique favor upon Mary.
Blessed art thou among women -- That is to say, among all women of the earth God distinctively blessed Mary beyond all others. She was special among women but not to be exalted above women.

How did Mary respond to Gabriels announcement? You might think that she was elated, but nothing could be further from the truth. Verse 29 reveals that she was troubled. The Greek word translated troubled is diatarassw - diatarasso (dee-at-ar-as'-so; 1298) from where we get our word distressed. Simply stated, she was distressed and puzzled. Why? Because, it was not culturally acceptable with the Jews for a man directly address a woman to begin with. In fact, it was not lawful to be done in any shape or form especially by a messenger. So, no wonder Mary was distressed and puzzled! Not to mention that she should be saluted as a peculiar favorite of God, and blessed among women. Thats the Annunciation.
Now to miracle #2 Conception Luke 1:31-35
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke 1:31-35

It would be easy to develop two full sermons dealing with these five verses in Luke 1. While that is not my intention here, I can most assuredly say that what is said in them is mind-boggling to me so think of the affect on young Mary who was likely in her teen years. Gabriel declares:

1) You will become pregnant
2) It will be a son
3) You will name him Jesus meaning Jehovah Savior
4) He shall be great (all powerful)
5) He will be called by name the Son of God (indicating deity)
6) God will give Him the throne of His father David (indicating his humanity)
7) Jesus will reign over the 12 tribes of Israel forever
8) His kingdom will be limitless both in its inclusiveness of all people and its timeless nature.

After being barraged by all this information Marys response was, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" Basically she is saying, how is this going to happen because I am a virgin. Verse 35 says, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." God the Father and God the Holy Spirit formed the human body and human nature assumed by the eternal Word of God who became flesh. Again, the human body and human spirit of the Son of God was created by the energy of God the Father and God the Spirit within the womb of the Virgin Mary. This is the miracle of conception. Next we come to the third miracle of Christmas

Explanation Matthew 1:18-25
Gabriel had appeared to Mary to tell her what was going to happen and it did happen just as he had said. But what of Joseph, her betrothed? What would he do? And how would he ever believe her when she told him about her angelic encounter. As it turned out, she did not need to say anything. The Angel of the Lord makes a visit to him. Lets read the Scriptural account.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." Matthew 1:18-25

God covered all the bases. As a result, Joseph did not divorce his betrothed but "took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son." That brings us to the next miracle of Christmas.

Incarnation John 1:1-4 & 14
As with the word annunciation, incarnation is a word that we rarely use in conversation today. The word literally means, the act of clothing with flesh. This is the act of assuming flesh, or of taking a human body and the nature of man; as the incarnation of the Son of God. The second person of the Trinity always existed. We know this by what we read in John 1:1-4 & 14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

This incarnation of the Word of God, God becoming man was foretold in Micah 5:2 "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

The Eternal God becoming man indeed is a miracle of the highest degree.
That brings us to the 5th miracle Declaration Luke 2:8-17
No one would have noticed or even cared about a baby being born in a barn as it were, if it would not have been for the miraculous declaration of his birth to the shepherds by the angels. After the angelic announcement, the shepherds went to see the Savior and then spread the news far and wide. Lets read the Biblical account found in Luke 2:8-17.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child."

Conversation Hebrews 10:5-10
There is an important passage of Scripture that is not usually mentioned in association with the Christmas story. It records a conversation between God and his Son. This conversation reveals the reason for the incarnation. Lets read Hebrews 10:5-10.

"Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

What a miracle. God became man so that He could offer Himself as a sin offering for our sins that we might be saved.

Visitation Matthew 2:1-12
The last miracle of Christmas revolves around the visit of the wise men. They were directed to the Christ child by a star. This star was the wise mens own personal GPS and led them to the home where the young child resided with his parents. Jesus could have been up to two years old at this point. When the wise men arrived in Bethlehem, they worshipped Christ and presented him with costly presents. Lets read the account in Matthew 2:1-12

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."
Wise men (and women) still seek Christ and when they have found him, they worship Him!

The Miracle of Christmas - Mark Batterson

Text: Luke 2:8–20; Luke 11:33–35
Topic: Experiencing the Wonder of Christmas

Introduction:

In Luke 11:33–35, Jesus says that because our eyes are the light of our bodies, living in "wide-eyed wonder" will fill us with light (The Message).

Illustration: Albert Einstein remarked, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is."

Few people would admit to experiencing a miracle.

Everyone experiences miracles; breathing itself is a miracle.


Illustration: Batterson explains the process by which oxygen enters the body and is processed through its cells.

Acts 17:25 says that God "gives all men life and breath."

Because every breath is a miracle, we experience roughly 23,000 miracles every day.

We can live as if nothing is a miracle or as if everything is.

Illustration: Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common."

The Christmas story is a miracle.

Let's look at the Christmas story from the perspective of the angels.

God uses angels to communicate special news; they have made many important announcements throughout history.

Because the proclamation of the birth of Jesus was their most important announcement, they were probably very particular about doing it right.

In their brainstorming session, they may have decided to make their announcement to the most important people in the most extravagant way.

God makes major changes to their plans when he instructs them to tell the most insignificant people in the most out-of-the-way places.

Illustration: Max Lucado said God announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds because they were most likely to receive the news with faith.

We must cultivate a theology of mystery. I find it fascinating that God didn't reveal himself to the religious leaders. The fundamental mistake the religious leaders made was trying to force God to fit in their religious boxes.

Illustration: In Rumors of Another World, Philip Yancey says there are two ways of looking at the world: "One takes the world apart, while the other seeks to connect and put together."

Similarly, there are two approaches to God. One approach is the theology of dissection, in which we make God manageable by reducing him to a set of theological propositions.

Illustration: A.W. Tozer suggests this kind of theology leaves us with a God who can "never surprise us, never overwhelm us, never astonish us, never transcend us."


The religious leaders were reductionist theologians. Matthew 23:23

The other approach is the theology of mystery. Isaiah 55:8 says that God's thoughts are further from the thoughts of humans than the heavens are from the earth.

Illustrations: Astronomers have discovered galaxies 13.2 billion light years away, which is about the distance our thoughts are from God's. Children naturally adhere to a theology of mystery.

Illustration: John Chrysostom suggests that while children readily accept the mysteries of the Bible, adults seek rational theories and explanations.

The shepherds exhibited childlike faith, because they assumed God could act in any way he wanted.

Illustration: Mark Nepo said, "Birds don't need ornithologists to fly." God doesn't need theologians in order to do miracles. God is looking for people who won't tell him what he can't do or put him in little religious boxes. The shepherds took God at face value; when they heard the news, they embraced it with a simple childlike faith. Sometimes we miss the miracle because we analyze it to death.

Illustration: Batterson recounts a humorous e-mail called "Santa Claus: from an Engineer's Perspective."


Conclusion
Illustration: Albert Einstein says that the person who cannot experience wonder has ceased living because he has ceased seeing. I hope that you can re-experience the mystery of Christmas—the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God of all Creation was born as a helpless little baby in Bethlehem.

A CHRISTMAS FILLED WITH MIRACLES by G.W. Hardin

Two thousand years ago angels appeared to shepherds announcing the birth of the Messiah. Why shepherds? Why not kings or holy men, dowagers or priestesses?

What is it about angels that attract them to the most common of humanity? And what is so important about the everyday people that angels find it necessary to show up in their lives? Frankly, it's because we're so wonderful. Truly.

If the stories in this book do nothing else, they remind us of the stunning power of recognizing the Divine in the most simple, acknowledging our blessings, showering our blessings on life around us.
Two thousand years ago the angels gave a message to shepherds: Peace on earth. And once again that same message echoes through the chambers of our collective hearts as the angels foretell once again of a world of peace.
Who can deny the changes flowing across our world? As before, we have the choice in seeing those changes as catastrophic or monumental. To those in power, the birth of the Christ child loomed as a threat; to shepherds, it was a blessing for the ages.
Because of my writings, doors have opened to me allowing me to visit and discover some of the most spiritually gifted people on our planet. And I am here to tell you what they tell me: Once again the promise of peace shall be given to humanity. And once again, we will have the choice of accepting that gift in the living of our lives or rejecting it through the choices we make around, through, and within ourselves.
Change has never come through governments or nations, princes or generals. No, change has always come through grassroots movements. It is the shepherds of the world, not the powers of the world, which foster and spread change.
What war has ever changed a mind? What nation has ever forced another into truth? Wars have never solved problems. They inevitably cause new ones.
Throughout history, real change has come from and through individuals. A small babe brought more change to this world than all the legions of Rome. And the angels fully understood that the truest way to insure the coming changes would be through simple shepherds.
Now, like never before, we posses the opportunity to manifest a New Christmas, a new birth of Christ Consciousness. And like the shepherds, our simple everyday world is the key to this monumental change, this new chance at world peace. And how? you might ask. Quite simple, really.
The very pages of this book hold the answer. The truths brought forth by these stories of human experience tell us that each of us holds memories or the capacity of remembering what it takes to foster peace, to live peace.
You see, it's not enough to talk about peace. It's not enough to wish for peace. Peace must be lived one life at a time. And you, dear reader, are that one important single life. To recognize the truth in this idea is the first step.
The second step is to do what the people who've shared these stories have done: Share your story, your experience of peace.
The third step is to go beyond the sharing of a single Christmas event, to either foster or create a New Christmas event. And one of the best ways of manifesting such events is to reenact them, pass them on.
Many in these little stories have simply passed on the goodness, the caring, or the peace-making once given to them. And now that they have passed on their New Christmas event to you, why not discover the real power in this book by passing the event that meant the most to you on to another. Too simple? That's what makes it so powerful.
Once one of us furthers an act of kindness, mercy or peace-giving by passing it on, we send forth a spark which eventually blazes into a bonfire in the common heart of humanity. The light we initiate continues ever higher like a funeral pyre releasing us from a deathlike trance, allowing us to see the real message of Christmas: We are the peace on earth.
We are the echoes of goodwill harmonizing with the choirs of angels, singing forth the New Christmas.
May this New Christmas be yours. Pass it on.
With love from my heart to yours.

G.W. Hardin
Co-Author, ON THE WINGS OF HEAVEN, and THE MESSENGERS

Monday 9 November 2009

The Critical Elements Of True Worship: Romans 12:1-2

I want to draw your attention to Romans chapter 12 and verses 1 and 2, very, very familiar portion of Scripture, Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2.


The Apostle Paul by inspiration writes this, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove that the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable, or well-pleasing and perfect."

The phrase that I want to draw to your attention is at the end of verse 1, "your spiritual service of worship." Worship is a popular subject these days, talked about a lot. There is a great amount of activity and commotion in the church these days, centered around the idea of worship.

I’m afraid that most people view worship and music as synonymous. And if you said to some congregation, "I want you to worship the Lord with me," they would assume immediately music would begin. There are people who believe that music is so inseparable from worship that it’s critical what style of music you use. And if you don’t use the right music, the music which speaks in the vernacular in any group of people, you somehow limit their worship. The battle rages so fiercely over styles of music in the church as the means of worship that churches actually fragment into groups of people on all sides of the issue and very often churches actually split over music because the basic underlying idea that some people have in their mind is that music produces worship, or music induces worship. And if you don’t have the right style of music, worship won’t happen. If the tune isn’t contemporary, if the tune isn’t familiar, if the arrangement isn’t what it should be to interest a given group of people, they won’t be able to worship.

In the pop church, music often dominates, long and loud and repetitious. And it is an effort to move people’s feelings and emotions in the direction of worship. There are many people who assume music is the origin, or the source of worship. And the illusion is that certain styles of music produce worship, certain tunes and certain arrangements induce worship and other ones somehow limit it.

Now this may sound strange to you because I love music...I love music. But music as such has nothing to do with worship. Music can’t produce worship. It can’t induce worship. Music is not the origin of worship. Let me say it another way, music is not the beginning of worship, it is the end of it. I love music, but I do not need music to worship. And there is some music that’s not helpful to me in my worship. I enjoy music, I enjoy the sound of it. I enjoy the beauty of it. And it surely enriches my worship. I like certain melodies because they are beautiful or elaborate. I like certain tunes and certain arrangements. But those tunes and arrangements play a rather incidental role in my worship. Music or no music, music that is uniquely lilting and beautiful and winsome, or music that is not so much that way, whatever the music. I worship from a very different origin.

My worship comes from another place. Where does it originate? That’s what this text is telling us. Music is the end of worship. I love the songs we sang tonight and this morning. I love them because they are filled with my worship. They don’t produce it, they don’t induce it. They’re not the source of it. They’re not the origin of it. But they are the expression of it.

I want us to look at that phrase, "Your spiritual service of worship," and just meditate on it a little bit. Spiritual service of worship is a notable phrase, and to begin with we focus on the word "spiritual," logikos, it simply means in the realm of the soul. When we talk about worship, we’re talking about something that originates in the soul, in the inner person. The word actually could be translated reasonable, as it is in some translations. That is, it originates in the reason, in the intelligence. Worship is latreia, it is a religious worship, it is a word used for priestly activities. Our worship before God, the service that we render to God in worship, is spiritual. That is to say it is internal rather than external. Music or no music, beautiful music or not so beautiful music, true worship originates in the soul, it is spiritual and that is where it begins. This is the worship, Paul says, that is acceptable to God. It is the kind of worship God desires. Greek term here means "utterly satisfying to God."

Now keep in mind, worship is an act by which we offer praise to God. Right? It is not a mood that we put ourselves in. It is not a feeling that we have induced by the beauty of what we hear. Worship is an activity which we give to God. He is the audience. He is the one to whom we offer worship. Therefore we need to offer Him that worship which is acceptable to Him. And what is acceptable worship to God? It is that worship that is spiritual, not physical, not just the voice but the soul. It is that worship that rises out of the heart. This is the worship that is satisfying to God. And, of course, in Romans 12:1 and 2 it says nothing about music. Music playing and singing is our physical response to the worship of the soul. But a worshiping soul is a worshiping soul. And if there’s music, it sings, and if there’s no music, it worships without the tune...by thanking God for His person and His works and offering Him praise. True worship then comes from the soul. And the more your soul grasps the glory and wonder of God, the more you will worship.
I agree that there’s nothing more exhilarating and joyful and even in a sense instructive than this kind of corporate worship. But it is only true worship to the degree that it is infused with your heart adoration of God. And the more you know of God, the more you infuse into your worship. That’s why I feel so badly about the death of the hymns. You could go to a lot of churches and never hear the music you heard this morning. You could go to most churches and never hear that. That’s tragic because the hymns carry theology in a profound way. They also carry it in a subtle way. And there are a lot of people who can’t sing the hymns because they don’t get it because they don’t know enough theology to pick up the subtleties and the nuances.

I love to sing the hymns because they’re not just flatly apparent. They draw up the deeper things. That’s why they’ve lasted for centuries. And you bring to your worship only what your heart brings to your worship. And if the primary experience for you is the groove of the tune, that’s not worship. And your content with the 7-11 choruses, seven words repeated eleven times, that doesn’t say a whole lot for the depth of your theology. You’re not infusing that experience of song with much soul knowledge.

So having said that, let’s look at our text a little bit and ask a few simple questions. What should motivate our worship? What should motivate our worship? Not the introduction to the tune, not the beginning of the band or the orchestra or the organ or the choir. What should motivate our worship? Verse 1, "I urge you therefore, brethren...here it comes...by the mercies of God." We should be motivated by the mercies of God, to offer to God spiritual service of worship.

What do we mean by that? What are the mercies of God, plural? Well essentially it is everything that God has given us in mercy. That means everything God has given us that we don’t deserve, and that would include everything because we don’t deserve anything. Everything that we have from God is a mercy. And, in fact, that’s Paul’s way to sum up chapters 1 through 11. That’s right. The mercies of God are those great spiritual realities of which Paul has been writing through the opening eleven chapters of this great epistle. And if you were to go back in to Romans, here you would find this kind of list. Here are things of which Paul has written that can be included in the category the mercies of God...eternal love, eternal grace, the Holy Spirit, everlasting peace, eternal joy, saving faith, comfort, strength, wisdom, hope, patience, kindness, honor, glory, righteousness, security, eternal life, forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, freedom, resurrection sonship and on going intercession...and more. That’s the sum of what Paul has been telling us is ours in salvation through chapters 1 through 11.

What is your response to the mercies of God? I think the psalmist said it well. Psalm 116:12, "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward us?" When I count up the benefits, the mercies of God that are given to me, what shall I render to the Lord? That’s the question the psalmist asks. And here Paul gives us an answer. "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God because of the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship." As a result of this mighty work of Christ at the cross, as a result of the salvation that has come to us through the cross and the resurrection, we should be moved, motivated, compelled, driven by the staggering mercies of God given to us to worship Him.

Then what generates, what produces true worship is a grasp of salvation’s richness, a grasp of the glories of saving grace. That is why when Paul comes to the end of listing the mercies of God, he’s about to burst. And so in verse 33 of chapter 11 of Romans, he bursts forth with these words, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways, for who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor, or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? It is all inscrutable, it is all undeserved. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever, amen." That is pure worship. There’s no tune, there’s no music, nobody started plucking some kind of stringed instrument. It was an explosion of praise in contemplation of eleven chapters of inspired truth about the riches of God given to an undeserving sinner. Paul goes on in chapters 12, 13, 14, 15 and in the last chapter, chapter 16, but he can’t contain himself. At the end of chapter 16 and again it comes out. Verse 25, "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but is now manifest, and by the Scripture of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God has been made known to all the nations leading to obedience of faith to the only wise God through Jesus Christ be the glory forever. Amen." It’s all to Him. He starts in verse 25, "To Him who establishes us according to the gospel through the preaching of the cross, to Him who has given us the revelation of the mystery, meaning the New Testament, the scriptures, to Him who has brought all nations to salvation, leading to the obedience of faith, to Him be all the glory through Jesus Christ."

The Apostle Paul has these doxological outbursts all through his writing in some of the most amazing places. They appear again and again. One that I love is at the end of chapter 3 in Ephesians, "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, He has given us mercies that are unimaginable. To Him who is able to do this according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Bottom line, the more scripture you know, the more doctrine you know, the more worship you give.

It is motivated by, spawned by, originated by knowledge...knowledge...knowledge. Philippians, it’s a simple doxology, Paul has been talking in Philippians about the things that God gives us. Verse 19, Philippians 4, "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Just pull that statement apart. God will give you in Christ everything you need according to His infinite riches. Having said that, he can’t contain worship and he bursts out with, "Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen." These kinds of things always comes in response to a contemplation of the glories of salvation.

In writing to Timothy, Paul rehearses his own testimony at the end of 1 Timothy 1, he says, "I was formerly...verse 13...a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And then this...and yet I was shown mercy...I was shown mercy." And then he comes to the doxology, "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." That’s worship. It comes from a heart overwhelmed with the mercies of God associated with the cross.

That’s the motivation to worship. Music or no music, this style, that style, any style, my heart is so overflowing with the truths of the mercies of God that whether I’m in Grace Church or in Russia or whether I’m in the mountains of South America somewhere or wherever I might be on this planet, whatever it is that I’m hearing, even a simple chorus, I can infuse by my understanding of these things with richness that not everybody understands and it becomes for me a worshiping expression. I bring my worship to the music...and so do you.

Paul’s language moves in our thinking from the motivation to worship to the mandate. Because he basically is telling us we need to do this, he begins with these words, "I beg you, I plead with you, I urge you, parakaleo, compound, I call you, a strong call, even a command, "Brethren, because of these mercies of God, grasp these mercies, know these mercies." You might encourage a young Christ who’s just come to the Lord to start in Romans 1 and just be saturated with those eleven chapters, so that you grasp the greatness of these mercies. You don’t help people by keeping them in superficial understanding of everything, by making everything as simple as you can be a reductionist approach to the Bible. I cringe at some preaching that I hear. It is so minimal. You want them to understand as much as possible, you want to understand as much as possible. Paul pleads with us on this regard to grasp the mercies of God in their fullness. That’s the mandate.

And thirdly, there’s a manner for us to worship. He says, here it is, "Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice," that is to say offer your whole life in worship. It’s a way of life. When he says body here, he means all our human faculties, all our human faculties, all our humanness. I beat my body to bring it into subjection, he says to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 9. He means by that all that is human about him. Present it, paristemi, it’s a temple term, it’s a Levitical term, put it on the altar, die to your own agenda...to everything around you and give yourself all your humanness, all that you are in a living and holy sacrifice to God. That’s the manner.

The motivation comes from the heart. The mandate is to do this because it is right. The manner is to let that heart understanding, that heart grasp of the truth, that heart love of the mercies of God, that heart gratitude effect all that you are so that your whole life becomes an offering and worship is a 24/7 experience. You hold nothing back.

A couple of Sunday nights ago we talked about slaves of Christ. And I thank you all for your response, it was a wonderful response, very encouraging. This is more of that slave talk. In fact, this is even more severe than offering yourself as a slave. This is putting your life on the altar, giving it up in every sense. Very similar to that slave talk.

The language here is Old Testament language. An Old Testament offerer would bring his sacrifice to God outside the Holy Place and he would hand it to the priest. The priest would take it in and offer it to God on the altar. When someone brought the offering, it symbolized a worshiping heart cause that’s what God really wanted, even in the Old Testament, God was not pleased with only external offerings. He wanted the heart. He’s always wanted the heart. God wants true worshipers who worship Him in spirit and in truth.

But now there are no more dead offerings, only living ones. The sacrificial system has been set aside and God wants living sacrifices. He wants us to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and deny ourselves. And in so doing, end of verse 2, we will indicate, prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect. In other words, when you put your life on the line, you are saying not my will but Yours be done. From now on whatever is Your will, whatever according to You is good and acceptable and perfect, that I desire to do. This is the living sacrifice.

But how do you get there? There’s a fourth thing to consider, a fourth critical element, the mind of true worship. How do you get to the point where you understand the mercies of God? How do you get to the point where you are so overwhelmed and grateful for those mercies? That you are willing from the heart as a spiritual act of worship to give up your entire self in a single expression of worship which abandons your own life to the divine purposes of God, how do you get to that point? Verse 2 explains.

Negative first, "Do not be conformed to this world." Very interesting Greek verb, sunschematizo(?), from which we get schematic. The word is a compound word so it’s a very intensified word. It literally means to be stamped like metal, or to be molded. We could translate it stop allowing yourselves to be molded by the world. You cannot allow your mind to be molded by the world. What is the world? The world is simply fallen thinking...fallen ideas, ideas that belong to the kingdom of darkness. It is the floating mass of ungodly ideas and behaviors that are separated from and hostile to the will of God. You will never worship the way you should worship if you are being conformed, molded to, stamped with the image of the world. John said, "If anybody loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." If your whole affection and love is toward the world, you’re not a believer. But as believers, we can allow ourselves to be influenced by the world, even though we love Christ. Do not let the world mold you into its kind of thought and behavior. Don’t think like the world and don’t act like the world.

On the other hand, here’s the positive, be transformed, metamorphoomi(?), metamorphous, transformation, present imperative passive. Allow yourself to be constantly being transformed. And who’s doing that? The Spirit of God. Second Corinthians 3:18 is transforming the faithful believer into the very image of Christ from one level of glory to the next, to the next, to the next. You want to worship? You want to worship through a myriad of expressions of music? Do not look to music to induce your worship, look to music as simply an expression of that which is induced by a heart that is rapt by the mercies of God, obedient to the command to worship to the degree that one has given himself or herself up in total abandonment to God and to Christ to do that which is good and acceptable and perfect to Him. How do you do that? By having a transformed mind. He says it, verse 2, "By the renewing of your mind."

This is another Greek word that is worthy, just for those of you who are interested in that, anakainosis, it means a complete renovation of thought. You’ve got to have your thinking completely altered. It’s all about the mind. It’s not about the emotion. It’s all about the mind. How wonderful that here, according to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we have the mind of Christ. Isn’t that great? We have the mind of Christ. I know how God thinks insofar as God has disclosed that. I know how Christ thinks, I know how the Holy Spirit thinks because they have disclosed it here. This is the mind of the Trinity. How wonderful is that?

So, if I want my mind totally renovated, if I want to think the way God wants me to think, I have the source right here. It is the mind of God revealed in Scripture. In writing to the Colossians Paul said this in chapter 1 verse 9, "For this reason also, since the day we’ve heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." If you want to have spiritual worship, you need spiritual wisdom, spiritual understanding. You need the knowledge of His will so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all respects."

So what is the source of true worship? It is the truth, the knowledge of the Word of God which is to say the knowledge of the mercies of God and we’re back where we began. To know the truth, to believe the truth, to hold convictions about the truth and to love the truth, it kind of works like that. It is conviction followed by affection. Saying with David, "O how I love Your Law."

Now when we come to the Lord’s table tonight, we come to the focal point of the mercies of God. Let’s bow together in prayer.

Lord, as we now come to remember the sacrifice of Christ, the point at which all the mercies of God find their ground, their origin, we want to thank You for everything that the cross has brought to us and the cross has brought everything to us. We thank You that while we were enemies, Christ died for us. We thank You that when we were rebellious and unworthy and wretched sinners, worthy only of eternal punishment, we were redeemed. We were there when the Savior died on the cross, He was bearing our sin in His own body on the cross. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This is wondrous and it wasn’t certainly a minimalist salvation for the work on the cross has brought to us limitless, infinite mercies. We want to know them, understand them, grasp them, believe them, and love them so that worship is a spiritual service that passes from our spirit through all our human faculties and is offered to you as an expression of thanks. We give You the praise, we give You the glory for all You’ve done. And again we offer ourselves on that altar as living sacrifices, holding back nothing, we yield everything to You. We die to ourselves again. As Paul said, we must die daily that we might live to Your glory. May our worship be more than it’s ever been because we know more than we’ve ever known as we contemplate the greatness of the cross.

MIN TIHARH LEH DAWN LAWM NI? - Rev. Dr. Vanlalnghâka, Shillong 2008-09-05

Pathian thu thianghlim hmun hrang hrang ami tawi te te i lo chhiar ang u. Zawlnei Isaia 64:1, "Van ti thlerin lo chhuak teh la, i hmaah chuan tlângte an khur zawih zawih mai tur," lehlin thar ami a ni. Isaia vek bung 62:6 leh 7, "Lalpa hriatpuitua awm te u, awm hle hle hlek suh ula, Amah pawh chu awm hle hle tîr hlek suh u." Exodus 33:16-ah chaun Pathianin Israel fate hnenah, "In sual si, in luhlul si, in zîngah ka kal ve tawh dawn lo, nangmahniin ramtiam ramah chuan han kal rawh u" a tihtum a, Mosia chhanna a ni. "Kan zinga i telve zel si loh chuan, heta ta hi min hruai chhuak ma ta che". Tin, Sam 85-na vawiin chhunah pawh Rev. Dr. Lalsawma’n a tih rîk tawh, kan sawi ho tawh kha Sam 85:6-na "Nangmahah chuan i mite an hlim theih nan min tiharh leh dawn lawm ni?" A thu thianghlim kan chhiarte Lalpan kan za tan malsawm rawh se. Amen.

Zaninah hian thil pahnih tih duh ka nei a, kan zavaiin chu chu kan tih duh ka ring. Pakhatna chu kum za kal taah Pathianin Mizoramah ropui taka harhna a rawn thlen avangin, Pathian hnenah lawmthu kan sawi duh a ni. Lawmthusawi inkhawm a ni. Pahnihnaah chuan kum za kal taa a tih kha kan zingah rawn ti thar leh sela, rawn ti nawn leh sela kan duh a ni. Lalpa kan hunah hian min ti thar ve ta che tiin Pathian hnenah kan dil a ni. Zaninah hian mimalatawngtai aiin kan zavaiintawngtai ho ila athain ka hria a, nizan khan Pandal hlanna kha chu kan nei tawh na a, hemi kan programme hi kawngthenkhatah chuan kan thupui zanin hi kantanna a nihna lai a awm avangin kan zavaiin a huhovin Pathian au ila. Nichina Isaia ziakah Pathian chu awm hle hle tîr hauh suh u. A thu hmasa lamah chuan râlvengtu ah te min dah a, Jerusalem Pathianin mal a sawm hma loh chuan nangmahni pawh Pathian pawh awm hle hle tîr hauh suh u, tiin Isaia’n a fuih a ni.Tunah hian kan theihtawpin kantawngtai rual ang a, tichuan kantawngtai rual tawp lamah Rev. Lalhmangaiha’n kan tawngtaina chu min rawn kaihhruai sak ang a, anin heta tang hian min rawn chhunzawm sak ang a. A tawpna siam turin kan sawm dawn nia, i lo tawngtai rual ang u.

Zaninah hian helai hmun chang ve tura kan hotute’n min lo ruat hi ka lawm rualin ka tlinglo ka inti a. Tin, ka rilru pawh a lungleng a. Hei Pathian khawngaihna zarah Gospel Centenary 1994-ah kan lawm te, tin, kum zabi thar, sângbi thar kan han kai a. "Sangbi tharah Lal Isua nen" tih Millineum Crusade-ah te Speaker-ah te kan han tang ve leh a. Zaninah ka han chang ve leh hi ka lawm a. Zaninah hian ka rilruin Rev. Zolawma a hrechhuak a. Revival Co-odinator hmasa ber a ni a. Kan inzui dun ve hman hle a, khing Biate te, Champhai leh hmun dang hmun dang kan fang a ni. A thusawi thinte ka ngaihtuah a, a tawngtaina te, a rilru zawng zawnga harhtharna a lawmzia ka hria a. Zaninah hian dam sela , helai hmunah hian ka aiah ding sela ka duh a ni. Amaherawhchu ropuina ah min kalsan a, hmun nuam zâwkah. Tin, harhna centenary hetianga Mizoramin kan han lâwm thei hi Kohhran hetiang harhtharna chang lo, hetiang ang kan lâwm ang taka lâwm thei lo khawvelah hian an tam hle a ni. Pathianin Mizote min hmangaih a, a Kohhran te min enkawl tih a chiang a, zaninah hian Pathian hnenah lawmthu sawi nachang i hria ang u.

Harhtharna engtiangin nge a lo thlen? Mi thiamte leh Thlarau mite hriat dan a inang lo hle a. Chhui dan lâr ber pahnihah chuan tih tak zeta kan inbuatsaih a, II Chronicles 7:14 te leh hmun dang dangah Pathian mite’n thuhnuairawlh a, ingaitlawm a, an sualte sim in huam a, an in lamlet a Pathian hnenah tih takzet a antawngtai chuan Pathianin van atangin a lo chhâng a. An ram te a tidam lehthin a, Harhna a lo thleng lehthin a ni. Charles Spee-a khan chu chu a ngaihdan a ni. Amah ngei pawh kha harhna hruaitu ropui ber te zing ami a ni. Mithenkhat erawh chuan "Harhtharna hi chu Pathian hnathawh a ni liau liau va, a duh hunah, a duhna hmunah, a duhdan in aman a thlen tîr mai a ni. Eng anga kantawngtai pawha a thlen loh châng a awm a, kantawngtai loh pawh a a thlen a awm a. Pathianin a duh hunah khawngaihnain a rawn thlen a ni," an ti ve thung a. Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones-a chu tilamah chuan a hruaitu an ni a. Amah pawhin ‘Revival’ tih lehkhabu ngaihnawm tâwp a ziak nghe nghe a ni. Zaninah hian enge dik zawk ka hre reng reng lo. Ka hriat erawh chu Pathianin harhtharna a thlen tîrthin, vân atangin khawngaihnain a pethin. Kantawngtai vâng, kan zawn vâng kan tih theih loh pawhin a dilte leh a duhte hnenah chuan Pathianin a pe fo. Pathian hnathawh a ni tih hre chungin zaninah hian bâng lovin harhthar lehna tak tak dilin itawngtai zui zel ang u. Tun hi kan harhtharna intanna ni sela, kumin chhung mai ni lova, a kum leh a kum leh zelte pawh zual zâwka Mizoramah Pathian hnathawh a lo thlen theihna turin Pathian hnenah i dilthin ang u.

Zaninah hian thusawi rei ka hlau a, chuvang chuan rei loh kan tum ang a, tin, rei tih chu a lo inang lo em mai a. Tun chawlhniah khan Khasi ramah, Shillong ah tun ang hian harhtharhna lawmna an nei a. Chhunah leh zanah thusawi turin min ti a. Khasi tawng a nih dawn avangin dar 10:30-a thusawi tur ka ni a. Traffic Jam avangin dar 1:15-ah market ground ka thleng thei tawk a. Nang chu thusawi tur i nih dawn avangin motor in i rawn in khalh lut dawn nia, hmun kan lo siam ang an ti a. Inkhalh luh ngaihna reng reng a awm lova, mi an tam lutuk a. Ka tlai deuh emaw ka inti chu an lo zai nasa tawh mai si a, zing an inkhawm kha an lo la bang lo a lo ni a. Chhun inkhawm kal turte nen kan infin chho ta zel a, dar 2:00-ah kan tan a, dar 4 pelhah khan thusawi turin ka la ding ta chuang lo a ni. Dar 6:30-a thusawi tur a, a tuk zinga Mizoram rawn pan tur ka ni a. Nimahsela Pathianin thusawi rei hi a lo duh chuang hauh lo. Vawiin chhunah khan Moderator-in thu a sawi laia ka rilrua thil lo awm chu a tawi apiang hi atha a lo nih hi ka lo ti mai a ni. Evangelistic Team a din hunah chuan Deputy Speaker-ah in pek ve nghal ka tum a ni. Zaninah hian lawmthu sawi pawh tulin ka hre tlat, kan Pastorte leh Kohhran hruaitute, mi chau te leh mangang ten tlukluhna tur Kohhran tha kan neih avang hian, Pathianin hotu tha min pek chungah hian lawmthu i sawi ang u.

Zaninah hian Revival Team Speaker hrang hrang, Evangelist-te hnenah pawh lawmthu sawi tulin ka hria. Heng Revival Speaker te thingtlangah te, hmun dang dangah an kalna ah, a retheite chu rethei ve te te te pawh an ni. An thawhrim zia leh an inpek nasat, an in sacrifice nasat zia ka hrechiang a. Zaninah hian kan Team Speaker tam zâwk te thusawi turah lo ding chhuak zâwk sela chuan tihte ka ngaihtuah a ni. Kan nu nen kan sawi fova, Mizoram kan vanneihna chu Revival Team hrang hrang hriat sen loh khawp an team member te nen chuan kan nei a, athente chu mi mâwl te te zawk te pawh an ni. Nimahsela Pathianin a hmang tlat a, anmahni avang hian Mizoram dung leh vângah harhtharna thlipuiin min la nuai mek a ni. Anmahni avang pawhin Pathian hnenah lawmthu i sawi ang u. Tin zaninah hian kan rilru tak takin harhtharna hi duhna châng hria ila. Amaherawhchu harhtharna kan duh a, kan dil rualin harhtharna hian man a nei a ni tih erawh chu i hre bawk ang u. Zawhna in zawt ila harhna, harhna hi kan inhuam takzet em? Pathianin a khawngaihna avang hian Mizoram hi min rawn tiharh dawn sela a man kan pe peihin kan pe ngam tak tak ang em? Kan hlim a kan lâwm a, Pathianin mal a sawm a, Pathianin kan tuar pawh a phal a, khawvela ringtutha ber ber te chu a tuar ber ber an ni fo mai nia. Harhtharna tak tak a thlennaah chuan Kohhranah a intan a, Kohhranah a thleng a, Kohhran a harhthar a, Kohhran a dingthin a ni. Vawiinah hian Mizoram Kohhran hi harhtharnain a hrin Kohhran a ni a. Thuthlung thar Kohhran, Pentikos nî a piang pawh kha harhna hrin Kohhran a ni a. Mizote hi kan mâwl a, kan tlem tehlul nen hetiang khawp a nghet a kohhranin zung an kai nghet te, kum za hnuah pawh kan la hlim em em hi Pathian khawngaihna a ni. Kohhranah a thleng a, Kohhran a dingthin.

Pahnihna, Pathian hnathawh a nih avangin harhtharna a thlenna tak takah chuan Pa hi kan hre lâr a, Pathian kantih hian kan rilrua awm ber pawh a ni mai thei. Nimahsela harhtharna a thlenna tak takah chuan thlarau thianghlimin a hmun dik a luah a, Lal Isua Krista chawimawiin a awmthin. Chu chu khawvel a Kohhran, Mizoram pâwnah te, India ram pâwnah te pawh an hriat thar ve leh atul khawp nia. Vawikhat chu Evangelist Inkhawmpuiah thusawinaah ka telve a, chuta an thusawitu ropui tak mai chu, " Theological College-a ka kal chhung zawng khan vawikhatmah thlarau thianghlim chunga innghat tur kan nih leh Kohhran hi thlarau thianghlima hruai tur a ni tih ka zir ngai reng reng lo, min zirtir ngai reng reng lo," a ti a. Harhtharna tak takah chuan Thlarau thianghlimin a hmun a luah a, thlarau thianghlim hnathawh a lo hluar a. Tunhma deuh khan Theology zirnaah pawh thlarau thianghlim hi Pathiana mi pathum zinga theihnghilh, hriat hlawh lo ‘The forgotten person of the Trinity’ tia an kohthin a ni. Kohhranin thlarau thianghlim a theihnghilh châng a awm. Harhnaah chuan thlarau thianghlimin a hmun dik tak a luahthin. Thlarau thianghlimin hmun dik tak a luahna apiangah Isua chawimawiin a awm ziah. Lal Isuan a sawi chu Thlarau chuan min chawimawi a ti a, Lal Isua a hliah ngai lo. Mihring pawhin a hliah a phal ngai lo. Chumi a nih avang chuan Lal Isua chawimawiin a awmthin.

Pathumnaah chuan harhtharna tak takah chuan simna a awm ngei ngei. Simna tel lovin khawiah mah an harhthar ngai reng reng lo. Eng harhtharna bikah emaw chuan sual inhriatna leh simna a lâr zual a nih pawhin harhthar reng rengah chuan simna tel lovin a theih bur loh, Simna a thlenthin. Chu simna leh mimal sim piangthar, nun tharte chuan Kohhran a ti harhtharthin. Hei tun hnai maiah pawh Mizoram hmun hrang hrangah vengthenkhatah chuan Pavalai kan harhthar a, Pavalai zaipawlte an han siam a, Kohhran namen lovin a ti hlim a ni. Kohhrante hi mi tute emawin a ti harhtharthin. Simnain hlimna pawh a thlenthin. Pathian remruat mak zia pawh tunlai hian langin ka hria a. Hman deuh khan nula leh tlangval zingah Pathian thu leh Pathian hla aiin khawvel thil, khawvel hla ten lung a ti leng a. Hla lenglawng, lengzem zai tih vel te a lo chhuak nasa, Tv. Vanlalsailova te ho an lo chhuak a, Mizo zingah a ang reng renga lâr leh hmingthang leh miten hmuh an châk, thlalâk pui an châk an la piang ngai lova. Chumi thu kan nau zaithiam ten min hrilh a, Nagaland sawrkar hotute, Minister hote leh MLA te leh an nupuite nen Pathian thu hrilh tura min sawmtumin, kan Quartet-te nen Nagaland pana kan kal laiin an lo sawi a. Chuta kalkawnga an sawi chu Vanlalsailova ka la hmuh hma hian, Vanlalsailova hi Mizo dik tak a ni a, a â tâwp a nih loh chuan a piangthar thuai ngei ngei ang. Khati khawpa khawvela lârna hi Pathian tel lo chuan beidawnna ringawtah a tâwp dawn. Pathianin chu chu a phalsak ka ring lo, ka ti a. Vanlalsailova te leh tunlai kan tlangvalte, nulate kan zaithiam ber ber pianthar tâk chu tlâng hriat a nih hi. Mizoram kan vanneihna em em chu kan nula leh tlangval zaithiam ber ber te an hunlaiah, an vanglaiin Lal Isua hnenah an inpe lehthin. Tuna Pi Lalsangzuali Sailo ni ta hi, nula a nih laiin Lungleiah a concert laiin khawvel thila a inhman zawh lâr tâwp laiin concert zo thei lovin sual inhriatna nen lungchhiain, mi khati zozai hremhmuna hruai ah, hremhmun kawng hmahruaitu ah atang a ni tih a inhriat khan ‘Min ngaidam rawh, Aw Lalpa min ngaidam rawh’ tih kha a testimony a pek hmasak ber a, a zai ka hriat hmasak berin chu hla chu a sa a, ka rilruin a theihnghilh ngai lo. Vanlalsailova’n a lâr tâwp laiin ‘Isua neih ka duh zâwk’ tiin a Album siam tur zawng zawng an tichhe vek a, Nuai, sîng mai ni lovin, an hnuchhawnthak tak tak a, a ropui ti rawh u.

Tun hnaia Mizoramah thusawia ka vah ve naah mi tamtak in Pu Nghâk,thalaite hi inkhawm peih turin inkhawm ngaina turin fuih rawh, an inkhawm thatchhia an lo ti fova. Mahse kan en kan en hian thalaite hi an thatchhiain ka hre lo. An lo thatchhiatna Veng leh Kohhran an lo awm pawh a ni thei. Ka sawi ve chu Pavalai ho Kohhranah chuan inkhawm an peih lo berin ka hre tlat mai. Tunhnaiah ka thusawi apiangah chuan ka sawi kha in hriat hlawm kha.Pavalai ho, chung ho ko harh tur Nl. Lalroutmawi Pathianin a’n ko ve leh hlauh a. Tunah chuan Pathlawi ho leh Pavalai leh an aia upa kum 50 rualin an buaipui ve leh ta. Tichuan Pathian hian min hrut rual zel. Mizoram hi Pathianin min khawngaih a, Sual kawnga kan kal thui lutuk lohna turin simna kawngah min hruai lehthin niin ka hria. Harhtharna tak takah chuan simna a awm ngei ngei. Revival a thlenna tak takah chuan chanchintha hril a pung lo thei lo. Mission and Evangelism a pung lo thei lo.Tumah harhthar tak tak mahni ringawtin an awm hmunah an khur bing ngai lo. Kal chhuah a Pathian thu tlangaupui an duh a ni. Kan hmuh leh kan hriat hi keini zawng sawi lovin kan awm thei lo. Sawi suh an tih pawhin an sawi tho, an sâwm lohna hmunah pawh an kal tho, an sâwmna ah pawh an kal tho. Thiltihtheihna nen rawng an han bâwl a. Unaute u, mi 3000 pentikos nî ah ringawt pawh Petera vawikhat thusawiah an pianthar kha ti rawh u. Chanchintha a lo thlenna tak takah leh Revival a lo thlennaah chuan midangte hriattir duhna a awmthin. Tuna Wales rama revival kan tih te, Ireland-ah te, England-ah te, America ram a kum 100 kaltaah leh kum 200 kal taa harhna hrang hrangte kan chhiarthin a, a ngaihnawm lutuk. Wales ramah te khan tun kum 1904 ni lo, chumi hmaa 1859 bawr vel a harhtharna ah te khan mi 50,000 in Kohhran an rawn belh a ni. Ireland-ah pawh mi 2,00,000 in Kohhran an rawn belh phah a ni. A nasa berah chuan D.L.Moody-a huna harhtharna ah khan mi 5,00,000 Kohhranah an rawn lut a ni. Unaute u, chanchintha harhna thlennaah chuan Kohhran a pung a. Mizoram chanchin chu kan hotuten an sawi a, an ziak a, sawi leh ngai lovin kan hriat kha. Harhtharna in a thlen chu midangte Isua Krista ângchhunga lâk luh hi a ni.

Tin, a pangana a pawimawh em em chu simna a lo awm tâk avângin Kohhran a lo harhthar a, an thawm mitdel te hriat khawpin, an hlimna namen lova Pentikos ni ang mai khan miten hâwkdâk in an rawn en a. Heng hi eng tihna nge? Engtizia nge ni ta? thenkhatin an rui a nih hi an ti. Petera ten fehrehsân hun chauh a nih hi zu ruih a la hun reng remg lo an ti. Nimahsela an rawn enchiang a, an thu an ngaithla a an hmelah an hmu a, Lal Isua zui an duh ve a ni. Keini pawh kan harhthar tak tak chuan kan hmel hmutu leh kan âwka hretu ten, kan thawm hria ten Isua neih an duh ve dawn. Engatinge Isua neih an duh a? Harhtharna in a ken ngei ngei Pangana chu mimalah chauh ni lovin, khawtlângah danglamna leh siamthatna ropui tak a thlen ngei ngei, Social Reformation a thlen ngei ngei. Sap ramah te, Wales ramah te pawh an sawithin kha, Wales ram lo pawh hmun dang dangah pawh khan zu dâwrte khâr sak lovin a neituten a khâr mai bakah a zuartuten zawrh an duh tawh lo mai. Zuin mi ten in tur an hmu lova, khar loh theih a ni lo. Mizoramah pawh chutiang chu harhtharna hmasaah te a awmthin asin. Chu chang a ni hlei nem Wales ramah te chuan an harhtharna en turin an zuk kal a, mi inkhawm mup mup hmuh an tum lai khan khawlaia police duty te chuan, ‘Wales rama harhtharna in hmuh duh chuan tân inah lokal mai rawh u,’ Lung in a lo ruak hei huai a, lung ina tâng tur an awm lova ni. Hmanah Nagaland-ah Karen-ah khian thusawiin kan kal a, a lunglenthlâk khawp mai. Lung in chu an nei a, a chhungah mi an awm lo. Mizoramah Kristianna a rawn vung chho tak tak lai khan Mizoram chanchin Pu Lloyda’n a ziakah khan, British hnuaia kan awmlai khan, Governor-in Mizoram a rawn endik dawn a, chutah chuan tâng vengtu a mangang a ni. Lung in kan nei ve si a, lung in chhungah tâng tur an awm loh avangin, Pu Llyoda lehkhabuah khan a awm vek kha. Silchar-a tângvengtu a zuk dâwr a, Governor-in min rawn tlawh lai chauh mi tâng min lo hawh rawh a ti a, Governor-in a rawn hmuh turin. Chutia lung in lo ruak ringawt kha chu ani’n a hrethiam dawn si lova, Silchar a lung in tâng ho Governor-in a tlawh chhung tân ina dah ve turin hawh a zu dil a nih kha. Tunah hian Mizoramah hian harhtharna hi lo thleng tak tak sela aw! Chutiang ang tak chuan Isua hian kan zingah ropuina rawn chang sela, tuna kan buaipui em em Total Prohibition nge Prohibition loh tih te hi ziak leh sawi sawi a ngai lovang. Kan bansan vek ang a, in tur pawh sâwm mah ila kan hmu zo lovang. Kan nunin kan nih lohna kan sawi te hi harhthar tak tak ila chuan tâng vengtute hian hna dang an zawn atul mai tur. Unaute u, Vawiin niah hian harhthar hi Pathian hmaah i dil tak zet ang u. Harhtharna a lo thlennaah chuan Pathian thlarau hnathawh nasa tak avangin midang aia thil danglam tak tak pawh a thlengthin.

A chang chuan Mizoramah te pawh harhtharna thuah buai nak nak chang te pawh a thlengthin. Amaherawhchu Pathian thlarau thianghlim hnathawhah chuan a chang chuan miten Pathian thu an lo hriat loh rei lutuk a, an nun a lo khing lutuk chuan Pathian thu an han hriat thut a, an lâwm lutuk khan tih ngaihna an hrethin lo a ni. England-a John Wesley-a huna harhtharna ropuiah te khan zanlai ah vur sur karah zing dar 2, dar 3, dar 4-ah te, mirethei lungalhthei khura thawktute hnenah khawlaiah khan thu a lo hril a ni. Chutih lai chuan biak inah Kohhran hotuthenkhat ten an lo hrethiam lova, Pulpit-ah ni lovin khawlaiah mi chhe te te leh zu ruih hmangte hnenah Pathian thu i hril a, chanchintha hi i ti nep, i ti chingpen, i ti zahawm lo zo te an lo ti vel a. Nimahsela, John Wesley-a’n Pathian hmangaihna leh sual sim piantharna thu an sawi chuan an lâwm lutuk a, mithenkhat chu leiah an tlu a, phungzâwl ang maiin an chil phuan te a tla a, thidang ang ten an awmthin. Ireland-a an harhtharna ah phei chuan mitthi emaw tih turin an tlu tawp fo a ni an tia lawm. America ramah a nasa ber tura an rinah chutiang chu a tlem ber letling tlat a, Pathian thlarauin a duh duhin a thawk mai a ni. Keini ina kan sawi lâwk theih vak a awm lo. Amaherawhchu vawiin chhunah Moderator-in a sawi tawh ang khan Pathian thlarauin hna a thawhna tak takah chuan hlimna bakah thianghlimna pawh a thlenthin, tuina bakah pawh thutakna pawh a thlenthin. Nun hi nun manhla ah a siam a, kawng tinrenga en vel pawhin, kei zawng nun an neih nan tam taka an neih nana lo kal ka ni a tih kha a rawn tihlawhtlingthin. William Booth-a kha a tir chuan Methodist a ni a, rinawm em em in rawng a bawl a, ramthim a vei a, thlarau bo a vei a. Amaherawhchu a awmna Kohhranin a vei anga an vei pui loh avangin Salvation Army te a lo piang ta. Tichuan a kalna apiangah zurui te, misual te a zawng a, an awmna hmunah a luhchilh a, Salvation ho chuan Band Party an din a, vawiin ni thleng pawhin an ropuina pakhat a ni a. Vawikhat chu chutih laia England rama an mifing, an miropui G.K.Chesterton-a nen lawnglian a zin turin an kal dawn a, lawng thuhmunah lawnga an kal dawntep lai chuan vaukamah chuan Salvation Band Party ho khan an band an lo tum a, programme an lo nei a ni. Chung lawnga kal turte leh khanglai vela misualte leh mi chanhai te tan Pathian thu an lo puangchhhuak kha a lo ni a. Chutianga Band Party rimawi tum a chu an hotupa ber General Booth-a a telve tih leh lawngah khan a chuang ve tih pawh an hriat loha kha, General Booth-a a tlan thla ve a an zingah chuan an Trumpet ri tum lai chu a zu pui a. A rawn chho leh chu Chesterton-a khan, ‘Mr. Booth, nang meuhvin kha tia i tih kha chu ka lo ring lo a sin,’ a ti a. Booth-a chhanna chu, ‘E! kha kut a dârbenthek tum mai kha ka duh tâwk hlei nem, theih chu nisela thlaraubo chhandamna tur phei nisela, inrulpuiludin chunga ka kephaha dârbenthek chu ben tak asin ka nâp ni,’ a ti e an tia lawm. Vawiin niah hian Lal Isua Krista tana mi a nih ngamte atul asin. Lal Isua Krista tana ram la tur leh thlarau bo zawng tur chuan mi â nihte atul asin. Mi sawi ngam loh sawi te atul asin. Mi neih ang neih ve loh ngamte atul asin, mi tih theih tih ve theih tlat loh te atul asin. Lal ram linglet thu a ni. Lal Isua khawvela a lokal khan khawvel dan anga awm turin a lo kal lo. He khawvel dân ang hian awm suh u, ti tua kha a ni.

Zaninah hian thlarau thianghlimin min pâwl tak tak dawn ta sela harhthar hi kan ngam ang em aw? kan duh takzet ang em le? Mi ram chu mi ram ni ta sela, kan ramah hian Thlarau Thianghlimin harhtharna meipui rawn chhep dawn tak tak sela. Nikumah khan Ezekiela kan zir ti r’u? A lunglen thlâk in ti ve lo maw? Bung 47-naa Temple-a Ezekiela’n lui rawn luang chhuak a hmuhte kha Mizoramah han luang ve mai sela ti rawh u. A tirah chuan maicham bulah khan far fep fep chauhin a lo far a. Nakinah chuan kum sangkhat hnuah chuan ke artui thleng, chutatang chuan a chîm sang telh telh a, khup thleng, kâwng thleng, nakinah chuan a dai a dai kai rual a ni ta lova, a hleuha hleuh tham a lo ni ta. A luang thla zel a chhim lam panin, ram ro a kal tlang a, tuipui thi engkim thihna hmun a pan a, a kam tuakah chuan nunna thing an tih kha an lo awm a, a rahin mipui a chawm a, a hnahin damna a thlen si a. Tichuan Araba thlaler thlang zawng zawng chuan tuipui thi a zuk fin a, vawiin ni thlenga tuipui thi ah rannung pawh, sangha pawh, hnim pawh ato theih lohnaah khan Ezekiela’n inlarna a hmuh a tui lo luang chhuak ina tuipui thi an thlen meuh chuan tui al kha a lo thianghlim tawh a, tui tui, tuitha a lo ni tawh a. Sangha reng reng an nun theih lohna ah khan Mediteranian tuipui aia tam Sangha chi hrang hrang an lo awm ta. A kam tuakah sangha mantute an lo ding a, ei sen loh sangha an lo man ta. Tin, chu chang a ni lova, chu lui chuan a luanna apiangah a khawih apiang a tithianghlimthin an tia lawm. Unaute u, kha lui kha Mizoram dung leh vângah hian vawiin niah hian han luang mai sela ti rawh u! Chu chu harhtharna dik tak chu ni mai. Chumi hunah chuan midangte hnenah Chanchintha hi tia au au pawh a ngai lo vang, a panin an rawn pan mai dawn a ni. India ramah Vai ho zingah, Hindu hote zinga an ngaihsan ber hla phuahthiam, anni ho tan chuan an Shakespeara tluk thlawt Rabindranath Tagorea khan a tia lawm, ‘Aw, nangni Kristiante hian nunna thuruk, hlimna thuruk nei in inti a, hlimna thuruk chu in kawl in a lang si a, he in hlimna hi a tak takin in nunah han lantir thiam ula chuan aw, in tuihal au pui pawh a ngai lovang, Sava châwmna hmun (Feeding Place) an tih ram sava te hi sap ramah te, vai ramah te chaw an pe a, an duh tâwk a an tlan puar tur tui leh chaw an dah sakthin, tuman an perhin tihhlum an tum ngai lo. Chutianga sava tana chaw leh tui an dahna hmun, sava ten zing zana tu koh lova an pan ang hian India mipuite hian in chhandamtu hi an pan mai tur.’a ti. Kan nun hian mi nun chil tiput sela chuan kan nun kilkhawr tin, mimal leh chhungkua leh khawtlang nun, politics nun, kan sumdawnna nun, kan Pisa nun, kan thingphurhna nun zawng zawng nen hian, kan Bazar nun nen hian chu lui tui chuan han tithianghlim sela chuan India ram hian Lal Isua a mamawh tih a inhre ve mai tur. Unaute u, Mizoramah hian enge tlenfai ngai ta chu? A chipchiar chuan, tam tak hnenah leh atul lehtul loh pawh ka hre lo. Tunhmaa kan hriat ngai loh Corruption te kantawng ang hrimin kan hre bel ta. Thingtlangah pitar saptawng kawi khat pawh hre lo pawhin a lo sawi ve ta fo mai. Corruption hi hrilhfiah zaninah hian ka tum reng reng lo. Hmanah Synod-in a do kum an tih khan ziaktu hrang hrangin an chip sîn, thler sîn kawi nawi nasa lutuk a,do ber tur awm lovin a pherh nuai mai a ni. Zaninah hian Corruption chu enge ni ta? Corruption tih a i rilrua lo awm chiah mai a kha i tan chuan ni mai rawh se, khamitheuha kha keini naupan lai khan Mizotawng pawhin Saptawng pawhin kan lam ri ngai reng reng lo, B.A. kan pass te pawh khan kan la lam ri reng reng lo, khawi laiah emaw lo han chhiar palh zeuh a awm pawhin tuna ka kaw nazawngin sawi a awm ta mai hi engemaw chu Mizoramah hian a thleng ta a ni ngei mai. Enge ni harsatna dang kan neih leh chiah le? Hmeichhiat mipatnaah te hian, tunah phei chuan hmeichhiat mipat rapthlâkna lai kan tawng ve ta. Hmân atang khan khawvel ram dangah thusawiin kan kal ve si a, Mizoramah AIDS a nasa dawn tih ka ring bawk si a, nichina kan Chairman-in a sawi tâk ang khan kum sawm engemaw zat chu chanchintha hrilin mahni thiam tâwk ang te tein kan lo vâk kan lo vâk a. Kan nula leh tlangvalte a mal te tea kan biak kan biak hian a bik takin kan tlangvalte, kan thianghlim tawk lo a ni tih ka hre chiang. Tunah chuan natna râpthlâk ber HIV, AIDS-te kan lo vei ta zeuh zeuh mai pawh ni lovin kan ram hi min tih chimih hlauhawmin kan awm tlat. Tun atanga kum sawmah chuan tuna kan hriat lâr loh AIDS tluka hlauhawm Hepatities ‘B’ te leh ‘C’ te kan han vei dawn ania. Chutih hunah chuan a enkawl man to zia leh enkawlthat theih loh a nih zia kan han hre chhuak ang a. Hmanniah chuan Mizoramah ka rawn chhuak zawk a, reilote tlangval fel deuh deuhte nen hmun hrang hranga thu ka sawinaah kan inbia a, an zinga pahnih chu Hepatities ‘B’ an lo ni reng a. Midang chuan an hre miah lo, anmahnin min hrilh avanga hre ve chauh ka ni a, chumi a nih si chuan unaute u, reilo teah chuan kan inhrechiang si lova, kan inkai darh zel ang a, damdawi a awm ti mah sela heng natnate hi a man a to lutuk, engatinge South Africa President Nelson Mandela te, US President hlui Clintona te an vah an vah? Africa ram te khu tunah hian damdawi man nasa taka an tihhniam loh chuan an pul zovang tih a hlauhawm a. Nimahsela anmahni Africa miten an sawi tak takah chuan kan nunphung kan sim loh chuan eng damdawi mahin a thawk chuang lovang. Africa te chu keini aiin an lo la râpthlâk khawp mai. Tunah hianthat lohna dang in sawi hian Mizoram hi India ram zawng zawnga tenawm ber leh chhe ber leh corrupt ber tihna a ni reng reng lo. Keini aia chhia hi an tam lutuk India ramah hian. Amaherawhchu keini chu chanchintha hre si, chu te chu kan danglamna a ni. Anni chuan chanchintha hre hek lo. Keini chu zaa za Kristian, hnehna nun chang thei, thianghlim famkim lam chang thei, chhandam nih inhriatna zawng zawng nei, Vantawng pawhatawng thei, harhna chi tinrengina a nuai vel, kum za chhung kha bang lova a nuai vel kan ni a. Chutiang chung pawha kan sim thei lo hi chu Pathian hmaah mawh kan phur a ni. Hmânah Amosa hnenah a sawi tawh kha, ‘Nangni chauh hi khawvela chhungkua zawng zawnga ka hriat chhun in ni. Chumi a nih avang chuan in sualnaah chuan ka hrem dawn che u a ni. Rorelna chu Pathian chhungteah chuantan tur a ni si a,’ Pathian thuin a ti a ni.

Ei leh inah te hian kan va duh dah em, zu leh ruihhlo chi hrang hrang drugs te hian kan tlangvalte, kanthalaite hi a van suat nasa em. Mizoram kal a, awm tam chuan Mizote hi tam sela kan ti ngawih ngawih a, Mizo zingah chhuanawm hlek an awm chuan kan rilru hi a lo lawm em em a. Chutiang bawk chuan helaia hrehawm in loh tih let hian hreawm kan lo ti a. Vawi tam tak chu nula leh tlangval, a bik takin tlangvalte kan en a, tunah rih chuan hmeltha, satha, hrisel, kawng tinrenga chhuanawm, nimahsela reiloteah zu leh Drugs avanga chhe tura ka rin te, vawikhat chu tlangval nge nupui nei hlim pawh ka hre lo, zu seh hlum vuinaah ka hmu a, a mit a sen riai a, a in ve hle tih a chiang a, a pian atha si a, chutah veng dang daihah chutiang zu seh hlum bawk vuinaah ka tel leh a, chumi chuan tlemin a lo pawr deuh tawh a, kum hnih hnua inhmu leh kan ni a, a hming pawh ka hre lova, an veng pawh ka hre lo. Tichuan ka pan phei a, ‘Tlangval nge pa i nih?’ ka ti a, ‘Fa pahnih nausen te te ka nei,’ a ti a. Ngawi rawh Mizo tlangvalah hian ka ui em mai che a, sawi loh loh tur kan sawi ang e, hetiang anga thi vuinaah vawi hnih ka hmu tawh che a, ka hmuh hmasak che chu kum hnih kalta ah a ni a, i mit a sen riai a, tunah chuan i hmaiah a lo lang ta a. Kan inhmuh leh hunah chuan thihna kotlangah i dâk ang tih ka hlauva, vawiin ni thlengin kha mi kha ka hmu leh ngai ta reng reng lova, a thi tawh a nih ka ring. Kan tleirawl chhuah laia inkhel thiam em em, ding leh vei inang renga hmang thiam kha zuin a seh hlum tawh. Aizawlah hian kan seilian a khatih laia keini aia chak, keini aia santha kawng tinrenga keini aia fel kha a tam zawk chu zu avangin an thi tawh. Tunlai chuan chumi belhchhah tur chuan Drugs a lo awm leh ta nghal a, ka rilrua tunlaia châm reng mai chu Genesis 19:17 na a ni, ‘I nunna turin tlân chhuak rawh’. Hmânah Lota hnena thu lo thleng kha kan hnenah a lo thleng a ni. Nimahsela, Lota lah chu a la muang hle mai si a, a bânah a kaih a kaih zuk ngaia mawle. Vawiin niah hian chanchintha hre tawh si hian utawk lungmuanin thihna ko tlânga dâk reng si hian kan lo lungmuang a ni ang e. Sam 39-na tawpah khan engtinnge a tih kha? chang 4-naah chuan hetiang hian a ti phawt a, ‘Ka dam chin tur chu engtik nge tih min hriattir la, ka nunna hi kutphah bawk lek a ni tih min hriattir ang che’. A tawpnaah chuan, ‘Aw! heta ta hi chhuah a, ka awm loh hlen daih hma hian ka harh lehna turin min zuah ang che’. Harh hman lo hian kan bu liam ang tih hi a hlauhawm a ni. I nunna turin tlân chhuak rawh, kan Sodom, kan Gomora kan chen mektheuhah hian Zu em ni kan buaipui? Hmeichhiat mipatna em ni kan buaipui? Corruption em ni kan buaipui? Zaninah hian unaute u, Daniela chuan Daniela 1:8-ah khan Pathian hmingin zu leh khawvel hîpna lakah Setana hnenah AIH a ti ngam a. Lal chaw tui tui, hmui hmer, sa chi tinreng thiang leh thiang lote, milem hnena inthawi nana a pek tawh te a ni ang, Lal zutha mi kha rawn pek an tum khan ani chuan chung thilte chuan intih bawlhhlawh loh a tum tlat a. Mi tilreh hote hnenah chuan chung aiah chuan thlai leh tui pekah a dil a ni.

Josefa, tlangval hmeltha, thisen lum tawp, khawhara mi rama awm, Lung inah chuan a ni lo nâ a, sal tâng a ni a. A pi leh pu ten titha elkhen mahsela mi ramah a unauten an hralh a, hrehawm tâwp a awm a ni. Potiphara nupui tih lâwm kha a tân hamthatna, mihring lam takah chuan a ni. Amaherawhchu mutpui atân a sâwm ngawih ngawih a, min mutpui rawh, chuti chung pawhin a duh lova, a puan a pawh thlâk pawhin a tlânchhuak mai a, saruaka tlânchhuah pawh a thlang a nih kha. A puin a duhsak zia te leh engkim a kuta a dah zia te an sawi zawh khan nang erawhchu a nupui i ni a, nang erawhchu a phal miah lo. Engtinnge ka pu lakah ka tih ngam ang? a ti reng reng lo. ‘He thil sual lian tak hi engtinnge Pathian lakah ka tih ngam ang?’ Kan sualna hi Pathian laka tihsualna a ni. Mipat hmeichhiatna tisa châkna lakah Josefa chuan Setana lakah ‘AIH’ a ti ngam asin. Harhtharna, Pathian hminga Setana hnena ‘AIH’ ti ngam tur kan duh a nih hi. Lal Isua hnenah ‘AW’ kan ti tawh, a ropui e, Setana hnenah ‘AIH’ kan tih ngam ve atul. Isua hnenah ‘AW’ ti si, Setana hnenah ‘AIH’ ti ngam lova buaithin kan ni ti rawh u. Zaninah hian Nehemia te kan ngaihtuahthin a, Bung 5-na chang 15-ah te khan engtinnge a tih kha? A hmaa Governor ten mipui an tih retheih zia, pawisa an duhâm chung chung zia, an lâk sak a, an hlawh bakah. Tin, an hnuaia thawk, an Office Assistant Staff ho pawh mipui chunga an rip lutuk a, a ti. Nehemia testimony ve erawh chu "Kei erawh chuan Lalpatihna avangin ka ti ve lo" Zaninah hian "Lalpatihna avangin ka ti ve lo", ti ngam patling zingah pawh, hotute zingah pawh, ram hruaitute zingah pawh,sumdawng zingah pawh, nula tlangval zingah pawh ti ngam tur engzatnge awm ang che u?

Zaninah hian a tawp hmain sâwmna siam ka duh a ni. A bultan tuin sâwmna siam chu a âwm lo hle, amaherawhchu zaninah hian sâwmna siam ka duh tlat. Harhtharna hi kan duh tak takin a man kan pe ngam tak tak ang em? Lal Isua hnenah ‘AW’ kan tih a kan hlim tawh hi Setana hnenah ‘AIH’ kan ti ngam ang em? Engatinge Mizote hian pianthar pawhin, hlim pawhin kan daih rei loh, kum tam a daih lo kan tih lehthin? Chanchintha chuan kum tam a daih si a, zawhthat ropuizia te ka sermon ve fova, 1945 khan America ramah thuhriltu ropui tâwp, tleirawl kan ti mai ang chu kum 25 leh 27 mi pathum an rawn chhuak hlawl mai a ni.Tunah chuan Sport khawvelah kanthalaite an lo changkang ve a, ‘Rookey of the Year’ an tih awmzia te an lo hre ta. Football-ah pawh engah pawh kha mi kum atana mi hmingthang pakhat an thlana kha ‘Rookey of the Year’ an ti a. A chang chuan football-ah te mi pakhatin chumi an chan kawptumte a awm a.
Evangelical khawvelah khan thuhril lamah chuan kha mi kum khan mi pathum ‘Rookey of the Year’ tih thamthalh an lo chhuak a. Pakhatnaah chuan Billy Grahama kum 27 mi, a pahnihna chu a rualpui kum 27 mi bawk Chuck Templetona, a pathumna chu an aia naupang kum 25 mi hmeltha, thusawi thiam tawp Bran Clifforda a ni. Vawiin niah hian khawvelin Bran Clifforda an hre miah lo, Chuck Templetona an hre miah lo. 1945-ah kha chuan Billy Grahama a nep berin a lang. Tunah hian America ram pumpuiah mi pawhin an zah ber President ai pawha an zah pawh Billy Grahama a ni. A chhan chu a tei rei peih vang a ni. Unaute u, zaninah hian bul kantanna a lotha lo palh a nih pawhin zawhthat aia pawimawh pakhat a awm a, chu chu tâwpthat a ni. Hmanah Aristotle-a, Greek mifing chuan, ‘A bultanthat chu a chanve zo ang a ni’ a ti a. A tâwpthat loh chuan zotha mahsela, a! ti ngam turin ka sâwm dawn che u a ni. Lal Isua chu thih thlengin rinawmin ka zui dawn. Ka hnungtawlh lovang, ka hawikir lovang ti, Nova nupui hawikir chi khâwna a chang ang ni lovin. Unaute u, zaninah hian i tlânchhuak ang u. Kan awmna khawvel atang hian Isua lamah i tlânchhuak ang u. Zaninah ngei hian duh kan thlang dawn a ni. Nehemia bung 8-naah chuan mipuiten dân Ezra chhiar an han ngaihthlâk chuan ngaihnawm an ti lutuk, an ding a, Amen, Amen an lo ti dual dual a. Chhuatah an bawk khup a, hmai lei siin Pathian chibai an buk a. Chutah chuan Pathian hmaah thu an tiam a, heng sual kan tih thinte, chung chu kan ti tawh lovang tiin i hmaah thu kan thlung a, kan Levia chite leh kan puithiamte leh kan hotuten min nemngheh pui an ti a. Pathian hmaah thu an thlung ta a ni. He kan harhtharna inkhâwmna hmasa berah hian zan tinin Pathian khawngaihna zarah Pathian hnathawh a ropui telh telh ang a. Chawlhniah phei chuan eng ang fakau ni ang maw? Chumi avang chuan zaninah hian Nehemia hunah thu an tiam ang khan inhlanna, Crusade-ah te in inhlanthin ang khan zaninah hian Lal Isua tana rinawma inpe in, thih thlenga rinawm turin ka inpe a, Setana hnenah ‘AIH ’ ka ti ngam tawh dawn. Kei zawng Lalpatihna avangin ka ti ve lo, ka politician puiten an lo ti a nih pawhin kei chu Pathian mi ka ni a, ka ti ve thei lo, ka nulat tlangvalpui te an lo inngai a nih pawhin kei zawng Lalpatihna avangin ka ti ve thei lo. kathiante zu leh drugs an lo ti a nih pawhin kei zawngin Lalpatihna avangin ka ti ve thei lo. Zaninah hian Lalpa tana bungbel thianghlim atân ka inhlan ti turin ka sâwm dawn che u a ni. Jimmy Carter-a America President-a atan laiatha lo an tih, an bân hnuatha leh ta em em si, Ex-Presidenttha ber vawiin ni thlenga an tih khuan tihian zu sawi a, "Kristian ka nih avangin min man sela, mi thiamloh chantîr khawp ka nunah hian Kristianna hmu zo tak ang maw?" A va inngaitlawm in a va cho tuah thiam ve le. Ka Kristianna avangin min man sela, thiamloh chantirna khawp min condemned na khawp, min convict na khawp keimahah hian Kristianna hmu zo tak ang maw. He kan Bible Mizotawng kan neih theihna chu hmana William Tyndel-a’n Hebraitawng leh Greektawng ami kha saptawng a leh a, a nun a hlan vang a ni. Henry-VII (pasarihna)-na khan misual hal hlumin a hal hlum a. Nimahsela Biblea innghat lo chu tu rinna mah athang thei lo, tu Kohhran mah athang thei lo. A hre tlat a, Bible saptawnga a’n leha kha misual tâwpah sawrkar leh khatih laia Kohhran khan an ngai si a, a tâwpah an man a, an hal hlum a ni. Nimahsela a lo let zo hman a, kha Henry VII (pasarih)-na doctor, a Personal Physician khan chu Bible chu a rukin a lo nei a, a rukin a chhiar ngat ngat a, chanchintha bu palina a chhiar zawha a sawi chu, "Bible nei lova khatia mâwl taka an lo inzirtirna kha a lo tâwk reng reng lo. He chanchintha bu pali an ni lo emaw kei hi Kristian ka lo ni ngai lo emaw a ni ngei mai, a nun leh Bible-a Pathianin a duhdan nun an en a, heta ka chhiar hi lehlin dik lo a nih loh chuan, keimah hi Kristian ka lo ni zo lo a nih hi," zu tia mawle! Thlarau thianghlimin kan nun hi rawn exam sela Pathian hmaah hian, ‘Lalpa i duh anga min hman theih turin zaninah hian khawiah pawh eng ti tur pawhin min tirhna apiangah kal turin ka inpumpekthak e.’ ti turin mi engemaw zat ding ngam turin ka sâwm dawn che u a ni.

North Korea-ah chuan Pastor Andrewa a awm a, hei hian ka ti tawp dawn a ni, mi a baptis dawn apiangin Lal Isua hi i Lal leh Chhandamtuah i pawm tak zet em? I aiawhah i pawm em? I ring em? tia zawh a duh tâwk lova. Chung zawng zawng a zawh hnuah chuan zawhna pakhat chauh, " Lal Isua tan chuan thih i huam ang em? Lal Isua tan chuan thih lotul sela i huam ang em? ‘Huam’ an tih chauhvin a baptisthin. Unaute u, a chang chuan Revival man hi a tam châng a awm asin. Zaninah hian he Revival-ah hian Pathian in chawimawi a duh a ni. Kan ram hi harhtharna tak takin han tuam leh sela aw! Unaute u, Biak In kal kawnga kan kal te hi, hmanah Pu Lalkherha te hunlaiah Mizoramah, Aizawl khawpuite lâm a an han fang te kha ka mitthlaah a châm reng nia mawle. Biate khuaahtumhnih rawng kan bawl tawh a, ka rilru a khawih em em, Mizoramah, Biate ah rukruk a awm ve lo, zu vawiin ni thlengin an la lut lo. Pu Lalkherha khuaah, Pastor Fehtea Pastor-na hmunah, a Pastor-te leh a tirhkohte a va chawimawi em khi Biate khian. Pu Lalkherha khuaah rukruk a awm ve lo. Kan khaw chanchin an sawina ni ve sela a va ropui dawn em! Unaute u, tawngtaia han tih vakna hman pawh a ni lova, tunah pawh hun kan la rei ta hle. Zaninah hian Isua hi ka Lal leh Chhandamtuah ka pawm tak zet em? Isua hnenah chatuan atan ‘AW’ ka tih tawh avangin, Setana hnenah ‘AIH’ ti turin ka inpe e. "Thih thlengin rinawmin lo awm rawh, tichuan Nunna lallukhum ka pe ang che" Thupuan bung 2:10-ami kha kei pawhin ka duh ve ti tur, ti ngam in awm chuan tunah mai khan engmah chhampual awm lovin Lal Isua i hmangaih a ni tih hriattirna turin han ding teh u. Ding ringawt ula chu chuan Lal Isua a chawimawi. Lal Isua hnenah ‘AW’ ka tih tawh avangin Setana hnenah ‘AIH’ ka ti tawh dawn. Corruption a bo vang a, hmeichhiat mipatna sualna a bo vang a, ruk ruk a bo vang a, zu leh drugs avanga thihna a bo vang a, unaute u, hri chhe pui pui, kan vei tinrengte hi a bo vang.

Lalpa’n a thu malsawm rawh se. Amen.

Sunday 1 November 2009

'On My 75th Spiritual Birthday ...' - A letter from Billy Graham

With a grateful heart, Billy Graham recalls the day he met the Lord 75 years ago.


Dear Friend,

The first of November this year marks my 75th spiritual birthday. I was not quite 16 when a visiting evangelist named Mordecai Ham began daily revival meetings across town from my parents’ dairy farm in Charlotte, N.C. For awhile I wasn’t interested, but my mother was praying for me as she had been for years.

One day an older friend, who also had been praying for me, offered to let me drive his truck if I’d go to the meetings with him. It was an enticement that an almost-16-year-old boy could not resist.

Once I heard Dr. Ham preach, I became intrigued and attended again and again. I felt a longing to experience God’s love in a more personal way. When the Holy Spirit brought me under conviction of sin, I felt the preacher was speaking only to me. A buddy and I even joined the choir so we could sit behind the preacher instead of directly under his gaze.

Finally on the first day of November, a Thursday, during the last verse of the last song of the evening, I simply got up and walked to the front. Once there, I wasn’t sure what to say or do, but a tailor who knew my family approached me, explained the Gospel in a very simple way, then guided me in a prayer. I acknowledged my sinfulness to God, asked for forgiveness because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, and by faith invited Him to become Lord of my life.

My father came down the aisle and put his arm around me. When I got home, my mother rejoiced that I had finally surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus.

My Heart is Filled

I’ll be 91 years old in a few weeks, but those memories are as vivid to me as ever. I’ve experienced God’s gracious love in a personal way all these years, and today my heart is filled with gratitude for all He has done for me.

I hope you are praying for lost loved ones and friends, just as my mother and my older friend did. It is so important to pray for people you know who need Jesus, and to keep praying. Don’t give up. The Bible says that the intense prayer of a righteous person has great power (see James 5:16).

My heart is also filled with love and gratitude for friends like you who continue to support the urgent work of BGEA. Although my health now keeps me mostly at home, Franklin and our BGEA team continue proclaiming God’s love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to lost people in many places around the world. God is drawing people to Himself through Crusades, the My Hope project, the Rapid Response Team chaplains who share the love of Christ at disasters, through TV specials, and in many other ways.

As I write, Franklin is in North Korea and then China, where he will preach several times. His mother, Ruth, the daughter of a missionary doctor, grew up in China and went to school for several years in what is today the capital of North Korea. She prayed most of her life for the people of those nations.

Prayer has always been the foundation of everything we do at BGEA, and I am asking you to partner with us this month in prayer. If you can send a gift to help our work, we will invest it in proclaiming the Good News.

With the Thanksgiving season approaching, I cannot find adequate words to thank our Lord Jesus Christ for coming to “seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10, NLT), including me. The Bible tells us to “be thankful in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and I hope you will do that today, no matter what your circumstances may be.

May God bless you,
Billy Graham