Daily Topic for September 02, 2009
When compared with the vastness of the universe in which we live, our planet is but a tiny speck of dust. But it is God who takes something that is formless, empty and insignificant bringing order and purpose. The first thing he does in this process is speak words that bring light. Here in this light we come to see that it is God, our Creator, who gives everything its significance. That is why the message we bring is so powerful: we have the ability to connect every nation’s story, and indeed every person’s story back to God’s story, with its light-giving introduction and eternal conclusion.
Pray that all unreached peoples might find their purpose and identity in their Creator.
“The educated people probably won’t like you. The uneducated will be afraid of you. ... You’ll need the Holy Spirit to guide you at every turn.” Thus warned the IMS workers when RAC Paul first went to a tribal group.
Paul used his veterinary skills to help tribal people with their livestock. Though there was a huge cultural gap between him and his audience, Paul managed to make the lessons of Christ understandable to people in the tribal setting. For example he preached to people who were collecting water about the Water of Life.
As he gathered a small number of tribal believers, a local teacher who belonged to the Hindu militant RSS derisively told RAC Paul that if he could “change that useless fellow Babulal, this whole village will be transformed.” Paul proceeded to win Babulal, who was a hopeless drunk, and the transformation that came about won Babulal’s wife to Christ. This former drunk became an evangelist to his Santal people!
There were many tribes to reach in Orissa, including the Bondo and Koya (see day 21) peoples. The Koya people were so used to being taken advantage of by outsiders, that it was very hard to make contact with them. Merchants cheated these people who never learned to count beyond 20, and government employees fined them for offenses they never committed. RAC Paul began to go to the markets with Koya people to protect them from being swindled.
Learn more at joshuaproject.netPray that Christ’s ambassadors in India will boldly stand up for justice.-KC
Next day: Reaching Hand Society Work in India
Previous day: IMS Work in Orissa