Dear brother Nagepaul Singh,
Loving greeting in the most precious
lord and savior Jesus name. May the lord bless you and your wife and
children. May the lord bless that you came with sweats to thank for
our prayer offered for your promotions. It is a blessing of God upon
your life. God loves you very much. 1 when you came to us for prayer
we immediately prayed. Because Jesus has promised “I will never reject
any one who comes to me. (1. Mr. Nagepaul who is working in the western
railway, as an officer was owed previous house owner. His promotion
was stopped for long, Sc he came to our home a special prayer. Soon
he got promoted.). Also he scrid in Mat. 11:28” come to me, all you
who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Now, your have
seen the answer to the prayer offered in your life. We are missing you
very much how is your new environment? Do you like that area? We received
your mail and the Questions you have asked, about so many things in
the Christian faith I will do my best to answer all.
As I told you earlier let me say little
about a Sikh who was a great sadhu and carried the massages of Jesus
to man places. Sander Singh was born at Rampur in Punjab to very rich
religious sick parents. At the age of seven sunder Singh knew the “
Bhagavad gita by heart. As the age of sixteen (1b) he had read through
the Granth, the Karan and several Upanishads. Though he new Christian
because of his education in the mission school, he was against them
and threw stories at the missionaries and even burned a copy of the
Bible. The trained himself in yoga during his adolescence. But all his
religious exercises he underwent could not bring to him peace, the santi
for which he was searching. He could not have peace of mind so as he
says about this his state of mind according to his writings.
“Three days after burning the Bible,
finding that Hinduism gave me no comfort, I decided to commit suicide
became to live in such misery was impossible. Very early in the morning
(at 3. a.m) I arose and taking a cold bath I began to pray “if there
be any god let him show me the way of Salvation; if not then I will
commit suicide by placing myself on the railway. Up to 4.30 no answer
came.
Presently there came a light in my room.
In that light the beloved and glorious face of Christ appeared and showing
his wounded hands, in which the hailprints clearly showed. He said,
“Why do you persecute? Behold I gave my life for you. “Hearing this
his words sank like lighting into my heart. I immediately became filled
with joy and I was changed for all eternity.
Later Sander Singh himself gives testimony
to the authenticity of his conversion.
“This was not imagination. If Buddha
or Krishna has shown himself it would have been imagination, for I worshipped
them but for Christ to show himself. He, whom I hated, is a miracle
and clear proof that he is a living Christ. Neither was it a dream,
for no one can see a dream after taking a cold bath and a dream cannot
completely change life. This is a great reality.”
This conversion took place on 18th
December, 19904. Sunder Singh immediately gave his allegiance to Jesus.
Christ, to the dismay of his own people, who persecuted him very much.
So he left home and took baptism the next year and donned the ochre
robe and became a true Sadhu. Later the Urdu New Testament with him
toured all over India, especially into Tibet. There were many mysterious
happenings and deliverance of God from dangerous situations.
Then he visited America, Britain, Europe,
Australia and Germany. At England, when he knocked at a door, the little
girl who opened the door shouted “Mummy, Jesus is standing at our door.”
His passion was Jesus and others saw Jesus in Him. I like to give a
brief account of Christianity
(1) God: -
The Sikh belief there is one God, who
is true, creator, devoid of fear and enmity, immortal, unborn self-existent,
great and bountiful who was from the beginning named- “Satnarn” means
true name.
The bible says in deut 6:4: Isa. 43:10:
11: Mat 28:19: Luke 3:22.
“The one true God has revealed himself
as the eternally self existent” I am, the creator of heaven and earth
and the Redeemer of mankind he has further revealed himself as embodying
the Principles of relationship and association as Father, son, and
Holy Ghost.
(2) Scripture:
The sacred scriptures of Sikhism are
known as the Granth sahib or “Lord’s Book” this is composed by several
dozen authors, it has 29,480 rhymed verses. It extolling the name of
god and exhorting on daily living. It is written in six languages and
some dialects. So it is nearly impossible to the learned, much less
for the unlearned.
Bu bible was written mainly in two languages.
The Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. It had been
translated in to nearly 2,000 languages and them helps every one to
read and understand.
(3) Salvation: -
The salvation consists in knowing god
in obtaining God, or being absorbed in to god.
Jesus Christ pointed out that throne
who do not believe in him, as their savior will not receive everlasting
life. “I said therefore to you believer that I am he, you shall die
in your sins” (John 8:24). In acts 4:12 says, “salvation is found in
no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by
which we must be saved. Eph.2: 8,9 says by faith on God not by works.
4) Nature of god: -
Nanak by uniting certain features from Hinduism
and from Islam formed a new syncretism of doctrines. The concept of
God in Sikhism is abstract and impersonal, in contradistinction to the
biblical concept of a personal, caring god. The bible makes it clear
that Jehovah God cannot be reconciled with any other so-called god of
another religion. (Isai 43:10 “Before me there was no God, and there
will be none after me.”
(4) The Teachings of Sikhism:
-
Once again the teachings of Sikhism are
a syncretism of the doctrines of Islam the Hindu and Islamic scriptures
they wrote their own taking some aspects from the both religion.
1) The
need for the improvement of men.
2) Social
sharing and welfare works. Out of what I should share with others. Common
kitchen.
3) Sharing
the knowledge (what you know you share with others)
4) Be
honest and sweat to win your bread. Do hard work.
5) There
are four gates, each in each direction to welcome and invite people
from all direction.
6) Do
not be selfish share with others.
7) Have
contentment and do not have much attachment to the world.
And others instructions for submission.
1. Do
not cut your hair as a mark.
2. Do
not have extra marital relationship.
3. Do
not have intoxicated drink
4. Love
animals.
If we observe carefully from the bible.
Many are common. The bible also advantages sharing, uplifting others.
Earn your living, be content, and love your neighbor as yourself. The
early church and the apostles share there wealth with others. Be faithful
to your marriage. All are invited to the kingdom of god.
But the bible is telling man should not
have long hair like woman. (Ezek 44:20; 1 cor. 11:14). It is a disgrace
to man.
Regarding loving animal Gen. 1:25,26
says “ Let men rule over all the fish, birds the livestock, over all
the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.
Bibliography: -
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No
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Name
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Book.
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1.
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Mc. dowel, Josh,
Stewart, Don
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“Hand book of today’s Religions”
Thomas Nelson pub. 1982.
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2.
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Geisler, Norman. H
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“Christian Apologetics.
O. M. books. 1999.
|
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3.
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Menzies, William. N.
Horton, Stanley. M.
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“Bible Doctrines.”
Bethesda Communications 1994.
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4.
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Sumithra, sunand,
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“Christian theologies from an Indian
perspective. T.B.T., 1995.
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5.
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Bhatia, H.S.
|
“Sikhism & Sri Guru Granth
sahib” notes given at Bangalore. 1999.
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