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Vasantha Narayanswami – My Story

“A raindrop on its own forms barely even a puddle. It is a thing of beauty to the perceptive eye when seen in the pure light. But many raindrops create storms, rivers, oceans and ultimately the very source of life upon which every creature depends. I may have felt like a raindrop all my life, but together with all the others in God’s family, I am part of God’s great river of life bringing hope to a dead world”.
I was born in the UK, the last of 4 children to a Brahmin Hindu couple who had emigrated from Kerala in 1955. My father was not religious in any way; in fact, he was into politics and had been a journalist for a communist newspaper in the 1940s during turbulent times in India. He had been in jail for some time for his political beliefs. He married my mother immediately after India’s Independence in 1947 when he was 29 years old and she was 15. My mother was very religious and she brought us up in the Brahmin tradition in the UK. My father became a traveling salesman whilst my mother took care of the children and when I was old enough; she started working for BOAC (now known as British Airways). By this time, we were living in Southall, Middlesex, which saw a huge influx of North Indians in the early 1960s. I was very aware at the primary school that my siblings and I were in the minority but at that age, we never thought about race issues. We happily played and grew up with our classmates and neighbors’ children. We went to India for the very first time in 1963. This was a traumatic experience for us – the heat, strange smells, beautiful sights, animals, and strange customs created memories that would last a lifetime, some wonderful and others traumatic. It was the first of several bi-annual family trips to India, which would lead to my transformation as a Christ-follower. As a 19 years old, I saw things that troubled and saddened me, which would affect me deeply in later life. When I was about 3 years old, a stranger came to my parents’ house, took me out to a fair, and bought me, sweets, on the way. I did not know who he was or why he was, there but when I was brought back, my mother screamed at him in a language I could not understand, throwing the sweets into the back of the large cupboard in the lounge. I never saw the man again but from then I developed a fear of men and became frightened of my mother’s temper. I never talked about the incident to anyone throughout my life as I realized that this man could have abducted me. I wondered why did he bring me back to my parents’ house and why did he take me away without asking my mother? These questions haunted me for many years. I was always frightened of strangers and haunted by nightmares as a result. When I was 9 years old, I experienced racism for the first time. The fact that it came from my school friends whom I knew since I was 5 years old and they were Punjabis and Muslims made it worse. I was devastated when they decided to create a gang – “the makeup gang.” I was not allowed to join, as my mother would not allow us to wear makeup. I was no longer one of their friends! I played on my own for hours in the schoolyard, my heart was breaking because I was now an outsider and I did not know why. In the summer holidays, I was at the local park, which we visited every Saturday, and at weekends when the weather was nice. One day we went to the swings to play. I eagerly waited for a child on a wooden swing to pause so I could have my turn on the swing. As I looked up, the girl pulled the swing forward, fast and low that it went crashing into my forehead stunning me. The pain was excruciating and was likely to be the cause of a condition, which would lead to depression and daily headache syndrome for much of my life. We had no extended family in the UK and were not allowed to have friends, which was very stressful. I had become the victim of sexual abuse and by my mid-teens had begun contemplating suicide. It seemed everyone in my family hated each other. My parents and siblings seemed indifferent to what I was going through. I became introspective, had deep feelings of rejection and isolation as a teenager; I became more and more distant from them. As a depressed 18-year-old, failed my exams, isolated I decided to go back to my primary school. I mostly held sad memories except for one teacher who showed some interest in me when I told her I had started having piano lessons. I was 10 years old and playing the piano in my parents’ front room became my escape from daily stress, brawls, and screaming matches between my older siblings and my parents. It was my safe place where I could shut the door and hide in music because I knew no one was interested in listening to me play the piano or sing. In fact, I was ridiculed and never received any affirmation from my family during my childhood. I was tolerated and never felt accepted. I went back to primary school and managed to find out about my music teacher. She had moved, by now, was married with children. I wrote a letter to her explaining what I was doing now, that I had left grammar school without any A levels, felt that I had no prospects, and had no idea what kind of job I could get. I had been seeking for truth during these very dark years. This teacher had taught me music and had reached out to me. This one act of kindness towards a lonely confused, and depressed 10 year old had a huge impact. It was also one of many “God-incidences” up to that point which drew my attention to the fact that God was hovering over my life as it says in Genesis “And the Spirit of God brood over the waters..” He was drawing me to Himself without my even knowing or asking Him to! A few weeks after writing the letter, I received a response from the teacher. I was amazed, as I had no friends in the new area my parents had moved to and she seemed to be what I wanted in a friend. She wrote about how she had remembered me, her new family life, and about my search for truth. Her letter ended with these words “Vasantha, if there is one thing I can pass on to you, it’s the opportunity to seek Jesus.” I had no idea she was a Christian! These were words I did not want to read, however, I was indoctrinated with so many conflicting ideas about Jesus that I had already decided to create my own religion made up of all the good bits of other religions, which I actually knew very little about! I pretended I knew everything and told my teacher in subsequent letters but all she ever wrote back to me was about my SIN and how Jesus was the only person who could solve the problem of my sin. One year and numerous letters later, I still had no peace, was lonely, depressed, and confused so I asked if I could meet my teacher at her home. I did not tell my parents where I was going as I had little reason to. I just wanted to get away from everyone. At the end of my day with her family, I asked my teacher if she had anything I could read. She ran upstairs and brought her husband’s bible, which had written on the front a passage from 1st Corinthians 13 “…and the greatest of these is love.” I began reading the passage and the Gospel of John as my teacher had encouraged me. My days were long and lonely during that summer when I had failed my A levels in Biology and Chemistry a second time. Feeling disillusioned after practicing the piano for hours in the hope of being able to study music at college instead, I sat at the table and said to God: “If you are with me, tell me who you are.” A voice inside me simply said, “My name is Jesus Christ” and on hearing those words I felt a huge weight lift off me. Later that day in my bedroom I knelt on the floor and prayed a prayer no one had ever taught me and received Christ as my Savior. I had no idea what life would bring along, never imagining that I would suddenly be accepted to study music at a college that was far from my family.  I would end up in a borderline cult for 7 difficult years during which I was told that if I wanted to serve God I would have to give up everything, including my career and college and so I did, causing my parent’s much pain as I had no point of reference as far as churches were concerned. They had no idea I had become a Christian. I had such a strong desire to serve God that I became depressed whatever work I did as my relationship with my family and people in the church was difficult for many years. I ended up in YWAM (Youth with a Mission) for 2 years and this led to 10 years as a gospel singer in the UK and other countries. God moved in my life so powerfully that I realized this was His way of keeping me close to Him and giving me the love few people around me had ever given me. Through the years since my journey began, 35 years ago I have been misunderstood, spiritually abused, and felt like a wanderer in the church. I rarely felt accepted as I never felt completely Asian. I felt but did not look British and that seemed to be a problem for people. Yes, I was accepted to a certain degree and God did bring a few special people into my life but I never felt I was really part of “family” in the Body of Christ. I was single, female, from a heathen background, often viewed suspiciously by leaders, and even asked to leave a church because I was of the wrong nationality! All through the pain, isolation, and lack of friendships, I made the choice to forgive and I am grateful for those who did believe in me and remained loyal in spite of geographical separation. I also learned my conflict resolving skills were appalling and would always run away from conflict. Some years ago I had the opportunity to have counseling at a Christian healing ministry in the UK. My journey into healing began. It was to be a traumatic journey with my facing literal death for the third time in my life as God dug deep into my past hurts, fears, and brokenness but God brought me through as He promised and restored me. There were generational issues to be dealt with causing me trauma to the point where I felt I was being terrorized by the enemy mentally. My journey into the physical long-term and mental illness gave me compassion for those who suffer in this area. I later trained in healing ministry myself and have discovered that much of our healing simply comes through having genuine relationships with others in the Body of Christ and experiencing the reality of family in the church, which is something, eluded me for many years. I was taken to an Asian church as a young Christian but the memories of racism as a 9-year-old had affected me so deeply I never felt comfortable. I could not speak or understand the languages being spoken and felt as much an alien as in any other church. In fact, I could not bear to be around Asians at all…one pastor even told me to “Go and speak to those visitors…they are YOUR people”…I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction! During the course of counseling, I found out from my mother that her father was a Brahmin priest although she never knew him and had kept this a secret throughout her life. I wonder if that is where my deep sense of God’s call on my life came from so much so that I struggled for many years with secular work. I was told in screaming tones as a child by my mother that her mother had abused and abandoned her when she was a child. My grandmother had turned her back on her family and become an actress at the Bombay Talkie studios long before Bollywood came into existence. The childhood embarrassment of going to watch Bollywood movies every Sunday with a mother who sobbed her way through every film was profound but her behavior now made sense. My mother was mourning the loss of parents she had never had and could not be to us as she isolated us, forbade us to have friends, threatened us with physical harm if we disobeyed and yet she never carried out those threats. My mother is a lioness who hurt deeply for her children because of her own loss. Last year I was given the opportunity to do a 3-year degree program, which I completed in just 8 months! At school, my headmaster wrote in a report “Vasantha has an inability to retain information”…God proved him so very wrong! I came out to the top of the college in record time and am about to become an Executive Vice President in a company in the UK. God restores the years the locust has eaten. My life has been difficult, but through it all, God has been faithful, never leaving or abandoning me, saving my father on his deathbed, restoring relationships that had barely existed and changing my family as He has worked in me and shown He is a loving Heavenly Father who seeks the one in order to bring in the many. @ Vasantha Narayanswami 2017
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God that Communicates – Powerful Testimony of Preeti Krishnan

She was a bright MBA student at the one of the most prestigious business school in India. But when the pressure and demands of her studies start to grow, she turned to her favorite Hindu God, expecting God to help her. But when she found no answer back, she was confused and more desperate for God that communicates. She found the True and Loving God through one of the most powerful experiences of her life. This video testimony describes Preeti Krishnan’s journey to find God that communicates.

You can find a detailed testimony and blog of Preeti here.

http://preetiloveslife.blogspot.com/2007/07/intro-my-encounter-with-jesus.html

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNT5J7pfgDc

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Video Testimony of Healing and Hope from Hyderabad

Here is a simple story of a young man named Uttam who suffered from some chronic illness. His father and his stepmother did not treat him well as they had to spend money on him. That left Uttam in a deep hurt and anguish. One day he saw a program, Drishtanth a serial based on the life of Christ on Christian TV channel. Uttam was touched by life and miracles of Jesus and how he touched the lives of downcasted people. So Utaam decided to letter to the CBN program. He heard back from them in a few days and the letter was filled words of love and compassion towards Uttam.

Later, he found  a devastating news that he was suffering from blood cancer. He did not know where to go and what to do. He thought to go to the CBN office in Hyderabad, Andhrapradesh from where he had received the letter with Words of Jesus Christ. The CBN people warmly welcomed him and counseled him in the word of the Lord. Uttam had never felt or seen such love in his life. In the days to follow, He accepted Jesus Christ into his life. He felt loved and accepted among these new found Christian friends. After some time, when he had to go to a check up at the doctor’s office, all his friends prayed for him. When the doctor saw his tests results, they did not find any trace of  cancer in his blood. Jesus Christ had healed him completely. Praise the Lord.

Here is the video testimony in his own words.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T_nGeKEsvI

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Video Testimony of Young Hindu Student: Ritesh Patel

This is the conversion story of a young guy named Ritesh Patel who is current studying Civil Engineering in Texas A&M University (as of April, 2009). He grew up in religious Hindu family from Jasper, Texas. Since Ritesh was 6 six years old, he had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (wikipedia), he was obsessed with the thoughts about the end of the world. He was so anxious and restless about these thoughts, that he would think for days about it.

During his high school years, he had to do a class project on Jewish people.  He had to research about the Messiah and what the Jews believed about him. One day as he was browsing internet for information about Messiah, he came to learn an intriguing claim, that Jesus is the only way to heaven. He had never heard anything like this before. Hinduism being polytheistic religion, it was hard for him to think that Jesus is the only God. But over the period of years, God opened his heart and he felt convinced and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Here is the video testimony in his own words. Glory be to God.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJdCRM1_1SI

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Sanjay Gupta- Vaishnav Hindu from Lucknow

Sanjay Gupta was born in a very rich family. His family belongs to the Vaishnav caste from Lucknow. Sanjay’s parents were very religious and traditional. His father’s business was lending money to others. Since his childhood, there were many instances when Sanjay would collect money instead of his father. So growing up he always had some money in his hands. Slowly he started taking some money and this led him to many temptations. He was young and naïve and wanted to be “cool” among his friends. He stated smoking at very early age, when he was in 5th grade. Slowly he started drinking too. Soon he became addicted to it. The family became aware of all his behavior. The family tried many different gurus, pujas, and mantras. They wanted Sanjay to get rid of his lifestyle. But it was all in vain. At times he would come home drunk and fight with his family members. Slowly his family started avoiding him on social functions, family gathering because he would show up drunk and start a quarrel.

Sanjay became a hard core drug addict. He would sell and buy drugs and make huge money. From morning to night he would spend in drinking and drugs. There were times he could see how broken his parents were to see him in this condition and try to sit in some puja, wear amulets, wear blessed bracelets to be delivered but there was no good result.

One night he was completely drunk and he was trying to sleep. Suddenly in his room he saw a bright light. Then, a voice came to him, “I am the way, the truth and life. Son, this is not your life, come back to the true life, I have created you in your mother’s womb”. Sanjay started saying all the shlokas which he has learned in his childhood. He was supposed to repeat that when he was afraid which he had learnt. While he was chanting the voice came to him again and again, “I have chosen you from my mother’s womb, you are special”. First time in his life he was terrified and felt broken from inside. He was thinking this is some demonic forces. He also switched off and switch on the light but he still heard the voice and could feel the presence of this voice.

Next morning he went to a famous Hindu saint and asked him to perform a special puja. But that day he could not smoke or drink. At night again he went to sleep and again he had the same experience. The same light and the voice filled his room. Somehow he managed to get through the night.

The next morning he met a famous Muslim saint. He was very well known to drive away evil spirits from people. This saint guaranteed Sanjay that if he follows whatever he says, he will drive this spirit away from him. Sanjay gave a huge gift to the saint. The Saint said some prayers over him and also tied two amulets on his feet. He also gave a small pot which he had to place it outside his room. So that, no evil would dare to enter in. The saint assured him that from now on, no power will come near him.

That day Sanjay again, got drunk. We went to his room that night and switched off the light. This time he felt there is already somebody in the room and the voice said “I am the light of the world and I will take out all the darkness from your life, I will take protect you.” While listening to the voice he struggled to stand up the thread which he had tied in his legs were broken. Tired with this long struggle, he shouted who are you and what do you want from me? You can kill me but do not scare me every night. Sanjay was thinking this is some old enemy of his who is taking some revenge. But right then an unthinkable phenomenon occurred. A human like figure appeared from the light. His two hands were stretched and these hands gave a hug to Sanjay. He was showered with divine love of Jesus Christ in that moment. This went on for hours, he kept weeping and Jesus continued loving him. That night Sanjay wept and wept uncontrollably. He was not sure of why is he crying but a weight was lifted from his heart. He felt a freedom.

When his family came to know that Sanjay became a Christian, they were very angry at him. The whole family disowned him and broke all relationship with him. The family decided not to give any inheritance from the family.

Sanjay continues to serve the Lord wholeheartedly even today and spreads the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. The following four parts video testimony describes his conversion to Christianity in his own words.

The videos are in Hindi language.

Part 1
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNbKENIEpBA&start=340

Part 2
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPyGmmvBMgk

Part 3
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pux0r7cUIA

Part 4
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8szEPrYt5s

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Video Testimony of a Hindu Woman

This is a video testimony of Hindu woman from orthodox Brahmin family. She was born into a priestly heritage, her father and grandfather were priests of temple. When she was just 6 years old, she was dedicated to Hindu gods in the temple. She was left in a “cave temple” as an act of worship to God. Since then, she felt that the gods controlled her destiny. She grew up learning 2000 different names of gods and goddesses. She also learned many traditions and Hindu rituals. It was required of her as a Brahmin girl.

As she grew up as a teenager, she desperately searched for a real, true god who could lead her life. She was deeply searching for truth and meaning. Once she went to a temple in South India, when she was in the innermost part of the temple, she saw a huge 10 feet statue of a Hindu god with 12 heads and numerous eyes looking at her. This was most holy of holy place in the temple separated by a veil in which only a male priest could enter. She went there looking for something but she felt a more empty from within. She knew that the idol was not looking at her neither it could hold or touch her. In her pursuit to know the true god she started a journey of darkness and emptiness and in that phase she started taking lessons from a lady who practiced witchcraft.

Years later, she was struck with a demonic pain. She went to many doctors and took a lot of medicines but the pain would not leave her body. She took many pain killers, more than her required dosage just to get through the day and knock off the pain. Day by day the pain intensified and it was unbearable for her. One fine day she thought of committing suicide. But while she was sitting at the edge of her bed thinking this is the last day on earth, one last time she wanted to call on God. This time she shouted “Jesus, Jesus” She had heard this name growing up with Christian friends or during Christmas. Suddenly a miracle happened. The room was dark but the presence of the living God filled the room and Jesus touched her. She heard the voice “I am Jesus, I am God”. He touched her body and in an instant she was healed. No doctor or physician could heal her or give her any answers. She began to feel the power go through her body. She was changed forever. This video testimony describes her journey to finding Jesus in her own words.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DKmzSrScI0&feature=related

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Narayan Wamanrao Tilak – Marathi Poet from Maharashtra

Narayan Wamanrao Tilak (1861-1919) and Laxmi bai Tilak (1868-1936)

Narayan Waman Tilak, a renowned Marathi poet and a social reformer, is loved throughout Maharashtra as “the poet of children and flowers.” He was born into a Hindu Chitrapavan Brahmin family in Karajgaon village in the Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra on 6 December 1861.  Biographies of his life mention he was disliked by his father because he was born with feet first, which at that time was considered a bad omen in the Indian culture. During his education, he learned Sanskrit literature extensively. He later married to Manakaranika Gokhle, who then took the married name of Lakshmibai Tilak.

narayan wamanrao tilak and lakshmi bai tilak After completing his education, he took up several jobs in different places in Maharashtra such as a teacher, a Hindu priest and a press compositor. In 1893, Tilak traveled by train from Nagpur to Rajanandgaon Sansthan in search of a new job. Rajanandgaon Sansthan, in those times, was a princely state in the Central Province of India.  While on the train, he met a Christian missionary, who after     lengthly conversation, presented Tilak a copy of the Bible and whispered a “prophesy” in Tilak’s ears saying,“You will come under the  grace of Savior Jesus in less than two years.” Tilak was very disappointed in the Hindu caste system, with its emphasis on rituals and ceremonies in Hinduism. He was drawn to the teachings of the Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and after a series of life changing events, he decided to follow Jesus Christ in 1895. When Lakshmi bai heard about his decision, she was stunned. This led to a separation between the couple for some time. She started studying the Bible on her own and eventually felt the same interest and affection. She, too, accepted Jesus as her personal Savior in 1900. The couple resumed their married life together. After accepting Christ, Tilak primarily lived in the town of Ahmadnagar and served about 24 years as a preacher in the local church, until his death in 1919.

Christ Centered Work of Tilak

Tilak introduced using “Bhajans” and “Kirtan” to the Marathi church, enriching their devotional life by this art form familiar to them. He never gave up his Indian cultural birth right but brought the riches of Hindu heritage in to the Church. Narayan Wamanrao Tilak has written more than 2100 poems, some of them comprising hundreds of lines. He also started to compose, in Marathi, an epic titled “Khristayana”, describing the works of Jesus Christ in native Indian form. However, he died after finishing only ten of its chapters. Lakshmi bai later completed the epic by adding 64 chapters of her own. Laxmi bai also wrote her autobiography titled, “Smruti Chitre”, which was a masterpiece in Marathi literature. It was published in 1934-1937 in four parts. Narayan Waman Tilak’s work in Christian literature and poetry in the Marathi language has been immense, yet sadly, much forgotten over time.  However, his legacy and Christian influence still lives on in the many lives he touched through the love of Jesus Christ.
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Sadhu Sundar Singh – Story of Christian Sadhu

Childhood

Sadhu Sundar Singh was born in 1889 in Punjab, India. His family belonged to the Sikh religion. His mother, a devout woman, would take young Sundar to an ascetic man to learn about God. He also attended a Christian mission school to learn English but resented it and showed no interest in the Bible. At the tenderer age of 14, Sundar’s beloved mother died. He was devastated. Succumbing to despair, he went through a major faith crisis and even considered suicide. This crisis led him in a search for truth. Unconvinced that the teachings of Jesus were true, he tore up his Bible and would throw stones at any preacher he saw passing by.

The Miraculous Transformation

In December 1903, on a cold winter’s night, Sadhu Sundar Singh decided to throw himself under the Ludhiana Express, a train that passed by his home. That night he prayed for several hours pleading, “O God, if there is a God, reveal yourself to me tonight.” Before dawn early the next morning, as the time neared for the train to pass by, his room was suddenly filled with an unfamiliar glow. Sundar peeped outside his door and saw only sheer darkness. He closed the door and the light grew brighter. Suddenly, he saw a figure appear before him and heard a voice say, “How long will you deny me? I died for you; I have given my life for you.” He also saw that the figure’s hands had holes in them as if pierced by nails. Sundar was astonished. He was expecting to see some of the traditional gods whom he worshipped, but he saw Jesus instead. Sundar realized it was indeed Jesus in his vision and that he is still alive today. As he knelt down and prayed, he had miraculous peace and joy in his heart, which he had never experienced before. The vision disappeared but the joy remained and the peace lingered. This was wonderful a life-changing event for Sundar, though his family ostracized him for his newfound faith.
The true Christian is like sandalwood, which imparts its fragrance to the axe which cuts it, without doing any harm in return… – Sadhu Sundar Singh

Life as a Sadhu

In 1905, on his 16th birthday, Sundar was baptized in an English church in Shimla. At that time, he chose to become a Christian Sadhu, so he could dedicate himself to full-time service for the Lord. As a Sadhu, he wore a yellow robe, lived on the charity, abandoned his possessions, and maintained celibacy. He was convinced this was the approach to introduce Jesus Christ to his people in India and the surrounding regions. He wanted to be like the Sadhus, which are commonly seen in India wearing such customary saffron clothes. Sundar traveled extensively all over India and Tibet. He visited Malaysia, Japan, and China between the years 1918-1919. He was a gifted preacher and attracted hundreds of people whenever he spoke. In addition to India and Tibet, he toured Sri Lanka, Europe, Middle East, and America. Despite his growing fame, Sadhu Sundar Singh remained modest, desiring only to follow Jesus’ example: to repay the kindness and win his enemies by love. Towards the end of his life, he had many health issues due to excessive traveling. He wrote a number of books during this time. Listed below are some of the books he wrote. They were written in Urdu and translated by different authors.

Books by Sadhu Sundar Singh

  • At the masters feet (1922)
  • Reality and religion (1923)
  • Search after Reality (1924)
  • Spiritual Life (1925)
  • Spiritual World (1926)
  • Real Life (1927)
  • With and Without Christ (1928)

Final Days

In 1929, Sadhu Sundar Singh was on his way to Tibet with some other traders. He walked several miles beyond Badrinath on rugged, snowy mountain paths. The route was steep and challenging. He never returned from this trip. His friends searched for him but his body could not be found.  Nobody knows exactly what happened to him. Sadhu Sundar Singh is called the “Apostle with Bleeding Feet” since he would often go from one place to another, in bare feet, to talk about Jesus.  He was a monk.  His dedication to spread the love of Jesus Christ in India and the South Asian region is matchless. He represented Christ well in the Indian context,  living as the traditional itinerant preacher or sadhus. He was the Sadhu, who found his Salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, his Guru.
Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease to exist. We can be sure of its presence by tasting the water. Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen, will be made evident to others from the love which he imparts to us. – Sadhu Sundar Singh

References

  • https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/mystery-of-the-missing-sadhu/article24552016.ece
  • https://www.ccel.org/ccel/singh
  • https://www.tentmaker.org/biographies/singh.htm
  • https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/wanderer-for-christ
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Bakht Singh- A Life Testimony

In 1903, Bakht Singh was born into a religious Sikh family in Punjab, now a region in Pakistan. He was educated in a Christian school but was resentful towards Christians. Harboring bitterness deep within his heart toward Christianity, he befriended only Hindus and Muslims. He wouldn’t even talk to Christians. Upon graduation, he was given a leather-bound Bible which he promptly tore into pieces, except for the beautiful leather-bound cover which he kept. He was devout and spent many hours in the Sikh temples observing all the religious rites. The Sikh community is well known for their social service in society. Bakht Singh had an active part in such work but he still found himself seeking true joy and meaning in life.

A Strange Dream

During his school days, he had a dream in which he was climbing a high and steep hill. With great difficulty and much struggle, he reached the top. But as soon as he did, someone came along and hurled him down. As he fell, sharp rocks dug into his ribs and he cried out in agonizing pain. This woke him, and he found himself lying in bed.

Life in England

Bakht Singh had the ambition to go to England for further studies. His father, a wealthy factory owner, urged him to join him in his business. He had six brothers but Bakht was the favorite of his mother. She offered to help him travel to England only if he promised not to change his religion. Bakht Singh was a proud Sikh man, so it was easy to promise his mother he would never do such a thing. Reluctantly, his father agreed to send him to England, providing all the finances he needed. Bakht promised to live economically. In September 1926, he reached England and enrolled in Mechanical Engineering at the Engineering College of London.

Bakht Singh gradually adapted to the Western world and the culture of the day. He did not enjoy the food, but he did adopt the English man’s way of using a fork and spoon. He also shaved his hair, which conservative Sikhs rarely do. He traveled throughout Europe and England, visiting museums and art galleries, wearing expensive clothes, taking part in social functions, and indulging in pleasures. He acquired the education he desired, made friends from different lifestyles, smoked expensive cigars, and consumed alcohol. All these endeavors, however, left him unfulfilled and unhappy.

Bakht Singh thought to himself that perhaps he was unhappy because he was not fully civilized. He asked his English friends, his professor, and his fellow students if they were happy. None of them could answer absolutely yes. He had assumed that if only India could have education, sanitation, and the modern conveniences of the Western world, it would be like heaven. There were greater evils in society that he did not understand. He concluded the world is filled with “vanity of vanities.”

A Trip To Canada

In 1928, he decided to join a group of students headed to Canada. On August 10, after arriving in Canada, he saw a notice that a church service would be held at noon in a first-class dining saloon. He considered going along with his friends but he was afraid, as he had never been to a church before. Having traveled so many places, he thought to himself, “What harm will this do?”, so he tagged along. At the end of the service, he saw people kneeling down and praying. He thought, “These people do not know anything about religion. They have exploited my country and I have seen them eating and drinking. What do they know? After all, my religion is the best religion.” He found one man kneeling on his right and another on his left. Even though he disagreed with what they were doing, he was respectful enough not to disturb them. He began to think, “I have been to mosques and Hindu temples. I have taken off my shoes and washed my feet to show respect for those places. I must honor this place too out of courtesy.” So breaking his national pride, he knelt down. Suddenly, he felt great change coming over him. His whole body began to tremble and he could feel divine power entering into him and lifting him up. The first change he noticed was that a great joy was flooding his soul. Then he realized that he was repeating the name of Jesus Christ. He began to say, “Oh, Lord Jesus, blessed be Thy name, blessed be Thy name.” The name Jesus became very sweet to him.

After this experience in Canada, Bakht Singh started attending churches on weekdays when they were empty and would sit in quiet contemplation. He felt tranquility, joy, and peace in his heart. A year passed by. He did not have the courage to tell anyone about his transformational experience, but the desire for smoking, drinking and otherworldly pleasures was gone. On December 14, 1929, he asked a friend to give him a Bible. This caught his friend by surprise! He gladly gave him a pocket New Testament, which Bakth kept with him for the rest of his life.

The next day as he was reading the third chapter in the Gospel of John, the words “Verily Verily I say unto you” convicted him. He realized for the first time that he was a great sinner and that his heart was filthy. He felt remorse for the blasphemous words he used against Jesus and Christians. Tears began to flow. As he was crying, a gentle voice said to him, “This is my body broken for you; this is my blood shed for the remission of your sins.” He knew that only the blood of Jesus could wash away his sins but he did not understand exactly how. That day, he accepted Jesus as his Savior and God. Unexplainable joy and peace flooded his soul. He felt assured that all his sins were washed away. He continued to worship Jesus. A few days later, he received the Bible (Old and New Testaments) as a Christmas gift. He engrossed himself in this Book, sometimes reading for 14 hours a stretch! He also read the New Testament numerous times.

On 4 February 1932, Bakht Singh was baptized in Vancouver, Canada. After his baptism, he wrote a letter to his father, declaring his transformation. It was a long letter with many Bible references. His father had met a missionary who taught him about Christ and the Bible. He, too, had an Urdu Bible. After reading Bakht’s letter and the Bible references which he cited, his father was convinced that his son had a real conversion. Later, he too started believing in Jesus Christ.

Ministry in India

Bakht Singh returned to Mumbai, India in 1933, where he was not well received by his family members. His parents would only accept him as long as he kept his ‘newly found faith’ a secret. Upon his denial of this demand, his family deserted him. Even though he was now homeless, the joy and love of Christ in his heart was too much to contain. As a result, he began boldly and lovingly preaching on the streets of Mumbai. Soon, he started attracting thousands of people from all reaches India. Large crowds gathered wherever he went. Signs, wonders, and healings always followed his revival meetings. He went on to plant several churches all over India. Later on, his family also accepted him, many of whom also became followers of Jesus Christ.

Bakht Singh died on September 17, 2000, at age of 97, but his life and legacy still live on through the lives that were transformed. He traveled for 60 years throughout the country preaching at revivals. He initiated over 6,000 indigenous churches and fellowships in India. Today his influence has seen about 10,000 churches planted in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the United States. Bakht Singh was a friend to Christian leaders such as Billy Graham, Francis Schaeffer, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Jerry Falwell, and John Stott.

References

  • http://www.brotherbakhtsingh.org/briefbio.html
  • https://bethanyhouseofworship.org/wp/2014/08/19/the-mission-of-bro-bakht-singh/
  • http://reachournation.blogspot.com/2009/05/brother-bakht-singh-servant-of-god.html
  • https://sternfieldthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/04/bakht-singh-1903-2000-indias-billy.html
  • https://campuslinklive.org/trail-of-obedience-brother-bakht-singh-chabra/
  • https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/septemberweb-only/55.0b.html

Bakht Singh Chabra (1903-2000) is considered an exceptional preacher, bible teacher, and evangelist from India. He is among the pioneers of the Indigenous Church planting movement and contextualization of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Indian culture. Bakht Singh became a follower of Jesus Christ during his visits to England and Canada for higher education. He is also known as Brother Bakht Singh. This story offers a glimpse into his life.

His Childhood Years

Bakht Singh (1959)

In 1903, Bakht Singh was born into a religious Sikh family in Punjab, now a region in Pakistan. He was educated in a Christian school but was resentful towards Christians. Harboring bitterness deep within his heart toward Christianity, he befriended only Hindus and Muslims. He wouldn’t even talk to Christians. Upon graduation, he was given a leather-bound Bible which he promptly tore into pieces, except for the beautiful leather-bound cover which he kept. He was devout and spent many hours in the Sikh temples observing all the religious rites. The Sikh community is well known for their social service in society. Bakht Singh had an active part in such work but he still found himself seeking true joy and meaning in life.

A Strange Dream

During his school days, he had a dream in which he was climbing a high and steep hill. With great difficulty and much struggle, he reached the top. But as soon as he did, someone came along and hurled him down. As he fell, sharp rocks dug into his ribs and he cried out in agonizing pain. This woke him, and he found himself lying in bed.

Life in England

Bakht Singh had the ambition to go to England for further studies. His father, a wealthy factory owner, urged him to join him in his business. He had six brothers but Bakht was the favorite of his mother. She offered to help him travel to England only if he promised not to change his religion. Bakht Singh was a proud Sikh man, so it was easy to promise his mother he would never do such a thing. Reluctantly, his father agreed to send him to England, providing all the finances he needed. Bakht promised to live economically. In September 1926, he reached England and enrolled in Mechanical Engineering at the Engineering College of London.

Bakht Singh gradually adapted to the Western world and the culture of the day. He did not enjoy the food, but he did adopt the English man’s way of using a fork and spoon. He also shaved his hair, which conservative Sikhs rarely do. He traveled throughout Europe and England, visiting museums and art galleries, wearing expensive clothes, taking part in social functions, and indulging in pleasures. He acquired the education he desired, made friends from different lifestyles, smoked expensive cigars, and consumed alcohol. All these endeavors, however, left him unfulfilled and unhappy.

Bakht Singh thought to himself that perhaps he was unhappy because he was not fully civilized. He asked his English friends, his professor, and his fellow students if they were happy. None of them could answer absolutely yes. He had assumed that if only India could have education, sanitation, and the modern conveniences of the Western world, it would be like heaven. There were greater evils in society that he did not understand. He concluded the world is filled with “vanity of vanities.”

A Trip To Canada

In 1928, he decided to join a group of students headed to Canada. On August 10, after arriving in Canada, he saw a notice that a church service would be held at noon in a first-class dining saloon. He considered going along with his friends but he was afraid, as he had never been to a church before. Having traveled so many places, he thought to himself, “What harm will this do?”, so he tagged along. At the end of the service, he saw people kneeling down and praying. He thought, “These people do not know anything about religion. They have exploited my country and I have seen them eating and drinking. What do they know? After all, my religion is the best religion.” He found one man kneeling on his right and another on his left. Even though he disagreed with what they were doing, he was respectful enough not to disturb them. He began to think, “I have been to mosques and Hindu temples. I have taken off my shoes and washed my feet to show respect for those places. I must honor this place too out of courtesy.” So breaking his national pride, he knelt down. Suddenly, he felt great change coming over him. His whole body began to tremble and he could feel divine power entering into him and lifting him up. The first change he noticed was that a great joy was flooding his soul. Then he realized that he was repeating the name of Jesus Christ. He began to say, “Oh, Lord Jesus, blessed be Thy name, blessed be Thy name.” The name Jesus became very sweet to him.

After this experience in Canada, Bakht Singh started attending churches on weekdays when they were empty and would sit in quiet contemplation. He felt tranquility, joy, and peace in his heart. A year passed by. He did not have the courage to tell anyone about his transformational experience, but the desire for smoking, drinking and otherworldly pleasures was gone. On December 14, 1929, he asked a friend to give him a Bible. This caught his friend by surprise! He gladly gave him a pocket New Testament, which Bakth kept with him for the rest of his life.

The next day as he was reading the third chapter in the Gospel of John, the words “Verily Verily I say unto you” convicted him. He realized for the first time that he was a great sinner and that his heart was filthy. He felt remorse for the blasphemous words he used against Jesus and Christians. Tears began to flow. As he was crying, a gentle voice said to him, “This is my body broken for you; this is my blood shed for the remission of your sins.” He knew that only the blood of Jesus could wash away his sins but he did not understand exactly how. That day, he accepted Jesus as his Savior and God. Unexplainable joy and peace flooded his soul. He felt assured that all his sins were washed away. He continued to worship Jesus. A few days later, he received the Bible (Old and New Testaments) as a Christmas gift. He engrossed himself in this Book, sometimes reading for 14 hours a stretch! He also read the New Testament numerous times.

On 4 February 1932, Bakht Singh was baptized in Vancouver, Canada. After his baptism, he wrote a letter to his father, declaring his transformation. It was a long letter with many Bible references. His father had met a missionary who taught him about Christ and the Bible. He, too, had an Urdu Bible. After reading Bakht’s letter and the Bible references which he cited, his father was convinced that his son had a real conversion. Later, he too started believing in Jesus Christ.

Ministry in India

Bakht Singh returned to Mumbai, India in 1933, where he was not well received by his family members. His parents would only accept him as long as he kept his ‘newly found faith’ a secret. Upon his denial of this demand, his family deserted him. Even though he was now homeless, the joy and love of Christ in his heart was too much to contain. As a result, he began boldly and lovingly preaching on the streets of Mumbai. Soon, he started attracting thousands of people from all reaches India. Large crowds gathered wherever he went. Signs, wonders, and healings always followed his revival meetings. He went on to plant several churches all over India. Later on, his family also accepted him, many of whom also became followers of Jesus Christ.

Bakht Singh died on September 17, 2000, at age of 97, but his life and legacy still live on through the lives that were transformed. He traveled for 60 years throughout the country preaching at revivals. He initiated over 6,000 indigenous churches and fellowships in India. Today his influence has seen about 10,000 churches planted in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the United States. Bakht Singh was a friend to Christian leaders such as Billy Graham, Francis Schaeffer, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Jerry Falwell, and John Stott.

References

  • http://www.brotherbakhtsingh.org/briefbio.html
  • https://bethanyhouseofworship.org/wp/2014/08/19/the-mission-of-bro-bakht-singh/
  • http://reachournation.blogspot.com/2009/05/brother-bakht-singh-servant-of-god.html
  • https://sternfieldthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/04/bakht-singh-1903-2000-indias-billy.html
  • https://campuslinklive.org/trail-of-obedience-brother-bakht-singh-chabra/
  • https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/septemberweb-only/55.0b.html

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Testimony of Dharam Prakash Sharma

Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma is a well-known film star, a prominent business executive and a member of the Indian Parliament. He was the only son of the chief priest of Pushkar Teertha (or tirth), Ajmer, Rajasthan. Pushkar Tirth is one of the only two temples in India dedicated to Brahma.

Even though Panditji was born in Pushkar Teertha, he had an intense hunger for the true living God. He was very much involved in all religious activities but he still did not have the real peace in his heart. He often wondered, “After all these fasts and religious ceremonies which I am performing every day, am I in right relationship with God? Is he drawing closer to me?”

A Mysterious Voice

In Agra University where he studied, he first heard about the “Sermon on the Mount” (Sermon on the Mount is an account of Jesus’ teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible). He thought to himself, “I need not read the Bible as it is the religion of the British who ruled my country”. Both his parents were freedom fighters and went to jail to fight for India’s independence. But when he learnt that Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by it, he decided to check it out. While he was reading it, he heard a mysterious voice saying, “I am the one whom you are searching from the childhood”. He was astounded and checked around the room but found no one. Again he heard the same voice. But he could see no one. Soon after that the whole room was lit with bright light. It was not any natural light he had seen before but a different kind of light. In it, he saw two hands stretched towards him and calling him. He was amazed by this and was very confused by this experience. He wanted to know who this Jesus Christ is. He immediately ran to his principal who was a Christian, the principal could not have answer for him, so he took him to a Roman Catholic Bishop who told him, “Only if you are a Christian, you can understand this”! He was very sad to hear this as he never could imagine becoming a Christian. He hated this religion to his core.

He started observing the lives of some Christian friends in his university.  But unfortunately he found that their lives did not match the teaching of Jesus Christ, he read in the bible. This intensified his hatred for the Christian religion. So he went to the library took three Bibles in different languages and burnt them. Few of his Hindu friends who watched, applauded him for the act.

Life continued on and he tried to forget this experience at the University and moved forward. He had a brilliant career first as a well-known film star, then a prominent business executive and finally as a member of the Indian Parliament.

His Life-Changing Experience

When he was on the peak of his career, one incident rocked his life. It occurred in prime of his political career. V.V.Giri was the President of India back then. The president was leaving in a train after one of his trip, there was a throng of people waving him goodbye on a railway station. While he was also standing and waving, he heard an audible voice, “Where is he going?” Panditji said, “Who?”

The Voice said, “Him, where is he going”.

Panditji said, “He is going to his home”.

The Voice asked, “where will he go from there?”

Panditji said, “He will leave this world and go as everyone has to go.”

The Voice asked, “Do you know where he is going?”

Panditji said, “No.”

The Voice said, “Do you know where you are going?”

Panditji said, “I am not sure.”

The Voice asked, “Where will you go from here?” “How will you enter into eternal life? How will you save yourself?”

He did not have any answers to all these questions. But he was reminded of a bible verse, he read during his college days. “Even if you gain the whole world and lose your own life….” (Bible). Right at that place, in the same moment he prayed to Jesus Christ and asked him to come into his life. At that moment, he felt as if a son has met his Eternal Father. He felt a divine love, peace and comfort in his heart. He found his Lord and God in Jesus Christ. He resigned from his political career. He felt even if I reach to the highest political career and not have the love of God, it is all meaningless.

India was going through a political emergency and Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister at that time. She requested Panditji to not leave politics but to help her in this time of emergency. But Panditji was determined. He also challenged her with the question, “Do you have the love and joy of the Lord?” She did not receive it positively and he left the office.

Purpose Driven Life

Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma’s life is a living testimony of the quest for the living God, ultimately finding fulfillment, despite of all kinds of difficulties and opposition. It was through the spiritual strength of his wife Ashaji, which guided him to a very intimate relationship with the Lord and experience the true meaning and purpose of life. He has since devoted the rest of his life in sharing the Word of God and true meaning of atonement. Panditji has shared his entire testimony in a book ‘No greater love’.

Ten years after his knowing the living God and ten days before his father’s death, his father, Pandit Sohan Lal, told him, “My son, for ten years I have watched your life changed. You are on the true path and have found the way. Your Lord is my Lord too.”

Vedas and Doctrine of Sacrifice

Panditji says, “The desire of the Vedic rishis from ages were to seek the ultimate realization of the true God and His grace. The same desire of my own heart was fired through the power of this great good news of the heavenly Father and brought me at the feet of the eternal God.”

What the Hindu scriptures speak about Jesus? All mankind have sinned, having transgressed the law of God. Therefore, they devise various ways and means as to how to escape the wrath of God, and live. In our own country, the Brahmins perform sacrifices, and the non-Brahmins offer animals sacrifice.

An examination of the Vedas reveals that sacrifice is spoken of as the only means of salvation.

  • “Prathamani Dharmani”; “Sacrifices are the foremost of our first duties.”
  • “Yagnovai Bhuvanasya Nabhih”- “Sacrifice is the mainstay of the world”.
  • “Yagne Sarvam Pratishthitam” – “It is sacrifice that bestows all things”.
  • “Yagnovai Sutarmanowh”- “Sacrifice is the bark (boat) that enables one to live well”.
  • “Yagnena Va Deva Divangatah” – “Only by means of sacrifice, the gods attained heaven”.
  • “Rutasyanah Pathanaya Ati Viswani Durita”- “Deliverance through the path of sacrifice”.

The above doctrines proclaimed by the Vedas emphasize that sacrifices should be the foremost of all penances that must be performed for the atonement of sins.

You can hear the testimony of Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma here on in 6 part series in Hindi.

Part 1

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGIW5IegVJw

Part 2

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9nE5AtJVrw&feature=related

Part 3

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFgy7vwt3OE&feature=related

part 4

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDc-JwSOhGs&feature=related

part 5

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_2TwumeaQ&feature=related

part 6

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5q-XAoakS0&feature=related

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