An Inspiring Story of Mr. Om Prakash: Gov. Servant > Christ’s Servant

Now a pastor in Pataudi, Mr. Om Prakash 70 yrs old, was born in a small village named Mandpura, Haryana. His story of conversion and call to mission is quite intriguing and inspiring. I recently had a privilege of getting to know this great life. Hope it serves you for the good. 

He had been happily working for a quite a long time with NHPC in gov. service with a salary of 60,000+ a month back in 90s (Around 850 $ USD). Which was pretty high government pay of the time. Interestingly enough, one day he observed a man who was his co-worker, hailed from south India routinely reading Bible on the same table he used for playing cards. Mr. Om Prakash was addicted to playing cards. So one fine day with the amazement Mr. Om stumbled upon this man from south India with a question; "What do you read in this book all day? What’s there so fascinating?" And being missional enough, the man replied with the perfect use of the opportunity of sharing the gospel with Mr. Om.

Having heard the gospel, Mr. Om not only resisted it at the outset but began question his own aged faith too. One night sitting in his room, heavily surrounded by the idols of possible all the famous gods and goddesses he looking up on the roof began questioning, “who is the real God amidst this plethora, show up” if it is Jesus, then, show up, talk to me or is there anyone else? Having pleaded for hours now, in the middle of the night, he heard a voice. At first, he thought he is hallucinating and ignored. But on the repetition of the same, his ears got straight and he heard it cautiously. It was a verse of the Bible being sounded for the second time which he never read.

Ezekiel 36:25 KJV

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

On the very morning, he packed every bit of idols and put it on a sack and dumped away from his reach, becoming committed follower to Christ. 

After days of conversation, the man from south India managed to get Mr. Om to the water tank for baptism. Hilariously enough, after almost having reached close to the water tank Mr. Om ran away, saying, “I won’t get baptism”. There was a kind of demonic influence that attacked him for a while and struggle before he eventually water-baptized. At the same time, Mr. Om’s wife contracted fever which never went down in temperature. After suffering for a long time she was healed by God through a prayer of a pastor only to become a follower of Jesus like her husband. They both faced a lot of opposition from their whole family for accepting Christ. Consequently, the whole village conducted an assembly and excommunicated Mr. Om from the village. But they endured all and came out shining more brighter than before. After having saved as a family this couple began strongly feeling a call for the mission. But it was not easy to manage ministry alongside gov. service. Irresistibly, having dodged this strong and persistent call for more than a couple of times they plan to sit in fasting and waiting for the Lord’s final say. And Mr. Om fasted for 7 days and wife fasted for three days without informing husband. But God revealed Mr. Om that your wife is fasting for the same too. And towards the end of the fasting session with a specific call to mission through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, Mr. Om was led to quit his job. That attracted scores of criticism, both, from family and friends. Because the kind of job he was enjoying would be denounced only by a lunatic or someone crazy for Christ. And since then, Lord Jesus has never ceased to wonder this family with amount miracles every then and now. There are numerous people who have made their way towards Christ through the ministry it Mr. Om and his beloved wife. Not only outsiders but their own sons were blessed through their ministry. Mr. Om sons were not less than some hooligans and notoriously infamous goons of their area, having solid political and social influence. Ironically, now they are ministers of the gospel, holding a strong testimony in their vicinity and also mightily used in the various states of India. Since Mr. Om quitted his service the Lord has always met their need from the door of heaven; though not plenty but always sufficient.

Beside ministry, he also decided to pursue his theological education. Amazingly, at the age 60 he painstakingly finished his M.Div. from Delhi Bible College, affiliated to Cohan University, USA with the daily classes of five to six hours for three years and received his ordination from the Church of God. It's is indeed a great encouragement for Bible students.

This story is truly inspiring in a world where people could always be seen prioritizing money, job, and fame over Christ, ministry, and faith.

The aforementioned picture features Mr. Om with his wife and younger son with his wife and two sons. His pastor Arvind is running two churches in Delhi and travels around India for the cause of the gospel.

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ISIS Unearthed the King of the Bible

As a new believer I, sometimes, used to wonder that why the Bible is put on as number one on the list of The Great Books of the World by various sources and why it is the most reproduced, read and researched book of the world. It didn’t take me any longer to know that Bible is not just a book that can transform the lives by its message but it can outright defeat any/every critic who challenges its legitimacy and reliability.

ISIS, in making tunnel for the black market to sell booty, unexpectedly discovered Site of Assyrian Palace located under Jonah Tomb. The inscription found therein describes the rule of Assyrian King, Esarhaddon who reigned between 681-669 BC (2 King 19:37, Isaiah. 37:38, Ezra 4:2). Actually Esarhaddon was the son of Sennacherib who was killed by own sons after failing to capture Jerusalem in 681 B.C.

One inscription is translated :

“The palace of Esarhaddon, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the kings of lower Egypt, upper Egypt and Kush [an ancient kingdom located south of Egypt in Nubia].”

For authenticity the discoveries were recently published by Cambridge University Press.

It’s interesting to find out the fact that the Bible has very well passed the test of time and it's historicity. And it’s good to be reminded that aforementioned discovery is just one of the hundreds that has proved the veracity of the Bible time and time again. While many other religious texts struggle to provide any credibility to figures mentioned therein and have miserably failed the test of time and history Bible stands as one gigantic work of the Holy Spirit that comes out ever more reliable and unstained when put on trial by human agency.

Dear readers this must encourage us to value our Holy Bible not just as another sacred scriptures of any outdated religion incorporating mythical/mystical stories of the past but as a proven, powerful and practical manual for life that continues to transform numerous lives on daily basis.

Another thing to notice, here, is the work of God that how marvelous are His works that He uses the enemies of the Christianity to prove the fact of the same. And the ISIS made all possible attempts to destroy Christians has died today but not before proving the fact of the Bible.

God Bless !!!


www.nikhilrajgupta.wordpress.com 

Image Source: https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/08/middleeast/mosul-isis-assyrian-antiquities-discovered/index.html
Notes:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/iraq/article/recently-discovered-neoassyrian-royal-inscriptions-from-the-review-palace-and-nergal-gate-of-nineveh-1/C39961A5169B023A5402BB767AB51FDD
https://aleteia.org/2018/02/22/archaeologists-find-biblical-evidence-under-jonahs-tomb/2/
https://aleteia.org/2017/03/13/palace-of-biblical-king-discovered-under-shrine-destroyed-by-isis/

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Itching-ear Preaching

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

I remember an incident happened years ago when I was invited to speak in a church and pastor asked me “kindly speak something only positive and inspirational because a preacher who spoke on sin and judgment previously was never invited again”. Funny isn’t it?

Very few of us actually wanna move from blessing and grace to hear messages on sin and judgement. Not every preacher can be as eloquent as Charles Spurgeon, but I’d rather have a boring preacher who preaches the Bible than an interesting one who simply entertains. Jim Jones was an interesting preacher, but in 1979, he led 900 people to Guyana and they committed mass suicide following him.

So if you feel you aren’t getting fed by your pastor’s sermons, let me ask you a question: Is he preaching the Bible? If so, are you bringing a fork/spoon for feasting?

Yeah it’s true and I agree that preacher should always feed green grass (solid word) to his believers but it’s equally important that believers should behave as sheeps and flocks not as junk eaters. There are many believers who have developed hunger for junk food like our new generation foodies. Which includes excessive jokes, stories, humour and emotionalism not sheer, unadulterated, solid Word of God. There are folks in the church who come to entertain themselves by the oratory skills of the speaker. They are not as hungry for God’s voice and conviction of the Holy Spirit as for the pagan myth mixed comedy performance with outright audacity. And that in result has caused the emergence of preachers who are great entertainers with immense popularity. They are more concerned towards pleasing the audience than God, they make sure that their sermons have enough jokes so that people don’t find difference between stand comedian and a preacher, they make sure that everyone after the service must feel spirited than spirit-filled, they make sure to tell people that God is loving them than God is angry with them, they get obsessively busy preaching blessings and grace than coming judgement and sin, they give little/no admonishment so that they are not left uninvited for next turn. Today many churches have found preachers of their will and kind.

Bringing our forks/spoons to the church simple means coming with a heart to hear and accept God’s word alone. Many a people come to church  as they go to theatre  expecting leisure and amusement. A broken heart is near to God.

Let me tell you that if you have a pastor who doesn’t know how to make people laugh or cry and drive you to the brooks of emotionalism but only preaches plain word with simplicity “you are blessed indeed”.

Now correcting this widely spread unbiblical practice is the task of both hands; preachers and hearers.

In earlier mentioned verse Paul warned Timothy to be careful about preachers who preach according to itching ear (interest/desire of the people).

As believers we must question ourselves that does it take something more than the plain word of God to satisfy our souls? Have we distorted or perverted our sense of hunger so much that unadulterated plain Word doesn’t sound ample? Is junk food the only thing we come church for?

And on the flip side as preachers we must question ourselves that are we standing there to glean well done commendation from audience or looking at God’s broken heart for final say? Are we men-pleasers of God-pleasers?

Image source: https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/uncontrollable-itching-in-your-ears-heres-what-you-need-to-know-bs0716/amp/

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