MEMORIES OF DR ABRAHAM ON HIS SIXTH MEMORIAL DAY, A SACRED CALL, AN ARTICLE IN APPRECIATION OF HIS CHRISTIAN LIFE

Our life is a sacred call from the Almighty to grow in grace,live in love and rest in peace.Our heartfelt happiness,good words and kind gestures can inspire people to bounce out of depression.They can brighten up our fellow-beings in getting healed of their mental wounds.

This short span of life is given to us as a gift.It is our individual responsibility to make it better not bitter.We may have to encounter many bitter experiences of life to finally reach those finest blessings of life.Then we are becoming with a refined spirit to be really grateful for this very gift of life!

Only the grace of the Almighty can transcend all the pros and cons of this life.If we grow in grace,we won't become proud in our positives and desperate in our negatives,but keep up  a harmonious balance of life.Grace will transform us from evil to good,good to better,better to best.None of us is perfect. In this life,we are supposed to be in a progressive process.It is the grace that moves us towards perfection.We are so caught up in the law that we don't allow us to grow in grace.

Real love is the moving spirit of this world.Real love can come only from the Creator to our heart and from our heart it should be reflected to others.It is a flow.No one can stop this flow except by our free will.Real love never demands.It won't  even expect love in return rather be content in the growth of love in one's heart to live in love with God,oneself and others.Such love cannot harm others or being harmed by others.It is the love for love's own sake.

We are placed in this world with the sole mission of being peacemakers.If we are not becoming peacemakers,there is no other option but to become troublemakers.If we rest in peace,we will be peacemakers and problem solvers.In order to rest in peace,one needs to yield to "The Prince of Peace":The Spirit of the Lord within.The world cannot give or take away such a peace.It is the peace that overtakes all understanding.

A sacred call is always whispering in the innermost part of our heart.Many a time we are not heeding to this inner voice because of many other voices we are in.Let us tune our spirit in harmony with this inner voice to discern with other voices.While other voices bring superficial changes,this inner voice brings real change! In that real change,our problems will be turned to schemes,trials will make us strong,sorrows will keep us human thus materialism finding solace in spirituality!

WRITTEN BY:DR GEE VERGHESE GEORGE,D.Litt.

Email:drgee@rediffmail.com

MEMORIES OF DR ABRAHAM ON HIS FIFTH MEMORIAL DAY :THE DIVINE CONNECTION,AN ARTICLE IN APPRECIATION OF HIS GODLY LIFE

The most wonderful and personal human relationship is the relation of an individual to God.It varies from person to person.The source of different gifts functioning within the individual is from God.An individual should be always aware of the presence of God in and around.One has to obey God,the Creator to serve Him.

God is alive to an individual who is in relation to Him.This relationship is personal. The individual has to rely and trust in God,Who is in one's heart.Whether one realizes or not,one is totally dependent on God at all times.One will be quickened,cleansed,guided and empowered in one's relation to God.An individual will find a great treasure for his enlightenment which will not exhaust.

Commandments of God are greater than individual's conceptions.One will come to know about his limited resources of mental and moral energy in his relationship with God.The deepest desires of individual souls are to walk with God.

The presence of God to an individual is unconditional.God is near to us because we are in need of Him.He corrects our faults and shortcomings.He will deal with the hidden tendency of human hearts.The deceit of human heart can be prevented only by surrendering one's life constantly to God.

An individual should recognize God as his or her whole being.God's protecting grace will encircle an individual who call upon Him.We are not alone but with God.

Feel the strength of the Almighty God in and around us.An individual is supposed to do everything with the co-operation of God.Apart from God,one can do nothing worthwhile by every capacity.God will keep that,what we commit to Him.

The fear of God is the enriching treasure for an individual that the obligation becomes privilege and duty transforms to delight.New energies will sprout from an individual who is in relationship with God.The future has no terrors for such an individual.

An intimate closeness with God brings a new world for the individual.An individual soul's greatest experience is God being his or her strength.Nothing is impossible for the individual who is having the all powerful God.

An individual will see light in God's light.He or she has to acknowledge God in matters,both material and spiritual.The wholesome personality begins from the union of an individual with God!

WRITTEN BY :DR GEE VERGHESE GEORGE,D.Litt.

Email:drgee@rediffmail.com 

Sex in our society. Film stars do it, sports stars do it, politicians do it. Hormone levels are raised by advertising, television, cinema, music and magazines.  What is discussed is not so much pre-marital sex, as non-marital sex, or even non- “heterosexual monogamous life-long relationship sex” such is the confusion and need for definition.

 sex is seen in several ways:

1. Sex as "essential"

It is said that there is a natural instinct or need (akin to a hunger for food) which we all have, and that to repress it is damaging to physical and mental health.

2. Sex as "experience"   

   

It is said to be beneficial for people to accumulate as many different experiences of life as possible. Pre-marital sex with several different partners is said to be one of these experiences. Sex is "exciting" and is seen by some as an essential component of "a good weekend."

 

3. Sex as "experiment" 

     

It is no longer sufficient for a couple to be emotionally, spiritually or intellectually compatible. If they are really serious about each other they ought to discover whether they are sexually compatible too. In the context of cohabitation, this is sometimes seen as a "trial marriage".

4. Sex as "expression"

 

If two people love each other it is seen as natural for them to express that love through sex, regardless of their marital state.

5. Sex as “entertainment”

 

It’s free, it’s fun – let’s do it!  That seems to be the attitude many have towards “recreational sex.”

In response to these worldy attitudes, Christians can say:

Sex isn’t essential.  You’re not less than human if you are a virgin.  You’re not repressed if you wait until you’re married before sleeping with someone:  you’re sensible!  Jesus was born of a virgin, but he was also a virgin himself, while remaining a completely fulfilled and perfect human being.  And sex is not just another experience to add to one’s collection.  It’s not like going mountain climbing or sky-diving or bungee jumping – just another exciting way to spend a few hours, and nothing more.  And sex is too important to just be anexperiment.  You don’t need to go “all the way” to know you’re sexually compatible with someone – if you’re a boy and they are a girl, and you’ve both got everything you’re supposed to have, then you’re compatible!  It’s not exactly complicated.

There are better ways to express your love for someone you’re not married to.  After all, it’s not very loving to have an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease or to make someone feel as if you just want them for their body.  It is not loving to engage in any activity that displeases God.  And sex is not entertainment.  If you’re bored go to the cinema or play a computer game or go for a run – don’t misuse something as important as sex just for a bit of mindless fun.  That would be like hiring a Rolls Royce car just to pick up some shopping – a waste, a misuse of something precious, something that is far more important if used properly.  Other people’s bodies are not just toys for us to play with and then discard.

Pre-marital sex is selfish:
It is never about the other person. If it was, then we wouldn't be risking the other person's health, getting pregnant, spreading disease, emotional welfare, spiritual state-of-being, and future marriage. It is all about me and only me, whenever pre-marital sex happens.

Pre-marital sex is unloving:
Love = "choosing what is best for the other, despite the cost to myself" and could be summed up in one word = "gift". We are called to love others by being a selfless gift for them. Thus, when we choose something that is about me and is not good for the other, then it is not love. Pre-marital sex, by definition, can NEVER be a loving act.

Pre-marital sex is use of another human being:
John Paul II said using another person as a means to an end (in this case your pleasure) and not as an end unto themselves is the opposite of love. It is reducing a human being to an object. Not treating them as a child of God.

Pre-marital sex is a misuse of our sexuality:
Why do we have these desires in the first place? It isn't just to bring us pleasure. It is to be open to new life (procreation) and to bring a married man and woman together (unitive). These two ends are the purpose of marriage. Pleasure is a by-product of sex. A good by-product, but when it replaces one or both of the real purposes - it degrades the act and we are back at selfishness.

Sex is a gift from God and like any gift can be used for good or bad. It is also a beautiful act between a man and wife - in the context of marriage. Sex is something intimate and wonderful. Just like anything good, it can be twisted to be bad. This is what happens in pre-marital sexuality. While it may "feel" like love, we would never risk another person's future, virginity, pregnancy, disease, soul, broken heart, etc. if we loved them.

Sex should be saved for marriage, where intimacy (of all kinds) is supposed to be. Unfortunately in today's world, we give our sexuality, our emotions, our bodies, and our lives to people we our not married to. We have lost the depth to what a intimacy really means. We end up deadening our sensitivity to it and putting present and future relationships at risk. To put it another way, I have never met a person who saved sex (of any kind) for marriage and regretted it, but I have met thousands who didn't keep themselves pure and now do. You will never regret purity. Never. But, you will always regret impurity, eventually.

Casual sex is rampant in many societies. There is, in truth, no such thing as “casual” sex, because of the depth of intimacy involved in the sexual relationship. An analogy is instructive here. If we take a sticky note and attach it to a piece of paper, it will adhere. If we remove it, it will leave behind a small amount of residue; the longer it remains, the more residue is left. If we take that note and stick it to several places repeatedly, it will leave residue everywhere we stick it, and it will eventually lose its ability to adhere to anything. This is much like what happens to us when we engage in “casual” sex. Each time we leave a sexual relationship, we leave a part of ourselves behind. The longer the relationship has gone on, the more we leave behind, and the more we lose of ourselves. As we go from partner to partner, we continue to lose a tiny bit of ourselves each time, and eventually we may lose our ability to form a lasting sexual relationship at all. The sexual relationship is so strong and so intimate that we cannot enter into it casually, no matter how easy it might seem.

The very beginning of the bible lays a foundation for a Judaeo-Christian approach to sex. The early chapters of Genesis tell us that God created the first man and woman and, seeing what He had made, declared that it was ‘very good’. Genesis provides the original context for sexual intercourse and shows that God has designed this wonderful thing to be expressed within a lifelong marital relationship between one man and one woman. Jesus grounds his teaching on sexuality on those words.

The divine image is expressed as both male and female, and so the man and woman are equally human despite their physical, anatomical and procreative differences. As they are joined together as husband and wife their unity and diversity is expressed. ‘So a man will leave his father and his mother and be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh’ (Genesis 2.24). Here we have a blueprint for human sexual love – through the sexual act the man and woman have a new, incredible kind of intimacy. This is called being ‘one flesh’ – designed to be exclusive and faithful.

The question of how sex outside marriage could be wrong can be approached by looking at the beauty, intimacy and preciousness of sex. God designed that this happen in a safe and committed context of love and devotion. According to the maker, this is where sex is at its best.

Tags : Sex, Marriage, Relationship

Source : Various Christian sources

MEMORIES OF DR C.T.ABRAHAM ON THIRD MEMORIAL DAY:THE BLESSED LIFE REFLECTIONS OF DR ABRAHAM

The earthly life of Dr C.T. Abraham came to a close paving the way for his heavenly life on 8th October 2009.At this juncture of his third memorial day,I would like to introspect my acquaintance with him.I first met him in person in his residence in the year 1984 when I came to Priority Highlands Campus of Brahmavar in Karnataka,India for having my theological education in India Theological Seminary and secular education in Crossland College.I still remember,I entered the campus he established along with him in his car to complete the admission formalities.

During my studentship,I noted in him something that was making him different from other Christian leaders,that was his humility and simplicity.He had ample reasons to be proud in the sense of the world.But he acknowledged and appreciated the supreme authority of his Maker to remain humble and simple,the abode of divinity.Soon after my graduation,I started to work with him in his office.I did understand that he faced lot of hardship and pain to build up the campus.His love for the Lord motivated him to build up the campus for His glory.But many a time,I used to suspect whether the worldly pressures would overtake his spiritual essence,in the gist and bustle of the world.In spite of the human limitations,he was able to keep up his love for the Lord.

He established Priority One India to give Priority One,not to the world but to the Creator of the world.In the church,I used to interpret for his messages.Towards the later years,I could feel in my heart,more than his head knowledge,more of faith in Christ vibrating in his heart.He had his last verbal preaching from the pulpit of the church on 9th January 2005.He started by saying"Be of good cheer,do not fear.When Lord calls,we need to respond.Be of good cheer,Jesus is calling you."He was speaking fromMark 10:46-52 concerning three important characters in that passage,1)Bartimaeus 2)Crowd 3)Jesus Christ.He said,"It is your honesty that is going to be rewarded.The one thing that can stop Jesus-the cry of a genuine needy person. Bartimaeus is casting away his self and garment,to come to Jesus.Many times our possessions stand in the way of God.Sometimes Lord does in the way we cannot understand."He asked the question,"Whether we know our real need?"He said,"My basic need is faith.The faith of Bartimaeus in Christ,made him well."He again asked the question,"Are you blind?Physically you have eyes to see.But there is darkness in life.The eyesight is spiritual link with the Lord.Nothing or no one could stop Bartimaeus from trusting in the Lord,getting the reward from Him.Do you cry out to the Lord?Total faith in Lord Jesus Christ can give you that faith,that is purely between you and your God.You can never trust the crowd,most undependable people.Don't depend upon the crowd,they come for themselves not for you.Trust in the Lord not the crowd.The crowd can tell a lot of things but do nothing for you."He concluded by putting the question,"Are you ready with your need,commitment?"

Yes,beloved ones in the Lord,Dr Abraham had gone to be with the Lord.While our immortal souls keep on loving,understanding and experiencing this Lord,let our mortal bodies carry on the vision and mission of Dr Abraham.That is the best tribute we can give him.The heavens will be rejoicing with us in our heart when we are pleasing to the Lord and a blessing to His humanity.Let me sum up by narrating the very words of Jesus Christ from John 11:25-26."I am the resurrection and the life.He who believes in Me,though he may die,he shall live.And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."

WRITTEN BY : DR GEE VERGHESE GEORGE,D.Litt.

Email : drgee@rediffmail.com

MEMORIES OF DR C.T.ABRAHAM ON SECOND MEMORIAL DAY:THE ALMIGHTY IN ACTION THROUGH DR ABRAHAM

Dr C.T.Abraham is a living faith colossus-An ordinary person in the wonderful grace of Almighty to do extraordinary things.Persons like Dr Abraham having the charisma of compassion are rare in this world.That is the saddest plight of our humanity.But I thank the Lord for He has called Dr Abraham personally to be His torch-bearer and has given him the individual insight to be a channel of blessings to many with a difference.His areas of ministry cover a wide spectrum,so as to take care of total development of human beings,spiritual and material.

The noble spirit of Dr Abraham inspired my life to a great extent.The Crossland College and the India Theological Seminary started in the year 1984 and I was fortunate to join these institutions to be graduated in the year 1987.I was involved in the work study program,a novel concept at that time,quite interesting.Soon after my graduation,Dr Abraham appointed me as a member of his staff.He also took keen interest in getting me married providing the needed help. In official duties,I served as his personal assistant.I offer my heartfelt gratitude for everything he means to me.

His Vision:Dr Abraham possesses God given genius for planning and development. I was personally attracted by Dr Abraham's vision to face life with a spiritual outlook.Life offers many challenges.How we face those challenges determines our success or failure!Dr Abraham had the foresight to see that more than man's material needs,his deepest needs are spiritual.He organised everything in such a way that he could apply these principles in the new socio-economic context around him.Thus the Lord made made Dr Abraham's life,a miracle through pragmatic vision and organisational skills in improving the quality of the lives of the people.

His Mission:Dr Abraham always felt to do something noble and worthwhile for the upliftment of the people in contact with.He thought of one estate which is inexhaustible and cannot be stolen,which one could bequeath to their children and make them happy throughout their life,that is value education.As an educationist of high moral calibre,he ventured into the rare adventure of combining both spiritual and secular education.

His Accomplishment:Dr Abraham loves people anyway!That is his greatest accomplishment.Eventhough people are unreasonable,illogical and self-centered,he loved them working for their well-being.He sensed people really need help and helped them anyway.He gave his best to the world in spite of its negative signals.What is the motivating factor behind all these?It is nothing but his love for the Lord reflected in love for his fellow-beings.

Dr Abraham used this gift of life to cultivate friendships in doing good to one another.Thus his life acquires a purpose leading to an achievement.His noble works continue to speak for him in the years to come.Our life is a journey.We do not know when it concludes.But like Dr Abraham,if our life moves like a burning candle shedding its light for others,at the same time approaching its end,then our life radiates meaning-not only to us but also to the coming generations!!!

WRITTEN BY: DR GEE VERGHESE GEORGE,D.Litt.

LOIS IN CHRIST & CHRIST IN LOIS

The life that we live really shows whether we are a true Christian . Though many people are professing to be Christians and believers ,their life and behaviours are not validating the same. The great dramatist ,Shakespeare once said ,”The world is a stage and all the people are actors”. Yes ,the world trains us to act according to situations. Those people coming under the influence of the world are knowingly or unknowingly acting in their different areas of life. Christendom is also not an exception. But true Christians and believers are not supposed to act. Jesus Christ , the author and finisher of our Christian faith is teaching us not to act but to reflect Him. True spirituality is arising out of intimacy with God in purifying our hearts to be true to Him!

It is very difficult to find out real Christians .People have different excuses to be so. It seems majority of the so called believers are also under the grip of the world to be a slave to its influences thus dominated by the world. They are using God for worldly power, status and popularity. What we are and what we have belong to the Lord. He is the originator and fashioner of all things . A true Christian will feel and experience that he or she is nothing in himself or herself but something in his or her Maker and He is everything for him or her.

We came to great woman of faith , Lois, grandmother of Timothy in 2 Tim.1:5 . God by His grace enabled me to find such a precious godly woman of faith in January 2006 Decision magazine issue through her article" Am I a Christian?" This introspective question struck my heart longing to be in contact with that person. God opened the way through Decision magazine people to be in contact and fellowship. She is none other than Mrs.Lois Akehurst from other side of the earth for an Indian like me. The love of Jesus in her boosted up my growth in Christ to serve Him as a family. What a wonder working God in her extending in all possible support in lifting up our spirit ,soul and body for the glory of God! She walks by faith and revealing that faith through her deeds . She exemplifies a life of grace and faith, a life of love in action, a life of humility and simplicity. No human formal words can articulate the charisma of her godly personality. I rejoice in the Lord and thank Him for what He means to her and us!

May I bring some of her excerpts of her article"Am I a Christian?" She said,It was 1957 and I was on my way to Madison Square Garden in New York city. I couldn’t wait to get there. I was 18 years old, and this was quite an opportunity . Was I a Christian? I thought I was. But for the first time I began thinking, ”What do I believe? Am I a Christian?,Is there more to being a Christian?”I was very uncomfortable about the whole being.I know in my heart that I had never made that personal decision, even though I’d gone to church,sung in choir and done good things.I knew I needed to make a decision,and I knew what my decision was going to be.I wanted to know Jesus Christ.Accepting Christ made a difference.There was a new dimension in my life;it was the Holy Spirit in me.I remember driving in my car and praying,”I love you,Jesus.”The Bible became an open book to me.Before,I knew that the Bible was what God said,but after I accepted Christ,I thought,”Wow!This is for me.”

In September 2006 Decision magazine,she wrote about her beloved husband Bill’s death and the sustaining power of God ‘s love.She said,”I cannot exalt the Lord enough for how He prepared me".On Monday before Bill was transitioned into the heavenlies,I awoke with the words inside of me.`Walk by faith.Walk by faith ` .And she said,`Lord?What do you mean by that?’ She wrote in her journal:Birth in me that walk of faith You are talking about.”

On 1st March 2006,Wednesday,her husband had gone to be with the Lord.She continued in that article`A Foundation Well Laid’ saying”And now I’m learning that the Lord of hosts is my husband,and He’s there to protect me,to guide me,to show me the way.”

Her faith journey in her Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ started in 1957 when she met Christ at Billy Graham Crusade in Madison Square Gardens.Now,at the age of 72 she radiates the love and light of the Lord in the lives of the people she comes in contact with.The aim of her life is to help others to find Jesus as the way,the truth and the life through her international ministry.Her life preaches:Know Christ personally to make Him known socially.Like her, let us aspire to inspire before we expire in loving all,serving all,respecting all.Let us allow the grace of God in keeping us transforming to reveal Jesus Christ of the Bible through our life and life style in our spirit,awareness,attitudes,thoughts,emotions,words,behaviours,actions and reactions .

In conclusion,let me put her blessed words of prayer and praise to the Lord!

After completion of the Book of Psalms, Pastor Bill asked our Bible Study at Harford Senior to write their own personal psalm. I would like to share my Psalm 151

I will boast of your love, O God! Your peace is not of this world. I will praise you in the morning, noon, and night, O Lord of my life. When you knit me in my mother's womb you gave me blue eyes to see, ears to hear, a voice to tell the wondrous love you have for me, and feet to trod this land in Your Name. Your plan for my life is to bless others by your Holy Spirit. You have been with me all the days of my life, even when I didn't know it. Now in my senior years, I approach you still as your child in the wonder and beauty of your Majesty. My salvation is what you died for. Thank you! By your Grace, I am saved to honor you. Perfect are your ways, Keeper of my soul. Your Word is the light on my path. My tongue I have surrendered to your will to speak truth in love to the lost and wanderer. I am renewed in your Presence, healed by your stripes, energized by your Spirit. Hope is in me! Your Word sustains me on my journey. You live and I too shall live protected by your strong arm. And when you call me, I will come home to live and reign with you in eternity. Such love is marvelous, Lover of my soul! Amen! Alleluia!

It is our hearty wish and prayer that may her life ever bloom by the power of the Holy Spirit to shine for Saviour and Lord Jesus! May the Lord Almighty add much abundant life to her years for His glory!! Let her spiritual bend of mind face and overcome all the pros and cons of this earthly life, thus her unique life becoming a sweet aroma for the glory of Lord ever and ever!!!

WRITTEN BY:

DR GEE VERGHESE GEORGE,D.Litt.

A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH DR ABRAHAM

In the state of Karnataka at Brahmavar in 1981, a beautiful educational complex was established by Dr C.T. Abraham,the Founder of Priority One India. Educated in India and the United States,he had been extensively lauded for his contribution to education. I got the chance to interact with him during the year 1992,which was published in an International Youth magazine called' Young Media'.As on 8^th October 2010,one year has passed he being called to Heavenly Home. The memoirs of him ofcourse will refresh and sharpen us to carry forward his legacy further for the betterment of humanity!

Excerpts:

Sir,what is Priority One India?

Priority One India is a non-profitable charitable minority trust which aims at the total development of people of India.It aims at organising spiritual centres,educational institutions,health clinics,poor homes and so on.

What prompted you to start such an organisation?

I believe that spiritual development is a must.The motivating force behind starting college with work study programme was my personal experience.I lost my father at 9 and I had to struggle.However,I got the opportunity for higher education in India and abroad.I want to give the same opportunity to underprivileged children.

Being an educationist,what is your opinion about the present system of education in India?

Where do you find a good system of education?Nowhere in the world.What is needed is a desire to make the best out of the available system.It is the people rather than the system.If our teachers and leaders set the right example for our youth,the whole story would be different.

What changes do you perceive in our system of education?

The values of which we were once so proud are no more important to our leaders.No system can be effective thus. I would strongly stand for a system that would provide freedom in education.Independent universities and schools with their own curricula and media of instruction must be permitted.

How do India and the West differ educationally?

In India,we practice spoon feeding.Even in postgraduate classes,the professor dictates notes.There is little independent study and research.Our children are very capable but we kill their capabilities and creativity in our classrooms.In the school we run,we have seen how well our children can do without dictated notes and spoon-feeding.

What is the condition of our youth today?

Youth normally reflect societal trends and in that way the condition of our youth is no different than in any other period.The concepts that society believes in like revolt and vandalism are naturally reflected in the youth.

Is our youth getting proper consideration and recognition from the elder generation?

We have youth wings in all the political parties and various organisations and our leaders speak at length about the potency of youth. All these are just attempts to calm the youth.Our youth do not receive the kind of attention they ought to be receiving because,we the adults,do not have the moral strength to give them the right consideration and direction.

Why is there such widespread youth unrest?

Today we are teaching people their privileges without making them aware of their responsibilities.Political parties fuel the fire for their own selfish ends.we must educate our people and let them know their worth,their duties and responsibilities.Enlightened individuals must take the courage to lead.

Sir,what is the uniqueness of your institutions?

We started them with specific goals,not to duplicate something already existing,but to try something new and good.The courses of study we provide in our college are different.Also,we try to maintain a family atmosphere in the campus.

What message do you have for young people?

You have a position in this world and due to this,you have a responsibility.Try your best to carry out that responsibility.We may criticise you and try to correct you. But be sure that we love you!

BY : DR GEE VERGHESE GEORGE,D.Litt.

Email: geeinjesus@gmail.com