"How firm a foundation!"

    President and Mrs. Bush, I want to say a personal word on behalf of many people. Thank you, Mr. President, for calling this Day of Prayer and Remembrance. We needed it at this time.

    We come together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious or political background may be.

    The Bible says that He’s "the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles" (2 Cor 1:3,4).

No matter how hard we try, words simply cannot express the horror, the shock, and the revulsion we all feel over what took place in this Nation on Tuesday morning. September 11 will go down in our history as a day to remember.

Today we say to those who masterminded this cruel plot, and to those who carried it out, that the spirit of this Nation will not be defeated by their twisted and diabolical schemes. Some day those responsible will be brought to justice, as President Bush and our Congress have so forcefully stated.

But today, we especially come together in this Service to confess our need of God. We’ve always needed God from the very beginning of this Nation, but today we need Him especially. We’re facing a new kind of enemy. We’re involved in a new kind of warfare and we need the help of the Spirit of God. The Bible’s words are our hope: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea" (Psa 46:1,2).

But how do we understand something like this? Why does God allow evil like this to take place? Perhaps that is what you are asking now. You may even be angry at God. I want to assure you that God understands these feelings that you may have.

We’ve seen so much on our television, heard on our radio, stories that bring tears to our eyes and make us all feel a sense of anger. But God can be trusted, even when life seems at its darkest.

But what are some of the lessons we can learn?

First, we are reminded of the mystery and reality of evil.

I have been asked hundreds of times in my life why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction. I have to accept, by faith, that God is sovereign, and He’s a God of love and mercy and compassion in the midst of suffering. The Bible says that God is not the author of evil. It speaks of evil as a "mystery." In 2 Thessalonians 2:7 it talks about the mystery of iniquity. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" He asked that question, "Who can understand it?" And that’s one reason we each need God in our lives.

The lesson of this event is not only about the mystery of iniquity and evil, but secondly, it’s a lesson about our need for each other.

What an example New York and Washington have been to the world these past few days! None of us will ever forget the pictures of our courageous firefighters and police, many of whom have lost friends and colleagues, or the hundreds of people attending or standing patiently in line to donate blood. A tragedy like this could have torn our country apart, but instead it has united us and we’ve become a family. So those perpetrators who took this on to tear us apart, it has worked the other way. It’s backlashed, it’s backfired. We are more united than ever before. I think this was exemplified in a very moving way when the members of our Congress stood shoulder to shoulder the other day and sang, "God Bless America!"

Finally, difficult as it may be for us to see right now—this event can give a message of hope—hope for the present, and hope for the future.

Yes, there is hope. There’s hope for the present because I believe the stage has already been set for a new spirit in our Nation.

One of the things we desperately need is a spiritual renewal in this country. We need a spiritual revival in America. And God has told us in His Word, time after time, that we are to repent of our sins and we’re to turn to Him and He will bless us in a new way.

But, there is also hope for the future because of God’s promises. As a Christian, I have hope, not just for this life, but for Heaven and the life to come. And many of those people who died this past week are in Heaven right now, and they wouldn’t want to come back. It’s so glorious and so wonderful. And that’s the hope for all of us who put our faith in God.

I pray that you will have this hope in your heart. This event reminds us of the brevity and the uncertainty of life. We never know when we too will be called into eternity. I doubt if even one of those people who got on those planes, or walked into the World Trade Center or the Pentagon last Tuesday morning thought it would be the last day of their lives. It didn’t occur to them. And that’s why each of us needs to face our own spiritual need and commit ourselves to God and His will now.

Here in this majestic National Cathedral we see all around us symbols of the Cross. For the Christian, I’m speaking for the Christian now, the Cross tells us that God understands our sin and our suffering, for He took upon Himself in the person of Jesus Christ our sins and our suffering. And from the Cross, God declares, "I love you. I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pains that you feel. But I love you."

The story does not end with the Cross, for Easter points us beyond the tragedy of the Cross to the empty tomb. It tells us that there is hope for eternal life, for Christ has conquered evil and death, and hell. Yes, there is hope.

I’ve become an old man now and I’ve preached all over the world and the older I get the more I cling to that hope that I started with many years ago and proclaimed it in many languages to many parts of the world.

Several years ago at the National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington, Ambassador Andrew Young (who had just gone through the tragic death of his wife), closed his talk with a quote from the old hymn, "How Firm A Foundation..."

We all watched in horror as planes crashed into the steel and glass of the World Trade Center. Those majestic towers, built on solid foundations, were examples of the prosperity and creativity of America. When damaged, those buildings eventually plummeted to the ground, imploding in upon themselves. Yet, underneath the debris, is a foundation that was not destroyed. Therein lies the truth of that old hymn that Andrew Young quoted, "How Firm a Foundation..."

Yes, our nation has been attacked, buildings destroyed, lives lost. But now we have a choice: whether to implode and disintegrate emotionally and spiritually as a people and a Nation—or, whether we choose to become stronger through all of this struggle—to rebuild on a solid foundation. And I believe that we are in the process of starting to rebuild on that foundation. That foundation is our trust in God. That’s what this service is all about and in that faith we have the strength to endure something as difficult and horrendous as what we have experienced this week.

This has been a terrible week with many tears but also has been a week of great faith. Churches all across the country have called prayer meetings and today is a day that they are celebrating not only in this country but in many parts of the world.

And in the words of that familiar hymn that Andrew Young quoted — it says:

"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand." My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us, and will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us as we trust in Him.

We also know that God is going to give wisdom and courage and strength to the President and those around him. And this is going to be a day that we will remember as a day of victory.

May God bless you all! 

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After addressing the West Coast Missions Conference conducted by the Seed Group in Sacramento, in the State of California in the USA, on the 7th and 8th of September, my wife and I flew on the 10th to Newark in New Jersey in the eastern coast for visiting friends and sightseeing. On the 11th we were supposed to visit New York and Washington but we could not start in the morning because Angela (7) the daughter of Padma & Sam Russel with whom we were staying would return from school only at 2 pm. Sitting before the television after breakfast we were suddenly thrown into a pool of tears to think of what happened to thousands at 9 am and how God spared us.

As I bowed before the Lord in silence, a few Scripture passages quickly flashed on my mind. Subsequently I meditated on them during our stay in Tinton Falls, just 40 km from the tragic spot. I would like to share those thoughts here in an attempt to answer the worldwide question, WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?

The terrorists accomplished more than what they had desired. Was God sleeping? Had He gone on furlough? No! Nothing happens without His knowledge and permission. Even a hair of any of His children or a sparrow from the sky will not fall down without His knowledge (Mt 10:29-31). How can a magnificient building like the World Trade Centre be flattened, melting like wax? If we resurrect Patriarch Job, he would ask, "Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" (Job 12:9). If God had not so willed, the terrorists could not have executed their plan with such precision.

Almost all the evangelical Christian leaders of America would agree that God is angry with their nation. A country which was founded on God and the Bible has drifted away from Him. God says, " My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters; and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer 2:13). America has invented new gods. The attack on the World Trade Centre is God’s rebuke against the god of materialism. The goddess of entertainment received her rebuke when the antenna on the tower fell. The attack on Pentagon is a rebuke on the reliance on military strength. The hijacking of airplanes tells us that we cannot boast of our technological advance. It’s time that what’s inscribed on the American coin—IN GOD WE TRUST—be transcribed on the hearts of people. King Solomon, the wisest and the wealthiest man who ever lived, said, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding" (Prov 3:5).

By letting such a tragedy happen in the only super power nation in the world, God tells all the inhabitants of the earth, "Everything that can be shaken must be shaken so that only that which cannot be shaken may remain" (See Heb 12:27). It is not the super power but the supernatural power that will stand for ever.

Has God forsaken America? No! A thousand times, No! As we travelled across the country during the next two weeks, people had hung "GOD BLESS AMERICA" banners in homes, restaurants, malls and everywhere. Yes, God loves America. This nation has sent more Bibles, more missionaries, more social workers,more relief materials and more money to the needy lands than any other nation. "God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love" (Heb 6:10). God assures, "With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I wil have mercy on you" (Isa 54:8).

America is too young to die! Her mission is not over yet. She still has lots to do to bless the nations spiritually and materially. I call upon all the American pastors and preachers to speak and write not what the Americans want but what they need. Sound an alarm! Back to God! Back to the Bible! The solution to the current crisis is not in the White House but in God’s House. Dr. Billy Graham’s message in the National Cathedral at Washington on September 14 is profound. (See pages 2&3).

Everytime the television flashed the horrible sight of the World Trade Centre towers crumbling and melting, and the newspapers reported of the death toll, I could not but be reminded of Christ’s response to the report of the falling down of the tower in Siloam killing eighteen people: "Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jersusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Lk 13:4,5). He followed this forthright statement with the parable of the barren fig tree (vv 6-9). The repentance He meant was specifically to be from fruitlessness. This call to repentance comes to everyone living on the face of the earth, American or non-American, after the September tragedy. God as our Creator, Sustainer and Provider has every right to expect fruit from us (Acts 17:28). He has been disappointed with us year after year, "for three years." He would have cut down all fruitless trees but for the advocatory intervention of His Son (Lk 13:7-9). The Father God has extended His grace period. For most of us this may be the fourth and the final year!

The city of Madras (India) experienced a tremor measuring 5.9 in the Ritcher Scale on 25 September. Madras is the Jerusalem of India.

What fruit does God seek from us? First, "fruits of repentance." According to John the Baptist these include charity, honesty and contentment (Lk 3:8-14). The Bible then speaks of the "fruits of righteousness" (2 Cor 9:10,11; Js 3:18). We are to renounce all unfruitful works of darkness (Eph 5:11) and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5: 22, 23). Christlikeness in word and deed must be our motto. Finally, the fruits of reproduction. We are commissioned to share the gospel of Christ with every man and every woman and invite them into His fold (Jn 15:16).

Are we heading towards a World War? This is a question that haunts every heart. We don’t know anything at the moment for sure. Christ predicted of "wars and rumours of wars" as the "beginning of sorrows" (Mt 24:6-8). We are however admonished to pray for all leaders that we may lead "a quiet and peaceable life" (1 Tim 2:1,2). There is no security in the military strength or monetary power. No place on earth is absolutely safe. Let’s resound the immortal words of the hymnologist Edward Mote (1797-1874)—

On Christ the solid Rock I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

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Bill Bright knows he is dying. But this knowledge doesn’t discourage him. The founder of Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) still has work to do. Campus Crusade has converted and discipled millions of souls since its launch in 1951. Over 4 billion people across the world have seen the ccc-produced Jesus film which has been translated into 656 languages, at last count.

Bill Bright is especially excited about the Resurrection these days, because his days in the "earthly tent" are fading as he combats pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung condition that gradually erodes one’s ability to breathe. In July, the 79 year old leader passed the mantle of ccc’s leadership to his successor, Steve Douglass.

I recently visited Bill and Vonette Bright. I asked him for his thoughts on the Resurrection, the Church, and the final chapter of God’s wonderful plan for his life.

I’ve lost about 60 percent of my lung capacity and it keeps going down. One day I’ll breathe my last breath, which is fine. I can say I’ve lived a pretty exciting life. But since it was announced to me that there is no cure for the disease, I’ve entered into a different relationship and a more wonderful intimacy with the Lord.

James says to rejoice when you’re having difficulties. Paul speaks of rejoicing when you suffer. I know the reality of what they were saying. They were rejoicing in their adversities, and they had a lot of it. The Bible says, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." So when problems arise, we say "Thank you" and—by an act of the will—rejoice. God then fulfills His promise, "If you obey Me I will reveal Myself to you." So the act of faith in saying, "Thank you, Lord," releases His presence in new dimensions.

There’s no departure; it’s an enhancement. I’ve known the joy of God’s presence for 50 years-plus, in different degrees. To know Jesus is to love Him, and to love Him is to obey Him.

I live according to Philippians 2:13, "God works in you to will and to do His good pleasure." There are some important things that I feel God wants me to do: Making the transition to Stephen Douglass as seamless as possible is one.

In addition, I have felt impressed to accelerate what God led me to do in 1994, which was to call the world to fast and pray for revival and His divine intervention. I’m more persuaded as I look back over the last eight years that fasting and prayer is the most important discipline of the Christian life. It destroys the strongholds of the enemy. We’re training pastors and Christian leaders to fast and pray and seek God’s face. There’s no merit in fasting just for brownie points; we do it to remove all the impediments of sin that are hindering God’s control of our lives. That’s a very important item on my agenda. One of the great burdens of my heart is for pastors worldwide.

The pastor is the key person to every community, if he’s a godly pastor. Other leaders of the community often attend a church that ministers to them. Whether it’s the President or the local precinct leader, the local pastor—if he’s a godly, spiritual person—can have a profound impact. Many pastors say they are not satisfied with what they’re doing. So my burden is to help pastors. They have a tough time.

If the pulpit is aflame, the pews will be.

I’m a strong believer in the church, and I’m grateful for the seminaries. But the average fellow who graduates from seminary is not ready to start a church, doesn’t know first-hand what to do. It’s survival of the fittest. When you figure that some surveys say 90 percent of American pastors are unhappy with their calling, there’s something wrong.

In America there will be about 120 million or so people in church on Sunday, but you would not realize that, seeing how little a contribution we make to our culture. A handful of anti-God forces are shaping the destiny of our culture. And Christians are strangely silent because they have, unfortunately, very little strong leadership.

Jesus came for what? So He can save the lost, right? He talked, He healed. But the purpose was to seek and save the lost. There are two kingdoms: Christ’s Kingdom and Satan’s kingdom. They are at war.

I was once a member of Satan’s kingdom, but nobody ever told me. I was a happy pagan in my youth. In 1944, I went to Hollywood and launched my own business. There I received Christ, and my life was changed. I used to be invited to speak in churches as a young Christian, because in those days anyone who had some degree of success was a popular speaker. I would ask members of various churches questions like, "What’s the greatest thing that ever happened to you?" They would always say, "Knowing Jesus." I would ask, "What’s the greatest thing you could do to help another person?" They would say, "Helping someone to know Jesus." I would ask, "Are you doing it?" They would say, "No."

I made up my mind then that I would spend my time with nonbelievers, and when they became Christians, I would do everything I could to keep them separate from the old diseased Christians. I didn’t want them to catch their diseases.

In the years that have passed, I found very few people enjoy being miserable Christians. The spiritual life is the key to the abundant life, a life of joy and peace and adventure and wonder. Jesus said, "You will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you." The disciples, you’ll remember, had been with Jesus for 3½ years or so, but they were miserable and frustrated and defeated and fruitless. Then after the Resurrection and Pentecost, they went out and died as martyrs getting the message to the world. My commitment all these years has been not to criticize the church but to help Christian leaders, students, and pastors discover the incredible life of adventure that is our heritage.

As you study Scripture, the number one problem in man is his pride, right? Can you think of anything more serious than that? Nobody is going to fast with an ego to boast about unless he’s a strange person. Fasting is not pleasing to the flesh. When you humble yourself and pray and seek God’s face and turn from your wicked ways, God will hear from heaven and forgive your sin (2 Chr 7:14). That’s been the reason I’ve done 40-day fasts for the last eight years.

But my spirit is soaring.

I’ve been so busy. Even though I’ve always believed in heaven and hell, after I became a believer, I gave little thought to it. But in recent months I’ve been writing on heaven and hell. My logic is this: The God whom we worship created at least 100 billion galaxies—some astronomers would say 200 billion. Do we give God credit? They say it was the Big Bang. But it was this great Creator God who made all this majesty and glory.

You can imagine, then, what He’s done to create a heaven? "Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither knows the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him"—beauty and magnificence beyond anything our little finite minds can imagine.

The most important moment in anyone’s life as a believer is the last breath, because the next breath is in heaven. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. My gracious wife of 52 years has been everything to me. Vonette and I have been anticipating heaven. It’s something we look forward to. I just want to finish what God has called me to do.

Who is Bill Bright? I’m a little nobody among 6 billion nobodies. God has given me several things I think He’s wanted me to do, and yet there doesn’t seem to be any assurance time will allow me to finish some of these. He doesn’t need Bill Bright any more than He needs a twig on a tree. He created us in His image, and He loves us, and He esteems us, and we are of worth to Him, but He can raise up sticks and stones to worship Him. So, it’s not as though my departure is going to leave a big hole.

World revival, the fulfillment of the Great Commission—though we’re very close in terms of taking the gospel to everybody on planet Earth, closer than ever in history. And, through our partnerships with churches and other ministries, we have taken the gospel to over 6 billion in 50 years and about 2½ billion in the last two years.

If I had my life to live over, I would have concentrated on getting to know God better and love Him more and trust Him more. One of the best ways to maintain that first love is to share Christ with others. That can happen to everybody, everyday.

The believer who is on the cutting edge—who walks in the light as God is in the light—lives the life of adventure. So my plea would be: Become acquainted first with who God is, and then obey what He tells you to do and experience His blessing. The blessings of heaven are for everybody, no matter what the circumstances. Jesus said, "Come unto Me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest. Peace I leave with you." And so my word to believers would be: Let us awaken out of our Laodicean spirit and return to our first love, like the Church at Ephesus was admonished to do. And let us share this most joyful news with everybody on the planet. r

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Not to be Served, but to Serve!

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We breathed a sigh of relief when Dr. Malik who was to leave the Diptipur Christian Hospital agreed to continue till March 2002. Praise the Lord! He is a committed Christian, very helpful to us. God has answered your prayers in an unexpected way. So the medical work goes unhindered. You have given us enough and more for TB patients. We were limiting the number. Now literally we are relieved of the worry about TB patients and we are taking in all who come. God be praised. Accept a very big thankyou from the bottom of our hearts.

Our Missionaries Mr. & Mrs. Samal from Diptipur write—

Aren’t you glad about the Saturdays? If we give 2 kg rice per head for 1000 persons a week we spend Rs. 80,000/- per month, leave alone the grains we distribute to the poor right in the villages. This expenditure is likely to go up. This means the number of participants for the Christmas programme will be 1000 or more. These people eat plain boiled rice with salt. That’s all. So we are desirous of giving them some dhal and if possible some oil for Christmas. We will need a public address system and some simple musical instruments for this weekly gospel meeting. If the swelling continues we may have to open another distribution centre. Pray for all needs. Silver and gold are His!

Rebuilding the collapsed houses is going to be an uphill task since all material has to be brought from Bargarh, 60 km away. Pray for special grace for those who will be undertaking this responsibility.

There is a severely handicapped man and a 10 year old polio victim who crawl on the floor. Can you provide them with wheelchairs which will enable them to move about? (Cost Rs. 3500/- each).

We have rented a second house in Diptipur. We need to apply for a telephone. Pray for a good driver to join our team.

A glimpse of the drought situation is avilable in a 30 minute presentation in video cassette for Rs. 100/- and CD for Rs. 100/-

My husband and I had a blessed time in USA in September. We were to go to New York on the 11th but the disaster came before we went there. Think of it! Let’s pray for this nation which has been a blessing to nations around the world.

A Partners Meet was arranged in Chennai on October 2 by Mr. Suthanthirasingh our City Coordinator to project the FEED ORISSA programme. Over 500 participated. People were blessed and contributed nearly Rs. 1,00,000/- as cash and jewels.

May our good Lord be with you till we get in touch with you next month.

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Trained to train!

Oftentimes we are asked how the Blessing Youth Mission trains its new recruits for missionary work. The BYM does not have a regular training institute. Recruitment of missionaries is by direct interview of candidates who had been active witnesses for Christ in their localities and workspots. They are sent to various mission fields to work as apprentices under senior missionaries for six months to one year, during which time their aptitude and gifting are identified. When there is a sizeable mumber of such apprentices, a monthlong Workers Training Programme is conducted to give them further input besides their hands-on-plough training. One such WTP was conducted in the Mission’s first mission station, Sitteri Hills, in the month of September.

Fortysix missionaries working in the States of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamilnadu arrived at the campsite on the 2nd September. Some of them had already put in a couple of years of service, but this was the first Workers Training Programme they could attend. Meeting with the fellow-workers from various States was exciting for the participants, and the programme began in sweet fellowship.

Mr. J. J. Ratnakumar (Missionaries Upholders Trust), Prof. Anand Samuel, Mr. Immanuel Prabu (Child Evangelism Fellowship), Mr. Michael (Youth For Christ), Mr. & Mrs. V. D. Chandrasekar (Family Foundation), Mr. Caleb (Listen India), Mr. Joe Duthie (Ambassadors For Christ), Mr. Noordin Mullah, Pastor Ilango Antonyraj, Dr.& Mrs. Abel (RUHSA) and Prof. Alfred Devadasan were the resource persons. The staff teachers were Missionaries Y. Paul Dinakaran, Kingsley Chelliah, Mohan Deenadayalan, John Thomas, E. L. Mathansingh, S. Ebenezer, A. Jeyaraj and A. Malar Selvan.

Thanks to our leaders for the excellent selection of subjects. The objective was to help us in ministerial and relationship skills and personal development. The highlight of the programme was identifying our gifts and talents and helping us set goals. There were awesome worship hours, deep devotional talks, searching Bible studies, enlightening teaching sessions, creative workshops and exciting games. Personal integrity, simple lifestyle, hard work and prayer life were some of the emphases.

Eventhough each day began at 5.30 and went up to 10, we would go to bed only half-heartedly. We got so involved and immersed in the programme that we didn’t feel any strain whatsoever. The refreshing presence of God, the gentle moving of the Holy Spirit, the friendly support of the hosting missionaries, the kind gestures of the leaders and guest teachers, and the lovely climate up the hills together were responsible for such an enjoyable time.

Pray much for us as we go to our respective fields to train new believers to become effective witnesses for Jesus Christ of Nazareth.