Is there a biblical solution to material poverty?

Everywhere I look, I see the horrifying effects of poverty. A child working at a construction site carrying bricks and sand. An old man pulling a three wheeler rickshaw with two overweight women sitting behind. A sick mother pulling herself to work in someone’s field because if she doesn’t, her children will have to sleep without food. A young man’s dream is shattered because he has to give up his studies in order to look after his ailing parents. A young girl is sold by the parents to a rich old man so that they can continue to live under his favor. List can go on…

Poverty takes away human dignity. Life becomes a meaningless struggle.

What kind of message can I preach to the poor? What does the gospel offer to them?

God’s promises of blessing for a believer!

(New Revised Standard Version – Updated Edition) 

As you begin to pray, let your prayer spring from the subconscious mind that is filled with these promises. Let there be no shadow of doubt in your conscious mind about the goodness of God. God delights to bless you. But are you willing to put your trust in his promises? From Genesis to Revelation, we see God’s desire to bless man and be with him. 

जीवन कति छोटो अनि परिवर्तनशील छ!

जीवन कति छोटो अनि परिवर्तनशील छ! आफ्नै जीवनलाई नियालेर हेर्दा म जन्मेको दिन देखि १७ वर्षको उमेर सम्म जीवनको अर्थ खोज्दैमा समय बित्यो। खोजको निष्कर्षमा आइपुग्दा अर्थविहीन जीवन जिउनु भन्दा आत्महत्या नै उत्तम लाग्न थालेको थियो। तर अचानक ठूलो परिवर्तन आयो। १८औं वर्षमा येशू ख्रीष्टसँग जम्काभेट भयो। उहाँले बोलेका जीवनका वाणी सुन्दै गर्दा जिउने रहरहरू पलाएर आए। फलस्वरूप जीवनलाई सार्थक बनाएरै संसार छोड्ने आँट पनि आयो। 

मृत्युको मुखबाट छुटाएर जीवनको मार्गमा डोर्याउने येशूको अनुयायी हुनु भन्दा उत्तम अर्को विकल्प थिएन। सम्पूर्ण जीवन येशूको चरणमा सेलाएँ। १९ वर्षको उमेरमा पहिलो पटक एउटा चर्चमा येशू-भक्तको रूपमा प्रवचन दिने मौका मिल्यो। त्यो प्रवचन प्रति भक्तजनहरूको प्रतिक्रियाले मलाई येशू-वक्ता भएर नै जीवन बिताउने हौसला मिल्यो। 

Christian Leadership in Nepal

Christian Leadership in Nepal

All Or Nothing! Has Life Become Burdensome?

Life happened.  You arrived on this planet, and now you are here.  You have come this far.  How far you may have to go, the process of life is the same for you as with everyone else.  Nature does not discriminate.  It has no favorites.  The amount of sunshine, water, and air is the same for you as for everyone else.  How you go about living and what you do with what has been freely given to you is entirely up to you.  The sun will continue to shine, water will continue to flow, and the air will continue to blow regardless of what you do.  

सिबि गहतराज नेपाली इसाई समुदायका लागि चुनौती या अवसर??

एक सय वर्ष अघिका कोरियाका एक गरीब ख्रीष्टियन र उनका धनी मालिकको वास्तविक उदाहरण आज पनि कोरियन चर्चहरूमा बेलाबखत उल्लेख गरिएको सुनिन्छ।

नोकर र मालिक एउटै चर्चका सदस्य भएको कारण हरेक आइतवार आराधनामा जाँदा मालिक घोडा माथि र नोकरले घोडाको लगाम समातेर बाटोमा डोर्याउँदै चर्चमा जाने गर्थे।

 

समय बित्दै जाँदा एक दिन ती नोकर उक्त चर्चको एल्डर हुनको लागि चुनिएछन् र विधिवत तरिकाले उनी त्यो चर्चको एल्डर पदमा नियुक्त भए।  प्रेस्बिटेरिएन चर्चमा पास्टर र एल्डरको आत्मिक अधिकार बराबर नै हुन्छ।  फरक यति मात्रै कि पास्टरलाई चर्चबाट पारिश्रमिक दिइन्छ भने एल्डरले उल्टै चर्चलाई आर्थिक सहयोग गर्नुपर्ने हुन्छ।  त्यसकारण यी नव-नियुक्त एल्डरले पनि आफ्नो मालिकको सेवालाई निरन्तरता दिंदै चर्चको एल्डरको जिम्मेवारी वहन गर्नुपर्ने भयो।

 

निरन्तर प्रगतिको रहस्य

अज्ञानता मानिसको यस्तो शत्रु हो जसले जीवनका सुख र खुसीहरू चोरेर लगेको आफूलाई थाहै हुँदैन।  त्यो भन्दा पनि बढी डरलाग्दो शत्रु अल्पज्ञान हो।  अज्ञानीलाई जब कसैले चोरको पहिचान गराइदिन्छ तब उसले आफ्नो जिउधनको सुरक्षाको लागि ढोकामा गजबार लगाउँछ भने अल्पज्ञानीले उसको घरको गजबारलाई बाहिरबाटै कसरी खोल्न सकिन्छ भनेर चोरलाई नै उपदेश दिंदै हिंड्छ।  त्यसकारण अज्ञानीको जीवनमा विकास र उन्नतिको लागि आशा हुन्छ भने अल्पज्ञानीको लागि आशा हुँदैन।

 

अज्ञानी हुनु हाम्रो भुल होइन।  जन्मसिद्ध सबै कुरा कसैले पनि सिकेर आएको हुँदैन। कतिपटक जीवनका प्रतिकूल परिस्थितिले ज्ञानको सीमा कोरिदिएको हुन्छ भने कतिपटक आफ्नै शारीरिक र मानसिक स्वास्थ्यले साथ दिएको हुँदैन। धार्मिक अन्धविश्वास, सामाजिक रूढिवादी र सामन्ती वर्गले लादेका परम्पराको कारण ज्ञानको ढोका खट्खटाउन पनि मानिस कतिपटक असमर्थ हुन्छ।  

 

मगजको ख्याल गर्नुहोस कारण जे सोच्छौं त्यस्तै बन्छौं

Don't Let Your Mind Go To Prison

Life is Beautiful

Arthur Schopenhauer saw two enemies of human happiness; need and pleasure ending in pain and boredom. He said, "The lower classes are engaged in a ceaseless struggle with need, in other words, with pain, the upper carry on a constant and often desperate battle with boredom.”

Schopenhauer looked into the eastern religions to find some kind of balance between these two enemies, but found none. Thus, he settled for pessimism generated by agnosticism.

If only he had listened to Christ, he would have found a beautiful balance between the need and pleasure. The sermon on the Mount begins with a beautiful word "Happy is the man..." and then progresses into the beauty of the lilies of the valley and the carefree birds of the air.

The Psalmist of old summarized the essence of the sermon on the Mount in saying, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will fulfill the desires of your heart" (37:4).

Man was created to enjoy the company of his creator. Sadly, Schopenhauer attempted to find happiness without the creator and thus concluded that life is practically meaningless. No wonder he is known as the philosopher of pessimism.

Life is beautiful. Life is meaningful. Life is joyful.

To enjoy this life, we must overcome the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth.

Jesus gave us the parable of the seed sower whose seed fell in good soil producing 30, 60, and 100 times more. He likened this good soil to a good and noble human heart.

The purpose of this good and noble human heart is to seek God's kingdom and God's righteousness.

When that happens, God himself comes down to take care of human need, human pain. The cross is the evidence. In the cross, Jesus took our pain. In the resurrection, he has met all human needs.

The life we live, we live by faith in the son of God who gave himself for us. If he gave himself for us, will he not give us all things we need? Indeed he will said Paul in Romans 8:31.